The Blackmail » 2009 » August

OMG HBO

gabe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:59:42 +0000

Text: Tim McInerney

I don’t think anything will ever properly fill the void left by The Sopranos, but you can’t blame HBO for trying and hopefully they’ll come up with something more than Entourage. That worthless ‘E’ character is more boring than an unabridged audiobook I once saw of Jimmy Smits reading the King James Bible. On September 20 the brilliant HBO will be airing two new series, a comeback of Curb Your Enthusiasm, featuring Larry David fresh off a film with Woody Allen, Whatever Works, imagine for a minute those two neurosis’s in a room together, Jesus. Probably won’t be too many surprises in season seven, except for a rumored Seinfeld reunion episode which should be good.

The second show premiering is Bored To Death, Jason Schwarzman plays a boozy, smokey writer struggling with his book, who turns amateur private detective. It’s got Zach Galifianakis who almost made The Hangover bearable, and what looks like Parker Posey in hopefully more than a cameo.

It’s a shame we can’t see them live here, but those who are resourceful will be able to see them soon enough.

Cheeky Freak Of The Week

gabe — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:58:52 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

In answer to Scootas Hyper Hyper posted over at The Serps blog today, Olie who is due to start popping up on The Blackmail as of next week sent me the above clip. 1985′s Sounds Of Then (This Is Australia) is probably one of Australia’s better known classic rock tracks from classic Aus-rock outfit GANGgajang. Created after the fact, the clip combines cutting edge green screen technology with an eclectic montage of motion graphics and features a collection of Australia’s most iconic symbols. Amazing!

If you’re in Sydney this weekend, Flip Out is on tomorrow at the Manning Bar at Sydney Uni from 2pm featuring Eddy Current Suppression Ring, and a bit later La Campana host Mike Simonetti/Italians Do It Better from 10pm.

Also, Issue 3 of The Blackmail is out Tuesday. If you haven’t already subscribed, get on it! Issue 3 features Love Of Diagrams, Brendan Huntley, Lucy Folk, Arnsdorf, Ben Sullivan, Mark Drew and more! BOOM shaka laka!

Hot Chips

gabe — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:57:46 +0000

Text: Gabriel Knowles

When a Frenchman and a man who looks like a Frenchman get together and throw down a mix there’s better than even money the chance the jams are aimed at getting girls on the dance floor. Don & Johnson don’t disappoint with this mix and neither will their night, Le Pomme Frit, which just so happens to be on this Friday night in Sydney town.

Right click and save… Don & Johnson – Soft Cheese Odyssey

Le Pomme Frit is on August 28 at Ching-a-lings, 133 Oxford St Darlinghurst. Entry is free and gets you sets from DJ Dreamtime, Strike Machine and Hana Shimada.

BeDazzle Me This, BeDazzle Me That

gabe — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:56:58 +0000

Text: Billy Bride

I don’t know, I wasn’t around when the dread ‘BeDazzling’ craze struck for the first time, but I can understand that this topic may err on the side of bad taste for the more world-weary members of our audience. However, with the passing of our much beloved, and tragic, fore-father M.J. I feel as if the long cold finger of one ghostly white BeDazzled glove extends toward us, beckoning us on toward a fantastical land where the wonders of the BeDazzler & GeMagic can be enjoyed by all.

Truly, many-a-walk-of-life will be entertained by the marvels these fantastic gizmo’s have to offer. Whether you’re wanting to add a little bit of eagle-emblazoned glamour to the saddle-bag of your Harley, or the collar of your satin shirt needs a touch of disco-fever to set off the glaze of your Jerry Curl, the BeDazzler is for you. Hell, Dolce & Gabbana sent model, Olga Sherer, down the Fall runway in pair of jeans so weighted down by gems and jewels she moved in slow motion.

Get thrifty and fork out the $35 (or less for the bargain hunters). Everything looks better BeDazzled!

Check back each Thursday for more on the fashion world from Billy Bride

Mark Drew C-90: Side B

gabe — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:55:48 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

Our good friend Mark Drew is hosting part two or Side B of his show C-90 next Wednesday at 72 Erskine Street gallery in Sydney. Coming off the back of his show at Melbourne’s Don’t Come earlier this year, Side B will again dive deep into Marks extensive collection of cassette tapes from his many years spent riding the bus to the city, wide eyed with dreams of one day becoming an artist. Expect some classic blowups of some classic tapes!

Show Opens Wednesday September 2, 6 to 8pm

Read a full feature with Mark Drew and see some exclusive studio shots in Issue 3 of The Blackmail which is out this Monday. Don’t miss out, subscribe today!

Wild Greens

gabe — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:55:00 +0000

Text: CC Bakes

This winter I grew rocket in my garden. Just in a few small pots, but it was a patch one should be proud of. For me, rocket is probably the most versatile of the leafy greens. You can basically put it anywhere, in anything. It’ll brighten the blandest tomato and cheese sandwich and chaperone the most salad-poor plate. It is something I put in my mouth almost every day, and with good reason. The rocket from our garden was a revelation of sorts. I realised I had barely tasted rocket before I had tasted the garden-grown kind.

Though rocket usually has a light pepper taste, different from its leafy cousins the cos or butter lettuces with their simpler and subtler flavours, this rocket was powerful. Eaten alone was like biting into a handful of peppercorns, but crunchier and crispier, and more delicious. This new rocket sensation was like putting your glasses on in the morning – you felt completely blind before. Anyway, now that I’ve eaten my way through the rocket harvest, I am a little lost as to what to plant now that will replace my beloved green, and also a little reluctant to go back to the rocket I used to know, the one not from my garden.

Another delicious taste of what comes every Wednesday from CC Bakes

Flipping Out

gabe — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:54:03 +0000

Text: Gabriel Knowles

Festivals shouldn’t be about 40 minute queues for flat drinks, over-zealous security guards and only liking half the acts. The crew at Flip Out know that all too well so they came up with a blueprint for a boutique punk rock festival to cut through to grime. With the Flip Out hitting Sydney for the first time this year we caught up with Chris Shortt from local lads Royal Headache to find out why the festival is so special and how they managed to snare the headline spot in Melbourne.

In my opinion most of the Australian bands are some of the best in the country. I could watch every one of the bands on the line up but it’s a long day so I don’t know if I will!

I find myself more behind a lot of Australian bands at the moment because I think knowing who they are and where they’re coming and that they’re good honest people goes a long way. I’ve also realised recently that there are so many Australian bands form the past that are great. I think a lot of young Australians get brainwashed into liking American bands or whatever, I think I was.

I’m not sure if we’re headlining or just closing the show but it’s pretty weird considering we have no releases out!

Flip Out festival is on at Manning Bar, Sydney Uni from 2pm and features Zond, Naked On The Vague, The Stabs, Pink Reason and Eddy Current Suppression Ring.

Buy tickets here…

Read a full feature with Royal Headache in Issue 3 of The Blackmail which is out this Monday. Don’t miss out, subscribe today!

Tubarosa

gabe — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:53:06 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

For this You & Your Blog we asked Annie Wright to tell us about the world of Tubarosa…

Tubarosa was a character I accidentally made up in about 1999, I was on a weekend away with my ex-boyfriend and some random friends of his who spent two days locked in a cabin with white powder on dinner plates and I couldn’t handle it and escaped into a world of Tuba. I only had one A5 sketch book and a black and a red biro and I filled the book in about a day and a half. Anyway that’s not really got anything to do with blogs as it was so long ago. But it was a sketch book that people would borrow and read, and lots of people took inspiration from it, and it developed a little following amongst friends.

I decided to revisit Tuba about two months ago as I was in desperate need of a hobby. I used to spend all of my free time on the internet looking at other peoples fashion blogs and it was kind of killing me. I became SO bored! I couldn’t believe how authoritative fashion bloggers were trying to be and how un-original and en-masse it all is.

Anyway, I guess I needed a hobby and I wanted to start drawing again. Why I felt this should be a blog and on the internet for the world to see is beyond me. Why can’t it just be my sketch book again? I really don’t know. I guess that’s why I decided to add recipes, as at least this is something that can be shared. Otherwise I do feel very self indulgent and I would never expect other people to look at it, or I should never expect to “get” anything out of it, as seemingly lots of bloggers start out to do. I just wanted to keep myself busy!

Tubarosa

Cheeky Freak Of The Week

gabe — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:52:15 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

This weeks Cheek Freak Of The Week is Perth born Melbourne dwelling Moon Rocker DJ Biscuit AKA Lazer Duties AKA DJ Breaststroke AKA Adam Biesot. Homeboy has blessed The Blackmail with the ex-clusive Drowning Drums mix featuring some pretty wild twisted house to kick winter off the calendar and get you pumped up for the weekend.

Right click and save the mix here…

If you’re in Melbourne tonight Bag Raiders launch their new album Shooting Stars at Roxanne. Have a good one!

Bad Influence

gabe — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:51:22 +0000

Text: Gabriel Knowles

As if a Kill Pixie/Cleon Peterson opening night isn’t enough for one neighbourhood Sydney’s Darlinghurst also plays host to the first night of Bad Influence by Esjay and Anton Benois. With both artist’s work a product of the streets expect plenty of mixed media, acrylic, ink, stenno’s and the odd Cold War relic.

Bad Influence opens at Sydney’s Palmer Projects Gallery on August 20 from 6.30pm.