The Blackmail » 2010 » February

Cheeky Freak Of The Week: Health

tristan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:25:48 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

The Cheeky Freak Of the week this week is Los Angeles band Health who play the Oxford Arts Factory tonight in Sydney.

“We never directly met the people who did our label but it was through DIY touring and leading people we met to this cassette tape we had for sale on the Internet through this small label run by a 16-year-old kid who lived in the desert. That tape made its way to this guy in England who was a fan of ours and this band we know were touring Europe and stayed with this guy who played them the tape and they told Jake from Lovepump United. It turned out it was the fifth or sixth time someone had told him about us so he got in touch from there.” Bassist John Famiglietti recounts of how they managed to get in a position where a label would help them record and possibly even sort out some tour accommodation. Continue reading…

Tonight in Sydney see Health play the Oxford Art Factory. $26 +BF, doors open from 8pm. Sunday visit a parking lot in Redfern for Day Gig + Peddlers Mart featuring local peddlers Rainoff Books, RIP Society Records, Angie from Circle Pit’s book and record library, Karl from Rinzen’s good clothes, New Planes publishing and fashions as well as tunes from Souther Comfort and Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys. The Lot, 112 George St Redfern, 12pm-6pm, get in early!

Saturday in Melbourne go to the launch of Conor O’Brien’s new Box Set and view a selection of his photographs borrowed from private collections in Melbourne. The Thousands Shop, Lvl Six, Curtin House, 252 Swanston St from 4pm-6pm.

Enjoy yer weekend!

Fall/Winter 2010

tristan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:11:44 +0000

Text: Billy Bride

There is way too much wonderful stuff going on this year to squeeze it all into one post, so here it is in point form – the best parts of Fall/Winter 2010 so far.

New York

1. Proenza Schouler – I take my hat off to Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza. They consistently create the most comprehensive and enrapturing collections from top to toe and this season was no exception. Highlights were the leather collared shirts and Cimmerian red lips.

2. Vena Cava – Although this is their fourth year on the circuit, design duo Vena Cava hadn’t popped up on my radar until now. Their Woodstock inspired show, with a delicate touch of the old west and a slight Navajo influence, definitely set them apart this season. 10 points for their superb styling and on- trend accessorising. Plus their support act, southern Californian band The Like, are my secret girl crush.

3. Alexa Chung for Madewell – This capsule collection is Chung’s first foray as designer and I think it’s going to be a massive success for the British model/presenter. Ousted from her MTV spot late last year, Chung has now found her new niche in NY.

London

1. Christopher Kane – I wasn’t really taken with Kane’s Lolita inspired innocence last season, but his Fall range is unreal. The embellished shirting was a definite strongpoint, and his imaginitive tweaking of classic lace and leather is utter brilliance.

2. Hakaan – This show was as hyped for it’s front row and runway line-up, as it was for it’s clothing. French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld flew to London for just for this show, joining Kate Moss front row and sending fashion press into a flurried hub-bub. As if that wasn’t enough star power, there was a level of supermodel supremacy stalking down the catwalk that puts every other designer to shame. Witnessing the established all-stars, Natalia Vodianova, Natasha Poly, Mariacarla, Anja Rubik, Lara Stone and Abbey Lee Kershaw all under the one roof is an experience in itself. A very chic and intelligent collection from the 37-year-old Turkish newcomer.

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

Under The Pillow

tristan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:02:49 +0000

Text: The Blackmail
Next Tuesday get your fill of Japanese pop-art in Prahran at Under The Pillow, an exhibition of new paintings by Yoko Georgiou.
Opens Tuesday March 2, 6 - 9pm Mudd Sculpting, Lvl 1, 157-159 Greville St Prahran
Click to see the flyer

Phase IV

tristan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:04:31 +0000

Text: Tristan Ceddia

Tonight The Narrows presents Phase IV, a film by Saul Bass at the Rooftop Cinema, Melbourne

Phase IV is an ecological suspense tale and the feature length film directorial debut of famed graphic designer Saul Bass. Bass, who won an Academy Award for his short film Why Man Creates pioneered the art of title sequences with conceptual opening graphics for films by Otto Preminger (Carmen Jones, The Man with the Golden Arm), Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo, North by Northwest), Stanley Kubrick (Spartacus) and Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino).

Phase IV
Wednesday February 24, 8pm
The Rooftop Cinema
Level 6, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street Melbourne

Also featured is educational short The Searching Eye also directed by Bass and a display of original Phase IV cinema posters in the cinema foyer.

Look out for our interview with Warren Taylor from The Narrows in the March issue of The Blackmail.

Breakfast Club

tristan — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:32:37 +0000

Text: CC Bakes

Last Sunday morning we had some friends over for breakfast. Now, I know Sunday mornings can be trying for people, with the eclipse of the night hanging over their heads, but I must tell you, this is a most desirable time to be socialising over toast and coffee.

Though an 11am breakfast invitation soon turned into one after noon, I didn’t give out any detentions. By this time my stomach was grumbling, but was soon satisfied by five kinds of mushrooms, muscato and the above. I picked up a melon baller the day before from Such a thing is a small and simple wand of pure genius, for somehow, it made the bland and overused-in-fruit salad-melon all the more appealing in a round shape, the same size as the berries, which were blue, black and rasp. The ricotta was from this fantastic new cheese shop in Carlton La Latteria.

Another delicious taste of what comes every Wednesday from CC Bakes.
Want to ask CC a question? ccbakes@theblackmail.com.au

All Hail S4lem

gabe — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:31:35 +0000

Text: Digby Woods

Okay, let’s get this straight. S4lem is a trio of two guys (John Holland, the frontman and Jack Donoghue, the rap/beat master) and a girl (Heather Marlatt, singer extraordinaire). They are all from the US of A – or to be more precise, New York, Chicago and Detroit. They make music that is essentially dark electronic but with elements of shoegaze, psychedelic dubstep and trip-hop. I realise the pretentiousness of that statement, but that’s what you get when you are forced to describe something that is essentially genre-less.

All three members provide vocals for different tracks in different measure, but the one uniting factor is, (drum roll)… distortion. From Marlatt we have an ethereal ghostly wavering that makes you want to cry, Donoghue raps like a ghetto James Earl Jones if he’d been punched in the stomach, and Holland could easily pass as a Quaalude-munching Cookie Monster trying to describe his ‘visions’. Their lyrics are nowhere to be found on the Internet, a deliberate decision by Holland. “I want the lyrics to be there, ’cause I want the song to be about a certain thing,” he explains. “But I don’t want anyone to know what that thing is. It’s too personal.” Having achieved something of a cult-status thanks to the distributive abilities of MySpace, S4lem have released two EPs, Water and Yes I Smoke Crack, pressed on vinyl in limited runs of five hundred.

A full-length effort that is basically an amalgamation of the aforementioned EPs, plus a few new songs, was released in 2008, also on limited-run vinyl, called Fuckt.
Tracks like Skullcrush, Trapdoor and Sweat (I) set the precedent for S4lem’s well-deserved cult following, mixing Chicago ghetto-house sub-genres like juke and footwork to create a completely new monster.

Okay, did that make sense?

It doesn’t matter. I already told you, I can’t describe this.

All that matters is that S4lem makes some of the best ‘electro’-slash-whatever to come out of anywhere (particularly the States) in the last decade.

ALL HAIL S4LEM!

The Pregnant Pause

tristan — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:03:36 +0000

Text: The Blackmail

This Thursday night, head to Monster Children for the opening of Philadelpian artist Jim Houser’s show The Pregnant Pause.

The Pregnant Pause – New Works by Jim Houser
Opening Thursday February 25 from 6pm
Show continues February 26 – March 18
Monster Children Gallery
20 Burton St Darlinghurst

Be sure to check our interview with Jim in the March issue of The Blackmail out Monday… subscribe to get it first!

The Art Of The Steal

gabe — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:12:53 +0000

Text: The Blackmail

We’re not sure if or when this will make it down under but if you get the chance to see the film don’t pass it up. Or you’re lucky enough to be anywhere near Philadelphia in the next year or so check out the Barnes Foundation while it’s still housed at its original venue.

Violent Soho: Montana

gabe — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:45:29 +0000

Text: Violent Soho

The first installment from Brisbane’s Violent Soho detailing their time in the States where they’ll be based for the next year after signing with Thurston Moore’s (Sonic Youth!) Ecstatic Peace label.

Montana, en route to Fargo.

While you’re at it check them out.

God Jam Numero 2

tristan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:12:53 +0000

Text: Mikey Gilles

“The Gods have not forsaken EVERYWHERE my friends… there is a gathering” whispered The Wizzard

“…a Gathering at a place where the Sea of Shitness parts forth for the pilgrims, where the women WEEP on the streets, a gathering where the people are all OVERCOME”

He is shouting now “by ECSTASY OF THE GREATEST CLASSIC HITS AND THE MOST EPIC OF WARM JAMS!!!”

A small voice chimes in “But… where IS this fabled gathering, O Wise One????!!!…”

Make the pilgrimage to GoodGod Small Cave this Thursday night to feel the Wrath, of God (Jam) !!!

Dead Mike (Pod Wars/ Hippies From Hell)
Wizz (The Serps)
Barry Reef (Chakra Khan)
Ill’ Benny (Hippies From Hell)
Snake Dog (U.N.O)
Olmatic (S.T.D/ The Serps)
And Xtra Special Guest G-Orgy (Slow Blow)

GOD JAM / GREAT CLASSIC HITS
GoodGod Small Cave
55 Liverpool St. Sydney CBD (enter through La Campana)
Thursday February 25, 9pm till late
FREE before 12, $5 after

Tell yer friends!