In Ghost Colours

I'm With the Band

2011-04-29T10:48:00.004+12:00

'Jagger, Richards, Watts and Wyman came walking in and the roof lifted off the dilapidated old dump. I could feel his eyes upon me. Mick came up to Mercy and said, "Introduce me to your beautiful lady-friend," and then he kissed my hand and bowed. Those lips!

After he kissed me, he began to caress my face with his lovely hands. He came on and on and on to me; delicious huge kisses from that amazing mouth, caresses everywhere, I was melting, but holding back. Terribly shy, I was. "You're shy!" He couldn't believe it. I went to the pool to put my toes in the water and look at the full moon, Mr. Jagger followed, kissing me and kissing me and tangling my hair.

"I'm going to bed, Miss Pamela," (sexiest voice I've ever heard.)
"Have a nice sleep."
"Do you want to come to bed?"
"I don't know."
"You want a week to think it over?"
"Yes"
(silence)
"Well, do you want to come to bed?"
"No."

AMAZING!! So amazing that I had to write it word for word. And where was Jimmy [Page] when I told Mick Jagger "NO"? Probably fucking some CUNT!'

-Pamela des Barres on meeting Mick Jagger for the first time. Excerpt from I'm With the Band.

Tuesday Drive Playlist April 12, 19 & 26

2011-04-28T10:52:00.004+12:00

I've done the show on Active six times now, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I'm no longer pressing the wrong button, or playing the wrong song and I feel much more confident there. Just this week I got a number of phone calls from listeners wanting to engage in discussions about something I had said on-air, which is great. Just as I am getting used to Radio Active, Radio Active's listeners are getting used to me.

Sometimes I'm not really sure what to say on-air and I end up tripping over my words. I've long since realised that I am not one of those 'personality' radio broadcasters. I hate talking about myself on-air and it feels really unnatural to me. I mean, who cares?? So I talk about the music instead. I hope that is what listeners want to hear and I think the knowledge of the music I play is my strongest asset.

It's been a little while since I've posted a playlist from my Tuesday Drive show on Radio Active, so here are the one's I've missed.

April 12

The Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise

Parallel Dance Ensemble - Shopping Cart

Tennis - Take Me Somewhere

Cat's Eyes - Face in the Crowd

TV on the Radio - Caffeinated Consciousness

Gang Gang Dance - Mindkiller

Peter, Bjorn and John - Second Chance

Little Bark - I Need a Shot

Better Airs - She's the Juan

Cut Copy - Need You Now

Holy Ghost! - Wait and See (Flight Facilities remix)

Robyn - Dancing on my Own

Diana Rozz - Walk on By

WhoMadeWho - Every Minute Alone

Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High

Junica - Living in My House (ft. Ladyhawke)

DZ Deathrays - Rad Solar

Twin Shadow - At my Heels

Group Love - Colours

Love Inks - Black Eye

Wild Beasts - Albatross

Low - Try to Sleep

Forest Spirits - Song and Dance

LCD Soundsystem - Home

Voltage - All Night

Jetsam Isles - Nonvision

Thieves Like Us - One Night With You (Nite Jewel remix)

Wagonchrist - Tomorrow

Trentemoller - Shades of Marble

Scratch 22 - Medicine Man

The Weeknd - House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls

Pikachunes - New Fiend

YACHT - Waste of Time (remix)

Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N (Fake Blood remix)

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - I'll Take Care of You

Ghost Wave - Sunsetter

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April 19

MY DISCO

Purity Ring - Ungirthed

Blackbird Blackbird - Pure

Watercolours - Under

Summer Camp - Ghost Train

James Blake - Lindesfarne II

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can U Luv Me

Surf Friends - Goals

Hungry Kids of Hungary - Keep Talking

Death From Above 1979 - Blood on our Hands (Justice remix)

Delorean - Deli

Mount Pleasant - II Tough II Dance

Gorillaz - Revolving Doors

Cut Copy - That Was Just a Dream

MY DISCO - Turn

Secret Knives - The Transformer

The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on Fire

Deer Park - Clocks

Jonathan Johansson - Blommorna (Niva remix)

Polarsets - Sunshine Eyes

The Go! Team - Back Like 8 Track

WIM - See You Hurry

Digitalism - 2 Hearts

Ratatat - Loud Pipes

Disco Ruido - Amorfos

Benoit & Sergio - Boy Trouble

Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair

Santigold - Go (ft. Karen O)

Ghostpoet - Cash and Carry me Home

Gift of Gab - Dreamin' (ft. Funky Homosapien & Brother Ali)

Baths - Animals

Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing (Gold Panda remix)

Tiki Taane & Moana and the Moa Hunters - A Beautiful Mistake (Pae O Riri remix)

Peaches - Turn it On (Franz Ferdinand cover)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion (Nick Zinner remix)

David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights - Diamond Mine

Hussies - Degraves (Children of the Sea)

Ghost Wave - Rollin

Sleigh Bells - Run the Heart

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - NY is Killing Me

Kavsrave vs. Joy Orbison - Untightled

The Presets - Girl and the Sea

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April 26

Tyler the Creator

Gold Panda - You (II)

Voom - B Your Boi

YACHT - Dystopia

Purity Ring - Lofticries

Fever Ray - The Wolf

Blackbird Blackbird - Overboard

David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights - Way Down Here

Tyler the Creator - Yonkers

El Guincho - Bombay

Hercules & Love Affair - Painted Eyes

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise

Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing (Gold Panda remix)

Just a Number 05272011 - Pain

PNAU - Baby (Breakbot remix)

Sons & Daughters - Silver Spell

Seapony - Bluestar

Family Cactus - Fields and Fields

The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want

Depressed Buttons - Ow!

Sebastien Grainger - Are There Ways to Go Home

Disasteradio - Cat

The Eversons - Hyacinth Girl

Idiot Prayer - One Hundred Ducks

Tom Vek - A Chore

Brian Eno - Glitch

Kurt Vile - Runners Up

Yeasayer - Phoenix Wind

MY DISCO - A Turreted Berg

Rainbow Arabia - Sequenced

Austra - Lose It

Washed Out - Get Up

Orchestra of Spheres - Hypershere (Caribou remix)

Glass Vaults - Don't be Shy (Live at Happy September 2010)

Lali Puna - I Like Rain

Watercolours - Under

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Thought Ballune

Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids

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Tuesday Drive 4-7pm, Radio Active 88.6fm

Tuesday Drive Playlist April 5

2011-04-08T15:08:00.005+12:00

The Kills

Here's what I played this week:

LCD Soundsystem - Trials and Tribulations

Cut Copy - Far Away (Golden Filter remix)

Ghost Wave - Sunsetter

Cool Cult - Clouds

Panda Bear - Slow Motion

The Cool Kids - I (Mikey) Rock

Max Marx and Friedrich Calloway - Wings

Minuit - Except You (Alexis K remix)

Softlites - Girlkillsbear (Lo-Fi-Fnk remix)

The Golden Filter - Solid Gold

Fever Ray - The Wolf

Collarbones - Don Juan

An Emerald City - Seizureton

!!! - Yadnus

Munk - Rue de Rome

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA remix)

Young Dreams - Young Dreams

Matthew Dear - I Put a Smell on You

My Disco - Turn

Cut Copy - Sun God

Liquid Liquid - Optimo

Lykke Li - Jerome

A Dead Forest Index - Anchoring the Hands

Leno Lovecraft - Cybernetic

MNDR - Cut Me Out

Summer Camp - Ghost Train

Wanda Jackson - Nervous Breakdown

The Kills - DNA

The Hives - Hate to Say I Told You So

Lanu - Beautiful Trash ft. Megan Washington (Hidden Orchestra remix)

Tanragana Pyjama - Ocean

Kyuss - Catamaran

Lawrence Arabia - Beautiful Young Crew

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Tiger Choir - Dancer

Tame Impala - Half Full Glass of Wine

The Death Set - We are Going Anywhere Man

Best Coast - Boyfriend

The Cults - You Know What I Mean

Robyn - Hang With Me

Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT remix)

The Great Eclectic Jumble Sale

2011-04-08T14:15:00.005+12:00

Maria Henare's famous Eclectic Jumble Sale is on this weekend in Newtown, Wellington. She fills up a school hall with treasures (an assortment of fabrics and textiles, buttons, jewellery, hats, gloves, shoes, clothing, bags, bric-a-brac, iconic bus blinds... ) she has found at op shops around the South Island and sells it at fairly reasonable prices.

I've been to the annual event a couple of times now, and I've picked up some lovely vintage pieces each time. It pays to get in early, as there is always a huge line before doors open and the hall fills up pretty quickly. It gets slightly manic there, as everyone is competing to get their hands on a unique, beautifully crafted item. There's no point in trying anything on as there just isn't time or space and the lines can be rather long.

It can definitely be a stressful couple of hours in the vintage-filled hall, but falling in love with and purchasing your dream (dress/coat/boots/whatever) makes the high blood pressure all worth it.

I'm not really sure what I'll be looking for (I'm on a tight budget and probably shouldn't even be looking at all), but I'd love to find a pretty white lace dress and maybe a vintage collar or two.

The Great Eclectic Jumble Sale

April 9 and 10 (open 9-5 Saturday, 9-3 Sunday)

St Anne's Hall, 22 Emmett St, Newtown, Wellington

Eftpos and Parking is available

Cut Copy Touring News + Interview with Dan Whitford

2011-03-31T11:21:00.007+13:00

Cut Copy have just announced that they will be playing their first headlining shows in NZ this May. I am crazy amounts of excited, they are my favourite band and their music has had a huge influence on my musical tastes over the last seven years or so.

In honour of today's announcement, I thought I'd post an interview I did with singer Dan Whitford about the art he creates for Cut Copy. I did the interview as part of an article I was writing about the relationship between bands and their album artwork. The art of Factory Records' Peter Saville was a big part of the article and I also spoke to Ruban Nielson of the Mint Chicks and Michael Vadino from DFA Records for the piece. The article was to appear in Pulp magazine, but as you probably know by now, the magazine went under before the issue went to print. The transcripts of those interviews will appear here sometime soon.

When I spoke to Dan, Zonoscope was just in the process of being mixed so the album artwork wasn't finished yet. Which is a shame, because I would really like to talk to him about the use of Tsunehisa Kimura's photo.

I understand you started off as an artist and that was the first thing you wanted to do, is that right?
I studied graphic design at uni, I was always into art when I was in high school and then when I finished I viewed graphic design as a career. When I was at uni that was when I started getting interested in music and some of my friends that I was at uni with (actually one of them was the brother of Rolland S. Howard, from the Birthday Party who passed away recently), he was a mature student and I remember when we were doing graphic design together, he started me off. I remember him giving me a whole bunch of cool records to listen to when I was first getting into making music and I guess it’s one of those things, there are so many bands who come from art school and that background, I guess just creative minds coming together and sharing ideas and that’s where I got interested in both music and design. I started a design business with someone I went to uni with and a design business that is still going now and I’m still sort of involved in.

Do you think you would have a different outlook on creating both art and music if you hadn’t gone to art school?
Without a doubt. That’s where you develop aesthetically and ideas-wise and processes that you take into your work and your art after that. You’re also in an environment with other like-minded people or with different ideas that have influence on you and maybe you have influence on other people as well. I think it’s really a good place to get started with art or design or music or anything creative and being in an environment with other creative people and that’s the way it worked for me anyway.

Do you think you have had had a similar aesthetic over the years or has it changed?
I think yeah, in music and with any sort of taste it evolves as time goes on and there are fashion that defines the music or the art and I think my taste has evolved along with that to some degree. There are probably still some ideas that are constant with it. With Cut Copy people really see a connection between the record that we’ve done and the music that we’ve put out all the way through but obviously there’s an evolution there as well and I think that’s important.

When you’ve finished recording an album, do you design after it or are you designing while you’re making the music for it?
I wouldn’t probably start putting together an album cover before we’ve finished the music because I guess for me working on an album it’s more than a collection of songs. Musically speaking, I always try and work towards something that is an experience, which works beyond just being a collection of songs, whether it’s telling a story or creating an atmosphere. So I guess it’s important to establish that before you create the visual representation of that. But at the same time you are absorbing influences the whole way along and in terms of the visual ideas, I’m always tearing stuff out of magazines and taking photos of things and images I find on the internet, just things like that that are triggers for ideas that maybe you come back to later. So I think that I’m always gathering ideas, but usually I like to wait until the album has taken shape before working on artwork.

With the art that you create for Cut Copy, do you try and reflect the music that you’ve made or is it just an amalgamation of things that you’ve liked while you were writing the album?
I think the music is more or less that, in a way, an amalgamation of things that I’ve liked and different ideas that I think it would be cool to see how they work together so I think the artwork follows in a similar vein to some degree. I’d always try to reflect the ideas or point people in the direction of where I’m coming from with the music with all of the visual references as well. With something like Bright Like Neon Love, particularly that was very obviously drawing on a lot of synthesised pop music form the late 70s and early 80s and all of the airbrushed images and weird sci-fi magazine clippings and I guess aesthetically they really meshed. The next record In Ghost Colours was a much more textural, psychedelic, dance, very layered sound and I guess that’s what the artwork reflects of that one, layered photographic images but I think both of the records so far I’ve tried to capture the feeling of the music in the artwork.

Is there a singles cover or album cover that you haven’t done the graphic design for? Would you ever consider handing over creative control to someone else?
Yeah, totally. The busier that we get and the more that we tour and the more demands on our time as a band it gets harder and harder to work on the artwork so there’s certainly times where… obviously I run a design business so if things get a little too hectic I can say, ‘Hey can you guys help me out here, I’m not going to have time to finish this off’ and obviously all of the guys I work with are really talented designers so I trust them to know my aesthetic and what I would want to do with stuff. But on the whole, with all of the major stuff, I’ve tried to design everything, more or less. Not that it needs to be that way, but I’m always interested by other bands who do their own artwork, people like Beck, and Black Dice. For me it adds an extra element of interest for a band to do their own artwork, so it makes it that more interesting as a fan because you feel like you’re getting a real insight into what the band’s about and what they’re doing with their music and what they’re thinking, so I always try and do it myself.

Have you ever tried to involve the other members of the band in the design process?
Of course. I wouldn’t send a CD off to press without showing them, I think that’ll be quite crazy! I think we’ve all got a similar aesthetic in a lot of ways. Tim our guitarist went to art school and Ben who plays bass with us was at film school so we’ve all got quite visual backgrounds and we’re all into that side of things, so we all workshop ideas and bits and pieces along the way. The same way it works musically I suppose.

What is your process for designing?
I don’t know if there is a steadfast rule for that sort of thing. I think really, with designing anything, I hate the idea that you’d just sit down in front of a computer and then start working on it. For me, good art and good design comes from good ideas. I’m someone who likes to get outside and go to a record store or gather inspiration in reference for ideas before launching into something. I don’t believe you can truly create art in a bubble. Maybe there are some prodigies out there that don’t need anything else, they’re just spewing out amazing art the whole time. I think even the most talented and unique artists need to be inspired by the environment and inspired by things around them. I like to try to get away from my computer and away from pen and paper just to get ideas and then come back and work on things, once I’ve got a few ideas about what to work on. That’s a general idea but to be honest it’s pretty much different every time, whether there’s a new visual artwork or piece of music, so I don’t know if there’s really a set of rules for how I design.

Do you think album artwork is still relevant today?
Yeah, I think it’s still massively important. I think it’s one of the few things that makes buying albums still worthwhile. The chance to own something that looks beautiful or is interesting or has some extra value. People need to be a bit smarter about how they package records now because there’re so many people who won’t go into a record store and look at your record, so many people just go out and download it, but I think you’ve got to have an added incentive to do artwork and create something that people want to own. Vinyl is a great format for artwork because it is bigger and just classier than a plastic CD case. I think that’s one thing that I’ve noticed, CD sales have been going down and vinyls, although it’s a very small share of the market, sales have been steadily going up I think it’s increased almost double in the last couple of years so it’s kind of interesting, that people still want artwork and real fans still want to own something and I think vinyl is a good way to go about that and it is a good format for artwork too.

Do you have a favourite album cover?
I’m just trying to think favourties. I’ve always been a great fan of all of the new order albums, Peter Saville work with all Factory records. Probably my favourite of all of those records is the cover he did for Power Corruption and Lies, flowers in some kind of renaissance paintings and then in the corner there are these colour swatch squares, very abstract, there aren’t even any words on it but it’s a very interesting abstract image and one that stuck out for me out of all of the stuff that he worked on for factory. I’m a big fan I actually went to see him when I was studying design, he was hugely influential at the time. It was a while ago but he was very engaging and to be honest the artwork did the talking for him in a lot of ways because of all the artwork he has created for Factory and other artists as well, he was very engaging, quite British as well, in a self-deprecating way. There are not many other speakers I remember from that conference but he had a really big impression on me, I remember that.

Do you design the artwork for Cutters Records as well?
Yeah. Totally. I guess that’s another outlet for a little bit of design. One of the things when you’re at design school, pretty much everyone says I’d really love a job designing album covers, but there aren’t really many jobs going around, so one of the fringe benefits of being in a band or having your own record label is you can give yourself a few times doing record covers, so I’ve managed to do that for myself a few times now.

How do you go about designing for a band that isn’t your own?
Well I guess seeing as I trained as a designer and I have worked as a designer for a long time, it’s all about communication, you find out what they’re about and what they want to do and try to create something that fulfils what they’re looking for. Create something that communicates the ideas that they’re trying to communicate. It’s different from doing your own thing since you already know what you want to do, but I actually find it quite enjoyable, doing something aside from Cut Copy work because it makes a good change.

Have you thought about artwork for the new album?
Yeah I guess thinking about it, but we haven’t finished the record yet and as I said before it doesn’t make much sense going too far down the track of working on the design until the record has fully taken shape. I think in about a month when we’re done mixing it, I’ll start pulling together some visual ideas for it. I’m looking forward to everyone hearing it, the band’s been sitting on it for so long that it’ll be nice to get some outside ears on it.

Wellington: San Francisco Bathhouse May 25th
Auckland: The Studio May 26th

Tickets are on sale 9am Thursday 7 April from Undertheradar.co.nz

Tuesday Drive Playlist 29 March

2011-03-30T10:35:00.004+13:00

So I've started doing the Tuesday Drive (4-7pm) show on Wellington's Radio Active. Here's what I played yesterday...

Cut Copy - Need You Now (Architecture in Helsinki remix)

Wet Wings - Feeeel It

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - I'm New Here

Keep Shelly in Athens - Yellow Man

Jai Paul - BTSTU

Darkstar - Deadness

The Eversons - Gravy Rainbow (Disasteradio cover)

Psychic Powers - Siren

Darwin Deez - Radar Detector

Deerhoof - Secret Mobilisation

Aeroplane - Carmellas

YACHT - Dystopia

Holy Ghost! - Wait and See

Orchestra of Spheres - Hypershere (Caribou remix)

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

Shipwreck - Lontalius

Friendly Fires - Relationships

Alexander - We Win!

The Reduction Agents - Waiting for Your Love

Glass Vaults - Set Sail

Pikachunes - You're Alright

Justice - Civilization

Shit Robot - Losing My Patience (ft. Alexis Taylor)

Little Dragon - Nightlight

Scratch 22 - Medicine Man

Metronomy - She Wants

James Blake - Limit to Your Love

Pogo - Expialidocious

Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High

Shocking Pinks - Black Envelope

Family Cactus - Fields and Fields

Secret Knives - Northwest States

Delete Delete Delete - Recipe for Disaster

Charles Bradley and the Menahan St Band - The World is Going Up in Flames

Wildcooke - Heroine

Arcade Fire - Wake Up

Gorillaz - Revolving Doors

Baths - Animals

Mayer Hawthorne - Green Eyed Love (Classixx remix)

We Have Band - You Came Out

I should also mention that I got a fair number of the songs I played yesterday from mu-sique, probably one of the only music blogs I check regularly.

Sunday Style Snaps

2011-01-16T19:57:00.003+13:00

Photo Credit: Hannah and Landon, Hanneli, Vanessa Jackman, Zanita and various sources.

It's T-Shirt Tiiiiiime!

2010-12-02T15:30:00.001+13:00

Jersey Shore is such a guilty pleasure. Except maybe without the guilty part.

DJ Pauly D is my DJing idol. I wish I could be like him.

(Ooooh tricky, where does the sarcasm start and where does it end with this post?!)

Night Demons vs. Gym Bunnies.

2010-12-02T09:37:00.002+13:00

You know what is a really awful feeling? When you're walking home after a night out, the sun is just coming up, and you're being passed by early morning joggers.

I feel the judgement emanating from those lycra-clad gym bunnies.

It's an even worse feeling than when the lights come on at the bar and you know it's their not-so-subtle hint that it's time for you to go home. But sometimes going home isn't an option. There's more dancing to be had and more discussions about pop music waiting for you back at a friend's flat.

"Bacon and Egg McMuffin please."

When those joggers pass me walking down K Rd, with my scruffy hair and smudged eyeliner, it makes me want to hide behind my coat and melodramatically shout "Don't look at me!" It makes me feel like a demon of the night. Demons don't do daylight.

The only way to deal with that situation is to remember that there was a very good reason for staying out that late (pop music is always a good reason), and that soon you will be in the comfort of bed.

December

2010-12-01T15:17:00.004+13:00

December:

good friends, good books, good rooftops, good clothes, good feeds.

all good.

Red Falcon at Big Day Out

2010-12-01T08:47:00.004+13:00

So that blurb we had to write the other day for Red Falcon? We have been asked to DJ at Big Day Out! Crazers.

Photographic proof:

There we are, right down the end (the most important people are at the end, obvs.) of Big Day Out's second line-up announcement just before Andrew Tidball.

Does this mean we are legit DJs now? Is it time to make a Facebook fan page? Should we start thinking about crazy costumes or headgear (a la Daft Punk and DeadMau5)?

Synchronised dance moves? We've already got those down... there's the fist pump move and the finger point move.

We're playing a set in the Silent Disco for an hour, which is great because we have never wanted to take this whole DJing thing seriously, so that suits our sense of humour perfectly.

There are two sets of DJs playing at a time, so if no one is dancing to our music, hopefully we will never notice. We'll be dancing anyway.

Most importantly though: will we get catering? Access All Areas passes?

WILL I MEET JAMES MURPHY??

I Just Want One Night With You

2010-11-30T20:04:00.003+13:00

I have a friend who is absolutely in love with Mayer Hawthorne. It's not typically my style (where the dance beat at?), but after Sofie at Sssssound! posted the the superb Classixx remix of his song Green Eyed Love, I knew I had to give him another chance.

Hawthorne's debut album A Strange Arrangement was released earlier in the year and is definitely worth checking out, but my other favourite song of his is not on the album - it's No Strings Attached, which is produced by Classixx (see the trend here? Classixx = brilliant).

You know, people always said Barry White is the ultimate swoon-inducing singer but I never really understood. Now that I've heard Mayer Hawthorne, I totally get it. Hawthorne is aaall about the swoon. Just listen to those lyrics! That voice!

"I know you're trying to be good girl, be you imagine what I'm like in bed...

You try to push it aside girl, but it already went through your head

It's one o'clock in the morning, and you're buzzing like a honey bee

You're trying to control it, when you wanna just come home with me"

Specsy.

He's playing at SploreCity in Auckland next year, which unfortunately is the same weekend as Campus A Low Hum, so I won't be going.

But you should!

(please don't mention anything about me being a bad blogger, believe me, I know. Sssshhh... )

Oh My Blog: 9eyes

2010-11-19T14:56:00.003+13:00

9eyes is a Tumblr blog that is curated by Jon Rafman. He posts the best screen captures he finds from Google Street View.

There are some insanely beautiful and bizarre scenes and, of course, hookers loitering on street corners.

You can listen to the podcast of my full review of 9eyes here.

The Three Levels of Partying, According to Red Falcon

2010-11-19T14:48:00.003+13:00

'Level One: That time that we played the Ramones, then Blondie, then New Order.
Level Two: All songs with 125bpm (our favourite bpm), e.g. Cut Copy, YACHT and Metronomy.
Level Three: The peak of a Red Falcon set. Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and Will Smith's 'Miami'.

"They're my all-time favourite girl group." - Diplo.'

We recently had to put together this little blurb for something very exciting we've been asked to be involved with, which hopefully I can reveal to you in the next couple of days.

We're DJing at D.O.C Bar on K Rd this Saturday for my friend Henry's 21st, you should come and dance with us!

Oh My Blog: Always | Sometimes | Anytime

2010-11-10T14:31:00.002+13:00

Wallflower by Chelsea Jade Metcalf.

This week on Oh My Blog I featured a new website called Always | Sometimes | Anytime, which is run by Courtney Sanders here in Auckland.

The blog / website "is a platform committed to exposing emerging creative talent to an audience of people who are similarly motivated and inspired."

Love is a Building on Fire by Daniel Luxford.

And it's darn good, especially the fashion editorials. It has only just started but already there is a really high calibre of content - if you want to get involved you can get in touch with Courtney via the website.

You can listen to the podcast of the full Oh My Blog review here.

Writing is Spooky

2010-11-09T21:50:00.002+13:00

Norman Mailer, sly dog.

"The moment I think of a good plot, I find that the book becomes impossible to write, because I know I won't believe it. Life may consist of people plotting all the time, but the plots rarely develop. We decide: I'll make this move in my life, and that should result in the following - then life confounds us. So I prefer a story that develops out of the writing. I don't like one that moves ahead of my characters, because then my people won't live."

-Norman Mailer, The Spooky Art - Thoughts on Writing.

Norman Mailer's approach to outlining the plot is vastly different to J.K. Rowling's, who created a spreadsheet for each of her Harry Potter novels.

Here's one from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Rowling outlines each chapter in detail, including the title and plot. It's interesting to look at the subplots too, where even if a storyline (such as Cho/Ginny) isn't mentioned in a particular chapter, she has still thought about how they are developing.

Hmmm, two writers whose work I have grown up with and who have also influenced my working and writing style, and they each have well-reasoned ideas about the process of plot development.

Just as well I'm not a fiction writer, eh?

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-11-07T21:30:00.002+13:00

Photo Credit: Vanessa Jackman and various sources.

There is something so feminine about wearing a long skirt - I like to make my movement slightly more dramatic as to encourage the fabric to float around with me. Dancing in a long skirt is the best. How elegant!

Just don't trip as you walk upstairs in your ankle-length skirt. Negative elegance.

Oh My Blog: the LCD Soundsystem Version

2010-10-25T08:56:00.001+13:00

So LCD Soundsystem have named their video diary "Oh My Blog", which they must have gotten from me, so I expect a royalty cheque in the mail soon please James... (For those who are wondering, this is the original Oh My Blog)

No but seriously... the guy who puts them together, Jay Green, has an amazing sarcastic wit.

Watch part one for a dancing James Murphy, part two for a blow job chocolate fountain (I still don't really know what he means) and part three for a mouth farting Nancy Whang.

You will download in your pants when you see it.

Also, this photo:

Love it. James Murphy gets as excited as I do about Arcade Fire. What a guy.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-10-24T12:55:00.002+13:00

Photo Credit: Hanneli, Vanessa Jackman and Various Sources

I am still very much in love with detailed collars.

Happy Long Weekend!

2010-10-24T12:39:00.004+13:00

I'm staying with my family in Tutukaka (just north of Whangarei) for the long weekend and it feels like summer is finally here.

I suppose it helps that this is the view from the front yard and Best Coast is on the stereo.

I just need to stop being so darn pale so I can have bare legs as the weather gets warmer... I'm almost considering investing in the Jersey Shore 'GTL' lifestyle. Almost.

Bloggers at Fashion Week

2010-09-16T15:40:00.002+12:00

Bloggers take over NY Fashion Week

Wednesdays are the media days on bFM's Morning Glory and I hosted the show yesterday since Charlotte is away having a fabulous time in Fiji.

With New Zealand fashion week happening next week, I invited Isaac Hindin Miller of Isaaclikes.com and Murray Bevan from fashion PR company Showroom 22 to come into the studio to talk about fashion bloggers at fashion week. It was a super interesting discussion and Murray and Isaac had plenty of good points to make.

We talked about what makes a good blogger, how to decide who to put in the front row, Rumi Neely at New Zealand Fashion Week and the impact bloggers have had on the more traditional media.

You can listen to or download the audio here

2010-09-04T17:09:00.002+12:00

It's My Jam: Miami Horror

2010-09-03T14:00:00.000+12:00

I've been following Melbourne's Miami Horror for about a year now, after first hearing about them when they supported Friendly Fires on their Australian tour last year.

Their debut album Illumination was released on August 20 and I have had the songs I Look To You, Sometimes and Summersun on repeat since I got it.

Miami Horror's sound is very similar to Cut Copy's, which perhaps explains why I have been enjoying them so much. To me it seems that if you mashed I Look to You and Summersun together, you'd get Hearts on Fire. It's almost like they've listened to Hearts on Fire and said, "Right, this is an awesome pop song, what do we need to do to make our own version?"

Soooo... I can't really give them points for originality, but I will give them points for making me want to dance like crazy. You will too if you're into that kind of disco throwback electro pop. (Did I just put a whole bunch of genres together and hope it made sense to everyone else? Maybe.)

I Look to You features kiwi singer Kimbra, who has been based in Melbourne for a while now.

I Look To You from Miami Horror on Vimeo.

Oh My Blog: Hungover Owls

2010-09-03T10:22:00.004+12:00

Each Wednesday at 11.20am on 95bFM's Morning Glory I review a blog, a feature I named Oh My Blog. There's also a killer Pavement-inspired intro I had made for it thanks to the creative creatives at bFM.

This week I reviewed Hungover Owls, a Tumblr that posts pictures of owls looking a little worse for wear paired with HILAR-ious hungover captions. I'm sure anyone who's ever been hungover can relate. It is a universal concept, afterall.

“MY BRAIN IS SCREAMING. I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT.”

You can listen to the audio of Oh My Blog here.

Russh Magazine is looking for interns

2010-09-02T22:07:00.003+12:00

From the Russh Blog:

"Russh is looking for interns.

Details:

The internship is three months in duration and requires being in our Sydney office 2-3 days per week. It’s mainly a fashion role, which is fun, fast-paced and a great insight into the fashion industry.

To apply:

Please submit three past employment experiences - they can be work experience or another internship - along with three people who can vouch for your work ethic. List your five favourite designers; three magazines that inspire you and finally, give us a paragraph on why you think you should be a Russh intern.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Email to: billie@russhaustralia.com"

Sprung.

2010-09-02T22:00:00.002+12:00

To my neglected readers, I am sorry. I could give any number of excuses as to why I haven’t been to this corner of the internet in months, but it really bothers me when I read on blogs: ‘I’m so sorry I haven’t posted in two days because blah blah blah…’ So screw it, no lame excuses.

Yesterday was the first day of Spring. There is no better time for a change.

With Oh My Blog on 95bFM (a weekly feature where I review my favourite blogs, you can listen to previous Oh My Blogs here) I always say that the best blogs have their own niche. In Ghost Colours has never had a niche.

The new (spring cleaned) In Ghost Colours will now have more of a definite theme. IGC will still include a lot about what I love in relation to fashion, music and literature, but the media side of it will now be a bigger focus.

I often get other people asking me for advice about breaking into the media industry, and to be honest, it’s really not that hard. But maybe I can share some advice and other things I’ve learnt through my own successes and failures on this here blog.

I will interview my peers and mentors and post the transcripts. I will uncover the latest media news. I hope to pass on valuable advice to anyone looking to get into the industry. I will explain some things about the industry that maybe aren’t immediately clear.

I don’t know of any other blog or website in New Zealand that does this (if you do know of one, please let me know, I’m keen to read it).

I hope to provide stimulating content that gets people talking. In Ghost Colours will be, I hope, as informative and eye opening for you, as it will be for me.

I truly appreciate all feedback. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.

-Ellen F.

Maximum Leader

2010-05-24T22:40:00.000+12:00

Sonny Barger, the Godfather of the Hell's Angels, shares his life philosophies:

1. Customise Yourself. Originals don't come off the assembly line.

2. How strong you look is as important as how strong you are.

3. Leaders exhibit strength, while bullies prey on weakness.

4. Find your speed, maintain velocity and keep on doin' it.

5. Learn from the past, don't live there.

6. You win a war by kicking the enemy's ass not by negotiating with them.

7. Joining a group doesn't make you any less of an individual.

8. Take a pit stop, overhaul your psyche.

9. If you want to travel fast, travel light.

10. Sitting on the fence is for birds.

Credit: AnOther Man Magazine

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-05-23T23:19:00.000+12:00

Photo Credit:Hanneli, Zanita, Turned Out, Oyster and various sources

Spring Shoot in Autumn

2010-05-11T09:53:00.002+12:00

Model: Lauren Spring @ Clyne
Hair, makeup and styling: Azure Ellis
Photography: David James
Assistant: Thea Blank

This shoot was created by a group of Wellington people to ease boredom, apparently. If something as good as this comes out of monotony I'd love to see what excitement inspires. The styling was done by one Miss Azure Ellis who, unfortunately for us in New Zealand, is moving to Sydney next month. No doubt some uber cool Sydney label or agency will snap her up and we'll be seeing a lot more of her work in the future.

Why Don't You Love Me?

2010-05-10T14:20:00.004+12:00

"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

How good is Beyonce's new video?! The styling is amazing. Femme fatales, flowers, soaking in the bath, 1960s style, stars, a fistful of rings, high-waisted delicates, polka dots, leopard print and bold eyeliner. Oh how I wish I could be a minx-in' housewife like Beyonce.

Bambi

2010-05-10T13:56:00.002+12:00

Bambi Northwood-Blyth is my new favourite model. She only started modeling this year (although that fourth photo was taken late last year by Hobo Gestapo's Artemis), and has already been featured on a cover of Australian Harper's Bazaar as part of the next generation of Australian supermodels (New Zealander Georgia Fowler is also featured). I love her eyebrows and her killer cheekbones.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-05-09T15:45:00.002+12:00

Photo Credit: Sea of Shoes, Ringo, Have a Banana!, Copenhagen Street Style, The Sartorialist and various sources.

Lela Jacobs: Old Stock, New Sale

2010-04-28T13:47:00.004+12:00

Tomorrow night at the Service Depot Lela Jacobs is having a sale. There will be one-offs, samples, end of season pieces and a whole bunch of Lela goodies for 50-80% off the retail price. Jeepers!

Lucky Wellingtonians! I wish I could be there. Her way of playing with shapes and drapery makes me swoon. I want this dress from her winter collection:

Lela Jacobs Old Stock, New Sale

At The Service Depot: 2 Lombard st, Wellington

6-8pm

Cash Only

Rudyard

2010-04-27T12:38:00.002+12:00

"I keep six honest serving men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who."

-Rudyard Kipling

It's Magic

2010-04-12T08:40:00.003+12:00

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-04-11T16:33:00.002+12:00

Gold Leo

2010-04-10T17:51:00.005+12:00

A few months ago I did a post about my love of leopard print. I am always finding great examples of women wearing leopard print coats that I thought I would share some more with you.

Unfortunately, there is still no sign of the perfect leopard print coat on my shoulders, or a Great Expectations-type benefactor. If you have any tips on where I can find either, please get in touch.

McCall's Book of Everyday Etiquette

2010-04-05T11:49:00.003+12:00

My friend inherited McCall's Book of Everyday Etiquette from her grandmother. Her grandmother had so many books on etiquette that all nine grandchildren each received one. Published in 1960, this "Guide to Modern Manners" covers all the bases - from bed making to dating etiquette.

Here is an excerpt from the 'Especially for Men' section:

Who Pays?

-When you have done the inviting, you pay all of the costs except for a ladies' room tip or a telephone call she makes

-If she invites you to an occasion requiring tickets, she pays for the tickets, but you pay the other expenses.

-If you happen to meet a woman at a lunch counter or waiting for a bus, it is not a social occasion even if you sit beside each other, so she pays her own expenses.

-Splitting the cost, when it is arranged in advance, is perfectly correct and is done very often by young people with limited funds and by old friends who see each other frequently.

-When you take her home, you take her all the way home. If she lives in a house, take her to the door and wait until she is inside. The point is that someone should see her into her home. If she invites you in for a while, accept, if you like. Don't stay until the wee hours of the morning if she asks you in for "a" nightcap. And don't ask to be invited.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-04-04T16:46:00.002+12:00

Photo Credit: The Sartorialist, Jen Loves Kev, Turnedout.tv and various sources

Who Makes Your Money?

2010-03-23T17:00:00.002+13:00

I am loving Who Makes Your Money? by Spoon at the moment. Listen here.

Shelter from the Shit

2010-03-23T10:00:00.005+13:00

The reason why I moved to Auckland was to pursue at job at bFM, only my most favourite radio station ever.

I'm a little (by which I mean a lot) smug.

Also, every Wednesday at about 11.20 I do a feature called Oh My Blog where I review a blog each week, which I will start linking to here on In Ghost Colours from this week. So basically I get to read blogs for work. Life's tough, huh? Do you have any blog suggestions for me?

The Service Depot

2010-03-22T16:44:00.002+13:00

A new store called The Service Depot has opened in Wellington at No. 2 Lombard st, just behind the Manners Mall post office. Considering that I was notified of this by Ange at Artikel (my favourite Wellington shop and my former employer) and by looking at the list of labels the store is stocking, I know the Service Depot will be amazing. It will be a welcome addition to Wellington's fashion family. I am very much looking forward to going back to Wellington soon and checking out the store.

Sir Mick

2010-03-22T16:39:00.002+13:00

Gosh Mick Jagger used to be gorgeous!

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-03-21T15:10:00.001+13:00

It has been years since I've worn a pair of pants. Someone told me today that it has been three years since she weaned herself off chocolate. Well it's been three years since I weaned myself off pants. Seeing these women wearing cuffed, high-waisted pants are inspiring me to make some changes to my wardrobe this winter.

At the top of my wish-list? Either these Lonely Hearts or Karen Walker ones:

Under Great White Northern Lights

2010-03-15T18:08:00.002+13:00

This week (which also marks the 10th anniversary of The White Stripes' first NZ tour), the latest White Stripes DVD Under Great White Northern Lights will be released as a box set, with a live album and accompanying book to be released over the next couple of months.

Directed by Emmett Malloy, who has also directed music videos for the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, the film follows the band on their 2007 Icky Thump tour throughout Canada. The band made sure to visit each corner of Canada, and played a few surprise gigs in unusual venues, including a bowling alley and on a public bus.

With Canada's red and white colour scheme, it seems the whole country was art directed especially for The White Stripes.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-03-14T17:50:00.003+13:00

Photo Credit: Jak & Jil, Emma's Corner and various sources.

Susan Miller

2010-03-09T18:17:00.003+13:00

"Astrology is not destiny. It is the study of planetary cycles, some that repeat and some that are once-in-a-lifetime events. The planets create opportunities and challenges on a regular basis, and it is not what happens to us that matters most, but how we respond to those challenges.

Many people become consumed by the challenges, and in so doing fail to see the brilliant opportunities being laid at their feet. Astrology can help you see them and to understand the timing that you need to know to take advantage of them before they disappear.

I have always felt that astrology is best used to plan events and to sidestep the difficulties. Astrology can also help you understand your talents and give you great confidence in the worthiness of your work. It can tell you when a difficult time will end and what you must learn from the experience while you are going through it."

I love Susan Miller. She writes the best astrology - detailed and freakishly accurate. She predicted my new job, "in broadcasting or publishing" as it said in my yearly horoscope, down to the date.

I wholly agree with her views on astrology. I also believe that positive thinking gets you further than dwelling on the past mistakes or future challenges. Astrology is not about predicting the future, it's about taking advantage of the opportunities that are coming your way.

I only pay attention to favorable horoscopes. If I read a negative one, I dismiss it as being hogwash, written by some hack with a good thesaurus.

I'm not sure if it's true, but apparently the NZ Herald offices have a lot of fun coming up with the daily horoscopes.

Seriously though, you need to start reading Susan Miller.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-03-09T10:03:00.002+13:00

(... on Tuesday.)

Photo Credit: Garance Dore, Vanessa Jackman and various sources

Ten Steps to Happiness.

2010-03-02T18:32:00.006+13:00

1. Smile.

2. Enjoy the view.

3. Create.

4. Dance.

5. Eat cake.

6. Spend time with animals.

7. Worry less, and drink more tea.

8. Believe in love, sex and music.

9. Fall in love with a stranger.

10. Watch this video of Ricky Gervais on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-02-28T14:20:00.000+13:00

Photo Credits: The Sartorialist, Vanessa Jackman, Turned Out and various sources

News from Cut Copy HQ

2010-02-28T13:00:00.002+13:00

Guten Tag,

We hope this message finds you all well.

Dan spent the majority of 2009 re-creating the Blade Runner soundtrack on his recently acquired CS-80 synthesizer. Note for note, arpeggio for arpeggio. Hopefully his interpretation of Vangelis's masterpiece will eventually see the light of day. He has also been busy re-establishing the Cutters Records empire by releasing records and hosting parties, and occasionally rocking a fine Grizzly Adams beard.

Tim is still firmly stuck in the 90's. He interviewed seminal guitar band Pavement for Russh magazine and he recently procured an original piece of Daniel Johnston artwork. It now hangs above his bed.

Mitchell has been spending his days establishing a tennis league for the indie rock community of Melbourne. They even have special t-shirts with their name embroidered on them. He tells me his serve is his biggest asset. Feel free to contact him directly for membership.

Collectively however we have been camped out in a warehouse on the outskirts of Melbourne, finishing writing and recording for album number 3. More on that very soon.

We'll also be leaving Australia to join you for your respective summers playing a handful of festival and club dates, previewing material from the forthcoming record, as well as rocking some old favorites (btw - "veteran act????!! - wtf).

Still chasing that perfect wave,
C//C
x

Ghost Colours February 27

2010-02-27T14:07:00.002+13:00

I haven't had any time to blog this week, but here are some links I hope you will enjoy (with some pretty pictures in between) to make up for it.

-Photographer Paul Barbera took some photos of Melbourne label Alpha 60's workroom. Their Accordion Scarf is one of my favourite items that I own.

-Slutever covers London Fashion Week: "At fashion week everyone is so avant garde and over-it that you can literally stand outside an elite party with your shirt over your head and the words “LFW” and “LOLZ” written across your tits, and still no one will notice you."

-The World Cinema Showcase film festival is on in New Zealand from March, I'm super keen to see Tom Ford's A Single Man. It stars Colin Firth and Julianne Moore and Tony from Skins. The cinematography looks beautiful, as you can see from the screencap above.

-Hobo Gestapo's Carlito took photos at The Gossip's Enmore gig.

-10,000 Melbournians marched down Swanston street to support their local music scene. Mess + Noise wrote about it here.

-Buck is a new website/blog which covers men's style and culture. I love their layout!

-Charlotte from bFM's Morning Glory interviewed Jack White recently. Apparently he was very charming. Download the podcast of the interview here.

-Australian model Jess Hart's blog is full of beautiful photographs taken on her travels. I particularly liked the photos from an Old Tram Yard.

-I went to the taping of Media7 and the Ad Show this week, where I was asked to try the Yellow Chocolate on camera. Watch me feeling really uncomfortable and eating the bizarre-tasting chocolate. There's a cute pukeko at the end too!

-There are six different Strawberry Shortcake-inspired covers for the new issue of Lula magazine.

-British Vogue has some coverage of Alexander McQueen's funeral. So very sad.

Sunday Style Snaps

2010-02-21T20:43:00.001+13:00

Obligatory Horrors shot:

Obligatory Alexa Chung (with Pixie Geldof) shot:

Photo Credit: Jak & Jil, Melbourne Street Fashion and various sources.

p.s. Alliteration is way cool. Being illiterate is not.

Do Not Wait.

2010-02-20T20:00:00.000+13:00

Shortly before this presentation, filmmaker, writer and poet Gabrielle Bouliane was diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. This would be her last public performance. Her message is simple. Do not wait.

New Years 2010

2010-02-20T09:00:00.001+13:00

Bonfires on the beach, Lunar Eclipse, midnight laughing fits, cocktails, "It makes me sick", Ghetto Gumby, "I'm just gon' go over here", O'Possum World, Bronski Beat, Party Scrabble, BEST NEW YEARS EVER.

Abbey Lee for Vogue Russia

2010-02-19T10:00:00.004+13:00

Abbey Lee Kershaw in the March issue of Vogue Russia

Shot by Josh Olins

Photo Credit: Fashion Gone Rogue

Did I mention I love Abbey Lee? Because I totally do.

IRM

2010-02-18T17:13:00.003+13:00

One of the albums I have been really enjoying lately is Charlotte Gainsbourg's IRM. I've been listening to the album's title track the most and recently I learnt something that has completely changed the way I listen to it.

I'd always been intrigued by the mechanic whirring noises and the heavy percussion that dominate the song. As it turns out IRM is imagerie par resonance magnetique, French for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and the whirring and drums in the song are an imitation of the noises inside an MRI machine. Spooky, no? Charlotte underwent several MRIs after suffering a brain hemorrhage a couple of years back.

The connection become a little more obvious when you actually start listening to the lyrics (which I didn't... ) where she sings of X-Ray eyes and scanning a pathogen.

She explains it better herself:

Hell's Angels Style

2010-02-18T10:28:00.004+13:00

"Frank retired from the outlaw world after seven years as Frisco president and is now surfing the South Pacific. Frank is the George Washington of Angeldom; his name is mentioned with reverence, among other chapters as well as Frisco. 'He was the best president we ever had,' they say. 'He held us together and he was good for us.' Frank had class, and he set many styles - from the gold earring to the purple-dyed beard to the clip-on nose ring he wore whenever he had the right audience. All during his reign, form 1955 to 1962, he held a steady job as a respected cameraman, but he needed more action than any job could provide. For this he had the Angels, a vehicle for his humour and fantasies, a sop for any aggressions and an occasional chance to bust out of the workday murk like some kind of sabre-rattling golem and lay at least a small jolt on people he had no other way of reaching. Frank was so completely hip that he went down to Hollywood and bought the blue-and-yellow striped sweatshirt that Lee Marvin wore in The Wild One."

- Hunter S. Thompson: Hell's Angels

This is What Summer is All About

2009-12-30T09:55:00.002+13:00

See you in the new year.

So Cosmic

2009-12-30T08:28:00.006+13:00

It's now been a year since I saw Cut Copy perform at Rhythm and Vines. Why can't they visit NZ more often?

See photos I took at their first NZ gig, here.

I'm makin' a mix - Help!

2009-12-28T19:40:00.004+13:00

In a couple of days I will be leaving the internet behind to spend a week with some of my favourite people, celebrating the new year / "fuck you 2009" (as my friend Sophia put it. Soph, start your blog now please.) near Napier, and driving back to Wellington via Taupo. I can't wait!

Thing is, I've offered to make a mix CD / playlist for the road trip... but I'm a little stuck. Any recommendations as to what I should put on it? What songs have featured on the soundtrack to your summer road trip?

Lily Allen for Harper's Bazaar Russia, January 2010

2009-12-27T16:31:00.002+13:00

Three words: What. A. Fox.

For the full shoot (complete with nips!) go to fashionising.

11th Dimension

2009-12-24T21:13:00.002+13:00

Photo Credit: Knight Cat

Forgive them, even if they are not sorry...
- Julian Casablancas, 11th Dimension

The video's now up on Stereogum.

He is cool. Will always be cool. I will accept no criticism against him.

WWJCD?

You Are My Clean, White Love

2009-12-24T20:36:00.003+13:00

White is a very tricky colour to pull off, but these girls manage to do it splendidly.

Photo Credits: Chelsea Jade, Guy Coombes Photography, Lover, Russh Magazine, Lula Magazine and various sources.

Soundtrack: Lisa Mitchell - Clean White Love

Northbound Journey

2009-12-24T19:37:00.002+13:00

Mum and I drove north this week for Christmas, stopping in a couple of places for some tourist-y shots.

Mt. Ruapehu, hiding behind the clouds.

Our first stop was the Desert rd. We took a couple of photos before the honking from passing cars got to be too embarrassing and we scurried back to the car - away from cheeky motorists and the chilly wind.

Mt. Ngaruhoe behind me to the right, between the electricity pillars.

This is probably the closest I will ever get to doing an 'outfit post' (Oh the vanity!). I will tell you that I am wearing a TV x Sportsgirl crop top and a twenty-sevennames skirt. (OK. Vom. That felt weird doing that. I'm such a dick. Sorry. It probably won't happen again.)

I thought I was pretty good at keeping relatively anonymous with this here blog, but @StarlaJo still managed to recognise me at Mighty Mighty on Saturday night! Good Nancy Drew work, there.

I love driving through the Desert Road, there's something beautiful about it, in its own barren way. I just find it amazing how one minute you're driving past this desert and then just 10 minutes later you're passing through a forest. Even though I've done many trips up and down the country, I still find driving along the Desert Road a thrill (don't mock me, I'm not big on geology, so I am fascinated by things that may seem minor to other, more sciencey-minded, people).

Our next stop was the Huka Falls, just out of Taupo. It was so lovely and warm, as you can see from these photos. Ice-creams were essential. Magnums are my favourite.

It's part of the Waikato River, where the river is squeezed through this tiny channel and the water goes all fast and rapid-y (sorry, I'm not good with the technical science words either... ). The volume of water passing over the falls is approximately 220,000 litres per second (Don't get too excited, I copied and pasted that bit from the Huka Falls website). That's a lot, right?

Well at least I can comment on the gorgeous turquoise colour of the water without sounding ignorant.

Launch Me Into Space

2009-12-22T21:34:00.005+13:00

Speaking of Space!, I have been digging this song lately. Cut Copy speckled The Juan MacLean's Happy House with their magic to create the 'Space Is The Place' remix. Another summer anthem? Yes!

Give it a minute, at the 1.02 mark the song turns awesome. I prefer the parts with the female vocals to the male vocals.

Falling In Love With A Stranger, vol. II

2009-12-22T20:54:00.003+13:00

I used to live in a heartbeat city,
I swear I'd fall in love every minute on the street.
You might be walking around the corner
And our eyes might meet.
Where you been darling darling? Where you been darling darling?
Where you been darling darling we've been holding this moment for you.

-Yacht, Psychic City

(Read the first Falling In Love With A Stranger post here)

Space!

2009-12-22T19:48:00.004+13:00

Photo Credit: Computer Science Geek (this guy does great astrophotography)

Ever since I read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, I have been thinking more about how the universe works. I've always been fascinated by the Moon (which could be linked to my Cancerian birth date), but my lunar love has now evolved to include all astronomy.

I love pictures of galaxies with the gorgeous array of colours. I love staying in the country and looking up at the stars. It makes me feel very insignificant and my mind almost combusts from all the philosophising that goes on during those nights.

I even have a folder on my iPhoto I have named 'Space!', which I plan on filling with pictures of cool celestial things. Do you have any cool pictures I could put in my Space! folder?

Dreams, and such.

2009-12-22T19:32:00.002+13:00

Last night I had a dream where I met SBS newsreader Janice Petersen. I remember asking where she went to university and what she loved most about working in current affairs journalism. I don't remember her answers. I am so lame. Shouldn't I be dreaming about meeting actors or rockstars or something normal like that?

Lonely Hearts Sale

2009-12-14T22:19:00.002+13:00

I am so very excited about the Lonely Hearts sale this weekend! I'm hoping to get my hands on some Winter '09 goodies. The sale starts on Thursday and goes for about a week or until everything is gone, whichever comes first. The annual sale, which normally takes place at Willis York hairdressing will now be in a store near Coco on Willis st. Get in early, because the sale is always super busy.

I'll be working at the sale, so come say hi!

British Fashion Awards 2009

2009-12-11T15:23:00.003+13:00

Georgia Jagger (yes, as in Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall's daughter) has won the British Fashion Award for Model of the Year. I think it should've gone to Daisy Lowe.

What do you think?

Read about last night's ceremony on The Cut

You took the words out of my mouth, Edythe.

2009-12-01T14:58:00.003+13:00

Photo Credit: Deers and Bears

"I admire anybody who wants to smile more, complain less, never take themselves too seriously and believe in beautiful things."

-Edythe Hughes

Leo

2009-11-19T13:21:00.003+13:00

Photo Credit: The Sartorialist, Turned Out and Various Sources

To add to the two leopard-print photos I posted a couple of days ago, here are some more of my favourite leopard-printed moments. I need a leopard print coat. As in, essential. Santa? Miss Havisham?

A Community Service Announcement

2009-11-18T19:47:00.003+13:00

Remember a couple of months ago when I was gushing over 'The Community Service Announcement' by Jonathan Boulet? Well I still love the song a heck of a lot and I still don't know how to pronounce his name. So not much has changed.

The video for the song was filmed a couple of weeks ago in NZ by those uber creative creatives, Special Problems. They've done work for The Mint Chicks, Cut Copy and Cut Off Your Hands, don't ya know. Judging by photos posted up on Twitter the underwater shoot must have been very chilly.

The fact that Jonathan is the same age as me just astounds me... what am I doing with my life? But it's good to see all of these hugely talented people getting the success and accolades where it is well deserved.

His debut, self-titled album is out in Australia on December 4. I look forward to buying it.

Orwell's Six Rules of Writing

2009-11-18T12:21:00.002+13:00

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

-George Orwell

(I know the photo doesn't really have anything to do with the content of this post, but it's cool, no?)

I Left My Heart In...

2009-11-14T10:26:00.004+13:00

Photo Credit: Yvan Rodic, Hannah + Landon, Rag Pony, Russh Magazine, Hobo Gestapo, Emma's Corner, The Sartorialist, Garance Dore,Blushing Ambition , & Various Sources

Friends + Headdresses, Friends + Headdresses + Black and White, Headdress + Leopard Print, Leopard Print + Kate Moss, Leopard Print + Nose Ring, Sheer + Legs, Sheer + Legs + White Beads, White Flower + Pixie Crop, White Lace Collar + Floral Blouse, White Blouse + Kitten, The Sartorialist + Red Hair, Garance Dore + Red Hair (my ideal shade), Kaya Scodelario, Zooey Deschanel, SAN FRANCISCO

Ruby Presents: Paint Your Heart Out

2009-11-14T09:54:00.002+13:00

Next Thursday Ruby Boutique in Wellington will be taking over the Old Bank Arcade for a party that is promised to be as good as last year's but not quite as crazy, haha. The art of illustrators Shayna Quinn, Henrietta Harris and Kelly Thompson will be on display in what is a "celebration of the joy of picture making".

Kelly Thompson

Henrietta Harris

Shayna Quinn

Auckland band Teacups will be making the trip down to play at the Ruby party. Check out Chelsea from Teacups' blog, she takes lots of pretty pictures.

RSVP is essential. If you want an invite, I'm sure you can just go in store and ask for your name to be put on the list and an email can be sent out to you. But don't quote me on that.

Ruby Presents: Paint Your Heart Out

Thursday 19 November 6-8pm

Ruby Boutique Old Bank Arcade

Yeah!

2009-11-13T12:09:00.002+13:00

Photos by Nick Zinner.

Photo Credit: Modular Facebook

Yeah Yeahs Yeahs are heading back to Australian shores this summer, but so far no New Zealand shows have been announced. I'm holding my breath, but we're kinda running out of time here. And looking at their touring dates on myspace, they don't have much time to pop across for a gig or two. Not good, not good.

I would love to see my favourite band again. Back in 2006 I entered a competition to win a ticket to their Auckland show. I wrote a detailed essay which linked Gold Lion (in very, very loose ways and completely tongue-in-cheek) with some kind of treasure hunt to find the meaning of life. Or something. It's hard to explain. Anyway, I was told they read it and loved it. I'd love to actually sit down and talk to them about it.... well, a girl can dream.

Dakota

2009-11-12T10:30:00.002+13:00

Photo Credit: Teen Vogue

Um, when did Dakota Fanning grow up? And turn into a MEGA BABE? I love her leopard body-con.

Bicycle, Bicycle, you are my Bicycle.

2009-11-09T23:32:00.003+13:00

Now that I'm back in Wellington for the summer, I'm so keen for a bike. On Saturday morning I walked along the waterfront while a friend cycled beside me. It was pleasant, the sunshine and the wind assuaged our hangovers. I was jealous, it's true. He got to have fun while I was stuck on land in my restrictive skirt.

Admittedly, Wellington is not the ideal biking city, it's all hills and winds that threaten to push you off. If I lived in the central city where it is flat it wouldn't be so bad, I could use it to bike to friend's places, the Sunday morning farmer's market and the waterfront. But alas, I live in the hills and far away (sort of) where there aren't really any good flat places to bike. I am willing to look past all of that in the name of a cute bike.

Does anyone have a bike they could lend me for the summer? Yes?

A Short History of Nearly Everything

2009-11-02T11:11:00.004+13:00

I've always been terrible at science. Well, I can't exactly say "always" because I stopped thinking about science five years ago, back when I had to do it at high school. I'll pass on the formulas, just give me some adjectives please.

The only thing I really liked about science was the Scottish teacher I had for a little bit in fifth form and how he would say things like "excrete" with his wonderful accent and roll the r's.

I've recently started reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, though I didn't quite realise just how science-y it would be. Does he get to the History part of the title soon? I suppose you can't really have the history of the universe without talking about gravity and rocks and galaxies and all of that.

Although A Short History is taking me a little longer to get through than the usual books I read, I am understanding 96 per cent of what he's writing about, and he actually makes it super interesting too. I should have forgone those three years of high school science altogether and just read this book instead.

Bryson writes with a clarity that all those Nobel scientists wish they could (sometimes being the smartest person in the room means you can't talk or write with words less than three syllables long) and has the sort of subtle, tongue-in-cheek humour that I can appreciate. Here's an example of what I mean, where he is talking about the creation of the universe:

"In a single blinding pulse, a moment of glory much too swift and expansive for any forms of words, the singularity assumes heavy dimensions, space beyond conception. The first lively second (a second that many cosmologists will devote careers to shaving into ever-finer wafers) produces gravity and the other forces that govern physics. in less than a minute the universe is a million billion miles across and growing fast ... In three minutes, 98 per cent of all matter there is or will ever be has been produced. We have a universe. It is a place of the most wondrous and gratifying possibility, and beautiful, too. And it was all done in about the time it takes to make a sandwich."

Boys Noize

2009-10-25T22:09:00.002+13:00

Photo credit: Yvan Rodic, Jak & Jil.

Goodbye Melbourne

2009-10-11T22:12:00.002+13:00

Photo taken yesterday in Rye, about 2 hours out of Melbourne on the Mornington Penninsula. Look at that blue sky! Note it was warm enough to go without stockings, but not sleeveless.

This weekend is my last weekend in Australia for a while, I'm heading back to my hometown of Wellington, NZ to save some money for next year. I'll be back in Melbourne in January, in time to catch the last of the summer sun and hopefully find a flat and a job before uni starts again.

I will miss Melbourne a lot, I freakin' love this city.

SYN

2009-10-06T23:15:00.002+13:00

My friend Emily and I are doing the graveyard shift on Melbourne's SYN radio station tomorrow night, you should tune in! We're on from 2-6am so you can listen in (if you're in the Melbourne region) on 90.7 fm or you can stream it online on SYN's website.

We'll be playing a bunch of our favourite tunes; some new ones, some old ones and generally just having a really good time and hopefully you'll like the music we play too, or maybe discover some new music to fall in love with? I must warn you though, this is our first time doing it so we may be a bit rubbish, but hey, who's really going to be listening other than insomniacs? If you're listening while we're on air, give us a call.

P.S. How fantastic is The Boat that Rocked? It's one of my favourite films to be released this year.

Parklife by the Numbers

2009-10-04T14:50:00.004+13:00

So my first Parklife festival is over. I'd love to go again but right now I'm content on recovering from yesterday. I have a thumping headache and my neck and my knees are sore from dancing for 10 hours straight. But I'm not complaining, the whole experience was well worth the $120, so essentially I paid 12 dollars for each hour I was there. $12 to see the Rapture? Bargain. The weather was perfect and I miraculously managed to avoid getting sunburnt. I loved that everyone was in such a good mood, it was a whole day of good vibes and friendly people. I always had room to dance and I never really felt annoyed at anyone for being a douchebag, as always tends to happen at Big Day Out.

Here are some of the things I saw yesterday, by the numbers:

1 x sniffer dog who went straight up to a group of guys who were waiting outside the venue. They had to empty their pockets.

Knightlife

4 x people who were watching Knightlife's set when I arrived at 12.20. They were security guards. It sucks to play first. He played a good set though, it definitely would have been better suited to later in the day.

300 x People who somehow managed to either break down a barrier or jump the fence at the same time and came stampeding through the festival, trying to immerse themselves in the crowd.

1 x Security guard who was chasing after the fence-jumpers.

Countless x people who were escorted from Parklife for not having a wristband. Throughout the day I saw people sprinting away from security guards who had asked to see wristbands.

2 x DJs I heard who played Pon de Floor. Is it this year's Day N Nite?

3 x people wearing Indian headdresses

1 x Drag queen spotted side-of-stage at Mink Engine.

Mimes onstage at Art vs. Science

2 x People from the audience dressed as mimes invited onstage to dance with Art vs Science when they played Parlez-vous Francais? I'm not a fan of their music, but the whole crowd was loving it and the mimes were great at getting the crowd hyped up.

1 x proposition to lick a guy's nipple.

1 x Girl who had a fantastic haircut, she had white blonde hair and it was shaved on one side and was a bob on the other, with the hair length getting longer as it got closer to the front of her face, so the front strands of her hair came down to just past her shoulders. The tips looked like they had been dipped in dye. She had the attitude to pull it off too, as only her and Kate Lanphear could.

Joakim

3 x Bang Gang Deejays watching Joakim's killer mid-afternoon set.

4 x Cut Copy t shirts.

0 x Cut Copy remixes played.

Busy P: so French, so cool.

3 x remixes of Yeah Yeah Yeah's Heads Will Roll were played by various DJs: Purple Sneaker DJs, MSTRKRFT and one other I've forgotten. Busy P also played a remix of Zero in his set.

MSTRKRFT

5 x New friends made after their lovely comments about my new Docs.

1 million x undercuts, on both males and females.

1 x Girl wearing a Christopher Kane gorilla t shirt.

The lighting at Crystal Castles was really good, Alice Glass came onstage carrying a strobe light.

0 x Lyrics I could hear at Crystal Castles, even though I was quite close to the front. It was hard to distinguish the vocoder from the synth. Only the occasional screech. If someone had told me she was just mewing into the microphone, I would have believed it. I really had no idea what she was saying. But Alice Glass has a crazy amount of energy, her performance made up for it. I don't know how she does it night after night, it looks so exhausting throwing herself around for a 45-minute set.

Alice Glass enters the Matrix/just about to jump into the audience.

1 x Full moon, which came out just as Empire of the Sun were starting, it was rather fitting. A bit cult-ish too, with the synchronised dancers on stage.

5 x Girls wearing fur coats or vests. Really? Yesterday was boiling hot!

0 x Fireworks I could see just before the Rapture started their set. I was right up the front and the fireworks were being let off by the river, behind the stage.

The Rapture

2 x Crowd surfs by the singer of the Rapture

1 x Ending the night with the Rapture's No Sex for Ben. Soooo good.

1 x dusty pair of Docs from dancing up a (dust) storm.

How was your Parklife? Any numbers of your own you want to add?

Parklife 09

2009-09-29T16:25:00.003+13:00

The lineup for Parklife is for me (the girl who is crazy about dance music) one of the best I have ever seen. It's so good, that I knew there would be some clashes and I would have to pick favourites. My only non-negotiable is seeing the Rapture. It was their song House of Jealous Lovers that lured me into dance music in the first place. It's also because of that song that I have such a fondness for the cowbell.

12pm: Knightlife

Song I need to hear: Crusader and one or two of their Cut Copy remixes

3.30: Joakim

Songs I need to hear: His remixes of Metronomy, Cut Copy, Royskopp and Simian Mobile Disco...

3.45: Shazam

Song I need to hear: His remix of Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders

3.50: The Cool Kids

Song I need to hear: Gold and a Pager

4pm: Busy P

Song I need to hear: Nothing specific, he was great at Rhythm and Vines so I expect he will be again. Any Ed Banger tunes would be good.

4.40: Lady Sovereign

Song I need to hear: Love Me or Hate Me, of course.

4.45: Junior Boys

5.15: MSTRKRFT

Songs I need to hear: Work on You, Street Justice and just about all of his remixes.

5.30: Aeroplane (DJ Set)

Song I need to hear: His remix of Paris by the Friendly Fires featuring Au Revoir Simone. And his Hearts on Fire remix. (So many people on the Parklife lineup have done a Cut Copy remix, I suppose hearing all the remixes will almost make up for the lack of live Cut Copy on Saturday)

6pm: Metronomy

Songs I need to hear: Radio Ladio, Heartbreaker.

6pm: La Roux

Songs I need to hear: Bulletproof, Colourless Colour.

6.30: Crystal Castles

Songs I need to hear: Crimewave, Vanished, Alice Practice.

6.45: Yacht Club DJs

Songs I need to hear: I've seen them a few times since I moved here and they're always lots of fun.

7.15: Erol Alkan

Songs I need to hear: His remixes of Diplo, Justice, Franz Ferdinand, Digitalism, Bloc Party...

7.30: Metric

Songs I need to hear: I dunno, apparently they're good and I'm so out of the loop for not having heard them before?

8pm: Empire of the Sun

Songs I need to hear: Standing on the Shore, Walking on a Dream, We are the People, Half Mast. The rest of the album is rubbish.

8.30: Tiga

Songs I need to hear: Pretty much everything on his album 'Ciao!'

9pm: The Rapture

Songs I need to hear: House of Jealous Lovers, Whoo! Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh

So, yes, timetable dilemmas. But I've learnt to not plan out your day too thoroughly otherwise you worry too much about what you're missing out on, rather than enjoying the day and the music that you do get a chance to see.

For now all I am hoping for is that the weather stays this good for the rest of the week and I can get all of my assignments in before then so I can enjoy the day guilt-free! I'm so looking forward to dancing all day.

Have you seen any of these acts before? Are there any you think that I absolutely must go see? Others that are lame and not worth my time? Did you go to the Perth or Brisbane Parklife this past weekend?

too erotic for the bus!

2009-09-28T18:03:00.009+13:00

L-R: Sean, Ash, Eammon, Ellen. Photo by Liam.

This is my favourite photo from last summer, taken at Camp A Low Hum. It reminds me of beers in the sun, watching good music with good friends, warm summer breezes and mid-afternoon naps (a.k.a. The Power Nap) under a tree. You can tell it's summer because my legs have some semblance of a tan (my face doesn't because I always put sunblock on my face, though my nose is a bit pink in this photo). When the polaroid developed, we realised how much it looks like a band photo. Thus, too erotic for the bus! was born. I can't remember who came up with the name, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was Eammon.

Though I've learnt a bunch of instruments throughout the years, I can't play anything more than 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' on any of them. I can't sing for peanuts either, so I think I was given tambourine duties. The other three are all talented musicians in their own right, and they clearly have more experience with band photos than I do. I look like a loon, grinning away in the corner there. They've got the 'cool' thing down better than I do. Each of them have a couple of musical projects on the go, and they're all so lovely and modest about it you wouldn't really know it unless you happened to stumble across one of their gigs.

Sean and Eammon (along with another one of our friends, Chris) join forces to make sweet music in Seth & Merle (download here), Sean's solo project is Seth Frightening, Eammon also plays under the moniker Basketball Nightmare (download here) and Ash plays bass for Over the Atlantic (easily one of my favourite bands to come out of NZ these last few years) as well as creating music as Secret Knives (download here).

As I understand it, Ash has only played a couple of gigs (the first of which was at Rhythm and Vines last year) because he's so shy about it. There's a funny story that I've heard about Ash, I'm not sure exactly how accurate it is, since I wasn't actually there and this might be a case of Chinese Whispers, but apparently at a party his friends put on a Secret Knives song, which Ash didn't recognise at first and said something along the lines of "Is this Interpol? I like it." and it was only when he heard his own voice coming through the speakers that he realised his mistake. I wouldn't really say that Secret Knives sounds like Interpol, but I can maybe hear some elements of them in there, in some of the guitar parts.

Every time I see Sean, Eammon and Ash I bug them to come play a gig in Melbourne. Maybe if I nag them enough it'll happen.

One song I can see myself trashing this summer is 'The Community Service Announcement' by Jonathan Boulet, Modular's latest signing. You can download the song here. I'd heard the song a lot on Triple J, but it was only when Modular announced the new signing that I was able to figure out who the song was by. I love the whimsical feeling of it. There's something about the song that reminds me of all those wonderful things about summer that I mentioned at the top of this post. Do you have any songs that you like to listen to because they remind you of summer?

A friend and I are doing the graveyard shift on Melbourne's SYN, the place where I did the radio course last month. We're doing it on Thursday 8 October 2-6am. I'll be playing a lot of the music I have mentioned on this here blog, including Jonathan Boulet, and some other sweet tunes that I'm loving at the moment. I have no idea how we're going to stay awake, any tips?

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

2009-09-27T17:18:00.002+13:00

CUT COPY - "HEARTS ON FIRE" from Diaspro on Vimeo.

I wish I had red hair...

2009-09-26T13:27:00.004+12:00

Photo Credits: The Sartorialist, Turned Out, Yvan Rodic, Elinkan, Jak & Jil

Interview Scraps: Van She

2009-09-24T00:13:00.012+12:00

Photo Credit: Cara Stricker

A while ago, I was lucky enough to do an interview with Mikey from Van She. It was one of the most enjoyable interviews I have done. I am often nervous when doing interviews: I'm worried that I'll ask lame questions and I'll be wasting their time, or that the conversation won't flow, or the tape recorder won't work, or that any other technical difficulties/wardrobe malfunctions will occur. Often I'm interviewing people whose work I admire so much that I can't help but be a little flustered when I first meet them.

Photo Credit: Cara Stricker

I met Mikey in a restaurant in St Kilda, where we talked for an hour about all things Van She. He was polite (he held the door open for me), he was friendly, he offered plenty of anecdotes (a journalist's dream) and explained the lyrics behind Cat & the Eye (a fan's dream), but it was his story about his experiences with Daft Punk that really stuck with me. I notoriously get all fan-girly and gushy (though I prefer to say 'passionate') about music that I love, so it was nice to hear that a musician I admire does the same thing. This story didn't really fit in with the final draft of the article, but I think it's one that needs to be shared.

"I suppose meeting Daft Punk [was one of my highlights]. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be into dance music. One of my fondest memories was when we saw them in Perth. It was the first time we saw them and it was at an amazing open air venue next to the water. They were doing Stardust in the encore and Tomek [Van She's drummer] and I were just running through the crowd, dancing and spinning round in circles. It was amazing. Just smiling.

Would you say that they are one of your influences?
Yeah, definitely very influential. But also figuring out who their influences are too. I remember hearing them and then going out to house nights and stuff and, being a musician, studying music, being like ‘Wow, how do they play like that?' To me, figuring out how they play was the best. Getting into disco and buying disco records and hearing bits of those disco records in Daft Punk tracks and realising it and putting it altogether.

Did they pass on any words of wisdom when you met them on the Nevereverland tour?
No but I got to ask them about a specific bass sound that I had always, always wanted to know what that sound was. When Play Paul was here, he’s Guy-Man’s [from Daft Punk] brother, we heard he was playing and he’d never been to Australia before. That was when Daft Punk were really happening… So I went to one of his gigs and said ‘Oh hey, I am a massive fan, do you want to hang out in my studio, do you want to work on some stuff?' He was with another guy who was an artist as well so they both came over to the studio. It was myself, Nick [Van She's singer] and those two guys and we wrote a track which actually ended up on the album. That was ‘So High’. Being with him in the studio and him saying 'This is what my brother did...' and just telling stories and him seeing a piece of equipment and saying ‘Oh yeah you know the high-hat on that’s on Alive? That’s that’ so it was really cool. You just realise that all these people that you think are amazing, they just like the same things as you and it’s not that big of a deal."

Hopefully I can include this 'Interview Scraps' section as a regular feature. And they won't be actually be 'scraps' either, they'll be little nuggets of gold that were too good to be published... perhaps I will come up with a better title for it later.
I've got some interviews lined up exclusively for In Ghost Colours too, so keep an eye out for those.

This is what tax refunds are good for...

2009-09-21T14:03:00.006+12:00

Photo Credit: Hobo from Hobo Gestapo

I bought these Docs, $100 brand new from ebay. I know it's sad to be in love with a pair of shoes, but I am, I really am. You know when you buy a new dress or get a new haircut and it makes you feel that much better about yourself that there's a spring in your step? That's how I feel about these. And it's not just because of their trademark 'Bouncing Soles' either.

Okay, enough gushing now, I'm going outside to enjoy this sunshine and do my media readings.

Dat Chu Props Boy?

2009-09-17T11:33:00.003+12:00

Photo Credit: Jak & Jil

Backstage line up at Thom Browne, NYFW.

We were just talking yesterday in my English Literature tutorial about how the polka dots pattern was apparently voted the ugliest pattern by Cosmopolitan magazine, haha.

For those who didn't grow up in New Zealand in the '90s, Props Boy was the 'zany' sidekick on a popular children's TV show called What Now? he never spoke, just made noises, kinda like Anne from Little Britain. Aaah, to be the writer of a children's television show.

Nirvana

2009-09-16T13:12:00.001+12:00

Photo Credit: Yvan Rodic