I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine...

I KNOW. It's been FOREVER since I wrote.

I keep on having these good ideas or observations for a post but then never seem to get the chance to sit and write.

There's been a lotta stuff happening. It's been a particularly busy few months. But more on that later, soon.

In the mean-time here's perhaps my number one amazing favourite song right now and the two equally cool video clips that go with it. I can't stop listening to this song and watching these videos. Like, repeatedly. Every day. Both videos have their charms but the official one makes me want to pack up and head to San Francisco...

RADelaide

Adelaide. City of churches, serial killers, amazing food, memories, haighs chocolate, apparently has more lotto winners than any other city in Australia...

There are many things Adelaide is famous for but in my mind it's now going to be synonymous with Bob Ellis being LOL. I was in RADelaide for The Festival of Ideas last week - and the highlight of the whole experience [apart from the Pedro Ximenez braised beef cheeks at Mesa Lunga tapas - ahh, I'm a total sucker for the black gold!] and the incredible meal at Chianti Classico was Bob Ellis getting up and asking a hilarious question of English scientist Simon Singh, who's recently written an book examining alternative medicine like acupuncture and chiropracture. [Simon wasn't very favourable in his view of these practises.]

... Anyways, after a long and rigorous discussion about the science and health claims of alternative medicine Uncle Bob [who was wearing slippers during the day] got up and announced to the room that he's been a long advocate for such alternative remedies, and most recently has found they've helped him with impotence, and curing his dog's sore hip.

Everyone in the room laughed, but poor Simon had no idea who Bob was. He was a bit stunned. Perhaps a bit too familiar, Bob? Maybe too much information.

Kindness of Strangers

It's been a long few weeks. Getting everything together for Still Life was really freakin busy. Good fun, without doubt. But a LOT of work. A lot of long hours, late-nights, working all weekends... But in the whole process I also had my faith in humanity restored.

Sometimes people really are just excellent. I came up with the hair-brained idea and then suddenly people were offering all these amazing things to make it happen. All the artists donated their work. All the galleries waived their fees and donated their commissions. We had two amazing framers offer to frame the precious pieces - for love and glory. Because they love the station and what it stands for, and even though they don't have a lot of money, they were donating the physical goods which cost them money, not to mention their time. And even though we didn't have a lot of lead-time, the word seems to be spread. People turned up, had fun, spent money!

And somehow at the end of it we still had beer left-over. Unheard of! The bar staff were sure we'd run out within the first hour. I mean, it was a Friday night, a show full of artists and the beer was both Coopers and FREE. Crazy.

And so the wash-up was that it was a huge success. The whole process towards the end felt a little bit like 200 cigarettes - I was fretting that no-one would come but instead it turned out to be the party of the week.

Still Life

Ok, so this is what I've been doing for the past few weeks... come along? Tell your friends!

Hot Like Fire

I know, I know, it's been a while. What can I say? I've been busy. But I'm not going to bother you with the ins and outs of that. Luckily though, amongst all the madness, I [thankfully!] found time to do some record shopping, the fruits of which recently arrived. 

There's nothing quite like that feeling of excitement, like the the suspense is killing you, when you see a record-shaped package sitting there, casually waiting for your listening attention. It's a moment when you have that same sense of anticipation like you used to at Christmas time or something. I know, in this internerd era we're meant to be pirates of the high seas and all... Which is fine and mos def has it's place and benefits, but I have a love of the old school tactile side of records. And enjoying the art and all that. So totally retro, I know, I know. Analogue almost. But whatevs. Humour me.

Black Black was an unwitting discovery. They're a group from LA, they're friends with folk like Health and No Age. Their [debut?] single is a great cover of Ace of Base's [!!] Feels like Magic. They remind me a little bit of Kimya Dawson, who I'm not a big fan of, but there's something compelling about them. 

The Phenomenal Handclap Band were the reason that I found my way to the record shop, I was hunting out their 15 to 20 / Testimony release. TPHB is a Brooklyn based group who I think are going to be huge this year. They've got great hooks and basslines. They're a bit 60s soul. A bit Brazilian funk. Equal parts psychedelia and disco. They've got a debut album dropping in the next few months. They came about after two New York underground DJs decided to start a band, they got a few friends who play around town, with bands like the Dap-kings,TV on The Radio, Anitbalas Afrobeat Orchestra and others together, recorded a few jams and have since produced a debut album with help from folk like Jon Spencer, Jaleel Bunton and a bunch more. They also have a pretty excellent blog.

A hot tip, if you like Nathan Fake and you're thrilled that his next album is on it's way - due in a few days, apparently. Head across to Pure Groove 'cause they're selling some special signed copies of his current EP.

And while you're there, pick yourself up a copy of The XX's 7" - Crystalised / Hot Like Fire. You've probably heard their Womack and Womack cover of Teardrops, which is nice and all, but their original stuff is SO MUCH better. Here's the video for Crystalised and then go and buy the song. You've no doubt read a whole lot of internerd love about them so I'm not going to go on about them, other than to say I'm quietly anticipating their debut album in July.

The Skillz to Pay the Billz

While I am plotting away coming up with some great ideas that will get Richard's attention for the ASK RICHARD campaign that we launched yesterday at FBi Radio, here are a few things that have brought joy and inspiration to everyone at work.

The Ginger Nija check out the uh-may-zing dance moves in this video.

GRILL SKILLZ - a vintage training video from the 80s for Wendy's in America. Enjoy the opening graphics, keep with it for the first two minutes and then watch out, cause around 3:50 this is going to BLOW YOUR MIND

GET PIGGY WITH IT

A fund raiser hosted by the whole Sunset herd - bringing home the bacon for FBi. 

Bump & rind with a line up that's nothing to sneeze at...

SIMON 'The Swine' CALDWELL 
ROAST SHAM BO 
THE STOLEN RECORDS STY 
KATO & ANNA 'Miss Piggy' LUNOE 
JAMES 'trotters' TAYLOR 

Hosted by Shantan Bacon Ichiban (Stolen Records) 

Join us for some cracklin' good times
Friday May 8
Oxford Art Factory
11.30pm
$10 on the door / $5 for FBi supporters

Land of the Freak

OMG OMG OMG! Best news - King Khan and The Shrines...  in digital, colour greatness. Check out their new video. Admire The King himself - and those dancers. Yikes.
Thanks Pitchfork.tv

Are You The One?

So I don't want to get all earnest on yo ass, but community engagement has been a big all-consuming theme this week. Tonight, I was talking with some girlfriends about the living local project. Sydney based company Digital Eskimo have started this experiment / online project which is all about encouraging people to think more about their local world. Their local economy, the produce you eat and where it comes from and try to eat stuff that's local, which is better for our environment, generally to engage with the people and things around you...

In some ways it's a complementary extension of the slow food movement I guess. Although it's not just about food - it's all about slowing down, taking the time to connect with your neighborhood and community, and random strangers.

I've been thinking a lot about these themes lately, taking the time to nurture the things that are important to you, rather than spending crazy amounts of time working. Feeling like you're the meat in a sausage factory. What's also interesting about this living locally project is how it's an online initiative to get people connecting with people, face to face in the real world. Nice layers there.

It also reminds me of one of my favourite art projects that Sydney artist Lucas Ihlein did in 2006. The Petersham Bilateral Project, also known as the 'sham. Basically, Lucas got funding to have an artist residency in his own suburb and he didn't leave for a few months. He got to know his neighbours and community, and documented the whole experience. Go back and check out the archives, it's so great.

And, if you like the sounds of of this whole local focus thing, keep an eye out around Sydney. The amazing Lee Tran Lam is currently putting together a zine on our fine city. I don't really know much more about it than that. She's been a bit mysterious about it. But all will be revealed at the Sydney Writers Festival Zine Fair in May...

Hello? Godot?

I’ve been writing lists – hundreds of lists of things to do, things to listen to, to watch, to play on my show, plans to make, people to call, yuddah yuddah … but I feel like I’ve been lost in some sort of vortex and each week is just racing by. It’s now almost Easter. Frig. Daylight saving has ended, which makes getting up at 5.55am to go to training easier, because it’s no longer dark...

But it also means we’re heading headlong into the long darkness of winter. I always get nostalgic about winter in the height of summer, fondly remembering it as a time of scarves, foxy trench coats, late nights filled with good music, red wine, friends and cosy indoor spaces. But as winter starts to arrive I start to remembering that it’s not quite the romance that I’d been affectionately recalling during the summer months.

But winter also means more motivation to stay in and hang on the couch. On the list of things to watch is ‘True Blood’ – check out the opening titles below. Amazing.



On the tip of plans to make – I’m dreaming about ATP in NYC.

As for things I'm to listening to today: trawling through G the P’s blog and archive of old gold, if you’re feeling like some fuzzed out guitars, tambourines, hand-claps, do-wops or the new DOOM album if you want something shiny and new. OR if you want something that mixes old and new together listen to the Meanest Man Contest Category Killer Selection

And as for things to do, if you’re in Sydney at the moment, check out the new Paddington Reservoir – according the Time Out It was “built 142 years ago, was decommissioned in 1914 and became a garage. In 1993, the servo's roof caved-in, leaving the site derelict but for hordes of feral cats and a shadowy graffiti movement who under the cover of night filled the walls of the 1023-square-metre site with stunning frescoes and murals…” anyway, now it’s been restored and looks amazing. Check out some photos here