Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have an announcement of some importance, one that will perhaps rock the very foundations upon which humanity is resting. One that I make with just a hint of shame and a healthy scattering of bravado. One that will perhaps relegate me forever to the realm of the desperate and dateless, little more than a wallflower in the great garden of life. For I have officially entered the sordid and somewhat competitive world of professional whistling. Yes, that’s right, professional whistling. Last night in a moment of altruistic euphoria (encouraged no doubt by a long glass of Argentinean white) I agreed to become the manager of an entrant in this year’s American Whistling Championships, an annual event of monumental proportions that pits the finest sets of lungs, lips and tonsils in the country against each other in a showdown to the death. Or at least until someone wins. Whichever comes first. This is a fiercely competitive environment, where song choice, pitch, and tone are everything; and tight jeans and social graces, evidently, are not. Where the sweet tremor of a well-performed vibrato is like music to the ears of a judging panel that have no doubt heard it all before. So we must push boundaries; we must take risks. Hendrix’s ‘Star Spangled Banner’; Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ and Zappa’s ‘Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Sexually Aroused Gas Mask’ are all part of my grand vision. And yes, there will be tears along the way; there will be days when my exhaustive training routine will wear. But, heck, when my charge stands proudly on that podium, clutching the magnificent Gold Flute and whistling with abandon the victory song (Sherbet’s ‘Can You Feel It?’), I know deep down inside that it’ll be more than worth the sacrifices. [illustrations by Shinya Harada]
- 0
- 1
Also by ZOLTON
Crimea X is the coming together of two offbeat, disparate characters, DJ Rocca (Ajello, Super Sonic Lovers, Maffia Sound System) and Jukka Reverberi from 90s Italian glam cult rockers, Giardini di Mirò, who have often have been compared with the sound of Mogwai, Arab Strap, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. We asked them about their favourite music and they started with The Smiths song, Ask [listen below] ‘I saw them playing live on Italian TV. It was during the 80s when I was extremely young, and I’ve never stopped listening to this song’. Read the rest of Crimea X’s Secret Playlist.
I love the curated selection of abandoned swimming pool photos on Feature Shoot today, featuring work by Carlo Van de Roer and Albert Jodar, amongst others.
Win a set of Sony personal audio prizes
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (1)
HAVE YOUR SAY
New York artist James Jean doesn’t need any introduction. But, just in case you haven’t seen his work yet, take a peek now. And forever be in awe. We caught up with him recently in his studio and asked him about the props for his daily inspiration: ‘Sometimes I’ll have my laptop setup next to my work station so that I can listen to audio books, the radio, or have videos playing in the background. But mostly inspiration comes from books and magazines’. Read more
Do the Norwegians know something we don’t? On a remote island near the North Pole they’re going to build a seed vault that is able to survive future cataclysmic events such as asteroid strikes, nuclear war or climate change. Read more
Cheap Monday are arguably one of the biggest revolutions in denim since Levi’s. They’re pretty much the uniform second skin for the music totin’, cons scuffin’ youth of today. Read more
‘Some people call me the space cowboy, some call me the gangster of love, some people call me Maurice, cause I speak with the pompetus of love’. The pompetus of love?! Really. I don’t know what the heck Steve Miller was on the day he wrote that, but I could sure do with some now. Read more
We love sex in art. No, not in a smutty Benny Hill kinda way, but rather the way in which Australian-based website Sex In Art takes a healthy peek at all things arty and well … sexual. There’s some beautiful illustration work up there and some evocative photography. Heck, I’m getting a little hot under the collar just writing about it. While most of the work they feature is work friendly, some of it isn’t. Still, it’s worth more than a casual glance, like this painting by Chinese artist, Guan Zeju.
Having originally sprung from the Shaky Isles (otherwise known as New Zealand), I can appreciate the humour in the New Zealand cartoon series, Bro Town, the first homegrown animated series to screen during local prime time. It’s simply brilliant, a real play on the ‘thuck’ accent and small town ways of our Kiwi brethren.
Growing up on the road in the deep south of America will either maim you or make you stronger. In Ryan Bingham’s case, it was the latter. Read more
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Scanners’ new single Salvation
I love this track by London based rock group, Scanners, which is off their latest album, Submarine. Having toured with acts such as The Horrors, The Wedding Present, The Charlatans, Electric Six, and Juliette & The Licks, Scanners could well blow up in 2010. Figuratively speaking, not literally. No, that wouldn’t be fun.
With the recession still biting, it may be time to whip out the glue and the cardboard and make your next pair of cool kicks. Don’t know how they’d manage in the rain though? Read more
Italian-born, New York City-based photographer Paolo Ventura creates fairy-tale like pictures out of amazingly constructed, miniature dioramas that almost trick the eye into thinking he’s a tilt-shift photographer. Read more
Amazing cake designs by Charm City Cakes
Baltimore company Charm City Cakes produces the most innovative wedding and party cakes on the market. Inspiration for these creative bakers comes from everywhere: art, fabric, furniture, architecture, landscapes, science, and music, and each cake is individually designed to match your personality, and the theme of the occasion you are celebrating. Don’t miss these cakey engineering masterpieces. Read more
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
The Pasta and I print belongs to New York illustrator Fernanda Cohen’s personal series, Food Affair, which focuses on her passion for food and love. The archival pigment print is available for $75 through the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
spiro said | 12 October, 2006
give me the detais of where and when this whistling competition is being held. i might enter the neighbour’s dog who tends to howl/whistle in the night occasionally. S