Louis Porter

WE'RE SUPPORTING

London illustrator Simon Brader’s work is innovative and full of topical innuendo. I love his colour choices in particular, the soft watery washes blending energetically with the more stubborn, edgy textures.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Located on an unassuming side street in central Madrid, El Mollete is a simple restaurant serving knock-out local dishes. Sliced potatoes cooked in olive oil are topped with salty, smoky, fried eggs broken just before serving to release their oozing, deep yellow yolks. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

These vegan designer bags from Matt & Nat are made out of anywhere between 15 and 55 recycled plastic bottles. It also uses no leather, which is a big plus given that according to the UN, raising cattle generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.

WE'RE THINKING

As I sit here trying to figure out what exactly to make of the work from New York City-based artist John Hodany, I come across many elements which I’m sure resonate with the day-to-day life of all us city folk. Sushi, yup, had that for dinner last night. Alarm clock, a few hours ago (hit snooze three times). Locks, always. On everything. Pigeons, oh my. It’s all so familiar but ultimately pieced together in a way as to make it feel rather disorientating. That about sums up a typical day in the city, no?

WE'RE READING

Now, c’mon, if you had the chance to lay a clever one liner on William Shatner, you would, right? Yeah. If you could look him in the eyes, gently brush his laser gun out of your face, and unleash that killer put down that you’ve had swirling around the deepest cavaties of your subconcious ever since episode six of the fourth series, you’d grab it with both hands and offer up a thanks to those strange looking alien creatures who rule our universe. Well, guess what? You can. And while you’re at it, why don’t you give Dustin Diamond an ear full, too. Ah, the joys of unrequited paybacks.

Andrew Fagan, lead singer of The Mockers, the poppiest New Zealand band of the 80s, came around to my place once when I was an impressionable 10-year old with stars in my eyes and a head full of shiny, shiny melodies. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Caught The Dust Dive the other night at Glasslands. They’re a bunch of hippies, but even I have to admit, they’re atmospheric live show – consisting of violin, gently strummed guitar, a few piano and sampler twinkles here and there, and sound samples from the found footage projected behind the band – is really powerful, like the warm rush of fond memories that hits you an instant before the mushroom cloud annihilates everything. Frontman Bryan Zimmerman even plays the musical saw, and you really can’t argue with that.

Listen to their track, Claws of Light.