2Modern

WE'RE SUPPORTING

The man who brought us the masterpiece, For Emma, Forever Ago, is soon to release the follow-up EP, Blood Bank. Given the staggering acclaim For Emma received, his approach to the release must have been a nervous one, weighed down by the expectations of an entire music industry and its league of followers. Blood Bank is no disappointment, though: he calls it a ‘palette cleanser’ after For Emma, and it continues its themes of wintery isolation and introspection. The harmonies on tracks like Beach Baby are beautiful, and the production equally exquisite.

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Almanac Market in Philadelphia is slightly pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. Offering fantastic bread, cheeses, produce, and cured meats such as sopressata and pepperoni, it was a great pit stop when my band played in town, and definitely more economical and tasty than hitting a greasy spoon for road snacks.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Baltimore’s Teeth Mountain create pulsing, shamanistic, tribal-sounding tracks from a bunch of floor toms, cello, mandolins, keyboards, saws, and whatever else they can get their hands on. The chaotic music they make is noisy, roughly-hewn, and impulsive-sounding, but that seems to be the point. They’re trying to evoke a sort of post-apocalyptic primitivism. It will be interesting to see where this collective takes their aesthetic.

WE'RE READING

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.

WE'RE THINKING

I’ve loved 3D art ever since I was a kid, especially the kind that requires 3D glasses to really appreciate it. My studio, Thunderdog, is working on an art book right now of just three dimensional art, featuring a hundred artists. It should be out next Christmas.

The Australian film collective behind the sci-fi spoof, The Time That Time Forgot, perfectly capture the look and feel of awkward, low-budget rip-offs from the ’70s — the psychedelic lighting, bad dubbing, and amazing hair. One almost wishes Italian Spiderman was for real. [more about Italian Spiderman]

WE'RE WEARING

Creating modern-vintage inspired by 1950s Australian housewives and rock’n'roll style pin-up glamour, Peta Pledger has been producing one-off, made-to-measure or small-run garments and accessories since 2003. Her love affair with the sewing machine began in 1988 when — like many lovely ladies — she couldn’t find any clothing that flattered her figure. Read more