Stella Macdonald

WE'RE SUPPORTING

I love it! With the CD now being eclipsed by the MP3, I find myself feeling even more nostalgic for the simple charm of the cassette. Australian artists Andrew Smart and Jared Schmidt create ‘large scale hand-made wooden cassette tapes, routed, sanded, bogged, primed, and painted with a high quality paint finish’. Aha! The perfect way to memorialize my old mix tapes. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

One of my favourite venues in New York is Brooklyn’s Union Hall, right around the corner from Tamari, a super sushi joint. Upstairs they have two massive fireplaces burning and a bocce ball court. Yup, bocce. Downstairs you feel like you’ve walked into the museum of natural history where you can see live bands on a stage reminiscent of grandma’s living room.

WE'RE WEARING

Jeans are a science, a science based on the deep knowledge of denim, washes and patterns, according to Dr. Denim, who have certainly twisted and turned every single atom of all their jeans into perfection. Each pair exudes a progressive design, made of superior quality at fair prices. My high waists have become the most desirable item in my wardrobe due to the denim’s strength which magically sculpts to your body yet leaves you embracing the comfort of wearing tracky-dacks. Seriously, there is nothing more important than owning a good-fitting pair of jeans. Dr. Denim delivers unisex designs that appeal to everyone.

WE'RE THINKING

Now here’s a serious treat. The digital work of illustrator Aleks Senvald possess all the handmade charm of an actual painting, brimming with a giddy charm and sweetness, played out through her wonderfully rich narrative. Read more

WE'RE READING

The New York Times recently posted a selection of Mad Magazine fold-ins from the past 40 years of the magazine’s history. The feature allows you to actually fold the images to reveal the decoded message and picture.

Heavy metal and hip-hop are perhaps the most popular forms of rebellion for kids the world over. In Malaysia, metal — particularly black metal — has taken such a strong hold that the Fatwa Council there banned it, fearing that the music would compel listeners to rebel against religion. Contrary to the council’s intentions, black metal is as popular as ever in Malaysia, and is a recognizable cultural touchstone there, as indicated by the above clip from the 2005 film Filem Rock.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Grinning Cat is a beautiful electronic album from prodigious Japanese producer, Susumu Yokota. It borrows liberally from the melodic melancholy of classical music and features subtle drum loops throughout. We interviewed him about the artwork that he creates for each release. Read more