Lost AT E Minor

Snap!

Montreal’s only free independent arts and lifestyle magazine — SNAP! — recently launched their third issue for September and October. Titled Bookish, the issue celebrates, among other things, the beauty of books, the charm of geeks, poetry, blogging, artists and their workspaces and a cafe guide for students trying to get their study on in any of Montreal’s stylish neighbourhoods. As you do.

Menace Ruine

Menace Ruine is a husband-wife black metal duo from Montreal. I never thought I’d get a chance to see them live, seeing as most bands of this ilk are one-off basement projects, but when I saw them on a Halloween bill with fellow French Canadians Nadja, I couldn’t skip it. They didn’t disappoint with their harsh noise and feedback, but despite not having a guitar or drumkit in sight, their intricate rhythms and keyboard lines made my head spin (and occasionally bang). The couple displays some psychedelic and avant-garde influences, but the band is indisputably metal even when its feminine half sings like Nico on a few parts.
[audio:http://invisibleoranges.com/audio/MENACERUINE_KILL.MP3]

Pink Mountaintops

Pink Mountaintops — a wry Canadian duo — are getting some pretty steady exposure on my stereo at the moment, and lots of others judging by their steady rise up the rock echelons. They’ve got that skaggy swagger and well-worked male/female vocal arrangements, particularly on Tourist in my Town, that drew so many people to Velvet Undergound and the other psych-stoner rock bands of that era, and the production is similarly lo-fi. Their 2004 eponymous debut album barely sold until frontman Stephen McBean released the debut album of his other band, Black Mountain, and news filtered out of this little gem. Listen to the song, Rock and Roll Fantasy.
[audio:http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/rocknrollfantasy.mp3]

Christopher Neal

We asked New York illustrator Christopher Neal about the inspirations behind his work: ‘Each job is different. Sometimes looking through old books and artist monographs will spark something. Other times, its just putting pen to paper until I get an idea. Things like music videos, movies, trips to the museum all seep in and resurface later in my work. For my personal work, a lot of it comes from my sketchbooks’. Read more

Polygamy and Polyandry

Is it that wrong for a man to have more than one wife? How about a woman with more than one husband then? Enter Francine Fleiss — the woman with five husbands! Sultry Francine has been flitting around the continent over the past decade, and has collected five husbands from five of Europe’s coolest cities! If you’re an aspiring husband collector then you can check out her tips to get your collection going. Cool Capitals is a fresh new alternative to the usual travel agents and sites. It specializes in travel to the less trodden European cities of Vienna, Valencia, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Zurich. They all possess a cool mixture of old and new culture that is a breath of fresh air against the typical touristy European destinations. Check out the site.

The One80Project

The idea is simple: ‘The One80Project is a national competition inviting anyone with a good idea for an hour long drama to submit a 180 second pilot and an accompanying treatment. This is then judged by an expert panel of industry specialists to ultimately be produced and aired on MTV in Australia, online and on mobile’. Entries are now closed and they’ve narrowed the field to ten finalists. Our choice is Staying, a funny drama about people dealing with life after the death of a loved one, in which an unusual support group is formed by an odd assortment of people. A Breakfast Club for our time? Voting closes in 71 days and fifteen hours, though who’s counting. So show your support for these young aspiring Australian filmmakers.