Canvas Magazine

Ange Takats

I love the subtle acoustic finger-picking which weaves delicately into the wistful storytelling lyrics on the track, Brown Shoes, by Australian songwriter Ange Takats. In the tradition of local female-fronted acts such as Blanche DuBois and New Buffalo, Takats creates a sparse instrumental base, the repetitive guitar motif providing the perfect accompaniment to her elegant and timeless vocals. The artwork for her album — Aniseed Tea — on which this track appears is equally as impressive, the work of Brisbane artist, Danielle O’Brien. Read more

SNAP! Issue Eight

Made-in-Montreal independent art magazine SNAP! brings out its eighth issue this month and gets a little bit gritty and pensive with their SURVIVAL theme. Reflections on war, prison, personal struggle and surviving life in the city are some of what you will find in the Fall issue, alongside a dark warrior aesthetic and a strong photo lineup including an on-location shoot with five of Montreal’s best graffiti artists and a series on indoor office plants. Definitely worth checking out, and featuring a sick ad for Lost At E Minor designed by Montreal mixed-media artist Jeremy Dabrowski (it’s on page 15). Read more

Sleep While You Snooze

An event where seventeen audience members sleep while a sound artist mixes music for their snoozes? It could only happen in Australia, right? And it is happening. At the Basement, Metro Arts, in Brisbane between September 23 and 26. Sleep While You Snooze should be an event where you can do anything but.

Peppermint Magazine

When we feel bad about buying Made in China, we buy it anyway. When the kids at Peppermint Mag feel the guilt, they buy American Apparel. These cats have shown that it’s easy to be cute and stylish while being environmentally conscious. Enviro-friendly is no longer the domain of long-haired hippies and tie-dyed shirts. Welcome to the era of reuse, recycle and the revision of our tomorrow, one little pom pom hat at a time.

Oscar Diaz Ink Calendar

Oscar Diaz’s Ink Calendar has taken the month by storm — one ink blot at a time. After its initial display at the Diseño con alma de agua (Design of Water with a Soul) exhibition at Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Ink Calendar’s unusual technique of using capillary action to ‘stain’ each day of the month has reignited the design world’s senses. That humidity may render the ‘calendar’ inaccurate, but this should be ignored since it’s brilliant and utterly beautiful.

Sydney’s Pocket Bar

The allusions are endless. Sydney’s Pocket Bar is tiny, bursting at the seams with people wanting to get at the never-ending supply of stuff (namely the tasty nibbles and a raft of fine vino) and we’re pretty sure that they would have an offering of rubber bands and string if you asked politely. While these are indeed defining attributes in any establishment, we feel that what really makes this inner city Sydney café bar more than just another inner city Sydney café bar is the fact that it offers savoury crepes after 6, wine by the half bottle and National Geographic magazines. Now that’s my idea of heaven. [photo via Anik In The Pacific]