WE'RE SUPPORTING

Brooklyn-group School of Seven Bells have just released my new favourite album of 2008 — Alpinisms —a slow-building, crackling collection of songs which sneak into your subconscious and spin endlessly like an old, beat up 45. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

The graduate exhibition of third year graphic design students at Sydney’s Design Centre is called 342 Seconds and relates to the estimated time required to view the show. The exhibition takes place on December 3 and looks to be well worth checking out, if these works by Jenny Lee [above] and Sean Batchelor [below] are anything to go by. You can check into their blog and stay up to date with events leading up to the opening. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Alkemie Jewelry, the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson, is a Los-Angeles based company who make socially responsible pieces of jewelry. Their entire collection is made from 100 percent recast metal in the USA. When leather is used, Alkemie obtains the leather from cattle ranches that uses all of the animal, and are dyed with eco-friendly dyes. The current collection for Alkemie is named The Maiden Voyage, inspired by the Art Noveau Movement.

WE'RE THINKING

Very few band reunions get me excited, but I’ve consistently loved Faith No More since I was 13. I loved their pre-Mike Patton era, I loved King for a Day, and I even loved their track with Boo Yah Tribe on the Judgment Night soundtrack. Kerrang recently hinted that a FNM reformation is in the works for ‘09, and though bassist Billy Gould has emphatically denied the rumors, the general consensus is that the reunion is on.

WE'RE READING

We spoke to Dopepope about his latest Metal Man Project: ‘In the fifth grade, I drew a comic called Metal Man about a humanoid robot that went crazy and pulled knives on people. It’s the most ridiculous thing ever. I was a kid! Anyway, I found the artwork and simply traced the head and the logo exactly as I had them and fell in love with the iconic shapes they’ve created’. Read more

In my next life, I want to sing like Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison. Oh, and grow a lush beard, so I can play in their band. Better start cracking.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

I’m kinda obsessed with this track by Kansas City hipsters, Republic Tigers. Maybe it’s the Phil Spector-ish wall of sound harmonies or perhaps it’s the thumping bass riff, which drives the ear worm melody. Whatever. In these times of throwaway pop, it’s the well crafted and subtely produced songs that are truly memorable, and these guys have it in spades, as reflected right across their brilliant debut album, Keep Color.