WE'RE SUPPORTING

I recently stumbled across the work of UK illustrator Goncalo Viana and was immediately smitten by his unique sense of abstraction. His faces, with their undulating lines and simplified modeling, combine with his colorful, undulating bodies, backgrounds and textures to create a fantastically interesting juxtaposition of elements which coexist beautifully on the page. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Melbournes laneways are cluttered with themed, designer bars. The challenge seems to be which is the most hip, funky and individual bar. Step in Section 8, an old inner city carpark furbished with warehouse pallets, patio heaters and a couple of freight containers, converted to serve you drinks. The vibe is fittingly low-key, with background music played at a reasonable level, frequently changing decor, and a variety of options to quench your thirst. It’s casual, fun and simple. Oh, and to keep it that way, there’s even a no suit policy! [photo via TravelMuse]

WE'RE WEARING

I received a Kobe Beefcake t-shirt today and I’m already in meat-lover’s heaven. Who’d have thought all those funky shapes are actually cuts of meat? This new label from Kobe Japan is an insider’s (and meat-lover’s) treasure.

WE'RE THINKING

I awoke the other morning from the sleep of the damned, a fitful spell of tossing and turning courtesy of a mild dose of the flu and the constant rattle of the JMZ trains as they hurtle across the tracks outside my window. Read more

WE'RE READING

A Chicken Growing Up! is a great blog on which science illustrator Mieke Roth posts one ink drawing a week of a chicken as it matures. Read more

There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

‘I have been trying to go with my whims. Fuck it, let’s make an iPod album’. This statement from Team Genius leader Drew Hermiller was the jumping off point in the creation of the band’s debut self-titled full-length album, one of the most interesting and eclectic pop records of the year. ‘Basically it’s a reaction to the modern way music is consumed and listened to’, Hermiller says. ‘The idea of an album with a focused sound and a complete statement kind of gets lost now-a-days. Everyone shuffles around, so I thought “why not write an album that does the same thing?” Luckily, the band did an awesome job of keeping up with it’. Download a couple of free tracks off the album in our Music Download section [pssst, it's in the third column of the site]