Lost AT E Minor

WE'RE SUPPORTING

There’s an ethereal feeling about the music of London-based, Aussie exports Howling Bells. It washes over you in waves of pure melody, always tinged by the faintest whisper of longing. We checked in recently with frontwoman Juanita Stein. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

New York-based Japanese artist, Chichi creates elaborate illustrations that are both colourful and exotic. 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 LISTENING TO

Originally hailing from Kendal, Cumbria and now based in Leeds, the Wild Beasts foursome are the next hopefuls for Domino Records, who sent the group out to Sweden to record their first album, Limbo, Panto, released on June the 16th. The new single — The Devil’s Crayon — shimmers in wide-screen around a sense of location, melody and wonder at the scale of things. Indeed, it sounds like the theme song to a new kind of very English road movie.

WE'RE READING

DJ Spooky — That Subliminal Kid — is just about the deepest crate digger around, trawling the barrels of long-lost record stores for choice vinyl to spin in his wickedly dubby sets. He gave us the inside word last week on his eight favourite songs right now via our sister website, My Secret Playlist. This is what he had to say about Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Panic in Babylon: ‘If there’s anything that the twenty-first century has told us, it’s that dub is the real original hip-hop. Lee Scratch even had to make it clear in 1965 by adding “Scratch” to his middle name. Take that, Grandmaster Flash!’ Read the rest of DJ Spooky’s Secret Playlist.

Having originally sprung from the Shaky Isles (otherwise known as New Zealand), I can appreciate the humour in the New Zealand cartoon series, Bro Town, the first homegrown animated series to screen during local prime time. It’s simply brilliant, a real play on the ‘thuck’ accent and small town ways of our Kiwi brethren.

WE'RE WEARING

If only we could swap out every ubiquitous North Face jacket that sits tight on the weather-beaten frames of far too many Manhattanites for one of these wonderful creations by Japanese artist, Kosuke Tsumura. The city would be that much more of an interesting place. Called Final Home, this parka has 44 zippered pockets and is part of Tsumura’s collection of ‘post-apocalyptic streetwear’, designed as a respite — and insulation — from the stresses of modern urban living.