a library of miscellany

new song, first song from the album

2011-10-31T15:13:00.000+13:00

So, we released our single today!

Hummingbird Heart Single by Luckless

Listen to it and let us know what you think. We sure hope you enjoy it.

We made a video...

2011-10-17T22:25:00.000+13:00

This is for our 6 minute long epic, "Fermina Daza". Don't switch off before the end, it gets exciting, I swear.

I am Anticipating Summer

2011-10-08T19:13:00.000+13:00

Summer is coming. The days are getting longer and warmer and sunnier, and yet I have a tendency (due to necessity, rather than wont) to spend these longer sunnier days inside in front of computers with guitar or notebook in hand.

Northern hemisphere blogs are lamenting over the loss of summer and the waste thereof (ice floe I'm looking at you), which is inspiring me to make a list of the things I will do this summer.

From http://www.junkaholique.com/

- film our tour. We have our first nation-wide tour coming up and I have all these fancy new filming apps on my iPhone. Faux-8mm tour-journal here I come.
- walk barefoot. The bottoms of my feet are always pansy-soft and weak, and I always live in jealousy of the leather-soles of my peers. Gravel driveways and prickly grass mean nothing to them. I aspire to their tenacity.
- drink in the afternoons. A cider or a wine in the sun, accompanied by a book or a game of scrabble, is truly what these long evenings are for, right?
- take spontaneous trips. The beach, the bush, any one of the many parks around. Apart from the petrol it's free, and the groups of friends that just happen to be free at that moment are always the most joyous ones.
- write. A year spent on this record hasn't exhausted the songs at all, I still love them, but I want to create something new again.
- spend time on the important things, with the important people. I've lost a lot of desire to meet new people this year. Instead I've come to realize how wonderful having people I truly know in my life is. I want to spend my time on them, not in anonymous bars with anonymous people.

Of course there will be the inevitable new years aspirations and resolutions, but they can wait a few months before forming. At the moment I am reconciled to the inevitable hours I have to spend inside, away from this new spring, but when those hours are completed I will make a record of the time I spend doing the above.

2011-09-29T14:58:00.000+13:00

You know how sometimes you stumble across a band totally unexpectedly and they're exactly what you were looking for?

Video evidence.

2011-09-24T23:16:00.001+12:00

Some wonderful friends of ours have taken a couple of live videos of us playing. Because they're so talented I wanted to share them.

Video by Rachel Brandon.

Video by Morgan Look.

2011-09-11T21:40:00.001+12:00

Weekend reading. Underneath is Blink from A Low Hum's "The Process In Which I Plan, Book and Manage Overseas DIY Tours". It's excellent, if anyone's into that kind of thing.

We have a video-type thing almost ready to be seen by the wide world. We recorded it live at The Brick Room at Roundhead with the amazing Gareth Van Niekerk of Northwest Digital and Aimee Carruthers of Papercut Design.

eye candy

2011-09-07T21:55:00.001+12:00

Sometimes I just want to look at beautiful things...

I go here....

Icefloe

... and here....

So Much To Tell You

... and here....

Willow Ships

... and I imagine that I live here...

the most amazing house on the selby

I wish there were more places to look at beautiful things though. Share with me?

Sometimes

2011-08-24T17:28:00.000+12:00

Sometimes life just seems too cruel for words.

Gareth, they told me you loved this song.

Ira Glass

2011-08-15T20:29:00.002+12:00

Jon Lemmon

2011-08-08T21:58:00.002+12:00

Yes, his name is Jon Lemmon, and he makes glorious pop music.

 Listen, if you know what's good for you.

Meetings

2011-08-04T22:43:00.000+12:00

Woodman

2011-08-03T13:45:00.000+12:00

new discovery.

Heads South For Winter

2011-07-26T20:58:00.000+12:00

The beautiful Rachel Harrison and Hayden Donnell from Great North have agreed to go on tour with us.

Photograph

2011-07-24T13:29:00.000+12:00

Jenna Todd, at JennaTodd.com is a fantastic photographer.

She's taken a whole series of new band photos for us.

Here's one.

We're shooting a music video today with Aimee Carruthers of Paper Cut Design and Gareth Van Niekerk from Northwest Digital.

Blood Pressure

2011-07-19T19:05:00.001+12:00

Awesome

2011-07-05T20:25:00.000+12:00

This website is amazing.

And not just because our poster is featured on it.

It's about time somebody did a decent round up of some of the amazing poster art that is out there on the streets of Auckland.

And I just want to give the amazing Dianne Tanner more props for her beautiful artwork.

PaperCuts

2011-06-23T10:00:00.002+12:00

One of my dear friends, Aimee of Papercut Design, has a new website.

Aimee has helped me ever since I first started performing music. She made my first ever gig poster and my first EP cover, and I am forever grateful for her sage advice and all of her patience.

I have one of her super-sweet prints hanging in my lounge, and it brings cheer to my life every day.

I think you should take a look at her work. She's something really quite special.

The longest night of the year.

2011-06-21T17:20:00.000+12:00

It's 5.18pm and the sun is all gone.

On my mind at the moment:

We have a gig coming up with our wonderful friend Bond Street Bridge, and our new-soon-to-be-friends Rosy Tin Teacaddy. This will be on July 1st.

Then, as mentioned below, we have a fantastic gig with Bannerman and Canadia on July 7th. Apparently July 7th is a popular night for a gig, so we're going to do our best to convince you to come down to our gig, which will be quite early, and then go off into the night to see other people perform.

Then on July 9th we're sneaking out of Auckland to play our first-ever show in the Capital. We'll be at Happy, playing with D Burmester and Big River Chain, along with our mates The Vietnam War from Auckland.

Also on my mind: tours, videos, photographs and records.

This is hopefully enough to stop me from worrying about: the cold, laundry, exercise and money.

Enjoy the longest night of the year.

feeling feathers

2011-06-09T16:23:00.000+12:00

poster courtesy of Dianne Tanner over at http://icefloe.blogspot.com/

you can facebook-like Bannerman here

and facebook-like Canadia here

Happy Birthday Queenie

2011-06-06T20:00:00.001+12:00

Reading:
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

Walking Matapouri beach in jeans and a tshirt (it's warm!)

Snoozing until 10 in the morning

Fresh grapefruit juice and pancakes

more archives

2011-05-29T19:00:00.000+12:00

to June, with love, from Wellington

2011-05-23T17:02:00.002+12:00

NewYear:OldPhoto

2011-01-10T16:44:00.002+13:00

This diptych from Golden Half comes from a film about 6 months old.

This summer has featured a Murakami Miyakzake Marathon.

Tomorrow the year starts in earnest. Today is like the huge inhale before you blow out the candles on a cake. Or before a sneeze.

2010-10-05T18:38:00.002+13:00

I haven't been blogging.

In fact, I haven't been doing a lot of the things I should be doing. I haven't finished a Christmas song, I haven't sent off the mixtape I owed someone for their late August birthday, I haven't been exercising, I haven't been eating well, I haven't been taking photographs.

All that changes today.

I'm finishing my mixtape and posting it off.

I'll be working on my Christmas song tomorrow night.

I'll be going for a run in the morning.

I'm having a salad for dinner tonight.

I got two rolls of film developed and will scan them over the weekend.

Let's see if I can keep all these resolutions. I'll report back on Monday.

PS: I have been reading though. Just finished The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, am half way through Michael King's Being Pakeha Now. Sometimes I want to go back to university and study English, just for the hell of it. I miss critical thinking.

Hold Dear, my dear!

2010-09-06T13:31:00.003+12:00

September 11

2010-08-20T11:21:00.001+12:00

Warpaint

2010-08-14T10:44:00.001+12:00

Feel Good Lost

2010-08-07T12:40:00.002+12:00

Rain vs.

2010-08-04T20:43:00.001+12:00

Today made me homesick for a day like this.

2010-07-30T08:39:00.002+12:00

After my extensive blog-reading the other day, I've come to the conclusion that it's time to purge some of those old links that I bookmarked because I loved the posts, but have never returned to.

Here are some, collected.

http://literatureaudio.com - in case you were wanting to listen to some French stories to practice your language skills.

New York City in a bag

Other people's houses

Bird Roost

Focusing your passion hints on photography and getting over a creative hump.

Scrap paper for jars and pencils.

A perfect LA house

Louis Reith Print set - some inspiration for future posters or album art, perhaps?

and some more artwork inspiration

I'm now off to clear all those unread RSS posts to start afresh. This is basically a replacement for magazine-reading, for me, because I like little bits, all the time.

Loner

2010-07-26T20:41:00.003+12:00

Sometimes the sky just looks different.

Threadbare

2010-07-19T15:23:00.001+12:00

winter walks are wonderful.

Blogs

2010-07-16T14:44:00.004+12:00

I haven't settled down and had a good peruse of my favorite blogs in months. My RSS feeds are all clogged up with promising, exciting things to read.

Now that it's raining outside, and I'm tired and cold and a bit crotchety, I've decided to finally sit down and have a good read of them all.

Here are some of my favorite findings from my afternoon.

This apartment has me dreaming of all the things I can do to ours. Exposed shelving goes in the lounge, posters hung by bulldog clips. Our fridge deserves to be adorned with beautiful art also. Sure, a budget for more mid-century modern furniture would be nice, but for now I'm looking out for the little things.

This lasagne has me dreaming of pasta-y, cheesy dinners.

This ring is the perfect combination of rough and pretty.

I will be reading this soon.

This post reminded me that I've filled my old moleskine to the brim, and I need to start a new one. I want to make it better than the last one, fill it with more inspiring things.

Finally, this post makes me sick for summer. I wish I wasn't sitting under two rugs, in a coat, next to the heater.

EP Artwork

2010-07-14T17:29:00.002+12:00

Artwork by Dianne Tanner (go visit her at Daily Oh Deer).
Layout by Silke Hartung.

Very simple, I like it.

Poster

2010-07-11T13:03:00.003+12:00

I forgot to link the poster for July 22nd to the amazing designer's website.

Tessa Stubbing is the incredible instigator of zinefest, one-time resident and organizer at Cross Street Studios, and is altogether a hand-made analogue design dream. We swapped zines years ago, via an online forum, but didn't officially meet each other until years later. Now she keeps herself incredibly busy with numerous design projects on the go.

Photo of Tessa, swiped from her blog.

Here is a link to her blog, where you can see a lot of her work.

Thanks heaps Tessa! Sorry about the late credit.

This is coming.

2010-07-09T01:16:00.000+12:00

Midwinter Butterfly

2010-07-03T12:26:00.001+12:00

I am excited for.

2010-07-01T15:41:00.002+12:00

Zinefest

Blog-it-y-blog

2010-07-01T14:47:00.005+12:00

Some thoughts.

Flip Grater's new album is wonderful.

Bon Iver makes for some good winter music.

Feathers are inspiring (from Dianne Oh Dear).

I'm enjoying this month's book club book.

I would like to feel less apprehensive about the future.
Who will come for a photo-walk in the park with me?

MTV

2010-06-05T20:17:00.002+12:00

Would you ever see this at the MTV Music Awards these days?

No, I don't think you would.

Mid Year

2010-06-02T14:12:00.003+12:00

I guess I should admit that it's not quite the middle of the year. It's also not quite winter either.

There are things ending though, and things beginning. The sun today is shining as hard as it can, which has made me open all the windows in an attempt to 'air out' the house. At this time of year every scrap of sun feels like the last scrap we're going to get.

I walked to the local Japanese restaurant the other night with a flu-y boy in tow, and we could see our breath. The Lemon-Chilli soup felt like the perfect thing to ward off the viruses that have been flying around. I couldn't find a recipe for such a soup from my usual sources - can anyone provide a reliable recipe they've tried out?

I haven't been taking many photos lately. Workloads from all kinds of different sources have been creeping up and taking over all my free time. We're heading out of town for the long weekend - it's only three days, but it's like a little heaven to look forward to. No cellphone coverage, a wood burning fireplace, all of it gives me hope and will give me the energy to get through the rest of
the term.

So I have no real photos to share with you. Thank goodness for the iPhone. And Gingernuts. And real Lemon Ginger Tea.

New.

2010-05-28T12:57:00.004+12:00

New website, new music, new sense of dislocation and isolation.

This is my new website. You can go there and download my new music there.

I'm still sorting out the copyright for the cover I recorded, so I'll let you know when that becomes available. That is, if you're even interested.

I'm trying to spend as much time in bed as possible at the moment. It seems like the most obvious solution to my problems is to spend as much time sleeping as I can. That's why I'm on the internet. I mean, duh.

If you have any warm thoughts, send them my way. My heater's on hiatus.

Goodbye Fleet

2010-05-23T22:51:00.003+12:00

I have had such a manic week, that I never posted my playlist for my final Good Morning Monday show last week. So today, when posting my playlist for my Good Morning Sunday Final Hour, I decided to post Monday's as well.

Goodbye Good Morning Monday, May 17 2010

Compliments - Band Of Horses
Crutch & Cane - Peter Wolf Crier
Is He Really Coming Home? - The School
The Polaroid Song - Allo Darlin'
Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone
New York Is Killing Me - Gil Scott-Heron
Rio - Hey Marseilles
I Hope You Die - Wye Oak
Told You Once - Apples In Stereo
Matador - Arms and Sleepers
The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats
Days - Sambassadeur
Everybody, Come Outside! - Pomegranates
I Love You Like A Madman - The Wave Pictures
Fall Hard - Shout Out Louds
Your Hands (Together) - The New Pornographers
The Idea Of Growing Old - The Features
There Are No Roots - Mount Pleasant
Empty-Hall-Sing-Along - Woodpigeon
Blessa - Toro Y Moi
Slow Burn Treason - Holly Miranda
Believe In Love - The Wooden Birds
Peanuts - The Tindersticks
Wind Blows - Yukon Blonde
It Breaks - Tunng
All My People - Portugal The Man
Gold Day - Sparklehorse

Tessa also contributed some Bauhaus and various other bands that I can't remember.

Good Morning Sunday show

Gem Apple John - Grayson Gilmour
The Rake's Song - The Decemberists
Jody - The Dodos
My Love - White Hinterland
Promises - The Morning Benders
Bring It On Home To Me - Otis Redding and Carla Thomas
Theologians - Wilco
Crayon - Manitoba
Come Home Mr. Ill - Tommy Ill
California Shakedown - Pearl Harbor
Sunrise - Yeasayer
Strange Things Will Happen - The Radio Dept
The Right Place - Monsters of Folk
Old Town - Great North
A Thousand Jacobs - Flotilla
Have You Ever Been in Love - Tutankamon
Never Had Nobody Like You - M. Ward

I hope you had a good weekend.

I hemmed clothing, mixed songs, practiced, and even watched a movie and relaxed this evening. What an achievement!

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-05-13T11:15:00.004+12:00

It's time to finally get down to business.

Anyone who has been friends with me on Myspace, or following my music on Facebook, might discover that my profile/page as mysteriously disappeared in the next couple of days.

Luckless is finally 'going live', as they say.

All the music I produce from now on will be produced under the name 'Luckless'.

Here is a link to my new facebook page.
Myspace is still underway. I'll keep blogging here.

I'll be releasing an EP in the next few weeks. You'll be able to find the tracks for free on the internet, but I'll be selling individually numbered, hand-printed CDs for $5 at shows in the coming months. (The tracks have yet to be finished and mastered, but I figure that mentioning my plans might give me a reason to get them done faster.)

The first Luckless gig is a Fleet FM fundraiser at The Wine Cellar and Whammy Bar on May 26th. This has turned out to be a huge event, and I hope you can come along.

This beautiful poster was crafted by my friend Tessa. She's also helping me with my EP design.

She has an event coming up called Zinefest - if you're a crafter / writer / baker / creative person of any description, think about putting together something to sell at Zinefest - they're putting out a call for involvement right now.

That's all the news I have for today. I hope that you follow me around to my new homes?

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 10/05/10

2010-05-10T22:54:00.003+12:00

Someone changed the wireless internet password and didn't tell us the new code, which made me very irate and irritable at the beginning of my show. I calmed down afterwards.

Rainwater Cassette Exchange - Deerhunter
Little Bird - Eels
Don't Let Him Waste Your Time - Jarvis Cocker
Hunchback - Kurt Vile
Small Mountain - Midlake
Bicycle - Lebanon
All to All - Broken Social Scene
Steal My Sunshine - Len
A New Love - Mount Pleasant
Scissor - Liars
Crash Years - The New Pornographers
Animals In My Throat Make Me Sing - Savoire Adore
Let It Slip - The School
Weekend Away - Tunng
The Promise - Typewriter
Written in Reverse - Spoon
Burnt Toast - Summer Cats
Some Trees - Cymbals Eat Guitars
Western Hospitality - Club 8
Troublesome Houses - Bonnie "Prince" Billy & The Cairo Gang
You Do You - Bear In Heaven
Walk IN The Park - Beach House
Teach Me - Nicole Simone
Springtime - Annuals
Jagged - Old 97's
Rained - Atlas Sound
Dreaming - Allo Darlin'
The Bicycle Thief - Tonepoem
It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful - Slow Club
Floating Vibes - Surfer Blood

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 03/05/10

2010-05-03T10:22:00.002+12:00

Oh dear...

When winamp imported the tracks onto the Fleet FM computer for my prerecorded show today, it did them all out of order, so I'm not actually sure if this order matches up to the order of how they were actually played, but I'll do my best...

Sherry Fall - Sonoi
Very Loud - Shout Out Louds
Bicycle Thieves - Saloon
Long Week - Georgei James
The Executioner's Song - Cass McCombs
Whale In The Night - Firs
Lover Of Mine - Beach House
Remember Last TIme - Avi Buffalo
When U Love Somebody - The Fruit Bats
Burning Stars - Mimicking Birds
Section IV - Steve Reich
The Bike - Paulette
How To Tame Lions - Washington
The Week Before - Banjo Or Freakout
All Night Outside - Light Pollution
Silver Jenny Dollar - The New Pornographers
Possibility - Lykke Li
Chase Scene - Broken Social Scene
History Lessons - Dinosaur Feathers
Hello Seattle - Owl City
Numbers Don't Lie - The Mynabirds
Black Crow - Angus & Julia Stone
In the Morning - First Aid Kit
Nightmare No. 5 or 6 - Electric President
Maria - Blasfemea
Forget It - Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Dirty Thing - Telekenesis
And The Hazy Sea - Cymbals Eat Guitars

Cold morning this morning.

Feel Better Mosaic

2010-04-28T09:44:00.002+12:00

1. Hibernation, 2. Christmas 2009, 3. Tomarata Lakes, 4. Untitled

I have a good friend living in London, and she takes beautiful pictures and makes beautiful things. This morning when I was feeling a little low, these pictures helped get me out of the dumps.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 26/04/10

2010-04-26T09:18:00.003+12:00

On The Edge - Clogs
Compliments - Band of Horses
A Good Place - Grizzly Bear
Pot Kettle Black - Wilco
Moves - The New Pornographers
Black Eyed Suzy - Justin Townes Earle
Skinny Love - Bon Iver
Forsaken Few - The Tiger and Me
Young Ladies - Drink Up Buttercup
Keep The Dog Quiet - Owen Pallett
Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit
Blue Bicycle - Hauschka
All The Beautiful Things - Eels
Old New Bicycle - Helvetia
Leave House - Caribou
Collector - Here We Go Magic
Heaven's On Fire - The Radio Dept
It's No Secret - The High Wire
Trees - Thrushes
Don't Fuck With the Tropics - High Wolf
Be And Bring Me Home - Roky Erickson with Okkervil River
Code Breaker - Tunng
I'm Sorry But I'm Beginning To Hate Your Face - Eagle Seagull
A More Perfect Union - Titus Andronicus
Bike Ride To The Moon - Dukes of Stratosphear

This Is What Autumn Looks Like

2010-04-24T16:59:00.005+12:00

This fall I have...

Made cider at Dave's house.

Discovered a store where cassettes never died.

Been gardening.

Played in the park.

Visited the museum.

What have you been doing?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2010-04-24T01:03:00.002+12:00

I went to a "dress as your favorite idiom" party tonight.

While not strictly an idiom, and I was not strictly 'dressed as' my non-idiom, I went as...
"when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

Here's the recipe I used for my awesome Basil Lemonade, from Epicurious via The Kitchn.

Sartorial

2010-04-20T21:15:00.003+12:00

I'd like to be like the girl in this photo.

Yes, I read The Sartorialist every day.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 19/04/10

2010-04-19T09:22:00.002+12:00

Promises - The Morning Benders
Afraid Of Everyone - The National
Compliments - Band of Horses
Factory - Band of Horses
Crutch & Cane - Peter Wolf Crier
Set Me Free - Sally Seltmann
In Ruins - Fol Chen
New York Is Killing Me -Gil Scott-Heron
Valentine - The School (ooh, so good, for fans of Camera Obscura)
The Polaroid Song - Allo Darlin'
Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem
Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale
Heaven & Earth - Blitzen Trapper
Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone
How Come That Blood - Dam Amidon
Tighten Up - The Black Keys
Breakneck Speed - Tokyo Police Club
Ghost and the Witness - Earl Greyhound
Fireworks - Polock
Secret Language - Ghosty
I Hope You Die - Wye Oak
Round And Round - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Feel Better - Schooner

Bands (and tracks) I particularly like from this playlist - Compliments by Band of Horses, Peter Wolf Crier, The School, Allo Darlin', Angus & Julia Stone, Wye Oak

Things I'm Proud Of...

2010-04-14T22:10:00.003+12:00

Some things that I'm proud of from the past few days...

1. The amount of work I did on my EP tracks last week. No, they're not finished, I'll work on them more next week, but they will be finished at some point, which gives me hope for the future.

2. I've cooked dinner three nights in a row this week, and still have three more recipes up my sleeve before my fridge becomes totally bare. Domestic win.

3. I found the perfect shoes, and followed through and bought them.

I would like to share this video with you also. If you don't say "woah!" at the end of the first 20 seconds, then you're too difficult to impress. Either that or you've already seen it.

In other news, we're going to the screening of the final cut of the 'Seven Worlds Collide' documentary tomorrow night. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a shot of myself, somewhere blurry in the background. Unlikely, but still slightly possible.

By the way, if anyone has suggestions for making my heels not slip on my bicycle pedals, I'm all ears.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 12/04/10

2010-04-12T10:50:00.003+12:00

Deny All - Bettie Serveert
I Love You Like A Madman - The Wave Pictures
Don't Look Down Or Back - Tunng
Me And You - Slow Club
Alternate Version - Ryan Prebble
Forsaken Few - The Tiger And Me
Banjo Bayou - Sydney Wayser
Pilot - The Map Room
He War - Cat Power
Under Mountain, Under Ground - The Lighthouse and the Whale
Witch Mtn - Emily Reo
Everybody, Come Outside! - Pomegranates
It'll Come Around - All Saints Day
Breathe The Fire - Soft Moon
White Days - The Lighthouse And The Whale
Everything In My Cupboards Is Moldy - Philip Seymour Hoffman
Black Castles - Fur
Told You Once - Apples In Stereo
Go Outside - Cults
I Want To Be Around - No Kids
Cause FOr Concern - Rare Grooves
Up, Up, Up - Givers
When They Fight, They Fight - Generationals
The Big Guns of Highsmith - Lightspeed Champion
True Love Will Find You In The End - Basia Bulat
Matador - Arms And Sleepers
Days - Sambassadeur
Crayon - Manitoba
Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National

Bands I really like from this playlist - Apples In Stereo, Arms and Sleepers, Sambassadeur, Pomegranates, The Wave Pictures

It's Dave's fault...

2010-04-11T00:40:00.002+12:00

So, my friend David had a crack at me the other night for not blogging enough. Apparently my playlists aren't riveting enough reading.

Granted, I admit it was more interesting when I could actually post the recordings of my shows, but seeing as Blogger has threatened to kick me off, I have to restrict myself to photos of a couple of beautiful gigs I went to this weekend.

Be aware that these are strictly phone-photos - the real film-photos are yet to come.

Crowded House At the Town Hall

Jocee Tuck at the Bayonets EP release

The Bayonets

Teacups

Lanterns

Teacups

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 05/04/10

2010-04-05T09:39:00.004+12:00

This morning I was unfortunately 15 minutes late showing up to the studio, and then I was so flustered I forgot to press record until I'd already played three songs! Technology fail. In other news, it's a beautiful autumn morning, and I was able to wear a vest over my shirt for true geeky fashion bliss. That's one of the advantages of the end of summer, I guess, although I need to buy some tights and some more socks.

Speak To Me Bones - Land of Talk
O, Dana - Big Star
Midnight At The Moview - Justin Townes Earle
New York Is Killing Me - Gil Scott-Heron
Rio - Hey Marseilles (you have to listen to this band if you like the Decemberists!)

(I just want to point out how awesome my segue between Gil Scott Heron and Hey Marseilles was - and it was totally unintentional!)

Just Like A Drummer - The Wave Pictures
To Travels & Trunks - Hey Marseilles (I liked the first track so much I had to play another!)
Another City, Another Sorry - Answering Machine
Young Bride - Midlake
Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River
Papatuanuku - The Ruby Suns
Send Out The Singers - Josefine Lindstrand
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - She & Him
When I Go - Slow Club
Bells - Laura Jansen
Meet Ze Monsta - PJ Harvey
Cello Song - Nick Drake
Waking Waiting - Mount Pleasant
Gold Rush - Basia Bulat
Lion Face Boy - Sea Bear
Florida - Sofia Talvik
Fall Hard - Shout Out Louds
Love You For A Day (Hate You For A Week) - The Pigeon Detectives
Stranded - Sambassadeur
The Idea Of Growing Old - The Features

Bands I especially like from this playlist: Gil Scott-Heron, Hey Marseilles, Okkervil River, Sea Bear, Shout Out Louds, The Features

The Red Tree

2010-04-04T22:42:00.006+12:00

About 6 months ago I borrowed a 4-track to do some recording. Unfortunately, one thing leading to another, I had to keep postponing my EP project.

For posterity, I'll record those reasons for postponement of my EP project here:
- technical difficulties (read the manual first)
- got a second job at the end of last year, so worked both at once
- Christmas, New Years
- quit oldest job, started newest one
- moved house
- summer of going to the most amazing gigs ever

Now here we are at Easter, and I've put aside a week to work on my EP. The gist is to write as many songs as I can over the next week, record the best of them to the best of my ability, and then release the end result - either just digitally or in hard copy also.

I've slogged away and have gotten a few songs written - however there's always the slight cringe moment a couple of days after the initial writing buzz has worn off when I'm really not sure if I like the song any more. Is it any good? One song has definitely been discarded, the rest are still sitting on the 'maybe' pile.

However, I just sat down and wrote another, and wanted to capture the initial enthusiasm in blog form. The chords just kind of fell under my fingertips, a slight block after the A section was met by a great change of direction in the resulting B section, the narrative just kind of wrote itself.

Sure, in a couple of days I'll probably hate it, but with any luck it might make the EP and then you can all listen to it.

Now I want to send out some thanks into the world -

The Oh-So-Talented Dianne at Daily Oh Deer posted a link to my Flickr last week. She's so lovely and incredibly creative and talented, you should absolutely check out her etsy for beautiful art and wearable things.

Also, the beautiful Chelsea Jade posted some of my photos on her blog! She makes the most incredible music herself, she inspires me every time I hear her.

Thanks world!

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 29/03/10

2010-03-29T09:37:00.005+13:00

Track 07 - Jol Mulholland (from his upcoming album Fairytales and Constellations)
Colors - The Pass
You Never Give Me Your Money - The Beatles
Before Destruction - Spoon
Blessa - Toro Y Moi
Eating With Horses - Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk
Money (That's What I Want) - John Lee Hooker
Slow Burn Treason - Holly Miranda
Rooks - Shearwater
There Are No Roots - Mount Pleasant
Do You Wanna Be Buried With My People - Scout Nibblett
Free Money - Patti Smith
Sinking Down - Skyscraper
Old Soul Song (For The New World Order) - Bright Eyes
Time Of The Assassins - Charlotte Gainsbourg
Peanuts - The Tindersticks
Money Changes Everything - The Smiths
Lewis Takes Off His Shirt - Owen Pallett
One Hundred Percent - The Go Find
Everybody's Money - The Phoenix Foundation
Good Morning - Rogue Wave
Empty-Hall-Sing-Along - Woodpigeon
There Are Listed Buildings - Los Campesinos
Life Returns to Normal - Northern Portrait
I Remember - Yeasayer
Head, First, Down - Whitley
Monte Carlo - Diane Cluck

Tracks I especially like off this playlist - Jol's new song, Toro Y Moi, Holly Miranda, Mount Pleasant, The Tindersticks, Woodpigeon, Diane Cluck

You can find the recording of this radio show ~~here~~. Enjoy! And please support Fleet - see the Fleet FM website for how to donate.

EDIT: Unfortunately Blogger has made me take off the link to the recording of my show. If you'd like my shows in future, send me an email and we'll sort something out.

Fleet Is In Trouble!

2010-03-29T08:48:00.002+13:00

From the Fleet FM website:

"For the past 7 years Fleet FM has been operating as a financially independent and commercial free station, but now for the first time since our humble beginnings we are in some real trouble.

Due to Financial Difficulty it looks like our only option is to temporarily shut down the station. We are urgently seeking donations to not only provide a clean close to this chapter of Fleet's history, butalso to ensure the revival of the station in the future.

This is where we need your help.

We are asking if you could please help us out of a difficult situation and make a doniation to Fleet.

Also, for a limited time if you donate over $50 you will receive a limited edition screen printed Fleet FM commemorative tea towel and also a segment of Dim's dreadlocks."

Oh no! You can go to the Fleet FM website to donate a little, or a lot, as you please. If you donate, let me know and send me your details, and I'll send you a mix tape and a special little something as a thank you. I'm also going to try and get a bit of a fundraiser gig going at the Wine Cellar, so I'll let you know as details for that come about.

Stay tuned for my playlist in a couple of hours.

Beautiful music.

2010-03-27T01:07:00.003+13:00

I have been to some inspiring gigs this week.

Gothic, country-tinged acoustic pop Flip Grater

Beautiful, uplifting country-harmonizing duo Her Make Believe Band

Folky, ethereal storytelling songwriter Tiny Ruins

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 22/03/10

2010-03-22T09:46:00.003+13:00

Your Hands (Together) - The New Pornographers
All My People - Portugal. The Man
Future Primitive - Papercuts
The Good Life - Weezer
Pearl's Dream - Bat For Lashes
Got Nuffin - Spoon
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
That's Why I Like You The Best - Her Make Believe Band
Sole Brother - Born Ruffians
We Are Here - Clogs
With Whiskey - Tunng
Sea Waves - Nice Nice
Duke of Anxiety - Scout Niblett
Gold Day - Sparklehorse
The Distance - Peasant
For Emma - Bon Iver
False Alarm - Wooden Birds
Yr Heart - Super Desserts
5 Years Time - Noah And The Whale
Thinking - Peasant
The High Road - Broken Bells
Falling From The Sun - Album Leaf
Long Time Gone - Bachelorette
Harmonics - Efterklang
That Kind Of Man - Josiah Wolf
Told You Once - Apples In Stereo
Mr. Gone - Electric President
Tom Cruz - Plants and Animals

You can download my show from ~~here!~~

Bands I like like like from this playlist: The New Pornographers, Portugal. The Man, Born Ruffian, Clogs, Album Leaf

Old Crow Medicine Show

2010-03-19T14:32:00.002+13:00

I've posted pictures from last night's life-changing gig on my Flickr . Or you could just look here, also.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-03-18T09:58:00.003+13:00

Did anyone else's teeth chatter when they got out of bed this morning? It's now 10.00am, and the chill still isn't out of the air.

In response to this drop in temperature, and an unexpected day off work, I've decided to do some baking...

Dangerously Addictive Olive Oil Granola

This should be a good reason to get up in the morning.

Crunchy Granola Bars

And these should be a good reason to remember to pack my lunch tomorrow.

Whether or not the oven is warming up my house, I'm yet to find out, but I'm sure that these tasty treats will warm up my belly.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 15/03/10

2010-03-15T09:55:00.003+13:00

This morning was an I-didn't-have-time-to-dry-my-hair morning. It's grey and a little blustery out there. Plus, the recording function isn't working this morning! What a shame. But here's the playlist anyway. If you like the sound of the tracks, you can probably find them on Hype Machine. If you like them after that, you should go out and buy the albums!

Wind Blows - Yukon Blonde
Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch & Emmylou Harris
The Wimp - Capybara
Smoke In Your Disguise - New Roman Times
Fairy In My House - Ponies In The Surf
Milk Man - Deerhoof
Escape - Moon Duo
Lewis Takes Action - Owen Pallett
Your Hands (Together) - The New Pornographers
The Dead Dog - Portugal. The Man.
Kiss On My List - The Bird & The Bee
The Trailer And The Truck - Josiah Wolf
Black Eyes - Shearwater
Falls City - Venice Is Sinking
Light It Up - Blood Red Shoes
Gay Human Bones - Harlem
Hustle - Tunng
My Future With You - Shabby Rogue
Sugar - The Wooden Birds
The Mighty Sparrow - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Winded - A Weather
Only Pieces - Here We Go Magic
White Are The Waves - Papercuts
Hold On - Angus & Julia Stone
Games For Days - Julian Plenti
You Saved My life - Cass McCombs
Daniel - Bat For Lashes

Bands I REALLY REALLY LIKE from this playlist - Yukon Blonde, Capybara, The New Pornographers, Portugal. The Man, Tunng, The Wooden Birds

Name Game

2010-03-09T22:18:00.002+13:00

I hate naming things. If I were a parent (which I shall never be, as I would be terrible at it), there's a good chance I'd cave at the pressure of having to put a permanent name to something - someone - that would be relatively irreversible, and just call the kid "Untitled" or "Work In Progress".

So now I'm looking at Titling myself. Not that I don't like my name, but that I feel my work is branching out in multiple directions, and that they each need their own imaginary space to grow, outside of me, myself and I.

Does anyone have any suggestions for naming things, or processes of coming up with names? I read an article at Code For Something (thank you Aimee for the heads up to this blog), but the business-speak of "territories" and "service propositions" kind of freaked me out. (However, Code For Something is an amazing blog, it's been bookmarked to my RSS feeds.)

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 08/03/10

2010-03-08T09:24:00.003+13:00

Magpies - Capybara
Anything You Want - Spoon
Nijewel - Polka Dot Dot Dot
See The Light - Sparklehorse
Revenge (ft. Flaming Lips) - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse
An Old Song - Kiki Pau
Die Young - The Sweet Serenades
How Are You Doing - The Living Sisters
The Summer - Coconunt Records
Never Know - The Wooden Birds
Love Will Break Us Up - The Go Find
Russian Doll - Lucky Soul
Bitchface - Bandicoot
The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats
Rain On - Woods
Chicago Train - The Besnard Lakes
Wandering Paths - Harriet And The Matches
Mild Confusion - Tamaryn
Soft - Capybara
I Can't See Clear - Espers
Lake Superior - Jason Collett
World Sick - Broken Social Scene
What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club
King Of Spain - The Tallest Man On Earth
Good Morning (The Future) - Rogue Wave
A Night Like This - Caro Emerald
Lover Of Mine - Beach House

Bands I really like from this playlist - Coconunt Records, The Wooden Birds, Sparklehorse, Fruit Bats, Two Door Cinema Club

You can listen to my show ~~here!~~.

Absolutely awesome music video

2010-03-05T08:56:00.001+13:00

Full points for thinking big.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 01/03/10

2010-03-01T09:12:00.003+13:00

Oh my goodness, it's March already! Where did the year go?

Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura
Ballad of Nothing - Cymbals Eat Guitars
Believe In Love (Montague St. Version) - The Wooden Birds
Come Home Mr. Ill - Tommy Ill
Colors - The Pass
Birds - Bond St Bridge
Fever of the Time - Zeus
You Are My Favourite - Sophie Madeleine
Frank AB - The Rural Alberta Advantage
Mr. Gone - Electric President
Red - Okkervil River
Strange Things Will Happen - The Radio Dept.
Lauren Marie - Girls
Breakaway - Ratatat
Cadets - Trash Kit
It Breaks - Tunng
Strolling Past The Old Graveyard - Gigi
Tidy Up Your Bedroom - Wetdog
And It Goes - Bad Sports
Quattro (World Drifts In) - Calexico
Splintered Bridges - The Splinters
The Mending of the Gown - Sunset Rubdown
Friendly? - Wounded Lion
Alternate Version - Ryan Prebble
In the First Place - Blessure Grave
Lawns Breed Songs - Strand of Oaks
Pink Bullets - The Shins
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! - Do Make Say Think
The Midnight Bell - The High Wire
In The Sun - She & Him

Favourites - Sophie Madeline, Bond Street Bridge, The Wooden Birds, Calexico, Do Make Say Think

I recorded my show this morning! Enjoy.
Good Morning Monday 01/03/10

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 22/02/10

2010-02-22T09:24:00.003+13:00

Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe - Okkervil River
Theologians - Wilco
No Logic - White Hinterland
World Sick - Broken Social Scen
Omen - Pit Er Pat
Double Knots - The Living Sisters
With Every Heartbeat - The Rest
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Chestnut - Rosy Tea Tincaddy
Acts of Man - Midlake
In The Sun - She & Him
Dinosauruxia - Sky (Time Is Unfolding)
Song For Fran - Ryan Prebble
Promises - The Morning Benders
Who Knows Who Cares - Local Natives
Fantasy Cloak - Hideous Men
Remember ? - Lali Puna
Icarus - White Hinterland
We Won't Run - Sarah Blasko
An Apple For An Apple - Miles Kurosky
Mouthful of Wasps - Kashmir
Let Go - jj
Leaves Eclipse The Light - Eluvium
Black Castles - Fur
And The Hazy Sea - Cymbals Eat Guitars
Windows - Hands
California Shakedown - Pearl Harbour
Excuses - The Morning Benders

Artists I really like from this playlist: White Hinterland, Broken Social Scene, Pit Er Pat, Local Natives, The Morning Benders, Hands

In a small aside...

2010-02-15T10:08:00.002+13:00

...

reading North American blogs are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they build up nostalgia and anticipation for the coming seasons that we're not experiencing. On the other, it's more fun to be reading about soup and tea and blankets in winter, and beaches in summer, and not vice-versa.

Does anyone have any beautiful, southern hemispherical blogs to recommend? Photography, design, home and living, music and food blogs are all acceptable.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 15/02/10

2010-02-15T09:40:00.003+13:00

Two - The Antlers
No Surprise (Earth Version) - James Yuill
Run - Basia Bulat
Shipwrecks - Matt Yearbook
Wet Hair - Japandroids
Die Slow - Health
Two Doves - Dirty Projectors
Different Light - Songs
I Don't Want To Wake Up Alone - Lightspeed Champion
Oh, Mojave - The Suby Suns
Little Secrets - Passion Pit
Angela - Jarvis Cocker
Mr Tough - Yo La Tengo
Notes From The Polish Underground - Miles Kurosky
Silver Soul - Beach House
Odessa - Caribou
Compass - Jamie Liddell
Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F) - Monsters of Folk
Rollin Home Alone - Jason Lytle
STD Fury - Javelin
Walls - Shout Out Louds
Glazin - Black Dice
Our Younger Noise - Letting Up Despite Great Faults
The Island - Come And See/The Landlord's Daughter - The Decemberists
Sea of Blasphemy - The Black Lips
S.O.S. - Lightning Bolt

Tracks I really like from this playlist - Miles Kurosky, Matt Yearbook

Weeks of absence

2010-02-14T23:47:00.003+13:00

- Moving house

Things are nearly set up. Give us a few more hours and we may have something resembling a fully set up house, rather than a child'splay village of boxes.

- Old job

No longer slinging espresso for ungrateful (or the more precious grateful) suits. I had a beautiful last day full of hugs and wellwishes and flowers. I'm glad I can look back on it fondly.

- New job

Back to teaching, along with a select few hours working for some of my favorite musicians at a publishing company. Let's hope they don't get sick of me too quickly.

I'm currently lusting after a new(old) car. There's a supercute 1979 Datsun on trademe at the moment. I think it would suit me.

Back to the radio show tomorrow. It will feel good to be back after such a long absence. It was a worthy absence, filled with music festivals and then moving house, but I've missed my two hours of solitude and musical bliss. Hope you join me tomorrow. I'll be bicycling into town for the first time tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 11/01/10

2010-01-11T09:58:00.003+13:00

Island - Jess Chambers
Birds - Bond St Bridge
My Mind Is In My Paws - The Wilberforces
A Postcard to Nina - Jens Lekman
Staring to Appreciate - Tutankamon
Baby Boomer - Monsters of Folk
Dreamer - Tiny Vipers
I Gave You All - Mumford & Sons
Worn From The Fight (With Fireworks) - Castanets
Disco Biscuit Love - The Jezabels
Black River Killer - Blitzen Trapper
Anchoring The Hands - A Dead Forest Index
The Rake's Song - The Decemberists
Walking - The Dodos
In June - Summer Cats
I Can't Stop Being Foolish - The Mint Chicks
Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me) - The Wooden Sky
Absentee - Emmy The Great
It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful - Slow Club
Sugar & Spice - Basia Bulat
Streets of Philadelphia (Feat Concern) - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Breaking Locks - Adam Green
Can't Get Over You - Vivian Girls
Morningside - Wood Pigeon
Winter Dies - Midlake
People Got a Lot Of Nerve - Neko Case
Blood - the Middle East
Flume - Bon Iver
Gold Soundz - Pavement
Giving Up On Love - Slow Club
All The Pleasures of the World - Crayon Fields

Favorite Tracks from this playlist: The Wooden Sky, Mumford & Sons, Slow Club, Neko Case, Bon Iver

Summer humidity

2010-01-07T21:52:00.003+13:00

Today I bought some Toy Camera apps for my iPhone. They'll satiate my thirst for posting images until I can scan my film in.

For the record folks, make sure you're buying negative film, not slide film, which costs four times as much to process.

I've been away...

2010-01-03T12:06:00.003+13:00

Last year has already been mashed into a blur in my brain. There were so many things going on, and so much stress, that I am now holidaying in as guilt-free a state as I may ever find myself in. There have been long lunches at the beach, mid-afternoon-hammock-naps, gala-day-book-sale rummages, hours of book reading and magazine immersion. I played a set at Fleetwaters, which was wonderfully low key. I wish I'd stayed there and enjoyed the ambience, instead of driving in and out in one day. I thought it would be a full-on-party, and I'm not much of a party girl, but instead it was more like a lazy summer barbecue.

I have plans for the impending year, but I'm trying not to get too anxious about them at this point. If this year is anything like last year, then these two weeks of recuperating will be looked back on gratefully and longingly. This January and February already look to be cracker-jack full of amazing musical events and wonderful friend times.

Once my wonderful father has tracked down his film-scanning trays, I will share my photos of last spring and this summer. I'm starting my own 365 photo project, to make sure I get the most out of my cameras. One photo per day seems easy when I'm lodged in this beautifully relaxed and happy space, even if it doesn't turn out that way.

There will be music, also. I want all these images and stories to hibernate in my mind for eventual emergence as something beautiful.

I hope that your summer feels as idyllic as mine.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 21/12/09

2009-12-21T09:18:00.002+13:00

Last show of the year... I decided to try and make it a little bit whimsical and dreamy, because it's that kind of weather...

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
Oh, My Darling - Basia Bulat
Have You Ever Been In Love - Tutankamon
Four Eyed Bird Watcher - Teacups
Reaching for the Moon - Jess Chambers
Temecula Sunrise - Dirty Projectors
Here to Fall - Yo La Tengo
To Be With You - Ashes of August
Crosswords - Rosy Tin Teacaddy
Love Song - Vashti Bunyan
A Thousand Jacobs - Flotilla
Give Your Mama One Smile - Madeline Peyroux
Blood Bank - Bon Iver
For Love And Your Mother's Sake - United Steel Workers of Montreal
Still - Great Lake Swimmers
Norway - Beach House
River of Dirt - Marissa Nadler
Never Had Nobody Like You - M Ward
Bring It On Home to Me - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
French Navy - Camera Obscura
Cello Song - The Books Feat Jose Gonzalez
The Christmas Song - Weezer
Christmas Song - Cocoon
One Special Gift - Low
You Can't Steal A Gift - El Perro Del Mar
Can I Interest You In Hannukah? - Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart
All I Want For Christmas - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Christmas Fire - The Deer Tracks
Christmas Reindeer - The Knife

My new favorite video

2009-12-14T21:37:00.003+13:00

So simple, so beautiful. Such a great antidote for all the music-video-drivel out there.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 7/12/09

2009-12-07T11:02:00.002+13:00

The Crane Wife 1 - The Decemberists
My Favourite Book - Stars
Inside Out - Feist
A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left - Andrew Bird
Crop Circles - Nevernudes
A Different Day - O'Lovely
Mr. Tough - Yo La Tengo
The Letter - The Veils
We Could Be Friends - Freelance Whales
Postcards from Italy - Beirut
Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura
Read, Eat, Sleep - The Books
Bring It On Home To Me - Otis Redding and Carla Thomas
Oh, My Darling - Basia Bulat
Harvest Time - The Clientele
Interlude - Morrissey and Siouxie Sioux
Your Control - Crooked Fingers and Neko Case
I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Oh Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack
Radio Kaliningrad - Handsome Furs
Jailbird - M. Ward
Va Danser - Edith Piaf
Turn Out the Light - The New Amsterdams
Still - Great Lake Swimmers
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
Switched On - Islands
Half A World Away - REM
My Girls - Animal Collective
My Boys - Taken By Trees
Runnin Out Of Fools - Neko Case
Long Gone - Slaraffenland

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 30/11/09

2009-11-30T10:54:00.003+13:00

To be fair, I set this playlist up to run and then didn't listen to much of it very closely, because we were SPRING CLEANING at Fleet! We destroyed the manky couch that someone brought in unwanted from the inorganic collection. With any luck, Fleet FM will smell a little sweeter from today.

Sunrise - Yeasayer
Fall - Devendra Banhart
Starring - Freelance Whales
Ever Fallen In Love - Melanie Pain (Nouvelle Vague)
Bramble - the Cave Singers
Phi - the XX
Converging in the Quiet - Crystal Stilts
Don't Fear the Vagabonds - Dinosaur Feathers
Chalk Lines - Division Day
Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Change of Heart - El Perro Del Mar
Incubate'r - A Faulty Chromosome
This Lamb Sells Condos - Final Fantasy
Sugar Water - Jeans Wilder
Lay Lady Lay - Magnet
*No Title* - Not Cool
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
New Mind - Swans
Lanterns - Evening Hymns
Dead Dar - Evening Hymns
Only Dead Fingers Talk in Brai - God Bows To Math
Acid King Of Hell - Grooms
Beer Keg - TFF
On Peak Hill - Stars
Monika - The Gladeyes
Opening Bell - Tyondai Braxton
Deep Dive - Wild Palms
This Night Started Out Like Any Other Night - The Minor Leagues
July Flame - Laura Viers
The Right Place - Monsters of Folk
Turn Out the Light - The New Amsterdams

For My Cycling Buddies Out There

2009-11-29T17:34:00.001+13:00

Thanks to Tsururadio for bringing this tongue-in-cheek bike riding PSA to my attention. Tsururadio does amazing mix tapes online, as well as cool interviews with bands that I often feature in my radio show. You should check him out.

Grey Lynn Park Festival Day

2009-11-28T14:35:00.009+13:00

Breakfast at Queenies.
- Huevos Rancheros and Meringue Cookies.

Garage Sale No. 1
- Brownie Cresta 3 Camera for $5. Now I must buy 120 film.

Garage Sale No. 2
- Kids Red Raincoat.
- Nordic Olympic Team Tokyo 1964 Scandinavian Airlines System Airplane Bag.
- H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds.

Grey Lynn Park Festival
- Vintage coinpurse.
- Book of Short Stories written by NZ Women authors.
- Free cupcake with lime-green-coloured icing.
- $10 Paul Simon Graceland LP in perfect condition.
- Took photos in vintage stalls.
- Told off for taking a photo in one stall by uppity vendor.

Photos to come.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 23/11/09

2009-11-23T09:18:00.003+13:00

Everybody's Money - The Phoenix Foundation
Bruises - Melanie Pain
Pieces of String - Alela Diane
No Intentions - The Dirty Projectors
Gold Body - Kate Bradley/The Goodbye Horses
Answer To Yourself - The Soft Pack
Tell Me - Cocoon
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
Hits Like Hail - His & Her Vanities
Safety Bricks - Feist & Kevin Drew
A Thousand Jacobs - Flotilla
Sun is King - Laura Viers
Hannah - Freelance Whales
Kicks and Kicks - Signer
Adieu Mon Coeur - Martha Wainwright
Microscopic World - Chad Vangaalen
Dreamsucker - Grooms
A Different Day - O'Lovely
Keep a Secret - The Whitest Boy Alive
Two Steps, Twice - Foals
Damrell's Fire - The Dimes
Too Young to Burn - Sonny and the Sunsets
Sunburn - Pearl Harbor
You Take My Breath Away - The Knife
Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
Tomorrow Will Be Yesterday - Girls at Dawn
Fire - The Sandwitches
Converging in the Quiet - Crystal Stilts

Bands I especially like from this playist: Signer, The Dimes, His & Her Vanities, Sonny and the Sunsets

Garage Sale

2009-11-21T11:08:00.004+13:00

- Orange & Cream Bowling Bag

- LIttle Oxford English Dictionary

- The Annotated Snark, by Lewis Carroll

- Small Dreams Of A Scorpion, by Spike Milligan

- Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

- Bon Voyage Mr President, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

- Speaking in Tongues and True Stories on Cassette, by Talking Heads.

Golden Half Film #2

2009-11-19T17:37:00.004+13:00

I feel like I've been taking photos every day on my fun little Golden Half, but it seems that my documentation of the last two months wasn't quite as complete as I might have hoped.

I'm just sharing a couple of my favourites here. There may be more in the next few days.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 02/11/09

2009-11-02T09:16:00.003+13:00

Me Oh My - Cate Le Bon
Little Victories - Grayson Gilmore
My Love - White Hinterland
God - John Lennon
Dreams Come True Girl - Cass McCombs (featuring Karen Black)
Tough Guys - Jeans Wilder
Heart Skipped a Beat - the XX
Luv Goon - Pearl Harbor
Silent Shout - The Knife
Anna No - Right Away, Great Captain
Blind - Swans
IRM - Charlotte Gainsbourg
Dreaming of the Plum Trees - White Hinterland
Bowling Green - Alela Diane & Alina Hardin
Some are Lakes - Land of Talk
Dark Sedan - Karl Blau
Half Asleep - School of Seven Bells
Canada - Themselves and WHY?
Prismatic Room - Crystal Stilts
These Are My Twisted Words - Radiohead
Little Miracles - Faulty Chromosome
Peach, Plum, Pear - Joanna Newsom
Music for Evening - Young Marble Giants
Don't Think Twice It's Alright - Ava Quigley
Better In Manhattan - Casey Dienel
No You Don't - Islands

Tracks I really like from this playlist - Cate Le Bon, Grayson Gilmore, White Hinterland, Land of Talk, School of Seven Bells

Digital Photography School

2009-10-31T21:34:00.002+13:00

My friend Aimee has put me onto a website that, while dedicated to the art of Digital Photography, has some inspiring ideas for photography projects. The've got weekly assignments as well, if you're interested in something a little smaller.

I forgot to take any of my cameras to the markets today, but I did take a photo of my mother's rose bush that has miraculously flowered without any input from its flower-sitter (namely, me). I will post it when it's been developed.

Good day.

2009-10-31T17:08:00.002+13:00

Wake up late.
Farmers market, with tea, croissant, cheese and wine.
Shoe shopping (didn't buy anything).
Wah Lee's for a Parasol.
Isabelle Allende, Anais Nin, Peter O'Toole, all for $27.12.
Library.
Lunch in the park.
Good conversation all the way through.

Thanks Frankie!

2009-10-27T19:52:00.003+13:00

I won a necklace from Neverland Collective from Frankie magazine!

It arrived completely by surprise in my mailbox today.

The card reads
" Hey Ivy
congratulations on being a Frankie Winner
xx
Frankie "

I never win things from magazines. I am very happy.

Socca

2009-10-25T20:07:00.003+13:00

This could quickly degenerate into a cooking blog if I post about food at the rate I have been. However, I wanted to share this evening's dinner with you. I'm waiting to finish the films in my camera before I can share some photos, and strings need to be replaced before demos come along much further, so here's a recipe in lieu of both of those artistic endeavours.

I took the kitchn seriously when they told me I should make Socca straight away. I scurried down to Mahadeo's and bought myself some chickpea flour, and one of the tastiest treats came out of my experimentation.

Once I'd gotten my grease fire out the way (when they say leave the pan til blisteringly hot, they really don't mean more than 5 minutes, for the record), I made these Chickpea pancakes and cut them into wedges like pizza, and we had them dipped in salsa and with hummus. Delicious by themselves, they were salty and a little greasy and altogether a wonderful, light dinnertime treat. Yum. Make, eat, enjoy.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 19/10/09

2009-10-19T10:57:00.000+13:00

Tokyo - Telekenesis,
We Won't Run - Sarah Blasko,
Psychosis of Love - The Gladeyes and Jimmy Payday,
Why Didn't You Get a Haircut? - Math the Band,
Cry Wolf - Lisa Germano,
Everything's Going On - Dead Meadow,
Climing the Fjelds of Norway - Thus:Owls,
Fist Full of Dollars - Bang Bang Eche,
May You Never - Land of Talk,
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzales,
Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping - Grouper,
Frost - Salem,
This Must Be Heaven - Liechtenstein,
Inquiring Minds - Hamell on Trial,
Gold and Warm - Bad Veins,
Haze on the Mobius Strip - Dinowalrus,
Don't Fear the Vagabonds - Dinosaur Feathers,
Wild Roses - Hope Sandoval,
Angel in the Snow - Elliott Smith,
Go Easy Little Doves, I'll Be Fine - Brooke Waggoner,
Sleep All Summer - St. Vincent/The National,
Rust - Telekenesis!,
Sick Muse - Metric,
I Was Made For You - She and Him,
Half Kleptos - El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriquez Lopez,
Sarah - Digits,
Um, You Didn't Do That In Soundcheck - Not Cool,
My Life is Starting Over Again - Daniel Johnston,
South of France - Harlem,
Brakhage - Stereolab

Bands I especially like from this morning: Math the Band, Sarah Blasko, Metric, Jose Gonzalez, Land of Talk, Not Cool, Hope Sandoval

Illustrated Lyrics

2009-10-16T17:18:00.001+13:00

Frankie's blog has brought an illustration show from Australia to my attention. It was called "Lyrics and Type", where the artist illustrated a favourite lyric of theirs. You can buy the prints from Wooden Toy Online. I want to share a couple.

There is also a print online that I desperately want to buy for my kitchen. Poster Cabaret is a great source for music and art posters. This one would go very nicely in my house, thank you very much.

I hope you're enjoying this unexpectedly sunny day.

Thunderstorm warning.

2009-10-15T19:05:00.000+13:00

I found this on Flickr today.

I felt a bit like that riding home. Now I am wearing Slippers (fished from back of closet where I thought they would be left until next April) and a Woolen Turquoise cardigan (donated kindly by a friend, thanks Aimee!) after my ride home in the rain.

For all you bicycling fans out there, I want to recommend "Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne. This is not a lycra-wearing, shoe-clip-toting bicycle book - it's a hop-on-your-old-vintage-10-speed (or other rad two-wheeler) and go-for-it bicycle book.

He talks about his travels by bicycle in numerous cities, including Sydney, Manila and New York. It makes you wish Aucklanders didn't have to share their cycle lanes with buses!

I've been playing with a four track a bit this week. Am too tired to play more tonight, but will post some results when I have some.

Playlist for Fleet FM Show, 12/10/09

2009-10-12T09:19:00.000+13:00

Freddy - Pens,
No One That You Love Will Ever Die - The XYZ Affair,
Holy, Holy, Holy Moses (Song for New Orleans) - Alec Ounsworth,
Dixie Cups in the Dead Grass - The Skygreen Leopards,
Power Glove - White Mystery,
Old Town - Great North,
The Tenure Itch - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart,
Hell - Tegan and Sara,
Dig a Pony - St Vincent,
Disengaged - Grouper,
Natural Light - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone,
Forgive Me - Le Loup,
Jackie Wood - Box Elders,
Dead Alive - Kurt Vile,
Watch the Waves - Taken by Trees,
Sweet Child O Mine - Taken by Trees,
Going Nowhere Killing Time - Tantrums,
Horchata - Vampire Weekend,
Sooner or Later - Zaza,
Under Your Spell - Desire,
Vapours - Islands,
Even Think - Drink Up Buttercup,
Love Comes Close - Cold Cave,
Look To The East - Telekenesis!,
In Your Heart - A Place to Bury Strangers,
Dress Rehearsal - Dead Mellotron
Give Blood - Rain Machine
Let's Go Surfing - The Drums
Hands - The Dutchess and the Duke

Bands I especially like from this playlist: St Vincent, Grouper, Taken By Trees, Islands, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Telekenesis!, Rain Machine

A Remedy for the Southerlies...

2009-10-06T14:00:00.000+13:00

This cold snap has got me jonesing for sugar laced chai tea, hot chocolates, cookies and pasta. Unfortunately I can't eat any of those things at the moment, due to my temporary abstention from sugar, gluten and dairy. In the meantime, I want to share a recipe I found that would definitely take away my late-winter blues.

Hot and Milky Malted Cocoa at the Kitchn

Great North.

2009-10-04T10:58:00.000+13:00

I saw Great North play last night. They are amazing. The Veils, Jeff Buckley, Broken Social Scene, with a little country. You should check them out at their myspace .

Wishlist.

2009-10-03T16:28:00.000+13:00

Golden Half Camera

2009-08-26T23:19:00.000+12:00

When is half a camera twice as good?

I am looking forward to my new Golden Half camera very much. It will be a return to the days when I carried my Minolta SRT101 (gifted by a relocating friend) with me at all times. I've even pulled out my old SLR and bought a shiny new-to-me case for it, in anticipation of a photographic future.

Fleet FM Playlist 03: 09 03 09, with Kirsten Taylor

2009-03-09T16:54:00.000+13:00

Your Love Gets Sweeter - Finley Quaye
Nerds in Love - Fergus Brown
Everything’s Broken; Life’s So Sweet - Don McGlashan and the Seven Sisters
I Like Birds - The Eels
Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Day Tripper - Otis Redding
Sister Sister - Supergroove
I Want You - Common Feat. Will I Am
No One’s Better Sake - Little Joy
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Patti Smith
If I Head a Heart - Fever Ray
Graceland - the New Pornographers
A Place for You - Breaks Co Op
Rock No More - Lindon Puffin & The Bleeding Hearts
Lifetime Underground - William Elliott Whitmore
Drive - Strawpeople
Hold On - the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Medium - Incubus
Fear of Girls - Amy Racecar
Romantic Rights - Death From Above 1979
Two Shocks - Brakesbrakesbrakes
Inside a Break - john Frusciante
Sad Girls - Steve Abel and the Chrysalids
Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps - Cake
Take Me To The Riot - Stars
Lowtide - O’Death
Loving You - Anika Moa
Temptation Dice - The View
Mushaboom - Feist
Tell - Punches
Caroline - Old Crow Medicine Show

Fleet FM Playlist 02: 02 03 09

2009-03-03T15:40:00.000+13:00

G'Morning Duchess - Jonny Doom and the Forcefields
Plasticities - Andrew Brid
Ivory Tower - The Ragamuffin Children
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Book of Moses - Tom Waits
Elegant Transaction - Loose Fur
All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
Always On My Mind - Phantom Planet
Smooth Machine - Lucid Three
Chicago At Night - Spoon
Youthless - Beck
Wolfblitzer - Warsaw Pack
Caught, Can We Get a Witness? - Public Enemy
Streets Don't Close - Sommerset
Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! - The Mint Chicks
Whose Ur Mama - Missing Teeth
Tonto - Battles
Tropy - Bat for Lashes
The Sheriff - Rico Suave
Stronger - Kanye West
I Never - Rilo Kiley
Sweet Somebody - Jordie Lane
Bathe In The River - Don McGlashan and the Seven Sisters
Holland, 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel
Spring - Kendall Todd
In My Arms - Rufus Wainwright
Happy and Bleeding - PJ Harvey
Web - The Roots