Category Archives: Review
Givers
It was splendid to meet the guys from Givers -they were very cheerful, attentive, and courteous. But when they hit the stage last night at The Corner Hotel all that changed. Their indie pop form of psychedelic & melodic rock sashayed from the whimisical to a thrashed out, totally heavy prog-rock finale. They were clearly focussed upon the music only, and not mere pleasantries. The band hails from Lafayette, Louisiana in the deep South, but the vocals (mostly by the enchanting Tiffany Lamson and guitarist Taylor Guarisco) are geographically much more varied; perhaps in need of a definitive style. And although they‘re touring side-shows off the back of the Laneway Festival and double-headlining with Portugal. The Man I believe this young group is still in its formative stage. It‘s not simply their melding of styles; but Givers are incompetent in much of their vocal endeavours, and they perhaps need some kind of ‘hook‘ or ‘thread‘ in their style that will help define their identity. Regardless, and despite my opine that their hit Up, Up, Up is tired and motionless, they did in fact strut their varied talents quite well and I‘m still revelling in the fact they were such a nice group of novice rockstars! Have a listen to Meantime and see what you think:
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Charles Manson once said that ”If you‘re going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy“. In the case of this engrossing but tiresome film,there is a witchiness but it unfortunately falls short of a production ‘done well‘. I say this because I was irked by its‘ many mediocrities. The parallels established betweeen our protagonist, Martha, and her dual realities of the communal dystopia and the corporate-citizen mundane left me in disbelief. I felt that these comparisons were highly unrealistic in an otherwise believable scenario: the characters of Ted and Lucy were far too stereotypical and I was glad actors Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy had salvaged the most they could from the roles. Equally, Martha was played very well by Elizabeth Olsen; her performance increasingly compelling following Martha‘s egress from the clutches of Patrick. This Manson-like figure was also played adeptedly by John Hawkes (Winter‘s Bone) but none so convincing as to warrant accolades. The film‘s climactic drive was equally powerful to the acting, but unfortunately lacked the production values to let this film accomplish.
At the end of the day, Martha is director Sean Durkin‘s smugly crafted amalgamation of his previous projects (such as the short Mary Last Seen) into what I believe is a failed attempt at understanding the mindset of someone shell-shocked by indoctrination.
Southside Vintage Market
The monthly Southside Vintage & Handmade Market operates out of St. Kilda and environs, and is held on the 2ⁿᵈ Sunday of the month. Alongside the many retro & vintage fashion stalls; the market exposes you to unique, artisan jewellery and accessories. Created by Fin Ola and Anne Freeman (also of Pigeon English), it is most worthwhile to enjoy a visit browsing. We asked the adorable Fin why the Southside Market is so wonderful:
INFX: You run the Southside Vintage Market -what makes a fashion item vintage?
Fin Ola: Anything as old as …well …old mate Henry VIII, and then to early 90s Will Smith/East 17 era. But just because you don‘t don your early 2000 Gasp or Supre dress anymore, doesn‘t mean you can palm it off as a vintage item.
INFX: 90s Nike blazers can cost up to $150 -what‘s the go there? What kind of price would we expect from Southside?
Fin Ola: Our stall holders are very reasonably priced; clothing and accessories range from $5/$150. You‘ll find a lot of stalls have sale items such as $5/$10 bargain baskets. We also have sweet treats selling for as little as $1!
INFX: So a Nike blazer could be anywhere up to $150, eh? Anyway, was it hard squeezing your way into the vintage and/or market scene? And what makes Southside successful?
Fin Ola: Anne & I both live Southside, where there is a lack of markets. Therefore [we thought] why not create one? We strongly believe in making it a friendly market [and] everyone has huge smiles on their faces; it‘s a little contagious. We also have such a fantastic & wide range of stalls to keep all entertained. We‘ve had a great start and are really lucky.
Lovely, and perhaps our readers can get lucky too! Score a bargain at the next Southside gig (which is a night market):
24ᵗʰ January from 6pm at 29 Apartment, St. Kilda:
Check out the facebook event for more details.
El Mac
I‘m not hugely into graffiti art, but every once in a while an artist will grab my attention and remind me why spraypaint is so versatile to work with. One such artist is Miles “Mac“ Macgregor, better known by his pseudonym El Mac. Hailing out of Los Angeles, El Mac has become an established name in the street art community and has an incredible repertoire of murals all over the world. His styles and methods are as flexible as his canvas, creating a number of pieces on both brick and paper, using spraypaint and brushwork. Most notable is his distinct style of grooving line patterns through the images to create a “lines in the sand“ effect. The result is nothing short of astonishing, and his latest work for purchase titled The Prayer demonstrates his ability to create a flood of emotion straight from the canvas. Watch out Banksy, there‘s a new kid on the block!
www.elmac.net/
Two Women (Sophia Loren)
What better way to start off the new year than with a full-length, classic feature film?
Sophia Loren stars in this 1960 cinematic gem by one of Italy‘s most successful and prolific film-makers. Vittorio De Silva (Bicycle Thieves, Generale della Rovere) wrote the screenplay and directed this film during the height of his career. It again visits his common thematics: namely in the tragic framing of love, sex, and courage amidst a setting of adversity. The film was highly contentious at the time of its release as it contained imagery considered highly graphic at the time. Loren recieved a Best Actress Oscar for her role; the first time a foreign film had recieved the honour. The 25 year-old had until this point been a sucessful model, but had acted only in minor roles. The film marked a turing point in her career; as she shot to International stardom after Two Women and its‘ Hollywood acclaim. Enjoy.
Best of… 2011
And so the festive season has become. Which means booze, fine food, party and hedonistic tendencies will form en masse. And on that note, INFX shall close until the new year has blossomed. Next year we‘ll be upping the ante and drawing focus on specific topics; in pursuit of more underground artists and personalities. Keep watching our Global Profiles series as it too blooms into a somewhat incongrous portrait of life on this Earth of ours.
So that‘s it from us; below are the Top 5 posts that drew the most attention in the past year. And also an Autobox DJ mix recorded live by yours truly, with a host of breakbeat tracks over the ages, to revel in on those sweaty summer afternoons by the pool. May your news be good news, Good luck and goodnight.
CARL SCRASE: http://infx.com.au/2011/03/04/carl-scrase/
NEXT T-SHIRTS: http://infx.com.au/2011/11/11/next-the-future-of-t-shirt-graphics/
MONK EY: http://infx.com.au/2011/10/28/monk-ey/
BARBARION: http://infx.com.au/2011/04/14/barbarion/
VEIN ONE: http://infx.com.au/2011/08/05/veinone/
KCTV Report: Kim Jong-il Dead
Video from the official DPRK News Agency KCTV reporting the death of the Great Leader, Kim Jong-il. Presented by a KCNA official newsreader clad in black, she is clearly emotionally devastated and besot by tears of unimaginable grief.
The M31 Hume
The Hume Freeway is the jewel in the crown of Victoria‘s road network. This arterial runs from the M80 Western Ring Road in Melbourne‘s North, to the New South Wales border at Albury-Wodonga, where the road continues as the A31 to Sydney. This freeway provides an uninterrupted dual-carriageway road along its entire length; after numerous rural city bypasses were constructed. The upgrade project was completed in 1996 with the Wangaratta Bypass section. The freeway was named in 1928 after Hamilton Hume (1797-1873), a famous explorer in the early 19th century who in 1824 (with William Hovell) were the first Eropeans to establish an overland route between Sydney and the newly established colonial outpost of Port Phillip -the original name of Victoria.
Restless (Gus Van Sant)
You will know Gus Van Sant by a spate of films dealing with emotive angst. His film-making style is often focussed upon dramatic themes that are purposely subdued. This is executed using curious soundscapes mixed with popular music tracks and rattling cinematography. Favourites among these are the enigmatic Elephant and Paranoid Park.
His latest offering continues in this fashion. In Restless, the coming-of-age film recieves a dose of sublte sublimity. Van Sant visits a foray into a whimsical, dreamy, and ultimately cute exploration of youth dealings with death. Although buoyed by such clichés as the dual parental car crash fatality; we contrarily find the double leads Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper charming in their fine performances. There are also a handful of nods to favourite adolescent films including Empire of the Sun and Stand By Me. If you can stomach the endless melancholy of the soundtrack then you‘ll most likely relish this as such a sweet film.
Restless opens at Cinema Nova on December 1st.
‘Monk Ey
This is one of the fresh, hip-to-the-game, young tings runnin‘ tings in Mexico City. ‘Monk Ey recently featured in Mexico‘s Street: Active Lifestyle magazine, mapping out his musical and contemporary cultural endeavours. He has achieved notoriety as the founder of Square Root Of Pi, known officially as √π and along with the Pi posse, they‘re lording it over the underground scene in Mexico.
I caught up with the mad monk in between his DJ gigs and the cutting edge live band, hip-hop and electronic music ensembles that √π is renowned for:
INFX: What kind of tunes are you working into your DJ sets at the moment?
‘Monk Ey: Old Chicago House, House, Disco, Acid And Techno, Basically.
INFX: What do you make of the club scene in Mexico City, And how do you fit in?
‘Monk Ey: It‘s Kinda Bizarre. It‘s Not Merged, It‘s Not United, It‘s Not Going Anywhere. Most Of It Are Playing The Same Tracks (Psycho Dubstep @ 160 BPM), It Sucks. It‘s Difficult To Push The People To Other Style Of Music. Some People Love My Sets, Others Hate Them. 120-130 BPM That, For Me, It‘s The Best.
INFX: Seems like they prefer the Happy Hardcore - When was the last time you dropped Acid in a club?
‘Monk Ey: Actually, A Month Ago. The Results… Everybody Loves It, Nobody Knows It For Real. When I Play Acid It‘s When The People Go Nuts Dancing And Screaming Like There Is No Tomorrow, But They Aren‘t Aware Of It. It‘s Like Acid Is A Party-Only Music.
INFX: It‘s a fucken party alright. Finally, though, tell me: Do you know of any mad real cocktail recipes?
‘Monk Ey: Indeed, I Do! A Friend Told Me About “Mascara De Gas“, Or In English, “Gas Mask“. It‘s A Drink With Vodka, Whiskey, Tequila And Fire. They Mix Up All, Put Flames On It And, Keep The Gas In A Glass Upside Down, You Take The Shot And Then, You Breathe All The Gas On The Glass, Then… You‘re All Dizzy. Ha!
Well, no doubt my man ‘Monk Ey will be busy gettin‘ dizzy all weekend. Big Up‘s to the monk, and stayed tuned for an upcoming exposé on the √π crew. Meanwhile, here‘s a sneak peek of ‘Monk Ey and the team in action:
Michael Shannon
Take the best acting qualities ever displayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and marry them with Joaquin Phoenix. Then mash both together with a mallet, and you will have some semblence of Michael Shannon‘s acting dynamic.
Shannon grew up in Kentucky and performed in stage productions in Chicago. He then left the U.S. to live in London; working in various West End productions. Arriving back in the U.S., he began to perform generic roles in both Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay blockbuster films (somewhat perverting his talents). However, he soon moved toward semi-indie productions in Vanilla Sky and Tigerland (albeit in minor roles). It wasn‘t until he embarked upon a supporting role in Sam Mendes‘ Revolutionary Road that he began to mark his filmic maturity. Earlier this year, Shannon steeled himself for the starring role in the crudely ominous and infatuating Werner Herzog film My Son What Have Ye Done? Following this amazing onscreen performance, Cinema Nova has this week released the spellbinding film Take Shelter. Shannon again plays the lead, in which he grips you by his performance; the audience bracing for his every facial expression and emotion. This is an excellent film and another best for Michael Shannon so be sure to see it on the big screen!
Intolerance (Austen Tayshus)
Born in New York as Alexander Jacob Gutman, Austen Tayshus is a comedian from New South Wales. Well known for his dry, black humour riddled with local colloquialisms; he achieved success in 1983 with his Australiana video/music single/sketch piece. Although an advocate for the Jewish religion (his family are Hasidic Jews), and the state of Israel throughout his youth, his comedic career satirises this culture and often includes bizarre, anti-semitic tirades. He ran for the House of Representatives in Sydney during the 2010 Federal Election as a candidate for The Sex Party, and also in the 2011 NSW State Election with the Outdoor Recreation Party.
Intolerance is an engrossing, witty, and ultimately brilliant comedy short film. It was the winner of Tropfest in 1998 and I‘d still classify it as Austen Tayshus‘ best work (even compared with Australiana). The short was directed by Paul Fenech (creator of Fat Pizza) under the pseudonym Laura Fienstein, and was edited by David Rudd. Austen Tayshus also appears in the films Holy Smoke and Strange Planet.
George Tipton
Hopefully, the weather has shed its tumultuous start to Spring; and as we warm-up into the summer; this is the man you want on heavy rotation!
George Tipton is a funky folk-soul composer; know for his music production, film and television scores (including The Golden Girls and The Love Boat). However, this musical great didn‘t just meander around TV studios cheesing it up. He also worked extensively with Harry Nilsson during the 70s and produced hits including Nilsson‘s Everybody’s Talkin’ and, earlier, the skewed pop music by Star Trek‘s Mr. Spock: Leonard Nimoy. Tipton went on throughout the 70s belting out funkadelic tracks such as Cotton Comes to Harlem (from the film of the same name) and other greats including his composition of Renaissance lute piece Gassenhauer (from the 1973 film Badlands). Also noteworthy is his arrangement of the Light My Fire cover version by José Feliciano. He‘s also the man you want to be tracking down for some excellent breaks: many of which can be cut from the album Nilsson by Tipton. Definitely one cool cat for the hawt summer.
The A79/M79 Calder
The Calder Highway is a prominent road in Victoria; linking the Sunraysia, Mallee, and Central Goldfields with Melbourne. It comprises 120km of the dual-carriageway M79 Calder Freeway between Keilor in Melbourne, and Bendigo. Further afield, The A79 stretches another 440km from Bendigo to Mildura and the New South Wales border.
The road was originally part of The Mount Alexander Road, which was mostly a bullock-sodden track from the City to the Goldfields in Central Victoria. William Calder was an engineer that emigrated to Victoria from New Zealand in 1860. Following a successful career, Calder was intrigued by the poor quality of road infrastructure in Victoria. In 1912, he formed the Country Roads Board and formulated a radial system of highways in Victoria that remain in use today. Although construction was halted due to the First and Second World Wars; during the Post-War reconstruction Calder‘s vision began to be realised. Thus, Victoria‘s formulative success in the Gold Rush and the modern success of the Country Roads Board scheme are married under the auspices of the Calder Highway.
High Hopes
Director Mike Leigh is renowned for his bittersweet films; some of which include large-scale productions such as Topsy Turvy, the adorable Happy-Go-Lucky, and the recently released Another Year. His strongest film though, in my view, is High Hopes. I‘d rented out the DVD, thinking naively that it was a fairly recent release (say, from the last decade). So whilst enjoying the film I was warily critical of the retro set design, streetscapes and historical relativity. My critical perspective reached a climax when the Lloyd‘s Building appeared in frame; as I‘d thought the building was a recent construction. It was only at the conclusion of the film, though, that I realised it was actually made in 1988. I felt ashamed of myself and overly critical of what was an excellent film in earnest.
High Hopes follows a couple (Cyril & Shirley) living in London‘s Kings Cross. We watch fondly as they grapple with societal changes and the gentrification of London‘s inner and traditionally working-class neighbourhoods. Cyril is something of a jaded, conjectural Socialist while his mellow partner Shirley is fielding maternal impulses. Amidst the relaxed turmoil of Thatcherite UK, these characters prove endearing and ultimately hilarious when we follow them through circumstances surrounding Cyril‘s manic family. A lovely, heart-felt drama that also explores the predicament of Socialism in contemporary Capitalist society.
Machine EP Launch
Tomorrow night, the Grace Darling in Collingwood presents this highly-anticipated EP by lords of rocking, psychedelic sounds; the band we know as Machine. And if you‘ve yet to hear their tunes; check out this sneak-peek from the forthcoming EP:
In what can only be described as a virulent assault on the aural senses of your ears, Machine toil and tumble through a cavacade of sonic excess that will put a smile on your face and a dent in your appreciation of music. Simply put; if you haven’t seen them already, then get your arse down to Smith Street and witness this event for yourself. The show begins at 9pm, with excellent support from The Process.
Death Valley Mustangs EP Launch
Next Saturday, the 3rd of September heralds the launch of the much-anticipated, brand new EP by the Death Valley Mustangs.
Titled “Tijuana Bible” this release marks the advent of a more refined sound from The Mustangs: their music has consolidated into a purely rock sound,which is distinctly their own. This latest incarnation also features a refined range of vocal talent, and a musical confidence unheard in their earlier EP. The Death Valley Mustangs play at Pony -doors open 8.30pm until late, with support acts Bugdust, Rayon Moon, and Dan Kirk. $9.
INFX is also offering the chance to WIN A SIGNED COPY of the EP in advance of the launch!
SIMPLY EMAIL infx@email.com a few words that are persuasive enough to merit the prize.
