empty

My Illustration Friday entry for 'empty'.

I'm still trying to work out how to describe this piece. The irony, I suppose, is when you are full of sadness, you can often be left feeling empty.

trucks and pink gingham

Just when I'd nearly given up, a new CD arrived! This one is all the way from Anna at Clicktyclick in Canada.

Only just got it, so I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm REALLY excited as the tracklist wraps up with one of my very favourite songs: New Partner by Palace Music. Always a good sign.

the tracklists

For CD Swap 2, I was initially going to make one tracklist for everyone. But when I got my list of people I decided to make 3 different ones. The main inspiration for this was that one of my people was born in 1990. Yes 1990! How old did I feel? Pretty damn old. But after my initial crisis, I got really really excited about making a CD for her. I mean (as I wrote to her) I love music now, but when I was 15 music was a matter of survival.

This was my opportunity (no, my duty) to help this girl through teenage-ness. It’s a total gamble making a CD for someone you don’t know. I had no idea with any of my CDs if what I was sending was going to be their kind of sound. But I decided to start with the bands that were my favourites.

A Matter of Survival (for jenny)

O stella- PJ Harvey: I first discovered PJ on late night video clips, dancing around in a giant ugly pair of baggy white undies in 50 Foot Queenie. Damn she is one of the most individual women I can think of.
Berlin Chair - You Am I: You Am I are an Australian band. When I turned 18 they were the first band I went to see.
Buy Me A Pony – Spiderbait: Another Australian band who have been rocking on since I was a teenager, and still are.
Paco Doesn't Love Me - The Spazzys: The Spazzys are also Australian. A new group of young punky chicks. I love this song. I makes me want to dance like a muppet. Although unfortunately just this morning I saw their new clip, (a remake of My Boyfriend’s Back). The clip was one of those “o-so-original” party on a city rooftop jobs, with them playing to a crowd of people dancing with arms in the air. I’m sorry to say it was pretty lame. Hopefully they’ll come back with something cool to make up for it.
Dimension - Wolfmother: Wolfmother have been around for about 18 months. A Sydney based band who were hyped pretty highly after only making an ep of 4 songs. They are just amazing live, so if you get a chance, see them. They are currently in America making their first full length CD.
Sonic Youth - Titanium Expose: Sonic Youth were important and really cool, and I felt it my duty to pass them on to Jenny.
Where Is My Mind? – Pixies: The Pixies are one of my favourite bands. They didn’t last long, but what they left us was amazing. When I hear their songs they make me happy.
Born Again - Badly Drawn Boy: This Manchester lad is so cocky, but talented.
Driver - Eskimo Joe: From the west coast of Australia, they are nice guys, and his voice has that sexy breaking point.
Mascara- Killing Heidi: This song came out about 5 years ago (maybe), a group (with brother and sister) from rural Australia, who were discovered by a radio station.
Special Ones – George: Another Australian group with brother and sister. The brother was annoying, but the sister was gorgeous.
All Coming Back - Sarah Blasko: Sarah Blasko has only just released her debut album. Australian again, with a good accent.
The Pixies - Wave of Mutilation: This song is from the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack. I saw that movie at the cinema when I was about 15. I was the perfect age for this movie, and the soundtrack changed me forever.
Cross Bones Style - Cat Power: Cat Power is an odd little thing, if you get to see her live, count yourself lucky. Both because she’s great, and because half the time she’s too timid to come out on stage. (or she sits on stage with the lights off sitting on a stool facing the back of the stage).
I Don't Need a Hero - Concrete Blonde: Concrete Blond were a pivotal band for me. I love love love her voice.
Papa Won't Leave You, Henry - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Okay, so if there was any band that got me through my teen years, these guys were it. They are still amazing, and still going strong. Unfortunately and purely coincidently, every single time my mum came into my bedroom “the Carny” was playing. She acused me of only ever listening to “funeral music”.
Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows: Again from the Pump Up The Volume Soundtrack.
Never Get Old - Sinéad O´Connor: Love her or hate her (she’s a little bit unstable shall we say). I am obsessed with Sinead O’Connor. There, I’ve said it! Anyway, it was a gamble, but I thought it was worth sharing her.


The CD I made to send to people in America is a mix of stuff I’m listening to now, stuff I’ve been listening to over the past few years and lots of local stuff. I’m curious to know if any of the Australian stuff has made it that far yet. Let me know…

Transmittance one (for Vanessa, Kristi and Ryan)

Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party
Obstacle 1 – Interpol
Neighborhood #2 (Laika) - The Arcade Fire
Adam's Ribs - You Am I (Australian)
Paco Doesn't Love Me - The Spazzys (Australian)
Buy Me A Pony – Spiderbait (Australian)
Something's Gotta Give - John Butler Trio (Australian - John Butler is actually from California, but he lives here now, and his band are from here. So we’ve claimed him.)
Some Cities - Doves
Light Pollution - Bright Eyes
Don't U Eva - Sarah Blasko (Australian)
Wake Up - Eskimo Joe (Australian)
Woman – Wolfmother (Australian – This song is a bit tongue in cheek, and makes me laugh.)
Cause A Rockslide - Badly Drawn Boy
No Dancing - Smog
Reno Dakota - The Magnetic Fields
Paper Thin Walls - Modest Mouse
This Life - Martha Wainwright
All for Believing - Missy Higgins (Australian)
I Know Y'Know I Know - Tex Perkins (Australian)
I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart – Eels


I also had a fellow Australian on my list, so his CD was a customised version of the US version, but I took out the local music as he’s already heard it all, and replaced it with other stuff to make his very own mix.

Transmittance two (for Luke)

Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party
Obstacle 1- Interpol
Neighborhood #2 (Laika) - The Arcade Fire
He War - Cat Power
You Make Me Feel Uncomfortable - Dios Malos
The World At Large - Modest Mouse
Reno Dakota - The Magnetic Fields
Cause A Rockslide - Badly Drawn Boy
Going Fetal - Eels
No Dancing - Smog
Paper Thin Walls - Modest Mouse
Pink Bullets - The Shins
Sunshine - Sparklehorse
This Life - Martha Wainwright
Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) - Grandaddy
The Gash - The Flaming Lips
Godless - The Dandy Warhols
10 A.M. Automatic - The Black Keys
Dimension - Wolfmother

Hope they liked 'em.

the seven signs of aging

At the Oil of Ulan Institute they develop magic peptidal serums and stuff to "fight the seven signs of aging". I must need to pay more attention to the ads on t.v. because I can't for the life of me remember what they are. Wrinkles, sagging, blotching? What are the other four?

What I want to know is can Alpha or Poly Hydroxy Acids reduce my seven signs of aging?



My Illustration Friday entry for 'aging'.

2nd CD in today!

Yeay! Today in my letterbox was my second CD from CD Swap 2 from Marianne at 12punt3. This one comes all the way from the Netherlands.

Okay, now this is getting serious, check out the design job on THIS ONE!!! It's amazing, even the print on gloss is spiffy.

The tracklist is totally smooth, and some might even say a little bit sexy... It includes some of my fav's like Badly Drawn Boy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Moloko and Manu Chao. And there's some unfamiliar stuff too, but like I said it's all very smooth, and I was in just the right mood to listen to it tonight.

Thank-you Marianne!


Speaking of "a little bit sexy", I took my Knitterista button out to see Interpol the other night. They were really great! Very very clean sound and immense light show - a bit like watching a video clip it was that slick (though there were moments I couldn't help but laugh at the base players moves). Both my button and I loved it. Maybe it was a fantasy but I'm pretty sure the lead singer couldn't take his eyes off my cool Knitterista button either!

popeye the sailor man

When I was small I believed my Granda was Popeye the Sailor Man –toot –toot.


The similarities in my mind were all reasons to prove it to be true:
1. Granda lived in Belfast and therefore had a very strong accent which I had great trouble understanding as a youngster. I’m not sure what accent Popeye has, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying either.
2. In his younger years Granda was in the Army and like most well worn army men, he has many tattoo’s on his arms – just like Popeye.
3. Granda had a boat. He loved his boat, and we received photo’s of him in his boat wearing a captains hat, just like Popeye's.
4. They both had a proud flock of white grey hair
5. They both smoked a pipe out the side of their mouth

Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure he would have liked spinach too. So to me it all added up to one thing… my Granda was in fact Popeye.

Mind you, my Granda didn’t share Popeye’s bad temper, and I never saw him whirl his arm up into a spin and recoil with a giant punch. He’d sit me on his lap and tell me stories about the tattoos on his arms (like a picture book). He insisted that the tattoo of a young pretty American Indian woman with long plaits and feathers in her hair was my Mum. I’d argue that my Mum had blonde hair, and he’d wink and say “Aye, but she dies it”.

He was quiet and dignified but had a wicked sense of humour and enough pride to sink a ship. He was ever friendly, so generous, and when I stayed with them a few years back while on holidays he spoilt me rotten. He cooked me up some fresh cockles that he’d gone out and collected that morning before I woke, and he drove me all over the place showing me various sights.

While in the car driving around one day Granny inquired “Is this Tom Jones on the radio?”
“Aye Meta.” He replied, (that was my Granny’s name).
“What’s he singing? Sex Bomb???” (a little alarmed).
“Aye Meta, Sex Bomb” then he literally winked and nudged her. She chuckled. He could always turn my serious Granny into a fit of giggles.


This morning (last night on that side of the world) my Granda died.

It was two days until the anniversary of when my Granny died last year.

I'm glad I had opportunities to spend time with him and get to know him now I'm an adult. Now I know he’s not Popeye, he’s way cooler.

music music music

I've finally finished my CDs for CD Swap 2.

I'll be posting them out today to 5 folks across Australia and America. I don't want to give too much away just yet because that'd spoil the surprise for them. But I'll post more detail with the all important tracklists next week.

I ended up deciding to make 3 different CD tracklists once I got my list of people, because of age and location. I didn't want to bombard the Australian on my list with local music, like I did for the American people. And there's another CD that I made especially for one person... I'll explain why later.

I've used my photos in the cover designs, but I don't have one of those nifty lable makers, so the actual discs are a bit naff. But the music will make up for it, right?