SPRING #4
Spring is less of an in-between season in Brisbane and more of a gateway straight into summer. It’s a beautiful time of year when the weather gets warm but isn’t quite as bad as those restless summer nights. Jacarandas bloom and the streets of Brisbane are littered in lilac foliage. There are so many things to look forward to this Spring, not to mention the ability to shed the jeans one inevitably wears all winter. Summer is right around the corner, which means the end of school or university. Don’t let spring pass you by in a blink of an eye. It only comes round once a year so get outside in the pleasant weather and make the most of it.
FOUNDERS Nicole Pires (Editor) nicole@izemagazine.com Madeline Hay (Art Director) madeline@izemagazine.com
COVER Photography by Beth Lane Modelling by Brooke Jamieson Styling and Makeup by Alana Ferguson
CONTACT www.izemagazine.com www.facebook.com/izemagazine www.twitter.com/izemagazine info@izemagazine.com
DISCLAIMER Any views or opinions in this magazine are of the authors and not of IZE as a whole. We endeavour to bring you the most upto-date and accurate information, though we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will occur.
Contents 06 08 10 12 14 24 27 28 34 44 46 48 49 50 52 63 64 66 69 70 72 74
IZE Loves... Emily McGuire The Label Skax Emporium Inside In, Inside Out Lost in the World, Beth Lane SPRING, by Thea Halpin What’s On in Brisbane Kohii Love Photography Oblivion, Zara Duffy The Perks of Being a Wallflower Shani Bijoux Worst... YouTube Covers The Newsroom, by Lucia Stein TV Guide The Only Place, Demi Cambridge New Beats Dune, by Justin Vague Kinda Sexy Album of the Season, by Carl Pires Zooey End to an Era, by Matt Meintjes Spring Playlist
IZE Loves UK.MOO.COM
IZE is totally loving Moo’s custom business cards and stickers. It’s a fun and creative way to brand your business cards and products. On a personal level, use Moo to make custom greeting cards, envelopes, postcards and desktop accessories. If you can name it, you can Moo it!
LAZY OAF
Lazy Oaf is the best thing to come out of the UK since the Spice Girls. Featuring cool tees and jumpers with smiley faces, skulls, Batman and cats, the clothing is original and different. They also have clothing for dudes, greeting cards, accessories and lifestyle stuff. Bloody Oaf it’s good.
MOONRISE KINGDOM
IZE likes nothing more than a film that is aesthetically pleasing with a pastel pallette, features beautiful costume design and is the epitomy of all things nostalgic. Along with a storyline that will make your heart melt, Moonrise Kingdom is not to be missed.
UNKNOWN PLEASURES LP
If Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album wasn’t already good enough, then wait until you hear it on record. We really don’t know why it sounds better, but there’s something about the thrumming of the turntable that adds to the overall atmosphere. You’ve got to hear it to believe it.
MOXI LOLLY ROLLER SKATES
Who said roller skating was dead? Well it kind of is, but these roller skates are so irresistible who wouldn’t want to wear them. Look cool skating around South Bank in these pastel coloured bad boys. You won’t regret it (although the price tag hurts).
GRAPE FROZEN FANTA
The Grape Frozen Fanta is the yummiest thing on the McDonalds menu at the moment. It even rivals the Loose Change Menu as the best thing Maccas have done all year. And the frozen drink has come just in time for the warmer weather. Delish.
Emily McGuire THE LABEL
Emily McGuire has been taking the Brisbane fashion scene by storm since the establishment of her label in 2007. Her label, Emily McGuire, was stocked at Brisbane boutique, Little Lace, when she was still in high school. In 2011 she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Fashion) at Queensland University of Technology. Emily’s two collections, autumn/winter 2012 Dream Scream and spring/ summer 2013 Recreation: A Dress, have proved great strength in her ability as a designer. Emily talks to IZE about her latest collection.
What is your inspiration behind Recreation: A Dress? “Recreation: A Dress” was inspired by the weightlessness of creating a non-themed collection. I used one basic A-line block and recreated it four different ways, creating four different dresses. It was all about exploring and exploiting the inherent construction of the block without adding to the surface. I used continuous line to create the delicate floral print. The double-meaning of “recreation” as doing activities for leisure is simultaneously explored, as I made all the product in my home studio space from design to garment development. There has been a massive shift in concept from your past collection Dream Scream. Do you think this reflects your growth as a designer? I hope so! “Dream Scream” was heavily based on theory and a strong concept and it was
refreshing and exciting to create a collection with a lightness to it. This collection represents the first time I have worked with all-white. I’m really happy with the aesthetic outcome of the collection and I think it’s crucial to be flexible with your creative abilities. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Managing my own label as creative director from Brisbane. Before then, I am relocating to New York City to gain industry experience.
Emily McGuire’s clothing is available at The Fleet Store until 14 September 2012. They are also made to order over her website www.emilymcguire.com
STYLE
Skax Emporium www.facebook.com/skaxemporium
STYLE
IZE Magazine loves discovering inspired, creative and entreprenurial Brisbane youth. That’s why we were so excited to discover Skax Emporium, a clothing brand run by 18-year-old James Lee who designs wicked tees. IZE talks to James about Skax, the design process and the future. Who is behind Skax Emporium and where did the idea come from? Skax Emporium has been that idea that everyone gets but never does anything about. Finally me (James Lee) and my mate Pordo decided to get off our asses and do it toward the start of the year. Pordo had to leave a few months ago due to ‘personal commitments’ so it’s just lil ol’ me now. What does the name “Skax Emporium” mean? Well the Skax part is like a non gay/bogan way of saying Skux. It basically means someone who looks super good and awesome. I put the Emporium part in because it sounds fancy... ergo Skax Emporium! How does the design process work? Well I draw a lot and if something catches my eye that I’ve drawn and I reckon it’ll look good
on a shirt I pursue that drawing. I don’t really know where the drawings come from... whatever is in my head I’ll draw it. Describe the ideal Skax wearer in three words. Oh wow... Umm well probably FUNKY, FRESH & FLY! Who/what inspires the label? A lot of skate and surf culture has inspired the label. As far as artists/designers go I love the work of the French illustrator McBess (the guy is insane). What are your plans for Skax in the future? I’d really love to expand and get retailers like skate/surf shops to start stocking my junk. Later in the year I’m looking to get a stall in the Valley markets.
STYLE
INSIDE IN, INSIDE OUT Fabliha Reza is a young fashion blogger from Brisbane. Her blog Inside In, Inside Out explores her fashion and travel adventures alongside twin sister, Tasfia. She has a wicked sense of style which is enviable to most. IZE is lucky enough to talk to Fabliha. What brought you into the blogging sphere? I started my blog a few years ago as a catalogue of my travel photos and lifestyle photos. I didn’t put much thought into it - I just thought I’d be fun to start blogging. Over time, as my interest in fashion grew larger and larger, it became a larger focus on my blog until eventually it (pretty much) became the sole topic. How did your passion for style evolve? Ever since I was a kid I’ve been interested in clothing and have been very particular about how I dress – even though my style hasn’t always been the same. Over the years, I’ve grown more and more interested in fashion. As I’ve matured and developed a more solid personality – I feel as if I’ve developed a more distinct concrete style. But saying that, my style is constantly evolving little by little as I experience so many different new influences over time. In what ways does your style differ from your sister, Tasfia? My style is more whimsical and ‘louder’ in general than Tasfia’s. I wear more bright colors and bold prints and I love working together different contrasting prints. Tasfia’s style is somewhat edgier and more refined in a way. She likes cleaner lines and colour palettes and more geometric and/or subtler prints when she wears them. What do you think Brisbane has to offer in terms of fashion? I think the Brisbane fashion industry still has a
decent way to go in comparison to Sydney or Melbourne but I think we have so many new and talented fashion creatives emerging out of Brisbane at the moment - I’m excited to see what the future holds. For starters, we have so many young and talented fashion bloggers and designers like SOOT which are sure to make a huge mark in the fashion industry some time soon! What are your essential items for this Spring? Flatform sandals, short print dresses like those by Romance was born where one clothing piece alone makes a statement, neon pieces and oversized sunglasses like those by Karen Walker! Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years time? I don’t tend to think of the far future to often - it frightens me because I have no idea what I’ll be doing. However, I’m one of those overly ambitious individuals. What I probably want most is to be successful and surrounded by fun people who I love. Vaguely – I want to be doing a job that I love, probably something in Genetics research because it is also one of my passions but I would also like for fashion to be a major part of my life too.
Check out Fabliha’s blog at www.insidein-insideout.com
Lost in the World Photography by Beth Lane Modelling by Brooke Jamieson Styling and Makeup by Alana Ferguson
SPRING:
THE EMILIO ESTEVEZ OF THE SEASONS Words by Thea Halpin
Photo by Lost in Wishful Thinking
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Spring is in the air, blooming with the flowers, and if you are a hay fever sufferer probably streaming out of your nose and eyes. Spring is the Emilio Estevez of the seasons. If you can’t quite place that name, Emilio was the jock in The Breakfast Club and popped up in a bunch of other 80’s John Hughes movies. However, even more remarkable than the 80’s teen rom-com career is the fact that he is the lesser-known and slightly more stable brother to Charlie Sheen (formerly Carlos Estevez.) While Charlie is the wild and fun summer; father Martin Sheen is the comfortable winter; Emilio is the underappreciated spring. We love us some Emilio Estevez. In Queensland we get cheated out of a proper springtime. We feign enjoyment of summer months, wearing denim cut offs and posing in bikinis, when deep down we know—oh we know—we are far too Anglo-Saxon for this sort of behaviour. We reluctantly pull off our beach cover-ups hoping that the sun’s reflection from our pasty skin doesn’t blind a driver and cause a traffic accident. Then winter comes along quietly, creeping up behind us until one morning we wake up and it is 12 degrees. Too late we realise all our jumpers smell like mothballs so we
panic layer and end up looking like The Ultimate Hipster. We think we spend all of our time eating hearty meals and snuggling up with a pet/significant other/Mac Book Pro but in reality we spend it microwaving our underwear and psyching ourselves to step out of the shower. Ahh spring: what a happy medium. If your winter was anything like mine there is a good chance you are one or all of three things: poor, fat, and sick of your boring as shit life. After failing to find the aforementioned significant other did you attempt to fill the void in your life with pizza, vodka and an onesie you bought online? If your answer was yes then do not fear! Vacuum pack that onesie away and thank the universe that you have a three month grace period to get back to your former slightlydisappointing-but-generally-acceptable self! I guarantee that by the end of spring you will be back to pretending to be the person you want everyone to think you are. Step One: Culture-ify Yourself. Pretending to have “hobbies” and “creative outlets” is the pass time of the 21st century Australian middle class. Lucky for us spring begins with the month long Brisbane Festival starting September 8. If you
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are new to Brisbane like myself think of the Brisbane Festival as a time where you get to dress up and pretend to understand underground art, contemporary theatre and other urbane hipster things. For those of you with a more refined sense of culture check out the Hamburg Ballet’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and relive high school English through the medium of dance. If you are after a more unique experience you can kick off the festival at the Brisbane Powerhouse with an all night literary lovefest celebrating 50 years of the Brisbane Writer’s Festival. Starting at 9pm with a tribute to David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars the 11 hour extravaganza features film screenings, a live band and “stage versus page poetry slam” (whatever that is). If you are still going by the next morning, indulge in the complimentary breakfast and a cosmic sexual awakening workshop. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night (and drunken cosmic sexual awakening is way more cultured than drunken strip club visit.) As much fun as getting drunk and discussing books you have only seen the movie version of might sound, winter may have left you a little short on cash and in need of some free fun. Springtime in Brisbane wouldn’t be complete without spending a night listening to babies crying, children yelling and feeling claustrophobic in excessively sweating crowds. You guessed it: Riverfire! The funny thing
about fireworks is how excited people can get about watching essentially the same thing. However, in order to fit in, have material for consequent small talk, and touch strangers in an inappropriate yet completely legal way, Riverfire is the free fun we should all engage in. With the temperature rising it is time to peel off those skinny jeans and brace yourself for the hideous reality of summer: shorts. Without the safety of scarves to hide your double chin it’s time to shape up fatty! If I have learnt one thing from five years of reading Cosmo it is that exercise needs motivation and a goal. To 90% of the population the words “fun” and “run” being put together in the same sentence is about as ludicrous as finding out that Kim Kardashian passed high school. Alas a fun run is what you should do. You don’t technically have to run the whole way but if you don’t want the humiliation of being overtaken by a mother pushing a pram I suggest you give running a go. Plus you can chose to do five kilometres which is basically the same difficulty as running one kilometre; then doing that four more times. Get yourself out into the springtime air. Don’t forget to enjoy how nice spring is in Brisbane. If the weather were like this all the time everyone would live here. So pick a flower, have a picnic, eat at an outdoor table of a café, and make out with a stranger in the park! Happy spring peeps.
What’s On IN (ONLY OCASIONALLY) BORING BRISBANE BRISBANE FESTIVAL WHEN: 8-29 September WHERE: All over Brisbane COST: Free and paid events www.brisbanefestival.com.au
The Brisbane Festival encompasses all things music, theatre, dance, circus, comedy, opera, cabaret, visual art, film and talks. There’s definitely something to suit everybody’s tastes and budgets. The highlight of the festival has to be the annual “Sunsuper” Riverfire on 29 September (nothing like some cheeky promotion) that always goes off with a “bang”. Celebrate Brisbane!
BANGARA DANCE THEATRE - TERRAIN WHEN: 3-7 October WHERE: QPAC COST: $25.50-$65 www.qpac.com.au/ event/Bangarra_Terrain_12. aspx?showTab=Overview
The Bangara Dance Theatre is renowned throughout Australia for being the leading Indigenous dance company. Brisbane is lucky enough that Bangara’s latest production, Terrain, will be travelling here for five days. For those unaccustomed with Bangara, their shows are much more than dancing. Terrain is an intense one hour production that engages the visual with its choreography as well as with beautiful costuming, lighting and set design. Indulge yourself in the musical mastery of the show and become one with the story Terrain tells of Lake Eyre.
VALLEY FIESTA
WHEN: 26-28 October WHERE: Fortitude Valley COST: Free www.valleyfiesta.com Who doesn’t love getting the chance to see amazing music live for free and go to an event dubbed “Brisbane’s Biggest Street Party”! The Valley Fiesta is back, three jam packed nights in Brisbane’s Fortitude Val. Rock out with bands including Arrested Development, The Aston Shuffle, Flume, Muscles, Deep Sea Arcade, Violent Soho and upcoming Brisbane bands Gung Ho, Cub Scouts, Hey Geronimo + heaps more. And did I mention it’s free?
Kohii Love Photography 23-year-old Missy is a Melbourne-based vegan photographer. Her journey travels from New Zealand to Brisbane and her photography captures so much beauty in people and nature.
How did Kohii Love Photography begin? For as long as I can remember I’ve loved pictures and as soon as I started snapping away with disposable film camera’s I use to take to school camp and when my Father brought home his first digital camera I was hooked, I loved that you could capture a random moment you may have forgotten other wise. When my family and I moved from New Zealand to Brisbane at the end of 2004 I had the choice of studying Photography in grade 11 and 12 which I did and I loved. Feeling that Photography was my
strength I then went onto study Photography at TAFE and have kept on taking photo’s since under the name Kohii Love. Where do you draw inspiration from? I’m not certain where I draw my inspiration from, I randomly will get a vision for a photo shoot and an idea from that will grow, it can be a location I see, a face, a title for series and it continues to grow from there... I do love telling a story through my images and using nature in my work.
See more photography on Kohii Love’s Facebook.
Do you prefer shooting with digital or film cameras? I prefer shooting with digital camera’s, I love to be able to take a photograph and instantly be excited with the result or see what needs to be changed, digital camera’s just keep on getting better and better! I’m very excited to upgrade at some point and be able to start filming! What do you look for in a subject? When looking for a model for an idea, I’m looking for someone who is a ‘natural beauty’, someone who is not only attractive to the eyes but someone who is beautiful inside, someone who is comfortable with wearing little or no make-up. I certainly believe everyone is a naturally beautiful but unfortunately some people are attached to fakeness, from over the top fake tans to fake nails, to a face an inch thick covered in make-up this image is not something I wish to promote. I hardly ever use foundation on
the models I use, firstly because its not necessary and secondly because I love to see the freckles and so forth on the models face and using foundation tends to hide the ‘imperfections’. Where are you hoping your photography takes you? I’m hoping my photography will take me to a place where I can continue to take photographs: for good people and awesome FairTrade, Vegan companies. I would love to be able to promote the things I believe in and maybe make some money from it at the same time! (= What is your idea of a perfect picture? The perfect picture... my idea of the perfect picture might be a candid shot, with great lighting and a gorgeous background... Its a hard question to answer, but something un-staged for certain!
THE HAPPY CABIN 58 Vulture St, West End www.thehappycabin.com
Oblivion
PHOTOGRAPHY Zara Duffy MODEL Harriet Eastgate CLOTHING The Happy Cabin MAKE UP Kit Myer Centre by Ashleigh-Rose Jeppesen STYLING Nicole Pires
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READ IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT
The Perks of Being a Wallflower There are those rare moments in life when you stumble upon a book so profound that it reduces you to tears, induces laughter, relates so perfectly to yourself and stays with you a lifetime. Steven Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those novels. As with most good books, it’s being made into a motion picture and will be released September this year. Some book fans will revel at this, others will be skeptical as to whether the film will do the novel justice. However, they can take peace in the fact that the author of the novel will also be directing the film. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief’s Logan Lerman is the film’s protagonist, along with Emma Watson and Nina Dobrev also in lead roles. But before you see the
film, you must read the book. There’s no better way to get inside a character’s head than reading a novel. Whilst this kind of connection can be recreated in films, there’s nothing like the ability to imagine a character yourself. The book’s protagonist, Charlie, is a rare and charming character. Taking place over his freshman year in high school, Charlie begins as an introverted and lonesome teenager. He transforms throughout the book by making friends, experiencing new things, falling in love and learning what it feels like to be “infinite”. The best way to sum up the book is that it is a quirky tale that deals with grown-up matters told by an innocent and sincere storyteller.
BOOK
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The best way to sum up the book is that it is a quirky tale that deals with grown-up matters told by an innocent and sincere storyteller. One interactive aspect of the novel is the massive amounts of intertexuality it draws upon. Although set in the early 90’s, any nostalgic modern-day teenager can appreciate the musical references to The Misfits, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, The Beatles and Pink Floyd. Charlie’s favourite song is Asleep by The Smiths and the song has a massive impact on his life. “There is this one photograph... that is just beautiful. It would be impossible to describe how
beautiful it is, but I’ll try. If you listen to the song Asleep and you think about those pretty weather days that make you remember things, and you think about the prettiest eyes you’ve known, and you cry, and the person holds you back, then I think you will see the photograph.” To listen to what Charlie listens to and to feel the emotions that he feels is the best part of the book. This kind of connection can’t be experienced when watching a movie, rather than taking time out of reading the book to explore the other texts he describes. Words by Nicole Pires
Shani Bijoux FINE AND STREET ARTIST
Shani Bijoux is a fine artist, based in Brisbane. Illustration has also been my way to unwind, I feel the most content, and the most comfortable when I’m listening to music and drawing. Maybe there’s a cheeky glass of wine or a hot toddy involved as well and I’ll be divinely happy. In terms of getting work noticed in a competitive market, I really wouldn’t consider myself to be at that stage, I am still very much an emerging artist and I am only exhibiting part time. I am also studying full time at university; Art History at UQ. I am really excited to be involved in several creative projects at the moment, I love to be busy and I love collaborating with other artistic people. I think it’s important to feed the cultural community. At the moment I’m working on some artwork for Brisbane natives, Tourism, for their upcoming EP. I am also really excited to be working with
talented local jewellery designer, Holly Ryan, on a range of silk scarves. Like everything Holly is involved in they will be designed and made in Australia, with all materials sourced within Australia. My favourite mediums to work with are water colours and ink pen; I think this is because of the detail I can achieve with this fine and smallscale practice. However, I also love painting murals, and spray paint is a lot of fun. It is so exhilarating to paint in a large scale, and with a medium that is more difficult to control. It takes practice to learn the can control to achieve the desired line work. Since moving back to Brisbane after my trip overseas I haven’t been painting many street works. However, I am very excited to be painting a mural for new Art Gallery and Music production and performance space The Box in West End. As well as some upcoming walls with the incredible Shida.
Worst...
YOUTUBE COVERS OF 2012 Apart from the obnoxious advertising that has now bombarded YouTube, there have been much more annoying cover videos to hit the sit. This is a list of the three worst YouTube cover videos of the year (maybe even longer than that).
One Direction - Wonderwall (Oasis cover) You’d think One Direction covering Oasis’ phenomenal hit Wonderwall is in itself bad enough. Now imagine watching them sing the cover posed on a beach, with video editing switching footage between colour, black and white, film grain and camera flare. How retro and nostalgic of them! And of course cue crashing waves just to add to the awesome feel of the video. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mpPTXXGBXBs
Matty B Raps - Boyfriend (Justin Bieber cover) Who knew there could actually be a cover worse than the Justin Bieber original? Pint sized 9-year old “rapper” Matty B covers Bieber’s slightly tolerable original, but changes the lyrics to “if I was old enough to be your boyfriend”. Although he’s kinda cute when he says swag, there’s definitely something wrong when a video like this gets 40million+ views. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KGABwm9lCIc
Cimorelli - Call Me Maybe (Carly Ray Jepsen cover) Enough with the Call Me Maybe cover videos! Cimorelli have made an amiable attempt at releasing a less than humorous cover video of Jepsen’s catchy tune. It quite frankly misses the mark because their singing is serious whilst their dancing is meant to be “funny”. Six young girls singing in fluoro is no comparison to the Abercrombie and Fitch or Miami Dolphin’s covers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3h_ OlifodQ
TV
The Newsroom By Lucia Stein
With all the latest scandals confronting the practice of journalism today it is easy to get caught up in ‘media negativity’. Journalists don’t exactly have a good reputation and the recent News of the World phone hacking scandal sure hasn’t helped challenge negative stereotypes. Here enters The Newsroom. If you don’t have Foxtel or live in America than you probably haven’t heard of HBO’s newest gritty drama show. One of the recommendations of the show is simply that its producer is none other than Aaron Sorkin, mastermind behind the prominent West Wing series and The Social Network. In a few words, it is a story about news. From beginning to end, The Newsroom traces how at fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN), ‘yellow’ (non-newsworthy) events can hit ‘red’ (breaking news) in a matter of seconds. In the thick of it are anchor Will MaCavoy, executive producer MacKenzie McHale, boss Charlie Skinner and the team; Jim, Maggie, Sloan, Neil and Don. The series starts off with a bang as MaCavoy, a
self-proclaimed moderate republican, explodes at a University forum with the controversial statement “No America is not the greatest place on earth, but it can be”. Of course, this doesn’t seem so controversial to Australian audiences but it does set the whole theme for the series. Previously known for not ‘making waves’ and studiously avoiding giving his own opinion, MaCavoy quickly becomes an outcast. Lucky or not so lucky for him is the arrival of ex-girlfriend MacKenzie who is ready to shake up MaCavoy’s News Night program, later dubbed ‘News Night 2.0’. Without revealing too many spoilers, the pair faces a multitude of problems, the forefront of which being the somewhat complicated and awkward task of building a professional relationship after a horrible break up. Lightening some of these heavy themes however is a host of witty repertoire, quotable one-liners and complicated love triangles that keep audiences on the edge of their seats for the entire series. Quite simply, watch The Newsroom and try it out for yourself.
TV Guide NEW: Girls
Girls has been dubbed as the new Sex and the City, however it speaks in much bigger volumes to the younger generation. Its appeal is in the fact that it paints a realistic portrait of four New York women in their early twenties. Whilst their personalities may be a bit hyper-developed, the characters’ actions are tragically believable and even a bit cringe worthy. They represent the worst in everyone’s personalities, from self-obsessed Hannah to the egotistical and spontaneous nomad, Jessa. Girls is created by Leah Dunham who also writes, directs, produces and stars as one of the main characters. Its debut season has left both male and female fans anxiously waiting for its return.
LAST SEASON: Breaking Bad
Did you ever wonder what happened to that quirky, lovable and glad-he-wasn’t-your-dad, Hal, in Malcolm in the Middle? Would you believe that he became a bonafide crystal meth manufacturer and drug dealer? Bryan Cranston plays Walter White in Breaking Bad, your average high school science teacher trying to sustain a family who are struggling financially. When Walt is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides on a new career move to make money to leave for him family when he is gone. Along with a past student, Jesse Pinkman, Walt puts his chemistry expertise to use and starts manufacturing methamphetamine. What really makes the series is the character development of Walt, which is a conscious decision made by the creator, Vince Gilligan, to have him evolve dramatically through the seasons.
TV
VINTAGE: Freaks and Geeks
Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks is noted for being the rising point for stars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel. Whilst the show only lasted for one season, it has become a cult classic amongst teens throughout the ages. Apparently canned for being too controversial amongst all the other 80s television shows, Freaks and Geeks deals with your typical 21st teenage stuff such as love, parents, drinking, stereotypes and mathletics.
BACK FROM THE DEAD: Anger Management
Charlie Sheen has resurfaced with a new show Anger Management after getting infamously axed from Two and a Half Men. Anger Management is sitcom based on the 2003 movie of the same name. The show’s debut had ratings of 5.74 million viewers which broke the record as the most-watched sitcom in premiere cable history. But does Anger Management live up to Sheen’s comic ability? The gags aren’t always laugh-out-loud funny and he’s playing the same type of character he always does but in a different context. Overall it’s not a complete flop, but it’s good to see our favourite “winner” back on television.
The Only Place
Photographer Demi Cambridge Model Shelby Bourke Stylist Natalie De Byl
Rose and Lace Cropped Top by Casper&Pearl
Music
New Beats BOOMGATES - Double Natural
Boomgates is a ‘supergroup’ out of Melbourne featuring members from Eddy Current, Twerps, Dick Diver, Trial Kennedy and Teen Archer. Their debut LP is a pleasant listen as soon as you put the record on. The dreamy surf guitar riffs and Brendan Suppression’s strong Aussie voice jumps right out from the beginning. Triple J presenter Steph Hughes joins Brendan with vocals adding to the whole charm of the record. It is evident that you can hear influences from all members’ previous bands. The record is something that I would put on in my bedroom, while having a few sunny afternoon frothies. It’s something that I will listen to more over the summer most likely. Every time I hear it I think of a sunny afternoon in Fitzroy or Northcote drinking the very best. Then when the sun goes down I’ll chuck on some Eddy Current and get smashed. Have a listen. When it’s a sunny day. Oh, and bring beers. By Justin Vague - Music Guru and Photographer
THE XX - Co-Exist After a stellar first album in 2009, fans of the XX and lovers of their melodic sound have been anxiously awaiting the release of ‘Co-Exist’. And it doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. As with their debut record, the whole album paints a beautiful aesthetic. The soft and gentle beats along with the heartbreakingly honest lyrics give the listener a sense of intimacy with the band. The first single of the album Angels is dreamy and also a little bit chilling. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the album, pretty songs accompanied with darker lyrics.
FRANK OCEAN - Channel Orange There’s nothing smoother than the alluring sounds of Frank Ocean. Known to some as the “one who sings” in Odd Future, he has been causing a stir in the music scene with his mixtape ‘Nostalgia, Ultra’. His debut studio album, ‘Channel Orange’, has already received critical acclaim. Singles from ‘Channel Orange’, Thinkin Bout You, Pyramids and Sweet Life deal with themes of wealth, upbringing and unrequited and first love. However, it’s Super Rich Kids that’s the standout track of the album. Featuring an effortless rap by Earl Sweatshirt, the track is fresh and memorable.
DUNE
New on the music scene is singer and songwriter Dune. Having previously collaborated with The Sleepy Jackson and Pnau, Jade MacCae has begun her new project Dune. The music sounds like that of Santigold or M.I.A. Check out her Triple J unearthed profile or go to facebook.com/ ThisIsDune. Great things to come from Dune in next few months. Photography and Words by Justin Vague www.justinvague.com
We are“Kinda Sexy” How did Kinda Sexy become a band? Callum: It all started when Alex (Marzullo, Drums) and I decided to work together on our performances for grade 12 Music. After practicing songs like Hot For Teacher by Van Halen, we would just jam together, which eventually created a couple of songs. After that we recruited Sami (Reddy, Rhythm) and Tom (Kinsella, Bass) because they were our friends. After that we played around school and recorded a few songs in our music lessons when we were supposed to be doing theory. Sam (De Calmer, Vocals) joined the band later on when we decided that we would be able to focus on our instruments and play them better as well as produce a greater sound if we had someone that could specifically focus on the singing for us.
Can you tell us about your first EP that is in the works? Callum: The EP is called ‘The New Game’ and we just finished recording it this week. It’s been a long process for us, because we changed our mind about pretty much everything on it throughout the recording. But we’ve finally got something, that all of us are really excited about. We’ve written about 20 songs as a band, so narrowing it down to the six we think worked together the best was tricky however at the same time it was cool that we had so many options, with a couple of different songs, the EP could have sounded totally different. Sami: Everyone had and awesome experience in the studio and I think it really shows that on the record, all the songs are really energetic. I think the six songs we chose capture us, as a band really well. I know personally I can hear my musical influences coming through anyway.
MUSIC think the six songs we chose capture us, as a band really well. I know personally I can hear my musical influences coming through anyway.
there are a few ideas being thrown around at the moment so it should be really interesting to see what actually happens, so keep an eye out!
Tom: To be honest I only stated playing bass when I joined the band. Callum just gave me a guitar and told me to play. That was last year and I feel as though I have come a really long way. At first I was really nervous about how I would sound but as soon as we started recording I felt super comfortable and everything just seemed to come together. It was a really awesome experience for me and I think we are all really happy with the outcome.
Sam: The video is going to be great; a super fun time will be had by all.
Sam: The EP shows a few sides of our band, which is really interesting; it’s not just restricted to one genre. I’m sure most people will find something in there they really like. You’ve said on Facebook that you’re recording a music video. What can we expect of that? Callum: We have this really energetic song on the EP called My Soul, which, for a rock song, I think is really danceable and just generally sounds really fun. So the idea for the music video is to get as many people as we can to come out to Sam’s property and throw water balloons and coloured powder or something like that. There’s still a lot more planning and detail to go into it before the day. Sami: My Soul is such a fun song, so the music video, will hopefully really display that. Tom: Yeah definitely, My Soul is personally one of my favourite songs and it should be a lot of fun making a video to go with it. As Callum said
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Who do you cite as your musical influences? Callum: We’re all big fans of slash and Guns n’ Roses. For me personally Jack white and all of his projects are always in my head. As well as bands like Alter Bridge, Taking Back Sunday and Fightstar. Sami: Guns N’ Roses and Slash in particular are huge influences on me; the way he expresses himself through the guitar is simply mind blowing. And that raw sound from Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction album is the reason why I love rock n’ roll. Tom: Definitely, bands like AC/DC and Gun’s n’ Roses, have been bands I’ve always looked up to for just their sheer talent but I also like to keep an open mind to other genres and styles. Just some of the band’s that have really stuck with me over the years have included Say Anything, Breathe Carolina, You Me At Six, Mad Caddies and Glamour of the Kill. Sam: My taste in music differs slightly from the rest of the band, which can help us come up with some cool stuff with so many different influences flying around the place. Personally my biggest influence would have to be the Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin, especially for the type of music we write in Kinda Sexy.
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There would be nothing better than spreading your music with people you’ve never met before, with your four best friends.
How do you find trying to make your mark in the Brisbane music scene? Sami: Pretty hard actually, even with all the social networking available it’s hard to get people to listen to you. Hopefully ‘The New Game’ will get people’s attention! Sam: Yeah, at the moment it’s a bit difficult, but we’re getting somewhere. I can see it picking up as we go along. Where does Kinda Sexy want to be in the future? Callum: When we went into Tall Poppy Productions to record our EP, those were the coolest couple of days I’ve ever had, if I could keep writing song and recording this band, and still be able to afford to eat, I would be pretty happy! I would love to go on tour as well, there would be nothing better than spreading your music with people you’ve never met before, with your four best friends. Sami: I agree with Callum, the short experience we had in the studio doing our EP was awesome! To spend more time in the studio would be great, recording is a lot of fun. And going on tour would probably be a very cool
experience, travelling to new places and playing our music to people whilst hanging out with your mates at the same time would be killer. Tom: At the moment I’m really happy with how far we have come and it’s been amazing just making music with my mates and having it enjoyed by others. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but as long as I’m progressing as a musician, learning more, getting better at what I do and really just having fun with it, I’ll be happy! Sam: I’m pretty much at that point too, I just wanna play our music and have a great time meeting new people and seeing new places, so a tour would be friggin sweet. I would really love to be known nationwide in the future too, that would be amazing. MEMBERS | Sam De Calmer // vocals // Sami Reddy // guitar + vocals // Alex Marzullo // drummer // Callum Halstead // guitar // Thomas Kinsella // bass + vocals
Check out Kinda Sexy on Facebook, Unearthed and Youtube.
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Album of the Season Leave It All Behind - Saskwatch
By Carl Pires “Las modas son las modas, y si ahora toca recuperar el soul y el funky más clásico, se recupera…” …is the first sentence from a recent Spanish review of Melbourne band Saskwatch’s debut album ‘Leave It All Behind.’ Here’s a rough translation: I challenge you not to smile when you listen to this album. You will find yourself moving in weird ways, wishing you had a little bit of the funk that this band is able to bring out in you. The Melbourne nine piece has managed to capture their live show superbly this twelve track EP. Musically, lead singer Nkechi Anele’s demonstrates her power and control superbly. The sound mix has the drums sitting perfectly with the bass and guitar playing tighter than those people who will, no doubt, try and illegally download this album. The horns shape the bands sound and are able to control the
mood of each song with their pure intensity. It’s not often that you find two covers on an album, Saskwatch have absolutely nailed (recently disbanded) Little Red’s Coca Cola and do an awesome instrumental rendition of Robbie and Kylie’s Kids. I can’t stress enough that if you see one band this year, make sure it’s these guys. They’ve recently returned from Europe and are touring nationally in September. ‘Leave it all Behind’ is available at JB Hi Fi and the vinyl is at good record stores, although there won’t be many copies left as I’ve bought them all for my mates (and Dad.) The joy that this album produces is infectious. Soul and funk is totally the hipster thing right now, all thanks to these guys. “I really shouldn’t try to translate Spanish.” Find Saskwatch’s Brisbane tour dates for September here www.saskwatch.com.au
ZOOEY: Genevieve
For ZOOEY fans all over, the drop of their latest single Genevieve has been highly anticipated. For those of you have never heard of the band before, you should get excited that something good is happening in the Brisbane music scene. In the last year ZOOEY has expanded from three members to five, and their first single since the Princess EP has been long awaited. So how does is shape up? Genevieve is a stellar single, and in true ZOOEY style it oozes beautiful sounding vocals and sweet synth sounds. Not the mention the guitar and drumming tracks make it catchy as hell. IZE catches up with ZOOEY members Nic Brassil and Mark Day. Why should we be excited about Genevieve? Nic: It’s the first thing we’ve recorded with our current line-up! Blood, sweat and doritos went into this track. We took all the things we love and crammed them down into one 4 minute sex nugget of a song. If you like Breaking Bad and Mean Girls then I’d recommend Moonrise Kingdom, but you can listen to this on the way to the theatre. It’s a real CLUB BANGER. Absolute dinger.
Mark: The hardest part was knowing when and when not to use our metal-zone pedal.
What was the hardest park of producing this single? Nic: Getting Dan to cooperate. He kept trying to write funk basslines and WE’RE INDIE POP DAN. INDIE POP.
If Genevieve were edible, what would it taste like? Nic: Slurpees full of MDMA. Makes you wanna dance and then you’re not even thirsty afterwards.
How does Genevieve differ to what you’ve done in the past? Nic: Obviously it’s a better produced track than before. But in terms of the music, it’s a better mix of dancey synthy guitary goodness. Our past stuff was a hang 6 or 7, but this is at least a hang 11.
MUSIC Mark: Doritos. Just lots and lots of doritos. What ZOOEY shenanigans can we look forward to in the near future? Nic: Well I think this is being published just after our single launch so if you weren’t at that you could come to a number of upcoming house parties and club shows we’re putting on in the near future! We really dig holding our own parties so we’re gonna put on at least one while Marky’s in Brisbane feat some pretty bands, and we’re talking with a number of venues about playing shows on their real estate. Go and look at our Facebook page if you want pictures of the band in our underwear playing basketball with skulls (Like Mike 6: Dunks of our Forefathers). And also look at it if you’re keen to know when and where we’re playing guitars for people.
Lastly, who is Genevieve? Nic: Genevieve is a combination of all our past and present love interests I think. Especially mine and Marks, which is where the lyrics mostly come from. We needed a way to write about real things without writing about real things so most of our songs are secretly about ourselves. And our love. Mark and I share a deep love for each other. Mark: It’s a song about trying to comfort a girl who becomes reckless from being unsatisfied with her life. Also Nic and I have been told that we are the Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum of our time.
FACEBOOK | UNEARTHED | BANDCAMP MEMBERS | Nic Brassil // guitar + vocals // Mark Day // lead guitar + synth Mike Day // drums + percussion // Dan Hatch // bass + stuff // Kristen Bushnell // guitar + backing vocals // Rachel Hatch // percussion + synth
End to an Era By Matt Meintjes Writing about Batman in an online magazine that is targeted primarily at teenage/young women… Not exactly the most well thought out idea I’ve ever had but give me a chance! Let me just start off by saying that I was never a huge fan of Batman – until Christopher Nolan relaunched the franchise with Christian Bale at the helm. While having gizmos, gadgets, crime fighting skills and a jet propelled car are all fine and well, as a kid I could never really get over the fact that he didn’t actually have a super power. Call me childish – well, I was a child – but that was my impression of Batman for a long time. Until the series reboot. Why? Often in superhero films (yes, I know I’m being hypocritical putting Batman in the superhero genre but bear with me) we fail to see a different side to the lycra-clad protagonists that save the universe one battle at a time. Sure, maybe
we see their soft-side when their alter-ego falls in love with another character or they sacrifice themselves to save humanity and die an honourable death, but the true problem is that superheros themselves feel somewhat superficial. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes superficial works – Robert Downey Jnr does a fantastic job as a narcissistic and over-confident Tony Stark in Iron Man – but the reason some superhero films fall short is because they don’t resonate with audiences. So how does Batman differ? You could argue that after three films there has to be some depth to the character otherwise the films themselves would be somewhat one-dimensional. Interestingly enough however, it’s more the fact that Batman lacks an actual superpower that makes him appealing to audiences. He’s an ordinary person (okay, an ordinary person with a lot of money) who chose to stand up for justice in a corrupt city. The death of his parents was the catalyst for this ideal; the League of Shadows
FILM shaped it into a powerful tool and trained him with the skills he required, but at the end of the day it was the sheer character of Bruce Wayne that lead him to become the Batman. In the words of Henri Ducard, portrayed by Liam Neeson: “If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely.” Batman is an entirely different superhero to what we usually see, a man who is apparently hell-bent on doing good, so much so that he would let himself take the blame for the death of Gotham’s District Attorney, Harvey Dent, in The Dark Knight. And in the latest instalment Bruce Wayne could have easily walked away from his life as the Bat, as his life-long butler Alfred so-wished, but instead he chose to stay by his city’s side and face his most challenging enemy in Bane. In every film he manages to avoid using a single firearm as the caped crusader, and still take down gun-wielding enemies in complete badass style. It’s insane once you think about it, but the truth is Batman isn’t a superhero and that’s what makes him resonate with audiences much more than any superhero will. He is built on ideals and values, not a result of some spider-bite or science experiment gone wrong. Of course part of the success of the Dark Knight Trilogy is also attributable to the actors. Character construction is all fine and well but without the correct casting they will never take the true form they were intended to take on the silver screen. If you don’t know Christian Bale outside of the recent Batman films (or perhaps that infamous dummy-spit on set of Terminator Salvation), take some time to look at the roles he has played in the past. From a businessman with a psychopathic alter-ego with violent tendencies in American Psycho, to his astonishing weight loss (down to approximately fifty-five kilograms) for The Machinist and his most critically acclaimed role as the crack-addicted older brother to boxer Micky Ward in The Fighter, for which he won an Academy Award, Bale excels at filling roles to their intended purpose. Whilst portraying Bruce Wayne isn’t exactly a challenge he achieves the desired effect, both physically and mentally. Do I even have to talk about Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight? It was absolutely chilling to watch him embody the crazed clown that terrorised Gotham City.
According to an interview with Empire magazine, Ledger “sat around in a hotel room in London for about a month, [and] locked [himself] away” as he practiced voices and laughs for the role, eventually developing his own personal version of the character. I could go on about other actors (namely Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth and Anne Hathaway as Selena Kyle) but Bale and Ledger are the clear stand-outs for the success of the franchise. I could look at plenty of other aspects of the Dark Knight Trilogy and why they have made the franchise so great, but I’ll be selective and briefly look at the aesthetic features that bring it to life on screen. Nolan’s imagery is powerful; from the snow frosted mountains of the League of Shadows lair in Batman Begins, the exploding hospital in The Dark Knight and a barren, winter Gotham cityscape in The Dark Knight Rises, his visual style is coherent throughout the series. If you haven’t heard of Hans Zimmer by now you would have certainly heard of his music. The German composer wrote the original soundtracks for films such as The Lion King, Inception and all of The Dark Knight Trilogy. I can’t even begin to describe what a Zimmer soundtrack adds to a film; his music is piercing, brash, and truly contributes to the overall “epicness” of the conclusion to the series. Like I said there’s plenty more I could ramble on about but in the interest of time and an apparent word length I’ll stick to visual style and audio composition. It’s by no means a perfect trio of films, but The Dark Knight Trilogy did what it had to do and did it in style. At the time of writing The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises sat at twelfth and fifteenth on the list of the “All-TimeWorldwide-Box-Office-Grosses” according to Box Office Mojo, a feat that seems to support its claim as one of the modern success stories of film. Arguably it belongs amongst the ranks of the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean series as one of the greatest sets of films of all time. So it doesn’t matter if you were never a fan of Batman as a child – I wasn’t – go out and rent a copy of the first two films and catch the last one in cinemas while you still can. It’ll be worth it, trust me.
YOUR SPRING PLAYLIST Only In My Dreams - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Surrender - Ball Park Music Run With The Wind - Dappled Cities Wor - Django Django Dollar Chills - DZ Deathrays I Can Be a Jerk - Eddy Current Suppression Ring Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean Side By Side - Gung Ho Yet Again - Grizzly Bear Shout - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sun Sun Sun (Demo) - Lisa Mitchell Cherry Lips - Loon Lake Get Free - Major Lazer ft. Amber of the Dirty Projectors Teen City - Modernettes Slume - Regular John Honey Joy - Royal Headache Superstar - Sonic Youth Elephant - Tame Impala Caress Your Soul - Sticky Fingers
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