WEDNESDAY 21 MAY
You've probably heard of slow food, even slowear, but what about slowcity? No? This is because it doesn't exist, yet. This week Sydney's taking a step back, halting the 9-5 grind to appreciate the slower things in life. From the lonely gumshoes of film noir, the cut and paste craft of Zines and books on badges, the old is converging on the new with langsam pace. It's moving to prioritise quality over quantity; a luxury that this week is easily indulged.
Issue 137. Walk, don't run.
Cover photo by Monique Easton. If you would like to submit a cover shot email nadia@twothousand.com.au.
Max Design and Shit
Paper sneaker
Muto
Cyndi Lauper has new album
Kid America
Fractal furniture
Gumby
Tokion
Skate Witches
Tell us what's cool
cool@twothousand.com.au
Resigning etc
Penis museum
Mutants
Other people have HIV
Gangs of the world
$40,000 car couch
Stepping in gum
Being 10,000kms away
Bitches
Tell us what's fool
fool@twothousand.com.au
The Abstinence Teacher
WHAT
THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER
WHO
TOM PERROTTA
WHERE
EVERYWHERE, EXCEPT, MAYBE BORDERS
HOW MUCH
RRP $29.95
Teacher says oral sex OK!
In ThHE ABSTINENCE TEACHER, Tom Perrotta (ELECTION, LITTLE CHILDREN) takes an average North American town and adds an evangelical congregation called the Tabernacle, whose fearless leader believes Lara Croft is an "abomination" and deems "hot [marital] Christian sex" the only sex acceptable.
In this climate of encroaching conservatism, Ruth Ramsey's straight-talking sex-ed lectures don't gel and are subject to intervention by Tabernacle sympathisers. Through Ruth's love/hate relationship with her daughter's born-again soccer coach, a reformed drug-user and musician, the seemingly unresolvable conflict between the Christian right and the liberal-minded the world over is given a human face.
But Perrotta is not an author who takes sides; he lets his characters make their own mistakes, which is where the true value of his work lies. THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER is funny and accessible, and, with the growing influence of places like the Hillsong Church, is so pertinent, it hurts. An airport novel it may be, but an important one. - KL
Format: Book
Motivation: Good with a whiskey in the bath
Keywords: Tom Perotta, Hillsong, Sex
Everything Is Breaking, Silver City Highway
WHAT
EVERYTHING IS BREAKING
WHO
SILVER CITY HIGHWAY
ON
A NEW ENTITY
MYSPACE
MYSPACE.COM/SILVERCITYHIGHWAY
WIN
ONE OF TWO COPIES. JUST EMAIL WIN@TWOTHOUSAND.COM.AU WITH THE SUBJECT 'TEQUILA ON ACID'
I'm not a melodramatic person. Really. But something about Silver City Highway's debut album EVERYTHING IS BREAKING makes me wanna don a poncho and a cowboy hat, head out into the American desert with a machine gun, some peyote, a coyote, and a vest of bullets. Is that weird?
It must be the Melbourne seven piece's reverb drenched epic rock songs - part Nick Cave, part Ennio Morricone, akin to L.A. space rockers Spindrift. While the drama can get a little O.T.T at times, it's a stellar album that soars and dips, like a long night of tequila and acid.
With sweeping production, shining pedal steel, Rhodes organ, harmonica, and a ton of soul, it's the soundtrack to the melodrama of your life.
Release: Album
To Cure: A quiet weekend
Keywords: Silver City Highway, Melbourne
Peter Pan Op Shop
WHAT
PETER PAN OP SHOP FOR BARNADOS
WHERE
PADDINGTON TOWN HALL. CNR OF OXFORD ST AND OATLEY RD, PADDINGTON
WHEN
WED 21 MAY-THUR 22 MAY, 9.30AM-4.30PM
With Peter Pan apparently in full support of this pop-up shop it's possible there'll also be some kind youthful elixir on offer. However it's more likely that there'll be hordes of pre-loved designer wares on offer, apparently they have so much of it that the word on the street is that it's one of those super secret places where the vintage shops go to get their stock.
So that's yet another middleman in the vintage threads game you've managed to cut out, which in this case is a good thing because the proceeds are going to the good people at Barnados. And what better way to stay youthful than doing your bit for the kids?
Product: Clothing
Anatomy: Heart
Keywords: Paddington, Barnados, Vintage
Koji Ryui
WHAT
KOJI RYUI - SO LONG
WHERE
SARAH COTTIER GALLERY, 3 NEILD AVE, PADDINGTON
WHEN
OPENING THUR 22 6PM-8PM.
RUNS MAY 23 - JUN 14, WED-SAT, 11AM-5PM.
CONTACT
93563305 OR HERE
Seeing new possibilities in the humble materials of everyday life, Koji Ryui deftly re-arranges them into elegant, intricate and often creature-like sculptural forms, in his ongoing exploration of transformation.
Showing at the beautifully situated Sarah Cottier Gallery, SO LONG will present a series of the artist's latest creations, incorporating non-heroic materials like paper, polystyrene, plastic drinking straws, drift wood, a metal bin, a mop stick, cigarette filters, paper streamers, cotton buds, marshmallows, double sided tape, chewing gum, nylon rope and even MSG.
SO LONG draws on apocalyptic ideas and might be seen as a disquieting lament for the end of something, but it proposes new ways of looking at things, and an alternate, synthetic rebuilding of the world around us.
Medium: Sculpture
Drink: Bottle of red
Keywords: Exhibition, Art, Paddington
Universal Film Noir Box Set
WHAT
UNIVERSAL FILM NOIR BOX SET
WHERE
FROM AZTEC INTERNATIONAL
WHEN
OUT NOW
IMAGE
FROM THIS GUN FOR HIRE (THE BOX SET HAS KIND OF AN UGLY COVER, BUT WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JUDGE IT FOR THAT)
WIN
A BOX SET. JUST EMAIL WIN@TWOTHOUSAND.COM.AU WITH THE SUBJECT 'BEAUTIFUL ON THE INSIDE'. SUBSCRIBER ONLY ENTRY.
From its mid-20th Century heyday to popular neo-noir incarnations, film noir has proven that deep down we're all gloomily romantic at heart. Noir maintains its perverse appeal across national borders, budgets and genres, but is ultimately inseparable from its retro, post-war American crime context of bad dames, lonely gumshoes and dark alleys.
This DVD box set is riddled with perversely foxy tales of woe and intrigue, and features an admirable chunk of the Noir canon.
The underrated Ray Milland stars as the chump in THE BIG CLOCK (1948), pursued by fate toward a denouement at the titular big clock, a victory for large props everywhere. THE GLASS KEY (1942), THIS GUN FOR HIRE (1942) and THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946) feature the Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake double-act, one of noir's most famous and seductively doomed pairings. With near-erotic bleakness leaking out of every neon-lit window, these films celebrate noir's obsession with displaced masculinity and empowered, aggressively shoulder-padded femme fatales. Gritty, sexy and a subversive slap in the face to classical Hollywood, noir is as punk as mainstream American cinema can get.
Format: DVD
Mood: Nostalgic
Novel Badges
Keeping up with a dirty hipster's required reading can be dispiriting. You've gotta know your Lethem from your Eggers, classic novels from graphic novels. And while everyone's raving about the hilariously ironic promotional campaign for Chuck Palahniuk's latest effort, the last book you read was BLOW FLY by Patricia Cornwell. (And you liked it.)
Luckily, Natalija Brunovs and Patrick Pittman from Perth arts collective The Concrete Organisation have made literary appreciation delightfully absurd. The ‘first edition' in their Novel Badges project lovingly reproduces the coverty pography from famous literary works - with the word 'badge' somewhere in the title.
Whether you fancy 20,000 BADGES UNDER THE SEA, A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG BADGE or TO KILL A MOCKING-BADGE, you can fend off those gnawing pangs of uncoolsieness for the price of a coffee. Meanwhile, advanced students of existential badge-losophy can plump for NO BADGE. Whoa! You're blowing my badge.
Better yet, invent your own (A CONFEDERACY OF BADGES, anyone?) and email it to Natalija and Patrick, and if they put it in their next collection, they'll flick a couple of freebies your way. Nice... I mean, badge.
Product: Accessories
Theft: Theft is inevitable: Buy two
Keywords: Badge, Books, Literature, Online
Cafe Sofia
WHAT
CAFÉ SOFIA
WHERE
7 SWANSON ST, ERSKINEVILLE
WHEN
MON - FRI 7.30AM UNTIL LATE
HOW MUCH
NOT MUCH
CONTACT
9519 1565
A stereotypical analogical writer faced with a Greek-run family business would look no farther than Con the Fruiterer for wordy inspiration. His dysfunctional family made up of a multiplicity of similar-sounding daughters, was a pin-up for late ‘80s comedy - and enough to make any level-headed entrepreneur say NO to working with their brethren.For anyone next in line to inherit the family business, the show presented a foreboding fear, not just fruit.
Café Sofia is a Greek-run family affair, but without all the drama and comical error of its soapie-style predecessor. The service is swift with a no-fuss attitude, in a relaxed simple setting with great coffee. Seating comes indoor or outdoor (the back terrace is like a homely courtyard), and kids and dogs are all welcome with open arms. The brothers stock the fridges whilst the kids do the coffee, and I can't help thinking that the close-knit clan at this cafe would smash the Fruiterers on FAMILY FEUD.
Venue: Eatery
Meal: All day
Keywords: Erskineville, Greek, Coffee
MCA Zine Fair
WHAT
MCA ZINE FAIR
WHERE
MCA, CIRCULAR QUAY, CITY
WHEN
SUN MAY 25, 11AM-6PM
HOW MUCH
FREE
ZINE
BY TRISTAN CEDDIA FOR THE SERPS
Hello. I am eText. I come to you via a pixelated screen, as part of a coded email. I am speedy, sometimes hyperlinked. You can access me at any time, anywhere in the world. But (sigh) you can't touch me. Putting me together involves sitting at a desk and pressing buttons.
The are other types of texts out there that you can touch (slags). But the one I like the most is the Zine. Zines harkback to a culture of craft. Where scissors, staplers, stock and pens are employed to create personal publications. They are special, because you know whoever made them has sat there folding, cutting and stapling themselves.
There are different types of Zines. Photozines, artzines, illustration-type zines, black and white zines and Gaffa-lined zines. Some Zines have more to offer than others, but at the MCA fair there's bound to be one you'll want to hold (sigh).
Ambience: Indoor
Difficulty: Exertion will pay off
The Wayback Machine
WHERE
MOP PROJECTS, 2/39 ABERCROMBIE ST, CHIPPENDALE
WHEN
THUR 22 MAY, 6PM. SHOWING UNTIL JUNE 8
HOW MUCH
FREE
Who likes EDWARD SCISSORHANDS? You do? Well, two Sydney-side artists, Jaki Middleton and David Lawrey, do too. So much so, that they've combined their love of cinema with their love of art. Their newest show, The Wayback Machine, is a collaboration in which, basically, they've created wierd and wonderful installations based on their favourite movies. Simple right? Well, not really. The scissorhands thing is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out what lies beneath. - DW
Event: Exhibition
Stimulus: A
Keywords: MOP, Chippendale
SPOD
WHAT
SPOD
WHERE
THE HOPETOUN, 416 BOURKE ST, SURRY HILLS
WHEN
THURS MAY 22, 8PM
HOW MUCH
$10
The first time I saw SPOD play he came out on stage and kicked a bottle of beer into my bag. He then lay on the floor and screamed a song about Cats before bashing out tracks on a Gameboy. Being a fan of both cats and Gameboys, our friendship was saved. SPOD is a force to be reckoned with. He's backed by the Trucker B's. - NS
Event: Bands
Stimulus: E
Keywords: Venue, Music, Surry Hills, Hopetoun, Spod
Rub N Tug
Whilst we could recommend that you spend your Thursday night enjoying an erotic adult massage of the same name, this week we direct you to the talents of two wonky disco disciples. Rub N Tug DJs Eric D and Thomas have had a hand in DFA, Fabric, Map Of Africa, a-ny-thing as well as V Festival and Radio Soulwax tours. From beginnings in the NYC underground scene, they now bring their infamous kick on to underground Oxford Street. Happy ending guaranteed. - JG
Event: DJs
Stimulus: E
S.C.A.R. Print Project
WHAT
S.C.A.R. PRINT PROJECT
WHERE
LITTLE FISH GALLERY, 22 ENMORE RD, NEWTOWN
WHEN
FRI MAY 23, 7PM
HOW MUCH
FREE
Melbourne's World Without collective are the group behind the S.C.A.R. Print Project. Lino print workshops have been happening right across Australia since March, in order to bring together people who work to end sexual violence and abuse, as well as survivors and their supporters. On May 23, Little Fish Gallery puts on a showcase of World Without's workshopped prints. There will be music as well as an auction, with all money raised going straight into the hands of World Without. - HM
Event: Exhibition
Stimulus: W
Keywords: Exhibition, Fundraiser, Newtown
DJ Krush
WHAT
DJ KRUSH
WHERE
OXFORD ART FACTORY, 38-46 OXFORD ST DARLINGHURST
WHEN
SAT MAY 24
HOW MUCH
$40 + B/F
Here's a little story for you. This little Japanese kid, Hideiki Ishi, goes to see that seminal hip-hop film, Wild Style. After seeing it, he decides to become a DJ himself. He goes under the name DJ Krush. Since then he's become a Japanese hip-hop pioneer, his abstract textures and inventive scratching garnering praise worldwide. He's worked with DJ Shadow and Mos Def. He turns grown men into hysterical weeping fans. How many other ways do we have to say 'must see'? - VH
Event: DJs
Stimulus: S
Keywords: Oxford Art Factory, DJ Krush, Japan
Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
WHAT
HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS AND FILM FESTIVAL CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
WHERE
CHAUVEL CINEMA & PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL
WHEN
SUBMISSIONS DUE BY TUES JUL 8
HOW MUCH
ENTERING A FILM IS FREE; TICKETS TO SEE THE FILMS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.
Australians have a certain notoriety for supporting the underdog. And when it comes to filmmaking, we'd rather support the independent underdog than an over-budgeted Hollywood sequel any day. A bit like Roman Polanski meets a Brangelina social awareness expedition, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival started in 2007 by a group of passionate volunteers. If you are a filmmaker who is passionate about bringing human rights and social justice issues to the public eye, you'd better start cracking as entries close on July 8. More information here. -KB
Event: Film
Stimulus: W
The Samsung MX 10 camcorder is a fine, fine piece of equipment. We know this because it is sitting in our office right now, emitting a slowly pulsing magnificence - the very gleam, perhaps, of the future. It is capable of fast, light, free-style shooting, quick-start capture, 34X optical zoom. All of this and more (including but not limited to signing the papers related to your divorce from the university equipment hire department.)
We at The Thousands have one to give away. However, for once there are TWO chances to win. The first is by answering our question below, which requires (let's face it), a depressing paucity of brain activity. The second - via Samsung's sparkling new site, Samsung People - promises to elevate you from the clambering masses by asking for a creative response. Specifically, the answer to the question 'where is your mind?' If it is in the gutter, feel free to tell them. If you have lost it, simply admit that. Our theory is this: the Samsung winners will be those who can evidently use the powers of MX 10 for awesomeness, not inanity. Enter their comp here. Then, if you like, answer the following question...
This week's question:
The powers of the MX 10 include:
a) Emitting the very gleam of the future
b) 34X optical zoom
c) Having a fold-out part
d) The strength of 20 atom bombs
To be in the running for the TwoThousand comp, send your answer win@twothousand.com.au. Winners will be notified by email.
TwoThousand is a weekly snapshot of Sydney's subculture, fired by email into the loving arms of people who realise that the best things in life are often hard to find. It is compiled by an amorphous gaggle of writers, stylists, designers and photographers who all like huddling under that big umbrella we like to call creativity. Without editorial independence TwoThousand has nothing. All editorial you read is featured because it's worth it - not because it's paid for.
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DISCLAIMER
The information in TwoThousand is subject to change. Although we attempt to ensure that the content at the time of publication is correct, we do not guarantee its accuracy or currency. Right Angle Publishing accepts no responsibility to you or anyone else arising from any use or reliance on the information contained in TwoThousand or any inaccuracy in the information. The views and opinions expressed on material included in TwoThousand may not reflect those of Right Angle Publishing.
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Nadia Saccardo
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Martyn Pedler
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Amelia Groom
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