I Stand For Mercy
Please sign the petition here.
A Letter to My 17-Year-Old Self
Dear Tom,
Please put down that “sandwich” of toasted bread and tomato sauce* and listen to me.
Firstly, I’m sorry that this message from the future isn’t too glitzy. I imagine it’s a bit disappointing that your future self is communicating to you via a letter; generally you want your messages from the future to be delivered via a hologram or a robot or something. Future you (aka me) is doing okay, but we’ve all got our budgets, particularly in this economy.
By the end of this year you will finish Year 12 with a high score (that’s not quite as high as your brother’s was), you will turn 18, you will not go on Schoolies because it clashes with musical theatre camp and you will audition for the top acting courses in the country and not get into any of them.
You will not even get a call-back from NIDA even though you thought the man running the auditions liked the look of you (don’t flatter yourself, honey).
Read the rest on Junkee here.
WTF Mars One
My friend Elmo Keep has written this sprawling, fascinating mind-fuck of an article about the Mars One mission. It’s long, but I really think it’s well worth your time.
A Very Green Guide Christmas
‘Twas a Christmas miracle when Steele Saunders invited myself and Tommy Dassalo into his podcasting lounge for a Chrissie edition of ILGGL. Enjoy it here.
Season’s Greetings!
My Top 10 Tracks Of 2014
Seems everyone is talking about the #Hottest100…
I can’t believe those people were in the room at the SAME TIME?!?!?!?!
See what you make of my favourite tunes of the year (here in no particular order) and then get voting yourself on the triple j website here.
Jungle – Busy Earnin’
Undeniable banger, awesome film clip, was used in the promos for Broad City – what else do ya want???
The Kite String Tangle – Arcadia
Given The Chance was so damn catchy and striking, KTST had a lot to live up to, and I reckon he totally nailed it with this pop gem. This bittersweet love song about people trying and giving up gives me chills every time I hear it.
Robert Plant – Rainbow
You know how there are some legacy acts out there that you see every now and again and you think “Oh that’s nice to see him/her because s/he is still around and s/he is a musical legend and their older music means a lot to me but I can’t imagine they’re STILL writing good songs?”
That’s what I thought when I saw Robert Plant on The Colbert Report earlier this year. And then he played this. And yes, it’s kind of cheesey hippy love-rock, but fuck it – that’s right up my alley.
Against Me! – FUCKMYLIFE666
A great song in its own right, but framed by the story of Laura Jane Grace, the lead singer of a power-punk band that bravely and proudly came out as transgender, then released a corker of an album in Transgender Dysphoria Blues, it becomes seminal. I love the feeling of a song hitting you full in the face, stirring something deep inside you as you slowly realise that truly, you’re listening to an ANTHEM.
No more troubled sleep, there’s a brave new world that’s raging inside of me!
Courtney Barnett – Bein’ Around
A perfect cover of a perfect song.
Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
#SorryNotSorry
Snakehips – Days With You (Feat. Sinead Harnett)
CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON. Straight up.
Sun Kil Moon – I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love
Benji is my favourite album of the year, even though it took my heart and jumped on it and wrenched it out and shot it and sliced and diced it over and over. This gorgeously simple folk tribute from a son to his mother makes me cry and even more thankful for the women in my life.
Phantogram – Fall In Love
There’s so much going on in this and I’m happy about all of it. I must have listened to this at least 100 times now and every time I do, I find something new. It’s dense, interesting and confronting pop that still manages to be a bunch of fun and convey the sporadic euphoria and darkness of falling for someone.
Kimbra – 90s music
Nothing gives me a music-stiffy quicker than an artist making a statement and presenting the world with their singular, uncompromised vision. Kimbra just doesn’t give a fuck: she makes the demented pop she wants to make and presents it with gusto. I just love her, I loved her record, I loved her performing this on Letterman and yes, I love 90s music (and listening to it erry day). \m/
The Little Dum Dum Club w/ HG Nelson
Hear Karl, Tommy, THE LEGEND THAT IS HG and me talk about the ARIAs, Fatso the Wombat, stickpins, the Channel Nine show and more. It’s all here.
I Love Green Guide Letters LIVE @ Meredith Music Festival
Last year I was foolish enough to be involved in a live recording of Steele Saunders‘ I Love Green Guide Letters podcast at the Meredith Music Festival.
It was downright silly and brought shame upon my family.
This year, Steele couldn’t make it to the festival but Tommy Dassalo was adamant that the tradition should be upheld. So we did this.
I apologise unreservedly.
The Doctor’s Fucked Off
Not gonna lie, I teared up a fair bit today as I went along to Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall‘s Fucking Off Party. He’s a brilliant, lovely, generous, talented man and I feel very lucky to count him as a friend. He leaves behind a kick-arse legacy at the js and had a hell of a show to (almost) go out on one (he’s back on air tomorrow).
I got to jump up and make a bit of fun of him and say a few words; you can listen back to the whole thing here.
Rod Quantock’s Last Tim Tam
Rod Quantock (whom I love) is running a Pozible campaign to help his climate change education initiative, The Last Tim Tam.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that Straya is doing shit all about climate change (or that it really matters), so reminders about that are ideal.
Rod knows heaps of stuff and is fucking hilarious and if there’s anyone who can save us, it’s him. I chipped in some bucks for this campaign and I hope you can too. Any contribution will help make an interesting, funny wake up call to this crisis a reality.