The Thousands

THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER

Most of the time all you're looking to do is pare it back - strip away the adult obligations and act like trouble at age thirteen.

So, on the wake of dressing up as a ninja turtle, ride the virtual school bus with us through this issue.

Press the bell for Black Star pastries in a secret room, then, while you're off the wagon, try your hand at some colouring in. Bring it home with a lesson in Nintento DS Kraut Rock before blowing out your mum's credit card in the name of new fashions.

TwoThousand 211 - here's trouble

On the site now (It's updated every day!):

HEAR: Embryonic, The Flaming Lips
GOODS: Rebound Books
EAT/DRINK: Nookie
READ: Pop Magazine
GOODS: Blundstone Boots
READ: In Conversation: Encounters With 39 Great Writers

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Photo by Rafaela Pandolfini. If you would like to submit a cover shot email alice@rightanglestudio.com.au.

What:
Trunk Volume 1: Hair

Who:
Edited by Suzanne Boccalatte & Meredith Jones with a foreword by Lenny Henry

Where:
Online here

How much:
$50 plus postage

The casting call for Hair (the book) was probably pretty similar to that of Hair (the musical). Seeking: bearded Jesus look-alikes (Portuguese Christian Princess St. Wilgefortis makes an appearance), long-haired hippies (we don't know that for sure, but some of the contributors seem like likely candidates), stylised afros (from the ridgey-didge Aboriginal versions to African parlours in Enmore) and sexual overtones (a poem on pubes, par example). The follicularly-challenged need not apply.

And just like Hair (the musical), Hair (the book), volume one in the Trunk anthologies, presents an ensemble cast keen to get to the root of humanity's tangled mess atop our heads and drooping from our hineys. Unlike the musical, this is a tasteful, articulate exploration that unravels the topic without a song and dance. Next issue is Blood - at which time hammy comparisons to Menopause: the Musical will no doubt ensue.

By Angela Bennetts

What:
The Twerps EP

Who:
The Twerps, Talons, Bed Wettin' Bad Boys

Where:
Repressed Records, 356 King St, Newtown

When:
Sun Nov 8, 2pm

On:
Chapter Music, Night People

Imagine the sound of a pocket full o' loose change amplified by a contact mic, duplicated 577 times and broadcast with the volume cranked at 11. This ain't no John Cage composition I'm describing but the wild jangle that is contained within the lilting, delicate pop of The Twerps.

Recorded by Mikey ‘Eddie Current' Young, their self-titled debut exudes a refreshing candour. It is music as much grounded in classic 60s garage and surf rock as it is in recent southern-hemisphere pop anglers such as The Bats and The Clean. Standout tracks include the sweaty teenage, tongue in cheek romp 'Dance Alone' and the frolicking anthem 'I Fought Fings' in which singer Marty Frawley states; "It's you! That I waannnnttt".

Speaking of wants, you can have The Twerps at your disposal, performing in store at Repressed Records for the launch of their impending EP. For the extra keen they are also supporting label bedfellows Crayon Fields at Spectrum. Bang!

By Dominic Kirkwood

What:
The Grand Social Pop-up Store

Where:
MLC Centre, L7 19 Martin Pl, CBD

When:
Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Thur 10am-8pm

Contact:
9699 2826

I first discovered The Grand Social last summer, in desperate need of a respectable one-piece. I stumbled across this online clothing mecca via the Anna & Boy website, and I'm not going to lie - I wept a little. One stop shop doesn't begin to describe the amount of stuff to charge to your mum's credit card on there. I never did get that respectable one piece, but I did get a racy one and I had a much better summer for it.

Housing over 60 of Australia and New Zealand's finest labels, The Grand Social gives you access to Alpha60, Deadly Ponies, Maise, Ellery, Romance Was Born, Secret Squirrel, Trimapee and many more.

The Grand Social pops up in three dimensions at the MLC Centre from Thursday. So, if you prefer to try your not-so-sensible once piece over your undies before buying, put down the mouse and step on in.

By Nicole Glavan

What:
Uniform: Japan Photos, Harold David

Where:
Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest, 86 River Rd, Emu Plains

When:
Opens Sat Nov 14, 1.30pm
Runs until Jan, Mon-Sun 10am-5pm

How much:
Free

Contact:
4735 1100 or gallery@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

View map

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto! Penrith is turning Japanese. Harold David, a fine fashion photographer, has stepped into Japan and documented a class of people that you will not find in the latest issue of Fruits. Yes, it's the unglamourous working class. Portraits of men and women of all trades, from tea pickers to garbage men.

When David was touring his last body of work, Tracksuits of St. Mary's, in Japan, he made a passing comment to the curator about his interest in the incredible uniforms of the workers as subjects. And from this bloomed the project.

Being a fashion photographer, David brings something different to the portrait. A glamour that these utilitarian outfits have never previously been exposed to in their forty six hour Japanese working week.

By Sinisa Mackovic

What:
Sauna

Where:
Out now on DVD through Madman

Watch Trailer:
Here

Win:
Thanks to Madman, we have 2 DVDs to give away! To enter, email win@twothousand.com.au with the subject line ‘It only looks like a sauna, because we do not know what it is'

Packed with symbolism and almost unbearable tension, this Finnish horror film doesn't confuse atonement with redemption. In 1595, after a 25-year war between Russia and Sweden, two brothers, veteran soldier Eerik (Ville Virtanen) and sheltered geography professor Knut (Tommi Eronen), join a border delegation sent to divide Finland between the two nations.

But the brothers share a dark secret: days earlier, Eerik brutally murdered a farmer while Knut abandoned the farmer's daughter in a locked cellar. As the delegation enters an eerie swamp, Knut begins to be plagued with Grudge-style visions of the girl. When they reach a mysterious sauna that the local villagers are too afraid to use, the brothers realise that only here can they wash away their sins.

Sauna's bleak, evocative cinematography reminded me of Van Diemen's Land, another cinematic meditation on sin. Its motifs are complex and clever: water acts as both cleanser of filth and portal to hell, and eyes are symbols for witnessing evil. Unusually for the time, Eerik wears glasses. "They almost make you look like a civilised man," jibes one character. It's an elegant metaphor for Eerik's inability to see his own guilt... until it's too late.

By Mel Campbell

What:
The ffiXXed and Condiment Multi-Sleeve (Picnic) Rug

Where:
Online here and soon to be at The Thousands Shop (Opening December!)

How much:
$400 + postage

Those blissful summer Sundays in the park have edged their way back into our lives, as days lengthen and shirt sleeves can be worn bove the elbow without the prickle of goosebumps. We go wherever there is a spot of sun and a mossy patch of green, and we lie there insolently until the very last sliver of light drains away into darkness. We dine outside for every meal. We share cheese and wine and muse upon the tetrahedral formation of a book galaxy. And then we wish our picnic rug had sleeves so we didn't have a reason to go home after sundown, or rather that we had a reason to be closer.

This picnic rug does have sleeves. And sleeves enough for two! Produced as content for the new food journal Condiment - Adventures in Food and Form, alongside ffiXXed's SS10 collection, it is designed to encapsulate Condiment's ideas and exploration of food and creativity and food and community. The beauty is in its functionality as both a rug to dine upon and then a garment to be shared by more than one person. Available in light blue and speckled grey Japanese fabrics, with hand-sewn tassling, this product is limited to a mere 15 worldwide. The sooner you lay claim to one, the sooner your summer Sundays can drift pleasantly beyond dining at dusk.

By Rachel Elliot-Jones

What:
The Little Marionette on The Dale

Where:
18 Trafalgar St, Annandale

When:
Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm

Contact:
9557 8337‎

View map

Sydney biggest coffee nerds have branched out to create another haven for lovers of cosy, well-concepted spaces with extras. In Balmain they have the little rugs you can take across the road to the park, and now in the 'Dale there's a faux book shelf that's actually a door to a secret room. Yes, I kid you not. A SECRET ROOM. The pinnacle of my girlish Agatha Christie fantasies. It's not so secret that the barista won't tell you about it within five minutes of you sitting down, but still, 10 points for novelty. And there's a respectable amount of taxidermy in there too.

While you're prowling about, looking for additional Poirot-esque intrigues, you'll probably discover a giant coffee roasting machine out the back. This isn't just for show - the Marionette's famous beans are made right here, and if you've timed it right you could probably watch the magic happen.

The decor's dark wood, green leather and casually strewn loaves of bread, and the Black Star Pastry menu and fierce coffee will truly have you dancing like a wee marionette. 

By Alice Fenton

What:
Wendy Whiteley's Garden

Where:
Access through Clark Park, off Lavender St, Lavender Bay

When:
24/7

How much:
Free

A recent encounter with the work of Ricky Swallow got me thinking about The Desert Rose - an essentially dead organism, whose beauty comes with the extended passing of time. The same can be said about Wendy Whiteley's Garden or any green enclave, which inevitably grows.

Once a dwelling for rotting mattresses and surplus trains owned by the Rail Corp, Wendy exercised her green thumb in the wake of Brett Whiteley's passing. By planting this botanical labyrinth between the scattering of industrial trinkets - adjoining their Lavendar Bay home - Wendy greened a once wasted space.

A poignant serendipity of the way things grow and perish broods here. Wendy's Garden is no secret, but it's a fitting common to pause time with a gaggle, a bottle and a multi-sleeve picnic rug.

By Lisa Lerkenfeldt

What:
More Outs!

Where:
On The Calendar Now

ART: Is This It?, David Homer

LAUNCH: Runway Magazine Issue 15 Launch

SOUND: Beck's Berlin Sessions

PARTY: Bikes Rock BFF Opening Party

What:
Orgy Group Exhibition Opening

Who:
Approximately a trillion artists

Where:
Palmer Projects, 238 Palmer St, Darlinghurst

When:
Thur Nov 5, 6pm

Description:
This group show is so massive that we barely have space to do more than list the many favourites involved. To wit: Ben Frost, Kyle Montgomery, Numskull, Joseph Allen Shea, Lorin Askill, Edward Woodley, Ozzie Wright, Andy Uprock, Justin Williams, Luka du Chateau, Mark Alsweiler, Nathan Lewis, Mark Drew, Aldous Massie, Sam Stephenson, Mitchell Ferrie, Hank&Matlok, Cockface, Jedda Daisy and Kiss Kiss. Phew! Aptly named indeed. - AF

What:
The Crayon Fields Album Launch

Who:
The Crayon Fields, Bearhug, The Twerps

Where:
Spectrum, The Exchange Hotel, 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst

When:
Fri Nov 6, 8pm

How much:
$15 on door, $12 pre-sale here

Win:
One of 2 double passes. Just email win@twothousand.com.au with the subject 'Colouring competition'

Description:
The Crayon Fields colour inside the lines with their tidy melodies. Masters of nice-boy pop (a la Kings of Convenience), they'll pin a corsage on your dress and make you giddy on a balmy night. The southern favourites will launch their second album, All The Pleasures of the World, with a helping hand from locals Bearhug and the Twerps. But go knowing that all these 'nice guys' don't believe in curfews. - CB

What:
Midnight Juggernauts

Who:
Midnight Juggernatuts + Cut Off Your Hands + Seekae

Where:
Metro Theatre, 624 George St, CBD

When:
Fri Nov 6, 8pm

How much:
$27.50 + BF here

Win:
One double pass. To enter just email win@twothousand.com.au with the subject 'Nachas'

Description:
I feel a certain pride when something Australian does well overseas. There's a word for it in Yiddish - the satisfaction a mother derives from her son's success - 'nachas'. Although the Midnight Juggernauts aren't my children, they still give me nachas. The Melbourne trio spent the last year gracing some of the world's most prestigious stages, including those of Glastonbury and Coachella. They're home this Friday to promote latest offering, This New Technology, so give in to your patriotic maternal instincts and come. - DZ

What:
Siberian Nights Nintendo DS Kraut Rock Jam

Where:
Googod Small Club, La Campana, 53-55 Liverpool St, CBD

When:
Fri Nov 6, 11pm

How much:
$2 for Midnight Juggernauts ticket holders or $15 on the door

Description:
This is no hootenany. This is Nintendo DS Kraut Rock Jam. What is a Nintendo DS Kraut Rock Jam you say? A bumble of square Germans with RSI in a teenage bedroom? Nein! It's kinda like this, but not at all - with a bunch of Nintendos hooked up to synthesizer programs to make kraut techno. With the social supplement of free spring rolls, DJs Golden Ron, Smart Casual and Don & Johnson, take it in the ears from those who swear by the sausage. Achtung! - LL

What:
Vintage and Retro Fashion Sale at Hibernian House

Who:
A bevy of Sydney's hipsters with too much stuff

Where:
Hibernian House, L6, 342 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills

When:
Sat Nov 7 and Sun Nov 8, 9am-4pm

How much:
Loose change

Description:
An old co-worker of mine was a dedicated bargain hunter and vintage connoisseur. We'd get him to tell us tales of his fashion conquests every week, not because they were particularly fascinating, but because he pronounced it 'wintage', which was endlessly entertaining. Try it now: 'Wintage'. "I would like to buy your wintage shoes please". Hilarious. And it gets even funnier if you do it in public. To a stranger. At a notably vogue market at the infamous Hibernian House. Here's your chance. - AF

What:
BYO Vinyl Club

Where:
The Hive Bar, 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville

When:
Every Wed 7pm

How much:
Schooners from $4.70

Contact:
9519 9911

Description:
In a world where iPod wars constitute DJ sets and bottled beer flows more  freely than tap, it's refreshing to find an establishment that pays homage to the simple pleasures of yesteryear. The Hive Bar in Erko holds a mid-weekly Vinyl Club, where punters can bring their own records and have a spin and a home-brewed drink. The E'ville Pilsner sits alongside other Sydney natives Blonde, Scharers Lager and St Arnou Pale Ale. Who needs a living room? - SJO

"The greatest break through of the last decade was when American Apparel turned the fit of a T-shirt into a message... The message was you - your body thrust out there into the world, shrink-wrapped in every conceivable color." - New York Magazine.

Now, New York Magazine is an excellent publication. The spirit of a city distilled. According to some, the world's finest magazine about a place. So when they say the greatest breakthrough of this decade was the American Apparel t-shirt, then you must take your Human Genome Project and your black President and stick them where the sun don't shine, because when future civilisations look back upon our times, they will find a Wikipedia entry on the old brain-external web that says, "See also:
End of the Mayan calendar
Michael Jackson, died June 25, 2009
American Apparel Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt."

Until November 14, everything instore at American Apparel WILL BE 20% OFF! Including the Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt, but not including multibrand, newsstand, vintage stock or sunglasses. To get you in the mood, we have 3 x Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirts (guys or girls fit) in Forest, Army or Light Aqua, and valued at $27 each to give away. To enter, just answer the following question.

This week's question:
American Apparel

a) shrink wraps me in every conceivable colour
b) making me the message since 1989
c) called the fuzz on Tao Lin, that thieving vegan
b) for president.

Send your answer, size, preferred colour, name and mailing address to win@twothousand.com.au. Winners will be notified by email. Subscriber only entry! Not a subscriber? It's free you banana skins! Sign up here.

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 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.

ADVERTISING PARTNERSHIPS
TwoThousand is a trusted and proven medium for advertisers to engage with Sydney's most elusive individuals - our subscribers. Each issue offers one advertiser the opportunity to have sole presence in the e-newsletter. A variety of placements (three, to be exact) are also available on twothousand.com.au. For more information on advertising with TwoThousand, contact:

MANAGING DIRECTOR
Francesco Nazzari
frunch@rightanglestudio.com.au

FEEDBACK
Have something to say? Then say it by emailing editorial@twothousand.com.au.

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 Studio 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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GROUP PUBLISHER
Barrie Barton
+ 61 3 96621657
barrie@rightanglestudio.com.au

SENIOR EDITOR
Nadia Saccardo
nadia@rightanglestudio.com.au

PUBLICATIONS MANAGER
Penny McVey
pennymcvey@rightanglestudio.com.au

EDITOR
Lisa Lerkenfeldt
lisa@rightanglestudio.com.au

DEPUTY EDITOR
Alice Fenton
alice@rightanglestudio.com.au

OUT EDITOR
Cleo Braithwaite
cleo@rightanglestudio.com.au

ARTS EDITOR
Sinisa Mackovic
sinisa@rightanglestudio.com.au

WATCH EDITOR
Mel Campbell
mel@rightanglestudio.com.au

EAT/DRINK EDITOR
Alex Vitlin
alex@rightanglestudio.com.au

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SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS
Penny Modra
Max Olijnyk
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Danielle Marsland
Rachel Elliot-Jones
Angela Bennett
Dominic Kirkwood
Nicole Glavan
Sam Bungey

OUT CONTRIBUTORS
Jacqueline Breen
Sarah-Jane Owen

INTERN MONKEYS
Daniel Zwi