Hiya Nestor

Things I have seen on my days off in Seattle that I would never see anywhere else no. 1:

1st March 2010, Seattle

I don't even know what this is about - nor do I care really - I only know that it and it's owner by proxy, are awesome. Not pictured is the DIY afterburner attached to the boot.

LMAOnaise.

Things I have seen on my days off in Seattle that I would never see anywhere else no. 2:

2nd March 2010, Seattle

Just wow. He looks like you're recently deceased, closet-alcoholic serial-bigamist uncle telling you about those 'saucy parties' he went to back in 'the day'. Sure, his strangely animated eyes follow you around the room, but that's totally OK, just take it as a sign that he's watching over you from the spirit world, and occasionally watching you in the shower too.

Ha. I just wrote that without really reading it. Is it funny or just really dark?

7th March 2010, Seattle

Perfect weekend weather, perfect weekend.

x N

And furthermore, catch a moving picture glimpse of what Nestor, Dug and the lovely Harkin have been up to whilst in Seattle:

Say Hiya to Nestor

photograph of Nestor by Danny North

We all know I have this *ahem* indefinable thing for HEALTH's drummer BJ; but before there was BJ, there was (drumroll please - HA!)...Nestor.

Nestor is currently of Sky Larkin drummer fame, and right now is back in Seattle with bandmates Harkin and Dug at John Goodmanson's (Death Cab for Cutie, Los Campesinos!, Sleater-Kinney) studio, who also produced the band's debut album.

Nestaaargh, the oddly gentle, ranga beast that he is, is writing a little Seattle guide/diary for us. Here's his first week for you...

21 Feb 2010, Seattle

Yo yo,

Seattle is good, although we're pretty badly lagged!

Beautiful weather, a freak heat wave or something. Meant to be hailstorms next week!

Just been for a walk. I forgot how scene Seattle is, we looked like foreign exchange kids look when they visit your school. Ha.

23rd Feb 2010, Seattle

I've been having trouble getting to sleep before 3am lately, partly through nerves about recording and partly through getting up later and later! I thought it would help with the timezone shift, but so far it's just made it even harder to adjust.

Our food today consisted of take away pizza for lunch and burgers from an old school burger joint called Dick's for dinner... Mmm, healthy. I already feel like crap, might be time to get healthy already, which basically means don't eat around here!

We get weekends off so we can have a rest (and so John [Goodmanson] can hang out with his new baby) so I reckon we're going to the cinema a few times while we're here and I think 'Precious' is probably on the agenda, it looks pretty awesome. Did you know Oprah Winfrey produced it?

I always forget how hard recording is, especially when we're just starting. Only did a few hours today and I'm already totally wiped... It's a good job we've got the wizard to help us out when we're in trouble!

25th Feb 2010, Seattle

Home sweet home. I wake up feeling like I'm stowing away on a galleon or something, it's kind of cool but not the most comfy place I've ever slept!

I found out today that the last band to stay at John's studio named this little space The Butt Hut, not sure that I want to know why...

X Nestor

You can check Nestor's epic drum work here, as a little bonus, in 'Smarts', the result of the last time the trio and John Goodmanson crossed paths for 24 hours, late last year in Wales.

NYPC

In the anticipation of New Young Pony Club's forthcoming album, Optimist, the kids over at Topman CTRL have roped in the band to take the reins for February's CTRL program!

This time, it's being held in Sheffield round at Bungalows & Bears on the 25^th February.

Y'all know the drill by now...CTRLers NYPC are pulling in Mercury Music Prize nominated (we still think they shoulda won...check this interview I did with them back in '08) trio The Invisible, art-rockers and responsible for invite only festival In The Woods, The Laurel Collective as well as sets from DJ duos Run Hide Survive and Children For Breakfast - as usual, a pretty impeccable line-up...!

...And YEAH the band designed a tee and YEAH we've got one of them to giveaway to our super ace readers. So YEAH. Here it is, the special limited edition tee specially made for Topman CTRL by New Young Pony Club:

THE TEEEEEEE

To be in the draw to win one of the tee that we got, what you gotta do is get your twitting gloves on and retweet the following:

IM//the Optimist and I'm going to win this New Young Pony Club designed Topman CTRL T that @imyouare is giving away http://bit.ly/9joQta

Now kids, you can re-tweet as much as you want, the more you twit, the more chance you have at winning, innit. Comp closes on the 12th of February where we'll gather up all the retweets and pick one at random.

And whilst you're all going forth and re-twitting that shit, here's the vid for their latest single, the wicked 'Chaos' for you to tweet along to:

Charlotte Gainsbourg

photographs by Kurt Iswarienko

Taken from Flaunt Magazine's

latest issue (#107, the art issue) are the photos from a feature editorial spread on 'France's favourite daughter', and that of virtually royal creative blood, Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Gainsbourg is coquettishly gamine and the eternal ingenue even at 38; captured flitting about the Chateau Marmont in LA.

The last couple of years have been somewhat of a roller coaster for Gainsbourg; but the result is a full length album produced by Beck entitled IRM in the French fashion, inspired by the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs) that she underwent as a result of an accident she had.

And here's Nosaj Thing's smoothly slinking remix of 'Heaven Can Wait', the single of which is from IRM released last week via Because Music:

GALLERY

MATTERRRR

photograph by Paul Zedman

Heavy weight London clubs Fabric and matter are playing host to some super amazing nights coming up, including tomorrow's insanity at Fabric of which I am *gutted* I'm not in town for. I mean, seriously, peep this:

FABRICLIVE – FRIDAY 22 JANUARY
ROOM ONE // KILL 'EM ALL...
Erol Alkan, Filthy Dukes, Riton, Fools Gold (LIVE), Stopmakingme

ROOM TWO // EAT YOUR OWN EARS...
Gold Panda (LIVE), Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) (DJ Set), James Holden, Floating Points, Casper C, Eat Your Own Ears DJs

ROOM THREE:
Mystery Jets (DJ Set), Wild Geese, Villa, Jac The Disco

RARRRGH SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!

And next Saturday (30th Jan) boasts another hot line-up, and we figured that if we can't be there, one of you lot might as well go, check it:

DISCOTECA - 10pm-7am £15 advance
 
ROOM 1: Jamie Lidell (live), Francois K, Metro Area, Italians Do It Better showcase [Glass Candy (live), Desire (live), Mike Simonetti], Disco&Mercy

ROOM 2 - DISCO BLOODBATH: Optimo, Dan Beaumont, Ben Pistor, Damon Martin

If you want to be in the running to score two tickets to DISCOTECA, all you gotta do is shoot an email to holler@imyouare.com with "I MATTER!" in the subject line with your name in the body.

Winner will be chosen at rrrrrandom, innit. And if you're the lucky randomer chosen, it really will mean that you matter.

Well.

It'll mean that you'll be getting down to matter next week courtesy of yours truly at least.

COMP CLOSES MIDNIGHT, THURSDAY the 28th, so holler.

In the immortal words of Ebenezer Scrooge:

BAH, HUMBUG.

THANKS Y'ALL FOR 2009!

ROLLER ON // 2010! X

SHAKE IT GIRL

NEED I SAY MORE?

Yo Sydney, what y'all doing tonight/tomorrow? YOU SHOULD COME CHECK THIS:

Drop in at the Finders Keepers SS // 09 Independent Art and Design Markets over at Carriageworks, bringing together all kinds of cool people doing cool shit in art, design, fashion and publishing.

I'll be there tomorrow looking after the stall for one of the magazines I write for (which also happens to be one of the most beautiful and inspirational independent publications EVER. No seriously, it actually restores my faith in publishing AND in humanity. I know right!); Dumbofeather, Pass It On so come and say HIYAAAA.

OPEN FROM:

Friday 4th December from 6pm - 10pm

Saturday 5th December from 10am – 8pm

WHERE and HOW TO GET THERE:
The inside foyer at CarriageWorks - 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015.

The pedestrian entrance is at the corner of Codrington Street and Wilson Street. Wheelchair ramp and level access at all entrances. Fully accessible toilets.

Nearest train:
Redfern or Macdonaldtown and its only a short walk from King Street in Newtown.

SEE Y'ALL THERE!