please, please please, let me get what i want - the smiths.

shot on my canon 550D with my new a 50 mm f 1.4 lens. [plastic fantastic!]

i apologise for the last photo - i did the best i could with the 5 minutes spare time i had to take these.

found this shirt at dangerfield the other day, i was incredibly: the song is an absolute favourite of mine - filled with a sense of desperation and longing... ahhh, the smiths.

not to mention it was $8.

and the shoes were $35 from zu shoes. 

i was more than willing to buy a dress-sized tee... more freedom to wear it under a coat in winter, or something along those lines. 

i must say i'm continually loving post-post-post christmas sales... although it does involve a bit of treasure hunting, i haven't failed to find something good yet. 

i also apologise for the atrocious amount of time away... the new year seems to have whisked me away and i'm finding myself overwhelmed with school work.

we'll see how this little bloggety does... maybe i'll go on some frenzy and queue a million posts in one night, or something, just to make me look like i'm on top of things.

x, R.

songs that fit in certain parts of movies...

i don't know why, but i felt like summing something up today.

the beginning:

1*song 2-blur

2*lorelai-fleet foxes

3*kids with guns-gorillaz [especially for ones based in big cities]

a sad scene:

1*stairway to heaven-led zeppelin

2*believe-the red jumpsuit apparatus

3*don't cry-guns n' roses

a happy scene:

1*that 70's song-the cab

scenes where the cast is high:

1*i am the walrus-beatles

2*lots of pink floyd

teenage angst:

1*clint eastwood-gorillaz [also good for midnight city-walking scenes]

2*can't buy me love-the beatles

totally rich and famous:

1*dare-the gorillaz

break up:

1*forever young-bob dylan

2*how to say goodbye-paul tiernan
3*thinking about you-radiohead

running away from home:

1*easier to lie-aqualung
2*asleep-the smiths

unrequited love:

1*strange&beautiful [i'll put a spell on you]-aqualung

2*desperado-the eagles
3*glass parade-the cary brothers

badass scene:
1*mk ultra-muse
2*supermassive black hole-muse
3*get on top-red hot chili peppers

scenes where they're in love:

1*let's stay together-al green

2*i want to hold your hand-the beatles

3*toothpaste kisses-the maccabees

the end:

1*never let you go-evermore

2*iris-goo goo dolls

3*hallelujah-jeff buckley

hope you guys listen up, it's a nice little playlist, i hope.

x, r.
WHO ELSE CAN'T BELIEVE THAT CHRISTMAS IS ONLY 6 DAYS AWAY?
and i still haven't, and might never, get the one thing i wanted this year.

mixed.

asos.com

haven't posted a playlist for a reaaaalllyy long time!

wasn't sure so i'm going to have a hardcore list, and then a mix of nuanced stuff.

maybe i'll be the soft list first:

1*stickshifts and safetybelts-cake
[for any day you're feeling down, there's always cake]
2*tequila sunrise-the eagles
[there's also the famous hotel california if you wish]
3*don't cry-guns n' roses
4*look what you've done-jet
5*don't let your hair grow too long-oren lavie
6*island in the sun-weezer
7*talk show host-radiohead
8*true as the night-the vines
9*there is a light that never goes out-the smiths
10*i'm in love with a girl-big star

harder music, maybe for those of you who either like it or feel like the energy...
[you can leave out the metal if that doesn't float your boat]

1*now you've got something to die for-lamb of god
[my absolute favourite]
2*black dog-led zeppelin
3*black hole sun-soundgarden
[actually i find this song very chill]
4*kashmir-led zeppelin
5*chop suey-system of a down.

toodles.

rena.

chillax the f*ck out.

excuse the profanity - i'm barely at a state of semi-consciousness but my delusional self decided to make a midnight playlist. oh and i'm eating hormonal green grapes.

i.e. they're just really big. 

smart.

songs to chillax to:

N.B. lots of floyd.

*insert floyd joke* ^wish i were here^

1*coming back to life-pink floyd

2*good times gonna come-aqualung

3*no one's gonna love you-band of horses

4*bella-angus and julia stone

5*breathe-pink floyd

6*blind willie mctell-bob dylan

7*island in the sun-weezer

8*on the turning away-pink floyd

9*nice dream-radiohead

10*champagne supernova-oasis

11*us + them-pink floyd

12*the tale of dusty + pistol pete-the smashing pumpkins

13*patience-guns n' roses

14*soldier's poem-muse

15*the man who sold the world-david bowie/nirvana.

toodles.

rena.

and happy birthday to mr. kurt cobain for a short 2 day' ago. you will be forever missed.

got killed by ten million pounds of sludge.

crap, this photo is too cute for its own good

so you can probably figure out by the title this is not the "long awaited" outfit post.

in fact, this is going to be some kind of a rant. a vent, perhaps, and if you choose to read, then read on?

i'm annoyed. why?

because recently, i downloaded the free 4 track sampler for the Pixie's Doolittle 20th Anniversary Concert. [[clickety here to get to the website and do the same]]

and every time i listen to them live, i die a little inside. 

why? because, in march this year, i missed out on their concert to australia. and i seriously, i kid you not, want to turn back time. i'm beyond frustrated and i just have to say:

i f*cking love the Pixies. 

[[no matter how ironic it is that i missed their concert]]

so yes, this is going to turn into a 5-track-mix-post now.

1*gouge away-pixies

2*no cigar-millencolin

3*the headmaster ritual-the smiths

4*monkey gone to heaven-pixies

5*1997-washington

how was everyone's weekends?

rena.

interview: The Spirits.

hey guys, 

so here's an exciting interview i had with The Spirits, an Australian band [[makes me proud!]] based in Sydney, who play alternative and lyrical rock. upon discovering that a few of their influences included radiohead, the smiths, bloc party and the cure, i just had to try and get through to them! so getting home just some 15 minutes ago i discovered they'd gotten back to me! so check it out... oh and find them on myspace music here.

Toby Fitch - Vocals/Guitar

Daniel Fitch - Bass/Vocals 

James Hart - Guitar/Vocals [[who answered the questions]] 

Luke Davison - Drums
1* The name of your band, 'The Spirits' is immensely intriguing. How did it come to be?
Probably, like many bands, we spent a decent amount of time trying to find a relevant and fitting name that would reflect the kind of music we play. Everyone offered ideas in the brainstorming process and in the end we decided 'The Spirits' was the best fit. We think it reflects the haunting, eerie and atmospheric sounds that we love to create so much.
2*Where do the ideas for your lyrics come from, and who usually writes them?
Toby writes our lyrics. In regards to his influences and sources of inspiration you'd have to pick his brain [[if you dare]]. But Toby's a very accomplished writer, having penned many poems in addition to his song lyrics. The lyrics are usually quite heartfelt and personal. There's sometimes a recurrent theme of mythology as well. To me they're a collection of little stories that create different emotions. And those stories can be interpreted many ways depending on the listener.

3*When did you first form as a band?
The four of us have been playing together for about 3 years now. Dan + Toby [[brothers and]] and I [[James]] all went to high school together but it wasn't until a few more years after graduating that we reunited to write some music.  Luke is a random ring in through an audition that ended up netting us a great drummer and an even better friend. We've gone through a few stylistic changes since our inception, and that keeps things fresh and exciting.
4*What else do you hope to explore with your music?
We stumble across new sounds and influences regularly and this culminates in a rehearsal process that leaves things very open to interpretation. Our main goals are to improve technically and instinctively as musicians, to continue to get more proficient at communicating between each other, and to keep trying new things, always.

both pictures from their facebook page

5*Individually, how long have you been playing your instruments?
Hmmmm... let's see...You know I think Luke was probably developing his percussive craft in his mother's womb. Dan and Toby both learn piano, as many young kids were, for a time. Toby's been playing guitar as well since a very young age. Dan played guitar and bass throughout most of high school until deciding to focus on bass. I started playing guitar in Year 7 and copied Toby and a few other mates for inspiration and then did some official lessons for the last two years of high school. The great thing is we're always discovering new sounds with our instruments and trying to push sonic boundaries.
6*Where do you see 'The Spirits' in 2-5 years time?
Caviar, pet tigers and white stretch Hummers! No it's hard to say...A best case scenario would be just to live off our music and not have to work out scummy day jobs. We'd definitely like to have a second EP and an album release within two years. A worst case scenario would be filing for bankruptcy and checking into rehab.
7*What has the journey in the music industry been like so far?
Ah...interesting. It's been a bumpy ride. We've had our fair share of disappointments and encounters with dodgy 'industry' people. We've had our trust broken and our money stolen. From this however, we've learnt to be smarter and more cautious. We've learnt to trust our instincts and stick together as a band. We've also played with some great people and musicians. We've forged some great friendships, had wild times in Melbourne parks, played at some great venues, some not-so-great venues and we're grateful for every minute of it.
8*What message do you hope for your music to convey?
Good question. I guess the lyrical element would be something Toby could explain more eloquently. We're not making any bold political statements or trying to change the world with one song. I like to think that our music is accessible to all different types of people and they're welcome to take whatever they want from the listening experience. The themes of our songs are often universal e.g. love, love lost etc. and these are emotions and experiences that many people can relate to.
9*What's a day in the life of your band like?
We all have our own things going on outside of the band. We do our thing and don't live out of each other's pockets. On the days we rehearse, however, we arrive at about 10am in the city at a studio we hire and go about a leisurely setup. If we have a string of gigs coming up we'll run through a set and tweak it until it feels right. More recently we've been enjoying just jamming out and writing some new material; so good for the soul! An interval around midday for lunch results in a feast of chicken rolls, pies and coffee before heading back in. We'll finish at 2pm feeling like rock stars before getting into our cars, parting ways and going back to our everyday lives.
10*And finally, a very important question: what are your views on music, how do you feel about it, and what do you see in music?
How many people have you met who don't enjoy music? I've met only one or two and I still struggle to get my head around it. Music is a language that transcends borders, races, oceans, religions and age. It touches and unites people from all corners of the world. Whether you're dancing like an idiot in your car to 'My Sharona' or sitting at home listening to the score of 'The Piano', there's no doubt music makes you feel something. And we're extremely blessed to have the opportunity to make it, explore it and share it...regardless of whether we get the Hummer or not!


hope that gave you some musical inspiration guys! enjoy their music! [[i know i do]] 
i've been having some serious issues with the formatting on this blog, so i had to retype all of that... die.
xx rena.

listen, tune in.

1*high and dry-radiohead

2*two stones-hungry kids of hungary

3*the warmup-set sail [find them on facebook]

4*there is a light that never goes out-the smiths

5*all the kids-deep sea arcade

xx rena.