PARTYNICE MAGAZINE

PLAYSTATION GAME RUNNERS

2010-10-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

PlayStation believe the best games are played as a group. That's why they've set up Game Runners - an experimental project where PlayStation, members of the public and young people from diverse backgrounds come together to create social games.

The project has been developed by PlayStation and Hide & Seek with a team of 8 initial Game Runners who PlayStation have picked to train as game designers and work to make the games relevant.

For those of you down in London this Friday (8th) here are 4 reasons why you should come down to the final Game Runners event:

1. Play a monster sized version of Blocks
2. Between 5.30-6pm you can win a PS3 and PlayStation Move start up kit
3. Watch End of the Line graffiti artists.
4. The whole event is presented by urban street dance queen Kimberlee Jay

Friday 8th October 12 noon - 8.30pm. Elys Yard, The Old Truman Brewery,Hanbury Street London E1.
RSVP at the Facebook event.

DETROIT LIVES

2010-10-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Heritage boot brand Palladium are continuing their quest to explore hidden, forgotten and abandoned places in urban environments. Their latest exploration entitled "Detroit Lives" features Johnny Knoxville, who takes viewers on an "off-the-beaten path" exploration through the city to discover if there's more to Detroit than the scenes of destruction and abandonment that it has become known for.

Once the fourth-largest metropolis in America—some have called Detroit the Death of the American Dream. In this 30 minute 3-episode documentary, Knoxville discovers a DIY paradise full of artists and entrepreneurs who view the abandoned "D" as a raw space where young people can create community and start rebuilding their city from the inside out. A burgeoning class of young people are inspiring each other by using the cities 'disadvantages' as opportunities. His hosts include notable Detroit punk band The Dirtbombs and hip-hop artist Black Milk.

Check it out here.

PARTYNICE SESSIONS: Jam on Bread

2010-07-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Jam on Bread performed his song It's Always Sunny Inside for us in his tent at Indietracks. His new album, which incidentally has the best packaging we've ever seen, is out now on Team Strike Force. For a comprehensive round-up of everything that happened at Indietracks, keep an eye on Sweeping The Nation.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAOS VEGAS

2010-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

After years of war and isolation, Laos is becoming ever more popular with tourists. PARTYNICE's Tomasz Roszkowski recently visited to find out how the burgeoning tourist industry is changing the lives of local people, and sent back this vivid photo essay.

Fear and Loathing in Laos Vegas

In the 1970s, travelers in the know began venturing up winding roads through the mountains of Laos, making their way to the village of Vang Vieng.

Through this village, surrounded by stunning mountains, breathtaking waterfalls and untouched caves, runs the Nam Song river; lifeblood to the people that live here. To travelers in the 70s, the winding river and rugged mountains provided the perfect backdrop for a lazy tube ride through a pristine natural environment, beginning a few kilometers upstream and ending in the village. Travelers would come through to appreciate and reflect on the awe-inspiring landscape of a virginal terrain.

Today, the village, river and mountains still exist but have a very different feel, having become a mandatory stop on the popular South-East Asian travel circuit.

As accessibility to travel has changed in recent years, so have the meaning and motivation of travel and this is very strongly reflected in Vang Vieng. A new generation of travelers have traded 'off the beaten path', for 'off your face' and this sleepy village deep in the mountains of Laos has become witness to a spring break eternal.

With this sudden influx of debauched revelers into a remote area unacquainted with these aspects of Western immodesty, a complex and confounding relationship has established itself between tourists and residents. The river is still the village's lifeblood, albeit in new ways. As a result, beneath the whiskey drenched and drum thumping party-hard veneer of Vang Vieng lies one of the richer experiences in South East Asia, offering not only insight into another culture, but offering a very unique and sobering insight into our own.

The view from a tube on the Nam Song river. The allure and natural beauty of Vang Vieng; mountains, waterfalls and caves have become secondary to its allure as a consequence free, drug and alcohol fueled party destination.

The limestone mountains near Vang Vieng provide a beautiful backdrop as a tourist jumps off one of the many swings that have become popular in recent years.

A tube ride down the Nam Song river begins here, at the Mulberry Organic Farm, a 3km tuk-tuk ride outside of the village. Ironically, nowadays, the tube ride often ends here too, as tube riders venture only as far as the first few bars before returning to the village by tuk-tuk to continue the party after dark.

Having flown half-way around the world, then traveled by bus through the rickety pot-holed roads of Laos and arrived in this limbo, a wild party begins each afternoon and ends late each night, disconnected from and at odds to the culture of Laos and the way of life of the natives of Vang Vieng.

A drunken tourist in an alcohol-induced haze staggers around unsteadily with her left hand clutching a beer and signaling her party-hard attitude with her right while a young boy clenches his hands begging on the dirt roads just outside Vang Vieng.

Two women fish on the Nam Song; the first woman collects shellfish with a net while near the organic farm another woman throws a fishing line out to drag tourists tubing down the river into her bar, competing with the other bars on the river.

A young boy stands in the river in the early afternoon, spear-fishing with the swings on the river framing him. Later, the same boy sits under those swings, fishing for possessions lost in the river as tourists drink and jump off the swings until sunset.

Some items belonging to careless party goers fished from the river by young boys - an asthma puffer and sunglasses sit in a display case on sale back to their owners.

Two village children watch a tourist jump off a rickety bridge into the river. A little way further down the river, away from the heavy techno thumping noise of the bars, young children playfully jump off a bridge and land in the water to cool off from the heat of the afternoon sun.

A tourist closes his eyes, sets his jaw, and tenses all his muscles as he prepares for a mighty somersault into the water. Close-by, a local boy springs into the air as if released from a tightly wound coil.

A tourist hangs off a swing on the river. With many Western tourists coming from very regulated societies, there is an in-grained expectation that if something is unsafe, it won't be allowed. In Vang Vieng, however, very rarely is anyone denied permission to do anything. As a result, alcohol combined with the sudden freedom of having to police their own behavior, means many tourists are injured and there are several fatalities each year.

In an alarming display of role reversal, two elementary aged boys stand in front of the swings they operate on the river. Day in, day out the responsibility for the safety of the adult tourists drinking and jumping off the visibly shabby equipment lies in their hands.

Though only in the early days of adolescence, this boy is employed at one of the bars that line the river where he is witness to the multitudes of drunken and obscene tourists that crowd the river to enjoy a festive atmosphere that for them, is a temporary way of life.

Tourists become the main attraction as visitors from Thailand pay for boat trips up the river to watch the farang (or Western tourists) jumping off slides into the rivers. In the second photo, older tourists from the south of Laos make the long bus trip to get a glimpse of Westerners flying through the air on hand-made swings.

A Happy Menu offers tourists any drug they want to consume in any quantity they want, advertising Vang Vieng as the home of almost-legal drug consumption.

Drugs, alcohol and sex are not the only ways that the bars get tourists "fucked". Towards the end of the day, three tourists went off a swing at the same time and one sustained a head injury as he hit the water. Paralyzed, he sank to the bottom and was rescued by a young local boy and then attended to by other drunk patrons. The music was momentarily muted and the party halted. Eventually, he was roused and immediately given a beer as the music was turned back on and the next person jumped off the same swing.

A young Laos boy working at a bar surveys the scene in front of him, his shirt echoing the ominous feeling that surrounds the river as the sun sets each day and drunk tourists tempt fate on the swings. In the next photo, the owner of the bar, dressed all in black poses in front of the mountains by his bar.

Nudity on the river and on the roads outside of Vang Vieng. Signs in Vang Vieng ask tourists to conform to the culture of Laos, specifically to be modest and cover up their bodies but this rule is frequently transgressed.

As the sun sets and the party scene gets sloppy, children emerge, endearing themselves to drunken tourists in the hope of being given some money and if that fails, picking pockets or backpacks. By learning how to operate within the environments of the bars at closing time to get what they want, they inevitably become polluted themselves.

The duality of life in Vang Vieng is evident as children adapt to their roles in the morning and afternoon.

As the sun sets, tuk-tuks begin returning tourists back to the village to continue the party all night in bars. The next day, the cycle repeats and most tourists make their way back to the river in the early afternoon.

Many visit for only a few days, but some tourists find satisfaction in the cycle of life in Vang Vieng, sometimes staying for months, getting free food, drink and lodging in exchange for working for one of the many bars.

All words and photographs by Tomasz Roszkowski.

GUEST BLOG: SWEEPING THE NATION

2010-06-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

In my line of blogging, which is entirely voluntary and thus amounts to making a full strength titanium rod for my own back, I have a self-regarding obligation to seek out new bands. At some level this is entirely philanthropic - as our knowledge of the musical universe gets wider it stands to reason that young people will form bands to plug the gaps or utilise the possibilities. John Peel often said that the thing that kept him going on the radio was the idea that in the next mail delivery would be one of the greatest records of all time and he didn't want to miss out on the possibility. Thanks to the international musical relief effort that is the blogosphere and assorted social networking opportunities, this isn't as arduous a task as piling through Myspace after Myspace sounds.

There are, of course, pitfalls and speed bumps to taking band suggestions on trust. It's something I've come to notice more since starting to promote locally too - the more hopeless the band, the more standard the way they write about themselves is. There's a certain lingua franca set in place for the spirited but frankly Libertines-lite, as they often are. Why not play Myspace I-Spy with the following:

- Original songs. Not the concept, the description. "The Partynicers are a four piece Indie/Alternative band playing original songs". Tribute bands aren't so prevalent that anyone attempting to enter the live arena needs to make that clear from the start.

- The word "energetic" brandished as a weapon.

- Describing themselves as "a tight live unit". All bands, even the Pastels, play their songs in time with each other at some stage. "Tight" in this instance is akin to "we all turn up".

- "Well constructed" as something to be proud of. (If they're feeling flash, "distinctive".)

- Referring to their mates and their mates' girlfriends as "a strong fan base". To which, of course, our band's music "gets a crowd going".

- A quote from a chancer local publication or Surface Unsigned that tells you nothing about what the band sound like but is keen to highlight "strong/powerful vocals".

- A sense of pride at their Battle Of The Bands achievements.

- A carefully annotated list of small venues they've played in their region.

- At least one track recorded live, seemingly on a second hand dictaphone.

- At least three of the following in the first five on their sizeable influences list: Kings Of Leon, The Killers, The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, The Clash, The Jam, The Beatles.

- Abruptly not gigging for four months before reappearing with a keyboard player, dropping hints about "our great new sound" in the blog and add a bit about "funky beats" to the biog.

- Disappearing again six months later before changing their name and one of the rhythm section and launching a new Myspace that's black, features YouTube embeds of fractals with no band line-up or biography and has three top friends - Bill Hicks, Voltaire and Brian Wilson.

Simon Tyers is the man behind Sweeping The Nation.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JEZABEL MONKHOUSE

2010-06-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Photographs by Jezabel Monkhouse.

THE VICE GUIDE TO FILM: NORTH KOREA PART 1

2010-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

You could say that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has two primary obsessions: maintaining nuclear weapons capability as a means of protecting his “hermit kingdom,” and thwarting pressure from outside forces like from America and the rest of the industrialized world to open his country to modern things like electricity… and he’s obsessed with film. He loves movies. It’s rumored that he has one of the largest private film collections in the world. His favorite film is Gone with the Wind and his favorite actress is Elizabeth Taylor. He’s a film collector and bona fide cinephile, but he’s much more. He’s everything really. He’s a director, a producer, a financier, a costume maker, set designer, screenwriter, cameraman, sound engineer… and he’s also a film theorist.

His masterwork on aesthetics and practice is “On the Art of Cinema” (written and published in the early 1970s). In it he gives himself the humble title, “Genius of the Cinema.” He built an extensive film studio in Pyongyang and when he couldn’t find someone to make his film. He did what any self-respecting eternal leader and great president would do, he kidnapped one.

Vice founder Shane Smith visits North Korea to try and penetrate the Korean Feature Film Studio, the state-run film production facility west of Pyongyang: a sprawling lot that at its height produced around 40 films a year.

(VIA VICE)

OLYMPUS XA2 WINNER

2010-04-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who entered our first giveaway. We wrote your names on bits of paper, put them in a hat and the winner was...

...Dennis Lehmann!

Congratulations to Dennis, commiserations to everyone else. Keep an eye on the website for another giveaway really soon.

I'VE NEVER BEEN TO... SWEDEN

2010-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

In an age of internationalism, and with increasing internet access, it's fair to ask whether actually visiting a country is prerequisite to know, understand, and write about it. It's a question we had in mind when we came up with our new feature I'VE NEVER BEEN TO.... Essentially it's an occasional travelogue series, in which we ask people to write about a country they've never been to. Simple. First up, we asked Tom Mews to tell us what he loves about Sweden.

Team Sweden

Firstly, it’s important to say (probably) that I have never lived in Sweden, or in fact even been there (although I am planning to visit next summer). Arguably, this is potentially problematic since I would find it hard enough to write a “guide” about my own country: England (a country I’ve lived in for the entirety of my short existence). The very nature of condensing a country down to its “best bits”; identifying what it is that defines that country is a hard enough task alone, without the added complication of never having experienced it first hand.

However, I do have an alternative to first hand experience; some Swedish friends I made over the internet last summer. And although I’ve never met them in person (for the most part I don’t even know what they look like), it is through what I learnt from them that this short guide to Sweden is based upon. Since it was through them that I began to fall in love with all things Sweden.

Now, it doesn’t take long before a brief internet search, directs you towards the “standard” views about Sweden; its perceived reputation for awesome partying and drinking, or even before you are directed to an online discussion about how Swedish girls are the “best looking girls on the planet!!!” And for the majority of people, this is more than they would ever care to know about a seemingly insignificant Scandinavian country, which despite being the third largest country in the European Union (in terms of land mass) is home to a modest population of only 9.3million. In all truthfulness, these “typical” images of Sweden are exactly the sort of things that I first conjured up in my mind, during the rare occasions that Sweden was mentioned. However, it seems to me, (a self-confessed non-expert) that Sweden has much more to offer than just a good party or beautiful women.

Culturally, Sweden has accumulated a huge heritage over the years. Arguably it’s most well received cultural contribution to the world has been through its musical exports. Possibly Sweden’s most famous (or to some, infamous) musical export was the pop group ABBA, during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Perhaps surprisingly, Sweden is the third largest music exporter in world, surpassed only by the UK and the US. Whilst there is little doubt that the success of ABBA (who still sell millions of records a year), plays a significant factor in this, the more recent international success enjoyed by other Swedish artists, has also played its part. In addition to its pop success, Sweden apparently, has also enjoyed success from its death metal scene. As well as its musical successes, Sweden has also enjoyed worldwide success in both film and literature over the years.

When choosing a holiday destination, a country’s weather often plays an important role, this is an area where Sweden potentially has an unexpected advantage. Despite any preconceived ideas you might have about Sweden’s climate due to its northern latitude (around 15% of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle), Sweden isn’t as cold as you might expect and for the most experiences a cool temperate climate. In general, Sweden is a much warmer (and drier) place than other countries of similar latitude; this is largely a result of Sweden’s proximity to the Gulf Stream. However, temperatures in Sweden do vary significantly between the north and south of the country. Whilst Swedish summers are relatively warm throughout, (the average maximum temperature for the north and south in July is around 20°C and 17°C respectively), northern winters are much colder and more severe than those in the

country’s more southerly parts, with northern temperatures consistently several degrees below freezing during the winter months.

Another noticeable variation in the Swedish climate is the amount of daylight received. For example, in parts north of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for periods of summer, and likewise never rises for some parts of each winter. It must be a very interesting and surreal experience to experience ‘midnight sun’, although after a while I imagine this becomes rather annoying. In terms of climate, Sweden is a two-sided affair, whilst warm temperatures in summer make it ideal for those trying to experience something different, whilst still enjoying decent weather. Whereas on the other hand, Sweden’s more northerly climate makes its perfect as a winter destination.

Since this guide is meant to highlight the best bits of Sweden, it’s important to mention the people of Sweden. Especially since out of everything, this area is the only area I at least have some ‘first hand’ experience in. Although Swedes do appear to have a good reputation for general party awesomeness, in general, it seems (according to a Swedish friend) that unlike on the continent and the UK, where people will drink when they are social, in Sweden, they drink to get social, although in my opinion, there is little difference. However, perhaps there is some truth in this and maybe account for why Swedes also have a reputation for appearing (according to the wonderful Wikipedia) to display an “emotional, cold and stiff behaviour” and also having a reputation for “insecurity in social situations.” In truth this is probably the reason why I have been so ensnared by all thing Sweden, as I exhibit (and I think people would know me would agree) similar qualities. Although to the outsider, it may appear that Swedes are often uninteresting and have little to say, this is often not the case. This may relate back to the fact that historically, in Sweden, drawing attention and talking about your self was seen as an undesirable human trait. In spite of the apparent contradiction between their reputation for partying/drinking and their reputation for appearing uninterested and reserved, Swedes on the whole are an extremely friendly and helpful bunch of people. Certainly, from my experience with the few Swedes I know, this has always been the case and the majority of the internet seems to agree.

One of Sweden’s greatest selling points is its natural beauty. Sweden offers an experience of nature to cater for all, from extreme adventures in the untouched Swedish “wilderness” to extreme peace and quiet through Sweden’s gentle hills. Arguably the best way to experience the nature Sweden has to offer is to visit one of its many national parks, which cover the country. With over two thirds of Sweden covered by forests and wilderness of natural beauty, all protected (or not as the case might be), by Sweden’s right of public access, there are plenty of places to choose from. Sweden’s right of public access (or ‘Allemansrätt’ in Swedish) grants you the freedom to explore the entire countryside (with obvious exceptions) in peace. As well as its abundance of naturally beautiful landscapes, Sweden’s forests and wilderness are also home to large numbers of wild native animals. Unfortunately though (as I was sad to learn), the polar bear is not a wild animal found in Sweden, although there are plenty of brown bears to be found. So perhaps an (ice)bear survival course might be useful before venturing off into the countryside.

Regardless of the time of year you visit, Sweden offers a range of outdoor activities. In wintertime there are the obvious snow-based activities available; things such as skiing, dog sledding and ice climbing are all readily available. To take skiing as an example there are numerous ski resorts to choose from, including Åre, one of Northern Europe’s leading alpine sports resorts.

As well as the various snow based activities on offer, there are also a variety of other things to try.

For example there are multiple water based activities, ranging from wreck diving in the Baltic Sea to canoeing through Sweden vast, idyllic countryside. Or if you prefer keeping your feet firming on dry land, one of Sweden’s most popular all-round activities is hiking. Whether you would prefer a more leisurely lowland hike through Sweden’s traditional and agricultural heartlands, or a more rigours voyage into Sarek National Park; home to nearly 2,000 sq kilometres of remote, untouched Swedish wilderness, there is plenty on offer. Although this activity can be enjoyed all year round, for obvious reasons, in winter some areas become less accessible for hiking, especially in the northern parts of the country; which may limit what you want to do.

As well as its outdoor offerings, Sweden’s urban areas and especially its major cities also have lots to offer. These are the places where you can really get a taste of Sweden’s party culture and most likely where you can meet the stereotypical blond haired Swedish girl. Stockholm, Sweden’s official capital and also its party capital is matched by very few other European cities (or so I’m told).

From its dramatically ranging climate to its ever changing landscape, Sweden appears at deeper inspection to be a country full of extremes and contradictions, although this certainly seems to be in the country’s favour. Whether you are looking for a skiing holiday, peaceful solitude or are just looking for somewhere new to visit, Sweden has something to offer. Hopefully this ‘guide’ has persuaded you that Sweden has more to offer than what is assumed on first impressions. Although, if you haven’t yet been convinced of Sweden’s potential, you could always go back to your first impressions and then perhaps this will help sway you.

So as summer approaches, if you’re looking for somewhere different this year, then why not, in the words of ABBA “take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on [Sweden].”

Although, of course if you are planning a visit, you should probably read a proper guide first.

WORD BY TOM MEWS
PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEBMX

SPIRAL STAIRS TO PLAY TINY BRIXTON WINDMILL SHOW

2010-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Our favourite Pavement band member (srsly) Scott Kannberg AKA Spiral Stairs will be playing a tiny late night show on the Wednesday 12th May at the Brixton Windmill, shortly after his appearance at the sold out Pavement show on the same night at the Brixton Academy.

Doors will be at 11pm, and tickets have just gone on sale priced £8.50 from We Got Tickets.

Anyone who doesn't think he can hold his own against SM as a songwriter should click below to see some videos or our favourite Spiral Stairs-penned songs.

BILLY BRAGG vs RICHARD BARNBROOK OF THE BNP

2010-04-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Billy Bragg was recently in his hometown of Barking distributing literature for the Hope Not Hate campaign when he bumped into the BNP Councillor Richard Barnbrook, who was campaigning for the BNP. Luckily for us, it was filmed for posterity.

THE PARTYNICE GUIDE TO WAKEFIELD

2010-04-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

Following on from our Guide to Pontefract a few weeks back, we sent Jack Winn to Wakefield to take a look at the local music scene of what the Performing Rights Society describe as the 'third most musicl city in the UK'

Wakefield

For a place as inconsequential as Wakefield, it is a milestone in our social standing that we have been in the news twice recently. The first being that, according to the Performing Rights Society, we are the third most musical city in the UK. The second being that, according to Travelodge, we are the second least attractive city to visit, as we are ‘dull and depressing’. Both accolades, we are incredibly proud of, but I believe these things are linked.

Manic Street Preachers started a band because they had nothing else to do. Joy Division, a very similar story. There’s a huge number of bands in Wakefield. Almost everyone I know has a hand in our music scene, either being in a band, promoting gigs, starting labels, recording bands, usually a combination of these. And every band is completely incestual, it’s rare to find someone with their hand in only one project. And an inevitability of such a healthy, self-assured and prolific scene, is that some of the bands are really, really fucking good.

The example I think of immediately are The Spills, lumped by lazy music journalists as ‘grunge rock’ or whatever (I’m looking at you, Leeds Music Scene) but they’ve written some amazing pop songs, as well as some songs that catch you completely off guard and make you trawl through every mistake you’ve made. A band I’ve listened to a lot recently are called Nosferatu D2, who have a line that says ‘everybody has a song inside them that can make my heart break’. The Spills’ is ‘A Botched Goodbye’, which I don’t think they’ve recorded yet. The Compression’s is ‘Newsprint’, a song hidden away on a CD that comes with their debut 7” single, with no mention of it on the sleeve. Lapels’ was ‘Fine Black Ashes’, which they never released, and only ever demoed. The glaring fact being that every band in Wakefield has found that song.

What lets us down is our PR. I make extra effort to get out of playing the immediate surrounding area, play to new people. We have no way in, no leg up. Our press budget is spent on alcohol. We’re sitting on some amazing music that so few people will ever hear. Which in a way is wonderful, but another kind of heartbreaking. Some of my favourite music has been written by my friends, to the point where it becomes embarrassing how into them I am. But this has been created because our city, which I still love to pieces, is a shithole.

Wakefield won’t be alone in this. There’s so much music to find if you know your stuff, find the gig promoters that give a fuck about the music and not ticket sales, go and watch some bands. They’ll always be shit to sieve through, but once you find something all the effort pays off. Makes you look cool in front of your friends too, all this awesome underground music you’re into. Look in the right places in a shit city, and you’ll find something amazing. It’s probably not going to find you.

WORDS BY JACK WINN, PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDY SUNLEY

SIMON ROBERTS: THE ELECTION PROJECT

2010-04-14T02:16:00.000-07:00

Simon Roberts' book Motherland, a photographric journey around the far-flung corners of Russia, is one of our favourite of all time, so naturally we were super excited to hear that he had been selected as the official election artist for the forthcoming General Election in the UK.

Simon is asking members of the public to contribute their own photographs of political activity in their area, with some going on to be exhibited in the House of Commons later this year. Click through to find out how you can take part.

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS

If you have a photograph relating to the 2010 UK General Election you can upload, email or text it -

UPLOAD TO : www.theelectionproject.co.uk

EMAIL TO : pics@theelectionproject.co.uk

TEXT TO : 07541 380 888

Your photographs could be of anything that is connected to the election: local party members canvassing on your street, images of the battle buses, campaign posters, crowds gathering listening to political speeches, campaign hustings in the village hall, election photo calls or photographs related to local issues that you feel should be addressed by those candidates canvassing for your vote. There is no ‘correct’ photo, so please send them in.

You can see some examples of work submitted already in the gallery here.

GOOD SHOES - THE WAY MY HEART BEATS

2010-04-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

The new video from Good Shoes supporting the upcoming single 'The Way My Heart Beats'. A simple concept, brilliantly-executed. Pre-order the 7" here.

DON'T MAKE LISTS / DESTROYWERK

2010-04-09T03:55:00.000-07:00

Friend of PARTYNICE Nestor Watach runs an awesome music blog called Don't Make Lists. He's putting on a show. Check out this incredible poster by Tim Green.

Click through for more of his work.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JEAN-MARIE LE BRESTEC

2010-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Symptoms of a Larger Problem by Jean-Marie Le Brestec.

We were drawn to the aesthetics of Jean-Marie's set whist browsing our flickr pool. It's worth clicking through to his flickr to see the rest of the set, which tackles man's difficult relationship with suburban nature.

FASHION/NOT FASHION

2010-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

FASHION/NOT FASHION #1

Fashion: Style?

Don’t twitch in disgust/excitement (delete as applicable) in your seat just yet. I’m not here to Facehunt you. I don’t want to snap you artfully slouched in your thrift store threads (sorry, although I’m sure they’re lovely). I won’t bang on about what’s on-trend. There are enough people doing that already. Enter: bloggers!

The Fashion Blogger has been the hero and villain of the hour over the last year, with our RSS feeds unable to go a minute without spewing up Tavi, Susie Bubble et al. Now, I’m as big a fan of Facehunter as the next threads-focused wannabe with a laptop. And (as you’ll soon realise) I love a good bandwagon to jump on, especially if it’s powered by couture; but when something becomes popular, the space it occupies becomes saturated with weaker versions of the original. So whilst I’m a big fan of folk mounting their sartorial soapbox, sometimes it feels like there’s just too much content out there focusing on fashion.

So, I’m not going to be writing about fashion. But what I am going to talk about is style.

This isn’t something I profess to have or to be able to define and I think being in possession of style is something that’s as changeable as... well, trends. Fashion as a term is quite limited in its reach, but style extends to everything. It’s not just clothes, shoes, accessories. Not even if you throw hats into the mix (although I do love a good hat). I’m more excited about style – about the thinking behind - or lack thereof - an outfit or an item. I love concept outfits – start with a colour or a theme and let your imagination go from there. As you can imagine, I’m a nightmare if a dressing-up box is nearby.

Fashion restricts you to trends, but style is only restricted by your own attitude, creativity and –sometimes – your balls. Not literally your balls. Maybe courage is a better word. Whatever. So with creativity, attitude and courage in mind, I’m standing on the cusp of the mighty chasm that is the internet, about to plunge in and bring you items of clothing that I think have style and people who, at the moment the shutter winked on the camera, had style. After all, you’re only as fabulous as your last publicly posted picture.

If I see something or someone I love, I’ll share it with you. Sometimes I’ll try to explain why I love it. Sometimes, you’ll just know.

First up, this t-shirt:

Shirt by NorseProject.com and is available through goohhoodstore.com. Image courtesy of Hypebeast.com

If it were possible to make love to a typeface, I’d be dry humping the screen right now. I’m a sucker for a strong, bold print and I love how clean this design looks. Props for the Louis CK quote, too.

Okay, that was style for chaps. Ladies, feast your eyes on these:

Shoes by Marc Jacobs, image courtesy of farfetch.com

Wearing mice on your feet. Now, that’s stylish. Plus they’re by Marc Jacobs. Must admit, I’m very much a sucker for all things MJ. But, designer aside, I love the idea of being carried around by a pair of mice all day. There’s something a bit Cinderella about your shoes turning into something else. And the fact that they’re from last season makes them ultra-covetable (and, unfortunately, pretty much unattainable).

Now, maybe if I make a wish, my fairy godmother might stop by and transform my tatty old pumps and saving me a DIY job...

... Nope, no joy. Prit stick and fuzzy felt it is, then.

That’s stylish, right?

Words by Gemma Critchley

I MISS TREVOR BURKS

2010-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ever missed someone? What did you do? Write a letter? Email? Skype? When Rob Matthews had to leave his friend Trevor in Minneapolis, he produced t-shirts and posters to give to his friends back home, so when ever he missed Trevor they’d put them on and pretend to be him.

WIN AN OLYMPUS XA2 IN OUR GIVEAWAY!

2010-04-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

For our first giveaway, we're offering up a recommissioned 1980s cult-classic Olympus XA2 with original case.

Described as 'the camera that professional photographers carry on their vacations', the XA2 has a 35mm 1:3.5 4-element lens that will outperform many a point-and-shoot.

So how do you enter? See below for all the details...

How to enter:

1. Follow @PARTYNICE on Twitter and tweet the following message: “Win an Olympus XA2 camera from @PARTYNICE @ http://bit.ly/ddQeyh”

2. Become a fan of us on Facebook.

3. Leave a comment on this post with your email and a link to the twitter post in which you tweeted about our giveaway.

Entries close 25/04/10 at midnight. The winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. Good luck!

THE PARTYNICE GUIDE TO PONTEFRACT

2010-04-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Sir John Betjeman described Pontefract thus, 'The light and dangling licorice flowers / Gave off the sweetest smells; / From various black Victorian towers / The Sunday evening bells / Came pealing over dales and hills / And tanneries and silent mills / And lowly streets where country stops / And little shuttered corner shops.'

The tanneries, mills and shuttered corner shops have since been replaced by, well, public houses, mainly. So much so, in fact, that it is believed that the town now has the highest concentration of pubs in the whole of the UK. We sent Vincent Krasauskas to investigate.

Pontefract.

“What a nice town. I think I’ll name it Pontefract, after that broken bridge we found on our way here. It’s Latin, you know.”

William the Conqueror might have said this after his acquisition of England. When the Normans started re-naming everything in sight after their victory in 1066, they left the townspeople of Pontefract with a rather misleading name. The “broken bridge” which supplies its name is actually closer to nearby Castleford. As if that weren’t confusing enough, the “castle” referred to in Castleford is actually back in Pontefract! This must be how the Normans managed to defend their newly won land for so long; their enemies couldn’t find the bloody place in order to try and take it.

“Men! We must go to Castleford and attack said castle!”

“But sir, the castle is in Pontefract!”

“I thought that’s where the broken bridge was?”

“No, that’s in Castleford!”

“Oh sod it, let’s just go home!”

Pontefract is allegedly featured in William’s Domesday Book. What actually featured in Domesday was just a small part of Pontefract that is now called Tanshelf, which contains a college, a train station and not much else. No tans, no shelves. Imagine if people thought your entire hometown was made up of two cows, a mud hut and a fence to surround them. That’s just how offended the townspeople were back then, though in those days if you owned two cows you’d have been Ye Olde Bill Gates. Of course, being born and brought up in Pontefract offers me some natural insight into the way the town operates. Trying to see it through a fresh pair of eyes requires a fresh way of thinking. And a surgeon.

First of all, the town’s varied claims to fame. The aforementioned castle is located in the south-east of the town, five minutes’ walk away from an all-night garage, which will have provided invaders with much-needed petrol and Mars bars all those years ago. It was built in around 1070 (the castle, not the petrol station), by Ilbert de Lacy, a knight who had been granted the land by King William I as a reward for his efforts during the Norman conquests.

The castle is mostly in ruins now. It was knocked down at the end of the English Civil War due to a petition from frightened townsfolk. Following three separate sieges by the Parliamentarians, they believed that had action not been taken, the castle would have been attacked at regular periods. Oliver Cromwell agreed with their views, seeing any stronghold within his country as too risky to maintain for fear of another uprising. The paranoid git. The castle was home at some stage or another to many monarchs, though sometimes at someone else’s pleasure. Richard II was incarcerated at the turn of the 15th century, as all you Shakespeare buffs know. Local heritage groups now offer guided tours, and the castle is open to the public on most days, complete with overpriced souvenir shop. A popular attraction occurs on Halloween when ghost-walks and tours of the dungeon are offered. Personally I have never undertaken such expeditions due to fear of boredom. Maybe when Derek Acorah turns up to shout at his assistants in a ghoulish voice, I’ll nip down.

Pontefract’s other major historical attraction is its liquorice fields. Due to the town possessing some of the crumbliest, flakiest soil outside of Bourneville, Pontefract was one of the few growers of liquorice in all of Europe. This trade has carried on down the years, to the point where two sweet factories operate in the town; Haribo, located in the Tanshelf area (apparently, kids and grown ups love it so), and Trebor Bassett in the Monkhill region. During my ill-advised gap year, I was employed by Bertie Bassett himself (the interview was quite surreal) to help out in the factory. The placement lasted only two months, and I was only too happy to leave the place where I had become forever known as “The Slow Agency Kid”, because I had not yet acquired the ninja-speed packing skills that some of the life-timers there are so adept with. Eating the products may be fun and tasty, but producing them is a different matter. (Oh, and Trebor Bassett burned down a couple of years ago. As Mr Loverman himself, Shaggy, would proclaim, it wasn’t me.)

If it’s leisurely activities you’re looking for, Pontefract is…well, not really the place. A swimming pool can be found in the town centre; to find it just follow the school bus and codgers. The park boasts tennis courts, football pitches, and not one single ray of sunshine in which to make either of these things tolerable. Summer time brings families and gangs of disowned youths to these parts, making relaxing impossible and sporting pursuits difficult to accomplish, what with all the hyperactive toddlers running around. A safer bet for a fun time can be found just down the main road out of Pontefract, and into the middle ground between here and Castleford that is known as Glasshoughton.

The Xscape and Junction 32 complexes provide an excellent mix of shopping delight and entertainment. Xscape comes complete with indoor ski slope, family restaurants, bars, a bowling alley and a multiplex cinema. However, don't be taken in by the costs; a three-course meal for four at Frankie and Benny's costs roughly the same as several years of intensive private education for your smallest child. Personally I’d stick with the Burger King.

Back to Pontefract, then, and more shopportunities. The biggest supermarket is Tesco’s, an establishment that caters for the reluctant shopper. Items are placed conveniently so you can just bang them in a bag and pay before speeding home. Tesco’s also provides the distinct advantage of having front and rear entrances, placed near the bus station and the actual hub of the town respectively. It’s so handy to cut through there under the pretence of fancying a sandwich, but announcing loudly “I think I’ll have a KFC instead” so as not to arouse suspicion of your cheeky ways, and leaving through the other entrance.

There is an excellent selection of shops within the town centre, and big-name branches such as WH Smiths and Boots all along the same street. The main street hosts a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with people coming from as far as the other Four Towns of the district to peddle their wares. One thing learned about Pontefract market from personal experience is not to shout “do one!” and make to run away while holding items that have not been paid for, even if you were only kidding.

And so, to Pontefract’s most populated: the public houses. Apparently Pontefract possesses the most pubs per square mile in the country, each of which can accommodate most tastes. Watching the football on TV? The Tap and Barrel’s your place. Sunday lunch? The Highwayman is just down the street. A quiet drink? The Liquorice Bush will suit your needs, especially with its surplus of crazy old men being the reason the place is quiet; driving out all custom with their mental ways. The Counting House is the oldest pub in the town, its name deriving from an old King of England who used this location to count his money. This pub is ideal if you want to catch a gig on a Tuesday night, and just as ideal if you want to find the one place to blame for low GCSE test scores. If it’s a party you’re looking for, then the best recommendations would be to mix and match your own combinations of pubs. If you pick the right places and manage to dodge the trouble-making scallies (in which case my advice is to avoid the Big Fellas nightclub at all costs) then you should have all the makings of a great night out. Or alternatively, you could bus it to Leeds.

So this is Pontefract. Not the most lively town, but certainly steeped in enough history to retain one’s interest. The bloodshed is not just limited to the old days either, as anyone out on a Saturday night will attest to.

WORDS BY VINCENT KRASAUSKAS, PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

CENTRALIA, THE TOWN THAT WAS

2010-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

An interesting documentary from Palladium Boots about Centralia, a small town in Pennsylvania under which a mine burst into flames in 1962. Almost 50 years on, with the fire still burning and only a handful of residents remaining, the place is a ghost town.

It's interesting to see how quickly nature has reclaimed some of the town, though be advised to avert your eyes during the numerous close-ups of the presenter's boots (made by Palladium Boots, natch).

Click below to view.

PHOTOGRAPH OF CRACKED ROAD IN CENTRALIA BY ERIC HART.

STAIRS TO KOREA'S BANDSTAND BUSK

2010-03-30T10:39:00.001-07:00

Photo: Sonny Malhotra

Last October, one of PARTYNICE's favourite musicians, Stairs To Korea, headed down to Northampton Square bandstand in Islington to play a few songs for the increasingly impressive Bandstand Busking folks.

He performed previous singles Boy Bear It In Mind and Guy Fawkes as well as forthcoming single Paul, Is This How You Wanted It?, but here's our personal favourite After You Die.

Head over to the Bandstand Busking site to watch the other videos. After that, you could do a lot worse than to browse Sonny Malhotra's photographs from the recent video shoot for the aforementioned next single.

ANIMATION: MUTO BY BLU

2010-03-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

An oldie but a goodie, MUTO is 'an ambiguous animation' painted on the walls of Buenos Aires by artist Blu.

GRAVE ARCHITECTURE

2010-03-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Photo: Peter Baker

Photo: David Bram

AFGHANISTAN THROUGH AN IPHONE

2010-03-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

AP photographer David Guttenfelder has been documenting the Afghanistan conflict on his iPhone, carried in his flak jacket pocket, along with a Polaroid app. A new way and evocative of documenting the daily lives of the Armed Forces during a recent offensive in Marjah.

All photographs copywright AP Photo/David Guttenfelder.

INTO THE FOLD

2010-03-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

New Yorker Derick Melander creates sculptures out of second-hand clothing and tonnes of patience.

So sayeth Derick:

I create large geometric configurations from carefully folded and stacked second-hand clothing. These structures take the form of wedges, columns, walls and enclosures, typically weighing between five hundred pounds and two tons. Smaller pieces directly interact with the surrounding architecture. Larger works create discrete environments.

As clothing wears, fades, stains and stretches it becomes an intimate record of our physical presence. It traces the edge of the body, defining the boundary between the individual and the outside world.

For me, the process of folding and stacking the individual garments adds a layer of meaning to the finished piece. When I come across a dress with a hand-sewn repair, or a coat with a name written inside the collar, the work starts to feel like a collective portrait. As the layers of clothing accumulate, the individual garments are compressed into a single mass, a symbolic gesture that explores the conflicted space between society and the individual, between the self and the outside world.

(via BOOOOOOOM)

HOW TO SURVIVE A BLIND DATE (part four)

2010-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

I can flirt. I know I can. I’ve been told I can. Just this week I managed to convince the man in Marseille to elope to the south of France, have three children (Aimee, Millie and Charlie) and some chickens with me. It’s easy, bit of a girly giggle and some looking up through seriously massacred eyelashes and voila, quicker service in bars or in my case extra chips from the chippy. However there is a hitch… under no circumstance what so ever can I put on a decent performance (and it is a performance) with anyone I have any kind of genuine romantic affection for. With them I have only three options;

1. Total ignorance of any attempt they make to flirt with me. The whole mating ritual is a two way thing. You’re meant to pick up on subtle nuances of the other person’s language and behaviour and then reciprocate. Or in my case bite their head off. Cue example… inappropriate crush mentions to me that I’m sunburnt on my shoulders and would I like him to get his suncream for me. The perfect response would be a sultry hair toss and replying in a husky voice about not being able to reach my back, hint, hint. I instead chose to snap “Well it’s a bit late if I’m already burnt isn’t it?”. Brilliant.

2. The drunken lunge. This one is pretty self explanatory. And I am an expert (there is a good reason Craig chose a banner of a wine cellar for me). This has around a 30% success rate depending on the sheer volume of booze consumed and your propensity to act like a dickhead when drunk. Mine, sadly, is very high. Between the last few times I have been out with inappropriate crush I have managed to cry uncontrollably for no apparent reason, have a screaming match in the middle of the high street with him, stubbornly refuse to move from where I was until he held my hand and pretty much tried to rape him. Smooth.

3. Do my best Three Stooges impression. Every single time he has said or done something sweet for me I have managed to injure or make an arse of myself. He brought me a cup of tea while I was marking. I knocked it over. He told me I looked pretty. I promptly tripped on my own shoes. We watched Super Troopers, I went to put my pyjamas on, got my dress stuck over my head and he had to pull me out. He told me to catch a football. I decided to show off and try to kick it and kicked him in the hand with some scary looking heels. Ouch.

Oh and FYI the reason it’s an inappropriate crush is that technically I’m his boss. That and he is a total prick when it comes to the ladies and for once I am trying not to get delusions of grandeur and believe I can change him. Going well ain’t it…

WORDS BY KATIE HICKMOTT
PHOTOGRAPH BY NUNO

PHOTOGRAPHY: KIRILL KULETSKI

2010-03-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

From our flickr pool, some awesome photographs by Kirill Kuletski.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GRACE DENTON

2010-03-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE DENTON

NO ANORAK NECESSARY

2009-11-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

I am a confessed train enthusiast. For me, the intrigue of rolling stock, disused track and proposed line extensions goes hand in hand with the sanctity of network map design. There is an inviting simplicity to clean lines and neatly separated destinations, as if the area presented is an orderly hub of efficient travel. A network map presents opportunities for new adventures and certainly inspires within me the desire to explore.

No doubt the most famous example for the British public is the map of the London Underground. The transport system is the oldest underground network in the world and its history is delightfully rich even to somebody with little more than a fleeting interest in the city’s trains. Naturally, the map has changed and expanded with the network’s additions and alterations, but in what has become an emblem of London and an icon of design, the basic line colours, type-face and interchange symbols have remained the same for over one hundred years.

The earliest maps were firmly based around a geographical depiction of London. They were often large and inscrutable as the designers struggled to successfully present a true-to-scale representation of the transport lines and their relation to major geographical features. This is exemplified in the distortion of the north-west of the 1911 map by cartographers at Johnson Riddle & Co.

However, the introduction of a schematic map by electrical draughtsman Harry Beck in 1933 forever changed the basic platform for network map design – not only for the country, but for the rest of the world’s transport systems. The famed design was based upon Beck’s knowledge of circuit diagrams and was considered so revolutionary the public were encouraged to post comments about it to the London Underground Publicity Manager.

Beck’s map continued to be tweaked and re-worked, but its fundamental design has remained consistent until the present day and is held with great affection. In 1925 the Thames was temporarily removed from tube maps with the removal of all other background geographical features, and its reinstatement in 1926 came to be greatly revered by travelers. Although Beck’s maps were largely removed from true London topography, the river remained as a consistent city symbol. However, in the purported interests of simplicity, Transport for London has removed this orientating feature from the newest maps of 2009 for the first time in 76 years, to much public dismay. The presence of the river assists the interpretation and understanding of the map and of London, and is deemed essential for visitors to the city. TfL have also removed any indication of zones, which leaves many customers cynical as to the motives behind these bold changes.

Of particular interest in the context of the changing tube map are the roughly 40 disused subterranean ‘ghost stations’ on the network. For an unashamed trainspotter like me, the history these often eerily preserved platforms and ticket halls suggest is immeasurable. Having disappeared forever from maps, the stations take on a clandestine interest. One of the most intriguing is the station of ‘Aldwych’, situated on a disused branch line of the Piccadilly Line. This line served as a shuttle between Holborn and Aldwych and as a (brief) connection to the northbound Piccadilly Line. Aldwych was originally named ‘Strand’, but was soon changed because of the simultaneous existence of ‘Strand’ (now Charing Cross) at the other end of the road.

The branch line was originally built as a twin tunnel, but because of low demand only one remained in use after 1917. Platform 6 at Holborn served this very early track, but was converted into World War Two offices and to this day remains separated and bricked up into compartments. Platform 5 at Holborn, which served the shuttle to Aldwych until 1994, could until recently be seen through gates on the northbound Piccadilly platform at Holborn. This platform and the remaining tunnel to Aldwych is still served regularly by a train between the two stations to ensure upkeep of the tracks, and the platform is used as a storage area and prototype testing platform.

Today, Aldwych station itself is maintained by London Underground as a film set and museum piece, with its ground level concourse restored to the original condition. The station below is decorated to the demands of film sets. During the Second World War, Aldwych was used as an air raid shelter and the unused tunnels were used as storage for precious artefacts from the British Museum.

What I find so fascinating about disused deep level stations such as Aldwych, and the disused tracks and tunnels connecting these ghost stations to the current, main underground system, is their juxtaposition with the order presented by today’s established network. The current London Underground map would lead you to believe by its authoritative existence that the stations and routes depicted are concrete; it suggests a definitive picture of travel beneath the city, as if the network is as sure as the Thames that cuts through the sprawl and divides it in two. But the existence of these subterranean stations reveals the great lengths the planners and engineers took to try and forge the most effective and efficient underground system. Their existence affirms the history of a transportation system committed to a public service, and brings a humanity to the thrall travelers on the tube experience when faced with the alluring, unobtainable clean slate that is the London Underground network map.

With thanks to http://homepage.ntlworld.com/clivebillson/tube/tube.html and http://www.underground-history.co.uk.

WORDS BY STEPHANIE POTTER

AFRICAN APPAREL

2009-09-28T12:54:00.001-07:00

This is the first tshirt to be made by African Apparel, a Bristol-based tshirt label. We want one.

POP VIDEOS WE LIKE, PART 1

2009-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Is it acceptable to call a feature 'Part 1', even though you have no intention of continuing it? Regardless, here are two pop music videos that we think are really swell.

First up is the debut single from Anglo-Icelandic pop walrus Stairs To Korea, Boy Bear It In Mind, released today through the indefatigable Brainlove Records. Buy it from iTunes here.

Next up is a video from Mississippi's Dead Gaze. The song, Back And Forth, is from the upcoming release End of Days, Why Not You?.

THE SALTON SEA

2009-09-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Fifty miles south of Palm Springs in the California desert lies the Salton Sea - a man-made body of water created over 100 years ago from the flooding Colorado River. A once prominent tourist and vacation destination in the 1950's and 60's, the area is currently in ruin and decay. The salinity of the water is now greater than that of the Pacific Ocean and most of the area establishments have long since been boarded up. However, there are still residents living in a handful of small towns surrounding the Salton Sea and some who visit to regard the decomposition.

Upon each visit I have made to the Salton Sea, my attraction to the peculiar relationship of this region's past and present deterioration has increased and I cannot help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the landscape when I view these images.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN TAMIESIE

HOW NOT TO ADVERTISE A PRODUCT

2009-09-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

O. M. F. G. Is this a joke? Way to go Microsoft. The token black man is a nice touch.

CARDON COPY

2009-09-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Cardon Copy is an ongoing project by Cardon Webb, who has taken it upon himself to redesign and replace handwritten posters in and around his neighbourhood in New York City.

"Cardon Copy, takes the vernacular of self-distributed fliers and tear-offs we have all seen in our neighborhoods. It involves hijacking these unconsidered fliers and redesigning them, over powering their message with a new visual language. I then replace the original with the redesign in its authentic environment."

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVE GEETING

2009-09-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE GEETING

THE LONGEST BEARD

2009-08-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Christoph Rehage's The Longest Way video caught our eye because it combines three of our favourite things. Namely travel, the internet, and beards.

If you've had internet access longer than ten minutes, you've probably seen those one-photo-a-day video montages that people do. Christoph has taken that one step further, interspersing the standard still photos with short videos of his journey between Beijing and Urumqi on foot. His video is remarkable not just for the beard growth seen over the year of his travels, but the awesome backdrops he chooses. Enjoy.

For more on Christoph's travel, see his website.

BANDSTAND BUSKING

2009-07-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my band (Internet Forever) were lucky enough to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon playing on a bandstand in Islington. This struck us as a totally awesome idea so we spoke to the people that started it to find out more.

The event was a Bandstand Busk which, they told us, is "a mix of two things... online videos, but also little events in bandstands around London". If you go on their site you can see performances from over 30 artists, including Of Montreal (see this below), Black Lips, and Slow Club.

All over London there are bandstands in parks that are hugely underused and so Bandstand Busking are doing everyone a favour by getting performances on them that you can go and watch FOR FREE. There is nothing about this situation that we don't like.

The next one takes place on Sunday 2nd August at Northampton Square in Islington. First Aid Kit are playing and other bands are TBA.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CRAIG NUNN

WORDS BY LAURA WOLF

ILLUSTRATION: CHAOS VS COSMOS

2009-07-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Click for full size...

We are very lucky kids at PARTYNICE cos Chaos Vs Cosmos has donated a previously unseen piece of his artwork. He's most commonly found making posters for shows and artwork for music releases. You can see more of his stuff over at his blog or myspace. Worth checking out as well is his musical output, the most recent of which is the awesome Slushy Guts.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JAIME MARTINEZ

2009-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAIME MARTINEZ

ART: ABOMINABLE BOY

2009-07-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

ARTWORK BY ABONIMABLE BOY

ISOBEL WHITE Part Two

2009-07-14T02:19:00.000-07:00

Click for full size...

BY SCOTT JASON SMITH

HOW TO BE A CHINESE NEWSREADER

2009-07-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

The job openings for reading the news in China are quite limited, especially when it comes to English language news programs produced by Chinese channels. Even though news is extensively covered in China, English news is reserved to either dedicated English channels (check out the ground breaking CCTV 9) or the sporadic scheduling of regional TV stations. A big hindrance is that as most if not all Chinese media is state run or heavily influenced, most TV companies cannot legally employ foreigners. Through clever legal manoeuvring, loopholes are found and native English speaking foreigners are brought in to add a touch of authenticity to the channel’s English language output.

A recent conversation with one of these newsreaders became a fascinating insight into a world seldom seen by anyone who doesn’t possess a Chinese passport. The newsreader is American and had found the job through guanxi, a system of contacts that is built up through family connections or networking. If you want to be successful in China, these contacts are essential to get jobs, promotions or complete business deals. Despite having no experience in broadcasting, through these contacts she was able to get an interview and was offered the job.

The work itself is pretty mundane, just 3 hours, one of which is spent in make up. The script arrives and the usual Chinglish grammar mistakes and badly translated words are taken out and a readable flowing version is self edited minutes before recording by the newsreader. Negative words are asked to be taken out by the Chinese staff. ‘Smog’ is substituted for ‘haze’, but bizarrely ‘acid rain’ is somehow kept in. The camera man preps the studio and the news reader is left alone to go record the news in a slow controlled manner being careful not to slouch or contort any part of her body.

The usual news story is of a visit by a government official or local economic news. Thankfully, she told me, there has not been any crisis of conscience when reading the news but any reporting of the 3T’s (I’ll let you guess what they are) is still open to bias and twisting of the truth. “But that’s how it goes in China,” she informed me, and as much as China has progressed to the eyes of the outside world in recent times it’s still the same old story for the nation’s newsreaders.

For further reading please read the blog below for an Australian writer’s slightly paranoid account of working for the China Daily newspaper, the Chinese government’s English language rag!

http://leakingstatesecrets.blogspot.com

WORDS BY WILL CROOK

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

2009-07-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

I read something once in which genius was described as the ability to see a scene or problem in it's entirety; to step back, zoom out, and see the solution click together with perfect clarity before your eyes.

It's a nice idea, and it stuck with me. But those kind of moments come rarely. Answers are discovered by accident as much as by design. Knowledge systems have a life of their own, in which multiple perspectives are a necessity, everything is contingent and subject to change, absolute truth is a fallacy and a complete understanding of anything is impossible.

It's the human condition. Being created without asking, hurtling towards death at unknown velocity, and frantically juggling the endless mass of situations, ideas, experiences and stimulus along the way.

And it's great when you come across a piece of art or music that has taken some or all of this into account. I was recently converted to the cause of Oakland's Why? for this reason. Watching Yoni Wolf spit his dense OCD lyrics in the flesh, I came to realise that what I had perceived as wise-ass meandering was actually an endearingly human attempt to hold all that knowledge and memory and to make sense of it, rationalise it, and reprocess it as something understandable. Why? stopped being annoying right there and became an expression of what it is to try and hold back chaos.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone takes the approach via a kind of poetic anthropology, in which we get fleeting glimpses of characters across America, each with their own back story, their own concerns and their own problems. Individual lives are dotted through his prolific output like stars across the sky, and a tiny event like a string of pearls snapping and scattering in a nightclub becomes heartbreaking in his hands.

Installation artists like Mike Nelson and Tomoko Takahashi use a chaos of objects as their medium. Nelson creates maze-like networks of rooms in which you might find yourself stepping from a completely authentic-looking office reception into a garden shed, complete with damp wood smell and rusty tools, into a velvet and mahogany funeral chamber. The significance we project onto spaces is illuminated, and innocuous objects become loaded with meaning.

Takahashi celebrates chaos and colour, packing galleries with countless objects in garish colours, squashing meaning and significance together until they are no longer recognisable. Her installations are a fireworks display in which all objects are equalized in a joyful melee.

Martin Creed's minimalism uses the opposite technique to reach the same conclusion. By removing everything from the gallery, he leaves us with a meaning vacuum that explodes like a split atom upon examination.

A direct attempt to grapple with information overload comes from Simon Bookish on his new album Everything/Everything. Released on Tomlab late in 2008, it's a dizzying proto-jazz record in which the flood of information and knowledge is portrayed first as a threat, but ultimately as a liberating force that can yield the answers to everything, especially when the finite human lifespan is taken out of the equation.

I don't remember where the idea I paraphrased in the first paragraph came from, but it's out there somewhere, on paper or some server. It could have been a previously unread internet diary or the work of a great Greek philosopher. I'll probably never find out.

But whatever it was from, the idea emerged from the chaos and stuck in my head just like the sounds and ideas all of these musicians and artists did, and a picture starts to form...

WORD BY JOHN BRAINLOVE

PARTYNICE PRESENTS: THIS WEEKEND

2009-07-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

This Saturday sees our first two PARTYNICE PRESENTS events take place. In London, we are hosting a house show with Internet Forever and Stairs To Korea, who will now be joined by Raymond Detritus.

You need to email us for a guestlist place. Space is limited so be quick. The show is being photographed for the VICE Magazine photoblog, there will be barbecue, and it will be pretty awesome all round.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, PARTYNICE's Tomek Roszkowski starts his photography exhibition Pilot Light. So says Tomek:

Me and my sister worked together on the Pilot Light project. There are two sets of photos, both supposing dreams as spaces that exist beyond the confines of our imagination.

The first, called 'Ghost Dreams', examines the idea of recurring dreams that we've stopped having becoming neglected spaces, subject to an imaginary urban decay and being recalled/revisited many years later and bearing witness to what has essentially become a ghost town as a physical space and as a reflection of who we were at that time in our lives.

Second, 'Zhou Wang's Nightmare' are snapshots from a night where by some criss crossing of plugs, I experienced the nightmare of an 82 year old Chinese man, vaguely understanding the significance of the defining images that haunt a person in that most honest and brutal space, our own nightmares.

Tomek, along with his sister Agnieszka, were interviewed on Korean radio about their collaboration. Listen below.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SWAMPDONKEY

2009-07-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SWAMPDONKEY

HOW TO SURVIVE A BLIND DATE PT. 3

2009-06-28T04:53:00.000-07:00

My total success rate with blind dates has so far been zero unless we count the lovely French man we dragged in off the street last week. I keep running into him in Tesco, usually when I’m in some kind of state of disarray. He tells me about his day in his breathy French voice. I reply with any old shite that pops into my head in my disgusting Kent/London accent. He goes off, no doubt to buy something very grown up and sophisticated, (I’m picturing red wine and an erotic novel) I head straight for the chocolate hobnobs.

To add to this misery, long suffering gay flatmate has been away all weekend in Cambridge. I have had to fend for myself, suffice to say Super Noodles have been getting a lot of business from me. He came home today and the following conversation took place:

Me: “How was your weekend?”

LSGF: “Yeah was great. Went punting. The guys are hot. Katie, will you have sex with one of my friends?”

Me: “Have you been pimping me out to your friends?”

LSGF: “Sort of. Only on Facebook. He thinks he might love you.”

I’m not sure where he found the time in between commuting, teaching and his own tangled love life to make a neon ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ sign for the living room but clearly it has happened. I expect him to develop an Eastern European accent and start dolling out beatings within the week.

That said, the advantage of this over my previous attempts is that LSGF has given me a ‘definitely not mental’ guarantee. The disadvantage is that I’m not sure I fancy this guy and besides, he is currently in Marseille (There’s a definite French theme here, non?).

So until his return I’m stuck in an exceedingly unhealthy rota of awkward conversation with the French man in commercial outlets and flirting with the teaching assistant I’ve got a wildly inappropriate crush on. Aces.

WORDS BY KATIE HICKMOTT
PHOTOGRAPH BY NUNO

WHY I LOVE POWER BALLADS

2009-06-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

When I was walking home this evening I had my ipod on shuffle. I think I heard a bit of Beat Happening, some Black Flag, and some Mirah. Then after Ariel Pink I heard Spanish influenced guitar… “Don’t leave me in all this pain / Don’t leave me out in the rain…” Warm rays of joy travelled from my guts into my heart and then leapt up into my head. I stood taller and I’m pretty sure I visibly swelled and blushed with wanton emotion. It was Unbreak My Heart. When a Microphones track came on after I wondered why I was wasting all my time listening to such fucking nonsense when clearly all the best songs are power ballads by female singers.

If I have my itunes or ipod out at parties it doesn’t take long before people start noticing artists that seem erroneous: Toni Braxton, Belinda Carlisle, Whitney Houston, Bonnie Tyler, Cyndi Lauper, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor, Roxette. There’s even space for Complicated by Avril Lavigne and Since You’ve Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. These songs always get picked, people always sing along, and people always air drum when the chorus of Total Eclipse of the Heart kicks in. Proof, if needed, that these kinds of songs ARE AWESOME.

Of course it’s the pomp and ridiculousness that appeals to most. I note this, but also truly believe that they are the most perfect form of song. The tension and release! The raw emotion and heartbreak! Can you even imagine being as heartbroken as Sinead O’Connor in Nothing Compares 2 U? Doubt it. I definitely can’t. I love these ballads precisely because I can’t relate to them. But it’s something to aspire to.

One day I want to fall in love as hard as Bonnie Tyler… “AND I NEED YOU NOW TONIGHT! AND I NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER! AND IF YOU’LL ONLY HOLD ME TIGHT! WE’LL BE HOLDING ON FOREVER!” … Fuck it all up as much as Roxette… “Make believing we're together / That I'm sheltered by your heart / But in and outside I turn to water / Like a teardrop in your palm” … and write a song as awesome as any of the aforementioned.

WORDS BY LAURA WOLF
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID THAIR

PARTYNICE PRESENTS: PILOT LIGHT

2009-06-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

PARTYNICE contributor Tomasz Roszkowski is one of eight photographers to feature in Seoul Art Collective's forthcoming exhibition, entitled Pilot Light. So says the blurb...

‘Pilot Light’ explores photography that recalls memories from one’s past, negates time and space and transports individuals into a world all of their own. When perception elicits a spontaneous reaction; a dream, a taste, a sound, a smell… there we find the intangible realm of memory. The photographic works question what it is that draws the past back into us, and the boundaries between memory and imagination.

Pilot Light 전시회에 노출된 사진들은 우리의 감각이 꿈이나 맛이나 소리 또는 향기로부터 자연스럽게 반응할 때와 같은 추억들을 상기시킨다. 이 사진들은 우리에게 추억을 묻고 또 추억과 상상의 차이점을 묻는다.

Pilot Light will be running from the 11th to the 23rd July, at the DOOR Gallery in Hongdae, Seoul (121-818 서울 마포구 동교동 177-22). Call 010-9441-9335 for visit the website for more details. We'll have a full review and photographs from the exhibition in due course.

Flyer photograph by Charlie Engman.

THE UNIFORM PROJECT

2009-06-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Mention the word 'sustainable' whilst talking fashion and suddenly the conversation feels as much fun as watching kittens get run over by bikers.

But write a blog where you style up the same dress every day for a year, and suddenly 'sustainable fashion' is a game of sartorial wit and flair.

This was Sheena Matheiken's idea. Remember school uniform? Matheiken waxes lyrical about the ingenuity of Indian school kids when it came to customizing their look: “peeking through the sea of uniforms were the idiosyncrasies of teen style and individual flare”. Armed with seven copies of the same short black button-through tunic, the bold New Yorker has so far modelled a fresh outfit every day for two months. Together with designer/stylist friend Eliza Starbuck, the pair hope to engage the online community, galvanise a little support for sustainable fashion and raise cash for education charity Akanksha.

And so far, she's the toast of the online schoolyard. The black dress has seen a rainbow array of tights and socks, collars and lace, cute belts, sexy dresses and a healthy handful of vintage headpieces. It's also seen a brilliant range of response, from coos of pleasure to jeers, boredom to effusive delight. Matheiken says she's bombarded by attention, including donations and offers from designers. Here's hoping that the excitement for the Uniform Project generates some lasting reserves for Akanksha, and puts sustainability back on the agenda for conscientious clotheshorses everywhere.

WORDS BY ELLIE BROUGHTON

PARTYNICE PRESENTS

2009-06-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

This promoting lark is pretty simple, right? Well we're soon to find out. We're pleased to announce the first of what we hope will be many PARTYNICE PRESENTS shows. First up a guestlist-only house show with Internet Forever and Stairs To Korea. We're not one for writing hypey blurbs for bands. If you don't know these already, you should seek them out. And because we're generous chaps here at PARTYNICE, why not download yourselves an mp3 from each band, courtesy of us?

INTERNET FOREVER - Break Bones

STAIRS TO KOREA - Boy Bear It In Mind

Email us at partynicemag @ gmail.com if you want to come. Numbers will be strictly limited, y'know?

FYI, the photograph we used for our flyer is by Ben Acree, who happens to be one of our absolute favourite photographers around.

ISOBEL WHITE Part One

2009-06-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Writing this is maybe the most fangirl thing I’ve ever written. Considering the fact I once started a Barr/Owen Pallett slash fiction blog, this is a bold statement.

I got Issue One of Scott Jason Smith’s comic zine Paunch a while back and took an instant liking to his illustrations and storytelling. Other comic zines I pick up at fairs and symposiums seem to be full of cute drawings of animals or immaturely drawn tales of love failure. Whilst there is a space for things like this on my zine shelf, I’d much rather read something along the lines of the graphic novels I like (e.g. stuff by Adrian Tomine, Craig Thompson and Alison Bechdel) – stuff that acts as a sort of social commentary by showing you the world through an outsider’s eyes.

Paunch hit the mark because it had the life story of a cat burglar and stories about ‘the great British public’. I’m trying not to say, I LIKE IT COS IT’S REAL. But fuck it: It is real. And the stories are interestingly drawn and told, and the characters selected are not boring or typical.

I soon picked up the other issues of Paunch when I saw them and also Up A Blind Alley, a diary comic he did. All of them were similarly awesome, so I’m super excited to have Scott involved with PARTYNICE and I hope you enjoy his stuff as much as I do. GUSHING OVER (sorry).

Click for full size...

WORDS BY LAURA WOLF
ART BY SCOTT JASON SMITH

A PESCETARIAN'S GUILT

2009-06-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

I’ve always loved fish. I gave up meat and poultry primarily on financial grounds, but it wasn’t long before I resolved never again to eat the flesh of poorly-reared, chemically-pumped animals. I didn’t even like the taste that much anyway.

For some reason fish never crossed the morally-dubious threshold, despite clearly being alive in a way vegetables just aren’t. I love bream, haddock, sardines, sea bass, mackerel and salmon, but I probably love tuna the most. I love a good piece of fish from the market, but the reality of my wallet means tinned tuna is the easiest and cheapest way for me to get my regular dose of brain food.

I was naïve enough for a while to think the fish I was eating had been caught traditionally: the fish happily living and breeding; the fisherman happening upon them. I thought it was just the food chain, but now I probably won’t touch tuna ever again.

While the endangered bluefin tuna species used for sushi may not be the kind that ends up in my pasta, its plight (and that of its slightly less endangered but still over-fished cousin, the yellowfin) has resulted in questions being asked about the fishing methods used to catch the more common, tinned skipjack tuna. The fish are caught using a method called ‘purse seine’, which means the net spanning a large area of the sea closes like a purse to entrap everything unfortunate enough to have swum near. The nets go deep, which means it’s not just surface-skimming skipjack that is caught: bluefin tuna is routinely ‘accidentally’ caught and then disposed of and even sharks and dolphins can become entangled and die. The delicate balance of all ocean wildlife is at stake because of our insatiable demand for fish.

Marks & Spencer recently became the first supermarket to switch to only selling tuna caught by the less intrusive and more sustainable pole-and-line method, and other large companies have followed suit, including sandwich chain Prêt a Manger. Its co-founder says he was made aware of the plight of fish after watching documentary The End of the Line, billed as ‘the world’s first major documentary about the devastating effect of over-fishing’. I haven’t seen it, but it’s clear the film has had serious and lasting repercussions.

So why I am concerned? Soon, all supermarkets and probably all major brands will only sell pole-and-line caught skipjack tuna. And I don’t eat sushi, so the bluefin is off my conscience. But while this method of fishing is more sustainable, the fact remains that tuna is still being consumed at an alarming rate. Why must we stubbornly insist on continuing to eat something that’s in grave danger of upsetting the environment with its disappearance?

For me, the only other option is a move to full-blown vegetarianism. This has already proven harder than anticipated, particularly after a traffic-congested drive to London on Monday morning. I was starving and picked up some paninis for my Dad and myself during a break: one tuna melt, one mozzarella. I have no idea why I didn’t just pick two mozzarella ones; I suppose I wanted to provide my Dad with a choice and secretly hoped he’d pick tuna. But he immediately pounced on the vegetarian one and I kept my mouth shut because he’d paid and was doing the driving. I felt sick with hunger but with every bite my recent discoveries sickened me further. I finished it, but from now on I think I’ll stick to appreciating the delicacy of seafood from a considerate, rather than culinary, perspective.

WORDS BY STEPHANIE POTTER
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE BBC

STELAZINE: EQUINE EUTHANASIA

2009-06-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

We asked Stairs To Korea, the man behind the hugely popular Andersen Ben-Hilliens Rock Paparazzi blog, to contribute to PARTYNICE.

The result is our new column STELAZINE. Enjoy the first installment, Equine Euthanasia, below. Our minds are blown.

I HOPE THE SMOKING MAN'S IN THIS ONE

2009-06-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

In 2006 I heard that Barenaked Ladies song that has the line "Watching X-Files with no lights on" for the first time in years. I realised that watching X-Files with no lights on was a well good idea. I imagined feigning fear and conning someone into cuddling me whilst I was doing this and immediately bought the first season from play.com.

I used to be into it when I was a kid. I even bought the X-Files magazine and imagined growing up to be a cross between Dana Scully and Nancy Drew. So it was no surprise when I got back into it in a big way. I think I maybe managed to con at least two separate people into cuddling me whilst watching it too, which is pretty good going. Turns out being a dork into 90s sci-fi is pretty hot to strange indie boys.

I soon got through seasons 1-5. Sometimes I watched 4 or 5 episodes a day. I started going to Lewisham Library and heading straight to the paranormal section. I read books on real alien abductions and had nightmares about small greys visiting me in my bedroom. I looked up academic essays on UFO phenomena. I began to think that the undercover policemen that were watching the crack den across the street from my halls were actually watching me. I wondered if the times when I was a kid and I woke up delirious were due to abduction rather than fever. I HAD GONE TOO FAR AND I KNEW IT.

I tried to take a step back. But now I was synonymous with X-Files to many of my friends. It was like the time my mum expressed an interest in pigs and then got pig ornaments for her birthdays, Christmases, and anniversaries for 5 years until her shelves were literally collapsing from the weight of them. My room was full of X-Files merchandise: posters, a light-up clock, a map, books, a mouse mat, mugs, t-shirts.

Should a 24 year old woman have two large X-Files posters on her wall? Should she wear an X-Files t-shirt at any opportunity? I had surpassed having a slightly kooky and unexpected interest and moved into weirdo territory. I stopped watching. Like Harrison Ford I got frantic. I took down the posters and replaced them with arty postcards, I put my merchandise in a drawer. I stopped my quest to find out whether or not the mytharc episodes made sense if you watched them consecutively. This part was particularly painful.

A year later and I was starting to think it was safe to go back and that I might re-watch the pilot (Scully in her underwear!) but then I lost interest. Someone sat me in front of the Battlestar Galactica pilot instead. HOLY SHIT, IT'S GOOD.

WORDS BY LAURA WOLF

PHOTOGRAPHY: SARAH MCLEAN

2009-06-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH MCLEAN

DEAD GAZE INTERVIEW & EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD

2009-06-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Y'know that feeling when you chance upon a band on Myspace that completely blows you away? Meet Dead Gaze, the musical alias of Mississippian R. Cole Furlow. A friend of ours described him as a 'tropical Wavves', but if you took Nathan Williams' straight-up distorted surf pop and threw in some Panda bear-esque atmospheric vocals and multi-instrumentation, you'd be closer the mark.

After having debut LP The Pride of Calling Panther Lake on repeat for the past few weeks, and with the follow-up EP Small Lava imminent, we decided to ask him a few questions.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and how Dead Gaze started out. What are your influences, musically or otherwise?

Dead Gaze started out as outlet for me to write songs about my home state of Mississippi and the people living here. Initially, i just wanted to record as much loud, pastoral-ish pop music as possible. I think it really just ended up with me spacing out and forcing the music out the door. My father lives in the middle of nowhere, with really nice trees and a backwoods pond. that setting was definitely a nice piece of inspiration. He's a band director at the local community college in Wesson, and lets me use his band hall for recording. I've found sitting out there for a while makes you think a bit clearer, and maybe let's you focus a bit more. It was a nice atmosphere to record and have a place to be weird. And that was good. My influences change everyday. Right now I've been jamming a bunch of Jay Dee, Yabby You, Fleetwood Mac, Spacemen 3, John Hurt, Jorge Ben, R Stevie Moore, Harmonia, and Waylon Jennings to name a few.

To these British ears at least, you have a definite West Coast sound. What's it like making music in Mississippi? Is there a supportive local music scene? Do many touring bands pass through the area?

I dig the West Coast, for sure, but it's not me. I think Mississippi is a comfortable place to make music. It's really laid back. In my world, I am lucky enough to have a bit of a hideaway from the city. Which is where a ton of my inspiration for making these tunes comes from. Lots of bands come through the north part of the state where Oxford is. Next weekend Animal Collective is playing in Oxford which will be rad. Japandroids, Woven Bones, and Jacuzzi Boys are all playing in the next couple weeks as well. A lot of my buddies in Taylor, Ms have started an arts collective which has blown up. And Jackson has a couple decent venues. There are some great song writers from around here, which sometimes makes performing new tracks for people intimidating. But generally speaking, MS is pleasant.

You gave away your first release 'The Pride of Calling Panther Lake' for free. What was your reasoning behind this? Do you think new artists need to do something like that to get a foot in the door? And what are your thoughts on illegal fire sharing, mp3s blogs, and such?

I gave it out free so people would listen to it. I just want people to have it, and listen. I enjoyed making it, and i do see an understandable amount of worth somewhere in the mix sometime soon on the next releases. But i'm going to keep releasing music, no matter the case. Illegal file sharing is here. that's why making nice records is important.

Tell us a little bit about your next release.

I'm actually releasing a new EP called SMALL LAVA next week. It's more sample based than the full length. There's not nearly as much space as there was in the first release. I had a lot of fun making these songs, and i think it shows. I always wish my tunes would end up happier, and i think sometimes on this release they do.

What can people expect from your live shows? How does the band set up differ from your recorded output?

The band has it's first real show on the 9th of June. We got together and played a bit. It's way more sludgy live than on recording. The band is musically the most talented line up I've ever played with. so I'm super excited about the chance to sweat it out.

What are your plans for the summer, and beyond?

Keep recording, play some shows. seriously nothing too exciting. it gets really hot here in the summer time, and it kinda drains you after a while. so staying cool will probably be something i look into doing all summer. Hopefully a bit more drinking, and a lot more recording. Always check the myspace page and stay posted for new releases and shows. If i could release something every day, i would and i might try depending on how slow the summer truly gets.

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A Simple Man (taken from The Pride of Calling Panther Lake LP)

PARTYNICE readers can be the first to hear the new SMALL LAVA EP by clicking here.
myspace.com/deadgazetunes

INTERVIEW BY CRAIG NUNN

SOPHIE CALLE

2009-06-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Staff room discussions in schools tend to fall into the broad categories of discussing the weekend, bitching about other members of staff, pondering what lunch will resemble today and moaning about pay/workload/children/parents etc. However, by some kind of cosmic alignment today’s topic actually had some resonance outside the bubble that is education. Today we discussed art.

The ever so subjective question of favourite artists came up. I, perhaps naively, put forward Sophie Calle. Big mistake. Not only did I have to explain who she was and google The Hotel for them, but when I had they all agreed it was basically wank and not ‘proper’ art.

Now I’m pretty thick. I can’t drive, I avoid political debate like the plague for fear of revealing my level of ignorance and without the aid of Word my spelling level is on a par with Ludacris. Seriously, I sometimes have to spell check words during instant messaging. But if there are three things I can sound fairly convincing on they are modern art, psychology and the life of Robert Smith. (Granted the last two aren’t relevant to this.)

The detail that most people overlook when viewing conceptual artists just as Calle is the strict constraints they actually put upon their work. If it was as easy as taking clandestine photographs of strangers and adding a bit of blurb underneath then every Holga-toting GCSE art student in the land would be having their Sunday lunch with Charles and Nigella. The fact is the ‘blub’ underneath is actually reminiscent of an Oulipo essay. (It’s a French literary movement you heathens.) Calle’s work is heady mixture of voyeurism and her own vulnerability. In a society currently obsessed with voyeurism under the guise of social networking even her oldest pieces are still painfully relevant.

Raise your hands if you’ve ever been dumped. Now go look up Douleur Exquise and take care of yourself. Amazing. Every nuance of pain put down on paper to remind you that you are not alone. Do these pieces have a ‘happy ending’? No. But they get shorter as Calle’s pain dissipates. Time heals, things get easier, and answers are found. Not for every question but enough for her and you to move on.

This is not to say that all conceptual art is instantly validated by its own existence. Like I said, anything to do with art is 100% subjective. I happen to think for example that Damien Hurst is a bit of a pretentious cock. But lovely Sophie engages with the things that are important to me; love, loss, definitions of beauty, stalking of strangers. And she does it in a way that connects and moves me. So recognise. Or don’t. It’s up to you.

WORDS BY KATIE HICKMOTT

HOW TO SURVIVE A BLIND DATE PT. 2

2009-06-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last week did not go well as you know. But spurred on by journalistic commitment and a desire to not spend the rest of my waking days alone and gently weeping along to Dashboard Confessional songs, I am persevering with the blind date debacle. I’m scared before even meeting this man. We’ve exchanged some witty emails. The banter was good. He answered my question about what he would do in the event of a zombie holocaust with intelligence and a level of detail that suggested he’d really thought about it. I like that kind of thing. A lot.

So when he asked for my mobile number I gave it up like a fresher at a traffic light party. Obviously I did not realise that he is clearly mental or I wouldn’t have done it. If it takes me more than 20 minutes to reply I get some passive aggressive, stream of consciousness musing on what he possibly could have done to offend me this time.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him last night that long suffering gay flatmate had brought home two 18 year old students and we were making cocktails with witty names like ‘womb punch’. Even worse, around the 1am mark we began yelling out of the window at strangers. Somehow this lead to us inviting a strange French man into our home. It had bad news written all over it, surely disaster would now ensue? Nope. He was just very French. Dark dishevelled hair and stubble, dressed head to toe in black, he spent what felt like forever passionately telling me that Sting writes the most perfect pop songs he’s ever heard.

Flatmate and the kiddies were passed out in various states of disarray while we were still discussing drunken flower picking, my inability to drive and why he hates Manchester. The Frenchman stayed until 5.30am. I got a kiss and he sauntered off into the deserted streets. Leaving me with two questions; does it count as a blind date if you picked them up off the street? Will my actual date this week cut off my limbs and try mounting my torso?

WORDS BY KATIE HICKMOTT
PHOTOGRAPH BY NUNO

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARCO VIERO

2009-06-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARCO VIERO

HOW TO SURVIVE A BLIND DATE

2009-05-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

Quick confession: I’m wearing Bridget Jones style control pants at the age of 23. I also found two grey hairs earlier. With that out in the open let’s begin. I figured if you’re given the choice, opt for a date where if they turn out to have the personality of Piers Morgan in the body of… well, Piers Morgan, it won’t matter too much. For example a quick drink then the Canterbury Odeon 9.45pm showing of Drag Me To Hell. Pitch black and enforced silence. Perfect.

Thankfully I had already gained vital information via text. Not what they do for a living or their surname. Who cares? I went for the really important stuff. Are they offended by paedophile jokes involving beloved children’s entertainers? (No.) Which celebrity would they like to impale on a Judas Cradle? (Kate Hudson.)

The plan was simple, if it went well I’d just remember that delayed gratification is possibly the utmost symbol of emotional maturity and self-control. I’d also remember that emotional maturity and self-control are for losers.

Conversely if it was the most socially awkward night of my adult life I’d be awfully philosophical and look on the bright side, now having a humorous anecdote to write a droll blog about. Possibly put on my snuggliest pyjamas and curl up with a Peep Show box set and my dignity still mostly intact.

I went with neither of those options. I went with secret option number three. Fake tears about a mysterious bastard ex, scamper to meet your friends, let them get you heinously drunk on what appeared to be £4 glasses of meth and then ring your long suffering gay flatmate at 1.30am with some ‘specialist’ requests.

This is why I need to go on blind dates in the first place.

WORDS BY KATIE HICKMOTT
PHOTOGRAPH BY NUNO

PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTON LEPASHOV

2009-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTON LEPASHOV

PHOTOGRAPHY: ARTHUR SHURAEV

2009-05-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARTHUR SHURAEV

HOW NOT TO RUN A FOOTBALL TEAM

2009-05-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Belgium 2 – 0 China, this Olympic pool match last year was as boring as the score line suggests. Yet it was a huge moment in what could be historically judged as a turning point for modern Chinese football, it was the last straw. The match itself was quite a mundane affair which exposed huge flaws in the Chinese team, firstly their inability to play as a team and a worrying trend of players turning to violence if the game looks to be out of their control.

The Chinese Olympic team had been earlier sent home after an on field melee with a QPR reserve team and the football association was fined for an ugly appearance at the Asian football championships, where amazingly China received nine yellow cards in the first two matches against South Korea and Japan, and received eight yellows and two reds in the last game against North Korea. During the Belgium match two players were sent off and China was all but eliminated. Afterwards the players were caught in a bizarre training ground sex scandal, after which the now usual communist cliché of self denouncements were issued and accusations started flying. Even though technically the national squad and the Olympic squad are separate teams both are run under the same association and both make any Chinese football fan groan and curse with genuine disappointment.

The nickname of the national team is 國豬 (Guo Zhu). It’s a clever pun which means ‘National Pig’ but sounds similar to ‘Guo Zu’ which means ‘National Team’. It might seem a little hard on a team which is ranked one place above Sierra Leone in the FIFA rankings (97th), yet public opinion has always been one of high expectation as all major sports have been lavishly funded and developed due to the 2008 Olympics.

Football is played throughout the country and European football in particular is extremely popular, the top Chinese players are handsomely paid and a few have moved to clubs in Europe although none have been very successful and a cynical mind would cast doubt as to whether the transfers of Chinese players are at all related to playing matters. A much quoted story is from 1993, the Chinese football association sent a group of young talented footballers to Brazil to learn some techniques and to try to assimilate with the locals. The results of this experiment were mixed with very little success or any improvement gained by the experience.

Much is made of the potential of Chinese football and the spending of China’s increasingly well off fans. With a disgraced national league, tainted with rumours of corruption and live league games taken off national TV because of growing player violence, and an uninterested public which has lost patience. It seems that instead of looking at solutions abroad, the Chinese football association would do well to look at itself and set itself more realistic targets. Top players in Europe are trained by complex scientific methods that are at the cutting edge of sports science, no matter how much the Chinese government or the top domestic clubs are willing to spend on development, it can never match the facilities or recruit the top coaches that most successful European clubs have at their disposal.

When Manchester United were on a lucrative tour of South China in 2007, Sir Alex Ferguson told a regional expat magazine that he believed China and America would be the next big football superpowers, yet he knows more than most that throwing money at a team and buying talent doesn’t always guarantee you success.

FURTHER READING
China relies on its boys from Brazil (The Independent)
Fine for Chinese football (China Daily)
Chinese football team in sex scandal (Telegraph)
China FA opens QPR brawl inquiry (BBC)
Why is Chinese football team so stink? (Baidu Questions)

WORDS BY WILL CROOK
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKEASAURUS

HOW TO SURVIVE A POLISH POLICE SHOOTOUT

2009-05-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

So, I'm heading back home to my apartment after visiting a friend. I get to my street and find that it's blocked off with police tape and three cops are standing there wearing full body gear, helmets and carrying uzis. I asked what was going on, but Polish cops don't talk. I did see the cop turn away an old lady and an angry businessman on his way to an appointment. Nobody was allowed to pass.

I decided to go around and try another way, but it seemed that every single entrance to my street was swarming with cops holding uzis, turning everyone away. They meant business and weren't telling anyone what was going on.

Somehow I told one cop that I had to quickly get home, so he let me through and I walked through the little park behind my house towards my door, noticing the hustle and bustle of lots of cops in the park behind my apartment, all carrying uzis and walking around.

I quickly ran upstairs, got some money, and then ran back down. Now, all the cops were hiding behind cars with their guns at the ready. Some old man was standing next to me at the doorway, and I asked him what's going on. He had no idea. I told him I had to get to work, but he said they likely wouldn't let me pass. I kept looking at one cop behind a car and made motions like I was about to start walking, but he kept waving me back. I ingored him and started to make my way out of the street, and he yelled at me "Hurry up, go now, go!"

I began walking faster when suddenly the sound of machine gun fire filled the air. My killer instinct kicked in and I dove behind a car next to one of the cops with a gun and covered my head. Another day in Poland was starting off right.

I looked to the cop next to me for guidance, but found none. He was busy readying himself for who knows what and he looked at me with no sympathy. Here was a row of tough Polish cops holding uzis decked out in helmets and full gear, with one Polish teacher in the middle holding a purse and wearing a professor's jacket.

Suddenly, a door opened right behind me. It was the back door to the bookstore which opened up on the other side of the street. A curious old lady had opened it up to see what all the noise was. This was my chance to get the hell out of there. I made to go towards the door, but the cop yelled at the old lady to close it and hide, which she promptly did. I was stuck.

Now, for most of the day, my decision making part of my brain was troubled with such questions as, "Do I have McDonalds today or do I eat pierogi?", or perhaps my real difficult decision, "Do I shit now before work, or wait until after?". Now suddenly, the decision at hand, with the panic button firmly depressed and the "Grip on Reality" meter hovering around zero, was: do I crawl on my belly through the dirt towards that door and try knocking and hope someone lets me in, or do I stay hidden behind the Fiat while well armed people shoot machine guns at each other. My previous big decision of the day, 'when do I shit?', was on the verge of being made for me.

I decided to stay put. I intermittently poked my head up and peered through the car windows to see what was happening, but saw nothing except cops hiding. I then heard another round of machine gun fire, followed by a huge explosion, which shook the buildings around me and set off every single car alarm in the neighbourhood. This scene was now very familiar to me: cops hiding behind cars, guns firing, bombs exploding and the sound of car alarms. I was the innocent bystander in a bad action film.

This nerd wasn't ready to die. I ducked back down and clutched my purse, my lifeblood. I took inventory, hoping something in my purse might be of help.

1. Chapstick - check
2. Notebook - check
3. Cell Phone - check
4. Polish-English dictionary - check
5. Sub machine gun - nope

No. It seemed I was shit out luck. Only the Polish-English dictionary was useful, and I couldn't find the phrase I was looking for, "When the fuck did my day turn into Polish 'Die Hard'?"

I poked my head out again and saw a car race around the corner, tires screeching, followed by another. More gun fire. I stayed down for a bit longer, purse in 'shield mode', until after a few minutes of silence, the cop told me to get out of there.

I bolted from the park and ran through a huge crowd of people who had gathered by the next street, wondering what all the noise was. Nobody seemed to have any answer. When I got to work and told the story, of course, nobody believed me.

Do you?

WORDS BY TOMASZ ROSZKOWSKI
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY AUSTIN

PHOTOGRAPHY: LI WEI

2009-05-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

In May 2008, the central Chinese province of Sichuan was hit by an earthquake that measured 8.0 on the Richter Scale. Official figures placed the number of dead at 69,227, with 374,176 injured, and a further 18,222 listed as missing.

Shortly afterward, Beijing-based photographer Li Wei traveled to the Wenchuan county, the epicentre of the quake, to document how people's lives had been affected.

See more of Li Wei's photographs from the region here.

WORDS BY CRAIG NUNN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LI WEI

ON DEMOCRATIC REFORM IN NORTH KOREA AND CHINA

2009-05-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

I remember quite some time ago, sitting with a friend discussing China and North Korea, and trying to decide which country was in more need of democratic reform. It was an interesting discussion but given the time I had spent in China, and he had spent in South Korea, it was inevitable that we would reach our own conclusions - him believing North Korea to be in more need of reform and me thinking it was China.

Last week North Korea launched a missile to simply 'test' them out. I suppose I can see their point - why buy the car if you’re not going to drive it?

That being said, which country would I reform first? The answer is a simple one - China. Why? Sure, it’s also a Communist dictatorship. And yes, they also have a terrible human rights record, but at least they've never launched missiles and besides, they have KFC and McDonalds!

So what is it about harmless, Wal-Mart-shopping KFC-eating China that makes me feel it needs reform first? The road to North Korea runs through China - both literally and metaphorically. The truth is, when North Korea launched their missiles, I wasn’t interested in the anti-nuke rhetoric of Britain and America because deep down I knew that they could not stop it on their own - for that they would need the support of China.

Imagine for one moment we had real democracy in China, a China that valued human rights and freedom. In such a case, North Korea would be practically isolated in the Pacific Rim and would eventually, perhaps inevitably, adopt human rights as well.

China has spread their Communist ideology to Vietnam, Laos and North Korea. Maybe their next export could be human rights.

WORDS BY BEN ALBRIGHT
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM ARIN

HOW TO LIVE LIKE A KOREAN STUDENT

2009-05-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

The time had come for us to move out of our centrally located luxury hotel and move into a student residence, known as a Goshitel in Korean.

I knew we were in trouble when someone in the know told us "You're moving out of the hotel, and into its closet."

But how bad could it really be? The deal included all the rice and ramen that we could eat, and the way I saw it, it was time to bring North American style partying, from the likes of Animal House, to these overworked Korean students. I could explain 'jocks' and 'nerds' to them. Of course, it wouldn't be quite the same, because they're all huge nerds, but I suppose the ones best at John Madden Football 2007 would have to be the jocks and they could knock the steamed rice and kimchi off of our trays as they walked past us in the kitchen. Once I worked out all the details, this would be one huge party, and I'd finally get the 'rez' experience that I never had myself going to university.

So did it pan out as I had envisioned?

No, there wasn't enough room for the keg.

WORDS AND VIDEO BY TOMASZ ROSZKOWSKI
PHOTOGRAPH BY MORGAN TEPSIC

HOW TO BE A CHINESE DISSIDENT

2009-05-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

Whilst living in China I read about a woman who, after being made redundant from her state job, decided to vent her anger by writing anti-Government slogans on banknotes. Her actions, perhaps inevitably, led to incarceration in a labour camp in the far Western province of Xinjiang. She died there three weeks later under mysterious circumstances.

With this in mind, I decided to investigate just how easy it was to become a dissident in modern day China, and what better way to do so than to deface some of the ubiquitous Chairman Mao portraits found on most Chinese banknotes?

I'm not sure how other, more hardcore, Chinese dissidents conducted their campaigns against the State, but I'm pretty sure they weren't sat in their apartment with a bottle of Tsing Tao and a ball point pen giggling like a little girl. Anyway, here's what I came up with.

I've convinced myself that the reason I didn't put the defaced banknotes back into circulation was that I wanted to keep them for posterity, but really I was just shit-scared of Secret Police.

WORDS AND BANKNOTES IMAGE BY CRAIG NUNN
PHOTOGRAPH BY PICKEREL YEE