New Music- December 2014

Some new music I am really enjoying.



Tom Vek- Sherman (Animals in the jungle).
A colleague and I heard this on Triple R on Friday afternoon at work (the boss left early, so we switched the radio over from Bogan rock to community radio). It was just before 5pm and we both stopped and said.. Wow! What is this?? It is a little Strokes sounding... Such a great rhythm track

Tom Vek- Sherman (Animals in the jungle)


Speaking of Rhythm...
Caribou- 'Can't do with out you'

This track is the first track of his new Lp 'Our Love'. I really loved his last Lp 'Swim' and this new one does not disappoint. Beautiful put together electronic sounds.

Caribou- 'Can't do without you'



Rudely Interrupted- 'I am alive'

This is a Melbourne Band, who write and play fun pop music.
They have a website you can check out if you like.
Rudely Interrupted- 'I am alive'



Neil Young- 'Razor Love'
I was watching a TV program with A.K. recently and this tune was used in it to great effect. It reminded me when the 'Silver and Gold' Lp was released in 2000 and I really loved this track off it. I still love it.


Neil Young- 'Razor Love'



Another older tune is 'Cannibal's Hymn' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
This is off the 2004 double LP ' Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus'. In recently purchased this on vinyl. This track in particular is off the 1st Lp 'Abbatoir Blues'.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: 'Cannibal's Hymn'

The Shambelles, the end is near....

On the 20th of December, the Shambelles will play their last gig. They have been around for 6 years and are an ACE party band. I have taken a quite a few photographs of the band over the past few years. Not only has my confidence as a photographer grown over this time, but we (the band and I), have become more and more comfortable with each other, which shows in the photographs.

If you are around on December 20th, then pop down to the Lomond Hotel in East Brunswick (Victoria, Australia), to see the band go out with a bang!I'll be there as well..maybe come along and share a beer with me :-)

Here are some images I took of their second last gig, at the Royal Oak hotel on November the 20th.


Julia On Drums!

Mon on guitar! 

 Alics on Bass!

Jody on Vocals!

Three of the Belles!

All four!

 

The belles:

All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2014

Brave or beautiful?

I have a photographic project I am currently working on. It aims to raise awareness of our personal prejudices around body image and the potential impact this can have on well being.

'Brave or Beautiful?' will be an e-book, of approximately 40 pages in length. It will be available as a free download.

The project or series ‘Brave or beautiful?’ aims to create an opportunity for the viewer to explore their own prejudices about body shape and to reflect upon the impact of these prejudices.

This is done in a few steps. Firstly, by presenting naked bodies (and a few clothed ones), and asking the viewer the question- are the models brave for baring all, or are they in their nakedness, an object of beauty?

This creates  a space for the viewer to be explicit in their thoughts on what is an ‘acceptable body shape’. The viewer is then asked to reflect upon a deeper question, which is, who is to say what is brave, what is beautiful, or what is ugly?

The project then asks the viewer to reflect upon how they outwardly  communicate their body prejudices. Is it a look, a comment or by other means. What impact does this communication have on the person it is directed at or intended for? All of this reflection is done internally by the viewer and at their own pace.

The project then presents research which discusses the relationship between our sense of self (how we perceive ourselves) and our mental well-being. The question is then raised about the impact our body prejudices, and the way we communicate them, may have on the other person. In simpler and more direct terms, we ask the viewer to reflect upon the impact that their body prejudice has on others.

It is expected that in the process of exploration, other questions may internally arise such as: From where did I get my ideals of what a body ‘should look like’? How have I or my loved ones been effected or impacted by body prejudice?

Lastly and most importantly, by respectfully creating a space in which the viewer can explore their prejudices and the impact of theses prejudices on others, an opportunity for reflection and change is created. Once this process is successfully undertaken, the viewer has the potential to transfer the process and experience of critical reflection, to other aspects of their lives and thinking.
I am trying to raise $2,200 via Kickstarter to pay for the e-book. To date people have kindly pledged $1,700.. but still need to raise $500 more. Please forward this info to anyone you think that may be interested in this project!

More info is available via this link to my fundraiser:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2085103301/brave-or-beautiful

The kickstarter site does have a nude photograph on it.
To give you a taster of the project, here are some clothed shots from it!
many thanks,
matthew

 

All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2014

A.K. and I at TarraWarra Museum of Art

Recently, A.K. took me to TarraWarra Museum of Art. I had never been there before and had a great time looking at some really interesting pieces and taking photos. This gallery is worth a day trip out Healesville way, to see it. Here are some photos from that day.


Some views from inside the gallery, looking out:

A.K. decided to have fun in an installation that was essentially Styrofoam balls being blown about by big fans.. just like snow..  He got those little balls everywhere.. and I mean everywhere!
 

A really interesting decal was placed over an external window, that made the view outside onto the country,  look like a beautiful dot painting.

Lastly, something I saw on the way back to the car.

all photographs copyright Matthew Schiavello 2014. Art copyright of the respective artists.

My Mother and Facebook

My friends had warned me and I did not listen.

It all started back when my mother joined the digital revolution and went online. It wasn't long before she created a Facebook account and then... yes, sent me a friend invite.
I put off responding and took this dilemma to my friends.  Their response was a resounding 'NO!'. I think they all added a variation to the effect of 'are you insane? why would you even need to ask if this is ok? Of course it isn't!' Apparently, you do not add your mother to your Facebook account, I understand this now, but couldn't help but feel really guilty! After all, this was the woman that carried me for nine months, gave birth to me, fed me, changed me and loved me.... how can I not accept a friend request from my mother??? What kind of an ungrateful son would I be?  So, I ignored the good advice of my friends and accepted my mother's 'friend request' and then things became awkward.
At first it was 'kind of' ok. When no one responded to one of my posts, my mum would support me by posting encouraging comments like 'I like everything that matthew does'.. yep, it's  just like the encouragement ribbons I used to get at Little Athletics  (cause I was shit at Little Athletics), except this time it is a public post on Facebook by my mother. Anyway, things were reasonably ok, until the phone call. Which went a little like this:

Mum-' Hi, X is sending you a Facebook invite, so just make sure you accept that when it comes through'

Me- 'What??!!, Who is this person??'

Mum- 'you know my friend X...'

Me (becoming a tad hysterical at this point and reverting to a 12 year old)-'MUM! I am NOT accepting friend requests from YOUR friends, OH MY GOD!! My friends told me NOT to accept your friend request and now look what is happening!!!!' 

Mum, a little hurt and puzzled- 'Why would your friends tell you not to be my friend on Facebook??'

Me (hearing the hurt in my mothers voice and now rightfully feeling like complete crap!)- 'Cause you're my mum and it is not cool!!  But I told them I couldn't turn down my mothers friend request...'

Mum (now with some pride in her voice) - 'come on love, just for me, for your mum!'

Me- 'mum, how did they even find me on Facebook (I have my fathers surname and mum has her maiden name'

Mum- 'well.. X doesn't have many friends so I suggested that they add you... go on , for me, for your mum. I did tell them that you would accept the request.'

Me (feeling that I have no choice in the matter, and making sure my mother knows that I am not happy! and no, I didn't stomp about this time) - 'Ok, that  is it!!! no more mum, no MORE!!!!  I will accept their friend request, but I don't want anymore of your friends sending me friend requests, ok??!!

Mum- 'Oh, X is not my friend, X is my neighbour.

I just groan at this point.

The next evening, I call mum and advise that I had accepted her neighbour's friend request... mum responded with, 'oh, I just deleted the request they sent me'.
I flip out 'ARE YOU SERIOUS???????". Mum laughs and says 'I deleted it accidentally, I asked X to resend the request'. I think I ended the call very quickly with, 'Ok mum I have to go, I can't talk to you anymore.' All the while I was asking myself, why I didn't listen to my friends in the first place and not accept my mum's Facebook friend request.


I think my mum secretly delights in driving me crazy, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she is writing a blog called 'Things I do to drive my son crazy'.


Many thanks to V.G. for editing!

New Music- October 2014

I have purchased a few new things that I want to share with you. Hopefully you may find something of interest, that you then further explore and support the artist/s involved.


Jennifer Castle:

A Canadian singer/songwriter who has just released a new LP title 'Pink City', this track is off it.

Jennifer Castle- 'Sailing away'




The Peep Tempel

This track has a language warning to it. It is a bit raw and Aussie, it wears it's heart on it's sleeve and has me singing 'I don't think Trevor is good for' loudly in the mornings as walk down the back streets of Fitzroy.

The Peep Tempel- 'Carol'




J Mascis:
The man who was Dinosaur Jnr, who help define the 90's alternate scene, has just released another album where the acoustic guitars are preferred over loud electric distortion. The most recent LP is titled 'Tied to a star'. The track 'wide awake' has Chan Marshall (Cat Power) on vocals as well!

J Mascis- 'wide awake'



Avi Buffalo
I don't know much about this band.  They are from Long Beach, California, they have a new album out, but this track is from their 2010 Self titled LP.


Avi Buffalo- 'What's in it for?'




David Bowie
If you have been under a rock and didn't know David Bowie had a new LP out a while back (mid 2013), you may have missed this brilliant track, which has a fragile and maudlin quality to it. I don't know how many times I have listened to this and at the end, earnestly sang 'as long as there's me, as long as there's you', as I wistfully looked off into the distance....

David Bowie- 'where are we now?'




Grant Lee Buffalo

An old tune that has for some reason resurfaced and I seem to be playing a lot, of late. This is off the 1994 Lp 'Mighty Joe Moon' and has some great lines such as:

'Devastation at last finally we meet
After all of these years out here on the street
I had a feeling you would make yourself known
You came along just to claim your place on the throne
And I have been overthrown
Overthrown'

Grant Lee Buffalo- 'Mockingbirds':



All rights belong to the respective artists.

For him, the man who broke my heart.

There is nothing like love and loss to stir one to write again. Here are a handful of some recent writings, presented in chronological order. In case you are wondering, no, he never saw or knew of these.


       ----

You worry about the cold Melbourne winters,
worry not.
I will warm you

I will weave for you
whatever you need
out of my overflowing love
that has waited for so long.


       ----

I'd sing you a song,
or write you a poem,
of my love
and my hope of a life together.

But I fear
you would not listen
nor enjoy it for what it was.
Instead you would
compare
it to what you had,
or to the fantasy
of what might be.

       ----


If I could open my heart
and show it's trueness to you
Give you my eyes,
So that you know I see
your faults
and that I love you
regardless....

would that then be enough?

       ----


I am writing about you
because
I am
not over you,

yet.

But soon hope to be,
as do similarly hope
my friends and family
for they don't believe
you worth my time

or

theirs.

       ----

The problem with absence,
is that it makes
the heart grow fonder.

The problem with time, is that
memories fade and
hurt heals.

The problem with the present, is
your boyish charm
and warm smile,
remind me
how attracted I am
and how much I cared.


       ----


Now that I am free,
now that I am happy
(or at least telling myself I am),
I don't wish you ill,
just insight
and that one day
you may feel motivated
and strong enough
to change.
Not for me,
but for you
and for him, whoever he may be.


       ----


all words copyright matthew schiavello 2014.

Red.

Recently I took a series of photographs of things red. I have no idea why i did it. My eye was drawn to it all and over the course of afternoon, these are some of the images I came away with.
I hope you enjoy!

                                                   'Red #12 (2014).'

                                           'Red #13 (2014).'

                                                   'Red #20 (2014).'

                                                   'Red #28 (2014).  (for Mr Goldsztein)'

                                         'Interiors #171'

                                                  'Red #180 (2014).'

                                                  'Red #190 (2014).'


All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2014.

Why I love you (parts i-iii).

Why I love you (parts i-iii).

i

When we first met,

my love was like
something gaudy,
well... gaudy for you.

It was like

a brightly coloured
floral bouquet

and dare I add,
always bursting forth.

Those moments when it did,
you would always turn

to look over your shoulder

to see who else bore witness.

And each time, you took those flowers quickly.
Almost as if, you didn't want others to see.

One corner of your mouth would turn and sneer,

the other raised in a smile.

That’s why I love you,

You’re as tough as nails                                 

But you’re not.

ii

You’d tear others down in a heartbeat,

Tear them down so bad,

they couldn’t be re-built,

But never me.

In my darkest days,

You lifted me up into the light.

'One day', I thought, 'I hope you'll let others in,

To see the real you'.

But for now, I’m guiltily glad,

I’m the only one.

You’re as tough as all hell,

But you’re not.
I always knew it
but saw it most,
when I had to leave
and that's why I love you.

iii


All those years away, 

you said,

never made you love me less.

Except you didn’t use the word love,

you never do

But you were there for me

And that’s the same thing.

We never talk about what happened,

But if we wanted to, we could.

I would also tell you
that the memory of you

Got me through
that terrible time.

And though you never visited,

You were there

Waiting for me
when I was finally able to return.

You stood at the front of that cursed place

Smiled and hugged me tight.

We kissed like it had been forever.

I said I love you and a tear slipped out.
I smelt of institutions.

You didn’t look over your shoulder that day,

You just held me tighter.

I remember thinking

how I wished that everyone who talked you down

could see you now

and maybe they would finally understand

why I’ve always loved you

(and why I always will).

copyright matthew schiavello 2013

Horsham and the Wimmera Pt 2.

Here is the second part of my pictorial post of Horsham and the Wimmera.

Over the first part of this year, I did a few over night stays in Horsham and visited it's surrounding areas. I took my camera and here are a few shots from my trips. i really love the vastness of the Wimmera. I am in awe by the low horizon, which goes on forever with it's flat fields of grain. It is also a very lonely place, well as least I found it to be. Maybe it was because often there was nothing for as far as your eye could see?

                                                'Wimmera reflections #11'

                                                  'Wimmera sky #217'

                                              'Golden Hour in the Wimmera #59'

*For those that aren't familiar with 'golden hour', it is the time before sunset, where the sun gives everything a golden glow 

                                                       'Wimmera roads #235'

                                         'Silhouettes in the Wimmera at sunset   #541'


All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2012

New Music August 2014

It has been a while since I posted some new music. These below tracks may not have been released this past month or even this year, but I love them enough to want to share them with you. I do so hope that you may be able to find some time to listen to them and fall in love with some of them yourself! This post has a mix of acoustic, plugged in, raw, honest and fun sounds. Hopefully something for everyone.


Helen Begley- 'West Brunswick'

This first track is by a local lady who I saw at a songwriters in the round gig. From the moment she started to sing her songs I was captivated. Why hadn't I heard of her before? Sure my mate Jody had been telling me to check her out and there always seemed to be something getting in the way of me being able to.. and now I'm kicking myself for not checking her out sooner!... Anyway, Helen Begley is the name of the artist.  Do check out her website! This track is off her LP 'West Brunswick', which is such a great Lp! I sometimes play it in my studio when I am painting.  I have attached the title track below. From the start there are such great lines (which remind me of early Paul Simon or Joni Mitchel), such as:

'Standing on the overpass in winter
The icy wind will slap you as it blows
Cars rush to the gorgeous city
West Brunswicks' not that pretty
from this road

On the local creek bed made of concrete
Philosophers leave words in thick black paint
 Saying dream as if you'll live forever
and live as if you'll die tomorrow

As I lie awake on lonely nights,
I hear the rumble of the 55*
And the braking trucks on their freeway ride,
A woman screams
you killed my life'



* the 55 is the number of the tram that runs across the city through to West Brunswick.





Perfume Genius- "Hood"

'Perfume Genius' is the stage name of American Mike Hadreas. My friend Flo from Paris, put me onto this guy and I love this track and video. Porn actor Árpad Miklós (Péter Kozma), who died early 2014 from an apparent suicide,  is in the video below. This track has such beautiful lyrics like:

 "You would never call me baby
If you knew me true
Oh, but I waited so long for your love
I am scared baby that I can't keep it up for long"

Perfume Genius- "Hood"



Future Islands- "Seasons (waiting on you)".

I can't work this band out. I have seen a few live clips and in particular their performance of Seasons(waiting on you), on Letterman, was insane in very confusing way. Is the singer dancing to his own drum or taking the piss? Still none of that diminishes my love of this track, which I purchased on i-tunes recently.


Future Islands- "Seasons (waiting on you)"




Tobias Jesso Jnr

Here is a guy who is getting lot's of press and hype at the moment, all from some demos and no actual releases. I actually really like the two tracks I have heard, which are just Tobias and piano. Yesterday I ordered a 5 pack of his demos on single sided flexi disc (ie flimsy plastic to play to the turntable). Yay!

Tobias Jesso Jnr- 'True Love'




Something Fun that isn't new, but I rediscovered it recently, is this hilariously and well done spoof of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the heart', where they literally sing what is going on in the video clip!
Not sure who did this but the video says: Lead Vocals-PersephoneMaewyn, Lyrics/vocal/editing dascottjr.

Total Eclipse of the Heart (literal video version)






Recently I brought a couple of reissued albums on vinyl.

Life without Buildings- Any Other City

I love this Lp and this group from Glasgow. This Lp was originally released in 2001 and the band then broke up in 2002. The track 'The Leanover' is rambling, urgent and has a realness to it. I have been known to sing along to this loudly in  the car. This Lp was re-released as part of record day 2014!

Life without Buildings- 'The Leanover'



Deerhoof- 'Friend Opportunity'

This San Francisco noise-pop band are just so interesting! You never know what will happen with their albums or tracks which can just take a turn somewhere else when you least expect it!   This album also has one of my favourite album covers. A piece of art I wished I had done myself! This is another re-release on vinyl.

Deerhoof- '+81'

Horsham and the Wimmera. Pt 1

Over the first part of this year, as part of  my then job,  I did a few overnight stays in Horsham and visited it's surrounding areas. I took my camera and here are a few shots from my trips. I really love the vastness of the Wimmera. I am in awe by the low horizon, which seems to go on forever with it's flat fields of grain. It also seemed a very lonely place, maybe because often there was nothing for as far as your eye could see?

                                                      'The Wimmera #105'

                                                    'Silos in the Wimmera #111'

                                           'Twilight in the Wimmera  #159'

'Dusk in the Wimmera  #201'

                                       "Sundown at Mount Arapiles #51"

                                  'Dimboola's pink salt lake at the close of day #206'

                                            'Dimboola's pink salt lake at the close of day #190'

                                  'Somewhere along the Wimmera Highway at dusk #147'

All photographs, copyright matthew schiavello 2014

The mature men and me

I am attracted to maturity. More specifically, emotional maturity. In my folly I have connected this with maturity of years, which is not always the case. I cannot count the number of men I have met or dated who where older than me in age, yet behaved like a person who was much, much younger. This has led to many an interesting experience. Because these men have been older, it has meant that some of them came from a time where they have felt it was not possible to be openly gay. Some took a path of heterosexual marriage, some have been single for as long as they could recall, some have embraced a recently new found life of very gay abandon, others had never dated or known the touch of a lover....and then there was me.

Me, who should have known better. Me who is as confused as the next man. Me who is as immature as those I judge. Me who over-thinks EVERYTHING. What is my search for maturity really about? What am I lacking or needing in my life that I hope this mature other may fulfill? Am I really looking for a strong mature male role model or father figure to succeed where my father and step father didn't? Surely that is too obvious and clichéd to be true. Me, the boy who never stood on the shoulder of the giant, or lay in the giant's warm loving arms. Me who never felt safe that my father was there to protect me. Me, who was abandoned emotionally and left to fend for myself... Is this the answer then? After all these years, am I simply wanting a surrogate father, a mature man to love and accept the boy in me?

Maybe I am distracted by my past failings with the fathers in my early life, maybe it has nothing to do with that. Maybe I am over-thinking things and maybe, just maybe this is simply about wanting emotional maturity in a partner. Even saying that, my experiences show that I have been looking in the wrong places for it, as well as in the wrong people. In my actively seeking, searching and expecting, I have found only disappointment. How could it be otherwise? None can raise themselves up to the bar my expectations have set, how can they? Why should they? Besides, everyone I meet thinks that they are mature, yes, everyone... even me.


'You're twenty years younger than me', he said with a big grin and an ego the size of something way too big for it's own good. I realised then that this wasn't his humility expressing  gratitude that he was loved for who he was, regardless of age, no, this was him stating I was a trophy of sorts for his ego to proudly show off.  The younger lover. It dawned on me that I had become an unwitting victim to my own misguided desire. Even though I had realised a long time ago that maturity of age does not equal emotional maturity, here I still was, left feeling cheap, used and that I only had myself to blame...and then there was me. Yes, me, here, now and wondering what the next step is and over-thinking it as usual.

Maybe it is time to throw away all of my preconceived idea's about age and maturity. After all, doesn't the cliché go something like: Age is just a number and it is what's inside that counts. My next step could be to meet people, get to know them and then see what happens. It might finally be time to just take things as they come and 'roll with' life, without my preconceived idea's, expectations or my over thinking. For how can you be disappointed when you don't have expectations?

Experiments on/with film

I recently did some experimenting on film from my camera, that was not processed properly. Ok, small fib, truth be told, I did not correctly load the film into my camera. I then went about and shot the whole roll of film, thinking I had some great shots and later discovered it was all blank.... So rather than mope about, I decided to experiment with the failed film negative and scan the results. I used a combination of acetone and watercolour paints to get these results.

all images copyright matthew schiavello 2014