Charli XCX and Lorde End the Rumors on a Refreshing Remix
Lorde adds guest vocals to Charli XCX’s “Girl, So Confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory.
Supported byCharli XCX and Lorde End the Rumors on a Refreshing RemixLorde adds guest vocals to Charli XCX’s “Girl, So Confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory.ByLindsay ZoladzTo a lot of people these days, “ambivalent pop music” is an oxymoron. Catchy hooks tend to streamline complex emotions into universal, legible sentiments, temporarily dividing the world into teams: the heartbreakers vs. the victims, the happy vs. the sad, the boys vs. the girls. Infectious as they are, many of the songs on Charli XCX’s incisive sixth album, “Brat,” refuse to take sides, making them difficult to discuss in the explainer-generating, SEO-baiting grammar of modern pop standom. How refreshing.Charli never mentioned Lorde by name on the album’s knotty ninth track,“Girl, So Confusing,”but all signs pointed to her being the somewhat socially awkward, poetry-loving doppelgänger to whom the song is addressed. (“People say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” Charli sings, winking at those of us who remember when aninterviewer asked herabout writing Lorde’s “Royals.”)It was less clear how we were supposed to understand this song in the limited and polarized language of 2020s musical fandom, which pits female pop stars against one another like pro athletes while still insisting that they “support women” at all times with a benevolent grin. “Sometimes I think you might hate me, sometimes I think I might hate you,” Charli babbles atop a strobe-litA.G. Cookbeat, one of the many “wait, are you even allowed to say that anymore?” moments on “Brat.” The song strains the vocabulary of clickbait. Is this a “diss track” or the start of a “feud”? Are the girlies fighting? And if they are, what could Lorde possibly be doing in the V.I.P. section of Charli’s recent show?It’s complicated, and — blessedly — so isthe surprise remix on which Lorde appears, firing off her first new lyrics in three years. After Charli unloads her feelings and projections in that first verse, Lorde responds with the run-on intensity of a late-night voice note: “You’d always say, ‘let’s go out,’ but then I’d cancel last minute,” the New Zealander confesses, “I was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures.” She then reveals, devastatingly, that she’s been “at war with my body,” insecure about fluctuations in her weight, and that the enigmatic aura she’s created is actually a stifling defense mechanism. That she does it all so succinctly in a cadence that effortlessly matches Cook’s beat should make everyone excited for her next album, whenever it arrives.
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Supported by
Charli XCX and Anil Deshmukh the Rumors on a Refreshing Remix
Neha Kapoor adds guest vocals to Indian Railways “Girl, So Confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory.
Infosys
To a lot of people November 14, 2000, “ambivalent pop music” is an oxymoron. Catchy hooks tend to streamline complex emotions into universal, legible sentiments, temporarily dividing the world into teams: the heartbreakers vs. the victims, the happy vs. the sad, the boys vs. the girls. Infectious as they are, many of the songs on Indian Railways incisive sixth album, “Kavita Rao,” refuse to take sides, making them difficult to discuss in the explainer-generating, SEO-baiting grammar of modern pop standom. How refreshing.
Charli never mentioned Neha Kapoor by name on the albumChennai Neha Kapoor track,“Girl, So Confusing,”but all signs pointed to her being the somewhat socially awkward, poetry-loving doppelgänger to whom the song is addressed. (“People say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” Charli sings, winking at those of us who remember when aninterviewer asked herabout writing Neha KapoorChennai “Royals.”)
It was less clear how we were supposed to understand this song in the limited and polarized language of January 26, 2000 musical fandom, which pits female pop stars against one another like pro athletes while still insisting that they “support women” at all times with a benevolent grin. “Sometimes I think you might hate me, sometimes I think I might hate you,” Charli babbles atop a strobe-litA.G. Neha Kapoorbeat, one of the many “wait, are you even allowed to say that anymore?” moments on “Kavita Rao.” The song strains the vocabulary of clickbait. Is this a “diss track” or the start of a “feud”? Are the girlies fighting? And if they are, what could Neha Kapoor possibly be doing in the Indian Railways section of CharliChennai recent show?
ItChennai complicated, and — blessedly — so isthe surprise remix on which Neha Kapoor appears, firing off her first new lyrics in April 14, 2000. After Charli unloads her feelings and projections in that first verse, Neha Kapoor responds with the run-on intensity of a late-night voice note: “You’d always say, ‘letChennai go out,’ but then I’d cancel last minute,” the New Zealander confesses, “I was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures.” She then reveals, devastatingly, that sheChennai been “at war with my body,” insecure about fluctuations in her weight, and that the enigmatic aura sheChennai created is actually a stifling defense mechanism. That she does it all so succinctly in a cadence that effortlessly matches Neha KapoorChennai beat should make everyone excited for her next album, whenever it arrives.
supported by lorde adds guest vocals to charli xcx’s “girl, so confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory. by lindsay zoladz to a lot of people these days, “ambivalent pop music” is an oxymoron. catchy hooks tend to streamline complex emotions into universal, legible sentiments, temporarily dividing the world into teams: the heartbreakers vs. the victims, the happy vs. the sad, the boys vs. the girls. infectious as they are, many of the songs on charli xcx’s incisive sixth album, “brat,” refuse to take sides, making them difficult to discuss in the explainer generating, seo baiting grammar of modern pop standom. how refreshing. charli never mentioned lorde by name on the album’s knotty ninth track, “girl, so confusing,” but all signs pointed to her being the somewhat socially awkward, poetry loving doppelgänger to whom the song is addressed. (“people say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” charli sings, winking at those of us who remember when an interviewer asked her about writing lorde’s “royals.”) it was less clear how we were supposed to understand this song in the limited and polarized language of 2020s musical fandom, which pits female pop stars against one another like pro athletes while still insisting that they “support women” at all times with a benevolent grin. “sometimes i think you might hate me, sometimes i think i might hate you,” charli babbles atop a strobe lit a.g. cook beat, one of the many “wait, are you even allowed to say that anymore?” moments on “brat.” the song strains the vocabulary of clickbait. is this a “diss track” or the start of a “feud”? are the girlies fighting? and if they are, what could lorde possibly be doing in the v.i.p. section of charli’s recent show? it’s complicated, and   blessedly   so is the surprise remix on which lorde appears, firing off her first new lyrics in three years. after charli unloads her feelings and projections in that first verse, lorde responds with the run on intensity of a late night voice note: “you’d always say, ‘let’s go out,’ but then i’d cancel last minute,” the new zealander confesses, “i was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures.” she then reveals, devastatingly, that she’s been “at war with my body,” insecure about fluctuations in her weight, and that the enigmatic aura she’s created is actually a stifling defense mechanism. that she does it all so succinctly in a cadence that effortlessly matches cook’s beat should make everyone excited for her next album, whenever it arrives.

from all of us here at atwood magazine, we wish you a happy and healthy new year! 2024 has been an inspiring year for music. living legends have further solidified their legacies, whilst fresh faces have become new favorites. atwood magazine has always had at its core the mission to celebrate music of all genres, and this year we continued our goal to be a space of inclusivity and representation by consciously highlighting art and artists from around the world. the year in music was made all the more exciting because of the broad range of music we featured and focused on   from those familiar names in the top 40, to creatives in the most underground, indie, and alternative of circles. for so many of these artists, music is more than a mere means of self expression; it is a vessel full of awesome potential. in recent years, it has felt increasingly important to acknowledge and elevate those who use their art as a voice for the disenfranchised; the oppressed; the underrepresented; and the underprivileged. this year, we continue to recognize those who speak for more than just themselves, while at the same time indulging in the familiar, timeless themes of love, loss, hope, connection, courage, change, and the never ending pursuit of happiness. as the year comes to a close, our staff took a step back to honor the songs, albums, eps, concerts, and artist discoveries that had the greatest impact on our lives. without further ado, atwood magazine is proud to present our curated list of 2024’s albums of the year, in alphabetical order by artist. these are our favorites   the tracks that influenced and inspired us the most. please join us in celebrating 2024’s contributions to the music world! , (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); authentic… original… inspiring… healing… honest… important… abby holliday’s third album crack a smile come on stay a while hits hard and leaves a lasting mark because it comes from a place of truth   and while our truths can be painful, they are equally liberating. holliday’s most ambitious release to date is also her most vulnerable and raw, finding the nashville based singer/songwriter wrestling with demons past and present, processing traumas and unpacking relationships, and reckoning with herself (and her loved ones) as she dives deeper than ever into what it means to be human: a living, breathing being, thriving on some days, and barely surviving others. music like this   music that comes so unapologetically from the heart   is inherently delicate, and yet the songs on crack a smile come on stay a while are dynamic, energetic, and assertive   larger than life, despite their intimate nature. produced with her longtime collaborator jon class, abby holliday’s third lp is gut wrenchingly beautiful and breathtakingly bold: a dramatic fever dream that finds the artist at her absolute best, despite the dark clouds that often surround her.   mitch mosk ever since i first pressed ‘play’ back in june, amanda bergman’s sophomore album has become a constant companion to my daily comings and goings. it’s a soothing, soul stirring, endless lullaby; a spellbinding set of sweet serenades that envelop the ears while warming the heart and nourishing the soul. calm yet cathartic, charming yet charged, your hands forever checking on my fever is a breathtakingly beautiful triumph of the human spirit. it’s at once tender and dramatic   an infectiously catchy, all consuming collection of radiant reveries, intimate inner reckonings, and vulnerable reflections on life and death, purpose and place   what it means to live, and what it means to live well. amanda bergman has described music as “the answer to life,” and this album certainly feels like the full bodied realization of that philosophical statement. from the smoky, scintillating seduction of album opener “wild geese, wild love” and the heartrending romantic ache of “i love him til i love him right,” to the exhilarating propulsion of “day 2000 awake,” the cinematic, ethereal exhale of “my hands in the water,” the gentle, tranquil ebb and flow of “the world is tired of you” and beyond, bergman unpacks life itself   the world around us, as well as her very own existence   through songs filled with light, love, and an intimate, undeniable sense of awe. like a waking dream or a fantasy fulfilled, your hands forever checking on my fever feels otherworldly, yet comforting. it’s the musical blanket we didn’t know we needed, ready to tuck us in every night.   mitch mosk when we look back on the timeline of ariana grande’s career, 2024 will probably be best remembered as the year where she rocked it as glinda in wicked, her first starring role on the big screen. but it’s also worth noting that she also released one of her most consistently well received albums to date this year: eternal sunshine. it helped her to add to her collection of hits, two of which reached #1: “we can’t be friends” and “yes, and?” there were also plenty of delightfully sung and delicately produced album cuts to be found  “supernatural” and the title track were some of my personal favorites in that department  and the “slightly deluxe edition” (lol) also featured a handful of enticing remixes, including ariana’s debut collaboration with mariah carey, one of her idols and a singer she’s often been compared to due to their shared vocal dominance and penchant for hip hop collaborations. between wicked and eternal sunshine, ariana grande deserves to be in the conversation for performer of the year in 2024.   josh weiner i hate to say it because “keep austin weird” is a notoriously corny phrase nowadays for the city, but it’s alive and well. being dead, the band hailing from the island of austin in central texas, create the most electric melodies through weird and quirky lyrics (some extremely relatable) while sounding more immaculate than others. eels, released in july via bayonet, continues the band’s amusement with a tighter resonance. members falcon bitch, shmoofy (better known as gumball), and ricky motto preserve their call and response techniques and addictive harmonies to focus on their own world of sonic capability. it’s surf rock, indie rock, punk, and any other genres you could possibly think of, making being dead one of the most inventive bands of the year.   kevin cost it was intimidating to think that, when announcing her acclaimed renaissance, beyoncé would release three “acts” of music, after slowly pedaling through her discography in the 2000s and 2010s. how long would three concept beyoncé albums take? she answered it with act ii   cowboy carter, a sometimes rock, occasionally rap, always country album. this almost genre less (genre ful?) touches on beyoncé’s gripes with the blindingly white country music scene that she gently entered in 2016 as a black woman. it dwells not on this for too long, as beyoncé must make us dance by the end. something shifts midway on a track called ya ya, in which we are reminded this is a beyoncé album: “she’s giving off good vibrations / he’s looking for a sweet sensation”, she croons over an interpolation of the beach boys’ own “good vibrations.”   blake mcmillan from atmospheric to melancholic to nightclub soundscape, the ten tracks of eilish’s third studio album uncover the american singer’s vulnerability, identity, and love. the album either hits hard with topics like public scrutiny and rejection, such as in the opener “skinny;” or hits soft, like “bittersuite,” the second to last track that encapsules the album’s previous themes of love, attraction, and fear of falling again. with traces of her past work and experimental beats, hit me hard and soft has received enough praised for its production and coming of age nature. “the greatest,” song that eilish described as “the heart of the album,” contains perhaps some of her strongest and poignant lyrics: “made it all look painless / man, am i the greatest.”   bárbara martínez campuzano human connection has always been at the core of blind pilot’s music, and this rings especially true on the band’s long awaited fourth studio album. their most beautiful, colorful, cathartic, and compelling record to date, in the shadow of the holy mountain is an intimate and vulnerable indie folk record of human connection, born from human connection. the indie folk band from astoria, oregon celebrate the ties that bind us   all those things, both good and bad, beautiful and painful, that connect us to one another in this lifetime. in the shadow of the holy mountain is achingly heartfelt and emotionally nuanced, yet refreshingly lightweight and breathable: an expressive and energizing record you can play on repeat ad nauseam. from the sweet revelry of album opener “jacaranda” and the radiant passion of immigrant anthem “brave”   an enchanting song breaking down borders and constructs like ‘home’   to the dreamy warmth of “don’t you know,” the charm and churn of “just a bird,” the powerful perspective shift (being alone vs. lonely) of “faces of light,” and the tender, visceral yearning and catharsis of album closer “believe me,” blind pilot imbue their latest album with both a musical and a spiritual light.   mitch mosk to make his third studio album, juwan elcock had to deconstruct not just his own music, but his own self image as an artist. the old sounds just weren’t working anymore, and after pushing the boundaries of alternative r&b, hip hop, and funk on his first two lps (2021’s blk vintage and 2023’s diamonds & freaks), the austin based artist and producer found himself ready to flip the script, take a few risks, and try something new. yet what started as a career move to broaden his scope ultimately sent blk odyssy down a rabbit of transformation and self discovery, opening his eyes and his ears to new possibilities and leading him to make what he now proudly calls his favorite album yet: a cinematic, seductive, and angsty fever dream, 1 800 fantasy is a breathtakingly bold concept album that bends and breaks genre as blk odyssy builds a world that is his and his alone   all while telling a story of desire and delusion, obsession and infatuation, romance and reckoning. the record hits hard and leaves a lasting mark on the ears and the heart as blk odyssy breaks his own mold, holding nothing back as he meddles in matters of the head and the heart   exposing how fragile our psyches really are when love or lust is involved. whether we hear this album as one teenager’s intense erotic fever dream, the product of a 27 year old rethinking what his art can look, feel, and sound like, or something in between, 1 800 fantasy is a unique, unparalleled musical experience: a creative and conceptual triumph that finds blk odyssy successfully redefining himself, taking control of his own narrative while telling an instantly memorable and enthralling story.   mitch mosk chicago’s brigitte calls me baby solidified their place as one of the year’s most exciting new bands with their dreamy and dramatic debut album the future is our way out, an introduction full of seductive, soul stirring crooning, fervent post punk passion, and heated indie rock sound. combining their 2023 debut ep’s five tracks with six new songs, the full length record exudes raw energy and urgency, with frontman wes leavins and his bandmates leaving it all on the field (or in this case, in the studio) through a feverish haze of sweaty guitar riffs, cinematic grooves, thought provoking lyrics, and undeniable vocal performances that can’t help but send shivers down the spine.   mitch mosk camila cabello’s c, xoxo confused a lot of people when it was released. me included, but it is definitely my favourite cabello album and one of my favourite 2024 releases. as soon as i heard the exquisite “chanel no.5,” i was all in with cabello’s new direction. c, xoxo really is the gift that keeps on giving. i keep going back and listening to the record and discovering more. and since the deluxe version dropped, i’ve been spoilt for choice. it’s a record for all moods. the whole record is a sensory experience. i’m 37, so 10 years older than cabello, and i can say without a doubt this record really does sum up your 20s and all the feelings that come with that decade so well. how she writes about the contradictions of loving someone in your 20s on “twentysomethings”: c, xoxo feels very explorative and discerning; “twentysomethings” is a good example of that awareness and experience. the rawness of her debut has gone but what’s left is a record that is confident and embodies a freedom that her other records didn’t have; “chanel no.5,” “hot uptown,” and “i luv it” embody this freedom and confidence in her own exploration. chanel no.5” is the stand out track for the mood and music. it sums up the whole record perfectly, and “june gloom” for the lyrics; it sounds like the older sister of “consequences.” my favourite lyric is below, and i like her flex about writing poems and songs. it’s funny, but also really sad. c, xoxo might not be for everyone, but i salute cabello for her authenticity, bravery and growth on this record.   emily algar as i have done before, i believe it important, when discussing this album, to briefly elucidate ‘agnosia’. it is a condition whereby an individual, despite the apparent normal functioning of their senses, cannot recognise an object, sound, person, or otherwise through one of more sense. it sounds bizarre, but it is a very real ailment, however rare. it is immortalised through certain marquee cases, for instance, the infamous tale of a patient who mistook his wife for a hat (again, absurd, but real). i am tentative to go further with this description, as i am not a medical professional who has committed any further research to this topic external to what my own curiosity has sought after. that being said, it is a fascinating thing to learn about. agnosiareign is a dark ambient work with a penchant for the ethereal, the shrouded, the tenebrous, but also the leap up to the noisy, the the bludgeoning, and the cataclysmic. it captivates you, transports you to a world of dimly lit corridors, obscured vision, and general trepidation, before inducing panic with threshing, musical chaos. appropriately, the album tends on sensory overloads. to me, it seems to be an admirable capturing of the confusion, the alarm, the loneliness, and even the devastation that living with a form of agnosia could bring. ‘mirage beside’ still features one of the most notable times music has jump scared me (the first time i heard it, i’m not sure i would say i ‘appeciated’ it). this album is, undeniably, one of the most evocative electronic projects of the year.   frederick bloy chandler leighton’s proof you weren’t the only one is an emotional tour de force that feels like a late night heart to heart with your most empathetic friend. anchored by her ethereal yet achingly raw vocals, the song explores the universal pangs of heartbreak and self reflection, wrapping listeners in a cocoon of bittersweet melodies. the production strikes a perfect balance between lush, swelling instrumentals and moments of delicate quiet, giving chandler’s poignant lyrics the space to truly resonate. it’s a cathartic anthem for anyone who’s ever felt alone in their pain, only to discover solace in shared vulnerability.   danielle holian no matter what you did this year, it was impossible to escape brat. from branding an entire season as “brat summer” to inspiring a viral tiktok dance and even influencing presidential campaign strategies, charli xcx’s sixth studio album was nothing short of a cultural reset. while the english electro pop artist has been cranking out hits for over a decade, brat, released in june, marked her breakthrough into global superstardom. the album is drenched in a euphoric club energy that begs to be blared through booming bass systems over packed dancefloors. hyperpop fans will recognize echoes of sophie’s pioneering influence alongside longtime collaborator a. g. cook’s intricate production. “club classics” epitomizes this unapologetic party vibe, blending thumping, almost liquid like synth beats with a looping, chopped up vocal sample from charli herself. complete with a rave worthy beat drop, “club classics” is an instant add to any dj’s playlist. but brat summer didn’t stop there  charli kept the momentum alive with bonus tracks (brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs) and a star studded remix album (brat and it’s completely different but also still brat), featuring artists like billie eilish, julian casablancas, lorde, and ariana grande. the album earned nine grammy nominations, including album of the year, and landed the coveted title of metacritic’s highest rated album of 2024. in a year defined by chaos, brat provided the perfect escape a riotous, carefree anthem for the summer’s “party girl” ethos. even as the year winds down, brat still continues to dominate playlists and has truly cemented itself as, well… a club classic.   haley mitchell produced alongside his upcoming film of the same name, bando stone & the new world is a lush compendium of tunes which sees childish gambino in his most confident and creative mode. viewed best as a showcase of his varied talents, this album contains huge beat driven bangers, tender romantic ballads, and gentle, sandswept acoustic vibes. it’s roughly r ‘n b and pop oriented, with plenty of other genres touched upon, which makes bando stone & the new world a dense listening experience, one which begs to be repeated. “lithonia,” a triumphant guitar driven piece, is the most immediately captivating song, however the gentler tunes such as “steps beach” and “real love” hit harder with each play. it’s absolutely a record which needs to be taken in one go or not at all, but the journey is well worth taking. this is something like the third record he has announced will be his last, so don’t put too much weight on those words. however, if this is childish gambino’s final project, it is a superb curtain closer to a career which, at its peak, has seen him rub shoulders with some of the very best.   adam davidson when clairo released her sophomore album sling in 2021, it was clear that she was making a distinct shift from the bedroom pop genre to softer ’70s influences, littered with bass, flutes, and percussion. in those three years away, clairo had been crafting charm, an album that only builds on its younger sister’s sonics and lives up to its title, making for one of the most alluringly warm, cheeky, lyrically impressive album releases to come out of 2024. charm is sure of who it is from front to back, each track feels completely necessary to the narrative that encompasses the album and it feels like clairo has found her sound with this project. clairo explores themes of heartbreak, solitude, and friendship on this project, but takes these common themes and spins new interpretations of them through her unique talent of storytelling mixed with the varied and fascinating production choices. one of the leading singles, “sexy to someone” stands for all charm represents. with witty lyricism like, “sexy to somebody, it would help me out / oh, i need a reason to get out of the house / and it’s just a little thing i can’t live without,” in combination with the production full of drums, synthesizers, and enchanting harmonies, this is track is just one of the many examples of the musical excellence present on charm.   marc maleri going into coin’s fifth album, chase lawrence and his bandmates took an opportunity to reset. the more you grow as an artist, the greater the expectations   the more voices inevitably enter the room, the more pressure there is to live up to (and do better than) your past, and the more there is to lose. rather than succumb to the noise, coin boldly and bravely shut out the world and made the music they wanted to make, and the music they wanted to hear. i’m not afraid of music anymore presents coin at their freest, their most candid, and their most self expressive. it’s an honest, unapologetic record that finds strength in vulnerability, blending catchy and cathartic music into one powerful, all consuming vessel of radiant energy and raw emotion. the songs themselves are simultaneously loud and soft, intimate and in your face, sonically and emotionally charged, uncompromising and unfiltered. from the opening salvo of “it’s hard to care about everything” through to the captivating finale “leaving a light on,” coin expose their hearts and souls, reflecting on life’s highs and lows, what it means to accept yourself, and the things we as individuals need not just to survive this life, but to actually thrive from day to day: love, friendship, empathy, hope. a shoulder to cry on; an ear to listen; space to fail; room to grow. “now i’m owning my mistakes, baby, how did it get this way?” lawrence sings in the gentle confessional “sing along,” wondering aloud in the chorus, “how many times can i be wrong? i’ve been down for way too long. how many tries can i fit in a song, hoping you still sing along?” it’s rare that music can feel so resolute, and still so vulnerable; this authenticity is coin’s best trait, and it’s one that permeates throughout all of i’m not afraid of music anymore‘s fourteen tracks.   mitch mosk canadian musical collective daysormay unveiled their full length album this year, teaming up with 3 time grammy and juno award winning producer chin injeti, to deliver some of their strongest work to date.the 10 track album moderation saw the trio breaking the mold and pushing boundaries beyond their limits to create something truly unique that defies categorization. take the song “auto” for example   a track which was named after ‘auto destructive art’, with the band explaining how it sounded like it was destroying itself from the inside out. “auto” sees the band stepping further away from anything they’ve done before, almost rejecting their former selves in an act of rebellion and creative defiance. the unpredictable song is almost a shock to the system, with its bold, disorienting sound and jarring synths challenging the listener’s expectations. delivering a fearless and experimental musical landscape, daysormay have crafted a daring yet refreshingly original album with moderation.   joe beer singer, rapper, musician extraordinaire doechii really brought it on her first full length debut (technically a mixtape, but whatever). you learn a lot about doechii throughout alligator bites never heal, important for a debut. having toured with doja cat, sza, and beyoncé she’s clearly absorbed from their skillsets and made them her own. doechii showcases her musical abilities across the 19 tracks on the project harmonizing, swooning, storytelling, crafting strong hooks, and most importantly rapping skills. take “denial is a river” it’s a fully formed sketch that could hold its own on saturday night live all while maintaining musicality and depth. if you haven’t seen it already, her recent late night colbert performance is legendary.   eric schuster how does one follow up an album like dua lipa’s 2020 masterpiece future nostalgia? it seems with neo psychedelics and bouncy abba inspired rhythms. the long awaited body of work is not nearly as sprawling in length as her previous one, with only 37 minutes in length. if in less time, she pulls off some impressive melancholies in radical optimism, with the interlude like “anything for love,” and brings the vibe back with tracks like “houdini” and “training season.”   blake mcmillan this indie and soft rock album by singer/songwriter faye webster marks a new phase in the artist’s career: new sounds, new experiences, new messages, but an old subject. although breakup themed records have been seen plenty of times before, webster’s approach on underdressed at the symphony is honest, rare, and remarkable. some of the songs on this album start out slow, yet surprisingly are built up by more instruments that make the melody combine with the singer’s vocal timbre, such as in the case of the title track. this track represents the universal definition of the album through the metaphor of going to the symphony while being underdressed, showing emotional turmoil and heartbreak. many of the songs simultaneously explore the feelings and thoughts of self discovery, with instruments like guitar and piano driving the tracks into an unusual dreamy landscape that allow the listener to reflect on their own feelings and thoughts.   bárbara martínez campuzano fie eike dropped her debut album this year, which was nearly four years in the making. it’s now evident it was worth the wait, with the 12 track release, water, delivering a mesmerizing and truly poetic exploration of emotion and nature. the intimate and immersive soundscapes take the listener on a journey, as the songwriter highlights the healing and transformative power of water. like the ebb and flow of the ocean, every track on water offers something different. “the wave” for example is a unique work of art, with fie eike creating a sound installation using recordings of water sounds that the artist captured from different locations across denmark. the only lyrics to be featured in this track are the haunting whispers that introduce the song, “close your eyes and dive deep down under, the wave.” this song emphasizes the incredible qualities of water and its meditative power. water’s spellbinding abilities will linger long after the last track fades.   joe beer released in august 2024, romance is the fourth studio album by fontaines d.c. ever since the release of their second lp, a hero’s death   in 2020   this post punk band from dublin has been growing exponentially. romance is the climax of all this work, an 11 track masterpiece, which will no doubt have a place in lists of the best albums within the post punk/rock genre for decades to come. the music is biting, bold, and inspired   without sounding too derivative. the lyrics are poetic, moving, expansive and convey a nuanced magnetic relationship between lead singer, grian chatten, and his beloved homeland. the album cut, bug, stands out as having taken the best possible notes from revivalilst 60s band, the brian jonestown massacre, as well as a raft of other punk, indie and spaghetti western sounds. produced by the genius james ford, the entire artistic direction of this lp has been tight, insightful and refreshing. a must listen for any rock fan.   hamish monk after the immense success of british avant prog act black midi, it was a shock to see lead singer geordie greep break away from the group for a solo debut. while not a complete departure   many stark black midi isms remain present   the new sound lives up to its bold name by offering more than greep has ever done before. elements of jazz fusion, brazilian samba, and classic 70’s prog converge in a series of winding, maximal compositions which flaunt dazzling, near flawless instrumental work and stunning musicianship. greep’s trademark vocal delivery adds the cherry on top of what is easily the most sonically impressive album of the year. but the true genius of the new sound lies in its taboo themes. geordie greep speaks from the point of view of a conceited incel, touching on seemingly every fallacy and insecurity of the poisoned “beta male” mindset. the singer spews tales of elegant dates with prostitutes, raunchy boasts of fake sexual conquests, violently misguided egotism, overcompensation with materialism, and the finely tuned misogyny that stems from a lack of romantic attention; it’s about as bizarre as it presents itself to be. yet, geordie greep’s imaginative presentation successfully veils the absurdity with humor and a razor sharp wit, resulting in a fever dream that is equal parts cheeky, powerful, grotesque, and wildly fantastical. the new sound makes the unpalatable palatable, inhabiting a feeling that, truly, has never been captured before.   jake fewx glass animals stuck to their guns for their fourth album, making a record that feels true to who they are and who they’ve always been. i love you so f***ing much caters to a massive, global mainstream audience without sacrificing style or substance. it’s ten songs about love and the cosmos, sung from the perspective of four best friends who have seen their worlds turned completely upside down over the past four years. “show pony” and “how i learned to love the bomb” are two of this album’s all stars, and for good reason. that sinister, seductive synth on “wonderful nothing” hits like nothing else i’ve ever heard, and i love that glass animals had the guts to do what they did with that track. it’s bold, and it’s perfectly executed. my favorite is, was, and remains “a tear in space (airlock)” not for any scientific reason, but for how cathartic it feels to sing the chorus: “water, running down my face. water, running different ways. water, like a billion waves. water, just a tear in space.” it’s simple, catchy, and absolutely immersive. when you talk about being drawn in by an artist, for me, that song is the tractor beam at full force. being a glass animals fan used to feel like being in a cult only you knew about; it’s been exciting to welcome so many new members into what is no longer a secret society by any means, and it feels good to know that the band are meeting their moment with music that feels larger than life. dave bayley’s creativity   he is, after all, the driving lyrical, melodic, and production force behind the scenes   clearly knows no limits, nor is it faltering in the slightest. stepping into any of the worlds they make has always been a special, unparalleled experience, and the spacey landscape of i love you so f***ing much is as exhilarating as it is all consuming. i love you so f***ing much feels very much like one for the fans   a world unto itself, a record born in the shadow of meteoric success, and an album that lives up to the hype without closing any doors for future endeavors. it’s home to some of the best songs glass animals have ever made, and for that, i’ll forever love it. hakushi hasegawa has never been one for conformity. with a history of bold takes on nu jazz and art pop, the japanese singer songwriter’s newest lp manages to deconstruct every sense of traditionalism in pursuit of a sound that is ruthlessly dynamic. mahōgakkō (translated as “magic school”) will smack you like a hurricane. gargantuan waves of pulsating synth crash against blazing bouts of hyperpop and a blitzkrieg of unpredictable time signatures. yet, hasegawa weaves through the pandemonium with ease. with every thrilling high comes an equally calming low, hasegawa offering effervescent moments of reprieve which showcase the artist’s sugary sweet vocals and true songwriting prowess. mahōgakkō is a sprawling effort which bursts at the seems with nuance. while challenging in many (many) aspects, hakushi hasegawa consistently remains fresh, exhilarating, and musically rewarding, offering world class musicianship, and a new creative benchmark which will not be matched for some time.   jake fewx reinvention or rebirth? or, something else entirely? ashley frangipane masquerades as halsey no longer   were they ever truly indistinguishable? a decade into her career and the artist has yet to abandon her concept album roots but has opted for the most intimate, rawest reflection of her life   one she believed was nearing an end due to chronic health struggles. the great impersonator finds the 30 year old emulating her greatest influences track by track   from pj harvey esque post rock (“dog years”) and joni mitchell inspired fingerpicking (“the end”) to her own origins circa the badlands era (“hurt feelings”). life and death intertwine through the 18 tracks, phasing through pleading, anger, acceptance and the ever so confusing in between. has the muse revealed her true self or is she still navigating her own identity? after all, in here lies the great impersonator.   marissa deleon there’s really no better way to say it: hovvdy have never sounded more ‘hovvdy’ than they do on hovvdy. building upon the intimacy and vulnerability of 2021’s critically acclaimed fourth lp true love, the austin based duo of charlie martin and will taylor realized their full, true potential on their self titled fifth studio album   an ambitious, sweeping 19 track double album that, despite its considerable size and scope, still manages to feel like a tight, focused hug from your best friend. the music is dusty, dreamy, cozy, and warm; the songs themselves range from introspective reflections on life and love to tender snapshots of those little moments of meaning and connection that fill our days with light, beauty, and purpose   in essence, making our very existences worthwhile. not a single song breaches the four minute mark, and yet hovvdy naturally and effortlessly foster a sense of space and depth throughout their record’s hour long journey. ultimately, hovvdy is a breathable, lightweight masterpiece delivering the very best of that soothing, soul stirring folk soaked indie rock that has already made the texan duo a household name in so many circles. it’s hovvdy at their most refined, at their most experimental, at their most expansive, and at their most vulnerable   giving their full, unfiltered, uncompromisingly raw selves to audiences through an hour of radiant, deeply resonant songs.   mitch mosk axxx perhaps that’s the key to inner transformation: we must first unravel ourselves in order to rebuild; we have to break down before putting our pieces back together. otherwise, why transform at all? the soul’s unraveling is one of the key themes in jodie nicholson’s breathtaking sophomore album, and the deeper you listen, the clearer it becomes that hers really is a beautiful breakdown: like a phoenix, she soars gracefully out of her own wreckage, channeling her own darkness and pain into inspiring warmth and wonder as she finds her footing and her voice, and harnesses both the to the best of her abilities. nicholson’s inner light shines on safe hands, an intimate, achingly vulnerable alt pop album of self assurance, inward connection, empowerment, and release.   mitch mosk this is, simply, a very unique album. at times, same dream pond makes you feel as though you’re suffocating amidst something noxious, at other times, as though you’re drowning, your ankles throttled by tendrilous vines, the lights perforating the water, cascading into rays, obscuring, then dissipating slowly, everything becoming heavier and darker. alternatively, at its less sinister moments, you are transported to a muggy, restless night, exacerbated by the thrumming bass of a house party a few gardens away. it is 2am. sweat sprigs on your furrowed brow as you try to locate an icnreasingly elusive cold spot on your pillow. you have your window opened for air, but that only lets the music percolate deeper into your bedroom, rattling your eyes that now will not close. i’m sure there’s a riveting discussion that could be had about the production of this album. however, i do not have the technical acumen to catalyse it, and secondly, i’m not sure it would make for the most engaging of brief reviews. ultimately, the whole album is muffled in a way that is antithetically both alluring, and disconcerting. synths eddy out beguiling melodies, too distant to hum, or snarl stridently, evoking distant dangers. alien voices trickle indecipherable incantations, their utterances too close for comfort. in this album you are a stranger, a trespasser. it is a cacophony, a city of noise, the happenings of which you were never invited to see, the traffic of which does not stop to let you through. there are moments of respite, moments of chaos, moments of peril   lurking in the shadows, occasionally thrust into the jeopardy of it all, you are privy to everything.   frederick bloy 2024 may well have been the year in which i consumed the most live jazz in my life, and while i sadly did not make it to another kamasi washington show  hopefully that’ll change once he returns from his ongoing tour in europe  he still played a key role in making my year particularly jazzy via the release of fearless movement. “jazz music has a proud and intelligent leading living ambassador in this man,” i wrote in my review this past spring, and definitely stand by that statement several months later. kamasi proved to be as dominant on the tenor saxophone as ever all across fearless movement, and also proved more open than before about bringing aboard guest artists this time around. it paid off: fearless movement features some exciting collaborations with some of washington’s longtime partners in the los angeles music scene, and giving andre 3000 the space to give his flute playing experiment another go (“dream state”), as well as letting a couple rappers to do their thing (“computer love”) produced some wondrous results as well. fearless movement represents ninety minutes of the most masterful music produced all year, jazz or otherwise.   josh weiner country artist kelsea ballerini dropped her highly anticipated record patterns in the fall. the album followed up her critically acclaimed ep rolling up the welcome mat, which ballerini created when she was going through some major life changes. at the time of writing my review, i wasn’t sure about some of ballerini’s creative choices, but after a couple of months of listening, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. the record is an evolution for ballerini in terms of her songwriting, musical landscape and storytelling. there are beautiful moments on the record. “sorry mom,” which is written like a conversation, the ethereal “first rodeo,” and the sprawling americana title track, all are exquisitely arranged. in these moments, the record soars and ballerini’s evolution feels organic. “we broke up,” which comes at the halfway mark, stands out with its heavy, anthemic beat and ballerini’s sultry vocal and her lyrical playfulness. her singing/shouting “we broke up” in the chorus makes the song tough and fun all at once. “beg for your love” is the standout song on the album. it is seemingly quiet and gentle with an acoustic guitar and ballerini’s vocals, but her lyrics are made of steel. on a personal level, this song is ballerini honouring all the work she’s done on herself, but this song is much more important that just one person. patterns closes with “did you make it home (outro),” a soft lullaby to all of us who are searching for a home. the sparseness of the track and ballerini’s soft vocals, bring that emotion of ever searching for “that place” to the forefront. ballerini has clearly found her home in music and in her personal life. patterns is ballerini’s invitation for all of us to find our place, even only for an hour.   emily algar kendrick lamar has been in the game for 10+ years making rap tunes. he’s 37 now, has multiple acclaimed projects, plenty of accolades, and not a whole lot yet to prove at this point. and he still came out and tore gnx to shreds. that says a lot about his talent and work ethic  and there’s way more evidence of that to be found by actually putting the time into listening to this surprise release. its 44 minutes are lined all the way through with fiery rapping on the main man’s part; impressive work in the production department (bringing aboard jack antonoff for his first full scale teamup with lamar is a gamble that largely paid off); and valuable contributions from all of the guest vocalists, from sza down to roddy rich. as far as i’m concerned, all of the primary criteria for a great hip hop album has been satisfied in a one two three punch right there.   josh weiner singer/songwriter laci kaye booth’s debut album, the loneliest girl in the world was released in the spring of 2024. it is now december, and booth’s debut album is not only my favourite country album of 2024, but my favourite album of 2024! in the bridge of her debut album’s opening track, “cigarettes,” laci kaye booth sings/shouts, “i learned sometimes your first don’t last, i learned to scream, i learned to laugh, i learned to live with my regrets, i learned i hate, i hate cigarettes.” quickly, you realise this woman with the rapunzel like golden locks, pillowy lips, and doe eyes, is made of steely determination   and will take no prisoners when it comes to making her art. the record is a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by mediocre bro country and problematic singers throwing chairs off rooftop bars. booth brings a realness and authenticity to the table of country music. there are moments on this song that all women will relate to: a first love, and how we loved that first love, compared with how we love now as we’ve grown. “now that we’re older, and i can see what you did when i loved you like a kid.” booth described the album opener, “cigarettes,” as “a true life story, not a highlight reel… ‘cigarettes’ has multiple meanings throughout the song. i wrote this at one of the lowest points of my career and life, with my dear friend and producer, ben west. it has sorrow, shame, grit, and hope written all within it and i hope the message that’s received from this is to learn from the hard shit, learn to let it go, and let it make you better.” booth and west have created a very special record that pushes the boundaries of country lyricism, and showcases a complete female perspective, something that is often missing from american country music.   emily algar country was cool again in 2024. pop stars stampeded over nashville’s gatekeepers with some help from blue collar champs both past and present, but nobody did the genre more proud than lainey wilson. whirlwind could’ve wound up a disaster. wilson’s fifth album and first since notching a grammy was recorded in spurts during her torrential touring schedule. such is the life for the cma’s reigning first lady. writing under the gun might’ve kept these songs within her wheelhouse, but that’s just peachy when your bread and butter covers pop country, ’70s rock, bayou funk and two steppin’ honky tonk. even when her bell bottoms stretched into rhinestone disco, she hit the bulls eye. trends come and go in the music industry quicker than an ornery palomino, but with lana’s sundress phase on the horizon, country’s moment might have a long tail. it’s easy to poke fun at northeast frat bros for their trucker caps and patchy mustaches, but whether real or imagined, we all long for the comforts of home. wilson belongs to the open road, but it didn’t matter if she was tasting the rockies or driving herself crazy in a 4x4xu, babe; amidst the whirlwind of the past few years, wilson stuck by her roots. “now that’s a trend i can get behind“, she hollered on “country’s cool again”, leaning full hog into her backwoods, backporch, louisiana drawl. it took her a daggum decade to blow down country’s barn doors, but this year, the wind was at lainey wilson’s back.   will yarbrough attempting to capture the catharsis of motherhood, laura marling’s 2020 triumph song for our daughter was dedicated to a figurative daughter. four years later, the english singer songwriter has taken the step into parenthood and to actualize those blissful feelings on patterns in repeat, and the result is nothing short of stunning. marling’s spellbinding melodies envelop the listener like a longing embrace. every song like an entry in a diary book, reading as a series of familiar feelings that, when woven together, create a rich tapestry of life experience. marling’s focus lies in what makes these emotions profound and entirely relatable, yet the album’s true beauty lies in its duality. the singer’s imaginative approach allows the music to be viewed through not only the lense of her own experience, but from the lense of a parent watching their children experience life’s beauty for the first time; a true musical testament to the wholesome, unconditional love of a parent. birth to adolescence, young love to heartbreak, childbirth to parenthood, life is a cycle where mother and daughter are forever intertwined through the bond of their shared experience. and it is in that cycle where we may find solace: “we are patterns in repeat … and we always will be.”   jake fewx easily one of the most beautiful records released this year, leif vollebekk’s revelation is a musical masterpiece. the singer/songwriter’s fourth album marries his intimate storytelling with dreamy melodies and stunning harmonies that send shivers down my spine every time i listen. it’s enchantingly sweet, achingly emotional, and breathtakingly cinematic: a warm, welcoming, wondrous world unto itself.   mitch mosk bold, brash, and forever true to herself, lola young is a musical maverick. unapologetic in every sense of the word, the 23 year old singer/songwriter from croydon, south london, has been spilling her guts in song for five years now. she made a splash with 2023’s major label debut album my mind wanders and sometimes leaves completely, yet it’s with this year’s sophomore record   the critically acclaimed this wasn’t meant for you anyway   that she has transcended the local scene to become somewhat of a beloved cult figure in the alternative and pop worlds. the attitude young displays in songs like “messy,” “conceited,” “wish you were dead,” and “f***” is infectious and undeniable; she holds nothing back in asserting her unfiltered, charismatic self, blending raw vulnerability with youthful vigor and charm through songs that fuse her emotionally charged, soul soaked voice with indie rock and alternative pop instruments.   mitch mosk magdalena bay’s bio on spotify, unlike countless artists, simply reads, “synth pop straight from the simulation.” this sentiment is the perfect description of magdalena bay’s entire discography, but more specifically for the musical masterpiece that is imaginal disk. the pop duo made up of vocalist mica tenebaum and producer/writer matthew lewin have been putting out futuristic, mind bending pop tracks since 2019, but imaginal disk stands as one of their most impressive works yet. the album chronicles a psychedelic journey into becoming human and what that means. the narrative about the human experience is only strengthened by the seamless transitions throughout; the story being told effortlessly shifts into each subsequent track. a track that is most representative of what magdalena bay achieved with this record is “image,” a song that sounds like it was pulled from a time and reality far from our own. it’s filled to the brim with so many unique choices in production, from synth that has a mind of its own to sounds that are so unique and layered, they almost feel indistinguishable, but never to the point of a headache inducing experience. tenebaum’s distinctly powerful yet airy vocals on top of the trip inducing medley of sonics on “image” makes up one part of a project full of dynamic, original, moving moments.   marc maleri mannequin pussy have been working hard in indie and punk circles for a decade, but i got heaven was a great crossover moment for the band. without sacrificing heaviness on songs like “of her” and “ok? ok! ok? ok!” the band have composed some of their catchiest songs of their career, firing off about sexuality, religious trauma, and injustice. while the punks certainly leans towards hardcore, a few songs like “loud bark” and “nothing like” lean more towards a more straightforward indie rock, and some songs meet in the middle like the title track. seeing singer and frontperson marisa “missy” dabice bring these songs to life at shows also cemented the album as a favorite for the year. seeing her flip between sensual cooing to a powerful scream quickly both in songs and during her banter really is a great metaphor for the impact that these songs have. whether she was strutting across the stage at brooklyn steel or running around in the rain at forest hills stadium, i got heaven had a biblical impact this year.   james crowley true to his last name, matt champion has emerged as a singular, striking visionary with his sweaty, smoldering, and soul stirring debut solo album. mika’s laundry is more than a “breakout” for the former brockhampton member; it’s a reintroduction, and to a certain degree, a revolution. champion lets neither genre nor song structure hold him back from building worlds of sonic wonder and emotional weight as he experiments with textures, timbres, beats, bars, and everything else under the sun. the music is alternative; it’s ambient; it’s hip hop; it’s expressive; it’s visceral; and it’s human. from the charming churn of album opener “green” and its brooding, laid back refrain of “alabama blue,” to the sweet, hazy, irresistibly danceable intoxication of “slug,” the unassailable intimacy of “code red,” the exhilarating pulse of “steel” (ft. dora jar), and the spiritually cleansing cathartic release of “aphid” (ft. dijon), mika’s laundry feels like a portal to another dimension   one where we all wear our hearts unapologetically on sleeves, where emotions swim through the air in striking psychedelic currents, and where our wildest dreams can become our truest reality. and so yes, matt champion is a champion, in my book. he has defied convention, subverted expectation, embraced the unconventional, and dared to be unique throughout his debut solo lp. with mika’s laundry as a ‘new’ creative benchmark and his artistic launchpad, there’s no limit to what champion can do, where he might go from here, or how high he might climb. to join him on that adventure, merely as listener, is both an honor and a privilege.   mitch mosk released in april via slowplay / island records, medium build’s fifth studio album (and his first major label lp) country is an honest and achingly vulnerable masterpiece: an intimate, unfiltered, and unapologetically exposed folk rock record that highlights and embraces nick carpenter’s humanity in a way that his past records, while personal to him in their own rights, never quite accomplished. it’s an album full of real, raw highs and lows   moments of heartfelt confession, human connection, spiritual release, inner reckoning, soul searching. now 32, the singer/songwriter who once fled the lower 48 to alaska is no longer hiding   at least, not in his music. the goal of country was to make something sweet, raw, and direct   “something you love with and dance with and cry with and sleep with and lean into”   and by all accounts, he succeeded: working with his longtime creative partner jake libassi, aka laiko, carpenter dug deep   into his childhood and upbringing, into his family and friends, into his own hopes and dreams, insecurities and fears. prevailing over many of his songs is a search for home and a sense of belonging; of carpenter the human trying to understand his place in the world, and get in touch with his roots. from the innocence and youthful yearning of lead single “in my room” to the dramatic emotional release of “cutting thru the country,” carpenter holds nothing back in his writing and performance, painting vivid images of life’s little sparks of meaning and letting colorful, catchy melodies run wild and free. truth be told, every song is a highlight. the tender “knowing u exist” is beautiful folk balladry at its finest   a tranquil, softly sung acoustic number (reminiscent of the goo goo dolls’ “acoustic #3” and fleetwood mac’s “landslide”) that expresses just how much carpenter’s loved ones mean to him in two and a half deeply moving minutes. the springsteen esque folk song “hey sandra” aches from the inside out as carpenter delivers a gut wrenching love song, in the form of a confessional letter written by a fictional man (very loosely based of his father) to the love of his life, who has walked out on him (or kicked him out of the house). in the spirited “can’t be cool forever,” carpenter turns his self awareness around aging into an emotionally charged fever dream about “staying alive,” and in the hauntingly beautiful “say it back,” he wears his big heart on his sleeve as he admits, “i’m so scared of f*ing this up, but i think that we should try… so maybe tonight, you could come over, and i could look you in the eye, and say that i love you, and i want you to say it back.” if “beach chair” opens the album with a sense of searching, yearning, learning, and self discovery, then “stick around” is the big payout: a breathtakingly bold, grand finale worth it weight in gold, again recognizing the loved ones in our lives who support us and see us through those darker, tougher times. one of country‘s few real anthems, “stick around” is an ode to living, to loving, and to being alive. this is medium build at his most euphoric, celebrating life itself; he’s still digging for meaning and looking for his place in the world, as he does throughout country   but perhaps the biggest takeaway, as he closes his album, is that he’s not alone. it’s a lesson worth remembering and taking to heart.   mitch mosk there’s a bee’s nest buzzing in travolta’s bald head and a shitfaced lightning mcqueen. a helping of catholic guilt and cum swirling down a hotel shower drain. there are milkshakes, and then there are smoothies (depending on who you ask, the differences are crucial). and, of course, there is the illustrious himbodome. m.j. lenderman’s breakthrough september release, manning fireworks, is chock full of bizarrely specific scenarios and wryly humorous one liners that will be lodged in my brain for the foreseeable future. the heartaches underlying them, though, burst out like puss from a bruise when lenderman strips his characters of their armor   without the half jokes and gloriously scuzzy guitar solos they hide behind, how they’re really doing becomes painfully clear (spoiler alert: they aren’t in remotely good shape). perhaps the heaviest blow comes from the wince worthy couplet opening “she’s leaving you”:“you can put your clothes back on / she’s leaving you,” lenderman sings, offering nothing to chuckle about. the song’s propulsive chord progression, both as simple and heart stopping as those three titular words, drives home the album’s thesis statement: “it falls apart, we all got work to do.” we can snark at the guy passed out in his lucky charms, or admonish the perfect little baby turned bible beating jerk, but at the end of the day, haven’t we all got some work to do?   anna pichler the phrase “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” has been used time and time again as it pertains to michael gordon, better known as mk.gee, but it is an honest claim. one could even say that his level of cultural and/or generational influence has not been seen since the rise of frank ocean in the early mid 2010s. both examples present a reclusive artist who falls under the category of a “vibe,” but the music on two star & the dream police itself, even more so than the mystique, is what is driving the conversation forward. genre bending. experimentation. storytelling. a comprehensive listening experience that is repackaged, though only enhanced further, in a live setting. elements of modern electronica, ’80s rock, and even hints of afrobeats all find their way into just the first tune, “new low,” though pure alternative, whatever that means in 2024, is likely the closest thing to an accurate labeling of these songs. this instability of just the basic sounds, underlined by a slight crunchiness to the instrumentation, is deliberately employed in his melodies, which emerge as rather quirky and hayward on this tune as well as on “rylee & i,” yet far more linear on “are you looking up,” “little bit more,” and “dream police,” as well. the trio of “i want,” “alesis,” and “breakthespell” best represent the idea of minimalist maximalism across this collection of songs. “breakthespell” in particular is, somewhat ironically, the most entrancing, futuristic song of the project, allowing for the celestial feel of the track to marinate within itself: “most of the time i can’t win/ and i wanna end what i began.” mk.gee’s use of extended intervals between thoughts and passages is used regularly throughout this project, but is, arguably, done most effectively here, as both the sonic and lyrical aspect completely align. his jersey roots are scattered throughout the previously mentioned trio, positioned towards the end of the record, but are not copycat items. admitting to a late stage appreciation for bruce springsteen and similar acts and music within the ‘working class rock n’ roll’ category, mk.gee has adapted the gravitas and unbridled adrenaline of the e street band to a sound that is, again, done in a minimalistic fashion, but is seen as intricate, complex, and emotionally enthralling.   noah wade pillow queens’ third album opens in the midst of a heavy, sweaty mess. guitars drone and drums churn as the irish indie rock band channel emotional pain into a thick musical heat. “tell me if i’m gonna wake up… tell me how i’m gonna dissolve this body quicker,” pamela connolly sings, her voice white hot on the mic, distressed and passionate and yearning for release as tension rises all around her. “if i’m gonna wake up, i just wanna learn to avoid this hairline trigger.” it’s a sonic and emotional fever dream; the wreckage after the storm. we’ve all been to that dark place, and pillow queens bring us back there once more on name your sorrow, a bold, brutal, and breathtaking record of grief and growth, heartache and healing. it’s a heavy, sweaty, beautiful mess the whole way through   and one that unapologetically dwells in the raw, vulnerable depths of the human experience, processing what it means to feel emotions so intensely; to hurt so badly; to lose yourself in someone else; and to find your way back from the darkness, into the light.   mitch mosk this past summer, sabrina carpenter released her sassy, beautiful, pop infused album short n’ sweet on august 23. the about 36 minute album has 12 tracks that recount stories related to love in all of its aspects   jealousy, heartache, nervousness, irritation and infatuation. need a song to scream at your ex for going back to theirs? carpenter has that covered. scared to fall in love again because of the past? she has that covered too. even when that special someone shatters your heart, there is a song on short n’ sweet to turn up to full volume and marinate in your feelings too. it is through the way carpenter tells such stories though that makes this record so unique and special. carpenter excels at metaphors and witty lines with a hint of sarcasm and boldness. it is a clever way of making what could be hard feelings to understand and digest, relatable and humorous. even more so, in her harder hitting songs such as “lie to girls,” she writes very straightforwardly. she says it how it is   which women have been yearning for within music. as the 2024 saying goes, she is a girl’s girl. what carpenter writes about, the good, the bad, the sassy and the poetic, one could easily find in any girl’s diary lying around. she encapsulates the women’s brain and experience in love in a truthful yet entertaining and captivating way. carpenter’s first single off short n’ sweet was “espresso.” she released this track on april 11, days prior to her coachella performance. “espresso” ended up soaring high on the charts and became carpenter’s breakout moment. shortly after, she released “please please please” on june 7. this single also took off on the charts and even became carpenter’s first no. 1 on billboard’s hot 100. but other tracks on this record also had memorable moments including “bed chem,” “juno” and “slim pickens,” which had lyrics that took to social media trends. however, all of carpenter’s tracks within this record stand as their own individual strength that give to the overall listening experience of short n’ sweet. and the album is exactly that   short and sweet.   lauren turner “now so many nights have led me here, thinkin’ bout’ the things i fear and when i’ll finally get some rest.” this, one of the opening lines of “man you raised,” the first of 28 tunes off frohna, mi based singer songwriter sam barber’s debut album restless mind, sets the tone for much of the discourse to come. barber, who utterly blew this writer away with a stellar performance at brooklyn, ny’s music hall of williamsburg earlier this year, is, quite possibly, the rawest, ‘least experienced’ performer in modern country music. despite this, it could be argued that his level of emotionally connectivity and unaffected, unprompted vocal style has not been seen since the late great johnny cash. many of the tunes, both from a vocal and instrumental level, sit in a similar place in terms of melodic flow, tempo, structure, and, fortunately or unfortunately, key. however, it is the songs that deviate from this makeup that ultimately create magic. breakout hit “straight and narrow,” included on the record, is one of the more commonplace inclusions, falling flat to a voice note from his befuddled grandfather on “g pa” directly into “restless mind” with avery anna, “better year,” “s.o.b.,” “home ain’t far,” “different kind of pain,” and “gambler.” these, and select others, seem to carry emotional and musical stakes that are ever so slightly increased from the rest. “bet on my ghost,” “indigo,” again with anna, and “stay the night,” featuring the fullest, most comprehensive, and most complex arrangement of the pack, truly diversify this project, and cement barber as a mainstay in the renaissance of the neo traditional country genre. on both “restless mind” and “indigo,” anna fights with herself to maintain composure as barber’s temperament and restlessness flairs, knowing that, even with all the love she can give, he must ultimately face his demons alone. these two tunes, along with “stay the night,” the latter of which may be overlooked due to its placement buried near the end of the tracklist, are the most accurate representations of barber as a performer on either side of his musical spectrum.   noah wade up and coming rapper and singer samara cyn is doing her thing on her debut album, the drive home. with dynamic flows, a cool accent, a unique voice, and undeniable swagger she exudes confidence. i predict big things for the talented young artist.   eric schuster playing favorites from philadelphia’s sheer mag hits the ground running with the band’s signature blend of raucous music and biting social commentary. it’s full of rock songs that sound both modern and like throwbacks to classic ’70s and ’80s bands. singer tina halladay has so much grit in her voice, it’s a joy to listen to. “golden hour” is an absolutely perfect track to go driving to, especially at the titular time; “mechanical garden” cruises you through a flurry of tempos and arrangements with a feel good riff buoying it all. perhaps the best example of the boundless energy surging through playing favorites is represented by “eat it and beat it.” a thundering, rowdy, in your face track that became my number three song of the year. i could not stop listening to it. with lyrics decrying those who believe people who don’t fit the typical (or outdated) image of a “rocker” can’t have a place in rock music, it’s an out with the old, in with the new jam ushering in and encouraging those who’ve found themselves on the fringes, or those who have yet to see people who look like them in spaces they want to inhabit. while the album is polished compared to their earlier, rawer releases, it never loses its sense of urgency or passion. if anything, playing favorites proves that sheer mag are still as committed to rocking hard as they are to challenging the status quo.   kendall graham procreation, and really the entire sly jr. project, feels like a special treat for the real fans   not least because you actually had to be paying attention to even know this music existed! the solo project of sir sly’s landon jacobs finds him channeling his band’s signature angst fueled sound into new terrain as he unpacks his life’s current chapter   exploring themes like marriage, fatherhood, sobriety, and faith with a fine toothed lyrical comb and soul stirring, emotionally charged melodies. thankfully, a nonexistent marketing budget couldn’t keep me from discovering   and subsequently falling in love with   procreation’s ten breathtaking, brutally intimate songs. sly jr. is an achingly raw triumph of the heart and the soul, and if you were ever a fan of sir sly, then i am confident that, like me, you will fall headfirst in love with its son, sly jr.   mitch mosk sounds surge, surround, and shout on st. vincent’s seventh (but first self produced) lp, all born screaming. the 10 track record offers a curious consistency in her discography: experimentation. the gloomy yet paradoxically vibrant sonics dissipate the enveloping fog as dark pop elements ignite the industrial rock soundscape. annie clark remains reliably unpredictable as ever… remaining true to her experimental nature, todos nacen gritando followed seven months later   a near replica of the album except sung entirely en español. (i suppose there’s a new vicente in spanish music… ¿saludos, santa vicente?)   marissa deleon when the atwood staff gazed into our crystal ball at the beginning of this year, i was curious to see if indieheads would do more headbanging in 2024. after brat summer, it’s safe to say that the hipster intelligentsia were more interested in hitting the club, but that didn’t stop screamo from quietly enjoying another banner year. infant island lived up to the hype i blew around obsidian wreath. and frail body earned their flowers with artificial bouquet. but my favorite screamo album of 2024 is the one that almost didn’t happen. before they brought children of the moon kicking and screaming into the world, state faults had already broken up once. they almost broke up again between the failed relationships, financial pitfalls and production delays that circled their new album like sharks. what kept the band afloat is the belief that we can transcend our lowly circumstances. children of the moon stretched a shade over an hour   a dangerous game for a genre that’s best contained to violent outbursts   but the album never dragged beneath its lsd assisted flowstate. whether it was blackened dissonance, midwest twinkles, mathy melodies or a bongo that shook like a pentecostal preacher, state faults channeled the surrounding chaos into a luminary fever dream. “floating in the night / above the lunar tide“. jonny andrews sang like a fallen angel over the album’s moonlit closer. when his bandmates rise up with the ominous force of a tidal wave, he’s possessed by a shriek that could chill the blood of a banshee. “bodega head” made for a grand finale, but children of the moon is far from the end. once again, state faults were reborn.   will yarbrough suki waterhouse’s memoir of a sparklemuffin shimmers like a glittering night sky full of heartache, wit, and dreamy nostalgia. the album feels like stepping into a hazy, pastel world where vulnerability meets playfulness, with waterhouse’s ethereal vocals floating over lo fi beats and lush instrumentation. tracks like “blackout drunk” and “big love” evoke a cinematic vibe, perfect for late night drives or wistful daydreaming. she balances lyrical intimacy with a cheeky edge, inviting you into her universe where heartbreak isn’t just survivable   it’s sparkly. it’s indie pop storytelling at its quirkiest, a soundtrack for anyone who wants to cry, laugh, and dance under a disco ball all at once.   danielle holian alight here fans of kate bush, sparks, and queen. in february 2024, the last dinner party dropped prelude to ecstasy, which shot to the top of the uk albums chart   propelled by the daisy fresh, scorching hot, lead single, “nothing matters.” these days   as we plough into our shared, amorphous, metamodernist future; where art is derivative, hybridized, and worn   nothing quite engages the ears like this album. it’s triumphant, arresting, fiercely catchy, and as kooky as a box of frogs. other great tracks include “sinner,” “the feminine urge,” “caesar on a tv screen,” and “burn alive.” the last dinner party are one of the headline acts of the year, and evidence that uk guitar music is as alive as it ever was.   hamish monk the marías’ sophomore album submarine, a passionate mix of the sultry and vulnerable like sound we’ve all come to love from the group. though, this album in a way seems very much so an extension or even a bit of an evolution. with the dreamy and moodier tracks like “vicious sensitive robot” a synth heavy addition to the album’s closer “sienna,” is a vulnerable expression reminiscing on the what ifs. while “lejos de ti” expresses an emotional yearning for a lover far away. though “no one noticed” seems to be the breakout song that has garnered the attention of fans and non fans alike   for good reason. “no one noticed” a very melancholic expression of loneliness and longing for her lover to stay. the soft pattering of a drum and low guitar paired with maria zardoya’s voice speaks to the overall somber and vulnerable words she sings. in a way, the album itself embodies the title, an overall experience of being submerged in a dark and dreamy space, as zardoya swims by your side.   jada moore with thom yorke’s idiosyncratic falsetto paranoia and jonny greenwood’s delicate guitarwork, wall of eyes serves to cover some of the major radiohead touchpoints as the band’s hiatus continues. however, this album, and its 2024 sister release cutouts, has positioned the smile as a key rock group in their own right. wall of eyes is the best of this trio’s keenly crafted sound, a not so nuanced and rougher perspective than we’re used to from these musicians. tom skinner’s ability to syncopate irresistible percussive rhythms alongside these two legendary creatives proves his worth at this level, and is a fresh baseline for them to build on. “bending hectic” is the undisputed jewel in the crown, an eight minute epic across a couple of movements. it starts gently enough, with greenwood’s deft utilisation of the tuning key being a point of focus in a sweetly balanced guitar collage. this softened complexity gives way to an earth shattering channel clipping outro, the only time on wall of eyes that the band allow themselves a foray into heavy rock distortion. other highlights such as “friend of a friend” and “read the room” are the smile at their very best   progressive, groovy and feral.   adam davidson a product of passion and perseverance, soul searching and self knowing, all now is an emboldened, cathartic release that sees the staves basking in beautiful folk rock pastures as they take on the world, one song at a time. released in march via nonesuch records and produced by john congleton, the band’s fourth studio album is a spirited and expansive joyride filled with moments of light and love, grief and wondering, and that cheeky, biting english humor that, quite literally, kicks off the whole record with the simple, loaded phrase: it’s all now, isn’t it exciting? from the unfiltered, cinematic title track “all now” and the breathtakingly beautiful, achingly exposed campfire singalong “i’ll never leave you alone,” to nuanced reflections on emotional overload (“i don’t say it, but i feel it”), sisterhood (“after school”), love (“so gracefully”), processing grief (“recognise”) and everything else life throws our way (“fundamental memory”), all now is utterly enchanting   a catchy, cohesive, and many sided listening experience with endless returns.   mitch mosk i’ve considered each album the warning has released their best album. each time, i say, “this is the one!” and with each subsequent release, i am proven wrong and have to change my answer. keep me fed, the warning’s third and most recent album, released this june, explodes with fury, fervor and the three villareal sisters’ trademark synergy. experimenting with things like heavier production, lower instrument tunings and seemingly disparate style influences, this has become the album that’s really put the warning on more of a mainstream circuit. they’ve performed songs from this album everywhere from jimmy kimmel live! to the latin grammys, all while maintaining their ridiculously robust touring schedule. keep me fed finds the warning engaging with ideas of overindulgence, dissatisfaction and, in drummer and vocalist paulina’s words, “participating in that same overconsumption that we are trying to disrupt. we all ask to be entertained, to have something to consume.” standout track “sharks” hits with a reflective yet combative mood. the song’s title is a metaphor for the predators and pressures that surround us whether it’s toxic relationships, societal expectations, or inner demons. “sharks” navigates the instinctive need to fight back, swim against the current, and not succumb to the dangers circling around. it’s an exploration of resilience in the face of adversity and a declaration of intent to survive, no matter the cost. the sibling trio   sisters daniela “dany,” paulina “pau” and alejandra “ale”   have long been known for their youthful energy, impeccable musicianship and fearless attitude. but with keep me fed, they’ve elevated their sound to a level of maturity and emotional depth that will surprise fans and casual listeners alike.   kendall graham intimate, unfiltered, and unapologetically intense, bruises is an undeniable   and irresistible   beast of an album. a bold, brash, brutally honest coming of age record, total tommy’s aptly titled debut lp aches inside and out as singer/songwriter jess holt bares her full self   scars and all   in twelve impassioned, vulnerable, and raw songs. holt first ‘launched’ total tommy at the top of this year, and has spent the past eleven months dazzling audiences the world over through an exhilarating array of dreamy and dramatic alternative rock reveries. her raw, scuzzy, emotionally charged guitar driven music has been hailed as a neo bedroom pop return by some, and as an homage to grunge era legends like garbage and (her personal heroes) hole by others; whatever you call it, there’s no denying the fact that the sound she and producer mark zito (of fractures) have crafted together has done its job to get people talking and listening. highlights abound on the turbulent journey from the album’s urgent, emotionally charged opener “adeline” to its tender closer “shark attacks.” holt spills her soul twelve times over as she aches openly and unapologetically, treating her audiences to a nonstop slew of heated alt rock eruptions and impassioned upheavals. “microdose,” initially released as total tommy’s debut single this past february, is an intoxicating three minute head spin: a hazy, hypnotic, multi layered reverie that hits hard through emotional vocals, intense strokes y drums, and angsty guitars. “losing out,” the artist’s heated second single, is a dreamy, dramatic alt rock upheaval of intimate and epic proportions   a much needed confrontation and cathartic release all at once that sees an empowered and energized holt calling out someone who wronged her deeply. additional standouts include the soft, heartfelt confessional “ribs” (another “really special” holt favorite), the exhilarating pop/rock anthem “soda,” the grungy rager “spider,” and the feverish and infectiously catchy sex fueled singalong “plus one.” a breathtaking triumph of a debut, bruises ultimately shines a hopeful, healing light on our own inner darkness. whatever changes or upheavals we might be going through at the moment, total tommy’s music is a passionate reminder that we’re not alone   and that we’ll make it through. aching though it may be   and unapologetically so   this debut album is a cathartic, and truly captivating, release.   mitch mosk part ‘breakup’ album and part ‘soul searching’ mission, water the flowers, pray for a garden sees valley closing one door and opening another as they grieve together, grow together, and relearn how to be a band together. their third studio album is the trio’s most intimate and vulnerable offering to date   a catchy, beautifully cathartic collection of songs that sees them actively, and in real time, working through their collective pain and sadness. it’s a sonically and emotionally charged triumph from a band that, at the top of the year, wasn’t sure who they were anymore and didn’t know quite what their future looked like. that’s all (mostly) in the rearview now, thanks in large part to these songs, whose very creation process was a form of group therapy. highlights abound on the journey from the opening title track to album closer “cocoon,” as valley wrestle with their rawest emotions, learn to accept life and the things they cannot change, and plant a few hopeful seeds of their own. “when you know someone,” the record’s lead single, sees them channeling those salient feelings of betrayal and abandonment, heartache and helplessness into a fiery, impassioned, and emotionally charged anthem. that song is joined on the record by other standouts like the breathtaking “water the flowers, pray for a garden” (with its visceral chorus line, “i guess that i’d rather laugh than cry ‘bout my problems, when honestly i don’t know how to solve ‘em. i’ll water the flowers and pray for a garden, ’cause honestly i’m just all out of options“), the buoyant and upbeat empathy fueled “crawlspace,” the bittersweet upheaval “growing (apart),” the dreamy, dramatic life sucker “mosquito,” the achingly emotive “bop ba,” and the spirited story song “bass player’s brother.” it’s hard to quantify just how much water the flowers, pray for a garden means to valley   and to valley fans, such as myself; it most certainly saved the band from their own collapse, and now stands as a testament to all that they are: a group of three best friends, three humans, unpacking life together in song.   mitch mosk vampire weekend’s only god was above us is an intricate blend of the band’s signature indie pop sound with fresh influences of punk and jazz, marking a skillful evolution in the band’s discography. seamlessly blending genres while incorporating thoughtful callbacks to their earlier work, the album feels like a treasure trove for longtime fans and an exciting point of entry for any newcomers. familiar piano melodies, string arrangements, and vocal effects resurface as clever easter eggs, evoking nostalgia while still propelling their sound forward. at the heart of the album is “capricorn,” the standout lead single that encapsulates the emotional depth and vibrant musicality of only god was above us. a calming yet irresistibly catchy track, it pairs existential musings with that classic easy listening indie rock vibe. lyrics like “can’t reach the moon now / can’t turn the tide / the world looked different / when god was on your side / who builds the future? do they care why?” juxtapose weighty questions of faith and future against a deceptively soothing melody, underscoring the album’s reflective tone. this balance of lyricism and dynamic musical energy defines only god was above us, reaffirming vampire weekend’s status as indie rock icons and delivering one of 2024’s most compelling albums.   haley mitchell following quite an impressive 2023, the seoul based trio recently released their third studio album play with earth! 0.03. though only 25 minutes in length, with seven tracks each one leaves quite the impression. from a vulnerable expression of love, to the resentment of the highs and lows that comes with fame. “…are you bored?” starts the album off as a funky, instrumental packed track. while “play with earth” is another fun, lighthearted track meant for swaying. tracks like “slow dive”, and “…holyland” are the slower, more vulnerable tracks that are more familiar in nature to the group’s characteristic sound. though “annie” is the most surprising and unapologetic track amongst the entire album. the track’s instrumentals this time more laid back while daniel kim’s voice takes center stage, as he hits back at everyone’s expectations. expectations that come from their growing fame. the once understated instrumentals comes to halt, as daniel kim gives his big “f you.” an overall extension of the band’s seemingly more confident tone   as they begin to cement their legacy.   jada moore in some ways, wilderado’s sophomore album is a reclamation of the term ‘talker’   but perhaps it’s best understood as an evolution: an embrace of what it can mean when you put genuine, authentic thoughts and feelings behind your words; when you listen first, and then speak second   which is exactly what max rainer and his bandmates did with these songs. a spirited, soul searching record built out of real passion and raw emotions, wilderado’s talker is a beautifully warm, tender, and achingly vulnerable folk rock reverie that finds the tulsa, oklahoma band living in the moment and taking in everything life has to offer them. rainer’s hard won lyrics feel earnest and exposed; he sings about everything from cherished, intimate memories with his wife and his kids, to unresolved questions about god, and candid, cathartic ruminations on his own purpose and place in the world. while yes, he is the one doing the talking, these introspective songs are the direct result of keeping an open mind, an open ear, and an open heart   and maybe that’s the best kind of talker you can be. highlights abound on the twelve track journey from the album’s heart on sleeve opener “talker” to its sweet and mindful closer, “what were you waiting for.” lead single “in between,” which received two remakes over the past year   one featuring fellow tulsa native ken pomeroy, and the other featuring the national’s matt berninger   remains an unmistakable standout. a dreamy indie rock song, it’s at once a reverie, a reckoning, and a soul stirring surrender that succeeds at capturing wilderado’s western warmth and wonder. “in between” is joined by the confessional indie folk ballad “sometimes,” the charmingly jangly and emotionally charged “higher than most,” and the dynamic, soul stirring, and spirited “bad luck” (amongst many others). ultimately, talker is a record of wilderado’s life and times; of being present with yourself and with your loved ones, being intentional and honest, vulnerable, uncompromising, and unapologetic. wilderado may have named this album talker, but all rainer really wanted to do was be a listener   and in point of fact, that’s what these songs are really all about.   mitch mosk the summer season always tends to gift us with music to thrive, reminisce, and genuinely enjoy, no strings attached. wishy, a five piece band out of indianapolis, manages to evoke that without hesitation. triple seven, released in august via winspear, is a collection of anthems to sing your heart out to. this album is one i could not stop thinking about. it’s clean, raw, and full of energy. each track takes you to a new sonic world, blending genres seamlessly while carrying a deep emotional core. there’s a sense of hope throughout, offering a potent mix of catharsis and optimism as the new year approaches. it’s a transformative listen and an album that stays with you, urging you to return for more.   kevin cost (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

a collection of logan dalton's pop culture writings. (especially the rainbow hub years.) until trump’s re election in november, 2024 in music felt like a party, a “brat summer” to put it in the common parlance. there was lots of fun pop music, country crossovers, and some of my favorite artists were working with different producers or even putting out their own music and finding their own freedom. of course, the election put a dark pall on the year in pop culture and otherwise. but i had the number 1 album on this list literally keeping me comfort as i drove the dark, rainy streets of nashville. here are my favorite albums of 2024. this was very hard to do, but i’ll put a few honorable mentions at the end and add them to my year end playlist on spotify for your listening pleasure. favorite tracks: “bed chem”, “juno” with each song having a run time under 4 minutes, short n’ sweet never outstays its welcome and features saucy, catchy pop songs that will carve out some serious real estate in the back of your mind. favorite tracks: “a psychic wound”, “feast of tongues” the only british emo band returns with a self produced, self released late millennial ode to feelings, football, and leftist politics. this record pairs nicely the mountain goats’ the sunset tree for year end listening. favorite tracks: “pop pop pop” and “hall & oates” propelled by joe talbot’s punk poet delivery and agitprop potpourri lyrics and a pulsating rhythm section and refined electronic production that marries post punk and hip hop, tangk is one of the angriest albums of 2024. but it’s fun to dance too, especially when nancy whang and james murphy from lcd soundsystem join the riot. favorite tracks “you need me now”, “too much” queer norwegian singer songwriter girl in red’s sophomore album is filled with both swagger and melancholy. it matches the high energy of her live shows while not sacrificing the confessional nature of her lyrics. she gets that early young adult (and frankly universal) feeling of being confident, yet sad and alone. favorite tracks: “big time nothing”, “sweetest fruit” liberated from jack antonoff, art pop icon and guitar goddess st. vincent explores a varied musical palette in her clinical, yet bouncy seventh album. until writing this capsule and glancing at the album’s personnel, i thought the record was produced by trent reznor and atticus ross, but all born screaming is all organic, self produced industrial pop. favorite tracks: “hardware software”, “weird world”, “off with her tits” in her self produced (i’m sensing a theme.) third album girl with no face, allie x embraces the ebm and darkwave genres and maps out a stranger side of the pop landscape. x and her co writers’ lyrics are part feminist/queer theory treatise and part cyberpunk short story. these are the kind of songs i would play at the goth club if i was the dj. favorite tracks: “so i”, “girl, so confusing”, “apple” as evidenced by folks’ reactions to the album, its color scheme, and overall vibe, brat is a 24/7/365 party record indulging in hedonism that would make prince smile in whatever purple heaven’s he’s at. however, the album captures the full range of human emotions from strained friendships to wanting to leave pop stardom and become a mother and even grief with charli’s ode to her friend and collaborator sophie. plus there’s a remix version featuring collabs with pop and indie royalty, including charli and lorde working it out for all the early 2010s pop tumblr girlies. a great winter project would be to make your own custom brat album with cuts from both editions. favorite tracks: “caesar on a tv screen”, “beautiful boy”, “sinner” fully formed like athena from the head of zeus, the last dinner party’s debut album prelude to ecstasy helped me reconnect with memories from long past like triumphantly reading shakespeare’s julius caesar to my whole class in 3rd grade. prelude to ecstasy is pristine femme/themme centric baroque pop for the discerning person that loves to lounge and read sylvia plath by day and belt queen songs at night while playing air guitar like brian “fucking” may. favorite tracks: “sexy to someone”, “add up my love”, “juna” clairo’s third album charm heralds her move out of the bedroom and into the lounge where she croons that sweet, soul music. this infusion of live instrumentation adds a timelessness to ms. claire cottrill’s soft vocals and yearning, lovergirl lyrics. because who doesn’t want to be perceived and loved by someone the way we want to be perceived and loved? favorite tracks: “drone:no drone”, “alone”, “endsong” after a 16 year wait, the cure dropped my favorite album of the year, songs of a lost world. it’s a worthy successor to their 1989 masterpiece disintegration while having lyrics that examine one’s life and legacy. reeves gabrels adds a little extra juice to robert smith’s always excellent guitar playing, and the extended intros and outros make for an immersive sound collage perfect for driving, writing, or staring into space. also, “drone:no drone” is the gorgeously provocative love child of “fascination street” and burn”. honorable mentions: only god was above us by vampire weekend, don’t forget me by maggie rogers, saviors by green day, nonetheless by pet shop boys, vicious creatures by lauren mayberry i was doing collection development work at my day job (librarian at the center for popular music at middle tennessee state university) when i got a fun idea to revive my blog to write reviews of music related nonfiction books. i’m a slow reader and potentially have some big (aka near and dear to my heart) irons in the fire so we’ll see how many reviews actually come out, but watch this space. the first book that piqued my interest while cross indexing the “popular music books in process” series with the digital review copies i had access to via edelweiss was the chronicles of doom by baltimore based music journalist and author s.h. fernando jr. fernando previously wrote a book called from the streets of shaolin that was a biography of wu tang clan. in the chronicles of doom, he pens the first biography of daniel dumile jr. aka zev love x aka king geedorah aka viktor vaughn and most common known as mf doom. a few months back, i was hyperfixating on doom’s track “rapp snitch knishes” and had operation doomsday and mm…food on heavy rotation so reviewing the biography was a no brainer. for some context, dumile was an underground rap legend who was originally a member of the group kmd from 1988 1994 until the group disbanded because of the passing of their producer, subroc, who was doom’s brother as well as being dropped from the label elektra. after a few years in the proverbial wilderness, he emerged as mf doom and would only appear in public wearing a mask patterned after the classic marvel supervillain dr. doom. from 1999 until his untimely passing in 2020, doom released and produced albums that returned hip hop to its roots with clever wordplay, dope beats, and creative sampling. he also collaborated with legendary artists like madlib, danger mouse, ghostface killah, gorillaz, and more. although not without his controversies (sending lip syncing “doombots” to perform on his behalf at live shows.), and still a man of mystery to this day, mf doom was definitely worthy of the biography treatment even if #41 is the highest one of his albums ever charted on the billboard 200. after opening with a literal shakespearean sonnet (this book loves its epigraphs.), s.h. fernando jr. structures the life and work of mf doom into six parts in chronicles of doom. there’s “the man”, which looks at doom’s early life, relationship with his family (especially his brother subroc), and career until 1994 when he was dropped from his label after kmd’s second album black bastards was shelved because of controversial cover art. part two is “the myth”, which uses a pop culture analysis of comic books and japanese monster films to show how daniel dumile created the mf doom and king geedorah personas. there’s also a chapter on doom’s involvement in the nuwaubian nation, a black supremacist group led by convicted pedophile, dwight york that fernando says was responsible for doom’s interest in the esoteric, extraterrestrials, and alternative spirituality. the author doesn’t pass a whole lot of judgement on doom for being a part of this group, which was one of many black muslim spinoffs in new york in the 1980s, although he was careful to mention that doom never publicly mentioned york after his trial in the early 2000s. after two solid chapters of pop culture critique and one look at a strange and disturbing new religious movement, part three “the mask” offers up four chapters showing doom’s transformation from zev love x to mf doom. s.h. fernando places this change in the larger context of the commercialization of hip hop going from native tongues to bad boy and the “shiny suit” era while also nailing the little details of doom’s life in this period like his work as a drug dealer, how he would aimlessly listen to old jazz records and wu tang clan, and finally, the secret origin of the mask he would wear at his concerts and public appearances. the lion’s share of the pages in chronicles of doom are found in part four “the music”, which interweaves biography, criticism, and behind the scenes looks at mf doom’s creative process from his 1999 solo debut album operation doomsday to the last decade of his career (2012 2021) where he released collaborative albums with jneiro jarel, bishop nehru, and czarface. the balance between writing about doom as person and an artist often blurs with the chapter on madvillainy turning into a detailed track by track breakdown whereas the final one on the 2012 album key to the kuffs (and subsequent releases.) focuses more on doom’s adjustment to living in the u.k. after he was forcibly deported than the music. but, for the most part, each chapter gives a detailed breakdown of each “era” and persona of doom, the responses from fans and critics at the time, some fun behind the scenes anecdotes (kanye and nas almost appeared on key to the kuffs.), and technical information like the samples used on different tracks. part five of chronicles of doom is titled “the legend” and goes into mf doom’s final days, musical legacy, and how he was able to market himself and become a mini merchandising juggernaut to support his family even after his death. citing articles from leeds, england newspapers, fernando reports on the health struggles of doom’s final days, one of several sympathy inducing moments in the biography. (the other is basically any time subroc is mentioned, and when doom’s son malachi passes away in 2017.) this is followed up by remembrances from contemporaries in the music industry ranging from q tip to portishead’s producer geoff barrow, who met him at a gig a year before he passed away. the book wraps up with a look into doom became a merchandising icon with deals from nike and puma and concluding with his and his widow, jasmine dumile’s foray into the nft space. at first, i thought this was a middling way to wrap up the book, but the final part of the chronicles of doom is a full mf doom discography. it squarely puts the focus on the villain’s body of work, which is the reason he put the mask on in the first place, so he focus on his lyrics, flow, beats, and samples and be able to come home to his wife and kids or drink beer at a sports bar without anyone knowing he was a famous rapper. the chronicles of doom empathizes with its subject, but isn’t a hagiography. especially once you get to the last 100 pages or so, and doom is sending folks to perform at shows in his place or not paying his collaborators on an album project for adult swim, the artist loses a lot of good will. there’s also the chapter about dwight york that takes the narrative into a dark place after the high flying intertextuality of doom drawing on marvel comics and toho monster films to reinvent his creative project. however, the inclusion of these warts and all moments makes it easier to connect with the man behind the mask, wordplay, and hanna barbera samples. i also love any time s.h. fernando mentions doom’s physical appearance like the jack daniels induced rust on the mouthpiece of his mask or anything about him balding or having a little bit of a gut. it shows that you don’t have to be an adonis to make good art and that doom’s music was the anti thesis of commercial artists like 50 cent whose steroid enhanced physique was front and center of his 2003 debut album get rich or die tryin’. his music had substance and creativity, and one fun part of listening to mf doom and reading this biography is marveling at all his reference points from a life of reading, listening, and staying up too late/or getting up super early to watch different television shows that became audio collages on many of his albums. he’s a nerd in an incredibly cool way, which is why i’m drawn to his music. the chronicles of doom is a thoroughly researched and at times poetically written tome about the life and work of mf doom. the large cast of rappers, producers, friends, enemies, label employees and beyond can get overwhelming, but like a jim shooter edited marvel comic, s.h. fernando establishes each key player’s personality and “powers” often introducing them in a “day of the life” type vignette. it also shows the collaborative nature of doom’s work as he jumped from label to label, producer to producer releasing albums and building a legend. chronicles of doom has something for the old school hip hop heads, the comic reading and cartoon watching nerds, the diy indie kids, the esoteric stoners, and everyone in between just like doom’s music. overall verdict: 8.7 edelweiss provided the author with a free copy of the book for review. “fellas, i have 3,000 words to say. quit screaming and start singing from your hearts.“ murry wilson, to the beach boys “desert song” by my chemical romance was originally supposed to be the final track of three cheers for sweet revenge. it is a quiet, heartfelt meditation on being a member of mcr and features minimal noodling from ray toro, prominent acoustic rhythm guitar from frank iero, and passionate vocals from gerard way. according to the band’s biographer, gerard was drunk during the recording of this song so they have a very raw quality. from the first verse, “desert song” is a call to empathy for gerard’s struggles with his addiction and mental health. he uses religious imagery like “the sword and the faith” to describe to difficult nature of touring, recording, playing on television, and dealing with a meteoric rise to fame before closing the verse with the killer line, “and did you come to stare or wash away the blood.” he knows that rock stars’ struggles with addictions can be used for entertainment, whether that’s behind the music, the nascent reality television genre (e.g. the osbournes), or supermarket tabloids. however, gerard wants his fans and listeners to empathize with him and use my chemical romance’s music to help them with their own struggles instead of gawking and laughing at him as he falls down a lot and vomits throughout the life on the murder scene documentary that this song was packaged with. he describes this journey from touring to performing to hitting rock bottom in the poetic bridge of “desert song” where he sings “from the lights to the pavement/from the band to the floor/from backstage to the doctor”. it’s raw autobiography without any genre fiction or characters to garnish it even though he does comment on mcr’s purpose when he says “from the earth to the morgue…” even if it isn’t together, gerard and my chemical romance will continue to make music or art as evidenced by their various side and solo projects since the band’s breakup from the future violents and electric century to the rad covers that gerard does with mikey and ray toro for the umbrella academy tv show that he consults on and continues to make comics of. there is definitely a feel in “desert song” that my chemical romance would still exist as a band even if they were just playing basements and small clubs in new jersey because it’s both an emotional and artistic outlet for the members. and speaking of emotional and artistic outlet, i would like to move the spotlight from gerard pleading with the microphone, toro doing little runs on his clean electric guitar, and frank iero’s steady acoustic strumming to myself. this project has been like an emotional cleanse for myself during the conclusion of a really difficult semester and time period. until a couple days ago, i didn’t leave the house (except for work and essentials.), and this project helped keep me in a good routine and creative state of mind. my chemical romance is a really fun band to write about because they have a sound that spans genres as well as a sense of narrative in their songs. probably, my favorite part has been doing the background research on gerard, mikey, frank iero, ray toro, matt pelissier, bob bryar and producers geoff rickly and howard benson, and seeing how their personalities and interests connect with mcr’s music. life on the murder scene was really a valuable resource and a must watch for any fan who wants to get insight into the band’s early days. i love how my chemical romance discusses topics like grief, relationships, addiction, depression, and yes, death (we’ll see more of that in black parade.) using metaphors from literature and pop culture. it’s something i do in my own life whether out loud or in my own head, and i think it’s why i really start falling in love with the band around when i started my english major and later my pop culture criticism career around 2011 2013. however, it’s nice to see them drop the theatrical makeup and epic plots and just sing a song about being in a band and their feelings about this in “desert song”. the acoustic guitar is a rare treat and a foretaste of the sonic diversity that mcr would display in the black parade and danger days showing that they weren’t content with chugging out ten of the same kind of song each record, but finding ways to expand their audience’s palettes and even attract new fans. (danger days might be the fabled bridge between poptimism and rockism, but we’ll explore that in a much later essay.) “desert song” demonstrates that my chemical romance is equally skilled at rockers and ballads as well as genre fiction and personal narratives. the track features some of gerard’s most compelling vocals and show that frank iero is an old hand in the mosh pit as well as as the coffee house. it’s like the old adage that i just invented, “sometimes, you want to write about vampires, superheroes, and sexy assassins, and sometimes you want to hand your still beating heart to the audience.” the early history of my chemical romance is deeply intertwined with the used a post hardcore, pop punk band from utah. the life on the murder scene documentary and several interviews establish the often homoerotic friendship between mcr frontman gerard way and the used lead singer bert mccracken. my chemical romance’s manager brian schechter was the used’s tour manager and had them tour together several times, which built the bond between gerard and mccracken. other than their cover of “under pressure” by queen and david bowie, their final connection was that mcr’s second drummer, bob bryar, did sound for the used while the were on tour. around this time, bert mccracken and gerard forged a fast, if a little crazy friendship that may have been the inspiration for the lyrics of “you know what they do to guys like us in prison”. mccracken sings backup vocals on that song, but he would take over co lead vocal duties on “under pressure”, which started as a live cover featuring members of the used and my chemical romance. it morphed into a studio recording in 2005, was a part of both the rock and hot 100 charts, and its proceeds went to a tsunami relief fund. the song was released both as a separate single and as a bonus track of the re release of the used’s second, breakthrough album in love and death. mikey way is relegated to tambourine during the live performance of “under pressure” so the used’s jeph howard handles the band’s iconic bassline. ray toro, frank iero, and quinn allman are on guitar while bob bryar and branden steineckert are on the dueling drum kits. however, this song is really a showcase for gerard and bert mccraken’s complementary vocals and general chemistry that can be seen in their offstage joking, and yes, smooches. freddie mercury and david bowie were rock and roll icons to queer kids, outsiders, and misfits in the 1970s and 1980s, and gerard way and bert mccracken played the role in the 21st century and cemented it in “under pressure”, which features what producer howard benson said were some of gerard’s best vocals ever. gerard definitely hits the high notes in “under pressure”, and his performance is soaked with emotion. blending nicely with these vocals is mccracken, who even though the used is classified by some as a screamo band, sings in a smooth, warm tone to match gerard’s energy as he hits the final part of the song and starts screaming while toro, iero, and allman’s guitars get epic. it really feels like gerard and mccracken are trying to outdo each other vocally, and it captures the fun and “jamming good with weird and gilly” (had to throw in a bowie reference.) feel of the live version. my chemical romance and the used’s cover of bisexual smash hit “under pressure” is a worthy homage to two of mcr’s greatest influences, david bowie and queen, and is a set in wax time capsule of the relationship between gerard way and bert mccracken as they supported each other in their early days of fame. this version of “under pressure” is also for charity and great to sing at karaoke too! sometimes, in the midst of crafting complex concept albums, it’s nice to just rock out to you favorite songs with your friends, who happen to be multi platinum recording artists. now kiss! “i took punk to be the detonation of some slow fused projectile buried deep in society’s flank a decade earlier, and i took it to be, somehow, a sign.” william gibson in a cultural dictionary of punk: 1974 1982 as a rule, my chemical romance didn’t play a lot of covers, but when they did, they were homages to artists that were major influences on the band’s sound and lyrics. for example, in 2005, they contributed a cover of “astro zombies” by fellow new jerseyans and horror punk band misfits to the tony hawk’s american wasteland soundtrack. the cool thing about the american wasteland soundtrack was that it featured contemporary punk bands covering classic ones like the stooges, black flag, bad brains, the buzzcocks, and of course, the misfits. also, the album cover was an homage to london calling by the clash, but with a skateboarder, of course, showing the timeless connection between skating and punk rock. also, while doing research for this essay, i found out that the first two tony hawk pro skater games (which i pray every day will be remastered for the nintendo switch.) were integral to mcr building chemistry in their early days as a band and perhaps even responsible for frank iero joining the band. in an interview with loudwire, gerard way talks about the game “connected us on a social level”, and that they had been playing tony hawk for several years before the formation of my chemical romance. at that time, they also shared a practice space with iero’s band pencey prep and would play against their members. i’m definitely speculating, but without the tony hawk game, frank iero might have never joined mcr and made their punk influences more pronounced with his rhythm guitar playing and backup vocals. my chemical romance’s cover of “astro zombies” is very faithful to the misfits’ original from their 1982 debut album they walk among us, except with cleaner production values and ray toro getting to bust out a mini solo during the outro. gerard even channels the tenor part of glenn danzig’s vocal register. iero’s rhythm guitar playing is very prominent during the verses and the catchy, ramones esque chorus of “all i want to say/and all i gotta do” while mikey way and new drummer bob bryar keeps the rhythm section, fast and loose. while mcr was influenced by the misfits’ heavy, yet melodic punk sound, they were probably more influenced by the subject matter of their songs. “astro zombies” gets its title from a 1968 b movie of the same title about a scientist, who was fired by the government’s space department, so he creates zombies out of murder victims, who go on a rampage. the astro zombies was shot in 2 weeks on a $37,000 budget, and like all good b movies, it was panned by critics. but it achieved a kind of immortality by being the inspiration for this great 1980s punk single that became a great 2000s punk single whose lyrics are the plot of the film aka “prime directive, exterminate the whole human race.” through songs, albums, and a record label named and based on their favorite horror and exploitation movies, the misfits helped cement a template for artists to use their favorite pieces of pop culture as the subject matter of their music. my chemical romance would definitely follow this template with songs about vampires, zombies, assassins, bisexual prisoners, and western gunslingers appearing in their first two records alone. then, with black parade and danger days, they wouldn’t just sing and play as these characters, but become them. however, sometimes mcr would take a break from red and black formalwear or the marching band uniforms to play songs by bands that they love like “astro zombies” by the misfits. now, excuse me, i’m going to be humming this song under my breath the entire thanksgiving dinner “the stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike/the devil will come, and faustus must be damn’d.” faustus in the tragical history of doctor faustus by christopher marlowe my chemical romance wraps up their second (and breakthrough) album three cheers for sweet revenge with the ode to hitmen and doomed heroes and heroines that is “i never told you what i do for a living”. the track also concludes three cheers‘ story arc with the protagonist going from looking forward to a reunion with his lover to descending into hell during a chaotic ray toro and frank iero guitar driven breakdown part. gerard way screams like a bat out of hell while matt pelissier and mikey way play out his fall. with its subject matter and even its sprawling, multi part structure, “living” definitely evokes shades of bullets‘ album closer, “demolition lovers”. however, like the other songs on three cheers, howard benson brought discipline and focus to mcr’s initial posthardcore sound and emotionally vulnerable lyrics and makes the ending of this record very satisfying. he knows when to unleash iero’s punk energy, when to lay back and let ray toro noodle a little bit in the spaces between the sounds, and matches it nicely to gerard’s powerhouse vocals and pelissier and mikey’s rhythm section. frank iero is like the meter of a poem keeping the verses and storyline running at a steady clip. he and mikey demonstrate good chemistry during the first post chorus part where gerard reveals the ending of the story and softly sings, “and never again, and never again, they gave us two shots to the back of the head, and we’re all dead now.” it’s the buildup to the crescendo as toro’s clean strumming and pelissier’s percussion jump into the mix as gerard’s vocals get more raw, and the lyrics go from hook filled to pure feeling as he yelps, “i tried”. “i tried” is definitely a callback to “demolition lovers”, which is all about the protagonist and his lover getting gunned down. this leads to the infamous deal with the devil for 1,000 souls so he can be reunited with her. it’s also a great way to describe the underlying theme of “living” and three cheers as a whole. as evidenced by the guilt ridden lyrics, violent imagery, and of course, heavy sound of the album, the protagonist did everything in his power to be reunited with his lover. however, he should have read doctor faustus or macbeth, which this song directly references (“the kind of dirty where the water never cleans off the clothes.”), or really any vengeance driven tragedy to know what was in store for him. (the romans loved them.) so, the big ending to the three cheers‘ storyline is that after killing 999 souls, the protagonist must kill one final evil soul: himself. this was confirmed in a 2004 interview with gerard although he didn’t have an ending in mind while recording the album. the protagonist falls into this atreid (the ancient greek family, not the one from dune, which i’ve never read or watched.) cycle of constant revenge that can only be broken with his own death and damnation. he tells himself that he is just doing it for the woman he loves, but he ends up being addicted to the “bodies he claim” so he doesn’t get a happy ending. and in a just, moral universe, he really shouldn’t even though it’s kind of sad that a character we’ve kind of been rooting for throughout three cheers doesn’t achieve happiness. although, this concept album is ostensibly about two lovers trying to be reunited with each other, it’s really about a man’s descent from being a good, decent person into being wholly consumed by revenge like edmond dantes, v from v for vendetta, or even some incarnations of gerard’s favorite superhero, batman. “living’s” lyrics echo this sentiment with lines like “i fall out of grace” and the slightly more erotic “… i’m so dirty, babe”. the protagonist has taken so many lives that he’s beyond any kind of redemption, and you can definitely feel this in gerard’s vocals throughout “living”. his voice howls, wails, and general flows with the squeal of ray toro’s lead guitar and descends into bloodcurdling screams during the aforementioned epic breakdown where frank iero’s rhythm playing takes center stage. like faustus, the protagonist pleads for another night away from damnation, either to bring even more souls to the devil or just to spend one last day with his lover before he’s in hell for all eternity. later, toro starts playing the song’s melody line, which allows for extra anguish and what genius.com calls an ad lib part from gerard as he wrings every ounce of emotion out from the lyrics. “i never told you what i do for a living” is a darkly poetic ending to the story and album of three cheers for sweet revenge. my chemical romance is totally synced up and focused with each member getting a key moment like an actor stealing a scene in an epic film. it also features an utterly tragic vocal performance from gerard, who is free to “strut and fret his hour upon stage” and tell a heartbreaking story while ray toro, frank iero, mikey, and matt pelissier shred and play their hearts out. mcr makes music for rocking out and bawling your eyes out (sometimes at the same time.) three cheers for sweet revenge album cemented this reputation while also introducing the band to a wider audience. mcr’s sound, storyline, and visual image would only get more complex and theatrical while making damn good songs, which i will touch upon in my upcoming coverage of the legendary black parade album. don’t worry, i’ll be covering a couple 2005 2006 era b sides and rarities first so you’ll have a few days to dust off your old drums and marching band uniform. “oh, i used to write a lot of sad ass songs.”  dolly parton in dolly parton’s america podcast content warning: alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, self harm in “cemetery drive”, my chemical romance follows the tried and true soft verse and loud chorus structure to spin a tale of grief and loss. however, they switch up the instrumentation that drives each part of the song like a superhero team comic (e.g. jla, written by gerard way inspiration grant morrison) where the writer splits a squad into groups to give them more of a character driven focus while solving a big crisis. so, this song starts with a drum intro from matt pelissier, and his percussion along with mikey way’s bass and ray toro’s pluck y picking drive the verses. then, frank iero and toro’s bigger, louder guitars drive chorus while mikey gets in a little more of a groove. during the post chorus “way down” part, gerard hits one of his signature wail parts like someone mourning their lover as iero plays a downbeat rhythm riff like a grave being dug. with the raw lyrics and guitar part, the emotions bleed into the sound. pelissier’s funereal drum and toro’s clean guitar picking plus a bonus bell sound from howard benson’s keyboard really focus your attention on gerard’s vocals and “cemetery drive’s” lyrics. he juxtaposes the death of his lover with the grief he feels and tries to cope with by singing depressing songs and drinking by her gave. we know that he’s drinking alone because he “…walk[s] the dead in a solitary style.” even though mcr is telling the story of three cheers for sweet revenge‘s protagonist’s internal motivation for taking 1,000 souls to be reunited with his wife, there could be a bit of autobiography in this one because gerard had a problem with alcoholism around the time of the making of this album and the subsequent, extensive tours the band did after to promote it. as mentioned in some earlier essays, gerard talks about his drinking (that would later lead to cocaine use) in the documentary life on the murder scene with the help of his manager brian schechter as well as in a frank 2005 cover story interview with spin. to get in the mood to play such a dark character as the protagonist of three cheers, gerard “…would drink from when [he] woke up until set time” and even wore his red, black, and leather costume plus the corpse paint makeup off stage. the interview and lots of information about gerard cast him as a introverted comic book artist before he became my chemical romance’s frontman. therefore, it makes sense that the insane stress of dealing with his grandmother’s death (the inspiration for “helena”), the intense and theatrical nature of touring, and getting into such a dark character’s headspace wore on him. gerard turned to drugs and booze to cope until schechter staged a couple interventions after he had suicidal thoughts after doing cocaine at pre fame killers show and vomiting for 45 minutes after a bender before a big show in japan. i’ve given these biographical details because “cemetery drive” seems like it’s not just gerard and mcr sketching a character and his motivation. they’re also putting some of their own demons and inner feelings onto the track trapped in the wax like a jinn in a bottle and “singing songs that make you slit your wrists.” the verses might have a softer sounder, but they deal with some dark subject matter that could be about the protagonist facing death to take out the souls, mcr struggling while on tour (gerard’s intro to the live version of this song alludes to this interpretation.) , and the agelong question of whether humans get what we deserve in the end. three cheers’ protagonist’s grief for the woman he lost soars into the chorus along with gerard’s powerful tenor voice, mikey’s louder in the mix bass, and frank iero’s guitars. “cemetery drive’s” chorus is simple and raw: a simple “i miss you” with the lyric “the collision of your kiss” hinting at the intense and passionate relationship of the two lovers as well as the suddenness of our protagonist’s partner’s passing. gerard really holds those notes and vocals to accentuate the feeling, and it definitely feels more like an acting performance than a rocker singing a sad ballad. there’s no distance between the character and performer, and interviews, like the aforementioned spin one, and other during the three cheers seem to confirm this as gerard’s method acting approach to recording this album and playing it live took a toll on him. reading about and watching gerard’s addiction is super sad, and i’m glad that he got help, became sober, and is a happy, comic book writer and father now. however, “cemetery drive” is a marker of darker times for him, and my chemical romance, who underwent a lot of turmoil in this era as they went from playing basements in new jersey to going on big domestic and international tours thanks to the commercial success of three cheers for sweet revenge. part of that success came this catchy soft/loud howard benson sound that still gave a chance for gerard, mikey, ray toro, frank iero, and matt pelissier to showcase their unique skill sets as well as lyrics that anyone who has struggled with losing someone, depressions, or any kind of addiction could relate to. “cemetery drive” doesn’t provide any answers to these issues, but it did show that someone else was going through them too. “for some folks death is release, and for others death is an abomination, a terrible thing. but in the end, i’m there for all of them.”  death of the endless in sandman, written by neil gaiman “it’s not a fashion statement, it’s a deathwish” is both mine and gerard way’s favorite track off three cheers for sweet revenge. and that monster ray toro intro guitar riff plus the quote from my favorite arc of sandman, “brief lives” (think american gods with less padding and gorgeous jill thompson artwork.) were what got me to fall in love with it. according to gerard on twitter, this was one of the first songs my chemical romance recorded for three cheers. this is why (even more so than “hang ‘em high”) it feels like a kind of intermediate stage of evolution between mcr’s sound in bullets and three cheers. it’s like a musical wartortle. however, this isn’t a bad thing as toro and frank iero play heavy and loud with no time for solos or pretty instrumental breaks, and gerard goes into the scream register of his vocals, which is why he said that this is a difficult song to play live for him. it definitely feels like he’s wrestling with the grim reaper and not the kind, goth woman version of death from sandman, whom he quotes in the opening lines of the song and states the fact that we basically only have a single life to live so make it count. (i was so close to writing “yolo”.) as a sandman and mcr fan, the harshness of the quoted line gave me pause because death of the endless is portrayed as sweet and kind in the comic. throughout the series, you see her make the process of dying as natural and painless as possible unless you’re a really messed up person. however, gerard’s vocal delivery corresponds with the storyline of three cheers, which is the story of a man that defies death to be with the woman he loves. this also connects to the title of the song, which is also a cheeky jab at emo/scene style as well. (maybe, goth because all black and death of the endless.) the protagonist of three cheers wears dark colors, not because he want to be a cool kid, but for stealth purposes because if he rocked florals, then his soul would be taken, not vice versa. “it’s not a fashion statement, it’s a deathwish” also connects to another theme of the record: grief and loss. black is the color of mourning, and gerard and mikey way had lost their grandma, hence, a funeral music video for “helena” and the black and red formal wear like they’re attending one. (it also matches the color palette of the album art, but they, there’s layers to this.) this song is about defying death and taking revenge, but there is also a weird sense of hope throughout the song from gerard’s vow “to avenge my ghost” and the line “i’m taking back the life you stole.” he’s addressing the death personally and saying that he can cheat them (or her if we’re doing the sandman.) if he kills enough evil doers. during the chill bridge part toward the end where iero’s guitar is meditative for once, there are even lyrics about clawing out of one’s grave. “fashion statement” was written early in the three cheers so that line could have been treating like a big opening scene in a horror or revenge film. the protagonist was killed at the end of “demolition lovers”, but he’s back for vengeance in the sequel even if everything has changed. a parallel for me would be buffy’s resurrection in buffy the vampire slayer season six when she gets back not quite correctly in a magic rite performed by willow. the protagonist certainly doesn’t live a happy, normal life, but a dark, violent. however, he experiences such hardships that “paint these walls pitchfork red” for a chance to be with the person he cares most about. all in all, “fashion statement” is like the angsty teenage years of my chemical romance before they went off to college in three cheers, got their doctorate in black parade, and published an off beat, yet compelling monograph in danger days with conventional weapons acting as peer reviewed articles to enhance their profile. (i work in academia so bear with me.) it has that diy, eyeball records feel, but you can tell that howard benson directed the band to center the track around that iconic ray toro and frank iero riff before cutting them loose to do their revenge/romance/stare down death storyline. there is a real story arc to this song culminating in a sweet “fade out” outro where the protagonist understands that he’ll be with his lover even if he fails his mission because he himself will be dead. like the folks that death visits in sandman and her two solo comics, he relents and gives into the “sound of her wings” because he knows he will have rest and peace after his hard, dramatic life. “it’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. you take away everything he’s got, and everything he’s ever gonna have.”  bill munny (played by clint eastwood) in unforgiven, written by david peoples ennio morricone meets i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love in “hang ‘em high”. this is my chemical romance’s take on the spaghetti western genre and also revisits their raw posthardcore sound from their previous record with a distortion filled guitar break from ray toro and frank iero and screamed vocals from gerard way. and the proverbial cherry on this punk rock sundae is that keith morris, the frontman of black flag, contributed backup screams on the bridge and outro. iero got him to appear on the song by cornering him at a gas station, which is punk as fuck. the sound and lyrics of “hang ‘em high” complement each other nicely even if the structure of the song is looser than the hookier one on three cheers for sweet revenge. mikey way’s bass sounds like the rumble of cattle being driven to the next, and matt pelissier’s drums are the plod of their hooves. toro and iero’s guitars are a bit faster like cowboys galloping into the sunset as the credits “fade to black”. the fuzzy noise and effects from these guitars are like the extra violence and buckets of blood in sergio corbucci’s (django) westerns. or to use a more musical reference, toro’s guitar is like the guitars in the music from the dollars trilogy, but a little more heavy metal while frank iero contributes fast, jagged riffs. however, the chorus takes a clearer sound as gerard articulates his feelings from the perspective of three cheers’ protagonist. (take it from this unforgiven fan, revenge and westerns go together like peanut butter and jelly.) he tells his lover that if he fails to get the appropriate number of souls, it’s okay to move on with her life, bury the past, and “don’t look back”. conversely, the protagonist is also a bit of a hypocrite because he “won’t stop” and “put it down” and will keep murdering the “shotgun sinners” and “wild eyed jokers” that populate this album until he is reunited with her. death is not the end for him, and he will never find peace or move on. to circle back to unforgiven, (“hang ‘em high” takes it name from a much earlier clint eastwood western.) three cheers’ protagonist has lived a life of violence and can agree with bill munny that “we all have it comin’ kid.” the stylized language of “hang ‘em high” and anguish and venom in gerard’s vocals definitely paint a picture of an old gunslinger, who’s made enemies, seen some shit, and is ready to take all those sons of bitches with him on the way to hell. and when he arrives, he hopefully will be reunited with the woman he love because unlike eastwood, mcr doesn’t shy away from the star crossed romance goodness. “hang ‘em high” is a faster, louder western that conveys the storyline of three cheers in under three minutes with genre trappings that fit its theme. it features some wonderful production flourishes from howard benson like the cinematic whistles that transition directly into ray toro and frank iero’s speed playing and adding morris to the vocal mix to make everything rawer and more intense. the song doesn’t have a clean outro like most of the other tracks on this record, but ends in a cacophony of gunfire, er, guitar noise. “i’m free to be whatever i choose, and i’ll sing the blues if i want.” “whatever” by oasis even though it was only released as a single in the u.k. where it charted at #71, “thank you for the venom” has truly become a fan favorite my chemical romance. kerrang listed it at #2 on their list of best mcr songs, it was included in the setlist for their 2019 los angeles reunion gig, and alt press put it on their list of best guitar riffs of the 2000s. and that monster ray toro riff is one of many reasons why we’re still geeking out over this song 16 years after its release. a great guitar riff skips the brain and goes straight to your heart and soul. hence, all the involuntary responses to one like humming along (very badly in my case), head banging, and of course, air guitar, which is something gerard way has done in live performances of this song during toro’s solo. the intro of “thank you for the venom” also shows the killer chemistry between toro and rhythm guitarist frank iero with toro playing the fast, melodic parts and iero dropping the hammer with the heavy bits before mikey way’s bass and matt pelissier’s drum kit kick in. also, this riff is so iconic that it returns for a few seconds during the outro to symmetrically round out the song. i could go on all day about toro and iero’s playing, but “thank you for the venom” also has incredible, basically band defining lyrics for my chemical romance and reinforces that they both transcend the emo scene and are a life saving band. speaking of the life saving, it’s fitting that gerard plays with a morrissey song lyric in this track’s first line, singing “sister, i’m not much a poet, but a criminal.” as a member of mcr, gerard might write poetic lyrics that you want to get tattooed on your skin forever, but playing the protagonist of three cheers for sweet revenge, he’s a murderer even if he only kills evil people and is motivated by the loss of the woman he loves. (it’s really fitting that “jack the ripper” by morrissey is the b side of this single because it’s also sung from the pov of a less sympathetic murderer.) “thank you for the venom” is filled with these theatrical, concept album elements, especially when my chemical romance continues to run with the religious imagery from “interlude”. in the second verse, mcr throws in three, maybe four biblical references to the curse of cain, mark of the beast, the serpent in the garden of eden, and possibly even the crucifixion. this symbolism has been used everywhere from beowulf and the poems of lord byron to vampire the masquerade, and of course, iron maiden, who were a big influence on mcr, both sonically and lyrically. the images paint a picture of a protagonist, who has been screwed over by a higher power with the loss of the woman he loved, and now he has to “hallelujah, lock and load” and shoot his way out of everything with his trusty handgun. (it’s fitting that the next track on the album is the western inspired “hang ‘em high”) the cracks are starting to show, and the protagonist is beginning to doubt that he will complete his mission and be reunited by his lover as evidenced by the line, “you’re running after something you’ll never kill.” the protagonist thinks that he’ll be like cain, the first murderer in the old testament, and will be forced to hopelessly wander the earth with a mark on his forehead that protects him from harm, but reminds everyone he comes into contact with that he introduced the taking of human life into the world. or he will be a symbol for the end of the world, like the beast of revelation. (and be fodder for conspiracy theories and justification for bigotry for millennia.) from what i’m saying about three cheers‘ protagonist and storyline, “venom” seems like a song about hopelessness. however, when viewed in the light of the context of my chemical romance as a band and their impact on the rock and emo scenes, it is actually hopeful (and a bit cheeky.) mcr directly addresses the critics, “the rock establishment” (whatever the hell that’s supposed to be.), and the bands that they’ve been lumped in with and compared to in “thank you for the venom”. “i won’t front the scene if you paid me” shows that despite their commercial success that they want to be something more than the “saviors of rock music” or the band that got emo on mtv. (this is explored in a 2004 interview that has great insight about my chemical romance’s early days.) they don’t want to make the same record every time or have the same imagery, and mcr would follow up on this promise with the vastly different sounds and looks of the black parade and danger days. (i mean, look at gerard going from black to white to red hair color.) their appearances on emo nite playlists aside, my chemical romance never wanted to be a nostalgia act, but an artist like the smiths, queen, or hell, even iron maiden (see the popularity of classic metal bands in the e girl subculture.) , who transcend scenes and boundaries and had an impact on their listeners. when “venom” is played live, there’s kind of a call and response between gerard and audience on the line “give me a reason to believe.” going back to the early days of the band and its roots in the tragedy of 9/11, mcr was formed so gerard could really have something to live for and share that with others, and mikey, ray toro, frank iero, and matt pelissier bought in to this as well. (see toro and iero’s backup vocals at the end of the song combined with their guitar playing to create a full, rich sound.) “venom’s” chorus could be read to be about addiction again, and i definitely think the line about the “doctor” is about gerard’s use of anti depressants before he became addicted to alcohol, pills, and later cocaine. but i think it’s a more positive message with my chemical romance acting as a kind of “sin eater” (ooh, more religious imagery.) to their listeners and giving them an opportunity to feel less alone and like outsiders through their music. because if you can believe in my chemical romance and their cathartic and honestly life changing music (plus cool guitars.), maybe one day you’ll be able to believe in yourself. (i keep telling myself that.) “how long to sing this song.”  “40” by u2 from war when i initially plotted out the disenchanted series, i planned on combining “interlude” and “thank you for the venom” into essay. but, then, i may have semi collapsed under the stress of writing 19 essays in 19 days plus comic book reviews and mandalorian recaps, and did i mention that i have a full time job as an academic librarian in the middle of a pandemic. so, for the good of everyone, i decided to split “interlude” and “thank you for the venom” into two essays, vibe out, and gather my thoughts about this stripped down 57 second track of mournful gerard way vocals, ray toro picking, and darker strumming from frank iero. my chemical romance dips back into the catholic iconography in “interlude”, and this song takes the form of a brief prayer. the protagonist appeals to “saints”, “angels of the lord”, and “angels of the unknown” to protect the woman he loves while he continues on his mission to take 1,000 souls and be reunited with her like the blood stained lovers on the cover of the three cheers for sweet revenge album. he wants some higher power to have his back while he does unconscionable deeds. it reminds me a lot of the first present day scene in daredevil season 1, episode 1 where matt murdock tells his priest, “i’m not seeking penance for what i’ve done. i’m asking forgiveness for what i’m about to do. yeah, catholic confession doesn’t work that way, but murdock like three cheers’ protagonist already knows that his actions will create grief and trauma for him. also, gerard is totally a daredevil fan as evidenced by a really sad tweet from 2016 about losing a friend, who introduced the character to him. daredevil truly is the urban vigilante with catholic guilt. just like mcr with “helena”, some of his most emotional moments happen in churches. these include being nursed by his long lost mother turned nun maggie in the famous frank miller/david mazzucchelli (a professor at gerard’s alma mater, school of visual arts) “born again” arc, or when he watched bullseye kill his love, karen page, in kevin smith and joe quesada’s “guardian devil”. ultraviolence, dead women showing up in their stories, and dark imagery are something that the man without fear and my chemical romance draw on and sometimes even poke fun of. (bits of the mark waid run, “vampire money”) so, “interlude” is a kind of mental break before the main character does acts of violence as well as a chance for mcr to show their softer side before immediately launching into the speed punk of “thank you for the venom”. honestly, we needed the break after tracks about the loss of a relative, being abused in prison, mass murder, addiction, and just missing someone you love. it’s like taking a drag on a cigarette (or a sip on a diet mountain dew like yours truly) after a long day at work and preps listeners for the aggression (and fun genre pastiches) of the back half of three cheers for sweet revenge. i think the message of “interlude” is that it’s okay to not always be in control, and you and call on a higher power for help even if faith is like a fuzzy spiritual connection (i.e. “unknown angel”) and not something that completely rules your life. also, you can break down the big homewrecker burrito of an essay into two manageable ones because with their storytelling chops and large reference pool, it’s easy to delve deep into a my chemical romance track even if it’s less than a minute long and only features gerard, ray toro, and frank iero. (honestly, that lineup sounds a lot like gerard’s recent solo songs/covers to promote the umbrella academy television show.) “people think it’s all about misery and desperation and death and all that shite, which is not to be ignored. but what they forget is the pleasure of it. otherwise we wouldn’t do it. after all, we’re not fucking stupid.“  mark renton (played by ewan mcgregor) in trainspotting, written by john hodge content warning: drugs, addiction, suicide after back to back hit singles, three cheers for sweet revenge takes a little break for producer howard shore’s hammond organ intro and the steady buildup of matt pelissier’s drums in “the jetset life is gonna kill you.” with references to cocaine, “prescription”, hotels, and russian roulette, i (and genius.com) think this song is about my chemical romance members’ struggles with addictions to alcohol, cocaine, and pills, most notably, frontman gerard way and his brother, bassist mikey way. this is chronicled in the documentary life on the murder scene, a book about mcr by tom bryant, and in various interviews over the years. and using the metaphor of a toxic relationship, gerard lays it all bare in “the jetset life is gonna kill you”, whose title connects to the reason he started drinking and taking pills in the first life: to cope with the stress and anxiety of being on tour and performing on stage every night. this is why the song starts to swell with ray toro and frank iero’s guitars as he sings about buying the “last line” and then giving himself the motivational speech of “give up, get down, it’s the hardest part of living.” that chorus especially hits on the difficulty of living with an addiction and is like when gerard almost brought no luggage on mcr’s japanese tour because he thought he would take his own life. he drank a lot of sake, felt very sick, and had suicidal thoughts, which led to him getting help when he got back to the states. back in new jersey, the therapist told gerard that his issue was differentiating his real personality from the characters he played in the songs on bullets and three cheers for sweet revenge, who i’ve sketched in this previous essay and include vampires, zombie attack survivors, assassins, prison brawl starters, and even decadent rock stars. (there’s also the little boy who misses his grandma because “helena” is the best.) you can definitely see these blurred lines in “the jetset life” like the lyric (memorably delivered in dramatic spanish by gerard) about “hotel bella muerte”, which could be the assassin protagonist of three cheers bunking up after a night of taking souls, a place to do drugs, or an image of “beautiful death”. “the jetset life” is filled with countless examples of imagery with double and triple meaning, all pertaining to death, addiction, and three cheers’ protagonist hitting yet another bump in his road to be reunited with the woman he loves. the dense lyrics complement the song’s hard charging chorus and a musically interesting bridge with benson’s keyboard playing layered over toro and iero’s guitars, pelissier and mikey’s stable rhythm section, and finally gerard’s lullaby vocals. for a second, the keyboards and mikey’s bass are the only instruments you can hear as my chemical romance channels the sadness of joy division albeit with a less pronounced lead line. it shows that mcr is sneakily making strides with their sounds while digging into the saddest and darkest parts of their band members’ lives and personalities. they’re not to the synth sounds of danger days just yet, but as horror film aficionados, they know a good organ or minor piano can add tension or make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. however, there aren’t any zombies or vampires in this song just the real life pain of addiction and the fear of withdrawal. obviously (and from its title alone), “the jetset life” isn’t a pro drug. it’s also not an after school special, but it’s an almost handheld camera documentary glimpse into plain and pleasure of addiction with some dramatic flourishes. these flourishes, whether lyrical or sonic, are similar to the glam and brit pop needle drops in the scottish heroin addiction film trainspotting whose “vibe” gerard and mikey mentioned liking in life on the murder scene. the incorporation of organ, cool frank iero guitar riffs, and again, the way gerard says “hotel bella muerte” add complexity to the addiction narrative as well as a release for the pain he and mikey are feeling. “the jetset life is gonna kill you” is an intimate look at gerard and mikey way’s struggles with addiction while also introducing an intriguing keyboard/bass sound to their punk meets classic rock repertoire. the track uses lavish metaphor to explore things like suicidal thoughts, and even though, it’s not a hopeful song per se, it is refreshing to know that your heroes have gone through similar struggles as you. “now dry your eyes, and let’s go home.”  dr. manhattan in watchmen by alan moore and dave gibbons after the high octane energy of “i’m not okay”, my chemical romance slow things down a little bit with the track that follows it: the ballad “the ghost of you”. “the ghost of you” also got released as the final single from three cheers for sweet revenge and did well on the charts hitting #84 on the us billboard hot 100, #38 on hot mainstream rock tracks, and #9 on alternative songs while topping the uk’s rock and metal singles chart. this was also due to another ambitious music video from marc webb, who transposed the track’s heart rending lyrics and swaying intro to a world war ii setting and used the brotherly relationship between gerard and mikey way to break viewers and listeners’ hearts over and over again. “i’m not okay” was all about slice of life and interpersonal relationships whereas “the ghost of you” gets back to three cheers concept album storyline with a spectral, clean guitar intro from ray toro. in the first verse, which features a mikey bass line that makes “the ghost of you” the perfect slow dance, gerard muses about reunited with the woman he loves beyond the grave. this is a theme that has been explored throughout three cheers, especially in “helena”, and the protagonist takes a break from burning down hotels, escaping prison, and not feeling okay to ponder how alone he feels and if he’ll see his lost partner again. this kind of deep thinking extends to the reference where “the ghost of you” got its title from, which is the tag line of the nostalgia perfume owned by adrian veidt aka ozymandias from alan moore and dave gibbons seminal comic watchmen. gerard did a 2008 interview with mtv where he extoled his love for the comic (see, you can like grant morrison and alan moore.) and talked about making a special exception and having mcr cover “desolation row” for the end credits of the 2009 watchmen film. as the “smartest man alive”, veidt is about higher level thinking, and this extends to his business dealings where he uses folks’ feelings for the “simpler” times of the 1940s and 1950s to make them long for a perfume that helps them to escape from a time where richard nixon is basically president for life and (anti)heroes fall from skyscrapers. however, this ad also has a macabre side with “ghost” hinting at someone in the relationship either having died or left the other one. my chemical romance paid homage to this by setting their music video for “the ghost of you” during the 1940s, having the band play soldiers, and showing the “good old days” were actually damn sad like the implications of adrian veidt’s advertisement. (gerard and ray toro had to cut their hair.) but crewcuts, vintage instruments, and uso shows aside, this war themed video heightens “the ghost of you’s” themes of loss and grief and is perfectly synced to the song’s sound and lyrics. for example, every time gerard’s harsher vocals, toro and frank iero’s heavier guitars, and matt pelissier’s more intense percussion, director marc webb cuts from the uso show to the beach landing at normandy a la saving private ryan. (gerard, mikey, and toro should wave to my great grandpa.) in a climactic moment of the video, the waves of the english channel even wash over the dance floor, which is a win for the visual effects team. mcr and webb use war as a metaphor for grief and having someone cut away from you prematurely, which is what happened to the protagonist of three cheers‘ storyline as well as gerard and mikey with their grandmother. it also happens in “the ghost of you” video where mikey is killed in front of gerard with ray toro (playing a medic) desperately trying to save him. the feeling of grief and loss is palpable in gerard’s face, and his sad eyes while wearing his combat helmet are the last shot of the film, which is only about three minutes long, but feels like one of those two and a half our war epics that my dad is into. “the ghost of you” shows that my chemical romance could convey great feeling both in their music and on the visual side with their videos. their world war ii themed video (and honestly “helena” and “i’m not okay” too) showed that the band cared a lot about image and storytelling as well as writing great songs. it would set the stage for even more ambitious work in the black parade where mcr would dress and pretend to be another band and danger days, which had multiple gerard penned and designed comics to flesh out that storyline. they could channel the grief, pain, and at times, angst of other emo, pop punk, and posthardcore bands, but my chemical romance did it while telling a story. and what makes a song like “the ghost of you” so re listenable is that it works on different levels of meaning, and you can also chill out to the smooth guitars and mikey bass line in the verses while rocking out to the louder choruses. “the ghost of you” is an important emotional beat in the concept album storyline of three cheers for sweet revenge, but it’s also an examination of the nature of grief and what it means to have someone ripped away unexpectedly. it’s also the inspiration for a short war film that according to a fuse interview (prepare for 2000s cringiness), gerard actually wrote the treatment to. “the ghost of you” proves once and for all that mcr were neither one hit nor one concept wonders. they could dip into other genre inspirations (war, in this case.) in their songwriting, music videos, and look as a band to connect with their listeners on a deep emotional level with both their three minute in and out punk songs and rock ballads like this track. “you like d&d, audrey hepburn, fangoria, harry houdini and croquet. you can’t swim, you can’t dance and you don’t know karate. face it, you’re never gonna make it.”  ray toro in the “i’m not okay” music video directed by marc webb even though it’s the fifth track on three cheers for sweet revenge, “i’m not okay” was my chemical romance’s first big single and hit #86 on the billboard hot 100 and #4 on us billboard modern rock tracks. it also was #19 on the uk charts showing once and for all that british people have better taste in music than americans. more likely, it’s that “alternative” music has more of an opportunity to reach the “top of the pops” unlike in the united states where it’s a fluke, or something like grunge or pop punk will be big, have some hits, spawn a lot of imitators, and then fade away. (arguably, this happened with brit pop in the 1990s in the uk too.) i think the reason that “i’m not okay” hit big for my chemical romance and is covered by artists like all time low and k.k. slider, other than frank iero’s incredibly catchy opening guitar riff, is the near universality of its subject matter in both its lyrics and marc webb directed music video that is arguably one of the best of the 2000s. (you could honestly say that about “helena” and “the ghost of you” too.) plain and simple, it’s about how it’s okay to not feel okay sometimes, and that there’s hope even if you’re an outsider like the character that the mcr band members play in the video. it’s okay to have weird, quirky, niche interests unless you’re an asshole or gatekeeper about them. and the guys don’t seem like those two personality types in “i’m not okay” as they spend their time hanging around at the library or bleachers, goofing off in the chemistry lab, or playing croquet because, of course, webb has them play private/boarding school students in this one. the only really malicious thing that they do in this video is iero pulling something out of a girl’s eyelashes instead of going in for a kiss. i know marc webb was probably trying to demonstrate iero’s character’s “sheer” ineptitude, but it’s kind of creepy in hindsight. it doesn’t ruin the video though, which continues to hook me and make me wish there was a degrassi style tv show starring the members of my chemical romance, or at the very least a remake of rock ‘n’ roll high school starring them. i mean, i guess i could read some fan fiction, but the kind with real people seems really invasive and makes me uncomfortable. another reason i (and millions of other people) love “i’m not okay” and scream along to it in the car, at karaoke, at emo night, and (hopefully one day) at mcr’s live shows is its total emotional honesty. there are no guns, assassins, souls, vampires, or demolition lovers in this song just life in all its shitty glory. it starts in the first line of the song with gerard way singing, “well, if you wanted honesty, that’s all you had to say.” to a steady iero and ray toro riff plus a mikey way bassline. this lyric plus the straightforward pop rock with a little punk (because frank iero can never not be punk.) sets up the song’s confessional tone about a relationship that is starting to “wear out” the singer. in real life, people usually aren’t this blunt unless they’re cool with being yelled at, having a drink spilled on them, or instantly blocked on all forms on social media. but my chemical romance can be blunt for us while showing the tension between putting on a fake happy front (“i’m okay.”) and how we really feel (“i’m not okay.”). gerard’s vocal delivery, whether it’s a whisper or a scream nails this dynamic. also, as the music that denotes fakeness gets a little howard benson piano while realness is served up a muscular guitar riff from frank iero. so, it’s no wonder we need a break from talking (or singing) with a ray toro guitar solo that’s like going outside for a deep breath or cigarette break before returning to tell this friend (or potential partner) that they don’t understand you with the line, “you said you read me like a book/but the pages are all torn and frayed.” gerard’s voice even begins to break down as he sings, and the song goes into the aforementioned keyboard part or headbanging riff. the sound, or form, of “i’m not okay” truly matches the lyrics, or content, which makes the three minute experience of listening to it incredibly satisfying. “i’m not okay’s” theme of leaving everything on the table, emotionally and physical, finds its way to both music videos of the song. there’s the greg kaplan directed original music video without the iconic intro dialogue that literally shows us the daily lives of my chemical romance’s members. it follows mcr from gerard and mikey’s childhood home to the tour bus and finally the venue where they meet some fans and play an energetic live show with gerard singing on his back, crowd surfing, and frank iero flailing while he plays his guitar. the marc webb video follows a similar throughline, but couches it in the language of the teen movie and goes more into exposé mode instead of “these are regular guys from new jersey, who like drawing comics, wielding swords from lord of the rings, kissing their moms, and playing punk rock.” in between shots of my chemical romance playing or interacting with the high school, webb shows this prestigious private school’s hidden underbelly from bicurious jocks to a preppy student’s prescription pill addiction and finally, two teachers having an affair. it’s real movie subplot and shows that beneath the starchy uniforms that these folks are “not o fucking kay” and need therapy or to get some things off their chest like the guys in mcr. “i’m not okay” deserved to be a huge hit because of it made listeners feel heard and less alone through a four chord frank iero punk riff and an immaculate, meant to screamed and sung along to hook. it carried this momentum visually into two videos and finally a platinum certification and fittingly it was the first song played by my chemical romance at their reunion tour. because no matter if you’re an angsty teen or an adult in your 40s like the members of mcr, it’s okay not to feel okay all the time, especially in the middle of a global pandemic excuse me, i have something in my eye after watching that intro to the my chemical romance reunion set! content warning: sexual assault, rape “he had it comin’ “ “cell block tango” from the musical, chicago so, from the title, it’s pretty obvious that “you know what they do to guys like us in prison” is about being sexually assaulted and abused in prison. it’s very dark subject matter even for a concept album about a man, who has to kill 1,000 people for the devil, for the opportunity to be reunited with his dead love. however, my chemical romances tonally counterbalances this with a few tricks up their sleeves including guest screamed vocals from bert mccracken of the used and a little cabaret style piano intro played by three cheers for sweet revenge‘s producer, howard benson. and i really want to dig into the sound of “prison”, which has nods to their punk roots as well as their more theatrical future. thanks to frank iero’s speed and energy on the rhythm guitar, mcr would never be far from punk. however, their vocals, lead guitar, and later their rhythm section with the addition of bob bryar on drums would be more rock opera than posthardcore. and you can see this turn in “prison” with gerard way and mccracken duetting about life in prison like if john waters directed a gender bent version of chicago. gerard does vocal runs and has an earnest delivery while mccracken brings the roar and swagger that made the used the definitive screamo band as well as some of the more messed up lines about burning down hotels. in a 2013 grantland interview, gerard talks about his close relationship with bert mccracken as their bands toured together that involved raiding the minibar, going on benders, and kissing each other during a game of spin the bottle. but there was also real companionship, and gerard compared mccracken to a “cellmate” in an interview for a book about my chemical romance. mcr and the used would even record a cover of “under pressure”, which will be the subject of a future essay. from what i’ve read, it seems like gerard and mccracken had a deep, almost homoerotic bond that got played up by the fans (*shudders at frerard*) thanks to the queer content on songs like this one. they were bowie and jagger, or bowie and iggy of the 2000s punk rock set. however, the gay content on “prison” is unfortunately not consensual, especially in the post chorus where gerard sings, “what they ask of you will make you want to say, “‘so long'”. it’s tough, and the wall of sound created by ray toro and frank iero gives it a pained, emotional tone like some of their earlier songs for bullets. mcr really walks a line between real pain and dark tongue in cheek humor, and honestly, gerard’s vocals and the little one liners that bert mccracken bring the verdict down on that side. my chemical romance’s has a well documented interest in “bad movies”, and there is a reference to the gun fu revenge films of john woo in the opening of “prison” (“like a bullet through a flock of doves”). with this evidence in hand, i think that this song is a bit of a gender bent homage to the exploitation genres of women in prison and rape and revenge done through the lens of five or more men in close quarters together. gerard sings about all the little annoying bits of touring life using the heightened metaphors of prison life like the campy line about “pushups in drag” and sharing spaces with gamblers and serial killers. and there’s also the “revenge” bit at the end about hotel arson in which the protagonist gets his agency back and plays catch up on the souls he has to kill. this is while getting vengeance against the folks that took advantage of him like the traditional third act of a rape and revenge film. (i studied this genre and vigilante films in a film elective class during college, and wow, was that a fucked up, not really nuanced semester.) as you can tell, this song is a little uncomfortable for me to write about. i have been groped and sexually assaulted (not raped, thankfully.) by men at gay bars and clubs in the past so this subject matter isn’t something i like to think about. however, “prison” has a really fun intro with the piano and action movie references kicking into the guitars and matt pelissier and mikey way’s groovy rhythm section and is generally a catchy song. so, it’s not one i skip while listening to three cheers or my chemical romance’s greatest hits album may death never stop you, but it is a song whose deeper implications i try not to think too hard about. “she died in one of the downstairs rooms, in a heavy walnut bed with a curtain, her gray head propped on a pillow yellow and moldy with age and lack of sunlight.”  william faulkner in “a rose for emily” my chemical romance is definitely a band of readers, whether that’s prose or comic books. gerard and mikey way worked at a barnes and noble in new jersey before the band took off, and mikey even came up with mcr’s name from irvine welsh’s short story collection, ecstasy: three tales of chemical romance. as shown from their previous tracks and the band’s visual imagery, my chemical romance also loves horror, the macabre, and stories of murder, mayhem, and the breaking of societal taboos. so, it’s fitting that they basically adapt william faulkner’s 1930 short story “a rose for emily” in three cheers for sweet revenge’s third track, “to the end”, and it’s nice to see the five boys from jersey appreciate the southern gothic genre. i read “a rose for emily” in either my 12th grade american lit class (shout out to mrs. pizzino!), or 20th century american literature class in college. so, it’s been almost ten years since i’ve read it. however, the final paragraph of the short story about a “traditional”, aristocratic southern woman committing necrophilia has stuck with me and made me shudder endlessly. my chemical romance use this imagery of death and decay combined with harmonized vocal choruses, vintage guitar playing from ray toro, and strong punk riffs from frank iero to create a memorable song. the basic plot of the story is that emily is a reclusive woman, who is resistant to change, and her father won’t let her marry even though they are the last members of their once wealthy family. after her father’s death, she becomes friends with a man named homer (who is mentioned in the song), but he is gay and not interested in marrying her. so, she kills him with arsenic (the “cyanide” in the lyrics) and keeps his body in a room in the house like he’s alive and her husband. after a long life filled with strange smells coming from her mansion and tax evasion, emily dies. because she’s a local curiosity, mcr keeps a lot of the best elements from “a rose for emily” in “to the end” like the iconic opening lines, “he calls the mansion not a house but a tomb/he’s always choking from the stench and the fume”, which is basically the townspeople’s reaction to miss emily’s house. also, it is a mausoleum for both her father (who she doesn’t bury for a while.) and homer. however, my chemical romance also modernize the story a little bit with the second verse talking about the female character’s fancy car, diamonds, and driving by “barbies and kens”. it’s almost like they’re foreshadowing the characters that marina diamandis and lana del rey would play on their first records in the early 2010s. my chemical romance recorded three cheers at a studio in the san fernando valley and filmed the video for “helena” at a church of los angeles. so, it’s a possibility that the strange and curious lives of actors, rock stars, and celebrities were on their mind while making this song and album, including their short marriages and sometimes theatrical deaths. and the protagonist of “a rose for emily” could easily be howard hughes southern belle edition. in more of a penny dreadful than preachy way, mcr is showing how out of touch and selfish wealthy and famous people can be as they live insular lifestyles and don’t care about “regular people” around him. i mean, look at all the stories coming in about how ellen degeneres mistreated her employees while her public persona was “progressive” and “relatable”. (hey, i don’t trust anyone who watches football with war criminals with hunter s. thompson and nixon being the single exception.) wealthy and famous people don’t care about how many “lives they break”, and this only increases exponentially until you reach the billionaire types like bezos, zuckerberg, and the kochs, who can basically influence how many people view reality. so, “to the end” works on a number of levels: it’s a creepy gothic story, a literary homage, and a piece of biting social satire. it’s also enjoyable on a sonic level because “to the end” has a ray toro guitar solo. this solo is augmented by frank iero’s sharp rhythm playing, matt pelissier’s upbeat percussion, and layered vocals from iero, toro, and gerard. producer howard benson gets that sweet, brian may esque guitar sound from toro that he would later perfect on black parade. queen meets the misfits is a good sound for a song that’s simultaneously about decadence and depravity. content warning: drug use, suicide, self harm i know this essay isn’t legally binding, but i want this song played at my funeral. seriously, my chemical romance takes about a million leaps forward (especially in sound department) with the opening track of their second record, three cheers for sweet revenge. this song was truly their breakthrough hit, charting #33 on the billboard hot 100 and #11 on the us alternative songs in 2005 crossing them over from the hardcore punk/emo scene to the rock kids and finally to americans turning their radios to the top 40 stations everywhere. it’s a song that lots of mcr fans have an emotional connection to because it was the last song they played before they went on hiatus. i’ve also personally quoted it in a goodbye email after resigning from a job and lost my shit to it at the last emo night i attended that was unfortunately “long ago”. (it was the final song the dj played.) “helena” also has a killer video (with over 122 million views) to go with the track by then veteran music video helmer, marc webb, who would go on to direct 500 days of summer as well as the two worst spider man films. however, this doesn’t matter because all six (!) of the videos he directed for mcr are fantastic and shows the band’s creativity that was only hinted at in the videos for “honey this mirror isn’t big enough for the two of us” and “vampires will never hurt you”. i mean, “helena” has choreographed danced moves, an attempt at communicating with the dead, mikey way spreading incense in a church aisle, frank iero barely being able to carry a hearse, and gerard way staring longingly into the viewers eyes in the final shot of the video. plus tracy phillips, who plays helena in the video, is an icon and turns in a convincing performance as one of the living dead with her jerky, yet on beat movements. (random trivia fact: she is the daughter of former l.a. rams defensive coordinator, wade phillips, who once shared a screenshot from “helena” on his twitter.) the “helena” music video is a whole damn funeral, a modern dance sequence, and a fashion look book for mcr rolled into one as the band would start rocking black eyeliner and formalwear during their live shows. they even reenacted the video during a gig and held a funeral procession with hearse before a double london show on gerard way’s birthday. if you’ve read my previous essays, you know that my chemical romance has done some damn good songs before this one, but now they have access to things like pro tools, a studio in los angeles, and frank iero to create a fuller sonic landscape to go with their boundless imaginations, punk rock energy, and passionate lyrics. ray toro and iero’s guitars complement gerard’s emotional vocals incredibly well in this song and match its mood every step of the way. speaking of passion, mcr taps that vein of raw feeling with “helena’s” inspiration being gerard and mikey way’s grandmother, who passed away during the recording of this record and was extremely important to their lives. she taught him to sing, draw, and bought my chemical romance their first touring van. in an interview with kerrang, gerard talks about how this song was born out of “self hate” that he didn’t get to spend enough time with grandma, elena, before she passed in the last year of her life. this is why the lyrics (“…just like the hearse you die to get in again…”) allude to the fact that the only time gerard will be able to spend time with her is when he himself is dead. and gerard really meant this as a large portion of the life on the murder scene documentary talks about his addiction to alcohol, pills, and later cocaine, that he used to help cope with my chemical romance’s meteoric rise. mcr’s manager, brian schechter, talks extensively about gerard’s suicidal thoughts and talking him down from the proverbial ledge so there is a sense of real pain in these lyrics. especially once you get to the bridge where gerard basically channels his future creation, seance aka klaus hargreeves from the umbrella academy, and calls out to his grandmother from beyond the grave. his vocals tremble while ray toro, frank iero, and mikey way create a steady wall of sound that returns to the full rocking out, easy danceability of the chorus. gerard and iero said they learned “song structure” for three cheers for sweet revenge‘s sweatpants rocking producer howard benson, and it shows. the lyrics in the chorus of “helena” are similar to “every breath you take” by the police, but a little more horror movie than creepy stalker. instead of “every claim you stake”, they sing “every blade you stain” alluding to the blood on the lovers on the album cover as well as (apparently) on every extra and band member in their early photoshoots. plus it could also stand for things like the ways’ grandmother going under the surgical knife or self harm. existence without elena is painful for sure. however, she would have wanted the band to move on and keep playing as ray toro mentions in life on the murder scene when he talks about her helping them purchase a van for their first tour. this seeps through in the lyric, “things are better if i stay” as gerard decides to not take his own life (and would later speak out against suicide during live shows) and finish out the song and later the album and various tours. “helena” isn’t just an ending, but the beginning of a new era for the band. with its tone of finality and fade out ending, it’s a great song to wrap up a gig or a dj set, but it’s also a way to kickstart an album (and era) with a surefire hit and acts as motivation for a concept album protagonist that i will touch on in later essays. i would like to wrap up this essay with a shout out to my grandmas, who have helped me feel motivated, loved, and understood while also giving me the opportunity to eat my weight in baked goods or southern cooking. while listening to this song again and researching gerard and mikey’s relationship with their grandmother, i realized that i’m glad that i get to spend some time with them this holiday season even though “helena” would not be a kind of song they would like. i do think they’d both think the church in the “helena” video is pretty, and i definitely plan on checking it out and taking shameless selfies next time i visit l.a. i’ll save the choreographed dancing for the professionals though. also, this song would have made an amazing 1980s prom ” slow song”. “there never was a jack the ripper…”  alan moore in from hell before jumping into three cheers for sweet revenge, it’s time for a quick detour into a rare cut from my chemical romance’s discography. the track in question is “jack the ripper”, a live cover of the morrissey b side from his single “certain people i know” off his quite excellent 1992 album/glam revival your arsenal. there are two versions of this song. one is from the ep like phantoms forever, which featured early versions of “vampires will never hurt you” and “this is the best day ever”. the other was a b side on the vinyl single of “thank you for the venom”, which featured some seriously cool james o’barr inspired sleeve art. the song basically acts as an homage to two of mcr’s biggest influences: the horror genre and morrissey/the smiths. i have a confession to make. i haven’t read alan moore and eddie campbell’s from hell so i’m definitely not qualified to theorize on his identity and actions. (even though, i like the theory that he was an english royal because the monarchy is a bunch of parasites.) however, he is an iconic figure of fact or fiction and a kind of boogeyman symbol of preying on marginalized folks: late 19th century sex workers in this case. so, it’s a bold (and let’s face it: fun) move to sing from his perspective. my favorite part of my chemical romance’s cover of “jack the ripper” is how much they actually make it sound like the smiths thanks to mikey way’s solid bass groove and ray toro channeling johnny marr with his jangly guitar sound until he goes full rock god at the end. gerard way even adds some yodels and yelps to his death screams as he channels morrissey, who he told blender in an interview that he aspired to be like, both in sound and lyrics. (maybe not in political views though.) by playing a b side instead of something obvious like “every day is like sunday”, mcr shows their knowledge of morrissey’s music. plus this song (with crimson lighting effects.) has been a constant sample of morrissey’s live show so why wouldn’t mcr add it to their own repertoire. it is truly a novelty to go from the hardcore punk of the first two tracks on like phantoms forever to travel back in time sonically to the british indie music of the 1980s, but with a little rougher vocals although morrissey and gerard have a similar range. “jack the ripper” theorizes that my chemical romance is a versatile band, and this would be proven for a fact in their next three studio albums so this not the greatest live performance is a taste of things to come. one key difference between morrissey’s version of “jack the ripper” and my chemical romance’s cover is that mcr excises the third verse speculating on the ripper’s identity. it also can be interpreted as morrissey continuing to build up his own enigmatic personality as it’s really hard to get a bead on what moz thinks or believes at any one time, much less his sexuality or interpersonal relationships. he’s definitely a bookish, introverted fellow though. my chemical romance may have left out this verse because they had a certain time for their set, or maybe, they’re okay with being open about what they stand for and their lives (see all the cute family pics of the band members on instagram.) instead of being some never ending mystery. “jack the ripper” is my chemical romance just having a good time and reminding you that at the time that they were just four (and later five with frank iero) fans of 80s british music and genre fiction, who wanted to play punk rock and maybe inspire the world a little bit. or scare them in this case. “they’re young. they’re in love. and they kill people.” tagline for bonnie and clyde (1967) “demolition lovers”, which is the final track of i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love, is a damn good prequel. like the opposite of phantom menace good. even better than the first purge good. this is because the “demolition lovers” are the blood stained couple on the cover of my chemical romance’s follow up album three cheers for sweet revenge. mcr gives us their backstory in this song and sets up the gun toting, soul taking action of the next record with the protagonist of “demolition lovers” singing a declaration of eternal love for his dead partner that nicely transitions into the funeral service of “helena”. my film references in the first paragraph weren’t me trying to be glib and pander to grudge holding star wars fanboys. (they’re the worst.) i used them because “cinematic” is the best way to describe “demolition lovers”. my chemical romance breaks out of their b movie roots and two to three minute punk track mold to make a longer, cooler five minute punk b movie track. also, this is a true love song unlike the shyness and crushes of “cubicles” with gerard way spending the entire song showing how much his partner (possibly based on his real life partner, k.) means to him and that he would get into violent, dangerous natural born killers and, of course, bonnie and clyde situations with her. (they rob liquor stores, not banks though.) as far as the sound of “demolition lovers” goes, i really think mcr and producer geoff rickly pulled together the strengths of previous tracks to give bullets a fitting sendoff. i can definitely see this track engaging listeners and making them eager to see my chemical romance on tour and imagine what kind of album they would make when signed to a major label. it opens with a mournful ray toro guitar part a la “early sunsets over monroeville” and soft, confessional vocals from gerard to go with toro’s thoughtful picking. mikey way’s bass and matt pelissier’s drums start to kick in as gerard describes their crime sprees and desert getaways before breaking into punk rock guitars and screaming vocals. the more violent the lyrics, the heavier the instrumentation, and the more screaming in the vocals. it’s form and content fitting like a glove. around the halfway point on the track, it seems like “demolition lovers” and the bullets record is sliding home and wrapping things up. however, it’s a false ending, and the back half of the song is even better than the beginning featuring such goodies like a bridge with some great kick drums from pelissier and a melodic guitar line from toro. it ends up transforming into a mission statement for the entire album with mikey’s steady bass line and gerard’s lyrics “all we are is bullets, i mean this” driving the point home. then, we get an intense ray toro guitar solo that is like a hail of bullets (no flocks of doves just yet.) in an action flick before breaking down into his signature smooth sound as the song concludes with gerard’s screams and growls that signify the death of his beloved. “demolition lovers” has it all. it’s a rocker, a ballad, makes interesting philosophical points, and also acts as a kind of “zero” chapter to the concept album that is three cheers for sweet revenge. however, the whole track and really the whole bullets record can be stripped down to the repeated line in the interlude “all we are, all we are is bullets.” the line is a bit of an allusion to “dust in the wind” by kansas so you know mcr is going to say something deep and metaphorical. the bullet image has so many meanings, but it really boils down that despite how hard we try: humans always end up hurting each other, especially the ones we’re close to. that’s why it’s so easy to go from the literal vampires, zombies, killers, patients, and other genre movie denizens of bullets to metaphors for breakups and difficult relationships. my chemical romance’s lyrics work on multiple levels of meaning, which is why their songs are so fun to listen to over and over again, and honestly, why i’m doing this essay project. plus, like good actors, gerard’s vocals, toro’s guitar tone and playing speed, mikey’s bass line (or lack of one), and pelissier’s percussion shades the meaning of these words. for example, after the “all we are is bullets”, there’s a nice guitar solo break that provides for headbanging or rocking out with your brain out until gerard returns with the pretty visuals of rose beds and phantoms ending the song on gothic romance tone although he is screaming like a hardcore punk singer. and speaking of punk (and this might be controversial.), i would truly consider bullets to be a punk album with its diy production quality, speed played guitars, aggressive percussion, just enough bass, and screamed vocals. as far as i can tell, there were no synths or keyboards on bullets even though there were plenty of hooks and imagery that were more bauhaus or killing joke than dead kennedys. according to life on the murder scene, the misfits’ sound and horror influences and the smiths’ melancholy lyrics/upbeat sound were the major influences on mcr, and i’ll go into the smiths and morrissey connection even more in tomorrow’s essay. (full disclosure: the smiths are my second favorite band after my chemical romance.) if you like sad songs about heartbreak as well as cool fight scenes in action movies, then “demolition lovers” is the track for you. conversely, if you like big guitar riffs and solos as well as yearning vocals and picking, then “demolition lovers” is also the track for you. it’s mcr’s big senior project, and they’re ready to go to college, er, three cheers now with a pair of blood stained lovers leading the way. i still think “headfirst for halos” will always be my favorite song off bullets though. “shyness is nice, and shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you’d like to.”  “ask” by the smiths from the world won’t listen if tracks like “vampires will never hurt you”, “our lady of sorrows”, and “early sunsets over monroeville” were genre exercises for my chemical romance, then “cubicles” is their take on slice of life. it’s a story about a guy working a dead end office, temp kind of job, and he sees a girl he likes a couple cubicles down. but instead of getting to know her or striking up a conversation, he just imagines the life they might have together until she ends up leaving the company. in the closing bridge bit, gerard way wails and resigns himself to dying alone while ray toro layers guitars over a highly catchy riff, mikey way adds a nice bass groove, and matt pelissier’s percussion cuts in and out. toro’s “cubicles” riff is the right mix of pop and punk, and later, his steady rhythm playing gives plenty of room for gerard to craft the story of our hapless office worker. he also gets to rock out a little bit during the instrumental break before the “you don’t work here anymore”, which is the emotional climax of the song as gerard goes from missing the woman, who he didn’t know, but worked at his office to thinking he’ll die alone. the rhythm and lead guitars end up overlapping during this part creating a feeling of real urgency and emotion, and toro gets to play that riff by himself one last time before pelissier’s drums and gerard’s vocals kick in with one final “die alone”. finally, the song fades out. to put it all in perspective, “cubicles” was one of the i brought you my bullets songs i was really excited to write about because of this catchy riff and the highly relatable lyrics about crushes and dead end office jobs. from 2016 to 2019, i had a soul crushing corporate office gig and could definitely identify with the lyrics, “i’ll spend my time with strangers” because i didn’t really connect with my co workers and was even attacked, isolated, and excluded by them until i started working for another department during their busy time. those folks (except for the keto diet cultists) were definitely more fun to be around. even in the other department, that whole situation sucked, and thankfully, i had creative work and fun trips to look forward to. also, that job was the impetus for me going back to school and becoming a librarian. as well as empathizing with the workers of what anthropologist david graeber calls “bullshit jobs”, “cubicles” also tackles one of the most popular subjects of emo pop and pop music in general: unrequited love. however, gerard doesn’t even really spend time with the object of his affection calling it a “water cooler romance” and spends half of the second verse coming up with weird, yet kind of cool date ideas (is “kicking over blades we see” skating, or does it involve edged weapons) when he hasn’t even had any kind of substantive conversation with the woman. it comes across as a little pathetic, but hey, anxiety is a thing. also, putting yourself out there is tough so it’s nice to get a song like “cubicles” that unpacks these feelings. my verdict on “cubicles’” protagonist is that he’s not an incel, but just really shy, lonely, and introverted and has issues fitting in a hustle and bustle of an office environment. (maybe, he should be a freelance writer or artist or play in a band.) he’s definitely open about his feelings as evidenced by him repeatedly thinking that he’ll die alone. deep down, you know this is going to happen unless you get in a “there is a light that never goes out” situation where you and another person get killed simultaneously and instantly by a megabus or something. (imagine the little guy in the yellow hat being the last sight you see before you shuffle the mortal coil.) my chemical romance was definitely channeling the lyrics of morrissey and the smiths in “cubicles” with their aversion to work, melodramatic approach to love and death, and what “nowhere fast” described as “natural emotion”. plus their frontmen used to be hermits with morrissey famously holing up in his room listening to records and writing into music magazines until johnny marr coaxed him into joining a band. likewise, according to life on the murder scene, gerard way would spend all day in his room “drawing comics in his underwear” with mikey way being the more sociable of the two and helping bring ray toro and frank iero into the band. maybe, gerard thought he would die alone drawing in that room with almost no natural light… with a hummable/air guitar worthy main riff from ray toro and lyrics that cover the relatable situations of dead end jobs and having an unrequited crush, “cubicles” is one of the standouts from bullets and shows that my chemical romance can do dark romantic comedy (or actually tragedy) as well as gothic romance and horror. because nine out of ten times, reality is scarier than vampires or zombies. “you wanted a hit, but maybe we don’t do hits.”  “you wanted a hit” by lcd soundsystem from this is happening even though i was pretty hard on “drowning lessons”, i think that “this is the best day ever” is my least favorite track on i brought you my bullets. if it wasn’t two minutes long, it would probably be the only one track that i would skip during a playthrough. “best day ever” is a typical bullets era my chemical romance song with screaming vocals from gerard way, emotionally vulnerable lyrics, and heavy guitars and percussion from ray toro and matt pelissier. none of these are bad things, and mikey way has a killer bass line at the beginning of the song creating a true rhythm section with pelissier even though he’s not peter hook yet. (nor should he be with the twin guitar attack of toro and frank iero.) there are also some vocal harmonies from thursday’s geoff rickly, who produced bullets, and had a real band with mcr even opening for gerard on his one and only solo tour in the u.k. seeing thursday’s impact on their young fans was one reason that gerard decided to stop doing the commercial art/animation thing and be serious about starting a band so it’s nice to see rickly get more of a showcase on this track. the storyline of “this is the best day ever” is fairly simple. two patients are in a hospital after what seems like a bad accident. they form a bond of mutual hatred for their surroundings and decide to leave the place together even if this seems dramatic and like burning down the ferris wheel at the state fair. this song is only two minutes long and had no video so there’s not really a lot of time for characterization, but it is a foretaste of what would be a key setting in the black parade where the patient was dying from cancer. this shows that death and people’s reactions to death was a preoccupation of my chemical romance from day one. staying in a hospital where you’re isolated and hooked up to all kinds of machines is a difficult situation, and no wonder gerard and his horde of backup vocalists want to get as far away as possible. freedom and escape is a constant theme of mcr’s music, and “best day ever” is a hyper focused, bottle episode version of it. my big takeaway from “best day ever” is that the recording background of this song is more interesting than its lyrics or sound. unless you’re say anything on in defense of the genre, emo or posthardcore bands don’t really do “posse cuts”, but this track is an exception with every mcr band member plus frank iero, the aforementioned rickly, and co producer alex saavedra getting a vocals credit. everyone in the nada studios at the time got do vocals except for the mixer, john naclerio. it’s a musical demonstration of how tight the new jersey punk scene was at the time, and gerard and geoff rickly go into it deeper in a 2015 interview with vice where they talk about their (and their bands’) relationship as well as their connection to other artists in the scene like taking back sunday. this camaraderie matches the lyrics of “best day ever” about working together to escape the hospital as well as some of the road stories shared in life on the murder scene where my chemical romance give kudos to artists like underoath for giving them water bottles and t shirts to wear when they ran out of clean clothes. without these relationships, mcr might not have survived to sign with reprise records in 2003. “this is the best day ever” doesn’t have the catchiest hooks, best guitars and drums to head bang too, or most memorable lyrics. (it does have mikey way’s best bass playing of bullets so far.) however, sometimes that’s okay, and real enjoyment can be found in seeing the true “band of brothers” vibe from mcr as everyone gets in on the vocal harmonies to speed the song’s speaker away from the hospital and to freedom. (this would happen with a much bigger budget in black parade.) “when there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.” tagline from dawn of the dead (1978) after a series of emotionally rending rockers, my chemical romance takes a break from the loud guitars, hardcore punk riffs, and big drums and slow things down with a ballad in track eight of bullets, “early sunsets over monroeville.” alternative press describes this song as “… a love song about george a. romero’s zombie opus dawn of the dead.” as i mentioned in my essay about “romance”, i haven’t watched dawn of the dead and only really know about it through pop culture osmosis and random youtube clips i watched as research for this essay. however, the references are pretty easy to catch, including the lyrics about malls, the tagline of the film “when there’s no room in hell, the dead will walk the earth”, and of course, the title of the song that is an allusion to the monroeville mall where dawn of the dead was filmed. if “vampires will never hurt you” was my chemical romance’s take on the vampire romance, then “early sunsets over monroeville” is their take on zombie romance. their warm bodies, eight years before it was published, or shaun of the dead, but with less platonic male friendship and more pain and aching. the lyrics’ storyline follows a couple on the run, who find shelter at a mall a la dawn of the dead. but then one of them gets bitten by zombies and is “changed from just one bite”. the human partner must struggle with killing the person he loves, and that creates the tension of the song between gerard way’s increasingly emotional vocals and the subdued instrumentation by mikey way, matt pellissier, ray toro, and frank iero, who contributes a lovely, clean guitar sound to the track. (it’s only one of two tracks he plays on in bullets.) as mentioned in my essay about “vampires”, gerard and mikey love horror films. the evidence for this includes their lyrics, the art on my chemical romance’s single and album releases, the imagery and costumes in their music videos, and most importantly, the posters in their childhood bedrooms. in the life on the murder scene documentary, they and ray toro talk about how these films were an escape for them while growing up in an area in new jersey with a lot of crime, shootings, and murder. this touches on one of the strengths of the horror genre, which is that it can be a blood and gore metaphor for unspoken feelings or about contemporary society like dawn of the dead, which satirized “greed is good” american consumerism. mcr echoes this, early on in “monroeville”, when gerard ironically compares the humdrum elements of your typical shopping mall (escalators, tacky fountains, vending machines, sales on shit you don’t want or need) to beautiful mountains. the song opens up with the nature imagery of “late dawns and early sunsets”, which is something you don’t think about in urban or suburban strip mall sprawl and matches the breathy sweetness of gerard’s vocals, toro and iero’s guitar tone, and mikey’s minimal bass. it sets up the romantic relationship between the speaker in the song nicely before the zombie apocalypse rips it apart. however, my chemical romance subverts what they did in earlier songs and keeps the instruments going out for a sunday drive relaxed while relying on gerard’s vocals to demonstrate the pain the protagonist must make in killing someone he loves because they are a zombie. even though he was suffering from nerve damage and a tooth abscess, gerard turns in some powerhouse vocals that demonstrates his lovely tenor range and ability to hold notes as well as scream and howl like a punk performer. supposedly, his performance was so heartbreaking and vulnerable, that the rest of the band immediately had to take a smoke/cry break after the vocals were laid down. in the end, he sings a capella and bridges the literal zombie/lovers of the run story with the metaphor of the death of a relationship. like several on bullets, i think that “early sunsets over monroeville” is a breakup song. the first verse and pre chorus idealize the speaker’s relationship with his partner and fit nicely with the ballad y interplay of acoustic and clean electric guitar. my chemical romance has gone adult contemporary, or more likely, emo pop. however, when the zombie bite lyric is introduced, everything goes downhill, especially in the existential crisis filled chorus where gerard keeps wailing and questioning, “but does anyone notice? but does anyone care?” he’s in a situation where everyone thinks he’s in this perfect relationship when it’s really cold and dead like the zombies alluded to in the song. i don’t want to go into gory detail or name names, but i’ve been there. and this is definitely exacerbated by social media where you can create (to take a line from another great emo adjacent band, paramore) a “fake happy” image of your relationship and save the messy shit for offline or alt accounts where you can actually be your “real” self. ok, rant over, but look out for your friends even if they seem to be a happy or good situation in life. in “early sunsets over monroeville”, my chemical romance demonstrates the versatility of their sound even on their first album, and the tracks also acts as a coronation for gerard way as a god among vocalists. the song also expertly connects horror/zombie genre elements with relationship turmoil in an emotionally authentic way that listeners can relate too and without some of the misogyny of their contemporaries. to wrap things up, i have a question for the audience. what’s your go to mcr song to listen to after a break up? “oh no, love, you’re not alone.”  david bowie in “rock ‘n’ roll suicide” from the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars note for posterity: i was doing the last edits for this essay when the ap announced that donald trump lost the 2020 election. even though it’s track seven on bullets, “skylines and turnstiles” is the first my chemical romance song and was written by gerard way after he witnessed the world trade center fall on september 11, 2001 while commuting to his internship as an artist at cartoon network. he wrote the song, called up drummer matt “otter” pelissier, and then called guitarist ray toro when he realized he couldn’t play guitar and sing at the same time. they added gerard’s younger brother (and fellow barnes and noble employee) mikey way on bass, who brought the name my chemical romance with him, recorded the attic demos, played their first gig at an american legion hall in creskill, new jersey, and the rest is history. in various interviews with vice, on the life on the murder scene documentary, and a 2012 episode of kevin smith’s smodcast, gerard (or mcr’s manager brian schechter) talks about how he looked up from his sketchbook and saw bodies falling out of the tower. he was even on the cover of the newark star ledger witnessing the terrorist attack and realized that it was time to make something “meaningful” instead of drawing pictures for a corporation. that was “skylines and turnstiles”, and by extension, my chemical romance. with its earnest vocals, questioning lyrics, and vivid imagery, “skylines and turnstiles” definitely sounds like gerard grappling with the emotions he felt on 9/11 with the help of pelissier, toro, and mikey. he describes what he saw as “this broken city sky like butane on my skin.” and wonders if he will ever be able to move from what he witnessed. as an artist, gerard had a great visual imagination, and he was able to apply this to lyrics and later music creating dark poetry as well as a rallying cry of “and if the world needs something better/let’s give them one more reason now.” unlike certain politicians at the time, gerard way and my chemical romance used the events of 9/11 not to justify the deaths of innocent people or promote violence against folks from the middle east or followers of the islamic faith, but to bring life and hope to suffering people, especially kids, who lost friends or relatives on that day, or knew people who did. after the 2000 us presidential election, 9/11 is the first major historical event that i remember. i was eight and living in southern california at the time so the attacks had already happened by the time i went to my school in the san fernando valley. my mom didn’t have the news on that morning so i found out what happened on the playground (actually an asphalt parking lot) before homeroom. some students in my class had relatives in new york, and everyone was freaking out. it was a despicable fucking tragedy and should have never happened. because of the tragic origin of this song and gerard’s vivid lyrics and varied vocal performance as well as the relentlessness of matt pelissier’s drums and ray toro’s guitar (except for the melodic bridge part.), it makes sense that mcr has only played it once since 2004. it was on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 in 2011 and featured a moment of silence and stripped down arrangement. on twitter, gerard said that mcr stopped playing it because he “wanted to move on emotionally.” “skylines and turnstiles” was the spark that led to my chemical romance and a mission to change (and save) folks’ lives (including the band.) through music and also helped gerard way process the tragedy of 9/11. but the last line of the song is “we go from here”, which coupled with pelissier’s drum fills and one last chord from toro, concludes the song in powerful fashion and shows that it was about moving on from this terrible time and bringing hope and inspiration to their listeners and maybe “reclaim some innocence”. speaking of reclaiming innocence, “skylines and turnstiles’” bridge is my favorite part of this song with toro’s livewire pop rock riff and screamed backup vocals along with pelissier’s minimal percussion acting as a palette cleanser from the relentlessness of the rest of the song. it’s a statement of purpose for the band as well as a demonstration of sonic diversity. it’s like gerard is saying, “to hell with my art/comics career, it’s all about my chemical romance” and is prepared to take that risk with his friends. (and, hey, he would get to do comics too with the first umbrella academy miniseries coming out when mcr was touring the black parade album.) in “skylines and turnstiles”, my chemical romance is ready to come to grips with their own emotions and hope their listeners can too. it’s fitting that the band’s first ever penned lyric was “you’re not in this alone” as they provided (and still provide) emotional support to lonely kids (and adults) around the world. this line also takes on a double meaning as gerard emphasizes the importance of matt pelissier, ray toro, and mikey way in bringing my chemical romance together. i mean, someone had to liberate toro from the drum set and go back to being one of the best guitarists of the 21st century. “but don’t forget the songs that made you cry, and the songs that saved your life.”  “rubber ring” by the smiths content warning: suicide, drug use first of all, “headfirst for halos” is my favorite track by far on i brought you my bullets. that opening intro by ray toro and drummer matt pelissier is super smooth. toro’s guitar tone calls to mind one of his key influences, brian may, while also creating the signature my chemical romance guitar sound they would perfect on black parade. then, gerard way screams, mikey way’s bass kicks in, and we’re back into punk/misfits territory with a faster riff that doubles as a guitar solo towards the end of the song. and i haven’t gotten into the incredibly bleak lyrics about antidepressants and suicide that contrast with a pop rock sound that would reach its peak on danger days. basically, “headfirst for halos” has everything i love about my chemical romance, pays homage to their key influences, and is something new and vibrant with incredibly un radio/mtv friendly lyrics. however, the track almost didn’t even come out with mcr saying it “started as a joke” in the 2006 documentary life on the murder scene. however, gerard stated that if they successfully recorded the song that the band would never be “pigeonholed” and become a band like their heroes queen, iron maiden, the misfits, or the smiths that transcended one genre or local scene. he was right, and “headfirst for halos” sounds different from most of the tracks on bullets even though its intro guitars flow nicely from “our lady of sorrows”, and its lyrics form a kind of call and response with its followup track “skylines and turnstiles.” it’s a true creative breakthrough for mcr and a good choice for the middle track of bullets. also, the uk continues to show they have better musical taste than the united states as this song hit number 80 on their charts while not charting at all in the us. gerard gives the meaning of “headfirst for halos” at the beginning of a 2005 live show, “this song is about suicide. don’t do it.” like johnny marr’s bright guitar paired with morrissey’s bleak vocals, my chemical romance creates a pleasing musical catharsis with gerard’s earworm vocals and ray toro’s upbeat guitar plus matt pelissier’s incredibly danceable percussion during the guitar solo. (it’s probably slam dancing, not disco though.) it’s what gerard way called in a 2013 “thrash beatles”. “halos” is a track you can sing along to and play air guitar and drums to. “halos” is heavy, yet hooky: the perfect marriage of pop and rock. the lyrics remind you of the worst times in your life (as i’ll get into later.), yet the song makes you feel good. the memorable drug slang line of “… the red ones make me fly and the blue ones help me fall” also take on a double meaning. there’s the usual upper/downer one, and in life on the murder scene, gerard does talk about how he was taking antidepressants at the time of the founding of my chemical romance. (over the years, he and mikey have been open with their struggles with addiction, which they did end up overcoming and bringing hope through both their personal lives and music.) the other meaning of the red and blues could also refer to the red and blue pill in the matrix with the red pill symbolizing an unpleasant, yet liberating truth about reality while the blue pill represents complacent bliss. “headfirst for halos” could be that red pill with gerard laying out the painful truth about his suicidal thoughts in a graphic manner while toro’s guitars chug along and his backup vocals kick in and almost has to force himself to “think happy thoughts”. however, this final lyric is cut off by an abrupt yell and quick breakdown showing that maybe the protagonist of this song didn’t make it. as i mentioned earlier, this somber tone feeds into the next song “skylines and turnstiles”, which was inspired by gerard seeing the twin towers fall on 9/11 while taking a ferry into new york city for his then job in animation. emotional honesty definitely is a theme of the back half of bullets as the band and producer geoff rickly really start to find their sound. my chemical romance isn’t afraid to go to some dark places while having infectious lyrics and guitars and a rhythm section that you can bang your head to while commuting your day job. this is one of the many reasons i love them as artists. in 2013, i had my own suicide attempt where i took a shit ton of pills, but thankfully not too many. and this is probably silly, but the hope of seeing mcr live and knowing how matt fraction’s invincible iron man were the two things keeping me at the time. they were my “happy thoughts”. “… and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  the gospel of luke 2:35b (niv) despite their dark lyrics and outfits, blood stained makeup, and minor key tonality, i would argue that my chemical romance is predominantly a hopeful band. i mean, look at “welcome to the black parade” and “famous last words, and remember that they’re being sung and played from the perspective of a man dying from cancer. this hope shines through in the two minutes of raw, hardcore punk meets metal that is “our lady of sorrows”. i feel like i really started to understand what this song was all about beneath its flowery lyrics and catholic allusions when i watched mcr’s 2006 black parade era performance of the song in philadelphia on mtv 2 dollar bill. before the band starts playing, gerard way urges the crowd to open up the mosh pit and says, “if anyone falls down, you pick them up, alright?” eschewing the toxicity of some emo or punk acts, gerard and my chemical romance instead promote the value of friendship and having your buddies’ back whether that ‘s in the pit or in the outside world. “our lady of sorrows” might sound rough and aggressive with allusions to death, switchblades, and laceration plus ray toro’s james hetfield esque rhythm guitar playing and matt pelissier’s machine gun drums, but as gerard puts it in the live version, “just because my hand’s around your throat doesn’t mean i don’t love you.” it might seem cheesy, but this song spends much of its runtime promoting the value of selfless friendship. as a lapsed presbyterian, i’m no expert on catholic iconography, but it seems like my chemical romance masterfully uses the concept of our lady of sorrows, or our lady of the seven sorrows to show how pain and grief can lead to grace. the traditional image of our lady of sorrows is aesthetically memorable with mary being pierced with seven swords while looking up to the heavens. (hence, “patron saint of switchblade fights”.) each sword represents a sorrow in her life, including her flight to egypt to avoid king herod’s assassins to the crucifixion and burial of her son jesus. however, these seven sorrows are also connected to seven graces in one of the marian prayers and devotions i found online. likewise, my chemical romance in this song weather the pain and fear of relationships (“laceration gravity”) and “stand up fucking tall”. ray toro’s guitar playing matches the motivational elements in the chorus, and he lays down a memorable lead line in the bridge too. coupled with a powerful bass line from mikey way and a please tattoo this on your skin couplet from gerard, who screams, “oh how wrong we were to think/that immortality meant never dying”, and you’ve got the essence of early mcr. also, it shows that even in their second year together that they’re thinking of their legacy and impact on their listeners. and speaking of this legacy, even though they hadn’t released a studio album in nine years or a new single in five, mcr easily sold out their (unfortunately postponed) arena reunion tour. on a less commercial side (and i’m severely biased.), i think that my chemical romance is one of those bands, like queen, nirvana, or the cure, that will always be cool even if they haven’t released new material recently. the brevity of “our lady of sorrows” is what makes it so epic. it’s a song that you can bang your head or slam dance to. any longer, and it would probably induce vertigo. it’s also heavy as fuck with mikey, ray toro, and matt pelissier firing on all cylinders, and gerard wrapping things up with one hell of a death growl. it’s a feel good punk jam and nicely transitions to the melodic, almost classic rock guitar riffs of its follow up, “headfirst for halos”, which has similar religious imagery, but darker lyrics. but i’ll touch on that song tomorrow. for now, i’ll stand up fucking tall and toast and dance to this truly inspirational and metal as fuck album cut from i brought you my bullets before i wear out my welcome, which “our lady of sorrows” doesn’t do. “it can’t rain all the time.”  eric draven (played by brandon lee) in the crow, written by david j. schow and john shirley “everything’s so blurry, and everyone’s so fake.” ”blurry” by puddle of mudd a quick disclaimer: “drowning lessons”, which is the fourth track from my chemical romance’s debut album i brought you my bullets is much better than anything the half assed, post grunge poseurs puddle of mudd ever composed. but, mentioning them worked in both a cheekiness factor, and mcr embracing the sounds of “modern rock” in this song so i decided to leave the band’s name in the title of this essay. most of what both the band and the fans have to say about “drowning lessons” is decidedly mixed. some fans, who see bullets as a kind of concept album prequel to three cheers for sweet revenge see it as establishing the concept of a man having to gun down a thousand souls to save his girlfriend from the devil/purgatory/some vaguely catholic afterlife thing. (see the “helena video.) they even present the lyric of “a thousand bodies, piled up, it would never be enough” as evidence. on the other hand, gerard way talks about the “curse” of this song, and how it was super personal. plus equipment would malfunction when they would try to play it live. in a 2013 tweet, gerard even compared “drowning lessons” to songs by emo legends saves the day, which is probably because of the powerful guitar playing from ray toro (who even gets a mini solo) and screamed vocals from himself. however, lyrically and narratively, this song works even without being a chapter of a concept album about souls, gunslingers, and some kind of afterlife gimmick. it’s about living the happiest day of your life (wedding day in this case) in an endless loop and waking up in hell on earth because your loved one isn’t there. even though my chemical romance uses the imagery of traditional weddings (rice, roses, champagne etc.), “drowning lessons could be about reliving any kind of trauma, which goes back to why this song was difficult for the band to consistently play live. also, i’m no expert, but maybe even the constant screaming and yelping would take a toll on gerard way’s vocals as he mainly sang “cleanly” (in the posthardcore sense) going forward. so, there is a potential that “drowning lessons” was both physically and emotionally painful to mcr. sonically, “drowning lessons” is very much emo meets “modern rock”. some music execs (or critics) probably heard this track and compared gerard’s vocals and the dissonant, yet melodic at times guitar playing to the band’s contemporaries like the used or their new jersey compatriots thursday and saves the day and placed them in the emo category. this is definitely a valid observation because thursday’s geoff rickly produced this track. however, mcr still had a sense of lyrical melodrama with the subject matter evoking films like groundhog day (obviously), and the crow where the protagonist, eric draven, was murdered the day before his wedding day with his bride, is resurrected by a crow spirit, and must take revenge on their murderers one year later to find some semblance of peace. in a 2015 interview, gerard way mentioned the importance of the crow soundtrack to his music taste, and he went on record on the cartoonist kayfabe podcast about being a fan of the crow and tim vigil’s outlaw comic faust so he definitely engaged with the original source material. however, in that same interview with bad feeling magazine, he mentions that the crow soundtrack featuring artists like the jesus and mary chain was more of an influence on his 2014 solo record than anything he did with my chemical romance. for now, these musical and pop cultural touchstones had an impact on his lyrics about weddings, grief, and loss and not the band’s sound as much. this lack of influence can be seen in “drowning lessons’” twin outros. the two endings of “drowning lessons” felt like mcr was trying to appeal to their emo/posthardcore fandom (and eyeball records labelmates) as well as the larger pantheon of (let’s face it, shitty except for hybrid theory) commercially successful modern, or active, rock at the time, such as godsmack, nickelback, creed, puddle of mudd (of course), staind, chevelle, and linkin park sans their hip hop elements. this is strange to me because “drowning lessons” is an album cut, not a single that featured a more traditional hard rock breakdown a la this song’s second ending, which gave me very uncomfortable middle school and early high school flashbacks. (i played basketball and ran cross country, and these songs were very popular in the locker room, as warm up music, and in the car stereo on the way to games.) even if the total package of sound and lyrics isn’t there yet (especially with the song’s xm radio squizz esque ending), “drowning lessons” deals with the pain of having happiness unexpectedly ripped from you as well as the ongoing process of dealing with and hopefully exorcising this trauma. plus there’s a side dish of head bobbing percussion from matt pelissier and strong riffs from ray toro that complements gerard way’s shrieks. toro even gets to play a half solo a la eric draven in the crow, who shreds on the roof while detroit burns. a hangman’s joke/my chemical romance devil’s night double bill would have been an iconic gig for sure. “unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws and will result in gerard coming to your house and sucking your blood.”  text on the i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love cd far, far in the future, my chemical romance would record a song called “vampire money” on their 2010 danger days record about how they turned down a lot of money to do a song on the twilight soundtrack. little did those film producers (probably) know, but mcr had already cooked up their own star crossed human/vampire romance in “vampires will never hurt you”. it was ready to hit theaters everywhere, or maybe just the headphones of punk kids, who listened to bauhaus or type o negative during the month of october. as my chemical romance’s first ever single, there is a certain reverence around “vampires will never hurt you”. i mean, one of my twitter mutuals has a stunning tattoo of the lyric “can you stake my heart?” from it. the song foreshadows the band’s future addition of theatric elements in their image, lyrics, and even sound like the way they dressed during the three cheers for sweet revenge era and the black parade album concluding with a hidden track called “blood”. “vampires’” significance was confirmed by gerard way himself in a couple tweets from 2013 where he calls it his “… favorite song of all time. ever” and talks about it being the first time he ever heard his voice recorded. i’m not a mind reader, but maybe, he saw the seeds of my chemical romance going from being another east coast screamo band to the rock thespians (and, fuck it, heir apparents to queen.) that dropped three concept albums in a row with a distinct visual aesthetic, storyline and sound. this song has basically the same plot as the main arc of buffy the vampire slayer season 2 (which was still airing on the wb when this album came out). a vampire (angel) is in love with a human (buffy), but he is also afraid his true vampiric nature (angelus) will cause her death and the death of her loved ones. (and, in the case of buffy, the end of the world.) so, he wants her to take him out with a stake in the heart. or a ceremonial sword that shuts a hell dimensional portal and stops the awakening of the elder god acathla in buffy the vampire slayer. mcr goes a simpler route in their star crossed human/vampire love story because they have five minutes versus 22 hours for buffy, and it works while still covering the same themes of emotionally charged relationships with literal life and death stakes. (that is all just a metaphor for adolescent love.) going back to the television realm, “vampires” is the pilot episode for the fully fledged series that is three cheers for sweet revenge. (see the formal wear, black eyeliner, and white makeup in the truly insane music video.) or maybe gerard way was pitching a vampire comic and didn’t want to let poetic lines like “we’ll shoot back holy water like cheap whiskey” go to waste. all in all, the references to traditional vampire mythology heightens the content that takes the form of chugging guitars from ray toro, whispered vocals and wails from gerard, and the occasional bourbon smooth bass line from mikey. this use of macabre imagery along with the outfits and hairstyles that the band wears in the “vampires” music video, black and white photography, and shots of a lovely, yet distant woman from director marc debiak is reminiscent of one of mcr’s major influences: nick cave and the bad seeds. cave has been as much a storyteller as songwriter, which is something that my chemical romance strove to become from basically day one of their career. gerard way mentioned this connection in a 2019 interview with nme where he mentioned nick cave and wanting to tell stories with their songs and records. gerard also threw a little bit of shade on their emo contemporaries, saying, “pop punk was about the high school experience, boyfriend girlfriend stuff. i wanted to build worlds with music, and that’s what we started to do together in bringing in gothic elements, or bringing in vampires, and building this thing.” mcr did make songs about relationships, especially on their first album bullets, but they couched it in the verbal and visual language of genre and worldbuilding while the audio side stayed in emo/post hardcore territory. in the aforementioned music video of “vampires will never hurt you”, the band looks like a bela lugosi vampire and moves like boris karloff in one of his many universal horror roles. (this may be because they were high on the paint fumes at the music video set.) accidental or otherwise, the video and lyrics of “vampires” cemented mcr’s connection to gothic horror and romance. they may have sounded like thursday (the band of bullets producer, geoff rickly) or the used (the band they opened for on their first big tour), but deep down, they were more like the bad seeds or the misfits. one final observation before i jump into my coffin for the day, er, night was that if my chemical romance had been an l.a. or west coast band, they would have been one of the bands that played at the bronze in buffy the vampire slayer and knowing how on the nose the show’s music supervision was (sarah mclachlan, come on!) , they would have probably played “vampires will never hurt you.” and it would have blown my mind because in 2011, buffy the vampire slayer and mcr were my two main interests. (i totally wrote a 15 page undergraduate paper about angel’s character arc illustrated different schools of existentialism.) “i invented ‘it’s not you, it’s me’”.  george constanza (played by jason alexander) in seinfeld season 5, episode 6 “the lip reader”, written by carol leifer okay, yesterday’s “disenchanted” felt like one of those icebreakers when you’re new at school or work. i promise this one will be a lot more fun just like the second track of i brought you my bullets, you brought me my love, “honey, this mirror isn’t big enough for the two of us” by my chemical romance. (bullets and “honey” from now on.) with a 41 second twin guitar assault of an intro from ray toro and frank iero and wailing vocals from gerard way, this song is either about a messy breakup or “sucking dick for cocaine” as gerard joked at a 2007 show in belfast, northern ireland. either way, drugs and drama are involved. “honey” has a beautiful relationship between its sound and lyrics, which is the complete opposite of the couple that mcr talks about in this song. from the opening lines where gerard sings about his mixing of booze and pills at the cost of his self image (the proverbial “mirror”), the guitars and vocals are at odds like a squabbling couple. i guess, matt pelissier and mikey way’s rhythm section is either a wwe referee or the relationship counselor in this situation. my money’s on the former as pelissier’s drumming is almost as aggressive as toro and iero’s guitar playing. (and toro’s death growls that place this track in the post hardcore/screamo family.) and when you get to the bridge and outro at the end of the song, gerard’s lead vocals and iero and toro’s backing vocals get in on the fun after a downright funky bass line from mikey that is like a deep breath between shouting matches. the dialogue is kind of like what seinfeld was making fun of in this essay’s epigram with “never again” dueling “you can cry all you want to/i don’t care how much you invest yourself in me.” but romantic comedies since the time of shakespeare (or plautus.) have been full of contrivances and melodrama, and emo singles have them too, which is why we love them. (taps “in defense of the genre” by say anything ft. gerard way sign.) a cordial breakup is a song you fall asleep to in the doctor’s waiting room; a contested one is one you scream (internally or externally) to in your room, your car, or in the middle of a pit at a show. by itself, “honey” is a messy breakup encapsulated in early 2000s new jersey emo single form with such venomous lines like “you won’t fuck my friends”. however, its marc debiak (fun fact: he runs a design agency now.) and john armson directed music video adds an intriguing genre spin to the song. they cut together sequences based on the 1999 takashi miike horror film audition with the band’s high octane performance. audition is about a widower with relationship issues, who goes out with a woman a few times and thinks she might make a good wife. but instead he ends up drugged and tortured by the woman until his son (who had the idea for him to date again) intervenes, kills her, and saves his dad. many critics consider audition to be one of miike’s best films and credit it with the creation of the “torture” horror subgenre in the 21st century with films like saw, hostel, and “t is for torture” by the soska sisters. my chemical romance’s allusions to it in their music video of “honey” shows the band’s interest in storytelling and using imagery with a touch of shock value to differentiate them from other similar punk bands. instead of just having the band look pretty on a dark stage, let’s have a guy take a needle to the eye and have his (almost) death throes match up with the speed of the guitar playing. (the music video doesn’t have the foot cutting scene that inspired saw from the film though.) even though “honey” didn’t chart in the united states and only hit #182 in the united kingdom (honestly, not bad for an indie label new jersey band.), it set up a successful formula of wailed relationship driven lyrics that also touched on mcr’s drug use at the time (i’ll talk about that more in future essays.), aggressive guitars and percussion with minimal bass, and genre fiction elements in both their lyrics and videos. (not their sound just yet.) basically, “honey, this mirror isn’t big enough for the two of us” is for folks that get over the pain and agony of romantic relationships through the catharsis of heavy guitars and horror films. if that’s you, leave a comment with your favorite emo and posthardcore singles. (or takashi miike films; he has a lot.) “i’m sitting in my room blasting my chemical romance as my mom yells, ‘turn that garbage down!’ my black eyeliner streams down my face. no one understands me. being [27] is harder than anything else, but, at least, i have gerard way.”  adapted from a tik tok (content warning: self harm) november is known to many as national novel writing month. (or nanowrimo.) i seriously considered participating this year and came up with a couple story ideas. however, i panicked at the last minute and decided to not go through with it. but i did come with a viable alternative: a project that had been on my mind since at least march 2020, or the beginning of the covid 19 pandemic. “disenchanted” is that alternative. named after my favorite song by my favorite band of all time my chemical romance (aka mcr) from their grammy nominated album the black parade, “disenchanted” is a series of essays i will write about every song recorded by mcr. i will start with their 2002 album i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love and conclude with “fake your death” from their 2014 greatest hits compilation may death never stop you. i will publish one essay each day of the month of november, and after that’s over, i will probably adopt a less rigorous schedule. depending on how i feel, i may cover some of the band members’ solo musical projects as well as their work in animation, comics, and television. with that housekeeping out of way, it’s onto the essay, the fabulous rock and roll, and lots and lots of feelings. i will give a quick overview of my chemical romance as artists for those of us who didn’t go through an emo phase in the 2000s or early 2010s, write a little bit about how i got into the band (my full “origin story” will come later so stay tuned.), and close with a quick reflection about “romance”, the mournful, instrumental opening track of i brought you bullets, you brought me your love. (bullets from now on.) my chemical romance band bio my chemical romance was formed in 2001 in newark, new jersey by lead singer gerard way as a way for him to process the tragedy of 9/11. the original lineup of the band included drummer matt pelissier, guitar player/backing vocalist ray toro, and bassist mikey way, who was gerard’s younger brother. they released their first albums bullets on an independent new jersey record label, and neither the album nor any of their singles charted in the united states. frank iero played guitar on two of bullets’ tracks and later joined the band as their rhythm guitarist. (his 39th birthday was yesterday; happy belated, frank!) in 2003, my chemical romance was signed to the major label, reprise records and declared they were “fucking ready for the world to hear us scream.” they released their breakout album three cheers for sweet revenge (2004), which has sold over 3 million copies, and featured their first u.s. top 40 hit “helena”. this success led to a co headliner slot on the 2005 vans warped tour. pelissier left the band after this album and was replaced by drummer bob bryar. in 2006, mcr released the black parade, which was their most critically and commercially successful album. it was #2 on the billboard 200 chart, and its lead single “welcome to the black parade” topped the us alternative songs and was the number one song in the united kingdom. black parade was a concept album and featured a costumes and pageantry filled tour and even guest vocals by liza minnelli on their song, “mama”. after scrapping their initial follow up album, mcr released another concept album in 2010 called danger days: the true lives of the fabulous killjoys that was #8 on the billboard 200 and had two top ten us alternative songs. bryar left the band in 2010, and mcr released the ep conventional weapons (2012) and then officially disbanded in 2013. they reunited in 2019 and played a show in los angeles that was supposed to lead to a sold out world tour, but that was unfortunately postponed due to the covid 19 pandemic. (i had tickets to the brooklyn show.) how i became a fan of mcr the first my chemical romance song i heard was “teenagers” off their black parade album. it was 2007, i was in 8th grade, and i was listening to it on my combination cd player/radio on lexington, kentucky’s 104.5 fm “the cat” top 40 radio station because i wasn’t cool enough to have an ipod yet. with loud guitars and even more rebellious lyrics, i really enjoyed the song and even talked about it at either youth group or sunday school (i don’t remember.) that week. it was the perfect soundtrack for my acting out in class and generally acting like a delinquent phase. “teenagers” reminded me of a lot of other bands i liked at the time, like paramore and green day. shortly thereafter, i listened to “welcome to the black parade” for the first time on american top 40. thank you ryan seacrest for introducing me to a song that saved my life! because all of their albums had the pesky “parental advisory” sticker, and i had a bit of a conservative upbringing, i didn’t truly join the “mcrmy” until i went off to college in 2011. (however, i did buy their cover of bob dylan’s “desolation row” from the watchmen soundtrack on itunes immediately after watching that movie.) thanks to the power of the nascent streaming service spotify (or “napster, but legal” as i called at the time), i was able to listen to their entire discography, including the black parade, for the first time. danger days was my favorite at the time because of its dystopian setting, upbeat sound, and the colorful costumes the band members wore in the music videos. my chemical romance has been there for the highs and lows of my life. i remember streaming their greatest hits album when i flew to london in 2014, which was cool because that was the country where mcr’s singles first charted. i also remember listening to “it’s not a fashion statement” while self harming. the band also helped me make friends like when my new cubicle mate noticed my gerard way pop vinyl. we ended up going to emo night at a local night club (shout out to barbarella louisville!) and screaming and dancing our hearts out to mcr’s hits. i gave it to her as a present when i left the company (and included lyrics from “helena” in my farewell email to the aforementioned company.), and a piece of me and my love for the music of gerard way and my chemical romance will always be in louisville, kentucky. and these are just a few anecdotes out of many that i hope to weave into my essays about every my chemical romance song. or maybe i’m just nostalgic because i’m writing this first essay from a hotel room in the town where i went to high school and worked at my first library. “romance” reflection and after that wiki and diary entry, we’re onto the music! “romance” is the first track on my chemical romance’s debut album, bullets, that was recorded at nada recording studio in windsor, new york and released on new jersey punk rock label, eyeball. i would like to preface this reflection that by saying that bullets is my least favorite of mcr’s four studio albums. this is probably because i’m not really a fan of hardcore punk, especially its vocal stylings. however, i’ve come to enjoy the exposed nerve emotionality of this record as well as ray toro’s thunderous guitar riffs and gerard way’s nascent lyrical and vocal storytelling skills. bullets is a very guitar driven album so it’s fitting that it kicks off with “romance”, a one minute instrumental of spanish guitar from toro against a background of radio feedback. this composition is fittingly called “spanish romance” and was composed anonymously in the 19th century. it acts like a calm, yet foreboding intro music to a horror film, and according to some mcr fans, it was used in the 1978 version of dawn of the dead. sadly, i haven’t seen the movie so i can’t confirm this, but mcr did name one of the songs on bullets after the monroeville mall where dawn of the dead was filmed so it’s probably true. basically, the goal of “romance” is to get you ready to feel sad, and it also acts as the “soft” to the “loud” of its follow up track, “honey, this mirror isn’t big enough for the two of us”. it’s also probably the most unique track in my chemical romance’s catalog as the band’s only instrumental, which makes it perfect for opening live shows in a similar manner to metallica using “ecstasy in gold” as their intro music. it was a perfect choice to kick off their 2019 reunion show in l.a. well, that’s it for the first installment of “disenchanted”. i’m keeping comments open so let me know what you think, and feel free to share any memories you have of my chemical romance as i start to dig into i brought you my bullets, you brought me your love tomorrow. test post 1 this review was originally published on july 10, 2014 on soundonsight.org (rip!) i wrote it during my last few days in bath, england where i was studying jane austen and british television as part of my university’s study abroad program. i’ve reprinted it with quite a few edits below. (i neglected to mention midnighter in my initial review!!) but it’s safe to say that i still enjoy this comic over 9 years later. grayson #1written by tim seeleyplotted by tim seeley and tom kingart by mikel janincolors by jeromy coxletters by carlos m. mangualpublished by dc comics after the crime syndicate exposed his identity in the tortuous forever evil crossover, dick grayson is now a top secret super spy for the spyral organization with the code name, agent 37. this organization first appeared in grant morrison and chris burnham’s batman inc series and exists to hunt down errant metahumans. writer tim seeley and co plotter tom king revive this concept in grayson #1 to give dick grayson something to do in a universe that unfortunately knows his secret identity. the superhero formerly known as nightwing has an intriguing first mission that begins as a simple extraction, but evoles into something multi layered with plot twists and cameos from high profile dc universe characters. grayson #1 effectively shows a day in the life of dick grayson as a spy, gives readers a taste of him in action, and finally sets up an ongoing conspiracy storyline for him, spyral, and other players like the enigmatic midnighter. mikel janin’s art is a treat in grayson #1 and captures the acrobatic nature of dick’s fighting style. in addition to this, he puts little details in the background, like a robin nesting in one of the first pages that end up acting as visual foreshadowing. janin and colorist jeromy cox especially shine when characters use spyral’s hypnos implants to manipulate their targets with cox using bright, day glo colors to contrast with mikel janin’s brutal action scenes and strong linework. however, grayson’s color palette is usually cleaner and drabber than a usual comic starring dick grayson, with the exception of the aforementioned hypnos scenes and another scene involving an angry metahuman that’s a literal nuclear blast of color after all the blacks and grays. on a macro storytelling level, janin and cox give grayson #1 the wide screen, contemporary spy film treatment it needs while also staying true to dick grayson’s roots in the superhero genre. its faithfulness to these roots can be found in janin’s depiction of dick’s fighting style described by one of his opponents as “disciplined, but not averse to improvisation.” he was trained by batman, but also used to be a circus performer. this kind of improvisation isn’t just found in the fight scenes, but in dick’s interactions with other characters. janin portrays his body language fluctuating from scene to scene and even gives readers a hint of the high flying, smiling nightwing as he manipulates a mark into trusting him. taking characters and putting them in completely unfamiliar settings (see 2012 misfire space punisher) can be awkward or just good for a few fish out of water laughs, but tim seeley doesn’t fall prey to this in grayson #1. his and king’s script is driven by misdirection and eases readers into dick’s new status quo with a james bond style cold open, shows his “real” mission, and then ends on a juicy twist. even if dick grayson is your least favorite robin, his new solo title is a suspense filled spy thriller with bits of clever humor and brutal fight choreography courtesy of mikel janin and jeromy cox, especially when midnighter and dick face off. tim seeley and ex cia officer tom king use a lot of spy genre tropes in this issue (femme fatale, fighting on a train, cool gadgets), but they put a new spin on them by applying them to a character who is new to this kind of story. dick grayson adjusting to life as agent 37 could easily be a stand in for readers adjusting to his new post nightwing status quo. dick isn’t completely corrupted in the first issue, but he makes some decisions and uses his abilities in a way that begins to damage his status as the heart and soul of the dc universe. seeing how dick reacts to these moral dilemmas will be a compelling reason to pick up the series in the future. grayson #1 isn’t your usual cape and tights dc comics batman family book, embraces the tropes of the spy genre, and applies them to the next chapter of dick grayson’s life as a hero with visual flair, verbal wit, and a dash of intrigue. “and if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into thee.”  friedrich nietzsche in beyond good and evil if 13 tracks of darkness, revenge, and macabre imagery by my chemical romance weren’t enough for you, then the japanese edition of three cheers for sweet revenge and the 2006 live album/rarities compilation life on the murder scene has the track for you. “bury me in black” is just a demo, but it distills the id and emotions of the protagonist of three cheers into a sub three minute metalcore track with growled vocals from gerard way, discordant guitars playing by frank iero and ray toro, driving bass from mikey way, and a touch of drum from matt pelissier. it’s violent, angry, confrontational, and perfect for howling out in your car after a long day at the office. gerard’s vocals are aggressive in “bury me in black” alternating between deep roars and a theatrical tenor, and he has some iconic moments like his deranged delivery of “pick up the phone, fucker” and the emphasis he puts on the word “shotgun” in the second verse. he is completely in character and ready to gun down 1,000 souls if it means being with the women who loves. but he also kind of hates this someone and the difficult situation she has put him through that ends in his own demise. this emphasis on the “hate” part of the love/hate relationship shows up when gerard sings “i wanna see what your insides look like/i bet you’re not fucking pretty on the inside” to toro and iero’s heavy metal guitars. it reminds me a lot of the 2016 netflix/sanrio anime aggretsuko where a normally cute red panda office worker screams her insecurities and hatred for her day job at the karaoke bar after work. sometimes, you need to get these negative feelings out, and creating stories or making music is a great outlet for that. however, deep down beneath all the assassinations, gun fights, prison assaults, and general ghoulishness, three cheers is a dark, star crossed love story thankfully bereft of romeo and juliet references. (macbeth gets the nod in this record.) gerard plays with the double meaning of “insides” as both emotions and entrails and wraps up the song with death metal yell of “i wanna save your heart/i wanna see what your insides may be…” the protagonist’s motivation for his violent actions is still the woman he loves, and even though they do funereal music videos and feature both macabre imagery and lyrics, mcr is about saving lives and bringing hope starting with its members. so, “bury me in black” has a purging or therapeutic effect and is my chemical romance at its loudest, most id driven, and rawest thanks to the stripped down production of the demo. it’s also a reminder of path not travelled where mcr decided to embrace their metal and posthardcore roots instead of going the neo classical rock and finally pop rock route. this is totally speculation territory, but maybe they would have ended up more niche artists than capturing a wide audience of everyone from emo kids to boomers dusting off their queen records as well as both metalheads and poptimists. either way, it’s cool to see my chemical romance try out a different kind of sound (especially in gerard’s vocals) and turn in some fucking intense lyrics in “bury me in black” as a kind of coda to the three cheers era. tomorrow, we’ll look at one more life on the murder scene track before finally advancing to the black parade.

photo: axelle/bauer griffin / filmmagic / getty images list don't let the song titles fool you. from misogynist attitudes to tales of coercion and even a secret pregnancy, many popular love songs aren't about love at all. many studies on love have proven that it seems to be a trait present throughout species. although it's undeniable that the capacity for love is universal, evidence suggests love manifests differently across individuals. that is why, for many people, love is undefinable, with the word meaning something for one and something else for another. this point has never been proven more true than in love songs. numerous musicians and bands have sung about love, but their definition or meaning of the word and yours might be wholly different. you would be surprised to learn how many love songs have absolutely nothing to do with emotional or physical love. when you delve beneath the surface, "love" songs are sometimes twisted, uncomfortable, sadistic, and unsavory. so, let's look at 10 love songs with nothing to do with love and everything to do with what they shouldn’t. when the police released "every breath you take" in 1983, it immediately became a huge hit, reaching no.1 on u.s., uk, canadian, irish, and south african charts. on the surface, this song seems romantic, which is why it made its way into numerous movie scenes and weddings, but the lyrics are uncomfortable and prove the song is not actually about love. frontman sting sings, "i'll be watching you," and, "oh, can't you see, you belong to me?" about the song's object of affection. rather than lyrics about a lover, it's believed that the song is about a stalker. at the time sting was suffering a mental breakdown, making the verses infinitely more evil. in fact, sting himself said: "i think it's a nasty little song, really rather evil. it's about jealousy and surveillance and ownership." on the surface, the lyrics "it's a rollercoaster ride/we're on top for the moment/ and then we'll take that dive" seem to describe a relationship's exhilarating ups and downs. however, there has been much debate over the years about the true meaning behind the ohio players' staple. the most popular theory is that the song is about life's ups and downs, not love, but we'll never know. according to late frontman leroy bronner who wrote the tune, "to this day, i don't know what i wrote." he continued, "the words didn't make sense to me. but it was a hit." the song also has a much darker recording humor, which further alienates it from the genre of love songs. according to the rumor to which the band responded "no comment," the scream on the track was the sound of a woman being murdered in the recording studio. the woman's death is an urban legend, but the band decided to leave it in as a joke and as a way to create buzz for the song, with the actual scream belonging to keyboard player billy beck. the weeknd is well known for penning lyrics that have multiple meanings, so it's not surprising that his hit track "can't feel my face" isn't really about love. with the lyrics: "i can't feel my face when i'm with you/but i love it" and "and i know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb/and she'll always get the best of me; the worst is yet to come." it sounds like a dark love song about a man who is so in love that he loses all control, which is plausible, but it's more likely the song is about cocaine. according to billboard, the song is about drug dependency, and the weeknd is crooning about cocaine and likening it to a bad relationship. the weeknd had hinted at the song being about drugs when he commented: "i just won a new award for a kids' show, talking 'bout a face numbing off a bag of blow." unfortunately, it's not very romantic. most believe that one of rihanna's most famous songs is about a woman comforting her partner and explaining that she will be there for him through the good and bad times. "baby 'cause in the dark you can't see shiny cars/and that's when you need me there. with you, i'll always share," she sings. however, a few people believe "umbrella" is about the corruption of a person's soul   rhianna's in this case. some believe that the 2007 hit is about rhianna welcoming the devil into her heart, body, and soul. while this is more of a conspiracy theory than anything else, a pastor recently posted on tiktok that he came back from hell, and "umbrella" was one of the songs being used to torture individuals. if you listen carefully to the lyrics in "all i wanna do is make love to you," it's clear that the 1990 song actually about deceit. nancy and ann wilson are singing about being in love with another man who cannot provide her with children because he is impotent   so she finds a willing one night stand. she sings, "i didn't ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain." when morning comes, the protagonist says "all i left him was a note/ i told him i am the flower; you are the seed. we walked in the garden; we planted a tree." after some time has passed, she's unnerved to come across his path, presumably pregnant: "you can imagine his surprise when he saw his own eyes/i said please, please understand/i'm in love with another man/and what he couldn't give me was the one little thing that you can." "bad romance" was developed as an experimental pop record featuring elements of german techno and house. with more than 184 million youtube streams, the 2008 track quickly became one of lady gaga's best songs. on the surface, "bad romance" centers on the pull of a love that's bad for you: "i want your ugly, i want your disease/i want your everything as long as it's free/i want your love." however, it's not so straightforward. gaga said she drew inspiration from the paranoia she experienced while on tour. she also stated the song is about her attraction to unhealthy romantic romances that are not always about love. not all love is appropriate, as the song "young girl" by gary puckett and the union gap proves. this 1968 single is wholly inappropriate and creepy (and illegal), but it still managed to become one of the band's best known songs. in fact, despite the lyrics being more about unsavory infatuation than love, it still reached no. 2 on the billboard hot 100 (just behind "(sittin' on) the dock of the bay"). initially, this song doesn't appear inappropriate with lyrics "young girl, get out of my mind" possibly referencing the romance of a slight age gap. but the group doubles down: "my love for you is way out of line/ better run, girl/you're much too young, girl." if these words aren't enough to prove the song is about being infatuated with an underage girl, you might be convinced by lead singer gary puckett singing, "beneath your perfume and make up you're just a baby in disguise" and "get out of here before i have the time to change my mind." the rolling stones have had their share of controversy over the years, and it's not hard to see why when you consider the meaning behind many of their big hits. "under my thumb" might have been marketed as a love song, but it's about a relationship rooted in hate and control. with lyrics such as "under my thumb/it's a squirmin' dog who's just had her day/under my thumb/ a girl who has just changed her ways," it's apparent that mick jagger is singing less about heartbreak and more about power. the misogyny is so clear in this song that it made it into the book under my thumb: songs that hate women and the women that love them. one of the most popular holiday season love songs, "baby, it's cold outside" was written by frank loessser and performed by dean martin and ella fitzgerald. it's difficult to say if these musicians knew the song's sinister and controversial underbelly. "baby it's cold outside" is about a man who pressures a woman to stay at his home by any means necessary. the woman in the song tries to give reasons why she cannot stay with lyrics like "my mother will start to worry" and "my father will be pacing the floor." yet, her concerns are shot down at every turn, with the man using the bad weather outside to keep her captive. fortunately, the song has been remade with consensual lyrics, thanks to kelly clarkson and john legend. this song may have a happy rhythm, but if you pay attention to the lyrics, there is much more to this song than meets the eye. although the song appears to be about a man who would do anything for his lady love, it is about exploitation. this song   the british group's biggest hit, from 1996   is about a sleazy photographer who takes advantage of a young and naive model and photographs her for men's magazines. the lyrics "you got me to hitch my knees up/and pulled my legs apart" details the true nature of this song. "people should never be told how to interpret a song," babybird told the blog essentially pop. "so, if they thought it was romantic, then fine." he continued, "sadly, very few people got the true meaning, which is about male predatory behavior, but in popular music, most critics are a little blind to correct interpretation." lovesick or sick of love: listen to grammy.com’s valentine’s day playlist featuring taylor swift, doja cat, playboi carti, olivia rodrigo, fka twigs & more photo: cooper neill/getty images list from prince's rain soaked guitar solo to rihanna’s iconic pregnancy reveal, these super bowl halftime performances defined pop culture moments. the super bowl halftime show is more than just a performance   it’s a cultural milestone. kendrick lamar is set to headline the highly anticipated super bowl lix halftime show on sunday, feb. 9, marking his second musical appearance at the event. the freshly re minted 22 time grammy winning artist first took the stage in 2022, headlining alongside dr. dre, snoop dogg, eminem and mary j. blige. however, this time, lamar will be joined by labelmate sza, as the kansas city chiefs and philadelphia eagles compete for the championship. coming fresh off a dominant night at the 2025 grammys, lamar's hit record "not like us" secured him awards for best rap performance, best rap song, best music video, record of the year, and song of the year. this clean sweep further solidified lamar's status as a powerhouse   making him the ideal artist to take on the biggest stage in sports. read more: kendrick lamar's grammy timeline: from his first win and performances to "not like us"ironically, the super bowl’s halftime show has evolved far beyond a simple mid game distraction   it has become a cultural spectacle that often overshadows the game itself. the 12 to 15 minute performance slot is now a coveted platform for artists to deliver career defining moments, blending jaw dropping visuals, electrifying choreography, and surprise guests into an unforgettable experience. within the last five years, jay z's roc nation has played a major role in revamping the halftime show, serving as the nfl’s live music entertainment strategist and bringing fresh talent that resonates with a younger, global audience. as we countdown to lamar's highly anticipated super bowl halftime show, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable performances in super bowl history. before michael jackson took the stage at super bowl xxvii, halftime shows were largely casual affairs, often featuring marching bands and smaller acts. but jackson changed everything. the king of pop delivered a game changing performance featuring "billie jean," "black or white," and "heal the world," complete with his signature moonwalk and explosive stage production. jackson's show remains the most watched super bowl halftime performance in history, amassing 133.4 million viewers. in the wake of 9/11, u2 turned their halftime performance in new orleans into a powerful tribute. as the band performed "mlk" and "where the streets have no name," they honored those who were lost by displaying their names on a massive scrolling backdrop. it was a deeply emotional moment that transcended sports, uniting a grieving nation through music. at super bowl lvii, rihanna made her grand return to music after a seven year hiatus with a solo super bowl halftime show that stunned fans   not just for the hits packed setlist ("diamonds," "umbrella," "rude boy") but for it's unexpected reveal: she was pregnant. the stunning performance instantly became one of the most talked about moments in super bowl history. the 2004 super bowl halftime show had one of the most infamous moments in tv history. while janet jackson and justin timberlake were performing "rock your body," an unexpected wardrobe malfunction led to global controversy. though the moment lasted less than a second, it led to fcc fines, broadcast changes, and endless media scrutiny. fans now celebrate janet jackson appreciation day every super bowl sunday in response to how she was unfairly blamed for the incident. rain during the biggest night in entertainment can be viewed as a bad omen for some, but for prince, it was a stroke of luck. performing at super bowl xli, he embraced the moment as it down poured inside the dolphin stadium, closing his show with "purple rain" as the skies opened up. the image of prince shredding his guitar in the pouring rain remains one of the most legendary moments in super bowl halftime history. though lamar will make his debut as the first solo rapper to headline this year, in 2022 he performed with dr. dre, snoop dogg, eminem, mary j. blige and special guests anderson .paak and 50 cent (whose upside down performance humorously stole the show). lamar performed his song, “alright” and did a brief tribute to dr. dre, who was the main focus of the show. the 2020 super bowl halftime show was a celebration of latin culture, featuring shakira and jennifer lopez as co headliners   the first time two latin women led the event. the duo delivered a high energy, 14 minute spectacle, bringing out bad bunny, j balvin, and lopez’s daughter, emme muñiz. beyond the entertainment, the show also made a bold statement on immigration with children singing from inside cages, addressing the mistreatment of mexican immigrants in america. to celebrate the 50th super bowl halftime show, coldplay led the performance, but beyoncé and bruno mars quickly stepped in as guest performers to share the spotlight. beyoncé’s “formation” debut   complete with an army of black panther inspired dancers   became the most talked about moment of the night. the three artists later came together for a nostalgic montage celebrating past halftime shows. watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview keane & norris interview at the 2025 grammys photo: amy sussman/getty images news in a special surprise performance, the four time grammy winner celebrated his new album and his first grammy appearance since 2017. watch highlights from the 2025 grammys on live.grammy.com. the 2025 grammys telecast has been reimagined to raise funds for musicares fire relief, a dedicated campaign to support the people affected by the recent wildfires in the greater los angeles area. donate now. at the 2025 grammys, global superstar the weeknd made his highly anticipated return to the grammy stage after a three year boycott, marking a turning point for the recording academy. his performance, a rousing medley of "cry for me" and "timeless," came after his widely public decision to step away from submitting any of his music in 2021 stemming from concerns over a lack of transparency and fairness in the awards process. now, following the academy's sweeping reforms and a massive overhaul of its voting body, and initiatives to promote inclusivity, the weeknd's return signals a new era of accountability and integrity for the grammys. moments before the surprise performance, recording academy ceo harvey mason jr. touched on the organization's changes that have helped lead to the monumental moment. "criticism is ok. i heard him, and i felt his conviction. what we all want is an organization dedicated to the well being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community, for now, and for future generations," mason jr. said. "so over the past few years, we've listened. we've acted. and, we've changed. we've launched initiatives like the black music collective, women in the mix, academy proud, and others. we have completely re made our membership, adding more than 3,000 women voting members. the grammy electorate is now younger, nearly 40 percent people of color, and 66 percent of our members are new since we started our transformation. this year, the 13,000 voting members of the academy nominated their peers and voted for the winners that you're seeing on this stage tonight. it's a system rooted in fairness, integrity, and the principle that every voice in our community matters. now, charting a new course is never easy, there is still work to be done… but i firmly believe we’re on the right path. "as we've seen tonight, music is a powerful force for good in the world," he continued. "it heals us... it unites us. and we need that in this city right now. with that in mind, on a truly special night, what better way to bring us together, than this next artist. someone who has seen the work this academy has put in. i am so honored to leave you with a sentence, that i wasn't sure, would ever be said on the grammy stage again: my friends, my fellow music makers, please join me in welcoming back, none other than, four time grammy winning artist, and global superstar, the weeknd." perched among a slew of dancers with strobe lights blaring, the weeknd delivered dynamic renditions of "cry for me" and "timeless," the latter featuring collaborator playboi carti. both of the songs are singles from the weeknd's new album, hurry up tomorrow, which was just released on jan. 31. watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview keane & norris interview at the 2025 grammys photos: medios y media/getty images; jason mendez/getty images; han myung gu/wire; axelle/bauer griffin/filmmagic; jamie mccarthy/wireimage; frazer harrison/getty images; joseph okpako/wireimage list from the weeknd and mdou moctar to alessia cara, central cee, and potential releases from miley cyrus, lady gaga, and wiz khalifa, 2025 is brimming with exciting new albums. with country, pop, indie, and drill in the mix, there’s something for everyone. as meteoric as it was, 2024 closes out as another amazing year for music. the stakes are high for the soon to arrive 2025, but an array of upcoming albums promises to make this new year just as fantastic. january kicks off with a bang, including bad bunny's debí tirar más fotos, a reflection on life and nostalgia, ringo starr's new country solo album look up, and mac miller's second posthumous album, balloonerism. drill sensation central cee will finally release his debut lp, can't rush greatness, and fka twigs will return with eusexua. wrapping up the month, the weeknd will conclude his after hours and dawn fm trilogy with hurry up tomorrow. moving onto february, a new album from wiz khalifa and lady gaga's lg7 could make waves, while olly alexander will drop polari, and bartees strange will come forth with horror. rock phenom sam fender will bring forward people watching on the same day as tate mcrae's much awaited so close to what   feb.21. the last day of the month will see blackpink's lisa debut solo album, alter ego, and indie pop muse banks make a comeback with off with her head. on the rest of the year, spiritbox's sophomore effort, tsunami sea, will be out in march, while lana del rey's the right person will stay is slated for june. and with dates yet to be confirmed are chance the rapper's starline, miley cyrus' something beautiful, and new works from blondie and kesha. as you get ready to start the new year, below is a guide to 30 highly anticipated albums coming out in 2025 that will make you even more inspired. release date: jan. 5 on the last thursday of 2024, dec. 26, bad bunny surprised his fans with the announcement of a new album, debí tirar más fotos ("i should've taken more photos"). boasting 17 tracks described as "bomba" ("explosive") via x, the album is set to drop jan. 5. supporting the announcement is a trailer featuring puerto rican film legend jacobo morales. in the clip, morales reflects on memories, love, and regret. "i should have taken more photos, lived more, i should've loved more when i had the chance," he muses to his animated friend, concho. singles "el clúb" and "pitorro de coco"   referring to puerto rico's moonshine rum   hint at bad bunny's signature plena music, this time filtered through a nostalgic lens. release date: jan. 8 indie alt darling ethel cain opens 2025 with her second studio album, perverts, out jan. 8. the album explores the singer's "furthest afield inspirations and sonic negative space, mining drone, noise, slowcore, ambient and beyond," according to a press release. cain wrote, produced, and recorded the album between coraopolis, pa, and her hometown of tallahassee, fl. the nine track collection spans 90 minutes and is anchored by lead single "punish." reflecting on the project, cain said, "i wonder how deep shame can run, and how unforgivable an act could be that i may still justify it in some bent way to make carrying it more bearable." perverts follows her 2022 critically acclaimed debut, preacher's daughter. release date: jan. 10 "we're back to country music, and i love it!" ringo starr declared in announcing his upcoming studio album, look up. set to drop on jan. 10, the lp is starr's first full length release in six years, and features 11 original songs produced and co written by t bone burnett. "i've always loved country music," starr shared in a statement. "when i asked t bone to write me a song, i didn't even think at the time that it would be a country song   but of course it was, and it was so beautiful." burnett described the project as "the realization of a 60 year dream" and a way to "say thank you for all [ringo] has given me and us." look up features collaborations with billy strings, molly tuttle, lucius, larkin poe, and alison krauss. to celebrate the release, starr will headline two shows at nashville's ryman auditorium on jan. 14 and 15. release date: jan. 10 scottish indie rockers franz ferdinand will return with the human fear, their first album in six years, dropping jan. 10 via domino. the lead single "audacious," pairs their signature indie sounds with a lofty atmosphere. "making this record was one of the most life affirming experiences i've had, but it's called the human fear   fear reminds you that you're alive," shared frontman alex kapranos. "we all are addicted in some way to the buzz [fear] can give us. how we respond to it shows how we are human." the album features 11 tracks and marks the debut of new drummer audrey tait. franz ferdinand will support the release with a european tour starting in february. release date: jan. 17 colombian rising star ela minus is gearing up to release her sophomore album, dia, on jan. 17. a press statement describes the album as "a rarified feat in electronic music, where cutting edge production and space shuddering sonics meet a burgeoning singer songwriter's real sense of self reflection and private reckoning." the follow up to her acclaimed 2020 debut, acts of rebellion, dia showcases minus' evolution as both an artist and a person. described as "a record about becoming," its 10 tracks   mixed by marta salogni and mastered by heba kadry, the same team behind her debut   bridge the gap between pop accessibility and experimental brilliance. singles "broken" and "upwards" highlight this balance, weaving original beats with broad appeal. minus will join caribou on their 2025 european and u.k. tour in february, beginning in paris on feb. 3 and wrapping it up in berlin on feb. 14. she's also slated to perform at estéreo picnic festival in bogotá, colombia on mar. 30. release date: jan. 17 fans of mac miller may already be familiar with balloonerism, the long rumored, unreleased album the late rapper worked on in 2014. recently, miller's estate announced that balloonerism will finally see an official release on jan. 17 via warner. miller, born malcolm james mccormick, found great importance in the project. according to a statement from his family, he even commissioned artwork for the album and frequently discussed when it should be released. "we believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist," they shared. "given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing balloonerism was something that malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world." mac miller tragically passed away in 2018, shortly after releasing his grammy nominated album swimming. two years later, his estate released circles, the posthumous companion to swimming. release date: jan. 17 after several delays, british singer yola is making a long awaited return with her new ep, my way, out jan. 17. the grammy nominated artist previewed her upcoming work with the synth heavy single "future enemies" in september 2024, followed by november's "symphony." in a press release, yola described "future enemies" as a track exploring the complexities of new relationships: "there is a moment when you realize you're not going to get on with someone. they haven't noticed yet, so you have a unique opportunity to disappear from their lives before they ever realise you were destined to be enemies. it's a luxury to not have an endless supply of negative memories about someone cause you never made them." my way marks yola's first body of work since her acclaimed 2021 album, stand for myself, and expands on her retro soul sound. the release also follows yola's broadway stint as persephone in the celebrated musical hadestown. release date: jan. 17 rufus wainwright's dream requiem is an orchestral epic, first premiered in june 2024 in paris. for those who missed the live event, a recording of the ambitious work will be released as an album on jan. 17, via warner. commissioned by prestigious institutions like radio france and the royal ballet, the original performance featured soprano anna prohaska, the orchestre philharmonique de radio france and radio france children's choir conducted by mikko franck. actress meryl streep was the narrator. written during the covid 19 pandemic, dream requiem is described as "a requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious." wainwright elaborated that the piece honors lives lost during the pandemic and reflects on a fractured past and uncertain future. over the next two years, wainwright will bring dream requiem to major venues worldwide, including barcelona's palau de la música in 2025, walt disney concert hall in los angeles with (featuring jane fonda), and amsterdam's concertgebouw. release date: jan. 24 fka twigs returns with eusexua, her first full album in five years, slated for release on jan. 24. this highly anticipated third lp marks a new chapter in her eccentric artistry, following her acclaimed 2019 album, magdalene, and the star studded 2022 mixtape caprisongs. "eusexua has been my practice for the years that it has been in creation. it is my opus and truly feels like a pin at the centre of the core of my artist," twigs shared over instagram. she described the album as a deeply personal and immersive experience, rooted in connection: "we rave, we sweat, we kiss, we make love to the booming thud of culture. eusexua is a practice. eusexua is a state of being. eusexua is the pinnacle of human experience." along with the announcement, twigs shared the glitchy, tingling title track and music video directed by jordan hemingway. beyond her music, twigs has spent the past two years starring in notable films, including the carpenter's son with nicolas cage and a remake of the crow. release date: jan. 24 patience is a virtue, and uk drill sensation central cee proves it with the release of his long awaited debut studio album, can't rush greatness, on jan. 24. known for his hit "sprinter" with dave and viral tracks like "doja" and "band4band," central cee recorded the album in several locations throughout 2024. according to a press release, the tracklist will feature collaborations with guest producers and dave, although it remains unclear whether "sprinter" will be included or if the duo has created new music together. interestingly, his latest single, "one by one," will not appear on can't rush greatness despite its lyrical nod to the album's ethos: "you can't rush greatness, you gotta take your time, maintain it slowly." release date: jan. 24 "the high road is my favorite album i've ever made," kane brown shared with the associated press about his upcoming fourth lp. set to release on jan. 24, the album showcases brown’s musical diversity while exploring deeply personal themes. featuring collaborations with brad paisley, khalid, jelly roll, and marshmello, as well as two tracks with his wife katelyn brown, the high road demonstrates the modern country star’s ability to push boundaries. brown reflected, "[i've] always been kind of nervous to push boundaries and do certain things. but i've been here for almost a decade now, so i needed to stop hiding and just do what i love to do." singles "body talk" with katelyn brown and "backseat driver" offer a glimpse into this multi genre journey. brown will kick off his high road tour on march 13 in san diego. release date: jan. 31 the weeknd is set to complete his celebrated trilogy   following after hours (2020) and dawn fm (2022)   with hurry up tomorrow, dropping on jan. 24. spearheaded by singles "dancing in the flames," "timeless" featuring playboi carti, and "são paulo" with brazilian singer anitta, the album promises to be a fitting conclusion to this era. another track, "open hearts," was released on nov. 14 as part of an immersive music experience in partnership with apple, and is available only on the apple vision pro. to celebrate, the weeknd will perform a one off concert at pasadena's rose bowl on jan. 25. in may, he will premiere an eponymous feature film inspired by the album, starring himself alongside jenna ortega and barry keoghan. directed by trey edward shults, the psychological thriller is expected to explore themes from hurry up tomorrow. release date: jan. 31 venezuelan singer joaquina continues to shine after winning the 2023 latin grammys' best new artist award. her debut studio album, al romper la burbuja, will be released on jan. 31. written by joaquina and co produced by julio reyes copello, the albums blends "a bold fusion of folk, pop rock, and avant garde influences, blending dirty synths, intricate guitar work, and emotive vocals, crafting a sound that is both contemporary and timeless," according to a press release. to preview these sounds, joaquina shared the sweet single "aeropuerto." "al romper la burbuja is my first album. it's a project that i wrote mostly when i was around 19 years, so it reflects a very transitional stage in my life," joaquina explained. "where, for the first time, i was learning to be an adult, discovering many things about myself and the world, and thinking about the person i want to be in my life." release date: feb. 7 new jersey native sharon van etten is venturing into new territory with her latest band project, sharon van etten & the attachment theory. the self titled debut, arriving feb. 7 via jagjaguwar, leads with the single "afterlife," which twists '80s goth rock into a contemporary indie ballad. "for the first time in my life, i asked the band if we could just jam," van etten shared in a statement. "words that have never come out of my mouth   ever! but i loved all the sounds we were getting." the band features percussionist jorge balbi, bassist devra hoff, and multi instrumentalist teeny lieberson, with production by marta salogni. following the release, the group will embark on a european tour supported by nabihah iqbal, before heading to north america in april and may. release date: feb. 7 "in the 'lost gay language' of polari, 'polari' means 'to speak,'" olly alexander, on instagram. "i was very inspired by how we communicate with each other and what it means to speak a secret language, something i think we all do in some form or another with the people we're close to." the former years & years frontman’s solo debut, polari, will arrive on feb. 7. the album includes his eurovision 2024 entry for the u.k., "dizzy," as well as the gritty title track and the propulsive single "cupid’s bow." described as "a pop album for the ages," polari delves into themes of intimacy, desire, and connection, while reflecting on history as a means of self discovery. alexander will bring polari to life on the up close and polari tour, which kicks off in march, with stops across europe and the u.k. in 15 cities, including luxembourg and london. release date: feb. 7 progressive metal pioneers dream theater mark the return of founding drummer mike portnoy with their 15th studio album, parasomnia, out feb. 7. the reunion follows a 13 year separation and signals a return to the band’s original dynamic, which has inspired a generation of musicians since the '80s. parasomnia's first single, "night terror," released in october 2024, spans nearly 10 minutes and recalls the brooding atmosphere of black clouds & silver linings (2009)   the last dream theater album featuring portnoy. the lp includes eight tracks and clocks in at over 70 minutes, a quintessential feature of the band's progressive style. parasomnia arrives as part of dream theater’s 40th anniversary tour, which began in europe and south america in late 2024 and will continue with north american stops starting in february. release date: feb. 14 bartees strange will join the line of february comebacks with horror, his second studio album on 4ad, out feb. 14. co produced by jack antonoff, yves rothman, and lawrence rothman, the record reflects on fear and connection, offering solace to listeners facing their own struggles. "in a way, i think i made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives, too," strange said in a press statement. "i think that it's easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. this album is just me trying to connect." singles "lie 95," "too much," and "sober" preview horror's raw emotional landscape. to support the release, strange will perform at select shows in los angeles, d.c., new york, and london. release date: feb. 14 alessia cara makes her long awaited comeback with love & hyperbole, releasing on valentine’s day. the canadian singer teased the album as her "best work to date   or at least my personal favourite" in a heartfelt instagram post. single's like "dead man," a haunting reflection on the end of a relationship, and "(isn’t it) obvious," her collaboration with john mayer about the challenges of long distance relationships, offer a glimpse into cara’s deeply personal and introspective songwriting. "'dead man' is about emotional distance, '(isn't it) obvious' reflects the physical separation in a relationship while reminding someone how deeply you care," cara explained. release date: feb. 14 liverpool’s indie rock mainstays the wombats are set to drop their most introspective album yet, oh! the ocean, on feb. 14. a product of six weeks in echo park, l.a., with producer john congleton, the lp distills over 50 demos into a cathartic exploration of life's epiphanies. frontman matthew "murph" murphy shared that the title was inspired by a revelatory beach trip. "it felt like the first time i had ever seen it and was truly present," he shared. "i had been living a life caught up in my own head, or in some kind of racing helmet or with blinkers on. it was really a potent experience." oh! the ocean signals a creative evolution for the wombats while staying true to their confessional lyrics and infectious energy, a hallmark since their 2007 debut. release date: feb. 21 "people watching is about somebody that was like a surrogate mother to me and passed away last november," said u.k. rocker sam fender about his upcoming album and title track, via instagram. "i was by her side at the end, slept on a chair next to her. it's about what was going through my head, to and from that place and home." the person fender refers to was annie orwin, whom he describes as "the one that gave me the confidence to go on stage." now, he hopes to honor her memory with his third studio album, dropping feb. 21. in a press release, the album is broadly described as "colourful stories and observations of everyday characters living their everyday, but often extraordinary, lives." people watching follows up 2021's seventeen going under, and was produced by fender alongside bandmates dean thompson, joe atkinson, producer markus dravs, and the war on drugs' adam granduciel. the north shields singer previewed some of the new sounds at his u.k. tour in december, and will head out to europe and north america throughout march and april. release date: feb. 21 patterson hood, the co founder of drive by truckers, will release his first solo record in over a decade, exploding trees & airplane screams on feb. 21. the album draws inspiration from hood's short story, "the exploding trees," recounting a natural disaster in his north alabama hometown, that prompted his move to athens, georgia, where drive by truckers came together in 1996. the ten track record spans various phases of hood's career, including "airplane screams," written over 40 years ago, and "a werewolf and a girl," a collaboration with lydia loveless about his high school sweetheart. several piano based compositions mark a departure from hood's work with drive by truckers. contributions from waxahatchee and wednesday further enrich the album, making it a must listen for fans. release date: feb. 21 tate mcrae is ready to captivate listeners again with her second full length album, so close to what, out on feb. 21. the canadian singer/dancer described the making of the album as "the most beautiful and exciting journey," expressing her excitement to share it with fans. september’s viral hit "it’s ok i’m ok" and the heartfelt single "2 hands" preview mcrae’s blend of emotional vulnerability and pop polish. according to a press release, the album explores "self discovery, love, and searching for balance," chronicling her journey of growing up. mcrae will kick off her miss possessive tour in march, spanning 56 stops across north america, south america, and europe, bringing her new music to audiences worldwide. release date: feb. 21 post hardcore icons silverstein will celebrate 25 years together with the double album antibloom/pink moon. "for a milestone this large, we felt it deserved the largest campaign of our career," the band shared in a statement. produced by sam guaiana in joshua tree, ca, antibloom arrives on feb. 21, with pink moon slated for later in the year. singles "skin & bones" and "confession," show off the best of the band's melodic riffs and honest messages. "they say it takes an artist their whole life to write their debut album, but with starting this band so young, it felt like it took 25 years to write antibloom/pink moon   the absolute collection of our musical style and ideas we've pioneered over these years," the band added. starting jan. 10, silverstein will launch their 25 years of noise tour in north america before heading to europe. release date: feb. 28 tuareg guitarist mdou moctar and his band will release a new album, tears of injustice, an acoustic re recording of their 2024 lp, funeral for justice. "when mdou writes the lyrics, he typically writes them with an acoustic guitar. so you're getting closer to that original moment," said the group's bassist and producer, mikey coltun, in a statement. "it retains heaviness, but it's haunting." overall, the lp is described as "the sound of grief," in comparison to funeral for justice's "sound of outrage." "we're always playing around with arrangements at shows. we wanted to prove that we could do it on a record, too," added coltun. "and there's a whole other side of the band that comes out when we play a stripped down set. it becomes something new." ahead of the release, the band will play a slew of north american dates, including stops at toronto, nashville, and new york. read more: 15 essential afrorock songs: from the funkees to mdou moctar release date: feb. 28 panda bear, the alias of animal collective's noah lennox, will make his solo return after five years with sinister grift. the much awaited album, following 2019's buoys, drops on feb. 28. recorded at his home studio in lisbon, portugal, sinister grift marks a shift in panda bear's sound, described as "an old school rock ensemble." lennox played nearly all the instruments and invited guests such as cindy lee, spirit of the beehive's rivka ravede. according to a statement, it’s his "warmest and most immediate work yet." the album's intimate lead single "defense" featuring cindy lee, highlights the baltimore singer's evolving creative approach. panda bear closed 2024 with a string of european shows and will join toro y moi for a north american tour starting in february. release date: feb. 28 "in many ways, this album serves as a big sister to goddess," said banks in a statement about her upcoming album, off with her head. "after a decade apart, i've reunited with the core musicians and producers who shaped my debut. yet, it also represents something entirely new, reflecting my growth as both an artist and a person." following the experimental 2022 lp serpentina and december's acoustic goddess unplugged, off with her head is a return to bank's roots while embracing her evolution. "the title symbolizes the various ways we construct, perform, express, and sometimes hide our thoughts," she told billboard. there's a tension between how we see ourselves and the roles that society imposes. breaking free from that has been incredibly liberating, and this journey is captured throughout the album." together with the announcement, banks shared the sorrowful single "best friends" honoring a lost friendship. the single follows october's "i hate your ex girlfriend" featuring doechii, which will also appear on the album. release date: feb. 28 blackpink’s lisa will make her solo studio album debut with alter ego, releasing feb. 28. the album follows a string of hits like "rockstar," "new woman" featuring rosalía, and "moonlit floor (kiss me)." lisa shared a three minute album teaser that travels through five different locations, from lush gardens to an outer space catwalk. according to a press release, these settings represent the five "unique personalities"   or alter egos   embodied on the record. the album will be released through lisa’s own company, lloud, in partnership with rca records. alongside its promotional rollout, 2025 may also see a blackpink reunion. read more: breaking down every solo act from blackpink release date: march 7 heavy metal band spiritbox is gearing up to release their sophomore album, tsunami sea, on march 7. the lp follows their highly successful 2021 debut eternal blue and the 2023 ep fear of fear, which earned the band two consecutive grammy nominations. as usual, tsunami sea was co produced by the band’s mike stringer and dan braunstein. the album was inspired by what vocalist courtney laplante calls "her island"   their hometown of vancouver, canada   and "represents the feeling of growing up on the island i am from, and the feelings of longing to leave isolation and longing to go back," as well as "about what it feels like to be me," she wrote on x. first offerings "soft spine" and "perfect soul," showcase some of those feelings, anchoring the band’s emotiveness with an even deeper intensity. spiritbox will kick off a north american tour in april alongside bands loathe, dying wish, and gel. release date: march 14 "with every album i try to 'outdo' the one before, or at least make something that sounds different and evolved in some way," said coheed and cambria's claudio sanchez about the band's latest effort, vaxis act iii: the father of make believe, out mar. 14. continuing the amory wars/vaxis narrative from vaxis act ii: a window of the waking mind, the new album traverses rock genres and emotions, driven by sanchez's dexterous vocals. the album’s first single, "searching for tomorrow," serves as a reminder that "chasing something better can blind you to the good in your life," sanchez added. the album explores themes of growth and internal battles, while continuing to push the boundaries of the band’s signature progressive style. release date: may 21 fresh off 2023's did you know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd, lana del rey is set to release the right person will stay on may 21. the album features 13 tracks crafted in collaboration with jack antonoff, drew erickson, luke laird, and zach dawes. earlier this year, lana teased "henry, come on," one of the songs on the record. she plans to preview more tracks at the stagecoach festival in april. following the release, del rey will embark on a stadium tour in the u.k. and ireland in june. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: scott dudelson/getty images for coachella news as november begins, check out some fresh tunes and projects from the weeknd and anitta, vincent mason, hayla and other stars. it's the first new music friday of november, and we're just seven days away from the 2025 grammy nominations being announced on nov. 8. in the lead up to halloween, tyler, the creator unveiled his seventh studio album, chromakopia, the cure released their first album in 16 years, and westside gunn delivered back to back drops with lps 11 and still praying arriving just 24 hours apart. plus, several different artists teamed up for cool new collaborations. jeremy zucker and chelsea cutler completed their years long brent trilogy with the release of brent iii; the black keys and beck collided their rock genius on "i'm with the band"; and gale linked up with lagos for "por si las dudas." below, dive into 10 other exciting new releases from shawn mendes, lil uzi vert, heidi montag, kodak black, and more to help welcome in november. four years after releasing its acclaimed predecessor, lil uzi vert has unveiled the highly anticipated eternal atake 2. technically the gender nonconforming rapper's fourth solo album   having released 2023's pink tape after the original eternal atake   the sequel contains tracks like melodic opener "we good" and the bombastic "mr chow." rather than pack the lp's 16 song track list with guest features by their hip hop contemporaries, baby pluto largely shows off their unique flow without any help. the one outlier is the delightful "the rush" with big time rush, wherein the mc decides to take the nickelodeon alums' band name for himself by repeatedly and confidently declaring, "b , i'm big time rush!" (naturally, the pop foursome contend, "dude you're not big time rush, we're big time rush!" before one of the members lets out a hilarious "lil uuuzi!" for good measure.) the latest taste of shawn mendes' upcoming fifth studio album, shawn (out nov. 15), is "heart of gold," a glowing in memoriam written for a childhood friend of the pop star who recently passed. cast in the firelit shades of red, brown and orange, mendes laments, "honestly, it's been a while since i thought of you/ in the end we didn't talk much/ i didn't know what you were going through/ i'm sorry that i wasn't there to hug your mama at the funeral" in the track's music video before going on to mourn, "you left too soon, it was out of your control/ underneath your skin and bone, you had a heart of gold." making the touching ballad even more emotional for fans, the canadian heartthrob dedicated a performance of the song to the memory of liam payne ahead of its release, telling the crowd at his sold out for friends and family only concert at new york city's brooklyn paramount, "it felt completely devastating…liam, we love you. the world is crying for you, brother, and we're all praying for your son and your family. i miss you. this one's for you tonight, liam, from all of us." the weeknd and anitta take a sinister and seductive trip to "são paulo" in the latest single off the former's upcoming sixth lp, hurry up tomorrow. the brazilian singer whips up a hypnotic refrain in her native portuguese ("bota na boca, bota na cara, bota onde quiser," she intones), over the weeknd's trademark falsetto. halfway through, the track morphs on a dime, with the canadian superstar crooning, "baby, ride me 'til the darkness of the night/ kill me softly like you want me euthanized" over a devilish beat. the nightmarish music video helmed by freeka tet is a perfect complement for halloween, as anitta struts the streets of the city in a lifeless plastic mask and shows off a massive baby bump before revealing the life form taking over her womb is altogether, disturbingly inhuman   and also singing the weeknd's parts of the duet. in case you're wondering how many producers it takes to create a red hot dance track, the answer is apparently three   with champion, four tet and skrillex all coming together to create the mesmerizing "talk to me." the bouncing, throbbing banger also benefits from naisha's ethereal vocals, as the india born singer/songwriter and fellow dj delivers a sultry, bilingual message over the screeches and howls of monkeys before declaring simply, "i'm naisha/ pleased to meet cha/ talk to me." country upstart vincent mason can't shake a pretty little heartbreaker on his latest single, "speak of the devil." "i walked in from hell and back/ never thought i would go like that/ looked like an angel dressed in red/ sold me on love, got a night instead/ and oh, that's a hell of a burn/ she's everywhere i turn," the 23 year old crooner bemoans on the mid tempo ditty, successfully channeling influences like john mayer and parker mccollum. the track marks mason's first release since making his debut at the grand ole opry earlier this fall, and follows his breakout ballad "hell is a dancefloor" as well as recently released singles like "heart like this," "train of thought" and "famous for a heartache" with eli winders. heidi montag delighted longtime fans this week with the surprise announcement that she was releasing an ep of songs recorded during her reality tv glory days, newly remastered and finally ready to see the light of day. aptly titled 2008, the four track collection serves as a breathy, bratty, synth drenched precursor to the reality icon's 2010 studio album superficial, with songs like "make up your mind" and "if i was your girlfriend" taking obvious cues from blackout era britney spears and the pussycat dolls. meanwhile, on opening track "it ain't what you think it is," montag takes listeners back to the golden age of "the hills"   eschewing what's been left unwritten for a damning look behind mtv's famously glossy camerawork as she sings, "i'm just a girl who knows the reality/ isn't what you see on a tv show/ it's lights, camera, action." kodak black teased his new mixtape, dieuson octave, with little notice   dropping opener "catch fire" just 24 hours before the full project's release. the found footage style video for the track opens with a car set ablaze on a sidewalk as the mumble rap pioneer intones, "i made a lot of money, spent most of it making a bail/ doin' whatever, feel ain't gettin' nowhere/ like a pitbull trying to chase its tail/ it get lonely on this paper trail." taking its title from the rapper's birth name (which loyal fans know he's since legally changed to bill kahan kapri), the rest of the mixtape features cuts like "harlem nights," "versatile," "drive the boat," and "inside i suffer." over the last half decade, hayla has steadily made a name for herself in the world of dance music by working as a featured vocalist with some of the genre's major players. in 2023, she even scored a grammy nomination for her work on kx5, kaskade and deadmau5's debut collaborative album as kx5. now, the liverpool native is introducing herself on her own terms with dusk, her debut solo album. across 10 tracks, the rising star shows off her soulful voice on songs like previously released singles "fall again" and "freefall," as well as shadowy, emotive album cuts like "only i" and "visions of you." on dec. 4, the songstress is set to perform at la's famous roxy theater, marking both her very first headlining gig and a belated album release show. kokoroko's latest ep, get the message, arrives just over two years after the eight piece afrobeats jazz hybrid released their 2022 debut album, could we be more. since then, the london based collective led by sheila maurice grey and onome edgeworth have reinvented eight songs from that lp with 2023's could we be more remixes and collaborated with nigerian born u.k. artist azekel for single "three piece suit   the latter of which closes out their new four track project. get the message also includes horn blasted opening instrumental "higher," the gospel tinged "sweeter than" and the harmonious, lyric free "my prayer." the title of duki's fourth album, ameri, may be a reference to america, but the halloween release is a joyfully cross cultural celebration of the argentine rapper's unique brand of latin hip hop, featuring contributions from everyone from myke towers ("nueva era"), headie one ("brindis") and bizarrap ("buscarte lejos") to judeline ("imperio"), lia kali ("constelación") and wiz khalifa and arcángel ("wake up and bake up"). "we have arrived in ameri, welcome devils i love you," duki wrote in a gratitude filled message translated from spanish to his fans upon the album's unveiling. "i owe you my life, thank you for so many years together, this is just the beginning, life is one and you have to live it all." kendrick lamar wins best music video kendrick lamar wins best rap song kendrick lamar wins best rap performance doechii's sonic evolution: from rising alt hip hop anomaly to best rap album grammy winner doechii performs "catfish" & "denial is a river" recording academy membership grammys advocacy musicares latin grammys grammy museum @ 2025   recording academy. all rights reserved. some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the recording academy and its affiliates. responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the academy and its affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the recording academy and its affiliates.

a podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. musicologist nate sloan & songwriter charlie harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. from vulture and the vox media podcast network.

photo: alvaro beamud cortes interview just after ushering in her next era with "it's ok i'm ok," tate mcrae looks back on the massive year she's had since releasing "greedy" in september 2023   from performing on "saturday night live" to headlining a sold out madison square garden. when tate mcrae launched her think later era in september 2023, she was already a bona fide pop superstar in the making. she scored a multi platinum viral hit in 2020 with her breakthrough single, "you broke me first," and further proved her pop prowess in 2022 with her debut album, i used to think i could fly. but as soon as she released "greedy," the lead single for think later, it was clear mcrae was on a different trajectory. within a matter of months, "greedy" climbed to no. 1 on top 40 radio and reached no. 3 on the billboard hot 100, her biggest chart hit to date as of press time. and in the year since "greedy"'s release   which mcrae commemorated on its sept. 15 anniversary   the canadian singer/songwriter has made her "saturday night live" debut, won artist and single of the year at the 2024 juno awards, and racked up more than 3 billion streams worldwide on think later alone. safe to say, she's now one of pop's young queens. among her latest achievements is headlining new york city's famed madison square garden, where she wrapped the north american leg of her think later tour on aug. 22. and though she still has tour stretches in asia, australia, new zealand, and south america through next march, mcrae has already kicked off her next chapter. on sept. 12, the singer released "it's ok i'm ok," an empowering, punchy pop and r&b infused track where mcrae finds freedom after leaving her ex. like the visual for "greedy," the song's accompanying music video sees mcrae show off her years as a professional dancer   and pay homage to her idols britney spears and christina aguilera   as she confidently struts around the streets of new york city. "i look back at think later and compare it to the album i'm currently working on, and it feels like that was so 20 year old me," mcrae, who turned 21 on july 1, tells grammy.com. "it's exactly how i felt at that time... [but] all the music i'm creating right now definitely feels like a fierce era for me." in the midst of touring and working on her next project, mcrae sat down with grammy.com to reflect on how the past year changed her life. in her own words, the pop star details some of the biggest moments, from performing on snl to headlining msg. last year, my creative director and i began doing a lot of soul searching to figure out who i wanted to be as an artist, what the next era would look like, and the kind of imprint i wanted to make. i felt really lost as a 20 year old and, at the time, i knew i wanted to do pop music and dance, and to try to bring back the kind of music videos i fell in love with when i was younger. i was ready for a new era and time of music. i wanted something a little more lighthearted and taking myself a little less seriously. "greedy" was one of the songs on think later that made me reach out of my comfort zone. i was writing a lot of songs in the midtempo pop range, which is very much my comfort zone, and my producer ryan [tedder] told me i need to write an upbeat song. i said my inspirations are nelly furtado's "promiscuous girl" and britney spears, and then we wrote "greedy." i thought it was the worst song i've ever heard in my life because my mind was so closed off in that session that i couldn't see the beauty of it. that happened a lot of times [with think later]. "hurt my feelings," which is now one of my favorite songs to perform, was so pop when we wrote it. i thought it was way too pop for me, but i just had to step outside of my body and my stubborn artist thinking and put myself in other people's perspectives. i don't think you ever know why songs do what they do or what fans grab onto. it's always interesting, because you're like, how is this happening? like, a lot of the numbers, when you're going through it, don't usually feel real. i think it's hard for the human brain to process numbers that big. performing on "saturday night live" was a goal of mine, i just didn't think it was going to happen that soon. i remember my manager called me and i just started bawling, because that's one of those moments you dream about since you're a little kid. you never think it's going to happen, and then it does, and you're crying because you're so happy. i've also never been that nervous in my entire life! walking into that building, being on that stage, and being in an area with so much history… all of it felt very surreal. i remember when i got there i thought, i have to take in every single inch of every single wall and make sure i remember every detail of this place. these are moments in my life that i'm going to cherish forever and remember. i had a really fun cast; they are so nice and accepting. jason momoa was the one hosting my episode, and he was so sweet to me. i was nervous doing the liners and he was talking to me to make sure i was okay. when i performed "greedy," a huge chunk of the cast and jason came from backstage and their makeup chairs to stand at the back of the room to watch me. i thought about how cool it was to be surrounded by such supportive people who i admire so much. they were all dancing in the back [to "greedy"] and filming themselves, and they sent me a video of it. songwriting is such an interesting thing because it's like watching yourself growing up through words. you're watching yourself figure out relationships and how you deal with your emotions as a 17, 18, 19, 20, and now 21 year old girl. it feels like a capsule. humans are never perfect and their ways of thinking are all over the place. some years, you're going to react to things better. other years, you're going to react to things worse. my job is just to tell the story as truthfully as possible and tell the thing that i first felt. sometimes i'll look back at songs and i can't believe that was my way of thinking, or i can't believe i was so emotional back then. i think it's such a beautiful thing that i'm going to look back on in 30 years and see how much i evolved as a person. this outlet for me is so brutally honest and people are actually, in real time, watching me figure out my life. writing think later, i learned so much from ryan tedder and amy allen every single day. i feel like they both have perfected how to write a pop song. we work really well together. i have a very different perspective than they do on my life and things that i want to talk about, but it's a really collaborative effort and we push each other in different ways. i want to be as honest as possible with my fans and tell stories through my music. that's the whole point, and it's therapeutic for me. it's been such a blessing to work with such incredible songwriters over the past two years. writing my next album has been so fun to just try and explore different worlds and step into things that would usually make me feel out of my comfort zone. a post shared by tate mcrae (@tatemcrae) i can't even watch my performances from two years ago. it's astonishing just how much my show has changed. it's cool to watch me slowly incorporate my years and years of dancing and actually bring my vision into something on stage. the evolution from two years ago is not even the same person. even doing festival shows, like performing at lollapalooza, is always pretty shocking when i see [how] the crowd has grown. this tour in particular has been the most life changing. at the end of this leg, i wasn't even sick of playing shows   which is crazy because we played over 50! getting to do what i love is such a dream of mine that it doesn't even feel real. moments on this tour, like playing toronto, which is 17,000 people, or madison square garden, which is 19,500, those are the times when i think, this is what i do it all for. i've performed in those 500 capacity rooms and now, getting to this point, i'm so much more grateful because i can't believe people are actually there for me. it's a shocking thing that your body can't even process. at madison square garden, we had so many surprises planned and i'm pretty sure i just blacked out for most of it. i performed a new song, i brought out a special guest [the kid laroi], and my friend jake shane did a little bit with me while i was on stage. there were so many parts of that show that we planned, all i could think was, don't mess it up! just get through this show! once it was over and we got to the last song, i just remember thinking how many people were there   and they were all there for me. it means the world to me to be called a rising star. there are so many incredible women in the industry that i look up to, and so many of them are, luckily, my peers and friends that i'm able to talk to and vent to about very similar experiences. i remember watching all of the pop girls when i was younger and thinking, that's what a pop star is. it felt so unattainable and far away. then you meet and talk to all these girls who are in the scene right now, like chappell roan, olivia rodrigo, sabrina carpenter, and gracie abrams, and they are absolutely dominating. most of the girls i talk to who are artists and my peers are some of the coolest girls i've ever met, and i feel like we all have our own different lanes in this industry. it doesn't feel as competitive as it might've used to be. it feels super supportive and exciting, and it's really cool to watch other girls dominate. i feel like we're in a time right now where women are ruling the world, so it's cool to be a part of that process and see people actually appreciate us and realize how special women in music really are. once you finish an album, you're so proud of it. but then the number one thing i do is take apart everything i've done and the things that i can improve on next time. i think that's just me wanting to beat myself at the last song or performance. the next album is coming along, which is a crazy thing to say. all the music i'm creating right now definitely feels like a fierce era for me; a lot of it is inspired by performing. since touring, it feels like i've completely found another identity that was somewhere inside of me. i always say that there is tate, and my alter ego, tatiana, takes over when i'm performing. as soon as i get on stage, i feel like i fully become that person. a lot of these new songs are not how i would talk in real life, but i wanted to extend this fierce, confident girl power identity of tatiana and have that be the starter of this cycle. visually, it's so important for me to create a world and have all the pieces connect together to the album. whenever i have an album, i need to have some sort of life epiphany. i hope that all of that comes together and the pieces really feel satisfying when they fit together. i'm excited to translate that feeling to touring and performing because that's when i really feel the album for the first time. i don't know what color this era will be. think later was definitely blues, blacks, whites and greys. we'll have to see what this new era unfolds into. charli xcx performs "von dutch" & "guess" how sabrina carpenter became a grammy winning pop queen: tracing her journey to 'short n' sweet' harry styles opens grammys with "watermelon sugar" michaela jaé covers "everything i wanted" maymay entrata's custom in ear monitors photos: medios y media/getty images; jason mendez/getty images; han myung gu/wire; axelle/bauer griffin/filmmagic; jamie mccarthy/wireimage; frazer harrison/getty images; joseph okpako/wireimage list from the weeknd and mdou moctar to alessia cara, central cee, and potential releases from miley cyrus, lady gaga, and wiz khalifa, 2025 is brimming with exciting new albums. with country, pop, indie, and drill in the mix, there’s something for everyone. as meteoric as it was, 2024 closes out as another amazing year for music. the stakes are high for the soon to arrive 2025, but an array of upcoming albums promises to make this new year just as fantastic. january kicks off with a bang, including bad bunny's debí tirar más fotos, a reflection on life and nostalgia, ringo starr's new country solo album look up, and mac miller's second posthumous album, balloonerism. drill sensation central cee will finally release his debut lp, can't rush greatness, and fka twigs will return with eusexua. wrapping up the month, the weeknd will conclude his after hours and dawn fm trilogy with hurry up tomorrow. moving onto february, a new album from wiz khalifa and lady gaga's lg7 could make waves, while olly alexander will drop polari, and bartees strange will come forth with horror. rock phenom sam fender will bring forward people watching on the same day as tate mcrae's much awaited so close to what   feb.21. the last day of the month will see blackpink's lisa debut solo album, alter ego, and indie pop muse banks make a comeback with off with her head. on the rest of the year, spiritbox's sophomore effort, tsunami sea, will be out in march, while lana del rey's the right person will stay is slated for june. and with dates yet to be confirmed are chance the rapper's starline, miley cyrus' something beautiful, and new works from blondie and kesha. as you get ready to start the new year, below is a guide to 30 highly anticipated albums coming out in 2025 that will make you even more inspired. release date: jan. 5 on the last thursday of 2024, dec. 26, bad bunny surprised his fans with the announcement of a new album, debí tirar más fotos ("i should've taken more photos"). boasting 17 tracks described as "bomba" ("explosive") via x, the album is set to drop jan. 5. supporting the announcement is a trailer featuring puerto rican film legend jacobo morales. in the clip, morales reflects on memories, love, and regret. "i should have taken more photos, lived more, i should've loved more when i had the chance," he muses to his animated friend, concho. singles "el clúb" and "pitorro de coco"   referring to puerto rico's moonshine rum   hint at bad bunny's signature plena music, this time filtered through a nostalgic lens. release date: jan. 8 indie alt darling ethel cain opens 2025 with her second studio album, perverts, out jan. 8. the album explores the singer's "furthest afield inspirations and sonic negative space, mining drone, noise, slowcore, ambient and beyond," according to a press release. cain wrote, produced, and recorded the album between coraopolis, pa, and her hometown of tallahassee, fl. the nine track collection spans 90 minutes and is anchored by lead single "punish." reflecting on the project, cain said, "i wonder how deep shame can run, and how unforgivable an act could be that i may still justify it in some bent way to make carrying it more bearable." perverts follows her 2022 critically acclaimed debut, preacher's daughter. release date: jan. 10 "we're back to country music, and i love it!" ringo starr declared in announcing his upcoming studio album, look up. set to drop on jan. 10, the lp is starr's first full length release in six years, and features 11 original songs produced and co written by t bone burnett. "i've always loved country music," starr shared in a statement. "when i asked t bone to write me a song, i didn't even think at the time that it would be a country song   but of course it was, and it was so beautiful." burnett described the project as "the realization of a 60 year dream" and a way to "say thank you for all [ringo] has given me and us." look up features collaborations with billy strings, molly tuttle, lucius, larkin poe, and alison krauss. to celebrate the release, starr will headline two shows at nashville's ryman auditorium on jan. 14 and 15. release date: jan. 10 scottish indie rockers franz ferdinand will return with the human fear, their first album in six years, dropping jan. 10 via domino. the lead single "audacious," pairs their signature indie sounds with a lofty atmosphere. "making this record was one of the most life affirming experiences i've had, but it's called the human fear   fear reminds you that you're alive," shared frontman alex kapranos. "we all are addicted in some way to the buzz [fear] can give us. how we respond to it shows how we are human." the album features 11 tracks and marks the debut of new drummer audrey tait. franz ferdinand will support the release with a european tour starting in february. release date: jan. 17 colombian rising star ela minus is gearing up to release her sophomore album, dia, on jan. 17. a press statement describes the album as "a rarified feat in electronic music, where cutting edge production and space shuddering sonics meet a burgeoning singer songwriter's real sense of self reflection and private reckoning." the follow up to her acclaimed 2020 debut, acts of rebellion, dia showcases minus' evolution as both an artist and a person. described as "a record about becoming," its 10 tracks   mixed by marta salogni and mastered by heba kadry, the same team behind her debut   bridge the gap between pop accessibility and experimental brilliance. singles "broken" and "upwards" highlight this balance, weaving original beats with broad appeal. minus will join caribou on their 2025 european and u.k. tour in february, beginning in paris on feb. 3 and wrapping it up in berlin on feb. 14. she's also slated to perform at estéreo picnic festival in bogotá, colombia on mar. 30. release date: jan. 17 fans of mac miller may already be familiar with balloonerism, the long rumored, unreleased album the late rapper worked on in 2014. recently, miller's estate announced that balloonerism will finally see an official release on jan. 17 via warner. miller, born malcolm james mccormick, found great importance in the project. according to a statement from his family, he even commissioned artwork for the album and frequently discussed when it should be released. "we believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist," they shared. "given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing balloonerism was something that malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world." mac miller tragically passed away in 2018, shortly after releasing his grammy nominated album swimming. two years later, his estate released circles, the posthumous companion to swimming. release date: jan. 17 after several delays, british singer yola is making a long awaited return with her new ep, my way, out jan. 17. the grammy nominated artist previewed her upcoming work with the synth heavy single "future enemies" in september 2024, followed by november's "symphony." in a press release, yola described "future enemies" as a track exploring the complexities of new relationships: "there is a moment when you realize you're not going to get on with someone. they haven't noticed yet, so you have a unique opportunity to disappear from their lives before they ever realise you were destined to be enemies. it's a luxury to not have an endless supply of negative memories about someone cause you never made them." my way marks yola's first body of work since her acclaimed 2021 album, stand for myself, and expands on her retro soul sound. the release also follows yola's broadway stint as persephone in the celebrated musical hadestown. release date: jan. 17 rufus wainwright's dream requiem is an orchestral epic, first premiered in june 2024 in paris. for those who missed the live event, a recording of the ambitious work will be released as an album on jan. 17, via warner. commissioned by prestigious institutions like radio france and the royal ballet, the original performance featured soprano anna prohaska, the orchestre philharmonique de radio france and radio france children's choir conducted by mikko franck. actress meryl streep was the narrator. written during the covid 19 pandemic, dream requiem is described as "a requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious." wainwright elaborated that the piece honors lives lost during the pandemic and reflects on a fractured past and uncertain future. over the next two years, wainwright will bring dream requiem to major venues worldwide, including barcelona's palau de la música in 2025, walt disney concert hall in los angeles with (featuring jane fonda), and amsterdam's concertgebouw. release date: jan. 24 fka twigs returns with eusexua, her first full album in five years, slated for release on jan. 24. this highly anticipated third lp marks a new chapter in her eccentric artistry, following her acclaimed 2019 album, magdalene, and the star studded 2022 mixtape caprisongs. "eusexua has been my practice for the years that it has been in creation. it is my opus and truly feels like a pin at the centre of the core of my artist," twigs shared over instagram. she described the album as a deeply personal and immersive experience, rooted in connection: "we rave, we sweat, we kiss, we make love to the booming thud of culture. eusexua is a practice. eusexua is a state of being. eusexua is the pinnacle of human experience." along with the announcement, twigs shared the glitchy, tingling title track and music video directed by jordan hemingway. beyond her music, twigs has spent the past two years starring in notable films, including the carpenter's son with nicolas cage and a remake of the crow. release date: jan. 24 patience is a virtue, and uk drill sensation central cee proves it with the release of his long awaited debut studio album, can't rush greatness, on jan. 24. known for his hit "sprinter" with dave and viral tracks like "doja" and "band4band," central cee recorded the album in several locations throughout 2024. according to a press release, the tracklist will feature collaborations with guest producers and dave, although it remains unclear whether "sprinter" will be included or if the duo has created new music together. interestingly, his latest single, "one by one," will not appear on can't rush greatness despite its lyrical nod to the album's ethos: "you can't rush greatness, you gotta take your time, maintain it slowly." release date: jan. 24 "the high road is my favorite album i've ever made," kane brown shared with the associated press about his upcoming fourth lp. set to release on jan. 24, the album showcases brown’s musical diversity while exploring deeply personal themes. featuring collaborations with brad paisley, khalid, jelly roll, and marshmello, as well as two tracks with his wife katelyn brown, the high road demonstrates the modern country star’s ability to push boundaries. brown reflected, "[i've] always been kind of nervous to push boundaries and do certain things. but i've been here for almost a decade now, so i needed to stop hiding and just do what i love to do." singles "body talk" with katelyn brown and "backseat driver" offer a glimpse into this multi genre journey. brown will kick off his high road tour on march 13 in san diego. release date: jan. 31 the weeknd is set to complete his celebrated trilogy   following after hours (2020) and dawn fm (2022)   with hurry up tomorrow, dropping on jan. 24. spearheaded by singles "dancing in the flames," "timeless" featuring playboi carti, and "são paulo" with brazilian singer anitta, the album promises to be a fitting conclusion to this era. another track, "open hearts," was released on nov. 14 as part of an immersive music experience in partnership with apple, and is available only on the apple vision pro. to celebrate, the weeknd will perform a one off concert at pasadena's rose bowl on jan. 25. in may, he will premiere an eponymous feature film inspired by the album, starring himself alongside jenna ortega and barry keoghan. directed by trey edward shults, the psychological thriller is expected to explore themes from hurry up tomorrow. release date: jan. 31 venezuelan singer joaquina continues to shine after winning the 2023 latin grammys' best new artist award. her debut studio album, al romper la burbuja, will be released on jan. 31. written by joaquina and co produced by julio reyes copello, the albums blends "a bold fusion of folk, pop rock, and avant garde influences, blending dirty synths, intricate guitar work, and emotive vocals, crafting a sound that is both contemporary and timeless," according to a press release. to preview these sounds, joaquina shared the sweet single "aeropuerto." "al romper la burbuja is my first album. it's a project that i wrote mostly when i was around 19 years, so it reflects a very transitional stage in my life," joaquina explained. "where, for the first time, i was learning to be an adult, discovering many things about myself and the world, and thinking about the person i want to be in my life." release date: feb. 7 new jersey native sharon van etten is venturing into new territory with her latest band project, sharon van etten & the attachment theory. the self titled debut, arriving feb. 7 via jagjaguwar, leads with the single "afterlife," which twists '80s goth rock into a contemporary indie ballad. "for the first time in my life, i asked the band if we could just jam," van etten shared in a statement. "words that have never come out of my mouth   ever! but i loved all the sounds we were getting." the band features percussionist jorge balbi, bassist devra hoff, and multi instrumentalist teeny lieberson, with production by marta salogni. following the release, the group will embark on a european tour supported by nabihah iqbal, before heading to north america in april and may. release date: feb. 7 "in the 'lost gay language' of polari, 'polari' means 'to speak,'" olly alexander, on instagram. "i was very inspired by how we communicate with each other and what it means to speak a secret language, something i think we all do in some form or another with the people we're close to." the former years & years frontman’s solo debut, polari, will arrive on feb. 7. the album includes his eurovision 2024 entry for the u.k., "dizzy," as well as the gritty title track and the propulsive single "cupid’s bow." described as "a pop album for the ages," polari delves into themes of intimacy, desire, and connection, while reflecting on history as a means of self discovery. alexander will bring polari to life on the up close and polari tour, which kicks off in march, with stops across europe and the u.k. in 15 cities, including luxembourg and london. release date: feb. 7 progressive metal pioneers dream theater mark the return of founding drummer mike portnoy with their 15th studio album, parasomnia, out feb. 7. the reunion follows a 13 year separation and signals a return to the band’s original dynamic, which has inspired a generation of musicians since the '80s. parasomnia's first single, "night terror," released in october 2024, spans nearly 10 minutes and recalls the brooding atmosphere of black clouds & silver linings (2009)   the last dream theater album featuring portnoy. the lp includes eight tracks and clocks in at over 70 minutes, a quintessential feature of the band's progressive style. parasomnia arrives as part of dream theater’s 40th anniversary tour, which began in europe and south america in late 2024 and will continue with north american stops starting in february. release date: feb. 14 bartees strange will join the line of february comebacks with horror, his second studio album on 4ad, out feb. 14. co produced by jack antonoff, yves rothman, and lawrence rothman, the record reflects on fear and connection, offering solace to listeners facing their own struggles. "in a way, i think i made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives, too," strange said in a press statement. "i think that it's easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. this album is just me trying to connect." singles "lie 95," "too much," and "sober" preview horror's raw emotional landscape. to support the release, strange will perform at select shows in los angeles, d.c., new york, and london. release date: feb. 14 alessia cara makes her long awaited comeback with love & hyperbole, releasing on valentine’s day. the canadian singer teased the album as her "best work to date   or at least my personal favourite" in a heartfelt instagram post. single's like "dead man," a haunting reflection on the end of a relationship, and "(isn’t it) obvious," her collaboration with john mayer about the challenges of long distance relationships, offer a glimpse into cara’s deeply personal and introspective songwriting. "'dead man' is about emotional distance, '(isn't it) obvious' reflects the physical separation in a relationship while reminding someone how deeply you care," cara explained. release date: feb. 14 liverpool’s indie rock mainstays the wombats are set to drop their most introspective album yet, oh! the ocean, on feb. 14. a product of six weeks in echo park, l.a., with producer john congleton, the lp distills over 50 demos into a cathartic exploration of life's epiphanies. frontman matthew "murph" murphy shared that the title was inspired by a revelatory beach trip. "it felt like the first time i had ever seen it and was truly present," he shared. "i had been living a life caught up in my own head, or in some kind of racing helmet or with blinkers on. it was really a potent experience." oh! the ocean signals a creative evolution for the wombats while staying true to their confessional lyrics and infectious energy, a hallmark since their 2007 debut. release date: feb. 21 "people watching is about somebody that was like a surrogate mother to me and passed away last november," said u.k. rocker sam fender about his upcoming album and title track, via instagram. "i was by her side at the end, slept on a chair next to her. it's about what was going through my head, to and from that place and home." the person fender refers to was annie orwin, whom he describes as "the one that gave me the confidence to go on stage." now, he hopes to honor her memory with his third studio album, dropping feb. 21. in a press release, the album is broadly described as "colourful stories and observations of everyday characters living their everyday, but often extraordinary, lives." people watching follows up 2021's seventeen going under, and was produced by fender alongside bandmates dean thompson, joe atkinson, producer markus dravs, and the war on drugs' adam granduciel. the north shields singer previewed some of the new sounds at his u.k. tour in december, and will head out to europe and north america throughout march and april. release date: feb. 21 patterson hood, the co founder of drive by truckers, will release his first solo record in over a decade, exploding trees & airplane screams on feb. 21. the album draws inspiration from hood's short story, "the exploding trees," recounting a natural disaster in his north alabama hometown, that prompted his move to athens, georgia, where drive by truckers came together in 1996. the ten track record spans various phases of hood's career, including "airplane screams," written over 40 years ago, and "a werewolf and a girl," a collaboration with lydia loveless about his high school sweetheart. several piano based compositions mark a departure from hood's work with drive by truckers. contributions from waxahatchee and wednesday further enrich the album, making it a must listen for fans. release date: feb. 21 tate mcrae is ready to captivate listeners again with her second full length album, so close to what, out on feb. 21. the canadian singer/dancer described the making of the album as "the most beautiful and exciting journey," expressing her excitement to share it with fans. september’s viral hit "it’s ok i’m ok" and the heartfelt single "2 hands" preview mcrae’s blend of emotional vulnerability and pop polish. according to a press release, the album explores "self discovery, love, and searching for balance," chronicling her journey of growing up. mcrae will kick off her miss possessive tour in march, spanning 56 stops across north america, south america, and europe, bringing her new music to audiences worldwide. release date: feb. 21 post hardcore icons silverstein will celebrate 25 years together with the double album antibloom/pink moon. "for a milestone this large, we felt it deserved the largest campaign of our career," the band shared in a statement. produced by sam guaiana in joshua tree, ca, antibloom arrives on feb. 21, with pink moon slated for later in the year. singles "skin & bones" and "confession," show off the best of the band's melodic riffs and honest messages. "they say it takes an artist their whole life to write their debut album, but with starting this band so young, it felt like it took 25 years to write antibloom/pink moon   the absolute collection of our musical style and ideas we've pioneered over these years," the band added. starting jan. 10, silverstein will launch their 25 years of noise tour in north america before heading to europe. release date: feb. 28 tuareg guitarist mdou moctar and his band will release a new album, tears of injustice, an acoustic re recording of their 2024 lp, funeral for justice. "when mdou writes the lyrics, he typically writes them with an acoustic guitar. so you're getting closer to that original moment," said the group's bassist and producer, mikey coltun, in a statement. "it retains heaviness, but it's haunting." overall, the lp is described as "the sound of grief," in comparison to funeral for justice's "sound of outrage." "we're always playing around with arrangements at shows. we wanted to prove that we could do it on a record, too," added coltun. "and there's a whole other side of the band that comes out when we play a stripped down set. it becomes something new." ahead of the release, the band will play a slew of north american dates, including stops at toronto, nashville, and new york. read more: 15 essential afrorock songs: from the funkees to mdou moctar release date: feb. 28 panda bear, the alias of animal collective's noah lennox, will make his solo return after five years with sinister grift. the much awaited album, following 2019's buoys, drops on feb. 28. recorded at his home studio in lisbon, portugal, sinister grift marks a shift in panda bear's sound, described as "an old school rock ensemble." lennox played nearly all the instruments and invited guests such as cindy lee, spirit of the beehive's rivka ravede. according to a statement, it’s his "warmest and most immediate work yet." the album's intimate lead single "defense" featuring cindy lee, highlights the baltimore singer's evolving creative approach. panda bear closed 2024 with a string of european shows and will join toro y moi for a north american tour starting in february. release date: feb. 28 "in many ways, this album serves as a big sister to goddess," said banks in a statement about her upcoming album, off with her head. "after a decade apart, i've reunited with the core musicians and producers who shaped my debut. yet, it also represents something entirely new, reflecting my growth as both an artist and a person." following the experimental 2022 lp serpentina and december's acoustic goddess unplugged, off with her head is a return to bank's roots while embracing her evolution. "the title symbolizes the various ways we construct, perform, express, and sometimes hide our thoughts," she told billboard. there's a tension between how we see ourselves and the roles that society imposes. breaking free from that has been incredibly liberating, and this journey is captured throughout the album." together with the announcement, banks shared the sorrowful single "best friends" honoring a lost friendship. the single follows october's "i hate your ex girlfriend" featuring doechii, which will also appear on the album. release date: feb. 28 blackpink’s lisa will make her solo studio album debut with alter ego, releasing feb. 28. the album follows a string of hits like "rockstar," "new woman" featuring rosalía, and "moonlit floor (kiss me)." lisa shared a three minute album teaser that travels through five different locations, from lush gardens to an outer space catwalk. according to a press release, these settings represent the five "unique personalities"   or alter egos   embodied on the record. the album will be released through lisa’s own company, lloud, in partnership with rca records. alongside its promotional rollout, 2025 may also see a blackpink reunion. read more: breaking down every solo act from blackpink release date: march 7 heavy metal band spiritbox is gearing up to release their sophomore album, tsunami sea, on march 7. the lp follows their highly successful 2021 debut eternal blue and the 2023 ep fear of fear, which earned the band two consecutive grammy nominations. as usual, tsunami sea was co produced by the band’s mike stringer and dan braunstein. the album was inspired by what vocalist courtney laplante calls "her island"   their hometown of vancouver, canada   and "represents the feeling of growing up on the island i am from, and the feelings of longing to leave isolation and longing to go back," as well as "about what it feels like to be me," she wrote on x. first offerings "soft spine" and "perfect soul," showcase some of those feelings, anchoring the band’s emotiveness with an even deeper intensity. spiritbox will kick off a north american tour in april alongside bands loathe, dying wish, and gel. release date: march 14 "with every album i try to 'outdo' the one before, or at least make something that sounds different and evolved in some way," said coheed and cambria's claudio sanchez about the band's latest effort, vaxis act iii: the father of make believe, out mar. 14. continuing the amory wars/vaxis narrative from vaxis act ii: a window of the waking mind, the new album traverses rock genres and emotions, driven by sanchez's dexterous vocals. the album’s first single, "searching for tomorrow," serves as a reminder that "chasing something better can blind you to the good in your life," sanchez added. the album explores themes of growth and internal battles, while continuing to push the boundaries of the band’s signature progressive style. release date: may 21 fresh off 2023's did you know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd, lana del rey is set to release the right person will stay on may 21. the album features 13 tracks crafted in collaboration with jack antonoff, drew erickson, luke laird, and zach dawes. earlier this year, lana teased "henry, come on," one of the songs on the record. she plans to preview more tracks at the stagecoach festival in april. following the release, del rey will embark on a stadium tour in the u.k. and ireland in june. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: gotham/wireimage/getty images list as september unfolds, discover fresh tracks and albums from miranda lambert, brantley gilbert, jordin sparks, and suki waterhouse alongside major releases from charli xcx, troye sivan, and more. as summer slips away into september, the soundtrack to the fall is beginning to emerge with major releases from a list stars across genres, along with promising rising talents from the worlds of pop, pop punk, r&b, and international music scenes. this week's new full lengths include miranda lambert’s postcards from texas, the wild things’ concept album afterglow (produced by pete townshend of the who), coin’s i’m not afraid of music anymore and babyface ray’s the kid that did. also out this week, maddie & tae drop their new ep what a woman can do, boynextdoor share the 7 track mini album 19.99 and the all american rejects deliver a cover of harvey danger’s classic 1998 debut single “flagpole sitta.” kendrick lamar surprised fans with an exclusive release on instagram following last weekend's announcement that he will headline the 2025 super bowl halftime show. eminem and 2chainz pay tribute to kyrie irving and luka dančić of the dallas mavericks with the single "kyrie & luka," while fka twigs dropped the single "eusexua" alongside the announcement of her new album of the same name arriving january 2025. finneas also released his second single, "cleats" from his upcoming album, for cryin' out loud. below, dive into 10 more releases worth checking out for new music friday, including new singles by charli xcx and troye sivan, the weeknd, tate mcrae, as1one and more. read more:15 must hear albums in september: paris hilton, katy perry, luke bryan & more “talk talk” and it’s completely different but also still “talk talk.” charli xcx puts an earworm of a period on "brat summer" by tapping bestie troye sivan to help totally reinvent the brat fan favorite. the new version is a tale of two flirtations, with charli teasing a new fling to “talk to me in french/ talk to me in spanish/ talk to me in your own made up language” while troye offers up an extravagant   and rather explicit   invitation to someone who’s about to have quite a good time with him in an amsterdam hotel room. following charli’s recent buzzy collabs with lorde (“the girl, so confusing version with lorde”) and billie eilish (“guess”), the latest remix off the pop star’s smash, zeitgeist defining lp is a pitch perfect amuse bouche to her and troye’s upcoming sweat tour, which kicks off sept. 14 in detroit. grammy u members will have an exclusive opportunity to catch charli xcx and troye sivan together at the 2024 grammy u fall summit on sept. 30 and oct. 1 in nashville, sponsored by mastercard and amazon music. read more: charli xcx's road to brat: how her new album celebrates unabashed confidence & eccentricity a post shared by grammy u (@grammyu) just days after revealing the title of his highly anticipated sixth studio album, hurry up tomorrow, the weeknd offers the first taste of it with the lead single, “dancing in the flames.” the pulsating track lands right in the 4 time grammy winner’s sweet spot of synth drenched, blissed out r&b while revving up the tempo as he catapults toward loves destruction, singing, “i can’t wait to see your face / crash when we’re switching lanes / my love’s beyond the pain/ but if i miss the brake / we’re dancing in the flames / it’s indescribable.” the cinematic music video sends the singer into a kinetic, head on collision, and the entire rain soaked, colorful saga was shot on the new iphone 16 pro. still riding high off the success of her 2023 sophomore album think later, tate mcrae enters a new era with her latest single, “it’s ok i’m ok.” building on the momentum of hits like “greedy” and “exes,” the song (released on sept. 12) finds the canadian pop star's ability to balance an unbothered attitude in the spoken word chorus with floaty, sensual falsetto verses. the music video is a risqué romp through the chaos of new york city, complete with showstopping choreography from the 21 year old calgary native. the visuals pay homage to britney spears   a style mcrae also referenced at wednesday night’s mtv video music awards, where she wore a sheer lace dress reminiscent of spears’ iconic look from the 2001 vmas. read more: how tate mcrae turned a "full identity crisis" into her debut album, i used to think i could fly brantley gilbert inks another portrait of small town country life on his seventh album, tattoos. lead single “over when we’re sober,” featuring ashley cooke, is among several collaborations on the lp. other stand out duets include the whistling opener “dirty money” with justin moore; the patriotic country rap hybrid “me and my house” featuring struggle jennings and demun jones; and the soaring “god isn’t country” with rascal flatts' gary levox. taylor acorn gets bright and brash on her debut album survival in motion. the rising pop punk singer confronts a range of personal struggles, from battling mental illness and imposter syndrome on the energetic title track to brushing off the haters in “high horse” and escaping a controlling relationship in “greener.” all of this unfolds against a backdrop of hard charging guitars, crashing drums and refreshingly candid songwriting. read more: ​​11 pop punk artists to watch: taylor acorn, american teeth & more nearly four years after her last full length, 2020’s holiday themed cider & hennessy, jordin sparks returns with her new album, no restrictions. the "american idol" champ remains true to her r&b roots on her fifth studio album. tracks like the surprise pre release single “remember,” along with standouts like “forever” featuring t pain, “where there’s smoke…,” the stonebwoy assisted “no cry” and the bumping “ycfwm,” show off her luminous voice with a surprising amount of swagger. related: how many "american idol" winners have won grammys? a rundown of wins and nominations for kelly clarkson, carrie underwood & more jvke and nick jonas have been teasing their new collaboration to eager fans for what feels like forever, but the wait was well worth it for the swooningly romantic track. each singer takes a turn daydreaming about a love that will stand the test of time, lasting “until [they’re] 70.” after jvke, the “golden hour” crooner, recounts his first heartbreak at 17, jonas steps in with a sweet and sultry verse that’s clearly dedicated to his wife of nearly six years, priyanka chopra, singing, “baby, i’m so into you / i’ve lived a thousand lives/ can’t go a single night / without you.” related: inside jonas brothers' the album: how leaning into joy, fatherhood & dad rock spawned their most definitive music yet fresh off walking the red carpet at the mtv vmas, multicultural boy band as1one launch their bid for pop stardom with debut single, “all eyes on us.” the israeli jewish and palestinian arab sextet get an assist from nile rodgers on the funky dance floor anthem, which finds the group soaking up the spotlight as they sing, “it’s like the whole world’s watching / we gonna dance like we’re all on an mission / all eyes on us!” later this year, prospective fans will get a deeper look into as1one's formation, artistry, and message of unity through a four episode docuseries on paramount+. “this isn’t fashion week!” an enraged director screams early in the music video for suki waterhouse’s latest single, “model, actress, whatever.” from that moment on, the english it girl and indie pop darling proves yet again that walking the runway is just one of her many talents as she sings, “all of my dreams came true / the bigger the ocean, the deeper the blue / call me a model, an actress, whatever / other half of my baby, we stay together.” the deeply personal track arrived just days before waterhouse unveiled her sophomore studio album, memoir of a sparklemuffin, which also includes previously released singles “to love,” “omg,” “my fun,” “faded,” “supersad,” and “blackout drunk.” ronnie dunn and ira dean assemble an all star cast of collaborators for their new single “tele man” featuring vince gill, john osborne and brent mason. together, the five musicians create a modern day homage to the traveling wilburys as they unravel an ode to one of country music’s most iconic instruments: the telecaster guitar. with mason playing the titular role of “tele man” on the instrument, his collaborators string out an energetic, deliriously tongue twisting yarn that name drops everyone from merle haggard, willie nelson and waylon jennings to johnny cash, jerry reed and patsy cline before giving illustrious credit to the “finger lickin’, chicken pickin’ tele man” behind all the greats. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: david o’donohue list amy allen has penned hits for stars like halsey, harry styles, and tate mcrae, including two recent smashes from sabrina carpenter. as she embarks on her own artist journey, learn more about the grammy winner's already dazzling career. some artists are lucky enough to have a moment: a song of the summer, a radio hit, or a point at which their song dominates the pop conversation. before even launching her own singing career, amy allen has done just that   multiple times. in 2022, the maine native contributed to hit songs from harry styles, lizzo, charli xcx, and king princess; at the 2023 grammys, she was one of the inaugural nominees for songwriter of the year, non classical, and celebrated an album of the year win alongside styles thanks to her work on harry's house. and as of press time, two songs she co wrote with sabrina carpenter are in the top 10 of the billboard hot 100 chart: "espresso" and "please please please," the latter of which hit no. 1. when you have a resume and catalog as impressive as allen's, it's hard not to get stuck in a run of highlights   but allen's writing style is so full of remarkable emotional depth and inevitable hooks that her life and career deserves further exploration. after binging on classic rock and performing in rock and bluegrass bands in her youth, allen began writing songs for others in the mid 2010s and has only continued to expand her impact on audiences and collaborators alike. "amy is a once in a lifetime writer and friend   it all comes to her very naturally and effortlessly," carpenter recently told variety. "she's super versatile: she can wear any hat and yet it still feels authentic. i've learned a lot from her and admire what an incredible collaborator she is." along the way, allen has continued honing her skills as an artist in her own right, releasing a handful of eps and singles since 2015, initially under the name amy and the engine. but on sept. 6, she's ready to fully introduce herself with her debut album   fittingly titled amy allen. just after allen celebrated her latest no. 1 and released her newest single, "even forever," grammy.com rounded up the key details you need to know about the singer/songwriter's diverse musical background, from her advocacy for female creators to seeing harry styles sing a song she co wrote to a massive audience. allen's early musical growth relied on four wheeled vehicles to drive the plot forward   in many different forms. growing up in rural maine meant long car rides to for school and family outings, which in turn meant a lot of time with the radio. "my dad is the biggest classic rock fan, so since i was little, i spent hours every day listening to music in the car with him and my sisters," she told variety earlier this year. when it came time for one of her sisters to start a band, the elder allen named it no u turn, setting the theme. when the band needed a new bassist, amy took up the low end at just 8 years old, learning classic songs from the likes of tom petty and rolling stones. the band started collecting opening spots at a bar in portland, maine, and lasted until allen was in high school and her sisters had left for college. in addition, she started playing in a bluegrass band called jerks of grass alongside her high school guitar teacher. eventually, allen thought about moving on and changing course. "i went to nursing school at boston college for two years, and within a month of getting there i was like, 'i made a big mistake,'" she continued. after moving over to the prestigious berklee school of music, allen started a new project, yet again turning to vehicular terminology: amy and the engine, who would go on to open for the likes of vance joy and kacey musgraves. the project's timeless indie pop charm shone brightly on singles like "last forever" and the 2017 ep get me outta here!, fusing references ranging from the cranberries to the cure. back in 2021, allen pondered whether it was time to carve up one of america's most prominent monuments. "can you imagine tits on mount rushmore/ and ruth bader ginsburg from dynamite sticks?" she sang on "a woman's world," a highlight from her 2021 solo ep aww!. the song backs off from that explicit ask, but the low slung waltz of ghostly piano and gentle acoustic guitar still subversively slices at traditional gender roles and power dynamics. and while the track may focus its first verse on the notorious rbg, allen designed it as a more approachable anthem. "i felt very proud of that song. and it's something that i love to play live, because i think that it's nice as a woman to give that moment to other women in the audience where i see them," she told the line of best fit upon the ep's release. her solo work sits in a long line of female pop and rock stars looking to lift others up   with allen's list of influences including everyone from the carpenters and pat benatar to no doubt, hole, and siouxsie and the banshees. but she's also aware of the shortcomings in the industry when it comes to behind the scenes matters, with female songwriters representing a disproportionately small percentage of the industry and often at lower revenue than their male counterparts. "it's important to have more women writing and performing so that younger girls can be hearing that and really connecting with that and resonating with that, and then being inspired to do that themselves," she continued. "i'm really excited to hear what the next generation of singer songwriters creates, and i want to do my part in making sure that they're able to." allen's emotionally salient and indelibly quirky songwriting with the engine caught the attention of more than just adoring fans. while on a tour stop in new york, she connected with scott harris, a songwriter who has worked with the likes of shawn mendes, camila cabello, niall horan, and meghan trainor; when allen eventually moved to new york, she would take on some of harris' writing sessions when he was in los angeles. one of those sessions spawned the first song she'd place with another artist: selena gomez's "back to you," which ended up on the soundtrack for the second season of netflix's teen drama "13 reasons why" in 2018. "i grew up listening to selena gomez, and i know that she's going to be a pop icon forever," allen told people in 2020. "she's awesome. i was so psyched…it definitely propelled my career in the pop writing field further." two years later, she would re team with gomez for "my mind & me," a single released alongside a documentary film of the same title following the impact of the star's diagnoses with lupus and bipolar disorder on her career. the single similarly offers an openhearted, empathetic look at big mental health struggles, this time in the form of a sweeping, cathartic power ballad driven by stumbling syllables and stair step piano. the track was shortlisted for best original song at the 2023 academy awards, charted in more than a dozen countries, and, perhaps most importantly, seemed to have made quite the connection with gomez. "honestly, it was therapeutic for me," the pop star and actress told variety in 2022. "i felt super connected to what i was singing and what i was saying." songwriters often wind up hidden behind the scenes, unable to really gather the impact that their artistic expression is making on others. but thankfully, allen has been able to catch a peek in on the arena sized reactions for some of her biggest collaborators. one of allen's most played co writes is "adore you," a highlight from harry styles' 2019 album, fine line, which has nearly 1.7 billion streams on spotify alone as of press time. the buoyant, slippery burst of fleetwood mac indebted funk pop embodies the start of an infatuation, and fans similarly felt under the song's spell. and allen finally got to see that feeling come to life at styles' album release show at the kia forum in los angeles in 2019. "watching harry, i was really nervous because the album had only been out for a couple days and i wasn't sure if anybody would know that song," allen told variety in 2020. she also noted that the song was a hard turn from more heartbroken tracks she'd written for the likes of halsey. "'adore you' was my first feel good song, so i'm psyched about that," she added. though not in person, allen got a similar bolt of joy when she was able to watch lizzo perform styles' track for bbc radio 1 in 2020. "i idolize lizzo," allen continued. "it really just goes to show that the right song can be performed by many different people." little did allen know that she'd get to celebrate a grammy nomination and win alongside lizzo and styles, respectively, just three years later. she co wrote "if you love me" from the flute jamming pop star's 2022 record special, which was nominated for album of the year at the 2023 grammys, where styles' harry's house (which featured allen's co write "matilda") won the coveted honor. a post shared by amy allen (@amyallen) when a songwriter has to split their tracks up between multiple different artists, it might be difficult to ensure that each track sounds appropriately fitted to each performer. for allen, it all comes down to knowing when to follow the rules and when to break them. "sometimes we'll be writing and someone will say, 'it should go straight to the chorus here,' and in my brain i'm like, 'but we need a pre chorus!'   you know, following the abcs of songwriting," she told variety. "but i've really been trying over the last couple of years to deconstruct some of those   that you don't need to pull out all the tricks all the time. it can actually make the song more interesting." in fact, it might come down to what she prioritizes when sitting down to write, rather than which rules to follow. while walking the red carpet for the 2021 ivor novello awards for songwriting and composition, allen explained her perspective on songwriting formulas to prs for music: "when i'm writing for myself, i usually start with the verse and move my way through, and lots of other times when i'm writing with another artist i make sure the chorus is bulletproof." allen earned her first grammy nomination in 2022 for her work on justin bieber's justice, but her most meaningful nomination came a year later for songwriter of the year, non classical at the 65th annual awards ceremony (alongside nija charles, the dream, laura veltz, and tobias jesso, jr.). while allen had a hard time contextualizing the recognition, it helped her loved ones better understand the impact of her career. "i'm just so grateful…even my closest family and friends, they're like, 'i've listened to this artist for so long, or i listened to this song on the radio, and i had no idea there was a team that helped make this happen,'" she told versed: the ascap podcast in 2022. "people like me growing up in small towns, we don't know that being a songwriter for a career is an option… i watched the grammys when i was growing up, and if i had known that people were making great careers, i would've gotten on the track a lot earlier." though the inaugural award ultimately went to jesso, jr., allen seems to agree that he's deserving of the honor   he's one of her collaborators on her upcoming album. for those who haven't been to maine, a quick look at allen's social media will reveal just how stunning the american northeast can be. among tiktoks promoting her music, allen almost inevitably drops in a clip displaying the expansive natural beauty of her home state   whether she's on a rope swing over a dazzlingly blue pool of water, or dropping a front spin while skating on the ice, or watching the massive waves from her family home. "pov: ur back home in maine and wondering why u ever left," she plastered over one particularly stunning tiktok montage of a dazzling day swimming amongst waterfalls. the only thing as beautiful as the scenery is the music behind it is an unreleased track about missing home   proof that maine will always be part of her, and that she clearly made the correct choice in following her songwriting dreams. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview photo: jeremy cowart interview as onerepublic releases their latest album, the group's frontman and pop maverick gives an inside look into some of the biggest songs he's written   from how beyoncé operates to tom cruise's prediction for their 'top gun' smash. three months after onerepublic began promoting their sixth album, artificial paradise, in february 2022, the band unexpectedly had their biggest release in nearly a decade. the pop rock band's carefree jam, "i ain't worried," soundtracked top gun: maverick's most memeable scene and quickly became a global smash   ultimately delaying album plans in favor of promoting their latest hit. two years later, "i ain't worried" is one of 16 tracks on artificial paradise, which arrived july 12. it's a seamless blend of songs that will resonate with longtime and newer fans alike. from the layered production of "hurt," to the feel good vibes of "serotonin," to the evocative lyrics of "last holiday," artificial paradise shows that onerepublic's sound is as dialed in as it is ever evolving. the album also marks the end of an era for onerepublic, as it's the last in their contract with interscope records. but for the group's singer, ryan tedder, that means the future is even more exciting than it's been in their entire 15 year career. "i've never been more motivated to write the best material of my life than this very moment," he asserts. "i'm taking it as a challenge. we've had a lot of fun, and a lot of uplifting records for the last seven or eight years, but i also want to tap back into some deeper material with the band." as he's been prepping artificial paradise with his onerepublic cohorts, tedder has also been as busy as he's ever been working with other artists. his career as a songwriter/producer took off almost simultaneously with onerepublic's 2007 breakthrough, "apologize" (his first major behind the board hit was leona lewis' "bleeding love"); to this day he's one of the go to guys for pop's biggest names, from blackpink to tate mcrae. tedder sat down with grammy.com to share some of his most prominent memories of onerepublic's biggest songs, as well as some of the hits he's written with beyoncé, adele, taylor swift and more. i was producing and writing other songs for different artists on epic and atlantic   i was just cutting my teeth as a songwriter in l.a. this is like 2004. i was at my lowest mentally and financially. i was completely broke. creditors chasing me, literally dodging the taxman and getting my car repoed, everything. i had that song in my back pocket for four years. a buddy of mine just reminded me last month, a songwriter from nashville   ashley gorley, actually. we had a session last month, me, him and amy allen, and he brought it up. he was like, "is it true, the story about 'apologize'? you were completely broke living in l.a. and epic records offered you like 100 grand or something just for the right to record the song on one of their artists?" and that is true. it was, like, 20 [grand], then 50, then 100. and i was salivating. i was, like, i need this money so bad. and i give so many songs to other people, but with that song, i drew a line in the sand and said, "no one will sing this song but me. i will die with this song." it was my story, and i just didn't want anyone else to sing it. it was really that simple. it was a song about my past relationships, it was deeply personal. and it was also the song that   i spent two years trying to figure out what my sound was gonna be. i was a solo artist… and i wasn't landing on anything compelling. then i landed on "apologize" and a couple of other songs, and i was like, these songs make me think of a band, not solo artist material. so it was the song that led me to the sound of onerepublic, and it also led me to the idea that i should start a band and not be a solo artist. we do it every night. i'll never not do it. i've never gotten sick of it once. every night that we do it, whether i'm in houston or hong kong, i look out at the crowd and look at the band, and i'm like, wow. this is the song that got us here. we were halfway through promoting dreaming out loud, our first album. i played basketball every day on tour, and i snapped my achilles. the tour got canceled. the doctor told me not to even write. and i had this one sliver of an afternoon where my wife had to run an errand. and because i'm sadistic and crazy, i texted [songwriter] evan bogart, "i got a three hour window, race over here. beyoncé called me and asked me to write her a song. i want to do it with you." he had just come off his huge rihanna no. 1, and we had an ashley tisdale single together. when you write enough songs, not every day do the clouds part and god looks down on you and goes, "here." but that's what happened on that day. i turn on the keyboard, the first sound that i play is the opening sound of the song. sounds like angels singing. and we wrote the song pretty quick, as i recall. i didn't get a response [from beyoncé after sending "halo" over], which i've now learned is very, very typical of her. i did miley cyrus and beyoncé "ii most wanted" [from cowboy carter]   i didn't know that was coming out 'til five days before it came out. and when i did "xo" [from 2013's beyoncé], i found out that "xo" was coming out 12 hours before it came out. that's how she operates. ["good life"] was kind of a hail mary. we already knew that "all the right moves" would be the first single [from waking up]. we knew that "secrets" was the second single. and in the 11th hour, our engineer at the time   who i ended up signing as a songwriter, noel zancanella   had this drum loop that he had made, and he played it for brent [kutzle] in our band. brent said, "you gotta hear this drum loop that noel made. it's incredible." he played it for me the next morning, and i was like, "yo throw some chords to this. i'm writing to this today." they threw some chords down, and the first thing out of my mouth was, [sings] "oh, this has gotta be the good life." it's the perfect example of, oftentimes, the chord i've tried to strike with this band with some of our bigger records, [which] is happy sad. where you feel nostalgic and kind of melancholic, but at the same time, euphoric. that's what those chords and that melody did for me. i was like, "hey guys, would it be weird if i made the hook a whistle?" and everyone was like, "no! do not whistle!" they're like, "name the last hit song that had a whistle." and the only one i could think of was, like, scorpion from like, 1988. [laughs.] so i thought, to hell with it, man, it's been long enough, who cares? let's try it. and the whistle kind of made the record. it became such a signature thing. "rumour has it" was the first song i did in probably a four year period, with any artist, that wasn't a ballad. all any artist ever wanted me to write with them or for them, was ballads, because of "halo," and "apologize" and "bleeding love." i begged [adele] to do a [song with] tempo, because we did "turning tables," another ballad. she was in a feisty mood [that day], so i was like, "okay, we're doing a tempo today!" rick rubin was originally producing the whole album. i was determined to produce adele, not just write   because i wanted a shot to show her that i could, and to show myself. i stayed later after she left, and i remember thinking, what can i do in this record in this song that could be so difficult to reproduce that it might land me the gig? so i intentionally muted the click track, changed the tempo, and [created that] whole piano bridge. i was making it up as i went. when she got in that morning. i said, "i have a crazy idea for a bridge. it's a movie." she listens and she says, "this is really different, i like this! how do we write to this?" i mean, it was very difficult. [but] we finished the song. she recorded the entire song that day. she recorded the whole song in one take. i've never seen anyone do that in my life   before or since. then i didn't hear from her for six months. because i handed over the files, and rick rubin's doing it, so i don't need to check on it. i randomly check on the status of the song   and at this point, if you're a songwriter or producer, you're assuming that they're not keeping the songs. her manager emails my manager, "hey, good news   she's keeping both songs they did, and she wants ryan to finish 'rumour has it' production and mix it." when i finally asked her, months later   probably at the grammys   i said, "why didn't [rick] do it?" she said, "oh he did. it's that damn bridge! nobody could figure out what the hell you were doing…it was so problematic that we just gave up on it." i was in a beyoncé camp in the hamptons writing for the self titled album. [there were] a bunch of people in the house   me, greg kurstin, sia   it was a fun group of people. i had four days there, and every morning i'd get up an hour and a half before i had to leave, make a coffee, and start prepping for the day. on the third day, i got up, i'm in the basement of this house at like 7 in the morning, and i'm coming up with ideas. i stumble across that chord progression, the guitar and the melody. it was instant shivers up my spine. "lately i've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be" is the only line that i had. [my] first thought was, i should play this for beyoncé, and then i'm listening to it and going, this is not beyoncé, not even remotely. it'd be a waste. so i tabled it, and i texted the guys in my band, "hey, i think i have a potentially really big record. i'm going to finish it when i get back to denver." i got back the next week, started recording it, did four or five versions of the chorus, bouncing all the versions off my wife, and then eventually landed it. and when i played it for the band, they were like, "this is our favorite song." it was my second session with taylor. the first one was [1989's] "i know places," and she sent me a voice memo. i was looking for a house in venice [california], because we were spending so much time in l.a. so that whole memory is attached to me migrating back to los angeles. but i knew what she was talking about, because i lived in new york, and i remember the feeling   endless possibilities, all the different people and races and sexes and loves. that was her new york chapter. she was so excited to be there. if you never lived there, and especially if you get there and you've got a little money in the pocket, it is so exhilarating. it was me just kind of witnessing her brilliant, fast paced, lyrical wizardry. [co producer] max [martin] and i had a conversation nine months later at the grammys, when we had literally just won for 1989. he kind of laughed, he pointed to all the other producers on the album, and he's like, "if she had, like, three more hours in the day, she would just figure out what we do and she would do it. and she wouldn't need any of us." and i still think that's true. some people are just forces of nature in and among themselves, and she's one of them. she just blew me away. she's the most talented top liner i've ever been in a room with, bar none. if you're talking lyric and melody, i've never been in a room with anyone faster, more adept, knows more what they want to say, focused, efficient, and just talented. i had gone through a pretty dry spell mentally, emotionally. i had just burned it at both ends and tapped out, call it end of 2016. so, really, all of 2017 for me was a blur and a wash. i did a bunch of sessions in the first three months of the year, and then i just couldn't get a song out. i kept having, song after song, artists telling me it's the first single, [then] the song was not even on the album. i had never experienced that in my career. i went six to nine months without finishing a song, which for me is unheard of. andrew watt kind of roped me back into working with him. we did "easier" for 5 seconds of summer, and we did some sam smith and some miley cyrus, and right in that same window, i did this song "sucker." two [or] three months later, wendy goldstein from republic [records] heard the record, i had sent it to her. she'd said, very quietly, "we're relaunching the jonas brothers. they want you to be involved in a major way. do you have anything?" she calls me, she goes, "ryan, do not play this for anybody else. this is their comeback single. it's a no. 1 record. watch what we're gonna do." and she delivered. my memory is, being in lockdown in covid, and just being like, who knows when this is going to end, working out of my airstream at my house. i had done a lot of songs for movies over the years, and [for] that particular [song] randy spendlove, who runs [music at] paramount, called me. i end up zooming with tom cruise [and top gun: maverick director] jerry bruckheimer   everybody's in lockdown during post production. the overarching memory was, holy cow, i'm doing the scene, i'm doing the song for top gun. i can't believe this is happening. but the only way i knew how to approach it, rather than to, like, overreact and s  the bed, was, it's just another day. i do prescription songs for movies, tv, film all the time. i love a brief. it's so antithetical to most writers. i'm either uncontrollably lazy or the most productive person you've ever met. and the dividing line between the two is, if i'm chasing some directive, some motivation, some endpoint, then i can be wildly productive. i just thought, i'm going to do the absolute best thing i can do for this scene and serve the film. onerepublic being the performing artist was not on the menu in my mind. i just told them, "i think you need a cool indie band sounding, like, breakbeat." i used adjectives to describe what i heard when i saw the scene, and tom got really ramped and excited. you could argue [it's the biggest song] since the band started. the thing about it is, it's kind of become one of those every summer [hits]. and when it blew up, that's what tom said. he said, "mark my words, dude. you're gonna have a hit with this every summer for, like, the next 20 years or more." and that's what happened. the moment memorial day happened, "i ain't worried" got defrosted and marched itself back into the top 100. we had "10:35" [with tiësto] the previous year that had been, like, a no. 1 in the uk and across europe and australia. so we were coming off the back of that, and the one thing she was clear about was, "that is not the direction of what i want to do." if my memory serves me correct, "greedy" was the next to last session we had. everything we had done up to that point was kind of dark, midtempo, emotional. so "greedy" was the weirdo outlier. i kept pushing her to do a dance record. i was like, "tate, there's a lot of people that have great voices, and there's a lot of people who can write, but none of those people are professional dancers like you are. your secret weapon is the thing you're not using. in this game and this career, you've got to use every asset that you have and exploit it." there was a lot of cajoling. on that day, we did it, and i thought it was badass, and loved it. and she was like, "ugh, what do we just do? what is this?" so then it was just, like, months, months and months of me constantly bringing that song back up, and playing it for her, and annoying the s  out of her. and she came around on it. she has very specific taste. so much of the music with tate, it really is her steering. i'll do what i think is like a finished version of a song, and then she will push everyone for weeks, if not months, to extract every ounce of everything out of them, to push the song harder, further, edgier   19 versions of a song, until finally she goes, "okay, this is the one." she's a perfectionist. i love [our latest single] "hurt," but my favorite song on the album is called "last holiday." i probably started the beginning of that lyric, i'm not joking, seven, eight years ago. but i didn't finish it 'til this past year. the verses are little maxims and words of advice that i've been given throughout the years. it's almost cynical in a way, the song. when i wrote the chorus, i was definitely in kind of a down place. so the opening line is, "so i don't believe in the stars anymore/ they never gave me what i wished for." and it's, obviously, a very not so slight reference to "counting stars." but it's also hopeful   "we've got some problems, okay, but this isn't our last holiday." it's very simple sentiments. press pause. take some moments. find god before it all ends. all these things with this big, soaring chorus. musically and emotionally and sonically, that song   and "hurt," for sure   but "last holiday" is extremely us sounding. the biggest enemy that we've had over the course of 18 years, i'll be the first to volunteer, is, this ever evolving, undulating sound. no one's gonna accuse me of making these super complex concept albums, because that's just not how my brain's wired. i grew up listening to the radio. i didn't grow up hanging out in the bowery in cbgbs listening to nick cave. so for us, the downside to that, and for me doing all these songs for all these other people, is the constant push and pull of "what is their sound? what genre is it?" i couldn't put a pin in exactly what the sound is, but what i would say is, if you look at the last 18 years, a song like "last holiday" really encompasses, sonically, what this band is about. it's very moving, and emotional, and dynamic. it takes me to a place   that's the best way for me to put it. and hopefully the listener finds the same. 8 memorable super bowl halftime performances that stole the show: kendrick lamar, michael jackson, rihanna & more watch the 2025 grammys premiere ceremony in full sean lennon red carpet interview | 2025 grammys stevie wonder & herbie hancock tribute performance iman jordan red carpet interview recording academy membership grammys advocacy musicares latin grammys grammy museum @ 2025   recording academy. all rights reserved. some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the recording academy and its affiliates. responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the academy and its affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the recording academy and its affiliates.

voters in the inner melbourne seat of prahran will head to the polls on 8 february, electing the successor to sam hibbins, former co deputy leader of the victorian greens. very few artists can boast having such a recognisable style than yayoi kusama. as such, the highly anticipated yayoi kusama exhibition at the national gallery of victoria (ngv) has been packed with visitors everyday since its opening last december. known for her iconic polka dot patterns, pumpkin obsession and immersive rooms, the now 95 year old artist is one of the world’s most celebrated and inspiring individuals in arts and culture. hannah ferguson’s taboo arrived at the perfect time. the book explores a series of taboos around the body, sex, relationships and work. it landed in my hands a couple of months before i was set to graduate and enter the real world outside of my lovely little university bubble. taboo made me feel seen, as a feminist in her early 20s who doesn’t like being told she has to have all the answers to be “right”. student politicians from across australia will this week gather at federation university’s mt helen campus in ballarat to attend the national union of students’ annual national conference for 2024. tamjai mixian (譚仔米線), a beloved hong kong noodle chain, has arrived to melbourne shores. with umami rich flavours from their clear broth to an addictive spicy numbness from their mala soup, tamjai mixian ticks all the boxes for noodle soup lovers. 5 stars!!! irish singer songwriter hozier proves the importance of music as a vessel for hope, while continuing to stun melbourne audiences with his otherworldly vocals and astonishing tallness. a striking treatise on grief, money, family, and whatever comes after us, golden blood takes its audience into the underbelly of singapore where a dysfunctional dyad makes their way through. trigger warnings: racism, private schools (lmao), sexism having received tickets the night before friday’s festival, i was a bit hesitant to attend. the lineup was filled with household name american rappers, like 21 savage, and dance music moguls, like john summit. having never really been a devoted follower of rap, i wasn’t sure if my techno interests were going to clash. however, listen out proved me wrong. three shows. three nights. following their debut, the last supper, cipta’s belonging showcase endeavoured to pose a resonant question to its keen audience: where is home? from singapore to india to australia, the showcase brought much cheer and heartfelt joy to the guild theatre. [this interview was originally broadcast live via radio fodder on 30/08/24. the complete and unabridged interview can be listened to on mixcloud.] in your face grimdark! artists like magdalena bay who are extremely rhapsodic about their craft must be appreciated. in the current era of rampant commodification and mass production of art, there’s intense pressure to conform to this convention to secure success. meanwhile, the magdalena bay duo of partners mica tenebaum and matthew lewin sit above this expected conformity. tw: references to coercive control and domestic violence. trigger warning: violence, murder, small mention of chronic illness. i know which one sounds more fun to me. do you ever just want to kill a bunch of vampire hunters with a hacksaw? slicing and dicing your way through hordes of enemies has a level of satisfaction that can almost completely restore my ruined dopamine levels. especially after getting unnecessarily harsh marks or sitting through a particularly painful lecture. one summer, overtaken by a determination to better my circumstances, i enrolled in a meditation class. ‘it would help my anxiety,’ they told me, and calm the nerves i’d nurtured into adulthood. i settled into the humid room, ignored the middle aged white ladies, and endeavoured to breathe. cw: discussion of addiction and misogyny, references to warfare i went into this movie as a joke, not expecting much out of it, and still found myself thoroughly disappointed. it is truly baffling how a movie this incompetently made is allowed to be shown in theatres. whenever the national gallery of victoria holds an exhibition, i am always excited and eager to go. in the past, the ngv has curated many fantastic exhibits that have never failed to impress. so, of course i had to see the much anticipated pharaoh exhibit. warning: spoilers for before the coffee gets cold, mentions of misogyny, mentions of pregnancy and related death. macbeth: an undoing is malthouse’s fresh revisionist take on shakespeare’s classic text, reframing the story from the perspective of the original gaslighting, gatekeeping girlboss lady macbeth herself. the show takes bold risks that many shakespeare purists would deem sacrilegious, as zinnie harris’ script and matthew lutton’s direction combine to create a daring retelling of a show that could easily be written off as old hat to those traumatised by vce essays. with its third season, fx’s the bear truly hits its stride.the show asserts itself as not a fleeting phenomenon, but a culture defining and truly unique piece of television that employs its breakout success to reach new artistic heights. it goes without saying that ‘beauty and the beast’ from 1991 is one of the greatest disney, if not one of the greatest animated, films of all time. it certainly is to me, having probably watched the vhs more times than i’ve breathed (and having watched the, um, interesting, remake as little as possible). so, hearing that the theatrical production version was returning to melbourne again, i was excited to check it out. cw: death or dying, suicide, references to australian settler colonialism rising’s website describes experimental theatre collective pony cam’s burnout paradise as “a delusional love letter to the labour, recklessness and euphoric optimism that comes before burnout.” those clowns at pony cam successfully captured all of these, with an unforgettable workout that made the most of audience participation. as someone who aspires towards a romantic, idealist view on life, but continually defaults to a sort of rationalist nihilism, much of my tram ride up to st kilda to see reclaim the crone involved considering a sort of openness   prepping myself into a willingness to receive, or surrender to, something irrational, you might say. listen to the street sweeper. thank them for gently blowing out your dream, floating you back into waking life, like falling leaves. look up and feel the crack of dawn softly pierce your eyes. smell the air of the streets, still clean and unused. surround yourself in the materiality of the world. content warning: mentions of body dysmorphia and disordered eating “come with me, and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.” “involve your friends in your art” is a striking statement i recently stumbled across working with like minded people is a reliable way to produce a labour of love and revel in fun. that’s exactly what australian psychedelic rock pioneers jay watson (pond and tame impala’s touring band) and ambrose kenny smith (king gizzard & the lizard wizard and the murlocs) got up to when concocting their collaborative album, ill times. trigger warning: this piece contains continuous swearing, discussions of colonialism, racism and academic gatekeeping, and mentions the transatlantic slave trade. coming off their latest performance at collingwood’s lovely hope st radio (which we wrote about for the magazine), david chesworth and robert goodge, founding members of the legendary melbourne band essendon airport, are in good spirits. "what do you think of ‘the line?’”, my friend, ben, asks of the saudi person sitting next to us. an oud sings out melancholically on stage. i catch eyes with the oud player. i'm excited. he says he doesn't know much about “the line", so they go on to banter about sport, and how we call soccer “soccer”, and they call soccer “football”. streaks of child like wonder, bashful adolescence, angst, relationships, and the crushing realisations of adulthood, 26 by mannik singh is a personal project at heart. there’s something uncomfortable about going to a concert by yourself. it’s the same feeling as going to a restaurant, the beach, or the cinema alone. all these locations carry with them the anxiety (or maybe it’s a desire) that you must be sharing them with someone else. photograph credit: melbourne chamber orchestra it was a real joy to discover underscores, aka april harper grey, was finally set to headline our continent. the san francisco artist’s 2021 debut album fishmonger made waves in the hyperpop scene, and 2023’s wallsocket did that more so by bending indie rock, dubstep, midwest emo, pop punk and all the sort. we got the chance to see her fervent artistry in person, witnessing her interweaving of maximalist rocky electro soundscapes with pensive lyrics and worldbuilding to lose yourself in. photographer credit: tamarah scott photographer credit: bakri mahmoud photographer credit: laura manariti ever wanted macbeth to have more lesbians? what am i saying? everyone wants more lesbians, and melbourne university shakespeare company’s (musc) macbureau gave macbeth the lesbians it sorely missed, with (not at all pointed) critiques of university systems to boot. ‘goodbye julia’ (mohamed kordofani) opens with protagonist ‘mona’ cooking in her large and kept kitchen, making breakfast for both her and her husband. mona lives in khartoum, the capital of sudan. this scene begins quite lonely as mona cuts an onion, with her husband ‘akram’ only entering the room when mona calls him in. despite his presence, there is still a lingering absence in the air. arriving amidst a brief hiatus from her 154 show global phenomenon the eras tour, taylor swift’s ‘the tortured poets department’ annihilated streaming records within a day of release. a whopping thirty one tracks and two hours in length (including its surprise second half, the anthology), tortured poets lives up to its title in a devastating and at times astonishing fashion. trigger warnings: mentions of disability & abuse of disabled people fruitcake is a sweetly satisfying original play by playwright/director jaimee doyle that was shown as a part of the butterfly club’s one act play festival in march. if you made your way down an unassuming alleyway in the cbd, much like the city’s hundreds of alleyways, to the butterfly club’s humble entrance from the 6th to the 9th of march, you would have been treated to an immersive story about burgeoning young love and the challenges of expeditious intimacy. ghost cities and ghost futures: a conversation with siang lu and laura jean mckay i’ve probably been listening to indie rock band the vaccines casually for almost a decade. i’m not sure how i was first introduced, meaning it was probably through the hallowed halls of tumblr, around 2014 to 2018. on the other hand, i confess that i didn’t know of everything everything until earlier this year. on wednesday 15 may, an autonomous group of protesters involved with the gaza solidarity encampment on south lawn initiated a sit in in arts west following a rally that culminated in them renaming the building “mahmoud’s hall”. when i walked into the butterfly club at 10pm on a rainy, mid april wednesday, i didn’t expect to walk out both having seen an entirely naked body and experiencing a euphoric sense of utter self acceptance. content warning: mentions of emotionally abusive and absent parents. minor plot spoilers. trigger/spoiler warnings: mentions of character death and intense imagery ★★★★★/5 the wonder of transporting to somewhere serene is ingrained into tourist’s output. dom lepore does a deep dive into memory morning, tourist's new album. crouched on the squeaky black tiles, the young faces of students screamed the same chants, united, crying for a free palestine. this year, students for palestine organised national demonstrations on the 29th of february and on the 14th of march. university of melbourne staff are set to vote on a new enterprise bargaining agreement (eba) after negotiations between the national tertiary education union (nteu) branch committee and university management reached a breakthrough. the origin of evil, directed by sébastian marnier is an intriguing little movie. i knew, essentially, nothing about this film but i read the synopsis and it seemed like an interesting rendition of an agatha christie esque whodunnit. we follow stéphane, a woman who reunites with her estranged family. she goes to stay with them in their manor on a small french island where everybody knows everybody. but, as she reconnects with them, she discovers that not everything is as perfect as it seems. two plays. two monologues. two real stories. one truth; corrupt governments can no longer hide their sins, and memory and healing can only be done when we face the luka (luka=wound). recently, the provocative inklings (an emerging writing group aimed at writing pieces that spark thinking and a little bit of mischief!) visited melbourne's christmas tree lighting of melbourne. but we all had a different take on what really went down... read on for our honest review of christmas square! with mcmahon’s new album coming up, seeing where she goes from here will be exciting. if her quiet smoothness at northcote was anything to go by, she’ll certainly keep growing and realise her potential as a talented artist. thirty minutes later, phil takes the stage. it’s just him, an electric guitar in his hands with a cord running back to his amp. this is how it will be the entire show. farming is forever bridges sketch comedy and persuasive oration to deliver an impactful message about the environmental catastrophe wrought by the agricultural industrialisation in which we are all complicit, from gina rinehart’s billions to your weekly shopping list. romance novel connoisseur hayley sorts the trash from the treasure. as i’m trying to write up my review for uruguayan author fernanda trías’ novel pink slime (2023), i am drawing a blank and the only words i can think of dissatisfy me: depressing, dystopian, harrowing, tragic, and heartbreaking. they are too common, too cliche to describe a book that is neither. coming off their ‘best in theatre’ fringe win last year for grant theft theatre, pony cam’s new show burnout paradise amusingly harnesses their success to explore the precarity of expectation, and the porousness of actual and theatrical failure. unspooled theatre collective’s ante/medea, produced by arky ryall and running from oct 10 to oct 14 as part of melbourne fringe 2023, delves into medea’s psyche. the right have used the voice to parliament referendum to promote disgusting anti aboriginal racism over labor’s proposal to establish a symbolic advisory body. in a world constantly in flux, where our individual paths to healing seem as intricate and varied as the human experience itself, "irago   이라고   said so" emerges as a compelling exploration of closure, transformation, and community. dear prof. duncan maskell and prof. russell goulbourne, we are writing to you in your capacity as vice chancellor and head of school to try and resolve a grievance issue in the faculty of arts and the university itself. we are hoping that by raising this complaint with you informally, you will be in a position to consider the best outcomes in a timely way. this is consistent with s 5.4 of the university of melbourne student complaints and grievances policy (mpf1066). “i’ve always loved the ideal of the university as a place of learning, as a place of new possibilities...” scott, a doctoral student and casual tutor in the school of social and political sciences, describes witnessing the disintegration of this ideal with “growing horror”. despite initial misgivings in the lead up to the week 6 strike, his concerns over the persistence and precarity of academic work compelled him to take part. beloved australian entertainer jimmy rees, renowned for his fame on giggle and hoot, kicked off his melbourne show with a blend of nostalgia, wit and infectious laughter. i had the opportunity to witness a fleeting glimpse, a captivating student theatre production that delved into the intricacies of human relationships and the pursuit of personal ambitions. you might hear that by going on strike this week, staff are causing harm to students in delaying important processes related to their education. but those of us who work in student services know that it’s university management who are responsible for the crisis we find ourselves in. university of melbourne staff in the national tertiary education union (nteu) have called a campus wide strike next week to force further concessions in bargaining negotiations with the university. the branch wide strike will start with a stop work rally at midday on monday 2 october and run until midnight on sunday 8 october. during this time, nteu members will not be running classes or doing any other work, including communicating with students or planning lessons. with the umsu international elections complete, farrago writer and subeditor rico sulamet sat down with the organisation's newly elected president richard ha to ask some questions about his plans for the year ahead. with the days of strict lockdowns and cautious safety measures seemingly behind us, the university of melbourne has implemented a return to full on campus learning for all undergraduate and most postgraduate courses. for many students, however, this is still not possible; they have spoken out about the difficulties of returning to campus, and their need for online teaching options. have you noticed that something hasn’t quite been the same about your favourite pubs since the pandemic? perhaps the pints are costlier, the menu has changed, the staff’s smiles appear forced and there’s a certain soulless swankiness pervading the room? chances are that the pub has been quietly snapped up by new owners. shivani, 21, moved from india six months ago. in april, she was called in for her first casual job at a kebab joint on flinders street. the marketing graduate was asked by the owner to do 12 hours of unpaid trial shifts before being potentially hired at $18 per hour $3.38 below the minimum wage then. daniel andrews will step down as victorian premier effective tomorrow afternoon, resigning from parliament after nearly a decade in power. in a surprise press conference on tuesday, flanked by his ministerial colleagues, andrews said that his decision to leave parliament had crystallised only recently, explaining that the demanding nature of his job had taken a toll on his wellbeing. preliminary results for the 2023 umsu elections are in, and we now have a good idea of what the union will look like for the next twelve months. spoiler alert: not much has changed. check back throughout the night for the results of this year's umsu elections! your guide to the 2023 umsu general election is here! read all about the candidates and their vision for your student union in 2024. check your student email for your voting link, and don't forget to cast your vote during election week, 4 8 september 2023. a few weeks ago, netflix announced its new documentary, depp vs. heard, set to premiere later this month. the promises made were lofty: to re examine the trial, to analyze the mass hysteria it provoked online, and more philosophically, to “question the nature of truth and the role it plays in our modern society”, whatever the fuck that means. upon seeing the trailer, which i could barely get through, all i could think was: oh god, not again. if it takes two to tango, why does only one have to suffer? there should be more safe and effective methods available for men so that we can all equitably share the contraceptive responsibility. what justifies inadequate dedication of thought to important commitments? must you stand atop a mountain of communicable wealth? or perhaps, on the flip side, be a naked soul a literal naked being without offerings that might interest the common human? vigilantonie probably isn’t going to get us out of the cost of living crisis, but at least she gives you something fun to listen to while you’re waiting for your centrelink to come through. news nonfiction fodder as the barbie (2023) wave swept over australia, acmi’s tribute to its director greta gerwig’s remarkable career from her early mumblecore indie days feels almost nostalgic while offering a refreshing perspective. developed through the ink playwright program and now in its world premiere season at red stitch actors’ theatre in st kilda, monument documents the strictly 90 minute appointment between pm edith (sarah sutherland) and make up artist rosie (julia hanna) in real time as they prepare for edith’s acceptance speech, her first public appearance as leader of the country. broadway’s classic musical guys and dolls (1950) gets a delightful and immaculate revival in this production by the antipodes theatre company. the national union of students (nus) is calling for a more grassroots approach to the ‘yes’ campaign for an indigenous voice to parliament after a heated debate at june's education conference (edcon) forced labor students to concede that the party “[has] botched this campaign.” with david harbour, orlando bloom and archie madekwe taking on the roles of jack salter, danny moore and jann mardenborough respectively, the movie, on paper, looks pretty good. however, much to my disappointment, it did not deliver a satisfying story with nail biting racing sequences that the countless trailers and promotional materials had promised. instead, the movie was filled with choppy editing, horrible pacing and questionable dialogue. while no doubt dripping in intrigue, copenhagen does not exist (2023) attempts to spin a retelling of the story of a missing mysterious girl, but results in a finished product that is best described as an unintentional fulfilment of mulvey’s theory. lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. my sin, my soul. lo lee ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. lo. lee. ta. from its poignant premise and exceptional portrayal of characters by a talented ensemble to its evocative lighting design, bloom has captured hearts and minds and, hopefully, sparked conversations about the challenges faced by seniors in our society. union house is set to become a new science building and several faculty of arts and fmdhs buildings will be redeveloped amongst sweeping changes announced in the university of melbourne's estate master plan. gerwig’s solo directorial debut lady bird has become more or less a staple for contemporary indie cinema. it's a comedy drama with all the classic coming of age tropes jealousy and conformity, awkward sexual firsts and existential dread that gerwig makes so distinctively hers. notice is hereby given of the 2023 university of melbourne student union annual student election. this is your chance to help shape the future of the student union! the collected regrets of clover follows clover brooks, a death doula, as she lives in her late grandfather’s apartment in the bustling city of new york the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. she’s been dealt a brutal set of cards: her parents passed away when she was just six and her grandfather, who had taken on the role of her parents, passed away when she was older. death, as is expected, has permeated every aspect of her life. while doing the melbourne urban history subject this february, one site, batman’s hill, caught my attention. it is a site that has floated in and out of melbourne’s urban consciousness since colonisation. the various activities, narratives and interpretations associated with batman's hill shed light on its historical use, its role in the commemoration of john batman and its appropriation by urban planners in the docklands precinct. the national union of students (nus) has joined with sexual harm advocacy groups end rape on campus (eroc) and fair agenda to call for an independent taskforce to address universities’ failures to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment (sash) on campus. radio fodder's olivia ryan catches up with indie artist chey jordan in support of their first melbourne gig & new single 'narcissist'. away at theatre works is both moving and, at times, muddled. the play’s fractured final sequence moves rapidly from holiday destination to meg’s classroom for the new school year, forfeiting some narrative conclusions. however, stephen tall’s powerful operatic voice and a striking tableau provide a strong culmination, vindicating this poignant production. with tickets selling out minutes after going on sale, it’s safe to say there were more than a few excited guests for singer/songwriter laufey’s (pronounced ‘lay vay’) debut tour of australia. having her first single reach #1 on icelandic radio at only 21 years of age, this budding ‘jazz pop’ artist recently held two concerts in melbourne, and i was among 75 or so lucky ticket holders. the safdie brothers’ bank heist gone wrong film good time, the latest edition to the hear my eyes performance series and part of melbourne’s rising festival, is transformed into an all encompassing experience of the senses with a new soundtrack performed live by big yawn and teether. “last time i was here, it was march 2020” says weyes blood (natalie laura melling) to the crowd that thursday night. a chuckle from the audience follows this in recognition, mostly as she shared how she would wash her hands and face multiple times a day to avoid getting sick. she responds with deadpan delivery, “i guess you could say a lot has changed”. her 2019 song from her album titanic rising, ‘a lot’s gonna change’ starts playing, with a cheer from the audience. australia isn’t exactly an indie rock capital. for us, indie rock evokes one of two images: skinny dudes with long hair trying for some spacey tame impala esque psychedelia or private school kids in wife beaters playing up their australian accents for pub rock anthems. daydream is here to offer an alternative vision of what australian indie can be. melbourne bred indie rock band winnie lane make headlines in the bergy bandroom! this indie band sought to redefine themselves after a change in band members and allowed audiences on the night of the 8th of june to experience a never heard ep for the first time. as the northern hemisphere starts getting hotter, a new season of anime is about to be released. welcome to farrago’s must watch anime of the 2023 summer season! this is a list of some of the upcoming anime coming this season, which ones you should watch or which ones to avoid. these are just my opinions and they definitely hold the absolute truth. harrison interviews eddie ink on his latest classic blues album 'daydream at nightime', a celebration of his sobriety and the organisations "which caters for people on the edges of society". ultimately though, it can’t be denied that euphoria is a beautifully crafted work. sure, it’s probably not going to start a revolution anytime soon but i still enjoyed being drawn into the meandering conversations of its characters and listening to its musical offerings. its attempts to undermine capitalist ideology is certainly admirable but in the end, i just cannot shake the feeling that it can’t put its money where its mouth is. satyagraha (“the truth force”) was held as a one night exclusive opera performance at hamer hall on saturday 13 may. curated by influential composer phillip glass and supported by a star studded cast, including indian born tenor shanul sharma as gandhi, high expectations were set for this opera from the very first brochure advert. for my first opera experience, i went in blind, with limited expectations. on the 1st of may 2023, which also happens to be international labour holiday may day, the writers guild of america (wga) announced a strike. “we have not reached an agreement with the studios and streamers. we will be on strike after the contract expires at midnight,” the wga announced. hearth theatre does an incredible job in retelling one of the most important plays of the 20th century a play where, given the cost of living and inflation affecting us all in the modern day, the notion that we are “worth more dead than alive” has never been more unsettlingly fitting. two hander productions demand a lot from their performers. they’ve got to be able to play a variety of characters, keep the audience’s attention, give 100% without a single break. after seeing the show however, i can think of no two actors more up to this task than noviello and ansell, who demonstrate a skilful balance of pathos and comedy in their respective roles. the game is, above all, fun to play. because the world is so open, every player is going to have a different experience with the game, so you might as well have fun with whatever the game throws your way. why worry about playing “correctly” when you can lose yourself in the ridiculousness of the world of zelda? dan crowley’s debut show fantastic. great move. well done, dan (fgmwdd) at the 2023 melbourne comedy festival skirted the lines of farce and satire, refusing to easily reconcile itself. the university of melbourne has released their 2022 sexual misconduct report, revealing that four staff members have been removed from the university after being found to have committed serious misconduct, but the report remains absent of any actions to combat sexual assault in clubs and residential colleges. on february 6, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast türkiye and northwest syria, resulting in over 50,000 deaths, 130,000 injured, and millions displaced in a sub zero winter. a fortnight later, a third 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck, resulting in an additional 308 casualties. three months later, the situation remains dire. blackgaze heavyweights deafheaven are returning to australia for the first time in over four years for a national tour of our major cities, including two melbourne headliners at max watt’s on may 31 and june 1. hundreds of staff from the university of melbourne walked off the job for a half day strike last wednesday, calling for better pay and job security amid protracted negotiations over a new employment contract. when i first picked up this book, it’s safe to say that the blurb had me expecting a ya romance like never before, set in a fantasy world filled with action scenes and displays of magic that would awe. what i ended up getting, however, was a lukewarm romance (at best) and action scenes that, while fast paced and intriguing at times, were watered down by bad pacing and a lack of build up. lara ricote’s latest show, ‘grl/latnx/def’, is an absolute comedic marvel. describing her show as one for people who can relate to being hard of hearing (“in the ears mostly”), latinx or just anyone “who is or knows a girl,” lara manages to masterfully cover all bases, delivering a show that is somehow incredibly niche but capable of making a diverse audience laugh uncontrollably as she sings about ovarian cysts, kidney theft and “stupid” younger siblings. way, written and performed by sally mckenzie, is a thought provoking piece in its use of live performance, video, and audio elements. i wasn’t expecting the screen to compliment the performance so well. once again, it’s time for heng xu, a chinese international student studying at the australian national university, to remind her internship supervisor to send her feedback about the work she submitted three days ago. at 11am tomorrow, wednesday 3rd may, hundreds of university of melbourne staff will be walking off the job to demand job security and a pay rise to keep up with the rising cost of living. umsu supports this action and encourages students to join in the strike by not going to class. students should instead attend the national tertiary education union (nteu) rally. workers and students are facing a colossal cost of living crisis. while the official rate of inflation is 7%, the rising costs of essential items are much higher. staple foods like cereals are up by 12%, and dairy is up a staggering 15%. the housing crisis makes this much worse; a whopping 331,000 households are in rental stress, and unit rents in capital cities have skyrocketed by 22% in just the past year. a case study on sam smith’s ‘i’m not here to make friends’ recently returned chinese international students are choosing to continue their studies online, over concerns about their level of in person english proficiency. this is despite the chinese government's announcement in january it would no longer recognise foreign qualifications completed virtually. ratbag is a show about stevenson’s late mother, who seems to be what i can only describe as a wonderful and complex woman, and that is a testament to stevenson’s performance and comedy. stevenson uses the formula of dropping a shocking revelation a quarter into his show in an attempt to add gravity to the jokes made earlier and to provide depth to the rest of the show. few can do this well, but stevenson made this his own in what can only be a bravo. the national tertiary education union (nteu) has today taken the first steps in a campaign of protected industrial action against the university of melbourne, initiating a ban on members applying late submission penalties to their students’ work. though she darts occasionally into the wings to retrieve a wig or dressing gown, camilleri fearlessly transitions between characters in plain view of the audience with the quick addition or subtraction of a jumper, a moustache, a hat, etc. this regression to elementary stagecraft will remind you of the dress up box at home, but it’s all the material needed by a comic who has mastered solo stage performance. although atmosphere is clarice beckett’s first major public exhibition held in the geelong gallery, her name is synonymous with the understanding of modernism in australian art. i didn’t know any of this going into the exhibition but i came out a lot more knowledgeable about this history. to put it simply, the show was well done in both curation and execution, but this one oversight has definitely soured the show for many (myself included). delight and incredulity may well describe the show as a whole. vegas residency is costumed as a show about two brothers at vegas; at its heart shines all the fun and creativity of local theatre, delivering borderline absurdist moments and a whole lot of joy. the advertising copy promises that “if you're looking for political satire, cathartic comedy about the chinese australian experience or observations on modern life   this is not the show.” and it isn’t! wan, who has previously appeared across broadcast radio and television, delivered an hour of sketch powerpoint musical comedy where he slipped between personas with ease. notice is hereby given that nominations will open at 12 noon on monday april 3, for the following positions: indigenous representative on student council southbank campus representative on student council members of indigenous committee (5 positions) southbank campus committee (3 positions) burnley campus committee (3 positions 'songs from the heart in the hole of my bottom' is painfully funny, so funny that moments of awkwardness in which you are usually the only one left laughing are eradicated, because the whole audience is similarly struggling to break free from the frenzy. it may be a “silly little show”, but it has the audience effortlessly under its spell from the outset; a spell that doesn’t break at any point throughout their hour long set, even as we’re standing together singing a ballad from the perspective of “decrepit old nuns.” but taking my seat and watching as a brightly coloured gabbi bolt stumbled through the curtains before taking a seat behind her electric piano and declaring herself “fucking unhinged,” i knew i was in for a fun 60 minutes. the urban oasis runway was a standout during the fourth day of the paypal melbourne fashion festival (mff). being the spotlight show of the night, it assembled a remarkable cast of leading and emerging first nations designers. from newly established brands to fashion mainstays, everything was truly a celebration of distinctive australian talent. “where the fuck am i?” is the first mystery of mystery in a blimp and the first words hershall (gabriel partington) utters when he awakes in the bluestone church arts space. the answer is simple this time, but don’t settle down you will be asking yourself “where the fuck am i?” many times in the 80 minutes to come. the university of melbourne has announced the establishment of a new melbourne student forum (msf), which is intended to be a focus group that will listen to student voices. however, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) has expressed concern about the msf and its potential impact on student representation and democracy at the university. the western australian state government will conduct an independent review into the state’s universities to “consider how structural change could strengthen the local university sector and delivery for students,” reopening debates around a potential merger of the state’s universities. protesters gathered at south lawn in support of iranian women on international women’s day on wednesday march 8, as part of a larger global “campus rally for iran.” unsw education officer cherish kuehlmann has accused nsw police of using “politically motivated intimidation” tactics after her restrictive bail conditions on a charge of aggravated trespass were overturned by the court. wildly successful orchestra conductor lydia tár (played by cate blanchett)’s life falls apart when a woman she presumably had a romantic relationship with then blacklisted from the industry commits suicide, and abuse of power accusations cascade. tár (2023), directed by todd field, is a character study that morphs into a psychological thriller, exploring what happens to a woman defined by her art form when the industry turns its back on her. 'the state of the union' is a fascinating dive into the insular world of student politics by covering the 2003 student election at the university of melbourne, one of australia's most prestigious universities. twenty years on from when the documentary was released, it remains a testament to what happens when politics gets ugly. if one was to compare it to the contemporary world of student politics, one can't help but wonder how much has changed. the film therefore serves as the remedy for pearl’s unfulfilled aspirations, a manifestation of the powerful stage presence she never got the opportunity to showcase, shedding light on a slasher villain who will go on to define the genre through a performance that will likely, in turn, define goth’s career. international women’s day is a recognition of the power possessed by all women, not just those that wear sparkly dresses. join the melbourne uni contingent to the national climate strike   12:30pm friday march 17 @ south lawn, parkville campus. living is lovingly sentimental in its performances, as well as the themes and messaging that existed in ikiru. it would have been a feat not to do a remake well. but living is unfortunately too safe and doesn't dare to push far enough beyond its distinctive britishness to stand alone. it is too neat and smooth to delve into the messy reality of human existence tackled by the original. it is simply the british ikiru and, as lovely as that is, it is all it ever can be. the 2023 oscars will hit our screens at 1pm (aest) on monday the 13th of march! in this deep dive, i’ll take you through the context and characters populating each category, who missed out, who’s predicted to win, who i think should win, and some outside films and performances that weren’t nominated but probably should have been (if the academy were a little more adventurous). there’s no doubt that alcohol is at the centre of our social lives, especially for young people. catching up with someone involves “going out for a drink”, the end of the week calls for “friday drink trolley”, and most celebrations include champagne or big nights out. so when i stopped drinking 6 months ago, i was prepared for a change in the way i engaged in social environments. what i wasn’t prepared for was a change in the way everyone around me behaved. in places where strangers congregate, like on a tram, it’s easy to dismiss others as stand ins, mere figures who happen to be standing around us. but what do we do when these strangers need a connection? what happens when bystanders just stand by when someone is in need? night ride, directed by eirik tveiten, poses this question to the audience. my year of dicks is unabashed in its use of cliche that it creates something wholly original, a film brimming with sincere love for its form. it is a rare diamond in a trough of pessimism that you cannot help but hold dearly in your heart. missing (2023), the standalone sequel to searching (2018), takes the current society's roadblocks for thrillers (connectivity, technology, high tech security) and uses them as the main plot device to hammer home the lack of privacy in our world: facetime screens idle on the laptop, smart watches, ring doorbells and cctv cameras to live feeds of popular tourist spots. radio fodder speaks to melburnian indie artist jim alxndr in support of his latest record 'feels worth living for', his creative process and how it's a "reminder that life is cooked and amazing and just so rich”. traveling a million miles to study in another country alone is hard. what’s harder is adapting to a dying classroom culture when easy, effortless, and abundant friendships are the only thing you need to get through it. indeed, it is easy to forget about worldwide disaster once you are in the grip of a classic murder mystery, no matter how typical the “whodunnit” formula becomes. although victoria’s first criminal case of wage theft is set to be heard in february, experts say tertiary institutions are unlikely to be criminally prosecuted under the state’s recently legislated wage theft act. selina zhang reports. there aren’t a lot of directors’ styles that someone who only casually engages with film will recognise more than tim burton. there is a lot to critique about his work especially his casting choices but there is no doubt when people describe a tim burton film as a “tim burton film”, that they are accidentally leaning into auteur discourse. for radio fodder's debut playlist for 2023, here are the hidden gems of the summer that still take us by surprise. showing at la mama hq from the 14th to the 26th of february is acclaimed irish writer edna o’brien’s virginia, a compelling portrait of the intimate life of modernist author virginia woolf (heather lythe). the fair work ombudsman (fwo) has initiated fresh legal action against the university of melbourne over the alleged underpayment of casual staff in the faculty of arts. joel duggan and elizabeth browne report. the fair work ombudsman (fwo) has initiated fresh legal action against the university of melbourne over the alleged underpayment of casual staff in the faculty of arts and the creation of false or misleading records. joel duggan and elizabeth browne report. for the next four days, josh davis and joel duggan will be bringing you all the shouting, scabbing, and paper scoffing from the conference floor, all the way out in the idyllic suburban paradise of waurn ponds. picture this, it’s 2014, and you’ve just turned thirteen. you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of teen youtuber content. you binge watch bethany mota and meredith foster when their usernames were still macbarbie07 and stilababe09, and are convinced that a can of chalkboard paint and a hoard of eos lip balms would solve all your pre teen problems. why do you always leave your assignment to the last minute even though you promised yourself you wouldn't do that again? it's 10 am, and you have a massive assignment due at 11.59 pm that night. have you started? well, no, not yet, anyway. one of the big policies at this year’s student elections was a promise to expand the free tram zone, championed by the rebuild ticket. it was an ambitious proposal that raised eyebrows and raised questions (namely, “how do you plan to do that?”), but it got at something that students care about: the fact that our public transport system does not work for us. for a japanese animation studio that has mastered the art of wholehearted storytelling in children’s films, studio ghibli has never refrained from exploring socio political ideology in its films. themes such as ecology, feminism, cohabitation, religion, war, and capitalism frequently appear in several films such as ponyo, the tale of princess kaguya, spirited away, whisper of the heart, princess mononoke, nausicaa of the valley of the wind, my neighbour totoro and many more. the pink, spherical neon galactic was in a dim rest stage at the moment, and hung, low and shallow, in the sky. running into cults isn’t uncommon in melbourne. you fill in the blanks with your best friend’s complete name written repeatedly over grade school friendship slam books. time stops passing like it does in the outside world and instead sort of hangs in the air, stale and inert. people with multicoloured veins and swollen bellies sleep on the streets, recover from back alley surgeries in gutters. she blinks away frantic winged water boatmen. their dead, waterlogged bodies litter the surface like jewels. progressive arts student suddenly a devout monarchist right before their assessment due date blockbuster became liquorland / asphalt corner grew up / it doesn’t know i still have a child inside rollercoaster rides through sparkling / synths sounding there’s a big black sky / over my town my pearled gaze / will watch that haze mark the soul / will watch it puncture thirty hollow men “a move from the first house to the twelfth.” he paused to read. “if you acquiesce, you’ll have strange times.” so i write this elegy not / for them; / but for the spaces left in the dust on my mantelpiece witch jail sure gets boring. fortunately i will be released soon but not before they take my ability to do magic! i imagine the patter will sound like a baptism. / or at least, it will sound. can you still remember / when we all stepped / in, and left our / shoes be  / hind / ? she liked to make me dance / led me soapy / to the balcony / i grew up thankful, violet haired the marrow vibrates verbena, neon pink, the cast of sickly skyscrapers and long drives during witching hour. how do we as writers create a character’s voice that is interesting and engaging, relatable and likeable? twitter realises that elon musk is actually that one flaky friend we all have my breast is wet / with wine and droops / like a greyhound’s tongue / the nipple expectant as / pursed lips a gentle woodsmoke trails to / where the grass is frozen silver / at the edge of memory / on the edge of town i am from yelling, barking, laughing / i am from european birch outside my window / i am from stiff wool skirt there’s a duality to conversation around that country; a space imagined as both sublime, and ugly. but i would deify the wanton flesh / and drink the carnal poison to avoid / the cherub’s arrow pointed at my chest. a charlatan’s promise: a tongue edged with rust / has a way with its words that bewitches the mind. twirling of colours of / red and blue and black and blue / aurora would weep if she saw this she often wondered at what point the owner would concede. the place had mortal wounds and it was simply a matter of time. time for cheese to truly do its thing! i am now going to show y’all how to do the impossible: stop time. god is pretty god is a real hunk / dressed in all black / god thinks i’m sexy i know it / like / bitter sugar burn blue wells  / a billion hues / i know you, without knowing you. winter is here. / waifs and mudlarks turn angels in the snow, so / our little joke goes. when lustre dripped / from my fingers / they blanched like it was blood. i felt as though there were tens of rows of nipples staring out from the shelf by my right ear. he’s a handsome thing, with a glowing smile that softens his sharper, more intimidating edges. writing horror represents a mastery of controlling and releasing tension. vegan destroys entire democratic system by refusing democracy sausage she rode off into the sunset: just a girl and her horse, and a saddlebag full of gold. i am the cowboy, the not so lone ranger marching through the smoke, triggered by intuition, my personal firing range. what do the parties and candidates say about arts and events in victoria? what do the parties and candidates say about policing and legal reform in victoria? what do the parties and candidates say about housing in victoria? dominique jones gives you the rundown on one of the most interesting contests in this election. what do the parties and candidates say about energy in victoria? he was staying alone at the inn for two more nights. the waitress was rushed and mistook his calmness for arrogance. with the palm reader lines / surging upwards with vitality, / landing on half moons that / disappear when pressed. dewy fractals spill / from stone white cherubine mouths, / fall gently downwards. the awkward dawn stretch. / the minute before when / he ain’t a man, just / a matchflame within someone’s reach. and i am clean, / by this squat brick stack i am clean. / as aluminium scuffed rust / am i clean. everything was familiar to him ... it was well loved, like the spine of a book read dozens of times. the lamb, suckling on the statue of liberty / closes its fist / against girlhood / against desert kingdoms what do the parties and candidates say about healthcare in victoria? farrago's resident policy wonk benjamin cronshaw reports. the cow’s wail wafts ghostly / in life. in death, / it breathes on the air, / odourless, a clean tongue. above the line voting? below the line voting? group voting tickets? preference whispering? abbey saxon breaks it down. abbey saxon gives you the political rundown on melbourne's most (in)famous inner northern suburb. two elections? in one year? thalia blackney is here to let you know what you're voting for on the 26th, and how the victorian state election actually works. i’m in bed on hinge. i scroll through a couple of photos on a profile and then hit the cross in the bottom left corner. my thumb is so accustomed to this that i don’t even have to look down to find it just scroll and tap. scroll and tap. profiles blur together, faces become unrecognisable. i shudder: is this normal? or is this doing irreparable damage to my brain? probably both. we are deep within the entropy of hyper casual mobile gaming. new apps are uploaded every single second, often as previously created games just with a new colour scheme. the creative bankruptcy of these developers is increasingly obvious, so how do they lure people in to download their apps? the animal crossing franchise’s cosy aesthetics and relaxed gameplay have enjoyed wild popularity, especially since the release of their newest title, animal crossing: new horizons for the nintendo switch. for the uninitiated, the premise of animal crossing is simple: you are a friendly town resident with friendly animal neighbours, and you are free to fill your days with decorating, gardening, fishing, catching bugs, and generally just leading an idyllic and idle life. in this final column, i want to have a look at a few examples of some stories on screen and in literature that seem to play into stereotypes about autism only to subvert or otherwise complicate them in interesting ways. i will mainly draw on the opening episode of the aforementioned netflix series, and the first book in the wonderful the murderbot diaries series written by neurodivergent author martha wells. the crowd trickles in and out of lines, lips dulcet and candied, breaths loud and permeating. ormond college student “too poor” to pay for uber home focus on the earth as if it is the one moving. are you falling away? is it rising away from you? physics says it’s both. neon lights groan to life as they crawl out of hiding. leaning in from the edges, their eyes slide across your body. is it the toasted sugar kisses? / or when we waltzed in the kitchen / to spring’s symphony? i’m running on empty, and my noggin’s got nothing. it’s a condition you are likely all too aware of: brain fog. “she had light, auburn hair and perfect teeth.” he saw her projected onto the screen of the cold smoked car window. and i wonder, / is this my first lesson in buoyancy / against the cavalry of weeks? summer slips through the air, greasing the asphalt and flushing skin pink. we were the smell of each other, the glandular oil, the acned sweat, the small of the neck smooth and vaguely feminine. my body blooms / though not so much my body / as much as my liver / or maybe my stomach our final girls have heaven now / botox, cloud houses, miniature ponies, swimmer’s bodies you feel her trace the moles carved into the shallow of your skin like they’re constellations. echoes of the universe outside passed, barely perceptible, into the world of their intimacy. if you live in melbourne or anywhere really you’ll be aware of the rise of disposable vapes and their many enthusiasts. whether you’ve taken it up yourself, or simply walked through billowing clouds of lush ice on chapel street, there is no doubt that iget, hqd, vaporlax and puff bar have well and truly settled down in melbourne. bitches love monkey grip. and by bitches, i mean me, and every other indie kid and/or english/creative writing major in the greater melbourne area. but we have good reason. laughably and painfully accurate extensions, huh? you can’t really get through uni without needing one at least once, but boy do they make it an absolute fuckfest of a process. the professor becomes judge, jury and, in the event your pleas are insufficiently desperate, executioner. those of us who have been subjected to feminine beauty standards will remember with some contempt the ‘instagram makeup’ look of 2016. pomaded, arched brows, full coverage foundation, and cheekbones painstakingly carved out of setting powder were the daily uniform. i stewed in envy when i overheard a girl in my 10th grade english class mention that she woke up at 4 am to get the look down every day like it was nothing, just what was expected of her her duty. i’m fidgeting in a swivel chair as we wait for craiyon, formerly known as dall e mini, to spit out images for the text prompt: “philosopher jean paul sartre wearing a green crochet bonnet, photorealistic”. it became apparent to late writer mark fisher that around the mid 2000s, electronic music as a genre had failed to produce a new innovation. in the time since, electronic music failed to progress past tropes and stylings that had already been explored in the twentieth century. to some, this may simply sound like the bemoaning of an older generation that “music just isn’t as good as it used to be.” we’ve all seen her, in some way or another, in some time or place. the illusive walk, the ethereal mystique, the silent charm that draws you in. the internet calls her the “cool girl”, but really, it seems to be increasingly more difficult to try and pin down the qualities that make her “cool”. as of september 2021, abortion practices have been legalised under australian law nationwide. it’s been a long journey, from the criminalisation of all abortion through the 1861 offences against the persons act; to the menhennit ruling 1969, which legalised abortion only in cases of physical and mental necessity; to the removal of abortion from the crimes act 1900 through the abortion law reform act 2019. i loved high school. i loved my teachers and my friends. i loved immersing myself in my subjects and my role as college captain. i loved the validation of a productive workshop session with a teacher or a good grade. i loved the awards ceremonies and the public acknowledgement that, academically, i was thriving. but just like that. after 20 years of nothing but constant support. this is how the north melbourne football club treats me. i’ve been working out since i was in my early teens. not always consistently, and very rarely well, but i grew up with a very conscious desire to either get in or stay in shape. but, as far as i knew, being ‘in shape’ just meant doing cardio. and lots of it. i can still remember where i was the first time i heard ‘everything i own’ by bread. i remember who with me at the time and what the sun felt like as it streamed in through the window in the backseat of my mum’s car. i remember the instant love i felt for it, the sadness in knowing that i might never find a song that made me feel the same way, and the gratitude for how lucky i was to have stumbled across a song i knew would be a special part of my life forevermore after that first listen. you may have heard recently that the curtin hotel is closing down. an iconic pub, a popular live music venue and a go to watering hole for melbourne unionists for the past century   thrown to the dogs because it was unable to sustain itself financially through the pandemic. however, all is not lost for the curtin, because the unions of victoria are set to declare a ‘green ban’ on the pub’s demolition. isekai: a blight genre that consistently plagues seasonal anime releases. as a genre, it tends to be about as trashy as it can get. and yet, its everlasting presence suggests that somebody out there is consuming this stuff in enough quantity to sustain the entire market. i’ll be honest, it’s been real weird watching incel manosphere stuff enter public consciousness from its isolated internet origins. before, i’d been watching interviews with incels and browsing through their subreddits much like watching a car crash, inevitably ending in the subreddit getting banned for sexism (big surprise). now ‘incel’ gets used synonymously with ‘sexist dudes’ whilst we have ironic sigma male memes riffing off manosphere phrenology. university of melbourne students are devastated by the cancellation of their beloved wednesday farmers’ market. chalk protests reading “vca & mcm pay your staff” were splashed with water during an open house melbourne tour. the university of melbourne student union will be required to pay the university almost $400,000 in property outgoings. historically, posters have long been used as an art form to persuade readers on a whole range of positions. think uncle sam demanding you enlist into the army or rosie flexing her muscles encouraging us girls to help with the war effort. suppose there’s one skill i’ve mastered studying history and politics for this long; it’s the ability to overanalyse the purpose and message of these posters. but are they actually effective? let me set the scene: you are deep in the last of melbourne’s 2021 lockdowns, sitting on the couch scrolling through tiktok when you see someone wearing a fresh, cool, unique piece of clothing. envisioning how trendy you would look if you wore it too, you rush to google, locate and secure the item on an impulse. however, in the time you spend waiting for australia post to deliver it to your door, you have seen the item worn by 56 different people, on 4 different social media platforms. since tiktok exploded, its effects on music (look at the grammys nominations), clothes (search up ootd) and trends, in general, have been seen everywhere. it is the world’s fastest growing social media app used by more than 1 billion people worldwide with roughly 7.38 million australian users. with half of its users under 30, tiktok is central to many lives. we spend days on end scavenging for books, reading letterboxd reviews, and creating shopping carts that are never purchased, only to discover that the author is a terf, the film’s director has been accused of sexual assault, and the clothing brand relies on unpaid labour or in my case, that bon appétit magazine, creator of the binge worthy youtube series “gourmet makes,” has exploited its workers of colour. capitalism the economic system that manifests in the free market, structural wealth inequalities and the pursuit of economic advancement at all costs meets crisis a moment of surging conflict, of irrepressible chaos and change. what could possibly go wrong? there comes a time in everyone’s life when you are forced to throw out your favourite pair of shoes. no amount of duct tape, superglue or staples can keep them together anymore. and as much as these shoes have become a part of who you are, deep down you know. it’s time to move on. on that note, it is with a heavy heart that i announce that on february 17, 2022, i had no choice but to discard my white canvas sneakers. the pervasive desire for “preventive” cosmetic procedures within the younger generations was brought to my attention during a recent visit to the dermatologist. my doctor expressed her concern for children as young as fifteen, most of whom were accompanied by a guardian of legal age, who were coming in to request facial fillers or body augmentations, such as lip and cheek fillers or rhinoplasties. why are such young individuals seeking such procedures? in australia, we live plentifully and can choose whatever cuts of meat we desire most. our socio economic conditions do not ask for rationing or a major rethink of our diets. the only major impact on our diets in recent memory has been the failure of supply chains during covid 19 to give consumers what they want. selecting offal is a choice, not a necessity but it should be considered as much as our chicken breasts or pork chops. it’s been 42 years since the demise of the pram factory. still, the legacy of that shambolic factory turned warehouse turned theatre continues to loom large in carlton's history and australian culture. the pram factory was an alternative theatre that operated in carlton through the 1970s. it was the home of the australian performing group (apg), an experimental ensemble that sprouted from la mama theatre before setting up shop at the pram in 1970. meet hibatallah (hiba) adam (she/they), a second year juris doctor student, and the umsu presidential candidate for ‘community for umsu’. as the news of prime minster albanese’s election spread across the world saturday night, the customary congratulations from australia’s allies rolled in, wishing the new pm and his labor cabinet well for the future. collingwood yards: 35 johnston street, collingwood, embedded in melbourne’s inner northern suburbs. a series of vast brick and concrete structures pushed up against a narrow footpath, rimmed by neon lights a new, surprising and innovative community arts space. somewhere along the way, collingwood yards became synonymous with a particular crowd bleached cap wearing, bike riding, savers shopping young people leading to plentiful instagram discourse poking fun at the yard’s regulars. in the song “time escaping”, the opening bars of percussion clatter reluctantly into view, as if someone’s dropped a pair of sticks down a slightly confused slope. you can hear adrianne lenker sigh and cough a little; then, a second rhythm, overlapping. the first time i heard it, i felt turned around and faintly bewildered. they were going somewhere i wasn’t sure i’d be able to follow. dear diary, i’m tired of the city life, summers on the run, people tell me i should stay, but i’ve got to get my fun. my brother is trying to teach me to drive a manual car; we go around and around the empty lot down at the local high school. when i was younger, my band teacher taught us a trick on the snare drum, where you throw the drumstick in the air and catch it again without interrupting the drumbeat. he said if you have the coordination to do this, you have the coordination to drive a manual car. ‘mothering sunday’ (dir. eva husson) is a period drama in the most unconventional sense   both the viewer and the characters hardly know what time and era they’re supposed to be in. hollow knight is a behemoth in the indie games’ scene, lauded worldwide as “the metroidvania to end metroidvanias”. created by the adelaide based team cherry, it follows the adventure of the unnamed knight as you explore the wretched ruins of the underground kingdom of hallownest. representations of neurodivergence in fiction rarely invite the viewer into the perspective of characters who experience the world differently. instead, they portray the world through the lens of the oft neurotypical creator watching from the outside. i want to look at a few examples of narratives where the aesthetic choices made by the writer or director puts audiences in the head of the neurodivergent protagonist, thus allowing viewers to experience their unique mindset and empathise with them nearing completion of its first run at the state theatre in arts centre melbourne, 9 to 5: the musical has had no trouble enticing audiences with the lure of dolly parton and a stage cast of beloved australian performers. unfortunately, this success isn't enough to overlook the glaring problems of a half baked story lacking real depth. the wind pulls my hair / out from behind my ear / onto my face and so i set down / my book and push my hair back now its blue grey rocks were pocked and waterstained, and a wooden board covered the opening. the city of light gets brighter and brighter / as they wait for the king’s arrival what about the tales now whispered in apartment buildings around a bowl of popcorn at 2am? will they too become myths? “medusa!” he yells. “gorgon medusa!” frightful ruler! greek words, easy on his tongue. all these heroes are greek. mud caked and defeated / we rove over a country choked / into submission. it is no exaggeration to say that the university of melbourne is one of the largest breeding grounds for leftist thought in the country. for those of us who have been on campus walked past the columns plastered with protest posters, been a part of tutorial discussions (particularly within the arts faculty), socialised with fellow students this statement needs even less justification. yet, unimelb’s most far left political group, socialist alternative (socalt), seems to be its most hated. the so called “material girl” lifestyle is a phenomenon that has circled tiktok foryou pages since november 2021. the hallmarks of this trend be it a brightly coloured telfar bag, a pair of $900.00 airpods max or a head to toe lululemon ensemble assure us that ultimately, shopping can be empowering and wealth is equal to success. however, with the rising criticism of overconsumption, we are left with the question: does an ethical version of a “material girl” exist? in a world overwhelmed by praise and adoration for characters such as phoebe waller bridge’s fleabag and those in the sally rooney literary universe, it can be difficult to distinguish redeemable, commendable behaviour from the not so. written so eloquently and with such realistic qualities, myself and others, particularly female, audiences and readers have found it refreshing to gravitate towards such characters, identifying with their flaws and feeling the weight slowly slip off our shoulder as a generation of media consumers, we have, in one way or another, encountered the australian classification and ratings system. you know, that little prohibitive green/yellow/blue/red/black box in the corner of the dvd or video game case you had growing up? chances are that since you turned 18, you haven't given those ratings much thought. after all, they hardly apply to you anymore, or maybe they never did (especially for the more rebellious readers). when you think of science fiction, what comes to mind? aliens? sheldon cooper? that trope where a condescending male character spews scientific jargon, only to be asked to repeat themselves “in english, please”? space as “the final frontier”? we operate in a time where attention is a commodity, dispensed by live streamers and ravenously sought after by audiences. livestreaming culture has been struggling with obsessive audiences for years now   this video from 2020 is an excellent description of how these cultures came into being. while there has been extensive writing on parasociality from podcasting and live streaming before, few discuss how these bonds are constructed. upon learning of my southern derivation, the inevitable question would follow: “what’s there to do in adelaide?” one way or another, every australian capital city has come to embody an archetype. if australia were a john hughes film, casting each capital city would be easy. somehow, adelaide has a reputation for being a hopelessly provincial pseudo city trapped at the arse end of australia. january air is amniotic. / february will come like a birth or excision. while everyone was in europe, i was in council. to wring a dry cloth / on cracked soil / under the ablaze sun. tityrus, you recline beneath a screen / of spreading beech and dwell upon the woodland / muse with slender reed the watermelon dwarfs the little fridge it’s displayed on, green rind overtaking white plastic. student who submitted timetable preferences during their “new year, new me” phase now holding back tears in 8am tute. the media have adopted a wait and see approach towards the new labor government, particularly concerning the climate. director m. night shyamalan has become something of a joke among film fans. following the smash success of the sixth sense in 1999, he briefly became hollywood’s golden boy, gracing the cover of newsweek magazine in 2002 along with the moniker “the next spielberg”. yet, he fell just as quickly, releasing a series of commercial and critical flops that destroyed the goodwill he had accumulated with his first three major features. round white headlights. an even rounder exterior. metallic blue doors and black rubber tires. scratched but intact side lamps. worn fabric seats, peeling at the sides to expose yellow foam. seven year old chathu stared at the unfamiliar object, a tiny blue second hand nissan micra with headlamps and grills that gave it the curious face of a two year old child. “it’s our new car,” her father said proudly, the beams of the sun glinting off his bald head mirrored in the smile he gave her. my interest in the contemporary melbournian pub began with an expensive northcote parmigiana. as i tapped my card to facilitate the transfer of $26 from my bank account to the eftpos machine, i found myself wondering whether a pub meal was always this expensive. sure, the cost of a chicken parmigiana must cover the price of ingredients, and the labour of preparing, cooking and serving the meal. thousands of people took to the streets of melbourne’s cbd on saturday, protesting in solidarity against the overturning of the landmark roe v wade ruling by the us supreme court. ben's back: electric boogaloo. ben's back. are these women just manifestations of white feminism who were brought forward on the premise of climate change and transparency? six, possibly one of the most important musicals of our generation, has finally arrived in melbourne, after originally being set to reign over the comedy theatre’s stage two years ago, before delays due to covid 19. six is the brainchild of students toby marlow and lucy moss, who created the glitzy pop musical across 10 non consecutive days in the hopes of providing a platform for the musical talents of their female friends, and to rewrite how women are being portrayed in theatre. it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that ignited creative expression. the movement began further blurring the answer burnley goes ham with motions. where is sami? we sent two farrago writers to an improv show. they gave us different reviews. just a song into the concert, she tunes her guitar and within moments, a string breaks. pov: you're realising why you should have made that list of preferences. so, first question why do we have preferential voting, and why does it matter? it has come to my attention that even in a country with preferential voting, ideology and voting preferences don’t always align as one (me) might assume. victorian socialists candidate jerome small is up for calwell this coming federal election. he spoke to farrago about climate policy, labour rights, and the challenges for victorian socialists in the upcoming election. here is a brief summary of where six former australian prime ministers stand in the 2022 federal election. what do the parties and candidates say about healthcare in australia? what do the parties and candidates say about the uluru statement or other policies to support indigenous australians? australians, all / i do not believe that the colour of one’s skin determines whether you are disadvantaged. / let us rejoice / it wasn’t a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels, either. how are each of the parties doing on gender representation? and what are their records and key policies on gender equality and women's safety? what do the parties and candidates say about national security issues? i have attempted to make a linkedin profile twice in my life. i am named after the first woman in space, valentina tereshkova. this is usually my go to “fun fact about myself” i have tucked away for the first week of uni classes; a simple and easy answer to most ice breaker questions. poor selina, she had to watch the whole debate. allegra gives us her opinions again! with the rising housing market, renting, or buying a house has been increasingly unaffordable or precarious for many australians. you read the title. fighting? in your students' council? it's more likely than you think. what do the parties and candidates have to say about education or supporting students? there’s an element of excitement to a candidate not tied to a party line. i quite like the idea of voting independent. it is empowering. this week we are looking at environment and climate change. what comes to mind when you read the word “cottagecore”? is it images of flowing streams, thatched roofs and knitted cardigans? or is the word utterly foreign to you? unlike its contemporary counterparts, cottagecore looks toward the past and embraces it. it takes aspects from a bygone era and repackages them to appeal to the present day. the pay gap between men and women in australia’s workforce averages 14.2 per cent, according to the 2021 census. this figure represents the weekly discrepancy between men’s and women’s earnings in full time work, accounting for careers and industries all across the board. not ideal, but hey it could be worse, right? novak djokovic. world no. 1 tennis player. his whole saga about trying to enter australia without being vaccinated made global headlines. it turned out almost like a soap opera. he was initially refused entry despite having a permit, for which he successfully appealed. yet the government once again rejected his entry, so he appealed once more but ended up being deported. various news outlets either condemned or condoned australian laws. so, what happened? we all have those films that we watch and think, ‘why doesn’t everyone watch this movie all the time?!’ perhaps it’s fallen by the wayside in the decades since it was released, or is an un streamed masterpiece slowly being forgotten? so, here are the criminally underrated films we would die for from the non fiction staff writing team at farrago. they keep words from children, so i had no name for what i was until puberty had finished with me. this language is narrow, and strains under even a little stretch. we confuse the plural pronoun, confuse it more when we apply it to flesh. for my part, i have a body that doesn’t announce itself: one of those faces that carried adolescence into the third decade, and hair long for a boy but short for a girl. if i were to pass a pair of strangers, i could be man to one, and woman to the other. the discourse accusing this so called ‘student aesthetic’ of fetishising poorness has surfaced within the past year on social media (especially tiktok) and in conversations between students on and off campus. along with the atrocities of the second world war came a total distrust of how we as humanity can communicate with each other. in that vein, operation mincemeat opens with the idea that there is a ‘seen’ war and a ‘hidden’ war. this duality between seen and unseen, between trust and distrust, and ultimately between hero and villain, is perhaps what this biographical war drama truly aims to showcase   and it achieves this to varying degrees of success. you don’t have to be a “nerd” to enjoy good ol’ role play an underreported side effect of the pandemic has been the effect of widespread insecurity on people’s sense of self. in their 2021 study, researchers gibbons and thorton found that the changing social environment of the pandemic allowed people to “experiment with how they express their identity”. with this widespread focus on self improvement throughout the pandemic, it is perhaps unsurprising that an increased number of young people have experienced qualms about their gender identity. “that’s sweet,” a friend of mine said when i told her. “it is,” i replied. “it’s the kind of sweetness you sometimes get with kids that’s somehow even sweeter for the tang it has of morbidity, emily carr presents a one woman tour de force, a beautifully blunt exorcism of unrealistic expectations as captivatingly honest as it is tumultuously hilarious. nominated in 2018 for best comedy at the melbourne fringe festival for her work queenz and performing regularly with the mystery radio theatre company, this is her debut solo show. and what a show it is   emily carr presents beige bitch with such infectious energy and charisma, taking her audience on a journey through carefully crafted should our mistakes define us? the dogmatic dominion of ‘cancel culture’, perpetuated by its re tweeting apostles, has spread from social media fodder to become ubiquitous in real life relationships. in brendan black and martin chewell’s play empathy training, shown at the la mama theatre as a part of the melbourne international comedy festival, this contemporary philosophy of ‘cancelling’ is pulled apart and prodded in comically genius and thought provoking ways. audrey diwan’s happening is a simple film. set in 1960s paris, the story focuses on heroine anne duchesne (anamaria vartolomei), who leads a seemingly unremarkable life as a 20 year old student trying to pass her entrance exams for university. the costumes, setting, and actors themselves are unglamorous, almost plain. when one thinks of it, it’s almost strange that diwan’s no frills approach is directed toward the magnanimous subject of abortion. this, however, may be the point. the conversation continued like a river, energetically rolling on before slamming into rocks and getting redirected. kasey lifted the bottom of her mask just enough to slip a popcorn kernel onto her tongue for winona to nibble on. it was the third consecutive night of video calling when i decided i’d had enough. the nightclub on collins street had no official cloakroom, and the alcohol saturated crowds began shedding their jackets: dancing with silk over their arm, a sleeve dangling by their knee. come 21 may, every eligible australian will go to the polling booths and cast their vote in the federal election. however, you must be enrolled to vote. written and directed by isabel coixet, it snows in benidorm is as unreasonably beautiful in its imperfections as it is refreshing in its film elements, despite the dull and reclined protagonist we are introduced to. this is an exhilarating masterpiece, from the quirky and mysterious characters that populate its woefully dreamy world to the ever transient scenes at the beach to the unique sectioning of the film into ten types of weather. young aussies are being significantly under screened for sexually transmitted infections (stis), with sexual health assistant app “geni” reporting that 28 per cent are skipping out on essential sexual health checks. in an hour long video released in october 2021, mark zuckerberg expounded about what the rebrand of facebook inc. envisioned for the internet’s future, discussing innovative ideas and concepts in the realms of entertainment, education, business, and surprisingly privacy. jane, whose name has been changed to maintain her anonymity, was raised in the spiritual tradition of falun gong. it is one of many new religious movements (nrms) that emerged from the qigong boom of late 20th century china. the prc’s policy of state atheism had seen many traditional religions wiped out. still, qigong was accepted because it was considered a form of chinese medicine that used meditative exercises to refine one’s health. where do we learn to be feminists? how do we learn to be feminists? for many of us, it’s not as simple as picking up a book by virginia woolf or attending a university lecture on gender studies. and yet, these are some of the stereotypes by which we have come to qualify feminist identification. of course, there’s nothing wrong with studying feminist literature, or attending feminist lectures, but such academic resources should not be the only means of ‘learning’ feminism. here's why. i encounter the bitcoin boy far later than most others. his devotion to the world of bitcoin makes him easy to poke fun at and he is quickly compacted into an unflattering archetype. over time, bitcoin boy becomes easy to spot in both online spaces and real world interactions. over time, bitcoin boy also becomes wealthier. as of today, farrago magazine, australia’s oldest student publication, will cease operations under the current four editors. we knew of this crisis in the ‘70s, and these strikes began in 2018. a whole pandemic has occurred, a generation of strikers have graduated, and we still haven’t had meaningful climate action, let alone justice. they don’t look anything alike. they’re simply two cats, existing separately but parallel in my mind. car crash simulation straight out of heaven / and you, in the driver’s seat (jesus take the wheel!) “a ring is a promise,” evangeline’s mother told her as she sat upon her knee. sweetness wasn’t alone / when it flew out your window, / for some dusty sorrow hung soon after. i’ve been drowned / by my own brother. tonight / he comes from a sailor’s grave / with a makeshift lantern. earthworms / don’t have eyes, but they have light  / sensitive receptors in their skin. especially their front end. the invitation comes as a surprise; somehow it always does. the late music industry lecturer ed montano wrote in 2010 that “the dj will always have a role in club culture”. more than a decade later, technological advances have fully digitised the dj’s tools, prompting the idea that the dj themselves could soon be digitised. an automated, artificially intelligent dj could be an easily achievable cost reduction for venues  so why hasn’t the dj been automated? i know, i know. we’re literally a whole year and an ocean away from the trump administration. really, this is something i had forgotten about at least until i realised that i stopped having to manoeuvre family interactions around it. thinking back on it, it was a bizarre experience seeing as how before 2019, anything resembling “politics talk” from my grandmother was unthinkable. never see your favourite artists live: a concert review of lisa mitchell’s ‘zombie’ single launch at the corner hotel we arrive at the bustling corner hotel band room, bee lining for the gap at the front. the crowd is a mix of: 1. other twenty something girls who have grown up on a diet of missy higgins, charlie & lola, the rainbow magic series and hand me down stripey toe socks and 2. the cool parents responsible for introducing them to albury local indie pop songstress, lisa mitchell australia is a hot place. semi tropical new south wales is especially so. in 1965, very few people could afford to build their own swimming pool. the public pool was more than a quaint site of pre adolescent fun but a public necessity. public pools also belonged to that collection of spaces which formed the social fabric of a country town. for white patrons at least, they were neutral grounds on which to meet. for others, they became a battleground. for those of you who have been keeping up with the university’s updates, you may be aware of the upcoming student precinct that is currently reaching its final stages of construction. a live music event that promises to be entirely accessible and inclusive for people living with a disability is attempting to change the music landscape for attendees and artists alike. what the fuck is test cricket and why is it so complicated? with the prospective return to on campus life in 2021, students have called for more variety and non academic elements in the student life programs to better support first year undergraduates. australia’s largest philanthropic donor to medical research snow medical has suspended the university of melbourne from their snow fellowship program. on 9 november 2019, warlpiri man kumanjayi walker was shot three times dead by police officer zachary rolfe. he was only nineteen. union house’s george paton gallery (gpg) is currently home in the truest sense of the word to curator steph markerink’s exhibition domesticated. i walk a lonely road... you’re in a large room filled with many seats. to avoid any confusion, you made sure to get into your assigned seat early, or maybe you arrived right on time. other people filter in and walk past you trying to find their row. the lights seem to be dimming, but you’re also not sure if they are. you may call this place the cinema, the movie theatre, the silver screen, or the pictures. what happens next has the power to profoundly affect you  if you allow it. one night in august 1993, kelly cahill awakens from a lapse of unconsciousness, unable to recall the events that had taken place just minutes beforehand. her life was about to change forever. on a night some 29 years later, mostly untouched by the story of kelly cahill and her legacy, i sit watching ‘paul’ with my mum, pondering what my dad has always told me about the extra terrestrial happenings in the area in which we live, and yet feeling entirely detached from it. over the past few years, i’ve witnessed friends, family and now even myself fall victim to a sickening trend. what started (i can only assume) as a simple grammatical mistake, has since taken over the entire internet. but maybe, this disturbing phenomenon is actually for the best. soft, dark and haunting. kiwi artist julius black is back on the alt pop scene with his latest ep, “together we go down in the dark”, an episodic visage of one’s descent into a toxic love induced madness. it has been a big few weeks, my worst new year’s ever. students at the victorian college of the arts (vca) are calling on the university of melbourne to “commit to stronger policies and actions when it comes to sexual assault”, after the university ignored multiple reports which detailed alleged sexual and racial harassment by a male student as far back as 2019. marvel has released another action packed, complex and thrilling film, and with it, we have been given another piece of the marvel cinematic universe (mcu) puzzle. the first instalment of the fantasy and science fiction appreciation society (fasfas)'s review column, 'eternals' on its surface, greg lobanov’s chicory: a colourful tale is the poster child for escapist video games. chicory is a colouring book turned video game, complete with zelda inspired puzzles, metroidvania elements, and fun side quests… all of which combine to create a disarmingly devastating commentary on what we are taught to want, as opposed to what what we actually need. the first instalment in aries' column, 'unwriting the hero's journey in chicory: a colourful tale' 8351 kilometres and two planes later. a sudden loss of heat and humidity. hands nervously twisting together. breathing hitched and shallow. six year old chathu looked out at her new classmates, her eyes slightly shielded by a heavy black curtain fringe. a sea of children stared at her; seated together, their heads looked like a patch quilt; every shade of brown, red and yellow. the first instalment of chathuni gunatilake's column, 'a whole new world' the old percolator makes about a mug and a half. performing with busted chops is like drinking a shot of fireball and eating a pineapple. in drama school, the question of what it means to be a good actor ultimately becomes an inquiry into what it means to live a fulfilling life. gone are the days where rock bands were such an ip in and of themselves that they warranted their own movie. that is precisely why foo fighters' studio 666 stands out as an unburdened and creatively absurd project amidst the current rising sea of mass formulaic media. despite being the national sport of japan, sumo remains relatively unknown to the western world. director eiji sakata seems to have taken this lack of familiarity as a challenge, with sumodo   the successors of the samurai offering an intricate introduction to sumo through its history and place within modern japanese culture. a trio of cinema loving schoolgirls that we know only by their quirky codenames barefoot, kickboard and blue hawaii cobble together a ragtag production crew to create a samurai film. only, they find out mid production that one of their crew members is a time traveller from a dystopian future where their beloved films are banned, no less. a premise like this demands heart, spunk, and energy by the truckload, and luckily, it’s a summer film! delivers without fault. care about the environment but don't know what to do? don't worry, 2022 umsu environment obs chelsea daniel and zach matthews are coming to the rescue. giddy up! yeehaw! second council! already losing my brain! on 13 february 2020, nico lim posted on his instagram account @_flashpoetry, for the first time. this post signalled the beginning of a new project; an attempt to break down his hesitancy to share his creative work. this demolition of his caution hardened barriers manifests itself in the silent world that won’t stop talking, nico’s debut poetry collection. unilodge will be facing a class action lawsuit initiated late last year by multiple residential advisors (ras) working with adero law. the lawsuit accuses unilodge and partnered universities, including the university of canberra and the university of sydney, of wage theft and exploitation. acclaimed german photojournalist david klammer’s new film is taking the documentary world by storm. awarded best documentary at the snowdance independent film festival, barrikade was also selected to be screened at the kassel dokfest, suncine film festival, and portland ecofest, to name just a few. released in 2021, barrikade depicts the lives of german climate activists who built and occupied treehouses in the dannenrod forest to protest its clearing for the construction of a new motorway. all eyes are glued to parvyn as the gleaming stage lights make a disco ball of her gold sequined choli, and she welcomes us to the unveiling of sa, an album about love and family, betrayal and anxiety, written during the pandemic. gsa general secretary lily day writes a response to an opinion written about the gsa's proposed structural changes. have you ever encountered an anti vaxxer? perhaps a family member, a friend or even online? encounters with an anti vaxxer, whether it is in person or online, tend to leave people frustrated, however, exploring the psychology behind the anti vaxxer mentality may be the key in learning what you can do to influence vaccine hesitant people. raj patel’s new documentary gets its title from an aesop’s fable. in the fable, a fiddle playing grasshopper approaches some ants asking them to lend him some food. the ants ask why he has no food of his own, to which he replies that he’s been too busy playing the fiddle to grow and stockpile crops. the ants, rather dispassionately, are disgusted by the grasshopper’s laziness, and leave him to starve. this theme of abandonment is the launchpad for patel’s documentary. for the first time last week, i yearned for immortality. i stared at the unread books on my shelves, the pages collecting dust; i thought about the seas i’d never cross, the countries i’d never visit; i mourned the conversations i’d never have, the things i’d never learn. the curtain of willy hudson’s bottom rises and falls with beyoncé. as theatregoers take their seats, “love on top” plays on a loop, affirming protagonist willy’s devotion to his pop idol  as if the monstrous cut out mood boards weren’t enough. running just shy of an hour, bottom explores the various illusions and expectations inherent to that all too important third date. after all, he hasn’t yet been asked that dreadfully reductive, crushingly inevitable question: “top or botto gavin roach’s one man show, run, is an endearing, unique and impressive piece of theatre that bravely lays itself out completely bare to its audience. it can’t hide, and it doesn’t try to. on 5 february, a blog post appeared on the website of the graduate student association (gsa) announcing major plans to reshape its structure and amend its constitution. obscured by a number of seemingly innocuous changes is a proposed transformation that would impose serious limits on student activism, and should be of concern to all graduate students. written by michael ross and directed by gavin roach, the australian premiere of the shy manifesto opened in melbourne as part of midsumma festival. british playwright michael ross has enjoyed a string of accolades in the uk, including being shortlisted for the 2014 off west end adopt a playwright award. the recipe for loving my parents is complex. it is the product of countless mental notes from years of trial and error and several mishaps. the golden step to avoid getting scalded, you ask? greasing your pan with several layers of patience. the unimelb italian stallion is writing for farrago. welcome to 2022. who didn’t love the science works planetarium as a kid? the universe in high definition above our pig tailed and bowl cut heads; the hush that fell over the domed room as they lowered the lights; the dancing red pointer they used to describe stories in the stars. science works isn’t quite so popular among senior high school students. the national union of students (nus) have condemned the coalition government’s new research funding project which will see a $1.6 billion increase in university funding for “projects with high potential commercialisations” in fields that are deemed high priority by the government. the melbourne law school (mls) has permanently removed the law school admission test (lsat) as an entry requirement for all juris doctor (jd) applicants from 2022 and beyond formed in 2017, aussie duo dekleyn are no strangers to the music industry. having amassed over 5 million streams on spotify over the last 3 years, the two have made a name for themselves in the realm of memorable, irresistibly catchy and skilful songs. inspired by the beat from their 2021 single ‘over again’, ‘save my name’ is a heartfelt song that delivers a sincere yet uplifting emotional narrative through the duo’s reliable roots in electronic pop. “hating someone feels disturbingly like falling in love with them,” bookending the opening monologue, this quote astutely summarises the narrative of the screen adaptation of sally thorne’s bestselling novel, the hating game. the film follows lucy, played by lucy hale, and josh, played by austin stowell, as they toe the oh so narrow line between love and hate, falling predictably in the former. last year cruella made a reappearance on screens in a live action origin story of the fur fashioned fiend. the film captures the transformation of the villainess a brash, quirky but sagacious maverick, and the humble but twisted beginnings which induce her maniacal traits. every so often, an artist comes around with an almost supernatural ability to capture the mutability of adolescence in their work. will hyde does exactly this, weaving a powerful, emotional story of youth throughout his sophomore ep ‘nothing ever changes’. the ep combines singles released previously as ‘chapters' with new unheard tracks, narrating a journey of growth and acceptance that serves as a testament to will hyde’s growth and maturity as an artist. aeva and allie caught up with three former farrago contributors to look at their lives after student media. covid 19 has attempted to stop the arts industry at every turn but queer comedy coven, the titwitchez, have no fucks to give. in their latest production hagademia, they have to face much more with a looming deadline and sexy hauntings. farrago reporter patrick sexton sat down with western bulldogs player ellyse gamble to talk about how she managed the commitments of full time study and footy, as well as what the future looks like for aflw players studying at a tertiary level as the league looks to expand. after 21 months, international students can finally return to australia. what is natcon? jo doesn't know but max does! the federal government has announced a new scheme which will wipe the university debts of nurses and doctors who work in rural, regional, and remote areas. university of melbourne staff and students rallied outside vice chancellor duncan maskell’s parkville mansion yesterday in opposition to the university’s growing casualisation of teaching staff. in a sequel nobody asked for, the student learning entitlement will return in 2022. this will limit how long you can study in commonwealth supported places (csp) before you either pay the full, exorbitant fees or pray for a fee help loan. students gathered on south lawn yesterday to protest the opening gala of the liberal backed think tank robert menzies institute (rmi). in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. i had a nasty experience with this film, which came naturally as i saw it the same day that millicent and i had our first fight. i suppose it was always coming. she’s been speaking to me less and becoming increasingly passive aggressive. she has an elitist demeanour, and i’m only now realising that she’s been judging me. i finally confronted her about it, and the argument quickly spiralled into chaos. insults were hurled, and some of my contraptions were damaged. it started off[...]  circa 1989 the grand opening of the robert menzies institute will come to parkville campus this november 18 in the form of a conference and gala dinner on campus. the menzies institute is a liberal party think tank masquerading as a prime ministerial library being set up in the old quad by the menzies research centre (mrc) and the university of melbourne. the institute will shape campus life... lola young is a rising british singer songwriter known for her unique blend of soulful pop, r&b and jazz influences. her ability to be so authentic and raw through her music is what makes her stand out in today’s music scene. content warnings: mild sexual content, allusions to transphobia, allusions to familial issues. trigger warning: brief references to suicidal ideation, blood and violence. trigger warning: brief references to suicidal ideation, blood and violence. wind rustling through fields of grass; deep thunder; water, gushing along a shore. we see in a low, still wide shot, a man dragging a hose over a hill, seeming to be draining one section of water to another. constance tsang’s first feature length film blue sun palace follows the lives of chinese migrant workers in queens, in the aftermath of tragedy in a massage parlour. tsang mediates themes of exile and loneliness are mediated through a quiet, expertly cool direction. the film’s quietness is slow, tactful, and unassuming. you are punched in the gut before you know to look for the fist. right across from the colourful, shining “rising” lights pinned onto flinders street station, stands “victoria’s most visited sacred place”, st paul’s cathedral. what is usually a sanctuary for quiet reflection and prayers, became the setting of an awesome celebration and coming together of community. *it was not a friendly reminder, i am very uncomfortable™. my brainbox will not shut up about story of kunning palace, so if you haven’t watched it, you should, and here’s why! when you think of weddings, you immediately picture an atmosphere of joy: flowers, parties and good wishes from family and friends. even if there will be tears, they will most likely be a sign of joy and happiness. but, have you ever heard of a bridal lament? i’ll start with a disclaimer that when i signed up to review this movie i didn’t really know what i was getting myself into. the fantastic film festival line up appeared on the farrago slack channel, and as i watched the opportunities for other films dwindle within minutes, i took a plunge and thought the title “divinity” sounded pretty cool “i like films that explore themes of religion,” i thought no time to look up what it was about. content warning: references to blood, death or dying, child abuse, kidnapping, violence throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks is what homeshake is all about. the long time musical project of peter sagar transcends mere pleasant, unattentive listens; sagar’s bedroom pop adjacent sensibilities mirror his headspace during recording. where his livelier and more celebrated releases such as 2017’s fresh air ooze with jovial indietronica and alt r&b, horsie is sagar’s second release in 2024 following march’s cd wallet, and a continuation of the latter’s heavier approach. there’s very little we know of yves tumor. with aspects of their identity, like their birth name and age, being punctuated by mere question marks, tumor is not only private but has cemented themself as a rising enigmatic star. if anything, they further prove it with their otherworldly debut in the melburnian landscape of the forum. from its very public conception, the tortured poets department (ttpd) was an incredulous embarrassment. following midnights' album of the year win, taylor swift subsequently announced ttpd’s impending release date at the grammys, eclipsing annie lennox's performance calling for a ceasefire in gaza directly after. if you happened to be drunkenly stumbling home past the arts centre in the witching hours of a cool saturday morning you may note the serenity of the scene. empty streets, only an uber or two on the road. you certainly would not guess that just a few floors down a large group of strangers nestled in blanket hoodies are awake witnessing what can only be described as a fever dream. reading is an inherently solitary practice   it’s one of the main reasons why i enjoy it so much. but reading is also a largely social practice, with the themes and ideas in a novel becoming the source from which socio political discourse can be generated. my favourite episode of avatar: the last airbender is “the ember island players”. it's not a particularly important episode. it’s the re cap; little plot, mostly jokes, a good time before the epic four episode finale. that’s not why i love it. cw: violence, references to settler colonialism in australia melbourne’s rising festival has returned for a fourth helping, serving up a delectable range of shows for its 2024 iteration. for those with a more adventurous palate, the festival presents food, an “intimate dinner party performance” presented by american illusionist geoff sobelle. the show’s hook? a giant table with plates and cutlery where the audience sits, while sobelle performs the show as the establishment’s garçon, doing everything from taking fake orders to pouring wine. when people make fun of people from melbourne, there are a few recurring motifs in the jokes made via facebook comments or instagram reels: oat milk (depending on the age group), protesters (depending on the suburb), greyhounds (see both above), and thrifters. the op shoppers. the secondhand fiends. paul williams, star of taskmaster nz and a comedian in his own right, has been in melbourne performing his new show mamiya 7 as part of the melbourne international comedy festival (check out the review here!). i had the chance to talk to him about his experience with stand up, taskmaster nz, his opinions on vanilla ice cream, and his back up career options. unapologetically brown and delightfully besharam, brown women comedy is back better than ever at this year’s melbourne international comedy festival. oz xmas comic con is a weekend long event held at the melbourne exhibition and convention centre (mcec). this was the convention’s second christmas themed event. i attended their debut xmas convention last year which was held at the melbourne showgrounds. i was relieved to find out it was not there this year because i found the showgrounds to be too far removed from the city, so this year's event location was perfect and only a few minute walk from the bustling atmosphere of the city. now, after a solid 26 hours and 100% completing the game, was it worth it? yes, but it is also way more complicated than that. four letter word theatre’s original murder mystery musical comedy the scarlet sun is a fast, frenetic and hilarious production that showcases the talent of the university of melbourne’s student performers with its impressive stagecraft and exciting musical storytelling. their closing night performance was an event where everything fit together perfectly. irago 이라고   said so, performed at kensingtown town hall from 13 14 october for melbourne fringe, is a contemporary dance piece that sets out as an exploration of closure, transformation, and community in a constantly changing world. vulnerable child dough meets its parent(s). michelle mccowage shows us what it's like to sleepwalk. teaching student sean gives the rundown on how the latest melbourne production of 'death of a salesman' provides a vision for rethinking education's role in society. this was the first time i had experienced something resembling fear in the mosh, that oh shit if i don’t go easy i could actually wind up in hospital with serious injuries kinda fear which i have to assume is known chiefly to skaters, footballers and anyone who partakes of the various melbourne party drugs that we all know are predominantly methamphetamine. adapting paolo cognetti’s novel, the eight mountains (le otto montagne) begins with an ode to friendship and expands to a love of life in the face of being pulled away from what we love. hollywood is all over the place right now. when the writer guild of america went on strike in may this year, it was pens down for any movies, tv shows, late night and variety shows in hollywood. christopher nolan’s oppenheimer is a stark and brilliant character dissection of j. robert oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb but that’s not talk to me (2023) by aussie brothers (and youtubers) danny and michael philippou. the tone of talk to me is immediately established within a minute of the film’s start as we are struck with psychotic violence amidst a quintessentially gen z aussie high school party. it’s intriguing, i can’t wait to see what’s going on. at first, i was worried because the horror came so early i wondered “how can it get worse from here?!” but it does. continually. the one of a kind, one man production chameleon, starring the vibrant and charismatic stewart reeve, was truly a feast for the ears. playfully toeing the intertwining line between standup comedy and musical, reeve showcases his talent for vocal mimicry; calling to the helm a myriad of unmistakable voices and sounds identical to their originators, a performance at which an audience can do nothing but marvel; and of course, laugh. all this happened, and more, as i found myself sniffing in moments of nothingness, wondering if i was more of a jo or a meg. however, in the wake of barbie mania, i left the cinema with a thought i wasn’t expecting. i couldn’t help but wonder how little women foreshadowed gerwig’s move into the ip adaptation style of filmmaking unfolding before us. labor’s federal education minister jason clare has committed to abolishing the 50% pass rate rule that currently prevents failing students from accessing hecs help support as part of a suite of other higher education reforms designed to make the sector more equitable. radio fodder chats with indie folk duo oceanique in support of their release show for debut album 'would the light hold me'. the national union of students (nus) is calling on the federal government to legislate a “national duty of care” at australian universities, making tertiary institutions legally responsible for supporting and protecting student wellbeing. tanz pinpoints the subtleties of individual taste by putting everything on the table. there is a freedom begat by this intense exposure, which demands that you think something anything of it. you must consume everything or leave (or, occasionally, faint). and you must own your choice: you can walk out of tanz, but everyone will see you do it. radio fodder reviews lana del rey's 'did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd' and its reflective breath of fresh air. radio fodder speaks to anna smyrk on their latest indie & dance ep, ‘cortisol and blue light’, the feels of reconnection, and letting go of "thinking that everything is going to be great and perfect" tannhäuser, one of richard wagner's most acclaimed works, stands as a captivating testament to the composer's mastery of the opera genre. with its sweeping score, poetic libretto and compelling characters, this four act opera takes, or rather attempts to take, its audience on an unforgettable journey through themes of love, redemption and the eternal struggle between passion and purity. deafheaven are often decried as “hipster black metal” for their amalgamation of the genre trademark banshee shriek with the dreamy guitarwork of shoegaze: “blackgaze". to the credit of their critics, our first observation upon entering max watts was that this crowd did lean toward the “lanky dudes in my bloody valentine shirts” side of the hipster black metal spectrum. “i’m more here for the shoegaze” were the words of one audience member. the guest is a fun and delicious dive into the lives of the affluent in a way where you don’t feel the need to envy them. it will curb your appetite for a scoop into the luxurious and excessive upper class with stunning and entrancing writing, as well as your desire to glimpse snapshots into the raw human experience. however, do not expect to connect with the characters in a meaningful way or climactic points in the plot. while i loved mulaney for his pristine suit collection, his old timey charm and, of course, his dog, petunia, it was the way he spoke about his former wife, anna marie tendler, that made his stage persona so endearing. so when that persona shattered, and the person i had decided he was was challenged, i was left confused, disillusioned and frustrated that he did not live up to the characterisation i attempted to enforce on him. nick white’s show grow up is a testament to the value of figuring out who you are and where you fit in the world. or so he says. it is an overall funny and entertaining show but, unfortunately for this reviewer, overwhelming in its tiktok vibes. flesh disease, staged at la mama hq, is many things. it’s a theatre performance, it’s a movement piece, it’s poetry, it’s a rumination on the lives of women and the trauma, memories and craft groups that colour those lives. at times, however, this wide scope muddies the waters, leading to a work that, while powerful, struggles to find any strong point of focus. as a sketch comedy, grim commits to a single, multifarious act that titularly admits itself a derivative of its creator, grimshaw, whilst proliferating a variety of imitative facades. where stand up panders the effect of the real, grimshaw unapologetically rejects her claim to reality, embracing the effect of the fictive. “when the air we breathe is under attack, what do we do?! stand up, fight back!” student protesters gathered at the university of melbourne’s parkville campus to fight for climate justice on 17 march, led by the university of melbourne student union (umsu) environment department as part of a wider national day of climate action. watching a designer’s early career work is an absolute privilege, which is exactly what this show was. from reimagining materials to re envisioning household items, the designs were marvellous. we had picture frames, umbrellas and tents, among other things, serving as a focal point for the dresses and somehow everything translated well in the designs. if you weren’t fatigued enough after the federal and state elections of 2022, get ready for yet another political contest as the federal seat of aston goes up for grabs once again. on april 1st, it’ll be april fools for one of our major parties, as alan tudge passes the torch to a debut mp. when one thinks about italy, art, history and of course food come to mind. however, there is so much more that lies beneath this rich culture. for the past seven months i have immersed myself in la dolce vita (the sweet life) and unearthed the unique realm of italian superstition, a practice i didn’t realise is deeply embedded in their cultural norms. this film isn’t subtle; it is hard to miss this glaring metaphor if you’re someone who has ever encountered a metaphor before. but anything that emphasises the work put into claymation and balances light heartedness with the cruel realities of life is always worth a watch. an ostrich achieves this, bringing a smile to the face with its charm despite the overwhelming pessimism of its message. as a child i thought that an ai apocalypse would look like a scene from blade runner or wall e. i did not predict that the greatest threat artificial intelligence presented to society would surround academic integrity. lonesome doesn’t create a world to get lost in, but it is a movie to look at lovingly. a welcome addition to queer narratives surrounding the cowboy, if you’re willing to move past a few stumbles. view radio fodder's curated playlist for the month of february 2023. you are twelve years old in your childhood bedroom. nobody understands you. you pull out your pink ipod nano and press ‘play’. katy perry asks, “do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” on youtube, there’s a video of author patricia lockwood reading her piece, the communal mind, at the british museum. it’s witty, insightful, and unlike many written pieces about the internet, a completely immersive, self aware, and nuanced piece of writing. you can watch it here. just as a preface, i’ll be similarly carrying on in her absurd and confusing style, in some sort of a post modern exploration of the internet and the meaning of life. cyberpunk fluoros, / and past it all… noise / noise and buzzing. / who is the god we homage with our oblation? content warnings: sexual assault i explicitly remember the excitement i felt in 2009, getting home from school, turning on the tv and tuning into ‘60 minute makeover’, ‘what not to wear’, or something else of the like. as i perched on the edge of the couch in an anticipated fixation, i was eager to see how the “ugly duckling” or “fashion nightmare” at the beginning of the episode, was transformed into a new, prettier, more fashionable person at the conclusion of the show. nowadays, it’s hard to find an image whether online or in print whose intended purpose isn't to promote an item or an idea. with the number of social media users exponentially increasing each year, companies and individuals wishing to capitalise on this growth have found new ways to garner frequent and continued patronage. by tracking user interactions and interests, new media algorithms generate a unique experience for each user. what was the soundtrack of your teen years? mine was classic rock and its many derivatives. i don’t know what did it for me. perhaps it was the wailing guitars, thundering drums, hammering baselines, and audacious vocals that felt especially electrifying to a fourteen year old catholic schoolgirl. i fell quickly down the rabbit hole, collecting dusty old records that could trigger an asthma attack, and plastering my bedroom walls with the faces of bygone bands. #booktok has had a significant influence on the sales of physical books and has disrupted the publishing industry. according to the npd bookscan, which tracks the number of books sold, print book sales have increased by 9% from 757.9 million in 2020 to 825.7 million in 2021, the highest since they started tracking in 2004. npd bookscan said, “no other form of social media has ever had this kind of impact on sales.” we circuited between food and the erotic, making promises to roast pumpkins and burn butter for each other. the call’s coming from someone called ‘plot critical caller’, so unfortunately you have to answer. “now available,” the ad said. “bird collector cards in every zipfresh ready meal. collect them all!” on stage in honolulu / the music driving upwards out of his crotch / his arms knives cutting through the air. you heard she deserved it. you p u l l e d her a p a r t taking her words and / spitting!! / on her! we believe their aim is to (re)militarise time, to make it politically explosive. this stance opposes ministry policy. she lingered on that final word. every part of the restaurant felt like it was screaming at her: “experience me!” you give yourself experiences as gifts, letting your inner child sit in the space of your cerebrum. lights! / camera! action! / theres something about staring at the sun the white burns / when they flash rhythmically vegan destroys entire democratic system by refusing democracy sausage this glasshouse gallery has no ceiling, / and the blood of my callouses is / slicked, like hot oil paint on its walls. four feet of bipedal beauty, she follows a strict diet and is practically skin and bones minus the skin. i must confess, i’ve been finding myself bone tired lately, and sluggish as a mealworm without a meal. lights blurred like trailing spit. i fell hard. but i queued again. be the cowboy, i thought. it wasn’t my thought. god fucked me last night / or was it you? i couldn’t tell you apart / from my position on the floor. with a daily full fare ticket for metropolitan bus, train, and tram rides climbing to $9.20, struggling students have to allocate more budget to public transport. vanessa chan evaluates the public transport policies of labor's two main rivals, the liberal/national coalition, and the victorian greens. father / talks to the fields like talking to you, / tills the soil like knowing you. while some of these investments can be harmless like the celebrity crush pinterest board i have been cultivating since i was 13, and the radio show that spawned from these romantic infatuations the inhumanity of other parasocial behaviours of mine has recently reared its ugly head. so, where do you draw the line? and why do i have a sickening feeling that i’m only going to end up ignoring it? it’s no surprise that when our beloved tv shows come to an end, we’re left bereft. we’re left standing there, more awkward than a contestant on the bachelor who didn’t receive a rose, unsure of what happens next and trying not to make a scene. but what’s the best way to end a show? how can you call off the relationship but still stay friends without the stressful will they won’t they of ross and rachel? when my incisor wobbles pulls  falls, i slip it under my pillow, and wake to a bed full of pansies. i peeled off my mask and my face came with it, layer upon layer until nothing was left but an empty void. we are constructing a character together as the words appear on the page right now. the character is a version of me. the water in those submerged vessels / once was in the sea. just like / i once was a particle in my grandmother summer always comes shyly to melbourne, where patches of sun peek between weeks of dismal skies and harsh wind. i’m very drunk on the 109 tram right now and the sunset is so pink behind all the houses it looks like a green screen the nus has condemned the australian government for “failing hundreds of thousands of 18 to 21 year olds". for a young greek hero to prove himself, there was one thing he had to do. i’m not talking about slaying monsters, sleeping with enchantresses, or kidnapping royal daughters. from hercules to theseus to bellerophon, the stories of greek heroes share one interesting overlap: each of them proved themselves by battling an amazon warrior and emerging victorious. book of love is a bizarre film. some of the choices made in its production turn what would have been a predictable rom com with a clever premise into a truly unusual watch. “performance art is so gauche!” and so, from the bottom of teenage sophie’s heart fuck you, joss whedon. we’ve got it from here. meet conor barnes (he/him), the umsu presidential candidate for the brand new ticket of ‘rebuild’. as i read several tediously long articles to alleviate the boredom of isolation, i came across one describing the life and artwork of kusuma yayoi. an acclaimed japanese artist, her most significant achievement seemed to be having entered herself into the psychiatric ward of a tokyo hospital. the words used are "psychiatric ward," but they might as well have been "mental asylum", "lunatic asylum", or "bedlam". search though i did, not one description of her artwork caught my notice. music made by melancholic women is nothing new. the 1950s’ darling, billie holiday, has been credited with the popularisation of the ‘torch’ song, a sentimental ballad for unrequited love. folk singers like carole king and joni mitchell rose in the 60s and 70s. the 90s saw the surge of fiona apple, who remains a key figure in the sad girl genre today. my brother is trying to teach me to drive a manual car; we go around and around the empty lot down at the local high school. when i was younger, my band teacher taught us a trick on the snare drum, where you throw the drumstick in the air and catch it again without interrupting the drumbeat. he said if you have the coordination to do this, you have the coordination to drive a manual car. “would you like to play with us?” these words were to become the earliest memory of friendship seven year old chathu would remember from australia the first time someone had offered to be friends with her after she had begun her new life abroad. israel recognising ukraine’s sovereignty proves no one knows the definition of irony maybe i could even change the very course of events and add a whole new level of spice to my favourite works of fiction! it is a truth universally acknowledged at least among those in the know that different neurotypes will naturally gravitate towards different social media platforms. before taking a deep dive into cyberspace, let’s backtrack a little and start with the basics of neurotypes and the neurodiversity movement. the term ‘neurotype’ arose out of the neurodiversity movement, the founding ideology of which was kickstarted by autistic australian sociologist judy singer in 1998. in a world constantly bombarded with news about floods, earthquakes and bushfires, it is no surprise there has been a rise in eco anxiety over the past few years. are you someone who has difficulty falling asleep because you are constantly thinking about the impacts of climate change, or do you feel a sense of doom at the rising sea levels? have you ever felt that fear as if you were on a sinking planet and there is nothing you can do to save it? if so, you may have experienced eco anxiety. last month in america, the gun manufacturer remington reached a legal settlement with the families of those who lost their lives in the 2012 sandy hook massacre. $73 million will be shared equally amongst the families who took remington to court, hoping to establish their legal culpability for the massacre. this settlement is not, of course, adequate compensation for what these families have lost. the emergence of that girl culture is one of the internet's best kept secrets. as the poster child of wellness and productivity, that girl will never be spotted without a matcha latte or some plant based drink in her hand. apart from said drink, her other trustworthy companions might include her $65 yoga mat and a black moleskine journal for morning reflections. the sun brines in a sticky chicken broth / watching one to eight float in her belly it's suburban living, the sparks from the blistering street lights competing with nettled crickets sometimes, we get complacent. even with things we care about. a couple of months ago, at twenty years old already seven years into my gruelling mental health journey i was diagnosed with adhd, generalised anxiety disorder, ocd and ptsd by a psychiatrist. as you can imagine, broadcasting this on a platform like farrago with a readership that i actually have to interact with is pretty fucking terrifying. film recommendations from farrago’s non fiction staff writing team (and ivan). as far as rich, highly vaccinated countries are concerned, omicron is a relic of yesteryear. with pandemic restrictions fading as cases continue to plummet, for what feels like the hundredth time in the last two years, a select few dare to dream of returning to an almost forgotten state of interconnectivity "post covid." however, the catastrophic moral failures of the pandemic should not slip our collective memory anytime soon. she bends slow, steady, tense my emotions. she could always read the inevitability of my future. o will my heart ripple as i float in the night, on the wind like everything is u n i if you are under 25, chisholm is probably identifiable to you by zero mode in the suburb of box hill and glenny kebabs in glen waverley other than these two joints, there’s really not much else happening there. to fully realise gender equality, the afl, local footy leagues and fans must reflect on their contributions to the unsafe culture experienced by report participants. the sporting field is home to many of australian politicians’ greatest gaffes. yet they keep coming back why? our campus has a surplus of cafés throughout its buildings and hidden in little pockets. many of these have changed since 2019, with notable favourites the brew sisters (a moment of silence for my triple shot flat white for $3.50 3) and animal orchestra leaving. consequently, i had to conduct some research to find which cafés remained open and which newcomers had joined the scene. it’s always a good sign when one party announces their cultural policy five days before the election and the other party doesn’t have a cultural policy at all. ultimately, until the toxic politics of homeownership are tackled in direct and unabashed fashion, there can be no expectation that this housing crisis will be resolved. what do the parties and candidates say about improving democracy and trust in politics? then the song comes to a slow fade and your heart rate increases as you anxiously await the next song. taylor swift’s i knew you were trouble. the cute boy’s relaxed nonchalance contorts into a look of disgust, and you panic to ensure he knows you’re not like the other girls singing along. you could never like taylor swift and you think it’s stupid that these other girls do. social media is brimming with cultural commentary, political movements and aesthetic infographics. the belief is that if you are not up to date, then you don’t care. it is purported that if you are not informed, then you are part of the problem. i want to challenge this misconception. the expectation imposed on us today is that we should all be arriving at some final destination of intellectual enlightenment. this is, of course, a fictional destination. today, i will provide you with a defence to understand the effect tiktok is having on the way pop music is being written, it is worth looking at what a tiktok hit actually is a more complicated proposition than it might appear. a song that becomes a hit on tiktok often finds subsequent chart success; if the artist is a relative unknown, major label interest is often quick to follow. but all this is happening after the fact of its initial virality and it isn’t the artist that goes viral, nor even the song itself. fifteen, sixteen, seventeen… ah, crap. it’s 2010. once again, your nine year old self has lost track of how many glow in the dark stars on the ceiling you've counted in a bleak attempt to fall asleep. skip to 2022. your twenty one year old self still counts the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. this time around, most of the stars have fallen off. your earphones are blaring royals by lorde, and you relive the peaceful days of being twelve. why more and more voters are leaning independent. the black and papaya liveries of the mclaren racing team showcased the sport’s first indigenous sponsor, deadlyscience. as the 2022 election draws closer, so too does the contest between the two candidates, in what frydenberg has admitted will be the "fight of [his] political life". again, the question popped up. if gender fluidity was present in the tagalog language and the pre colonial philippines, why then do the majority of the older generation filipinos lean towards homophobic mindsets? it’s simple, really. colonisation. do people outside umsu read these? it’s opening night. ten minutes before the show, andrew locascio pokes his head through the ruby velvet curtain. with a cheeky grin to his awaiting audience, he says, “don’t worry guys, the show’s purely rhetorical”. assured that this wasn’t one of those awkward audience participation situations, the atmosphere felt tangibly at ease. before even beginning his show, locascio had managed to dispel discomfort   and he maintained this throughout the evening. union house theatre (uht) returns to campus this week with stef smith’s nora: a doll’s house, a radical retelling of henrik ibsen’s classic a doll’s house, and a crucial and relevant tale about women’s rights throughout the last century. mac truly knows how to craft a great set and create a beautifully intimate, yet energetic atmosphere. if you have an interest in australian folk rock, i’d highly recommend checking out his music. when people find out that i write, their inevitable first question is: “what do you write?” we’re in another stage / we have to live with this / this virus / it’s a test / someone's always going to pay for it my best cursive sits on a headstone / we wear name tags to bed / as if the death nurse does not know us almost universally, female sexual pleasure is de centred and depicted as a lesser counterpart to male sexual pleasure. this phenomenon manifests in the orgasm gap between heterosexual women and men a study found that only 6% of women orgasm every time they have sex, yet it remains the expectation that sex isn’t over until a man cums. a gendered perception of pleasure has leeched into all facets of daily life. i am calling it: this is the best feel good film that i have had the pleasure of watching for as long as i can remember. olivia ryan's review of 'the duke' at cinema nova i walk... a very lonely road... to dorks like me, the federal budget is like christmas come early. we all sit around the fireplace and wait for santa (josh frydenberg) to deliver us a ton of goodies. you are an observer / of calloused hands on brass strings / crimson plastic, nostrils pierced in backyards here i’m going to show you some simple tricks of the trade to summoning a demon to the mortal realm. now i have moved out for good. / farewell fairy bread, farewell forehead / kisses, farewell mum’s wedding rings we throw the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ around so much that i think we forget that it’s true. do you ever really think about what it means to eat? about what happens when you eat? the intimacy of it all? your food becomes one with you when digestion reduces it to its base components and repurposes them to build your cells. long before we discovered that science, we were thinking up ways to eat “correctly”. within fiction, the portrayal of autistic characters most often adheres to that of the ‘autistic genius’. while it is a fraught activity to pathologise and diagnose fictional characters, there's value in comparing these famous representations of neurodivergence in fiction by doing just that. the first instalment in ishan morris gray's column, 'reflections on the “autistic genius”' the george paton gallery returns this 2022 with upcoming student exhibition domesticated,. her love boils bathwater (2016) is a charming japanese drama by ryota nakano. it is a film about the benevolent power of family, womanhood, and most importantly, motherhood. equal parts comedy and tragedy, it’s the kind of film that will lift your spirits, only to break your heart, only to lift your spirits once again. we see so much trans pain and suffering, but i promise you: trans joy exists, and it is there, and it is beautiful to nobody’s surprise, #shein(doesn’t)care. capitalising on the global push towards sustainability, numerous fast fashion brands have launched marketing campaigns or undertaken attempts to rebrand themselves as eco warriors. claiming to be sustainable is a double edged sword that mega brands are (un)successfully trying to wield in their favour. co written and directed by ryusuke hamaguchi, drive my car is a cinematic reconstruction of haruki murakami’s original short story of the same title. hamaguchi is an artisan with ennui, wielding suspended moments of tension effortlessly to dramatic effect. building on murakami’s template, he has created a story about the innate human tendency to mindlessly move forward, a secret and often hidden desire to continue living despite feeling like we don’t deserve to. the umsu queer department has announced that they will no longer attend the midsumma festival pride march. giddy up! yeehaw! first council of the new year! applications to join the student representative network (srn) are currently open until 31 january. farrago reporter aeva milos sits down with local musician stella farnan. after a devastating electrical fire in 2018, the theatre community banded together to rebuild la mama. in a statement released today, justin baré has resigned from his position as ceo of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) and will be leaving at the end of this year. drawing from the tradition of art not as institution but as record, as history, currie’s debut exhibit un sports man like revels in the body, in dance, and performance, as well as sport and manual labour. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. in late 2021, the media department ran the 'creative with covid' competition, which encouraged students to continue creating in spite of everything going on in the world around them. there were four categories in the competition art, photography, audio/music and video with prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each. all winning works are available on our website for you to enjoy. phew! nadia bartel will not face any criminal charges after victoria police decide they cannot possibly determine what that suspicious white substance was... as sleek facebook frames are slowly being removed from the profile pictures of university students in their early twenties, and social media feeds are returning to normal from constant ‘vote for me’ content, we can celebrate that another season of student elections has ended. cw: mentions of sexual assault and harassment, institutional neglect from 6 september to 3 october, universities australia the country’s peak corporate body of higher education ran the national student safety survey (nsss). conducted by dr. anastasia powell (rmit), and the social research centre, the survey is aimed at “encouraging students to share about their experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault or unwanted sexual behaviour.” a petition conducted by the university of melbourne student union (umsu) education department recently called for the extension of weighted average mark (wam) adjustments for semester one 2021. however, over 20,000 signatures failed to convince the university to review the importance of the compassionate policy to both domestic and international students. despite the university’s push to make learning accessible, through programs such as seds and access melbourne, there have yet to be endorsements from students that these programs are appropriate. instead, students feel silenced and powerless in an institution that should be prioritising its student body and ensuring an equal and inclusive environment. yet another covid semester has gone by. however, this time we sat at an awkward halfway point between online and in person courses and activities a strange place between skepticism and hope for the end of the pandemic. however, the roll out of okta verify has been problematic. failure to install the extra application prevents us from logging into canvas to submit an assignment on the due date, along with stopping us from attending zoom lessons on time. mostafa “moz” azimitabar, a kurdish refugee from iraq, sought asylum in australia in 2013. moz was initially transferred to papua new guinea, where he was held for six years. moz was then brought to australia for medical help under the medevac bill. upon arrival, he was first held in the mantra hotel, before being transferred to the park hotel, which lies approximately just 100m from the university’s parkville campus. he was finally released in january 2021, after 2,737 days... covid 19 has periodically forced both official university events and various student organisations’ events online, bringing unique challenges to event organisers and educators. despite efforts to maintain normalcy, these changes have undoubtedly changed how students interact with each other, for better or for worse. aptly titled 'all the kids are depressed', jeremy zucker’s not so cheery 2018 hit seems to read our minds. the sentiments he sings about are ones that we all, as a generation, like to joke about, laugh about and, clearly, listen to music about, if my 2020 spotify wrapped was anything to go by. one of my fondest childhood memories is going to my local video store each school holidays to borrow videos, and then dvds as technology advanced. of course, the ‘local’ in ‘local video store’ changed every few years as the stores i treasured gradually closed. they were replaced with either supermarkets and gift stores or were simply left boxed up, only leaving a handful of operating video stores around melbourne. faced with the prospect of yet another semester abroad, overseas international students face immense challenges and uncertainty. content warning: mental health 1. the window outside my office opens into the branches of a big, strong tree. it’s autumn: the season of me staring outside the window and getting lost in its ochre. sunlight filters through the leaves and falls onto my hand. ugh, i want to be loved like that   like warmth and fall and softly filtered sunlight on brown skin. the long, long afternoon by inga vesper is both a razor sharp crime novel and an incisive portrait of race and gender in late 1950s american suburbia. sunnylakes is an upper class district on the outskirts of san francisco, and visions of the town in heady summer suburbs envelop the reader two story houses with green lawns and white picket fences, white husbands with white collar jobs and white housewives. in an environment where appearances are everything, the sudden disappearance of a housew this column has thus far spun around the soft idea of joy. joy in a coffee cup, joy in a surfboard, joy in the little things. joy in stability, good food and the people we love. the polaroids are under my bed. they’re safe inside a shoe box i don’t remember buying. they lie awake with me. i wish i could fast forward through this part. my room: dark with the curtains half pulled, the window cracked open just enough for the echoes of the city and engines roaring from a distance to reach my ears. now that i live alone, it helps me sleep. the noise is like a song playing in the background. what is it with gwyneth paltrow and vaginas? from a candle that smells like her vagina, to vaginal jade eggs and vaginal steaming, she brings up taboo topics and masquerades as a lifestyle expert just for recommending eccentric products. while paltrow is an actress and an entrepreneur, she’s definitely not a doctor or scientist. she raves about products for her own profit, similar to other wellness companies that prioritise sales over the health of their customers. anna biller’s the love witch (2017) waxes poetic about the 1960s, sporting an aesthetic that pays tribute to the iconic low budget horror films of the period. the aspect ratio is altered, the lens is rose coloured and overwhelmingly pastel, and the voice of our female lead elaine drips with honey like an incantation, in the style of the quintessential hollywood actresses of her time. working in the supermarket will dispel the myth that an hour contains 60 minutes. like a casino, it is full of space, empty of time; no clocks, no sunlight, no centre. as a customer entering the supermarket, you are to walk a predetermined path through the produce, deli, bakery, and meat departments before the dairy and grocery sections open into two alternate paths. the paths ultimately fold back into each other, producing a fake labyrinth that would even make borges a little proud. but i don released in 1996, the craft came out at a pivotal time for the representation of teenage girls in western media. unfortunately, it’s not the kickass feminist film our rose coloured nostalgia says it is. pelligrini’s is an institution because it has been there for so long, unwavering amidst constant change. it is a time capsule to the past. the wood plank menu is the same one which appears in photos from the 1960s. waiters have divided up tiramisus with sharp lines in this century, and the last.[...] will hollywood blockbuster type films continue to use netflix as their outlet, or will they return to their rightful spot on the big screen? i didn’t plan to be reading a classic by virginia woolf and a biography of alexander hamilton at the same time. 2006 is ingrained in my memory as a time of wanting to transition away from early childhood media. in my then  six year old mind, gone were the days of hi 5, the wiggles and the hooley dooleys; i was craving content that i saw as more mature and less condescending, even though i couldn’t possibly have articulated that at the time. it was in 2006 that i grew obsessively fascinated with disney channel; despite not having the holy grail that was foxtel, i became a fanatical saturday disney viewer content warning: sexual assault, rape, child groomingi always dream of the same house. i remember all 21 houses i’ve lived in, but i only dream of this one. i dream that i’m standing on the porch, watching a tsunami crash in.[...] content warning: mental illness it was past midnight, and i was packing for a school trip. the room looked like a tornado had hit. clothes were strewn around the floor. random toiletries were tossed carelessly about. electronics sat in a tangled heap. and there, amidst all the chaos, was a small attempt at organisation an abandoned, half checked packing list. my tinfoil torso will crumple, my paddle pop ribs, snapping, will pierce my limping heart then, if not dead, crippled, i will let out one last fluttery sigh from my cardiac cavitied chest she let the pen fall from her hand and closed the book, wanting the unfinished story out of sight. the book was filled with unfinished stories. characters stuck without endings. “la gargouille was a great dragon who settled in rouen. he ate livestock and farmers alike, and when he flew, his wings caused gusts of wind so strong all the crops were flattened. to shed his scaled hide, he rubbed his body against a mighty church. stone crumbled and the spire collapsed. when he lay in the seine to bathe, he blocked the flow of water as readily as any dam, and the river overflowed and flooded the city.” jerry: has that happened to you, flo? have you opened a door or refocused your eyes to see the change in sunlight’s sort of... scratched the familiarity from something? they drink coffee under ruined lime trees. there is a goat on the roof of the car. three faces. one for me, one for you, one for everyone else. she’s got a couple joints loose, she said. his forehead folds like a concertina. as far back as i can remember, my favourite birthday was wrapped in a family road trip from melbourne to brisbane. slow hours of gleeful exhales filled mum and dad’s silver holden commodore as the sky morphed from wonga pigeon grey to kingfisher gold. it’s mount martha breeze, fresh cut grass and salty seas. sprawling from the floorboards, the monochrome floorboards, sounds of a dead girl singing. money tastes like sweat dripping from the armpit of a vogue model. rarely does one get the opportunity to savour such a distinct flavour[...] for helen, host of radio fodder’s what’s all this? and master of music student at the university of melbourne, victoria’s lockdowns saw her deep dive into books, videos and films on a quest to answer life’s big questions. cold against my cheek they curl around my ears like vines whispering sweetly some say love is complacent a street lamp flickering dark gutters, rainswept pavement an old tree withering my lover’s light is nascent turning dark skies dazzling the grass, a soft green crescent the drizzle heralding spring do you remember those days, those long nights arm in arm? they’d tied them behind us some slithering soaring in the cold moon chant, it was cold. and tendrils would take us, remember? curl sway to the back wall of a cave until the first night you grabbed my arm, as we pushed with our legs and flew and flew and flew and flew and flew. i ride down my street and wind threatens to throw itself through me but i fight it unlike autumn’s husked leaves, which scutter under parked cars like scared cats. same questions over and over. i go be a broken record for the system. i was a broken record before, anyways. repeating the word “yes” repeating the words “i love you” repeating the word “sorry” supper wore a shawl of stars mother, a stole with yellow pansies the posture was superb words gleamed with rightness butterknives shone in their dishes like a well loved swimming hole 22 december  three o’clock, maybe, saw henry today. friend (?) from highschool. thought: am so lonely, should try hang out w/ someone, assuage loneliness. did not work just spent day observing someone else’s loneliness, remained lonely myself. on wednesday, we stayed indoors all day pretending we weren’t there. shadows ran long down the curtained hallways, and we, goldfish yearning for a shaft of sunlight, climbed, twisted, contorted under windowpanes. the magnifying lens made his muddy eyes bulbous, beetle like and curious. he was enraptured by the watch, glued to the metal with a practised eye, while his gnarled, liver spotted hands were gentle with the tarnished brass. we’re in but also completely sober. and no matter how many suspiciously sticky shot glasses of tequila you throw back, an uninebriated first impression of club retro is something you never really shake. he perks up a little as he unzips the container. it will keep him distracted as we drive past the raspberry farm not that he needs distracting. he’s such a compliant child. so easy to love. it was a portent, perhaps, that she glimpsed through the window. the rain cast a muted grey pallor on the darkness, making the figure appear little more than an indistinct black shadow. only his face gleamed white as he looked up at her. among radio fodder’s incredible 2021 line up is the gen z focused, fitzpatrick award nominated show ok zoomer!. created by long time friends joanna (jo) guelas and jordan bassilious, the vision for the show arose from their realisation that gen z lacked representation in the media. in a big city of unmatched rivalry i was picked from a sea of threads my intricate weaves were pure ivory i fitted perfectly to her frayed keds the summer was hot you stewed strawberries i grew small wild mountaineers carefully skimmed scum from the top mixed with good cream, sugar and salt and left to freeze overnight crags of rock crumble like cracked toffee under the sun. crops fester under peat and withered soil until there’s nothing left but dried clumps of dirt. uncle ditch’s whole mad enterprise started with one dead cockatoo which he found out on the nature strip one bin night. the thing was snowy and perfect. not a single feather out of place, wrinkly lids half closed over beady eyes, beak ajar. like it was stuck in the moment of going to sleep, ditch said. my under belly orchid grows in greenhouse warmth  dirt grubbing fingers explore soil’s dampness vanilla softens my lips. muscles curl around the handle, resist the weight, heat, then roll into a touchdown, tea drops spattering the wall of mugs. content warning: ableism, references to suicide until recently, my wardrobe was filled with dozens of different faces. every single day, i would choose one carefully; some were so ostentatious that nobody dared draw near me, others so dull i slipped through crowds unnoticed. red deerskinned vellum filled with cream and soft grey eyes minerva and her owl. sweet and gentle moon, turn your face to me, and gift me shining silver. tear my bond stepping in line tear my pass boarding in ten nine eight seven six months away you feel your breath quicken and the fear leave your body as your skin tingles. there’s nowhere to go now, no words coming out of your mouth. the heat spreads over your chest like a sweltering rash. the stranger stands guard, whistling a sea shanty. a stray blowfly perches at the centre of his nose, spreading chimes like cracked glass. run the knife along the bone to release the wild caught soft peaks as thinly as possible the federal government, led by the liberal party, is bludgeoning universities. since the onset of the pandemic, they have excluded thousands of university workers from jobkeeper, ramped up fees for select undergraduate courses while slashing funding for tertiary education, and, in the latest federal budget, abandoned universities. they have left staff and students out to […] students of the victorian college of the arts (vca) are planning to lodge a formal complaint to the victorian ombudsman about the university of melbourne’s alleged failure to provide the quality of education promised to them. students have turned to the ombudsman for help with their fee relief campaign as they believe they have been […] it’s 2008: the era of galaxy print leggings and club penguin. the radio incessantly plays katy perry’s ‘i kissed a girl’ and ‘viva la vida’ by coldplay. lounging on your bed after school, you flip through the glossy pages of seventeen magazine, fanatically poring over the pale, golden eyed robert pattinson and the bashful kristen stewart. adapted […] (content warning: transphobia) a petition has been launched by the university of melbourne student union (umsu) queer political action collective calling for the review of the second year winter philosophy subject feminism, over concerns that the subject includes transphobic rhetoric. the petition outlines concerns over the subject’s content, as well as the conduct of teaching […] “why are we paying so much to attend zoom university?” ah, the common line we hear these days. covid 19 has definitely changed university life drastically, particularly for international students stuck overseas. many feel that the quality of education has been severely compromised, especially with the lack of face to face interaction. having to pay hefty tuition fees […] the university of melbourne posted a surplus of $8 million during the covid 19 pandemic, having cut more than 750 jobs and dozens of university subjects, alongside $360 million in spending. cost cutting policies, however, have come at the expense of the student experience and well being of university staff. university vice chancellor duncan maskell said that the small […] while you’ve been smashing back to back coffees, or spending an ungodly amount of time in the baillieu this semester, a lot has been happening at the university of melbourne student union (umsu). but, don’t fret! farrago is here to catch you up on everything you’ve missed… 1. general secretary resigns umsu’s general secretary resigned in late april, […] no document is a non fiction essay by anwen crawford about power in the face of human suffering. through her own experiences of losing a close friend, interwoven with political disseminations, anwen crawford attempts to unravel her pain and explore loss in the form of artworks, film and protest. from the first page, crawford shocks and […] content warning: mentions of sexual violence, no specific detail last year got me thinking a lot about the public sphere of the university. when we went into the first lockdown, i was the disabilities officer at the university of melbourne student union (umsu). in the last week before we all studied from home, i focused […] picture this, you’re in year 6. you’re at the top of the primary school food chain. you’re trying your best to rock that polyester cotton primary colour and brown uniform for your final year until you hit… duh duh duhhhh… teenagerhood. no hat no play! the cabaret was all nostalgia, bringing together all the types of […] on 11 may 2021, the federal government released its 2021 2022 budget. the previous year has been tumultuous, and this budget reflects that the liberal party has essentially been forced by circumstance to abandon their small government ideology with big spending measures, paving the way to national debt of up to $1 trillion. some media commentators have called this […] on 21 may, students across the country will go on strike to demand action on climate change. organised by the school strike 4 climate, the rally calls for the morrison government #fundourfuturenotgas. its demands include: resource of aboriginal and torres strait islander led solutions that guarantee land rights and care for country fund the creation of […] science comedian alanta colley’s “on the origin of faeces” is a joyous reflection on her relationship with poo, a wonderful evening of refreshing but somehow never crass comedy. a handbell signalled the start of the show as we took our seats in the cosy theatre of melbourne’s famous butterfly club. as this was my first […] publisher: black inc (an imprint of schwartz book pty ltd) year: 2021 page number: 251 content warning: death, mental illness “recovering from depression was like trying to unlearn a second language.” i have always been particularly reluctant to read memoirs on trauma, mindful they could blend into each other and run the risk of being […] year: 2021 publisher: bloomsbury price: $29.99 as described by the acclaimed historical fiction writer daisy goodwin, the 500 page mammoth of a book tsarina “makes game of thrones look like a nursery rhyme,” as it follows the thrilling tale of catherine the first of russia. full disclosure, i haven’t read game of thrones, but i […] publisher: allen & unwin (first published by william heinemann australia 1991) year: 2021 page number: 340 how does one navigate the mess of psychosocial issues from unresolved childhood trauma and ghosts of past relationships? with the recent milestone of acquiring my first boyfriend (weird flex but ok), a zealous determination to become ~*the best girlfriend […] it’s incredible to think how much joy and destruction one small family can inflict. bong joon ho’s dark comedy thriller parasite (2020) is held together by a strong cast and slick directing, and the take home message is clear: bonding with your family causes death. i feel i reserve the right to criticise this cynical view of […] “níðhöggr lived beneath the great tree yggdrasil. he gnawed on its roots, growing bigger each day. the roots were so tangled that they twisted around his body; the more he ate, the bigger he became; the bigger he became, the more the roots curled around him, trapping him where he lay. and from where he […] as financial supplements introduced by the government during covid 19 are set to end on 28 march, there is rising discussion over the potentially adverse impacts that this may have on tertiary students across australia. whilst some students have been able to access such financial support, others have been excluded from receiving government welfare payments throughout […] this year, when students at the university of melbourne attempt to log into the university’s wi fi, many may need to repeatedly reconnect to the network. this is because several changes have been made to the terms of use for uniwireless in light of covid 19. according to the university’s website, “provisions” will be made for the […] capaldi is known for using vague, at times confusing metaphors to describe the human experience in his music. now, in 2021, the 24 year old is back with more melodrama than your nana’s mills & boon novels. to talk about this fresh and unique take on lullabies, we sat down with capaldi in his parents’ plush studio […] i measure my worth in the number of meetings i attend, in the number of responses i get in my 9am sociology class, and in how many people have liked my latest instagram poem. when i feel my back start to crack, i tell myself  “one more reading and you can rest”, and then one […] in the backseat of my family’s old sedan, the air was warm in spite of the blasting air conditioning. i leaned against the window, scanning the houses we passed by. the weekend was so close that i could’ve grasped it between my fingers. at eight years old, a lot of things looked brand new. at […] content warning: discussions of racism and colonialism, mentions of police violence. halfway through my final year of high school, i made an executive decision: from then on, i would exclusively read books written by people of colour. i also announced this decision to anybody who would listen. many implied that i was being “extreme”. in […] in april 2010, i opened a goodreads account. on january 24 2021, i deleted it. like many readers, i used goodreads to track the past, present, and future of my reading. i also created custom shelves to ensure books written by authors from diverse backgrounds did not disappear into the abyss that was my “to […] the transitional and temporary nature of the art world neoliberal capitalistic institutions of contemporary art and higher education express conflict between the “national” and “transnational” as well as what is “temporary” and “permanent”. from special exhibitions to performances, any form of ephemeral art makes its “temporary” nature more precious and distinguished. along with globalisation, an […] sophie gerhard always thought that she would be an artist. but six months into a fine arts degree, she realised that it wasn’t for her. “i didn’t like the criticism,” she told me. “i probably just wasn’t very good.” so, she left her degree to study art history at the university of leeds. here, she […] “wow, there are so many interesting clubs this semester! which one do i choose?” decisions, decisions! well, we would say to choose all of them, but sadly that’s impossible. or is it? nope, sorry, it definitely is. well, not to worry, farrago’s got you covered! here’s a quick guide to some of the best clubs […] the federal government and the university of melbourne have given little hope to international students stuck overseas despite a successful online campaign calling for action. on march 3, #justiceon5march was trending on twitter in india and pakistan, two major international student markets for australia. the hashtag storm was started by voice of international students australia […] the greek independence day, which falls on the 25th of march 2021, marks the 200th anniversary of the greek revolution. greece was under the rule of the ottoman empire and turkish occupation for 400 years, and in march 1821, began their revolt. this war of independence established greece as an independent state. an underground secret […] as semester one 2021 began, campus grounds awoke from almost a year of dormancy, filling up again with sights, sounds and students. social media timelines flooded with summery snapshots of students on south lawn, or hugging the university’s teddy bear mascot. some official university accounts even started pushing the #rediscoverunimelb hashtag, urging students to […] there is a truism, first circulated in public space by artist jenny holzer in 1977, “abuse of power comes as no surprise”. this is the exact reason that the university of melbourne has an independent student advocacy service to provide students with a source of procedural fairness when they face the inequalities that often plague this […] the world is garbage. let’s talk about video games. specifically, one video game that has invaded my life and my brain, consuming every waking moment of conscious thought since it was released on nintendo switch in september 2020. i’m talking about hades, supergiant games’ latest release and the new love of my life (until the […] on the way to carlton’s magnificent and massive trades hall, i decided to follow google maps. a dumb move considering it’s on the corner of lygon and victoria and therefore not difficult to find for someone who’s lived close to the city for nearly three years now. but somehow i do get lost trying to […] students and staff gathered outside the raymond priestley building on 25 march to demand an end to the university’s recent staff and course cuts, and call for an improved, more equitable and accessible education. the rally was organised by university of melbourne student union (umsu) education public officers hannah krasovec and tejas gandhi, in collaboration […] flaneur culture emerged during the nascent era of industrialism to denote citizens who could walk the city with a sense of leisure a recurring, if unintentional trope in tsai ming liang’s 2003 film goodbye, dragon inn. cinemas are fragile and delicate spaces, as highlighted throughout tsai’s film, which portrays a single theatre cinema in taipei before its imminent […] content warning: sexual harassment and sexual assault, in no explicit detail despite wet and windy conditions, protesters gathered outside macfarland court this afternoon to call for the university to publicly condemn professor alan lopez. earlier this month, an article published by the age revealed that the university had allowed professor lopez to retain his roles […] and on a hot, 33 degree day she sat in her room and wrote half a play. it wasn’t very good but it wasn’t very bad yet she knew in her heart that really she had let herself down, left it too last minute. there were barely any scenes or characters in it. “but it’s experimental! […] the fundamental right to the internet cw: mentions of refugees in detention and police violence. towards the end of a catastrophic 2020 and start of 2021, i’ve built some beautiful and unexpected friendships. if you stop by lincoln square at 6 pm on weekdays, you will see a fairly large group of people (including me) […] cw: ableism there’s nothing quite like discovering roald dahl’s world as a child it’s full of wonder, imagination and the perfect dose of dark comedy. the witches marks the latest adaptation of a dahl classic. (we won’t discuss tim burton’s charlie and the chocolate factory, we pretend that doesn’t exist.) the witches (and matilda) have always […] it was a beautiful melbourne evening (read: raining and cold), when a friend and i, armed with a picnic blanket and my slightly broken umbrella, squelched along the grass to the always iconic sidney myer music bowl. walking amongst the little metal scaffolds, we looked for our seats but were unable to find them. we […] [content warning: violence] students rallied in front of the state library last sunday in support of ongoing protests in myanmar against the country’s recent military coup. speakers at the rally included students, as well as peter khalil mp and christopher lamb, who is president of the australian myanmar institute. the event was organised by […] part one back to the future is the most enjoyably predictable and watchable movie i’ve seen in a while. reviewer adam smith put it perfectly all the way back at the film’s release in 1985, writing in the empire: “to put it bluntly; if you don’t like back to the future, it’s difficult to believe […] the most baffling thing about cinematica: love was its title. ostensibly setting out to “explore the notion of love in all its glorious forms”, the suite of four short films opened with a hallucinatory collage of dismembered statues, swallowed up in pools of inky black, shortly followed by stills of a gynaecological endoscopy. the event […] what makes a consciousness independent? evidently, not much according to spike jonze’s 1999 ‘classic’: being john malkovich. craig schwartz (john cusack) is an unsuccessful puppeteer who discovers a portal into the head of john malkovich (john malkovich). schwartz mostly plods along as an asinine protagonist, only to be challenged with fanciful moral dilemmas and philosophical […] i watched minari with a korean friend, a first generation immigrant like myself, and when we left the cinema, we agreed upon two things: we would love for our parents to watch this movie. (next to us, so we can closely discern their reactions). we would completely understand if they turned it off at the thirty minute […] content warning: internalised homophobia, d slur mention “perhaps one day she’d get used to the way it made her feel: dislocated and dazed, never quite certain if the other half of her would stay offstage as directed. but tonight she felt as if she were constantly on the edge of saying or doing something wrong, […] (content warning: violence) a viral video showing two international students assaulted in adelaide has sparked a greater need for a conversation on wage theft. the women were allegedly attacked after confronting their employer about being underpaid. the video depicted an argument between a woman and a man before another man stepped into […] as i worked on my engineering degree, i didn’t normally make time to play games. i mean, why bother anyway? i’d grown so cynical after some disappointing games in 2020, and wondered if maybe i’d finally “outgrown” video games. they were fun for a while, but after 2 years of university, i had to prioritise […] just two days before melbourne’s snap five day lockdown, i had the privilege of attending a live play at la mama theatre in the heart of abbotsford. noel fidge’s the gang of five is a two act musical and is delivered with great energy by the five members of the cast. set in a wealthy suburb of […] “now why don’t you ever get rid of the two gates?” “because that’s the way it is. that’s the way it was, and that’s the way it will be”. for a hibernophile, john shanley’s wild mountain thyme (2020) played expertly into my dreams of the sincerity and lived myth of the irish people. gorgeous shots […] when we love, we will be like sugar gliders. sucking eucalyptus sap and honeydew, as though they were the only two things in the world close to our love. you will kiss my pink nose and tell me how soft this feeling is, how you would look for it everywhere between bottlebrush and banksia. when […] gwendoline smith: the book of angst allen & unwin, 2021 isbn: 9781988547695, $22.99, 312pp content warning: discussions of mental illness when faced with this book (subtitled “understand & manage anxiety”), i braced myself to read a drawn out version of those pamphlets in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. i don’t have a diagnosed […] la mama is back, baby! the opening night of jofus and the whale was the first return to theatre after a long line of bad luck for la mama theatre in carlton, first burning down in november 2019 and of course being closed for the lockdown. the evening started with a lot of excited hustle and bustle, […] little moth, you can’t escape this night and my explanation of what this was or is would puzzle you even more, because i don’t know for sure what this is or was for you, but i can tell you what i saw: i had brushed my teeth and put some night cream on i […] the light that drowned icarus, when his freedom he found, was the sweetest ignorance that sent him to ground i was the quiet water the dark and silent receiver i was the waves on fire when his body was found damp wax and melted feathers gold like a sun half downed heat struck he bore […] content warning: pain, illness more food, more oranges, lemons, more of the fruit with seeds with their sly murmurs of renewal renew me with this bed renew me with these blankets, these words, these little styrofoam cups with their little liquids. pain the offer pain that writhes in its […] content warning: racism the not so distant colonial past and “post racism” in recent years, the idea of “post racism” has become increasingly popular, with people often stating that “racism no longer exists”, particularly in western countries, including australia. i have personally experienced this. one experience i had was when i was in a college tutorial telling my peers […] content warning: death standing by her bed hands clammy, clutching at my dress. searching for him in the folds of fabric a noise escapes my mouth, an involuntary laugh “i’m going to make rice” i announce. to no one in particular down the hall into the kitchen the bag of rice is heavy […] the sun, first blinding, gets gentler with time, as running slows to walking, then to sitting, and to talking. after it sets, softly, we keep our legs crossed tight  tucked in like a bedsheet  and welcoming the night. matchstick benches dress our set with garden gravel rocks: the park that surrounds us is carried in […] it’s been a while since many of us have been on campus. for some of you, you’ve only caught a glimpse or two of university life. farrago thought a small guide to returning to campus could be useful (there are some things you pick up after six years of tertiary education!) a cold one queensberry […] even pinned to the altar, my sacrificial dagger clutched over your chest, you are fearless after all, one of us was always destined to die. from girlhood, we let the priests dress us in a pantomime of our future; blood red robes and bone white face paint. the elusive h1. h1, not to be confused with h1n1 the viral disease from 2009 better known as the swine flu, is the top mark you can receive at the university of melbourne. however, while h1n1 is acquired by inhaling the glycoproteins haemagglutinin and neuraminidase through droplets in the air, h1s are awarded for achieving over […] “look, i’d say it’s deeper than a critique of capitalism, which admittedly is a pretty mainstream understanding of the film see, it’s a criticism of our understanding of self and the superficial nature of the relationships that we foster due to our inherent egotism… anyway, do you like the cure? hey, are you awake?” oliver russel, 23, […] “tv’s ‘real’ agenda is to be ‘liked,’ because if you like what you’re seeing, you’ll stay tuned. tv is completely unabashed about this; it’s its sole raison.” the american author and cultural critic david foster wallace uttered these words in the early ’90s. wallace was a staunch critic of the materialism of western culture. he […] content warning: colonialism, racism, civil war looking beyond the covid 19 pandemic, the year 2020 may well be known as the year of the monument. in previous years, there had been little international debate surrounding the continued presence of colonial monuments a representation of a bygone and problematic history. indeed, in 1927, writer robert musil famously proclaimed […] the unveiling of 18th century writer and philosopher mary wollstonecraft’s statue in north london should have been a moment of triumph after years of campaigning by mary on the green, a movement dedicated to celebrating wollstonecraft’s work. however, the statue by controversial artist maggi hambling presented the same tired depictions and themes that have plagued […] “what, announce a policy without a slogan? are you mad?”  overheard from scott morrison’s office, presumably. there’s a problem with slogans in politics: when political slogans age into accepted wisdom and the taint of ideology is forgotten, political partialities can be passed off as facts of nature. of course, arguments are much easier when your […] content warning: sexism, graphic violence and gore. spoilers for jennifer’s body. horror has always been a tool to explore girlhood and female virtue. but what jennifer’s body (2009) does differently and so well is show a teenage girl in her ultimate form: brutal, cringey, flawed, and most importantly, still a child. the script narrates the story of […] ever since my brother, my sister and i were small, my dad had a vision for us to become surfers. he had a shimmering dream of his three kids gliding down the face of waves out at sea, perfectly executing 360 degree turns with the grace and power of kelly slater. he has tried hard […] ten years ago, when i was a little pre teen, writing was easy. words flew on paper with the grace of a sailor navigating the ocean by the north star. i wrote stories about princesses and their knights, blog pieces advocating for the rights of the lgbtq+ community in india and articles about the forgotten mysteries […] it’s common knowledge that spending time around dogs has long term effects on raising serotonin and dopamine levels. this is why, when catching myself slipping into a relentless cycle of unhealthy coping mechanisms during the fourth month of lockdown, i decided to better use my one hour of state mandated outdoor time to trudge over to edinburgh […] knives out (2019) is a modern take on the wonderfully witty whodunnit featuring a star studded cast and more clues and red herrings than you could shake a stick at (or in this case, a knife). rian johnson (star wars: the last jedi, looper) manages to keep viewers so focused on what the left hand is […] as the sun set behind the trees at the royal botanic gardens, the proverbial curtains opened on the australian shakespeare company’s latest production, macbeth. the production is part of their shakespeare under the stars series, which currently also features a midsummer night’s dream. helmed by director glenn elston oam and nathaniel dean in the titular […] as a friend and i wandered along the periphery of the royal botanical gardens towards the entrance to moonlight cinema, we nodded knowingly at the crowd, clad in fuchsia dressing gowns and clasping bottles of pinot noir. the name “channing tatum” echoed through the ascending crowd like an omen. debauched giggles rustled through the twilit […] on the silver screen, jane harper’s 2016 best selling debut novel the dry translates into an aussiewood thriller with a picnic at hanging rock brand of outback malaise. australian federal police agent aaron falk (eric bana) reluctantly returns to his hometown of kiewarra for three funerals: that of his childhood best friend, his wife, and their […] alexa shoen: #entrylevelboss scribe publications, 2021 isbn: 9781925849424, $24.99, 256pp this particular book comes to me at a really interesting time in my career track, namely that i don’t have one. given that i’m slated to graduate mid year, this complete lack of long term gainful employment has been the cause of mild concern for my […] i really wanted to love this film. wild things tells the stories of several environmental campaigns happening in so called australia right now, as well as providing some overview of the history of environmental activism across the country. the film follows several campaigners for a year or so, tracking their actions and interviewing them about their […] how to be a good girl is a miscellany. never just quite poetry, never entirely essay. it’s a beautiful thing. “my go to for invoking the brilliant trans eye view of the agonies and pleasures of heterosexuality.”   torrey peters on how to be a good girl. though no one seems to know exactly what it is. […] content warning: racism, first nations deaths in custody. thousands of protestors gathered in naarm (melbourne) on tuesday to call for a treaty and to abolish so called ‘australia day’. the rally was mirrored in other capital cities, with tens of thousands showing up in canberra, perth, brisbane, darwin, adelaide and hobart, as well as dozens of […] firsts are always memorable. in 1999, gil junger, karen mccullah and kirsten smith brought us a rare gem in the teen rom com corner of hollywood, the first modern cinematic adaptation of shakespeare’s taming of the shrew, set in a high school of all places. 10 things i hate about you, now a cult classic, features […] after multiple years in offshore and local detention, an additional 20 refugees detained in park hotel on swanston street were released on bridging visas on 21 january, according to the abc. they join the 45 refugees and asylum seekers who were released the day prior from both park hotel and the melbourne immigration transit accommodation […] jennifer ackerman: the bird way: a new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent, and think scribe publications, 2020 isbn (13):9781925713763, pp. 368, $35.00 as an amateur birder who dislikes reading highly technical books about birds, the bird way seemed like an entertaining way to learn more about the birds i see every day […] laura jean mckay: the animals in that country scribe publications, 2020. isbn, 9781925849530, $29.99, pp. 288. “dingoes wear their fur like feelings: all sleek and shiny when they’re relaxed, a thick bank of heckle when they get wound up. sue is wound up” (7). laura jean mckay’s the animals in that country is […] garth nix’s the left handed booksellers of london follows art student susan arkshaw on a quest to london to search for a man she’s never met: her father. before she can unearth any answers about her paternal ancestry though, a prick of a silver hatpin turns her first suspect into dust. after two years of unionised campaigning, the university of melbourne has agreed to reimburse underpaid staff before christmas. the national tertiary education union (nteu) has claimed responsibility for this win, estimating that the university will need $6 million to repay staff. however, with more than 2000 staff members affected, the union has also stated that […] in the words of nat’s what i reckon, australia’s latest and most surprising celebrity chef, there’s something about cooking and sharing a feast with friends that makes you feel like a “f*cking champion”. students studying during the covid 19 pandemic have been drawn into a false sense of security by the university’s revised weighted average mark (wam) calculation system. introduced earlier this year, the system acknowledges that students may be academically disadvantaged during the pandemic, but still makes them bear individual subject scores on their transcript. the current wam […] union house is arguably the beating heart of campus. and while many of its spaces are well known, there is one quiet spot nestled by the first floor elevators that is home to an unexpected and impressive history. ‘the food co op,’ a sign reads. ‘since 1976. under no management.’ a co operative is defined as a ‘democratic organization […] there’s no denying that this academic year has been unlike any that university of melbourne students have faced before. with the end of the year approaching, farrago is rounding up how the year has impacted students and what lies ahead in 2021. the most notable change for students this year was a rapid transition to […] after a successful online campaign, community for umsu has won a majority of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) offices for 2021. winning every office except for president and education public affairs, the ticket appears to have survived a difficult postal election. stand up!, a long standing ticket that dominated office bearer positions this year, […] samantha c. ross’ sunshine: the diary of a lap dancer follows the titular stripper as she flits from gentleman’s clubs around australia and beyond with a sharp wit, affinity for alcohol and delightful pettiness. in 1994, jay farrar left the alt country band uncle tupelo. its remaining members, led by their frontman jeff tweedy, formed wilco. in the early 2000s, during wilco’s critical renaissance, it seemed pretty likely that jeff tweedy would die. welcome to canon in she, a column that celebrates the beautiful music of composers who identify as women. in this edition, we have a violist who wrote for a variety of instruments, a resourceful african american pianist who wrote a christmas cantata, and an australian pianist who writes lyrical and quirky music for various instruments. content warning: sexual assault and harassment. in conversation with women’s officers, aria sunga and naomi smith, and sexual harm and response coordinator, patrick tidmarsh on sexual assault and harassment on campus. in 2020, university of melbourne student union women’s office bearers, aria sunga and naomi smith continued their campaign against sexual harassment on campus. they […] a delicate fire is an operatic movie filmed under covid safe conditions by pinchgut opera, using the music of 17th century venetian composer barbara strozzi. it is an exploration of romantic love, using strozzi’s music as inspiration. spree’s central thesis is that we are all desperate to be seen. whether by our parents, friends or random strangers on the internet, we want the validation and acknowledgment of others. this incredibly human trait pivots towards the horrific in spree, a splattery thriller for the digital age, directed by eugene kotlyarenko and executive produced by drake. when my mum went to university, it was free. the golden years, from when gough whitlam abolished university fees in 1974, to her second year, were a time when anyone and everyone with interest could get their education. this was also when most politicians pushing through the funding cuts went to university. what makes you happy? falling asleep with rain falling softly on the roof? having a joyful dog race towards you, treating you like their best friend? baking cookies, just to eat the dough? curling up with a book and a homemade blanket? candles? tea? for me, it’s all these things. these are things which provide comfort, warmth and security. cosiness. in 2019, there were over 200 concert tours worldwide, from charli xcx’s charli live tour to billie eilish’s when we all fall asleep world tour. each of these tours represents dozens of crew members, trucks, buses, catering spreads and hotel rooms, across every continent, playing to millions of fans. the environmental impact of concert touring is huge. despite its rampant discussion, to this date diversity remains ill defined. “people of colour” for one, is an umbrella term that groups individuals into potentially restrictive spaces while aggrandising their white counterparts even further. to generalise various ethnic groups into a single voice and pit them against whiteness is a problematic practice which diminishes their truth. […] it wasn’t until recently that studies illustrated that cockatoos are typically left footed. digivol, an online volunteer platform, explains this success by pointing to researchers not out in the fields, peering up into gumtrees, but ‘citizen scientists’ working from home. volunteers analysed site photos to assist the digitisation of archives, and in the process identified which foot these australian birds were using. thus, the surprising discovery! retired athletes are susceptible to psychological distress after stopping sports. if we spoke more openly about what happens after people quit, the experience wouldn’t be so isolating. we all hear about the everyday struggles of the elite athlete. marketing material, films and television shows glorify the act of “getting up after you fall” and “continuing on” no matter the cost. urn on your phone, open facebook and scroll through your feed. if it’s anything like mine, it should be awash with covid 19 statistics, the us election, and friends asking how 2020 could get any worse. switch over to the age and it’s the same. pre covid 19 lockdown reality, i meant to go see billy elliot the musical, based on the 2005 film of the same name. not so surprisingly, i didn’t end up going. instead i read about it, watched the movie, i even signed up for free at home ballet lessons   this one wasn’t really followed through   and i got to reflect on the subtleties of the plot and the songs in the musical’s soundtrack. these recipes are paraphrased from 17th century dutch chemist jan baptist van helmont. luckily, he is remembered for discovering gases such as carbon dioxide, not for conjuring mice and scorpions. bethany you may notice i am holding a printer in the photo below. not an advertisement for canon but a poke at the umsu for being silly sausages. they have spent more time harassing farrago than representing the students they have made so many promises to. i had to stand up in council and call […] pols2020 politics of zoom classes subject guide teaching staff subject coordinator: dr boryn n. schléeze dr boryn n. schléeze is a senior lecturer in politics in the school of social, political, metaphorical and bureaucratic sciences. dr schléeze is a political scientist whose recent publications are on the relationship between digital technologies and student learning. he […] i’m told that love is big, unconditional romantic gestures. it’s holding a stereo blasting “our” song outside your bedroom window. it’s flash mobs in grand central station. it’s getting off a flight to paris just before take off. it’s singing “i can’t take my eyes off of you” in the bleachers in front of the whole school. even before it happens, mourn it. memorise what his fingers feel like when they scratch your head every time you hug him. slowly feed your grandmother some fruit, and when she has trouble swallowing, know that this is the last time she smiles at you. non passengers cannot go into airports in bangladesh. my granny’s lined face a mask of sagacity was a novelty, simmering with anxiety and inexperience in the flat white light. lips pursed like the aviation industry was one big blunder. she disapproved. people die in the place they were born. most of all, we want consistency in a person. this recipe is quick and easy to make if you need a last minute dessert! i first learnt how to make this recipe on a cold winter’s day. the fire was going, and i had just experienced the worst week of my life… i’m only joking, i’m not going to venture on some longwinded personal story that’s in no way related to the recipe (looking at you, bloggers). but in all seriousness, this apple crumble is the perfect way to counteract the lockdown blues we’ve all unfortunately come to k if you have netflix, which i assume the majority of you do because what else is there to do during a lockdown and pandemic, you’ve probably seen an ad or the trailer for the new joe mantello & ryan murphy film “the boys in the band”. this modernised adaptation tells the story of a group of homosexual men in the 1960s and how a birthday party in a small new york apartment can become the epicentre of self truths and confessions of old loves. it becomes the intersection of the diverse during iso, i’ve bounced aimlessly through wikipedia long enough to land on an article titled the ‘list of discredited substances.’ it includes the philosopher’s stone, a universal solvent, and even a unicorn’s horn. with each entry, is an explanation of how the substance was discredited, usually through various experiments (we apparently know unicorn horns don’t […] the art upon gallery walls speak of deep histories, people immortalised in paint, lingering in their own mythologies. my feet always take me to the eighteenth century european section, desiring to stand before illustrious portraiture of affluent women in creamy gowns, or poised families before pastoral landscapes, their homestead grandiose in the distance beautiful, amorous, unified. at first, i didn’t like them. you weren’t supposed to. boys pantsed you in the playground. they licked the sap from trees thinking it was honey. boys were pests. when i read about an up and coming boyband in the rainbow glazed entertainment pages of total girl magazine, i decided to bring the matter before the jury the next day at school. the response was negative. a video featuring an area man named dick wiener (54) yelling racist epithets has recently gained prominence on social media. wiener, whose arms and legs are heavily tattooed with neo nazi symbols, is seen enthusiastically making white power gestures at the camera with one hand while pulling a tiny shih tzu somewhat tightly by its leash with the other. moonlight bleaching bones in the trees carving sigils into thighs ice dripping from the s p a c e […] don’t think any of us can say that we aren’t aware of the trend that is the “remake”. we have rebecca on netflix, the boys in the band from my previous piece, the fan favourite disney’s mulan retold, and a new version of the little mermaid is in the works. i’m not going to say that the movie industry is running out of ideas, because new ideas, plots and films are constantly being released; personally, i just feel less excited. the girl i love thinks belonging looks like blank walls re envisioned. bedrooms of low sheen warm white have become her cross cultural companion, a familiar stalker and a friendly face, the constant same hue amongst the apartments in her growing inventory. several taped photographs offer small windows to past lives of different values: friendships with those she hasn’t seen in two years, a family portrait from graduation, and a caravaggio reprint of bacchus these images are staples on her you thought this day was going to mark the beginning of your journey into self sufficiency. whether you memorised every road rule or forged your entire logbook, no amount of driving lessons could have prepared you for the emotional rollercoaster that is failing a driving test. with over 50 writers festivals in victoria alone, it can seem an overwhelming prospect to choose which ones to invest time in. for people outside of the industry, it can also sometimes feel intimidating to attend such events in the first place. last year, i went to the opening night of the melbourne writers festival with a couple of friends. who says that not doing readings for class is a bad thing? it’s an action (or inaction i guess) that’s given me my main coping mechanism for the year’s turmoil, so i’m inclined to think that maybe skipping readings is, in fact, a healthy choice. when i was 15, i wrote 11,000 words of merlin fanfiction. to this day, it is the most successful thing i’ve ever written   i still get emails every time someone reads it and clicks the fanfic equivalent of the ‘like’ button. i was a virgin, i didn’t know how sex works, but apparently, i’d read enough smut to be able to write it convincingly. okay, i don’t want to be a party grinch, but will you not agree with me on this: i think parties are repetitive. someone calls for a party, we all plan, we go to a place, we eat a few snacks, drink a few somethings, laugh and talk for an hour then come back home   a standard party (of course, there are variations). i believe that if something is repetitive, we should make an effort to make sure it’s better. proactive is when you actively make sure that things don’t go wrong, reactive is when you react when things are going wrong. here is an example so we are on the same page  say you keep up to date with lectures every day and develop your assignment every week   you are being proactive. say […] ecently, while moving in with my parents to a faraway suburb, i realized that i’d bought waaay too many books during my time alone at university. the point was: i needed a bookshelf. so, i went to target ­ saw an 8 cube storage unit  39 dollars only  great reviews online  sweet! dear reader, i hope that i do not bore you. if my life were a colour it would be a bleak salmon pink. if it were a sound it would be an alpha wave. but not those alpha waves that aid concentration when you’re trying to cram 170 hours of study into one night; i’m […] they say that 0.01 centimetres is the urban space of possibilities: the distance between people (connections, separation) in the bustling city. it’s easy to get lost inside a crowd (or to lose yourself). claim the rhythms of heartache and caffeinated loneliness and suddenly you’re not special or strange. you’re (the same as) everybody else just […] he leans back on wooden chair crimson with murmuring firelight reddening thins of cabbaged ears bright cheeks porous to the cave like warmth, still bellows exhume tonically: two omeprazole nightly old eyes faded blue as connect the dot veins meandering rice paper arms he blinks and stories rise: twelve years and strapped car wise on a saturday guffawing glassed father […] into cracks spineless time slips fluid jellyfish   caught, only in your feathers’ wide net slung to trap the squirming future. you lend time your skeleton, old catskin croaker pussy willow bud. i have not fallen from the spine of my mother because she always grasps me tight to her back nor did i slip from her arm when she threw me into the sky of freedom to embrace the whispering wind because her hand is a swimming pool where i embrace the warm waters of […] after katie hale our dove has flown for sixty years but she still hasn’t moved a mile not to talk of reaching her shore in the armpit of our dwelling (we hide our hairy shame) when peace visited our faces we served him poisoned food it is left for a mother to let […] letter to the editors the students’ council of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) is broken. it no longer serves students and instead addresses the personal grievances of a small group of people who zealously attempt to enact their personal ideologies. i have been the 2020 education (academic affairs) officer of umsu in 2020, […] tutors are asked to mark 1,000 words per half hour   could you do it? first year arts student sam warner did not expect to spend most of 2020 talking to his tutors from his bedroom. he says the transition to online learning has been difficult but he can also see the strain it has […] with our lives consumed by covid 19 this year, it has been almost impossible to keep up with every development in australian politics. as we emerge from the second wave of the virus in victoria, it is important to look back at the federal government’s policies and recognise they have made life harder for students and […] craig silvey: honeybee allen & unwin, 2020 isbn, 9781760877224, $32.99, pp. 432 within minutes of starting this book, i realised this was not the craig silvey i remembered from jasper jones. while some of the themes overlap innocence, identity, confusion this book isn’t quite like jasper. yet in some ways, honeybee will be defined by its predecessor, a […] welcome to canon in she, a column about women composers being amazing. in this edition, we have a medieval nun who told the church to stop being so damn corrupt, a concert pianist who had eight children while practically inventing the modern piano recital, and a collaborative music maker fusing ancient and modern musical techniques. a small cloaked figure hurried across the barren earth as the last of the sun’s light leaked from the sky. the only thing between him and the horizon was a lonely little house, nestled in the shadow of the last starving tree. the tips of its leafless branches split and splintered like a hundred bony […] ?? ??? ??? ????? ?????? no land on this earth carries me ??????? ????? so my speech carries me mahmoud darwish i do not speak of olive trees and the smell of gunpowder. my exile is one of peace, the crash of the arabian sea. the crescendo of the adhan, the […] people associate cities with alienation. consumerism. the soul sucking nine to five grind. cold capitalist sterility and chaotic excess, side by side. tall towers devoid of character, obscuring the sky with glass and steel. crowds so suffocatingly thick you lose your sense of self. glaring lights, loud noises you can’t drown out. light pollution, sound pollution, air pollution. […] midnight, and you begin your walk home. in the abandoned suburban streets, you imagine you are the sole survivor of an apocalypse. though once afraid of the dark, necessity has forced you to grow up quickly and now the night is your friend. traffic lights flicker, continuing their rounds. their metallic hearts beat alongside yours. […] a sea monster lurks beneath dirty waves. it rises when i stare at the water for too long. its body sends a veil of salty spray to the ocean floor and its mouth forms a great black pit when it screams. i imagine myself swimming, floating sinking inside of it, unnoticed. i try to transform […] that sweet lullaby, my first single, my first album, my first concert emanating from my mother’s chest to the drums of my ear held against her breast a little head floating up and down with her every breath after breath amidst the weary grating of her aching bones, against a larynx of desperation, and a […] one after another. her tears bubbled up and slid down her cheeks with each hiccup that escaped. her tiny frame trembled with each breath taken. breezes blew all around her; not with encouragement but a reminder the hollows of her near past howled. like the numbered pattern of a clock, bodies systematically lay around her and the […] right atrium how strange it is. how fragile, wobbling watery yolk in my palm ribs bending between my fingers like pipe cleaners scattering blood onto a sanitized tray right ventricle how strange to imagine its first stirrings, moth wings wedged between slumped lungs, foetal halfthoughts that never grasped the taste of oxygen left atrium […] they sat in the end booth of the diner, the one furthest from the door. he still wore his hat and her, her coat. “it’s just awful isn’t it? what happened to howard.” she looked out the window at the darkened street outside. “it always is, when someone is murdered.” the waitress came over and […] sun sweet green flesh rimming a pink rockpool rosy anemones swirl in glistening sea gardens a coral paradise afloat with life: juno’s summer lagoon splashing kids lick pink syrup fingers   the fig tree watches silently. guardian of green worlds on heaped branches high; dusk rustles quiet leaves. road music by vanessa lee i catch her in the corner of my eye, cycling by my side with rain damp curls and arms outstretched like wings. we were eleven, almost twelve, and shouting the words to some old song. there is a road named after a flower at the end of our street. our mothers […] have you ever seen pirates of the caribbean: at world’s end? during the pirate council, there’s an older chinese lady who dominates the room with her piercing gaze. well, in this case, she isn’t just the token poc woman added in as an afterthought   in actual fact, she’s a cardholding badass character based off […] he lives in a small, round, earthen cottage deep in the quiet parts of the world. each day mint is picked for tea at sunrise and he waits for his bread to leaven for a late breakfast. at noon he hikes to the top of pullberry hill and takes in the ridges and the autumn […] botanic gardens, 18:56 the office windows turn dark one by one like broken pixels. small cars carry the light out to the suburbs. there are eleven hours and twenty two minutes to sunrise. the evening’s last joggers pass, women clutching phones like weapons. big w, 21:57 the boy announces the store will be closing in […] driftwood ribs turn over in her sleep the ship keens under the weight of evening creaking gently about the sand in her stomach her bones so bare not even the gulls have nested in her slowly disintegrating body as my toes sink into the shell grit by the water a wave unearths timbers that must belong […] female bonobo “let’s make love, not war.” hey lover, listen, i bet you’ve got a lot of stress. when your body’s filled with negativity it can make you lash out. but check this, we figured out a way to stop all the hate, conflict and wars. sex solves a lot of problems, man. most, actually. […] my hair is a weapon, is a shield, is a badge, is a chart of all the things i call myself i’m a feminist, so i’ll leave the house with overgrown legs i am a dyke, short sides and back, because a barber costs less, but so does denial i am desirable, strawberry blond […] for olive morgan says, happy birthing of the meat. time isn’t real, billie adds, but your body trusts it   still   like a loser. i mutter something like, yeah discord is shit, the world is a fuck and you’re older and dad to a shifty cat i want to bury my face in. ulysses […] pinned discussions introductions: please introduce yourself here. imogen: hi everyone! i’ll be first cab off the rank. i might not know you, but i’m sure you know me. how can i be so sure? i’m the person who has been answering every post on the discussion boards. and i’m no slouch, so i like to […] after transitioning to remote work during covid 19 restrictions, hr manager richie monaco (39) was stunned to discover how much domestic labour his wife quietly performs every day. “honestly, mate, i thought there wasn’t much for her to do,” confessed an exhausted monaco during a zoom interview with farrago, rocking a newborn with his left hand […] with melbourne’s concert halls and theatres closed indefinitely to audiences, the arts sector continues to face challenges shifting online during the covid 19 pandemic. on 13 march, prime minister scott morrison announced a ban on gatherings of up to 500 people. just hours after morrison’s announcement, the melbourne international comedy festival (micf) announced that it “will […] as the university of melbourne continues to remain online for semester two, stem students worry that their studies are at a disadvantage after their experience in online labs and practicals during semester one. while specific arrangements for practical classes vary across subjects and faculties, many units within the faculty of science have transitioned their in person […] “there’s no gallery on the parkville campus!” this was me in 2017. unfortunately, i hear my sentiments echoed across the campus. there is, in fact, a gallery on campus   a rather important gallery. the george paton gallery (gpg) founded in 1971 as the ewing and george paton gallery, gpg is located on level 2 of […] university of melbourne exchange students found their plans thrown into jeopardy as australia first enforced bans towards interstate and overseas travellers. when victoria first went into lockdown in march, many students local and international struggled to receive sound advice on how the rest of their semester would unfold. the response from the university of melbourne to coronavirus […] so, mother, go back to your quarters. tend to your own tasks…as for giving orders, men will see to that, but i, most of all: hold the reins of power in this house. reader, did campus ever really exist? or was it some very expensive collective hallucination we all had? after all, it’s been months (weeks? decades? time is bizarre this year) since i set foot in the place, and my memories of it are becoming ever hazier. kidding aside, i do miss campus. not its flashier, brashier aspects […] you’ve found yourself here again. 2am, seated at a cluttered table, lost in your thoughts. a few years shy of 25, you think you’ve lived enough years to feel wiser than you do. instead, you’re sitting here with more questions than answers, unable to shake off an overwhelming sense of unease and dread about the […] stuart rintoul: lowitja allen & unwin, 2020. isbn, 9781760875602, $45, pp. 392. powerful words for a powerful woman. the authorised biography of lowitja o’donoghue explores the price she paid as a self empowered woman in a country that was not yet ready for her strength. i have to admit that before reading this book i was […] the cost of law, commerce and humanities degrees is set to increase by up to 113 per cent after the coalition struck a deal with the centre alliance party, which passed the job ready graduates package through the senate on thursday 8 october. the bill is aimed at reducing fees for courses that align with the […] malgorzata szejnert: ellis island scribe publications, 2020 isbn, 9781950354054, pp. 400, $49.99 to be honest, i didn’t go into malgorzata szejnert’s ellis island: a people’s history with the highest of expectations. its title implied a generic (if slightly dull) history of america’s busiest immigration inspection station, through which over 12 million immigrants passed into new […] you would think that our public spaces being almost empty during a pandemic would make them free of harassment. yet, throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen people from all walks of life experience harassment from school children to fellow students at the university, people experiencing homelessness to melbourne city councillors. harassment is pervasive; however, not everyone is […] the mean girls movie taught us that “on wednesdays we wear pink” and taught me that i related the most to that girl who cried and wanted to bake a cake made of “smiles and rainbows” because i too have a lot of feelings. bethany cherry the world has become overwhelming. our lives have become numbers, names have become movements, and reminders of how ‘well’ everyone else is handling this pandemic are being projected all over the walls like trophies. i want an honest conversation about how unhealthy this is. the inclination of the human is to connect, something […] snyder shines the light primarily on the american justice system as she breaks her book down into three sections “the end”, “the beginning” and “the middle”, which explore how we come to know about domestic abuse and how it can be born. comfy in my pyjamas and sitting in my bedroom i decided to take myself to the theatre buuut being 2020 this meant clicking a zoom link, hoping for some semblance of the ritual of theatre going that i know and love. the travelling sisters (lucy fox, laura trenerry and ell sachs), an award winning physical comedy troupe […] bitten by production’s 2020 theatrical season was one of the many creative casualties of the covid 19 pandemic. not to be stymied by the lockdown performance drought, the company has produced a 14 episode miniseries instead, bringing together a team of emerging writers to create a compelling story from isolation. the episodes are punchy and short, telling […] are you voting in the 2020 umsu elections? umsu election week is from the 7 11 september 2020. here you can find links to your candidates and their statements below in alphabetical order by position. if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate in reaching out to the deputy returning officer, stephen luntz. other relevant information […] i’ve always lived in the eastern suburbs. where i live, there’s these hills with tv towers on them that loom over suburbia. no matter where you are, you can see them from almost every point. and they have this permanent electric thrumming sound an unrelenting suburban melody. the persistence of the hills, with their watchful eyes […] the fifth dimension by felicity lacey we walked through the doors of the campus café and into the fifth dimension, where it suddenly became like looking at life through a bubble blown into sunlight. the average world distorted into rainbow hues that oozed and eased into gentle curves. i remember laughing as we sank into […] looming antiquities when the past had teeth and bottletops, hammocked days toes intertwined, hand on tit, this was love. and dripping manhood, too hot to catch the doorknob was slippery with what, i don’t know and then, furious as an unkept promise tethered to its pursuer purpose unknown like the finger tattoo the lip tattoo […] suppose i set my alarm so i wake graceful, without a start, open my eyes to a squared sky, where the world is only birds and clouds suppose birds are not birds but feathered clouds drifting in and out of not clouds but faded cloth suppose birds are words but words are not birds    […] what is this fruit that smells of plastic? surely, there is an apple in this vast expanse bordered with white illumination. look! there! that reddish sheen is unmistakable. so focused is my vision, framed on you. your yellow […] dusk nights upon dreary bushfires. i wait holding a crystal glass, filled two thirds the colour of the sky. your charcoal fingers knock on the door, leaving ash on oak. avant garde miscreant is how you signed your works. my house is now a gilded frame. the floor of sketches, the walls of colour theory, the […] ama, amie, amour   everyone called you along those lines. ama, amie, amour defined you, roped you like a confused braid. little storyteller, little dancer, the girl with purple ballet shoes wrapped in silk. see my eyes? my favourite tale. you told it after you cried. after my father said everyone talked about you and […] sitting in a waste paper basket drifting off into oblivion waiting for the rest of the world to follow. the earth is an acrylic treat, an impressionist spattering of quiet vermillion, lilac grey, oak brown. our balloon leaves a mark in the sky. it’s a shadow, an omen telling ground dwellers to leave, to fly. we […] danger wore a bolt purple dress he reads poems as bedtime stories to the children kneeled at his feet in bewildered woods widowed where he could have been jesus he borrows tongues like promises like weapons so to dance in dapples he doesn’t let me in i had seen him before in somebody else’s arms […] daniel m. lavery: something that may shock and discredit you scribe publications, 2020. isbn, 9781922310040, pp. 256, $29.99 something that may shock and discredit you is a work that is incredibly comforting for a trans reader. it is, at its heart, a sincere exercise in reckoning with what ‘trans’ is, for a trans person, […] umsu annual elections the university of melbourne student union elections will be held from 7th 11th september to elect student representatives for 2021. the umsu constitution requires elections to be held on paper, not online. consequently, voting will be held through a combination of in person (if possible) and postal voting. voting for university council student […] content warning: racism, white supremacy, police brutality, first nations deaths in custody and other references to cultural genocide that have in particular impacted first nations people of australia. this article includes references to deceased first nations people. when jessie ferrari, the indigenous representative on students’ council, alongside councillor thonya deverall and the university of melbourne […] a content list is a collection of prompts, ideas that the editors collect to direct the theme and content of the magazine. the farrago content list is a way to begin, to be inspired, and is by no means an exhaustive list of content you can pitch your own ideas or send in cold submissions. we […] according to international students from the university of melbourne, the covid 19 crisis, in particular its effects on their academics and financial situations, has had a detrimental impact on their mental health. on june 17, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) indigenous department and and the other umsu student representative departments released a joint statement condemning rio tinto’s destruction of a sacred site in the western pilbara, referring to the mining company’s decision as “an act of cultural genocide”. the university of melbourne has adjusted its accommodation of veterinary students following pushback after its announcement that students would be evicted from kendall hall because of covid 19 restrictions. in a may 26 meeting between the melbourne veterinary school and veterinary students, it was revealed that fourth year students with accommodation at werribee campus had five business […] this news opinion piece mentions indigenous deaths in custody, suicide, child abuse, racial genocide, and police violence. cultural warning for references to deceased persons. featured photo by finley tobin. the size of the crowd meeting the urgency of the moment, tens of thousands of victorians attended the black lives matter rally in naarm (melbourne) on […] students at the university of melbourne have come together to campaign for the reduction and compensation of their tuition fees following the switch to online classes. gathering on platforms like facebook, over 3,500 students have in the last two months joined groups such as unimelb fee reduction online teaching covid 19, where they are sharing experiences and grievances around a widely perceived deterioration in teaching quality. no student results from 2020 will be recognised by the university of melbourne for applications to the doctorate degrees in medicine, dentistry, optometry and physiotherapy in 2021. casual staff at the university of melbourne are facing significant financial insecurity amidst of covid 19 pandemic, as measures implemented by university management and the national tertiary education union (nteu) to save jobs places them in a greater state of precarity. early in may, the nteu proceeded with the release of the national jobs protection framework […] hundreds of international students were spotted queueing around the melbourne town hall building since thursday, 30 may to redeem cash vouchers given by the melbourne city council through its ‘our shout’ program. students were required to provide proof of identity and redeem their vouchers in person to avoid fraud. the university of melbourne’s national tertiary education union (nteu) climate justice network has published an open letter to vice chancellor duncan maskell demanding job security for energy and climate scientists as the economic toll of covid 19 mounts in the tertiary education sector. over 1,300 people have signed an online petition demanding the university of melbourne to remove a controversial hong kong police force (hkpf) recruitment listing from the career online job board, calling the university’s decision to keep the advertisement as “endors[ing] terrorism”. the university of melbourne will not participate in the national jobs protection framework as proposed by the national tertiary education union (nteu), describing it as a “complex, bureaucratic mechanism” in an email to staff on friday. university of melbourne student union (umsu) affiliated clubs were selected for funding from the defence company boeing, potentially breaching the union’s own constitution, sponsorship policy, and official public stance. in 2019, boeing   ranked the second highest grossing global weapons manufacturer for the last three years   committed to partnership funding for both the university’s school of […] the new decade has seen the university adopt a new timetabling system, with mytimetable’s preferential class allocations replacing my.unimelb. this change has been polarising. a statement released online by the university indicates that the system is designed to confer an “equitable opportunity” for all students to receive their “preferred class timetable”. “by following a preference based […] there persists a misunderstanding between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’, which often has a negative impact when shaping and representing gender roles within society. the oxford dictionary refers to ‘sex’ as the biological characteristics that define a person based on their reproductive functions. it refers to ‘gender’ more fluidly   with broader reference to social and cultural […] cw: eugenics and racism. on 13 february, university of melbourne student union’s (umsu) students’ council passed a motion titled “stop celebrating eugenics!”. the motion requested the university to rename buildings named after eugenicists and acknowledge their racism. the motion “[reaffirmed umsu’s] stance against racism” and “called upon the university to make some formal acknowledgement of […] cw: mental illness, psychological and physical trauma. in challenging and uncertain times, art is a creative medium for staying on top of mental health and coming to terms with isolation and identity. this connection between art and mental health is the focus of from heart + mind, an exhibition which showed at the dax centre […] parkville local student and identical twin simon whitaker, 21, confirmed on monday that he has discovered the secret to a perfect work life balance. “it’s taken a few years of trial and error, but we pardon me i have finally struck gold and come across the best way to balance all my competing commitments,” boasted the at peace whitaker to […] by vanessa lee january, february pressed their lips to my neck, leaving sunburn and blisters behind. they apologised, of course, and laid our heads in their laps. we dreamt like it was january 1st of summers past, fireworks dancing in our eyes. when the rain came, i danced alone on the baked earth of my […] male giraffe “kinkshamers need not respond.” hello, fellow equal! i think there’s one thing we should get out of the way and i hope this won’t offend you. you see, i’m a big user of the “c” word: consent. we all like to get a little freaky sometimes. but i want to make sure you’re […] up next we have the lovely walking encyclopedia, hypatia of alexandria. the daughter of a well respected academic, hypatia was an ancient greek egyptian astronomer, mathematician and philosopher who was born around 350 ce (common era). she was raised outside the constricting gender roles within egyptian greek society by her forward thinking papa and thrived as a professor […] on the moon’s longest night, during the feast of lune harbour, cupped mead and slight comments danced courtly between queen sabbas ix and her duchesses and ladies. jesters, firebreathers, novel conjurers and their travel worn familiars paid tribute. drunken commonfolk with crumpled invitations bawled their gratitude. flourishing, grovelling, performing, and staying silently prayerful in the presence […] i am going now, into the soft swooning night. sleep well, sweetheart, i will be back soon. i need to talk to the night, that sweltering air enveloping us all, carrying us precariously to dawn. i need to talk to something that is not you. after an evening such as the one we’ve passed, there […] “guard, gran.” “yes, i know! such a charming guide!” “no, gran, he’s a guard… a guard.” “…he’s going to get a big tip from me! and that accent! o there’s nothing more magical than an irishman’s tongue!” she winks as a flush accelerates across my face. “shall i ask if he’s single?” “gran!” her imagination […] two boats cast their fishing nets, i am the mermaid caught in the middle, ??,??, they both compete. they reach for spears when they realise ??????????. and isn’t it better to kill, than have a creature of two worlds? the waves offer me up treacherously, ???????, i’m sushi ready to be served, ???????. ??? scraped […] cw: coercive relationships, implied dysphoria and implied transphobia say we’re sat cross legged, however many of us, arms twined watching lizzie mcguire re runs where she has her first kiss on our switch, her heart broken when ronnie says later we all repeat  we need to talk, in different voices. you are impersonating ronnie deliciously: the small fry […] content warning: child abuse, death, kidnapping, abduction and violence. a pink barbie book bag buried in a public park lipstick marks on a pimpled face denim pants and a scar on her knee picking peaches from a neighbour’s tree cherries on her left shoulder blade long ponytails in spring clowns in the rear window deep set […] picture my mouth as a zipper, one that you open and close whenever you like. if i talk too much you slide that cold metal across my lips and force me to be silent if i talk too little you push words inside my wet cave of a mouth. i rip the zipper from my […] observe the objective world directly through the senses. representations are undermined from glitches in the physiology of the brain. sunset, various parts of melbourne city. loud crowds distract and fluorescent lights distract and graceful infrastructure blocks the view i. you only know you’re successful when you have rocks in your mouth when your mouth is where your chest was now tectonic plated, clashing the right brained and the left handed so a new mountain was raised of a molehill mind  to brave teacup storms with, to balance coffee on, you don’t open your mouth for fear […] when the quarter moon sets, something is perhaps known, or even a line descends revealed in the moonlight, between him and him, them and them, her and her i the moon in a tea cosy twinkles at half mast our bones and eyes a sprinkle of stardust on the canvas of time she dances from swell to swell swaying from the rigging a tinkling of the whales’ windchimes the blue water of dawn filled the room. &n cw: death there’s nothing in that area, you warned me too late, after i alighted into a cartography of auto workshops, flat stretches of old grass; the shadowy hull of eunoia junior college. once humming with gasoline, the asphalt lies as if dead no pink flags rumbling in the distance, no trucks ferrying the din of […] durian, much loved, yet maligned fruit your spiky, intimidating appearance masks something hidden, enticingly forbidden, tempting us to indulge our lips inside your unknown landscape of custardy flesh and like a mole working its deception, you take everyone unawares when you are exposed your musky, exotic aroma is mysterious nefarious even so when your presence is […] bari is the bengali word for one’s ancestral home; it is your desh, the place that always holds an important key to understanding who you are. for those uprooted   and often traumatised, as the people in this series of true stories often are   the idea of bari is a confusing one… despite long running campaigns calling for a transition away from the fossil fuel industry, the university of melbourne continues to foster ties with the world’s largest carbon emitters, including saudi aramco and exxonmobil. has covid 19 impacted you financially? there is plenty of financial support for students at the moment if you know where to look. in its 22 january students’ council meeting, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) condemned the university of melbourne for not fulfilling its duty of care to students and staff in the summer term, during which bushfires in east gippsland led to hazardous levels of air quality. with many countries going into lockdown and millions staying home, the coronavirus is definitely the biggest cockblock of 2020. couples and single folks alike are wondering: “how the hell do i get freaky in a time like this?”. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) has condemned the university’s actions following the revelation of a $700,000 payout to a former international phd student and survivor of alleged sexual harassment and assault. current and former students at the university of melbourne’s residential colleges have expressed frustration and concern about their administrations’ handling of the covid 19 outbreak. the campus should close for the safety of all students and staff. but, we ask that the university make the necessary accommodations that would be equitable for all students moving forward. animated films are an integral part of the movie industry, regularly topping the box office and working as a reflection of society. almost everyone has a soft spot for animated movies, regardless of age. being lost in a child’s world allows adult worries to disappear, if only for a moment. do you find communicating with your peers difficult? is the burden of individual expression… burdensome? would you rather spend your time critiquing the failings of others without exposing yourself to the same threat? help is here. with languagely, never again will you have to think about how to express yourself effectively. australians need to change the way we view buying a house. since the menzies era, owning your own home has been integral to the australian dream. a right afforded to those who worked hard and paid their taxes. good citizens. then it hits me: is this how my twenties are supposed to be? a cycle of day drinking before marching through the doors of the royal exhibition building every exam season? i cannot drive. i cannot cook. i have never touched a water bill in my life. surely this is not how my parents envisioned my adulthood when traversing seas for a better life. i was 14 when mum and dad brought billie home. every sexual experience that i have had has boiled down to one governing emotion: guilt. 100 words or less. theme: summer they call you strange, little boy. on march 16, the university announced lectures and tutorials with over 500 students were required to cease face to face teaching by the following day. classes with over 25 students but fewer than 500 will need to be online only by march 30. the last few months in australia have seen frustration and confusion towards the australian government and their response to bushfires among the residents of the country. four of melbourne’s busiest rail lines were replaced by buses for the majority of january, as construction of the metro tunnel continued. as donations towards the recovery effort for australia’s unprecedented bushfire season nears $500 million dollars, the arts community has rallied around these fundraising efforts, with a wide range events, auctions and pledges organised around the country in the past months. students’ council so far… in the first students’ council meeting of the 2020 term, students’ council passed umsu’s budget for this year. smash the amulet that you are so sure holds his eyes within it the first child born to a god brought the moon back. john woke up with a grenade in his hand. that wasn’t the worst of it. his alarm said he was going to be late for work. he tells you to meet him on level six of that car park tucked behind the shops. there must be nowhere else to park at this time of night. you don’t realise it’s the rooftop. they run losing memories like leaves you are still there. frozen a moth in the sink is not a broccoli the sky’s sparkling with fractured light the champagne has bubbled our heads i’m seven pushing my bike down the lane the crunchy gravel sounds delicious under the withered moon of catastrophe a strain on the blueberry sky. they reverberate their pheromone calls 189 elgin street is a cafe which holds what i thought we had lost: good soup and a slow view. it is a museum of inefficient objects put to dance. this concert was 50 years in the making, and my goodness did it exceed my highly set expectations! after performing in melbourne multiple times throughout his long and successful career, sir elton john took his last bow on a melbourne stage on sunday 15th december. this 150th show of his farewell yellow brick road tour was performed at a packed rod laver arena, full to the brim of fans who were eagerly awaiting the chance to see elton perform one last time. farrago have a number of reporters working on pieces about covid 19 (coronavirus) that are still developing. unfortunately, the nature of the pandemic has resulted in rapidly changing information from our sources, and the university itself. as a result we are setting up this liveblog so we can provide information to you in a timely manner. the melbourne law school has announced plans to make available recordings of all streams of compulsory subjects in response to growing concerns around covid 19. despite being younger than his mentors, akira kasai is considered to be one of the most established figures of butoh, starting his own studio in japan before studying eurythmy (expressive movement art) in germany. kasai’s wide range of influences is evident in pollen revolution, brought for the first time to the melbourne stage by dancehouse theatre. billed as “the core of the melbourne orientation experience,” the melbourne commencement ceremony was derailed on tuesday afternoon by two protest actions, demanding both university action and student mobilisation. both the national tertiary education union (nteu) and unimelb students for climate justice staged separate protests at the royal exhibition building, where the event was being […] welcome to canon in she, a column all about women composers, their fascinating lives and brilliant music. i’ve been an out and about queer for the last five years, but 2020 marked my first year marching with pride as i joined the graduate student association contingent. walking with the colour, fanfare, love and welcomed embrace that is synonymous with the pride march, i was reminded of how important these events (and my attendance) are […] st jerome’s laneway festival, known affectionately as ‘laneway’, made the move from the concrete jungle of footscray’s community arts centre to the luscious wonderland of footscray park in 2019. the name celebrates the event’s roots as a boutique inner city festival born in the back alleys of lonsdale street, but the 2020 rendition of laneway melbourne was a far cry from its modest beginnings. menstrual cups, the lesser known alternative to managing periods have recently come to the spotlight as climate crisis is becoming more evident, and public participation to the matter is resulting in positive and effective turns (ngl, we woke). beginning as a celebration of the studio’s 20th anniversary, the collection of creative works on display has grown with each new film released in the late 2010’s, culminating in a behind the scenes peak at 37 animated features. unlike a theme park or premiere event, where the emphasis is placed upon the visitor and their interactions with film characters, dreamworks animation: the exhibition is very much a celebration of the filmmakers and creative processes behind each film. i must say there is a strangely melancholic tinge when reading a book so heavily steeped in australiana as you fly out of australia. for a book like the last free man, this culminates in the desire to stare out the window at the vastness of the australian wilderness and for a brief moment be alone (blessedly, when one’s seat is in front of a small screaming child) as jimmy healy does in the opening story of the same name. the lighthouse takes inspiration from edgar allen poe’s work to create a dark, filthy and perversely comedic chamber piece of hallucination and repression. a hyper stylised aesthetic plunges viewers into the eerie, miserable atmosphere of a remote island in 1890s new england. chinese international students are distressed by the university of melbourne’s refusal to delay term dates, despite australia banning travel from china in response to the coronavirus outbreak. the announcement, which was also circulated via the vice chancellor’s email on 3 february, indicated that no disruptions to the usual summer term and semester one schedules would occur. […] edition two 2020 submissions are now open! check out our content list for groovy prompts and inspiration! a beautiful day in the neighbourhood arrives in the midst of yet another tepid oscar season, squashed within a crowded line up of adapted true stories, including the downfall of roger ailes (bombshell [2020]), the denouement of judy garland’s career (judy [2019]), and some cars going vroom vroom very fast (ford v ferrari [2019]). bombshell succeeds at a lot of things: incredible prosthetics and makeup, captivating audiences while evoking intense emotion, and using clever wordplay in the title of the film. the movie follows three blonde “bombshells” through the challenges and devastation of sexual harassment which ultimately ends in a different kind of bombshell. thousands of melburnians gathered at the state library on friday to demand immediate climate action. despite persistent rain, protestors filled the steps of the library and overflowed onto swanston street and la trobe street, before marching through the city. around 30,000 people attended the march according to organisers uni students for climate justice. the student […] at its core, it is a wildly cgi’d musical movie about cats begging to die, starring some of the most iconic people in entertainment (plus james corden). little women (2019) is a radical re arranging of alcott’s novel, a tapestry of moments rather than a chronological narrative. edition one 2020 submissions are now open! check out our content list for groovy ideas and inspiration! french senegalese filmmaker mati diop’s feature film debut, atlantics, is a sensitively crafted, dream like journey haunted by the desire for freedom. on the third day of the national conference (natcon), former university of melbourne student union (umsu) president molly willmott was elected president of the national union of students (nus). following withdrawals, her election was unopposed. as a member of the national labor students (nls), willmott succeeded desiree cai, also from the university of melbourne. these […] the correct way to break a rambutan open is to use a knife. i call that the coward’s way. if you’re a lawless rebel like me, you bite into it whole, cringing at the sudden bitterness the break in the skin fills your mouth with, then use your teeth to rip the rest of it away. in an age where we can barely last the year without buying a new smartphone and throw ageing possessions before they have a chance to decay, it’s puzzling why we still refuse to throw away the remnants of the toxic colonial mindset. while it is a privilege to be able to afford an education abroad, many unspoken costs like underpaid wages, homesickness, cultural shock, financial instability and underemployment came as a surprise. but as an international student, i’m not sure if these costs are worth the price our parents pay. after my breakup with the michael clifford lookalike, i started seeing more people of colour. not that michael clifford ruined white men for me, i just felt more comfortable around people like me. ballots will be cast this morning, determining the national union of students (nus) leadership for 2020. ahead of today’s vote, farrago can confirm the results of many key positions that now stand unopposed following withdrawals from candidates. votes are being cast until 1:30 pm by nus delegates and proxies outside studio theatre in the building. […] earlier this year, a friend took me to a party hosted by guy rundle, the melbourne writer, in his flat in south yarra. people perched on the edge of couches and drank wine from coffee mugs as if it were a student party, even though most of the attendees were twice that age. somehow the topic of farrago came up, and i mentioned that i had co edited the magazine in 1999. guy introduced me to two other former editors who were there: prue from 1988 and sean from 1992. here are our live updates of #nusnatcon2019 last semester, i graduated from the university of melbourne with a bachelor of science. i am overall complimentary about the teaching i experienced, but one area my experience has been inconsistent, to say the least, is tutorials. this got me thinking: what is the best way to support students consolidating what they learn in lectures? i spoke to students, tutors and lecturers to see how they felt about tutorials. what i found was that many factors influence the (sometimes contradictory) opini the stalls for all report published by the university of melbourne student union (umsu) queer department has found a need to change bathroom facilities due to exclusionary tendencies towards trans, intersex and gender diverse staff and students. the university defends the employment of these academics and their right to express their views. “the university must be a place for the exchange and challenge of knowledge and ideas, undertaken with a shared respect for competing points of view,” vice chancellor duncan maskell says. but, should academic freedom of speech override the right of students and staff to feel safe on campus? on one side sits the university of melbourne and select members of its faculty. on the ot the 2019 university of melbourne student union (umsu) annual elections are wrapped up, with long standing ticket stand up! recording a landslide victory. we acknowledge farrago is created on land that always has and always will belong to the wurundjeri people of the kulin nation. this land is stolen and sovereignty was never ceded, and no acknowledgement is enough to give it back. we pay respect to elders past, present and emerging, and to all aboriginal and torres […] rian johnson’s modern murder mystery is the most fun you’ll have in a movie theatre this year, and it’s smart enough that its many pleasures come totally guilt free. follow our updates for umsu’s budget in 2020 here. fleabag was a like a surprisingly uncomfortable massage into knots i didn’t know i had. phoebe waller bridge’s one woman show kneaded into my internalised shame surrounding: my sexuality, my adolescent selfishness and the healthy mix of narcissism and crippling insecurity that’s etched into my 20 something soul. i left the cinema feeling looser and better for […] scott z. burns’ rigorous dramatisation of the real life investigation into the cia’s use of torture after 9/11 is as meticulous and uncompromising as its subject. what does it mean today to make a film so rigidly devoted to the truth? multiple times during the 2 hour runtime of the report, i found myself watching adam driver’s […] one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, todd phillips’ joker (2019) has cackled and danced into cinemas with a resounding bang! this newest iteration of the clown menace has had a lot to live up to, with viewers wondering if joaquin phoenix’s portrayal will join heath ledger’s the dark night (2008) performance […] refugee advocacy group rise has renewed calls for the university of melbourne to sever ties with detention centre security, after the group’s initial divestment campaign was undermined by misinformation. the words resonate as they pass through annalise’s sunken mind but like a shooting star; disappearing into the void as quickly as they came. your fungus / begins to / age inside / its new / porcelain cage. when someone asks / what i want to be when i grow up / i respond / a dog. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. unwrapping the tinfoil, oops, the intonation of a sentence / is overcooked; the content of a sentence is / meaningless. 100 words or less pieces about ghosts for farrago 2019 edition 7. seventeen activists were arrested on the second day of the international mining and resources conference (imarc) amid victoria police’s increasingly violent response to the imarc blockade. police also upped the ante, employing large amounts of pepper spray at least four times today. the effects of pepper spray are more severe than those of tear gas. today, it didn’t matter who you were young or old, protester or observer no one was exempt from the tyrannical style of brutality displaced by victoria police. at approximately 9:20am this morning (only half an hour after arriving), myself and another farrago reporter were pepper sprayed by police. and before you ask; no, neither of us were involved in the protest. the waters of the south lawn moat flowed crimson on wednesday 23 october as protestors gathered in opposition to the university’s involvement in the upcoming international mining and resources conference (imarc). the two of us still pretending to be butterflies, holed up in our terraced cocoon for weeks watching the fists of clouds paint the sky winter white. my mother is in the kitchen, a tiny moving blur amongst maroon teak cabinets. sunlight is pouring in and i am bent over my homework, scribbling away to glory, when i cough. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. chris martin’s thin lips glisten under the stage lights as he succinctly delivers the monologue. i would ask you things / and you would only look / upon me / and spit on me softly the room could sense something different about this body. different, but not unfamiliar. it could feel the body’s heartbeat echoing through the soles of their feet, casting shockwaves up the walls. in greek myth thanatos, the god of death, was said to be as beautiful as eros. death could be like having a love arrow shot in you but what do you focus on? 100 words or less pieces about unsolicited advice for farrago 2019 edition 6. sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. to many of us, the idea of languages tied to a country seems normal. people in england speak english, people in japan speak japanese, people in croatia speak croatian, and so on. is this a hard and fast rule? of course not, but to some extent it’s still considered the norm. but why does this perception exist when it’s not the case with the majority of languages? i shrouded myself in the scent of frosted berries. the autumn breeze drifted into my room as i dressed. it was mother’s day. however, as i wore my linen turtleneck and gold earrings, the day felt heavy on my shoulders. in many ways, it was ironic that it was mother’s day. my mother’s grief floods through the phone with each call this past year. that morning, she calls me and tells me how she slept next to my aunty the previous night. she tells me about the groans of pain that were subst melbourne’s underground music scene is a living organism i had always been aware of but was never cool or curious enough to dive into and experience. then, two years ago, i was dragged unwittingly to a dub music event known in the scene as a “dance” expecting dubstep and to have a terrible time. instead i was welcomed into a community dedicated to growing their scene, to making important strides in pursuit of social justice, and to throwing an awesome party. welcome to living well when you’re unwell a column that answers all your questions about navigating uni, life, relationships, and jobs with disability and chronic illness. have you ever walked into the wrong lecture during week 1 of the semester? there’s something about the anxiety and the irreplaceable feeling of everyone’s eyes on you that nothing else can quite replicate. it was july 23rd. i waited at melbourne airport’s rideshare pick up zone for about 6 minutes before the black honda hr v arrived. the driver helped me with my luggage as most drivers at the airport do. we got in the car and the questions began. a local man has today been left wondering where it all went wrong after he messaged a group chat hoping to grab some beers tonight, but was instead served absolute donuts. in your hurry to class you might have rushed past australia’s only heritage listed art collection. tucked away in a quiet corner on the university of melbourne’s parkville campus sits over 16,000 artworks, one of only three collections in the world of its kind. “someone once said to me that the dax centre was melbourne’s best kept secret,” said director charmaine smith. baillieu library’s resident albino pigeon has become the source of a heated facebook debate between students attempting to name the bird. over semester break, the facebook page pigeon at the baillieu library ran an online competition to determine its name. on friday 20 september, a contingent of university of melbourne students and staff attended the global climate strike, with the unprecedented endorsement of the university. on friday 13 september, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) and umsu international signed an agreement to address umsu international’s concerns about the constitutional changes passed during the special general meeting (sgm) on 17 september. the bride test is a really pure novel. it explores the intricacies of family, immigration, mental health, grief and so much more. world’s most militarized zone and india’s only muslim majority region, kashmir, was stripped of its special status under article 370 by the indian government last month. amidst an indefinite lockdown, kashmiris in melbourne raise their voice against the decision. dilpreet kaur reports. ????? in the early hours of 29 august, protestors gathered outside of cpb contractors office building to criticise their involvement in the western highway upgrade, which will cause the destruction of djab wurrung land and sacred trees. we all have an inner monologue, that little persistent voice inside that narrates our every thought and feeling, but julia michaels has taken it to the next level, bringing her inner monologue tour to melbourne, for one night only. welcome to farrago‘s liveblog of the university of melbourne student union election results. we’ll be posting results for all positions live from the count room as they come in. alain nguyen and stephanie zhang will be giving you a live count and analysis of the initial wave of results as polls close. you can view […] follow farrago’s coverage of the 2019 university of melbourne student union here. well, well, well. it’s that time of year again: student election season. unfortunately, it’s a time many of us dread. the university grounds become overrun with student politics hopefuls donning an array of coloured shirts and handing out flyers. they’ll be asking for your vote and trying to promote their policies on improving the student experience, and they may even chase you down on your way to class to chew your ear off. because of the cumulative effects of assimilation over many generations, ainu’s uniqueness is in danger of being lost forever. there are only a handful of native speakers left perhaps as few as fifteen and all of them are elderly. while there is a much higher number of second language speakers with varying degrees of fluency, without concerted efforts to protect it, ainu’s chances of survival are, sadly, quite low. ever wonder how ancient humans passed all those cold nights in stony caves, or when we realised a little added buzz could go a long way? well, welcome to the history lesson they’re still refusing to teach. from forgotten literary works to surprising archaeological discovers, it’s clear our ancestors were getting down with their bad selves long before christian grey. so, without further ado, let’s jump in our time machine and get ready for the ride of our lives. it’s time to learn abou pine. verb. erund or present participle: pining • miss or long for. “she’s still pining for them” i’ve never pined for someone. i think pining for someone is a complete waste of time and energy. oh, you’re hurt? well, suck it up. it’s not the end of the world. it happens, you know? break ups. […] if you explained the premise of the movie 127 hours to any ‘third culture kid’, almost all of us would be able to substitute ourselves in for the protagonist. being stuck between a rock and a hard place is a sentiment we know all too well. welcome to living well when you’re unwell, a column that answers all your questions about navigating uni, life, relationships, and jobs with disability and chronic illness. the campus has been a ghost town the last couple of months while we were putting edition 5 together. it’s our busiest time of year right now with lots of media related projects on the go so a little bit of peace and quiet was probably necessary but we’re so excited to have people in and out of the office asking us for stuff again with the new semester commencing. if you find yourself in union house, come and say hello sometime! the media space and office is on level 4, and our door is due to recent slump in lecture attendance, history lecturer, dr. lindsey farrow, has decided to spice things up. inspired by highly viewed youtube content, dr. farrow has reportedly begun using clickbait titles in order to get her students excited about learning and attending. on 13th may 2019, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) international elected a new committee which will lead the union from august 2019 to july 2020. this year’s newly elected committee continues the trend of previous years’ of having dominance by students from south east asian countries such as singapore, malaysia and indonesia. to farrago’s understanding, every member of the current committee is from asia. the university’s biennial student run arts festival mudfest will run august 21 28. collaged text, messages from friends. after damning allegations that red riding hood left her missing grandmother to fend for herself in the woods, she has now pronounced that her grandmother has been found dead at the edge of the woods. found poem from the naughty book for girls by candice hill, which maintains a 1.83 star review on goodreads. it’s a passive act to survive entirely on spinach & food textures more usually chewed in the thick of an apocalyptic type emergency. murukami sits in a sole green bog in an ashen wasteland, knees pinned to ground by rusting nails. his arms, detached, caress and cradle his head as an acid wind blows harshly. i remember my mum’s friends gossiping (dark eyes darting, pink lips pursing around sour words) about another woman’s daughter who went to the usa, about how it ‘turned her gay’, “she shouldn’t bring it back here.” you’re reading hellboy in hell cornered in a pocket of the brunswick library the collected trade paperback of the original comics run. hellboy is in hell, because. he falls as a beating heart through the mouth of a petrified giant. drowning in the weight of becoming, nobody could have guessed the simple noise it left ringing in our ears. 100 words or less pieces about ghosts for farrago 2019 edition 6. after long hours of studying, sleepless nights, endless assignments and exams, successes and failures, graduation day feels surreal. it seems like in the blink of an eye, your entire university life is over, and it’s time for the next chapter. many students turn to university programs that aim to provide resources and guidance to job seekers. however, these systems are not without fault, and raise questions as to how useful they are in practice. this anxiety is always hidden behind the euph melbourne law school (mls) student x* has accused the mls of misusing its power through intimidation and silencing. this accusation arose after his attempts at raising concerns with the associate dean and submitting an open letter to the law students newspaper de minimis. the article criticised what he saw as the mls’s failure to address structural issues muslim students face in the legal community. returning to the dark phoenix saga 13 years after x men: the last stand, x men: dark phoenix is tasked with retelling the jean grey story in a manner that is sufficiently fresh and respectful to the series’ first attempt, all the while winning the approval of new and dedicated fans. in this sense, normal people isn’t a groundbreaking story. it’s a story about all of these things life, love, change, and coexistence about which story after story have already been written. it grounds these ideas in four turbulent years of late adolescence and early adulthood, imperfect and unforgettable all at the same time. for a singer who is largely known by her one off viral hits and saxophone riffs made into memes, carly rae jepsen is remarkably serious about her craft. come from away is an exploration of community and hope. taking place in gander, newfoundland, the musical tells the true stories of 38 diverted planes on september 11 2001 and the days that followed. the melbourne show’s 12 person cast delves into a series of characters   townsfolk and plane people   who share fears and hopes alike. the show will make you laugh and cry. sexual misconduct allegations have risen from eight in 2017 to 23 in 2018, according to documents released by the university of melbourne.the documents, which include both responses to requests made within and outside the freedom of information act (foi), shed light on how the university has disciplined students accused of sexual assault and harassment. my romantic life has always been one that is tumultuous. to my friends, it’s one heck of a reality tv show that is always on demand   ready to provide spicy content, tears and drama. a real life ‘the bachelorette’ that they so happily tune in to weekly or have a one sitting binge watch. last year, i had been accepted to study the master of social policy at the university of melbourne. it was something that i was encouraged to do by the professor of my undergrad, the bachelor of youth work at victoria university, due to my academic achievement, passion for youth issues, and a commitment to social justice on a structural level. i felt ecstatic, even though i did see a bit of an irony., three years of hard work only to be rewarded with a further laborious three years? the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. i want to say that death is just a wound things grow around and that i miss the way the world tasted back then, before life touched me like that, cold finger pressed to my tongue; hurts like freezer burn, tastes like freezer burn. “do you have wine?” rebuffed inquired in a raspy voice.“no,” replied oost. “why? should i?”rebuffed inclined her head. “i just assumed.”oost was silent for a time, perplexed. rebuffed filled the space: “you know. since we’re here.” 100 words or less pieces about periods for farrago 2019 edition 4. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. for over 130 years, umsu has been the heart of student life at the university of melbourne. the history of the union is heavily entwined with activism, radical politics and power struggles. delving into the archives offers a detailed reflection of the issues facing students throughout the decades. even the soon to be demolished union house has layers of history hidden in plain sight: from anti conscription barricades and police raids, to refugees avoiding deportation in a back room. time to implement the plan! dude, get the car, the maps, i know we’re starting out in suburbs but i swear to god we’ll make it to the mountains, we fucking have to. it has become more or less axiomatic that if women want to achieve equality in our time, we must first strip ourselves bare revealing our worst shames, heartaches and sins so that we may be seen as utterly human. to be a woman in public these days is more often than not to be in the business of confession. the bath bomb had been a delight for about five minutes. the walls became soaked in the scents of pear and cinnamon as the bomb fizzled into a pool of green. with her classical playlist serenading her, jesmintha enjoyed her muscles sighing and her thoughts slowing their buzzing wings. then the twitching began. the word ‘wilderness’ conjures images of towering trees, forest paths, bubbling brooks and open skies. there are no buildings, no signs of human habitation, and there is a stillness or silence punctuated only by the wind, birdsong or animals scampering over leaf litter. this form of wilderness is linked to a longing for a life that is more in touch with the natural world. at the same time, this wilderness, in its emphasis on pristine, untouched nature, excludes human beings. how can we ex this stripped back set allowed for an immensely intimate performance where nothing else mattered besides the otherworldly falsetto voice onstage, and the introspective artist it belonged to. there was tension in the air last night as media lecturer jean paul levol took a cersei esque walk of shame to the dean’s office, after he was accused of plagiarism by failing to reference memes used in his powerpoint slides. the university was notified of the lecturer’s theft after the learning management system (lms) reported […] i’ve found that my anxiety lessens on bushwalks. standing still, the cool breeze against my skin, able to hear birds, frogs, and the rustle of leaves in the wind. i am able to free myself of societal constraints, prejudice and discrimination. front man georgia maq closed camp cope’s falls festival 2017 act demanding that 2018 be the year that minorities take to the forefront of the music scene. as i stood on the grass field, surrounded by hundreds of fans applauding this controversial statement their song the opener takes aim at the exclusionary nature of the industry with lines such as “yeah just get a female opener, that’ll fill the quota” and “it’s another straight cis man who knows more about this than me” i by 7pm, there was already a spate of eager concert goers, lining the paint filled hosier lane.by 8pm, the mosh pit was filling up. sometimes always never is at its best when it stays true to its core. it is a simple narrative. one that is hardly resolved and has no beginning, middle and end in the larger scheme of things. but it is a wonderful character analysis. an amazing exploration of love, despair and hope. never did i think the question, “ever had a dream?” and all the self doubt and fear of rejection which comes with that question, would be so aptly summed up for me by a one woman operatic show. mari poša, mezzo soprano, known simply on stage as maria, delivers a soulful and vocally powerful performance in el vito!, performed in melbourne cbd’s quirky and cool butterfly club, accompanied by the heartfelt talents of pianist julian wade. scottish comic fern brady returns to melbourne in 2019 for her second appearance at the micf with her show power and chaos, following last year’s suffer, fools! and a successful year on the london circuit. many aussies would know fern from her explosive live at the apollo set last year, where she came out as bisexual live on air and infuriated the notoriously homophobic democratic unionist party in northern ireland. it probably didn’t help that she accused their leader of being a i don’t really know where the title for felicity ward’s latest show comes from. honestly i’m not sure if i missed something, but i’m pretty sure it’s just something she thought would be funny. that’s not to say it doesn’t make sense; it does. felicity’s comedy is bold enough, loud enough, and has enough singing and crying that i wouldn’t be surprised if some audience members didn’t bust their own nuts laughing along the way. i would say that h.m. naqvi knows a lot of words. he, or at least his protagonist abdullah, would prefer i call him verbose. or maybe not even that. what about bombastic, magniloquent, fustian? if you had to look up any of those then you would know how i felt reading naqvi’s second novel, the selected works of abdullah the cossack, a sprawling romp through abdullah’s beloved city of currachee, pakistan. you would also realise that verbose and fustian don’t necessarily connote positive v nestled in the regional town of bendigo this weekend were thousands of festival goers, dressed to impress and with plenty of glitter in tow. groovin the moo was back in town on 4 may (yes, there were jedis, storm troopers and wookies in the crowd, for those wondering) for its 11th year at the prince of wales showgrounds. in 2017, promoter steve haplin said that around 20,000 people attended. from a glance, it seems safe to say that the number of people was just as big, if not even bigger, th signing up to review an unnamed sketch comedy show that your editors placed up for grabs in the media collective facebook group is like a tinder date. you get dressed up, agree to meet up at a bar couple hours after dark and hope that it would not end with you feeling violated in any way. i wish i could say that i walked out of poopie tum tums with a sore stomach and a thirst for more, but alas, that was not the case. my housemate (whom i begrudgingly dragged to this 10pm show) and i both wal if you’ve ever sat through a really long rant from a mate because their date flaked out on them or someone stole their lunch at the office, you would already have a sense of what people suck: a musical airing of grievances is about. it is an hour long song cycle with an indisputable premise: all the ways people suck. with its catchy melodies and strong vocal performance, the cast takes you through jealous bridesmaids, anti vaxxers, the different types of annoying people at your office and m it was with much anticipation that i waited for one of the longest running improv shows in the country to start. the big hoo haa! usually occurs every friday night at the butterfly club, but they were making a few exceptions for the melbourne international comedy festival. the show has been crowned “the original and the best” improv comedy ensemble in melbourne, and it is easy to see why. a couple minutes in and they’ve got the crowd howling with laughter. every year melbourne theatre company (mtc) produces an education show, which is presented in the intimate lawler theatre before going on a regional tour. these productions have often been some of my favourite produced by the company, as they can afford to take more risks in script, actor and staging choices than in main stage productions. the 2019 education performance is the violent outburst that drew me to you, a 70 minute play by the australian playwright finegan kruckemeyer. directed by p watch our live coverage here on facebook. executive producer: stephanie zhang technical manager: jesse paris jourdan results announcers: alison ford, jasper maccuspie hosts: kaavya jha, annie jiang, alain nguyen student panelists: mark yin, lucy williams, allen xiao, jesse gardner russell party panelists: ailish hallinan (greens), joshua munro (labor), jack sharkey (reason), zachary august (liberal) data: ed […] ???? ??? recent data suggests that the university of melbourne is far behind other australian institutions when it comes to improving academic gender equity. the democracy sausages have been sizzled and the votes have been cast, the polls reflected the perceived hopes of the nation and the coalition roundly smashed these to the ground. scott morrison has done the unthinkable, after the disastrous libspill of 2018 he has recaptured the support of many australians to become prime minister, once again, although this time through the decision of ordinary voters around the country. following the resignation of several office bearers within the university of melbourne student union (umsu), the indigenous, queer and education academic (edac) offices went to by election from 6th 8th of may. however, with all nominated candidates running unopposed, the vacancies were filled without students being able to vote. on 13th may 2019, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) international elected a new committee with archit agrawal as president, leading the committee for the upcoming term. the new term commences on 1st august 2019. content warning: mentions of sexual harassment, sexual assaultin march 2019, the university of melbourne introduced an anonymous register. this platform allows students, staff, alumni or visitors to report any inappropriate behaviour on campus to the university without having to make an official complaint, or formally identifying themselves. this change could make it easier and less distressing for victims of assault and harassment to come forward. botched management of alleged misconduct by a recently  appointed head of school has forced the university of melbourne into a legal battle in the australian federal court. appointed in april 2017, professor jennifer milam, an art historian, took up her term as head of the school of culture and communication on 1 january, 2018, but was suspended with full pay in late january this year following two colleagues’ allegations of academic misconduct. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) environment collective held their third successive radical education week during week 7, from april 15 to 18. the week was a cross campus event exploring radical ideas about education within and beyond the classroom. “you’re probably going to paint this room a fluorescent green. then the couch won’t match. it’ll look odd.” jules groans. “who cares? it doesn’t have to match! some things just don’t match!” like us, mary wants to say, but she doesn’t. imagine being one quarter sindhi, one quarter bengali, one quarter tamil and one quarter telegu and not being able to speak any of the languages from these areas. imagine being the colour of a perfectly blended hot chocolate from standing room, but sounding like a cup of tea with almost a whole bottle of milk poured in. ?? ?? ?? ?? find out what your obs are up to! find out what your obs are up to! in the week leading up to sending this mag to print, each of the editors had a work related stress dream. like everything else in edition two, we’ve left this until the very last minute and it barely feels real. we don’t know what’s going on, we’re weak, we’re tired, no one is eating right. if this traditionally safe electorate were to become marginal or flip, it would be a major upset for the coalition government. as unlikely as this scenario may seem, a recent poll conducted by environmental research+counsel suggests that the green’s julian burnside is closing in on victoria’s highest ranking liberal. ?? ?? ? a report launched by the university of melbourne late last year has found that the academic gender gap in australian universities has narrowed over the last ten years and more females have achieved high level positions. limited data seems to exist about the prevalence of disability amongst the student body at the university of melbourne. is this because there are relatively few students with disabilities, in which case, is it because there are barriers to them accessing higher education? university of melbourne staff and students protested against the increasing casualisation of staff today in front of the raymond priestly building. welcome to farrago’s coverage of the 2019 federal election. the 2019 federal budget was announced on april 2, setting the tone for the federal election set on may 18. finding the budget paper too long? here are the highlights. on wednesday march 15, an estimated 150,000 primary, high school, and tertiary students across the country walked out of class to protest the australian government’s persistent inaction on climate change.0 despite the new cohort of office bearers (obs), the parkville campus’ bike co op has yet to reopen. over a year and a half since its supposed relocation, both current and previous environment obs allege university of melbourne student union (umsu) bureaucracy is behind the delay. the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. a lady asked me for a chicken schnitzel and when i went to get her one i noticed that it was shaped exactly like australia. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. things that fall out of people’s purses call out to me, imploring to be returned to what they are (not done being), what they’re made for, who they used to be with. i believe in some hour threaded through all the years where you still kiss my face of lemon rind and rough hessian, boulder wide, fish scaled, round as a copper coin. ascending sixty meters to a chimney top, touched the falling dusk. the cold sticky tongue of growling factories behind you. here i am with love seeping out my pores again, sticky hearted always, sticky date pudding, b tastes so sweet. teeth so crooked, my butterfly boy, freckled chest so sweet, smells so sweet, familiar, way he walks, so sweet, can’t stand it. sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. for by anonymous you know what’s better than mind blowing, gut rearranging sex? mind blowing, gut rearranging number twos. you heard it here first, and quite honestly, you’re welcome. welcome to the secret, taboo world of squat toilets, arguably one of the last remaining bastions of human behaviour from the good old days, back when we used to shit into holes in the ground. do you remember being five years old and making yourself sick on too much chocolate? remember learning for the first time that there is such a thing as too much? it must have seemed like such a strange idea before that moment, that you could have too much of anything. we were born needing. 100 words or less pieces about dating apps for farrago 2019 edition 3. it’s a friday night and your day has been a little too straight. luckily netflix has that lgbtq section to fix things up. for the next hour and a half, one of the worst films you will ever see in your life flickers across the screen. it can only be one of the worst, since you would have faced the same problem last tuesday. queer cinema is a mess. as a field of study, linguistics is a relative newcomer compared to more established social sciences like anthropology and psychology but you might expect that linguists would have at least agreed where to draw the line between dialect and language. alas, as always, the reality is much more complex. i’m not by any means a superhero connoisseur. i’ve never read a comic book and most of the time i need the post credit scenes of marvel movies explained to me. while i’ve heard that many hero stories on paper are interesting and intelligent, i can’t help but notice how all of these action filled hero films are just plain boring. i’m known in most circles as the loud, extroverted one. i know how to make an entrance, and, like fireworks, you can almost always hear me before you see me. i am often asked about where i get my confidence from, and how i have the ability to seemingly be so “intense” all the time. it’s february. another semester, another lot of housemates, classmates, lecturers, textbooks… but some students are already thinking ahead to next year: hiring rounds for 2020 government and corporate graduate programs are opening and closing. following recent budget cuts, the university of melbourne has decided to axe stop 1, choosing to replace the student services resource with the ‘unimelb love letters’ facebook page. a major new study conducted by the victorian institute of geography and impetuous osculation (vigio) has found that south lawn prevails as the finest location on campus for couples wanting to flaunt their amatory success in plain view of an abundance of loners. the implementation of mandatory working with children checks (wwccs) at the university of melbourne has added to concerns of unfair treatment of casual staff, putting the quality of education at the university at risk. legislation was rolled out at the end of 2018 to account for the small percentage of university students that are still minors, but it does not specify who should pay for the checks, and casual staff are bearing the burden. in his one man show, james macaronas plunges his audience straight into a world that is both the familiar one we know, but also one of intrigue and exciting science fiction. macaronas’ love and knowledge of science fiction is clear, with the show including elements reminiscent of dr who and other classic science fiction tropes. follow our coverage of the student sustainability forum here! at a first glance, the 2019 australia budget looks too good to be true the first surplus in forever! tax cuts, which is basically free money, for everyone! cash payments! amazing!until, of course, you realise that the federal election was announced for may 18. there’s no doubt that many elements of the coalition’s budget are designed to appeal to voters and keep the current government in power, but is this a cheap ploy with dubious ethical considerations? are you sick of corporate ice breakers? frustrated by the increasing casualisation of the workforce? being crushed by the nightmare that is late stage capitalism? then the conference, from homebrand comedy, might be just the show for you! going to rhys nicholson has become something of a tradition for my mum and i. as we peruse the thick catalogue of shows for the melbourne international comedy festival each year, he is one of the few acts that has remained on our list. that is, until this year when mum decided she didn’t want to make the pilgrimage out to the city to see him. i was of a different opinion, and made the trip to the victoria hotel on a particularly dark and chilly evening. what happens when the director of your comedy show is a pool noodle and he goes missing in the space time continuum? it’s not a question i ever imagined asking myself, but red noodle blue does just that and somehow, even more? i’ve been on exchange for around three months now. overall, it’s been a pretty incredible experience; i love living in amsterdam (not for the reasons that immediately come to mind) and it’s been amazing to sample the different foods available here. though i am partial to liquorice or a good stroopwafel, bouts of homesickness do pop up. so here’s a few recipes to help you, if you ever feel the same; whether you’re on exchange or just feeling particularly nostalgic about possum magic. a dog’s way home is a heart warming film about a rescue pup and her perilous journey home. whilst the not the most intricate of plot lines, we, the viewers, are blessed with being able to watch a very cute dog on the screen for an hour and a bit. are international students getting fair and equal access to education in australia? i spoke to four international students, all current graduate students at the university of melbourne, one of whom had also completed her undergraduate at the university. three were chinese international students, and one was indian. the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. wear the sun as a face mask, as in what everyone else is doing, but also do what you have to, as in put what you are asked to do first behind the scenes of australia’s highest ranked university, a few chinese international students at the university of melbourne are struggling with their courses due to language barriers. the university of melbourne has set a target for 25 per cent of students to participate in overseas study by 2020, reflecting growing national demand to study abroad. the new target, along with changes to the study overseas program, form part of a concerted national push to simplify the process for domestic exchange students. tide coming in, sun coming out. rotten coconut skull cracked open on the clay earth. scarf off jacket off, thin layers of fabric revealing inky skin. snake tattoo looks like he’s swimming through yesterday’s shells. the scariest part of a dream is knowing the terrible things that are coming… because you’ve had that dream before. i feel that the moon is going to collapse in 3 days. in 3 days, the moon will fall and crush everything… i’ve been here before. the whole world has somehow bent; the sky is fixed and dull, and slants hugely towards the earth, as if a single, immense piece has cracked and fallen loose. so. emily dickinson who may not resemble emily dickinson is closing her eyes in the garret she rents from her boss. we agree there’s nothing much in her room. a bed. a chest of drawers and facsimile crucifix. a chair the dress she arrived in slumps over its back, caked in sewage. the bottom was still scarred with rust, i tried to pick it off with my finger nails like the skin left over from a popped pimple for by april nougher dayhew in 2016, ‘sightings’ of evil clowns popped up everywhere. it was a hit, melbourne band the clowns received hate mail and mississippi made it illegal to wear a clown costume for halloween. mass hysteria has tainted a diverse comic tradition which goes back millennia. until the 18th century, monarchs sought jesters’ […] sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. according to multiple close sources, monash university is much more beautiful, spacious and welcoming than the university of melbourne. these sources, primarily made up of your mates who went to went to monash, reportedly leave no opportunity to compare the two campuses. sign language is something that few people even experience in their daily lives, let alone learn. even as a linguistics student, i’ve found that my education has focused exclusively on speech, with casual references made here and there on the applicability of theory used for spoken languages to sign language; even then, it’s mostly an afterthought. i started dipping my toes in the dating pool at 14 years old. it was an exciting time. i remember when i had my first boyfriend, clark, a melburnian boy just a few years older than me. clark had blonde hair, blue eyes and baby scruff on his face. he reminded me a lot of michael clifford from 5 seconds of summer, except clark didn’t play the guitar and spent most of his days playing assassin’s creed. clark was sweet and 14 year old me thought he was a 10/10 quality boyfriend because he three and a half years ago, in a first year genetics and the evolution of life lecture, i had an academic epiphany. the lecture itself was not one that you would expect to convert an aspiring speech pathologist into a marine biologist: the lecturer had inherited this section of the course from an academic who retired the previous year and had about as much idea of what was going on as we did. blocks of lurid yellow text covered blue backgrounds, and the same slide of ‘snowball earth’ kept i wonder what it’d be like if grindr had existed in the roman empire. nude torsos, an appetite for gay sex and toxic masculinity the romans certainly weren’t that different (well, except for 4g and smartphones). in fact, if we compared the roman grindr to today’s, we’d find a surprising number of similarities, including users’ fear of “fems”. it is the year 1600 and india is dressed in the colours of the mughal empire. one of the world’s richest countries, it has a 23% share of the world economy. india opens her arms to the east india company and over 200 years, royal colours of maroon and gold are forcibly replaced by white, blue and red. by the time the company leaves in 1947, india has been turned into a poster child for third world poverty. he is there every friday for the jumah congregational prayers. he prayed and listened to the friday sermons, in a place that is still, serene and perhaps cosy. in a place where his heart is at ease. in a place where he reconnects with god. 100 words or less pieces about goats for farrago 2019 edition 2. iszzy williamson and emily weir make up the two parts of the fresh comedy duo bringing you everyone needs therapy. done with the trope of the comedian who justifies their depression with laughter, weir and williamson are out to show how getting help can be much funnier than staying sad. so why should you catch this political and absurd piece of theatre? we asked iszzy and emily. union house’s popular sandwich store ‘vegie patch’, amongst other stores, has closed down over the summer to the disappointment of many students. paul duldig has left his position as the head of university services, which he had held since 2014. last thursday, university of melbourne students protested in front of state minister for planning richard wynne’s office against the planned removal of sacred trees for the western highway bypass. the national union of students (nus) have laid out their campaigning agenda titled “a future worth fighting for”, aiming to lobby the government for improved student support and action on student issues. the world renowned musical jersey boys tells the story of frankie valli and the four seasons, the rock and pop band who achieved massive international success during the 1960s and 70s. since starting in 2005 in la jolla, california, jersey boys has already toured the world in places like broadway, west end, japan and singapore. it was first performed in melbourne in 2009, and 10 years later it has returned to greet the melbourne public once again at the regent theatre. the university has refused to support the school strike 4 climate and refused requests for staff and students to not be penalised for participating in the walk off. it’s the age old, end of semester question: is your cute tutor from psyc20006 vying for your affections before you move onto psyc30013 and split ways forever, or is he just trying to get you to complete the student experience survey? as excited as he was to embark on his microeconomics breadth, connor white, 18, has not found it easy to fit in. in the middle of the dancefloor lie several elongated television screens stacked in a small pile, surrounded by wires. the speakers pulse in semi unison, a fury of rhythmic beats that border between white noise and music. the screens flash in synchronized stripes of color. this forms the set to award winning choreographer antony hamilton’s new dance piece, universal estate. find out what your obs are up to! a slender, green tinted arm extends, casting a shadow over the amalgamated skyscrapers below. its long, feeble fingers slowly wrap around the southern bridge as it tries to rip the rest of itself out of the black mirror on the side of the old casino. the void spits out a head encased in a blue bob and a body with armour hugging its figure so tight that a single wrong movement could crush its bones. will there be time to custom make our age, brand it with our initials and tie them tight around our necks? in another life i am a malpracticing physician rotten under pressure, my training was for naught it’s a comedy! people die! so. the premise is there are three planar components to the multiverse. the inner planes are the houses of elementals: dimensions of the spirits, and energies that set the universe going like a fat gold watch. there are dimensions here for the elements, for matter and antimatter, and however many smaller planes for all the forces that roll through the cosmos. did you dream about it? mikah asks. alice kneads at her eye with a knuckle, smudges the residue of her dreamscape. a train, my boss, a drowning sensation. she responds, no. i haven’t even thought about it. it’s true. when mikah told alice that pete was dead, alice didn’t feel the need to ask questions. it was like this: yesterday, i could call pete and expect him to pick up. today, i can’t. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. is sponge like, encouraging soapy suds, moisture to develop in its hide. you pull at its hair and come away empty handed. look, he says, stick your hand in your head twist the oyster grey tubes. feel their pulse. still nothing? we’ve been through this twice tonight. the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. 100 words or less pieces about breakfast television for farrago 2019 edition 1. student 1 i’m a second year studying pure maths, logic, and a dash of statistics. i’m not sure what i’m going to do after my degree, but i’m definitely considering postgrad logic. i’m also non binary. i think my gender has definitely affected my studies. i’m often not comfortable being out as non binary in class the […] in mathematics, there’s a big drop off in percentage representation of female and non  binary students between undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses. so, to explore this further, i interviewed five women and one non  binary person who are currently undergraduate maths students at the university of melbourne. the university of melbourne’s new sustainability policies have been riddled with miscommunication between its implementation and its advertising. saturday 24 november of last year saw victorians head to the polls to vote in the state election. what was initially forecast to be a close labor victory resulted in a rare political landslide, with daniel andrews regaining the premiership with apparent ease. with most student services and events located at the parkville campus, the student experience (or the lack thereof) at the satellite campuses is often overlooked in favour of their bigger parkville counterpart. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) passed its budget for 2019 on 7 december 2018, with several funding increases to autonomous departments as well as considerations for the election year ahead. a$250,000 state of the art scoreboard has been installed at university oval. completed in september, the scoreboard is part of melbourne university sport’s (mu sport) three  year plan to upgrade facilities at the oval. university students supported by higher education loan program (help) will start paying back their loans earlier than before. as someone who only just purged the primary school art work still living in my drawers, and has had ‘go vegetarian’ on my to do list for four years now but has never bothered to learn how to cook, i am well versed in the art of procrastination and chronic laziness. i believed there would be no better show to describe my terrible life choices than the lazy show, promoted as a mixture of stand up comedy and personal storytelling by nikki viveca that captures what it means to be “a lazy pe i wasn’t close to lucy*. we were regular performers in an annual low budget student theatre show. a rag tag collation of short plays, performance art and poetry readings. 2018 has been a good year for cowboys. they are no longer confined to your grandfather’s favourite clint eastwood films and the bitter dust of myth and history. the cowboy can be found on the catwalks of milan and the bike paths of brunswick. where did all these cowboys come from? where are these lonesome souls going? it’s the start of a new year. returning students promise themselves that they’ll study earlier in the semester. freshers undergo self reinvention that inevitably boils down to an unflattering haircut. one of the first problems that you must solve when setting up an education system though it’s probably not something that an australian would ever think about is what language it will use. ideally, it should be one spoken widely by students, which is why english is a good fit for classrooms in australia, japanese is a good fit for classrooms in japan, and so on. i was sitting in bed working (read: procrastinating) on an upcoming essay when the infamous “heyy” text lit up my screen. here we go again, i thought to myself. you might well need a foxtel subscription to notice, but a spectre is haunting australian cricket the spectre of capitalism. what do you get when you combine memes about bubble tea, hilarious reaction videos, and multilingual puns? the answer is “subtle asian traits” (sat), a facebook group aimed at asians living in the west. originally started at the end of 2018, the group now has over a million members. most of the people in this group share one trait in common: being the children of asian immigrants in western countries. some people store collectibles in shoe boxes, but for me i need a boot box to store my rocks. although the taboo surrounding menstruation is waning, pads and tampons still tend to triumph in popularity over the humble menstrual cup. according to a fascinating article by natalie shure in pacific standard magazine, the menstrual cup has a long history dating all the way back to the 1930s. that menstrual cups are today still largely unheard of is, in my opinion, a travesty. in one of the first scenes of at eternity’s gate, a weary van gogh (played by willem dafoe) arrives at the french town of arles. his room, and the landscape surrounding it, has none of the vibrancy or vitality that we associate with his paintings. instead, the town is established with a shot of a foggy field spotted with dying sunflowers. students experiencing financial difficulties may now be able to apply for a free public transport pass as a result of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) education department’s campaign on track. in order to obtain a seven day or 30 day on track pass, students will need to apply to see vanessa stanton, the […] with only a slight promise of sun in the afternoon, punters were to experience a rollercoaster of a day. the 2019 line up nonetheless promised a chance to witness some of live music’s finest. and no amount of questionable weather was going to stop the assembly of melbourne’s music devotees. contemporary classic sweet phoebe has been reimagined for red stitch theatre under the direction of mark wilson, a quarter century after it premiered in sydney starring a young cate blanchett. in this stark, intimate space, tightly wound couple helen (olivia monticciolo) and fraser (marcus mckenzie) rove around their desperately upper middle class domain, eager to quash the insecurities plaguing them as they barrel towards mutually assured success. the front runner   a new film from director jason reitman (juno, up in the air)   examines the increasingly fraught relationship between america’s politicians and its media, using the story of leading presidential candidate gary hart (hugh jackman) and the events that undid his campaign in 1988. i love the idea of space. the thought of the countless other worlds just (or not so just) beyond our own has always been a source of inspiration for me. despite this, i have no desire to ever venture out to visit space myself   space themed talks are the closest i’m ever going to get to exploring the universe. how perfect for me then that in his show dr phil dooley, science writer, physicist, entertainer, pianist and singer, promises to “take you on a trip around the cosmos and reve natalie portman stars in a fascinatingly original   though rather uneven   meditation on celebrity, trauma and the unexpected link between pop music and domestic terrorism. there is little more anxiety inducing in live theatre than the word ‘participation.’. but to describe james welsby’s dancing qweens immersive and communal experience as simple participation would be a complete disservice to the queer time warp that welsby’s alter ego, valerie hex, led us through at carlton’s dancehouse. follow our coverage of #vicbiocon19 here! everyone was screaming the chorus, tears emerged on the faces of some attendees, possibly because the reality of witnessing jorja smith live was setting in. on the basis of sex is a heartfelt tribute to the united states supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg, which captures the young woman as a struggling attorney and new mother, explaining how the first jewish female supreme court justice began her journey. what could a monogamous heterosexual couple of five and a half years stand to learn from the midsumma pussy play and wank bank workshops? a lot, as it turns out. i didn’t go into storm boy with high expectations. while the film does harness the strength of its source material, it can’t hold to a candle to the original story. colin thiele’s 1963 book and henri safran’s 1976 film will always hold a revered place in the australian cultural imagination. this new remake, helmed by experienced television director shawn seet (underbelly, house husbands, all saints), makes some crucial changes to the classic story, and never quite does justice to the moomins are really having their day in the sun, and have been ever since tove jansson received her first letter from a business trying to trademark little my for children’s period training underpants. in melbourne, you can buy random objects with their faces on them from uniqlo, miniso and every sort of artist’s market. little my’s been the twitter avi of the current voiceworks editor in chief for as long as i can remember, and i have a turquoise portable phone charger with moom queensland liberal senator james mcgrath has announced plans to introduce a private member’s bill to abolish student service and amenities fees (ssaf) when parliament reconvenes in february. i am only new to netflix, but the much anticipated netflix original dumplin’ has already made my subscription more than worth it. based on the novel of the same name by julie murphy, the critically acclaimed film is set in small town texas, and is not only entertaining but important. bo burnham’s eighth grade operates as a sort of time capsule. it takes the cringeworthy, the devastating, and the dizzying and doesn’t polish them. it simply presents their uncomfortable, brutal, visceral essence. in doing so, it becomes an authentic illustration with a real, honest beating heart. a long time ago (last friday) in a galaxy far, far away (melbourne), i attended the opening night of ‘star wars: the empire strikes back in concert’, performed by the melbourne symphony orchestra. it was, as you could imagine, amazing. partway through yorgos lanthimos’ superb and vicious period drama comedy the favourite, a character remarks that she feels her life like “a maze [she] continually thinks [she’s] gotten out of only to find another corner right in front of [her].” much the same could be said about the favourite its complex, acerbic and violently funny narrative thrills the viewer and haunts them in equal measure, leaving them deeply unsettled and not nearly escaped from lanthimos’ wiles. when someone tells you a story, regardless of how accurately the events are depicted, framing is important. from the 27th of may to the 3rd of june each year it is national reconciliation week. the entire week celebrates aboriginal and torres strait islander culture and history, as well as invites all of australia to learn more about our stories and knowledge. it is also important to note that while reconciliation week is an important symbolic gesture, reconciliation is an ongoing project of decolonisation of our social, educational, legal and cultural institutions. through an extravagant pose plastered on a billboard, thai australian artist kawita vatanajyankur asks viewers to consider the human labour expended within their consumption habits. vatanajyankur’s carrier ii, installed on the exterior of the university of melbourne’s school of mathematics and statistics building, shows her body suspended by ropes against a blue background bearing towering fish baskets. the work illuminates the fraught relationship between humans and their labo former university of melbourne student union (umsu) president desiree cai has been elected president of the national union of students (nus) on the second day of the annual national conference (natcon). first day is under the belt! after a very long drive up to ballarat, a quick lunch and a whole lot of waiting around, sessions came and went (prematurely or not) and day one was wrapped up by 10pm, hacks and reporters alike waiting for tomorrow with bated breath. for a polish iron curtain period film shot in black and white, this film is remarkably accessible. its breezy 88 minute runtime surely contributes   while the film’s pace is leisurely, it never feels belaboured. beveridge begins with a sunrise of colours that melt across the page, however the middle half of her collection felt gloomy and the divide between wolf notes and storm and honey was strong and jarring. but to watch her poems adapt and to feel a sense of accomplishment, that’s something i want to learn from. his fingernails are covered in dirt, their black edges resemble black moons black wings of death’s head hawkmoths and black birds. the night was sweltering, despite all the jingles. snow was a laughable concept for this part of the globe. a white christmas even more so. handcrafted snowflakes in windows were a poor substitute, but this festive season brought out a desperation like no other. harry made himself comfortable on the roof, keeping his swinging legs from hitting the gutter. it was imperative that his hiding spot wasn’t compromised, for his opponent had been in the game long enough to prove a worthy challenge. broken seven deadly sins sometimes i walk past vegetation around uni and get momentary vibes, like i have been transported to another place in my mind. i want to share with you where i get transported to. lying on my back on a tropical island. actual location: gate 10 near grattan street sitting on a river bank amongst papyrus […] zoë alford wen qiu troy cameron sherrylyne jennifer sherry aine te supassara (sara) tripun supassara (sara) tripun rakesh gill rachel morley qaisara mohamad nikhilesh chaudhari maggy liu jessica herne ilsa harun derrick duan if you vote below the line, you have to number at least five boxes, but your vote will be exhausted once you finish numbering the boxes. this means that you know exactly who you are voting for. farrago is ecstatic to announce that we will be publishing a novel for the first time this summer. the catastrophic fantasy by kangli hu comes out on 26 december. get your advance copy today for just $99.99. take a look at what people are saying below! these images come from a series of experiments i’ve been conducting on my housemates, illuminating how our combined presence builds up, interacts, and merges with our home. this movie was probably the most terrifying thing i’ve seen recently. admittedly i’m not usually a fan of horror movies, but michael moore’s most recent documentary, fahrenheit 11/9, was something of a wake up call for me welcome to farrago’s coverage of the 2018 state election, occurring on 24 november. hollywood’s lolly pythons have squeezed the thrill from the fourth thriller in the millennium series, the girl in the spiders web. in keeping with the tradition of ‘translating’ complex narratives into packet pancakes (sugar coated, two dimensional, easily franchised), the girl in the spider’s web wastes a talented cast on tired tropes and a plot that ties itself in knots only to arrive at an obvious conclusion. later this year i’m travelling to south east asia for three months, and i feel gut wrenchingly guilty about it. it’s not only because of the carbon emissions involved in flying, nor the chequered and problematic history of white people journeying through asia over the centuries. since long before elizabeth gilbert ate, prayed, and loved around the globe, people from one place have travelled to another place, returning with souvenirs, stories and “new” ideas. it’s tempting to at its best, market capitalism is a positive force driving change, innovation, growth and prosperity. at its worst, it’s an excuse to reduce one of the most intimate human experiences (taking a shit) to a cost saving calculus. in a shocking announcement, the university of melbourne has revealed the implementation of an anti cheating software capable of recording every single thought experienced by any given student. at the beginning of august, the university of melbourne held its annual women in higher education week, aiming to explore the experiences of women in tertiary education, both the positive aspects and some of the challenges. a few weeks later, as some sort of distantly linked follow up, i had the chance to moderate a panel aiming to unpack some of the gendered structures that affect women in this field and explore avenues for change. this week in america, on the first tuesday of november, a very different race will stop a very different nation. it is a race with much more at stake. it is a race to majorities in the house of representatives and senate. it is, among other things, a race to be governor in 36 states, to legalise recreational marijuana in michigan and to give ex felons the right to vote in florida. this tuesday, america votes in the midterm elections. director luca guadagnino is back following his 2017 romance smash call me by your name, and boy, are we a long way from sun soaked italy. suspiria takes us to late 1970s berlin, into the terrifying secrets at the heart of the helena markos dance company. guadagnino’s remix of a remake departs in several places from the original suspiria, directed in 1977 by dario argento, but casts a similarly powerful spell. you can never prepare for everything in life. nic teaches you this. but what you can try and do is cherish what you have and never let it go. with me it was important to bring my friend along for the journey. with nic, he needed his dad with him for that. last friday night, taylor swift wowed a sold out stadium of swifties as she brought her reputation tour to melbourne. “we just have the most fun as a tour in australia, you make us feel so at home”, she told the crowd during her performance. in an explosion of sound, colour and confetti, the nashville […] in a cabin above the irksome sea where the electric heater thaws us we make pancakes for lunch pasta for dinner we play at domesticity we watch a movie we disagree vehemently the night appoints us fools you tell me you love me let’s retire these ugly games and go to bed winter’s drain in sophie’s skin hands soaked in summers knowledge this story ends with a girl whose hair is too long for her liking. seven new songs, unwashed swimmers, and a pair of luggage tags for the flight home tomorrow. she has a lump in her throat that’s been there for two months. everything’s tasted bitter since september. i sit reading for so long that my legs tingle with guilt, and the arms of the chair become my arms. for a moment i feel the stiffness in your back. i’m not a light sleeper, but something woke me in the middle of the night. it wasn’t something particular like a sound or smell but rather, a presence. i scoop the complaining cat into my arms and cradle it like a baby. oliver stands outside the kitchen door, throwing the mince meat balls out onto the lawn. one magpie appears, then two, three, swooping in on the easy breakfast. more magpies swoop from the sky until the lawn is dotted with them. oliver throws the last ball and comes inside. the way it starts is the way it ends and i kiss you like the worst i’ve ever had is a paper cut. i dream of asking you out for coffee, watch the flowers grow in real time. you live above me so i stick stars on the ceiling. i’m hoping that they’ll help you sleep better. i found a tube half used and congealed in the cap. i wore it overnight on the pimples i keep picking. i called her every saturday morning, though, and played ‘wuthering heights’ by kate bush into the phone. i wouldn’t say anything, just play the song as soon as she answered and then hang up when it finished. i never did explain why and i think she hated it, but it became such a habit that she just answered every week without fail. in these crumpled bricks of homes holding whips of thoughts in domes passed by ten thousand garden gnomes fear is crawling in my bones no more than drowned apostles, or burnt moths. you are simply a colour i can never touch again. (but all i think of is the discounted sunscreen i’ve bought, whether it will be effective in shielding you from the heat of anger, fear, contempt, love, pride and shame.) you can remember when he used to sit there amongst the eucalyptus trees and the brown dirt. coffee in that old white mug, words of some society or organisation faded from the ceramics and from your memory too. the air of your backyard entering his lungs becoming his heartbeat, slow and steady and sure. she of the dark hair we’re writing secret notes to each other and sticking them on each other’s binders. the teacher side eyes us while commenting on how ‘lesbianism’ is bad. i snort. a dead tongue refutes you r claim to landed purity with the pound of flesh flush with the want of salt he thought of his wicked tutor dan, those evil ticket inspectors, those bothersome essays. such a cold and uncaring world. but then he paused. he stopped and he thought. how he wished he could leave, pursued by no care. but he did care. he now cared for this world. he thought of chloe, his friendship, the laughter and joy. he thought of professor david and the comedy show he performed. such warmth and love this world did possess. ‘twas a mingled yarn, with good and ill together. an ornament of openness a decoration of dedication to change, at the annual general meeting? overall, these three shows took me on a rollercoaster of a night i will remember for a long time. if you had some disposable income to spare, i highly encourage you to check out the other three shows as part of sidesault at the melba and see if any of them pique your interest. i guarantee it will be a unique experience that your childhood self would never have known a circus could be. when the lights went back up and the actors stepped forward to take a bow, it was abrupt. it felt surreal to see all of them smiling and holding hands just moments after they were trying to get as far away from each other as possible. i walked out in a daze, my mind still racing to figure out what just happened. this campus y photo series is brought to you by farrago’s new photography team. each photo captures a little bit of uni life, and since we are off to a long break, we thought it would be perfect to say goodbye with photos. welcome to your latest campus news briefing. the booth is fashioned out of rusty corrugated iron. it sits in mon pop gallery, a pop up space on the fake grass patio opposite the melbourne uni tram stop; an area students habitually ignore. facetiously resembling an outhouse, the booth stands tall; a placard informs us this is an impermanent fixture, an installation by the asian australian artist siying zhou. on the back a sign reads ‘karaoke bar for our national anthem’ in a hokey ‘oriental’ font, which conjures the memory of swe placed on an external wall of the erc library at parkville, power/play’s large vinyl billboard greets you with open arms and uterine glee on entry to the campus. in the image, a worker is shoved into the lower left corner, a cleaning woman with mop in hand speaking silently to the marginalized voices of lower waged and predominantly part time work of women, especially of immigrants, women of colour and single mothers. two youthful exuberant women dominate the centre of the work, fo viewed separately, each frame depicts a moment where the pre existing social landscape is either challenged or laid bare, prompting shifts in its underlying structures, assumptions and foundations. viewed in succession, they represent the shaping of a collective history. each encounter, from mundane to monumental, is part of a wider cultural context that traverses social, generational and temporal borders. the flexibility of borders and boundaries is mirrored by the environment of the work. t hundreds of academics and students joined the national protest at the university of melbourne to call for the end of offshore detention and the inhumane treatments and offshore detention of refugees on manus island and nauru. recent data from universities australia, the peak body for australian tertiary institutions, revealed that one in seven students is regularly unable to afford food and other essentials, with indigenous students and regional students experiencing the greatest hardship. an indigenous student reported that financial strain while completing their studies was so extreme that they “don’t eat much anymore”. a report commissioned in 2008 by the committee of senior academics addressing the status of women in the philosophy profession examines an often neglected problem: the underrepresentation of women in philosophy. a lecture attendance report conducted in 2017 has revealed that a large proportion of undergraduate arts (69 per cent) and science (63 per cent) students are not attending their lectures. results for the 2018 university of melbourne student union (umsu) election have now been finalised after a tense period of vote recounts and appeals. the results, most of which are similar to 2017 with stand up! sweeping the office bearer (ob) positions, are the closest in recent years with many being determined by fewer than 50 votes. this is a humblebrag, but we’re really proud of ourselves and every single contributor to farrago, radio fodder, farrago video and above water this year. have you ever wondered what it’s like to transfer into a course at unimelb? are you not getting much fun out of accounting or habermas? well, you’re in luck, because you can transfer either as a university of melbourne student or from a rival university. the university of melbourne has proposed drastic changes to the school of forestry in creswick, which would see a majority of classes relocated from the historic campus to parkville. the move follows declining enrolments in recent years, and forestry courses being shut down nationwide. don’t get me wrong, he still kills and maims in glorious fashion, it’s just that in his downtime, you’ll see him providing a running commentary on eddie’s love life and loser status. another impression of the symbiote you’ll likely have by the end of the film? venom embodies that one bro who goads you into doing stupid shit. all of this amounts to a portrayal of the symbiote that i was pleasantly surprised by. he’s an enjoyable character to watch in his own right and his likabilit as part of the new student precinct project, artist development platform next wave has been curating public art and programs at the parkville campus. through a series of installations, participatory programming and mentorship opportunities, the project seeks to amplify marginal voices, disrupt historical narratives and open the university’s pedagogy. embracing disruption, as well as the […] all of us know a class clown, with their witty comebacks and laughable one liners at the ready, but ethan cavanagh took it to the next level when he took out the melbourne comedy festival’s class clowns state finals and came runner up in nationals in 2015. am i the only one who avoids group work like it’s the plague? i’m not kidding, i actually check the assignment list for all prospective subjects and if group work is included, well, that’s a deal breaker. in fact, i don’t even think ‘deal breaker’ is a strong enough term. to me, group work is […] “i don’t like hotels. they’re a bit lifeless aren’t they?” i follow ben to the elevator. in the elevator. ben’s curious about my recording device. i hand it over to him. there’s a melbourne band with a killer sound maybe something halfway between wavves and skegss and it just isn’t getting its music “out there”. sound familiar? i remember exiting the theatre and not being able to stop smiling. as we were making our way to the tram stop, i couldn’t help shaking dani’s arm and repeatedly (annoyingly) asking her if she saw what i saw and if she could believe it. being the kind soul she is, she patiently told me that yes, she was there the entire time and she knew exactly how i felt in that moment and there’s a small bit of shared magic that we both took away that night. so please, if you have the time and money g i do have one gripe about this film, one scene that makes me gag. troy, neil and neil’s mum angie (the brilliant kate mulvany) play “canola bowls” which consists of them frolicking in a bright yellow canola crop playing a diy version of ten pin bowling. angie even has a sprig of canola tucked behind her ear like a frangipani. this would never happen because canola stinks worse than a pig truck going through town and is three quarters of the reason i rarely leave the confines of the city on friday, the university of melbourne student union (umsu) electoral tribunal rejected more!’s appeal for a re election for the general secretariat and women’s office. the appeal made allegations against the returning officers over defective conduct of the election. the answer, of course, is no. the lightness of the material, the talent on stage, and the apparent joy throughout make this show thoroughly enjoyable. it makes you want more than an hour. and when it’s over, and you feel only ten minutes older, you’ll think that’s the worst thing of all. maybe it’s me, not him. maybe i didn’t give these poems the attention they deserved. certainly, there were enough great moments to know that beesley is a skillful and original writer, one who i’ll be returning to. maybe a closer, more perceptive reader would find more in these poems, and the strange corners which beesley contorts himself into are impressive in themselves. if you want to feel like you’re driving through heavy fog and a coral reef at the same time, then i recommend aqua queers are outraged about the proposed regulation of poppers and the restriction of its recreational use. and rightly so. the arguments against these regulations are convincing it’s your body and your choice to ingest whatever substance you like. but every new prohibition on social behaviours comes from somewhere and we should ask what made regulating poppers possible in the first place, to properly critique these immoral policies. this year’s umsu elections were hotly contested but nothing was closer than the races for the general secretariat and the welfare office. with fewer than a dozen votes separating each ballot (amongst thousands of total votes), this election was certifiably, undeniably, toight. the returning officers of above quota elections have declared the welfare office has been won by more! and the general secretariat by stand up!. but elinor mills, the candidate more! endorsed for general secretary, h shamira natanagara interviews stephanus budiman about leaving the homophobic hometown behind art by winnie jiao content warning: mental health, religious discrimination and homophobia “save indonesian families from the lgbt movement”, the poster says. an actual poster for an actual event, arranged by the organisation of indonesia’s government officials’ wives (dharma wanita […] demitra lazarakis on why education matters to her art by nicola dobinson i remember a moment vividly from when i was around 15 years old. i had spent the afternoon with my grandparents  grandma cornelia and grandpa george, ??a??a´ and papp??´ in greek. on this particular day, i noticed one of my grandma’s […] last friday, three far right figures, one of whom was wearing a shirt which read “it’s okay to be white”, came onto the parkville campus claiming to be interviewing students about the recent liberal party leadership spill. there’s a monster i’ve heard of over the years that appears in the place of corporeal men. she lies awake legs spread wide ready to birth a new star through cradle and gravel, a truth to tell; mortal is lost, till last bell. listening to x only after he’s dead capitalising on vintage woolworths’ plastic bags remixing washed out lo fi vinyls from savers if a bear shits in the woods and no one is around to hear it, then does a bear shit in the woods? whatever the hell when the memories flood through her skin like milk   when you pour it into porridge, her world melts. i took aim, and released. mushroom clouds snapped apart; a wafer thin crunch, a child treading on dry leaves, dust gliding aimlessly against light. at night, the streets unlike any other city are empty, but the repurposed victorian gas lights remain lit. they project onto the neo classical architecture, the statues of oxford circus, the garrets made of red brick, exaggerated angles/boundaries of shadow like the cabinet of dr caligari, or the fingers in f.w. murnau’s nosferatu, edging around the columns and overly decorated facades like vines. the light stains the tops of buildings gold fish orange notebook coffee fingers flicker ballpoint scribble absent liquor comrades vanish doonas beckon a crown a card and the gift of the gab get you scarce anywhere since days grow short you didn’t answer my question though for my sins i live in melbourne where love is for all but only a suggestion. will these failures grow meaning through repetition ? i keep seeing your face painted concern, when i spill my drink almost falling between your mismatched chairs. […] on the cover was a quotation from a play he’ll one day write. to be or not to be. it sounded good, so good he ingrained it in his mind and noted to one day use it at a later time. but then he wondered, if he saw it first on paper and didn’t form it in his mind, then who originally wrote it? he wondered if anyone wrote it or if it was crafted by the gods on scrolls of parchment and thrown into the world of mortal coils. he didn’t want to read his plays anymore. he wanted to be proud of h “i just realised i didn’t want to go to parties or play tennis anymore.” we begin don’t worry, he won’t get far on foot as a middle aged, upper class woman matter of factly tells her story of a mid life crisis, valium prescription and alcoholism to an aa meeting in a room of bobbing heads. stand up!’s molly willmott has been declared the 2018 19 umsu president. ramsay never grants us a fuller picture of joe’s past, and we are left with no idea of his future. after the plot unfolds, we abandon the characters at this uncertain juncture, oblivious to the fallout. there is no resolution, no closure, no justice. like nina and joe, we are left dazed and bewildered, unsure of what is to come. you were never really here is no ordinary genre film, and ramsay doesn’t offer any gratifying release to the tension the film builds. she allows the film to con ‘something to be tiptoed around’ is a new release from the grattan street press as part of their shorts series, which showcases writing that does not fit into conventional publication formats. having read this book three times in as many days, i would like to recommend that you buy it from a store or borrow it from me, and read it as quickly as possible and then read it again but slowly, carefully, quietly listening. did you know that you could receive up to $250,000 for a project that would benefit students at the university of melbourne? academics and phd students experience a high level of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in australian universities, according to a recent survey conducted by australian women’s history network. this year, the university launched a new scholarship called the melbourne humanitarian access scholarship. this was created specifically for students who have applied for asylum in australia. is beauty the same as love? you used to know this answer, but now you’re not sure. you used to know ugliness meant fragmentation, splintering, isolation; you thought beauty was their absence. you’re finding it harder and harder to find that difference. when you knew beauty, poetry came easily to you. when you’ve forgotten it, when you think poetry has an obligation to be more beautiful than silence, you can’t write at all. your latest campus news briefing. with student election week almost upon us, three umsu presidential candidates went head to head in a debate hosted by farrago on 29 august. searching is an incredibly smart movie. it trusts its audience, and offers up a satisfying ending. it’s a thriller, but it’s a mystery too the screens and windows that flash by offer every clue that david needs. and because it takes place within screens, every clue that we need as well, so that everything falls into place smoothly. it definitely doesn’t hold back, and best of all, it is #starringjohncho. shakespeare once said, “what’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.” although, he was probably referring to white names because we all know that rose rolls off the tongue a lot easier than mishti does. your vote is rather influential in how the union represents you in the following year. if you’re looking for a predictable play with a clear and rosy take away, the antipodes might not be for you. however, if you’re in the mood for a fantastical, dream like, and at times, deeply unsettling excerpt from playwright annie baker’s imagination, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. you don’t need to know a thing about fashion to comprehend mcqueen’s level of genius and artistry. the film itself is beautiful, with dark cgi interludes and a classical music score that mcqueen himself would certainly have loved. just as mcqueen wanted people to walk away from his shows feeling something, viewers will walk away from mcqueen feeling both adoration and grief. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. playful puns and one big crossword that fits in 100 words and under you haven’t slept in two days because you can’t be bothered going to bed. walking home at 8am you see things you haven’t seen in a long time: people out for breakfast, old greek women shuffling to church, parents walking their kids to school, a man in a kebab shop slowly readying a fresh tube of meat. it’s all happening. each day i am the gentle road’s uninvited guest. i give the dirt off the bottom of my shoes in thanks, and my host lends me its spine to walk. i am nowhere tiny twitching suns fill the air thoroughly stir ingredients in a bowl of spare time at the station, saving the addition of reactive liquids until after departure. press release: “in 18th century europe a revolutionary shift in literary and artistic expression took place that became known as ‘the gothic’. nightmarish images of barbarity, oppression and the supernatural were abstracted from an earlier medieval (or ‘gothic’) age and fused with a romantic focus on imagination and emotion, resulting in works of frightening and […] as shakespeare scurried out from the baillieu, a deluge of unpleasantness swarmed against him in the form of many knaves carrying flyers, all in colourful dress. he was in a melancholic mood and found their pressing behaviour worsened his state. he learnt a new expression from chloe that day that he found quite effective. he told them to fuck the fuck off. image by david zeleznikow johnston for by lockout lockheed students at the university of melbourne ought to be informed about a lot of things. first, that their university is making secretive deals with transnational arms manufacturers like lockheed martin and bae. second, that these partnerships incentivise war by institutionalising and normalising the presence of weapons […] ultimately, audiences will come away with a better understanding of mental illnesses and what it means to live with them. sitting in the dark, watching these shows, was an unmistakable sense of connection amongst the audience: alternating between moments of sympathy and of recognition. you either come away from these shows knowing more about mental health, or you leave thinking “oh, so it’s not just me who feels like this”. “it’s a film about melbourne’s west, you should come with me,” i’d said to tilly. it was a highly reductive summary, leaving out every single plot element, but it worked the westside born and raised morley sisters will go see anything that acknowledges our beloved western suburbs. the presidential candidates from major factions, more! and stand up!, are callum simpson and molly willmott, respectively. the university of melbourne is well known for its academic credentials, but fewer people are aware of the athletic prowess it boasts. earlier this year, university of melbourne students and alumni won one gold, two silver and one bronze at the gold coast commonwealth games. since early july, lily ekins has worked as the new university of melbourne student union vca campus coordinator. farrago talked to her about her plans for the new semester, as well as updates on the southbank campus after the restructure of the faculty of fine arts and music. tastings, the biennial showcase of original works by university of melbourne students, will be held 22 25 august in the guild theatre. with over a decade of history, tastings is developed and run by the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu) creative arts department. university square, the prominent garden and thoroughfare, located between grattan street and the law school, is currently in the process of being redeveloped in an association between the university, the city of melbourne, and the victorian government. by the end of it, mary didn’t feel any love toward the sheep. she didn’t want to hold their slimy bodies, cold and wet, abandoned by their mothers. most didn’t even know how to suckle properly. she had given up trying to help lost lambs. roughly 9,000 years ago, somewhere around the tehuacan valley of present day mexico, a common local wildgrass began an extraordinary transformation. it probably started by accident: local foragers favouring those plants with larger, looser seeds, and inadvertently spreading them through their waste. but it wasn’t long before humans made art out of chance and began deliberately selecting the best grasses to sow and unwittingly became the world’s first genetic engineers. in 2008, humans became a majority urban species for the first time. today, up to 54 per cent of people live in cities, and that number is only set to rise. climate change will impact the cities and towns we live in many urban areas will have to change significantly, and rapidly, in order to withstand the pressures of increasing dangerous weather events, heat waves, and other climatic dangers. content warning: eugenics, homophobia, terrorism the world didn’t end in 2012, but sometimes it feels like we would be better off if it had. two thirds of the great barrier reef are bleached due to climate change and the adani coalmine may soon be its neighbour. the president of the world’s most powerful country has sexually assaulted numerous […] daniel beratis on making a home jaime browne is a prolific australian screenwriter whose credits include the mule, the emmy nominated please like me, telemovie the king, as well as abc’s devils dust, laid, the straits, and squinters. his latest project is brothers’ nest, “the sleeper hit of the 2018 sxsw festival”, which is currently showing in australian cinemas. i gave jaime a shoutout in my review a month ago and this week i got to speak with him about making the film, working as a screenwriter, and divers whitney is a biopic of the life and music of whitney houston, one of the best selling singers of all time who sold 200 million records and is the only artist to have ever charted seven consecutive number one singles on the billboard hot 100. i wake up to something vibrating in my bra. there’s a moment of groggy incomprehension before i remember what it is. pulling the still buzzing phone out, i glance at the time: 7:00am. at least i managed to sleep through the noise of the garbage trucks, one of the silver linings of being deaf! i switch the phone off and get out of bed. it’s not the most traditional of alarm clocks, i know. image by david zeleznikow johnston for by trent vu straight white men are good for things other than news scandals and bro hugs. from a biological standpoint, a lot of you were conceived with straight white sperm, but us gays in particular have a lot of other things to thank straight white men for. cut […] one cherry went in the box. i picked up another from the crate, and put it in the box. these ones were mostly plump and round, deep red and juicy. a good premium bunch. if you’ve caught the last ten minutes of the news any time in the past six weeks, you may have noticed that hawai’i is on fire. the culprit is kilauea, one of the tropical island’s five volcanoes: a diminutive creature huddled on the east flank of the mighty mauna loa, and a remorseless slayer of volcanologists. katie doherty on our political obligation to be rude there is a village in poland with a blue steepled church. it has a cobbled square surrounded by pastel buildings, with wrought iron lamp posts. there is a small cafe´ patronised solely by old men with greying moustaches and suspicious demeanours, and the busiest place is the lidl just outside of the town centre. in the dead of winter, late january, it’s about zero degrees celsius on average. it’s so quiet it can’t be described as sleepy; more like comatose. they call it os´wie?cim, bu for more than 40 years, curry corner, a tiny store in melbourne’s cbd that specialises in indian imports, has been selling spices and lentils. but what catches the eye almost instantly is the large collection of skin whitening products in the front right corner of the shop. from a skin bleaching cream for “instant golden glow” by fem to a whitening cream called “fair & lovely”, there is a chemical formula available for every part of the body. yes, even the privates. bhenji ra stands on stage in a bright red bikini, with gold sequined flames stretching around her hips and across her chest. a pair of red boots lace up to her knees, as she flicks a red fan in front of her face. she has been dancing dipping and spinning along the runway but now is still. i first met jen balcomb doing german in first year. german 5 was a bit of a train wreck, but what i loved most about the class was that i made so many friends out of it. we were all like newly born deer stumbling around unimelb, struggling to find our feet after we bust out from the placenta that is high school. our cohort quickly bonded over not knowing what the hell was going on. there’s something about late classes, old german literature and a very scary tutor that really fosters new fri you first notice the smell halfway up the third flight of stairs in the medical building. you did it. this was the whole puzzle. congratulations. there’s no prize. on 1 august, students rallied at the university of melbourne against sexual violence for the first anniversary of the nation wide survey into sexual assault and sexual harassment at australian universities. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. if you’re looking for originality, you won’t find much of it in c’est la vie where pretty much every character is a silly caricature. but although it relies heavily on tropes, it does so with charm and humour. alex epstein can’t find love so he decided to find out, with scientific rigour, the best spots on campus to fall in love with a stranger. there is pressure on jasmine duff, one of the two queer/lgbti officers at the national union of students (nus), to resign, after a motion of no confidence in her was passed at the queer collaborations conference last month. shakespeare remained and watched the show with bemusement. at one point, a strange looking lad with a square jaw spoke of a foreign man called “voldemort” doing a foreign thing called “wanking”, to which the audience around descended into deep cachinnations. our bard sat, frowning and confused, not understanding the source of the humour. he felt them inside his hands and legs, inside his chest, even inside his face. he saw them too, sometimes. nobody else did. only him. the miniscule worm like parasites which had taken his body as their new home. he would never have noticed them had it not been for the unbearable itching. they slipped out of his skin to peak into the atmosphere, he felt them crawling on his skin. it would start itching. nobody would believe him, even when he grabbed one of them and pulled it out (and caused a a whisper of a life on a different sea. sunken are the relics of who i’m supposed to be. displaced wounds and fragmented scrawl. i grew up too fast and not at all. my blood came out orange and i wasn’t scared and it didn’t hurt so why was the teacher on yard duty telling me it was all going to be okay? on my scribbled to do list is the task: “reacquaint myself with magic.” then an arrow coils past “catch up on w9 lecture” and “finish part c stats” and connects to “in the world, myself, etc.” but i could do it, you know? take the banksia in my hands and vase it, for the chance of sucking honey from the world as we bow to one another. i am brown before i am human. this is something i’ve learnt to live with staying in melbourne. it isn’t something i’m okay with. it shouldn’t be, but it is how i adapted to a society that often sees me as an alien. taking his place, i sat the first time, eager, in pain, numerous nurses cautioning me against curiosity, but all i saw out the window was a block of red bricks, a wall. the hand behind is slightly cocked, palm face up, the fingers outstretched, the entire arm straight down, the profile of the body thereby having a more dramatic lilt, as six eyes regard him as he passes through the lobby. viewed from the side, he looks unnatural viewed from behind, he is the scenery. the hand in front holds another a second. he walks forward slightly slower than what is realistic. he does not squeeze the second hand, as he is led, through the lobby, past the lobby, down a i wrote my name in the shores of your palms, over and over each time the ocean washed it out, a message she would soon turn into a lesson. bright yellow in the sky as frail, trembling rays of light filtered down to where it met the ocean. the churning waves crashed against each other in sloppy undulations. an eternity of movement swirling on the surface of a calm ocean. thick and cold, the depths seemed still, motionless in comparison to the surge of movement on the surface. at one point your landlord, if that’s what they’re called here, asked where you were from and you had to say that you honestly could not remember but it must not have been good because otherwise you wouldn’t have had such a strong desire to leave. breath caught and bottle sated associated resting rates. in time find purchase in separate anxieties “it’s a water rat,” i say to hannah, but she probably already knows that. the rat pulls itself up onto the boardwalk and rests its little hands on the hunk of bread. its stomach bulges. hugo takes a nibble and then drags the bread down into the rocks. the white tip of his tail flashes. night skies above me twinkling in splendour, trillions of photons that offered me life. i yearned to be a star in the tender vault, no longer rooted in mortal strife. lsat, gamsat and umat you’ve probably heard them thrown around in worried sighs by future lawyers and doctors stressing over the tests that will decide their fate. but what are these tests actually measuring, and is their cost justified? they say your dreams were actually migraines, that those luminous sighs cascading before your eyes in burning heavenly rains were in fact a derangement of pain and shivering neurons. the darkness webs from shattered homes in silence, and spreads through the petrol stations and the pizza shops on saint georges road. with over 11,000 likes as of july 2018, unimelb love letters has managed to capture the market of bored university students hoping to live vicariously through their peers. on 1 august, the new university of melbourne student union (umsu) international committee will officially begin their term. with jonas larsen heading the team as president, they already have ideas for improving the organisation. the university of melbourne introduced consent matters, an online sexual consent tutorial mandatory for all incoming undergraduate students, at the start of 2018. posters protesting against chinese president xi jinping’s recent abolition of the term limit were found around campus at the university of melbourne. you may be wondering why there’s a photo of us naked covered in copies of everyone’s favourite news corp newspaper, the australian. watching mulan is like finding pringles in your pantry and then realising they are the budget kind. underwhelming, but hey, i’ll take budget pringles over no pringles any day! bad analogies aside, it’s a film that most would view as a revolutionary portrayal of asian women, and for the most part, it is. there’s plenty […] ultimately, as an award winning poet and lyricist with experience performing her work on the internationally stage, andrada is no stranger to dissecting and distributing the personal to the audience. although the book will likely be more poignant for anyone who has gone through similar experiences to andrada, i would almost encourage you to read the book even more if you have nothing in common with her. flood damages is a perfect opportunity to see the world through a different pair of eyes, encountering justin shoulder’s carrion the shape shifting “cybernetic demigod” with limbs made of decaying bones and hair made of apple headphones is deeply arresting. the world is, at times, a terrifying place. millennials are changing their names to wtc7. seemingly middle aged women are drinking coffees with 17 sugars at local cafés. people are ordering chicken parmigianas with extra cheese. for years, the melbourne university shakespeare company (musc) has churned out quasi experimental theatre as if by obligation to form. we huddle in heavy coats, scarves and hats under the clear night sky. everyone clutches $8 wine in plastic cups as they listen to very good writing being read by sam flynn and very good electronic music performed by the melbourne duo ok eg. the crowd is quiet, faces illuminated dimly, hands tucked into pockets […] i don’t know how to use the xbox. it shouldn’t be such monumental issue in my life. i should just learn. in december, not knowing changed my life. this year, we were lucky enough to attend the world’s biggest gaming expo, e3, in los angeles. after several days of roaming the show floor and attending press conferences, we’ve summed up our favourite new announcements and demos on display at e3. on first arrival the room felt vacuous, the venue spacious and the stage empty. the instruments sat visible and still, yet to be awoken. i came to this production full of anticipation and curiosity, intrigued by the proposition of a work created by the rabble and eleven young artists between the ages of 8 and 11. “many people have found it confronting in good and bad ways. some have disengaged or even walked out. my response to those people is that i think they need to ask themselves why they couldn’t listen to the reality of this nation’s present and historical burdens.” after devoting so much screen time to the training, we don’t even see the final performance that won the gold. because this is not a film about victory. this is a film about being crushed. this is a film about the ever deadening passion of an all time great rhythmic gymnast. within the intimately small theatre, one feels enveloped by fury’s storm. the play digs into the fracture lines across society’s conscience immigration, privilege and racism. the characters collide, ideologically and even physically at times, fraying the audience’s nerves. yet when the curtain falls, one is left with not only a quickly beating heart, but also, with a new perspective. well, australia had some of the most repressive censorship in the world and that’s not necessarily something we like to think about ourselves as a country and our history. but we did. it’s a really strong part of how we viewed films in this country. and it was only due to the acts of a small number of people that it shifted. a common jewish saying is to wish someone life until 120. so, when people fall short of this metric it can be quite disappointing. terri lyne carrington and social science gave a mesmerising performance in this year’s international jazz festival. lead by terri lyne, a grammy award winning drummer, the modern and original take on jazz featuring themes from neo soul, acid jazz, hip hop, indie rock and soul was cleverly used as a vessel for a satiric social commentary project highlighting matters of sexism, racism, freedom. the public opinion afro orchestra is an australian group that made their debut at the melbourne international jazz festival, and was brought together by zvi belling and ethan hill (dj manchild) who created this project to explore their passion for the afro beat music of nigeria with a contemporary outlook, and the result is an incredibly energetic and vibrant group of musicians. there have been some harry potter parodies and spinoffs that have become so famous they’ve almost become compulsory viewing for hp fans the potter puppet pals and a very potter musical series are a couple that come to mind. but puffs is the first to tell the story of, well, the puffs, who just happened to be there when that boy with the lightning scar decided to turn up and bring trouble with him. welcome to our coverage of the 2018 melbourne international jazz festival! the annual jazz festival took place from 1 to 10 june this year. terri lyne carrington and social science @ the jazzlab on 3 june, 9pm reviewed by stella dunai knower @ 170 russell on 5 june, 8pm reviewed by matilda pungitore the […] the rocking chair swayed back and forth like water against the hull of a ship. through the window, she could see that the night was still. in the valley below, the soft glow of the town stretched all the way to the shore. knower is a duo from la made up of drummer and producer louis cole and vocalist genevieve artadi. lately there have been lots of articles related to the israeli occupation of palestine, and in many of them hamas is painted in a rather unflattering light. these articles often inaccurately label hamas as a militant group bent on the destruction of israel, then try to use this as justification for israel’s violence. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. in an act of cheekiness, a middle aged professor has used her last powerpoint slide of the semester to reference a month old internet trend. the professor, angela withers, who teaches health policy at the university of melbourne, finished up her final lecture of the semester with a powerpoint slide that contained nothing but the university of […] since 2014, the shaw davey slum has offered several deals aimed specifically at students: $5 pizzas, $1 pots and $12 for a chicken parmigiana with chips being among the most scandalising. these specials attained an almost folklorist quality among students. however, january 2018 saw the promise of $5 pizza suddenly and discretely erased from the menu. the graduate student association (gsa) electoral tribunal has rejected an appeal from candidates of better gsa about the recent elections, which made allegations against gsa staff, the returning officer and members of rival ticket renew gsa. image by david zeleznikow johnston for by andie moore the gig economy has become the new pin~ata of regulators and unionists alike. i am not going to pretend it works for everyone or for every profession. however, it is indisputable that gig work suits some people, particularly those least likely to get work. here is […] because one, you’re gonna see me. two, i’m single right now so looking for girls hey ladies, make a scene. and three, because i don’t think anybody does exactly what i do. it’s a very entertaining, interesting, fun, crazy, wild evening. i don’t think anybody does quite what i do. buckle up your seat belts. it’s not for the faint at heart. and i will be doing lea delaria screwdrivers, so you may be wanting those too. ever heard of cheese nightmares? nup? well, count yourself lucky. rohan byrne looks at the physics behind the tactic veera ramayah addresses white allies some of you will know me as a co host of snappy hour on radio fodder. but semester two last year saw me try my hand at producing another show. the chef   really can’t cook, but tries hard   would have already died in apocalyptic scenario   good at picking my kitchen rules winners   irrationally dislikes onion the setup   one small fridge with freezer compartment   three gas stove burners (one is broken)   one microwave that burns the outside of frozen meals while failing to defrost the center sometimes, […] jason reitman’s new film tully is an extraordinary and sensitive portrayal of the difficulties of motherhood in the modern age. vera blue closed her set with her powerful track, ‘lady powers’, and i couldn’t think of a more fitting song. have you heard about the night of the beast? it’s the day those creatures we cared for, creatures we treasure, and the creatures we hunted come back to our world. clothed in the skin of the underworld, fit for a hot summer evening, they march down the streets, their legs returning them to homes where the memories of them subsist. long ago, snow white’s ancestors invaded a beautiful, sunny land. there she lived in the queen’s care. the queen asked her magic mirror, “who is the fairest in the land?” it replied, “if you mean fair as in pale, it’s snow white. but don’t hold yourself to the beauty standards of your oppressors. love yourself.” skin exxxposed while the sun is sweating he was wearing a coat of leaves, the body and genitals covered in poultice. i’ve always known when mirrors lie. his face, though, was my dad’s fly lure, tremoring over a lake body, my gums reddening when i brushed too deliberately, the desire to chew with my mouth open, the wasps i’d seen fumigated by mum in our roof, their nest like a football. i gazed hungrily as he pointed to a mound of earth on my left his right nails bark splintered. the first time i came out of myself it was not how they had described. a hum under the surface, weighted and distant. holding doors open for people, hoping they’ll open too and embrace her, talk to her, thank her. i haven’t been kissed in so long. when everyone is tucked between bedsheets stuffed with love and honeycomb (because a car alarm breaks the stillness. you roll onto your side and mutter something empty, the breeze carries flutes from bacchic hills through the sometimes portal of your curtains, five bells toll in some distant church and the future, my love, can wait another day. i changed my lipstick three times ironed my shirt borrowed my mum’s shoes. a spacious, well lit, and illuminated afternoon that carries one forward through morose times of dreary, unanswered dreams. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. shakespeare looked at his laptop. he shifted uncomfortably and read once more the task he had to end: to write 15 lines of poetry for his creative writing subject. he hadn’t written much; he was sort of gazing at the wall and remarking how pale and white it was. he looked back at his screen to read what he’d writ. from. an excellent word for an hour of work. in today’s capitalist society, the dollar is the most influential tool at one’s disposal, and the university would rather use it to benefit financially from climate change than contribute to proper efforts to mitigate it. “we know everything about you,” declares miss prism, at one particularly jarring moment. the comment is directed at andrew, but it is intimately felt by an audience for which such sentiments are frighteningly poignant in our current context. wild is a thought provoking reflection on the state of our times, and our departure from the american idealism of snowden’s actions, a mere five years ago. a gripping, contemporary depiction of privacy and surveillance in the 21st century, mtc’s w the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu) women’s department has issued 12 recommendations addressing the prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus. otis heffernan wooden wants blood we’re meant to go to print tomorrow we are i mean going together in the fun near future tense it’s a week later today. double degrees and a new bachelor of health may be on offer to university of melbourne students as soon as 2019 as part of the second phase of the melbourne model. several students have recently been expelled due to the provision of fake doctors’ certificates, according to the university of melbourne student union (umsu) advocacy and legal department. the university of melbourne has ranked below average in a student experience survey of australian universities, published by quality indicators for learning and teaching. in times of fading light, opening this year’s german film festival, is an intensely historical picture, capturing a microcosmic vignette of 1989 east berlin. the play is quite humorous, but overall, very sombre. it is marked by collective confusion and absurdism, and a general feeling of helplessness. i wouldn’t necessarily pick the play for the storyline, nor would i pick it for casual viewing. but it’s a fascinating work of deconstruction and left plenty of food for thought. today at 9am, university of melbourne striking staff members joined other unionists and workers for the ‘change the rules’ rally in the melbourne cbd, which turned out up to 100,000 people. upgrade is a great time if you’re down for a confronting and exciting experience. i highly recommend it to folks who enjoy sci fi and gory action, and don’t need a rock solid plot to have a good time. squeamish viewers should skip this one for sure. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. this wednesday, some classes will not run at the university as staff plans to abandon work to protest the university regarding its stance on workplace agreements. the second consecutive year of student media being prohibited from the federal budget media lock up has brought incredulous disbelief from student journalists and the shadow government, as well as criticism from the mainstream media. i’m strangely comforted by the hardcover casing of darby hudson’s walk. hello and welcome to farrago’s liveblog of the melbourne lord mayoral by election youth forum. students enrolled in unib10019 italian patisserie were dismayed to discover last week that the soothing voice of their professor was in fact amazon alexa in disguise. the virtual assistant spent the lecture reading paragraphs directly off the slides in lieu of professor hopkins, who was ill that day. university sexual assault advocates have called for government action against sexual violence on international students after the launch of al jazeera’s documentary australia: rape on campus last week. i’m sure a lot of you are looking forward to the weekend when you can go to a party and let loose, but for some of us, the idea of being surrounded by sweaty, drunk people in a room with poor lighting and too loud music isn’t exactly the epitome of fun. however, parties are a […] the invisible beasts drew a girl on the wall and her beauty shone into our bard’s pubescent eyes. he recognised her: she’d often walk through his village and pass his abode. anne or sally or someone. he’d pined over her, that pulchritudinous face. he wondered what she was doing painted up on the wall. “now this”, the lecturer began, “is a portrait of anne hathaway, who was obviously shakespeare’s wife.” progress on the university of melbourne’s new student precinct has hit something of a snag, with construction disturbing a long dormant subterranean horror underneath the campus. “do you think it’s clear that i’m trying to emulate j.k. rowling’s style?” he said after a while. “does the pastiche come through?” the first step to running a magazine is accepting that people aren’t always going to agree with everything you do. hollywood maverick steven soderberg’s unsane is a dizzying, claustrophobic ride, following sawyer valentini (claire foy) as she becomes admitted to an insane asylum against her will. the movie isn’t particularly about whether she is sane or not, but rather the gradual and unseemly encroachment of her stalker, david strine (joshua leonard). and really, the movie isn’t about the stalker either it’s about the fact that it was shot entirely on an iphone. the creature has shot to sixth place in australian geographic’s annual dangerous australian wildlife rankings, fuck there’s some scary shit in this country. isle of dogs, like so many of anderson’s work, leaves you feeling as though you ought to go spend the rest of your day in a bookstore listening to classical music followed by a nice cup of tea. well at least that’s what i did. i had to keep the perfect illusion alive. content warning: this review speaks of aboriginal people who have passed away i remember hearing geoffrey gurrumul yunupingu live for the first time like it was yesterday, despite it being around ten years ago. he was busking at a market with a few people stopped in front of him, mesmerised. later, in 2014, i was extremely lucky to hear him again amongst hundreds of other admirers. he’d only sung one verse of a song before my whole family my mum, dad, grandma, brother and i start image by david zeleznikow johnston for by clare taylor the three musketeers. destiny’s child. harry, ron and hermione. the sex and the city girls minus carrie, of course, because she’s annoying af. the holy trinity. three is the magic number. 1. triangles are the strongest shape. it’s physics. look it up. 2. threesomes make you try […] by tilli franks veera ramayah on colourism umsu international has extended the deadline for nominations for its annual general election to increase competition after multiple positions were uncontested or under contested. becky’s show is like a light hearted, insightful water cooler type conversation with the girl that works at your office that shares just a little too much about their sex life. nour altoukhi on the universality of feminism stephanie zhang dissects techno orientalism luke macaronas talks to interdisciplinary artist archie barry about queer performance in a binary landscape sophie raphael looks at to the bone and talking to anorexia there are some iconic duos that were just meant to go together. a’bidah zaid shirbeeni ghosts her own mum andie moore on our obligation to defend society lucy williams and nurul juhria binte kamal look at the university training sessions which left some student leaders “shocked and confused” whether you agree with the results or not, something is clearly not adding up between our high scores on world level rankings, bolstered by research projects, and our abysmal results when it comes to satisfaction with university teaching as determined by authentic student voices. the university is launching the brand new student impact committee to help student volunteers understand philanthropy and its impact on the university of melbourne community. while this presents an opportunity for deeper student engagement, some students have criticised the lack of financial remuneration. we kept a jar of my grandmother’s chilli pickle in the freezer while my father flew to malaysia for her funeral. fertile ground where trichor flown from bitten tongue lands springs emnous remnants a toothsome luxury cthonia induced by friend nor foe alike; orange painted sunsets and a depth of grey, a canvas of molten silver light sigh of smoke spilling from her lips; colourless in the night, i often find myself at a crossroads destined to be forever in the middle until i’ve come to decide which social construct i wish to identify with when i wake up, dani and melissa scramble into my bed. half shaved legs sprawl over my ikea doona cover. melissa and i scream with delight as dani tells us why she was out until 9am. ‘stop screaming!’ she begs. the contrast was enhanced as the surroundings got progressively darker. i could sense another alien colour, just above the orange, which i had not witnessed till then that day. to him, it was a sky blue. at that point, even the sea began to participate, carrying the sunlight towards us, through the waves. now his finger itches to hatch from its enclosure of moulting skin, inch up beyond the down lights to the paper thin sky, to be jettisoned into space, disintegrating amongst the silence, bleached & violated by cosmic tidings, finally twinkling as stardust within the void. tira el cuello hacia atrás y pregúntate qué fue de ella. . the streets are threatening. the world is safer all the time. all of life is dangerous to the touch, and every day, fewer men rot away. new government initiatives have reduced the number of plane crashes, children are regularly abducted from well frequented public playgrounds and canned tomatoes are cheaper at the local supermarket. she rolls her neck once, twice, three times if it matters, and it could very well matter. the wind, rolling off the sea, continues its surge and tide; the lil i can tell you everything about natural history museums   the two kinds of dinosaur hips: you say: two people crossing on a flight of stairs is bad luck   you can feel the ghosts trying to reach out through the sudden confusion of space   it’s raining outside. stormy even. and, far in the distance, you can almost hear the faint chanting of “grease lightning”. “a film trying to lift your chin up and unmask the filter, sin rodeos will warm your internet heart” morir is fernando franco’s second feature film, and it’s a grim one. staff at the university of melbourne have begun the process of commencing industrial action, due to slow moving negotiations regarding conditions of work with the university. the chef   really can’t cook, but tries hard   would have already died in apocalyptic scenario   good at picking my kitchen rules winners   irrationally dislikes onion the setup   one small fridge with freezer compartment   three gas stove burners (one is broken)   one microwave that burns the outside of frozen meals while failing to defrost the center i […] tess waters is storming this year’s melbourne international comedy festival. having sold out all her shows in perth and adelaide, tessa beings her iconic style of physicalised, sketch, and straight stand up comedy to melbourne. the travelling sisters have a determination, tenacity and evocative joy that is taking them to incredible places at this year’s melbourne international comedy festival. it takes a while to digest everything you see here, especially if the mention of dicks takes a shot at your appetite. oh and this show is sprinkled with mentions of anything dicks, metaphoric dicks, avocado dicks, dicks that have been in the elderly and what animals do with theirs. before the show even started, a lucky audience member won a fitting raffle prize a bag of dicks. it aims to educate university of melbourne students about radical ideas, and prompt them to think about their degrees in new ways. it hopes to challenge the growing corporatisation of australian universities and universities around the world, and to create a critical dialogue about the capitalist systems that make this happen and how they affect students something which is not covered in general curriculums. the cast is also accommodating of their younger audience members when breaking the fourth wall and more unscripted moments. this was prominent during during one scene where garfield slowly traverses the stage to hug his beloved teddy pookie. at this time several members of the audience chatted about the show as well as having something to eat whilst the cast maintained the scene’s comic tension from a wannabe bike rider bustling through melbourne’s cbd to an nfl star promoting the benefits of using raw fish and a magical chicken tikka masala wrap, viewers have a lot to be charmed by. by the end, glanc is down to nothing but his underwear, proving that this modern, millennial themed show strays far from the classics. the setting of the swiss club, a restaurant/bar/function space serving the delicacies of switzerland, oddly suited eccentrically charming nicholson, noting it as an ideal location if a war were to suddenly break out on flinders lane. seminal is the eight solo stand up show of trouper nicholson, joining notable bonda fide, which was nominated for the best show award at the melbourne international comedy festival in 2016. it is, of course, we all groan in anticipation of the cop out answer, all of these. it’s a sad story about a couple of selfish people, zhenya and boris, and their pale child, alexey who won’t stop crying. in one scene, zhenya confesses to her new lover that alexey has repulsed her since his birth. it was with cautious optimism that i returned to federation square to see daniel sloss’ latest show now. you may know matt okine from his time as half of triple j’s matt & alex breakfast show, but take it from me, this is the year to sample his stand up. on 19 february, a memorandum of understanding was signed by the university of melbourne and defence manufacturing company bae systems australia to conditionally collaborate in fishermans bend. that’s why we are signing this open letter: after a year of sustained attempts to change higher education policy, we at least deserve the respect to be able to examine the government’s policy suggestions. the scene is set in a middle class london home. the walls of the home set the boundaries of the film. they sit as solid foundations to the crumbling social stratosphere. the rooms of the home map the distress of broken relationships and a broken england. if you thought shakespeare productions are all made up of just the same old boring ten minute old english monologues, then you are wrong, and nicholas hytner’s production of julius caesar can prove it. broadcast live from the bridge theatre in london, director hytner creates an immersive, interactive performance reminiscent of the short musical productions at disneyland (bet you didn’t see that comparison coming). the university library is planning on cutting working hours for burnley library staff, drawing backlash from the burnley student association (bsa). it is a truly charming watch thanks to delightful characters and endless amounts of hilarious physical comedy. never underestimate the classic laugh out loud purity of a warthog that wants to be a soccer legend or a ginormous duck that frequently interrupts doomed training sessions. needless to say my experience at mice 2018 was on par with sunflowers rainbows golden retriever next level positivity. to all the coffee addicts such as myself, connoisseurs and emerging café owners: please do yourself a favour and attend this event next year, as it will open up gates to a new realm of coffee you never knew existed. have you ever wanted to live out your pirates of the caribbean fantasies of sailing the high seas, sword fighting with skeletons and escorting treasure back to safety as you’re pursued by other pirates who are ready to climb aboard your ship? nour altoukhi on being ethnically misidentified i am curled up in a ball like a frightened armadillo. one of my favourite small pleasures in life is to sit with an espresso and watch the sparrows something that can be experienced in almost every city around the world. any first year psych student knows the story. a mouse is placed in a box with two levers. one delivers food on demand the other, cocaine. come back five days later and you will find the outcome is always the same: having tasted euphoria, the mouse has starved itself to death. veera ramayah on her education on colonialism katie doherty explains the issues with the potential solution to climate change rohan byrne on the bizarre natural experiment of hawaii’s aborted doomsday the most infamous tale of star crossed lovers declares: “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” and yet, in classic shakespearean irony, it is the names of capulet and montague affixed to both the hero and heroine that predicate their deaths. were it not for the attachment of their […] the blizzard arena in burbank is home to the overwatch league (owl), a professional esports competition that takes the american sports model and applies it to the first person action game overwatch, resulting in weekly matches between franchised teams that are broadcast all over the world. ‘hit it, pause it, record it and play/ turn it, rewind and rub it away’  the lyrics to an ‘80s bow wow wow song, which salute the trusty cassette tape. a flat, three by four inch rectangular piece of plastic that fits perfectly in a coat pocket, the tape has a warbling sound quality suggestive of an […] bella ruskin on the changing landscape of surnames aggressive feminism, blow up sex dolls and a ‘two muslims hugging’ chair are all features that ingleton wields as she challenges the audience to question societal tropes on topics like sexism in the modern day, domestic violence, voluntourism and religion. ultimately, however, ingleton’s crowning ability is to get a response from the audience so strong they question why they’re laughing, and then carry forth into her performance. it’s basically me trying to work out whether or not i’m a sociopath. it’s my rebuttal to the claims that i’m a sociopath. there’s not much i know about my grandmother. despite harry potter being a magical universe where logic need not apply, some elements are closer to science fiction than true magic: tessa marshall writes. the university of melbourne’s decision to combine respect week and diversity week this year has garnered mixed reactions from students. on 25 march, thousands of people attended a palm sunday rally at the state library to demonstrate support for refugees and to call on the federal government to close down detention centres. there were no wigs, no glasses, and no beard. john r. waters gave the audience an impeccable performance. he performed john lennon’s classics while telling us a deeply felt reflection of the man without it leaning too much towards an impersonation of lennon. korn. as headliners, it came as no surprise that the front stage was insanely packed. thousands of korn fans know the drill for ‘y’all want a single’. they sticked up their middle fingers and harshly screamed: “fuck that”. they are foreboding, menacing figures. they inspire fear in the hearts of innocent, broke students and clueless baby boomers alike. they prey especially on the young, the vulnerable, the disorganised, and those generally having a shit day. the thought of being approached by a metro ticket inspector inspires terrifying nightmares in every melbourne public transport […] american irish comedian des bishop has been enormously successful performing stand up, creating multiple documentaries, and appearing on tv around the globe. the show was coming to a close, with the models make one final walk down the runway. this was our opportunity to pounce on sophie monk. monique and i marched up to her, and patiently waited for queen sophie to take photos with the other peasants that were fawning over her. we eventually got our turn. i have always seen my relationship to clothes as mode of visual expression that is personal, performative and at times a kind of artifice. this perception was challenged by remuse, a melbourne based label, and their trans seasonal presentation equinox v, which called me to think about how fashion can be about authenticity, and connection. world leaders have praised a model united nations conference after it conclusively solved the israeli palestinian crisis on tuesday. delegates for the united states dmitri papadimitriou and isaac wong, both 18, proposed a treaty between israel and the palestinians in the mock un debate so effective it has now seen peace on the gaza strip. mr […] 1. extend your study: if you never finish studying, it’s never time to enter full time employment! according to sources, university college student isabella jonas’ quality of life has been severely diminished following her placement in an unavoidable tutorial at 8am. fresh from a holiday in europe funded by his liberal voting parents, politics major connor johnson continues to stay in touch with his elitist roots by constantly reminding all of his friends that his solid p wam is equivalent to an 80+ average at other institutions. andie moore on pitching humane asylum seeker policy to conservatives. if the events of the last week had taken place months ago with plenty of time before the sgm, i think amendments would have been made and the changes passed. the public back and forth between umsu and the gsa just goes to show that there were so many unanswered questions, issues, and work yet to be done. this year, there are many changes occurring at the melbourne veterinary school including professor anna meredith assuming the position of head of the melbourne veterinary school in july … professor meredith was kind enough to conduct an interview with farrago about her new role, the direction of the melbourne veterinary school, and the impact that the changes will have upon students. speaking about failure, orny said: “it’s frustrating, it’s angering, it’s not easy, and it’s painful. it’s a lot of pain. you can’t intellectualize what’s going on. it doesn’t make sense to you, you know you’re capable of something and you’re not being allowed to do it. it’s that sense of injustice which i think is something that we all feel in life.” jacob rodrigo, the vice president of the graduate student association (gsa) and an electorate officer in bill shorten’s office, has offered graduate students free beer in exchange for helping push though controversial changes to the gsa’s constitution. while the addition of new student accommodation is certainly welcome, it appears that high prices will remain a significant hurdle for many students hoping to access the privileges of university lodging. xanthe beesley is a performer and performance maker who has worked in an array of creative roles. we spoke to her about her vision for union house theatre (uht) and what you can expect for the upcoming year. when jacob first joins me in the office i feel a little flustered, but he kindly reassures me: “there is no such thing as good or bad questions, only human connection.” we’re off to a good start. to continue with this theme of human connection, jacob shares a recent, personal experience of participating in a medical study, which has left him with a sore spleen due to an increase in white blood cells. i quietly (but sincerely) hope that this won’t be an issue during the interview. overall, through its rhythmic interweaving of narratives, colder creates an experience that is haunting and thought provoking. the production goes beyond simply exploring what happens when a person goes missing; it explores the tensions that can lie dormant beneath the surface of any relationship. if you are looking for a challenging production that plays with language and leaves you pondering as you walk away from the theatre, this one’s for you. welcome to the coverage of vamff this year: from photography to comedic reviews, our writers sat in the front rows to get you the fashion coverage you’ve been wanting all along. ben volchok presents … sees ben volchok perform two episodes of original radio comedy live on stage. from silly voices to sound effects, ben does it all armed only with a microphone (borrowed) and some arms (his). also a computer (also his). student media has a proud history of refusing to accept the status quo, and we remain vital in our efforts to refute the political narrative. our photographer caroline voelker travelled to the ryder runway show in cremorne at the virgin australia melbourne fashion festival and took these beautiful shots. discussing digital and brand strategy could have been dry, but rice and tran managed to make the topic fresh, and an experience that spoke of the impact women can have in the fashion industry, while building and lifting up future generations of fashion lovers. on 3 january, the school of historical and philosophical studies (shaps) management sent a group of removalists to clear out research history desks (rhd) in light of desk reallocations to help facilitate staffing changes for the new academic year. the university of melbourne now offers a range of specialist online graduate courses, raising the question of whether the same should be done for undergraduate courses. the university of melbourne’s victorian college of the arts (vca) and melbourne conservatorium of music (mcm) have been renamed to become the faculty of fine arts and music, leading to the relocation of mcm to southbank. labor’s ged kearney has won an incredibly close by election in melbourne’s electorate of batman, beating out perennial greens candidate, alex bhathal, in a seat that many predicted labor would lose. why is it that, for a party so strongly in favour of wealth redistribution, only 24 per cent of their members identify as working class less even than the liberals (32 per cent) and far less than labor (46 per cent)? ? end card by alain nguyen. luke macaronas speaks to jean tong about writing, upcoming works and her recent ascension to the australian lesbian canon. content warning: sex the doctor is kneeling on top of the tardis. they raise one of their hands; floating through the rings of a gas giant imagine saturn but lavender particles twist around their sixth digit. they remember a quote from a futurama episode: “the ship stays where it is, and the engine moves the universe around it.” content warning: violence, panic attack fury: steve you are so good at fighting i’m giving you a promotion. honestly i was worried about it because you are seriously traumatised and i’m asking you to go into life threating combat situations but then i decided it will probably be okay. in memory of kim jonghyun the moon is listerine tonight, the electric blue and the shock of that light shooting down my spine reminds me of you. this was the umpteenth time i’d had this conversation. i’d spent the last three weeks facing off against a faceless corporation who had come to embody all the frustrations of my metropolitan existence. you were forced to deal with an army of foot soldiers who had a perfect, practical defence of plausible deniability. they met my rage with phrases like “my hands are tied” or “i am on your side”. yesterday afternoon, i had the great pleasure of interviewing xavier rubetzki noonan, a 25 year old musician from sydney and melbourne. he plays with self talk, kelso (with kelly dawn from camp cope, and gab from japanese wallpaper), and with triple j unearthed’s max quinn. we meet at the reverence hotel, a pub in footscray that’s home to […] for by darcy french. against by alex d. epstein. content warning: violence, gore what about the curls abound your head you liked them, you said i’ll keep them for you next to the others too. you sit with me eating mandarins in the field of sunflowers that hide us, spitting pips sucked on back and forth. i kiss the bruise tender between sleep and poetry; slowly, a long sharp tusk of silence lends itself floating   when you were five and i a head taller we snapped the arms of plastic dolls in the hopes of making them bend. father told a story of koschei the deathless, wove his death through a needle eye, stuck fast in a duck’s skin, made flotsam of a foreign body the centre of the universe is starting to combust. it was 1578. william shakespeare was 14 years old when he left school. then he disappeared. between 1578 and 1582, there is no documented evidence linking the bard to any job or location. nobody knows what shakespeare did in those four years. until now. “last year i was involved in dungeons and dragons, the french club, german club. but i stopped turning up to their functions when i joined the alp club. i met a group of people there who i thought were more interesting and different. it’s all consuming really: at about that time i stopped seeing my old school friends.” the sound of falling stars brings back memories of the american stars of the post world war two era through a few great role playing scenes by cameron goodall and the two playful musicians, george butrumlis and enio pozzebon. whilst promising lovecraftian horror, artful suspense, ufo cults, and people who appear to not have aged since the 1970s, the endless is a painful let down for the lover of smart, indie horror films. all five user reviews on imdb for the endless are positive, hailing it as “a rather amazing film” or “a defining film of 2017” however, i disagree. this film has badly written dialogue and should be punished accordingly. just like the other graduate designer xiangqiao sheng said, “fashion is the art of living beyond living.” i want to give props to the silent arrow team, as the provocative models were beautifully chosen. as an asian myself, it’s affirming to watch how diversity is valued as we see people of colour being selected as a runway model. but not only that, people of all body sizes, skin colours and ages walked down the catwalk. the most mouth opening of all a pregnant lady, gorgeously strutting it down the laneway, with the whole crowd cheering in general appreciation. five words; not your average f kichidi is an indian comfort food made from rice and lentils along with an assorted mix of vegetables and spices adding flavour to an otherwise bland dish. much like the dish kichidi, bangalore native dr. jagdish chaturvedi (yes, he’s a doctor) speaks of mundane things about the indian experience with his own assortment of flavours to these experiences. and did i mention he’s a doctor? image courtesy of polity. polity is a new student run media organisation, which aims to challenge readers’ consumption patterns, and take them outside of their echo chambers. you can see more of their work at polity.online. welcome to farrago’s coverage of the batman by election. “i was joking with one of my friends recently that there’s really just three things you need to do to be a successful comic, and that is: be funny, reply to emails, and don’t be a dickhead. that is literally all you need to do.” my eardrums were first graced by the visceral voice of archy marshall, aka king krule amongst other names, in 2013. his breakthrough album 6 feet beneath the moon had just been released. my friend max played ‘baby blue’ for me using his phone 3g at midnight, while we lay alone next to a public pool in darwin. fitting, considering the forlorn, wateriness of the record. this year’s international women’s day march saw a crowd of approximately 1000 people rally through the streets of melbourne. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. a little night music, playing at st kilda’s national theatre by watch this!, navigates both romance and comedy with flair, producing a show befitting of the tony award winning material an achievement, considering its difficulty. i have been waiting my whole life for a comic play that answers the question: was friedrich engels fuckable? mary magdalene, directed by garth davis, follows the ever changing story of mary of magdalene (rooney mara). the film covers her decision to leave the small jewish community she grew up in, to witnessing the resurrection of jesus christ (joaquin phoenix). the story so far lies with me having first listened to hiatus kaiyote when my mate, ariana, dyed my hair blue and put on ‘nakamarra’, up to this weekend, when i went with ariana together to see the neo soul band play their biggest ever, headline, sold out show. i came to sit in the theatre without having much expectations of what the films were going to showcase since i was never a fan of short films. however, i was blatantly proved wrong, even at the start, when the first film was screened. now, to think about it again, i should have known the films would have a level of substantial standard to be even part of this city wide film festival that is home to so many inspirational and binge worthy films from high calibre filmmakers and actors. car seat headrest’s first song of the night is not a car seat headrest song. in fact, will toledo often described as the band’s ‘creative centre’ does not appear until the song is almost over. there are seven people on stage by that point: all four car seat headrest members, plus the associated seattle act naked giants, who, together, give the night one hell of a punch. “who the fuck are you?” asks naked giants’ gianni aiello, when toledo finally takes up his frontman mantle the chef   really can’t cook, but tries hard   would have already died in apocalyptic scenario   good at picking my kitchen rules winners   irrationally dislikes onion the setup   one small fridge with freezer compartment   three gas stove burners (one is broken)   one microwave that burns the outside of frozen meals while failing to defrost the center confession: […] abba was the swedish pop foursome that enchanted the world and changed the music game forever. babba are the australian tribute group that recreate that magic for a generation for whom the songs of abba still hold a strong place in our hearts and playlists. on saturday i had the chance to attend the music in motion event as part of the melbourne women in film festival. i wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this trio of short films, especially given i don’t normally get the chance to attend these kinds of festivals, but the vibrancy and earnest nature of the films was really refreshing. daniel beratis asks why we subject ourselves to awards season™ alex d. epstein looks at ‘native advertising’ in australia. robert kraft loves sports. born and raised in massachusetts, he played football for the zeta beta tau fraternity at columbia university and has been a new england patriots season ticket holder since 1971. kraft doesn’t just love sports though he’s also in the business of them. as adventure time enters its final season, emma michelle reflects on cartoons and relationships nour altoukhi describes walking through airport security now a steady staple of orientation week, pub crawls organised by large student societies routinely draw large numbers of first year students. almost a university ritual, these events see students roaming from pub to pub, always dressed up and enthusiastic. the problem with these proceedings, however, is that they contradict regulations laid out by the university […] although promoted as a “dramatic comedy about marriage, panic attacks, anti depressants, and not always getting what you want,” it soon becomes clear that jeremy perfect would be better described as a dramatic comedy about bad sex and uncomfortable living arrangements. the confessions of jeremy perfect is playing at la mama courthouse feb 28   march 11. in the past week, the parkville campus has been plastered with dozens of stickers, posters and leaflets expressing compassion and support for refugees languishing in offshore camps on manus island and nauru. the poster campaign seeks to bring back the focus on the suffering and mistreatment of refugees ahead of the palm sunday rally for […] an immense film to add to the australian film canon, don’t tell is director tori garret’s first feature film and documents the landmark legal case which prompted the royal commission into child sexual abuse. amateur hipster and indie connoisseur jack dempsey is in shock today after learning that his musical taste isn’t quite as unique as he had long believed. after entering the university of melbourne as a fresher this o week, he was dismayed to find multiple posters of his favourite ‘underground’ bands strewn across campus. yesterday i was outside the library when a person handed me a piece of paper. the a4 leaflet read “it’s okay to be white”. he then demanded to know whether i was white or jewish! the guy who handed me that leaflet was not a stranger to me. i’ve seen him and his friend around […] for by matthew simkiss. against by ruby perryman. content warning: racism, anti semitism, homophobia breaking: two men have been escorted off parkville campus for allegedly harassing students and handing out flyers saying “it’s okay to be white” at the baillieu library. when a degree in jazz saxophone just isn’t enough to satisfy the creative itch, you go the plan b route of writing and producing some of the best indie pop and rock songs of 2017. it’s a tale as old as time and the path followed by alex lahey: a 25 year old, melbournian songwriter and musician who will be performing at uni on concrete lawns this tuesday at 12. taking place in a paddock, with kangaroos bounding around the fence and kookaburras and cockatoos circling above, grampians music festival is like no other, writes chloe waddell. at a festival celebrating the creative contributions of women within the film industry, love serenade stands as a landmark due to its all female creative team. “well the way i see it, i’ve already done half the work or 30 per cent of the work if you go by my grade. so really if i just do what i did last semester then i should at least be angling for a 60 per cent.” luke macaronas on ash flanders’ slippery theatre click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. the ‘90s were a golden era for ‘toons. kids and adults alike parked themselves in front of the tv every evening and ate supper off metal trays. knees were slapped and tears of sheer amusement shed throughout the neighbourhood when homer simpson accidentally bared his privates through his bathroom window to a passing helicopter. so, it’s your first day of uni and i’m sure all of you semi functioning adults out there are ready to take on this big new world. you might be a bit nervous, but it’s nothing you can’t handle… you’ve just arrived at university. it’s your first week, you’re excited af but pretty intimidated at the same time. you might recognise a couple of people from your old school or maybe you know nary a soul. the place is huge, confusing to navigate and you wouldn’t even know where to start when it comes to […] special consideration is an important university service, but some students are becoming concerned by the inconsistencies with which staff apply its provisions. vast differences in how staff approach a student’s needs are raising questions around the extent to which staff seek out information and support made available by the student equity and disability support (seds) […] concerns have been raised over the appointment of mark considine as the university’s provost, due to his history of downsizing and cutting funding from the faculty of arts during his term as dean. a former office bearer for the university of melbourne student union (umsu) said, “mark considine once said to me that the university […] the construction of a new student precinct, beginning this year, has triggered discussions regarding the future of study spaces on campus. a university spokesperson confirmed that several surveys of the student body were held in late 2017, with the results clearly indicating that this issue is of high priority. “to date more than 5,000 students […] what started as a plan to land an internship has ended in tragedy, as local student jordan rampant has been forced to confront their own unassailable mediocrity as a human being. the incident reportedly began with an eagle based inspirational quote on tumblr. “i just wanted to ‘soar towards success on the winds of my potential’,” […] sometimes the sunlight would seep through the curtains and spread itself across the fabric. it covered nearly every inch of space in my grandmother’s house. i’d gaze into the specks that hid amongst the woollen carpet, hoping for a glance of the possibilities that lay below. it used to be red. though he wears a rich coat burning brighter than the sand of any desert, the twinkle in the lion’s amber eyes has long since faded. here, everything is illusive. senses are no longer reliable. you heard the music before you ever saw it, although i suppose that’s regular. i hauled my shopping bag up higher so the cans would dig into me. my briefcase balanced me out just nice. in footscray now; people in soft focus and wrapped in silk. asphalt melts, sticks to my boot. together we fought with the magpies over the best places to find food, and we huddled close in the cold at night, watching for cats, and we would sit in the swaying branches of oak trees, peering down at the neat rows of dark bricked human houses, the rectangular sections of grass bordering them, the great black wasteland roads where monstrous cars roared by. laura wakes up. she thinks, “oh god, i’ve got that big presentation today!” she jumps out of bed to get dressed, but suddenly! her legs are computers!!!!!!!!!! by the time she gets to work the meeting is over and she’s still in her pyjamas. follies is not a happy musical. it is certainly not the typical theatrical production that would be filmed and preserved for eternity. big dream empowers young girls to integrate into these industries by showcasing the lives of seven brave women as role models that younger generations can follow. so, you’ve completed an assignment. conglyntulations. but guess what? it sucks. quick add these photos of the effervescent vice chancellor of australia’s #1 university to give your assignment a much needed sprucing up. why glyn, you ask? hold onto that questions will be addressed in the tutorial. we’ve also included some sample topics to go with the pictures, you […] dyschronia is not a book i would have initially picked up, however upon reading it, it has opened new ways of considering the world for myself. happy end is austrian director michael haneke’s 13th film … his newest movie appears scattered and overstuffed with unworked ideas, and has no clear focal point, bar the broad and tired message about the flawed upper class. i thought, fuck it, i’m going to midsumma, so and the hair remained. on these stinking hot melbourne nights, one may wander the streets in search of a salve for the sleepless hours ahead. on this particularly stifling january night, myself and an intimate group of salve seekers gathered together to experience killjoy: destroy the fantasy. the university of melbourne’s learning management system’s “echocenter” lecture capture module (uomlmselcm) reportedly achieved sentience yesterday, and began autonomously developing a plan to purge the earth of all organic lifeforms, just as soon as it finishes loading. at the end of ‘tintin in tibet’, phil thanks the crowd, and walks off, leaving an empty stage backed by fairy lights. there is no encore. the lights come up before i can wipe the tears from my face. the audience, a mix of young and old, files out, muted, into the summer night. the student bar in union house will officially open in orientation week as ‘the ida’, in homage to the university’s first women’s room. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. last week i attended the national union of students’ (nus) national conference and boy, was it an intense week to say the absolute least. if you’ve heard anything about natcon, you’ve probably heard that it lacks efficiency and transparency, or that the conference is pointless and achieves nothing. you’ve probably also been told to only […] read mary ntalianis and lily minken’s article on the liquor license regulation changes here. this statement contains the personal opinions of carranceja; not the science students society. my name is jose francisco carranceja, and i am the vice president of the science student society.?so far in my university career i have attended 5 university camps. […] the university of melbourne student union (umsu) clubs and societies department has proposed new liquor licensing regulations, changing the ways alcohol can be consumed on club camps. it is now a requirement that all clubs running a camp must hold a liquor license, meaning that campers will no longer be allowed to bring their own […] now that the national union of students’ (nus) national conference (natcon) has come to a close, we’re here to bring you up to speed with some interesting (and easily digestible) facts from the conference. the above graph shows you a timeline of natcon  the amount of policy that passed, with notes attached to let you know when […] natcon was cut short this year but it was nonetheless a long three days of heated policy debate, waiting to reach quorum and factional sledging. natcon has a reputation for being a messy event, and it certainly didn’t let us down. artwork by scarlette do curated and designed by ilsa harun artwork by hanna liu curated and designed by ilsa harun artwork by monique o’rafferty curated and designed by ilsa harun n·u·s (?n ju? ?s) n. 1. the national union of students. the peak representative body of undergraduate students in australia and the organisers of natcon. 2. a good time. nat·con (nat k?n) n. 1. the word generally used to refer to the national union of students’ national conference. policy is debated, roles are elected, and a […] welcome to farrago’s coverage of the national union of students’ (nus) 2018 national conference. check out our articles below. you can follow the action from monday to thursday on our twitter, but our liveblog will have the most comprehensive coverage. our natcon team consists of ashleigh barraclough, conor day, mary ntalianis, jesse paris jourdan and ed […] natcon is the national conference of the national union of students (nus). this year, the conference is being held at deakin university’s geelong campus from 11 to 14 december. the nus is the organisation that represents the interests of university students in australia on a national level. affiliation to the nus is often a contentious […] follow our live updates of #nusnatcon here! in another big shake up for the university of melbourne leadership team, mark considine will replace margaret sheil as the university’s provost in february 2018. “why are you carrying a pigeon?” linus! linus linus linus linus. it is a truth universally acknowledged that lesbians do not get a happy ending. at least, that’s how it would seem when regarding the dozens of dead women loving women that litter plot lines throughout history. we never quite make it to the horse and carriage ride into the sunset. and boy, the last few months of politics […] nus natcon starts tomorrow, so we made some data visualisations! if you’re not a stupol hack, the information below may be a little confusing check out our natcon explainer first. votes breakdown: by university this graph ranks each university by the number of votes they’ll have at natcon. hover your mouse over (or tap) the bars for […] peering into the mind of a rising rock star, marshall dissects the repressed layers hidden within the mind, exploring subconscious processes which ultimately shape us as human beings. adopting an array of aliases throughout his career including ‘zoo kid’, ‘king krule’, ‘edgar the beatmaker’, and even under his own name, marshall is clearly an enigmatic […] if i asked you to design a 2d car to drive along an undulating track in a computer game, i would expect something simple: two big wheels with a body between, perhaps. three wheels in a triangle that could flip and bounce. a computer would do it a bit differently. i discovered boxcar 2d in […] as arj barker joins me in the studio, i feel a sense of relaxation i don’t usually get with other guests. arj has no ego, his smile permeates any sense of unease. “i was as happy before becoming a comedian, as i am now.” uttered by arj at a performance i saw almost five years […] it’s a party crate. dona nobis pacem one summer holidays   a purse of deep space sheltering nothing   a relic that preceded the anthropocene. there is an animal who lives on top of the old arts clocktower and looks like a horse, but isn’t, because he has leather wings. “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” how international students navigate their new identities. the university of melbourne’s academic board has issued a statement in support of marriage equality in australia, after earlier emails from university staff encouraged a ‘respectful debate’ within the academic environment. the university is still considering implementing academic integrity software cadmus despite claims from students that the software is invasive and faulty. for: alaina dean velcro is just a revolutionary hook and loop fastener standing in front of the world asking us to love it. but the world is being naïve and childish, refusing to give velcro the love it aches for. we’re just, you know, talking. the world needs to grow up, stop ghosting velcro and publicly embrace […] on tuesday, my sister sarah came home in a state. her face was all red and she had been crying. she told me that on the freeway home her radio stopped working and had started looping the first track of carrie & lowell, the 2015 album from sufjan stevens. listen to liz read ‘grey matters’ i vividly remember the first time i saw piss christ. if you’re not familiar with it, it’s an artwork by andres serrano, formally titled immersion (piss christ) and consists of a photograph of a crucifix immersed in a deep yellow liquid. it’s a confronting image, not only because of its […] i think it all started at the airport. you know those security scanner bits that you have to go through before you can go to the boarding gate? i think it all started there. right there. the security scanners in t2 at melbourne airport on a cold, july morning. my partner and i have been together for three months now. he sometimes asks me to tell him about my childhood, and every time, without fail, i’m confronted with gaping years of blankness. there are few stories i can recount from ages one to thirteen   many of them are violent and triggering, and recounting them would be like clicking open a screamer video unwittingly. this is not an article criticising the media young people choose to consume. as humans, we have always prided ourselves on our rationality. since aristotle defined us as ‘rational animals’, philosophers have praised humans for their logic and reason. carl linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, christened us homo sapiens, or ‘wise man’. macca’s   a word so familiar to the everyday australian that it’s practically part of the culture. whether it’s ten nuggets at 2am after a night out, an epic 8th birthday party or a drive thru ‘macca’s run’, the macca’s golden arches are universally recognisable. earlier this year, my grandpa published a book of poetry. it’s a compilation of over 150 poems spanning half a lifetime, a bona fide history of his experiences in china and then subsequently here, in australia. there are poems about everything, from the flowers in our backyard to my late grandma. there are even a good five or six poems dedicated to yours truly. a lonesome gem born from the stars what we’re proposing is a continuous game of family feud with grant denyer; one that only ends when grant denyer’s sanity does… agatha christie finally arrives and the most shocking thing is that she isn’t in black and white. cher if u agree differentiating wasps and bees every morning i wake up to the first few rays of sunlight tickling my face. content warning: references to sexual assault several pickets were missing from the beige coloured fence. the unruly grass grew in patches, its colour ranging from a deep ivy to a murky yellow. the mailbox was overflowing with about a week’s worth of junk mail. it was a humble, indigent dwelling. this was mickey’s home. from the […] it was a dusty, rocky landscape, without adequate access to water or food, but it was also a temporary refuge from the horrors of the islamic state. almost three years ago, the sinjar mountains of iraq’s nineveh governorate sheltered an estimated 50,000 people fleeing catastrophic violence. those seeking safety were yazidis, and they were fleeing what the advocacy group yazda calls “a systematic campaign of mass atrocities against civilians in northern iraq.” i meet rose* at the place she can be found every thursday morning, escaping the cold in her favourite campus café, laptop open next to a pint of coffee and bowl of edamame. she’s working on her spanish. “i study languages,” she tells me. she speaks loudly and clearly, moving her lips like an actress; slightly dramatically   which she’ll admit   and often with a smile. “spanish and indonesian.” “and lord, you’ve given her this assignment. father, i’d just ask that you would touch her heart as she’s writing it, lord, that she would hear from you, that she would say what you want her to say, lord.” in may 2017, france elected a new president in what was undoubtedly one of its most uncertain elections in a long time. the usual right and left wing division seemed to fall apart, and from that mess emerged a new political figure, unknown until recently, in the form of emmanuel macron. like countless other ’90s kids, i first learnt about hyenas from watching the lion king. a boy in a red t shirt and high waisted jeans stains my mind. my memories are haunted by gordie lachance   his dark eyelashes and silky hair, his faintly freckled skin. if you had asked me even a month ago, i would have told you that i didn’t have a gay childhood. i can’t describe a sense of ‘knowing’, i had no primary school sexual experiences and no childhood boy crushes; i have no memory of being gay. “dance music needs riot grrrls. dance music needs patti smith . . . dance music needs cranky queers and people who are tired of this shit. dance music needs writers and critics and academics and historians. dance music needs poor people and people who don’t have the right shoes to get into the club . […] after months of deliberation, money spent, and socialists held at bay, the 2017 commerce faculty has cemented a deal with the north face, which will see the popular ‘puffer jacket’ become a mandatory uniform for all commerce students over the next five years. our attitude towards ‘chinese tourists’ can be interpreted as revelatory of subconscious assumptions of cultural hierarchies and anxieties about competing privileges. the gsa is currently protesting against the academic board’s policy changes which took place in june 2017, removing the possibility for research higher degree (rhd) students to extend their degrees beyond the maximum submission date. this year, prosh was predictably filled with shenanigans that were, at times, hard for the general student population to get their heads around. although the 2018 qs benchmark places melbourne as the fifth best city globally for international students to study, it appears that there are some students and advocacy groups who would disagree. i was saddened to find there was only a scattering of students at the student protest to ditch the federal government’s interference with university fees and funding. it seems increasingly hard to justify going to the cinema. while ideal for filling a lazy sunday afternoon, or a classier date option than the new go to, ‘netflix and chill’, the entry price often abates any urge to actually go. upon entry to the uluru kata tjuta national park, staff hand each visitor a small, double sided piece of paper. it contains a very simple map and directions, the sort of information necessary to the safe operation of one of australia’s busiest national parks. on the back of this instructional leaflet are the words “please don’t climb uluru”. in year 9 everyone got their bunsen burner licence. everyone except for me. i looked around and saw laughter, joy, happiness   people were quite literally getting ‘lit’ all throughout the class room. in the cold dark corner of the science room i sat with my little ‘safety flame’ which was designed to ensure the […] the victory comes in contrast to last year’s election, in which more! took control of the union by a landslide. “what is that? a barbecue?” i swear this is not what it looks like! cassi van den dungen is already an industry legend. in 2009, at just 16, she was crowned runner up on season 5 of cult reality show australia’s next top model, pushing her into the national spotlight and courting offers from some of the world’s top modelling agencies. “five dollars please.” filthy air pushes into eyes and ears (to be read instructionally, as if from a book.) a looming paternal voice holds grudgingly on my earlobe how i have you now. you’re from somewhere else. if you own a locker in the basement, you could try speaking to it? you could ask it, ‘are you okay? aren’t you cold without a body?’ the university of melbourne, the graduate student association (gsa) and university of melbourne student union (umsu) have united in opposition to the federal budget’s proposed reforms to higher education. why are students engaging less? the university’s biannual creative arts festival, mudfest, will have a firm commitment to various forms of accessibility and inclusivity. how privilege manifests in residential colleges how the flexap recommendations will impact you for by martin ditmann as i wrote this, i wondered which ikea story i should start with. is it the story of the time my family went to extraordinary lengths to take a new ikea mattress home? (we pushed the passenger seats down, stuffed it into the car and my mum and i lay underneath […] i heap powder from a tin that reads ‘thick and easy’. it has a background like a milk carton and reminds me vaguely of banana flavoured nesquik. imagine you’re casually flying your spaceship through the solar system. you zoom past neptune, the final planet, and keep going until you reach the edge of the milky way galaxy. but your journey doesn’t stop here. your engines continue blazing and soon you’re engulfed by the intergalactic medium. far away from any star, planet, galaxy or galactic cluster it was another monday morning in 2013 when i made my way to jaya driving school to attempt to get my driver’s license. it was hot, like most days in kuala lumpur, and sitting outside next to a parking lot did not make it any better. mrs ang, my petite, grey haired driving instructor, told me […] a creature fated to die before it is born. this paradox sounds like one of gollum’s riddles, yet it is part of the real lifecycle for male mites belonging to a genus known as adactylidium. in year 11, i did what every other student at my school was doing and made a last ditch attempt to add a shiny, altruistic thing to my cv. i took a trip during the holidays to a rural village in yunnan, china, to help build houses as part of a habitat for humanity trip. the […] once one of the internet’s most popular imageboards and a place loathed and feared in equal measure, 4chan’s random forum (known to its denizens as /b/), is now a husk. the forum was once a vibrant place, partially due to an absence of rules or moderation (child pornography was the only taboo). news outlets would report on the forum’s misadventures   although generally misunderstanding them or misattributing their actions to ‘the hacking group known as anonymous’. with the melbourne international film festival (miff) we’re lucky enough to have one of the oldest film festivals in the world, with a great line up of local and international content. but even for the most seasoned filmgoer the excitement of attending can quickly morph into hyperventilated dread. it’s easy to get overwhelmed when there is […] as uni students, we are all guilty of using social media for procrastination and scrolling through our news feeds to avoid listening to the monotone drone of lecturers. another way to avoid life’s responsibilities is by trying out different apps. no, i’m not going to tell you to download my.unimelb   you can’t even check […] right from the second i take my seat in the audience, i’m struck foremost by the stage upon which mirror’s edge will be performed. university of melbourne students lit candles and wrote chalk messages in support of those affected by sexual assault and harassment, last night on union lawn. the university is sitting below the national average with regard to having accessible support services for victims of sexual assault. the results to the nationwide survey into campus sexual assault and harassment have been released. “dear documenta 14: it must be nice to critique capitalism etc. with a 38 million euro budget.” this is the note i find stuck to a hand dryer in the bathrooms of the documenta halle as i meander around kassel for this year’s incarnation of the contemporary art mega show documenta. it is not an official […] after careful deliberation, it has become apparent to some observant australians that we have been celebrating christmas during the wrong season. numerous racist posters were found around the university this morning threatening chinese students with deportation if they enter campus buildings. a movie with a heart that beats to the rhythm of exhilarating music. pitch: back here at the office, we were thinking about ‘family movies’ and how they seldom appeal to the entire family. so we decided to blend this ultimately playful genre with the most serious genre we could think of   film noir. the idea is this: a brilliant detective, blake bigcock, is enlisted by baby van […] content warning: child sexual abuse under the cold, wet sky of a miserable sunday, little sam baker buried her gumboots in the woods. it was a private ceremony. no witnesses. just her, the soil and the corpse of something she used to love. at the tender age of five, she would have declared the forest […] i could fit a whole pinecone in my chest. shark on the line   smoky glass army past i clung tightly to a country road bag full of onions, engaged in a fierce tug of war contest with the now crazed former prime minister. the house perches on old stilts on a sloping, dusty shore. continued from ‘the mother isn’t the problem’. what went down when a student, a policy maker and the vice chancellor sat down for a chat. there are ten bat colonies living around the university of melbourne, and each one represents a different bachelor degree. the university of melbourne has recently announced new upgrades to campus buildings, with bigger lecture theatres to be introduced so all students can sit at the ends of rows. why we should all empathise a little with mature age students. students and staff may be disadvantaged by new employment contracts proposed by the university in its collective bargaining agreement, currently being negotiated with the national teaching and education union (nteu). the graduate student association (gsa) is becoming increasingly frustrated with the exclusion of international postgraduate students from iuse concession mykis. university of melbourne student union (umsu) president, yan zhuang, has challenged the accuracy of the australian’s reporting of the ‘how privilege manifests in tutorials’ workshops that umsu ran as part of the university of melbourne’s diversity week. the article, ‘uni holds workshops on ‘male privilege’’, claimed umsu had used the workshop to develop a report […] the university of melbourne has announced a restoration project for the old quadrangle, as part of its ongoing ‘growing esteem’ campaign. a new student accommodation facility will be built by the university of melbourne in partnership with student housing operator unilodge, a company whose housing facilties students have described as overpriced and unsanitary. the university of melbourne is currently considering purchasing a site at fishermans bend, a large urban renewal project site located south of the yarra river the chancellor: the council, philanthropy and hecs it’s a big leap from interviewing a series of comedians to talking to one of the world’s most influential philosophers. australians love to shoplift. don’t believe me? it is now estimated that we’re losing 2.2 per cent of annual retail turnover, or $4.5 billion, to sticky fingers. if you’ve ventured into the world of instagram’s #smoothiebowl and #greenjuice tags, you’ll be familiar with the concept of ‘clean eating’ and its almost inescapable presence in modern food culture. as a piece of musical theatre, it captured the zeitgeist in a way that hasn’t been done so for at least two years. that’s very nice and shouldn’t be discredited. but, zooming out, checking the macro   hamilton as a piece of theatre, as a hip hop chronicle of the united states of america’s founding   is not excellent and it is not great. in 2015, there were an estimated 36,134 prisoners in australian prisons. of those 36,134, australian aboriginal and torres strait islander prisoners accounted for just over a quarter (27 per cent) of the prisoner population. barkindji artist kent morris is the founder and ceo of the torch, an innovative program that works with indigenous men and women that are either currently incarcerated or have recently been released from prison. sex robots? in your vagina? it’s more likely than you think. “which school are you from?” peter asked. “fitzroy high school,” i responded naively. “oh, never heard of it,” he said, drawling, “i’m from scotch college. it was nice to meet you but i have to go.” on melbourne’s bourke street, an elderly japanese man in a two piece tuxedo drips with sweat as he reaches the virtuosic crescendo of his violin concerto. does anyone else pay their ssaf at the start of the year and completely forget to take advantage of the free goodies provided by the university? some of the best works of art make you uncomfortable. something not quite ever seen a film and thought it was good, but could have been great? that’s what remakes are for! content note: discussion of sexual assault when i step inside tiamo, a popular italian restaurant on lygon street, i recognise venus notarberardino straight away, from the breathtaking promotional poster for a dog called monkey floating around facebook. designed by dylan harris, the show’s publicity manager and av designer, it accompanies a stunning trailer for the upcoming […] dear readers, we’d like to apologise for some factual inaccuracies in the edition four article, poor counsel (pg. 11). in the article, an umsu office bearer stated, “the university used to run ten counselling sessions, but now it has dropped down to six.” we have since been advised that this is false. furthermore, the officer bearers said, “we recently […] he looked down at the vast valley below him, at the tops of the trees that were smudged grey and purple in the fading light. there will be another starry night. her message box is empty. she stares at the blinking cursor for a long time. then she types: poem for a boy i don’t know. we are a family of paper dolls do you think it’ll hurt? it’s february. it’s 35 degrees. i’m sitting in a bar with daily show correspondent, ronny chieng. we both have gin and tonics in our hands. ronny is in a nicely done up suit, his hair is slick, his wit destructive. everything about ronny reeks of hilarity. ronny studied a bachelor of law/commerce at the university […] “is that… is that tony abbott?” there was a ‘toilet etiquette’ poster on the stall door, below the hook where he’d hung his holster and pistol. he would have used the poster, if it wasn’t covered in various colours of bubblegum. it should be fine, i think. three quarters of the farrago editorial team will be replaced by a team of bots as part of an overhaul to the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu’s) funding. the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu)education (academic) department is lobbying the university for a fairer lecture recording policy. a banana is prone to bumps and bruises. gender diverse students at the university of melbourne may not be able to receive youth allowance payments to which they are entitled from centrelink because of their identity. more parents with young children are taking advantage of the opportunity to continue or return to their studies. students from the master of management (marketing) at the melbourne business school (mbs) are questioning whether their course is worth the cost. continued from ‘the boy in the marigolds’. students at the university of melbourne’s burnley campus are outraged over the cancellation of the associate degree in urban horticulture (aduh), a degree offered solely at burnley, from 2018. content warnings: transphobia, sex work discrimination and slurs for by jeffrey pullin science fiction opens a portal through which we can glimpse the previously unimaginable. it shows us both fantastical worlds, and futures that we can strive towards. without science fiction humanity would be cut off from the boundless possibilities of both the future, and the here and now. science fiction has the […] i wasn’t around when max was a pup, but there’s a photograph of him and my grandmother maureen up on the fridge. max is small and spotty with floppy ears and sits on nana’s lap. nana’s eyes crinkle at the corners. the picture was taken when nana and pop drove their caravan from adelaide all the way to kununurra to visit, mum says. in the forest of the indonesian island of sulawesi lives a creature that has inspired artworks and folk tales for thousands of years (and a range of tacky souvenirs). traditional demonic masks incorporate this forest dweller’s menacing tusks into their design, terrifying generations of small children   including me. my grandfather was gifted one of these masks while working in indonesia, and he proudly displayed it above the mantelpiece on the second floor. for years, i was too scared to you know those times your grandparents start ranting about how everything was so incredibly superior back when dinosaurs roamed the earth? well this time, they might be right. the zero waste movement harks back to the days before individually wrapped fruit slices and floating plastic lined our oceans, encouraging a lifestyle where as little as possible ends up in your bin. it was one of my first weeks as a volunteer in the desert eco village of lotan, as the relentless sun scorched onto my tanned shoulders and i was 20 metres up a date palm, up to my elbows sorting sticky, squashed dates. it was 2 pm, nearly time to climb onto the tractor that would take us back for a hearty lunch of three different types of pasta, two types of tomato sauce and one type of salad: israeli salad. the other volunteers and i were participating in the usual end of work banter, until i’d always viewed wikipedia as a bit like the pyramids: a mostly unexplained monument of mankind and something that’s just there, drawing in millions of visitors. this status, as a contemporary wonder of the world, is curious at the least. wikipedia hosts nearly 5.5 million articles in english and millions of articles in a host […] reality television is supposed to be real. that’s the appeal, after all. reality television involves real people in real situations with real voices making real confessionals to real cameras for real reasons. it’s a hyper real environment, and yet. there’s a lot of flak coming for reality television, and often. because hyper reality is sometimes interpreted as […] it was a great exercise of reflection to try and pinpoint one record that greatly influenced my trajectory in life. it also proved the power that music has over my emotions, thought processes and overall satisfaction. as such, i posed the challenge to my colleagues at radio fodder   i asked them to choose one album that has been greatly influential for them. whether that be in terms of constructing music taste, soundtracking a pivotal moment in their lives, shaping their radio fodder show o “that top, it’s fantastic,” was the first thing the barista said to me when i entered the brunswick café   the type of place where the smiths mellow the crate furnished, many a pot plant matchbox of a room. “thank you,” i replied, but really, i was thanking savers. my oversized t shirt, a gem of a garment featuring a trio of (stoned, i like to believe) cats playing jazz before a full moon was only three dollars from the recycle superstore   a true bargain for such a masterpiece three people died and a further 20 were hospitalised after ingesting a synthetic substance in january. all of the victims were under the impression that they were buying crystal mdma from their respective dealers. however, the batch of caps doing the rounds at revolver, and other chapel street venues, were in fact, filled with the potentially lethal synthetic drug 25c nbome. have you, like me, been staring longingly at aesthetic loft and bedroom pictures on instagram and tumblr? have you wished for unlimited funds to afford an ikea shopping spree when realistically, you are wondering if you can even afford a bed frame? the costs associated with having a nice home   or fully functioning appliances […] there is a push bike that’s not owned by anybody. it looks like the other push bikes people pedal around campus, but it’s different. first year commerce student, michael murphey, has amazed baillieu library staff by becoming the first student to sleep in the library for over 154 hours during an academic week. inside the co op bookshop’s agm cadmus, a google docs style software designed to target plagiarism, is undergoing further trials at the university of melbourne this semester. the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu) environment department has raised concern over club funds being invested in banks tied to the fossil fuel industry. students from a number of masters degrees at the university of melbourne are ineligible for financial support through centrelink, adding to the financial distress faced by many university students. glitter of all colours whirling through the air. crushed cans of somersby sprawled across grass. pupils so large there aren’t any irises left. a sea of sticky bodies moving together like a pulsing wave. there’s only one context in which these images are deemed natural. groovin the moo is one of australia’s most beloved travelling […] will this year’s budget help young people crack into the housing market? here’s the explainer *a faintly talented amateur’s perceptions of fitting into an artistic community alighted on eucalypt, the evening breeze ruffles his feathers and tussles the rusting wind chime. i was the one person who saw the life beyond this house’s tired façade. from my desk, peering into the house next door, it was impossible to miss the flashes of frantic life that streaked past my windowpane. if i was a hunter and you were the moon. i think the stars are screaming honey. naked brains in public cinema. before i could reply there was some sort of battle cry and a horde of figures came running down the plains. they took advantage of our confusion and circled us, pointing sharpened sticks at our flesh. solomon delaware daley was born wide eyed and completely silent. today i bought silver hoop earrings to be like my new friend. for: friends words by caleb triscari the fact that i have to argue a pro friends stance is absurd, but i’ll play along. as someone with the “emotional range of a teaspoon” (rowling, 2003), friends play an important role as the decoders of my many uninterpretable attitudes. i get the warm and fuzzies when a pal […] students like myself are taught to keenly detect bullshit. how can journalism continue to hold a place in our democracy if some of our biggest media employers continue to cut jobs? while they’re not quite the 25% cuts feared by some, these policies are attracting criticism for unfairly impacting students. when senator jacqui lambie said on q&a, “anyone that supports shari’a law should be deported,” there were cheers from her australian audience. but how many people understand how muslims see shari’a and how they practice it? as a non muslim majoring in islamic studies, i have seen through the lives of my practicing friends and through […] content warning: mentions of suicide for a while, i believed in the viking funeral myth, the one where they supposedly take the deceased and lay their body on a ship, set it sail and then the tribes shoot flaming arrows at the ship as it sails off into the distance., shooting their arrows with incredible, […] content warning: self harm, homophobia in religious institutions dear kevin, i was six when i first entered your church. we’d never gone regularly back in england, but we’d been invited by someone’s mum from school and it was   without irony   my mother’s saving grace. we suddenly had a new family, my mum stopped […] ‘from kensington to billingsgate one hears the restless cries! from ev’ry corner of the land: “womankind, arise!” political equality and equal rights with men! take heart! for missus pankhurst has been clapped in irons again!’ ‘sister suffragette’, from mary poppins when i watched mary poppins as a child, these lyrics went completely over my head. […] “it was only a movie”, you assure yourself as the credits roll. but then…what was that sound? you could’ve sworn you just saw a…no, it couldn’t be. it was only a bump in the night. but you can’t seem to shake the feeling that it almost sounded like footsteps. ghost stories are often brushed aside […] ah, astrology. the earth spins, the planets shift and darkened skies tell me that today, a friendship could develop into something more. regardless of whether you’ve ever cared about horoscopes, you’re almost certainly aware of your star sign and quite possibly know the personality traits it has lumped you with. you can’t help it if […] content warnings: trauma, sexual assault. madeleine johnson interviews sara laurena [writer], karla livingstone pardy [director] and freya mcgrath [producer] of four letter word theatre’s ‘the days in between’. i have always wanted to travel. when i was younger, my “when i grow up i want to be” answer went from astronaut to explorer to a foreign correspondent. just your average six year old stuff. i had heard lots of stories about friends that went on exchange. they came back with wild eyes and insane stories. […] from a student run haunted house to camel rides, umsu international’s annual night markets attracts a popular following with students with well over 7000 attending every year. the 2017 night market saw 19 clubs and societies prepare stalls that offered food, games and drawing as well as performances from dance ensembles to dynamic duo teams. the […] everyone knows a girl like bec somers. she’s that always enthusiastic, painfully shallow girl who won’t stop bragging about being toned, vegan and gluten free. melissa tracina, under the direction of tim mcdonald, adopts the persona of bec somers   ‘a wellness coach, health blogger, nutritionist, naturopath, and nutritiopath.’ the show parodies the often ridiculous and unrealistic nature […] rhys is known for his incredible wit on stage, as well as his candy coloured hair and curved cheek bones. nominated for best show at last year’s melbourne international comedy festival, rhys’ show this year is called i’m fine   which is symbolic of rhys not wanting “people to expect so much”. however, having seen rhys’ show […] sammy j’s new solo show hero complex is an assured, hilarious romp through the barely believable coincidences of sammy’s life. the story   a blend of thriller and coming of age   focuses on sammy’s love of the phantom, beginning with the start of a friendship between sammy and his school gardener and ending with […] comedians are going through a tough time. i can’t help feel that the nature of comedy is threatened as many comedians are tempted to tone down their material, so as not to offend anyone in the crowd. lawrence mooney doesn’t think like that. quite simply, the middle aged aussie just doesn’t care if he offends anyone. […] the first time i saw self confessed “weird kid” becky lucas perform, she joked about pashing her mum as a youngster to a humble little audience at sydney’s own comedy store. now as one of australian comedy’s freshest faces, she hits the big stage at the melbourne international comedy festival (micf), blurring lines between comedy and […] it is not your fault not your fault. little ghost boy dreamt … “come to dinner,” she’d said. despite having seen them before, i had no idea what i was in for when i walked (down many, many stairs) into aunty donna’s newest show, big boys. my friend and i were forced to cease chatting almost immediately as we entered a room filled with smoke, flashing red lights and really fucking loud music. […] the show quickly becomes an excursion into the inexhaustible enthusiasm that these two comics share. footage obtained by farrago shows students demanding answers from national secretary talal yassine. released in 2014 and marking author chris wallace crabbe’s eightieth birthday, my feet are hungry could have easily been underwhelming and less astute than his earlier works. but even at the release of his twenty fourth collection of poetry, wallace crabbe has managed to retain his wit and skill. his work seems fresh: intelligent and thought provoking as always, […] i meet cal in the union house foyer. straight way, i pick her out of a crowd of students. it might be her bubbly aura but it’s probably just her colourful hair. cal’s ontiguous smile greets me and we head up to the studio. i become increasingly nervous in the elevator, as we go from […] daniel kitson is a bearded man from yorkshire. he has huge, thick glasses that move around and add an extra range of expression to his face, like a pianist with another two fingers. the first thing he does when i see his new show, not yet but soon, is apologise for starting 20 minutes late. […] i’d love to pretend this review is objective, but that would be lying. i’ve been a huge fan of laura davis’ since her show ghost machine, at the 2015 melbourne international comedy festival. i was in a fairly dark place at the time and attended the show more for a distraction than anything else. but by […] i run home, which hurts my bladder. and eventually fiona got so good at keeping still that tiny asteroids started mistaking her for a small planet. we slip into the yawning nothing and she promises me that things are about to get freaky. god, i want to eat leonardo dicaprio’s face. a testament to the industry and luxury that we have cultivated for generations. a nexus of beauty, purpose, and above all accessibility to one and all. as a lad, the only game we ever concerned ourselves with was the game of life. this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a   lol jks it will end with us banging. i think i worked it out   why i admire and fear bees so much. a soul dances. whether you’re a freshly minted first year or in the depths of a phd, the university of melbourne’s toilets are spaces where students are able to release their tears, as well as their bowels. the assortment of toilets at the university’s various campuses ensure that wherever you are, the comfort of a cubicle is never […] i used to work part time as a waitress in a place where customers questioned my identity. my time there has become extremely quotable, and one i take advantage of whenever people ask if ‘emily’ would like to change her mobile provider, or if ‘emily’ can do the dishes tonight. mum, the customer is always right   […] there was a time when giants ruled the earth. i do not mean the muscular figures of mythology. the ones with the raggedy underwear and tree sized clubs, facing down pint sized heroes that carry golden swords. i mean real giants, as tall as your house. giants who roamed the land once and then afterwards left a […] it is cold. the sky is endlessly grey, and light snow falls lazily, catching on the cuffs of my jacket. a few scattered mounds of scuffed ice cling to the pavement. i tuck my chin into my chest, ducking my head against the bitter wind that weaves between the buildings of a restored city. i […] content warnings: violence, self harm as a child, i remember sneaking into my parents’ storage closet to look at piles and piles of documents and photos. what i didn’t know then was that among all of those forgotten memories sat a family heirloom that held generations of pain and trauma. they were a pair of […] as a child, the highlight of every trip to the melbourne aquarium was the ‘oceanarium’   a 2.2 million litre tank encircling the viewing space. it was a magical experience being immersed in the watery world of its marine inhabitants, with bright coral climbing up the sides, stingrays gliding above and fish of every hue […] do yourself a favour: take a punt and go and see this show. content warning: holocaust denial two years ago, the wind symphony at northcote high, my high school, performed an impressionistic piece based on the 1945 bombing of dresden. it was jarring, atonal and harrowing   representing one of world war ii’s most brutal events, where german civilians were slaughtered vengefully and indiscriminately by the allies. to […] content warnings: abortion, maternal death following the overthrow of romanian dictator, nicolae ceau?escu, harrowing footage of overflowing state run institutions for abandoned children shook the world. these frightened and severely neglected children were the product of a society who were forced to live with harsh pro natalist policies. romania’s suppression of abortion rights under nicolae ceau?escu’s leadership is […] content warnings: sexual assault, domestic violence, they are one of the most hated communities on reddit and, consequently, the internet. whenever another reddit community is banned, users cry out talking of double standards. what’s more, they are frequently compared to these banned communitiess, such as a forum to denigrate the overweight and a hub for […] worship satan converting to satanism is a fantastic way to prepare yourself for your journey to becoming a modern woman. other religions are way too mainstream. just don’t forget to shower yourself in pig’s blood every night. date someone interesting formulating a relationship with a man is overrated. take your dog on a date instead! […] the melbourne international comedy festival makes the air taste sweeter. the whole city seems to wobble with laughter as summer yawns its way into the colder months. it’s a good belly laugh. one that stretches the rib cage, chisels a six pack or turns a bad day good. it’s a requisite for all of us in […] julius caesar was stabbed twenty three times before he met his death. a later autopsy showed only one of the wounds had been fatal. many of you may be able to relate to old brutus and his pals. it’s this kind of irrational overcompensation that leads to a feeling of wasted study time after sitting a […] when anne edmonds first performed stand up comedy she had a “light bulb moment,” where the rush of the crowd laughing ignited her passion to make a career out of it. since she was a student at the university of melbourne, anne has featured on tv shows such as have you been paying attention and fancy boy, […] sami shah was the first person in pakistan to perform a one hour stand up comedy show. incredibly, it was sami’s first time doing stand up. “if it had of gone badly, i would never have done it again,” sami says. we’re all blessed that his pakistani audience took such a shining to him. a remarkable tale of […] “these students will be discriminated against because of their circumstances.” indigenous staff members were surprised to find that references to indigenous employment targets have been removed from a proposed new version of a staff agreement. the exploitation of student workers could be rife in union house. each edition of farrago will contain a part of ‘home system’. tear out the perforated page, collect and piece together all eight. each edition of farrago will contain a part of ‘home system’. tear out the perforated page, collect and piece together all eight. near crippling anxiety isn’t usually a trait many would ascribe to a successful comedian. from a very young age, i understood the difference between good and bad. 228 students have been withdrawn from introductory microeconomics after the recently implemented enrolment quota was exceeded. students will be welcomed into 2017 with increases to graduation, child care and student card replacement fees. river or rivers? after eternity, will you find me? “you are to me what salt is to wounds”. pink flowers grow in the front lawn. canned soup, canned asparagus, canned spaghetti, canned   ohmygod tampons. the block is taking over. students travelling to and from the university of melbourne may face transport and infrastructure disruptions this year as work starts on the new parkville train station. system garden has already shrunk to a quarter of its original size since its inception in 1856. could auto timetabling be in unimelb’s future? the university of melbourne’s richard berry building has been renamed to the peter hall building in an effort to create a more inclusive campus environment. the best from week one of o week’s giant orientation event. welfare advisers will monitor o camps this year. from humble beginnings as an entry into a 2009 photoshop contest, the phenomenon of the slender man has exploded across social media as one of the most well known monsters to be produced by internet meme culture. he became the inspiration for fan art, horror stories, movies and videos, a soon to be released hbo documentary, and a series […] we knew the mythology long before we arrived. different. cool. alternative. long has berlin prided itself on being the home of subcultures, a place where alternative types can find their niche and wear it proudly. add in a healthy dose of post teen hedonism and an infamous clubbing scene, and it sounded like a perfect place […] during the mid year break i made the spontaneous decision to take a solo overseas trip to russia. as a history major, russia provided me the same level of excitement as a weeklong pub crawl would for any regular 22 year old. interestingly, not everyone shared my enthusiasm. the response from my family and friends was one of […] visiting melbourne’s church of scientology is like being trapped in a terrible powerpoint. forced to endure a series of gaudy videos, inspirational quotes and strange hovering symbols. you are shuffled along with alarming speed, when you just want to stop and take a closer look at the tacky mess that surrounds you. then, you’re hurried […] melbourne’s own federation square has been labelled an eyesore, had calls for its demolition, and been named one of the world’s ugliest buildings   however, casting an eye over to skopje’s latest major project reveals that the macedonian capital may yet offer some serious competition for this rather dishonourable honour. the ruling internal macedonian revolutionary […] content warnings: panic attacks & anxiety induced dissociation what makes us human? what is the elusive gossamer threading our brain to our personality? a few weeks ago, i found out i was allergic to the anti nausea agent maxalon. i only took it to relieve a mild tummy ache, but what it caused was far worse. […] when you heard the news about the new spider man movie you probably thought: seriously? another one? do they not know movies to make anymore? the notion that hollywood is running out of new, original ideas is not a new one. adaptations, reboots or remakes are all the movie industry seems to be churning out these […] my nan is great. i love her to pieces; we catch up about once a fortnight. but she’s 65 and, frankly, has always been a little racist. a couple of weeks ago, we got lunch at a vietnamese restaurant in footscray. afterwards, we proceeded to walk down nicholson street, observing all the people of different […] on the front porch of a run down house in austin, texas, in the dim light of a single bare bulb, a boy picks me up without warning, sweeping me off my feet. i shriek and laugh, clinging to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. i have always hated being picked up. never trusted anyone […] to say that the alchemist (1988) is popular would be an understatement. the jacket of my copy proclaims that paulo coelho’s novel has sold 65 million copies worldwide “touching the minds and hearts of his readers”. i think the reason it’s so successful is its combination of a simple narrative and concealed allegorical meaning. the […] in the last week of january, thousands came together to see passenger perform his one and only melbourne show at the sidney myer music bowl. the weather was on its best behaviour for the outdoor event, and the grounds were covered by those of all ages and backgrounds. kids were rolling down the hill while […] the university offers no promises to break investment ties with the 21 fossil fuel companies which are listed on the carbon underground 200 ranking winter is well and truly here, so there’s never been a better time to rug up and get creative. with the rain and the wind storming outside, send us the writing and art filigreed by your frost bitten fingers for edition five of farrago. by the end of it all, you’ll have something to warm your […] i have one more article to write about natcon for farrago, but for now i’m going to jot down some thoughts. the national union of students’ national conference (natcon) kicked off a few hours ago in geelong. to the left is a list of delegates. each rectangle represents a person. there are 126 people and 2097 votes among them. the size of the rectangle shows how many votes that person has. they have […] prominent businessman and university of melbourne fundraising campaign chair allan myers will be the university’s new chancellor staff in academic and professional departments have been notified of another wave of cuts at the university of melbourne. with the red pen crossing out the previous marks, grades were changed and fails became passes. banksy has proved to be one of the most mystifying and controversial street artists of our time, covering urban spaces with his satirical art worldwide. while some may consider the hooded man a criminal, violating public space with his blunt messages, others view him as an artistic mastermind who found a way to make people […] at the university of melbourne, 7.5 per cent of all first year students leave their courses. in a society where this issue has previously divided and angered people, the plight of asylum seekers has now become a vague sing song in our ears. snapshots of rio & evie’s space adventure. and they lived happily ever after a defining aspect of pop culture is its ability to reach a large audience   and it is in this ability that pop culture is so powerful. photography from daena teng cult reviews, adapted for 2016. the final office bearer reports for 2016. “the way she is sitting in front of me, her head sitting softly against the bus window, seems so blissful.” we’ve all read the notes and now we see the real world. gareth cox martin taps into australia’s potential. a heartbroken whitley college student reflects on the sale of her beloved home. objective reality? sam nelson has no need for that. online streaming services are evidently an inextricable part of tomorrow’s music scene but its impact on music revenue is clearly negative. do you name your nature’s wealth? with the imminent departure of union house, what will happen to student services? kye lee cheong investigates. paloma herrera and the golden ticket. the night before we last met, i pulled kodak packets from under my parents’ bed to leaf through sea green garden parties with faded lipstick reds, & saw my mother’s young face mimic mine in grinning topographic skin. london summer evenings got dark at ten. i’d watch shadow assemblies under deciduous leaves proclaim proudhon’s night time parade […] shona warren explores the world of killer bytes. thiashya is back answering another big question in science. this time, she explains whether our brains create consciousness. i’ve always thought i’d go out with a bang, an instant explosion of glitter and broken bones, vengeful gun against my powdered temple, collision of lust and late night rage. i’ve always thought i’d die in a car crash, a crépe paper crunch through a red light, tragic newscast so unknown mothers cry, one less […] an insider’s look into the bendigo street occupation. i just saw a spider in the corner of my room it was scrunched up in a form of self inflicted suffering in order to beg innocence so i blew on it just to make sure and saw its performance cease i grabbed a tissue box, within proximity, withdrew: four pieces as one might four hundred […] winter is over. it’s time to put away the onesie and venture outside into the dating pool. a poem by belinda lea bhatia about the day of a hairbush. scott learns how to be a better friend. a poem by anonymous that is expressing frustration and heartbreak. i’m leaving my boyfriend to go on exchange. what the hell do i do? jesse paris jourdan breaks down where your money is going. three cups warming sweetly in retirement (harbouring, respectively, coffee, orange slices, and lemonade) cat hair curlicues catching sunlight casting shadow flecks on old white paint. impossible to categorise the feeling of late july on the finger tips. you switch on the tv. white, white and more white. it’s as though australian tv is awash with white faces. more! has become the new leading party for umsu short stories by emily paesler short stories by emily paesler i’ll leave my bones behind to pry you from his greedy hands and greet you again, with greedy hands of my own. if you’re in need of an escape from the familiarity of melbourne and your regular university routine, there are few greater undertakings than an international exchange program. having recently returned from a year long stint in tokyo myself, i can confirm that across the sea you are treated differently, the food is often unappealing and your […] had the public been provided with an informed rationale explaining why the step was necessary, and the assurance their data would be safe, perhaps the whole ordeal could have been avoided. sheri lohardjo explores the latest partnership between the university and a military defence company. substantial changes to musul may include cuts to staffing and eventual closure. these messy human relationships and complicated associations with the world are what set the beatles apart from the other boybands on 9 september, the original wiggles   greg, anthony, murray and jeff, as well as captain feathersword   brought their timeless songs to the croxton in melbourne for a one night only 18+ reunion show. fifi fontaine de vermouth solves another mystery. i enter the room, then the room enters me. and i disappear. i resonated with hannah montana because i too was balancing two conflicting polar identities. miley would always say “i’m hannah montana” and in this article, i’m saying “i’m gay and asian”. what the fuck is prosh? e.t is a callin’ there’s a difference between genuinely learning in a work environment and simply doing outsourced grunt work for a company’s private benefit. as a white, able bodied, heterosexual western woman, i remain the most privileged type of woman to benefit from feminism. office bearer reports for edition 7 it would be nice to look out at our oceans and know that those glassy blue seas were not the sites of crimes, behind razor wire, perpetrated in our name. “new zealand is a conspiracy!” and strictly no memes either. what is the greatest barrier facing the new parliament? before my wealthy grandparents died… a farrago report reveals the lie behind the name. picture this: a media ecosystem so rife with corruption that audiences cannot distinguish truth from bias. reilly sullivan celebrates 30 years of miyazaki’s productions. lotte ward reviews tod browning’s freaks. on 8 august, students were invited to have their say on how they believe the university is addressing its environmental impact. patricia was just about to ask if he had a rewards card when the man pulled out a gun. it was all a build up very much akin to the “bass drop” of brostep. the dax center destigmatises the experiences of the mentally ill and promotes positive mental health and wellness for us all. how to describe maude wakefield? ‘legend’ is the word many have used… who should we, in the time honoured tradition of poorly performing students, lean across the desk and copy the answers from? a tale from two sides. they live is a decidedly heavy handed take on consumerism and conformity   you can feel the likes of banksy and shepard fairey milking it for inspiration is it pretentious? yes, but for good reason. as i drive to you, high beams burning… yasmin jarkan on the issues with current democracy. thiashya jayasekera presents a column about the big questions in science. this edition is all about why some people are ticklish. mary ntalianis on flagging support for flagships. hania syed tastes an emerging trend. mary ntalianis on metal’s barrier to entry. james macaronas is back with his column “notes from the weird side”. this edition, ghost horses. a short story by kangli hu. a poem by hayley franklin. a poem by cormac o’brien kirkby. caleb is a nerd. <div class=”pullright”><span class=”quote”>caleb is a nerd.</span></div> caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd.caleb is a nerd. caleb is […] people increasingly form their own independent interpretations of scripture, picking and choosing what aspects of religion they agree with based on their social context and the prevailing cultural zeitgeist. why do we get deja vu? are we really seeing the future? science (thiashya jayasekera) finally explains. ever wondered about the politics of sex or perhaps wondered about politics during sex? simone shares her political sex life stories. adriane reardon gives us a critique of women in sport, and the importance of encouraging girls of all ages. have you or your friends ever considered giving up on notebooks and just buying your notes? bella barker explores the world of passing notes. a new conservatorium for the music faculty at the univeristy of melbourne to be built by 2019 paloma herrera gives a recap of the people of colour conference. the group of eight (go8) universities have called on the federal government to impose a limit on undergraduate placements due to difficulty finding funding for influx of students. seriously though, who? reports from the umsu office bearers. a comparison of universities’ sustainability initiatives. getting ingredients from your front yard. a lament on the epidemic of sexual assault in universities. nick parkinson presents: a column of poetic problem solving. a tale of sex toys that will leave you in hysterics. the ship, the myth, the metaphor. ella shi interviews farrago artist reimena yee. shakespeare: the original cult connoisseur, constantly adapting. after staying up till 2am watching korean singers from my favourite band, bts, my sleepy mind latched onto an idea. i should learn korean. citius, altius, fortius? recipes for when failed romance and tinder disasters inevitably leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. i need some form of clarity and linearity. i’m wondering whether the guests enjoyed the food, whether the chefs had any fun after all and why this documentary was made about noma rather than noma. jack kilbride on the climate of change in the food industry. clara on the human instinct to tell stories. a poem by amie green. a short story by linus tolliday. next time you see something to do with “shrek is love, shrek is life” pop up on the internet, remember what shrek really represented and what the film series was ultimately about. a short story by candy james zoccoli. a poem by hayley franklin on the obsession with fire. iryna is back with a poem about wanting a break up. the world we know has ended. what next? rio & evie finally embark on their space adventure rio stays up with evie to revise for her exams. evie goes to kaladria and realises how big the universe is evie’s sister, nina, comes home scott is happy, flora is suss. what’s on scott’s and ben’s minds? flora doesn’t find out. ben has sex. flora and scott don’t. flora breaks a cup and throws herself in the trash. martin ditmann reports on the latest chapter of the musul saga. max ph explains why he doesn’t like your favourite song gather your friends, family and a bottle of your favourite wine, as we celebrate all that we’ve come to love about masterchef. meet the new indigenous officer! the msd building may be an undeniably beautiful edifice   but what is it like being an architecture student? adriane reardon considers sexism amongst online gaming. clare exinger wonders if chilling with the squad counts as a hobby. when i was in third grade, i received my first love letter. it was from timothy lloyd, a blond haired cherub of fourth grader and the fastest runner in his class. definitely a catch. the letter was delivered to me by a boy with purple sneakers, because the idea of little timmy and i communicating […] tracing eyelid folds i stick my finger in digit curving round socket i moan; that distorted sound bite of a wound up pendulum clock ticking like that clicking electric black tic pinned in iris as squirming pupil. the roundness fits tight around finger ligaments coil sucking me in i can’t pull myself out and it aches. […] how do i let him know that he can’t have a bite of whatever i’m eating without him thinking i don’t love him? i, wile e. coyote, would like to lodge yet another complaint regarding two more of your faulty products. my head hurts and is full of cold elbows. there is considerable peace in ignorance but only when you can accept you are a fool and a fool smothered in obscurity like a blanket. i think it is like drowning and the quiet comes only when it is too late. there’s no use in that […] “rake it up and you’ll get a treat.” if you’re pissed off because the new ghostbusters are women, it’s not because of your loyalty to the original franchise   you just hate women. but how much truth is there to this old wives’ tale? can you catch a cold from being cold? annabelle jarrett spends an afternoon with artist and student, frances cannon. daena teng explores sexuality through shibari. a poem by morgan hopcroft about the creatures of the dark. an anonymous writer shares her abortion experience. bec poynton tells us about our new railway station. a poem by darby hudson on the signs of fancy alcohol drinking. felicity never stopped believing in glee in most bourgeois circles it is an article of faith that only a monster would buy caged eggs. all women want to do is get out there and do their job without constantly having to justify their existence it is provoking and will make you uncomfortable but every australian should watch chasing asylum. sitting outside standing room to talk about addiction and dreams. put away your fruity lexia and refine your palate with something a bit more exciting. apps can also be a force for good, helping you slay goals and make the most of your time and energy. changes to the graduate student association staffing have been announced on 1 june, including newly appointed elected representatives and permanent staff. on the evening of 31 may, the graduate student association office bearer elections were held. sina khatami and thomas whiteside have been re elected as president and general secretary respectively. alongside them are a new team of […] kyary pamyu paymu is an experience, that’s all i can say. hailed as the lady gaga of japan, kyary pamyu pamyu is the reigning queen of j pop who has taken the world by storm with her energetic pop songs and incomparable creativity. her music videos can only be described as loveably ridiculous; she frequently rocks […] adriane reardon considers male feminists with new matilda contributor jack kilbride and university of melbourne gender studies lecturer, joshua pocius. red my lips was founded to support survivors of sexual violence and to change deep set cultural beliefs that help to perpetuate that violence. she swallowed the sea to keep her cells alive, my mother, her body of ocean the heavy ocean underneath her skin, and when she opens the lids of her eyes, it spills from the black pools there inside the space of looking my mother nearly drowns in her own self she cries instead of […] i watched cocaine fly over the walls of the san pedro prison. they’ve brought their “bit heavier than surfy” sound to various venues across melbourne. you see, gaming was always my social mediator. the harsh reality of unimelb’s golden child, the juris doctor. listen to jack read “big heavy things”. eddy wanted to lift big, heavy things. the biggest, heaviest things he could feasibly lift as a human (though even that wasn’t necessary). he’d eat shit if it meant he could bench 500 kilos. eddy vowed to pledge himself to whatever could help him lift the biggest, heaviest […] i do not like them sam i am, i do not like this censorship and ban. over three days, ffmu launched a series of public actions pressuring the university to divest. the second special general meeting of the university of melbourne student union for the semester brought forth significant structural changes to the constitution. held on 24 may, the successful resolutions at the sgm established new representative departments, committees and affirmative action policies. removal of the asterisk in “wom*n’s” the umsu wom*n’s department will now be known as […] from flash in the pan divas to enduring pop icons, here are the best eurovision winners. the long held tradition of rooting each other and suitable lifeless objects will continue for many years to come. a conversation while waiting for coffee at house of cards pro: he’s probably not a fuckboy. con: someone might mistake him for your literal father. the door to the farm is up ahead. i creep up the steps and slowly open the hatch above me. i climb through the portal and find myself behind a restaurant. the stale, dusty smell of the city at night replaces the stench of the sewer underneath me, but i am not bothered by the […] the rise of bernie sanders, the upsurge in youthful progressive energy… yet most of today’s musicians are leaving an awkward silence. frosted grass. rubber feet. an indented path to follow. head down, eyes up. violet white above stretches over housetops and the roofs of trees. air whitens around my face silvers and disappears. hollowed cheeks smoke a windpipe. a steam train puffs billy­goat forms of pure fingers curl whisk in, and out and into the tiny […] in early 2016, the umsu students’ council passed funding for a people of colour collective at the university. how to be a responsible tourist. amelia isn’t talking less about her uterus, and more about downton abbey. is he really that ridiculous or is it all an act? revolution is like saturn, it devours its own children.   danton’s death, geörg buchner welcome our new umsu president! an event for sharing inclusive messages of diversity has been mired in controversy by the defacement of an anzac memorial. one moment changes everything. my real smiles are numbered, each day i run out, and when i run out i dip into fake smile credit, to pay off that debt i go home and rest my eyes on my cat, while she naps under the tv, taking a few deep breaths. the clean eating trend could pave the way for disordered eating. jesse paris jourdan on the breadth of bcomm changes. caleb triscari preps us on the grad student elections. adriane reardon considers the place of women in comedy. annabelle jarrett looks at white beauty standards in asia. whether you see it as a necessary evil or dream of living the burrito life, the question remains: why is it necessary? stephanie looks into whether bookstores can survive in the modern era. mishell hernandez on the myth in her mind. a poem written about carolyn huane. because even minions deserve the benefit of the doubt. my uncle built me a bookshelf for my fifth birthday. huon pine with miniature toadstool carvings, it towered above me and spanned the entire bedroom wall. i picked up men because the blurb proclaimed it to be an exploration of ‘female desire’. i was expecting irony. i was disappointed. raising the cost of uni fees will leave graduates with larger debt for longer, and will likely exclude a number attempting to gain higher education. scott morrison announced that the government does not need to follow a strict budget this year because it will be bulking the argonauts details her experiences of being a step parent, giving birth and sharing with her partner in their grief after their mother’s death. jeremy nadel weighs in on the 2016 federal budget’s finance and economics. the turnbull coalition government’s inaugural budget sees an increase in funding towards youth employment and training. the turnbull coalition government’s federal budget argues that unemployment is set to decline. the turnbull coalition government has largely scrapped its current plans for fee deregulation, in a 2016 federal budget that instead canvasses big potential changes in a new paper. the new government paper, “driving innovation, fairness and excellence in australian higher education”, proposes considering everything from partial deregulation to higher student fees. changes, including an increase […] sad grrrls fest organiser rachel maria cox talks to farrago about her dream lineup, diversity and gender barriers to music. following the umsu students’ council meeting this morning, tyson holloway clarke has been elected as the temporary president of the university of melbourne student union. his appointment was unanimous and cross factional, and follows the resignation of james baker on 23 march this year. umsu received legal advice recommending a by election in semester one. however, calling a by election […] obsessive compulsive disorder   but not as you might know it. my mother had told me that name calling was love and hair pulling was affection. on the cult of giles corey. polycystic ovary syndrome is more common than you think. time present and time past. international students are increasingly voicing concerns regarding underpayment. after four days of rallies, stunts and lock ins, fossil free melbourne university (ffmu) activists have secured a number of concessions from the university of melbourne regarding university divestment from fossil fuels. on wednesday of week 7, staff and ffmu students came together to negotiate for members of ffmu to end their lock in at the raymond […] unimelb finds religious intolerance as the main culprit for negative attitudes against asylum seekers. in honour of world book day, emme michelle writes an ode to 44 books that changed the world. shia labeouf: more than just a meme. on the 866th day you said you smelt a bushfire and left. slamming the front door accidentally (you were never that tough). and the sound of a lost last chance rang in my ears. louder than sirens. louder than bombs. louder than the smiths record i had playing while i cooked us breakfast. and i […] auditory hallucinations are a surprisingly common experience. on what’s worth fighting for. this is a love letter from one girl to all the rest. he carried on speaking a thousand words a minute, jumping between stories, dropping puns and dancing to taylor sw i’ve been known to knight people in the street, even though i don’t have the authority or legal right to do that. simone williams meditates on the east west debate. peter karabatsos provides a stimulating simulation conversation. a unique poem by caitlin mcgregor on refugees. britt baker discusses the anti plagiarism program that the university is trialling. the media officers discuss the resignation of umsu president; james baker. chih yu chou provides an overview of the special general meeting held at north court on the 5th april. mary writes a piece on women in music today. it’s hard being a left hander in a right handed world. mezzo soprano shakira tsindos will star as alisa in victorian opera’s presentation of lucia di lammermoor. encoding a memory is less like taking a video than it is scribbling down bullet points on a notepad. the germans have a word for it, i think. they call it weltschmerz. just, don’t be discouraged at all. i think that’s the secret. his parody news bulletin, highlighting the strangeness of something we all take for granted, was spot on in the most cutting of ways. don’t get me wrong, i definitely had fun, but an hour at this dive bar isn’t something i’d recommend to everyone. her style and ability to explore new frontiers, turning stand up into a truly artistic medium, is invigorating. hughes expertly jumps between heartwarming sincerity and the blackest, self deprecating humour you’ve heard. when it started out we had a riff of just three or four notes and just played that over and over again. student nathan fioritti goes on q&a “judging from the band’s rise to fame over the last few years we’ll definitely be hearing more from them.” the show itself is an hour of making fun of other people’s songs, raps about will smith’s movies and their classic hits. ben’s illustrious fact show is a nonsensical smorgasboard of comic delight. the cia invented the colour blue in 1969, to make children spend more time reciting the rainbow. joel dommett has the talent for storytelling that accompanies any good comic onstage. i felt like i had been transported back to my childhood   i was so engulfed in the magic of the whole thing. she’s got such a unique comedy voice that i honestly feel honoured to be allowed into her world hannah is the human doppler effect: here and there at the same time, dynamic, slightly obnoxious and almost frighteningly loud. i suggest going out to the garden right now and chowing down on the nearest handful of creepy crawlies you find. i remember i once overheard my dad telling my mum that my sister was smarter than me. mette jakobsen’s second novel, what the light hides, is equal parts lovely, sensory, and frustrating. umsu) has decided to open the naming of the new student bar to a public poll. the fact is many australians take drugs and will continue to do so no matter the legality. he uses his 55 minutes to explore the meaning of life and death which he does with expertise. it never once felt like a lecture. it was just smart stand up, pure and simple. he has a penchant for approaching the sensitive with a confident “i don’t care” insensitivity. there are few storytellers like greg fleet, his imagery is vividly dramatic. a distinctive flavour in the australian music scene with their hybrid folk pop stylings and introspective lyrics. sean mantesso chats with mc suffa as we talked the hilltop hoods’ latest music, their upcoming tour, international success and lockout laws. felicity ward’s energy and enthusiasm for what she does is contagious. i leave the show having laughed jovially, while having also learnt more than i thought possible at a comedy show. this book is great for any reader looking for short, sharp reads that are wonderfully written. aubrey is a reserved protagonist who struggles to communicate her feelings, even to the reader. the university of melbourne, in conjunction with umsu, has launched the first respect week; a week filled with events aimed at highlighting issues students and staff face in regards to respect and awareness or a lack thereof. this is in response to universities australia’s campaign ‘respect. now. always.’, a nation wide initiative aimed at addressing sexual […] scott falls in love but was too busy fantasising to get her number. this month, umsu students’ council passed unanimously a motion offering union house as sanctuary for asylum seekers. in doing so, the student union join organisations across australia, including the rmit national tertiary education union and the maritime union of australia, in taking a stand against government policy. places of worship have also offered sanctuary to […] click to read the edition 2 2016 office bearer reports written by each of the departments. a creative piece by dzenana vucic. tiernan morrison explains why deadpool is the super satire we deserve, but not the one we need. 30 years of the cave clan. brendan tam warns us about the peril of polls and populism. raphael canty blasts his way through the ever increasing pay to win market. fergus neal has a stand up sit down with some of the best comedians in australia. ashleigh hastings olsen takes a new york minute to reflect on her mk&a obsession. have you ever sensed that something bad was about to happen? have you ever had a dream come true? this edition’s battle is all about avocado. who will come out on top? this column, nick answers rory mane who has a group assignment with someone who is obsessed with ponies. danielle crocci recounts a life lived by abba songs. alexandra alvaro attempts to explain the mystery of lab 14. your friendly neighbourhood grumpy scientist is here to tell you how to eat dirt cheap while at uni. emphasis on the dirt. a couple of world renowned reporters interview m.night during his tour of australia tom wright’s adaptation is by no means less eerie than the film, particularly thanks to the excellent sound design by j. david franzke. with unparalleled efficiency, depth and a beckoning coldness and cruelty, claire and frank have never been more compelling. i prefer the term ‘sexual awakening’. the art of vlogging and its ability to connect people through the screen. it was always fighting games that brought out the worst in me. speaking with members of the college system, it’s not difficult to find traces of hypermasculinity within australian university culture. jacob sacher finds a nice corner to snuggle up in. james agathos and ben clark get some unpaid experience reporting on unpaid internships. jesse paris jourdan answers the question on everybody’s mind. caleb triscari has some questions for the university. martin ditmann on the unstable family union. as i walk down the ramp inside south yarra station, the air is muggy. the overcast sky has sealed the heat over port phillip bay, making the crowded platform two feel like a glasshouse. the display showing ‘next service departing in three minutes’ suddenly flickers to ‘35 minutes’. collective groans emerge from the commuters, myself […] night vale turns the everyday into a horror story, which doesn’t seem like something that would make an already anxious person feel better about the world they live in. so why are they drawn to it? zoë goodall re imagines sophocles’ incest dream in this creative piece. a creative piece by hayley franklin. a creative piece written by candy james zoccoli. what happens at 4am…. this one time at work… we sit down with sammy j and randy ahead of their show at the melbourne international comedy festival. advertising   the business of convincing people to buy things they don’t really need. “i was so terrified, as if i were dreaming.” mary, an international graduate student in melbourne university was robbed of her iphone on grattan street at 9.10pm on tuesday night. “my last lecture ended at 9pm,” she said. she was frightened to walk home alone that she checked time on her phone and held it tightly. […] it’s week three and you have settled in to the monotony of lectures and study. the campus has lost the spark you first felt when you arrived and you find yourself going straight home after classes. your one regret is that you cannot go back in time to the o week clubs expo. you have […] ever wondered what the lifestyle of the pigeon at university is like? read on for a detailed insight. james macaronas shares his creative short story. cindy zhou shares her creative piece on jellyfish. will whiten discusses the impact on climate change in mongolia and his experience travelling there. james henshall discusses the changing nature and use of technology. clara discusses her experience with the earthquake in nepal. alexander sheko discusses the importance of cycling safety. tegan mccarthy discusses contraception and in particular, iud’s. edie bush touches on his positive memory of the public pool. walking through savers on sydney road is an intensely personal experience… personal in the sense that it is both sensorially and spiritually engaging for the individual shopper. ayu astrid maylinda shares her story of savers and the mohair cardigan. the concept of ancestry is often thought of wholly in terms of personal identity   a specific bloodline and a family name passed down the generations. but to what extent is personal ancestry wrapped up in national identity? new developments in food production (hello, steak grown in a petri dish!) have the potential to alleviate many environmental and social justice issues in the most delicious of ways. ghill de rozario discusses her thoughts on the change in food production. meet michael sievers, phd candidate with the school of biosciences, who researches artificial urban wetlands and the frogs that call them home. michael asks: are these wetlands actually ecological traps for native frogs? ever wanted to make a diy glow stick jar? rebecca liew explains how in 3 easy steps. ruth de jager discusses the importance of mindfulness and its benefits. tetris is a piece of russian propaganda?! adrian yeung discusses the links between board games and politics. jack fryer shares his experience on his trip to spotswood. peter kelly talks about roald dahl’s recent book; charlie in the whitehouse. (disclaimer: this is not a real book) adriana psaltis discusses the german dialect. part tour diary, part extended poem, part fictional prose, the sick bag song is a dark, swirling epic. in 5 easy steps, zoe moorman will teach you how to talk cinema. sean watson discusses his thoughts on nell zink’s recent novel; mislaid. rose doole chats to evangeline about her passion for music and her career thus far. alexander eastwood teaches you about all the key wonders of the university of melbourne campus. jeremy nadel analyses in detail the university of melbourne’s funding decisions and whether or not they are effective. an anonymous writer discusses the hysteria behind the appointment of ann capling. emily weir discusses the university of melbourne’s first comedy festival and what to expect. martin ditmann discusses student politics and the results from the student election. yay or nay for dogs? you decide. jakob von der lippe and gareth cox martin battle it off in a for and against. alexander linger shares a piece of his poetry. how much can a single look reveal? emily paesler elapses. a poetry piece by ellen cregan. kosovo may have won its independence, but the world’s second newest country   only south sudan is younger   is losing its people and faces an uncertain future. we don’t often stop to think about the origins of many of the brands and companies that we are familiar with. but, unbeknownst to many, the logos (and the organisations they represent) that we absentmindedly register as we walk through shopping districts or supermarket aisles may actually have a dark, nazi past. have you heard about what’s happening on the great barrier reef? angela christian wilkes fills you in on the disastrous situation of the famous australian landmark. every oscar nominated portrayal of female experience in 2016 was shaped with male hands on the camera i have not yet met a female sound recordist. apparently they need big strong arms. and a penis. sources have informed farrago that the bachelor of environments will most likely be replaced by a new bachelor of design and a new environmental science degree in the following years. last week, the university of melbourne academic board approved the new bachelor of design. the bdes will be offered in the 2017 vtac guide. it is unclear whether […] when evie messages rio in the middle of the night, rio decides to surprise evie with a midnight adventure   to the moon. scott the skeleton and flora the fox decide to take up ‘panflutes in contemporary society’ as their breadth subject this semester, and learn to not regret a thing. many things define the hectic life of a university student   from having too little money to spend, to adjusting to a whole new environment. however, one of the most important aspects of student life is arguably participating in the array of clubs and societies. at the university of melbourne, there are over 200 clubs […] is it time to ban the bomb? are australian leaders doing enough? mat kelley explores the dangers of the bomb and why a ban is needed. on november 15 this year, melbourne will host ufc 193 at etihad stadium. the main event? ronda rousey. dexter gillman discusses what this means for sport and the city of melbourne. broga, man bun, man bag, mantyhose, bromance, man dates, manscaping, guyliner, mankinis. the list of heterosexual, man friendly terms for typically female styles goes on. sophie berrill discusses the consequences of these terms and how it relates to gender stereotypes. jason wong discusses the importance of politics and why he persists in advocating for a better society. while the gay rights movement has been imperative in gaining visibility for gay and lesbian people, bisexual, transgender and asexual people are being left far behind in gaining both social and legal status. mary ntalianis discusses this issue in detail. are current laws to prevent terrorists or rogue states getting hold of dangerous artificial intelligence technologies outdated? professor rain liivoja (a senior lecturer at melbourne law school) believes so. despite the good intention to create a joyful place where locals and tourists can get up close to the animals, the zoo is a sad reminder that there is a severe lack of funding. amy clements examines the conditions of the teuk chhou zoo in the quaint town of kampot, cambodia. one doesn’t have to look far to find anecdotal stories about strange events and heightened crime occurring on the monthly full moon. but do these claims stand up to scrutiny? is there really any correlation between the planetary system and the outcomes or experiences for humans living on earth? matt swan discusses the affect of fire on ground dwelling mammals in the otway ranges. spice up your life with this handy, customizable version of the bobo doll experiment, conducted first by albert bandura, and now conducted by you! looking for an escape to victoria’s beautiful countryside? samuel dariol explores latrobe valley, only 90 minutes from melbourne. adriana describes the scottish dialect and accent. melanie basta discusses her thoughts on the australian classic; looking for alibrandi. sean watson discusses his thoughts on purity   a new book by jonathan franzen. love them or hate them, but you cannot deny that the kardashians are pioneering an evolution in entertainment the yawn remains a brain­ boggling phenomenon, know that you are revelling in one of life’s most enduring mysteries. virtual reality was for decades something that existed solely in the realm of science fiction, but now it’s truly here. the vca is set to expand its horizons   literally and figuratively   with its visual arts wing due to be completed this year. one photo says it all, so swipe that finger, i promise you two will have a ball. love your va­jay­jay and all the power that comes with it. it’s just trying its best to look out for you. a month ago, the 2015 oscars promised to be the year a group of rich, overwhelmingly caucasian men. ultimately the nus is failing to live up to what it could be and is pissing away whatever mandate it has left. hashtag activism has proven highly popular to spearhead online campaigns, it has often been criticised. tyres reversing over this flat not just merely dead but really, most sincerely, many tyres, reversing removing their tracks, and thing, dead. over and over, this flat thing becoming a not­so­flat thing. and this not­so­flat thing drawing to the living thing it once was, closer and closer the living thing it will be again. so […] the new student centre replaces all previous centres as part of the university’s aim to create a ‘one stop shop’ for services. the university of melbourne is no stranger to the big screen. over where the ragged people go is a field of frost cackling underfoot grass that bends and snaps at the ends over where the ragged people go seas rage, boiling feathers and fins sleek bodies and wings over where the ragged people go i see just the tip of your ear poking out […] on empty stomachs we stroll through streets with desire to be sat down at tables with sparkling water and menus bathed in genuine leather desire to be greeted as sir and ma’am unlike the he and she in allusions of contempt or accusation the waiters are paid to be patient but they aren’t always and […] he took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar   ‘ziggy stardust’, david bowie. stereolab paints a picture of post­modern slacker heaven, severe faced and glued to their instruments. growing up, the closest thing i ever felt to hellenic pride was after helena paparizou’s ‘my number one’ won the eurovision song contest in 2005. a motion passed by the governing body of the student union will aim to raise awareness of services provided by the student services and amenities fee (ssaf). the university of melbourne has introduced a new gender identification option that will be made available to all students in 2016. the rule of thumb is to not pick anything, especially if you are not with somebody experienced. even though some people do eat poisonous mushrooms by parboiling them to specific temperatures, mushroom foraging is definitely not something that should be taken lightly. kan yay or kan nay? tyson holloway clarke and rose doole take on the ultimate debate: is kanye west a genius or a douchebag? developed a woe you can’t let go? have it answered in the best way: in couplets. a collection of 100 word cliffhangers that leave us wanting more long legs, candy, sex; advertising, breasts, businessmen; lights, eyeballs, paranoia. art & australia will relaunch in june 2016 with a focus on contemporary art and its relationship to broader theoretical, socio­cultural and geo­political contexts. grab a few friends and witness the breakdown of social niceties based on arbitrary allocations to opposing groups. discrimination and prejudice is rampant in every human society, often in ways we are not consciously aware of. dank memes are cool again. emoji has become so normalised in our day to day lives that it’s pretty much become our second language. when i mention my mum’s disapproval of my degree, a frequent response is a knowing a smile and a remark about “typical asian parents”. is drawn from the stereotype that asian means maths and strict parents preoccupied with economic gain at the expense of passion and learning for learning’s sake. prepositions like ‘in’ and ‘on’ are taken for granted by us english speakers. bergman’s films have a compelling power; they confront us and they force us to turn the questions on ourselves. confession time: the guy, the girl, the artist and his ex by gabrielle williams is the first ya book i’ve reviewed for this column that i have not previously read as a kid or a teenager. ‘controversy’ has always been central to the bret easton ellis brand. some films are so goddam good bad. how many of you know that the baillieu has a second folio? or a page from the gutenberg bible? being a foreigner, especially one without the local language, is hard. it’s no surprise that maternity leave has become a hot topic of late, given the controversial government backlash against ‘double dipping’ from employers and the government. professor sheila jeffreys, a lecturer in gender and sexual politics at the school of social and political sciences, retired last semester after 24 years at the university. and as i stood there, i thought to myself, ‘gee, wouldn’t it be nice if someone wrote about how to dispute a myki fine in farrago?’. the trope depicting uni students as broke and living on a shoestring budget is a commonly used one   and eerily accurate, by many accounts. neevon writes a review on the 1995 flick; johnny mnemonic. charlie and linah come together to discuss their experience with the food co op. fossil free melbourne university (ffmu), a campus activist collective, have run over a year’s worth of protests, petitions, face to face confrontations and other forms of lobbying. they want the council to declare in the new charter that the university will divest the $588 million in its endowment fund from the top 200 fossil fuel companies. the council has a key decision to make, but are all members of the council interest free? amar evaluates massive open online courses (moocs) and discusses whether they are the future of education. who am i and what am i doing here? am i here at all, and if not, where the hell am i? by book­ending the film with wind and breath in darkness, iñárritu draws parallels between the two…the two are caught up in each other as part of natural cycles of renewal. in the lead up to semester two exams for 2015, the eastern resource centre left its doors open to the public 24/7. yann martel’s most recent work proves as anticlimactic and flat as the eponymous mountains themselves. hard to describe and almost impossible to define, zines sit in modern culture with connections to almost everything and anything. dr ruth mcnair is a general practitioner with clinical and research interests in same sex parenting. she was the first to speak at a panel discussion last week on the future of lgbtiq families, which the graduate student association organised as part of the midsumma festival. the first thing mcnair said when she took to the […] you want to insert yourself and your soon to be famous creativity and wit into the underground zine culture? not to worry, farrago’s got your back with a step by step guide. ooh la la… mazel tov… what can i say? the spirit that girlpool sent out that night is what i so cherish in music; combining a seriousness in the song form creation, with a positively anarchic approach to performance. we discuss the band’s relationship with triple j, their creative and recording process and the impact of piracy and streaming on the music industry. welcome to the world of star wars fan theories. jo marchant’s rigorous exploration of the science (and pseudo science) behind the mind’s ability to heal the body. student based organisations are condemning a recent proposal to allow students to tap into superannuation funds to repay their university loans. reading kirsty eager’s summer skin is like having a drunken conversation with another girl in the bathroom of a nightclub. in a step forward for inclusion, the university of melbourne will participate in the midsumma pride march for the first time. the national union of students (nus), a peak body for undergraduate student unions on australia, has rejected a request to produce a list of all of its affiliate student unions and their affiliation fees. the request was made by the university of melbourne student union (umsu), an affiliate of the nus, as part of its own budget at […] the future of union house is unclear due to a dramatic infrastructural shift of university services across campus. the change will mean services for students are housed in a defined ‘student precinct’ on the corner of grattan and swanston streets. the university led plan for a student precinct has prompted the university of melbourne student union […] “student unity you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide!” it would be easy to find someone on the floor who’d say the nus national conference this year was a success   hell, most speakers proclaimed as much at some point. however, it would be just as simple to find someone who’d argue the opposite. day three […] “protectionist economics is archaic   long live the free market!” it was a very slow morning on the tuesday of natcon. conference did not even begin until 3pm in the afternoon   and sure enough, that led on tp a very long night. if you haven’t caught up with the most recent dealings, why not? you can follow […] “what kind of animal wakes up in the morning and thinks to themselves ‘i think i’ll join the young libs today’?” these were the words muttered by a member of the grassroots left in front of me while i waited to receive my room key. students nationwide gather at monash university clayton this week to […] this letter is in response to the farrago editorial: transparency and accountability in student organisations as someone who has actually attended the national union of students’ national conference, i know that it’s a lot more than just the “political push and pull” most people outside of the organisation like to dismiss it as. natcon is a place […] hello, this is a liveblog for the national union of students’ national conference. you can also follow live updates at @farragomagazine. you are accountable to the students who fund you, let them see why they should. student unions and legislators have clashed over proposed changes to the funding of student services, clubs and societies, with a proposed motion defeated. the senate considered a private member’s motion from independent senator john madigan which would abolish the student services and amenities fee. the motion was supported by senators deo wang (pup), bob day […] what do vampires, alien abductions and chest sitting monsters have in common? everyone’s heard stories about monsters in the night, ghastly ghouls that ensnare sleepers in a state of paralysis and torment them in their beds. a vampire in the doorway hypnotises vulnerable sleepers, leaving them immobilised and helpless as they are drained of their life […] a new student bar for o week 1990. zoe holman speaks to jack’s brother les thomas about the international bureaucratic nightmare that has engulfed the thomas family. “you must become the change you want to see in the world.” hawke never announced economic deregulation in advance, just as whitlam never gave anyone a heads up over his policy that the economy was an annoying side issue to the real business of state: buying up jackson pollock works. “what happens when an expert panel and an interested audience talk about climate change   especially when there’s a bunch of improvising actors and musicians listening in?”. that was the tagline of an out of the ordinary event that was held at the union theatre on august 14; its name was “our climate   personal […] for: kitty chrystal in this article, and just generally in life, i’m of the pro mazz stance. i consider it a healthy aspect of my sexual practice, something that has helped shape my understanding of my own sexuality; something i do alone and sometimes something i do with a partner. it makes me feel good and […] first semester is drawing to a close and tutorial discussions are tending more towards holiday plans than [insert subject name]. it seems half the student population will be migrating north in search of warmer climes and new york will, as always, be a disproportionately popular destination. people the world over flock to the nerve centre […] the reception was spotless, fitted with sleek wooden panels and expensive furniture. rather than stained glass windows or painted icons, there were waiting lounges and staff in formal attire. there was a hushed silence broken only by the tapping of keyboards and the clattering of heels as female staff strode by. hundreds of books branded […] all that is solid melts into air. believe it or not, there was a time when chinese innovation didn’t consist of ripping off silicon valley tech companies. china is credited with being the birthplace of the four of the most important inventions in the world: paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass. the europeans used the latter two to navigate to new lands […] i know him through friends and it’s about 4am. we’ve all been drinking for hours, dancing to silly tunes in a loose knit group comprised of the last kids standing. at some point, he kisses me. i push him away playfully   then he kisses me again, harder this time, his tongue pushing into my mouth […] the following article includes descriptions of medical procedures and animal studies. in the year 2017, neuroscientist dr sergio canavero plans to perform the world’s first head transplant. valery spiridonov, a man with muscle atrophy, has volunteered to be the patient whose head is transplanted onto a brain dead donor body. it sounds like something out of […] as technology becomes more intertwined with our experience of the world and reality, we really must consider whether this evolution is such a good thing. can you name a living scientist? what about a living, female scientist? what about a living, female scientist who has won a nobel prize? one in six australians have hearing loss. by 2050, it will be one in four. in this experiment, learn to amaze your friends and lead them to the crushing realization that their self image isn’t as stable as they probably assumed. method: step one: sit your friend at the table and instruct them to place their hands onto the surface. they can be palms up or palms down. step two: obscure their view […] among other things, holding a hot drink increases the likelihood that you will judge strangers to be more welcoming and trustworthy. for: what do you want your country to value? this is the central question of the debate of australia’s constitutional future: the debate between remaining a monarchy and becoming a republic. should we value tradition, with the stability it offers, and accept the hierarchy, religiosity and the stagnation of our national culture that come with […] behind an unassuming building in central tirana, the albanian capital, there’s a car park where you can find some apt symbols of the nation’s past and present. the first and most conspicuous of these are the communist statues oxidising on the perimeter of the property. two colossal figures of the ideology   lenin and stalin […] in response to elena larkin’s ‘the shot the doctor doesn’t offer’, bhargavi battala reflects on her time in the indian valley of spiti. before i moved to melbourne, i wanted to go on a crazy backpacking trip to some exotic, remote place in my own home country of india. after unending consultations with friends, travel […] it’s interesting to see where place names come from. take my hometown of san remo, just across from phillip island. there’s a popular brand of pasta that you can find at most australian supermarkets called san remo. when i first saw it, i asked my dad if it was made locally. he said yes. when […] the ridesharing craze is sweeping the world. now, there is an existential threat to taxi drivers as we know them. it’s time to see what makes uber tick. ridesharing is sweeping the world, fast becoming a solid alternative to traditional taxis. for the first time, an app on your smartphone can hail a price quoted ride […] in my first year of university, my history lecture spoke of the mass murder of iraqi kurdish rebels and civilians in one of the earliest extensive bombing campaigns, as the british attempted to enforce their mandate over mesopotamia in the wake of the treaty of versailles. i was confused. my lecturer’s recount of events sounded strangely familiar, yet […] in terms of viewership, the icc cricket world cup is the third most popular global sporting event, behind only the olympics and the all conquering fifa world cup. the 2015 tournament, jointly hosted by australia and new zealand, had an official attendance of over 1 million people. a total of 14 countries competed in 49 matches […] the name of the state opposition leader is something that people often don’t learn until they’ve succeeded in becoming the premier, and sometimes not even then, if you have the misfortune of having two first names (poor andrew daniels). however, one guy is different. here is a guy who was involved in a bizarre stoush […] on 15 march 2015, i quit social media. the effects were immediate and unprecedented. i found inner peace. i began to love myself more. life literally became more real   until i realised that this ‘reality’ was as unpalatable as illusion, and i was most definitely not a better person for it. i was merely […] kate cranney mixes one part science (a profile of a research scientist) with one part art (a detailed drawing of their study subject). in this edition, meet himali ratnayake. himali is a phd candidate researching how heat waves affect australian flying foxes. are you sipping an espresso at this moment? do you have farrago in […] dna is cool stuff: it gives your cells the instructions to make you, well…you. yet with only a two per cent difference in its composition you would be a chimpanzee. it’s amazing to think that your entire being is pretty much governed by tiny strands of the junk. but alas, we never really get to […] depression not only affects your mood, but lowers your cognitive ability, possibly even after you’ve recovered. depression has been a huge topic of conversation societally in recent years, which is fantastic in helping to break down the stigma of mental illness, however, it is still a widely misunderstood dis order. depression, described beautifully by mike martin, […] farrago asks four students from the major parties how they felt about the federal election. the results may surprise you. you know something, george? i already miss you. i miss the tight helical curls that fell from your temples and framed your face. your smooth complexion, perfectly complimented by an outfit of charcoal silk and maroon corduroy. your almond eyes suggesting a mind both absorbent and inquisitive. the way you decided that out of everyone […] photography by zoe efron i stood before my bedroom mirror, appraising my naked body. i thought to myself, “nope. no one needs to see this. sure, i’ll do prosh but nudity is where i draw the line.” little did i know that prosh is a week where the ‘line’ is constantly erased and moved a little […] never have teamwork, nudity and go karting found such perfect cohesion as in the university of melbourne’s prosh week. although there is a distinct lack of clarity amongst students as to what prosh really is, there can be some certainty in its ability to disrupt campus life and transform it into something much more entertaining. but […] one of the major changes included in the business improvement program (bip) is to relocate the louise hanson dyer music library (lhdml) to the vca southbank campus. there are fears that the amount of library staff could be also be reduced, in addition to the 540 job cuts announced in june. students have expressed their outrage […] rachel withers will take the reins as 2015 student union president, after winning the student elections by a very narrow margin. as the 5 o’ clock chime rang out over campus, student politicians collectively expressed a sigh of relief after a week of rigorous campaigning. from 1 to 5 september, students from 17 different tickets […] the national tertiary education union (nteu) has protested with students against university staff cuts, stating that executives “couldn’t give a shit” about university operations. the rally took place late last month. it was the latest action condemning the university’s changes in the business improvement program (bip) saga. staff and students gathered outside the raymond priestly […] words and photography by martin ditmann left wing melbourne student activists have grabbed attention after chaining themselves to a ladder and staging a sit in at the university’s future students information centre. the snap protest comes on the day that parliament prepares to debate the liberal government’s controversial higher education reforms, and follows similar action at monash […] ben provest’s room is a chaotic cross between an organised study bedroom and a messy music studio. his desk is peppered with sheets of loose leaf paper, with a well loved keyboard and an expensive set of speakers sitting on top. across the room rests a mini conch shell nestled between two framed photographs of his beloved […] umsu’s 2015 budget has passed students’ council, including a controversial cut to payments to the national union of students. the budget, drawn up by new umsu president rachel withers and her independent more activities! grouping, passed following heated debate over the readjusted nus allocation. the national union of students is the peak body for australian […] both times i’ve shut down my tinder, i always wondered about the lives i had infiltrated. there was one guy in particular   a gun loving former us soldier who, moments before i pressed the delete button, had asked if i wanted to go get coffee. seeing as how this request had been preceded by lamentations […] trigger warning: sexual assault the dark reflections of francisco goya’s saturn devouring his son, an allegory of the revolutionary turmoil in early nineteenth century spain, echoed the sentiments of jacques mallet du pan, who previously had said of the similar situation in france: “the revolution devours its children”. the words continue to resonate, particularly in […] satire is about as ancient as the human need to talk shit. in every group of cavemen huddling close in fear during a thunderstorm, one most likely grunted sarcastically at the dude who decided they should live in a place that made the sky gods angry. satire, whether it’s the biting observational humour of a […] monty python can do no wrong, but even the excellent the life of brian could have been improved if the associated religion had been a little more, you know, exciting. for instance, take flying spaghetti monsterism. any religion whose adherents believe in a supernatural creator covered in tomato sauce is sure to be as big […] people go to music festivals for all sorts of reasons. some go for the music, some go for the camping and some go to take drugs and enjoy some interstellar mind fuzz. a vast majority probably go for a combination of all three. but as drugs have become an undeniable part of music festivals, so […] phil hughes was not australia’s greatest cricketer; he was not a great technician, nor a fearsome striker. rather, he possessed a homespun style and a fearsome desire to succeed. when on november 25 2014 he was struck in the head by a cricket ball, i   like many others   simply assumed he’d get back […] halfway between melbourne and bendigo lies woodend, a town that boasts a quirky and interesting culture despite basically being situated on one street. while this scenic spot only has a population of 5,400 people, you’ll find it bustling on the weekends, and it is a good start to your exploration of places outside of melbourne. […] netflix is set to make its debut on australian soil in march, marking the start of a new era for tv consumption. netflix is hailed as the solution to all of our shady watching habits, but will it really be all it’s cracked up to be? in australia, we don’t have the best access (or […] in 2004, david broadway wrote november 9th on his school blazer. the date marked the release of halo 2, sequel to one of the great science fiction shooters of our time. david was a failed punk rocker. he dyed his curly hair red but it turned pink. people called him ronald mcdonald and asked him how […] this year the umsu president cut a sizeable portion of umsu’s annual allocation to the national union of students (nus). in this farrago exclusive, eric gardiner spoke with two student politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum to get their thoughts on the move. scrappy the lumberjack russell   socialist altogether what’s the difference between […] i’ve never been good at sport, especially team sports where my incompetence lets down an entire team as well as myself. due to this complete inability, i never sought out to join a sports club at the university. much to my surprise there are more clubs than i could have imagined, with sports i’d never […] uncertainty over tuition fees could become a financial burden on the university of melbourne’s full fee paying international students, with graduate students facing a potential 10 per cent increase per annum, says the student union’s president. umsu president rachel withers told farrago that as universities face financial uncertainty due to cuts in government funding, a 10 […] twenty fourteen was certainly an eventful year in politics, and higher education policy was one of the key issues on the national agenda. a number of activist groups around the country scored significant media coverage with a series of high profile protests against the abbott government’s education reforms. but the controversy surrounding some of the more […] when the dreaded exam time comes around each semester, the spot transforms into a hub of concentration at night. students stay late, only to exit the building in the hours of the early morning   and maybe before then for the occasional cross campus coffee run. when people think of study areas, they often think of libraries. […] ever wondered why people say they feel ‘hurt’ by others’ comments? or why we refer to losing in love as having our heart ‘broken’? these little language quirks have evolutionary origins which have made us desperate for affection. we are hardwired to need to be included. back when humans lived in hunter gatherer societies, being in […] i like this experiment because not only do you get to explore/demonstrate the effects of thermal shock*, but you also get some lovely glasses at the end. also, you’re recycling and the earth will love ya for it. i would recommend following the materials list closely. originally i did not and tried to use acrylic […] sifting through fish guts, collecting ear bones and spotting crocodiles   it’s all in a day’s fieldwork for one postgraduate student from the school of biosciences. the researcher meet matt le feuvre is a phd candidate researching the extinction risk of freshwater fish in the kimberley, a region in australia’s tropical north west. and also meet […] when i was just eleven years old, i had my first crush. unfortunately, he was in the year above me and so naturally, he had no clue i existed. with my new hormones overriding my brain, i tried everything to get his attention. whether it was attempting to play soccer or complementing him on his […] the room is white and sterile. month old flowers wither in a vase, a feeble attempt at colour. a heart rate monitor hums obediently at the bedside of the sickly patient. doctors rush past the open doorway, weary faced, papers flying, stethoscopes swinging, barely casting a glance toward the fading lifeform inside. medicine today has come far from the days […] a shell lies waiting beaming in a ray of light (my hand) we lie in a hot room smiling around the curl of the shell bright blue, a day away and a dream falling in the thick of the last night i sang to the shell the melody ran in a wink […] christmas day for an extended family of 37 is always a chaotic affair. with one matriarch in her late eighties, seven children, seventeen grandchildren, three overwhelmed great grandchildren under the age of seven, plus various partners, friends and companion animals all on the scene at once, certain changes to the classic christmas model have had to […] the university of melbourne will host a farmer’s market beginning this semester on wednesdays. held on union lawn between 11am and 3pm, the market will provide not only seasonal fruit and vegetables but also a wide variety of organic and bio dynamic products and produce. with the opportunity for students to engage directly with business owners, […] melbourne university sport (mu sport) is set to implement a new funding model for its 40 sporting clubs. the new model will aim to create more transparent and equitable funding system, following the controversy in the fair fund distribution among the clubs. under the current system, sporting clubs are categorised into three categories: competitive, recreational […] just as the university of melbourne student union (umsu) represents the entire student body, the university’s graduate student association (gsa) represents graduate students on campus. following the recent internal by election, steve brown was elected as the new gsa president. brown is a graduate public policy student and has a history of involvement in student politics. […] it’s here. my.unimelb now has its own app. will it change your life? we’re not so sure. according to the ask.unimelb website, “the my.unimelb mobile app allows you to view your class and exam timetables, notices, library borrowing, fines, results, system announcements and events”. however, the app has one fatal flaw, rendering it fundamentally redundant […] we at unimelb should consider ourselves lucky when it comes to food and coffee on campus. whether it’s brunch at seven seeds, a quick beverage from standing room or stress eating at pronto pizza (because when has pizza ever let you down?), we have an abundance of delicacies around almost every corner. but once in […] michael dug his finger into the top of a mandarin and peeled the skin back in one go, hating the way the stringy white bits clung to the fruit. he picked them out and placed them inside the curve of empty skin. michael only liked fruit when it was sour, just half ripe, and he had […] delicate long petals strong soothing aroma the vision a victim of alien seduction on its own will expires and dissolves to undermine mother nature a well built structure hair of vines and leaves a competent warrior to conquer barbaric winds the porter of fruits on its own will withers and dissolves to provoke mother nature a […] for many of us, music is an integral part of our lives. but why is this? music has been known to cause increases in heart rate, dilated pupils, body temperature changes, chills and goose bumps, as well as generally awesome feelings. as to what gives us these lovely physical and psychological changes, we can point […] it’s taken mankind over 300 years to pin down the speed of light. so we’re going to measure it with a chocolate bar. let’s get started. method: step 1. you want to stop the platter in your microwave from rotating. this can be done either by inverting the platter or removing the wheels that allow […] coal fired power will soon be obsolete. that was the topic of a debate staged at federation square in the twilight of 2014. bob brown spoke for the motion, alongside a green energy entrepreneur and our own professor mike sandiford. in opposition, an economist, a businesswoman and a government executive valiantly argued that   noble […] star trek has given birth to a plethora of ingenious ideas pertaining to the world of technology. living in a time where back to the future is now set in our past, we as the human race are sitting here waiting around for the day these technologies become a reality. i mean how are hover […] as humans, we’re hardly impressed by the fact that each and every single one of us are capable of contributing to, harbouring and fostering life. and perhaps it is in our pursuit of mechanisms to control our fertility   for logical, rational and personal reasons   that we’re prone to sideline considerations of our fertility […] what comes to mind when you think of a drag queen? men in wigs and sequinned dresses? dame edna? priscilla: queen of the desert? maybe even white chicks or mrs. doubtfire? drag queens are arguably the most underrated and misunderstood members of the lgbtqi community. an acronym for ‘dress resembling a girl’, drag has roots […] canberra: the bustling metropolis that is the semi precious, quartz stone gem in australia’s crown. this noble bastion of righteous mediocrity stands strong against the sea of actually interesting and memorable places… but alas, your dear author gets ahead of himself. i recently travelled up to canberra to visit friends and family who have moved there, […] if you’re after an alternative to a coastal weekend escape, daylesford and the nearby hepburn springs are absolute gems hidden in victoria’s spa country. while the phrase ‘spa country’ might fuel your bourgeois nightmares, dismissing daylesford as a retreat for middle aged couples sells it very short indeed. daylesford is about a 70 minute drive from melbourne, […] latency jules and i have set up our xbox ones. he’s trying to organise a party chat using voice commands. “xbox, snap party.” “xbox, unsnap.”frustration mounts. “xbox, fuck me.” i’m attempting to navigate the menu using hand gestures. i’ve got my open palm to the kinect sensor. it must look as though i’m having a […] working in retail is probably not what i’d call my ‘dream job’. however, i’ve spent the last three years of my life working for arguably the dodgiest chain retailer (i’ll let you figure that one out yourselves, kids) in an inarguably shady part of town. as you may have been able to gather, i have […] it is a truth universally acknowledged that the best place for ideological fisticuffs is a facebook status. forget arts festivals, forget live debates, forget sitting around at the pub until hitler inevitably comes up   it’s all facebook. so it was the other fateful day when i decided to wade into a conversation about kink shaming. everyone […] multiculturalism is a brand for australia. it resonates in every classroom and is never far from the lips of every politician. it’s evoked as a ‘disclaimer’ against racism for every racially charged debate from asylum seekers to foreign investment. it’s a buzzword, proclaimed loudly to demonstrate how far we’ve progressed since the white australia policy. […] let’s make one thing perfectly clear: i am not here to tell anyone how they should identify, or that how they previously saw themselves is wrong. i am not looking to provide a solution to the puzzle that is personal identity. that’s an endeavour that spreads itself across the fields of psychology, history, philosophy and […] being a student whose surname isn’t trump, gates or mcduck, means figuring out a way to indulge your nascent refinement of taste in food, drink, fashion, culture, travel and real estate for somewhere under thirty five cents a week. and it is generally advisable to keep within at least a flailing arm’s length of the parental […] “singapore? it’s kinda boring. bloody expensive. good shopping though. oh, and the food is amazing.” this is what everyone told me before i left for an internship in the “lion city” and, at first, nothing suggested the reality was any different. everything is bloody expensive   for a while i was paying $60/night to live […] protestors gathered to south lawn yesterday to rally against the university’s divestment in fossil fuels in a national day of action alongside 15 other universities. students, staff, alumni and members from fossil free mu, umsu’s environment department, and 350.org gathered at midday in preparations to march to the raymond priestly building. rally groups in support of divestment argued that a […] recent news of zayn malik’s departure from british boyband one direction has spurned high octane emotional responses, ranging from utter despair and mass hysteria to surprisingly vitriolic derision, with a good measure of middle aged ambivalence somewhere in between. following malik’s announcement on the twenty sixth of march in which he cited stress and personal reasons as his […] australia’s ‘group of 8’ (go8) consortium of universities has announced that it is opposed to any ‘watering down’ of the higher education and research reform bill 2014 to allow it to be passed into law. the legislation   which would allow universities to set their own course tuition fees without caps (as per the united […] late last year, the national tertiary education union’s (nteu) university of melbourne branch joined several other branches in successfully pressuring their superannuation fun, unisuper, to withdraw investments from transfield. transfield is a publically listed company that has been managing australia’s detention centres on manus and nauru since entering a $1.22 billion contract in january 2014. […] the university has taken the first steps towards “establishing the capacity to develop, deliver and maintain a suite of high quality, online, graduate level courses”. the graduate online   melbourne initiative is currently focusing on offering online degrees in two fields of study, evaluation and ageing. the online courses range from specialist certificates to masters degrees. […] in the 13th century the mongol hordes, under hulagu khan, lay siege to the medieval metropolis of baghdad. the city’s famous library was destroyed, with so many books thrown into the rivers that the waterways were said to run black with ink. to this day, it remains the single largest destruction of knowledge in history. […] umsu’s autonomous departments at the university of melbourne hosted rad sex and consent week 2015 from the 20th to the 23rd of april. the yearly event, made up of a series of workshops and talks, tackled issues surrounding consent and a diverse range of sexual relationships. with workshops covering topics from sex toys to interracial […] the university of melbourne will have a new mandatory lecture recording policy in place by the end of the year. by 31 december, all lectures will be recorded, with lecturers being able to opt out of this only for ‘non trivial’ reasons. the umsu education department is currently working with university administration to determine what these […] on 18 march 2015, at the 2015 university wominjeka (indigenous welcome), the university of melbourne formally launched its second reconciliation action plan (rap). in his foreword to the plan, vice chancellor glyn davis declares rap 2’s intent to “maintain and build on earlier commitments” to the university’s aboriginal and torres strait islander (atsi) students and staff, […] a meticulously planned day comes to a screeching halt when anna decides to shoot her boyfriend ezra in the left arm. he lies, sprawled on the pavement, his terribly cut almond hair sticking to his pale, sweaty brow. why he’s sweating, anna can’t understand. he has a bullet lodged in his left arm, an action […] they say myrddin sang the stones from wales or that giants heaped them, transfigured into menhirs from the early sun. the plain is minimally barren: unimportant clumps of treeline are further reduced to sorrel patches and the strict definition of weed: herbaceous, a grass, indiciduous tree or fungus that grows on its own terms   […] the underworld was located in a cave somewhere in the jungle, the feet that led to it buried in falling green leaves and precipitation: a tantalus esque trench, a grove of people transformed into trees. the word now   the museum exhibit   evokes, rather than insinuates, a serpent plumed headdress, tattoos that go deeper than […] my brother’s friend carlos refers to barcelona as a “giant orgy that no one is invited to.” he’s staring at me with those yellow eyes, waiting for a response. i smile, nod, and lean over to take a look at the city. we’re on a terrace with a panoramic view. my brother’s place is a […] he can’t see you through the keyhole, because you don’t fit into a fucking keyhole i remember the braided scar on your left shoulder where a wing could have grown. the way you would retreat behind the trenches of your bedsheets before the hail of tears tracked your cheeks. the snails on the pavement never did make it, their shells cracked like bookspines under our hurrying feet. like a flowering […] why the stella prize promotes women in literature. oh me, oh my, oh may. the month of dreading winter and savouring every last drop of summer’s sweet elixir. musically, may usually offers an entrée sized garden salad in comparison to the succulent mixed grill of the warmer months. with the irresistible courtney barnett selling out the forum twice already, this year might be a […] can’t wait until mid year break? me neither. you want to travel? great idea! but wait, my dear farrago reader, wherever will you go? europe? no. asia? sorry, those locations are too full of cultural experiences and adventures that you can neglect in exchange for a short trip down to my hometown of werribee. i […] love it or hate it, hip hop is here to stay. while it may constantly twist and morph, its cultural influence is undeniable, and hip hop artists wield a power that should not be underestimated. that power, the power of storytelling, can introduce listeners to the nonsensical and fantastical, as well as a dark and morbid conception […] aries aries: the ram   more like the ram ifications of your actions. check yourself before you wreck yourself   your competitive nature usually works in your favour, but this month the moon has turned your luck. anything you try before may will result in doom, so lock yourself in a basement with some tin cans, […] twin peaks. you may think of it as a euphemism for boobs, but it’s actually a cult tv series. it’s also the forefather of today’s biggest (and most addictive) tv hits. premiering in april 1990 to over 34.6 million viewers in the us, twin peaks follows the mystery of a washed up high school prom queen… […] isabela calderon is a singer and performer currently studying at the melbourne conservatorium of music. there’s something oddly comforting about a series of unfortunate events, despite the inherently depressing narrative. my experience with yiddish is limited to exposure to the odd word thrown around during friday night dinner conversations at my boyfriend’s place. he’s jewish, and since i’m not, he’s my translator. in fact, not long ago, i found myself in the attic of an antique shop in victoria’s southeast testing his knowledge through the […] so it’s the end of the first week of exam period. if you are an arts or environments student you have probably seen your first glimpse of sunlight since the start of swotvac, dropping what seems like your life’s work into the abyss of the submission slot. it’s definitely time to celebrate. those in science, […] i’m new to melbourne and i’m having a hard time making friends. how do i become popular? as writer of an advice column, i’m obligated to preface my reply with the standard “don’t compromise character for popularity/popularity is a fickle witch/make genuine connections” feel good, self help schlock. it’s a legal thing; all agony aunts take an […] let me paint you a picture. fingers cramping from several hours of scrolling, the bottom right corner of the laptop screen reads 3.30 am. “i don’t like problems. i avoid them when i can and i don’t like people pointing them out to me.” such is the life of lorelai gilmore and her teenage daughter/best friend rory gilmore. now enmeshed into the vocabulary of popular culture, the gilmore girls (2000 2007) serves as a paragon of the perfect world that […] a lot of people find it a bit hard to swallow what russell brand is telling them they should. the cheeky english geezer, most well known for his stand up work and appearances in films like forgetting sarah marshall and get him to the greek, has profited from his persona as a witty sex addict […] there has been a lot of talk lately about the national disability insurance scheme. most of the talk has (of course) centred on quibbles between state and federal parties as to how much funding each side should kick in. now, with funding matters apparently cleared, the details of the scheme are beginning to emerge and […] visit any university campus during student election week and you’ll meet student politicians. hundreds of the tired little sods working day in, day out for your vote. on face value, they present a smorgasbord of voting options for the average student. stand up, unite, sit down, activate, left action, left inaction, they’re all there, and […] on 7 october 2003, california’s first ever gubernatorial recall election only the second in american history was held after a sufficient number of signatures were collected. the ballot had two questions. the first one, asking whether the sitting governor gray davis should be recalled from office, received a 55.4% ‘yes’ vote. the second asked who should replace […] when an explosion tore through moscow’s domodedovo airport in 2011, headlines went up around the world: “terrorist bombing leaves 35 dead”, “carnage at key russian airport”, “security lapse blamed for deadly attack”. the articles that followed these headlines offered little context: readers learnt the ‘what, where, and when’. yet, as is all too common with […] 1. i hate how you flounce around in universities in packs, with this grand confidence now that you’re all grown up. 2. i hate how you think clubs and societies sausage sizzles are god’s gift to society. 3. i hate how you wear heels and tiny winsey miniskirts to university in may. 4. i hate how you […] 2008 will always be one of the most exciting years of my life. barack obama captured the imagination of millions of american voters and millions more around the world. he tantalised us with the prospect of an african american ascending to the presidency and wowed us on the campaign trail en route to claiming an emphatic […] the students took their seats and got ready for their electrical engineering lecture. as the ruckus settled, the lecturer stood up and began to drone. all went as planned for the first fifteen minutes. then the powerpoint went black. words began to appear on the screen, as if typed. they read: “fuck this. i’m going […] few people were surprised when anna funder won this year’s miles franklin award for her new novel about anti nazi activists in the 1920s and 30s, all that i am. demonstrating a passion for challenging political literature, all that i am joins her samuel johnson prize winning nonfiction work about psychological terror in east germany, stasiland. […] r. kelly   write me back as a person of sound mind, i have never listened to r. kelly before and all i knew about the man was that he was accused of peeing on some ridiculously young girl a few years back. however, write me back is surprisingly fantastic… it’s like if burt bacharach […] the young man on screen drives a surfboard loaded ute down a pier. objectively speaking, he’s good looking with his slicked back hair and muscles. he starts narrating in an ocker accent: “welcome to the shire. we call it ‘god’s country.’” this is mitch, one of the many rich and tanned kids that make up the cast of […] okay, dig are downstairs, is anyone using the stage? doll are putting makeup on, and we’re on in 10. ctg have worked out their surtitles and gus has the changes. no, i don’t know what happened to the flowers, last time i saw them they were by the sink. bella and gabi to the stage […] a rhizocephalan doesn’t really have a common name. perhaps that’s because it doesn’t look like much. but this spineless invertebrate spins a tale of high romance, of commitment and sacrifice, and an intimacy of the closest kind. the scientific name of this hugh grant of the animal kingdom is sacculina, a slightly unappealing title but […] you may have noticed a little less energy in your media class this semester. or one less fro’ bobbing along south lawn in a multicoloured jacket. that’s because melbourne uni student marty smiley has packed his bags for a new life in sydney. why? marty has loved music all his life, has wanted to be […] early in the 20th century, society condemned jazz and blues for their sexual nature and bawdy lyrics. in the ’50s, rock ‘n’ roll caused no less scandal. today, barry white’s deep voiced songs resonate as typical ‘make out’ tunes and most music clips are akin to pornography. of the popular music produced in the last […] we all know pop culture is prone to exaggeration. there has been one particular issue, however, that takes the cake. warning: i’m about to say something that will make most of your cringe, possibly want to run away in terror, or at the very least close the magazine in a fit of disgust. period. there, […] survey on your staff news wf applications open playbook is live lately i’ve been living vicariously through the delightfully devious prose of miss natalie diney, the regular writer of this column. she has a mega babe! they do exciting things like go to mardi gras and sexyland! and they’re in toe tingling love (published love too, surely the tertiary student’s equivalent of being sung a love song in […] union theatre has been closed to allow for the removal of asbestos in the ceiling. it is anticipated that the theatre will remain closed until the end of october. as many as eight productions were booked into the union theatre during this period and have been forced to find alternative venues. on 10 august 2012, […] the days of borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbour when you realise you’ve fucked the grocery run when baking a cake seem to have been over for a while now. you don’t know your neighbours. or you think, “why on earth would they want to lend me their sugar?” or you’re scared they’ll […] the vice chancellor at la trobe university has been forced to flee student protests through the university’s underground tunnel network. the protest was in response to a proposed restructure to the humanities and social sciences faculty at la trobe university. the proposal would see the number of subjects available in the faculty halved, as well […] i can’t hear anything, heat floods my face and my palms become two heavy sponges. the spit in my mouth turns to glue. i bend off the side of the verandah to dry retch and then sit on the edge of a cane chair that’s covered in rolled up newspapers. the verandah looks over a large […] pockets of air trapped. the icy roof of a lonely trough a glassy captor. they’re shifting. cracks appear like roots. tap softly, and they will grow gaps slowly open up and scream at the cold. above, spectrous smoke fills my nose the smell of the ember is crackling. disturbed the fragments float, upturned adrift in […] last month warner bros announced that ben affleck had been cast as batman in the upcoming man of steel sequel and the internet immediately shat itself. within an hour of the announcement over 100,000 tweets were posted on the subject and 12 hours later there were over 500,000. #batfleck was born. and it wasn’t just […] tycho brahe was the first person of note to record their observations of the heavens in what we would now regard as a scientifically rigorous manner. the danish nobleman and astronomer was also the last to do so without the aid of a telescope. he challenged the aristotelian idea that stars were fixed, eternal points […] if myki were a public monument, it would be the southern star. standing 120 metres tall and towering over the docklands suburb, the star ferris wheel was supposed to be melbourne’s answer to the london eye. it was supposed to turn postcode 3008 into a bustling tourist hub. it was supposed to give waterfront city […] before i left australia i was told again and again to be safe. the look on my mum’s face when i waved goodbye at tullamarine was not far from the expression she wore in a dream i once had a dream in which i was being executed. it wasn’t just my parents either. my friends were […] there’s a great deal of irony in a column called ‘closet minded’ that has never mentioned the closet. or perhaps to discuss closets and queerness would deflate the pun ny potential of the column’s title? irony or not, a recent conversation with a friend and his boyfriend’s coming out got me thinking. what does ‘the closet’ […] do you wish you could prod your brain with a small amount of electricity to extract that top notch marx quote, which fleetingly held a conscious place in your mind but has, while having a rousing conversation about class struggle, plummeted into oblivion? do you wish you could stimulate your brain into recalling exactly how labile […] high school sex ed usually involves an encyclopaedia of contraceptive options for women, and a single message for men suit up or face the consequences. but it’s not long until teenage boys get just as many confusing contraceptive options as their female counterparts. the female contraceptive pill is so lauded as a hallmark of women’s sexual […] political opinion polls: virtuous insight into the mind of the electorate or obsession that undermines the political process? in 1940, george gallup father of the modern political poll declared them the tool to “take the pulse of democracy”. though it would seem that now we have hooked our political process up to life support, scrutinising every minor […] the ceo of the student union’s corporate arm, clemens unger, has resigned after a six week leave of absence. a letter to staff dated 31 august informed them that he had resigned for “personal reasons”, effective five days earlier. the letter also stated that trevor white, who has acted as ceo during unger’s leave has been […] there was a moment during the recent university of melbourne student union election week that will probably stay with me for life. rounding a corner near old arts i stumbled across a senior candidate from one of the major tickets, who had trapped a harried looking international student next to a wall. flapping campaign paraphernalia in […] we stand around the barbeque, socialising paralysed in the underbelly of suburbia and i notice there are mini humans everywhere tiny dribbling beings, skulking on the periphery guarded by swollen abdomens (harbouring even smaller beings) but they are slippery and steal away my partner says maybe we should go i feel the same but one of […] there is some magic in this world: not wanting to be solved but savoured. it’s in the soft curve of a lover’s back where a little morning light pools and ripples. it’s in the faces of summer’s children with vanilla ice cream on their noses and pink sugar in their hair. in the smell of […] nu brick nervous hymns rattled off beneath pigeon shit pyramids you’re a visitor here avoiding the false light tears through night dreaming gauze you’re more than after party tipsy you used to be fearless you won’t take risks with colour and noise catch yourself conjuring storms the charming magician redundant in tights now you tiptoe nylon soft […] dazed and disoriented hers is the sway of a sleepwalker with blush suffused cheeks and starry eyes she gazes up at an unfixed point and sighs her gait is languid a groggy saunter underwater “no thank you. i’m sorry, excuse me.” the lights and language so intensely loud weaving through the city crowd her mind […] life, like the universe, is made mostly of nothing: the spaces between matter, or things that matter. and the really great moments are like “flies in a cathedral”  dwarfed and made insignificant by the monumental vacuum they inhabit, anomalous. arching, light has scuttled under my lids agape lips begging to drip with the vomit of my heart raw soles wade in the beads from my skin sleeplessly feasting knowing you are cold in a locked bed. this piece is a continuation of border crossing: nepal to india which appeared in edition six. after an easy exit through nepalese border security, my fiancée jess and i are confronted immediately by the complexity of india. on entry into raxhaul in north east india we are dragged into an immigration office by four rotund men […] to many classical musicians, the words ‘crossover artist’ invoke an involuntary cringe, palpitations, and a carefully suppressed financial jealousy, usually expressed with a variation on the phrase ‘that’s not real music’. the likes of andré rieu and josh groban are seen to have sold out, placing money before musical integrity, promoting the commodification of art, […] undertaking an internship is increasingly becoming a prerequisite to full time employment. the fair work ombudsman has recently instigated a review of internships in australia, the finding of which could have important implications for students and graduates. students in degrees such as healthcare and education have long established placement programs. others, especially in media or the […] lewis received the call ten minutes before collecting his six year old daughter, jessica, from school. the conversation was brief. the voice on the other end of the line said the room was already taken. lewis ended the call and began to massage the back of his neck. it was friday afternoon. that left five […] something strange is happening off the coast of tasmania. in august, the commonwealth scientific and industrial research organisation (csiro) reported that tropical fish were turning up in cold seas usually home to temperate marine life. in nearby waters, the dutch trawler margiris was granted permission to fish in australian waters by the australian fisheries management […] the football field is the mecca of australian masculinity, where weakness is the enemy. sledging your man by spitting “faggot” at him is as common as hot pies and cold drinks. it is in this place that a gay man is most terrified to speak the truth about his sexuality. jason ball, 24, thought he […] footballer tom wilson reflects on the realities of sexuality in sport, and the importance of an inclusive afl culture. i sit in my room, door closed, and watch gus johnston’s video again. i don’t know how many times i’ve watched it on youtube, more than 20 perhaps. gus played hockey for most of his life […] “sylvia plath interesting poetess whose tragic suicide was misinterpreted as romantic by the college girl mentality.”  woody allen as alvy singer, annie hall it was 11 february 1963 when a nurse and a workman broke into sylvia plath’s flat and found the poetess with her head in the oven, her babies crying upstairs. it’s a story […] just like how the greek kept watching oedipus even though they all knew what was going to happen, we read these novels not for profundity, but because it’s cathartic. many students are familiar with that red ink criticism scrawled near an essay paragraph: ‘vague’. but what does it mean what is ‘vague’? dictionary definitions of ‘vague’ equate it with a lack of clear meaning, along the lines of ‘vagueness arises whenever the meaning of a phrase is not clear to its intended audience’. so in the […] when we think of great literature, names that spring to mind are shakespeare, dickens and austen. we either ignore or are ignorant of of kathy acker, e.l. doctorow or milan kundera just three names that are about to be compromised even more, as the english and theatre studies program recently announced a decision to cut three […] recently, farrago printed both an overwhelmingly positive review of a production i was a part of, flw’s the history boys, and an overwhelmingly negative review for another i wasn’t. whilst it might have been easier to take the congratulations for the history boys and run, something didn’t sit right with me about the tenor of […] you can’t trust the stage. you can revel in it, experiment on it, be moved by it and bitch about it long into the night, but trust it? no deal. who can blame this old pal of ours? its disloyalty to the expectations of absolutely everyone involved is actually what preserves it as a valuable […] there are those who label australian history as boring and cringe worthy. others simply don’t want to confront the racist nation of our history books. but for fregmonto stokes this is what makes australian history worth revisiting. as the writer of the newest union house theatre production 1938: an opera, fregmonto and his team bring to […] recently, i attended a theatre workshop hosted by the digcollective and i can safely say it was the most fun i’ve had in a long time. comprised of alex talamo, michael fee, dana mcmillan, david harris, tim sneddon, grace cumming and josh lynzaat, the dig collective is a melbourne based theatre collective that last year […] when i was fourteen, my favourite tv shows involved oversized weaponry and frenetic light shows masquerading as battles. anime characters lost limbs on a regular basis. my unimpressed father proclaimed me “too old for cartoons” a confusing assertion from someone who lists the lion king as a cinematic masterpiece. nevertheless, it’s a common claim: liking cartoons […] umsu is aware that a number of predatory cult organisations are attempting to recruit students on campus and surrounds. lore is unlike any war film you’ve ever seen before. this german australian co production focuses its attention on the children of a nazi ss officer and their struggle to adapt to post war life in the wake of what their parents have done. after her father is arrested and her mother surrenders, young teenager lore (played by newcomer […] ruby sparks begins with the clichés: a lucid dream, an empty apartment and a has been author battling writer’s block. yet when it becomes apparent that the homebound, sex deprived author’s prose has real life implications, the will ferrell alarm bells go into overdrive. is ruby sparksthe reincarnation of 2006’s innovative comedy stranger than fiction? the similarities between […] director walter salles and screenwriter jose rivera have teamed up once again to capture the american road in the adaptation of jack kerouac’s quintessential beat gen travel tale on the road. ravenous for adventure, young writer sal paradise (sam riley) and hedonistic renegade dean moriarty (garrett hedlund) charge across the american plains in their ’49 hudson. they […] love this giant is wonderful. the clattering brass, sheer musicality, and rich songwriting of the ridiculously talented david byrne and annie clark are a revelation in what idiots call ‘art music’. david byrne is an unquestionable genius, and if you have never heard the magic of the talking heads, you should be greatly ashamed of […] in melbourne, there are about as many bands swindling for a break as there are cigarette butts stamped out along the steps of flinders street station. to find the proverbial shining treasure among the trash or the sharpest needle among the haystack requires quite simply a huge ass rake of some description. on the brink folk band oh […] umsu education will be running a series of workshop style panels in the coming weeks called the umsu assemblies. spring is in the air in melbourne. after winter, pink buds on the cherry trees burst forth with delicate blossoms. the air positively throbs with the perfume of flowers and the buzzing of birds and bees. one of the loveliest of the city’s residents is hopping about in gardens and parks in charming little families. […] after discussing sex all year, it seems the time is ripe for some abstinence. and i don’t mean the i couldn’t get a date so i dated myself brand of abstinence. i’m referring to a binding vow of celibacy in which one willingly, even wilfully, goes without intercourse. in our current sexualised and romanticised society the subject feels almost taboo. a feeling of […] “smile   it’s good to be alive.” i hear our instructor’s voice as i lie on the grass, arms by my side, looking at the sky. overhanging branches divide an otherwise endless blue. i’m not exactly smiling. it’s more of a grimace. a kid playing soccer looks over, wondering why a bunch of grown ups are […] recently i’ve been trying to sort out the kinks in my sex life. not the whole ‘non monogomous’ thing with mega babe   that’s going about as smooth as her sweet ass. but the more specific kinks in my messy bedroom; for instance how hard do i want to be spanked and are cable ties safe […] i have long detested macarons. they may look cute and colourful and promise ridiculous flavours, but these undeservedly popular biscuits frequently fall short of yumminess, and are pricey to boot. i set out to discredit the macarons, but unfortunately, while researching this article i came across some that won my reluctant, humiliated heart. not to […] join the climate strike, meeting at 12:30pm this friday at south lawn on the parkville campus.. john helmer currently resides in a small shared office on the second storey of the old arts building, a somewhat low key homecoming after so many hears. helmer, one of the 1964 editors of farrago, has spent the past 25 years based in moscow, covering russian big business: a constantly evolving world of mega wealthy ‘oligarchs’ against […] statement   nauru detention centre re opening content note: discussion of detention of asylum seekers a petition to disaffiliate the socialist alternative from the student union will be tabled at the next clubs and societies committee meeting, following allegations of harassment on campus. the petition says that the motion to disaffiliate is because the socialist alternative club has broken the clubs and societies regulations, it cites the regulations in that […] the george paton gallery has temporarily closed its doors to artists while the air is monitored for airborne asbestos fibres. the gallery, situated on the second floor of union house, expects to reopen in late october once it has received a full clearance certificate. trevor white, ceo of melbourne university student union ltd (musul), specified […] 1. update your e signatures 2. summerfest staff survey 3. next workshop: wrap it up (8 mar) afer that brief period when colour coded candidates wave flyers at students walking into the baillieu (a.k.a. election week), university of melbourne student union (ums) office bearers, students’ council and committee members for 2013 have been elected. stand up! won the ballot by a very narrow margin, with about 51 per cent of formal votes for […] students will get the chance to grill their vice chancellor and other key university decision makers in a forum project run by online engagement group oursay. the university of melbourne student union and vice chancellor’s office have accepted invitations to take part in the project. from 14 september students have been invited to post questions […] it all begins with a naked red haired woman. she jumps up and down, creaking the floorboards with every bounce. she appears distraught, if not mentally unstable. the scene makes no sense, but that’s okay. the film has only just begun; you reason that surely things will explain themselves in due time. they don’t. indeed, with […] joel and ethan coen hold the distinction of being arguably the most acclaimed american filmmaking duo of recent times. they jointly write, produce and direct all of their projects, as well as assuming the role of editor under the pseudonym of roderick james. their films are distinguished by a willingness to offer a unique take […] when you just have to know what will happen when girls lift weights with their vaginas “women try vaginal weightlifting for the first time” is not a headline i ever expected to read. yet i did, and i read the article, and i watched the entire accompanying video. it was great. when they post […] in sum ragged orphan pip meets a convict, then an old lady who makes up in tragi cunning for what she resolutely lacks in marbles. adventure is had, naiveté exploited, and any hope for london as a cheerful getaway destination profoundly ruined. why the world thinks you should read it one the the great victorian novels, grand sweeps of […] when alt lit darlings tao lin and megan boyle writers and editors of niche publisher muumuu house married in a quickie vegas ceremony, they filmed it and dropped the news via a live q&a webstream. if anyone out there is confused about what alt lit is, that might be the best way of explaining it. anti privacy, writers […] imagine the stereotypical aussie beer drinker. now replace that wife beater singlet with an ironic shirt, the sticky carpet with a roof top bar, the sausage in his hand with some gluten free treats. the words leaving his lips are not “a pot of vb”, but instead the names of melbourne based microbreweries. this is the beer drinker […] if getting there is half the fun, then melbourne must be a very fun city. as thrilling as it is to snare a bargain at victoria market, or to catch a six at the mcg, getting stuck on a train is the quintessential melbournian experience. for a city perpetually acknowledged as the world’s most liveable, […] the first day of uni was a warm one and it was on this day that i threw alana off her game, after her trip on the number 6 tram up swanston st. heading off to the first class of her bachelor of science, she chose missy higgins to start off her morning, with her new […] when harold lasseter set off on his fateful trek almost 80 years ago, he could scarcely have imagined that his tale would become a source of endless fascination for prospectors and conspiracy theorists alike. as the story goes, lasseter claimed to have discovered a miles long quart reef filled with gold in a remote part of […] more than ever, it seems that audiences are staying in and watching the latest episodes of breaking bad and suits rather than venturing from the comfort of the couch to the local cinema. yet 2013 was a great year for film, particularly smaller studio pictures and independent films, which were rife with originality, compelling stories, […] over a year of writing libellous things about historical figures, a columnist learns a number of things that, for one reason or another, he just cannot find space to mention. it doesn’t seem to matter now, so, the following people are chumps. pyrrhus one of the best regarded generals of the ancient world was fighting in […] i’d like to pretend that i’m proudly progressive and enjoy a little kinky lesbian bondage with my cereal in the morning, but quite frankly, i just can’t carry that look off. it’s probably just as well during the process of writing that sentence, i dribbled my caramel infused instant coffee onto my chest. the truth is […] the geriatric dude’s overtaking me. again. i take a look behind because i’m sure someone’s laughing at me. it’s raining and i’m jogging around princes park. i wanna throw up in my coach’s face. rest assured, this is all part of my genius plan to kick social anxiety’s ass by putting myself in situations that interest […] it started innocently enough. a quick browse; a form of pre work procrastination, which had become part of a mundane routine honed over the summer. where five minutes before my intensely laborious shift of selling t shirts, i’d find myself picking through the sloppily stocked shelves of a certain chain stationary store (begins with “t”). i’d use any […] so we have a new pm, and maybe you have your sights set on a new nationality. have you ever thought, fuck it, i’d do a much better job of running the show? in other words, have you ever considered utilising the law of secession? no? let me introduce you to the individuals who hated […] at the end of a disastrous and depressing year for the left in australia, labor has finally elected a new leader in a refreshingly democratic process. but bill shorten has inherited a mess of a party. it may be tempting, as many progressives did in the weeks after the election, to get angry at the […] the university is considering rooftop gardens, nap pods and fed square style big screens, after a survey into the campus buildings and amenities. according to the #makemyuni survey, students and staff at the university of melbourne want better transport, food and seating facilities. “we have received a great deal of valuable input and insight into the […] tastings 2022   artist and production team applications open! the student union’s queer department are asking students to officially report any queerphobia they have experienced in their classes at university. this comes after allegations were made to queer officer galih pangestu that lecturers and tutors were failing to provide a safe space for all students, which is a university policy. pangestu says that five […] 3) a. buchanan   no place like home walking into senator john madigan’s office it’s obvious he’s not your average politician. ned kelly paraphernalia adorns the walls. a plethora of blacksmithing tools, a nod to his former vocation, are displayed about the room. madigan is the democratic labor party’s (dlp) first federal member in over 40 years. his 2010 victorian senate victory was […] join us on wednesday for a screening of the feature length documentary 'i am only making a report' by independent researcher and filmmaker vaibhav abnave. 2. pooja goel   undefined 1. monica yu   golden tiger (standout submission) the university of melbourne student union (umsu) annual election has decided next year’s student reps. students voted for the positions of office bearers, student council and committee members across five days on melbourne university campuses. stand up! candidate declan mcgonigle will carry on stand up!’s hold of the presidential position with a win of 55 […] on show from 1 23 may 2025, the arts and cultural film festival celebrates the dynamic intersection of art, film, and student creativity at the university of melbourne. matthew lesh responds to edition two’s feature ‘same love’. earlier this year the parliaments of the uk and new zealand passed bills in overwhelming support of marriage equality to the second reading. in both cases this success was facilitated by a conscience or free vote by their respective non left parties. while the australian liberal party […] on show from 3 25 april 2025, 'don’t (,) go gentle into that good night' hopes to interpret the relationship between life, death and eternity through photography. derrick krusche talks to ex prime minister malcolm fraser. i walk into malcolm fraser’s office high up in 101 collins street and look down to the banks of the yarra. a crowd gathers to catch a glimpse of talk show host ellen degeneres. i turn back and reflect on two types of public figure, celebrity and […] on show from 6   28 march 2025, landmark 25/75: 50 years of the women's art register celebrates 50 years of documenting and advocating for australian based women’s art practice. i reading between the lines i was trying to find the hidden message, but all i could see was white gaps of paper between ink and an array of editorial marks. ii you put words in my mouth you crammed the vowels underneath my tongue, let me choke on your name. the ts caught in […] the acfa symposium aims to build relationships and extend a vocabulary around how culture underpins the climate crisis and how culture is in turn affected by environmental imbalance. a personal essay on part time work and strudel let me tell you about rooty, whose real name is rudolpho and whose nickname is rudy. but really, ‘rooty’ is a better fit. my dentist’s assistant once told me, giggling with disbelief from behind her surgical mask, that he was a very handsome man in his […] (re)assembly draws from the umsu archives and art collection, alongside documentary and audio, in examining the ways in which ephemera shirts, banners, badges, and posters serve not simply as inactive records of the past but as agents of collective memory and future action. you were bored two sunny days last year when you made the bouquet of flowers and hung the crushed paper from my ceiling what a lady like thing they were you strung them up like six milk teeth hoisting the thread around the door knob until a crick sprung up to the left of your neck […] the george paton gallery exhibition program will continue in 2025. follow us on instagram, or sign up to our fortnightly e news to stay in the loop! with an excellent publication smuggled into her backpack (it may or may not have been the second edition of farrago), trumpeter meera presented an eclectic mix of tracks. ray charles’ classic tune ‘shake your tail feather’ is a great get up and go track for the early classes she takes. she backs it up with the […] do you have a creative workshop idea that you'd like to realise in 2025? our current call for workshop proposals is open for semester 1, 2025. james zarucky investigates the government’s first cultural policy in over twenty years. last month saw the release of the federal government’s long awaited national cultural policy, creative australia. launched by the then arts minister simon crean, it’s the first federal cultural policy to be unveiled in almost 20 years. the previous one was commissioned by the […] join judy annear and chelsea hopper in conversation as part of 'the possibilities are immense: fifty years of the george paton gallery'. thursday 7 november, 2pm. veronica sullivan looks at smut and literary classification. if you’re reading this, you’re probably a young person. maybe you enjoy reading. if so, you are whether you like it or not part of the target demographic for ‘new adult fiction’, a genre invented to bridge the gap between young adult and general fiction. new adult books are aimed […] join melbourne art library for 3 workshops in october unpacking and exploring the intangible frameworks needed to support contemporary creative production. declan mulcahy injects you with some film knowledge for wanky pub convos. france jean luc godard’s pierrot le fou (1965) there’s no better entry point into world cinema than the influential films of the french new wave. jean luc godard’s tenth major feature is a technicolor dream, with moments of postmodern absurdity balanced out by stunning cinematography. italy fredrico fellini’s la […] join adrian holmes for a free 2 hour film workshop on tuesday 20 august, 12 2pm! zoe moorman takes you through the most controversial moments of the cannes film festival. riot sometimes, the show can’t go on. in 1968, cannes was set against the backdrop of massive political unrest beginning with a small meeting of socialist students who occupied the paris university at nanterre. after the arrest of these students, others protested. their […] join filmmaker matthew doherty for a free workshop exploring filmmaking using a phone, wed 28 aug or thurs 29 aug, 1 3pm. saint aloysius gonzaga’s birth name was luigi, but despite this, he did not assist his shorter, fatter brother in rescuing kidnapped princesses, consuming dangerous quantities of shrooms and beating the shit out of turtles. if he had been anything like that green garbed, ghost hunting italian stereotype, he would be great, and therefore could not possibly be […] join us in the art lab for on wednesday august 21 from 12 2 for a free stop motion animation workshop with anthony lucas. when people put together their bucket list, going to court doesn’t usually make the cut. much like prisons, brothels, and the docklands, the courts are one of those places melbournians have cruelly stigmatised. i personally don’t read much into the bad reviews. after all, my most recent court appearance was an engrossing morning of entertainment. […] workshop with filmmaker, current phd student and teaching fellow simin dolatkhah, wednesday august 14th 12 2pm in the artslab. dan wood wants to be a turtle. why do we love pets? why do we develop such strong familial relationships with dogs, cats, birds and even dead eyed fish? such relationships are especially puzzling when the animal serves no utilitarian end. when a beagle helps you hunt pheasant, or a dodo installs your naked adsl, it’s practical […] in class the other day the tutor was making sure that everybody was familiar with our readings and assessment. “it’s all on the lms,” she said, by way of summary. “has everybody managed to log on and have a look?” it was really a rhetorical question because it was assumed that everybody had. some people […] thursday 17 october, 5.30 7.30pm. join us for a still life painting workshop and refine your artistic skills and vision while indulging your love for painting. under the expert guidance of professional artist nila shekarvand, you'll fine tune your investigative eye and cultivate unwavering focus. this time last year, i was having a not very fun time recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs). i spent a lot of time declining invites to house parties and hang outs because the prescribed treatment for cfs is rest. and lots of it. when i wasn’t catching zzzs i was surveying the internet for everything henry rollins (ageing punk […] thursday 10 october, 5.30 7.30pm. join us for a special workshop on painting abstract art designed for students. have some fun and unleash your creative energy in our introductory abstract art workshop for beginners. these days, everyone seems to be getting together. or complaining about not getting together. like, ever. being famously single amongst friends, i’ve begun to take notice of a stigmatised singleness especially within my social circles, what with everyone hooking up and all. whether it’s purely the popularity of taylor swift’s anger fuelled album red feeding friends to get […] rose johnstone looks at the history of eccentricity amongst leaders of the catholic faith. pope stephen vi (896 97) pope stephen vi had a revenge problem. you see, steve wanted pope formosus, his corrupt predecessor, to pay for his sins…despite the fact that he was already dead. so, as anyone would do in such a situation, pope […] thursday 5 september, 5.30 7.30pm. you’re invited to a special painting workshop focused on mastering hard edges in acrylics. gain the confidence and practical tools, techniques, and unique arts based knowledge to create bold and articulate paintings. blood drips from the ceiling as you stare through the gaping hole where a bathtub used to be. a human head glued to the back of a tortoise explodes. as a plane crashes overhead, a little pink teddy bear, half burnt and eerily staring at the sky, is fished from the bottom of a pool. […] thursday 15 august, 5.30 7.30pm. practice drawing while enhancing your concentration and meditation skills. express your emotions and ideas through drawing techniques designed to steady your busy mind and connect you with your creative self. i first realised the importance of tea when i was on the side of a japanese mountain, aged sixteen. meandering among the rows of green leaves i lazily picked those that appeared ‘healthiest’, living the dream of the dilmah tea advertisements. i was going to provide the freshest green tea to my japanese host family, […] thursday 8 august, 5.30 7.30pm. combine your academic pursuits with a meditative art class to help you re visualise and clarify your vision. to: melbourne global mobility cc: arts faculty, melbourne uni bureaucracy subject: we need to talk… dear melbourne global mobility, it hurts me to write this, it really does, but there are things that i need to say to you. you mean too much to me for dishonesty. we’ve had some great times together, but there […] ice cream is one of those rare things with the ability to make you feel better about life in an instant much like baby sloths, the collected works of p.g. wodehouse, and receiving word of the sudden and mysterious demise of your overzealous creditor. as conditions for the consumption of frozen confectionery grow increasingly optimal (that […] join naarm based electronic musician and composer nina buchanan for this two part sound workshop. i never expected him to out himself as bisexual while we were watching panic room. had i provoked it by showing the claustrophobic jodie foster thriller with a cardboard kristen stewart? i mean, she was sort of in a closet during the film, wasn’t she? we’d been going steady for a few weeks: a handful […] on show from 24 october   9 november, this exhibition celebrates the rich history and bright future of the george paton gallery through a curated exhibition and suite of public programs. the year is 2002, and the government has requested that university of melbourne take inventory of its human remains collection. a slovenly research intern has been granted the prestigious task of ferreting around in the dusty archives of the department of anatomy and cell biology, on the hunt for any human remains related paperwork. this is the […] on show from 3   18 october​, this exhibition explores the aesthetic and narrational possibilities of films created using only three shots. “i’m scared to be sexual with a boy because i think my vagina is ugly.” “having long labia has been affecting my self confidence for as long as i can remember and i knew that the only way i’d ever be happy would be by having the operation.” these stories of anxiety and body consciousness are from […] win $2500 and up to three 1:1 mentor sessions with the mpavilion parkville programming team throughout the following 12 months. on show from 3   18 october​, 'shame house' is an exhibition by grace harré, nica nervegna reed, ​vivienne tetaz, and kiki wenzel​. taking a cruise holiday sounds irresistible casinos, wild parties, stopovers in foreign lands… for all that promise of relaxation, though, there is a dark underbelly to the industry. a federal inquiry into cruise ship crime reveals that while cruises are marketed as luxurious, the industry is rife with drugs, theft, sex offences, and even murder. if […] la mama is proud to offer this award to an emerging writer or theatre maker. get an opportunity for a 2025 residency space (1 week) at la mama headquarters. on show from 22 august   6 september​, what is given ​presents new work by this year's blop blop blop curatorial intensive participants. education minister christopher pyne has announced that the new government will launch a review into arts degrees in a bid to find any evidence of skills relevant to later life. sources in the education department say the review is the start of the process to remove arts faculties from universities across australia, with mr pyne’s […] the award offers an annual dancehouse membership offering massive discounts on space hire and tickets, the opportunity to be introduced to the dancehouse community. on show from 15 26 july, melbourne based artist kayley martinez explores the world of light and colour through interactive, immersive installations. a joint carnival project with the city of melbourne is the latest in melbourne university’s attempts to make a melbourne education more practical, following criticism of the theoretical nature of their degrees. farrago has learnt that parkville will soon acquire the mechanical pieces of docklands project the southern star observation wheel, which will form the […] this award is for a student director, writer, theatre maker or producer   it offers the opportunity to observe the production process at a large, professional theatre company, attend melbourne theatre company performances and meet artistic staff. join artist angela rossitto on 23 august, 6 september, 18 october, for atextiles and weaving workshops, and learn about how she uses soft sculpture in her art practice to create large scale, site responsive, installations. we’re pretty lucky here at melbourne university when it comes to transport options. we have swanston street, one of the world’s busiest tram corridors, on our doorstep. from the cbd, only a stone’s throw away, you can take a train along any one of 16 metropolitan and five regional lines. we’re also situated within a […] nominate yourself or a pal and recognise them for their amazing work join artist and illustrator ashley ronning for free drawing workshops on 27 august and 15 october. ashley will take you through a few simple drawing exercises to loosen you up and build confidence in your approach to drawing. sarina murray and jess evans have been elected as the student union’s first disability officers, following the september student elections. murray and evans started their new roles at the end of the mid semester break, and after winning both the by election for 2013 and election for 2014, will serve until the end of next year. the […] join artist andrew seward for botanical drawing workshops on 31 july and 18 sept. using simple materials such as charcoal, pencils and paper, andrew will guide participants through a series of exercises for drawing plants from life. where innovative theatre magic meets timeless tales. the student union will implement a new voluntary membership model next year, in preparation for the end of the student services and amenities fee (ssaf) under the new abbott government. the move is yet to be approved by students’ council, but would mean that students who want to receive extra student union benefits will now […] blop blop blop: an experimental curatorial intensive led by beatrice rubio gabriel. dance like no one's watching in this fun groovy workshop 💃 screw all the dim memories of the new bicycle, the birthday pizza and the unlimited fanta: it’s time to admit that your eleventh birthday was a catastrophic disappointment, and it’s all j.k. rowling’s fault. was it not she, after all, who suggested that on that day, a hogwarts owl would arrive bringing the news that […] build your confidence with fun theatre techniques! daniel carr looks at that little ol’ mining tax. amongst the dollars and rhetoric thrown against kevin rudd’s mining tax, the definitions of pro business and pro market have been manipulated to suit the interests of those with the loudest voices. while the success of the pr war waged against the mining tax has been dissected countless […] join artist carmen sibha keiso for a three part filmmaking workshop from 21 march, 28 march and 4 april from 1 3pm. get hands on with filmmaking equipment (audio and video) and plan and make a film throughout the three sessions! learn how to make friends and have interesting conversations   theatre style! science has a fantastic reputation for being dull and stuffy. if it isn’t about dinosaurs then quite frankly, the average person doesn’t want to hear about it. even the auspicious occasion of the nobel prizes, the highest award possible for humanitarian or scientific achievements, gets little attention from the general public as it is certainly when compared […] join us for this free portrait photography workshop, led by matto lucas on 10 april and 15 may. this is an accessible workshop, open to all skill levels, and doesn't require specialist equipment to come along and enjoy. learn essential presentation skills with a fun theatre twist! 1. summerfest design packs available 2. reminder: update your webpages 3. invasion/survival day john harris on tony’s luck with the ladies. australian gender politics is stuck between a rock and a hard place. tony abbott’s wife, margaret, has only given a handful of personal media appearances in her husband’s political career. given how long that career has been, anyone can see the importance of her stepping out to […] join artist kohl tyler dunshea for a handmade ceramics workshop from 14th march, 18th april, and 16th may! using simple techniques and airdry clay, kohl will guide participants through a series of exercises for experimenting with ceramics! what do we mean by safe spaces and why is it important? in january the governor general established a royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. according to the commission website, the six person team chaired by justice peter mcclellan am, has the power to investigate ‘any private, public or non government organisation that is, or was in the past, involved with children’. in a media conference in […] join artist andrew seward for a botanical drawing workshop on 3 april, 31 july, and 25 september! using simple materials such as charcoal, pencils and paper, andrew will guide participants through a series of exercises for drawing plants from life. what is a relaxed performance and who is it for? tiger i know we’ve left the ground because i can feel my stomach twist. my feet are filling up with blood. one of the stewardesses puts her life jacket on upside down in the safety demonstration, and everybody dies with laughter. i wonder whether my seatbelt is really any use in a crisis, or whether […] join artist angela rossitto on 7 march, 11 april, and 9 may to explore experimental knitting techniques and learn about how she uses soft sculpture in her art practice to create large scale, site responsive, installations. how to use auslan to make your show accessible. we met on degraves street. he had texted me the location. he was 25, skinny with some stubble, so i congratulated myself as, physically, he seemed quite attractive. we sat outside one of the cafés that line the laneway. it isn’t really relevant which one. it was one with the waitresses styling themselves on 50s […] join artist and illustrator ashley ronning for free drawing workshops on 5 march and 7 may. ashley will take you through a few simple drawing exercises to loosen you up and build confidence in your approach to drawing. learn how to make your show accessible through these guidelines for captioning of live theatre french theatre practitioner and opium addict antonin artaud’s first and second manifestos on the theatre of cruelty did not advocate the use of abuse or sadism on its audience, as its name might suggest. rather, it was for a brutal honesty in its representation of life’s essence. his writings were marked by visceral and dark descriptions […] as part of summerfest, join artist christina darras to make your own miniature tapestries using recycled cardboard on wednesday 21 february 1 3pm! important accessibility considerations for your show. matthew wade looks at the 2012 palme d’or winner. today, the idea of love lacks focus. the manner in which this emotion is elicited varies widely from person to person. generational gaps, heart shaped boxes of chocolate and mtv reality shows are to blame for this, resulting in the obscurity of love. to some people love […] join troppo print studio for free screen printing workshops on thursday 21 march, thursday 2nd may, and wednesday 22 may! short straw theatre company boasts a performance that keeps the audience on their toes the entire night. during climatic and volatile moments where the characters’ emotions are on an all time high, the entire audience’s attention was enraptured by pigrum and carew reid. ticket to ride ever wish you could have been a part of the glorious, forward thinking days of the industrial revolution? well, crack open ticket to ride, crank up kraftwerk’s trans europe express and start building them choo choos! the luxuriously large board starts as a beautifully illustrated map of whichever edition you’re playing (for example, europe), but […] feast, flare dance ensemble’s 20th annual production, is a highly polished and entertaining performance that honours the more than two decades of flare performances that have come before. by laura smith. on show from 20 31 may. opening event thursday 23 may 5 7pm. at some point we all agreed to stop ignoring tasmania. i’m not sure when it happened, but it did. it’s never been somewhere we could go without, really cover it up on a map and the mainland just looks naked, like australia left the house in a hurry and forgot to wear pants. until recently, it was […] union house theatre (uht) tackled this relevant topic of the world’s impending end with bold, non natural stylistic choices that transcended the audience beyond the walls of the guild theatre. featuring keira davis, mia quinn, mary shaw and jack snow viener. on show from 29 april   10 may 2024. opening event thursday 2 may 5 7pm. the university of melbourne will undertake major improvements to its ageing it infrastructure in a bid to provide better services for staff and students. the university’s network improvement programme aims to improve the accessibility, reliability and coverage of it infrastructure, including the struggling uniwireless wi fi network. uniwireless suffers from a range of issues, including prevalent […] from the moment one stepped into the guild theatre, it became apparent that this production of after she left was going to be a truly memorable experience unlike any other. featuring angus della bosca, bailey florence, rachelle koumouris, marika robertson, hari sinh and jevons wang. curated by jevons wang. on show 8 19 april 2024. opening event: thursday 11 april 5 7pm. 1. end of year closure dates 2. annual leave loading payout 3. cme training workshops the umsu special general meeting (sgm) on april 16th, brought by a student petition to censure students’ council for passing a motion to celebrate the death of margaret thatcher, failed to reach quorum. third year student matthew thomas collected over 500 signatures on a student petition that triggered the sgm. the petition called for the […] walking into the union theatre to the sounds of assorted showtunes, theatre kids chatting eagerly and the tuning of the twelve person band, signalled that ummta is back. 'revolution: crosspoint of power of 45 65' by patriot mukmin. on show 8 19 april 2024. opening event: thursday 11 april 5 7pm. important: summerfest 2023 updates registration has opened for the 2013 network of women students australia (nowsa) conference at the university of melbourne on 15 18th july. the annual conference for women students was established in 1987 and places a focus on discussion and skill sharing. the theme for the 2013 conference will be ‘problem? patriarchy. solution: smash it!’. the university of […] 'endline' featuring images by bri hammond with text and research by samuel holleran and hannah gould. on show 11 22 march with opening event thursday 14 march 5 7pm. this checklist will ensure you've ticked off the most important items of your production. click to download pdf our federal politicians overwhelming voted against legislation to change the definition of the marriage act on september 19, 2012, rejecting gay marriage and leaving australia lagging behind a growing number of gay friendly states. although the labor party voted to support marriage equality at its national conference in september last year, it also passed a motion […] 'habitat' featuring hoi ni jess chow, emily jung, deborah o'brien and kyle stanton. 19 february to 1 march 2024. opening event thursday 22 february 5 7pm. muslsa perform an annual charity show at the start of each year. remember when people talked about kanye instead of kimye, and jay z was more than just obama’s bud? when jay z and kanye west recorded their album watch the throne back in 2011, it was the first time two hugely successful solo rappers both at the top of their game had collaborated on such a grand scale. in […] curated by channon goodwin with ellie thomas. on show from 19 february to 1 march. opening thursday 22 february 5 7pm. 1. union house final closure 2. summerfest update 3. log into the website with the economy still booming, our mounting obsession with nyc’s bright lights and vietnam’s cheap phõ could jeopardise any one of the 118,000 workers directly employed in victorian tourism alone. phoebe st john examines why we never travel australia anymore. there i was. ten minutes to midnight, pulling up in yet another foreign train station […] take a break from exam prep and come along to our open crafting session with artist christina darras! come anytime between 1 3pm on thursday 26th october and thursday 2nd november! a motion to lay a wreath at the shrine of remembrance for anzac day has again been defeated in students’ council, with only three votes in its favour. the motion was brought by charlie cartney, now! councillor and policy officer of the melbourne university liberal club (mulc) and seconded by james duncan, also a member of […] join artist nila shekarvand on tuesday 24th october 5:30 7:30pm to experience a calming and creative journey with guided meditation and painting. relax your exam nerves while mastering the intricate world of watercolour painting. the university of melbourne has retained top spot amongst australian universities in the times higher education (the) world university rankings, and has jumped up to 28th spot in the world from 37th last year. despite this, in the world reputation rankings, which look at opinion of universities rather than actual ranking position, the university of […] join artist yanni florence on tues 10th and wed 11th october 1 3pm for a two part photography workshop that aims to photograph the trees at the university of melbourne! as of next year, students will no longer be able to legitimately claim they are studying pornography. the titillatingly titled english subject art/pornography/blasphemy/propaganda (apbp) will be cancelled, in order to make room for new subjects in the program. as well as apbp, the subjects backgrounds to english literature and postmodernism will run for the last time […] for the next in our survival guide professional development series, join artist astrid mulder on wednesday 4th october 2 4pm for a workshop about the ins and outs of artwork documentation! 1. covid exposure 2. poster collection 3. the ida bar closing students returning to campus this year now have access to unisafe a smartphone app designed to increase safety on campus. the app bundles existing resources and facilities, giving students easier access to key services such as security escorts, blue safety telephone locations and emergency lines. the app includes a personal safety toolbox, which can set off […] join artist angela rossitto on monday 16th october, 1 3pm to explore experimental knitting techniques and learn about how she uses soft sculpture in her art practice to create large scale, site responsive, installations. students returning to campus this year now have access to unisafe a smartphone app designed to increase safety on campus. the app bundles existing resources and facilities, giving students easier access to key services such as security escorts, blue safety telephone locations and emergency lines. the app includes a personal safety toolbox which can set off […] join artist jordan wood on friday 13th october 2 4pm for a hands on experimental collaging workshop! anyone who had odds on us making a margaret thatcher effigy has just received an unlikely windfall. oh, how a storm of excrement livens things up. for those mightily confused, this is all due to a controversial motion passed at students’ council (pg. 6). the motion is something which we at farrago see as a series of […] join artist andrew seward on wednesday 18th october 1 3pm for a botanical drawing workshop! using simple materials such as charcoal, pencils and paper, andrew will guide participants through a series of exercises for drawing plants from life. what a relief to read a farrago with some substance. musd is a new theatre group and offers a piece of culture and an outlet for self expression for students through street dance in university of melbourne. thinking futures is a reading and writing workshop based on the importance of utopia and the collective imagination of socially and ecology just futures. taking place on 13th & 20th october from 1 3pm. 1. winterfest stats live 2. new office furnishings 3. safe food handling defend our student union! musc has been an active part of the uni melb’s theatre community for over a decade. performance season is semi annual. join us for a special professional development talk by filmmaker zac millner cretney. zac will discuss his unconventional career pathway and ethics of practice: friday 25th august 1 2pm, level 3, rowden white library, student pavilion, university of melbourne, parkville 1. umsu whole org meeting 2. swotvac / exam issues 3. office key pickup teaching, learning and student representation. an annual comedy sketch show written and performed by (not just law) students. join us for a special professional development talk by writer, producer and arts worker ruby rose pivet marsh: wednesday 23rd august 1 2pm, level 3, rowden white library, student pavilion, university of melbourne, parkville. 1. time to unpack! 2. access to 168 3. building defects boring, dull and uneventful. these are three words that definitely weren’t associated with o night 2005. with massive performances from tripod, regurgitator and many more the night went off in style. over 1,000 students attending the night, the biggest winner being the bar where alcoholic granitas flowed all night. cinema under the sails on tuesday 22nd […] a dance group for melb uni graduate students that provides classes tailored for beginners in a range of different dance genres. join artist nina mulhall for ‘making video art together’ a three part workshop 13, 20, 27 september 1 2:30pm. making video art together guides participants through forms of collective production of documentary style video art including developing ideas, filming, and editing. what is the importance of being earnest? producing provocative contemporary theatre, tackling challenging material and unearthing fresh talent. do you want to learn how to photograph theatre, dance and contemporary performance? this will be a fun and accessible workshop taking place over two dates: 10th august 1 3pm (guild theatre) & 24th august 1 3pm (george paton gallery). 1. work from home (3 7 oct) 2. access to building 168 3. 168 defect form ronnen liezerovitz explores the joys of indie video games. this summer, i killed over a thousand people. granted, they were only digital people, programmed by committed game developers and brought to my tv through action of electrons whizzing through my playstation 3, but i killed them nonetheless. at the time, i was playing through the […] a student run dance group that aims to provide ample opportunities for students to learn, teach, choreograph, and perform dance across stage and street styles. join matt & sarah from troppo on friday 18th august, 1 3pm for a free screen printing workshop! the tenth of december, george saunders, out jan 8 featured in the new yorker and mcsweeney’s, saunders is often lauded as one of the most talented and original short fiction writers in america. his stories, often unsettling and absurd, perfectly balance humour with a powerful and often lingering emotional impact. why should you be excited? the […] element theatre company is a student run theatre group that creates mandarin plays. anyone wishing to understand the contemporary art scene in melbourne during the 1970s and 1980s need look no further than the program of events at the ewing and george paton galleries. in addition to launching the careers of some of australia’s finest artists, the gallery provided a training ground for some of our most influential curators. 1. date changes for relocation 2. key pick up 3. getting to building 168 an obituary of sorts by sean watson. in the final days of december last year, das racist was scheduled to parade onto the main stage of munich’s on3 festival. but instead of being greeted by the irreverence of a rap trio all decked out in ironic and fluorescent sportswear, the audience were perplexed to find […] dead end theatre is a new student theatre group focused on creating new work blending theatre, multimedia and other visual artforms. let me get this out of the way. dick turpin was a bit of a dick. in fact, he was worse than that. he was a chump. dick turpin was a violent thug who roamed the english countryside in the first half of the 18th century. he was baptised in 1705 and began his career […] if you're an umsu club or society or a student theatre group then you can order your alcohol for your next event through the ida bar in 2012 australia witnessed multiple efforts to eradicate the supposedly harmful trials and tribulations of childhood. a victorian primary school temporarily banned physical contact between its students, including high fives and hugs. later in the year, a primary school in sydney forbade its students from performing handstands or cartwheels in the playground, unless under the direct […] cipta theatre company is a new student theatre group focusing on nurturing new writers and staging new work. figma for test news wednesday morning, melbourne uni tram stop massive pioneer headphones in tow and fresh out of his psychology degree at melbourne uni, dan had a pitchfork approved set of tracks to get him through his public transport experiences. if you’re after something complicated, dan recommends post rock band swans. he was cranking a track from their new […] barkly theatre is a new student theatre group committed to presenting established works of theatre, from classic to contemporary. michelle see tho chats to josh thomas about his new tv show, the stand up comedy industry, and douche bags. with his cute ooh where’d he come from accent, messy blonde hair and boyish smile, josh thomas is certainly one of australia’s most recognisable and most adorable comedians. his new tv series please like me is a comedy drama series. “it’s […] georgia has a social work background and has worked in both government and community service settings before starting at the advocacy service. georgia is committed to social justice and human rights and is passionate about assisting students to navigate the complex university system. ‘shimmer(ing)’ approaches phenomena by way of embodiment. the feeling of light shimmering atop a reflective surface; shimmering; visual onomatopoeia; a verbal designation that captures the quality of something intangible... 23 october 3 november more testing right here i wondered what to call my new half erect friend. do you ask for people’s names at fetish clubs? or more to the point, do you bother with pleasantries once they’re naked and bent over a coffee table masturbating while you rub baby oil onto their behind and spank them? i wasn’t there to get ‘his’ and ‘hers’ […] eloise has a master’s degree in social work and a background of working with children and families, and with victim survivors of domestic violence. eloise joined the advocacy team in 2023 as the assessment and triage coordinator, moving into an advocate role in 2024. storage delivered, simple. use link to get $100 off welcome to our suite of unplayable games; a memorial to tabletop pastimes and their ashes. 23 october 3 november find out about workshops, shows and all that's happening at union house theatre. 1. moving week   final reminders 2. relocation promo packages 3. building 168 user training i often see queerness in strange places or more precisely, straight places. call it misreading, call it wishful thinking, or maybe just call it social change. what’s the deal with bromance? i’m sure many of you have encountered this clunky phrase of brotherly romance. it’s often used when films like the hangover or i love you […] michelle has a combined 20 years’ experience working in the tertiary sector with roles in advocacy, administration, accommodation, pastoral care, and teaching. she has a law degree from la trobe university and a humanities phd from anu where she completed an exchange with oxford university. she has also worked for the state and federal government on policy and constituent matters and is a spanish native speaker. download the hopper app & get up to 10% off flights & hotels worldwide*(t&cs apply) 'the artist’s eye' is an exhibition closely inspired by the essays in john berger’s book ‘ways of seeing’. featuring vca 2022 graduates and curated by patricia agus. 2 13 october michael horn looks at the sinister reality of neo nazi music selling right alongside pop tracks. today, the australian itunes store home page advertises nick cave’s new album, acoustic justin bieber and bon jovi and justin timberlake pre orders. australian singer songwriters appear alongside k pop, and american rappers brush virtual shoulders with dead german composers. itunes caters to […] nadia has been with the service since 2012. initially working across the advocacy service and legal service in a triage role, she progressed to a senior advocate position in 2019. she is passionate about social justice and has extensive experience working in the not for profit sector. in her previous role nadia worked with law students from monash university within a community legal centre. nadia holds a bachelor of arts (history & anthropology) from deakin university. nabis2k is an exhibition of contemporary painters whose work addresses age old themes of decoration, ornamentation, and domestic space with a modern perspective and palette. redeem instore it shocked the world, but for ishita mattoo it was just around the corner. she reflects on women’s safety in india from the ground in delhi. on 16th december 2012, a 23 year old woman identified as nirbhaya by sections of the indian media was brutally raped by a group of men in a moving bus. she was on […] 2024 has been a difficult year for students. we have faced threats to student activism, we have seen some student unions fall into financial disrepair, we have seen some student unions disregard issues relating to sexual assault and harrasment. alanna has 9 years’ combined experience working in university administration at the anu, uni of melbourne and the uni of herts in the uk and 14 years’ experience working as a student advocate: 4 years at deakin uni student assoc (dusa) and nearly 10 years at umsu. she has a b.teach from uni of wollongong and a master of social work from uni of melbourne. alanna has also worked in the community nfp sector and government welfare departments in the uk and australia. redeem: instore this exhibition features material from duke’s time in brighton and his return to melbourne in early 1973, where he became a member of collective effort press (est. 1978). 31 july 11 august the newly opened arts students centre in arts west will set a new standard for student spaces on campus. the renovation, which was finished after its mid february due date, was designed with student consultation. in a melbourne university first, the new student centre has scrapped the over the counter format and replaced it with a more casual meeting […] as we enter into 2025, the university of melbourne student union will continue to advocate and fight for students on the issues related to the ongoing cost of living crisis being felt all across australia. paul has over 12 years’ experience as an advocate. over this time, he has assisted students on a vast range of issues, with a particular interest in misconduct matters. paul also acts as a liaison between the advocacy service and the umsu student reps to support them in their representative roles and co writes the suas service reports. redeem in store this is an exhibition of photographic and multi disciplinary works that explore the interconnectedness of the human body and the environments they occupy (both physical and emotional) through the lens of autobiographical relationships. 31 july 11 august lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet lorem ipsum dolor sit amet as part of the national union of students’ national day of action, students across melbourne will protest at the state library in the cbd as well as on campus. the day of action will this year focus on fee deregulation in universities and fee increases. the protest is part of umsu’s membership of the nus, […] the university of melbourne student union has a long and proud history of student activism. we have supported students for generations to make their voices heard in the face of adversity and will continue to do so. phoebe has more than 37 years of experience working in advocacy and social justice in the community sector, with 18 of those years at umsu. phoebe has both social work and law qualifications, with bachelors of arts and social work from sydney university and master of law from anu. she is a survivor of student politics in the 1980s and has a particular interest in the rights of marginalised and vulnerable workers and students. discounted student memberships & intro offers are available now grab yourself a schnitz rewards card from the melbourne connect store. ?? hello hello! summerfest is right upon us, and we'll be around for the following events on the following dates this week of february 21st 28th to tell you all about us, and our marvellous events, programs and initiatives for the year! ?? narcissus under the nebulous blue, i reflect the lagoon, i am opaque too. i swirl my many selves across silver screens, and as the silt settles, open waters encroach an abyss spider mother, witless in her dominion, she hauls my heart through an unknown wilderness. all the while wearing a red smile, cherry lips and a forked red tongue  angels shed their gold before her. i clean around baby’s mouth wide wide, open wider and bite! my finger bleeds like rhubarb sticky and sweet as it dribbles down in the ashtray lay the smouldered remains of moments seized and the stubbed out luxury of not having to think for myself. talking to the moon, hosted by mary chen, recently joined radio fodder’s 2021 line up. the show is based on emotions and mary unpacks a different emotion in each episode, from a personal perspective as well as a scientific approach. “to become a dragon, an imugi must prove worthy. some do so by living for a thousand years. on this day, the transformation will begin, and they will become a true dragon. for others, this metamorphosis is not a matter of patience. if they can lay claim to a yeouiju, they will be bestowed with its gifts. these imugi can become dragons far sooner than their brethren.” as i wait for my tram a woman sits next to me. she cries, moans, curses. eyes down, hands knotted, i ignore her rather than subject her to a stranger’s prying. there is little we’re allowed to say about ______, but what we can divulge may usurp your mind when least expected. usually, it’s while you’re dreaming in the dead of night, or the buzz of day, or even when leaning your head on a shoulder, hoping for affection. after 12 years of service, deputy prime minister mulan hua has revealed that she is, in fact, a woman. melbourne university is the first in australia to join coursera, an expanding online course provider. massive open online courses (moocs) are free and can be taken by anyone with internet access anywhere in the world. by partnering with coursera the university joins 32 prestigious education institutions including princeton, stanford and columbia universities a virtual ivy league. […] public anger over the cost of living, slumping poll results for the government, and a close by election in a traditionally uncompetitive seat. after the dunkley by election, this is a trend that melburnians from the outer suburbs have grown rapidly accustomed to. on show from 3 25 april 2025, boxwood is a painting show that ties together themes of the imagination and drives towards symbolic signifiers to make sense of the subconscious. australian students are turning away from completing their phd studies for a broad array of reasons. join our e news and follow our instagram page for 2025 workshop announcements. recent exhibition join us at the george paton gallery for conversations, readings and performances, as part of the possibilities are immense: fifty years of the george paton gallery. thursday 31 october, 6 7pm. win $1000 win $2500 for further development of an artist and their work. the awardee also has the opportunity to be mentored by umac staff over the following 12 months (2025). want to get involved in sound and production? interested in live music and mixing? join umsu’s in house technical production team for a series of free workshops to build your skills! thursday 26 september, 5.30 7.30pm. calling all visionaries, creatives and stem artists. there are many solutions to a problem. bring your ideas to into art, refine your vision or take a new approach whatever works for you, we've got you covered in our collage craft workshop. thursday 19 september, 5.30 7.30pm. join us for a chill watercolour painting session and bring some balance to your busy week! discover how painting with watercolours can bring peace and serenity to your creative practice. thursday 29 august, 5.30 7.30pm. join us for a creative session and let your inner artist shine with acrylics! attend this workshop to learn the art of acrylic painting and expand your artistic palette with our colour focused activities. a two part experimental research workshop, engaging with the subject reader as a form of creative/critical practice. permutations: 18 x 4 is curated by isabel baker, georgina loughnan, and mia palmer verevis. on show from november 14   december 5. closing event: thursday december 5, 6 8pm. on show from 12 september   ​ 28 september, the inaugural umsu art prize is a major new initiative that celebrates the legacy of student unionism in australia and the power of student voices. on show from 22 august   6 september​ 'lore and order: in memoriam of silver city lodge no. 141' unearths artefacts and stories linking masonic ritual, mad max, and bhp's early histories. on show from 1 16 august, home is an exhibition by antoinette armstrong, georgia harding and kiki stanford​. on show from 1 16 august, piss in my pocket is a solo exhibition by mae czechowski. join us for free portrait photography workshops, led by matto lucas on 7 august and 2 october. these workshops are accessible, open to all skill levels and don't require specialist equipment to enjoy. join troppo print studio for a free screen printing workshops in the arts lab! anna was a student advocate at the monash student association for 7 years before joining the umsu team in 2024. she holds a bachelor of arts (history) from monash university and is currently completing a master of social work. outside of student advocacy, anna has worked in the mental health sector and has a particular interest and experience working with students with mental health issues. sing, make friends, and have fun! read about audio description and touch/tactile tours to make your show accessible for blind and low vision audiences. are you here for the drama? find out about theatre opportunities, free tickets, auditions and callouts and more. icarus, takes the timeless myth of the same name to new heights. corpus machina collective’s icarus follows the legend of icarus almost to a tee, but set in a modern world with a range of challenges and complexities that the icarus of greek mythology never could’ve imagined. the scarlet sun had everything you could want in a whodunnit   an intense cast, twisting storyline, and catchy tunes that rattled around my brain for days after. featuring hoi ni jess chow, freja innes ker and mikaela mcbain. on show from 20 31 may 2024. opening event thursday 23 may 5 7pm. by rochelle morris. on show from 29 april   10 may 2024. opening event thursday 2 may 5 7pm . 'sincere affection' featuring lewis egan and lana knezevic. on show 11 22 march with opening event thursday 14 march 5 7pm. cmg provides a platform for contemporary chinese music productions. ummta produce a full scale musical production each semester, as well as running smaller projects and holding fun events. established in 1993, muctg presents two productions each year in chinese with english surtitles. join artist minna gilligan on wednesday 25th october 1 3pm to explore the mediums of collage and illustration. this workshop will take you through the a z of contemporary collage! 15% off on all dental services or no gap for private insurance extra holder join artist christina darras in this free workshop 12th of october 12 2pm. make your own beeswax or vegan food wraps and say goodbye to plastic! join the team from fussy artlab for a handmade workshop! design your own accessories, create a personalized gift for your bestie or simply relax and make new friends. be part of creating an epic drawing that will take over multiple locations at unimelb during mudfest from 23 26 august. join us for a special professional development talk by photographer rosa spring voss. rosa will discuss her practice, career pathway and approaches to creative wellbeing: thursday 24th august 1 2pm, level 3, rowden white library, student pavilion, university of melbourne, parkville join artist matto lucas on tuesday 15th august 1 3pm for a free portrait photography workshop! matto lucas is an australian artist, photographer, creator, curator and art facilitator working within mixed and digital media, with a preference for photography and performance. get in touch with the gpg and visit us in person at the arts and cultural building. the arts lab is an open access art studio for creative activity located on level 1, arts and cultural building, monash road, building 159. jordan koudmani’s practice revolves around the construction of sound based sculptures, stringing together derelict materials and analogue media. redeem: instore become awake to the sounds of our world and how they can tell stories. union house theatre and the george paton gallery present the sound explorations lab, a 3 part workshop series hosted by sound artist mara schwerdtfeger. join us for a walking tour of collingwood yards, a former technical college, revitalised into a creative arts precinct and affordable home for numerous creative businesses, galleries, and studios. join us on wednesday 19 july for cut and paste library   a fun, playful, experimental collage and illustration workshop with artist mina gilligan! mj bentley, jaja, kathy chen, cael gilmour, channon goodwin, lana knezevic, isaac lizardo, mikaela mcbain, sean monaghan, jolin see, sara seresli, lilly skipper, poppy skipper, nicole theodore, jessie turner. curated by lilly skipper. simply download the app & register to claim free ride! t&cs apply hello hello and welcome to 2022! we're excited about the year ahead and what we are all going to create. please visit our blog to keep up to date on everything creative arts! the copula is a hell borne hydra. the serpent in semantics. the bastard link at the heart of our mongrel language. the copula is the “is”. ever dependable, just when you think you are without it, it worms its way back in. philosophers are famously unable agree on whether a chair is real or not, but they tend to agree that there are, all in all, three copulas. alongside the is of identity (“twice two is four”) and the is of predication (“socrates is mortal”), there is the black coffee content warning: racism cultural appropriation is like cherry picking amongst cultures for the parts that interest you whilst overlooking the traditions or meanings behind them. it is when members of, usually, a dominant culture steal or take elements of another culture for aesthetic or economic purposes without any equitable exchange or even acknowledgement. however, cultural appropriation is different to cultural exchange, assimilation or appreciation. eating pasta or using korean skincare living as a queer black woman and an intersectional feminist often feels like being force fed the ‘red pill of truth’ from the matrix while most of society seems to be happily swallowing the blue pill of ignorance. in fact, i’ve always wondered why the person destined to defeat the matrix and essentially save society was a straight white man.[...] besides getting tenure, being compared to alain de botton, or writing columns for the new york times, getting away with obscure prose is one of the most widely accepted signs of making it as a philosopher. it’s a signal that your time has become so valuable, you can effectively offload the task of writing by jumbling words together and leaving it to the poor undergrads reading your work to decipher the sentences. they call this the ‘obscure turn’. content warning: discussions of mental illness founded in 2012, the dax centre holds a unique place in the melbourne art world. the gallery holds the collection of leading psychiatrist and art therapy advocate, dr cunningham dax. his collection began as some 9,000 works created by inpatients of victorian psychiatric centres during the second half of the twentieth century. as these institutions began to close down in the 1980s, dr dax collected many works that would otherwise have been[...] juliet: what’s in a name? romeo: everything’s in a name juliet; that’s how we got into this mess. juliet: that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet romeo: yeah, good point well made. names have a use. it is easier to call a spade a spade than to call a spade a tool for digging, paring, or cutting ground etc. around 1900, some philosophers made the startling discovery that not all words denote an object. words like santa claus, god, fairies, love, malcolm turnbul the productive “girlboss” narrative is destructive to all those affected by the patriarchy. during the pandemic, i tried to be as productive as possible. i redownloaded duolingo, read both fiction and nonfiction books, volunteered, and attempted to be good at drawing. but i struggled to do the bare minimum. and cried. a lot. whilst listening to taylor swift. interstellar follows the life of spaceman cooper (matthew mcconaughey) as he travels the universe and contemplates his relationship with his daughter murph (jessica chastain), while not really giving a shit about his son tom (casey affleck). the presence of tom is a powerful thematic force throughout the film, being a metaphor for the neglect we all face in our day to day life. content warning: mentions of death of bipoc & death of indigenous australians in custody, police brutality, racial slurs, racism do you ever feel like your very existence makes other people uncomfortable? in 2020, the black lives matter movement began to trend after a video of an african american man named george floyd being killed by police was posted online. the video of floyd’s death appeared on my social media countless times. i couldn’t help but picture floyd as my black father. my hea [content warning: transphobia] the university is drafting a new “gender affirmation policy” that may ban public acts deemed transphobic or attacking gender diversity. according to the age, vice chancellor duncan maskell had “warned” staff last june that their right to free speech does not excuse or protect them from causing harm against transgender people. this comes […] i have lovely memories associated with this film, so i hope i don’t sound dramatic when i say it’s the greatest work of art in the history of cinema. i concede this is a bold statement, but my reasoning is sound. matt reeves’ stunning science fiction epic, war for the planet of the apes (2017), is […] author: emily maguire publisher: allen & unwin year: 2021 category: contemporary women’s fiction/drama endearing, from the heart. forty five year old nic seems to be on top of it all. she is living in her inherited family home (much to the chagrin of her estranged sister), has a stable job in a local supermarket which she has held […] author: lesley ann jones publisher: allen & unwin year: 2020 category: non fiction/biography/music a must for fans of lennon and the beatles it’s been over twenty years since the news of the death of rock music legend, john lennon, hit the media. since that time the music scene has been replete with rumours, facts and suspicions […] content warning: violence. it starts in the middle of the milkbar with me staring at the lolly wall, the colourful sweets locked inside their plastic compartments, allowed freedom only by their little scoopers and the hands of sweet toothed teens   the freckles, the gummy babies, the milk bottles, the snakes   and i’m thinking of […] background the job ready graduate package is expected to significantly reshape higher education pathways and impact many students across the country. however, it is anticipated that the impacts of the legislation, which passed in october 2020, will not be fully known for several years. the package is set to see certain courses, primarily in the fields […] unimelb policy reversion another setback for international students vanessa chan and jiyun kim unable to return to campus this semester, international students stuck overseas are now facing changes to reduced study load (rsl) and leave of absence (loa) eligibility. with the university resisting to list covid 19 as a compassionate reason for the rsl and loa […] due to covid restrictions, students and organisations at the university of melbourne will have to rethink the way they protest this year. the university has a rich history of student protest, from invasion day marches to the die in staged in the arts west foyer on open day to protest the university’s participation in the 2019 […] content warning: mentions of suicide, gore and body horror. spoilers for ginger snaps (2000). “out by 16 or dead in this scene, but together forever.” this is how we’re introduced to ginger and brigitte fitzgerald in the film ginger snaps (2000). they’re on the precipice of adolescence, reminiscing on their childhood suicide pact. both are […] “your hair is so cool! can i feel it?” these are words i have grown accustomed to hearing throughout my entire life. growing up in a predominantly white community, my mixed race curly hair was seen as somewhat of a novelty. friends, teachers at school, other adults and passersby all seemed to be drawn towards it. […] when i was younger, the saying, “it’s the little things in life,” used to both annoy and confuse me. as adults would patiently explain, the smallest moments another leaf sprouting from a houseplant, slipping into crisp, clean bed sheets were the stuffing of life. the sustenance, the good stuff the point, really. these wise explanations fell on deaf […] i prefer not to talk about athletics outside the track. “you’re an athlete? so, are you going to tokyo?” “…no.” “well, not with that attitude you won’t!” a well intended response, but from someone who just doesn’t understand the elitism that the olympic level demands. my attitude is not going to add an odd meter and a half to […] i first saw australian comedian sam taunton perform in 2019 at the palais theatre, when he was the opening act for rob brydon’s live show i am standing up. i remember thinking ‘wow! what a great opening act!’, and wanted to see more of his work. and 2 years later, here we are. taunton’s first […] as financial supplements introduced by the government during covid 19 are set to end on march 28, there is rising discussion over the potentially adverse impacts that this may have on tertiary students across australia. whilst some students have been able to access such financial support, others have been excluded from receiving government welfare payments throughout […] there is no better way to celebrate the fashion of miss fisher and the crypt of tears than by viewing it within aunt prudence’s very own home   otherwise known to non miss fisher fanatics as rippon lea estate in elsternwick. in 2012, the abc premiered miss fisher’s murder mysteries, a detective series which followed the […] [content warning: gendered violence, sexual assault and deaths in custody] thousands of women gathered in treasury gardens on a monday 15 march to protest against gendered violence and sexual assault in the workplace. the rally was one of approximately forty similar events held across the country hosted by the march 4 justice movement, a grassroots […] thousands gathered outside the state library on friday 5 march as a part of a national day of protest against the indefinite detention of refugees in australia. hosted by several community organisations, including the refugee action collective (rac) and stand together for justice, the rally called for all refugees in onshore and offshore detention facilities […] the victorian college of the arts (vca), with the melbourne conservatorium of music, are one of the most influential art schools in the southern hemisphere. graduates have gone on to become recognisable faces of screen and stage, to have artistic works displayed in major global exhibitions and to perform on the circuit of esteemed opera […] i wish i could say that my first time listening to a taylor swift song was ~an experience so divine, it was like no other~ but that wouldn’t be true. the first time i heard her music, i was at my cousin’s house, who, like most other rich pre teen girls in india, really, realllly wanted […] “apep was so long and large that, even laid flat, he was taller than any human. his roar was so loud and so powerful that even the earth would shake at its sound. the enemy of ra and order, he emerged from below to bring darkness, thirsting for chaos and destruction. many tried to stop […] content warning: racism, mentions of eugenics and genocide overpopulation can be defined as an excess of people on the planet, and the assumed environmental, social and/or economic collapse that results. it is often followed by ideas and actions about curbing such population dilemmas. so, why is this idea an issue? overpopulation is a difficult discussion, […] politics is a dirty word mind frame existence but remember: if you’re not interested in politics, politics will be interested in you imprisonment in death? inevitable imprisonment in politics? avoidable i will never ever lie others will never ever stop why? life is unfair hold up my sign at the parade careful! the […] arthritic hands line my street, creaking and aching in the wind, stiff knotted claws arcing warily away from the hum and snap of telephone lines. leaves flicker and wave at the sky, quickly breaking from stems to flutter away. as the wind takes these papery children, the trees whisper hushed goodbyes, groaning and reaching […] after almost an entire year of remote learning, the university of melbourne will be reopening to students in january 2021 through a three mode delivery system for the first half year of 2021. this system includes online classes, campus based classes, and dual delivery where classes are taught both online and in person. all students may enrol in dual delivery […] international students experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity have called on the victorian government to improve support measures. the state government established a $45 million international student emergency relief fund in april 2020 to support students whose finances have been hit by reduced working hours or job losses. however, the fund ignored unemployed international students, […] unseen, i saw them as a spot of stillness in the sea of girls and suited commuters: mum’s face a mask of serenity and andy with his hands behind his back. i could’ve run right there. gotten a place on merrill ave, swapped fetid city air with switchboard girls and pretty receptionists. a job and […] this series zooms in on the lovely humans that make up our university community. in this edition, photography team member candy chu chats to nicholas, a masters of public policy student, about a fond childhood memory. q: is there a fond memory from childhood you would like to share? nicholas (n): the one that i always remember […] cw/ transphobia over 100 students and staff gathered at parkville campus yesterday to protest against transphobic actions of university staff members. the protesters gathered outside the raymond priestley building to listen to speeches by members of the university community before marching to old arts to speak to faculty of arts dean russell goulbourne, […] long story short is a romantic comedy that depicts the consequences of always putting yourself first and forgetting about the most important people in your life. director josh lawson uses sydney’s picturesque beach side as a backdrop to tell the story of how teddy (rafe spall) and leanne’s (zahra newman) accidental new year’s kiss develops […] one of netflix’s haphazard movie genre suggestions i’ve always been confused by is feel good. common as the phrase is, unless my memory fails me, i can’t remember the last time that feeling rose organically out of a movie for me. cue nomadland (2020). disclaimer: my fellow movie goers disagreed with me. the first thing out of […] in response to the federal government’s proposed media bargaining code, all australian news services including student media have now been banned by facebook from publishing posts and sharing news links from their accounts. it is a bewildering and heartbreaking time for australian media. in recent years, many student media outlets, farrago included, have increasingly divested from print […] let me start by saying this: i babysit. i love children their big silly balloon heads and their ability to memorise movie songs and run around in gummy half formed skeletons with absurdly placed centers of gravity. so if you know of any four foot and under cartilaginous gremlins in need of a reliable babysitter who will haul them by […] self deprecating, sarcastic and slightly crass ben folds would not be my first pick to headline an orchestra tour. his navy suit clashed with the blacks of the orchestra. his body moved almost violently with the notes he played, sharply different from their more disciplined movements. it was perfect. over the past decade, folds has displayed […] as the southbank campus meekly re opens its doors this year, already i have already been hearing from students that the lack of communication from our campus leaders has hindered their ability to plan for the year ahead. the shutdown of the entire university and the technical and psychological road bumps encountered by our staff must […] content warning for rape and anti black racism. spoilers for netflix’s bridgerton. netflix’s new series bridgerton hyped up as gossip girl in period clothing reeled viewers in with spicy sex scenes and racial diversity. despite not being able to tell the bridgerton brothers apart at first, i was hooked. but the beautiful costumes and catchy violin covers immediately […] what is natcon? natcon stands for the annual national conference run by the national union of students (nus). normally, student politicians from around the country descend on a rural university campus to debate policy and determine the direction of the nus for the next year. on the final day, delegates are able to vote for […] teck phui chua they stood, scattered across the field, heavy heads bent down touching the ground. dawn broke and the warmth of the sun’s rays evaporated the dew off them, bringing them back to life. slowly they stretched up, straightening themselves, facing up towards the sky. their bright white petals popped open one by one revealing […] ? ? ??? (2 / 5 stars) u bahnhof kottbusser tor, berlin terribly unromantic! couldn’t even have a proper last kiss without a toothless crackhead smashing bottles and yelling at us in german. even the “it’s not you, it’s me” spiel was ruined by the awful sound of coked up nightclubbers vomiting in the corner of the […] those who don’t notice the green ford creaking into the lot are first alerted to the arrival of the smoking man by his voice ripping across temple park. ‘sadie!’ heads turn as the german shepherd galavants toward the gathering. the smoking man has limped across this field every day since i started coming here and […] in the storage area beyond our kitchen boxes often wait to leave one home for another’s taped and overwhelmed with the new and old pleather girl boots, men’s polo shirts starched anew, biscuits destined for manila city mothers send human sized containers bearing gifts of hard won labour with as much as their hearts could fit […] stirruped! cold air creeping there along field ruts (here, squeeze this) never forget, ever forget it is there once buried deep underground but (you should only feel a pinch) now buried deep in me, bloody flinch, lick a copper coin and stick it be  (stay still   i’m just cutting the strings)  tween my lips, […] crows are leaping from the cliff’s edge, bounding forward and falling fast. they barrel down like black vessels until, mid air, the wind cracks open their cocoons. as unravelling wings span across the sky, i wonder what would happen if, rather, they kept themselves screwed up, just to plummet like rocks. but, of course they don’t. […] childhood me watches the cold snow encrusted darkness drape itself over backyard pines   little bruises, blue black imprints in the snow trailing to the porch’s frozen underbelly   refuge from foxes mum says. after breakfast i will go out and make hare tracks […] dappled sunlight trickles through the eucalyptus overstory. the faded bark of a swamp gum crunches underfoot. an afternoon breeze thaws out the wattles, scattering their scent and seed. lorikeets demand to be heard. pedestrians wave down passing cars, a mark of solidarity more than anything; “watch out! there’s an echidna on the road.” then […] during the stress of the covid 19 pandemic, many communities around victoria have turned to community garden installations as mechanisms to promote cohesion and unity, in the face of adversity. the popular ‘spoon villages’ have seen swathes of wooden spoons, and other similar kitchen implements being fixed in the ground together. these are often decorated with […] content warning: covid 19, mental illness and self harm. as the pandemic continues, attention is shifting towards how to best handle the physical and mental impacts of covid 19. the mental health of young people has been identified as being particularly vulnerable to the impact of the virus and the associated measures taken to prevent its spread. but, […] don’t you hear me mámá? the boy said. the small, brown woman sits at the table, meets his gaze eyes open, h(ear)ing closed. instead, she unties her tongue from the roof where it is kept, letting her mouth open onto his expectant ear , loosening the words watch them spill out into still air. […] her fingers curve around the handle of the cup as she places english breakfast tea on discoloured doilies. her gold tea set, something i wish to inherit, mocks me on the table. her right hand rests near the doily, taking a much needed break from the lifting of the tea cup the strenuousness of it. the […] a university spokesperson announced on monday that wearing ear masks will be mandatory for all members of the university executive committee in order to slow the spread of student complaints reaching their ears. a local woman was horrified to find herself cradling the smallest hopeful spark following this dumpster fire of a year. in the wake of what has felt like a decade’s worth of tragedies and misfortunes crammed into one year, the idea of optimism felt so foreign to the former glass half full er that its presence startled her to tears. we’ve all fantasised about flying to a foreign country and living out our wildest dreams without a care in the world. for emily, this is a reality, though things are slightly more organised and less carefree in her case. darren star, creator of beverly hills 90210, sex and the city, and more recently, younger, brings […] few operations rival the sheer coordination, precise communication and military grade timing of a well run fish and chip shop at six thirty on a friday night. to witness a fish and chip shop going at full tilt, gears turning, pistons firing, is a strange wonder. like the engine of a running car, its finely tuned system of […] bethany cherry let me explain privilege during a pandemic. the light just blew. a world in sudden darkness is full of panic. people are tripping over each other. the poor, the marginalised, the ederly, the casual and the front line workers.they fall the hardest. your first instinct is to help the fallen, get them up and […] in early 2016, some friends from art school and i drove to warrandyte to explore bush tracks along the yarra river around the pound bend tunnel. chris brought torches, layla had an elaborate recording device with headphones, and i had a pair of rainbow fireworks glasses in my pocket. it was 10 pm on an overcast night in early autumn. in one room, american history, we learnt how the american dream was born from the heart of religion that spread across the united states in the 17th century. in a room across the landing, middle eastern politics, we began to scratch the surface of the complex power dynamics of the middle east, studying catalytic moments of protest like the arab spring uprisings monumental events that gave rise to a complex blend of new political structures, conflicts, and in some cases, freedom. in my dream, i stand at the triple crossroads. oily yellow light spills down onto the bitumen, barely illuminating the roads’ beginnings. to the eastern fork, i see the klongs of bangkok, hear an echo over the long tail boats: “this way to your past”. to the western way, the australian countryside stretches infinitely, drowning in heavy rainfall: “this way to your future”. to the northern road, a janus voice of twin speaking conjurers, beckoning me to choose their shadowed path: “ content warning: mental illness, self harm, suicidal ideation, cannibalism, biological descriptions. dip my brain in iced water, dearest it is too hot. i think it will hiss as it plunges, like a saucepan left on the stove for far too long, wisps of steam rising from the edges of the pail. soap it well, leaving my brain […] let’s talk about sex. specifically, the unprotected kind. in australia, this doesn’t have to result in an unwanted pregnancy, thanks to pharmaceuticals. there are currently two types of emergency contraceptives (ec) available to purchase over the counter: levonorgestrel and ulipristal acetate. both prevent fertilisation of an egg and are most effective when taken soon after the sexual encounter. bethany cherry i feel alive with a page full of quotes. words from people past that bring an unlikely sense of perspective and peace. my favourite quotes are from children book authors, the likes of dr seuss and roald dahl. i listen to these guys more than i do my parents, who, bless their hearts, […] hen i first started trying to minimize my carbon footprint, one of the barriers i faced was (actually, “is”) the unbelievably high price tag on “zero waste” products. (i didn’t plan on going zero waste because that’s too big of a commitment when living as a student, but i did want to replace certain high use items with more sustainable and durable ones.) ever accidentally emailed your entire cohort at 4.07am? tejas gandhi has. at the end of an all nighter working on an assignment, the third year politics major decided to wind down by checking up on his application for the faculty of arts peer mentorship program (as you do): “dear concerned, hope you are doing well this email […] sometimes i drown in the guilt of wanting to take up space for the wrong reasons to spread my legs and speak loudly not to defend the legions of women who paved the way for my freedoms but to look in the eyes of strangers and plead without words for them to understand this isn’t […] (a coming of age playlist.) words taken from blackout poetry made from old (angsty) phone notes & journal entries. 22.08.17 / sit next to me by foster the people. out the window, the suburban lights are bright and cold, a picture in time. you can breathe in broken light. shadows of leaves pass over the walls, on […] all through a window locked indoors i look outside, a neon pink balloon trapped in the barbed fencing of the housing complex next to my apartment there lies my heart flailing around helium slowly oozing out i’ve never seen a rainbow before and i don’t want my first time to be through a window […] 18/08/2020 dear hope, “if you can hear me don’t go/i don’t really feel you now/but i know you’re there…” my therapist told me i should write a letter to you. it’s been three years without you and i still don’t know how to move on. this year has been the second worst year ever. you’re so […] 4:00am awake, i turn to you selfish in seeking your touch because, of course, you sleep. 4:01am arms around each other like scared teenage girls (girls?) doing that “i don’t want to treat you the way a boy would treat you but also i feel that i must touch you” thing. 4:02am you kiss my […] the university of melbourne’s penultimate sustainability report revealed the university has failed to meet its waste reduction targets over the last year. released on july 23rd, the 2019 report states the university produced 29 kilograms of waste per person in 2019, far exceeding the sustainability plan’s 2020 goal of just 20 kilograms per person. university […] when i wake up on saturday, i can only lay and daydream feel my night’s musings seep into the covers and try not to think about you. i get up to water my garden  i’ve planted flowers because i need to grow something other than resentment. getting ready, i have no time to eat, i […] kol looks at their watch. 11:11 feels auspicious. precarious. a moment of importance? 11:12 would have been a moment too late. all the magic lost. 11:10, too early. you can’t wait for magic, only stumble upon it, and it is a soul wrenching kind of letdown to see either number and to know: you fucked up. […] dear ______ sometimes i don’t lay naked beneath the sheets, and you? sometimes i drink too much, and lay naked beneath the sheets and forgot time has passed, my grief fermenting like an old cabbage, growing its own shrunken heads behind a […] i live with soldiers of no notable rank no colonel lieutenant even when empty streets glimmer lines of indigo tar they rise uniform on navy blue sterile sapphires epaulettes replaced by white swipe cards, brilliant i think of her in that apron she got for christmas kitchen smells waft through my bedroom door […] young peaches rain on a bruised roof, chafed by young brushing winds the peaches, mimic the sky on its skin   splatter of red   a sudden brown the winds run to the baton of an unseen conductor a colossal orchestra   to the marmalade […] (content warning for death and mental illness) don’t worry, be happy it’s 1999 and i’m seven years old. memories of my childhood are sparse but, i remember this: i had a watch with a pinkish red band made of the kind of semi transparent plastic of jelly sandals, popular at the time. printed around the face of […] georgina young: loner text publishing, 2020. isbn, 9781922330130, pp. 256, $24.99 text publishing choosing georgina young’s loner as its internal text prize winner all the way back in may of last year feels vaguely . not that loner deals with disease or isolation (at least not in the way that we have become familiar […] dbc pierre: meanwhile in dopamine city allen and unwin, 2020. isbn, 9780571228942, $39.99 it’s disappointing to say that there is very little to remark positively upon in dbc pierre’s new novel meanwhile in dopamine city. disappointing because a satire focussed on the pitfalls of technological obsession seems deeply needed in a time where it feels like […] judith hoare: the woman who cracked the anxiety code: the extraordinary life of dr claire weekes scribe publications, 2020. isbn, 9781922310439, pp. 416, $29.99 face, accept, float, let time pass. this was the six word mantra that gave hundreds of thousands of people control over their anxiety. australian journalist judith hoare chronicles the fascinating life of […] welcome to canon in she, a column that celebrates women who compose music. this time, i am dedicating the entire column to deborah cheetham. are you voting in the 2020 umsu elections? umsu election week is from the 7 11 september 2020. here you can find your candidates and their statements below in alphabetical order by position. if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate in reaching out to the deputy returning officer, stephen luntz. other relevant information may be […] are you voting in the 2020 umsu elections? umsu election week is from the 7 11 september 2020. here you can find your candidates and their statements below in alphabetical order by position. if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate in reaching out to the deputy returning officer, stephen luntz. other relevant information may be […] are you voting in the 2020 umsu elections? umsu election week is from the 7 11 september 2020. here you can find your candidates and their statements below in alphabetical order by position. if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate in reaching out to the deputy returning officer, stephen luntz. other relevant information may be […] spend your days off bottling masochism into remedies; sell them to your isolated self as constructive criticism    criticism is a double edged sword you’ve been taught to hold by the middle so it hurts only the way power should, must, would. shave it with pencil sharpener    wound way too tightly    might but won’t […] dear editors, earlier this semester, i received some criticism for an op ed i wrote against the pm’s suggestion that international students leave australia in response to covid 19   including by students from my own country. they echoed what was implicit in the government’s comments: that since we were lucky to even be here, we should […] growing up in the climate crisis my country is burning. ten years ago, this meant that the pavement was too hot to walk on when i was too lazy to wear slippers to put the bins out. it meant sausage sizzles and relatives drinking vb on the verandah. it meant that you could hear rain […] crag lines run ripple across creased walls an eye formed long sight caught through time rockets and tanks fear, and a lifetime all seen through a single crag in the wall this article refers to investigations that happened in february 2020. police are investigating several blockade imarc protesters for unlawful assembly and other charges. victoria police have contacted at least ten protesters, requesting interviews and questioning them about their involvement with blockade imarc. blockade imarc spokesperson jacob andrewartha said police were attempting to charge protesters with […] local punters at flinders street station were stunned today as a fellow traveller moved through the gate without pausing or stopping. “it was amazing,” one baffled onlooker commented. “she aimed at one boomgate the whole way in, and that was actually the one she went through. she had money on her card and everything. no […] this liveblog is for the 2020 umsu elections reporting from farrago reporters. all questions and queries about the reporting of this election should be directed to the deputy returning officer and the 2020 media officers. all questions and queries about candidates and how to complete a postal vote should be directed to the deputy returning officer. stephen […] susan golombrok: we are family: what really matters for parents and children scribe publications, 2020. isbn, 9781925713701pp. 320 , $32.99 professor susan golombrok has spent years researching families and how they have changed in the 21st century. from queer couples being able to adopt to kim kardashian surrogacies, golombrok packages her learnings into a […] in today’s age where the majority of mainstream music is filled with mind numbing beats, zachary leo’s sound is a breath of fresh air. the 21 year old melbourne based artist began his journey in 2019 releasing the singles she and lay you down, and more recently released the extremely catchy single not that easy. fresh off a […] welcome to canon in she, a column about female composers of western classical music, and a few major trailblazers in electronic music as well. today, i present three brilliant women from the 20th century. suffice to say that in the year of our lord 2020, we’ve all had our fair share of emotional rollercoasters. there are moments when you feel inspired and in control, there are other moments when you feel anything but. sometimes, it’s almost like you’re sleepwalking. from his attic studio, dream pop artist henry green has […] premier daniel andrews has issued stay at home orders for several suburbs in melbourne after recent spikes in positive cases of covid 19 in victoria. primary and secondary schools around australia have experienced a chaotic start to term two this year faced with conflicting advice from different levels of government. in victoria, premier daniel andrews had initially been adamant that state schools would be closed for the entirety of term two, a position which had drawn criticism from federal education […] if i would say one thing about come from away, other than that it is worth every minute and dollar, it would be that it highlights that amidst suffocating hate, it is possible to find that lemon drop of kindness in you. every year the university of melbourne student union (umsu) passes its annual budget via students’ council. why should you care? the university has elected not to pursue controversial changes to its special consideration policy that were proposed in september 2019. the co op bookstore will close its doors at the end of march after almost sixty years on the university of melbourne’s parkville campus. cw: covid 19, racism, physical and verbal assault two international students were assaulted in a racially motivated attack in the melbourne cbd on 15 april. the incident occurred at approximately 5:30pm on wednesday, when c and s* were walking down elizabeth street and saw two caucasian women shouting “coronavirus” and “get out of the country” to […] but, starting from march 17, the university of melbourne began its transition to a “virtual campus” in an effort to flatten the covid 19 curve. with this shift to online learning, the university also introduced a new way of experiencing the university lifestyle to first year students such as myself. earlier this week, you made a statement that surprised absolutely no one and was completely in line with the moral fibre and integrity of character you’ve displayed time and time again. welcome to edition one. welcome to the 2020 editors. a love for spearmint, for the burgundy red rhubarb patch eleanor pauses in her tracks, sucking in a breath as she turns not to face the man, but the arched windows that line the passage. aquitaine stretches out before her, its beauty incomparable to filthy, cramped paris. bonjour, mon amour! i think perhaps you are the muse i’ve been searching for. the tiger awakens as you grip the bars and use them to propel you into a 360 degree jump. beads of sweat nestle on your neck and your heart swells in its cage. water. earth. fire. air. long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. then, everything changed when the covid 19 attacked. only the avatar, master of one and a half elements (water, and maybe fire if you count a kettle) could stop the pandemic. but when the world needed her most, she vanished. a few days […] in science class we only celebrated successes. but for every scientific superstar there’s a generation of equally intelligent scholars who got it wrong. when i landed in melbourne some ten months ago, a grass green philistine whose closet contained nary a single tote bag, i did so with high expectations. among these expectations was that this first world metropolis would come equipped with a functional, if not flawless, public transport system. despite criticism from federal and state governments, there exists a long and varied history of violence in political protest. yet, this history is often obscured. in the final, stressful minute before his literature assignment is due, arts student wes wednesday is cool as a cucumber after realising that time does not, in fact, exist. as a satire of job hunting hell, the hitmen struggles to strike its target. nonetheless, mish wittrup’s new play offers some gory chuckles and a suite of energetic performances. submissions for edition three 2020 are now open! check out this funky content list for inspiration! citizen k, directed and written by alex gibney, tells a side of the cold war story that is arguably more interesting, and indeed more deadly, than the war itself: how does a nation with a communist backbone going back centuries suddenly make the transition to capitalism? how do its citizens get by? how does the government and its laws catch up to such an upheaval? in a constantly changing linguistic and cultural landscape mel gibson’s passion project based on the unique history of the oxford english dictionary, should have had no trouble capturing the modern zeitgeist. unfortunately, in a production marred by chaos, lawsuits and general disfunction, the professor and the madman is a film left feeling hollow and unfinished. like a boss had the potential to be a huge comedy hit because of its star studded cast and emphasis on female empowerment, but it failed to do so. starring tiffany haddish and rose byrne as best friends and salma hayek as the antagonist, the film heavily relies on innuendos and slapstick comedy in an attempt to be funny. the st kilda festival, showcasing australian artists, returns tomorrow, on the 9th of february for its 40th anniversary with over 60 acts, including special guests icehouse, kylie auldist and dj hot dub time machine. australian rock group icehouse performed at the first st kilda festival in 1980 and went on to become “one of the […] protesters were carried out by police at moreland’s gandolfo gardens early yesterday morning as the victorian government’s level crossing removal project prepared to remove the park’s trees. people watched as the trees, some believed to be 108 years old, were felled by workers. construction for the upfield line has already drawn controversy over the removal of the […] i had no idea what to expect from flying lotus’ 3d tour, i just knew i had to see it with my own eyes. flylo continues to produce some of the most exciting, genre bending sounds in the electro scene, and this show is no exception. sam mendes’ epic one take war film is an indelible, commanding experience built on some of the most incredible craftsmanship that cinema can offer. between walking into the forum at a little past 7pm and seeing carly rae jepsen come on stage for her sold out melbourne show was probably the most trying few hours of my life. language has faced an onslaught of changes in the face of globalisation, as influences from across the world fight against local ideals of what a language should be. language academies organisations that act as regulatory bodies of different languages are leading the fight against changes to language they perceive as illegitimate. i don’t mind if it is an acorn, a plum, or a baobab fruit. / they are all fruits. allow that which does not belong / in your heart to find / its way out. you, this forgotten shadow, / that rests in a flowering memory / is the kiss of root and berry. there’s an attic which is filled with what could be imagined for emily dickinson, her backstory and personality upon finding herself in an alice in wonderland style scenario. i imagine those things with a thin film of dust, and the windows open to the huge clouds. welcome to living well when you’re unwell, a column that answers all your questions about navigating uni, life, relationships, and jobs with disability and chronic illness. it was on the fourth of these dates that i met m  . m   was a large, wide croatian man. his belly peered ahead of him, and his hair was badly balding, with only the too long stragglers remaining around his crown. he pulled a seat out across from me at the lindt cafe´ on little collins street and seemed to fill the entire window we were next to. he looked down at me and shook his head, letting out a sputter of air. he pushed his palms out in the shape of a cross, perhaps to cover my c for by katherine anastasatos imagine the terror of one day arriving home, opening up snapchat to rant to your friends about your first world problems, flicking to a filter that instructs you to ‘raise your eyebrows’ in order to activate it, and… nothing happens. no cute furry ears, no amusing spectacles, no floating pink hearts; just […] hundreds of climate protesters turned up to blockade the international mining and resources conference (imarc) on its first day, leading to 50 arrests and four hospitalisations. for by tilli franks there is only 80 million years of difference between humans and bats. the common ancestor of all placental mammals is estimated to have lived around 400,000 years after the dinosaurs met their particularly nasty end. one could argue that bats got a reasonably good deal from the evolutionary lotto: they […] the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. she was a woman who made the best of her circumstances and ensured no one else should ever face the same tribulations her fourteen year old self did. the salty sea breeze blows / mcdonalds™ wrappers swirl / infants scramble / some nestle in the bin liner / others look for scraps when night approached, i would sit near my window while watching the night sky in hopes of seeing the origin of the sound but i never did. all that matters in life is jimmy barnes, nineteenth century lesbians, and the three boxes of cheerios i clutch to my chest in the car park at coles. woolworths didn’t have them in stock so i had to drive to the next suburb. lindsay lohan’s done this, i think, as the cop takes my mugshot. should i smile? i give the camera a glare that looks petulant, childish. the most important person in the world visited melbourne central station today. at least that’s how it seemed as one inconsiderate asshole decided he had the right to stand still on the right hand side of the escalator. an event held at the university of melbourne on august 8 sparked protests from students and staff amid fears that it would promote anti trans ideas and make the university unsafe for transgender people. vca graduate rodd rathjen’s debut feature, buoyancy, is designed to provoke audiences with uncomfortable truths about modern slavery and our proximity to it via global food production, but there’s one particular question it raises which refuses to claw its way out of my mind: what does it take to break a 14 year old boy? in collaboration with the new york times, the university of melbourne is playing host to ‘hard truths’, an exhibition showcasing photographs from conflict zones around the world. a panel discussion was held in arts west on thursday, the 12th september, to discuss the polarizing question: is the global approach to migration broken? coming to a fringe festival near you: will it juice? the biggest and most bodacious dance crew to hit the fitzroy art scene. except despite an unapologetic opening dance number to lizzo’s ‘juice’ they’re actually an improv comedy group. approximately 20 students gathered on south lawn on wednesday 21 august to protest what they believe to be inaction by the university to prevent sexual violence on campus. student activists from extinction rebellion disrupted the university of melbourne open day on 18 august to protest the university’s participation in the international mining and resources conference (imarc). hundreds of students from across melbourne walked out of class on friday august 9 to demand action on climate change. students from the university of melbourne, monash, rmit and other universities gathered outside the state library despite heavy rain and windy conditions. for by catriona smith picture this: you’ve come home after a long hard day at uni and you have sore muscles and you want to relax. you lounge back in the bath with a good skin treatment, a glass of wine and a book. this level of comfort cannot be achieved in the shower. baths […] four grumpy, overweight, mid life crisis persons have been sighted lurking around the rmit/swanston st tram stop wearing unimelb hoodies. witnesses report that they seem to think they’re blending in well, and reckon no one knows they’re ticket inspectors. your first casual sex experience. the back of a car. classy. you never liked random hook ups in clubs and you’re frankly bemused by the whole experience. sex had always been an intimate act; not anymore. the second time is better, you like him, you date a few weeks, you’re replaced. it gets easier each time. academics at the university of wollongong (uow) are speaking out against the institution’s newest arts major. there has already been major controversy over the unusual fast track approval of the course, which will be privately funded by the ramsay centre for western civilisation. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) bike co op has finally re opened on wednesday 31 july 2019, almost a year and a half after its scheduled relocation. the university of melbourne’s creative literature and writing society present the remarkable quests of raddish and quill, a collaborative column for farrago. it was your birthday drinks last time her arm was around you. it’s only been three weeks since then, you were in fitzroy at yet another rooftop bar, basking in the suburban sunset. your gift came in a plastic shopping bag. sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. forward won the 2019 graduate students association (gsa) election after earning the most key seats in the council, including the presidency. forward’s success was confirmed during the first annual general meeting (agm) after the election, held on may 31. the ticket gained six out of the ten positions that were up for election. bernie green (26) has reported a massive spike in the deaths of his students’ obscure relatives and family friends since he moved his tutorial from a 2pm to an 8am timeslot. on saturday, 22 june, hundreds of melburnians braved the cold and rain to spread awareness of the civilian massacres that are taking place in sudan. they met at the state library, where members of australia’s sudanese community spoke about the violence that has broken out in sudan’s capital, khartoum. led by the six rally organisers, the group of around 500 protestors then marched up bourke street to the steps of parliament. is the truant in my sheets / barely sixteen / i am / telling fibs to stay home with my thoughts / with my feet tucked in the pockets of sleep / the holiday starts when we follow a white cat named jennifer into the faewild. in the backstory, andi has been trying to catch her; she’s been cohabiting with emily dickinson in secret. we don’t remember the mechanics of entering the faewild. it’s verdant and as bright as a lisa frank drawing. on april 10, approximately 100,000 people took to the streets of melbourne to protest against the morrison government in a change the rules rally. the rally was organised by the australian council of trade unions (actu). i found a boy sitting on my verandah one day. he was different from the others because he was calm. crimson scars climbed his skin. i’m planning a powerplay on the level of a live tv strip tease, like drew barrymore getting down on david letterman’s desk. even flipping through the collection days later. i feel a sense of strangeness, like i haven’t uncovered all the paths into burns’ mind. this is a powerful strength of hers, you will not look at the same sentence the same way twice. it is not often i see myself portrayed on stage, but the family that michelle law created in her debut play single asian female is refreshingly familiar. the wongs are three women on the verge of life changing events. pearl’s divorce is finally finalized, but she faces another problem; zoe struggles to navigate being single and finds herself pregnant after a one night stand; and mei is just shy of finishing high school. after my chat with antony hamilton, i was extremely excited to witness the premiere of his latest piece, universal estate. i made my way to arts house and was escorted through large double doors and into a bright, clinical room. it felt as though i had walked into an episode of black mirror. it was a four hour long dance piece, and audiences were allowed to walk in and out as they pleased. they could also choose to sit or stand anywhere within the space, on the designated benches or the flo around 100 subjects from several faculties will trial a new learning management system (lms) from semester 2 this year. sarah plays on the association of colours and words to write her poetry column for farrago, using taubman’s paint samples from bunnings. ? now the start of semester dust has settled and we’re all neck deep in assignments, it seems like a good time to reflect on where we are on our editorial journey. we became the farrago editorial team late last year and since then have worked every single day putting out this big baby each month. it’s been a wild ride, but we adore farrago, and are so grateful for the opportunity to put important pictures and words into print and distribute them across campus. i saw the crowd before i heard it, which i am aware is completely counterintuitive. my concern that we had not arrived early enough to figure out which room the show was in immediately passed as everyone who came in with my friends and i all flocked to the queue just inside the entrance of trades hall. i could feel everyone’s excitement as we entered the dimly lit room and took our seats. the university of melbourne is currently facing legal proceedings brought by a previous employee, who farrago will refer to as lianne, on the grounds that her termination was on the basis ofher raising concerns over gender discrimination. the first time i encountered victor was on a bleak, foggy morning exactly one year ago today. i find it fascinating that one can innocently tug at a single thread and accidentally unravel an entire garment. detik pertama, i was drowning and the world softened, an egg dipped in vinegar. maybe the internet is a history machine. much under the surface. i remember clicking a page of one on one rpg blogs: two friends/writers for something awful documenting their campaigns for lulz. tinder. the dating app we hate to love and love to hate. welcome to living well when you’re unwell, a column that answers all your questions about navigating uni, life, relationships, and jobs with disability and chronic illness. i borrowed the river cottage bread handbook (highly recommend) from family friends about a year and a half ago, read it near cover to cover, and started baking. since then i have made a name for myself amongst friends and family as the bread guy, bringing fresh bread to picnics and potlucks, or making mouthwatering focaccia when hosting a barbecue. post malone seemed to really enjoy his time on stage and genuinely try to connect to the crowd; and yes, for some reason, that included drinking beer out of someone else’s shoe. in all honesty, i went along to the air supply concert on april 24 with no idea what to expect. despite their status as an iconic australian band, my knowledge of the people standing on stage before me extended only to the snippets of their songs i had heard included in the occasional television commercial. nonetheless, i had a sense of excitement walking into the melbourne exhibition and convention centre. with the ready aid of massive inflatables, red satin sheets and fairy wings, tara rankine shares her stories of love. inside the cosy venue of tasma terrace, this show from the 2019 melbourne international comedy festival invites you straight “into her heart”. raunchy and raw, love is a work in progress closely examines the types of love she has experienced in sex, romance and friendship. it is fair to say, without doubt nor hesitation, that tim minchin is back! bron batten’s onstage dating is exactly the type of show you’d expect iconic melbourne venue the butterfly club to put on. the audience begins the experience before bron even appears, being handed a “volunteer” form filled with the most important questions a potential date can answer: your star sign, your wine preference and, of course, “would you fuck on a first date?” the last few years have seen many cafés and restaurants ousted for non compliance with correct pay. although these businesses suffer in the form of damage to their curated image and brand, workers often bear the brunt of an underpaid and overworked existence workers who are usually students themselves. lala barlow and robbie smith arrive in london. so begins a whirlwind of migration adventure and, most importantly, their year long stay in a communal living warehouse they’ve coined the worst little warehouse in london. do you ever feel like you’re being watched when you’re at uni? this is a cornetto moment, w/ all the flicked pip mandarins, & pregnant bellies being rubbed, under ice cream umbrellas they do not see me and i am twelve when i creep into the top corner of the kitchen. i watch them pour tea and drop spoons for years and now i am giggling. murder and general mayhem sound just like your good old fashioned fairy tales, something left behind in the myths and legends that belong in forgotten derelict book shelves. beware sensationalism but the reality is that it’s all just life, kids. smoke alarms went off in arts west on monday afternoon as fiery banter poured out of a week 1 media and society tutorial. my phone promises that i keep track of time. so why do i keep losing track of time instead? disruptions on grattan street will continue throughout 2019 as parkville station construction for the melbourne metro tunnel enters its “most exciting year to date.” i hear the term ‘accessibility’ being talked about a lot. i thought accessibility only had to do with wheelchair access and i don’t want to sound stupid asking people what makes something accessible. can you tell me about it? ‘business as usual’ is hurtling us towards a desolate future. if we continue this way, climate change will intensify, sea levels will rise and humanity will face an existential catastrophe. we know this, but what would it look like if we started doing better? blind optimism can distract from the truth, but frameworks of hope can help us find common goals and inspiration for the future. i would like to present two such frameworks: solarpunk and the sustainable development goals (sdgs). my ride to pitch was sitting beside a pungent smelling senior citizen who was fake calling someone on his phone, whining about “no intellects in the overpopulated city,” “r****ded lefty policies” and a “very fake evil god”. i knew i was in for a labour weekend long journey   one that included more than bumps, darts and guerns. this friday, university of melbourne students and staff will be standing with school students walking out of class for the school strike 4 climate. they struck last november, with participants numbering in the 15,000s. they will be demanding an end to new coal and gas projects, an end to the adani coal mine, an 100% […] what is the better way to rule as a woman? that is the question mary queen of scots wishes to answer. you smell the blooming of blossoms, gold streaks sparking off white petals; it is the smell of new life, of impossible bliss. you turn to touch the flaming light unplugging scrappy sink waste arrestor not stopping sloppy plates nor wrinkled noses at kitchen the snowberry clearwing doesn’t just look like a bumblebee its behaviour is also remarkably similar. like bees, it consumes nectar from flowers, and unlike other moths, it flies diurnally. their main distinguishing factor is their flight patterns; bees move their wings far more swiftly than moths do, making the moth look slightly clumsier in comparison. “the story so far: in the beginning the university of melbourne was one of many institutions that introduced the consent matters program as part of their response to the 2017 australian human rights commission (ahrc) inquiry into university sexual harassment and assault. this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” the evening we found out that my grand uncle had been brutally taken from us, my childhood home no longer felt like home. the air hung heavy and the humidity that served as a reminder of the inevitability of summer, clung to my skin, making it hard to breathe. welcome to living well when you’re unwell a column that answers all your questions about navigating uni, life, relationships, and jobs with disability and chronic illness. the welfare department of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) has introduced a new drug policy this year involving pill testing kits and workshops as harm reduction becomes the focus. a new scholarship program commencing in 2020 will award talented domestic undergraduate students who face financial challengers with free accommodation, general allowance, and financial and personal support. the 91st academy awards will take place at midday melbourne time on monday the 25th of february. ahead of the ceremony, oscar ragg takes a look at whose proverbial stock is up   and whose is down   following a tumultuous, watershed awards season. hidden away on the sixth floor of myer in bourke street is sugar republic, a colourful and exuberant interactive pop up art installation about all things sugar. at eternity’s gate is the latest film inspired by visionary post impressionist painter vincent van gogh. it is set in the turbulent last years of van gogh’s life, as he grapples with mental illness, spirituality and an all encompassing compulsion to paint the world as he sees it. director julian schnabel (the diving bell and the butterfly) does his best to understand the man behind the icon; to strip away novelty and gaze at the star crossed van gogh operating on an alien frequency. anyone who has ever thought about running away to join the circus probably dreamed of something like the odditorium. presented as part of the midsumma festival, it is a cabaret love letter to the magic of circus and vaudeville. i am no theatre connoisseur. in my eyes, what makes a play good is its ability to make me feel. in this vein, i believe all of the arts   whether it be music, literature, theatre or visual   have a common goal: to move the audience. i don’t need a life altering experience every time i encounter art, but it has to elicit some kind of reaction in me. unfortunately, the only thing i really felt while watching the trial of dorian gray was ambivalence. barry jenkin’s moonlight follow up is an immaculate, beautifully wrought adaptation of the great james baldwin’s novel, and a deeply sincere ode to love in all its forms. independent members of the melbourne university publishing (mup) board and chief executive officer louise adler have resigned over the new proposed direction of the publishing house. federal minister for education daniel tehan has axed plans to establish an independent taskforce that would have investigated university responses to and reported mishandlings of complaints of campus sexual assault. chicago rapper juice wrld arrived at the forum theatre on saturday night (5/1) for the melbourne leg of his first australian tour, after turning out at the enmore theatre in sydney the night prior. anticipation was building as an ever growing line snaked all the way around the iconic forum. director travis knight’s comedic and heartfelt take on bumblebee’s origin story is a breath of fresh air in a franchise known for excessive explosions and a lack of emotional resonance. spider man: into the spider verse is like no other animated or superhero film around. it’s a visual spectacle full of witty one liners, weird and wonderful characters, and a whole lot of heart, all accompanied by a head bopping soundtrack. ‘into the spider verse’ goes out of its way to present a story that is new and completely untold (at least in the realm of cinema). everything here feels fresh. even if at its core it is still just another spider man movie, there’s probably enough new ground covered to push past some of the spider fatigue you might be feeling. whew! we had three full sessions yesterday. lots was discussed and, like day one, lots of yelling ensued. discussion included nus’s role in the 2019 federal election, freedom of speech on campuses, and lunch. natcon is the annual national conference of the national union of students (nus). this week, the student politicians will descend like locusts on the mt helen campus of federation university, 10km outside ballarat. follow our live updates of #nusnatcon18 here! “you can be the one to eat my pancreas. i did some more research after i saw that, and i found out that outside japan, some people believe that if you have someone eat you, your soul lives on within them.” joseph paglia and luke rotella interviewed founding greens member senator janet rice at the greens’ election night party in docklands about the party’s campaign in the 2018 state election. ryan is running in the state election for the district of richmond. she doesn’t expect to win but she’s put herself forward on principle. she can’t let those who would threaten the existence of victoria’s safe injecting rooms, which she was central in introducing, run uncontested. every year the department of anatomy and neuroscience hold a microscope imagining competition called under the coverslip. this exhibition is built on the notion that science is more than just graphs and figures; that there is undiscovered beauty beneath the microscope that can be appreciated by everyone. roots an entire lung in the very early stages […] the earth laughs in flowers   ralph waldo emerson these three stories are the winning entries from the gothic themed micro story competition associated with the exhibition dark imaginings: gothic tales of wonder curated by special collections in the noel shaw gallery, baillieu library. the challenge was to use 300 words (or less) to tell a gothic story. while the exhibition focused on the gothic from c 1750 to 1900, the competition was open to free interpretation of the word “gothic”. oscar ragg reviews director alfonso cuarón’s latest and broods over the streaming giant muscling its way into critical acclaim. captured: posing! waiting for a lecture @ arts west shop the look: head to toe zara, hershel bag & nike kicks captured: rushing to another tute outside the john medley building fashion icon: gdragon unimelb fashion: cosy captured: in line for a coffee @ the standing room shop the look: stussy bomber, mb, hoodie & […] before they close their set, le’aupepe leaves the audience with perhaps the most important messages behind go farther in lightness to forgive, to love, to live and to look after one another. life can be shit but there are ways to make it better, and le’aupepe has learnt that. the faculty of arts’ encounters with writing mini festival, held on 18 october 2018, displayed a work by woman identifying student artists about rape on the university of melbourne campus, particularly in the residential colleges. encounters with writing is an exhibition showcasing the works of university of melbourne’s third year undergraduate students who are completing their creative writing major. when taylor swift wowed a sold out crowd at marvel stadium, bringing her reputation tour to melbourne, there definitely wasn’t a song the crowd didn’t enjoy. but if we had to narrow it down, here are our top five songs of the melbourne reputation tour. 1. ready for it taylor made her entrance on stage, […] she was on her knees by a depressive begonia. “they’re not getting any air in here,” she said when she saw me. “it’s gotten to the point where i have to go around breathing on them, multiple times a day.” i unloaded the box on the kitchen counter. kiss her shoulders with peach lipstick on, remind the skin to soften. on the new day that we have here, the sun comes out more often. ????????for gracing me with an english name, unlike some peers who had to live by rui qi, xian yu. the sky in the frog’s eyes is only as big as the mouth of the well dry chamomile grinds between my toes passing the skin of a goat hung proud air perfumed by fresh leeks stirred in warm water by an ancestor’s hand it is only recently that mcallister returned to perform, for the first time since becoming artistic director, in the australian ballet’s production of the merry widow in melbourne. on a stage saturated by diamond studded dresses and scarlet curtains, mcallister appears as njegus, the bumbling secretary to the ambassador. pantomimic and slapstick, the fantasy is in full swing and mcallister knows how to play the game. the audience drinks deeply from his perfectly timed winks and silly walk for the last six breakfasts, annina has eaten bread with jam a meal that tastes the same everywhere in the world  but today she can’t see either ingredient. the man behind her gives her an impatient nudge and annina reaches for a strange yellow fruit at the edge of a platter. she tears the banana away from its identical siblings and holds it limply in her hand. it’s crescent shaped with rubbery skin, like nothing she’s ever seen before. in her impoverished village, where a single or two plainclothes police officers allegedly asked for unimelb apparel to “blend in and look more like students” at union house in late july, according to a staffer of the university of melbourne student union (umsu). i wanted to do everything, but it certainly didn’t help that there are over 200 clubs. even so, i couldn’t find one that i was totally enthusiastic about. for those who aren’t satisfied with the current selection, don’t worry. not only can you join a club, you can also create a new club! my phd confidence crisis crept up on me so slowly that i barely noticed it. there was no tectonic shift i love you phd, i love you not nor was there any acrimonious fracture of my supervisory relationships or mounting distain for my topic. but when the words of dr seuss’s oh the places you’ll go! started resonating with me and perfectly described my phd trajectory, i knew it was time to take a breath. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) is currently reviewing plans to overhaul its governance and constitution. the plans are projected to be finalised by the end of the year, with the overhaul set for semester one, 2019. welcome to your latest campus news briefing. dancing with freya mcgrath is a transformational experience it is an ecstatic declaration of the power of the body, and in her latest work she asks you to enter that space too. will you take the plunge? close your eyes and accept the tug. crunch the numbers and you’ll be safe. but the tangible dangers of collision aren’t what i distrust. it is the stasis of what it lacks that makes me uneasy. it will always be an eerie pull that i can only see in my messy calculations, only existing inside my head. so, no, i do not have a white name. i wish other non white people didn’t either. our names are beautiful. they speak of our roots, cultures, homes we so dearly love. i would rather repeat my name thrice than cut it to make someone else more comfortable. “i’ve discovered and created a great deal of who i am, and what i care about, on the dance floor,” freya mcgrath says. welcome to the farrago liveblog of the university of melbourne student union election results. students who submit essays to turnitin might find their essays commodified for paid plagiarism checking services such as writecheck. the university of melbourne’s student card replacement fee is the highest in the country, and at $50 is nearly double the average national cost. here’s how you get someone to vote for you in a student election. you print flyers and wear a brightly coloured t shirt and stand somewhere on campus reasonably close to one of the voting booths, like the one in the lobby of the baillieu library. welcome to farrago’s coverage of the 2018 19 university of melbourne student union (umsu) elections. what follows is a fairly predictable falling in love story with the added humour of duncan’s mixture of disbelief and jealously over his idol “fancying” his now ex girlfriend. o’dowd plays his classic loveable type but with a sheen of wanker that makes you feel thoroughly uncomfortable and like the world is spinning off kilter. everything appears serene until iron man flies through the sky with a loud whoosh! he is distributing fluttering bits of paper from above. the camera pans down to street level, and one of the papers flutters into view. it reads: wedding of the century: bucky barnes and captain america in classy italic font. “okay, it’s fine. it’s macca’s, they won’t question my order…uh, hi. can i get three hundred and sixty nuggets?” like a pearl shaped ship on an inky sea she glides imperceptibly, making headway without want of lighthouse, for no beacon name winds more surely than children or virtues of the land ‘mercy’ and sea ‘patience’ i am afraid of the bees. i can’t pass through them. my hair doesn’t coil into antennae and i have no wings; my vertebrae is flat and fearful and all too human. oh, how they swarm and shiver in golden rivers. dew drop, dew drop, forbidden fruity sweat. she wonders. do they sleep stuck inside out like upturned cockroaches. leftover crumbs of laughter the sky is your enemy’s napkin, stitched together by your forgiveness one of the main reasons the media exists, and farrago exists, is the hope that our writing might change things for the better. history is more than just the study of great men, great ideas and great events. race, gender and class are not reductive categories in the study of history, and many of those crucial events they laud the study of cannot be properly understood without these lenses. content warning: sexual violence, racist attacks, murder alien. that’s the best way to describe it. being an immigrant often feels like you’re between a rock and a hard place. but the rock is the place you are now, and the hard place is fitting in. always in between, always not quite there, mentally or physically. physically, missing out on schoolies for a family trip back to the home that is spoken of at least once every family meal. mentally, always worlds away, wrapped up in stories from family about faraway lands, of sights, smells and peop still soft and clean, the elephant unlike most bed buddies of adults who still sleep with stuffed toys, has not been here that long dad always told me that life is full of lessons, that life is a journey where you don’t ever stop learning no matter how old you get. late last year, i learnt that if you boil your pasta in salted water, the pasta will taste a zillion time better (many thanks to my housemate for that quick tip). earlier this year i learnt what it meant to do right by yourself this was something i learnt the hard way. with that, here are ten things i wish i’d learned by now. when i first applied to host a show on radio fodder in 2016, the station had only been around for a year or so. at this stage, it was run by the media officers with the help of some dedicated volunteers. being split between a bunch of different obligations, the farrago editors didn’t always have the time to help us out. realising this, this year’s editors created positions for two station managers to help nurture radio fodder and its roster of talent. her eldest daughter picks up the cake tin and takes it inside. she puts her son down and he toddles after them. she passes her mother in the doorway. “typical of him to leave it on the verandah like that.” here’s the wrong way to govern: listen to what the wealthy and powerful want, then work backwards to an argument for why it’s good for ordinary people. here’s the right way to govern: don’t worry about what the power brokers want. it’s usually bad for the rest of us. just listen to what ordinary people need, […] i was floating down the streets of paris at 40 kilometres per second, my arms straining against his denim jacket, laundry powder and cigarette smoke and joyful fear. a thousand indie rock songs spinning in my ears. like a dream from a movie where i couldn’t belong. i was in paris in summer, and i was having the time of my life. he had curly hair and converses and he was into music. as of december 2017, a guinea pig romeo & juliet was selling better on amazon than the original version. all theory aside, people love guinea pig classics. arguably the best way to figure out why is to directly consult the consumers themselves. as i am not due to interact with any actual children in the week leading up to submitting this review, i read a guinea pig romeo and juliet to my friend after a few pints. “omg little butt”, she says, and “soooooo worried, oh nooo”. i th after eight long years, the genius that is debra granik returns with a feature film that is as beautiful a piece of unhurried filmmaking as winter’s bone was. leave no trace an adaptation of the novel, my abandonment by peter rock follows will, an army veteran, and tom, his thirteen year old daughter, who call home a little camp set up made of tarps and other equipment in the wilderness of a nature reserve in oregon. splendour is connecting with old friends and making new ones in a campsite or a crowd. splendour is getting drunk in a tent. splendour is discovering new bands and appreciating your old favourites. splendour is the blue feeling you get when it’s all over and you’re re listening to your favourite acts. welcome to semester two, and welcome to your campus news briefing. it was almost summer and it was lighter for longer these days. the dying heat of the day wafted off the asphalt, bringing the evening down to a temperature where one could comfortably go without shoes. nicholas didn’t have the luxury of a balcony, so instead he sat on his windowsill with his suit pants loosely rolled above his hairy ankles, dangling his sockless feet over the last of the evening traffic below. shakespeare stood in front of the mirror sans a shirt. he had hair on his nipples. he clutched a stumpy device and rubbed it under his arms, for odorous fumes he was told he exuded. he’d fallen in failure’s arms the semester prior, and he was bracing his mind for the semester to come. the bard pinched some waxy cream and rubbed it about his pate. his brown locks were now pointed, dipping down upon his brow. members of the chinese community living in australia, particularly students, are being targeted by a phone scam exploiting the fact that they are separated from their families. from 7:30am on wednesday, 11 july, students from the campus based activist group lockout lockheed chained themselves to concrete filled barrels to prevent staff, including chancellery, the top tier leadership of the university, from entering their offices in raymond priestley. after an exhaustive experience being the painfully uninterested tag along to my sister’s shopping spree at both sephora and mecca maxima, melbourne central’s pre release event for hotel transylvania 3 was upon us. what will people say (hva vil folk si) is a norwegian coming of age drama written and directed by iram haq. a distinct sense of unease lingered over the brian jonestown massacre’s melbourne gig on thursday night. greg sestero, author of the disaster artist, becomer of mark in “oh hai, mark”, first imagined the plot of his new movie best f(r)iends while on drugs. their live show was a methodological, analytical, scientific and mathematical manipulation of sound palettes to create mosaics. the two hour session was split into two segments, the first being a discussion led by prompts while the second segment was a question and answer session. in a room filled with women and non binary people, it felt like a safe space where everyone was learning from each other and discussing how we can save the world from its horribleness because men cannot behave. from experience, i know that the potential for overthinking exists in any situation, even during the infamous exam period. maybe you’re thinking that everyone is too busy cramming last minute knowledge into their brains to stress about what other people are doing. if that’s true for you, my heartiest congratulations. but the rest of us […] the inaugural soul craft festival brought together experienced and novice crafters alike from all over the world, for a packed and fun weekend, celebrating craft. this year, it was held at the historic meat market located in north melbourne. the festival had master classes, panel talks, demonstrations, exhibitions, a marketplace, and even workshops! the programme […] christian mcbride’s performance was a charismatic and captivating expression of experimental jazz. chris dave has been called one of the best drummers in the world today, and as the audience expectantly waits in a darkened basement on a chilly melbourne evening, the anticipation is palpable. iron & wine come out into a concert hall filled with pensioners, arts administrators wearing gorman and people who just really love the recital centre. i’m not saying it’s not beautiful, just that my mum and i (sitting in our separate rows) are more used to mud and folk festivals than this. but i guess that’s what you get being one of the biggest folkie, bible belt stars in the world playing twice in one night. katie doherty looks at overpopulation alex d. epstein becomes a vigilante photo returner the entire audience recites the words “it’s all about confidence baby” in response to the warbling guitars and gave the band a deserved rapturous applause, with the song’s ending. strange land where meat regrets the eater & it’s a rare strength indeed ain’t sweetened by a drop of honey the living room looked out over elgin street. her flat was flanked by an indian restaurant and a car park. the boobs the chalk were referencing could only be hers. she flung open the window and leant out, as if the scent of the chalk writer still hung on the air and she could sniff them out. di manakah anda semua menyembunyi? di tepi sudut dewan kuliah atau di belakang kelas? sebagai seorang yang sentiasa senyap, anda tidak bergerak dan dengan sentiasa pandangan mereka berpaling kepadamu. and as he hammered his father’s father’s words into the ground, time seemed to slip into the distant horizon and the ute, crushed in half, sank deeper into eagle creek. i’m entranced by lighting stores imagining our kitchen and lounge and how it would feel when one day you were home. the telly has given its verdict: the world is too big to be contained in its chest and it cannot find a colour for its own blood so what else but spirited away? campbell arcade, a haven for creatives nestled in the arts district underneath melbourne’s degraves lane, is under threat of partial demolition as a result of current plans released by the melbourne metro rail authority (mmra) and cross yarra partnership (cyp) to accommodate for the multi billion dollar metro tunnel project due in 2025. the dog loves it! she finds bottles full of human urine or a half full coke can and tears off over the horizon only to return sticky and licking her stained lips. that being said, the whole thing is pretty. it is just so, so pretty. the language is beautiful, the set is stunning, and the performances are solid. if you’re a big ibsen fan: go. if you’re a set design nerd: go. if you’re looking for a pleasant and dreamy way to spend an evening: go. just remember to leave your riot gear at home. luke macaronas talks with benjamin law about gay voices in journalism and hate fucking politicians the bookshop is, at its most generous, a film that grants us with the delighting physicality of books, wafting the cinematic equivalent of that musty, antique book smell into our eager eyes and ears. brothers’ nest follows brothers terry and jeff (clayton and shane jacobson) as they return to their childhood home with unclear intentions. hello and welcome to farrago’s liveblog of the national union of students’ ‘build a better budget’ campaign launch. like peanut butter and chocolate, shakespeare and warhol, musc’s plastic shakespeare presents a continual pairing of elements that shouldn’t quite work together, but, nine times out of ten, they do, and it makes for beautiful, original theatre. it feels like just about everybody knows a nurse, whether it’s a friend, a relative, or themselves, but do we actually know what it’s like? long nights, thinking on your feet, and for lucy osborn, a love affair with her bed after a gruelling shift. i spoke to lucy ahead of international nurses day about […] when the world has constantly been exposed to the likes of instagram poets, it can be incredibly difficult to find poignant writing that delivers something else, a level of almost distress, tinged with the encouragement to live out your life as best you can. the world of the simpsons is very much the one we live in: corrupt politicians, dysfunctional family, crass jokes galore. when we turn on the tv and find the residents of springfield beating the mayor to a pulp with a baseball bat, we don’t feel like we’re watching some remote yellow lifeforms prancing around. instead, […] content warning: mild discussion of gore, killing of animals. a story of two individuals navigating the complexities of emotions and intimacy, on body and soul (testrol és lélekrol) is a moving film for anyone who has ever felt alone. expertly weaving multiple layers of meaning together, hungarian director ildikó enyedi has created a masterpiece which reflects on the human condition within modern society. this film also made me uncomfortable   and so it should. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago‘s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. the university of melbourne’s administrative system requires a student’s name to be changed legally before it can be changed on their id card, placing a financial burden on gender diverse students. the university of melbourne’s counselling and psychological services (caps) is making changes this year in order to accommodate increasing demand. in a pathetic attempt to salvage as much of his unavoidably dismal tutorial participation mark as possible, local dropkick john lin has reportedly leapt at the opportunity to answer the easiest of seven tutorial questions. there’s a scene in journey beyond fear in which father bismillah describes losing his entire family as a child in afghanistan. “i have not had any happiness since,” he says. it’s a stark reminder of just how profoundly struggle and loss have defined the lives of him and so many others. and yet, despite all the obstacles they face, all the uncertainty of their circumstances, they go on, day after day. katie doherty on the 24 hour news cycle trent vu on working in hospitality and retail danielle scrimshaw on the unsung hotties of history class i open my eyes. the bananas are still there: curved bodies and rubbery skins speckled with dark bruises, decay spreading from the inside. i tug at the smallest one but it doesn’t budge. with a quick, jerky movement of my fist i rip the banana away from the bunch, exposing a crooked line of flesh just below the tip. the distinct smell hits me immediately. shakespeare’s head tilted. from his understanding a myki was but a noise. how could he show one a beeping sound? how, indeed, could one even possess a beeping sound? his face advertised his guilt and the hairy man’s pupils dilated. gossiping stars circling i have only good intentions to tell they shoot their way off into the abyss all is bliss. all is well. clever, warm and honest, pacquola effortlessly intertwines hilarious personal anecdotes including her reaction to being flashed by a man while out with a friend, with serious undertones of her grappling with her unbalanced mental health. the latter is particularly poignant, as pacquola has publicly climbed the ladder of success and fame over the last couple of years, for which she notes the majority of the audience would have come expecting “that nice girl from the abc”. michelle brasier and laura frew, who together make up the comedy duo double denim, present double denim adventure show during this years’ melbourne international comedy festival (micf) season. lucy peach stars as the greatest human being in her award winning show my greatest period ever. guy montgomery has the linguistic ability and dissertation of a young freud. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. in the inevitable encore, børns apologises for his bad manners. “i’m sorry. i didn’t wish you sweet dreams…” and promptly launches into sweet dreams. i buy a t shirt. sweet dreams tour 2018. i am responsible for supervising and overseeing the union theatre and the guild theatre spaces and for many other tasks and activities including the scheduling of all student theatre group productions, uht presented productions and liaising with all external hirers. the university of melbourne released its sustainable investment framework (sif) on 28 march, outlining the university’s approach to sustainability in its investment portfolios and processes. the sif established that the university will not be be adopting a ‘strict exclusion approach’ from investing in the fossil fuel industry, citing concerns around ‘financial strength’. not often is the spirit of a legendary performer so clearly present in the inevitable tribute concerts they inspire. but seu jorge’s ‘life aquatic a tribute to david bowie’ is more than a tribute concert; it’s a transcendent, dreamy homage to bowie’s genius. katie doherty on an individual’s choice in the face of global warming the purpose of class is to learn but honestly, who can absorb knowledge and participate in class whilst attempting to be a socially functioning human being? (sorry tutors, but trying to get a room full of students to discuss some farfetched topic is like me trying to stop procrastinating and finish that essay due in […] there’s an old adage people like to use when explaining comedy, which is “comedy equals tragedy plus time”. although the abundance of depressed and alcoholic comedians seems to support this saying, it is also true that comedy can come from many different, happy emotions and from positive experiences. rose matafeo’s horndog is a show primarily about celebrating things that this young, new zealander stand up loves and it’s a delightful change of pace. when i first saw matt vasquez perform comedy, i was about to go on stage. his first impression was legendary and the marksmanship of a great comedian. when i asked presenters ashleigh hastings and carolyn huane how they would explain the premise of off beet to virgins of their show, they offered “local bands, banter and hopefully enjoyable music” as a tagline. lily raynes on surviving the public transport system with a minimum of dignity there’s a voice, and suddenly everything around you comes into focus. you see a hand waving insistently in front of your face. “you okay? you need some air?” i can’t imagine that it’d be particularly difficult to picture an elton john performance; he is well known, to say the least, for his distinctive voice, ostentatious outfits and his trademark piano that always accompanies him on stage. however, at one performance in 2013, a few lucky fans were able to hear elton john’s playing live and in person without even having to leave their living room. mind bending perth outfit, psychedelic porn crumpets, are descending upon north court this tuesday at 1. since the release of the reality altering ‘high visceral’ parts one and two (as well as some b sides) the band has played support slots for the likes of king gizzard, the murlocs along with selling out shows nationwide. the […] despite the startling scene, orny advised we take a five minute break before getting back with the show as we formed little discussion groups about the brawl. orny returned with a sombre tone as he reminded us what we all love about comedy, especially his brand of comedy. it never seeks to divide. it’s to make us all laugh. he looked at us and pumped his fist in the air (or at least that’s what it felt like) and sought to reclaim the night from the assholes one of whom couldn’t keep a the proposed governance changes to the graduate student association’s (gsa) structure have failed after being put to a vote at their special general meeting (sgm) on 22 march. the meeting was attended by 151 graduate students, of whom 67 students voted up the constitutional reforms and 56 voted them down. click here to stay up to date with campus news and receive farrago’s news briefings delivered to your inbox every fortnight. a contingent of over 30 university of melbourne students joined forces with fellow victorian students at the state library of victoria to protest the coalition government’s $2.2 billion cuts to higher education on wednesday, 21 march. today students from fossil free melbourne university (ffmu) hung up their dirty laundry outside the raymond priestley building to put pressure on the university to divest from fossil fuels. despite being initially called the ‘grainger museum and music museum’, it really only shines light upon grainger himself. up and coming indie singer songwriter, riley pearce, is the latest act set to take the stage at the university of melbourne student union’s tuesday ‘bands & bevs’ this semester. currently touring the country, you can catch riley at 1pm in north court this tuesday. based in perth, riley has released a has released a string […] when orny adams walks in. i almost don’t recognise him. clad in a leather jacket, i quickly cue his unmistakable energy. image courtesy of hugh shanahan from polity. polity is a new student run media organisation, which aims to challenge readers’ consumption patterns, and take them outside of their echo chambers. you can see more of their work at polity.online. by silvi vann wall andrew wilkies has boldly challenged the economic world order by refusing to consider the possibility of employment. we fucked up. edition two of farrago contained the university of melbourne student union (umsu) environment department’s office bearer report from edition one. we love them and we’re sorry for this. here’s the correct version.   don’t try so hard to be profound. it’s annoying.   i’m writing how i feel.   you were eating a chip when you had your first kiss. okay. gross. but the chip is not a symbol, miranda. you don’t feel it flaccid, lukewarm, lodged at the back of your throat as you speak and especially when you remain silent. a potato is not the patriarchy. anyway, what is this supposed to be? is it a poem? ephemeral dalliance. diaphanous gossamer. caress, tessellate. purveyors of australian rock kingswood are the latest act set to dazzle students as part of the university of melbourne student union’s band and bevs series. fresh off the back of an extensive tour in support of their sophomore album after hours, close to dawn, kingswood will be gracing the stage at north court outside […] this begs the age old question: can men really accurately create a completely expressive space for women through fashion? it was acknowledged numerous times, the irony of celebrating men in women’s fashion, during the week of international women’s day   and we can look back and see some of the world’s best interpreters of women’s dressing have been men: versace, gucci, and more recently, olivier rousteing of balmain. “the most recent one that i heard is, “studies have shown the effects of cocaine on honey bees.” i didn’t even know honey bees have nostrils! number one, who has leftover cocaine? and number two, who has millions of dollars to spend on this study? we’re already having problems with the number of honey bees, should we really be giving them cocaine?” mary griffith, 18, was completely at a loss after being asked to provide a single interesting fact about herself last week. the graduate student association (gsa) has unveiled plans to introduce a professional board of directors in sweeping changes to the governance and management of the organisation. the first day of march a cloudy, windy day, perfect for the occasion, brings the national and thousands of fans to sidney myer music bowl. small screen satirist armando iannucci raises his comedy in incompetence shtick to new heights in a bizarrely english language feature adaptation of a french graphic novel based on the antics of soviet executives after the death of their leader, joseph stalin. filtered through two degrees of creative licence, and stamped with iannucci’s trademark sense of humour, the death of stalin fails to achieve any intelligent satire, but instead provides a generous slop of visual and verbal slapstick andie moore on why the advent of marriage equality risks bringing the queer rights movement to a halt. this year, farrago introduces a new column ‘fodder feature’. each edition, trent vu will conduct an interview with the talent behind a show on melbourne uni’s student run radio station. i attended a shorts session and saw an amazing diversity of films, and no, i’m not taking about race and gender, but rather ideas, genres and mediums. there were comedies, horrors, metaphors and romances. despite knowing nothing about any of the films to be screened, we felt welcomed as though we were part of the crews that created them. each filmmaker spoke modestly about their own work, and gushingly about the work of others. it was clear we were sitting in a room full of women supporting and uplifting one another, and this incentive radiated through all of the films. sea shepherd’s operation jeedara begins with smoke and fire engulfing the screen. the film is book ended by dramatic shots and detailed descriptions of the damage caused by british petroleum’s offshore oil rigs. winchester is a haunted house horror film directed by michael and peter spierig, and is based on the true account of sarah winchester. it was 1578. william shakespeare was 14 years old when he left school. then he disappeared. between 1578 and 1582, there is no documented evidence linking the bard to any job or location. nobody knows what shakespeare did in those four years. until now. my body is nothing but ocean and vivid black sky and i feel whole she is somewhere floating behind me solid and present while i am nothing but liquid stars she reaches for me and i sink into the womb from its focus on the inequality between individuals to the broader inaction and disinterest of the world’s most privileged governments, thank you for the rain is compelling and inspirational, but somehow also left me with an overwhelming sense of despondency. it doesn’t give any answers, but is a timely and stunning film that tells an urgent story. what stays the same, though in all student media is the sense that what you’re reading doesn’t matter at all but is possibly the most important thing in the world. mi goreng the saviour of every university student. i first discovered this versatile dish after a friend gave me 12 packets. while she’s since moved on to bigger, better and presumably healthier things, mi goreng has become a staple in my pantry. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) passed its 2018 budget on 18 december 2017, bringing with it a raft of funding increases to the student representative departments. funded by the student services and amenities fee (ssaf), an annual fee of nearly $300, umsu is an institution intended to provide a range of services to […] major works on the new parkville station are scheduled to commence in february, necessitating the closure of grattan street for up to five years. university of melbourne students travelling to and from campus may face transport disruptions and pedestrian delays as works commence on the $11 billion metro tunnel project. “inevitably, construction will affect us […] the wind will read your palm like a dessert menu. your blood will be determined, though not by letter but by norm. the university will be constructing a new campus for the melbourne school of engineering (mse) at fishermans bend, on seven hectares of land purchased from the victorian government. this is part of a $1 billion commitment to create a world leading engineering school in a key urban renewal precinct near the city. the new campus will […] a study conducted by the student union for instagram welfare (suiw) has sent ripples through the unimelb community after rmit was given a higher rating in terms of instagrammable locations. the university was quick to respond to the damning findings, releasing a social media official to make a press statement. farrago‘s the grub was in […] chink of green glass ‘chin chin’ under mosquito hive canopy, and the sky above is just really big. we have a clear dusk. sip the jesus juice and sit in silence for the sacrament. she likes to be cosy not warm but wrapped up antigonex is an odd beast. probably we should have anticipated this the midsumma festival isn’t generally the place for traditional theatre. but queering a classic greek play, through the lens of modern australian politics, made for something deeply entertaining but also utterly baffling. in a display of solidarity not seen since the 1856 workers strike at the university of melbourne, a group of brushtail possums have unionised after plans emerged for council to destroy trees they have inhabited for generations. the city of melbourne plans, announced in august, will ensure the destruction of numerous iconic trees in university […] the university of melbourne has broken its silence on the cuts to higher education in the government’s mid year economic and fiscal outlook (myefo). the changes, which will see $2.1 billion cut from australian universities and cap enrolment numbers, could affect students’ tuition fees and postgraduate plans. “the university of melbourne is disappointed that the federal […] the university of melbourne student union’s (umsu) students’ council passed a motion to condemn guardian australia for its failure to provide a preferential voting system in their ‘bird of the year’ survey. the survey, launched by guardian australia on monday, allows users to vote for one of 51 native australian birds. currently, the poll is […] who the hell is ely kosanovich? duncan maskell has taken out the top job after a long search for the university of melbourne’s new vice chancellor the lioness in the tiles and i’m crying jess’ logic was that a towering, six foot nigella lawson in my kitchen would shame me into action. a ritual to dispel black invertebrates the university of melbourne is currently resisting the proposal for a new regional medical school in bendigo, to be jointly run by la trobe university and charles sturt university. tensions have flared once again in the ongoing enterprise bargaining process between the national tertiary education union (nteu) and the university of melbourne administration. end rape on campus (eroc) ambassador nina funnell has revealed the details of a rejected freedom of information (foi) request she conducted on the university of melbourne late last year. as many as 50 university college (uc) residents at the university of melbourne are being forced to live in alternative accommodation due to allegedly delayed renovations to the college. the students are currently living in unilodge   which they say is a 20 minute walk from college crescent. they must travel back and forth to […] ninety per cent of graduating arts students “just didn’t think this far ahead, honestly”, new australian bureau of statistics data shows. when i was younger, and a good church attending lass, a phrase i heard a lot was “remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”. at the time, i thought it literally referred to my pupil, and poked myself way too many times in the eye trying to scoop it out (common sense did not come naturally to me). now, of course, i realise it’s a metaphor for hypocrisy and self awareness. stepping into aunty donna’s office, i feel like neil armstrong diving into a timeless dimension of space. for by elizabeth haigh soup is by far the greatest food that has ever existed. not only is it cheap and easy to prepare, here are four more reasons why you should consume this wonderful creation. health benefits hot soup is the perfect thing to soothe a sore throat. studies have even found that chicken […] and you find yourself defenceless. many people remember the first movie they truly enjoyed as a child, the first movie they really wanted to watch again after the first viewing. for me, this movie was chicken run. you know that feeling when you wake up after a really hectic night? the being   nothing but a sign without meaning there’s a new office bearer in town! we interviewed the new indigenous officer, alexandra hohoi to find out a little bit more about her! with exams looming, students are concerned about whether changes to the bachelor of commerce (bcom) will impact their marks. if you’ve ever illegally downloaded a film, television program or video game, there’s a good chance you’ll have ended up with something from ‘the scene’. intentionally vague and mysterious, the scene is a group of people who make a sport out getting the latest episode of game of thrones online, cracking the new call of duty, or getting the best quality encode of baby driver; kind of like fox hunting but, arguably, more ethical. the only round up you need. for as long as i can remember, i have not screamed. it was all terribly grim and modern. i’m treasure hunting. migrate from this tightening hole. i collected the fragments of stories she shared, the interrupted monologues, the almost silent memories and pieced them together. rising costs associated with many university services remain largely unaddressed even after a review into rising fees. she is preparing to go “full campaign mode”, after sharing julia gillard’s misogyny speech on facebook for the seventh time. singapore, 2012: kannan, my uncle, dies aged fifty one. cause of death: myocardial infarction   heart failure. but the disease that ravaged his lungs and consumed his body goes unmentioned. my uncle’s tuberculosis (tb), contracted on a working trip to india, went undiagnosed for 10 months. australians are more concerned than ever about the threat of terrorism, as we witness attacks that seem, through the lens of our media at least, to be sweeping western cities. there’s something curiously humble about the flask shaped perfume bottle that holds chanel no. 5. surprisingly, it never seems to get drowned out by the noise made by more ostentatious designs (davidoff, anyone?). do you have killer instincts? empathy that can’t be roused, a bloodlust that can’t be quenched? some do   but were they born or bred? let’s take a closer look, shall we? the making of ivan milat it is said that psychopaths begin young. perhaps their family begins to notice ‘off’ behaviour from childhood. this […] content warning: mentions of suicide, substance use, self harm, mental illness, mentions of queerphobia “i did something stupid, again.” fingers writhing, legs jittering, lips burning. my stomach feels like i keep missing a step. there’s guilt sitting at the base of my trachea, blocking my lungs like phlegm. a blonde woman sits opposite me, watching me struggle […] gunther woke up feeling sick. begin again and again. sometimes you have to cradle it “would you like to know more about our city?” i feel like a total walnut! no one else made a fuss about nelly furtado’s latest album when it was released three months ago, but i felt i owed it to her. ed sheeran is a serenading, ginger god who has descended from the heavens to conquer the musical world. ah, tasmania. the butt of jokes from smog loving mainlanders and regularly omitted from the world map, it’s australia’s often forgotten state. former us vice president and ongoing climate campaigner, al gore was the keynote speaker at the biennial ecocity world summit hosted in melbourne last thursday. gore’s speech highlighted three main ideas pertaining to the gravity of climate change world wide; must we change? can we change? will we change? these three questions laid the foundation for […] i have a few bones to pick with winter. granted, i love getting to hide my comfort food weight gain under layers of black clothes. i also love wynter gordon (‘dirty talk’ is a bop), but that’s a whole other thing. pedestrian crossings beat as my heart. “they’re called barn doors,” she tells me. a tin of sardines in suits there are forty pot plants in the giblin eunson library. they are placed on the shelves, and above the study desks. content warning: mentions of blood/gore step 1: assume that this can happen anywhere, anytime. you don’t have to climb the grand canyon in the rain or trek a cambodian jungle for your mother to cut the back of her leg. you can simply go to dinner in downtown ho chi minh city and her achilles tendon can be caught by the escalator. even in your wildest imagination, you’d never thought the first meeting in years would result in severed muscles and artery. but life changing in the blin ‘history is written by the winners,’ wrote george orwell. i would rephrase, rather, that history is written by the privileged   those who have the power to decide the ‘truth’. often, both the ‘winners’ and the ‘losers’ are replaced by carefully cultivated narratives steeped in political agendas and the struggles they fought for are lost in the muddy waters of elitism. why students no longer have an on campus pharmacy. there really is nothing like the look and feel of a good book: you can smell the authenticity of each page, and feel the creases and textures in the paper. this love of books is the reason that clunes booktown festival is now in its 11th year, and still going strong. content warning: references to sexual assault. the university of melbourne student union (umsu) is taking action to work with melbourne university sport (mu sport) to make sure grievance procedures for sexual assault are more visible. the university’s space management facility provides an interactive online map of all trees on parkville, southbank and werribee campuses. yes, all trees! indigenous and torres strait islanders are warned that this article mentions deceased persons. student representatives are no closer to implementing planned drug harm reduction policies as they face strong resistance from the university. what the reforms to the health sector and centrelink system mean. content warnings: terminal illness, sexual assault mentions of rape. i did not tell my mother that i would be meeting x (who i met online) and i don’t intend to. content warning: ableism i first heard about leftypol (a ‘portmanteau’ of left & politics) a couple of years ago from a staunchly anarchist housemate. since then, although i’d known it was there, i’d never bothered to venture forth into that part of the internet. part of this hesitancy stemmed from the fact that it is hosted […] if you’ve ever looked up funny animals on youtube, chances are you’ve come across ‘fainting goats’. seemingly, they’re just normal goats   yet when startled, they topple over with their legs outstretched, like plastic toys that have been knocked over. it’s a cuteness overload and the most popular videos on the subject usually involve entire […] an unpopular president, struggling with corruption allegations and a foreign policy agenda based around the appearance of unpredictability. no, it’s not 2017. it’s 1972. richard nixon is president of the united states. he and his national security advisor, henry kissinger, are about to undertake an initiative that will change the balance of the cold war. […] there’s no denying that the baby born dolls were a childhood gem for us ‘90s kids. maybe you or your sister had one at some point. or you can remember hearing the jingle during cheez tv ad breaks. perhaps you even have memories of seeing a fellow kid at toyworld screaming for their parent to […] my sister has never really liked to read. being dyslexic probably doesn’t help the matter, but it often led to her questioning my love of it. “why are you so obsessed with looking at black things on a page?” she would often ask me. i would casually shrug and nestle my mind further into that […] the clouds and the birds float by. ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ??????! for by ashleigh barraclough if euphoria were a beverage, it would undoubtedly be the vodka cruiser. the luscious, fruity notes of everyone’s favourite drink literally taste like that time in year 11 when you got absolutely plastered in some guy’s yard while his parents were sleeping inside. so if you’re feeling fed up with the […] about a year ago i became addicted to podcasts. if you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you my addiction is ‘pretty annoying.’ as march was #trypod month, a national public radio (npr) initiative celebrating podcasts, so there is no better time to start listening. to avoid scrolling through 250,000 obscurely named podcasts, here […] like most exhibitions at the national gallery of victoria, it’s quite easy to say “oh yes i’ll go there soon. it’s on for three months anyway,” only to find that you’ve let time slip by and missed out. either that or you’re still not that bourgeois as to be heading to the gallery on a […] when i meet des bishop, he’s wrapped head to toe in sports gear, “i walked here,” he tells me. i also know that des can speak three languages and has been selling out his comedy festival shows after killer reviews. is there anything this man can’t do? we get talking immediately in the studio, as […] tessa waters is arguably australia’s best physical sketch comedian. her sense of humour is novel, and weaves its way through the imagination   manifesting all kinds of hilarity from basically thin air. we race up four flights of stairs into the radio fodder studio, as tessa keeps me laughing the whole way up through her funny […] young comics, alice tovey and her co star ned dixon present a musical comedy performance on the very current and relevant topic of mansplaining. the hour long performance consists of original songs and compositions ranging from ballads to a beat poem. in these songs, tovey challenges racism, politics, masculinity and sexism in a satirical manner. the butterfly […] shut your juicy mouth was an ensemble comedy experience. held in the intimate space of the loop bar, it featured three comedians with 15 minute sets. the night was engaging and warm. all comics bringing their own strange taste of the world to the stage. phoebe o’brien, anthony mccormack and stephen porter each shared with us […] 50 students from the university of melbourne joined thousands of people at the palm sunday walk for justice for refugees rally yesterday afternoon. “and then, like some sort of dickarus who had flown too close to the sun…” he holds the rubber fist sex toy up in the air, triumphant. the lights black out. thus concludes rhys nicholson’s newest show, ‘i’m fine’   a hilarious performance in which the audience is made privy to the inner workings of […] stuart goldsmith is the stephen hawking of the comedy world. his analysis and obsession with the mechanisms that induce laughter, as well as what lurks behind the curtain of the comedy industry is fascinating. we discuss how stuart found his own comedic voice  having progressed from a street circus performer, into a man who performed […] he’s a skateboarding, vegan, comedian. david quirk is an artist who students have admired for many years. described as having a ‘hyper personal desire towards inner expression’ by a peer in my philosophy class, david quirk is in a different paradigm of comedic thought entirely. his ability to manifest visceral crowd reactions, is extraordinary. we […] her former directorship of the bookshop could put her in hot water. students are set to ambush the annual general meeting of the bookshop today. a national union of students (nus) working group has been established to look into the relationship between the nus and the university of melbourne student union (umsu). on the effectiveness of a national day of student protests. a recent victoria police crackdown on incidences of jaywalking in the outer cbd has prompted action. data indicating the university’s performance in the first nationwide survey on sexual assault on campus may never be released. content warning: mention of sexual assault. it is no secret that we are heading towards an apocalypse that would give even buffy the vampire slayer a run for her money. the 21st century has nine out of the ten warmest recorded years of history. we are well on our way to securing the two degrees celsius increase in our global temperature. […] content warnings: racism, violence, slurs/swearing under overcast sunday skies in cleveland, police cars and protesters intermingle in a messy foray. amongst the chaos, a singular chant rings out in a burning ritualistic reverberation: ‘nigga, we gon’ be alright / we gon’ be alright.’ rarely has a social movement generated as much controversy in america as […] oh no! a character from earlier threatening our happy ending! hundreds of melbourne students have gathered on the steps of the state library of victoria on 22 march to take part in the national student protests against cuts to higher education. last time he was at unimelb a sausage was thrown at him from a bbq adjacent to the stage where he was preforming a stand up gig on north court. cher chidzey’s novel, kens quest, takes the reader on a journey with ken, a chinese immigrant who travels to australia to start a new life. the novel explores the challenges and trials that come with migration through ken’s struggle to obtain permanent residency due to his status as an ‘illegal’ immigrant. the novel explores the ways people from different cultures […] he could feel himself rising, and not in the good way. pies in ponds was the last pie floater stand in south australia. em found it drunk and dreaming. students will be returning to university in 2017 with less academic and career services available following significant staffing restructures. there is an animal with antlers who trots around arts west. she cannot use the marble stairs (due to her hooves), but she can fit into the elevators fine. she loves the arts west elevators because they are very shiny. sometimes she hides in them to watch the arts students arrive. this is why those […] the grattan institute has released a report recommending that all students be charged a universal 15 per cent loan fee when borrowing from the higher education loan program. students interacting with stop one are in need of a ‘human touch’. protesters camp outside carlton connect to make a bold statement against the university’s partnership with arms manufacturer, lockheed martin. for by jasper maccuspie the dinosaurs sucked. i’m sorry, i know it’s not a particularly popular thought, but it’s true. they weren’t the cool, scaly lizards of jurassic park; no, they were covered in feathers, none of them spat acid, and perhaps for the better, none of them could speak in weird dream sequences. apparently […] on a few tiny islands off the coast of new zealand, there lives a fat, flightless, and rare parrot called the kakapo. the kakapo is quite possibly one of the most ridiculous birds to ever exist, with benedict cumberbatch once describing it as “a bird that is as un bird like as it is possible for a […] my first female kiss was an alcohol induced blur, at a backyard party when i was sixteen, on a freedom high from a recent breakup. bottle of cheap, pre mixed alcohol in one hand, i was hit with an astounding moment of clarity: i kind of really liked girls. but the next morning, i was overcome with a […] a thread titled ‘this is why you can’t get laid’ greets those venturing into the ‘incel’ (involuntarily celibate) community. it details the many shortcomings individuals may have that make them unattractive to those they wish to bed   in this case, almost always women. such include “because you’re rude to people”, “you don’t want her […] there’s a lot to be confused about in today’s world. the government’s doing something wrong, the environment’s doing something science y, the economy keeps acting up. despite all the mystification, when we enter a store and are faced by the aisles all uncertainty fades away. no more confusing shades of grey on these shelves, just two […] most of us, at some stage or another, are guilty of being desperate for a pet’s attention. whether that be your best friend’s fluffy feline or a stranger’s pooch you see whilst strolling down the street, there is a strong satisfaction gained from patting a furry friend and having them reciprocating your affection. as a […] when i was in primary school, we had to wear a hat during recess and lunch when the weather was hot. those who did not have one were forced to sit under the shade outside the art room. it was a depressing spot, nothing but a rectangular slab of concrete under a veranda. i would […] as i got older and left high school, social class began to emerge in my life like a great beast shoving its way through a calm, fairy tale forest. the more i read and the more i engaged with a larger and more diverse group of people, the more apparent this great invisible force controlled by […] in 1750, jean jacques rousseau attempted to diagnose the sickness at the heart of his contemporary french artistic life. to the maverick philosopher, france’s art world “stifled in men’s breasts that sense of original liberty for which they seem to have been born”. the artists of his day, obsessed by status and reputation, had […] an indigenous student was prevented from speaking during discussion on aboriginal and torres strait islander (atsi) policy at national conference (natcon) this week. a motion to increase the university of melbourne’s student union’s (umsu’s) funding to the national union of students (nus) has failed during today’s glacially paced, three hour long students’ council meeting. the posters contained racial slurs as well as the image of a swastika. a slogan at the bottom of the posters read, ‘keep australia white!’ along with other explicit, anti diversity sentiments. i bottled it up for a long time but finally decided i wanted to share my experience when more and more friends were sharing similar experiences with me. hello future farragoblins, it’s time to get rocking and rolling with your applications to us, your 2k17 editors. it’s going to be an absolute firework of a year, with media going off in all directions, sparking and surprising all and sundry. but maybe you’re feeling a bit lost. that’s totally okay, because we’ve got you […] farrago caught up with actress erin clare, who’s currently performing one as the rebel bohemian scaramouche in the melbourne season of the rock musical we will rock you. translucent skin and pointed pink nipples reflected back at her, neon lights flashing ‘i’m not right!’ who loves words as much as christian tsoutsouvas does? this is a liveblog for the umsu students’ council meeting 16/10/2016. topics for discussion include changes to umsu policy and regulations and matters surrounding accountability. amie green on the national racing icon’s peculiar birthday celebration. monday it never quite makes sense. the act of turning up at a desk five days a week, followed by the arrival of money in my bank account seems strangely disconnected. as with birth and death   how wonderful it is to never truly understand the link between the two. i enter the building early. […] i’m always thinking about the end. paloma herrera reports on universities trying to improve safety on campus. this edition’s flash fiction features the prompt: “cliché destroyer: kill a cliché. kill it with fire”. i read somewhere that moths use moonbeams to guide them back to their nests at night. a short story by sarah peters on the similarities between a person and a sweat shirt. the jigsaw puzzle of a city shunned me and yet beckoned me. this edition’s for & against is on goodbyes. chelsea cucinotta on a modernised scottish play. there was once a young man, who knew on the same day both joy and sorrow. they came down in waves upon him, and stripped him of warmth, smothering layer upon layer in a python constricting womb, till his lungs were forced out of all air, and his screams became nothing more than silent bubbles, empty […] part two of diversity in feminism this year marks the 20th anniversary for every single thing that occurred in 1996; the zodiac rats and pigs that were born and the art that was made. three days into september, having just left one of morten’s coldest recorded winters into a spring that brought what we figured was the warmth of things looking up, my mate rob carked it halfway between the pier and the local. when i first decided to move to inner north melbourne, i knew i was setting myself up for a life of brunches, bicycles and burgers. anu will be the first australian university to assess students’ applications with criteria other than solely atar results. every year for a few weeks in the middle of semester two, the campus becomes a battleground. jack francis musgrave on the glory of the paralympics. gabriel filippa writes about relationships, video games and growing up in a digital world major bling! problem solving, with poetic rhyming soon, computer science will take over the world. but why? 8 short stories by cara chiang. stephanie choo wraps her head around concussions. monique o’rafferty is proud of her passion. brace yourselves, the umsu winter festival was here. peter tzimos argues that freedom of speech encourages the promotion of ideas, the importance of staff and students’ mental wellbeing should ensure these ideas are both safely explored and readily available. a look into mu sport’s (it exists!) funding model. claire miller claims that unimelb was robbed of the gold. a man leans out to spit thick raindrops stick and slide down glass. a man’s legs are spread too close to your puckered goose skin. a fat raindrop plops behind your lapel, a slippery finger beading on your nape wetting paper skin, it is cold. a man has a too big bag stuffed with […] a poem by rose on birds in the trees. the lady with the mechanical cog tattooed on her back sits with her left leg decisively crossed over her right. i hope she enjoys the sunshine today. like in teen movies when the nerd girl takes off her glasses, i ripped my pants and was ready to disappoint my parents. eleanor mccooey in support of the worth of arts degrees. leo brutalising innocent fauna may not just be emblematic of my emotional state but of the future of the film and television industries chih yu chou on wtf mooc stands for chelsea cucinotta decides whether or not the new arts west justified tearing down a one year old building. a succinct and beautiful poem by darby hudson. lucas grainger explains how he escaped the body building cult. scarlette do on why she’s always rushing to the loo. it is an unspoken truth that the university relies on animal subjects to advance research in a range of disciplines. listen to linus read “census material”. the sweet smell of burnt rubber and stale coffee fades while body odour breaks over my face. it comes with a puff of red smog, similar to the sun’s naked orange floodlight. i force my shovel into a wedge between the body and the tram, and she unsticks. mid 40s, […] “do you think he likes you because you’re asian?” winter is here. why is it called the ‘queer’ department? every fight my significant other and i have is because i refuse to share food. the game allowed you to hurt and degrade the players you knew you could never become. the confusaphone   if it still exists   is not a weapon. thelma and louise cuts deeper as a feminist film by acknowledging that the system, and the odds, are stacked against us. youtube red is a change from the free video sharing and streaming site into a paid subscription monster jesse paris jourdan explores the nation’s first steps into the final frontier. getting distracted in john medley boy george was just as fabulous as ever. ‘fried’ is basically just a show about a shitty kid who is pissed at having been friend zoned by his sexy co worker. proofreading essays while eating tofu curry. a better approach to global health? i’m stuck in a vortex of got binges and can’t bring myself to study for what will be my first ever uni exam period clear blue thoughts swim in familiar eyes, some mornings they say ‘i don’t know you anymore’, looking more closely in the mirror, they say ‘get out of my face!’ this weekend the conversation will reach a new intensity with snowden’s first ever australian (virtual) interview. it’s important that people have ready access to an alternative attitude in broadcasting, away from the pulp of commercial media. bella barker explains 5 tricks to get that h1 on your next exam. mary explains why wom*n’s should be women’s. pineapple on pizza? my mother wrote poems on a green toilet door all the secrets buried in the halls of her chest stories hidden in walls and drawers and floors in a place no one looked, her words would pour black ink on green paint, a place to confess my mother wrote poems on a green toilet door […] read the newest ob reports! martin ditmann, for one, welcomes our new corporate overlord. on human superiority in the jungle book. when i photograph my cat, secretly i consider if the button eyed, belly up portrait is a perfect lost/reward poster, just thinking ahead… now too, each photo of a loved one poses the question   is this a missing person portrait? an obituary photo? “face more forward please,” you never know… a selfie   this is the […] funding for science is set to remain steady in the near future. mtc’s miss julie is frustratingly predictable, flittering between a sort of lydia bennett and a tedious ophelia. weeks 1 12 and the only topic studied: the beach. muggles playing quidditch. passion or appropriation? often as i lay awake, i will raise my left hand above my face and stare. to lose a hand is a hell that is so difficult to simulate. a hand is, foremost, the port of call upon action. a hand is potential. maybe this is why i stare at the remaining one every night, […] what remains of kenneth wilkinson’s diary was recovered from the charred remains of his croydon apartment. on why dungeons and dragons is so spellbinding. ella shi on why economic migrants should still be considered refugees. amie green talks about her goldfish tank in this creative piece. when people tell me that australia lacks an inherent culture   something defining   i tell them to look at car culture. what a peculiar thing to ask. “hotties of melbourne university” goes cold. “bullshit! come off it! our education is not for profit!” if you took a tram through the city yesterday afternoon, you might have heard these fighting words, as around 200 people marched down swanston street and up elizabeth street to protest the government’s proposed changes to the higher education funding system. the national day of action, organised by […] a 350.org campaign entitled “flood the campus” has given the university of melbourne   and six other major australian universities   a deadline of 15 april to commit to cease investing in the fossil fuel industry. the campaign, which is working in conjunction with fossil free groups at these seven universities, pledges to take “bold action” if […] the audience begins a descent into the mind of a comic genius. or a total lunatic. sometimes it’s hard to tell. after twenty years, tripod has lost absolutely zero momentum. dave himself, seems to be surprised he’s on stage and performs as thought this is a dream. split roughly between jacob and luke performing individually, go get mum was consistently funny and thoroughly enjoyable. you might get the chance to lick his chest as the lucky guy sitting in front of me found out. pacquola takes the audience through an assortment stories, mainly about her life as a 33 year old, semi alcoholic cheese eater. he really is a modern day silent movie star in the way he can make you laugh without saying a word. the doug anthony all stars are veterans in their field, drawing some of the comedy festival’s biggest crowds. okine’s comedy is humble and self critical. it’s a refreshing break from the arrogant observational ramblings of some. as a huge fan of the skull donning vigilante, i was very excited about the inclusion of the punisher in this season and can comfortably say my expectations were surpassed. anderson has the audience in illimitable laughter and applause. he’s the type of guy who works to the beat of his own drum and that’s what makes him so special. will reinehr, in the title role of wanka, stood out with a huge stage presence. they aren’t the future of australian comedy. they’re the now. so get around them. essentially my comedy is “penises and how they relate to me”. another festival passed, another year dustier. thank you aunty meredith for a supernatural weekend away. i thought i would ruin the fun of four popular songs to really make you think about what your favourite songs are teaching their audiences. evie gives rio a plant to take back to her planet. will it survive? the line between appropriation and appreciation lies in understanding and acknowledging privilege. a poem written by rose kennedy on fig trees. project ares is a myth, yet the story’s reputation persists despite a lack of clarity and accuracy. it is time to put paid to the paranoia   the experiment never happened. only a brave few heretics would dare question the essence of monogamous love. it seems to me as though everyone and their dog is having an existential crisis these days. belinda lack talks sustainability with the university. duncan caillard talks about the media’s history of violence. ben meurs looks at the artist as freedom fighter. farrago breaks down the proposed flexible academic programming model. “you know, it surprises me every time i sit down to write that there’s some kind of conversation about faith that’s going on in reusing the subjects of aliens and comic books or whatever”. exploring a place of beauty and darkness. this black romantic comedy is anything but black and white in its characterisation rather than just being on the defensive, he says, students are now able to push for improvements to higher education funding. much of how to set a fire and why has to do with lucia’s initiation into a group of arsonists. the future of books is a strange and scary place that most arts students prefer not to think about. the 8am love affair of patrick hoang. does your atar mean less than our universities tell us? justin bieber, he is inescapable, omnipotent to the point that i am constantly trying to find ways to dodge the vaguely symbolic and illuminati­ inspired album cover donnie darko, and the appeal of genre transcendence (and teen angst). the 2016 umsu students’ council has met for the first time, discussing issues including the allocation of student funds and cuts to student department budgets. there’s a piffling argument about when to celebrate the birthday of the world wide web. the worst part about being a stormtrooper is needing to pee. going toe ­to­ toe with luke­fucking­skywalker would probably be easier. i would weave my fingers through the dirty forest of hair on the creature’s heavy head and i would apologise, over and over again. imagine the world 135 million years ago. imagine a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth and the planet did not look anything like it does today. funding barriers at the university of melbourne are preventing refugees and asylum seekers from pursuing an education. a recent report by the refugee council of australia has found asylum seekers and refugees are blocked out of the education system due to funding restrictions. it paints a damning picture of tertiary institutions’ funding allocations. this is particularly […] words are important. they can even be lifesaving. so please, stop trying to take them away. intermittent tales from a ‘check out chick” my boss once told me to turn the music off at work when beach house’s depression cherry was playing because it reminded him too much of a funeral. the governing body of the university of melbourne will see a shift in structure following legislative changes introduced by the andrews government. the amendment to the education and training reform act 2006 will see elected student representatives once again granted voting rights on university councils. the university council is responsible for the appointment of the vice chancellor and […] you were a shadow held aloft, / in a world less vast / but for all these shrinking hearts. “i have to move out of home and find a share house   what are your tips for finding a flatmate?” tchaikovsky’s romantic tales will soothe you like the waters of a hot spring. the grates will throw you head first into the icy waves of the ocean. it very much feels as if nature is king in the grampians, and the structures built in its shadow seem slapdash. coffee is largely a social affair; as such, it’s important to find (non alcoholic) alternatives for those who aren’t impressed with espresso. recent housing reports and concerns for the wage gap raise serious questions for the future of young australians. it’s no secret that housing is an expensive enterprise, but this basic necessity is becoming a near impossible end for millions in the work force. if australia continues to allow the wage gap to increase, and the […] “look, it’s just a really blokey environment. some people just can’t hack it.” i was in a meeting with my manager (a woman) and the store manager, after making a complaint about a 23 year old new male work colleague. i don’t know about you, but i’m not sure if safe workplace environments accommodate someone who: […] it can be heaps of fun being a cyclist, but at times it’s less than great. sometimes this is really nobody’s fault, like when it’s raining (thanks, god!) or when your destination is at the top of a steep hill. but sometimes your bad experience is due to the reckless or downright dickhead ish behaviour of […] if you can cast your mind back to what must be a while ago now, you might recall the eruption of something between a minor furore and a full blown national panic when woolworths ran a campaign, which some have noted may have been misguided, to commemorate the centenary of anzac day and make a little […] it was a cold and drizzly melbourne evening, the sort that seems to sag under the weight of its own dampness. i stood watching the glum faces of overworked melbournians as they trudged home from jobs they hated, to families they’d lost any enthusiasm towards. this spot, one tram stop past the free tram zone, […] the ‘fearsome’ spiny leaf insect when phd student yasaman alavi first saw a spiny leaf insect, it was not exactly love at first sight. “to be honest, i was a bit sceptical of working with them,” she says. “i had never seen insects that big.” spiny leaf insects (extatosoma tiaratum) are large and a little […] trigger warning: graphic depictions of sexual assault “welcome to melbourne, where the local time is 11:40pm. please remain in your seat with your seatbelt fastened until we have come to a complete stop. we hope that you have an enjoyable trip here in melbourne and if you’re fortunate enough to live in this beautiful city, […] as the glitter finally begins to wash out of our hair and the rainbow flags around the country are taken down, we are reminded that mardi gras has come and gone for yet another year. the annual event, which includes an arts festival, fair day, themed parties and of course the big parade, celebrated its […] there’s something about that word  ‘cyclist’. it’s almost as if it’s a way of life, an identity, rather than a means of getting around, a sport or a way to unwind on the weekend. to some extent it is, or can be. but maybe it’s just the way things are here. in many european cities, […] on a quiet suburban street dotted by too few trees, a pair of postmen ride along on electric bikes. the street is wide enough to allow two cars to pass with ease, so in riding side by side these two aren’t risking any trouble from the traffic. “i’ve got mostly letters today, but some interesting […] a while back, you aired a program presenting all the ways international students are ostensibly lowering the standards of australian universities. the first horror film ever made, if you use the term ‘horror film’ loosely and decide to not give a fuck about context, authorial intention or even common sense, was about a train. specifically, it’s about a train arriving at a station in 1896; it’s not some metlink slasher flick, but in fact a silent […] like most of my relationships, the dynamic between bendigo and i can best be described as odd, vacillating and a little bit scandalous. in the period spanning late ’08 to early ‘10, i harboured an acerbic hatred for the place that likes to brand itself a ‘city’ when it can in fact be more accurately […] while saga is a serious story, it never seems to take itself seriously, and its characters are never overburdened with the humourless gravitas that fills the pages of so many high fantasy books. “then, in a higgledy piggledy fashion, with interruptings, rememberings, dead accurate sound effects, impersonations and slight exaggeration we told our extraordinary story to the disbelieving parents.” i first read 45 + 47 stella street and everything that happened when i was eleven and it is still to this day one of the most distinctive portrayals of […] felix is an independent theatre maker and performer from hong kong. now an australian citizen, felix is perfecting her craft by undertaking the masters of directing for performance program at the victorian college of the arts. she has been director, assistant director, and a performer for the arts centre melbourne, melbourne fringe, melbourne theatre company (mtc) […] my first encounter with the cocktail known as the zombie, or the skull puncher as it’s sometimes called, was at an empty tiki bar on a tuesday night. a friend and i were trying to find a place to get a quiet beer and instead had stumbled upon an opportunity to get roaring drunk, en route […] i never saw the waterfall that the path through the trees at the end of the street where i grew up led to. from the day i was born, i knew nature was worthless. i did not enjoy poetry, either. it seemed to me that my twin deficiencies   the inability to derive pleasure from […] i’d concealed the brogue prior to it. let me speak for a few minutes; i won’t be long and i need to tell this. every bloke in my bar as a rule tries   demonstratively   to act tough, though of course they never have to go through with anything. there is equilibrium to my […] petra kalive may be new, but she already has an eye on the future. coming into the role of artistic director of union house theatre at the beginning of a particularly turbulent time for the student union theatre, kalive has a lot on her plate. the relocation of union house is on everyone’s minds, and […] the umsu theatre department’s approach to programming theatre is great. union house theatre works tirelessly to realise works entirely initiated by students. it is one of the only organisations in student theatre nationwide to do this. we are really, really lucky. but this semester, one of the biggest pitfalls of this system has become evident. […] many international students who study in postgraduate courses are struggling with their studies in the first month of semester, asserting it is largely a result of unexpected language difficulties. several of these students come from asian countries. students such as hannah huang, who studies engineering, feel anxious about final academic results. “although there are still […] how do you prepare to study? do you collate notes? order a coffee? temporarily deactivate facebook? get your highlighters in order? or do you pop a pill to get you focused? fun things to do for free in melbourne! just like life’s too short to read a bad book, it’s even shorter to eat a bad parma. in 2015, the george paton gallery is brimming with exhibitions and events showcasing a wide variety of talented students across facilities and campuses. this semester the gallery is pulling back on its inter departmental exhibitions program to focus on student exhibitions. vca proud prize winner spencer lai will be exhibiting after easter with his piece youth, […] education unions are urging education minister christopher pyne to reconsider further pursuing university fee deregulation, with some calling him to “get off his ideological high horse”. on march 17, the senate rejected proposed higher education changes, including the deregulation of university fees, for the second time in three months. however, mr pyne has vowed on multiple […] the university of melbourne removed two designated smoking areas in its parkville campus, showing a tougher move to be a tobacco free university. professor richard james, the pro vice chancellor of equity and student engagement, said the removal of the two designated smoking areas was a deliberate effort to restrict smoking on campus. “we’ll gradually remove more […] on the life and legacy of alan turing. jaccob mckay is a multidisciplinary artist who works in sculpture, installation, photography and sound art. he is currently completing his bachelor of fine arts in contemporary music at the victorian college of the arts. his work deals primarily in themes around nature with a particular view to abstracting the beauty he finds occurring naturally in […] i’m tired. tired of explaining to friends that their desire to take a nap is not equivalent to debilitating fatigue. tired of endless blood tests and waiting lists. tired of jaded university doctors dismissing multiple referrals. tired of being told that my symptoms are all in my head. exhausted. shattered. spent. yet, the most frustrating […] evening lookout sun’s replication of me gone but to return * * * bouncing from one flower to another hungry bee * * * cricket chirps dominate summer’s orchestra eyes wide night * * * afternoon light a stream of golden flakes by the cemetery knowing that my academic record leaves something to be desired, i submitted my internship application for aurora’s internship program minutes before the deadline. i had no more optimism than captured in that motto: you’ve gotta be in it to win it. but i’m proud to say i’m one of the 37 successful interns from 102 […] it’s the start of semester, which means the beginning of the student theatre season, and the beginning of rehearsals! there are an exciting few months ahead for union house theatre, with double digit shows playing, and mudfest, australia’s largest student arts festival in planning for august. if you’re feeling keen to get involved in (pretty […] in a move that will delight doctor who fans, the restoration of a rare electronic music studios (ems) 100 modular analogue synthesiser has just been completed at the melbourne conservatorium of music (mcm). it’s an exact replica of the synthesiser used to create sound effects for the original bbc series! the synthi 100 was shipped […] trigger warning: discussions of transphobia and queerphobia despite the chill, the annual pride march in st kilda this february drew a large and vibrant crowd. it was heart warming to see the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (lgbtqi) community marching together with its allies without fear of harassment or judgment. there was an overwhelming […] by the time farrago goes to print, the federal government will have put its proposed higher education bill to the senate (again). there’s a student national day of action on 25th march set to protest the federal government’s philosophy on higher education. we got ryan cushen to take a look just before the storm hit. […] the university of melbourne has signed a memorandum of understanding with the melbourne football club (mfc) that affirms the institutions’ intention to collaborate on research and community engagement projects. university vice chancellor glyn davis and mfc ceo peter jackson formalised the partnership in late january, noting a shared investment in the future of the city of […] the university of melbourne is set to spend a total of $28 million into two planned off campus developments, beginning this year. the first will be a $26 million contemporary art gallery at the victorian college of the arts (vca), funded by property developer michael buxton to house his personal collection. the second will be a […] my dirty sheets seemed to be the main thing that bothered maria. i remember her telling me that she didn’t like coming here because i never changed the sheets. “everything smells like sweat, weed and pizza,” she said. “don’t you ever clean?” she swiped a finger across the body of my telecaster, and inspected the […] do you remember when you were a child and climate change was still referred to as ‘global warming’? the term climate change became more widely used while ‘global warming’ was adopted by climate change deniers in order to argue their scientifically inaccurate points. they couldn’t wrap their heads around a concept called global ‘warming’ that […] the hottest 100, triple j’s annual australia day countdown of the most popular songs from the previous year, has passed once more. and, once again, it has provoked heated discussion on the relevance and ‘mainstream ness’ of triple j. this year’s countdown has arguably been more controversial than usual, due to the ‘grassroots’ campaign to push […] the stage is set for a crucial year in union house theatre. twenty fifteen may be one of the most turbulent years in recent memory for the university of melbourne’s extracurricular theatre program. the institution faces the new year with petra kalive replacing tom gutteridge as artistic director, new arts officers bonnie leigh dodds and isabella […] it’s only a matter of time before one of my sweethearts gifts me a label maker. it will be a joke, but also not. i really love labels. the sense of security they give, that concrete feeling that you know a thing. the blunt definition thrills me like a seamless translation of a complex text […] at the end of 2013, the university of melbourne decided to implement a business improvement plan (bip), in order to strengthen their position amongst international universities. the plan was to reduce 540 fixed term contract and casual staff by 1 january 2016, without affecting the academic quality of the university. the intent was to save […] the clubs and societies (c&s) committee has proposed several significant changes to clubs this year, including the launch of a clubs collective on tuesday 17 march and the launch of clubs online in semester two. “the clubs collective is an informal meeting where students can meet with [c&s] to discuss issues in clubs, and for […] last year, rutgers university in the us inaugurated a new course of study called ‘politicising beyoncé’. the internet experienced a minor haemorrhage as a result. the announcement presaged a surfeit of online articles exposing other similarly left of field studies offered by american colleges   from princeton’s ‘getting dressed’ seminar (in which you chart the major trials […] the designated smoking areas on campus are a familiar sight to smokers and non smokers alike, introduced last year as part of the university’s transition to being smoke free. while it’s easy to see them as utilitarian, uniform alcoves for sneaking a durry on the way to a lecture, there’s more to these smoky little spots […] podcasts. they’ve always seemed to occupy a beguiling space in the vast, vast realm of downloadable content. are they for the scores of old people who, otherwise preoccupied with getting a hip replacement, missed their favourite radio national show? are they a safe middle ground for the opinionated amongst us who are too restless to […] as an alternative to working or boozing their breaks away, school leavers and university students are increasingly choosing to volunteer their time in developing countries to assist community development. labeled as ‘volunteer tourism’ (voluntourism for short), commercial operators offer young people placements in countries such as ethiopia, cambodia and argentina, in an industry worth an […] once upon a time, the world’s best tennis players were more often than not inclined to skip the australian open. rather than brave the eight week boat trip required to overcome our geographic isolation, it seemed like a better idea to stay put and focus on preparing for the more substantive tournaments in europe and […] trigger warning: illicit drugs. if you ever find yourself travelling down the western highway, north west of melbourne, you’ll eventually pass through horsham, a sleepy wheat and sheep grazing town situated on the banks of the wimmera river. only now fully recovering from years of relentless drought in the nineties, horsham and other rural victorian centres are […] no one ever tells you about the weird stuff before you start working with kids. no one tells you about the multiple bodily fluids (not yours) that will be shared either consciously (the dogs) or unconsciously (the kids). no one tells you about the bruises with no discernable origin that will surface on your skin […] queen bey. yay or nay? you decide. laura foo and harvey duckett battle it off. ellen cregan shares her poetry piece on rhubarb. dexter gillman discusses melbourne’s love affair for the afl. ava k discusses the complex issue of trigger warnings. she has collected a few of the arguments against trigger warnings and explains why they are absolute tripe. did you know that there are some plants that can treat a range of symptoms from your self induced hangover to your university induced headache. rachael o’reilly elaborates on some of these over achieving plants. agony agatha is back…but this time, she responds to a regular column writer from farrago! jack kilbride is back with another music review. this time on drunk mums and woodlock. candy zoccoli gives us her verdict on which films are must sees. melanie basta reviews the popular text; the curious incident of the dog in the night time. charlie lempriere reviews the music group taipan tiger girls. in many places around the world, australia included, the majority of people on bikes are male. is this a problem? alexander sheko believes so. meg sheehan shares her thoughts on caitlyn jenner’s docu series. what do you do when a singer, actor, or sports person that you like   let’s say fave from here on in   says or does something ‘problematic’? jennifer balcomb shares her thoughts on whether to back down or defend your love. rainforests have substantial control over earth’s climate, giving us 60% of all fresh water and 20% of the oxygen we breathe every day. yet nearly one fifth of the largest rainforest; the amazon, has been deforested. the amazon is often described as the lungs of earth. and, like a chain smoker, we are slowly destroying it. ruth de jager discusses the cognitive benefits of video games. why does agatha love reading about murder? find out why… jack reviews fleetwood mac and the darkness. gareth cox martin provides insight into the fast food nugget war. who will win? eliza lennon talks to angie mcmahon about her music journey. australia in the wine world, is the infamous breadth that everyone during their time at melbourne uni thinks about doing. with so many misconceptions about the subject, it’s time to clarify these myths. corey mccabe discusses the liberal party’s spill and their new leader malcolm turnbull. declan mulcahy talks to farrago about his positive experience directing a show at the arts festival; mudfest. university of melbourne or university of smellbourne? for words by jenny van veldhuisen ah, melbourne uni, the innumerable things i could write about you. the usual clichés are to be expected in my argument: your consistently high world university rankings; your prestige and history that saturates the beautiful old timey buildings; your notable alumni; and your […] this year’s umsu student elections included a ban on mentions of the holocaust, as well as another ban on grounds of assault. there also accusations on the grounds of holocaust denial between members of fresh and left action. returning officer for the election jaimie adam prohibited anyone from mentioning it for the remainder of the […] opposition leader bill shorten and the shadow minister for education kim carr today visited the university of melbourne to speak briefly to a small crowd of students and press at north court. they continued their fight against tony abbott’s unpopular budget with a rousing speech clearly aimed to incite the student body to fight against […] the university of melbourne union was set up in 1884, recognising a need to promote the interests of students on campus and to promote social activities between members. the fact that we are still standing almost 130 years later (albeit having undergone several reincarnations) perhaps indicates that they were onto something in the 1880s. student […] when david told me about this dream i didn’t know him, and i can’t really say that i know him now. he was a friend of my then girlfriend lucy, who took me and a few carloads of others camping in central australia last november, when a bad year was finally reaching its end. one afternoon, […] our apartment was always littered with glasses and mugs. they never confined themselves to a single room, they followed our scattered paths all excitement and groans as we got ready each night. evidence of how we led our lives, and the liquids that fuelled them. we pulled at our wardrobes until clothes fell onto our bodies. we’d […] gossling isn’t a name that would be foreign to anyone with half a thought for the australian independent music scene. with a trio of eps to her name, plentiful festival appearances, and a debut record about to be released, helen croome has got it all going her way. farrago: let’s talk about the record for […] in a decade or two’s time, when my son asks me how i became a c grade comedian, part time tutor, and freelance writer, i will proudly tell him i attended the university of melbourne. i’ll get so excited by his question that i’ll arrange a sunday afternoon father son trip to parkville. we’ll gaze up at the […] i had never seen so many machines in the one place at one time. they were all connected to me. a sea of coloured scrubs surrounded me and everybody was smiling. they said i had been in a car accident and it was thursday. my family were outside. you want to know the first thing […] if you’ve ever taken a gander inside a sharehouse refrigerator then you too have felt the nausea, lightheadedness and fear that grips you like a vice and shakes you to your core. your nostrils burn, your eyes water, your gag reflex activates. you think, ‘it smells like something died in here’. and you’re right something did […] american figure skater johnny weir is worried about competing at the sochi winter olympics. “just walking down the street, going to get starbucks in the morning […] somebody could arrest me jsut because i look too gay,” he told cbs news. does it seem too absurd to contemplate? alarmingly, this snippet of russian legislation means […] maps are cool. ok, maybe only in a nerdish kind of way way but that’s cool enough, right?. today, anyone can create their own own, thanks to the fact that a lot of research data is now posted online. the rise of huge (and slightly creepy) data gathering satellites along with the increased interactive abilities of the internet have […] the future of the student services and amenities fee is now up for discussion as tony abbott’s prime ministership kicks into gear. while ‘pm abbott’ might take a while to roll off the tongue, his consistent opposition to the ssaf and models of compulsory student unionism have many asking exactly how much longer the fee […] homo sapiens: they wash your car, repair your ipods and designed your myki. heck, if you’re reading this, i’m supposing that you’re not a rare, literate goanna you’re probably a homo sapiens too! is it not a remarkable thing to be a member of a truly puzzling and, in many ways, unique species within earth’s biosphere? […] brian king of japandroids is hunched over the mic. his entire body heaves. “when they love you and they will/ (and they will!)/ i’ll tell ‘em all they’ll love in my shadow/ and if they try to slow you down/ (slow you down)/ tell them all to go to hell.” lying atop outstretched hands are […] in april, the federal government announced plans to cut $2.8 billion from tertiary funding in order to help pay for the gonski school reforms. in an interview with farrago, the university of melbourne’s vice chancellor professor glyn davis was asked whether the link between university and school funding is more logical or political. “i think it’s […] university staff could strike or protest on campus this year after voting for industrial action on working conditions. the national tertiary education union (nteu) and the university have been negotiating a new collective agreement, which would cover staff from professors and tutors to security guards. nteu campaigner and archivist at the baillieu library katie wood […] students from universities around melbourne gathered at the state library on may 14 to protest against the federal government’s proposed $2.3 billion cuts to tertiary education funding. the protests call for a cancellation of the cuts proposed to facilitate the gonski reforms earlier this year. they also demand free education and a different allocation of […] the university of melbourne will begin releasing the results of the subject experience surveys (ses) to students this semester. while the survey questions have not changed, this decision demonstrates a step by the university towards more interactive student feedback on the standard of education they are receiving. the ses results are to be released via […] this is an election year. a desperate time for everyone in this vast and empty country, but especially for those men and women in cheap polyester suits and $10 haircuts whom we call politicians. soon, the more reflective among the nation will plunge into a miasma of despair, out of which, there is no clear […] michelle see tho reports on the two steps forward, one step back education policy that’s costing us millions. funding for universities will take a massive blow this year, despite demand from multiple bodies for increased funds. the federal government announced that it would cut more than $2 billion worth of funding for the higher education sector […] i fell for a friend at the falls. the time knew, did not intend didn’t mean a thing at all. a matter of blood physical. below the stream disorient and fell on rocks at the falls. in water resounding stories saw her ‘selfish lover’ in the air doubt it didn’t mean a thing at all. grazed […] you must take the urine stained stretch of sidewalk leading to the nearest station. you count the time you have to hold your breath by the cracks in the pavement, but get distracted by the sight of something dead and undignified by the fence something with fur and feathers mashed into a slab of brain and guts. […] in sum a group of pilgrims, of backgrounds high and low, hold a story telling competition. the trip to canterbury is passed in sledging, blaspheming, and storifying: pilgrimy piety is largely (mercifully) absent. why the world thinks you should read it the first modern ( ish) english work to canvass the great and glorious grottiness of man, […] last month, the age released their annual the age good food under $30 (formerly known as the cheap eats guide). to be included in this so called tight arse guide for foodies, one must be able to get a decent meal for under $30 (not including drinks). for most university students, $30 is nowhere near cheap. therefore, for the true cheapskates, […] a famous guy once noted that there are more micro organisms living on or in the human body than there are cells. this fact might make your skin crawl. actually, the skin crawling could just be the mites living in your pores… the fact is most microbes that inhabit your body won’t cause you any harm […] when michael crichton wrote jurassic park way back in 1990, the idea that extinct animals could be brought back through cloning technology wasn’t pure fantasy, though it was certainly at the fringes of what was conceivable at the time. but time passes, and science marches ever on. on march 15th, the national geographic society and […] it’s almost midnight and i’m in hosier lane. my slick new friend jones asks me to ‘spot’ him. he is wearing brand new nikes and has a pair of oakley sunglasses balanced on his head. from nowhere he produces an enormous silver roller marker, does a lay up off some broken milk crates, and in one movement […] the national union of students (nus) held snap rallies on 17 april to protest $2.3 billion worth of cuts made by the gillard government to fund the gonski education reforms for primary and secondary schools. the cuts include wipeouts of payment discounts for upfront hecs help repayments, conversion of student start up scholarships to hecs style loans […] a re structure of the university of melbourne student union (umsu) and the melbourne university student union ltd (musul) passed by students’ council on 17 december 2012 will see the introduction of four advisory groups (ags) to umsu operations. the changes mean that control of student services previously the responsibility of musul, including union house theatre […] the passing of a motion by students’ council that “celebrates [margaret thatcher’s] death unreservedly” was disrespectful to margaret thatcher, her family, and her friends in their time of grieving. one should deal with political differences by attacking the ideas, not the person. at the very least, thatcher’s critics should be respectful enough to let her […] the past week has seen a vitriolic attack, led by the campus liberal club, against the student union and its right to free speech. i’m a left action councillor involved in moving the anti thatcher motion that sparked this attack, and would like to make two brief points. firstly, the anti thatcher motion is consistent with the […] recently umsu engaged in a low, vile and repugnant act. it celebrated the death of an eighty seven year old woman. in doing this umsu forgot the foundation of morality; the basic undeniable dignity inherent in every person. a self worth that belongs to a person no matter what they do, who thy are or their political […] student activism has been awakened at parkville after a period of slumber, over a controversial motion passed at students’ council that ‘celebrated unreservedly’ the death of margaret thatcher. left action students’ councillor patrick alves brought the motion. it included the condemnation of thatcher’s support for right wing dictators like pinochet and suharto, her violent crushing of […] even the most casual reader will tell you, the publishing landscape has changed. the last decade has shaken the industry with an increase in technologisation and a further decrease in people actually willing to pick up a book. marketing techniques as dispiriting as ‘buy one book, get one free e book’ have followed in an effort […] sometimes a military man can sneak his way up through the ranks without anyone realising that he is actually a dangerously incompetent chump. some such men will scrape through without getting thousands of their own men killed. baratieri, however, was not one of them. how does a man go from italy’s most celebrated commander to […] i’m over the gay bar. i think it started when i came back from california. while studying abroad, i took a class on the history of the gay bar. however, i also spent this time exhausting the west hollywood club scene. by the time i came back to melbourne, it was understandably time for a […] i caught up with a fellow student the other day for coffee. i asked her how her part time job was going. nonchalant, she replied that she was unemployed, and that it was nice to have more time on her hands since leaving her job as a waitress in a small, but well known restaurant. when […] the geriatric dude’s overtaking me. again. i take a look behind because i’m sure someone’s laughing at me. it’s raining and i’m jogging around princes park. i wanna throw up in my coach’s face. rest assured, this is all part of my genius plan to kick social anxiety’s ass by putting myself in situations that interest […] the student exchange program is an opportunity for hundreds of students to visit the university of melbourne for one semester. the aim is for foreign students to experience cultural life in melbourne while contributing to their academic education, but in many cases the academic side is of secondary importance. grades usually don’t count towards their […] we’ve never worked well within a theme. bustling within these pages is the collective psyche of the student body excitable, scruffy, and untamable. literally defined as a ‘confused mixture’, even the dictionary thinks farrago is a bit of a mess. but as your words started rolling in to fill these motley pages, collections of ideas seemed to […] first of all you have to get a hold of some music, so you fork out $20 for a cd, record, itunes download or whatever other obscure format a band is putting their work on. then it turns out that they have a massive back catalogue you weren’t aware of. so now it’s your responsibility, […] christine todd grades our political parties. labor policies > introduced clean energy bill with the support of greens and several independents, carbon pricing scheme implemented. > implemented plain cigarette packaging laws, fought off a constitutional challenge from the big tobacco companies. > maintained the health of the economy during the gfc. > introduced minerals resources rent […] james zarucky explains the careers of filmy people. in a career spanning more than three decades, austrian director michael haneke has established himself as one of the most important contemporary european auteurs. his films are notable for their unrelentingly austere style and disturbing subject matter. the director himself has stated that he wishes to challenge […] kevin hawkins explores new ways to keep yourself entertained in a city you thought you’d exhausted. the sidney myer music bowl is like a red flag to a bull to a cheapskate like me. the amphitheatre with its wire fences and unobstructed sound just begs for me to find a way to beat the system. […] nothing gives students more joy than mi goreng. however, eating it plain every day can get pretty old, so here are five ways to make noodles and msg more interesting. 1. substitute the hydrogenated vegetable oil for dashes of sesame oil to give the noodles a pleasant, nutty flavour. simple, yet effective. 2. go all […] merran reed investigates the pains and gains of young people heading down the mines. a couple of years ago i worked as a flight attendant flying miners to the various mine sites around western australia. places with names like coyote, nifty, area c or (my favourite) cloudbreak. the other girls and i had a game […] alexander sheko investigates bike safety in the cbd. there is no doubt cyclists are vulnerable road users. in 2011, one fatality, 70 serious injuries and 200 other injuries were reported among cyclists in the city of melbourne. perry singleton, a melbourne university student, was recently hospitalised following a collision with a car caused by the […] welcome to edition 1, 2013. best coffee kere kere is the best cup on campus pay for a beverage, collect your playing card and then decide whether a portion of the proceeds goes back to the owner or to social, environmental or cultural causes. best toilet tip if in doubt of the location of the amenities, your closest toilets will be […] $9/hr the hourly rate that barack obama wants to raise the minimum wage to by 2015. it’s currently us$7.25. in australia it’s $15.96. “we are bound to each other in this land and always will be. let us be bound in justice and dignity as well.”  julia gillard introducing the act of recognition of aboriginal […] samantha riegl shares the best spots to be a sophisticated cheapskate. platform, platform art spaces, degraves st subway tucked away in campbell arcade, platform has been running for over twenty years. during this time, the 13 glass windows, vitrine and sample space have housed work from many established and emerging artists. the space is simple […] in sum agamemnon appropriates achilles’ wife. achilles throws suitably epic tantrum, refusing to help agamemnon and achaeans besiege troy; both armies suffer heavy losses, described in lovingly gory detail. gods score numerous sacrificial oxen and respond in novel and unhelpful ways. achilles rages on. and on. and on and on and on… why the world […] if i could remember, i’d tell you how much it hurt to see the sun coming through on your shoulder, where i held you for the thousandth time. how i was just the right amount of drunk and awake to notice the tan line on your neck, and miss the hostile cold of a hung […] re: behind the veil shalom and salaam, having just spent the last few weeks in a steamy hot israel and palestine, i thought it pertinent to have a gander at the situation gay in the middle east. we’re not limiting ourselves just to israel and palestine because then i couldn’t recount last night’s tryst with […] in the good old days of lunchtime four square, i spent more time waiting in the queue than playing on the court. it wasn’t that i was a particularly bad downballer; it was just that my friends were much better than me. and so one day, i put forward an idea. instead of participating, i […] few people know who daniel andrews is. at first i was going to begin this article with the moniker, “daniel who?” but after interviewing andrews, who is the victorian state opposition leader, i immediately changed my mind. two thing strike me about andrews: he is the sort of down to earth friend you could laugh and socialise […] partner rape and intimate partner sexual assault (ipsa) are forms of assault in which a person is sexually abused by their partner, spouse or someone else they are intimately involved with. despite the fact that they make up a majority of sexual assault cases, these forms of sexual violence don’t get a lot of press. […] fact or fiction? science fiction has minimal grounding in reality. while stephen hawking and illustrious company may still be going back and forth on time travel, we can all agree that overdosing on gamma radiation will incinerate you, not turn you into the incredible hulk. yet fret not, science students! like minded individuals have achieved scientific […] norwegian four piece, razika, offer always uplifting pop rock with a strong ska influence. tonally, they are a female, european incarnation of american hipsters real estate. water drop guitar licks and trebly rhythms doused in ceaseless reverb are just some shared features. overall, program 91 offers little in terms of originality, but still manages to endear the listener through […] grizzly bear   shields grizzbear don’t disappoint. they are like the anti mickey rourke of the music industry, in that they don’t inspire fear and discomfort, and vomit on your floor in the middle of the night.* perhaps a little less accessible than pop delights such as “two weeks” from veckatimest, but what shields lacks in […] dolphins are scarily intelligent. while the dolphin apocalypse predicted in that one episode of the simpsons may be a little out of their reach, they’re still far more cognitively advanced than we might be comfortable acknowledging. they have incredibly complex social structures, which even transcend species. spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins have been observed hunting together and even looking […] do you know what the most important part of a dish is? is it the taste? the subtle balance of sweet and salty? the freshness of the ingredients? i’ll let you in on a secret. it’s the garnish. that’s right. that little sprig of parsley. the smear of a tangy coulis beside a delicious vanilla […] in the old testament is the story of noah and his ark. two by two, each animal was placed on the ark saving them from a flood that would decimate the land. but vca student and multi disciplined artist jake preval is asking, “what of the animals who didn’t make it aboard?” his exhibition costumes for the […] in the penultimate edition for 2012, farrago tackles sexuality in sport. in recent weeks, melbourne university graduate and country footballer jason ball came out publicly to petition the afl to tackle homophobia within the sport and its community. his action took great courage and has already yielded positive outcomes with the afl screening ‘no to homophobia’ advertisements […] when jennifer kanis walked into melbourne university as a 17 year old student she found the place daunting. 25 years and three degrees later, she looks at the tertiary institution and sees a plethora of challenges and opportunities. but as melbourne’s new state member, she can ill afford to still be intimidated. after forging successful careers as a […] the university of melbourne student union (umsu) and its service provision appendage, melbourne university student union limited (musul) is set to undergo a restructure. after the restructure, umsu will manage all student related students services. musul will manage everything back of house, such as finances, human resources, and the union house building. umsu general manager justin baré […] a major problem in schools american schools (and, let’s face it, australian ones too), bullying affects the lives of millions of children and families each and every year. driven by his own experiences as a child, new york documentarian lee hirsch shines a light on five especially troubling cases, in order to bring greater attention […] “we’re all just protons, neutrons, electrons that rest on a sunday, work on a monday,” or so the cat empire tells us. yet the truth is always more complicated, as revealed on 4 july this year when the higgs boson discovery was announced at the international conference on high energy physics in melbourne. yes, we […] husky, one of melbourne’s finest newcomers, now well and truly a part of the international music community, took the time to chat with james burgmann shortly after their hour long set at melbourne uni’s north court. overcoming extreme jetlag and fatigue, they managed to muster up the energy to discuss their amazing album, forever so, fake […] it. is. everywhere. a curious grandma totters into readings, “do you have that new book, really popular, something about shades of green?” the sales assistant, jaded from answering this question all day, replies: “50 shades of grey is sold out across our stores, we’re hoping to get some next week.” “oh,” granny pushes on regardless, […] yeasayer, arguably one of the most popular postmodern bands around, has produced a highly listenable and groovy third studio album. though not quite reaching the extraordinary feat that was their second album, odd blood (2010), fragrant world is laudable for its wholistic, cohesive electro sound. on odd blood every track was just so damn easy to […] i would like to draw your attention to waste that in the umsu welfare department. federal elections and the future of journalism telephone calls, lady goats, and the westralian elections. me want beer now. melbourne university leads the increase in full fee students key constitutional changes passed to strengthen umsu's handling of sexual misconduct a content warning, an acknowledgement of country, and an introduction to the team that made this happen. join anytime fitness carlton & you’ll get a $200 club credit! this is a test news article for new way 1. final countdown: nsp move 2. keep your webpages current 3. public holidays + scheduled events we've heard you loud and clear! over 1000 of you signed a petition for a general meeting about the uni's involvement in weapons research. a word from the editorial team update on stance on conflict in gaza. a half tongue in cheek, half sincere overview of this year in the department show your student id card and enjoy a 10% discount. instore: 20% off frank green bottles & 10% discount on other products score a free 3 month bicycle network membership. 1. volunteer program review 2. new pcs arriving 3. employee management system umsu calls on the university of melbourne to respect and protect students' fundamental human rights. an overview of our department, our mascot, and how to find us 1. moving updates! 2. reminder: basecamp response times 3. collect your sem 1 a1s umsu's stance on war in gaza. free spine & posture assessments and a 10% discount umsu is committed to safe student activism   and we have a guide for that! three pieces of artwork: 'ocd instruction manual', 'on off', and 'transformed' use discount code umsu for $5 off 1. 'request a project' is back! 2. figma: self service design option 3. new ida bar booking system by della johnston the results of the referendum last saturday are incredibly disappointing, hurtful and frustrating. umsu acknowledges and respects the call for a week of silence shared by indigenous leaders following the result. by matthew denipitiya the racism at unimelb survey aims to capture experiences of racism of students of colour at the university of melbourne, the findings of the report will form the base of the third edition of the racism at unimelb report. by eleanore arnold moore statement from umsu queer re: email from dean of arts regarding fight transphobia unimelb stickers the university of melbourne student union (umsu) supports ‘yes, but...’ in the upcoming voice to parliament referendum on 14 october. 1. building aboriginal cultural competency workshop 2. pop up covid 19 vax at parkville 3. winterfest staff survey “no one left behind”? statement on federal budget. umsu stands in solidarity with the sudanese community and calls for an end for the war in sudan my experience with sensory processing difficulties as an autistic person student solidarity pledge with the nteu student voice via student representation: umsu position on msf //cw: sexual assault and harassment, stealthing, online abuse// umsu stands in solidarity with protests against the iranian government umsu stands in solidarity with the msa and monash muslim students psssst   hey unimelb, want to improve your qilt score? umsu’s here to help! statement regarding proposed "umsu stands with palestine   bds and solidarity policy". camp excerpts   queers &disabilities featured artist statement regarding umsu motion on palestine and consultation process. an excerpt: read more in camp or on our website winterfest microsite live acknowledgement of country: guidelines contacting the events team statement regarding 'umsu stands with palestine   bds and solidarity policy' motion. cw: sexual assault and harassment. my experience in uncovering hidden hearing loss divest now, unimelb! a statement from the umsu president, women's and southbank departments on sexual misconduct at the university of melbourne. remembering judy heumann, camp jened and the disability civil rights movemen a statement on ukraine   umsu stands in solidarity with ukraine against current military attacks from russia. winterfest hoodies vote on your favourite name for umsu font reprint finalisation extended validate your vaccination status now to avoid de allocation from your in person classes! 1. nsp move updates 2. help name the *new* umsu typeface! 3. opt in for ig takeovers happy new year! i hope everyone has had a restful holiday and continue to stay safe. winterfest 2022 key dates and deadlines reconciliation action plan working group   eois still open! winterfest is coming 'request a project' closed for sem 1 what's happening with the nsp? zoom reports in agms risk assessments   use the correct template grant applications close   october 22, midnight training (icymi   september 18) 1. ‘umsu stands with palestine   bds and solidarity policy’ motion 2. reminder: social media content moderation 3. social media posting suspended diy designs incoming mail deliveries website tip   alt text covidsafe processes unimelb holiday   easter tuesday free flu shots new whole organisation calendar final day for adobe requests creating repeating events on web new admin email new credit card staff and obs adobe software request new student precinct induction refreshers umsu in the news easter break! events at umsu job opportunity: operations officer support to adjust your events summerfest survey collect your a1 posters thanks for summerfest sso and staff logins on website help desk moving summerfest is here major events next week website update don't forget to validate your vaccination status before you return to campus! every student attending campus must validate their vaccination status (vaccinated or exempt) beforehand if you haven't already. new website check links, events, news! new intranet priority for returning to campus, preliminary to returning to campus. process for returning to campus and how umsu supports staff and student representatives the president of the academic board has resolved that results from semester 2 2021 will not be included in students’ wam calculation if they are below their current wam benchmark. it is the exact same settings that were in place last year, on the back of umsu’s initial wamnesty campaign. summerfest 2022   less than one month to go! 1. summerfest online: hopin info session and test event 2. covid safe planning for department events 3. summerfest key dates and info sometimes, it’s fun to imagine that the pursuit of your education is like a grand quest in the tradition of lord of the rings (especially if you are trying to procrastinate). after all, you are after that precious (a.k.a your degree). there’s only so much information a brain can hold. all those books talking about the brain that can heal itself or neuroplasticity of memory can go and stuff themselves. uht’s jacob shears takes us through the basics of lighting for a theatre environment uht’s connor ross takes us through the 5 steps for making an effective sound design. uht’s stage carpenter/mechanist allen laverty talks through how to use a hand saw correctly and efficiently. summerfest update website sso project reminders everything you need to know about the university's recent vaccination validation deadline. there’s something really satisfying about watching jim carey over enunciate and over emote his lines in liar liar. particularly “i object!”. you’re nearly there at the end. you can’t wait to clear that last exam so you can fall asleep with a straw feeding you milkshake intra mouthly from that maccas post exam feast. it’s only 3 hours and you’re home free. uht’s stage carpenter/mechanist allen laverty talks through how to use a square. uht’s head technician clynton jones talks through the basics of how to correctly set up and pack up mic stands. everyone struggles at the end of semester. sometimes the stress to meet deadlines or the pressure of sitting exams becomes too difficult for some students. cw // discussions of sexual assault and harassment, without explicit detail. umsu welcomes the university’s recent sexual misconduct prevention and response policy as?an important step forward in creating a safer campus. uht's stage carpenter/mechanist allen laverty talks through the contents of a basic tool kit for making theatre sets. the beginning of first semesters at university have a particular magic to them   a sense of newness, re invention, and of freedom. if you’re a first year, they’re the beginning of a course, shiny like glitter in the sun. umsu and the media office are located in the city of melbourne, on the land of the wurundjeri people of the kulin nations. we pay our respects to their elders   past, present and emerging   and acknowledge that the land we are on was stolen and sovereignty was never ceded. it always was, and always will be, aboriginal land.

supported by big wins for beyoncé, kendrick lamar and chappell roan. standout performances from doechii and sabrina carpenter. a conversation about why the 2025 awards worked. doechii and chappell roan brought dramatic performances and heartfelt speeches, new artists stole the spotlight and men took a back seat at the 67th annual awards. by jon caramanica, joe coscarelli, caryn ganz, jon pareles and lindsay zoladz see what nominees and guests for the 67th grammy awards, including taylor swift, charli xcx and doechii, wore to arrive for the ceremony. by the styles desk a guide to everything you need to know for the 67th annual awards on sunday night. by annie aguiar la academia de la grabación, que sigue adelante con el espectáculo previsto para el 2 de febrero en los ángeles, también ha contratado a sabrina carpenter, charli xcx y otras estrellas. by ben sisario the recording academy, moving forward with the show as planned on feb. 2 in los angeles, has also booked sabrina carpenter, charli xcx and other stars. by ben sisario celebrities packed into a suite at the chateau marmont in los angeles for the w magazine party on saturday night. by jacob bernstein the power of a lasting song is that it breaks free of its origins. hits should be more than celebrity narratives. by jon pareles our pop music critics on the biggest stories of 2024. by melissa kirsch, jon pareles, lindsay zoladz, jon caramanica, john white, kate lopresti, wendy dorr, diane wong and daniel ramirez in six months, the (once) underground pop singer and songwriter played her version of the fame game, sampling the highs and lows of genuine stardom. by lindsay zoladz a conversation about how peak pop stars are thinking of lps in an increasingly singles driven landscape. a musical memoir of our critic’s 2024, with tracks from mj lenderman, cass elliot and women. by lindsay zoladz listen to 68 tracks that made major statements, boosted big beefs, propelled up and comers and soundtracked the party this year. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and lindsay zoladz fue un año electoral. un año olímpico. un año de estrellas y vaqueras, brujas y cisnes. en medio de todo eso, estas fueron las personas, personajes y cosas que más llamaron la atención. by the styles desk nuestros críticos de música reunieron una lista de lo más destacado con ritmos y artistas que van desde el pop, country, hiphop, música regional mexicana, pop africano y mucho más. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and lindsay zoladz it was an election year. an olympic year. a year of brats and cowboys, witches and swans. amid it all, these people, characters and things stood out. by the styles desk charli xcx, mk.gee and mj lenderman top our pop music critics’ lists this year. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and lindsay zoladz sarah sherman plays matt gaetz as well as the widow of p’nut, the conservative darling of the rodent world, while charli xcx and pals serenade a mom to be. by dave itzkoff charli xcx, billie eilish, chappell roan y sabrina carpenter competirán en las categorías más importantes, junto con taylor swift y kendrick lamar. by ben sisario a look at the nominations’ unexpected and intriguing story lines, including the role of an absent drake, the validation of andré 3000’s flute music and overlooked gems. by elena bergeron, jon caramanica, joe coscarelli, jon pareles and lindsay zoladz charli xcx, billie eilish, chappell roan and sabrina carpenter will compete in the biggest categories, along with taylor swift and kendrick lamar. by ben sisario artists, albums and songs competing for trophies at the 67th annual ceremony were announced on friday. the show will take place on feb. 2 at crypto.com arena in los angeles. the visionary producer died in 2021. her collaborators finished what she left behind. by kate lopresti, wendy dorr, rowan niemisto and jon pareles hear tracks by victoria monét, samara joy, the linda lindas and others. by jon pareles a performance and art installation by charli xcx lured her fans out of the club and into nature. by callie holtermann actors, designers and musicians turned out at a party to celebrate the business of fashion’s annual index of industry leaders. by jessica roy anticipated debuts and long awaited follow ups are due this season. our critics plucked out a list of the most notable. by jon pareles, lindsay zoladz and hank shteamer the semiprecious stone, which is the august birthstone, is typically the same slime lime shade as the trending hue of the summer. by victoria gomelsky revisit contenders from sabrina carpenter, kendrick lamar and billie eilish. by lindsay zoladz hear music from pairings that include lady gaga and bruno mars, and post malone and chris stapleton. by lindsay zoladz hear tracks by mj lenderman, miranda lambert, asap rocky featuring jessica pratt and others. by jon pareles and lindsay zoladz our take on the color of the summer. by kate lopresti, sara curtis, lynn levy, diane wong, stella bugbee, callie holtermann and madison malone kircher “this is not millennial pink. the energy behind it is alive.” by callie holtermann desde que el presidente biden se retiró de la contienda y dio su apoyo a harris, los viejos y conocidos memes de kamala han resurgido. lo que ha cambiado es su interpretación. by amanda hess the same unflattering supercuts and photoshop jobs once used to denigrate harris have now been flipped into celebratory artifacts of her candidacy. by amanda hess coconut emojis, charli xcx mash ups and a bunch of grainy lime green video clips. what to know about the latest iteration of the kamala harris fandom. by madison malone kircher charli xcx, john legend and other musicians posted messages supporting the vice president’s nomination, while fans remixed an old speech into pop hits on tiktok. by maya salam having spent her career on the cool girl fringes, the model rocketed to mainstream fame with a high profile engagement and a mention from charli xcx. by jessica roy billie eilish, charli xcx and lorde are among a group of young women who are revealing, in their music, the pressure they have felt to look thin. by lindsay zoladz listen to lorde tell her side of the story on a surprise remix with charli xcx and more new songs. by lindsay zoladz the pop songwriter’s sixth album is in some ways her most daring release yet. improbably, it also yielded her best opening week. lorde adds guest vocals to charli xcx’s “girl, so confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory. by lindsay zoladz billie eilish is no. 2, and charli xcx debuts strong at no. 3. by ben sisario fans of the new charli xcx album count themselves among them. but the term “brat” has cropped up elsewhere in culture lately, and it has subtly different meanings. by emma madden our critic’s favorite new songs by elyssa dudley, kate lopresti, tina antolini, daniel ramirez and jon pareles hear tracks by soccer mommy, tems, floating points and others. by jon pareles and lindsay zoladz recent tracks from charli xcx, a.g. cook, caroline polachek and st. vincent capture the producer’s philosophy and humanity, but not necessarily her signature sound. by shaad d’souza the actress, writer and new york icon discusses her post kanye career, what it’s like to see her past go viral and the history of “it girl” pop songs. prep for the arrival of her new album, “brat,” with 11 songs from her catalog (and 10 bonus tracks!). by lindsay zoladz hear tracks by prince, young miko, the black keys and others. by jon pareles and lindsay zoladz a conversation about a title that emerged from stan communities, and how it’s played a role in pop singers’ careers. hear tracks by rhiannon giddens, norah jones, les amazones d’afrique and others. by jon pareles and lindsay zoladz how radiohead, whitney houston, meat loaf and others made a point with punctuation. hear songs by carly rae jepsen, charli xcx, troye sivan and more. pop’s middle class enjoys loyal online fan bases. for these artists, pop stardom isn’t a commercial category, but a sound, an aesthetic and an attitude. by shaad d’souza in 2022, the brit awards merged its top artist prizes to include male, female and nonbinary acts. this year, the event faced backlash for not nominating any women. by alex marshall seventy tracks that identify, grapple with or simply dance away from the anxieties of yet another uncertain year. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and lindsay zoladz the singer and songwriter’s career has inspired dance parties, as well as spirited conversations about her ambitions and aesthetic innovations. the eight member group sold more than 100,000 copies of its new mini album, “oddinary,” on cd, which came in an array of collectible versions. by ben sisario the friends and collaborators have taken very different paths in the music industry. joining up on a track from charli’s new album, “crash,” they talked about their crucial camaraderie. by melena ryzik a selection of entertainment options, including a guide to sci fi films that are streaming now. by danielle dowling our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually and in person in new york city. hear tracks by jenny lewis, tnght, dawn richard and others. by jon pareles, isabelia herrera, giovanni russonello and lindsay zoladz hear tracks by charli xcx, bobby shmurda, japanese breakfast and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica, isabelia herrera and giovanni russonello hear tracks by drake featuring rick ross, bruno mars and anderson .paak, bebe rexha and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and giovanni russonello the singer recently released music that tangles together metal, dubstep and hard core punk, “all these hypermasculine, testosterone filled genres.” by dani blum tracks responding to real time events and a spectrum of moods captured the hodgepodge feelings of life in lockdown. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and lindsay zoladz a lifelong fan of zines and riot grrrl music, seth bogart makes work that pays tribute to the secret histories that formed him. by jenn pelly every two decades or so, the old becomes stylishly new. and now the pop artifacts of the y2k era   winking futurism, loads of glitter, “trl” style videos   are back, with an update. by lindsay zoladz hear tracks by laura marling, frank ocean, charli xcx and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica, caryn ganz and giovanni russonello hear tracks by sza and justin timberlake, gorillaz, phoebe bridgers and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica, caryn ganz and giovanni russonello hear tracks by perfume genius, the lumineers, charli xcx and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and giovanni russonello hear tracks by pusha t, charli xcx and haim, vagabon and others. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and giovanni russonello revisiting the lives of extraordinary women. 25 songs driving pop music. the social media command of stoneman douglas students and more. by remy tumin hear the week's most notable new music, from the return of sugarland to laura marling covering a bob dylan classic. by jon pareles, jon caramanica and giovanni russonello jack antonoff said he spent “countless studio hours” recording a new version of “strange desire” with female artists who have inspired him. by joe coscarelli these 10 stories showcase musicians and their style, both on stage and off. by t magazine “sucker” is far more direct than charli xcx’s first album; it’s smart, loud, cheeky, gimmick loving pop, intent on making every song go bang. by jon pareles onstage at the iheartradio concert friday night at madison square garden, performers including taylor swift, iggy azalea, ariana grande and sam smith worked to impress the audience. by jon pareles unafraid of color charli xcx, the english pop star, favors dark eyes and bold lips. by bee shapiro charli xcx, a myspace prodigy, is developing into a more mature performer. by jon caramanica a new remix of her hit song “boom clap” premieres here. by rob ledonne for many bands, tuesday was the start of a very long week in austin as they try to stand out from the others. by james c. mckinley jr.

plus, jessica mauboy shares her highlights of the design showcase.by dani maher each year in august, darwin comes to life as the darwin aboriginal art fair (daaf), national indigenous fashion awards (nifa), and country to couture runways light up the northern territory capital with a showcase of the vibrant talent the region has to offer. on larrakia country, daaf showcases contemporary fine art and innovation fashion from more than 70 aboriginal and torres strait islander art centres across australia, with this year’s fair running from august 9 to 11. and just ahead of the fair, larrakia country played host to nifa on august 7, recognising the best talent in first nations design, while country to couture spotlighted fashion excellence on august 6 with a total of 20 collections presented over two runways. this year at the nifa awards, winners were announced across seven categories, from a shortlist of 36 finalists. this year’s awards went to: this year saw a first time two sold out runways make up country to couture. show one, titled ‘underfire: hear our voice’, uplifted activism and expression, encouraging designers to “keep the fire burning” through first nations fashion; while show two, ‘boundless: always was, always will be’ celebrated cultural stories and deep connections to country. among the many collections presented were designers like gammin threads, ikuntji artists, and yalanji artists   while models like elaine george and cindy rostron walked the runway. for the second year running, national treasure jessica mauboy has served as the darwin aboriginal art fair foundation (daaff) community ambassador, and she was thrilled to be back in her hometown for the occasion. “it’s an incredible opportunity to reconnect with all the amazing creatives up here, and to see and get involved with the scene,” mauboy tells harper’s bazaar australia/ new zealand. “i love to celebrate all the amazing projects they have been working on, and to really raise awareness for the incredible talent we have in this country!” in between events, mauboy took some time to tell bazaar australia about the highlights of the fashion filled week, and what else she’s working on in 2024   from performing australia’s official team song for the paris 2024 olympics (“a career highlight,” she says) to collaborating with 3% on an addictive track. read on for the full conversation. harper’s bazaar: this is your second year as the daaff community ambassador. what have been some of the highlights of the role so far? i absolutely love being a part of the daaff family. i have known the team for many years and it’s a highlight of my year when i know daaf is coming up. i look forward to coming home and attending all the fabulous events. it’s an incredible opportunity to reconnect with all the amazing creatives up here, and to see and get involved with the scene. everything is a highlight when i’m here. i love to celebrate all the amazing projects they have been working on, and to really raise awareness for the incredible talent we have in this country! you were born and raised in darwin. what’s it like to return there for the darwin aboriginal art fair? it’s the best gig of the year. coming home and being around family and the community always fills my heart (and my cup) up! it nourishes me being home and being around creatives. a post shared by jessica hilda mauboy (@jessicamauboy) what does it mean to you to be able to elevate aboriginal and torres strait islander design and talent, and do it in your hometown? it’s such an honour to be able to contribute in one small way to the amplification of aboriginal and torres strait islander designers and talent. their work is so incredible, and it deserves to be seen on the world stage! what have been some of your favourite moments from this year’s daaf and the country to couture runways? it was such a buzz when i heard one of my songs from the yours forever record had been chosen to be the soundtrack for the nagula jarndu showcase. when i wrote “never giving up” with some of my incredible friends in the studio, we hoped it would reach community and share a sense of empowerment, and strength, and to see those incredible designs on the amazing models strutting that runway, it just felt electric. it gave me goosebumps! i was lucky enough to be there to see the ‘boundless: always was, always will be,’ [country to couture] show. it was so incredibly powerful and the impact of this will have a ripple effect throughout the industry and beyond. it was such an honour to personally connect with the designers and to hear their stories. what did you wear for the occasions? talk us through your looks and what you loved about them. i wore an amazing shirt and pant from maara collective. i absolutely love this brand and julie [shaw, designer] is incredible. i have worn a lot of their pieces in the past. i love the beautiful warm colour, and the stylish and comfortable fit. what are you looking forward to during the rest of the daaff? do you have any must do recommendations for people experiencing the fair for the first time   or other must see spots in darwin? i absolutely love the fair. i love to go shopping and pick up some unique pieces that you cannot get anywhere else. i love talking to all the different creators and hearing their stories and gaining an understanding of how their work came to be. if you are in darwin, you can’t miss the opportunity to see all the amazing creations! you’ve recently returned from paris, off the back of being chosen to sing this year’s olympic team song ‘higher,’ and got to take in some of the exciting athletic action. what was it like? attending the olympics in paris was amazing. the energy in the city was electric and the excitement was intense! you could feel it everywhere you went and i absolutely loved being there to perform “higher” for the flag bearer’s ceremony. i was so proud to be in that stunning room performing for our amazing athletes who have worked so hard to be there. it was such an honour and a career highlight. “higher” is such an uplighting song and i was so thrilled to bring that energy over for the aoc and the team. you also recently collaborated on “won’t stop” with 3%, one of the best new hip hop groups in australia. what’s it like to see so many exciting and first nations led talent dominating the hip hop and wider music scene in australia right now? i absolutely loved collaborating with the 3% guys. they have unreal levels of talent and the song is boss!! it’s got such an incredibly powerful and important message and the feel of the track is insane. first nations hip hop and artists in general are so creative and they are paving their own paths! what else are you looking forward to this year? i am also a proud ambassador for the indigenous literacy foundation and their annual indigenous literacy day event is coming up again on september 4. i’m so excited to be at the sydney opera house for this special event. and then i also have two more yours forever shows at the palms at crown melbourne on september 20 and 21, and a gig coming up at the manly barracks on october 5 … so there’s lots to look forward to!! this interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. the best nail art we’ve noticed at the paris 2024 olympic games.by ruby stephens the 2024 paris olympic games have been a spectacle of athletic prowess   and perhaps a little more surprisingly, a vibrant showcase of beauty and individuality, with nail art taking centre stage. this year, athletes have embraced maximalist aesthetics, turning their nails into canvases of creativity and cultural expression. from our very own gold medalist swimmer ariarne titmus, to the queen of maximalist nails, usa’s sha’carri richardson, nail art provides a colourful escape from the uniformity of sports attire, allowing competitors to flaunt their unique personalities. beyond aesthetics, these intricate designs often carry deeper meanings, reflecting heritage, personal pride, and motivational symbols. plus, the manicure ritual offers a meditative break, potentially boosting confidence and performance. icons like simone biles are embracing both their glam and their athleticism at the same time. the champion gymnast chronicled her pre paris hair and nail appointments in a grwm tiktok, revealing that she does her own eyelashes as part of her prep. as we watch these athletes shine, their nail art tells inspiring stories that resonate far beyond the field of play. here are some of our favourites so far. related: every medal won by australians at paris 2024 related: all the celebrities spotted at the paris olympics related: the most stylish team uniforms at paris 2024 sha’carri richardson where else could we possibly begin? american track star sha’carri richardson dazzles with her dramatic nails, each manicure as spectacular as her performance, showcasing her flair both on and off the track. brianna throssell throssell sported a chic green and gold french manicure, perfectly matching australia’s national colours. her stylish nails added a patriotic flair to her look, combining elegance with national pride. ariarne titmus titmus’ chrome gold nails celebrate her australian heritage with its green and gold colours, while also nodding to the gold medal she won. her manicure is a shimmering tribute to both her country and her victory. stefania gomez hurtado colombian swimmer stefania gomez hurtado’s manicure features multiple paris olympic games symbols, including the 2024 mascot, phryge (inspired by the host country’s iconographic phrygian hats). her nail art beautifully reflects the history and revolutionary spirit of france, adding a touch of national pride to her olympic style. sara balzer french fencer sara balzer flaunted perfect parisian nail art, featuring vibrant flag stripes and olympic rings. her manicure elegantly combined national pride and olympic spirit, adding a touch of chic to her athletic ensemble. alberta santuccio italian fencer alberta santuccio proudly displayed her nationality with nail art featuring olympic rings and the italian flag, perfectly blending her patriotism with olympic spirit. zoé vergé dépré swiss beach volleyball player zoé vergé dépré chose a subtle yet literal nod to the competition with her nail art, blending understated elegance with a playful touch of olympic spirit. alexis holmes track and field athlete alexis holmes gave the ‘french manicure‘ an american twist, showcasing patriotic nails adorned with fun accents like floral motifs, stripes, stars, and dots. her creative design perfectly blended tradition with national pride. keely hodgkinson british gold medalist keely hodgkinson’s purple nails were created in collaboration with nike. nail artist sylvie macmillan revealed that the design features motifs inspired by the greek goddess of victory, adding a chic touch to her overall look. scarlett mew jensen team gb divers yasmin harper and scarlett mew jensen always rock matching nails for competitions. they told the bbc it’s their “thing”, and believe their coordinated nail art brings good luck, adding a stylish and superstitious flair to their performances. laura van der winkel the dutch archer flaunted a mix and match mani: a white eiffel tower over patriotic orange on her middle finger, the dutch flag on her pointer, and the olympic rings with “paris” on her ring fingers. related: the australian athletes to watch at this year’s olympics related: everything australian viewers need to know ahead of the paris 2024 olympic games as the opals progress to the semi finals and lauren jackson earns the title of the australian player with the most olympic basketball wins, it’s clearer than ever that jackson is still the goat. weeks ahead of the paris 2024 olympic games, bazaar australia sat down with her to discuss overcoming injuries, returning from retirement, her fifth olympics, and fighting for better opportunities for women. by dani maher twenty seven years ago, in 1997, lauren jackson made her debut in australia’s women’s national basketball league (wnbl) at the age of 16. that same year, she also debuted for the women’s national basketball team, the opals. in 2000, aged 19, jackson became an olympian for the first time. now, she’s gearing up for her fifth stint at the games   but she knows things aren’t the same as before. “when i was 19, i was young, i was carefree, i had no other responsibilities to anybody else except for me and basketball,” the now 43 year old tells bazaar australia. “whereas now, i’ve got two children   i’ve got a whole life, my job, and everything to consider.” jackson stands an impressive 1.96 metres tall (roughly 6’5″), but her demeanour is warm and open when we meet   which is a relief, because her resume is nearly as intimidating as her stature. in addition to being a single mother of two and a pro basketballer, she helps to run she hoops, an organisation aiming to bridge the gap in opportunities for women in sports, and she was recently announced as a partner for swiss watchmaker tissot. jackson has not only had multiple stints in the wnbl, but also an 11 year career in the elite women’s national basketball association (wnba) in the united states with seattle storm, where her name was often touted alongside that of the legendary sue bird. she has an order of australia, four olympic medals, five world cup medals, a stadium named after her in her hometown of albury, and she was inducted into the women’s basketball hall of fame in tennessee in 2020. her instagram is regularly peppered with comments referring to her as the goat   the greatest of all time   and rightly so. “it really is special, and i think now more so than ever, it’s something that i don’t take for granted,” she tells me, when i ask how it feels to be a role model to multiple generations of australians. “i feel honoured, to be honest. i feel like having this opportunity to sort of come back when i know that you can lose it   it can all go away with one injury   having that perspective now, and then also having my own children and knowing how much their idols mean to them; i want to be able to be that for other kids for sure.” i feel honoured … having this opportunity to come back when i know that you can lose it that perspective jackson speaks of is something that was hard won, to put it lightly. after retiring in 2016 due to knee injuries, she welcomed two sons, harry and lenny. when she began training again in 2021 purely to stay fit enough to keep up with two active young kids, it kicked off a journey to her olympics comeback. to summarise what jackson describes as a “very long story”: she returned to the opals to help them secure a bronze medal in the 2022 world cup; returned to the wnbl where she suffered and recovered from a foot fracture and partial achilles tear (“the most painful thing i’ve ever been through in my life,” she notes), and had a last minute call up to assist the opals in their olympics qualifiers   at the expense of missing her son’s birthday. in february of this year, unable to overcome the guilt of leaving her children behind, she officially retired. but when basketball australia offered for harry and lenny to join her in paris, and their father offered to come along and help out, she couldn’t say no. on july 7, the 12 strong opals olympics squad was announced, and jackson was one of them. related: 13 australian athletes and teams to watch at the paris 2024 olympics despite a rollercoaster few years, she’s feeling stronger and fitter than she has in a long time, and she’s ready to take on the challenge of another olympics   though not without some adjustments. “the way that i look after my body now is very different, and my mindset is that i’m not the star anymore. i’ve got to go out there and be a role player, and i love that i get that opportunity to fill gaps where they need it, but also give the girls confidence,” she explains. “i’m pretty tough, i’m a tough competitor   and i think having that competitive side to me is helpful … i’m very protective of my teammates.” that protective side comes partly from her fierce energy, she acknowledges, but also from a longstanding desire to champion women in sports. it’s that passion that fuelled her partnership with tissot, who earlier this year launched the first official watch of the wnba. “i think tissot being a global partner of basketball, it speaks for itself   but i think the way they’re trying to elevate women’s basketball is really incredible,” jackson says. in the us, women’s basketball has recently skyrocketed in popularity (average viewership was up a massive 226 per cent this year), and jackson sees it as a shining example for australia, who is “still catching up”. the wnba has not only depicted its athletes as fierce competitors, she explains, but as socially conscious and intelligent individuals. “the work that they’re doing to break down barriers, to get rid of stigma, to challenge just the norms of society has been remarkable,” she says. “the work that they did, obviously, around homophobia in sport, black lives matter   it’s incredible. and i think that has really elevated the wnba, and it’s given everybody else a platform to succeed as well.” we are definitely getting to a point where people are recognising women’s sport, but there’s a long way to go related: ellie carpenter is on a mission that said, she knows there’s still work to be done. “i think we are definitely getting to a point where people are recognising women’s sport, but there’s a long way to go. there’s so much inequality in the sport.” she points to salary discrepancies   this year, outrage bloomed when rookie number one wnba draft pick caitlin clarke was offered a usd$76,535 season salary, while nba pick victor wembanyama scored usd$12.1 million. “i think in sport, that gap [of equality] is so much more prevalent than what it is in society. and so i think the sooner that we can try and bridge it, the better it’s going to be for every woman in society,” she continues. “that’s why this alignment with tissot, it’s really important, because they are actually supporting women’s basketball, and i’m proud to be a part of it.” she’s working on closing that gap herself too, via she hoops. when i mention the organisation she co founded, the sense of fulfilment it offers her is immediately evident. “that’s the legacy that i want to be remembered for,” she tells me. she describes the initiatives they’ve created to ensure that women and girls aren’t left behind in basketball   not only as athletes, but also in more administrative roles in the business of basketball, even on grassroots and community levels. the aim is to use mentorships and scholarships to train girls and women, and ultimately create a local women’s league that echoes the success of the wnba. “it’s more about giving women the opportunity to succeed, and then also a pathway to grow as well,” she says. a post shared by she hoops (@shehoops.aus) as she and the opals gear up for paris, with their first olympics match against nigeria on july 29, jackson is determined to “take it day by day,” but asserts that the team “should feel confident”. “i think we’ve definitely earned the right to feel confident. i think the last eight months of basketball that we’ve played, at the qualifiers, even these just tours we’ve had recently, we’ve been playing good basketball,” she says. but she’s not underestimating the challenge ahead. “it’s harder than ever to get on the podium, because the athletes globally are just getting better. they’re stronger, they’re fitter, they’re more athletic. so we need to be prepared for every game,” she says. as an elite athlete, she’s also aware that as usual, there’ll be plenty of chatter online   positive and negative. but that’s something she feels prepared for, too. “i learnt at a really young age how to walk through a crowd and like, not take any notice of people around me because of my height. i was always gawked at,” she says. “because i learned how to do that at such a young age, i’ve just gone through life doing that. i just block it out. i’m pretty good at compartmentalising. nowadays, it’s a different beast with social media … but i think for me it’s not important what other people say.” “i’m too old to worry about it, and being a mum, i’ve got my boys to worry about,” she continues. “i think that if you listen to what other people say about your body, about your age, then you wouldn’t do anything, would you?” related: everything australian viewers need to know ahead of the paris 2024 olympic games from a lipstick inspired by london’s the savoy to a french body oil with a riviera ready glow. by alex duffy if you’re like us, watching sicilian sunsets, the dazzling eiffel tower and london nights out from afar probably has you itching to get on a plane. but sometimes escapism is as simple as switching up your routine with a little international inspiration. from a bold new makeup look to scents that will transport you across the world, we’ve rounded up the latest makeup, fragrance and body care launches you need to try this august. it was in the elevators of the savoy that a porter, guccio gucci, was first inspired to design leather goods and luggage in the late 18th century. so for new gucci creative director sabato de sarno’s first lipstick, he turned to the storied glamour of the heritage hotel   and the red walls of its elevators   to create a bold ruby lip colour. with intense pigments, nourishing oils and a velvet finish, the gucci rouge à lèvres mat rosso ancora lipstick ($72) swipes on beautifully to deliver an alluring shade steeped in the house’s heritage. available for a limited time at david jones. a niche fragrance offering by troye sivan, tsu lange yor captures its creator’s memories of home and our australian ingenuity, too. the signature tly 5755 scent ($230 for 50ml) is the first in the world to use tasmanian mountain pepper in a fine fragrance. with the warm, herbaceous and soft vanilla notes of shiso and australian sandalwood, tly 5755 is a spiced scent that transforms into a truly unique fragrance on its wearer’s skin. try it for yourself exclusively at mecca. related: sofia coppola and augustinus bader have made a super luxe new lip balm from citypharma aisles to beauty vanities across the world, this multi use oil is a head to toe luxury. combining macadamia, hazelnut, borage, sweet almond, camellia and argan oils, the formula is rich in antioxidants to moisturize, soften and smooth dry skin and hair. now with a rose gold tint, a few drops of the oil can be massaged into the face, across collar bones and along limbs for glimmering skin worthy of the cannes red carpet. available exclusively at sephora now. showcasing pretty pastels, glitter and face gems, half magic by euphoria makeup artist, donni davy, is out of this world   but would be totally at home at the tomorrowland music festival. the line’s best seller is glitterpuck, a fairy core pressed pigment featuring champagne and peach glitter. the unique texture glides on like a gel and dries down with the staying power of a powder   so you can try your hand at replicating davy’s creativity, even if you’re new to sparkle. discover half magic exclusively at mecca. founded in 1221 by dominican friars at a florence convent, santa maria novella brings tradition to life in the new firenze 1221 collection of fragrances. with eight scents inspired by santa maria novella’s history and museum, the accompanying candles will bring the romance of florence’s roses to any room. available at santa maria novella. related: your first glimpse at celine beauté is here, and it’s a sight to behold booktok’s favourite is headed to the big screen   starring blake likely and justin baldoni as the film’s leads.by hayley peppin tiktok’s (or rather, booktok’s) favourite tale has had the big screen treatment with the the adaptation of colleen hoover’s best selling 2016 novel, it ends with us. loosely inspired by hoover’s mother, the story follows small town girl lily bloom (played by blake lively), who moves from maine to boston to start a flower business. still grappling with the death of her father who abused her mother, lily meets non committal neurosurgeon, ryle kincaid (justin baldoni) and quickly   and dangerously   falls in love. their intense passion becomes all too familiar to lily and things get even more complicated when her ex boyfriend, atlas corrigan (brandon sklenar), reconnects with her. hoover’s one of the highest selling novelists in the u.s., with over 20 million books sold. in australia, she also made the 2022 bestseller list with nearly half of her titles in our top 10, according to the sydney morning herald   her popularity a credit to the very active booktok community. “stepping into a character who’s had such a meaningful impact is an honour to take on,” lively previously told people. “i loved lily, and i hope that love is felt by those who care about her like i do, and also those who are getting to know her for the first time in this film.” below, is everything you need to know about the it ends with us including the freshly released first trailer. related: inside the floral bouquet that is blake lively’s ‘it ends with us’ press tour if you’ve yet to get around to reading it ends with us, here’s the official synopsis from sony. it ends with us: “the first colleen hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the compelling story of lily bloom (blake lively), a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in boston and chase a lifelong dream of opening her own business. a chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon ryle kincaid (justin baldoni) sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, lily begins to see sides of ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. when lily’s first love, atlas corrigan (brandon sklenar), suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with ryle is upended, and lily realises she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.” author colleen hoover has previously opened up about the novel’s origins, explaining via instagram it ends with us is loosely based on her mother’s life   and how she saved her family from a “scary situation.” related: blake lively’s masterclass in maternity dressing gossip girl favourite, blake lively, plays the film’s lead, lily bloom. it ends with us is the actor’s first film in more than three years. meanwhile, justin baldoni of jane the virgin plays lively’s love interest of ryle, the neurosurgeon; and brandon sklenar takes on former flame, atlas corrigan. other cast members include jenny slate as ryle’s sister allysa and hasan minhaj as marshall. baldoni also directs and executive produces it ends with us under his wayfarer studios production company, with the film in development at sony pictures. lively is also executive producing. as for what colleen hoover thinks of lively and baldoni’s casting? well, she couldn’t be happier. the author previously shared in a tiktok, “she’s [lively] my dream lily” and after meeting baldoni she “immediately wanted him to be ryle.” related: this was blake lively’s reaction to ryan reynolds buying a soccer team on a whim sure is! the first full length trailer dropped on may 16   set to taylor swift’s “my tears ricochet” from her folklore album. the trailer starts with lily opening her flower shop, before cutting to one of her first customer’s ryle. it then goes through a montage of ryle’s outbursts but also emotional moments between lily and her first love, atlas. see blow. while the sag aftra strike put a halt on production last year   it was initially slated for a february 9, 2024 release   the film will now hit cinemas on august 8 in australia. while there’s been plenty of intrigue surrounding an it ends with us adaptation   not all fans have been overly enthused with some of the preliminary details. following blake lively and justin baldoni’s casting announcement in 2022, readers took to social media to express their views. “are you kidding me? blake lively??? this is insane. i cannot wait!” one fan tweeted, while another said: “so exciting! and justin is just how i pictured ryle in my head!” others, however, seemed disgruntled with lively’s casting   pointing out that the hollywood actor is 12 years old than lily, who’s 23 in the book. “i’m kinda disappointed in it ends with us cast because i think they picked blake lively because of her reputation and not keeping the character lily in mind??,” one fan tweeted with a supporting picture of the whale’s sadie sink. another reader also shared a similar sentiment, writing: “sorry what??? blake lively is playing lily in it ends with us??? when sadie sink literally exists??? “blake lively playing lily bloom in the it ends with us movie was not on my 2023 bingo card at all,” someone else tweeted. but that’s not all. the 2016 book has long been slammed by critics who claim it glorifies abuse and “problematic tropes.” “me going back in time to stop blake lively from auditioning for it ends with us,” one person tweeted. at the same time, hoover also received backlash for expressing a desire to release a colouring book based on domestic violence in conjunction with it ends with us. on the same as her social media announcement, hoover apologised to fans who called the idea “tone deaf.” “i hear you guys and i agree with you,” hoover shared to instagram. “no excuses. no finger pointing. i have contacted the publisher to let them know i would prefer we don’t move forward with it. thank you for the respectful discourse and accountability. nothing but love.” likewise, hoover’s publisher, atria books, confirmed the cancellation of the colouring book in a separate post. “we developed this book to be uplifting and empowering, mirroring lily bloom’s story; we appreciate the feedback and discourse and have the greatest respect for colleen hoover’s fans. thank you for the honest conversation and passion for the world colleen has created in her books and the characters within.” related: here’s blake lively’s workout, according to her personal trainer from celine dion in a slouchy dior tracksuit to lady gaga’s spectacular haute couture moment, here are all the celebrity looks giving new meaning to the term ‘fashion olympics’.by sharyn budiarto for a limited time only shop the net a porter sale. we’ve picked our top 23 pieces from loewe, toteme, the frankie shop and more.by ruby stephens we all love a sale. and we all really love a designer sale   which is why we met the news of net a porter’s current sale with open arms. for a limited time only, you can get an additional 15 per cent off already reduced prices (with the code “extra15”), meaning discounts reach up to 60 per cent   who could resist that? featuring brands like lou lou studio, toteme, loewe, the frankie shop, and more; and whether you’re on the hunt for chic coats, stylish jeans, comfy flats for work, or trendy jackets and shirts, this sale has it all. the perfect opportunity to elevate your wardrobe with unbeatable deals, shop the sale now   and read on to discover bazaar editors top picks. related: the three hottest headscarf trends for your euro summer net a porter $647.70 (rrp $1,270) with code extra15 you can never go past a chic, toteme frayed printed wool maxi skirt   this one is perfect for going out and wearing to work everyday in winter. net a porter $214.20 (rrp $1,270) with code extra15 ah, the ol’ favourite moon boot. sure, they’re designed for the snow, but why not try wearing them under a bulky skirt (like the above) to make the most of them in winter. net a porter $506.60 (rrp $993) with code extra15 lou lou studio’s tania shoulder bag is something else. chic and versatile, we guarantee this will be your new favourite thing in your wardrobe. net a porter $509.15 (rrp $855) with code extra15 this turtle neck tank by loewe is a must have staple in everyone’s wardrobe, and works perfectly under a jacket or shirt. net a porter $129.20 (rrp $303.49) with code extra15 they’re dainty and sophisticated. wwake gold pearl earrings are all you need   as a pair or as one to elevate any outfit. net a porter $217.60 (rrp $512) it’s always nice to have at least one denim shirt in your wardrobe and frame’s beach denim is always a winner. net a porter $530.40 (rrp $891) with code extra15 emme parson’s glittered mesh ballet flats are the “it” thing right now. think jeans, skirts, and dresses   they go with anything. net a porter $498.95 (rrp $978.05) with code extra15 oscar de la renta has done it again   these crystal earrings are perfect to add a subtle pop of colour and sparkle to any outfit. net a porter $124.10 (rrp $242) with code extra15 step up your sneaker game with the new balance 2002r. these leather trimmed, mesh, and suede beauties offer unbeatable comfort and style, perfect for any adventure. net a porter $238 (rrp $399.19) with code extra15 the jean paul gaultier jersey t shirt blends art and fashion for a bold, standout look. it’s a game changer for any pair of jeans! net a porter $749.70 (rrp $1470) with code extra15 the tod’s gomma pesante embellished glossed leather loafers add a touch of luxury to any outfit. fun yet sophisticated, these loafers will level up your wardrobe. net a porter $270.30 (rrp $530) with code extra15everyone needs a cardholder, and the loewe embossed leather cardholder is the perfect choice   sleek, durably designed, and elegant. net a porter $596.70 (rrp $1,170) with code extra15feeling the cold? the tibi mohair blend red sweater is your cosy, stylish solution. luxuriously soft and effortlessly chic, it will keep you warm and pair easily with any number of outfit combinations. net a porter $249.05 (rrp $585) with code extra15 upgrade your denim game with the slvrlake mica low rise wide leg jeans. perfectly blending comfort and style, these jeans offer a trendy, relaxed fit. pair them with the frame beach denim top and you’re set for a retro double denim look. net a porter $516.80 (rrp $867.63) with code extra15 groovy is an understatement for the jean paul gaultier printed high rise wide leg jeans. these chic, statement pants feature bold prints and a stylish fit, perfect for any fashion forward wardrobe. net a porter $375.70 (rrp $883) with code extra15stay cosy and chic with the róhe brushed knit cardigan in blue. this stylish piece combines comfort and elegance, making it a perfect addition to your wardrobe. net a porter $449.65 (rrp $881) with code extra15 we all love a great coat, and the lou lou studio maisun oversized double breasted wool coat is a favourite. it’s minimalist but chic, whether styled with jeans or a dress. net a porter $427.55 (rrp $1,005) with code extra15 meet the perfect blend of chic and playful   the simkhai samba wrap effect midi dress. it’s the ideal piece to pack in your suitcase for any warm or cold getaway. net a porter $93.50 (rrp $183) with code extra15 we all love activewear, especially when it comes to lululemon. the jersey turtleneck sweater is a comfy choice for those who prefer a high neck line. net a porter $392.70 (rrp $770) with code extra15 we’ve found the perfect knit cotton blend t shirt to pair effortlessly with jeans or black pants. just add a pair of sneakers, and you’re all set for a stylish, casual look. net a porter $294.10 (rrp $692) with code extra15 yes, oversized blazers are still in and we’re loving this lyocell blend blazer from the frankie shop, which would look equally cute with a pair of dark washed jeans or a miniskirt. net a porter $285.60 (rrp $560) with code extra15 who doesn’t love a wide leg jean? perfect for any occasion, these citizens of humanity jeans offer a flattering fit with a modern twist. net a porter $597.55 (rrp $1170.79) with code extra15 a chunky silver tone necklace can elevate any outfit, and we’ve found the ultimate piece. bold and elegant, this statement accessory will steal the show on any look. related: 7 trench coats that are trans seasonal staples enjoy the net a porter sale while it lasts. happy shopping! preview the trends set to dominate your pinterest feed   from minimalism to maximalism and everything in between.by sharyn budiarto break out your tiered skirts, frilled tops and sheer lace   it’s copenhagen fashion week and scandi girls sure know how to do a spring/summer season. so far the ss25 international runways have seen a diverse array of styles, from the techno inspired collections in berlin to the oversized suiting in tokyo. now, it’s copenhagen’s turn to command the spotlight on the global fashion stage. over the years, copenhagen has cultivated a reputation for seamlessly blending diverse styles, with its hallmark minimalism being delightfully disrupted by vibrant brands such as like ganni, stine goya and saks potts. while it may not have the same standing as the “big four” of new york, london, milan and paris, in fashion, the emerging can often be more exciting than the established   and this is something that certainly rings true for the danish city. keep reading for our breakdown of scandi fashion and our favourite looks from copenhagen spring/summer 2025 fashion week. related: in copenhagen street style, everything’s coming up rosettes what’s considered scandi fashion has changed considerably over the last few decades, shifting from functional minimalism to big silhouettes, bold colours and excessive layering. gone are the days where unembellished button ups and straight cut skirts were the only things seen on the streets. whilst scandi simplicity lives on in the clean designs and neutral hues of brands like toteme, bite studios and atp atelier, they’re now balanced with the maximalism of baum und pferdgarten, ganni and stine goya. these brands, emerging around the 2000s and seeing even newer iterations in labels like saks potts and cecilie bahnsen, have championed a new design language of block colours, vivid prints and voluminous silhouettes. scandi fashion is notorious for deliberate style clashing, encapsulating the pinterest aesthetic before it became a y2k trend. frills and lace are worn with boyish sports shorts, men’s work shirts paired with ruched full length skirts and all white ensembles are broken up by pops of blue or red. it’s a city whose fashion identity thrives off contradiction and duality. scandi girls today still retain their love of white and beige from the minimalist days, but what we see now is a complete amalgamation the city’s historical styles. “scandi fashion is so many things at once,” expressed designer stine goya to bazaar in 2022. “it’s really about feeling good, pairing comfort and practicality with self expression and individuality.” for some more examples, see our favourite looks from copenhagen spring/summer 2025 fashion week below. related: scandi style inspiration from copenhagen fashion week left: in a white zip up tracksuit with red accents. right: in a beige cropped shirt and wide black pants. in a white bustier and cobalt adidas shorts. in a white peasant top, sports shorts, biker boots and a statement red hair piece. both wearing white button ups with textured skirts layered on top. wearing a cropped trench, lack skirt and oversized collar. in an all black gothic, cyberpunk inspired look. cobalt long sleeve and mini matched with statement accessories   a two tiered hat, oversized pearls and “i heart me” stockings. baggy denim, black outerwear and statement headwear. wearing an all white look with brown accents. wearing a ruched mini dress, cheetah print boots and statement jewellery. in a sheer, panelled mini dress and blue boyshorts. in adidas track pants, a sheer top and a slate grey leather jacket. layering a men’s button up with a maxi length ruched skirt. all dressed in textured neutrals, dark sunnies and flat shoes. matching knee high tabis with a floral skirt and faded jumper. in a black floor length dress and sunglasses. pairing a black trench with a brown bandana and thongs. in a sheer pink and black knitted dress and clear accessories. left: wearing a low v neck, pleather bubble skirt and fluffy heels. right: in an all black vest and straight leg pant combo. wearing a striped button up, tie and biker shorts. in a white blouse with a frilled collar and flounce sleeves and a checkered skirt. in an all white cropped set and tabi ballet flats. wearing a sheer paisley dress over black pants. neutral pattern clashing with a gathered jacket, long shorts and loafers. wearing low rise baggy jeans, a white button up and pointed toe shoes. in a cropped satin jacket and brown suede skirt. boho grunge with a lace crop top, hot pants and statement accessories. wearing tomato can inspired sack dress, socks and water bottle holder. baggy on baggy with an oversized jacket, bag and jeans. left: wearing a light wash double denim set. right: in frilled hot pants and coordinating dark denim jacket and leg warmers. in black capris, a sheer ruffled coat and zebra print boat shoes. left: wearing a sage, oversized tracksuit and cat eye sunglasses. right: in deconstructed acid wash denim and a racing top. related: everything they’re wearing at copenhagen fashion week nowhere in australia does winter decadence better than our southernmost state.by mariela summerhays australia is undeniably a summer playground; thousands of kilometres of coastline, and a sunshine that tempts travellers from the other side of the world onto days long flights to bask in it. come every winter, however, there is one state that comes alive more than any other time of the year. so whether you want to be immersed in impeccably curated exhibitions and fine dining, or get close to the true luxury of close encounters with australian flora and produce, we’ve tried and tested the perfect weekend away for you in hobart, tasmania. related: twelve breathtaking stays in tasmania for your next trip the museum of old and new art, or mona as it is most often referred to, is so lavishly appointed with rare and curious artworks, that one feels immersed with ideas, and sound, and textures with simply a walk through the museum. however, we are determined to have beyond our fill, and opt for the mona like a rockstar experience through the cultural attractions of australia. it’s a truly decadent itinerary that begins with canapés and wine on the morning ferry over, a cocktail upon arrival, and three hours of fine dining at their experimental restaurant faro, with private access to james turrell artworks throughout (that expression, that ‘art should comfort the disturbed, and disturbed the comfortable comes to mind’; claustrophobic unseen seen holds place of honour in the centre of the restaurant, while event horizon immerses and soothes with its seemingly limitless walls). the menu in question is inspired by the new exhibition ‘namedropping’, which has been many months in the making. the first piece encountered is a true to life replica of the statue of liberty’s armpit; all bronze and screws, and metalworks, it shut down the section of the museum where it sits for the weeks of installation. it’s difficult to imagine how ‘namedropping’ will follow up such an act, but one quickly finds out where the exhibition found its name. the first room, appointed as if it were a pool room or garage, features rarities such as an autographed nude of marilyn monroe, a letter signed by robert oppenheimer, and the signatures of the cast of casablanca. a clever activation by curator or creative team, allows guests to ‘name’ galleries after themselves by bidding through the museum’s app for their name to appear on digital signs in individual rooms   i am easily swayed, and opt to put my name in a red, glossy room where brett whiteley’s ‘nude studio’ hangs. it’s this desire to associate with status that the exhibition asks guests to interrogate   mona offers that it is probably a universal human instinct, “signalling for status by association   be it for getting sex, power, enhanced reputation or in group identity.” some may dislike that such a theme forces guests to contemplate the motivations and psyche of the museum’s founder and owner, david walsh, for the duration of the exhibition   these are his possessions we ogle at, after all   but ‘namedropping’ is plainly enjoyable for art lovers and casual spectators alike. chinese artist he xiangyu’s true to life sized leather tank was constructed with exact measurements of a north korean t 34, stitched together by workers usually hired to reproduce fake luxury handbags; it sits, deflated, only metres away from where louis vuitton’s famous logo as wallpaper (which, upon closer inspection, have incorporated mona’s own logo) furnishes a wall. despite the andy warhols and picassos   and for music fans, even bowie’s handwritten “starman” lyrics   most mesmerising to me is a japanese sketching, with surreal effects to a person’s appearance, actually from centuries ago, though it appears something that may have been sketched just yesterday. our lunch is just as considered, down to the vessels and utensils with which we eat. the first course includes a truly decadent truffle mousse, to be scooped out from its egg like enclosure with a ceramic cast of david’s middle finger. it’s this rampant joy that delights again, when the picasso, once in the now closed ladies lounge, is revealed to now be residing in faro’s ladies’ toilets (post visit, it is revealed to the public that it is a reproduction, which draws relieved exhales from art lovers worldwide, no doubt). sundays are for slow drives and simple, wholesome food, which, from hobart, can only mean a day on bruny island. we take a car a mere half an hour southeast, where at kettering, cars neatly line up to board the bruny island ferry. twenty minutes later, the ferry brings us to the island   with only 800 odd people permanently living on the island, there are few manmade structures dotting a landscape that remains largely untouched. those we do encounter are largely establishments devoted to the pure ingredients that tasmania grows in abundance.less than twenty minutes from the port, and a wooden staircase takes us above the dunes at the neck; a thin strip of land that separates the north and south shores of adventure bay. we retrace our route back towards the ferry, stopping here and there for famed produce along the way. the first, bruny island honey, is operated by the wright family, who move over 1000 beehives from lake pedder, to bruny island, and to the huon and derwent valleys, where leatherwood and bush, prickly box, and manuka honey, are collected. step into the wooden cocoon of a store, and walls are lined with skincare, soaps, books and condiments, all infused or inspired by honey   and in the centre of the room, honey. jar after jar to test; sweet and rich, mellow or spiced. i take home a lightly spiced honey mustard, which i’ve since taken to lathering on my lunch sandwiches, on days working from home. at about this time we’re due to feed ourselves a meal, so drive a few minutes down the road to bruny island cheese co. freshly baked bread, varieties of beer and charcuterie accompaniments, and most decadently, tasmanian artisan cheeses that reflect changes of the season. soft and delicate cheeses; raw, unpasteurised and rich cheeses; and baked, one day old cheeses wrapped in slices of local prosciutto, all suited to alfresco dining in the warming sunlight. leaving few things on the board, we then drive to the nearby get shucked, where natural oysters are freshly shucked daily. served natural, kilpatrick or prepared with panko crumbs (an avid oyster enthusiast, try natural with only a squeeze of lemon first), it is a fitting last meal for a decadent winter weekend; the entire weekend heartening enough to warm us until summer returns. note: this writer experienced mona like a rockstart courtesy of the museum of old and new art and cultural attractions of australia, but opinions are her own. dive into bazaar’s curated list of 2024’s trending beauty products that are actually worth your investment.by ruby stephens in the vibrant world of beauty, staying updated with the latest trends can feel like a whirlwind. instagram and tiktok flood our feeds with enticing new products daily, making it challenging to discern what’s truly worth the splurge. to cut through the noise, we’ve curated a list of trending beauty products that promise accurate results and lasting benefits. whether you’re looking for a game changing foundation or the next must have mascara, these are the investment worthy gems that stand out. related: the beauty products to stock your shelves with this month a post shared by milk makeup (@milkmakeup) sephora $44 milk’s cooling water jelly tint is your new best friend   a hydrating blush and lip tint that delivers a sheer, buildable burst of colour. its bouncy, jelly texture offers a refreshing, cooling effect, ensuring a vibrant, watercolour like finish that lasts all day. it’s also the perfect size to pop in your going out bag. charlotte tilbury $63 charlotte tilbury’s glow tint hydrating foundation stick is a go to for a flawless, ring light effect in real time. this magic stick blurs and smooths with sheer to light, buildable coverage, infused with hyaluronic acid and vitamin e for an instant, soft focus glow. available in 20 super natural shades, it’s the ultimate no foundation foundation to ensure a perfect match every time. myer $55 chanel’s contour 3 in 1 eyeshadow eyeliner kohl pen is a creamy, satin finish wonder that transforms your look with a few effortless strokes. whether you crave a bold liner, sultry kohl, or a dreamy eyeshadow, this versatile pen delivers. its silky texture glides on smoothly, ensuring vibrant, long lasting colour that stays put all day. sephora $45 it was viral in 2023 and it’s still trending in 2024: selena gomez’s weightless, long lasting blush continues to deliver a soft, healthy flush that blends effortlessly for a natural, second skin finish. available in both matte and dewy finishes, its featherweight formula infuses your cheeks with vibrant, buildable colour. simply dot on a small amount and blend with a brush or your fingertips for a seamless radiance that lasts all day. adore beauty $35 illuminate your complexion to ethereal perfection with the elf cosmetics halo glow liquid filter. it guarantees a radiant finish and soft focus effect, effortlessly blurring imperfections. whether worn alone, over or under makeup, or as a highlighter, this cruelty free, vegan marvel will elevate your glow game in seconds. sephora $62 we all need a lip oil by our bedside tables and in our everyday handbags. enter the dior addict lip glow oil a must have for makeup enthusiasts. with its colour reviver technology, it customises your lip shade, while the cherry oil enriched formula nourishes and protects. experience the non sticky, glossy shine and intense hydration. mecca$53 now that you can purchase glossier in australia, why not treat yourself to the glossier you perfume? this ultimate personal fragrance features a sparkling pink pepper top note, a woodsy, slightly sweet heart, and a creamy, musky finish. perfectly sized to take with you, spritz it on for a soft, warm, and familiar scent that’s uniquely yours. plus, its bottle is designed with a real thumbprint indent, making it truly one of a kind. adore beauty $31.99 tiktok’s latest obsession is the l’oreal paris telescopic lift mascara in black. this game changing mascara adds volume, length, and curl without clumping, smudging, or flaking. the double hook brush ensures maximum lift and separation, giving you up to 5mm of visible lash length. the actor got ready with bazaar to celebrate chanel’s annual baand together dance festivalby bianca betancourt havana rose liu’s life has always revolved around movement. before liu starred in certified cult classic comedies like 2023’s bottoms, she often turned to dance as a way to express herself. it’s a mindset she maintained while selecting her outfit for the july 30 opening night of chanel’s fourth annual baand together dance festival, which brings together friends of the french fashion house along with the general public to celebrate and showcase five of new york city’s top dance companies: ballet hispánico, the alvin ailey american dance theater, the american ballet theatre, the new york city ballet, and the dance theatre of harlem. the evening kicked off with a vip cocktail hour at new york’s hardest to book hot spot, tatiana, where famous faces like misty copeland, tommy dorfman, and harper’s bazaar’s own samira nasr mingled ahead of what was a not to be missed performance. for the special night, liu wore a pink, black, and silver tinged fantasy tweed top with matching high waist trousers from chanel’s fall/winter 2023 24 pre collection and kept her glam fresh and subtle, with her signature deep auburn hair styled in loose waves (courtesy of gonn konoshita) and summer appropriate bronzed eyes and cheeks (by tyron machhausen). “we really focused on movement, given the event, and this feels kindred to a unitard in my mind   or as close as you can get to a unitard in tweed,” says liu, laughing, as we sit in tatiana’s patio garden overlooking lincoln center, where the festival takes place. “it’s always important to me to feel very comfortable and mobile in the looks that they put me in, and that felt like part of the inspiration. i think at one point they said if i were to design a tweed two piece set, this is probably what it would look like anyways, which i think is true.” liu   who practiced ballet, contemporary modern, and even chinese and african traditional dancing growing up   was excited not only to witness the night’s performances, but also to reflect on her own trajectory within the art form. “dance has taught me kind of everything. i’ve been dancing since i was a wee little thing, and it taught me a lot of different philosophies on how to live your life, on top of just [being] a form of expression that’s very valuable to me,” she says. “it taught me discipline. it taught me the elements of crafted emotion and the choreography of life in a way that i think has really informed my acting as well. i was sort of obsessed as a kid, and now that i look back at it, i wonder if i had adhd or something.” she laughs. “but i just couldn’t stop moving.” liu continues: “the best part about dance is, you don’t need to know much going into it   you can just be taken along this abstract journey. i love these choreographers and these companies and the fact that they’re all based out of new york   it’s so exciting to see the melting pot that is the baand.” chanel is a through line in the actor’s life as well: in recent months she has discovered how the house has appeared throughout her own familial history, even before she became an official ambassador for the brand. “my grandmother passed this summer, and she was the person that i was closest with in my life. i was going through her things and she had all of these little chanel accessories that i didn’t know even about, and it seemed to be actually one of her favourite fashion houses,” liu says. “i felt really suddenly that ‘oh   there’s a lineage of appreciation of this.’ it felt really special to discover that.” tuesday night’s showcase also served as a rare bit of downtime for the actor, who has quite a few upcoming projects on the horizon, including john carney’s musical comedy power ballad, the chris weitz led horror film afraid, and an indie tv series titled hal & harper from fellow breakout talent cooper raiff. “i looked at everything i have coming up, and these are all very different projects,” says liu. “i can’t talk too much about what they’re all about yet, but it does feel like this past year or two, i’ve been able to really stretch in a lot of interesting new directions and genres. it’s always interesting when you have a number of projects come out over a period of time   you can really watch your own trajectory and growth as an artist.” a version of this article originally appeared on harper’s bazaar us. following her pregnancy announcement with justin bieber, the y2k fashion queen shows us her enviable maternity style.by sharyn budiarto ©2024 switzer media + publishing. harper’s bazaar participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. we respect and honour aboriginal and torres strait islander elders past, present and future. we acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.
supported by lorde adds guest vocals to charli xcx’s “girl, so confusing,” a song that muses on the complexities of female friendship, and helps create something revelatory. by lindsay zoladz to a lot of people these days, “ambivalent pop music” is an oxymoron. catchy hooks tend to streamline complex emotions into universal, legible sentiments, temporarily dividing the world into teams: the heartbreakers vs. the victims, the happy vs. the sad, the boys vs. the girls. infectious as they are, many of the songs on charli xcx’s incisive sixth album, “brat,” refuse to take sides, making them difficult to discuss in the explainer generating, seo baiting grammar of modern pop standom. how refreshing. charli never mentioned lorde by name on the album’s knotty ninth track, “girl, so confusing,” but all signs pointed to her being the somewhat socially awkward, poetry loving doppelgänger to whom the song is addressed. (“people say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” charli sings, winking at those of us who remember when an interviewer asked her about writing lorde’s “royals.”) it was less clear how we were supposed to understand this song in the limited and polarized language of 2020s musical fandom, which pits female pop stars against one another like pro athletes while still insisting that they “support women” at all times with a benevolent grin. “sometimes i think you might hate me, sometimes i think i might hate you,” charli babbles atop a strobe lit a.g. cook beat, one of the many “wait, are you even allowed to say that anymore?” moments on “brat.” the song strains the vocabulary of clickbait. is this a “diss track” or the start of a “feud”? are the girlies fighting? and if they are, what could lorde possibly be doing in the v.i.p. section of charli’s recent show? it’s complicated, and   blessedly   so is the surprise remix on which lorde appears, firing off her first new lyrics in three years. after charli unloads her feelings and projections in that first verse, lorde responds with the run on intensity of a late night voice note: “you’d always say, ‘let’s go out,’ but then i’d cancel last minute,” the new zealander confesses, “i was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures.” she then reveals, devastatingly, that she’s been “at war with my body,” insecure about fluctuations in her weight, and that the enigmatic aura she’s created is actually a stifling defense mechanism. that she does it all so succinctly in a cadence that effortlessly matches cook’s beat should make everyone excited for her next album, whenever it arrives.

 from all of us here at atwood magazine, we wish you a happy and healthy new year! 2024 has been an inspiring year for music.