Okay, so Christmas in July was happening way back when we took a road trip to The Blue Mountains now it is only a few weeks away! Basically, I'm am a shocking excuse for a 'blogger'. I don't think you could call this visit to Katoomba a road trip or not but we were travelling from The Illawarra on the South Coast it was about three hours in the car. But there is something about an open window and the blurring of colours on a long drive that makes me recall Kerouac and youthful bliss.

We drove through heavy rain most of the journey to far Western Sydney and the mist blanketed the region's vast tablelands and valleys it formed droplets on my outstretched arm and made the scenery more beautiful. After a couple of quick pitstops by the time we reached the windy observation platform at National Park the clouds were moving low and fast above us, almost creating a mirror of the rolling landscape. I 'grammed a picture of a polaroid my sister and I on that platform and I was so petrified my hat would fly off.

Katoomba area is so lovely with it's cobblestone roads and old buildings but after spending so long in the car we were all feeling a bit feverish and conveniently we stumbled across a lady with two fluffy dogs she recommended  Station Bar pizza  Obviously, pizza cures travel sickness and we were feeling so much better and ready to continue our day. P.S I'm convinced the manager and I are musical soulmate because the playlist he was playing was awesome. We then explored the nearby streets and did a bit of retail shopping in the charity shops and used bookstores.

Lincoln's Rock is this magical place where the sky blends into the land and I could of lived the rest of my days here. I will let the photo's articulate the beauty of this phenomenal place. After spending a good hour at Lincoln's Rock we followed the chilly winds that swept off the mountains home. Part two of this Blue Mountain series will have photos from Grand Budapest Hotel themed shoot when we gate crashed an retirees Christmas in July function.

 

Currently // springtime

Music has this magical ability to ground me in a place and time. For instance, I can listen to Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and instantly I am back in Vietnam on my 2012 trip because that album was on repeat on my ipod for the six weeks I spent overseas. I hope I'm not the only person to experience this time traveling ability because it is gift to vividly recall memories simply by pressing play.

So here is a compilation of all of the songs that have helped me transition into springtime these past few weeks. Not all of the tracks included below are bands I've seen live but I have included them in this mixtape for the seasonal vibes that resonate in their lyrical and compositional qualities. I hope the future picture I envision better memories of spring 2014 and not as woeful as my current over stressed uni & work schedule.
 

Tracklist  1. Alt- J The Gospel of John Hurt 2. Youth Lagoon Cannons 3. Lemaitre Cut To Black 4. The Weeknd Wicked Games 5. Slow Dancer Took The Floor Out  6. Lisa Mitchell Wah Ha 7. Zeds Dead Remix Holding On For Life 8. #1 Dads Feat. Tom Snowdon Return To 9. Chet Faker 1998

Special Mention 

BANKS - Goddess 
I want to describe her music if Beyonce and Lorde had a musical baby, Banks would be it. Goddess is the album of the season. This album is a choreographer in moving my body on the 4km runs I've been doing lately. Give it a listen and see if you too, need motivation to do tasks you hate doing. I don't think I'm imagining the metta-narrative of feminism that is distinctive in this album (?) whatever this girls agenda is, I'm supportive of it. Bank's is visiting Australian shores in January for Laneway festivals and I think I might attend to hear the Goddess herself, in person.

Hill 60 War Tunnels

Local legend says that these bunkers are haunted; so during daylight we went to judge for ourselves. Spoiler: they were not in fact haunted. Like any third year history major I researched the history of the tunnels whilst procrastinating on what to wear.  The Hill 60 bunkers were once built to protect the nearby ports in World War Two, although these bunkers were never actively used in wartime events, the foundations for large guns are visible overlooking the ocean. The bunkers comprise of two tunnels, equipped with a series of rooms that branch off from the main walkway. Now abandoned, the two tunnels are used by locals to graffiti the walls and to party as quite obvious by the debris. The bunkers are not the most hygienic place to be spending time in so I don't plan on returning anytime soon.  On the day we visited the tunnels it was quite overcast weather and it had a prominent winter chill to the air. I chose a preppy-Wednesday Adams themed outfit paired with my new Mui Mui glasses and black statement bag by Cambridge Satchel Company. I'm wearing an old button down black dress with white collar, underneath a Peter Alexander daywear Mickey Mouse sweater. My lipstick is Limecrime's Poisonberry.

Dallas Green at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a venue reserved only for the most exclusive events and on Thursday 24th July the city of Sydney heard Dallas Green (of City and Colour) as he sang his way into our hearts. Walking into the Opera House Concert Hall I notice how the layers of the building as seen from the exterior are mirrored accordingly. The room is arranged around a stage that seems to squeeze out of a condensed space of mezzanine levels, with balconies that hold seats filled by shadowy figures. My first impression of this space is of a blanket fort made from layered quilts and sheets. This theme of intimacy is heavily drawn upon as Dallas Green invite us all for an evening simply with Dallas, his guitar, and a harmonica.

Inside The Concert Hall, Dallas shared vivid stories of love, loss and spirituality in the form of his signature soulful vocals. Strange to describe but at moments during the night I could almost feel the entire auditorium breathe as one in these unison sighs. I imagined I could feel all the patrons express an inaudible feeling, triggered by the flow of effervescent sounds within the music that we all shared. Highlights of the evening were "Coming Home" and "Body In A Box" but it's difficult to choose favourites as the set was beautifully arranged with a variety of songs taken from Dallas Green's discography. "What Makes a Man" saw Green conduct the audience in a special Opera Concert Hall choir, which was very fun to be apart of. Another memorable part of the evening was Dallas honesty in describing the background of "The Grand Optimist" a lovely song with a powerful family message.

The set was finished like the majority of City and Colour sets with "Coming Home". I think the connection to blanket forts was made because in a special way I participated in a sacred ritual of blanket fort story telling that evening. It was inside these private spaces where secrets were whispered into the ears of invited friends, and lasting memories were made after the fort was demolished.

{ image taken on iPhone 5 by Shenay Spinelli }

Just A Minute | July

This year has absolutely flown by and July was without a doubt the most adventurous of them all. My planner was filled to the brim this month with appointments, classes, concerts, parties or work. A close friend joked I lived an entire lifetime within these weeks. I would have to agree. July delivered highs and lows but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope August will give me a chance to unwind from the hectic past weeks but I might have to wait a little longer until early September when I've booked a trip to Melbourne. I so excited to be returning to the lovely city and I am prepared to drink the city dry of it's coffee.

Life events: A huge lifestyle game changer would have to be independent living, that has come into full effect. For instance I did my taxes by myself for the first time and I've been finding a passion for cooking (even if it means waiting patiently for things to bake in the oven or chasing screaming smoke alarms). I was very social in July and got out and about for a couple of events, like supporting by my best friend in Chicago, I visited some local heritage tunnels from WWII and road tripped to The Blue Mountains. Also I bought new Mui Mui reading glasses and I just think they are the bee's knees.

Reading: I finally finished reading Allegiant by Veronica Roth the third and final book in the Divergent series. The Welcome to Night Vale podcasts are so strange and marvellous, any fans of Twin Peaks will love. I discovered the hilarious twitter accompaniment to Welcome to Night Vale and it is everything I need to subdue my grumps on bad days. As for blogs I have been enjoying The Goodrich Wife whose photography and writing is so delightful.

Listening: July was the month for outstanding live music and I was there for four stellar performances.  I began the month with seeing Lorde at Sydney's Horden Pavillion and I wrote a review over here. Next show I saw was Dallas Green (City and Colour) at The Opera House, a review is in the works but a quick synopsis is it was magical. I'm a big fan of Ben Howard and his show at the Enmore theatre was very impressive. I can't help but swoon at his adorable messy hair and the honesty in his lyrics. I think the highlight of Ben Howard's show was his beautiful alternate live version of The Wolves. Also, I loved hearing the new album preview because it sounds amazing. Finally, I saw the dynamic bro/sis duo Broods whom kicked ass at Oxford Arts Factory. Broods set was energetic and good vibes radiated off the tiny venue and well into the night. As per usual here are my favourite new releases for July: The Griswolds 'Beware the Dog' / Alt-j 'Left Hand Free' / Vance Joy 'Mess is Mine' / Angus & Julia Stone 'A Heartbreak' / Jungle 'Julia' / Fractures - Won't Win

Watching: July was a lacklustre month for passive activities however I did spend one long night watching Penny Dreadful. A psychological thriller set in Victorian London and features famous fictional characters such as Dorian Grey, Frankenstein & Dracula. The cinematography, production aesthetics, costume department and cast are on point. Another show I got into was Fargo I've only seen three episodes so I don't have a review just yet but it has potential. As for films I watched Palo Alto starring James Franco & Emma Robberts. I was captivated by the aesthetics of shots and detailed colour schemes but the plot was disappointing. If writers want to include sensitive material such as rape and domestic violence as featured in Palo Alto please do it with the respect it deserves. These topics are extremely personal and Palo Alto completely veiled it in the background, I would advise viewer discretion unless you would like to rage with me. A youtube discovery of mine in July was Last Week Tonight with John Oliver a youtube channel that presents the current affairs in comical view. It is very informative and addictive and I would recommend to everyone who would like to know a bit more than the headline.

Listen: Chet Faker

It is a known fact that everytime someone presses play on a Chet Faker song, doves take flight in procession of a marriage ceremony. Basically, Chet Faker creates the sounds that you want to get married to and even marry. That's right I said it; given the chance I wouldn't mind spending matrimony with those sweet-as-honey vocals & delicate instrumentals featured in the debut album Built On Glass. The mister behind the sounds is Nicholas Murphy, whom I had the pleasure of seeing perform on stage at Sydney's Enmore Theatre in June (to read the review click the 'read more').

Track 1. 'Release Your Problems'
Firstly, lets take a moment to appreciate the experience of listening to this album on vinyl…. the 180 gram perspex translucent 2LP records look luxurious sitting on a turntable. Now to the album, this track is perfectly arranged for listeners who just want to melt away for the album's duration. The opening notes are like those slow, rhythmic, hypnotising beats you would find being played at a yoga studio, but Chet's crooning vocals welcomes you into a bluesy but catchy chorus.
Feels a lot don't leave the light on I could be the warmest soul if I like What a night 

Track 2. 'Talk Is Cheap'
Saxophone - sax - s a x - sex..? How did we get to this point? Sexy instrumentals tease us for a while before Chet provides groovy vocals.
That's what I'm thinking Not what I'm drinking.. Talk is cheap, my darling When you're feeling right at home I wanna make you move with confidence I wanna be with you alone

Track 3. 'No Advice (Airport Version)'
We return to the yoga studio for some more chilled out vibes before an echoey Chet reminds us to breathe evenly because most of us are in delusional states of floating (down the aisle?)
I feel it in my bones I feel it take me home

Track 4. 'Melt' feat Kilo Kish
The character Flaca in Orange Is The New Black describes it best: "It’s like getting into a bath but the water is like warm, chocolate pudding."
You won't leave me alone, every time I rest you're in my head Breaking bones, Breaking bones You make me lose my time, fall all over the words

Track 5. 'Gold'
I'm not going to lie. This is one of my favourites of all time. I want to review it with justice but I'm way too emotionally invested to accurately describe it. Listen for yourself.
You gotta know, I'm feeling love Made of gold