poet, lyricist and style icon...

please welcome Arthur... The Latest addition to the 
monkmenagerie family. Sometimes secret Santa presents 
are not instant regifting ideas!

Berlin, the birthplace of street art...

Bill Withers, "justments...classic album review

'Justments, Bill Withers' third studio album is

stunning! Undeniably masculine in his vocal

delivery yet Mr. Withers is still able to evoke 

an emotional connection in his listeners that 

is oh so very rare in the soul genre.

There is more studio polish on this album than

his previous two efforts but that in no way 

detracts from his songwriting chops, the man is

a bona fide genius along with being one of the

coolest cats to ever grace the vinyl era.

Recorded in 1974 it was refreshing to see an

artist not riding the coat-tails of the monster

that was the disco explosion. 

Funky, a little bit dirty, yet intimate and 

strangely profound, this sums up Mr. Bill Withers.

We at monkmenagerie salute you, the world shines

a tiny bit less brightly without your music!  

dancing on the ceiling...

A recent trip to our friend Burl's house revealed
a novel way to re-use an old pair of R.M William's.
Paint them white and nail them to the ceiling!

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me- Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we- Of many far wiser than we- And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea. Edgar Allan Poe

Amsterdam, we love you...

Dan Mangan, oh fortune...album review

Dan Mangan the young Canadian troubadour who
has a voice that sounds like he's already
traversed through three life times drinking
and smoking the entire way has almost released
a masterpiece with his third album 'Oh Fortune'.
'How Darwinian'(try saying that three times fast!)
the albums centre-piece is a contender for song 
of the year and even after the tenth listen it
still sends shivers up the spinal chord.
Dan has obviously been given a larger budget
this time round with horns, strings and an army
of musicians at his disposal and therein lies
the "almost" in front of masterpiece. His first 
and second albums connected with the listener on
a personal level like he was in your living room
playing you a private set, but this time round with 
all the musicians and studio polish some tiny part
of Dan Mangan is missing, that personal touch.
But this is a miniscule gripe in what is a 
beautiful and heartfelt album that demands listening
to the entire way through from start to finish. 

a murder mystery with a twist...

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time 
is indeed a curious novel. Written from the view
point of a fifteen year old boy named Christopher 
who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. 
This novel at its basic level is a murder mystery 
about the death of a neighbors pet dog but the
depth lies in Christopher's day to day struggles,
he loves maths, making lists and patterns.
He hates being touched and the colours red and brown.
I won't ruin the rest because it's a relatively short 
read except to say that by the time you've finished 
you will believe that this is a diary written in 
Christopher's hand. 
Well done Mark Haddon for being able to get into the 
mind of a teenage boy dealing with Asperger's. 

a day in Pere Lachaise Cemetery...

become like Tarzan...

 

 

Brings back latent memories from childhood doesn't it.
Let your inner hippy shine and dream about living amongst
the branches. Wouldn't we all love our own private canopy
hideaway and maybe a pet squirrel named Nuts as our
weekend getaway.

plain gold ring...

Nina Simone would be proud that her song
has been handled this way... and from a 
young white New Zealander. Aaaahh music
works in cryptic ways.

rainy day exploration...

So when you live in Brisbane sometimes you

contend with two or three days of dreaded

rain. So what better way to spend these 

down right depressing days than pretending 

to know something about the internal

workings of an artists mind, and it's all

free! Here is a list of Brisbane's best...

The GoMA. Stanley Place, South Bank.

Heiser Gallery. 90 Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley.

Jugglers Art Space Inc. 103 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley.

Bleeding Heart. 166 Ann Street, Brisbane City.

Nine Lives. 5F Winn St, Fortitude Valley.

Peter Gabriel, new blood...album review

Like Peter Gabriel's last effort 'Scratch My Back',
'New Blood' gets the same treatment, except this time
he takes to his back catalogue instead of re-working
songs from his favourite artists (Elbow, Bon Iver, 
Arcade Fire). This Album is not for everyone, the 
emotional impact alone will see to that. No synth's
or guitars and not a rhythm section in sight, strings
swell and drone. Kettle drums thump at the least 
expected moment all the while Gabriel's world wearied
voice soars above it all (amazing seeing he's now 61).
Listen to his daughter Melanie's duet in 'Upside Down'
and Ane Brun's guest vocals on 'Don't Give Up' and 
I'm sure you'll fall in love (she does a great job 
filling the shoes of Kate Bush).
Oh yeah if you have a good set of headphones, do 
yourself a favour pour a wine and listen to this little
gem...you won't be disappointed.

Silva/Bradshaw Design Studio.

Founded in 2010 by artists/designers Matthew
Bradshaw and Sergio Silva, they met whilst 
studying at New York Pratt Institute. Based in
Brooklyn they design and produce conceptually
driven objects, check these pieces of eye candy...

Bulb Bowl. 

Wooden Concrete Blocks. 

Constantine Table. 

Circle/Circle Tray.

Lightbulb Candle.

Trim Table.

Tools.

'Play' Munny.

Prague, where the vampires play...