Yah Yah's Poster

THIS WEEKEND: THE FESTIVAL OF YIS

FESTIVAL OF YIS: 3rd-6th December, 2009

Thursday, 3rd of December at Yah Yah's, Smith St, Fitzroy

The Thod, The Revels, YIS, 9pm start. $6

Saturday, 5th of December at Public Bar, Victoria St, North Melbourne

Mesa Cosa, The Lazy Sons, YIS, 9pm start. $6

Sunday, 6th of December at The Old Bar, Johnston St, Fitzroy

YIS (Headline show!), Spitfire Parade, Fallow Fields, 8pm start. FREE.

and later this month...
Boxing Day at The Old Bar : Vampillia (Japan), Fourteen Nights At Sea, YIS, No Name (Japan)

New Song: "End/Last Man On Earth"

It's been a while since I posted something musical, so here's a rough sketch of a song, str8 off tha dome. Felt good to brush the cobwebs away. Maybe some more stuff soon.

YIS - End/Last Man On Earth

YISCHEF: Tofurky

With only a month to go before Krampus arrives to steal naughty children, Bronwyn provides you with a holiday recipe that wont harm the poor widdle aminals. Perfect for vegos, or carnivores catering for family members who don't realise the deliciousness of the the Holy Trinty of roasts that is ham, turkey and pork.

The bird:

1.5 kg firm tofu (drained and dried with a paper towel to remove as much liquid as possible) 1/2 cup fresh chopped rosemary, sage and thyme
1 Massel “chicken” stock cube
Cracked pepper
Few tablespoons of potato starch or besan (chickpea flour) in case tofu mixture is too wet

The stuffing:
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1 small carrot
1 sticks celery, diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme
3 cups freshly made breadcrumbs (I use stale yeast-free Italian sourdough)
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup chopped chestnuts
1/3 approx. cup stock (made with Massel cubes or powder)
Saute onion, garlic, celery, carrot, apple and herbs in olive oil. Mix with breadcrumbs, craisins, chestnuts and stock to form a firm but moist stuffing.

The marinade:
40ml balsamic vinegar
40ml pomegranate molasses (easily obtainable from Middle Eastern grocers)
1/2 cup port
1/3 cup chopped herbs (same as before)
1 teaspoon seeded mustard (I make my own by pounding yellow and brown mustard seeds and mixing with Keen’s powdered mustard, salt and white vinegar, but any good quality version will suffice- just read the label to make sure it doesn’t contain lactic acid)
sea salt, cracked pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes to taste
Whisk all this stuff together.

Do this:
1. Mash tofu till smooth. Mix in herbs, and pepper to taste. If it is too crumbly, add flour as required.

2. Line a colander with muslin. Place tofu mixture in colander and press into a bowl shape. Tofu should be 2-3cm thick. Keep trimmings to seal in stuffing and to fashion the wings and legs of the tofurkey. The tofu needs to be as dry as possible. Fold the muslin over it, fit a small bowl in the centre, then weigh it down with kitchen weights or tins of beans or whatever. Place in fridge to drain, over a bowl, for at least three hours.

3. Take dry tofu and place stuffing in the centre. Use tofu trimmings to seal in stuffing, making sure it's as secure as possible and invert onto greased baking tray. Use remaining trimmings to form legs and wings. Arrange on the tofurkey. Coat the tofurkey with the marinade.

4. Cook at 170C for 1 and a half hours, brushing with marinade every 15 minutes or so. Serve with gravy (Massel or Gravox or any other vegan-friendly brand) or cranberry sauce or whatever else you fancy.

- B.L.

Pug Watch #1

YIS Recommends: Person Pitch & Synecdoche, NY

So, after a ten hour day, it's probably a good idea to relax to something. So, I took Kurt Cobain's advice and tried some Young Marble Giants. Wasn't happening. So, just at random, I pulled out Panda Bear's Person Pitch...

Okay, considering this was Pitchfork's Album of the Year back in 2007, you've probably checked this album out, but still, check it out again. Animal Collective are almost in town... and although Merriweather Post Pavillion is a pretty decent album, this one is pretty damn amazing. It's taken a couple of years for it to click, but after a long day, it's a great one to put on to drift off to. Apparently the true mark of a great album is when as soon as it finishes, you put it on again. I've done this very, very few times in my life, but tonight, Noah Lennox, you've done it. Kudos.

While we're recommending things, Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut Synecdoche, New York has come out at ye olde video shoppe. Watched it last night and it blew my mind just a little bit. There's a few shocking moments in it (one of the scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman and his daughter is really quite disturbing), and it's not something that's going to be totally digested in just one viewing. It's so dense it'll linger in your brain for a couple of days like a Lynch film, but unlike, say, Inland Empire, it's actually worth unpacking in your own mind. Seems like an intensely personal work, but I related to it in a big way. The final moment just hits you in the gut really, really hard.

I remember sitting in a Cinema Studies class back in second-year Uni and watching Adaptation, and the opening monologue setting something off in my head. I very rarely relate to anything, but for some reason Kaufman's neuroses really resonates with me, and every one of his films is worth watching.

Also, Jon Brion scores it, so you know it's probably worth a look.

Oh, and it's pronounced like this.

Photos: The Cursed Gig, 21/11/09

Despite the breakup of the first headlining act, the dropout of the second headlining band (due to a broken arm two days before the gig), the hospitalisation of our DJ for the night, the death of a 200-watt Marshall stack midway through a set, a busted A-string on Nightmaster's Fender Bass VI and the abysmal weather, we all survived THE CURSED GIG. I even busted my B-string in the first song... lucky I had 11 others to break. Good ol' 12-string.

Sure, the vocals were way too loud (thanks for telling us, guys), but fun was had by all.


Next gigs are...

Thursday the 3rd of December at Yah Yah's (Smith St, Collingwood), supporting The Thod and The Revels. Playing at 9pm.

Saturday the 5th of December at Public Bar (Victoria St, North Melbourne), supporting Mesa Cosa (Chris Chinchilla's new Mexi-Punk posse) and someone else. On around 9.

Invite yourself on Facebook here.

Photo: Andre at Lightning Bolt

This show was insanely good. More pics at Faster Louder.

If you haven't seen them yet, you must must must go to one of these shows.

Sunday 22nd November: Brisbane, Queensland: Hi Fi w/ Grey Daturas, Slug Guts + Abject Leader

Monday 23rd: Sydney, NSW: Hermanns Bar, (opposite Sydney University) w/ CRUX, Rice Corpse, Black Widow

Tuesday 24th: Auckland, New Zealand: Transmission Room

Wednesday 25th: Wellington, New Zealand: San Francisco Bath House

Thursday 26th: Hobart, Tasmania: Mona / One Project presents, venue TBC

Friday 27th: Adelaide, South Australia: Fowlers w/ Primitive Calculators, Robotosaurus + Bronze Chariot

Saturday 28th: Nth Melbourne, Victoria: Static Age Festival @ Lithuanian Club w/ Lightning Bolt, Grey Daturas, Primitive Calculators, Naked on the Vague, Justice Yeldham, Embers big band, Abject Leader, Ivans, Other Films, Rebeiro / Andrews, The Whulge + Robotosaurus

Sunday 29th: Geelong, Victoria: The National Hotel w/ Grey Daturas + The Stabs

Get close. Bring earplugs.

THE CURSED GIG... DARE YOU ATTEND?

The dude from Pageants broke his arm, so tomorrow night is reduced to three bands and a $6 cover. We're now on at 9:20pm.

Saturday Playing Times

Doors 8:30, Entry $8

Pageants 11.20 – 12.00
Nightmaster 10.30 – 11.00
Fourteen Nights At Sea 9.40 – 10.10
YIS 8.50 – 9.20

Apologies

So, yes, sorry for the lack of updates this week. It's been a pretty heavy week as far with all things happening, with equal parts fantastic and awful. If anything, it makes for some good material to write with.

We had a practice today for the pair of gigs we've got coming up. It'll be the last ones for a while, as we've all decided we're way too overhyped. The pressure is just getting too much to handle and we need to some time away from this juggernaut...

Some more updates throughout the week, I PROMISE.

More Sad News

Nowhere near as sad as the last update, but Richo just retired! :(



I should probably do something music related now...

R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs

Most of you have probably heard about the really sad news regarding !!! drummer Jerry Fuchs. !!! are a fantastic band. Their album Myth Takes is just awesome, as is all their other stuff. Their midnight slot at Golden Plains set a few years back is probably one my favourite sets ever (and apparently they were even better the next night at The Prince, which I can't believe as that'd be almost impossible). Anyway, it sounds like a horrible way to go. RIP.

Yes, there were no weekend updates.

DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?

YIS News #3

Having a proper practice tomorrow... might even be recording a bit. We're planning to try to record a couple of songs to give out at the Cobra show. See how we go. There'll be something up for grabs.

Check out the other acts we're playing with on the night: Pageants, NightMaster and Fourteen Nights at Sea. If you can't make it, don't stress, we've got another gig on Thursday, December 3rd at Yah Yahs.

Oh, and my laptop hard-drive corrupted, so, I've lost all the masters for the Live Mixtape... So, yes, the 40 that were made will be the only 40 that exist.

Also, we've gone up to second if you search for us on Google now. In first place is "Yes I Am Single": a website for singles who sign up and wear a badge in public to attract potential mates. Instructions are as follows:

The Yes I am Single (yis.com.au) badge is a subtle and unobtrusive tool to be worn by single people to let other singles know that they are unattached and looking to meet other likeminded singles.

Once you have your badge and yis.com.au membership, you can access our forums where you can chat to singles with similar interests, form new social networks and organise your own events.

You may like to form your own or join an existing golf, walking or wine tasting group or simply organise an impromptu evening out to the theatre or a pub in a central location.

Below are a few situations where you may wish to put on your badge with a view to meeting other single people:

• On the bus, train or ferry
• At the gym
• At the pub or at a restaurant
• At the shopping mall
• At the theatre or cinema
• While walking the dog
• On vacation
• At a sporting event
• On a bucks/ hens night when out with friends
• At the beach
• At church

Wear your badge and start meeting people the old fashioned way!

We were planning to start YISHEARTS: a singles club for YIS fans who were searching for that special someone, but we'll probably end up provoking some Apple Computers/Apple Corps scale naming rights legal battle...

YIS The Stamp

YIS, The Stamp!!!

Okay, so, it's been a bit of a slow news day...

Poster & Gigs

Here's the poster for the next YIS gig on Saturday, November 21st at Cobra Bar, upstairs at The Tote... We'll be distributing free copies of our mythical double-A side single "Call The Jury When He's Hungry/Trevor Block Rockin' Beats". These songs are so good they might not ever be released ever again. EVER. Pledge your allegiance on the Facebook event here.

But, if you can't wait three weeks for some fun, there's two goodies on this weekend: Chris Chinchilla (who used to play in Art Brut and Macaca Mulatta) new Mexican-punk posse Mesa Cosa are also playing Cobra this Friday, supporting Confirmed Reptilian and The Show.

Night after that one is the main event; The Holy Soul's album launch at The Oldy on Saturday night, supported by Mick Turner from The Dirty Three, Miniature Submarines (feat. Mark from The Stabs and Monika from Love of Diagrams), and Brendan Black from The Stabs. Maybe this is the Old Bar's way of trying to get The Stabs to play... The same thing happened with Wu Tang at an American festival a few years ago, where the dude just booked all the Clan as solo artists and hoped for the best... Well, probably not the same, really....

Friends: Wrong Turn

Y'know when you get a CD of your mate's band, and it ends up sounding like it was recorded for $0 under their house on a walkman?

Well, I had the pleasure of driving around with the excellent new CD by Wrong Turn in my car for a few hours last night after catching them blast through a set to some appreciative diners at The Retreat on Sydney Rd last night. Apart from being some of the nicest dudes you'll meet, Myles and Ian pack a lot of punch for a two piece. The sound is pretty straight vintage (their description of Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley style rock is pretty spot on); it sounds like they grew up on the same stuff Jon Spencer did and came to a similar, but less zombie-Elvis-like conclusion.

And gear whores take note; there is some seriously nice ampage going on up there including some vintage Australian VASE gear and a set of Ampro speakers on wooden legs. I was thinking how nice it must be to play in a two-piece and not having to worry about all that gear until I saw Ian packing a station-wagon to the gills with his two speakers, two heads in massive roadcases and three guitars. I spose Myles' Ludwig kit is orrite as well...

Anyway, check out the Myspace for the next show details and some tunes, and get the cd thru Off The Hip.

Photos: The YIS Attractions, The Tote, 31/10/09

On Saturday, YIS and The Strange Attractions defied several restraining orders and joined forces to create THE YIS ATTRACTIONS, who "performed" a spirited rendition of Flipper's "Sex Bomb". The camera was destroyed shortly after these photos were taken. Pics by James Neilson.

Anyone got any more shots? yis@aanet.com.au

Ice Cream Winner!

So, we had many, many amazing entries for the Ice-Cream competition, but there can only be one winner...

Bronwyn and Andre's favourites were "YIS is Simon" (by someone who attended our last gig) "Yes, I'm Simon" by Dan Harman, as it's apparently such an apt description of the band... to them, I say, you're fired. Gabbo's "Youth Inspired by Stooges" would have also been an accurate statement if not for the fact that Bron and I are so damn old.

A.H. Cayley gets the award for sheer volume of entries, including "Yorrick's Indigo Skullcap" and "Yoda's Inepitude Syntactical".

I personally thought kazpatafta's "Yemenis Impersonating Saudis" was the funniest and smartest, and tugboat's "Yoni-In-Sadhu" (roughly translated as "enlightened vagina") the most crazy and unique of them all.

To the above entrants, you all win our love and respect. To the people who insulted us using the acronym format... nice job.

All these mentioned and many other all would have been worthy winners... HOWEVER.... the rules clearly stated that you had to be at the gig to win the prize... so, I'm delighted to announce the winner of the YIS Ice-Cream Social competition is Stu Burns from (Undisclosed), Victoria for his entry "Yoda Implies Secrets". Congratulations for Bradburying your way into a mound of dairy goodness. Tell us where and when. Bring a friend if you like. However, they may only watch and laugh.

Next Gig: Cobra Bar (The Tote, upstairs), Saturday, 21st of November

Next Fixture

Saturday, 21st of November
YIS vs Cobra Bar
(upstairs at The Tote)

Bounce: 8pm

Team Changes

YIS
Out: Tim Taliana (omitted)
In: Bronwyn Liroudia

TOTE COBRAS
Out: The Strange Attractions (injured liver)
In: Fourteen Nights At Sea, Nightmaster, Pageants

Now we can move on! Next gig in three weeks at Cobra, playing original YIS material! Tim Taliana omitted for the returning Bronwyn Liroudia. Matthew Fazio moved from guitar onto the synth, but might be forced out with injury/better things to do. There'll be some free CDs, as per usual...

Free Download: Live Mixtape #1

YIS - Live Mixtape #1
(.mp3 format, 224kbps, VBR)

Click Here To Download

Recorded live at YIS Manor
Wednesday, 28th of October, 2009

01. New Race (Radio Birdman)
02. Sex Beat (The Gun Club)
03. Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More (Mudhoney)
04. Dirt (The Stooges)
05. Where Eagles Dare (Misfits)
06. 12XU (Wire)
07. Orgasm Addict (Buzzcocks)
08. Trash (New York Dolls)
09. The American Ruse (MC5)
10. The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill (Husker Du)
11. Sex Bomb (Flipper)

Simon Fazio - Vocals, Guitar
Andre Fazio - Drums
Matthew Fazio - Guitar
Tim Taliana - Bass, Vocals (on Trash)

Special thanks to Roffy from The Tote (for booking us), Bek Duke for the requests, Mum and Dad for putting up with the noise, everyone who came down to The Tote in the heat (Stu, Block, Jess, Andrew, Fi, Russ, Michelle, Gary, Aiden, Eleanor, Matt's other friends, Emi, Ruth, Jemell, Carla, Marc, Kizz, Timmy, Josh, Kelly, Laura, Myles, The Talianas and everyone else I forgot), the Tote barstaff for the watermelon and A.H. Cayley for being awesome.

(You'll need Winrar to unrar this)