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