If a transition from mass-ear interest in New Wave guitar groups towards the synth and lo-fi undergrounds of yore has long been in the offing, only now does it seem at tipping point both at home and abroad.

Widespread exposure and acceptance of home recording auteurism has left young Heads hungrier for hard-sound experimentalism in pop than ever - pushing demands on new tunes excitingly high, far beyond textbook understandings of the New York / Manchester post-punk axis towards more cosmic strands in Kosmiche Musik, concrete sound, psychedelic punk and all manner of culturally dispossessed activity.

The anonymous and prolific Blank Dogs is a perfect case in point; an arcane, rough-edged home recorder whose darkened DIY sound - in the wake of LA's Human Ear and Brooklyn's Sacred Bones labels - is suddenly a widespread pop concern, or should be. Debut LP, On Two Sides, takes the songwriting nous of 'Everything's Gone Green'-era New Order, neurotic heaviness of Minimal Wave, crematorium pulse of PiL and nihilistic synth-view of Nervous Gender and Dark Day and drenches it in nauseating, transistor-like production. Available by donation to Blank Dogs, here, or on limited Troubleman vinyl.

By Mark Gomes

Release: Album

To Cure: A predictable playlist

Keywords: Experimental, Pop, Post-punk

Ever found yourself wondering, "If only there was a film that combined my passion for vintage pornography, international espionage and foxy European ladies with low blood sugar"? The wait is over: Fay Grim is here.

With camera angles thrown constantly askew, performances from a cache of hardcore art darlings (Parker Posey, Elina Löwensohn, Saffron Burrows), and his signature dialogue style as electric as ever, Fay Grim smacks of Hal Hartley's auteurist vision. It's a direct sequel to 1997's Henry Fool, as well as reminiscent of Hartley's Amateur in its combination of the humdrum domestic with a fantasy of the criminal underworld.

Fay Grim is the perfect introduction to the one-time darling of American indie cinema's work, providing the climactic velvet punch for themes he has so beautifully danced around for the past 20 years. He demonstrates here, more explicitly than ever, that the political and the personal can never be separated, and that love - as awkward, dysfunctional, un-Hollywood as it is - can still rally against the ever-looming threat of bureaucracy and cliché.

By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Format: Cinema

Mood: Smarts

Keywords: Hal Hartley, Nova

Dan Arps buys psychedelic fantasy pop art posters from a bong shop near his house in Auckland, known as 'Sharpies', and paints or sticks things on them, and exhibits them. He is a very well known New Zealand artist and a dude.

Alongside this exhibition, you can buy his monograph, Gestapo Pussy Ranch. It's a nudist magazine altered to document his recent show at The Physics Room in NZ. It will tell you about somebody's dog getting jizzed on, the history of the swastika, and a scheme to collect facts proving that the end of the world is currently taking place (if you have one, you'll be paid $5).

He also co-founded Natural Selection Magazine. Issue 6b is worth checking out - it's the 'Overcoming Loathing: Pamphlet Series' and it will assist you in all areas of life through short instructional texts such as 'A Beginner's Guide to Empathy: Understanding Through Song', '16 Notes on Overcoming Gravity' and ‘Tips for petty crime'. As we said - dude.

By Penny Modra

Medium: Installation

Drink: Herbal tea

Keywords: Neon Parc

Sometimes I like to go into Big Dubs just to see what's snappin'. This fine emporium stocks much more than $6.25 flannies and $9.82 hipster plimsolls. There's also thrillingly vulgar matched luggage, make-your-own yoghurt kits, camping chairs so cheap you don't mind when a drunken web designer breaks yours at Meredith... And this incredible stereo system, which gives you a sweet tingling feeling like someone has filled your heart with sherbet.

If you're not a DJ or audio snob with pots of cash, it's hard to find a new record player full stop, let alone one with a CD player and digital AM/FM tuner. Better yet, it spins vinyl at 33, 45 and 78rpm. That's right! You can play old 78s on this like Seymour from Ghost World. But sweet sherbet Jesus, that isn't all. It also rips vinyl to USB in mp3 format - in real time. Shit, I wish I'd never told Penny about this.

By Mel Campbell

Product: Gadgets

Theft: Theft is inevitable: Buy two

Keywords: Audio

If the word 'awesomest' was an illustration (or even a word) then it would be illustrated by Shaun Tan. Tan is the king of Australian book illustration and creator of last year's award-winning comic book The Arrival.

Typically Tan's stories are allegories about the human condition, his skill as an artist and writer is to take everyday themes and create an extraordinary and hallucinatory experience. The beauty in Tan's work is his ability to create visually stunning imagery without allowing it to dominate his narrative thread. Simplicity is the key. It's revealed amongst a backdrop of fantastic worlds and luscious imagery page by page by page.

Tan's latest work, Tales From Outer Suburbia, follows similar terrain. This time there are a series of short stories linked together by whimsical and surreal events that occur in very real places, suburban Australia. The strength of the book is its ability to tell stories as if they were your own, enhanced by Tan's beautiful imagery.

If you're one for artistic voyeurism, there's a chance to catch Tan's deft hands (and mouth) in conversation with Chris Wallace-Crabbe at the State Library next Wednesday.

By Gabriel Clark

Format: Book

Motivation: Kill twenty minutes dead

Keywords: Comics, Illustration

‘Biggest ever' is a claim usually made by Napoleon Rosales via your trash folder. But get excited, because we've been told to bandy it around in reference to Alice Euphemia's BIGGEST EVER sale, which will deliver guaranteed results without the need for nasal spray technology. We have also been informed that this is a ‘Royally Large' sale, which differs from the more conventional ‘Lowborn Sales' you often see about town.

So with this regal blessing, you are invited to come down and fight it out for offerings from all your favourite Australian labels such as Antipodium, Friedrich Gray, Marnie Skillings, TV and Kate Hurst. Yes, last time there may have been some hair grabbing and brutal clawing over the last Tina Kalivas. And that was the sale before the BIGGEST EVER sale! So you'll have to get in quick this time.

Start making arrangements to have a weird, personal ‘specialist' appointment or suffer a sports injury even though you haven't done physical activity since 1993. Because trivial engagements such as work, university or your grandmother's 80th should not stand in the way of you getting 80% off.

By Sophie Gaston

Product: Fashion

Anatomy: Hip pocket

Keywords: Alice Euphemia, Sale

Even though Collins Quarter was destined to be a Friday-night-work-drinks haven, there are a few hours in the morning where it doesn't smell of dry cleaning. You shouldn't have to bust out your dowsing rods to find a secluded hovel to drink coffee and read the morning's news. So while we've covered Collins Quarter in the past, they've been working on their new concept to relieve your mornings of chaos.

Quarter Espresso morphs the space into an inviting café, serving a humble breakfast of muesli, fruit salad, toast and pides. Coffee is lovingly made (you can tell because they paint frilly designs in their lattes) from the beans of Castlemaine roasters, Coffee Basics.

For a large, plush Collins Street establishment, there is a surprising tranquillity about this place in the early hours. There's an absence of the usual coffee grinder drill, and the high-walled booths block out any irritating background conversation. Despite the charm of the sparkling staff, Quarter Espresso is perfect for those who find the company of others and the buzz of other cafes similar to acute tinnitus.

By Isabel Dunstan

Venue: Café

Meal: Breakfast

Keywords: Coffee

Despite her helmet hair, Miranda July has featured in more than 100,000 sexual submission fantasies (according to the ABS). So, of course, when she tells people to do stuff, they get into it in a big way. What stuff? Um, documenting their bald spots, sculpting a bust of Steve, etc.

Learning to Love You More is a web site and series of exhibitions of work made by the general public in response to 'assignments' given by July and her friend Harrell Fletcher. As of last September, it's also a book, which you can buy here.

Do you - like the Oliver family of Seattle - want Miranda July to pay attention to you? Then start at assignment #68 ('feel the news') and start learnin' to be lovin'.

By Penny Modra

Ambience: Indoor

Difficulty: Exertion will pay off

Keywords: Miranda July

Description:
These characters are from the LES, NYC, they started their band in 2002/03 and used to stand outside Tower Records all day handing out burned CDs, so they have every right to say they make post-punk-influenced dance rock and not have you look at them sideways. Their second album, The Sun and the Moon is out now. This is a side show to their East Coast tour with We Love Sounds. They're supported by Van She and Mission Control. - PM

By Penny Modra

Event: Bands

Stimulus: E

Keywords: Rock, Electro, The Corner

Description:
It appears the people of Eurotrash will be challenging the space-time continuum this Thursday. It is seemingly both unrealistic and awesome that Midnight Woolf, The Good Time Party Band, Ouch My Face, Popolice, There She Goes Again, Ladyfist and Djailbait will all have the time to play in one evening. Not only that, but this is the debut of mysterious new electro outfit SEXFACE. - ID

By Isabel Dunstan

Event: Bands

Stimulus: sound the horns!

Keywords: Eurotrash

Description:
You could take the We Love Sounds after party high road to One Love, but the low road is 3rd Class this Saturday (and then Sunday too). Michael says they will have the Wii out all weekend. We know the MySpace does not corroborate this, but he looked at us through his oversized red plastic glasses and said it. Also, Mr Oizo is totally going to be there, I mean he's not on the flyer, but wouldn't you? You would, you crazy French birdman you. - KM

By Kate Mosh

Event: DJs

Stimulus: sound the horns!

Keywords: Third Class

Description:
This time last year, Hell Yeah Projects kicked off their second annual night of watching art, drinking enough wine to give you the courage to start contributing to Nathan Gray's constructs and tapping foot to favourite DJs. It was called Blame it on the Rain. But there have been some other folks at work who also like to listen to Milli Vanilli and name their events after his songs. The ‘80s party at Miss Libertine is suspiciously named Blame it on the Rain despite having no connection to the artsy party of yore. Coincidence or otherwise, this party will be catering to those who like $5 shots and trust that Hans DC, Obliveous, Scotrod, and Mafia have enough ‘80s classics to keep you busting out the running man all night long. - ID

By Isabel Dunstan

Event: Party

Stimulus: E

Keywords: Miss Libertine

Description:
If your Saturday greets you cold and lonely then head on down to James Cameron for a pie and a good pair of pants. It's a sale in two acts. The first act is vintage wash denim, Japanese corduroy, English wools, flannel trousers, and more. We guess the second act is pies. Honestly, could you think of a single better way to spend the day? Even just the words 'flannel trousers' make the world a better place. - PM

By Penny Modra

Event: Sales

Stimulus: S

Keywords: James Cameron, Fashion

Description:
The dude brings 3 midi controllers, chaos pad, firebox, laptop and Lemur (whatever that is) in excess baggage. Srious. Stephan Bodzin being a techno pioneer, this live show might dry the tears of those orphaned Nano kids who were starting to lack a social outlet. Mike Callander, Gavin Keitel, Virginia Le, Safari and many more are supporting as Stephan metaphorically spews forth many metres of high-tech cabling while recouping his baggage fees. - PM

By Penny Modra

Event: DJs

Stimulus: E

Keywords: Techno

Description:
It's a crime. Flesh vs Venom (Melbourne's ultimate discomfort disco band) shouldn't be ending, but it is and no amount of whinging is going to make it otherwise. This Queen's Birthday Eve they're teaming up with long-time partners in crime True Radical Miracle and Love Is Science Fiction and Noise Club Band. A night of truly sonic mayhem. - KD

By Kurt Decker

Event: Bands

Stimulus: W

Keywords: Pony, Noise, Punk

Description:
Embers have been pushing the musical envelopes with their improvised jazz and heavy grind creations and pulling together mictronal bass, drums and various breeds of saxophone. On Monday evening, they launch their album on Heathan Skulls with an amalgam of Melbourne artists, Blarke Bayer and Black Widow featuring Ben Andrews (Agents of Abhorrence/My Disco) and Rob MacManus (Grey Daturas). - ID

By Isabel Dunstan

Event: Launch

Stimulus: A

Keywords: The Toff in Town