I’ve seen it too often and giggled with glee ashamedly. Even though we hold our heads high, strut as opposed to the dreadful norm of walk and swing our hips to and fro, ladies can’t hide that all too apparent expression of pain swelling from the balls of their high-heel burdened feet.

I know, I know, it’s terrible to find entertainment value amidst my fellow woman’s agony, especially coming from someone who has repeatedly walked home sans-shoes after a night out due to incredulous feet pain. There was even one occasion, when a friend began to cry in my driveway after getting out of the taxi, because she couldn’t bear to walk anymore. I laughed then too. I think we were both badly inebriated.

You may think I’m an insensitive nark for anti-fashion and pro jeans/runners for comfort when really, it’s simple logic (Others may regard heels as all together illogical). I am more reasonable as to where and when I don the temporary heightening contrapment. Going out to an event that requires dressing up: Yes. A 6-hour day of lectures and tutorials: No. (There’s always those select few on any given Uni campus. Yes this is a subtle hint to you.)

Roll your eyes as you may, but this is a truth you can’t simply strut away from. Others can see for themselves when a girl is practically dragging herself across the floor, when she can no longer handle the walk, because of some ‘stupid shoes’ –as several of my male friends have put it.

Rolling ankles don’t make for attraction.

So, to the ladies who simply cannot do without, atleast attempt to minimise the back pain that is sure to greet you down the track. Invest in a pair of flat shoes. Or some crocs. Just kidding, Crocs are atrocious…

It's been a long time coming. An unhealthy degree of excessive listening and 1500 plays of Skinny Love later, I'm finally going to see Bon Iver live.

I'm not that excited really...

On another note. As new posts on this site become as irregular as one who hasn't had their bowl of All Bran (too much spare time, too many commercials viewed), here are other platforms to follow up on my verbal diarohea and musical ramblings.

www.twitter.com/aleanpenaflor

www.allidoislisten.com/

www.purplesneakers.com.au

See you around!

In the Garden

Photos: Alean Penaflor

Papa vs Pretty - Northcote Social Club, 25th of June 2011

If there is one thing to be said it’s this; my mind is completely overwhelmed with the immense talent that are Papa vs Pretty.

The Sydney-based trio took to stage and dove into track Life's Got A Hold Of Me. The guys’ humble nature swiftly broke the barrier between stage and audience, establishing an effortless flow between band and fans. It was too easy to forget that we were all essentially strangers to each other and easy to believe that collectively as a crowd, we’d merely gathered to watch our friends perform.

Lead Thomas Rawle and drummer Tom Myers constantly conversed with the audience, whilst bassist Gus Gardiner gracefully still took his place on stage despite being unwell, even joking that song I Still Believe In Us ought to be changed to ‘I Still Believe in Gus’. Tracks off debut album United in Isolation made up the bulk, with past singles such as Wrecking Ball and Heavy Harm also woven through the setlist. True to form, latest single One of the Animals unleashed chaos within the already energetic mob.

With genius guitar riffs that know no boundaries between frets, articulated drum patterns and underlying bass lines heavily- yet concise and structurally- layered in a majority of their songs, it’s the odd, bare, acoustic ballad tracks that reveal the band’s musical diversity. Despite their quintessential ‘rock’ sound, there is a depth to the band that Rawle seems to consciously shine light on, performing tracks such as Bitter Pill and I Felt Nothing (one of the encores), which require only him and his guitar for a majority of the time.

You’d think a musician such as himself, who displays an unbelievable level of skill and talent, wouldn’t be unnerved with the prospect of being exposed by the absence of other backing instruments. Self-doubt, however, is only human instinct after all, as Rawle confides within the audience that he personally finds the ‘quiet’ songs harder to play, as ‘it’s easier for people to hear mistakes’. On the contrary the crowd were oblivious to mistakes made or not, raising their lighters and phones as Rawle’s incredibly strong voice rang throughout the room in an effortless vibrato.

It cannot be stressed enough how remarkable these three musicians are, there is a fierce intensity to this band that is surely only achieved with having such a tight unit. Together, they quite possibly form one of the most promising Australian acts around.

Photos: Alean Penaflor

Rain.

Photo: Alean Penaflor

Boy & Bear, Jinja Safari and Emma Louise - Corner Hotel, 26th of May 2011

Emma Louise was first to stage, her sweet and dulcet tones surprising those who were courteous enough to pay attention (one thing I'll never understand is how people can talk throughout the entirety of someone's set). Louise's songs have a beautifully earnest nature to them, though admittingly they began to sound all relatively alike. It wasn't until the last few tunes that a new, slightly darker undertone cut through. Having described her final song - Triple J Unearthed single 'Jungle' - as an ode to the 'confusion' she felt regarding a relationship, the keys' pulsating chords and the box drum's beats intensified the atmoshpere within the Corner bandroom.

If all had been coaxed into a mellowed state of being, they were about to see that disappear. Moustached, sans shoes and vine clad Jinja Safari let loose and partied on garth with no signs of slowing down. You couldn't help but smile, dance and laugh with these lads, with their tribal-esque theme and frantic energy hardly containable on stage. I couldn't help but be reminded of Tame Impala, as the band broke down into an almost improvised jam as an outro to some songs (a friend, on the other hand, was reminded of Vampire Weekend during others). During 'Peter Pan', intrigue was caused by the introduction of a sitar, because let's face it, a sitar holds much more mystique than that of an average guitar.


I felt that I was on some wacked musical rollercoaster, having started with the acoustic realms of Emma Louise, onto the ecclectic Jinja Safari, to all in all conclude on a folk note of Boy & Bear. As they took to stage, there was almost a sense of admiration from the awaiting (now) quietly polite crowd, something that lead Dave Hosking comments on during the night, stating that Melbourne people were always 'polite'. He laughed at the memory of their Adelaide show where 'everyone was hammered' (much like the exuberant female behind me). When their cover of Crowded House's 'Fall at your Feet' reached the ears of the gathered fans, the sing-along errupted all around. The set comprised of 3 out of 5 tunes from their EP ,and tracks from their forthcoming album including new single 'Feeding Line' as finale (Hosking explained that there would be no encore 'it's a bit weird walking off, then coming back on to play a song...we'll just play you our entire set'). There was no questioning the consecutive sold out shows, they have truly earned it.

Photos: Alean Penaflor

Cat Empire with Eagle and the Worm 10th Anniversary - Palace, 6th of May

My old High School Jazz teacher Nick was playing and had kindly asked if I wanted to tag along. Surely no one would turn down a free gig.

Eagle and the Worm

Cat Empire

Photos: Alean Penaflor