Batrider

by Fiona Killackey

"We started the band because we were 20, we wanted hot boyfriends/girlfriends, we weren't doing anything and we wanted people to think we were cool," starts New Zealand native and Batrider front woman, Sarah Chadwick, "And also because we aren't really very good at anything else." After almost five years together Batrider have established themselves as one of the most successful and outrageously eclectic New Zealand exports. Upon relocating to Australia three years ago, the band received massive acclaim amongst the underground pubs and press around Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney. With a collective "give a f***" attitude and a truly blasting, loud and furious stage presence, Batrider have gained notoriety for breaking hearts and eardrums wherever they roam. CH met up with the four-piece band on the cusp of their life-altering move to London.

Who's involved?
Batrider is Sarah Chadwick (vocals, guitar), Julia McFarlane (guitar), Tara Wilcox (drums) and Sam Featherstone (bass). We work with Remote Control Records in Australia, Arch Hill in New Zealand and we do everything under our own label, Nopromo Records.

What's with the name, do you ride Bats?
Someone who left the band chose the name. We never really liked it and we could never think of anything better. Now we don't really care anymore. No bat riding to report as yet, but Julia has been known to get up to strange stuff in a shed at the bottom of her garden; maybe she's working on something.

Who are your biggest influences?
Cat Power, Hole, Elliot Smith, John Lennon, Patti Smith, ourselves, Rhianna (Umbrella song only), Brian Jonestown Massacre, Daniel Johnston, The Stone Roses, The Clean, The 3Ds, Spice Girls, Janis Joplin, Mazzy Star, ourselves again, Bob Dylan, Beyonce, Gillian Welch.

What's the biggest compliment you've been given?
Someone told me that in the next life they wanted me to be their girlfriend. When I said I'd probably come back as a cockroach they still wanted me! That's pretty complimentary I guess. Someone also said our band was an inspiration, that's probably the best thing you can hear as a creative person.

Strangest thing someone has said about your band?

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Fiona Lowry

by Lost At E Minor

The Australian landscape, the subject of endless tributes by artists of all media, is given an intriguing and mysteriously-sexual twist by Fiona Lowry. In her recent show at Sydney's Gallery Barry Keldoulis, called "I'm having dreams about you," Lowry has painted dream-like images of the bush. Instead of flora and fauna, she shows shadowy human figures, some engaged in overtly sexual behavior, others more ambiguous, all alluring. To create these delicate spidery effects Lowry uses airbrush, a material more often associated with the boldness of Howard Arkley, say, or graffiti art, combined with photography. Airbrushed in washed out pinks, greens and browns, the work makes me wonder if I've missed out on something in my overdressed forays into the Australian bush. (Click image for detail.)

Berlin Observed: Ping Pong, Organics and Lebensmittel

by Wendy Dembo

While Berlin's heyday as the avant-capitol of Europe has been in decline, I recently noticed a few Berliner habits that show the city still has an edge—even if it is a softer, more grown-up one.

Ping Pong tables are everywhere, in public parks, bars and even in the garden of my friend’s apartment. It's not uncommon for players to carry their own paddles and balls to places like Dr. Pong, a bar that hosts a nightly musical chair version of ping pong. The game starts with about 20 people with everyone hitting the ball. If you miss or hit the net, you're out. The fun starts when four people are running around the table hitting the ball—and of course drunkenness or smoking a cigarette while playing is the norm.

Dr. Pong
Eberswalderstr 21
Prenzlauer berg

In addition to recycling like mad, Berliners are into their bio (aka organic) foods and products. A mini-version of Whole Foods, BIO company opened in Mitte while I was there, complete with a bakery, a cheese counter, a meat counter, prepared food (that you could eat in a lovely outdoor area) and general organic provisions. The manager told me that it's the 10th store that they have opened in Berlin and they aren’t they only organic food suppliers in the city.

BIO company
Hackescher Markt GmbH & Co KG
Dirksenstr./Stadtbahnbögen 145-147
10178 Berlin

As more Southern Germans move to the North, there is a resurgence in Bavarian and Austrian food. A few new restaurants are serving up really good homemade Southern German food like knödel, wurst, Spätzle and sauerkraut. One of them, Lebensmittel, in Mitte is always packed and another, Leo Bettini, has delicious home made pasta and cakes. Don't worry, you can still get traditional food at the "edelweiss" inspired alpine restaurants, but now you can get some good food too.

Lebensmittel in Mitte
Rochstrasse 2
10178 Berlin
tel. +030 275 96 130

Plus Minus Zero Humidifier, Version 3

by Tim Yu

If you're already a fan of Japanese design house ±0's donut-shaped humidifier, the third iteration offers even more reason to love it. Keeping the clean, award-winning design that attracted all the attention in the first place, the device is also still compact (12 inches wide) and filters water. The key update is an added mist setting that more than doubles the time between refillings. With added functionality, the ±0 Humidifier is now an even better way to add moisture to the air than normal unsightly and oversize varieties. It's available in pink, blue, beige, brown and white from Dynamism or Compact Impact.

The Rise and Fall Jeans

by Jacob Resneck

Since gaining a following that includes megastore Urban Outfitters for their tees, Brooklyn-based line The Rise and Fall made their first foray into denim that's refreshingly low-frill. Slim and straight, rather than skin-tight, it's a pair of jeans that's comely and comfortable yet utilitarian. "We have them made here in the USA and they're sort of a reaction to all of the ridiculously overdone denim out there now," co-founder Joshua Cohen recently told CH.

Unbelievably, they retail for less than $70 bucks. Similar to the Cheap Monday philosophy, that's saying something in a world where a person's jeans often run higher than their car payment. Style-wise, they're in the same vein as the Kicking Mule Workshop jeans reviewed earlier this spring, keeping it basic without sacrificing quality. Currently they're only available in their Williamsburg, Brooklyn store, but you can mail order over the phone. See a full image here and look out for more from The Rise and Fall on CH later this week.

The Rise and Fall
263 South First Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211 map
tel. +1 718 388 3108

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