Nova are giving a band or artist the chance to win a huge leg up – register before this Sunday 14th February for the chance of airplay, $10K and a huge marketing campaign to launch yourselves. Get registering at www.novafm.com.au

I had the privilege of seeing Frightened Rabbit for the second time this week at the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday night - was pretty damn amazing. Up the front and in awe of these guys, I couldn’t help but be distracted by the crowd and notice how much they were enjoying themselves. The happy facial expressions, our bodies moving in sync. Frontman Scott Hutchinson had everyone in smiles with his Scottish humour. I’m actually thinking seriously about getting over to Couchella Festival on April 17th to watch these guys again. Am I a stalker? www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit

It was a day of difficult decisions. Eddy Current Suppression Ring clashed with Florence and the Machine. Mumford and Sons and The XX shared a timeslot, and if I spent anymore reciting what amazing acts were on at the same time as other mind blowing artists, this review would end up looking like the event flyer. To cut it short: It was all killer, no filler.
 
What was one to do? What choices to make? The answer was just to cruise. Enjoy the sandstone building and green garden surrounds, and just go with the flow. While the energy was enthusiastic and loud, there was a distinctive lack of aggro shirtless dudes you might find at other festivals and very little trouble in sight.  
 
And even though Sydney’s Laneway Festival betrayed its backstreet alleyway roots, it managed to maintain its discerning indie cred with new Callan Park venue and bulging line-up. Cheers Laneway, see you next year!
Sacha Vukic

Check out this month's Guest Illustrator Sara Blake. She’s a 25 year old designer based in New York. An interactive art director by day and illustrator by night. We were fortunate enough to use some of her illos this month which fitted in just perfectly with the rest of the magazine’s content and imagery. Loving the colour combinations and typography she did for us. Check out her work at www.hellozso.com

If you’re near Oxford Street tonight, be sure to drop into the Fringe Bar to check out Elle Green’s photography exhibition. Her diverse use of photography is absolutely amazing, everything from fashion, portraits, skateboarding, travel and more. Since studying Photography at RMIT in Melbourne for 3 years, Elle has travelled to South Africa. In 2007, upon her return she designed and self published her first travel/photo book, complete with her own handwriting. She then curated her first solo photography exhibition at MTV gallery in 2008. After her trip to Japan shooting fashion and skateboarding, she then grew the love for skate photography and has shot the Bowl-a-rama in Bondi every year since. Her skate photography led to an interview with pro skater and presenter Corbin Harris on his show on Fuel TV.
 
She has recently returned from Japan, where she documented label, The Critical Slide Society (TCSS) at surf/art/music festival Greenroom, Fishfry Japan and other surf related events. Be sure to check out her blogs, http://criticalslidesociety.blogspot.com/search/label/Elle%20Green, http://www.criticalslidesociety.blogspot.com/, http://hellintokyo.blogspot.com/


Her exhibition “it’s time to go, baby� consists of fashion and party photos from Tokyo. Over 50 are on display and a zine featuring all the prints along with a handwritten description of each will be on sale. Rad stuff, see you there!

We are on Twitter, so if you're a twitter fan or would just like to follow us on twitter, get twittering...lets see how many times we can say twitter in one sentence. Hey and you might win some FABULOUS prizes, yep that's right I said prizes! http://www.twitter.com/yenmag

AMAZING. That’s pretty much all I can say. Jewellery designer Amanda Testa’s label is something I haven’t quite seen before. You almost want to reach your hand out and touch the beautifully textured pieces. Influenced by Spanish Catholicism and Edwardian themed etchings, the necklaces, brooch's, belts, pendents and even underwear are something you will want to buy for your lady friend or even mum for xmas. I think I might just buy everything for myself. Even the packaging is whoooa amazingly beautiful! This is one label to keep an eye on. Check. It. Out. www.problemchildthelabel.com