The Weekender: What do you get when you cross a week with an end? You got it, it's the Weekender!

Date
24 January 2014

Sometimes I feel that if The Weekender was a song it would be Avalon by Roxy Music. Imagine Bryan Ferry circa 1974, lounging by a turquoise pool in an ivory suit. A woman in a tasselled negligee walks through the patio doors and tumblers full of ice clink as she draws nearer. Upstairs his suits nestle closer against one another in the large wardrobe. A snake intertwines itself in the legs of his sun lounger. The sun sets. The needle drops and Avalon begins to play…

Only joking, if The Weekender was a song it would probably be Agadoo by Black Lace.

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“Wheeeeee!”

6. A clock that knits a scarf

Is it really so strange that there is a clock that knits a scarf? Hm?

5. Ever put sand under the microscope before?

Thought not. Gary Greenberg did and now he’s famous. Take a leaf out of his book next time, yeah?

4. If you like wandering barefoot down deserted beaches…

Don’t go to China, because it’s really busy. However they do seem to really enjoy inflatable toys.

3. One-liners are the best bit in any newspaper. Fact.

Apart from all the current affairs and stuff, obvs. Paul Noth is our new favourite cartoonist.

2. “Hello I’m in a tree!”

Yep, and he’s not the only one. Erwan Fichou’s project is absolutely teeming with tree-dwellers!

1. Close your eyes and pray for the best sons in the world…

You got your wish! Only they’re not yours, they’re someone else’s. But let’s take a moment to just think about how bloody brilliant they are.

A very special mixtape for you this week from young whippersnapping band, Big Ups. The band, formed in 2010, is made up of Brendan Finn, Joe Galarraga, Amar Lal, and Carlos Salguero Jr. They’ve been signed to Tough Love records and their “blend punk, post-punk, metal, and indie rock” songs channel worldly topics such as science and mood swings. This mixtape is one of the best we’ve had so far, and is the perfect accompaniment to your grizzly Friday afternoon. Especially if you like Weezer or spent your youth playing guitar in your garage with (or without) your friends.

Enjoy that? You can buy their new album Eighteen Hours of Static here.

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This week’s Things

Another week, another hoard of lovely stuff from the world of art and design that we’ve gathered up to display for you, like a glamorous assistant in a sparkling get-up. This week’s Things include an impressive anthology of stories about the sea, mind-blowing photographs of quarries, a magazine dedicated purely to publishing loads of lovely images with even lovelier tales behind them, a publication about art and commerce and, to top it off, a bunch of animal stickers. Because who doesn’t like animal stickers?

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An Anthology: As Is the Sea

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An Anthology: As Is the Sea

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An Anthology: As Is the Sea

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An Anthology: As Is the Sea

An Anthology: As Is the Sea

Look what the MA students reading Critical Writing in Art and Design at the Royal College of Art have put together, those clever so and so’s! As Is the Sea is collection of plays, stories and photographs complete with this ghostly postcard, focusing on the dark underbelly of the ocean. Beautifully designed in soft black and white and with a foreword by the ever excellent Philip Hoare (not to mention our very own Emily Beber), the anthology is a worthy addition to any bookshelf, whether you’re a sailor, pirate or just a normal person.
www.rca.ac.uk

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Romka: The Stories Behind Our Favourite Photographs #8

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Romka: The Stories Behind Our Favourite Photographs #8

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Romka: The Stories Behind Our Favourite Photographs #8

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Romka: The Stories Behind Our Favourite Photographs #8

Romka: The Stories Behind Our Favourite Photographs #8

We were utterly charmed by this lovely publication the moment it fell open on our desks. It reads like a catalogue of peoples’ favourite photographs and the stories behind them, which might sound like a fairly basic concept, but is in fact incredibly moving. Moments life-changing and seemingly minute are place side by side in a poignant collection of reminders about why photography is such an important medium. Absolutely not to be missed.
www.romkamagazine.com

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The Selby: Stickers

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The Selby: Stickers

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The Selby: Stickers

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The Selby: Stickers

The Selby: Stickers

Stickers! Brightly coloured ones! With animals on! We’re not entirely sure what this collection of watercolour animals is all about or how they fell into our treasure chest full of Things but we’re damn sure we’re not going to let them out without causing a bit of a song and dance about it. So here’s the song and dance. And some pictures. You’re welcome.
www.theselby.com

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Tito Mouraz: Open Space Office

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Tito Mouraz: Open Space Office

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Tito Mouraz: Open Space Office

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Tito Mouraz: Open Space Office

Tito Mouraz: Open Space Office

We first mentioned Tito Mouraz’ excellent photo-series Open Space Office back in 2012, but now that it has been delivered to us in a print format that actually makes sense we’re going to shoo you it all over again. Because we can. Taken in Portugal over the course of three years, the book investigates industrial rock quarries and all of their beautiful weird nooks and crannies.
www.titomouraz.com

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Artworks Journal

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Artworks Journal

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Artworks Journal

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Artworks Journal

Artworks Journal

The marriage of art and commerce can sometimes be a testy one, but Artworks Journal is an attempt to celebrate the mutual benefits of the two working in tandem (a marriage counsellor if you’d like this metaphor extended). Through crisp design and considered content, it’s a very readable way of approaching what has the potential to be a dry subject. This issue sees Soho House founder Nick Jones discuss creative environments, Noah Horowitz, director of The Armory Show talk technology and it explores innovative ways the hospitality industry is engaging with the arts.
www.artworksjournal.com

Tweet of the Week


One Direction singing live without autotune video of the week

Wow.

The kewl new clubnight of the week

Yep, it’s Toilet Room.

Angry people being silly and also funny of the week

Yep, it’s a list of actual complaints people made to Thomas Cook.

Old news story that caught our eye of the week

Lunchtime on a skyscraper recreated in London. Ohhhh that is heartwarming.

Bizarre Daily Mail article of the week

Anything that starts "Does your husband secretly think he’s better looking than you?? has to be gold. Really good read

Clever graffiti on The Tube of the week

It’s funny, but is it funny enough to make you actually enjoy being on The Tube?

Well-written BuzzFeed article of the week

It’s a review of the top ten Tube trains (sorry, been on The Tube a lot this week) and it’s genuinely accurate and funny.

Toilet break of the week

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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