From the Desk of Dr Toni Lodge #005

Hi! Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry. I know I missed last week! Does anyone care? Who knows. But I really am sorry.

But I wanted to share something very cool (?) with you. I was cleaning out my car last week, and it was a bit of a fright to be quite honest. I found a few old USB sticks, lots of pens and bits of paper I had scrawled messages onto - like ‘sorry my car will only be parked here for 5 minutes, just dropping something off!! Call me if I’m in your way!!!’ and where I’d imagined I’d write a passive aggressive ‘learn to park FUCKHEAD’ note and leave on someone’s car.

Just quickly! Who are the people who leave notes like that?! Whenever I see viral stories on BuzzFeed where it’s like ‘horrible note left on car parked’ I just wonder what must be going on in your life to leave something like that. Let’s be honest, this is a safe space: we’ve all thought about it. We’ve all thought I WANNA GIVE THAT INCONSIDERATE DICK A PIECE OF MY MIND but surely we wouldn’t actually do it?

I also found a dried up spider in the glove box. Isn’t that fucking terrifying? Was that the only spider? Are there more spiders elsewhere in the car? WAS THERE A NEST? What would have happened if it crawled onto my face on the highway?

Amongst the arachnids, USBs and notes I fantasized about writing: I found a stack of CD’s from a past life. They’d all been sitting in the car from a time when CD’s ruled the roost and the aesthetic of CD’s in your car was my whole✨ vibe ✨

iPods were a thing, iPhones also were a thing, I already had Spotify, but there was just nothing like the flex of showing your love for a band by saying ‘I have their CD in my car!’ and surely I’m not the only person to remember that. I remember going into JB Hi-Fi and spending all of what very little money I had on Bloc Party CD’s to impress boys I liked or local Aussie bands albums to show my support.

Most of the CD’s had been long untouched. It was like a relic. If a relic is something that has baked together after years of sitting in the sun.

Here’s how many CD’s we’re talking. That’s a hefty CD stack.

I have to admit, something about posting this is making me feel very hot and cool and hope that people will read this and develop a strong crush on me. And that you’ll say something like ‘hey you know Toni Lodge? She is really hot and cool and loves cool music’ in the hopes that that remains the case after I share my top 5 finds.

#5: Karnivool - Sound Awake

Karnivool remain to this day, one of my favourite bands. I still smash Karnivool CONSTANTLY, it just plays from Spotify these days, not a CD. All of their albums are fantastic and I recommend you have a listen if you haven’t before. The lead singer, Ian Kenney, is the same lead singer as Birds of Tokyo!

#4: Un-named random burnt CD

This CD is number 4 because of the opportunity it represents. I have no idea what’s on it, I put it into Taubs’ old laptop and it didn’t play. I have no idea what I was thinking when I made this mix CD. Was I heartbroken and made a playlist to cry to? Was I really fucking happy and I made a happy mix? Is it actually just an empty CD?

I can only imagine the mindset I was in when I created this, and I hope it brought me the tears I needed to weep or the joy I hoped to experience from the bundle of notes and sounds whatever band put together for the world to enjoy.

Special points for the actual melty spot on the top left edge of this CD.

#3: LORDE - Pure Heroine

This album is in my top 5 favourite Albums of all time, and to come across this weird, melted, version of it was really surreal. I couldn’t tell you how many times I listened to this CD from beginning to end. The way it changed my world and my music tastes is just.. Something else. This CD was one that if I was going in someone else’s car I’d say ‘hang on let me grab my Lorde CD for us to listen to on the way!’. Remember doing that? Nah me either.

#2: Childish Gambino: Royalty Mix Tape

My friend Shaun burnt me this CD. The Royalty Mixtape which doesn’t really exist anywhere all in one go except on SoundCloud (listen here… It’s fucking good)https://soundcloud.com/user540639328/sets/royalty-childish-gambino

This CD got a fucking red hot workout in the Yaris. Special bonus aesthetic points for this one being mouldy and cracked. Very cool. Very rock ‘n’ roll.

And coming in at Number 1…

A mix CD Taubs made me after we started doing it
The loveletter of the time: a mix CD. One of the most special CDs there are! This one barely plays anymore. It skips a lot, but I think I’ll make a playlist of this so I can go back and enjoy it whenever I want. I remember how giddy I was when Taubs gave me this - I thought ‘he must really like me!’

So let me know! What’s the best thing you’ve found in a car clean out? Have you left a note on someone’s car? Do you relate to these CD tales?

Love ya! Toni x