ELECTROTHANASIA

Siouxsie And The Banshees "Red Light"

2012-01-27T22:43:00.001-08:00

Dirty Beaches

2012-01-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

No fun at the beaches!

WEEK IN LISTENING

2012-01-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

1. Depeche Mode – Music For The Masses

2. Skinny Puppy – Cleanse Fold And Manipulate

3. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

4. Pulp – His 'N' Hers

5. Skinny Puppy – Bites

6. The Dwarves – Horror Stories

7. The Swarm – Parasitic Skies

8. Venom – Black Metal

9. Coil – The Ape of Naples

10. Death in June – But, What Ends When The Symbols Shatter?

last.fm

Inspiration: Portland Art Museum

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

After dropping off B at school I drove a couple blocks over to PAM. I had a full day of designing the flyer and website for my thesis performance ahead of me and I needed some inspiration to fuel it.

PAM has red plastic all over their windows in the North gallery, which has a really neat effect looking through it.

Light from the red windows.

Miguel Izquierdo
Miguel Izquierdo
I asked a guard about photography in the museum and it turns out that it's now allowed. I remember being at the museum taking a photo for a paper I was writing, and hearing the pitter patter of feet running from across the museum, just to have an out of breath museum guard tell me, "You can't take photos in here."

Louise Nevelson

I pretty much just came here to look at this sculpture by Louise Nevelson. She's in my top two favorite artists, neck and neck with Ray Johnson. Her restraint in color and repurposing of materials (I realized today that each of the six sections in this sculpture are letterpress trays) are particularly inspiring to me.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

I also saw some of Chris Burden's early works which included a .45 mm hand gun that he used to shoot at a 747 at LAX. I've liked Burden ever since I worked at the Orange County Museum, when I first saw his T.V. Hijack knife on display.

After I had a stroll through the museum I came home to find Pip mad doggin' a cat that was walking around in our driveway. Super cute.

What do you think: Should you be able to take photos of art pieces in museums?

Rowland S. Howard R.I.P.

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Party "Deep In The Woods"

Crime & The City Solution "Six Bells Chime" from Wings of Desire

These Immortal Souls "Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)"

RSH & Lydia Lunch "Solar Hex"

Rowland S. Howard "Exit Everything"

R.I.P. Rowland S. Howard

Don Van Vliet - R.I.P.

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've been a bit too bummed about this to even think about it (I had this post saved since I heard about it last year)... Don Van Vliet, one of my favorite musicians passed away this month.

I'm gonna do a bit of grieving by having an over due record listening party that'll probably last a couple of days. He was such an amazing and talented singer.

R.I.P. Captain Beefheart

Phantom Animals

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Phantom Animals from Brandie Hart on Vimeo.

This is a video of Phantom Animals, the new band I'm in, covering Human Fly by The Cramps. We've been together for about six weeks and just played our debut show last Saturday at The Foggy Notion in North Portland.

In the caves...

2011-12-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

We recently got a screen printing studio in the design department at my school. Since I do work study there, I was one of the first to try out the facilities. I did this print as an homage to The Cure song All Cats Are Grey. Part of the reason I did this is because I really enjoy the song, but I did it mostly because I wanted to make something special for Brandie who's an über Cure fan. Now that I've got the print bug, I can't wait to make more.

Only heathens and fools...

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I got my first tattoo my Granddad told me that "Only heathens and fools get tattoos." He also told my Mother the same thing when she got her ears pierced in the 60's. Later in his life, my Granddad told me he would have loved to get a large eagle tattoo across his chest, like his buddy in WWII, but he said the Navy would dock his pay if he couldn't work after getting a tattoo.

I can't remember where all of these photos came from. Please let me know if you know where they're from and give them due credit. Thanks!

Random collection: Teeth

2011-11-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

I can't remember where all of these photos came from. Please let me know if you know where they're from and give them due credit. Thanks!

Abandoned

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's the mystery of what has been that I have always loved about abandoned and neglected architecture. There is something beautiful about decay that draws me to these places. The rust red of a chain link fence, old work signs peeling away, and forgotten smocks patiently waiting to go back to work. These things have a poetry in them that sings to my heart.

These images are from Abandoned Places.

YOKE BOOKS

2011-10-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this ultra simplistic website for Yoke Books. It's interactive in a very basic way. You can click on the "pages" and drag them away to reveal pages below. It's cool to see that you don't have flash or HTML 5 to make a site that is interactive. I'm also just a sucker for minimalism and simplicity in design. I found this site from called Qubik Design which is pretty cool in its own right.

2011-08-29T12:30:00.001-07:00

Shoe envy! I really enjoy double eyelet shoes. They're so simple. Its about what's not there.

As seen on Sartorialoft.

A MIX FOR LIFE

2011-06-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

1. GLASS CANDY - METAL GODS

2. X-MAL DEUTSCHLAND - ORIENT

3. SUBPOENA THE PAST - A RED DECREE

4. MINISTRY - I’M FALLING (ALT MIX…)

5. FIVE OR SIX - SLEEPWALK

6. CHILDREN’S HOUR - LOOKING FOR THE SUN

7. SUBTONIX - ASHTRAY GIRL

8. TUXEDOMOON - NO TEARS

9. DAS KABINETTE - THE CABINET

10. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - DULL DAY

11. U.K. DECAY - TESTAMENT

12. THE NORMAL - WARM LEATHERETTE

13. TROP TARD - LES CHOSES QU’ON N’OUBLIE PAS

14. COIL - TAINTED LOVE

15. DEATH IN JUNE - C’EST UN RÊVE

16. CORPSES AS BEDMATES - THE WILLOW TREE

17. PARALISIS PERMANENTE - UNIDOS

18. THE MISFITS - LONDON DUNGEON

19. CYAN REVUE - WASPS

CLICK TO GET IT

THE IMAGE IS A PHOTO I TOOK OF A PAINTING BY CRIS BRODAHL AT THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM.

Obsession: Rei Kawakubo

2011-04-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

17" x 24" Epson print on vellum

Poster / essay about Rei Kawakubo that I wrote and designed for contemporary art theory class at PNCA. Took this photo with my iPhone on the light table in the studio. Better documentation of this at a later date.

I want to share three quotes of hers that I found extremely inspring:

"The more people hate it, maybe the newer it is."

- Rei Kawakubo

"I want to design clothes that never existed."

- Rei Kawakubo

"Something doesn't have to be pretty to be beautiful."

- Rei Kawakubo

WIZ ARD

2011-04-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Wiz Ard @ youth uprising skate plaza East Oakland

Check out this rad skater from Southern California called Wiz Ard! He's a bad ass menace on a midget deck.

Robert Geller + The Cure

2011-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know, I am a huge fan of The Cure. They are one of those bands whose albums I can listen to over and over again. I have so many favorite Cure records... Pretty much all the early albums: "Three Imaginary Boys", "Seventeen Seconds", "Faith", "Pornography" (possibly my favorite Cure record of all), "The Top"... Even their live records are great and stand out to me. I'm not usually a fan of official live recorded albums released by bands, but both "Paris" and "Show" are particularly great.

Robert Geller on Blackbird

So having gone off on a tangent confessing my love for The Cure, I bet you can imagine how much I like these T-shirts by Robert Geller. Both of these shirts are cut really well and I really like the swoop in the neckline, but they're made so much cooler by the fact that they're referencing The Cure. Really really cool.

Robert Geller on Blackbird

They're actually both on sale right now on Blackbird, I'm considering them both, but I'm not sure which one I should get. If I got one of them it'd probably have to be the "Seventeen Seconds" shirt. I really enjoy the way the typography is treated and the texture of the shirt (visible in the bottom photo) is something I can always appreciate. The way a piece of clothing feels when you touch it can be just as important as the way it looks when it's worn.

Dark day

2011-01-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

--PHOTO LINK BROKEN--

I want to begin posting my design and art on Electrothanasia. Once I create something, especially when it's not a finished product, I put it away and never look at it again. Hopefully this way I can at least share some of what I do with people.

This is a photocopy collage I made last semester at school. It was a part of my process while I was coming up with ideas for a band poster assignment that I had in Design Studio 2. My actual posters ended up coming out much different than this, but that's all a part of the process.

APRIL 77 - SUMMER IN THE BLACK HILLS

2011-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Saw this awesome photo shoot with Jethro Cave for April 77 a while ago, though seeing it again today made me want to post it. Pretty cool how much Jethro Cave looks like his dad circa '81. Quite the genetic gift to inherit.

April 77 jumped on the whole trendy triangle and runic band wagon last season (Don't get me wrong I LOVE April 77) and are continuing with the theme into 2011, but this time I'm totally buying into it. The video below, for their "Summer In The Black Hills" line, feels very teenage neo-folk in a really great way.

Also I can't believe I didn't know about King Dude. The song "White Hands", which is featured in the video, is fuckin' awesome! Very reminiscent of Death In June. The cool thing is that King Dude is actually still making music. It seems like I always find out about bands after they've been broken up for 30 years. So it's cool to find a current band I enjoy.

April77 - Spring Summer 2011 - Jethro Cave and Sophie Willing from April77 on Vimeo.

Random collections: Skulls

2011-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Had to throw a super cute cat in the mix to offset the toughness of all these skulls.

LEUCHTTURM1917

2010-12-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

<<>>

I've seen the Leuchtturm1917 in Powell's before but I've been devoted to Moleskine for quite a while now and haven't really given them the time of day. Since it's almost 2011 I needed a new notebook/ planner and decided I ought to spice up my planning with something different. I hate admitting when packaging makes me want to buy things, but the über German DIN type in their logo totally sold the notebook to me.

Stark white is a huge step away from all black.

Minimal book cover

2010-12-29T08:00:00.001-08:00

Comme Des Garçons 1981-1986

I feel that I sometimes over think what design can be. It doesn't need to have a billion bells and whistles to be great. This book cover is proof enough for me because I feel compelled and captivated by the ideas that the cover puts into my mind... What's inside such a sparsely designed cover? There must be something so amazing inside the book that the cover has no need to boast it's content.

M.A+

2010-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm really digging these M.A+ wallets I saw on Komakino. The way that they're constructed is really cool: closed they have the appearance of a basic shaped wallet, but fold out to be this very complex, artfully designed pouch.

Since there's a preconceived notion of what a typical wallet should be, when that paradigm is broken, the wallet becomes something more because of the idea behind it and in turn it becomes fascinating.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS...

2010-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

AND MARY CHAIN!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Skin

2010-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

This song is from the very first Die Haut ep. by the same title. It's a total no wave surf rock gem.

The recorded version of "Der Karibische Western" has vocals by Stella Rico aka. Lydia Lunch. I can't really

remember when or where I got this record, but I'm pretty sure it was at Vinyl Solution in HB around the early

'00's. I recommend tracking it down ASAP and cranking up some Dutch surf rock.

WOLFGANG WEINGART

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

I really don't even know where to start saying how much I enjoy Wolfgang Weingart's design and typography. I started trying to make a post about his work and began including every image I could find and soon it became overwhelming. So I stripped it down to just this book cover and spread.

Wolfgang Weingart is a swiss typographer known for fathering swiss new wave/ "punk typography". I don't know in what context the term punk is used, since his work began in the 1960's, but it may have been a label that came after. I found his book "My Way to Typography" in the Charles Voorhies Library last year and have been obsessed with his design work ever since.

I know that this is a super strict use of a basic grid, but the way Weingart does it captivates me.

I found out that Wolfgang Weingart teaches a summer class at the Basel School in Switzerland, also PNCA has an international exchange program with the Basel school. It would be really cool to be able to go and take a class taught by Weingart, though I'd probably need to learn to speak German to be able to attend Basel. Still I think it would be such an awesome experience. I'll have to look into it.

STOP

2010-12-21T08:00:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to make complete stops at stop signs! No California rolls! It's a damn expensive ticket if you don't.

I should know.

WANT LES ESSENTIELS DE LA VIE

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie: shopper bag

There's something about the way this bag looks that I really like. I think the shape and that it can be rolled up to fit into your pocket are playing into the functional side of why I like it. On the aesthetic side I enjoy the black on black texture of the canvas and the sleekness of the black leather handle.

Check out more men's luggage and briefcases at WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie

COBALT

2010-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More magazine

I posted a while back that I had been working on a magazine project called Cobalt for my Design Studio 2 class. Cobalt is a gentleman's high fashion gun culture quarterly magazine, whose purpose is to show that there are other possibilities to gun culture than hiding in the woods dressed in camouflage. (A concept on which Miles Johnson, my in class "publisher", and I collaborated on together.) Over all it was the most challenging, fun, and rewarding project I worked on all semester. After finishing Cobalt I really want to keep working on more publication design.

Frocky Jack Morgan

2010-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been able to tell yet, I really enjoy cologne and other scented oils. But I cannot tell you how much I love Vice by Frocky Jack Morgan. It's so musky and delicious. Some scents I can pick out are cedar, bourbon, followed by something sweet like anise.

I found Vice at Frocky Jack Morgan's space in the Stars antique mall in SE Portland. I've been frequenting the space ever since I moved a little over a year ago.

One day B & I stopped in and I was immediately drawn to the way the bottle of Vice looked and was compelled to smell it. Not only does FJM have awesome fragrances, but they also have one of the best collections of antiques in Portland: creepy taxidermy, oddities, chachkies, as well as ladies jewelry.

Check out Frocky Jack Morgan

Julius

2010-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about how I need a new pair of boots that aren't Dr. Martens or Monkey Boots. Wouldn't mind having these, only they probably cost $600 bucks. The things I enjoy about these boots are how they have a slight slouch in the ankle and calf, also the way the leather meets the sole of the boot make them less reminiscent of army boots.

It's so hard to tell from a picture if these shoes would really be something I would wear or if they're just too far out. Though I'm generally drawn to things that look distressed or "aged". They have this sorta David Bowie feeling to them, minus the platform look.

The material used on these t-shirts is so aesthetically pleasing to me. It reminds me of textures like like asphalt or a wrinkled plastic bag.

When I saw this I got so excited because I really love the band Swell Maps.

The album "Jane From Occupied Europe" by Swell Maps is such an amazing record. It's referenced as a big influence to Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth. It has some noisy songs that sound really harsh for the time/ era of this release. One I particularly like is the song "Mining Villages" which was a home recording done in 1977, before the rest of the album was recorded in 1979.

The type on these scarves is so attractive!

Over all I have pretty much the same thing to say about all the stuff on this post: I love it. The clothing that Julius has created is very well designed and has close attention to detail. Things that I admire in an over all vision of a brand.

Julius has a website and a blog, both very worth your while to check out.

TEST DEPT.

2010-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

I was hanging out with my cousin Brent the other night when he showed me this music video of the song "Compulsion" by Test Dept. and it totally blew my mind. Not only is the video pure genius, but the song is spectacular, so it's pretty much one of my favorite things now. The way the beats stack on top of one another and suddenly change is really an interesting idea to me.

I can't believe how many things I keep finding from the 1980's that are new to me. More times than not the things I find, even though they're a quarter century old, they're still compelling and feel relevant to me today.

If all I wrote wasn't enough, the "Compulsion" 12" cover design is totally awesome too.

Beta Unit F/W 2010: Half Dreamt

2010-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

I've been on the lookout for some really good fitting, basic, affordable T's and I've found them with Beta Unit. I enjoy the wider neck on these t-shirts and the pocket shape (pictured above) is really unique. I like that the small stitching on the pocket is visible too. It makes the t-shirt feel like a lot (but not in an excessive way) of detail was put into the design, even though it's just a blank.

Also these pants are neat too. I really enjoy the textures and reflective qualities of waxed denim.

Check out the Beta Unit web shop

Grids

2010-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm working on a magazine project for my class Design Studio 2. The idea behind the magazine is that it's going to be the GQ of gun magazines. It's gonna be kinda like, what gun goes with what suit, which switch blade should you bring with you to the beach sorta thing. If I can pull it off properly it seems like it could be a very fun project. If the project turns out well I may have a follow up post about it.

Doing this project has gotten me to thinking about using different types of grid layouts to make the layout more interesting. I have a book called Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam which is extremely helpful in this department. Some of the more interesting grids are the radial and the dilatational, though they seem hard to pull off with purpose in your design. We'll see.

Another interesting idea about book layouts I found on L2M3 from a book they designed about Joseph Beuys. They show in a diagram how they took two aspects of the book (I'm not sure if I'm right because the site and book are in German) and combined them as the were. As far as I can tell one section is about the artist's work and life and then the second section is a psychically smaller in size essay. When the smaller layout is placed on the larger page it becomes unusual and captivating. The design of this book is dynamic and very interesting to look at, especially the way the images of the artist's work are laid out on the grid. Plus I really enjoy seeing the process of other designers shown along side their work.

Check out L2M3

Casely-Hayford F/W 2010

2010-12-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Casely-Hayford is a British Father and Son duo that began their collaboration in 2009.

These pictures are from their Fall/ Winter 2010 line. I enjoy their color palate, the nod to military style with the olive drab of the pants and the use of black leather on black wool are very intriguing. The motorcycle trench is pretty awesome, the convertible nature of the coat makes it feel very versatile for a rainy or sunny - yet cold - day. Now that I live in a place that actually has weather and seasons it makes me think differently about how I choose clothing. Always on the look out for a good fitting warm jacket.

I also particularly like these looks from Casely-Hayford F/W 2009 line.

Click to see more of Casely-Hayford

Portland General Store

2010-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

The description of the Portland General Store fragrance, Wiskey, totally sold me on it straight away:

"It is not a scent for every man -- this is a powerfully masculine scent that if a young Marlon Brando were to wear a Portland General Store scent, it would be this one."

They describe the scent as being comprised of the woods, amber, spice, and floral. Wood, amber, and spice seem as though they would mix wonderfully, but I wonder how the floral would combine with that mixture. I guess I'll have to pick it up to find that out.

I also would totally love to have one of these shaving brushes. I heard they're really great for getting your facial hair to stand straight up so that you can get an even closer shave.

Portland General Store have a bunch of other cool products for sale in their Etsy shop.

This week in listening.

2010-11-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

Random colection: anatomical hearts

2010-11-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a excessive collector of images and visual inspiration. It seems like every day I'm at my school library or online searching for pictures that'll inspire me.
I was going through my random collections of images and I realized that they're some recurring visuals that I've amassed, one of them being anatomical hearts.
I think that hearts are so interesting in so many ways because they are the central force that keep us alive, people believe feelings of love come from them, and you can never see your own. Maybe that's why they intrigue me so much, it's the thing that is at the center of my self, I'm so connected to it but I will never see it.

I've been obsessed with this song for the past year. The song has nothing to do with hearts, I think it's just the B-side on this record, but it's pretty great never the less.

The Depressions - "Street Kid"

Cold Steel

2010-11-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

Psychic TV "Pagan Day" - 1984

This is my latest musical obsession, Psychic TV's 1984 album, "Pagan Day". It's strange mixture of Neo-Folk and early electronic Industrial, it sometimes reminds me of Death In June's album "Nada!" (another one of my favorites), but over all in a much softer way. There are also some interesting jam songs on the album, where it sounds like they're improvising while a drum machine lays down a solid beat.

Enough words, listen!

"Baby's Gone Away"
"New Sexuality"

Figure drawing

2010-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm in my Junior year at PNCA, but I still have some foundation level classes to finish up. This semester the foundation class I'm taking is figure drawing. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the prospect of taking the class, but it's turned out to be a lot of fun. It's a great diversion from the rigidity of my design classes. For once in art school I actually feel like I'm being creative and artistic. Anyhow, here are some sketches in conté crayon and india ink that are from earlier this month.

November 2, 2010 - Sketch in conté crayon on newsprint

November 9, 2010 - Sketch in conté crayon and india ink on newsprint

November 11, 2010 - Sketch in conté crayon and india ink on newsprint

November 9, 2010 - Sketch in india ink on newsprint

November 11, 2010 - Sketch in conté crayon and india ink on newsprint

'Cos we're takin' a girl to the reservoir

2010-11-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

The other day was a rather brisk fall day, but the sun was shining, so B & I decided to go out for a walk at Mt. Tabor park. It was extremely bright outside after having been so dreary and overcast for so long and my eyes weren't used to it so this is the only picture of me that actually turned out with only a partial squint.

Photo by B

Hanging out with this chiseled type that I'm very fond of. The word reservoir made me think of the song "Joyriders" and made me remember about how M told me that Pulp is reuniting and touring soon. It would be a dream to see them play.

Photo by B

I got these shoes from Goodwill for $14 last year, it seemed like a lot of cash to spend on thrifted shoes at the time. Come to find out that they're made by the brand Scully who's based in London on King's Road and are much more expensive than the deal that I got. They've been my favorite shoe for wet weather, since my winklepickers need resoling and can't be worn without getting wet feet.

Photo by W

Caught B in a ray of sunshine.

Photo by W

The reflection from the bright sun on the recently rained on asphalt was incredible so I snapped this Film Noir-esque photo of B's boots and shadow.

Psycho

2010-11-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

Photo taken by Angie, pre-Halloween

I'm very unskilled and dangerous when carving pumpkins. It seemed as though I was gonna loose a digit at any minute.

Some of the pumpkins we carved that day.

Jolene's Moz, B's Jack Skellington, Angie's Bunny pumpkin, and my typographic pumpkin (for London, who loves letters).

Oxidized iron

2010-11-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

B gave me this handsome Woodpecker skull necklace from Cargo for our anniversary. She's known I'd been coveting M's same necklace ever since his birthday earlier this year. I'm glad she was so thoughtful to remember, because it's now one of my most essential accessories.

Spooky old house - Estate & thrift finds

2010-11-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today B & I went spent the day traveling through the high numbered streets of eastern Portland in search of treasures. Here's some of what I found today.

Jerome Ghost Town flag - $3.50

Rolling Stones "Beggars Banquet" - $2.99

I saw this Stones record and thought, "Oh, I don't have it. I'll pick it up." and I'm super happy I did. The sparse type only cover is an awesome way to approach an album cover. The record is really solid all the way through and it has two songs I really like a lot; "Sympathy for The Devil" and "Street Fighting Man". It's also their last record before Brian Jones died. Which is cool because my favorite Rolling Stones records are with Brian Jones, his inventiveness is what set apart the Rolling Stones from other bands in the 60's and kept them sounding original. Later Stones albums are cool too, but they don't have that same spark that they had when Jones was in the band.

Vintage Japanese mask - $0.25

The Hospital News - $0.25

This is the June, 1888 edition of The Hospital News from Minneapolis, MN. I got it because of the awesome letter press type, rips, texture and coloring in the paper.

Rubber skeleton - $0.25

When we got back home B & I felt like this guy and took a well deserved nap. It was the best way I could think to spend a Saturday morning/ afternoon.

DBC

2010-11-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

Dangerous Boys Club - Rotture, Halloween 2010

I saw Dangerous Boys Club on Halloween, which coincided with their recording debut. I didn't pick up the record that night (though I did get a really cool button), but it will be the next record I buy. DBC are ex slash current members of some of my favorite bands: Antioch Arrow, Tarot Bolero, and Get Hustle.

Ps. I've returned from obscurity. I'll probably be posting more frequently now.

Lydia Lunch "Gloomy Sunday"

2010-02-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

History & folklore of Gloomy Sunday

Sort Sol w/ Lydia Lunch

2010-02-11T19:50:00.001-08:00

I'm Perpetua Titling Light…

2010-01-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

Let Pentagram help you find out what type YOU are.

Try it out, it's fun.

Saw this on 2 or 3 things I know.

Dada in 2010

2010-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

I saw the Boris Bidjan Saberi Fall/ Winter 2010 collection on Scoute and I immediately made this comparison in my mind.

The jacket the model is wearing holds a striking resemblance to the Dada costume Hugo Ball wore while performing at the Cabaret Voltaire.

Replicants

2010-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've been on a Blade Runner kick for the past week, so I thought I'd tell you about it. I first saw Blade Runner with my Father while we were living in Thailand in the 80's. It's responsible for shaping my childhood/ teenage years and is, to this day, still one of my favorite films.

Wants: A.P.C.

2010-01-24T00:00:00.001-08:00

I really dig aspects of each of these looks by A.P.C.

On the left, the sweater, pullover, and shirt combo are awesome. The whole high collar sweater with a dress shirt is something I've been wanting to put together for a while. Though I've yet to find the right sweater and shirt to make it happen. The pants are pretty cool, but the shoes look way too much like UGG boots for me to ever be into.

I really like the whole outfit on the right, though I don't know if I could pull it off. Bright colors like that just end up looking weird on me. Plus a fuchsia scarf might end up looking a little too effeminate for my taste. But I did recently find a deep red cashmere scarf at Value Village that might work in some what the same way and bring a pop of color to my wardrobe. My favorite part of this look are the way the pants and boots work together, the pairing has a bit of punk flavor.

So pretty much, I want the top of the outfit on the left and the bottom of the outfit on the right.

One other thing I gotta have is this 70's style Tunisian t-shirt from A.P.C. It looks just like this Russian Sailor shirt I saw at Andy and Bax (my local Army/ Navy store). The only problem with that shirt was when I tried it on it had a bunch of loose wool fibers that came off all over my clothes and were impossible to get off (worse than cat hair!). One of the reasons I've been wanting one of these is 'cause it reminds me a lot of a shirt that Jonathan Richman from Modern Lovers would wear.

"Why must one live?"

2010-01-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

Been back in school for less than a week and I've already been inspired while looking through the
latest issue of IDEA magazine.

I immediately fell hard for how awesome the cover of The Complete Manual of Suicide looks. Thought
it might be a book of fiction or something to that effect. I guess I thought that 'cause I'm naive and there

was really no way for me to find out, being that IDEA is written completely in Japanese. But after some
light online research I came to find out that this is a honest to the truth manual of suicide.

Cool cover, heavy content.

APRIL 77 SPRING/SUMMER 2010

2010-01-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

There's really not much I don't enjoy about Youthful Abandon,
Spring/ Summer 2010 line by April 77. These clothes are so new
that they're not even on the April 77 website.

The pairing of the tone on tone yellows of the jacket and shirt are awesome.

The red cardigan and socks are such a classic punk/ mod style
that I'll never tire from seeing.

I'd really like to get a pair of the faded black short jeans.

I could definitely imagine wearing that cardigan and blazer together.

The blue hue of the cardigan has a very antique store wall color that

I'm fond of.

MAPPLETHORPE

2010-01-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm particularly captivated by these self portraits of and by Robert Mapplethorpe. I'm not sure if it's intentional, because I don't know a lot about Mapplethorpe, but I can personally identify each self portrait with another person. The pictures with the switchblade look very 50's rebel in the vein of Link Wray, top right reminds me of James Chance, second left looks like Lou Reed circa his Street Hassle album, bottom left has an industrial feel that's reminiscent of Douglas P. from Death In June, and bottom right makes me think of Ian Curtis.

I believe the pics of the skull and gun are both from Mapplethorpe's series of photographs that accompany an edition of A Season In Hell by poet Arthur Rimbaud. Now that I'm back in school, I've gotta check the library to see if they have that version.

Even though I can identify the essence and attitude of iconic musicians in Mapplethorpe's photographs, to realize that it's the same person in each shot floors me. He exudes cool.

HOMAGE

2010-01-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

I made this homage to Kenneth Anger in Beginning Video & Sound last semester at PNCA.

The three Anger films I'm most influenced by are Scorpio Rising, Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, and Puce Moment, which I posted about last February.

OFFICE

2010-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday B got the interior design bug. So, while we were in the midst of rearranging the entire house, she helped me get my side of the office looking awesome. I'm excited to be able to have a well organized place to create.

I found the I'm so Baudelaire I'll Ian Curtis myself poster on a wall at school and claimed it for my own. It's such an awesome poster, wish I knew who designed it.

I finally framed my Gun Club Fire of Love poster (thanks again M) which is probably the most amazing poster I've ever seen.

The globe with black water is a recent Goodwill acquisition. I've been wanting a black water globe ever since I saw one at SMUT. The metal on the globe stand doesn't even have any rust on it, I just couldn't pass it up.

Books: design, photography, art, music, and some fiction too, along with my Nick Cave doll made for me by B.

I finally have a cork board to pin up things that inspire me. Lydia Lunch, Alan Vega, Halloween cake toppers, Ray Johnson, Louise Nevelson, Larry Clark photos, Dune (David Lynch) viewfinder slide…

last.fm

2010-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a last.fm account kind of a long time ago and it wasn't until recently that I began using it. I gotta say, It's really awesome and kinda weird to see what songs and bands you listen to most. I know I listen to My Bloody Valentine, The Smiths and Joy Division a lot, but I was pretty surprised to realize that The Dwarves and The Clean were also in my top 8 bands I listen to most.

I totally recommend this website. It's really fun to see what your friends are listening to and to be able to meet new people with similar musical interests.

"he is as dark as a violet"

2010-01-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

I'm wearing

Vintage flat cap

faux leather jacket - Black Barret by Ccine

Old Navy long sleeve thermal

generic over dyed v-neck

April 77 Joey color drive jeans

Winkle Picker shoes

B snapped these pics of me before she & I went on a date downtown that included light shopping, a stop in the public library, and walking rainy streets hand in hand.

I really can't thank B enough for taking such cool photos.

She's really an awesome photographer.

One day I'll have a room like this…

2010-01-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

Don't remember where I found this picture, but I'd love to have a record lilstening room with space to display rare records, music books, and memorabilia on the wall and in glass cases.

Such a record nerd fantasy…

BASEMENT ANIMAL

2010-01-14T01:00:00.001-08:00

These are some pictures I took last week of my cousin Brent's band, Basement Animal, playing their first show. They're all members of a billion other bands, so it's not surprising that they were the best band that played that night. Their music is brutal, tight, and lightning fast. Really super impressive.

It's crazy to realize that it's been 8 years since I've been to any grind / power violence shows. But what's weird is once I walked into Branx I felt like I was right at home, like I never left the scene.

Click for more photos.

French Riviera

2010-01-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy the energy in this picture from the Hollister Hovey blog. Although the man's loose fitting pants are the antithesis of my tight black style, they seem light and airy and I'd love to be out in them on the beach with B in some nice warm weather. But definitely minus the sandals.

I'm not ready to take that plunge into the mens euro sandal.

Right now some 70* or 80* weather would be great, 'Cause I've been brain washed to think it's warm when it gets up to 50* here!

RE/SEARCH

2010-01-12T01:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sooo excited I finally got RE/SEARCH #4/5 that features William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and Throbbing Gristle!

"William Burroughs, Brion Gysin & Throbbing Gristle talk about advanced ideas involving the social control process, creativity and the future. Interviews, scarce fiction, essays: this is a manual of prophetic ideas and insights. Strikingly designed, with rare photos, bibliographies, discographies, chronologies & illustrations." - RE/SEARCH

Aside from how interesting this book is and William S. Burroughs being one of my favorite authors ever, I really like his style. Burroughs was who inspired me to wear a fedora.

Bowie & Burroughs. Burroughs' infamous missing pinkie.

I like the way he wears fedoras because he doesn't end up looking like a gangster from the 20's. (Although I enjoy the 20's gangster style, they look really dated to me.) Plus standing next to Bowie only bumps up Burroughs' cool factor.

Burroughs in Paris.

Burroughs in this picture reminds me of Alain Delon in Le Samuraï.

Burroughs shot by Avedon.

Young Burroughs on the right.

Just found and obsessing over…

Here're some of William S. Burroughs' personal belongings found in "The Bunker", his NYC apartment, that I wouldn't at all mind having. Found these photographs by Peter Ross through Monoscope.

LAD MUSICIAN 2009 A/W

2010-01-11T01:00:00.001-08:00

Lad Musician Autumn / Winter 2009 collection is great! Even though I'm late to the party on this one, I'm really impressed by this season. Anyone else think these models look like vampires? I gotta say that only makes me like LM even more.

Yet another non-leather motorcycle styled jacket I'm to become obsessed with.

The way this asymmetrical sweater hangs a little lower on one side is so cool.

I really enjoy the pointed shirt tails on the dress shirts for LM this season.

On the same note, I think it's really awesome to put a traditional dress shirt tail on a t-shirt. The swoop gives the t-shirt a new life, makes it more interesting, and raises it above other run of the mill shaped t-shirts. Not to mention the collar, which is way more appealing than a v-neck.

Also the inverse of the above described cut has a cool look too. It's these little attentions to detail that I enjoy so much about LM.

I'm usually pretty picky about graphic t's, but I like LM's take on metal / goth band t-shirts.

I know where the inspiration for this shirt came from…

Bauhaus - 4AD (12" Comp. of previously released singles)

Another simple pair of pants I'd love to have.

See the whole collection.

Paulina Olowska

2010-01-10T01:00:00.001-08:00

I just found out about this Polish artist named Paulina Olowska in a recent issue of TANK magazine.

Dig the Godard poster incorporated into the collage.

Her collages featured in TANK are so inspiring to me! Dark and mysterious large areas of black where so many images have overlapped that there's only a void. Some of my favorite fine art works are collages and actually my favorite artist is Ray Johnson (who was also a collagist), so it's exciting for me to find a contemporary collagist that I enjoy so much.

These are some other works by Olowska I found after doing more research. The center collage makes me think of a Huggy Bear record covers / inserts, which can never be bad in my book.

"Cold War nostalgia meets Polish punk: Many of the images in these colorful collages come from the old U.S.S.R. magazine Ameryka and its U.S. counterpart Soviet Life, published via a cultural-exchange program (the Americans wear bikinis and carry surfboards; the Soviets dress in ushankas and practice ballet). These relatively tame images get a jolt from scraps of torn posters from the Polish underground music scene."

-NYmag.com

Wants: Cheap Monday, Chronicles of Never, & Repetto

2010-01-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

These Slim Chinos by Cheap Monday are perfect! I've been wanting a tight pair of pants to wear for dressing up that look a little nicer than jeans and I think these are the ticket. Plus their priced relatively inexpensively, which means I might actually see them in my immediate future.

I also wouldn't at all mind having these Chronicles of Never Mono 2 shoes. They've got a inward slope up the back heel that I find interesting.

The Chronicles of Never shoes also kinda reminiscent of the Repetto shoes (I've wanted a black pair for years) that the infinitely cool Serge Gainsbourg used wear. According to several online sources, he went through 30 pairs of Repetto's a year!

“UNBEKNOWN to many, Serge Gainsbourg, the seminal French singer and style icon, had sensitive feet. Boots hurt him. He hated walking. His only salvation was calfskin jazz shoes made by Repetto, the French dance shoe company. Jane Birkin, then his lover, turned him on to the supple shoes in the early ’70s. “Serge was looking for gloves for his feet,” she told Les Inrockuptibles, the French music magazine. Originally designed by Rose Repetto for her daughter-in-law, the ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, the lace-up shoes served Gainsbourg well. ” – NYTimes

Mags

2010-01-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

I've gotten completely spoiled with magazines in the last week. First with Arena Homme Plus and TANK, both presents from my Ma's. Then B, on her return from CA, brought me THREE issues of my favorite magazine ever, HUGE! This is an extra sweet gesture from B, 'cause Kinokuniya in Beaverton doesn't carry HUGE. I'd have to buy a years subscription to get it in Oregon, which I am most earnestly considering, but it's a hefty sum in dollars to lay down all at once.

I really could go on forever about HUGE, they are consistently awesome and seriously the greatest magazine I could ever ask for. Every time I open it up and there's always something I love, which isn't something I can say about any American magazine. The only thing that would make it any better is if it were in english so I could actually read the articles!

Also, something notable about the issue of Arena Homme Plus is that their creative director and designer of all the typefaces used in the magazine is Neville Brody. I picked that one up (with a gift card) primarily based on the pictures and fascinating interview with Judy Blame (which is really worth reading) but also because the layouts and use of type in the magazine are awesome. It was only after I got the issue home that I discovered Brody's involvement.

Marc Atlan

2010-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

I mentioned Marc Atlan a few posts back and thought I'd follow up by dedicating a post to his design work.

I like Marc Atlan's design because even though he primarily uses Helvetica, he makes it look very elegant, but not unaccessible. It's the kind of design that makes an person really buy into and believe the brand's identity, which turns the brand into more of a lifestyle. That's the aim of any good designer, but I think Atlan does it exceptionally.

"Marc Atlan Design's roster of clients features Comme des Garçons, Helmut Lang, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Prada Beauty, A.P.C. and L’Oréal. His current creations include projects for Maison Martin Margiela, LVMH and James Perse." -Marc Atlan Design

The Rebel

2010-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

These pics on History of Our World are magic. They have a real raw edge, showing what being an outsider was like before everyone became one. After seeing these, I wanna start a motorcycle gang... course I'd need a motorcycle first!

As cliché as it sounds, it seems like it'd be really freeing to get out on the open highway with a motorcycle you built by hand.

I love 50's & 60's biker style. A Leather jacket with a sleeveless denim jacket over it is so awesome. I also really dig the outfit on the guy standing in the background on the left. So simple and cool.

This one's for Donny. You gotta get workin' on your hog to come visit!

Resolution

2010-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

My 1974 Guild

I've got a new song just for your ears to hear!

Since I'm off school I've locked my self indoors to work on music.

More new songs coming soon.

CDG MAN 2

2010-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

I recently ran out of my favorite cologne and really need to procure some more.

The combination of incense, Mahogany wood, and leather makes Comme Des Garçons Man 2 irresistible to me.

Not to mention I very much enjoy the packaging design by Marc Atlan, who happens to have done a lot of other quite impressive design work.

Though, I may be feeling open minded to a change… what do you guys wear?

Any recommendations?

Also, (incase you haven't noticed) I have a new banner!

I thought it was time to update it, being that its been about a year since I made my last banner.

Post X-Mas

2010-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm wearing:

Vintage flat cap

Cashmere scarf

Faux leather jacket - Black Barret by Ccene

Military surplus wool glove liners

James Perse t-shirt

April 77 Joey Nightrider jeans

Fred Perry plimsouls

My Mom, B, and I drove down to Southern California to see B's family for Christmas. It was really great to be back in California and other than obviously missing my family and friends, I never realized how much I missed the L.A. area. We all had a great Christmas it was really nice to see everyone and I wish that I would have stayed longer.

A couple of the things I'm wearing I got this Christmas.

I tipped my mom off to a sale on SSENCE and that I wanted a new pair of April 77 jeans... So, I pretty much knew what I was getting from her, but I'm still really happy to have these jeans. They're extremely black raw denim that appears to be wax coated because of their slight sheen.

I was really excited to get this simple 100% cashmere scarf, that I'd been really wanting, from my Ma Bonnie. It's super soft and warm, perfect for cold weather and easily pairable with any outfit.

Both of these pieces are great staples that I know I'll wear throughout 2010.

Unrelated to Christmas, my best friend M gave me this faux leather jacket for no other reason than he's just an awesome dude. He said that since he has his All Saints and April 77 jackets he didn't want this one anymore. I gladly took it off his hands and now it's one of my favorite jackets to wear.

Top 9 of 2009

2010-01-02T00:00:00.001-08:00

2009 was a crazy year for me: I moved a thousand miles from where I've lived for sixteen years (the longest I've ever lived anywhere) away from friends and family to a city where I know less than a handful of people, had one of the cutest cats in the world pass away, and through it all finished my first semester at art school. One of the things that really helped me through it all was, as always, music.

These are my Top 9 of 2009.

9. The Raveonettes "In and Out of Control"

8. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Higher Than The Stars E.P."

7. Former Ghosts "Fleurs"

6. HTRK "Marry Me Tonight"

5. Cold Cave "Love Comes Close"

4. Smith Westerns "Smith Westerns"

3. The Horrors "Primary Colours"

2. Crocodiles "Summer of Hate"

1. Rowland S. Howard "Pop Crimes"

Wish I could've seen all the bands on my Top 9 of 2009 list, but I actually got to see The Raveonettes, The Horrors, Cold Cave, Former Ghosts, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, and Crocodiles (as a four piece! Which by the way is fucking awesome!).

Rowland S. Howard (1959-2009) R.I.P.

2010-01-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Whatever I could say wouldn't do him any justice in words.

Mehran has a fantastic post on his blog about Rowland.

HELP FU!

2009-11-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

Reposted from Between The Static and The Magic

My dear friend Fu is on a mission and he needs all our help. I am re-blogging his post and I hope you all will too. He's one of the most deserving people to have his wish fulfilled. I've seen the ukulele he made with my own eyes, it's beautiful and it should be given to the person he made it for. Please read his original post:

Please join my crusade to give Zooey her ukulele.

Hello fellow Zooey fans and admirers, I come to you tonight with a plea for help.

A couple of years ago I made a ukulele from scratch in order to give it to miss Zooey. (This is the full story)

Now that I finished it I am on a mission to give it to her but dont know how to go about it, so I am asking people to repost, reblog, this plea (and link) so that at some point thanks to the miracle of internet, the right person who can help me deliver this will stumble upon this crusade and make this happen.

Please join my crusade to give the Uke to it's owner by re-posting this link on your blog, tumblr, twitter, whatever you can until maybe the right person stumbles upon this link, thanks!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Queridos fans y admiradores de Zooey, vengo a ustedes esta noche con una petición de ayuda.

Hace un par de años construí un ukulele para dárselo a la señorita Zooey (esta es la historia completa)

Ahora que lo he terminado estoy en una misión para darle el instrumento, el problema es que no se como hacérselo llegar. Por eso estoy pidiendo a la gente que me ayuden pegando esta petición y enlace para que con la magia del Internet, la persona correcta pueda encontrar esta cruzada y hacerla llegar a su fin.

Por favor unanse a mi cruzada para darle el ukulele al re-postear este enlace en su diario, blog, tumblr, twitter, lo que sea que tengan con tal de que la persona adecuada encuentre este enlace, Gracias!!

Rocketeam@gmail.com

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-31T00:49:00.000-07:00

THE GO-BETWEENS

2009-10-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Art school's got a death hold on me, so I won't be posting here very regularly from now on.

PS. Track down a non-live version of The Clarke Sisters, it's worth it.

PSS. Does anyone else think Robert Forester's voice sounds like Tom Verlaine from Television?

R.I.P. - BOO BOO YAM

2009-08-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

PHOTO DATE

2009-08-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

The other day B & I found ourselves downtown with our cameras. Naturally we made it a photo date.

I've never lived anywhere that had a fire escape. I have a romantic big city feeling for fire escapes. Rebellious youth sneaking out a window, a place to hang out, or even to sleep on when it's too hot to sleep in doors (like in Hitchcock's Rear Window).

Since a very early age I've been fascinated with urban desolation.

This is one of my favorite buildings downtown. I'm captivated by it's bricked over windows and doorways. Each time B & I go downtown together I mention it. So much so that I'm sure she's sick of hearing it by now.

This tree's bark looks as if its got ribbons tied around it.

The bricked over windows are so mysterious. They make my mind wander.

I like that it appears that you could walk out on the brick.

THIS PAST WEEKENDS ESTATE SALING SPOILS

2009-08-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

This past weekend B & I went estate saling. It was my first taste of going to estate sales in and around Portland. If this is any indication as to what I can find at estate sales here, I'm totally hooked.

Here are some of my spoils.

50¢

5¢ each

10¢

I didn't get the pocket watch at the estate sale. Just showing how I'm using the sack. The pocket watch was given to me by B, years ago. You can't really tell, because of how scuffed the pocket watch is, but it has my initials engraved on it's front.

$1.00

I dig Mexican masks. I'm really missing California's great Mexican food. I still haven't found Mexican food in Portland that's up to my spoiled standards.

$1.00

This stamp is for dates and pricing.

10¢

This cheesy Halloween decoration is gonna keep me company year round in the basement.

FREE

I can't believe that I got these antique mechanical pencils for free. For mechanical pencils they're so unique and have so much character. They really remind me of my Granddad, he used these type of pencils a lot.

10¢

Both of the wooden boxes I found were dirt cheap. Usually antique wooden boxes, when I see them in antique stores, are from $10 to $15 dollars at the cheapest.

$1.00

This is probably my favorite find from the whole lot. I've never seen such a large antique/vintage flash light. It's really rather unusual looking as far as any flash light goes. The fact that it still works is awesome.

$5.00

This electric typewriter is so easy to use, great for fast typing. It came in a carrying case too, just didn't think it was interesting enough to take a picture of it. I saw this same typewriter at a Goodwill, after I got this one, priced at $15. This is a really great typewriter, but I would never pay $15 for it.

It was pretty amazing to walk away from a couple of days of estate saling having only spend a couple of bucks.

I took these pictures on one of my work benches in the basement. (Except for the picture of the typewriter, which was taken in the living room.) Once I get the basement fixed up just right I'll show you guys some pictures of it.