Born Ruffians

I really must subscribe to Nylon. Every time I go to their website I always learn about the coolest stuff. This time, it was Born Ruffians, a group from Toronto that makes some of the happiest music I've heard in a while. Seriously, it's like listening to sunshine. From the springy guitar melodies, to the Animal-reminiscent (that's right, that was a muppets reference) drum patterns, to...heck, just about everything else, the group's sound is the definition of carefree. The production is lo-fi; it sounds like they could have recorded it in someone's basement, but that only adds to their charm, don't you think? You will when you check 'em out.

The video for their song "Hummingbird" is not quite up to my standards--the beginning is too repetitive. But, it gets better towards the close. Kinda reminded me of my dreams.



myspace.com/bornruffians

Misery is a Butterfly

Blonde Redhead isn't exactly news for anyone who is semi well-versed in indie music, me included, but I have to say that I gained a new appreciation for their stuff the other day.
I for whatever reason, was in a bit of a mood--you know the kind. I didn't want to do anything besides just BE. And so, I stuffed my headphones into my ears, closed my eyes, and let Blonde Redhead's ethereal, somewhat atonal melodies fill my head. It was...very nice. I listened for long enough so that I could see a little movie playing on the back of my eyelids, accompanying the music (I know, I know: if zoning out were a professional sport, I could totally go pro).
Anyway, when I came out of my stupor I my hands itched to draw like nobody's business. So, I came up with this little doodle, inspired by the song "Misery is a Butterfly."
What can I say, one thing led to another and I ended up taking the following pictures as well. My intension was to contrast the light, airy beauty of the drawing with the stark shadows and harsh lines that cut through the rest of the photo. A visual representation of Blonde Redhead's music: beautiful, but at the same time twisted and slightly dissonant.







This blog gets more narcissistic by the minute.

Obligatory NY Fasion Week Post/Summation

Let's get to it, shall we?

Anna Sui: always a fun collection. I still can't even begin to understand how she pulls together so many seemingly discordant inspirations to create something wholly unique. The time it was, according to style.com, the aesthetic movement, medievalism, Gustav Klimt and Native Americans. The last was especially evident in the embroidery on a few capes and in the color palate. It was all a little overwhelming at times, but when paired with other pieces, the clothes are sure to be more than wearable. A purple and black striped dress was especially appealing. Oh, and as a side note, how much are you craving those blue boots? SO much!
Cynthia Rowley: very playful, reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, right down to the arboreal background. Apparently, Rowley is writing a children's book, so perhaps that's where she came up with the "once upon a time"-esque theme. She worked mainly in earthy, neutral colors: browns, organic white, and greyish blues. However, metallic pieces mixed up all the fairy tale-tinged garb. Despite this, the clothes felt a little too fanciful at times (one's mind wanders to a satiny pinfore worn with mottled, wooly tights). On the whole though, the collection stayed with me, so much so that I remembered to mention it in this post!

DKNY: eclectic and fun. The collection did everything but beg to be worn by those cool intellectual girls who sit around in coffee shops on rainy days and read Sartre. There was a bohemian feel to the clothes, not American bohemianism, but European. Like someone had raided their French and Turkish grandmothers' wardrobes and raised the hemlines on everything. Lots of layering and vintage-y prints. I loved the way one print gave way to another on a couple of the sweaters. Very beautiful. I think this kind of nostalia has been done before, but it was a solid outing none the less.
Marc Jacobs: I think it's inevitable that after a superb burst of genius, a designer falters. After his last few collections, Jacobs has, if not stumbled, not caused the fashion euphoria in me as he has in the past. The clothes all seemed a little blah and, I dare say it, '90s (ewww). Pastels and neutrals dominated masculine pieces, with an occasional metallic flash added here or there. The coats this season dwarfed the models in overwhelming cocoons shapes. Jacobs likewise shied away from the waist in the rest of the clothes as well, which, while not a bad thing, did not help to boost the lackluster enthusiasm of the collection.

Okay, I'm all tuckered out from reviewing. I'll finish the rest of the collections before the weekend is out (hopefully), so I can focus all my attention on LONDON FASHION WEEK!
House of Holland, Burberry, here I come!

Amor, Armor, Armour

I was recently introduced to the magazine, Ready Made, when my friend and I decided to dedicate a night to the celebration of Betty Crocker and all of her magic. After baking cookies, my friend pulled out the latest edition of the mag and showed me one of their featured craft ideas: felt guns.
GENIUS, right?
And the best part is that they weren't really that hard to make, although it did take a while. The finished products were definitely worth it though. I've posted photographic evidence below, so you all can see just how cool they look.I can't afford a subscription to the actual magazine, but their website has plenty of cool ideas.

Mask Affection

It seems like every artsy music video has at least one mask in it these days. Maybe it's a portent of trends to come (talk about a fashion challenge, though). Wouldn't that be cool? I'd love to have a giant rabbit head sitting atop my shoulders, a la Bat for Lashes. So trippy

Dev Hynes, "Midnight Surprise"


Bat for Lashes, "What's a Girl to Do?"

To Youth and Government I go....

wearing this:top: Maddy M from Saks
bottom: my dad's black slacks, rolled up to mid calf
shoes: the ones I posted about earlier

Sorry about the quality, apparently I shake a lot.

Don't Rock the Boat Without the Diving Captain

from the left: Jake Lauterstein, Erin Teasdale, Wells Barber and Colin Jenkins

I have the pleasure of knowing the lovely gents who make up the indie garage-rock/pop band, the Diving Captain. Though they may still be in high school, these guys really know how to get your feet moving, and they aren't too bad to look at either, no? The band has just released an EP, which they will be handing out for free Dec. 29th at Stubbs after their 7:00 show. If you live in Austin, then I definitely recommend that you attend. If not, you can still check out their myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/thedivingcaptain

Update: the Stubb's show was fantastic! They played a few new songs which are definitely up to par.