Ghoulish Cacophony Of "Reverb-Pop Gems"

Last night was day one of music video shoot for Denver-based band Gauntlet Hair. I love this description of their music: "cacophonous, ramshackle reverb-pop gems." Also, this seems to sum it up nicely too: "[Like] Animal Collective...Gaunlet Hair [is] primarily dealing with pop songs set off by a slightly off-kilter feeling." Thusly, the performances by Kara Jean Caldwell and Joshua Bote were pretty off kilter in a violent, destructive, ghoul kind of way. I got them prepped for their mayhem-causing roles with dark demonic eyes on ghastly white faces: the better to ravage the South-East industrial blocks my dear. Below, song we're shooting for. BTW, Gauntlet Hair will be in

Portland November 10th at the Bunk Bar.



Isaac Hers, Content & NYC

  It's fashion season people. After such a long (yeah right) summer in the NW, most of us are just dying to get back inside and open our umbrellas. No really, it is exciting to be getting into fall and chatting about the cool shit we've all been up to this summer and what we have planned for the new year. (L'shanah tova!) For those who've been needing their fix of pomp and flash lately, there's been plenty to chose from on the local fashion front. As always there's a lot going on in the big wide world of fashion, and here in our cozy West Coast haven we've actually been experiencing quite a lot of flutter lately. With Portland Fashion Week wrapping up tonight, Content last weekend and a great Isaac Hers show at First Thursday, it's apparent the creative juices are flowin' in Stumptown.

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I heard only wonderful things about Content this year, with each designer present creating a mood installation in one room each of the Ace Hotel, and guests able to mosey through the deconstructed fashion show at their leisure. For those of you who were there, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like a series of mood-board-turned-rooms (I was in New York City at the time exploring my moods in all sorts of rooms) including Portland designers Sara Bergamn, Isaac Hers, Pattern People and Idom, as well L.A.-based Dawn Sharp and Brooklyn-based Andy Lifschutz.

A standout show I did get to go was the Isaac Hers show this Thursday (First Thursday in the Pearl District just turned 25 too! bffs) produced by the Jillian Rabe team. I loved the raw wood runway, the nicely paced flow, the catering...not to mention of course the beautifully crafted clothes and the done-undone hair and makeup. The Con El Sol Spring 2012 looks showed Thursday by Isaac Hers designer Barbara Seipp featured structured cutout dresses, sleek skinny jeans, the classic gorgeous gold-rush jacket and various takes of beautifully subtle-but-open fabric. Nothing terribly new on a fashion world-wide wide level, but here that is not what designers seem to be doing. Portland designers will leave the drastic new shapes and drama to the Parisians, the New Yorkers, the Milanese. It seems we'd rather push boundaries with sustainable techniques and beautifully crafted ideas, which the Isaac Her's collection embodied perfectly. 

 

And production wise? Flawless. The Jillian Rabe production team had it down to perfect detail, while still making the whole night feel relaxed and flowing. There is so much to look forward to.
Excited for more from all these talented Portland peeps.