Beth Ditto's Picture Perfect World

Could this be a dream come true? All my Portland bands, are releasing new albums? Could this be Portland screaming for me to return home? Oh, probably not, but who the HELL cares..on May 22, dance-punk trio Gossip will return with a new full-length for Columbia, titled A Joyful Noise. The record was produced by Brian Higgins of Xenomania (Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, Girls Aloud, Sugababes). Dancing queen Beth Ditto said she "spent the whole year listening to ABBA" while recording. Check out the lead single, "Perfect World".



The band currently has no plans to tour in the US. But..BD will be the face of her very own MAC cosmetics collection--it's incredible. Any curvy girl who strips down into her girdle, in every live performance, is not only empowering but worthy of idol worship.

Little Shop of Horrors-Chris Habana

Take your conventional crosses, skulls, and gender iconography hand them to Chris Habana and be taken to the world of unconventional jewelry. He is sure to grab your attention with his edgy designs, that are more than wearable. His designs have been worn by various celebrities and musicians, but as he said in a recent interview with ZINK magazine they are "fit for girls, boys and everyone in between."

His current S/S collection is a force to be reckoned with. "He creates magic with his resurrection of gothic iconography." The collection is entitled Mon Amour, Mon Ennemi, a repersentation of Habana's paradoxical style. Thorny gold roses tempered by pearls are a central theme, while crosses and cage-rings make yet another appearance. The collection is not only tragic, but romantic. It definitely feels like love lost, imprisoned and caged in a disturbing dark room for all eternity.

As Chris Habana says about his personal aesthetic..."Dark. Serious. Kidding." He has become well known for not taking things too seriously, but SERIOUSLY check this designer out, and I'm not kidding.

CHRIS HABANA SS11

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Yes, wear Black, and No, You don't have to feel GOTH.

Working for MAC cosmetics since I was 19 I have accumulated quite the collection of black clothing. In fact, some of my favorite pieces happen to be black. It seems from about mid-September to the start of Spring that I have no qualms about wearing my favorite omniscient color. As soon as the leaves start to reappear on the trees, and flowers begin to bloom in gardens on my street I begin to feel a little out of place in my attire.

This summer, I have decided to not let my gothic threads go to waste. Instead I feel empowered to tie in black, with all my favorite S/S trends.
Here are my BLACK MUST HAVES:

1.) BCBG BLACK MAXI- Perfect for work. Very in TREND for the summer. I like mine with a stripped cropped shirt, or any shirt that has a little color and is a little bit baggier.

2.) CK JUMPSUIT- I love this! There is so much you could do with this piece. Give it some color with some bright colored necklaces, and my favorite Jeffery Campbell leopard flat, from Nordstrom.

3.) ESSENTIAL BLACK LEATHER JACKET- No matter the season, a black leather jacket is always going to be a sexy outwear option.

4.) DEEP V- V neck's are one of my favorite shirts to wear in the summer. I LOVE this black one. It's perfect with a pair of leggings, or pair with a pair of cut off denim also from urban outfitters.

5.) Cropped Denim- Cropped denim is always a must, give it a little bit of color with this cute button up from Bloomingdales.


Black is always sleek, it makes you feel thinner...so why not incorporate in your summer wardrobe?

STUNNIN LIKE MY...

If you know me on a personal level at all, you know that I possess a small obsession with a certain rapper that goes by the name of, Lil Wayne. When I hear his voice blaring through speakers, I can't even begin to describe the phenomenon that takes place...(unless you have witnessed it yourself). Basically, I can feel Weezy coursing through my veins. It's like he's physically present, and most times I can hardly contain myself.

Now that I have let you in on my little secret, you can imagine how I felt as I was midway through doing a winged liner on a customer, and I heard "Stunnin like my daddy" repeat three times over through the speakers at work. It's like the ground below me jolted, the room spun for a moment, and than everything paused. I snapped out of my trance, as I heard the sweet voice of Ellie Goulding..."Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit me with lightening...".  I had to know more. Who was this, what was this? Was I dreaming, for months it seemed we had been plagued with unidentifiable "indie" music, and now this?! I tried to act cool, quickly finished the winged liner and ran over to the cupboard that hosted our playnetwork system.

"Basic Physics-Starry Eyed" scrolled across the screen...

Nightlife in the Northwoods, is the must hear mixtape from Basic Physics. Basic Physics is the creation of Madison, WI DJ/ Producer Alex Syse, and Minneapolis, Minnesota's DJ, Eric Mitchell. Founded in 2010, they have brought a fresh new face to the DJ/Mashup game.


Alex provided some insight into the mixtape. "Nightlife in the Northwoods is a compilation of 15 Basic Physics mashups. When we went to the drawing board to create this mixtape, the first thing we laid down was that this was going to be about quality. We are not a mashup group that releases tracks just for the name behind it. We wanted to produce a mixtape that kept the listener into it 100% of the way, that flows from start to finish. Eric and myself have so many influences, including the production quality of Xaphoon Jones, the addicting sound of Wolfgang Gartner or Afrojack, the brilliance of Daft Punk, and the creativity of artists like Pretty Lights, Ellie Goulding, and Lupe Fiasco. Having the ability to make a mashup is one thing, but making it memorable and something worth listening to is our main goal. What started as a passion for music has become something that we are pursuing. We are going to continue to produce mashups, but we also plan on diving into other projects including an original EP and producing for various artists. This mixtape is something that we hope will elevate our ability to achieve the things we want to do and the music we want to produce."


Starry Eyed E.T. (Katy Perry // Ellie Goulding // Lil Wayne) by Basic Physics


Visit BASIC PHYSICS FACEBOOK TO DOWNLOAD "NIGHTLIFE IN THE NORTHWOODS"

MUST HAVE: TURBAN SCARF

One of my #1 "MUST HAVES" for summer is a turban style tied scarf. It's been seen on Mary Kate Olsen, and highly recommended in Rachel Zoe's own fashion blog. You can use any random old scarf you have laying around to create this simple look. (I even used a sash of an old bridesmaid dress of mine) It can be a simple head band as seen on Mary Kate below, or a full head wrap. EITHER WAY, don't be caught this summer without knowing how to do this fashion MUST. I found the video below very helpful as well.