One Flaming Arrow Film Festival will be kicking off on July 28th, 4 days of Native American and Indigenous Film in Portland.
Opening night will be at The Clinton St Theater, 2nd night will be at the Rainmaker Residency Gallery, and the 3rd and 4th night we will be screening at the Hollywood Theater.
You can find a detailed schedule on our website:
http://www.oneflamingarrow.com/#!program-1/tr192
:::There are a limited number of free movie tickets for clients of NARA, Red Lodge and NAYA Students and Community members. Please email Carlee@oneflamingarrow.com for more information.::
July 28th - Clinton Street Theater
Opening Night Shorts Program
Located at 2522 SE Clinton St
7:30 PM Tickets are $5-$10 Sliding scale
July 29th - Rainmaker Gallery
Experimental Film Program
Located at 2337 NW York St. # 201 Portland, Oregon 97210.
6:00PM Meet and Greet 7:00PM Screen time
Free
July 30th - Hollywood Theater
Third Night Shorts Program
Located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
7:00PM Tickets are $9 for adults $7 for Youth under 11yrs and Elders.
July 30th - Hollywood Theater
Feature Film - "Hunt for the Wilderpeople"
Located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
9:00PM Tickets are $9 for adults $7 for Youth under 11yrs and Elders
July 31st - Hollywood Theater
Youth Film Showcase Shorts Program
Located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
1:00PM Tickets are $9 for adults $7 for Youth under 11yrs and Elders
July 31st - Hollywood Theater
Youth Film Showcase Feature- "Indian Givers"
Located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
3:00PM Tickets are $9 for adults $7 for Youth under 11yrs and Elders
Check out the 12th annual program of cinema under the stars. Doors open at 7 pm with food and beverages available for purchase from Gracie’s, Aladdin’s Café, Brass Tacks Sandwiches, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Music begins at 8 pm and films begin around dusk. Entry for advance ticket holders is guaranteed until 8:30 pm. Advance tickets ensure that you will not have to wait in the ticket purchase line but do not guarantee entry after 8:30 pm. A limited number of chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so feel free to bring a chair, pillow, or blanket, along with a light sweater or jacket. Advance ticket holders who arrive after 8:30 pm but are not admitted to the screening (in the case of a sell-out) may exchange their tickets for another Top Down screening. There are no refunds or exchanges for arrivals after the film begins (c. 9 pm) or for entirely missed screenings. Please, no pets or outside food or drink.
Advance tickets are available at nwfilm.org: $10 general; $9 student/senior/PAM member; $7 Silver Screen Club Friend. Tickets at the door are $12 general; $11 student/senior/PAM member; $9 Silver Screen Club Friend.
Download a printable PDF of the Top Down schedule
Want a series pass to Top Down? Join the Silver Screen Club at the Supporter level or above before June 30th and bring along a guest for free! Learn more
Films:
Getting the band back together just in time to celebrate another dying Portland relic. Things are happening.
DUBAIS + Band
http://dubaispdx.tumblr.com/
MATTRESS
https://mattressmattress.bandcamp.com/
STRANGE BABES
https://www.facebook.com/Strange-Babes-388578777858689/?fref=ts
The first thing you notice is the voice. Haunting and sublimely other-worldly, it stops you in your tracks with the gentlest of touches, proving that sometimes the intoxicating simplicity of a single voice is all you need to make an impact. With Benjamin Francis Leftwich, that hypnotic, breathy voice is the reason for it all. It exposes his soul before anyone even hears the lyrics, letting the listener in to Benjamin's most intimate world in a way no interview or video ever could. It is the essence of his being, laid bare without regret for us to share. Not just your average singer-songwriter then.
Indeed, there's nothing ordinary about this startling new talent, who is just 21 and has yet to release his first album but who sounds like he already has a lifetime of experiences, hopes and shattered dreams invested in each song. He has, in fact, been waiting for this moment for years. At the age of 10, Yorkshire born Benjamin first stared playing guitar, ditching his teacher after just a couple of lessons and teaching himself from the records that inspired him instead. Growing up on a diet of Rolling Stones and Nina Simone, Benjamin discovered Bob Dylan and Elliot Smith in his teens and never looked back. By 15, he was writing songs and playing with a band on the York music scene, before starting work as a solo artist at 18 and beginning to write what now makes up his forthcoming debut album 'Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm'.
"A lot of the songs on there I wrote when I was about 17 or 18," Benjamin confirms. "I really wanted to get their sound right and I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to writing and recording. I've been working on them ever since really."
The breathtaking results were well worth waiting for. Inspired by the likes of Ryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros, Benjamin took his time creating a sound that is truly his, that reveals a little more of himself with every single breath and moment. It's a sound that gives him the confidence to label himself simply, unpretentiously, as a singer-songwriter, untroubled by the confusingly negative connotations the term now seems associated with.
"That's what I am," he shrugs. "I don't think I'm folk, nor am I straight indie. I write songs and I play guitar and I think it's varied on the album and it will be in the future. That's what I feel like I'm making. The title singer-songwriter is appropriate. The term is usually applied to people like James Morrison and James Blunt, but really they play down-the-line pop. It's people like Elliot Smith, Bob Dylan and John Lennon that can be considered true singer-songwriters."
Unsurprisingly then, it made sense that Benjamin would release his material under his own full name. No gimmicks, no clever pseudonyms. This is him. Pure and simple.
"A couple of people seem to have an issue with it but it doesn't bother me.
There was one journalist who spent the whole interview expecting me to be an army major with a monocle because of my name. Obviously, I'm not."
Name obsessive's aside, Benjamin has already been stunned by the reaction to the material he has released so far, which has truly taken him by surprise. After releasing his debut EP 'A Million Miles Out' at the end of 2010, he quickly found himself on the most prestigious playlists around as Radio 1DJs Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton fell for Benjamin's assuming charms. He was also added to XFM's Evening Playlist, while Jo Whiley made Benjamin's track 'Atlas Hands' one of her Tracks of 2010 and he was also asked to record a live session for Radio 2's Dermot O'Leary. Benjamin's version of 'Rebellion' by Arcade Fire has since been downloaded over 100,000 times.
On 6th March 2011 Benjamin's stunning second EP, 'Pictures', was released. This led to a tour support slot with Noah & The Whale, while the lead track from the EP was made 'Hottest Record In The World' on Zane Lowe's radio show and added to the Radio 1 'In New Music We Trust' playlist.
On July 4th, at long last, Benjamin's debut album 'Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm' was released going top 20 in the UK album chart. It was preceded by his first single proper 'Box of Stones', which Radio 1 DJ Greg James chose as his 'Record Of The Week'. Typically understated, it paired the fragile elegance of Benjamin's stunning voice with simple, inviting guitar lines, heart-breakingly delicate melodies and lyrics strained with emotion and was play listed by Radio 1
"A couple of people have described some of my songs as love songs but there's a level of ambiguity in them I think. I try not to ever focus on a central theme. I just bring together inspiration from around me and put it all into a song. Some songs are more direct, but there's always that level of ambiguity."
That summer Ben played a total of 26 festivals in the UK including, Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Green Man, Bestival, Camp Bestival and many more. In October 2011 Ben embarked on a massive 28 date sold out UK tour, and in November announced he would be playing a handful of headline full band shows in February in the UK. This would include a date at the prestigious Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
'Pictures' was released on February 20th as a single, going onto the 'B' list at Radio 1 at prompting Fearne Cotton to invite Ben into the Radio 1 Live Lounge. He also performed a live session on BBC6 Music for Marc Riley and XFM for Mary-Anne Hobbs the same week. XFM added the single to their Daytime Playlist and Q Radio to their 'A' list. The video has achieved around 900k plays on youtube.
Following on from this success he has just announced a gargantuan 30 date headline tour of the UK, the largest consecutive running tour announced in the UK in 2012. This tour will commence on October 1st 2012.
There is at least one thing that seems certain . By the end of year, many, many more people will stumble upon a new singer-songwriter to believe in when they're stopped in their tracks by Benjamin's startlingly intimate voice. The unmistakeable sound of this year's most intriguing new talent.
Check out the 12th annual program of cinema under the stars. Doors open at 7 pm with food and beverages available for purchase from Gracie’s, Aladdin’s Café, Brass Tacks Sandwiches, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Music begins at 8 pm and films begin around dusk. Entry for advance ticket holders is guaranteed until 8:30 pm. Advance tickets ensure that you will not have to wait in the ticket purchase line but do not guarantee entry after 8:30 pm. A limited number of chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so feel free to bring a chair, pillow, or blanket, along with a light sweater or jacket. Advance ticket holders who arrive after 8:30 pm but are not admitted to the screening (in the case of a sell-out) may exchange their tickets for another Top Down screening. There are no refunds or exchanges for arrivals after the film begins (c. 9 pm) or for entirely missed screenings. Please, no pets or outside food or drink.
Advance tickets are available at nwfilm.org: $10 general; $9 student/senior/PAM member; $7 Silver Screen Club Friend. Tickets at the door are $12 general; $11 student/senior/PAM member; $9 Silver Screen Club Friend.
Download a printable PDF of the Top Down schedule
Want a series pass to Top Down? Join the Silver Screen Club at the Supporter level or above before June 30th and bring along a guest for free! Learn more
Films:
Dimensions is an underground electronic music festival at Fort Punta Christo, an abandoned 19th century fort on the Croatian seaside.
With a higher technical specification of sound systems, Dimensions hosts iconic artists from House, Techno, Hip-hop, Disco, Dubstep, Soul, Ambient, Jazz, Bass, Experimental among other electronic sounds.
Dimensions creates an idyllic space for music appreciation with its vibrant settings between daytime boat and beach parties, CDR workshops, and immense night sets and performances.
For further details, check out Line-up, Tickets, Travel & Accommodation pages.
More about the festival's fifth celebration can be found on Resident Advisor feature ‘Inside: Dimensions’:
www.dimensionsfestival.com/inside
home school is elated to announce the second class of Semester 2, Project Space Industrial Complex!
Project Space Industrial Complex de-centers and provokes the standard actions and motivations of independent art spaces. Co-taught by Chloe Alexandra, Carmen Denison, Eleanor Ford and Devin Ruiz, each class of PSID will present candid discussions of standard institutionalisms alongside experimental constructions of space and community building beyond the heteropatriarchal white supremacy of the status quo. The subject matter of each course will build upon the last, with a resultant expanded discourse that includes space construction, art markets, social/political structures and the function of ‘alternatives’ within white supremacist institutionalities.
The first class of Project Space Industrial Complex will focus on [the] art market(s), with topics including:
* the PDX –> NYC Pipeline
* social justifications of white supremacist institutionalisms
* manipulations of artists’ labor (esp. Artists of color)
* white feminism in arts institutions
* structural inequalities in economic centers (and how they are mirrored in economic peripheries)
Bit House Saloon and Jägermiester present Round 2 of the Summer Patio Sessions.
Go outside for music, drinks, dancing and vibing with DJ's:
<--DJ Gigs (Natasha Kmeto)-->
<--The High Kids (Rap Class & Carly B)-->
<--Ben Tactic--> <--Graintable-->
<-Danny Corn-->
Free
Patio Bar with Beer, Cocktail & Jägermeister specials
Extradition presents quarterly concerts of composed and improvised New Music and works from the 20th century experimental tradition. The series is presented by the Creative Music Guild and directed by Matt Hannafin.
This year Extradition Series' 2016 summer concert will take place at the Leaven Community Center in NE Portland with a cast of regional musicians performing the following works:
- James Tenney, "Swell Piece" - performed by John C. Savage (alto sax), Joe Cunningham (tenor sax), Andy Rayborn (baritone sax), Jonathan Sielaff (bass clarinet), Christian Pincock (trombone), and Evan Spacht (trombone)
- Solo composition/improvisation for trombone and electronics - performed by Christian Pincock
- John C. Savage, "Impromptu for Solo Flute" - performed by John C. Savage
- Mark Hannesson, "Hoarfrost" - performed by Jonathan Sielaff (bass clarinet and electronics)
- Robert J. Kirkpatrick, "No. 4" from 'The Book of Musical Patterns" - performed by Evan Spacht (trombone) and Matt Hannafin (tam-tam and bass drum)
Admission: $5 - $15 sliding scale
TREES IN THE FOREST
A group show curated by Kari Rittenbach
Artists in the exhibition are: David Askevold, Martin Beck, Bernice Bing, Trisha Brown, Beverly Buchanan, Elise Duryee-Browner, Howard Fried, Charles Gaines, Nina Könneman, Andrei Koschmieder, Peter Moore, Martha Rosler, Jen Shear & Vinnie Smith, Carlos Villa, Carleton Watkins and Jackie Winsor.
Kari Rittenbach is a writer and independent curator based in New York. She is a graduate of Yale University, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the Whitney Independent Study Program.
Image is a panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon, No. 7. Stereo from hill west of town, stumps and farms. Carleton E. Watkins, Oregon Historical Society. (bb014689)
Gallery hours Thursday-Sunday 3-6pm
Witness the Portland premiere of the new documentary feature about PNW sludge heroes The Melvins, with directors in attendance for post-film Q&A.
The Colossus of Destiny: A Melvins Tale is a film about a band that has defied all of the rules for over 33 years and counting, while still managing to succeed and do it their own way. This is the journey of band members King Buzzo and Dale Crover, which leads us from the backwards-waters of the Chehalis River in Washington State, down through the Golden Gate of Northern California, and finally settling into the Los Angeles River Basin of Southern California, with the rest of the world thrown in along the way.
Witness first-hand the beliefs and attitudes, values and obscenities, slows and fasts, triumphs and toils, loves and hates, wits and giggles of a hugely talented and highly influential band. Hear what a countless number of peers, collaborators, understudies, admirers—even haters—have to say about their encounters with the Melvins over the past three decades and more. And come away with a lesson in how to survive in the wicked world of the music biz without taking yourself too damn seriously.
This new documentary features interviews with Mike Patton, Chris Cornell, Jello Biafra, Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic, Mark Arm, J. Mascis, Josh Homme, David Yow and many more.
1 Year Anniversary with:
||Sounds||Music||Visuals||
**DJ Pr11me**
Valan Primus (Pr11me) was born in the Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia and in his teenage years, moved to Brooklyn New York, a place vibrant with Afro-Caribbean and American culture.
After many years as a freelance Web Developer and Graphic Designer, he made the tough but optimistic decision to start a new life in Portland, OR, bringing with him all of his experiences, culture and musical influences. Well known for the curation of his event Fever Fete, PRIIME focuses on creating experiences that keep culture alive and thriving.
**Lamar LeRoy**
Our Favorite DJ.. Our Main Man..Our Captain to all things Sound..Lamar LeRoy is one of the most talentd and hard working DJ's in Portland. With his own radio show on Xray.fm and his countless residencies around town Lamar spends many hours perfecting his blends and creating innovative ways to deliver the music you love. You may have seen him opening for such acts as RAC or DJ Jazzy Jeff (The Do Over). As well as being one of the best DJ's in Portland Lamar also produces his own tracks,raps,sings and even creates hand made speakers from his home. He is the physical embodiment of Y.G.B!
http://maisonmonsieur.info/
https://soundcloud.com/lamar-leroy
https://www.mixcloud.com/monsieurleroy/
***DNVN***
An exhibition in failure. An experiment in letting go. Lust songs for the broken hearted.
https://soundcloud.com/dnvnmusic
*** Brown Alice***
Brown Alice serves you soulful sounds of Mars and Kemet through voice and charged melanin. Inspired by pop culture and it's effect on the Black body, she brings you funky grooves and soul mash ups. Dancing is mandatory.
http://brownalice.bandcamp.com/
$7 all night 21+
WOODS
THE LAVENDER FLU
A group that dared to confront the dilated pupils of the Bobby Problem in search of that elusive "Heavy Air" sound; the Lavender Flu looks forwards, backwards, and sideways. They rule the adult rock circuit with an overdose of chamomile and a touch of grey. Fuck the purists, the nostalgists, and the genre concentration camps. You know you have to take off your heavy metal jacket, your bullet belt, or your techno shades sometimes. Your uniform means nothing here. Adult rock has no limits. The Lavender Flu has no scene. Put on your socks AND Tevas. No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn.
The 13th Annual PDX Pop Now! Festival July 22-24 at AudioCinema with performances from 44 Portland bands!
Taking place under the Hawthorne bridge at AudioCinema, the festival will feature two outdoor stages, a record fair, street fair, food carts, and the annual band on band basketball tournament Rigsketball—carrying on the tradition of being one of the most interactive and community focused festival experiences.
w/
1939 ensemble
A Volcano
Ali Muhareb's Mujahedeen
Andrew Endres Collective
Antecessor
Arlo Indigo
Blow Out
Bobby Peru
Cat Hoch - band
Cilantro
Consumer
Coronation
Dead Cult
Disemballerina
Dragging an Ox through Water
Eyelids
Force Publique
Fossa Club
Fur Coats
Gold Casio
Jenny Don't And The Spurs
Landlines (Portland)
Lithics
Little Star
Loch Lomond
Lola Buzzkill
Love Cop
Maze Koroma
Mic Capes Music
Mr. Bones
Old Grape God
Sabonis
SAOLA
Sleeping Beauties
Snowblind Traveler
Speaker Minds
Summer Cannibals
The Tamed West
Tender Age
The Living Skins
The Scribes
Tiny Knives
Wooden Indian Burial Ground.
Festival artwork by Glenn Henrickson
LAST SUNDAYS: Join XRAY DJs as we create the soundrack at the Portland Flea. April 24 / May 29 / June 26 / July 31 / August 28 / September 25 / October 30 / November 27
Portland Flea + Food is a gathering place for the best of Portland’s makers, food purveyors and curators of vintage to sell their wares and grow their businesses. The monthly event takes place on last Sundays of the month from 11-4pm at Rejuvenation and Jacobsen Salt Co. The market consists of 4 sections:
Decor + Furniture: Rejuvenation’s back lot will play host to home wares both new and vintage. You’ll find ceramicists, re-furbishers, re-upholsterers, woodworkers, letterpress and some good old junk.
Apparel + Accessories: In the lot across 6th Ave. you will find everything you’ll need for your wardrobe & body. Show stopping vintage pieces and new handmade digs from designers in town.
Collaborators + Showcase: Inside Rejuvenation’s store you can find a collection of top local designers who have inspired collaborations on exclusive product lines with the store. There is also a guest showcase featuring artisans and workshops dedicated to progressing creative business.
Food + Drink: In Jacobsen Salt Co’s lot you will experience the best of our local food and beverage scene. Dine on a select group of rotating food trucks and pick up artisan food/drink stuffs from local producers.
The 15th annual Portland Zine Symposium is happening on Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th at the Ambridge Event Center. Both days run from 11am-5pm and are free to attend!
There will also be a kick-off event Friday, July 17th and a Saturday night after-party, both happening at the Independent Publishing Resource Center.
About: The Portland Zine Symposium is a free conference and zine social exploring facets of independent publishing and DIY culture. It consists of two days of workshops, panels, discussions, games, and over 150 tablers from around the world selling their zines and handmade wares.
*****EVENTS*****
Friday, July 17th @ IPRC, 7pm, Free
PZS Kick-Off with guest speaker Cindy Crabb!
www.facebook.com/events/604803356289303/
Saturday, July 18th @ Ambridge Event Center, 11am-5pm, Free
All day tabling and workshops!
Saturday, July 18th @ IPRC, 7-11pm, $3-5 Suggested Donation
PZS Saturday Afterparty w/ readings from Dave Roche, Blair Bogin, Vicky Lim, and Jim Joyce and music from Golden Hour and Freeform Portland DJs.
www.facebook.com/events/1631060113827366/
Sunday, July 19th @ Ambridge Event Center, 11am-5pm, Free
All day tabling and workshops!
Sunday, July 19th @ Turn! Turn! Turn!, 5pm-7pm
Cool Down Cocktail Hour
Chill out after a long weekend of zine trading with some cold beverages, an in-house zine collection, and record shopping at this eclectic spot. And stick around after for a free show from Grand Style Orchestra.
*****WORKSHOP SCHEDULE*****
SATURDAY
12-1pm: How to Write a Novel in a Month
Jayna Ostler
Come learn the basics of hashing out bare-bone outlines and character building for writing your book ideas out in the span of a month. We’ll discuss different tactics for planning and different ways to pace yourself in order to accomplish this challenge.
2-3pm: Making QPOC Space in Zine-ing and Art (and Life)
Anna Vo, Nia King
Where certain identities are de-legitimized in mainstream media and alternative media; how do we make spaces for QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR to survive and thrive, and be supported in their craft? Hosted by Anna Vo of Fix My Head zine and Nia King of Queer and Trans Artists of Color.
3-4pm: Creative Nonfiction for Zinesters
Joshua James Amberson
Looking to take your writing further? Join us as we play with techniques from personal essay, hybrid nonfiction, and experimental memoir to find new ways to tell our stories. Led by zinester and Portland Community College writing instructor Joshua James Amberson.
3-4:30pm: Podcasting 101
Julie Sabatier
Julie Sabatier, host of Rendered (formerly Destination DIY) and author of the How to Make Radio zine series talks about what it takes to start and sustain your own podcast, plays some clips, and takes your questions!
4-5pm: Mending Your Dress:Coping with Trauma through Writing
Neelybat Chestnut
Presentation on sharing, oversharing, and not sharing. Host NeelyBat Chestnut (Mend My Dress Press) will offer her insights on the formidable task of writing about deeply personal and vulnerable topics, such as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as the balance between sharing and oversharing.
SUNDAY
12-1pm: Writing as a Tool to Strengthen Critical Consciousness
Cindy Crabb
Cindy Crabb, the author of long-running Doris zine, and editor of Support, Learning Good Consent, Filling the Void, and Masculinities, will be hosting a writing workshop led by on using personal/autobiographical writing as a tool for strengthening critical consciousness.
1-2pm: Art and Trauma Through Exploration of 90’s Riot Grrrl Zine Movement
Amber Dawn
Art and Trauma: An examination of the Riot Grrrl ’90s confessional zine movement. This panel discussion offers a rare glimpse at marginalized zine makers addressing issues of race, transgendered identity, and parental violence.
2-3pm: Essential Tools for Coping with Sadness, Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Sage Liskey
The Rad Cat Press and Sage Liskey, author of The Happiest Choice: Essential Tools for Everyone’s Brain Feelings will present the best techniques for coping with and preventing mental forms of suffering such as anxiety, sadness, stress, and depression… With pictures of cats!
2-3pm: Books: Publishing and Self Publishing
Alex Wrekk, Martha Grover, Adam Gnade, Sage Adderley, moderated by Joshua James Amberson
Join a panel of publishers talking about publishing books from zinester perspectives. Representatives from Pioneers Press and Sweet Candy Press plus zinesters that have self published and had their work published by others. What does the process look like? What does the press expect from you and what does the author expect from the publisher are only a few of the topics that will be covered.
3-4pm: Comic Jam 101
Katy O’Brien
Cartoonists of any age and skill level are invited to join us for an exploration of jam comics – improvisational comics made in collaboration with multiple artists. We will take a look at some finished jam comics, discuss different approaches to collaborating and then break out the pens & pencils and make some jam comics on the spot!
4-5pm: ZOE (Zine Event Organizers) Support Group
Alex Wrekk
Do you work on a zine event? Do you sometimes struggle with things like fundraising and promotion? Do you have questions to ask or great ideas to share? Come to this workshop and share you joys and woes of event organizing whether you host zine readings, teach zine workshops, or organize a zine fest. Let’s talk!
After extensively touring in support of their acclaimed debut album, 2014’s ‘Loom’, Fear of Men decamped in the early months of 2015 to an outbuilding of a disused abattoir in rural Kent, England, to begin work on new material. Such an environment was fitting for a band determined to strip their sound back to the bone and build it up to make an album that would, on their live return, “make the stage shake”.
Fear of Men is Jessica Weiss (Guitar & Vocals), Daniel Falvey (Guitar), Michael Miles (Drums, Keys).
Puro Instinct
The story of Puro Instinct is an unusual one: on a visit to New York, Piper befriended reclusive outsider musician R. Stevie Moore, who showed her that making music shouldn't be intimidating. Full of ideas and inspiration, Piper headed back to L.A., where her 13-year-old sister Sky—who was about to start studying experimental theatre at the performing arts incubator L.A. County High School for the Arts (LACHSA)—had been teaching herself guitar since age 10.
Broke and bored, the sisters started jamming on the "borrowed" instruments their musician friends had left around their house. It was evident early on that Skylar's trembling guitar would perfectly complement Piper's physical, Nicks-ian vocals. On hearing their demos, Mexican Summer records quickly signed them, and released their debut EP, Something About the Chaparrals, in 2009.
Soon, they were on a national tour with Ariel Pink—Skylar just 15 years old, and Piper 22. Puro Instinct's debut album, Headbangers in Ecstacy, was released soon after the tour. The single "Stilyagi," which loosely translates to "outsider" in Russian, featured Ariel Pink on backing vocals, and an easy, swirling chorus. In support of the Headbangers LP, Puro Instinct set out on an American tour with John Maus and Geneva Jacuzzi in 2011. The sisters brought their sound to Europe shortly after.
House producer SFV Acid joined the group for a brief period, and French electro producer Strip Steve invited the sisters to guest on a 12" single, "Astral Projection," in 2012. Pharaohs' Alejandro Cohen produced a balearic new single, "Dream Lover." Puro Instinct took this new confident sound to Australia in 2012, where they toured, and played This is Nowhere Festival in Perth, to great acclaim. The sisters ended up spending a month in Australia, where they began recording their latest album Autodrama.
During this period, Puro Instinct was reborn, reenergized, refocused. "Headbangers-era was about being sucked into the flames, and Autodrama is about rising from the ashes of that experience, with the lessons in tact and our 'demons' working for us, instead of against us," says Piper.
Autodrama sees Puro Instinct return to their roots, telling the story of a youth spent in the decay of Hollywood. "The infrastructure of Hollywood that people have known for years is this inflated egotistical, hedonistic wasteland," says Piper. "There's an awareness of our responsibility to create more meaningful works of art that don't satisfy the immediate thirst of Hollywood popcorn. Lyrically, one of my goals is to get into that psychology, to push myself to talk about all the things that hurt me about living in Hollywood. I've never allowed myself to play along because of my values, for better or for worse. What we're going for is pop music to not be about vanity and wealth, but still pop music nonetheless."
For Skylar, the album's recording coincided with her graduation from LACHSA. "As soon as I was out of school, I found that I was inspired by sound in an entirely new way," Skylar says. "We decided to spearhead the production of the record ourselves and it was interesting how the arrangements helped convey aspects of ourselves that weren't easily expressed through language. I was drawn to the spatial relationships between the sounds, the warped rhythms, the melody ideas. It was important to produce everything in a way that felt all encompassing, like peering into a diamond of our truths, recollections, worries, fantasies."
The results are a purified, more self-assured Puro Instinct. Featuring instrumental performances by Ariel Pink, Franco Falsini of Sensations Fix, and Richard "Sax" Ross, Autodrama is not only lush, but danceable. Skylar's guitar skills have been given the room they need to create the shimmering planes and ringing angelic textures they always needed. "Six of Swords" is spacious, space-age pop, like Kylie Minogue in zero gravity—but with cryptic, vulnerable lyrics not usually imbued in pop music. "We're using the vernacular of pop," Piper says, "but with our values and our soul."
Embodying their vision, the song "Babylon" touches on Puro Instinct's desire to be a ghost in the pop machine. "We want to change the rules of what the pop world would want from us," says Piper. "The sound is inspired by this whole rebirth of values within us, which is a result of us dying in 2011 and having to rebuild everything. Everyone was telling us what to do, we were really young, and we were trying to take it to extremes to please everyone else. No more." No more indeed. Autodrama is defiant, bittersweet, strong, otherworldly, and perhaps the most surprising album of 2016. The sights and sounds are but a spec of time, yet the dream is forever. The quest is eternal.
Over their career, the band has received praise and features in the pages and on the websites of Vogue Italia, French Vogue, Teen Vogue, GQ, Flaunt, Interview, Dazed, NME, V, Paper, Nylon, Spin, Rolling Stone, Fader, and Pitchfork Media.
Mightykat
https://soundcloud.com/mightykat
MightyKat was born with a sixth sense for rhythm. A native Montrealer, she launched her career in 1998 and released her first mix CD "Confidence" in 2001, earning her praise both at home and abroad. Since then, she’s become a player on the international scene while continuing to organize and promote local events. She is also label partner of Pronto Musique and Release The Pressure with producer, Miguel Graça.
Counting her main influences as jazz, disco, and soul, her unique sound bridges eclectic house and the funkier side of techno. Her sophisticated style, refined track selection, and tight mixing skills define her signature sound, while her love of the dance floor drives her musical intuition wherever she plays.
A veteran of the Montreal electronic music scene, Mighykat is now working as musical director for the "Village Éphémère" and "Hivernal" two seasonal festivals base in Montreal. From 2003 to 2007, she founded with Vincent Lemieux, the wildly successful “Dizzy” night, at Salon Daomé, introducing to the city Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Zip, Sammy Dee, Junction SM. In the past decade, she’s held down several residencies at local
clubs such as Stereo and also played alongside with M.A.N.D.Y, Matthias Meyer, Atish, Thugfucker, Cassy,
dOP, Droog, Lee Foss, Richie Hawtin, Derrick L. Carter, Doc Martin, and many more...
Octo Octa
It shouldn't be surprising that Brooklyn-based producer Octo Octa (née Maya Bouldry-Morrison) had already logged tireless years as a fringe IDM artist and sound designer before her debut EP Let Me See You lasso'd a mighty wave of international house-heads to the dance-floor and helped push underground house label 100% Silk onto everyone's radar in 2011. Seven records later, which include a misty deep-house slow-burner in the Where Did You Go/Through The Haze 12" for Chicago-based, Smartbar DJ Steve Mizek's Argot imprint and the soaringly luxurious More Times EP for German powerhouse Running Back, Bouldry-Morrison's finely-tuned marriage of exquisite compositional flare, meticulously-sculpted sonics, and primal dance-floor functionality has earned her a Red Bull Music Academy residency in Manhattan, which found the producer working closely with Harald Bjork and Throwing Snow, as well as tours across the world that included coveted gigs at Berlin's Panorama Bar, Frankfurt's Live At Robert Johnson, and Barcelona's Sonar Festival.
Fresh off of having SPIN Magazine herald percussive floor-burner "Cause I Love You" as one of the 50 Best Dance Songs Of 2014, Octo Octa currently has forthcomiing coming 12"s prepped for DeepBlak and Stay Underground It Pays and is preparing for another year of pushing her unique sonic perspective and shimmering club-ready earworms through soundsystems across the world.
Every even year, Disjecta Contemporary Art Center presents the Portland Biennial, a major survey of Oregon visual artists who are defining and advancing the state’s contemporary arts landscape.
Thirty-four artists and artist teams have been selected by Curator Michelle Grabner for Disjecta Contemporary Art Center’s Portland2016 Biennial exhibition.
Michelle Grabner, co-curator of the 2014 Whitney Biennial, reviewed over 400 artist submissions and conducted more than 100 studio visits across the state—perhaps the most extensive outreach to Oregon contemporary artists to date—prior to finalizing her choices. As a result, Portland2016 includes 13 artists from outside the Portland metro area, more than all previous biennials combined.
“From La Grande to Ashland, I was looking for work that addressed global realities as much as it embraced radical regionalism. By listening attentively to the language that frames artists’ imaginations while witnessing the space of making, my 105 studio visits yielded a treasure of exhilarating work. It was a privilege to transverse the state of Oregon and to meet with artists and arts professionals who are enthusiastically committed to fostering a spirited culture in the region,” Portland2016 curator Michelle Grabner says.
The thirty-four artists selected range from emerging to mid-career and work in a variety of media from installation, film/video, painting, craft and social-based practices, to site-specific works that challenge the viewer’s contemplation of space. They include:
Avantika Bawa, Portland
Carla Bengston, Eugene
David Bithell, Ashland
Pat Boas, Portland
Mike Bray, Springfield
Bruce Burris, Corvallis
Julia Calabrese & Emily Bernstein, Portland
Cherry / Lucic, Portland
David Eckard, Portland
Tannaz Farsi, Eugene
Jack Featherly, Beaverton
Howard Fonda, Portland
Julie Green, Corvallis
Midori Hirose, Portland
Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Portland
Colin Kippen, Portland
Anya Kivarkis, Eugene
Michael Lazarus, Portland
Charlene Liu, Eugene
Giles Lyon, Portland
Ellen McFadden, Portland
Whitney Minthorn, Pendleton
Donald Morgan, Eugene
Brenna Murphy, Portland
Julia Oldham, Eugene
Rebecca Peel, Portland
Lisa Radon, Portland
Jon Raymond, Portland
Jack Ryan & Chi Wang, Eugene
Heidi Schwegler, Portland
Rick Silva, Eugene
Storm Tharp, Portland
Weird Fiction, Portland
Ryan Woodring, Portland
“Michelle is an artist advocate. She places preeminent value on the studio practice—and conversations in, and about, the studio inform her curatorial interest,” says Disjecta Director Bryan Suereth. “Portland2016 will undoubtedly reflect the candid and engaging process Michelle favors.”
In addition to those artists selected for the Biennial, the 71 artists who also received a studio visit have been invited to participate in Salon: Portland2016 Biennial, The Studio Visits, a curatorial index that celebrates the broad spectrum of art-making in Oregon and illuminates the research and selection process of the curator.
Portland2016 is the fourth Biennial presented by Disjecta, and, for the first time, the exhibition will extend beyond Portland, activating locations around the state and making the exhibition available to a larger and more diverse audience. Confirmed sites are in Pendleton, La Grande, the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Bend, Madras, McMinnville, Astoria, Roseburg, and Ashland, with more venues planned.
Portland2016 is supported by the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Robert Lehman Foundation, as well as our partnering venues.
ABOUT MICHELLE GRABNER
Incorporating writing, curating and teaching with a studio practice grounded in process and productivity, Grabner has created a multi-faceted and dynamic career. She is founder and co-director, along with her husband Brad Killiam, of three artist spaces that embody new models for facilitating and presenting artists’ projects: The Suburban, in both Riverwest and Walker’s Point, WI; and The Poor Farm, a year-long exhibition space at the former Waupaca County Poor Farm in Little Wolf, WI. Her criticism and essays are published in Artforum, Modern Painters, Frieze, Art Press, and Art-Agenda, among others. In 2014 Grabner was one of three curators for the prestigious Whitney Biennial.
As an artist, Grabner works in variety of mediums including drawing, painting, video and sculpture. Over four dozen solo exhibitions of her work have been organized by galleries and institutions including the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; INOVA, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ulrich Museum, Wichita, KS; and University Galleries, Illinois State University. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Milwaukee Art Museum; DaimlerChrysler Collection, Berlin; Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg; Mudam Museum, Luxembourg; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Grabner joined the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, becoming Chair of its Painting and Drawing department in 2009. She has taught at Yale University, Bard College, The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the University of Wisconsin, the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania. Grabner holds an MA in Art History and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and an MFA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University.
As David Norr writes in the introduction to her solo exhibition at MoCA, Cleveland, “All of Grabner’s activities are driven by distinctive values and ideas: working outside of dominant systems, working tirelessly, working across platforms and towards community.”
ABOUT THE PORTLAND BIENNIAL
A major survey of work by artists who are defining and advancing contemporary art practices, Portland2016 will include exhibitions, events and performances in multiple locations from July 9 through September 18, 2016. Disjecta’s 6,000-square-foot exhibition space in north Portland’s diverse Kenton neighborhood will be the central venue for Portland2016. And for the first time, Portland2016 will include venues across Oregon in addition to satellite locations in all five “quadrants” of Portland. A full list of partner locations and the artists exhibiting at each will be released in April.
Portland2016 continues the tradition of the Oregon Biennial, begun by the Portland Art Museum in 1949. With the end of the Museum’s Biennial in 2006, Oregon artists lost a longstanding platform for career advancement. In 2010, Disjecta reintroduced the Biennial, curated by then-Linfield College Gallery Director Cris Moss. The exhibition spanned nine venues throughout Portland and included 19 Oregon artists. Portland2012 presented the work of 24 artists at five venues and was curated by Prudence F. Roberts, former curator of American Art at the Portland Art Museum. Portland2014 was curated by Amanda Hunt, Associate Curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and included 15 artists.
For Biennial artists, Portland2016 offers opportunities for critical response from media and peers, and exposure to new and national audiences and patrons. This use of multiple venues will allow artists the space and flexibility to develop work specifically for this opportunity. A catalog with essays by visiting and local writers will support the exhibition.
ABOUT MICHELLE GRABNER
Incorporating writing, curating and teaching with a studio practice grounded in process and productivity, Grabner has created a multi-faceted and dynamic career. She is founder and co-director, along with her husband Brad Killiam, of three artist spaces that embody new models for facilitating and presenting artists’ projects: The Suburban, in both Riverwest and Walker’s Point, WI; and The Poor Farm, a year-long exhibition space at the former Waupaca County Poor Farm in Little Wolf, WI. Her criticism and essays are published in Artforum, Modern Painters, Frieze, Art Press, and Art-Agenda, among others. In 2014 Grabner was one of three curators for the prestigious Whitney Biennial.
As an artist, Grabner works in variety of mediums including drawing, painting, video and sculpture. Over four dozen solo exhibitions of her work have been organized by galleries and institutions including the Indianapolis Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland; INOVA, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Ulrich Museum, Wichita, KS; and University Galleries, Illinois State University. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Milwaukee Art Museum; DaimlerChrysler Collection, Berlin; Musee d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg; Mudam Museum, Luxembourg; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Grabner joined the faculty of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, becoming Chair of its Painting and Drawing department in 2009. She has taught at Yale University, Bard College, The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the University of Wisconsin, the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania. Grabner holds an MA in Art History and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and an MFA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University.
As David Norr writes in the introduction to her solo exhibition at MoCA, Cleveland, “All of Grabner’s activities are driven by distinctive values and ideas: working outside of dominant systems, working tirelessly, working across platforms and towards community.”
ABOUT DISJECTA
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center builds ambitious programs that promote artists and engage communities.
These programs present forward-thinking work from visual and performing artists, provide crucial resources so that artists can realize their best work, and fuel collaborations between artists, curators, and viewers. Disjecta exacts equal rigor from local and national artists, while keenly recognizing and supporting the talent of the region.
Press List
- March 9th, 2016 | Writer Jon Raymond’s 20-Year Portrait of the Portland Art Scene, Willamette Week
- February 3rd, 2016 | Disjecta Announces Artists For 2016 Biennial, Oregon Public Broadcasting
- February 3rd, 2016 | Artist List Announced for Portland2016 Biennial, Artforum
- November 30th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner at PNCA, Temporary Art Review
- November 19th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner gave a talk at PNCA. Here is a recording.
- June 15th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner Named Curator of Portland’s Contemporary Art Biennial, Artforum
- June 15th, 2015 | Michelle Grabner Announced as Portland2016 Biennial Curator, Artnews
- June 15th, 2015 | Disjecta Recruits a Distinctive National Curator for its Biennial, Oregon Artswatch
- June 15th, 2015 | Disjecta Announces Big Deal Curator for Portland2016 Biennial, Portland Mercury