wild belle | isles

I am way overdue in posting this, but on this sunny Tuesday I'm reminded that I've been wanting to share these sunny tunes with you all for the past several weeks. ISLES, the debut album from Wild Belle, was released last month on Columbia records and I've been listening to it non-stop ever since. The record was many months, even years, in the making and I am endlessly proud of my siblings and their incredible team and constantly impressed by their creativity, musicianship, and hard work. If you haven't yet had a listen, today is the perfect day to dive in, enjoy the breezy melodies, get lost in complex instrumentals, and imagine the warmer days ahead. If you haven't yet picked up a copy, you can get a CD or vinyl from the band's website or your local record store or download a digital copy from iTunes.

keep you | music video

{ directed by Melina Matsoukas }

I am excited to share Wild Belle's official music video for Keep You, which debuted earlier this week on the Rolling Stone website. Director Melina Matsoukas spoke to the magazine about her interpretation of the song and the narrative she chose to tell through the video. "It's a story about unrequited love and how with age, we don't necessarily mature," she said. "All of us are forever young. Old habits never die."

Full of stunning visuals and clever details, the Kingston, Jamaica-filmed video chronicles Natalie's tumultuous relationship with a young man. On twitter, Melina cited films such as Rockers and Moonrise Kingdom as inspiration for Keep You. These references are apparent in the stylistic nod to 1970s Jamaica and the subtle, Wes Anderson-like humor that pops up throughout the narrative. Melina is an artist known for pushing the envelope with her complex and thought-provoking story lines. Like some of her other work, this ambiguous tale of love and heartache makes you think twice. What I take away is a charming and nuanced portrayal of a character who is having a hard time letting go of a first love—a love who was hard to hold onto in the first place. A love who is pathologically young at heart. I hope you enjoy it!

{ snapshots of Jamaica through Wild Belle's lens }

styling wild belle for refinery29

{ photos by Brian Guido for Refinery29 }

A few weeks ago, an editor from Refinery29 reached out to ask if I would style my siblings for a feature on Wild Belle that ran today in their Musical Muse series. Natalie and Elliot both have a distinct eye for fashion and have acquired some amazing pieces over the years, so they don't need too much help in the styling department. But, I was more than happy to oblige and took this as a fun opportunity to enlist some of my favorite local designers and boutiques in order to find some special pieces to pair with their own well-worn and well-loved items.


ON NATALIE: { one } Elise Bergman blouse, vintage Levi's shorts, Mackage jacket, Cheryl Dufault and Shikama necklaces, Pamela Love rings (throughout)
{ two } thrifted sweater dress (worn as shirt), Hache skirt, vintage fur stole, Cheryl Dufault necklace, Cities in Dust cuff, Fiorentini + Baker booties
{ three } vintage dress, vintage Pendleton hat worn with A Détacher belt, Annie Costello Brown necklace, shoes from a boutique in Sweden

ON ELLIOT: { one } Opening Ceremony shirt, Levi's jeans (throughout), Shipley & Halmos blazer, vintage necklaces, vintage belt (throughout), Wolverine boots (throughout) | { two } Steven Alan shirt, Rag & Bone coat | { three } Marc by Marc Jacobs peacoat, Elise Bergman scarf

SPECIAL THANKS: Apartment Number 9, Cities in Dust, Edith Hart, Elmidae, Penelope's, Robin Richman, and Roslyn

backslider

{ directed by Bennet Bergman }

Captivating visuals in this new video from Wild Belle. Backslider was shot and edited by Bennet over the course of two days late this summer (with some additional footage by Tyler Kaschke). The slides are photographs taken by my mom during her travels around Hong Kong and Australia in the early '80s. Also out today: a great write-up in the The New York Times T Magazine.

nyfw | two

6 September 2012

Fashion's Night Out with stops at Mulberry, Zimmerman, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Isabel Marant, and more.

it's too late | music video

{ directed by Jess Holzworth }

More on the new Wild Belle song I posted the other day—a video for It's Too Late. Click to watch on YouTube or Vimeo.

it's too late

{ photo by Caleb Condit, collage by Hisham Akira Bharoocha }

Wild Belle has a new single out today on Columbia Records! You can download It's Too Late, Backslider, and Keep You from iTunes or stream the title track here. They'll be on the road with Tennis for the first part of October, so take a look at their tour schedule if you want to catch them live. Enjoy!

the weight

Excited for the Hideout Block Party tomorrow—Wild Belle at 4pm, Wilco at 7:30pm, and lots of great acts before and between.

here we go magic

Sweet and weird robot dance moves in this new video from Here We Go Magic. Their newest album, A Different Ship, comes out next week and everything I've heard so far indicates that it is chock-full of great tunes. The Nigel Godrich (think Radiohead and Beck) produced tracks are an enjoyable and precisely balanced mix of folk, indie, and dream-/synth-/psych-pop. Excited to see them later this month at the Empty Bottle. You can pre-order the album here and stream it here.

keep you

Keep You, the debut single from Wild Belle, is officially out today! The limited-edition 12" vinyl can be ordered through BandCamp and found in good independent record stores around the country. It is also available for digital download here and on iTunes.

wild belle

{ one: photo by Phil Knott | two: photo by Caleb Condit, photo illustration by Elise Bergman }

Super excited to share Wild Belle with you, my sister and brother's newest musical endeavor. Natalie, Elliot, and friends have been hard at work on this new project, and I couldn't be more thrilled about the release of their first single, Keep You. You can stream the debut track here or score a copy of the vinyl at their show at Schuba's this Saturday during the Tomorrow Never Knows festival. Take a listen, turn it up, and stay tuned for more tracks in the coming months!

a new year

I thoroughly enjoyed a little time off over the holidays and am slowly but surely getting into the swing of 2012. I have been spending a lot of time organizing the studio, which includes getting all my photos into some sort of order. Here is a look at some moments from 2011 that never made it onto the blog. Lots of productivity in the studio, music making, celebrating, gardening, cooking, and fun times with friends and family.  Excited to see what's in store for 2012!

gift guide | graham kostic

           GRAHAM KOSTIC

             BOSTON, MA // CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF GLOSSED & FOUND

             BUYING // SOMETHING FUN FOR EVERYBODY ON MY LIST

{ one } West Elm Ceramic Pig Speaker ($49) for my nephew Jackson. He'd love this. 
{ two } Jonathan Adler Charade Square Stud Box ($175) for me, maybe.
{ three } Jack Spade Rope Dog Lead ($45-$48) for my fiancé Francis, who really wants a puppy. Baby steps, Francis.

{ four } Juniper Ridge Sachet from Canoe ($10) for my dad's sock drawer.

{ five } David Weeks Julien Cubebot from Areaware ($30) for my nephew Oliver, who'd get a kick out of this.

{ six } Mechanical Music Box Set ($19.70) for my mom. I'd probably do The Weight by The Band or something by James Taylor.

{ seven } Pendleton National Park Series Blanket from Canoe ($184) for my two-year-old nephew Satchel. He won't appreciate it now, but someday I know he will.

{ eight } DeLonghi kMix Espresso Maker ($299.95) for my friend Silvia. I'd keep this at my house so I could make her espresso when she spends the night.

{ nine } Cloth Extension Cord from Best Made ($38) also for Francis, who doesn't understand why a visible iPhone charger drives me insane. This will subtly help clean up his act.

{ ten } Suitor My Real Blog Notebook ($14) for my friend Kate, who has the best hand-writing.

{ eleven } Shoe Shine Brush from The Museum of Useful Things ($26) for Blake, who is a sharp-dressed kinda man.

{ twelve } Lomography LomoKino 35mm Movie Camera ($79) for Fran and me. I want our kids to think we're really cool when they see the 35mm films we make of our travels.

{ thirteen } Wander Classic Leather Camera Strap ($46) for the camera, please.

{ fourteen } Hi. I'm Mat. Mat from Black Ink ($18) for my friend Mat.

{ fifteen } Giant Rubber Bands from The Museum of Useful Things ($15) for Scott, who is a larger-than-life kinda guy.

holiday shopping party

'Tis the season and our annual holiday party is almost here! Please join us on Saturday, December 10th for a festive afternoon of shopping, music, and holiday cheer. Whether you're shopping for gifts or treating yourself, we will have jewelry, accessories, and party-worthy dresses galore. In honor of Roslyn's 5 year anniversary, Natalie Bergman and Erik Hall will be in-store performing some celebratory tunes (including a carol or two). We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

emily and alec

{ photos by Rachael Strecher }

Emily and Alec are both musicians who I first crossed paths with during my days in Ann Arbor. They just sent over a handful photos from their backyard wedding in Michigan last summer and I absolutely love these happy snapshots from the dance floor. Though I only knew Emily distantly before we started working together, our long-standing history made for a really special, familiar, and enjoyable custom design process. She is incredibly thoughtful and creative and brought lots of great ideas to the table. She was looking to wear something that was comfortable, fun, eco-smart, and re-wearable. We worked together to design a dress that fit that criteria and came up with this two-piece organic cotton ensemble and hair-piece. Amelia, her maid-of-honor, wore the Ezra Dress in Steel Grey Silk Charmeuse.




{ Undertone by Emily Jane Powers }

wild heart

on the road: east kentucky and home again

{ one - three } A visit to Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky.

{ four - seven } Playing for a square dance at the Pine Mountain Settlement School.

{ eight - thirteen } A stormy drive back to Chicago.