This energetic reggae rock band runs a tight ship with many tempo changes and a smooth sound.
Check them out here.
Isaac and the Awkward Situations
Comics, Vaudeville, Art Education, and Music
Author Archives: isaacparis
Trio Brasilero
This fantastic, Grammy nominated , traditional Brazilian guitar group played the Wow hall this spring. The music is very fast and peppy. The percussion is played on only a tambourine. Thank you Dudu Maia, Douglas Lora and Alexandra Lora.
Their percussionist Alex also played us some solo pan music with an instrument known as a ufo or a “hand pan.”
Wayward Ghost
Wayward Ghost plays touching indie pop. I saw them open for Alok Vaid-Menon at the U of O Women’s Center. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Check them out on Spotify.
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson writes touching songs celebrating her lifestyle and her friends.
Some songs are so heartbreaking and others you can’t help but laugh out loud. She’s a warm and giving performer, even if she does forget her lyrics sometimes or her thumb is giving her a hard time.
I drew Kimya a few times before. Here are two I drew when she played an outdoor show in Fairbanks in the rain.
Here’s one I drew of her performing in Austin with Jeffrey Lewis.
Dungeons and Dragons characters
While some friends played a campaign, I made drawings. I asked them what color and kind of cloak or armor they wanted. I based the poses on some drawings I found in Dungeons and Dragons books and character images I found on the internet. The background is from my spray art style I’ve been playing with and using with my students lately.
Tennis and Wild Ones
Tennis is from Denver, Colorado. Alaina Moore sounds wise beyond her years and Patrick Riley always has his hair over his eyes. This band seems to be having a blast on stage. My favorite song is “100 lovers” which has a plodding baseline that reminds me of Beck. “Mean streets” is another highlight. Check out “Timothy” and “Bad Girls” if you like… I don’t know, good music! There are echoes of Blondie, the Cardigans, Madonna, The Beach Boys, Summer Twins, Belaire, Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley, etc…
Wild Ones from Portland play a darker version of pop, sometimes approaching Phantogram and electronica. They were also very good.
The space lady at moon rock records
The space lady used to busk on the street in San Fransisco or in subways. Now she’s playing to large crowds who love her weird unusual take on classic rock covers and her sweet original lyrics and stage persona. She plays Casio keyboards into a heavy phaser effect and uses the tinny drum machines that came with those old casios… then she sings, sometimes changing the melody of the original song wildly and manipulating a delay effect on her voice while she plays keys. It’s a unique show for sure! She also picked up the guitar for a few songs and led the crowd in singalongs, encouraging us to love each other and realize our best selves! Check her out at her Facebook page.
And her Wikipedia page is here.
Animal silhouettes
To do this art project you’ll need a projector and spray bottles. The image of an animal is protected on to a page and traced. Then the artist sprays black paint and drips wet thick paint on the page, blocking some ink with stencils and objects. They can draw with markers or white colored pencil first if they want. The silhouette is then cut out and glued onto a new piece of paper for a stunning effect. Some students chose to color their backgrounds, others did not. Drawing in an eye (using a white colored pencil or crayon) or using a bit of tape where the eye would be as a mask can have a stunning effect!
If students claim they “messed up” and want to throw the piece away, perhaps the reverse of the animal silhouette can be used. Perhaps the negative space cut out could be used as a mask? This piece is all about texture and contrast. Look at the examples, which ones are more successful? Does the textures inside the animals remind you of technology? pollution? Do they give the piece a kind of movement or animation? We are familiar to the furry texture of a mammal’s coat, so when they have a different texture, like feathers or scales or something else, it creates a juxtaposed “wrong ” feel.
The white creeping up on the legs make this deer appear to be standing in snow, or like our view of the deers feet is blocked by invisible grass. Also the leaf like textures look like shadows cast on the deers form by sun shining down from above.
Kids often want “perfection” when they work with stencils. real artists know perfection is an illusion or impossible, or uninteresting. I’ve seen some kids recoil in disgust when I intentionally smear some paint. This piece has three “mandala-like” plastic stencils blocking the india ink and the center of the body has some black acrylic paint scattered. Does it look to you like a tree branch, lightning bolt, insect legs, or an oil spill?
Isaac and the Awkward Situations 