Minty Fresh Beats

Six months ago or so I stumbled upon a dj/producer/remix artist named Max Tannone, from Brooklyn.  He creatively mixes classic hip hop albums with other stuff, together in a fresh and cool way. He's put out several albums, including my favorite, Jaydiohead.  By the name, you can probably tell it's Radio Head and Jay Z mixed. Genius. Check out his other projects with The Beastie Boys, Mos Def, Talib Kweli etc. and download them for free from his website! The dancing in this video is hot. 

Jaydiohead Ignorant Swan Medley from SUBVOYANT on Vimeo.

The Handsome Furs New Album and Tour!

    Sometimes when I tell people I don't own a television and haven't for years, they think nothing of it. Others just look at me like I'm completely insane, baffled, like "what do you do then"? I love it when they actually say that. You don't play video games? No. You haven't seen Glee? No.  I only watch select television for market research, to laugh or occasionally for style or if someone suggests it as important. I work a lot. When I'm not working I like to be with friends or out in the world doing things. "Sure, but you have some leisure time, what do you do around the house"? A lot of different kinds of things, but lately I'm really into studying music and thinking.That involves, listening, watching and slightly obsessing. Then, hopefully, if anyone is listening, sharing it? It's impossible to keep up with everything that is cool these days because we are in the beginning of a creative revolution. So many awesome bands and art are taking over the internet, social media and the world. It's so much easier to share art with a wide audience, and be selective about what you post or share, it's so exciting! It's pretty much one of my favorite parts of life.

   I only have my opinion  and experience when it comes to music and art.  I don't play any instruments. I sing, alright if you have the proper editing tools.  I can't read music. I can't even isolate the sound of a base vs. some other instrument in many songs, unless I focus on just that. I tried to play the flute when I was in fifth grade. I sort of read the music to the most simple songs, but mostly I just remembered what each position felt like to my hands and memorized the order so I could look ahead and avoid making sense of all that rubbish. When it comes to most things, including music. I either like it or don't, some things I like a lot, some music makes me physically ill. I think it's important to ourselves to a lot of different forms and types of art and inspiration and explore our reactions. My nature has always been to spend lots of time by myself, listening to music while I work or do whatever. I get especially excited about Spring and Summer time because so many bands are on tour and you can see some awesome shows in and around PDX.

     One of my favorite bands, The Handsome Furs, recently came out with a new album, Sound Kapital, the third to be released on Subpop for this amazing collaboration. So far, I still can't decide which of the three is my favorite? They are all amazing. You can just tell how connected and real they are as individuals. Together, they are kind of genius.  Here is a cool video of them performing in China a couple of years ago. I do fancy those statement earrings Alexis is wearing. They are like part of the song.  She always wears cool big jewelry that moves around while she performs, it's hot. I can't wait to see them live again this summer! They don't have any shows scheduled for Portland, but hopefully that will change. If not, there is always Seattle in July at the Capitol Hill Block Party!

Handsome Furs live in Shanghai 2 from taiande on Vimeo.
The Handsome Furs
Live at Yuyintang, Shanghai

There's No Place Like Home...

Photo by me, taken in a moving car.

During the summertime, I always find myself feeling a tiny bit homesick for family, friends and the mountains of home. I have a picture in my mind that looks like this. Hopefully, I'll be back soon enough, before huckleberry season....

How it All Began...

     People ask me how I started being a designer, or got into this strange world of fashion and design, how the jewelry thing started etc. The answer is, it's a long story... it began with my family, before I even existed and it's an adventure from that point on. 

     The first time I thought I really had something in terms of a style and mood, I decided to attempt to actually create what was in my mind, and start to make it into something tangible. I think it was around summer of 2008ish? I was just starting to sell my first pieces of jewelry. I got some props, a studio, a photographer and a model to bring things to life and maybe have some photos to use, if I was lucky. 

    My friend Cielle The Supermodel, agreed to work with me that day and let me play out some ideas I had been imagining.  CTS and I go way back to Montana days, we went to high school together and became good friends. CTS, was perfectly imperfect, just as I knew  her to be. It was awesome that she also had some amazing art direction ideas (huge bonus when you are shooting, styling, designing and art directing all at once). I realized, as much as I love working with "agency models", sometimes it's cool to mix it up. The thing is, photo shoots are exhausting and it was more fun to hang out with someone who was really smart and would eat snacks with me, instead of just watching me eat all the snacks by myself, and staring at me vacantly, while I  ramble about "my ideas". She even helped me track down the black and baby blue balloons I had been dreaming of. I'll never forget how awesome she looked carrying them through the streets of Portland, and how excited we were about the shoot and  just the whole thing in general. It was an awesome day. 

   The shoot lasted hours and by the end I threw myself and another friend into the mix and there were circus masks everywhere, feathers, jewelry, props, everywhere. It's kind of a flurry in my mind, but there was a lot of creative energy flow and it was kind of magical.  I was using a tiny tourist camera that I bought mainly because it was a shade of pink that I liked, to shoot behind the real photographer,, just because. It makes for some interesting quality. I think it's kind of charming, but that's just me? Here are my two favorite shots from that day. Hopefully, I can book her again and do a new shoot soon, this time with a slightly better camera and some more time for planning, probably outside?  

Model-Cielle Taaffe, Jacket designed and constructed by Brehan Todd, Shoes by Miss L Fire for Anthropologie, Fabric Anna Sui, Suitcase, vintage, Knickers (model's) Styling and and photo by Brehan Todd. Soundtrack-Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam.
 *No sweatshops, inflated salaries, high performance budgets, annoying permits, animal cruelty,  human starvation, or terrible dance music soundtracks,  were used in this shoot . 

Brehan Todd Jewelry Television Debut on 90210

I've been so busy this season, I've hardly had a moment to blink! I almost missed the episode of 90210 that recently featured some of my designs for EcoFirstArt.com. I grew up watching the original 90210 television series with my best girlfriend. We were actually kind of obsessed. We would call eachother during the commercial breaks to discuss what had just happened, then do a recap at the end. Pretty funny. I didn't know that the series had been relaunched until recently. I am fortunate enough to have a friend in the styling department on the show who was looking for designers to submit some work. Designer, artist and friend 'o mine, Kime Buzzelli, hooked me up with the chance to send my jewelry in and it was selected to be worn by two actresses. So exciting! Check out Kime's website and awesome fashion illustrations, while you are at it. Here is the link to the show episode. The scene featuring my work is the prom scene about twenty minutes into the show. Click the link and go to the site. They wouldn't let me imbed it directly.  I'll try to post some screen shots soon as well.

http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/90210/the-prom-before-the-storm/?play=007a5c4c-f34f-4f7d-b9db-cd2642e8a479

Look for these two pieces available for order at EcoFirstArt.com



Anna Pavlova Earrings by Brehan Todd



Ocean Twilight Necklace by Brehan Todd



Sooooo Funny!

Recently, a friend of mine from Montana told me about this artist he met in New York, who also happens to be from Montana. Small world isn't it?  I don't even know where to begin with how funny I think this is.  He does amazing comedy, art performance music in a way that I have never seen before, except it kind of reminds me of the same friend who told me about him, who is a genius performer in New York as well. His name is Matt Luceno, if any knows any good connections in the acting/getting famous world?  This is the video by Reggie Watts, prepare to laugh. However, this video is not for children, not at all. Sorry kids.

LOOSEWORLD x Waverly Films: Reggie Watts in F_CK SH_T STACK from LOOSEWORLD on Vimeo.

Take me to the Carnival

I haven't blogged for awhile because of lots of moving, changes and transitions, kind of an intense time personally. Right now I just want someone to take me somewhere that has plenty of pink cotton candy!