I'm back.

It's been so long. BUT THAT MEANS BLOGGER IS COOL AGAIN.
Here's something I've been working on. I'll kick off my new chapter on here with an appropriate phrase since it's true. There is always. So. Much. Learning. This is a design for Ed Brachfeld and his boutique agency "Brachfeld".

NEW YEARS 2015

Hey All

It's been so long.
That's because of instagram.

But I haven't forgotten.

Anyway
The latest is that I live in Marfa, Texas. This sweet little art town in the middle of the high plains desert right next to Mexico.

I started a coffee shop called "Do Your Thing" www.doyourthing.us and I'm almost done with my solo record. You should visit.

I'm djing the New Years Party this year for the rad hotel/club called "El Cosmico" here with my good buddy and artist Justin Almquist. We are going under the name DJ DUO TIC CAT TONGUE.

New Years Eve 2015- Simone Rubi and Justin Almquist

Here's the flyer I made.

Simone Rubi and Justin Almquist and a bunch of cats.

SINGING IN MARFA: A SUMMER SOLSTICE PERFORMANCE

Excited to sing. This will be the first time singing in Marfa for a long time. Well at least since I've moved here. This will be presented by Jeremy Harris (musician and producer extraordinaire coming from Inverness, California) , similar to his Quest Coast performances. Along with Jeremy, will be Robert Gungor (Wilderman.) I'm having 2 very special people come visit next week and will also be joining. So special. Here is the poster we designed for the event.  We wanted to capture the stillness of the sun on the longest day of light. So there it hovers....

Poster we designed for the event. Wanted to capture the stillness of the sun on the longest day of light.

Other option, using a photo of an actual Marfa sunset:

NEW WORK: MUSIC VIDEO FOR "GUNGOR"

So today is the first day that I got mentioned as a director on a national website, The Wall Street Journal. I directed the music video for the band Gungor in late July. I had this idea of using geometric shapes and color to use as metaphors and messages. See if you can see what I mean. It premiered today on the Wall Street Journal's Site! You can read about the video- here is that link and here is the video below:

MY NEW SONG & VIDEO "WHEN I'M DOWN"

HEY EVERYBODY!!! I have a new song and video to share! I loved watching ink hit water while making this video. I hope you do to. We recorded this in a "hi/lo" style. 1/2 on 4-track and 1/2 in the new Hangar Studio in Stinson Beach with help from my friends. I will probably re-record this for the actual album version, but when I was asked to record this for a film recently,  I fell in love with the sound of this recording. This is a preview for my upcoming album "Hearts & Sciences" (out in 2014) - I would be so happy if you shared with your peeps! Enjoy! Musicians: Simone Rubi, Robert Gungor, Jessi Campbell, Jeremy Harris, & Kacey Johansing. Additional vocals by Amy Cooper.  Magical light from Bart Davenport. Check out my facebook page for updates and brand new www.simonerubimusic.com for ephemera. You can buy the song here.

Buy/Stream the song here:

VIDEO CONTRIBUTION : I'M MAKING AN ALBUM!

Hey everyone! I'm making a new album and I'm doing a "Kickstarter" campaign to raise funds to make the album the way I want to. For the video portion of my campaign, I thought I'd create something that was interesting for anyone to watch, not just a band or musicians. If you read this, and would like to contribute, I want to ask you to do something that will be awesome to watch in context with the other people that submit.

 - PLEASE VIDEO YOURSELF (FORMAT : HORIZONTAL : EASIER TO EDIT! USE A iPHONE OR HAVE YOUR FRIEND WITH AN iPHONE FILM YOU) and ANSWER THIS QUESTION "IF MUSIC IS THE SOLUTION, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?" 

- Email to simone at simonerubi.com by Friday night. This Friday, November 15th. THANK YOU. You will be in great company.

WILDERMAN: MUSIC VIDEO & TRACK

Here's a music video I directed very recently. It's the first video for Wilderman called "Sentimental Bear." This is from the new album, Learn to Feel. We shot it in the redwoods at Samuel P. Taylor Park north of San Francisco. It's one of my favorite spots. When I was living in Oakland,  this was one of the closest places where I could feel far.  The video features Robert Gungor (Wilderman) as the bear and Jessi Campbell as the bear's pal who show's him the world outside of the forest.  There is a cultural exchange between the people and the bear that was really fun to explore.  I wanna know what you did directly after this video. P.S. I've been listening to this album a lot. Check out the track "Wave" here. It's total magic. It was written in the redwoods. You can hear that. The Redwoods are just so FULL OF FEEL. And so is this bear. Feel the wave.

DEBUT ALBUM "LEARN TO FEEL" for sale at http://wilderman.bandcamp.com
Directed by Simone Rubi.
Additional Camera by Luke Askelson.
Edited by Robert Gungor.
Produced by CaliMagi

2 THINGS I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT

2 things. Super excited to share this with you all! Here is a music video I created/directed/produced with Robert Gungor for the band Gungor - under a new endeavor called CaliMagi. We made the video in the sand dunes and mountains of Colorado with lots of heart. Thank you to Luke Askelson (DP), Keely Skyy, Rachael Stamps, and all the extras. Enjoy.

New endeavor CaliMagi. Creative direction of the utmost radical quality

LOGO DESIGN : SARAH KRASLEY

I recently did a logo design for a dear friend, Sarah Krasley. She might save the world and/or become president. Learn about her.

The final logo. Celebrating her passion of technology, sustainability, labor strategies, design, and craft.

She liked the nod (the blue) to the "We Can Do It" poster...

What she sent me as inspiration.

She loved this type, so I riffed off of it

WATER & COLORS

Sat at my friends table in Berlin the other day and this happened:

PLAYING LA ON WEDNESDAY

Ok so I love this flyer for the show I'm playing next Wednesday. I play at 9 and it's been a while. I'm gonna make a record this year and I'm just getting things rolling over here. My old friend Bart Davenport is playing bass with me, who as some of you know, is a real talent. Also, by coincedence, one of my favorite drummers Per Eklund is here from Sweden and will be keeping things steady. I've updated things a bit. Join me on all accounts: My links to currents.

Flyer by Robert Gungor

NEW WORK: MUSIC VIDEO FOR "HONEY"

So I made a music video with my friends (Amanda Marsalis, Ashley Eva Brock, Alia Shawkat, and Jessi Campbell) for the song "Honey" by Kacey Johansing from the album "Grand Ghosts." Really really happy with it. We shot it in Bolinas, California over the course of 3 days last January. It's the small town where Kacey lives in Northern California. We shot during a New Year's Eve party that ended up involving burning wishes, scribbled fates, hot tubs, redwoods, and 4 people to a bed or floor. I don't think I've ever slept in a house with that many people at one time. The dress was inspired from watching the old footage by the Lumeiere brothers. We wanted to have the viewer experience her transformation. Hope it inspires. Feel that pastel-colored California light.

Kacey is opening for Kings of Convenience May 15 in London and May 23 in Moscow. Other Euro cities around that time too. Paris, Berlin, Hamburg...Also, April 6 in San Francisco. Go see her!

Directed by Amanda Marsalis

Art Directed by Simone Rubi

Produced by Simone Rubi

Edited by Patrick Nelson Barnes

Dress by Ashley Eva Brock

Special guests: Alia Shawkat, Jessi Campbell, Simone Rubi

From the album "Grand Ghosts" (Released Feb, 2013)

I used an "Aura Photograph" for the cover design... can you see her?

 

YESWAY

Designed this poster for the experimental folk-pop band, Yesway. I love them so much. You can hear the song listed on the poster here. The drawing is by the band's own Emily Ritz. The other half of Yesway is Kacey Johansing. So excited for their album.

BOOK COVER DESIGN: INTERPRETING A TITLE

Photographer and buddy Amanda Marsalis and I team up again. This time for a book she is putting out with the good guys at Golden Spike Press in time for the LA Art Book Fair next month. The book will be printed on a risograph printer using 2 colors of ink. Gold (photographs of Californian landscapes) and dark grey (photographs outside of California). The cover will be black with gold ink. Inside pages will be light grey.

Title: Landscapes that are not in California and some that are

My interpretation:

Cover design for the upcoming book of photographs by Amanda Marsalis

FRIENDLY SHOP DESIGNS: FOGGY NOTION

I've been helping with some designs for good pal Alissa Anderson for her shop in San Francisco, FOGGY NOTION. Next time you're in the bay, go see her and revel in the good vibes in there. The shop is beautifully curated and directly reflects her taste, aesthetics, and the authentically-San-Francisco neighborhood. The black/white design is for totebags she had made for the shop. The watercolor design will appear in different colors from time to time.... She was recently featured on Bold Italic here:

 

Alissa Anderson in her shop Foggy Notion. Photo from the feature here

LOGO FOR THE BAND SNOWBLINK

Super happy with how this came out. Created something that was balanced but not symmetrical. Something that had lasting power and could hold the hand of future campaigns. Also, today there is a lunar eclipse. Eclipses bring new beginnings and honor the past. Glad we snuck one in there.  Austere and geometric, but still loose. Satisfying. I love this band. Check them out here. They are on the Arts & Crafts label in Canada. Good company.

 

SIRACUSA HAS A CRUSH

 

 

 

THE NOW MOON

I did this a while back and forgot. Now I remember! I like remembering. I want to remember how to "now" more than ever. More full moon writing.

RUBIFOX No. 4

I'm in Paris. It's been real good. I am a brand new Aunt again. Overwhelmed with good. I came to Paris the day after this thing below. Rubifox No. 4. My dear friend Kacey Johansing and her band consisting of rad dudes, Jeremy Harris, Alexi Glickman, Andrew Maguire, and Jorge Castellano, came down to LA from Bolinas and Oakland.  I can't believe how good it sounded, there, on the Rubifox deck. The sounds were so sweet that the valley behind my house swallowed up the songs, and sent neighbors driving for 30 minutes in the neighborhood to find where the music was coming from. I saw some strangers arrive, with new eyes, listening and feeling the vibrations along with the other 60 other guests. Not sure I've ever seen that happen before. The food was prepared by Carrie Clough. Moroccan/lebanese inspired. Yumtown. Here is a tiny glimpse through my little plastic film camera.

REPORTS FROM SUMMER & RUBIFOX NO. 3

Glimpses seen from my little plastic Diana camera. Here are some inners.

Tim, Maurice, a parent's pool. A-parently.

Lou likes haning on my pile

Big Sur. You can't see them, but there are clouds in the distance in the shape of waves.

Julia Pfeiffer, meet Amanda

High up, Big Sur

Amanda, Rubifox No. 3

Nicole, Ryan, Simone, Rubifox No. 3

Alia, Ryan, Simone, Rubifox No. 3

Mark, Michael, Bart, Barbara, Rubifox No. 3

Janella X 2, Jen, Rubifox No. 3

Jen, Lobster Rolls, Dill Chips, Rubifox No. 3

Mark + Jen's rad bev, Jerome, Susie, Rubifox No. 3

Jake, Snowblink, Rubifox No. 3

Maria, Janella, Jen, Mark, Avocado Beach, Santa Barbara

Paris, Nicole, Jessi, Avocado Beach, Santa Barbara