We loved her look, especially her hat with her hair. We forgot to get her name and favorite music/artist, so if you’re reading this, please contact us and we’ll update the post!

Lauren ; Her Majesty Love (sorry if this is wrong, I can’t seem to read my own handwriting!)

We are loving the color scheme and textile mixing! Leather, knits, and feathers, oh my!

I am personally a big fan of the way she paired the grey short boots with the skinny jeans.

Shelby – Shiny Toy Guns

I just loved her orange hair with the purple coat!

Melody and I had the pleasure of attending Steam-con 2009 last weekend in Seattle, Washington.  Steam con is a convention celebrating the sub-culture of fashion and fantasy called Steampunk. Unfortunately we did not stay long, but the amount of creativity was astonishing, and left us inspired.

More photos available here

For more information on Steampunk, and Steamcon, please check out these websites!

http://www.steam-con.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

http://www.steampunk.com/

Fog rolls off the stage and lasers pierce through the crowd. Anticipation shakes the room as silhouettes of uniformed space men assume their positions on stage. From the moment the voice of Commander Angel Nova rings through the room, the crowd is lost in cheers and movement that lasts throughout the entire show.

Since the first time we saw The Phenomenauts perform back in 2007, we have been awaiting the moment when we got to once again pass their orbit. The drama they bring to the stage leaves you wanting more, from switching instruments to piggy back rides, and toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper. One of the most memorable moments of their shows is when Professor Greg Arius emerges from behind his keyboard and proceeds to TP the audience with his “Streamerator” (a toilet paper gun).

From the beginning to end, the Phenomenauts take you with them on a journey through the stars with their signature brand of rocket-roll.

- Dorothy Siemens and Melody Hirth

Commander Angel Nova

Leftenant AR7

Deck Chief Nick Wayzar

FM Static

Major Jimmy Boom

A link to a full set of show photos will be available in the next post.

Check out The Phenomenauts over at their website : http://www.phenomenauts.com/ and make sure to check out their music!

All photos copyright to Dorothy Siemens and Melody Hirth, do not redistribute or use without permission.

Tania ; Favorite Genre – Japanese Reggae.

Georgetta ; Favorite band – Rasputina

Cindy; Favorite genre Pop and Rock

BUMP OF CHICKEN：花の名：Hana no Na

I had a hard time choosing what to write about for my first music review. After searching for something that I thought everyone would accept, I caved and decided to show my (not so secret) love of j-pop.

Bump of Chicken is a famous pop band in Japan, and have a growing fanbase here in the States. The members have all known each other since they were in kindergarten, and their first performance was in 1994 for a cultural festival where they sang a Beatles song. The song I chose today is relatively new, from 2007.

I don’t remember the first time I heard this song, but I do remember the first time I really heard this song. Not to be cheesy, but I think everyone has doubts in their lives when it comes to companions, whether it be love or friendship. To me, this song is not necessarily speaking of romantic love, but of another person that understands what you have gone through, one person who can comfort you completely. Two people helping the other to keep living. In the music video, it’s about separation and dealing with living apart.

I tried my best with my imperfect Japanese to translate the lyrics for everyone, so please read them while listening to the song.

– Melody

Bump of Chicken – Hana no Na – LISTEN HERE

Even though it’s such a simple thing, I wonder why I can’t say it

Even though I can’t say it, I wonder why you still understand

Even if we forget the sky we saw together,

we don’t forget the time we spent together.

If you were a flower,

You may be the same as a lot of others

But I am able to pick you out from them all

There is a song that only I can sing to you

There is a song only you can hear

Me existing here, is proof that you’re here,

Me writing this song for you, is proof that you were here

Because I borrowed the will to live from you, I have to repay you while you are still alive

When you’ve forgotten how to laugh and cry,

Remember

We went through the same pain together

There is a song that only I can sing to you

A song only I can hear

Everyone has someone they want to see,

Everyone has someone they are waiting for

If there is someone you are waiting for,

There is someone who is waiting for you too

Always

If you were a flower,

You may be the same as a lot of others

But I am able to pick you out from them all

Only me, only you

Only some day when you have forgotten how to laugh and cry

Remember

Without doubt only you, the one I chose,

Can hear the song that I sing

A song only I can hear

Someone waiting only for me

Someone wanting to see only you

- Translation by Melody Hirth

Bump of Chicken – Hana no Na – WATCH VIDEO HERE

Support Bump of Chicken by buying their CD’s available through Yes Asia, or check out their website http://www.bumpofchicken.com/

All photos, and songs are copyright to their rightful owners.

[Side Note]

Dorothy and I have decided to no longer post download links, in respect of the artists. Please watch the videos we supply until we are able to post imbedded versions of the songs. Thanks for your support while we figure out the bugs of blogging! If you have any suggestions, PLEASE COMMENT! We love to hear from you.

Melody and I have decided to start asking people an extra question when we take their photo. Because we are also a blog about music, we have started to ask what their favorite songs, or artists, are at the moment.

- Mikaela – Chemicals Collide, Cloud Cult

Quinn – Rio Kiley

Giovanna – Gold Lion, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s

Margot – In the Orchard, Tiger Army

Christine Dong – Cyrstal Castles

Now I have a questions for you readers. When Melody and I do fashion posts, would you rather us post one or two photos a day, or dump all the images at once (like this post)? And how do you like the size of our photos? Please leave us some feedback, we want to make this blog as user friendly as possible!

As a bit of news, there is a new photo in the “Who is COLORatuur” section of Melody and I taken by our dear friend Emma. Also look forward to our next post being a song reveiw from Melody!

- Dorothy

Live Youtube Performance of Rambling Man – LISTEN HERE

Choosing Laura Marling to be the first musician that I covered was not a hard choice to make. Although I only recently discovered her music back in February of this year, from the first moment I heard the song “My Maniac and I” she has had a profound impact on me. Laura Marling is a 19 year old from Hampshire, England, but her songs are far from the crooning love ballads or throbbing party anthems we so often expect from teens these days.  Marling instead has a stunning musical maturity for her age and has often been compared to such legends as Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell. Yet the intimacy she shares with the listener evokes something that makes her unique. Her songs bounce from airy folk-pop to haunting melodies, and although they often have dark themes I would hardly describe them as angst-y. I would instead elect to describe them as sounding as if written by an old soul recounting events or lessons learned through out their years.

Choosing what song to feature was the real challenge. So many of Marling’s song hold a lot of importance to me, but I ultimately decided on the song Rambling Man.

As someone who grew up in a strongly political house, and with a father who’s musical background traces back to performing at Haight and Ashbury in the summer of love, I have always had a fondness for protest songs. While not at all a protest song, Rambling Man evokes an air of an early Bob Dylan which is what drew me to it initially. While listening to the lyrics, I discovered the unique Laura-Marling-ness of the song. The song seems to describe a common theme of hers: Madness, of which Marling is the caretaker. Yet, as in other songs such as “Night Terror”, she does not take pity on herself for her position but acts as an observing and understanding figure. The songs powerful duet between Laura’s voice and her guitar build to a climax which makes this one of those songs that you could easily listen to on repeat.

- Dorothy

Rambling Man – Laura Marling

Oh naïve little me
asking what things you have seen
you’re vulnerable in your head
you’ll scream and you’ll wail till you’re dead

Creatures fade by night
following things that aren’t right
and they’re tired and they need to be lead
they’ll scream and they’ll wail till they’re dead

But give me to a rambling man
let it always be known that i was who i am

Beaten, battered, and cold
my children will live just to grow old
but if i sit here and weep
i’ll be blown over by the slightest of breeze

And the weak need to be lead
and the tender i’ll carry to their bed
and its a pale and cold affair
i’ll be damned if i’ll be found there

But give me to a rambling man
let it always be known that i was who i am

It’s funny how the first chords your come to
are the minor notes that come to serenade you
and it’s hard to except yourself for someone,
you don’t desire
that someone that you don’t want to be

Oh give me to a rambling man
let it always be known that i was who i am
oh give me to a rambling man
let it always be known that i was who i am

Live Youtube Performance of Rambling Man

[PLEASE READ]

Please support Laura Marling by buying her albums which are available through iTunes, and at her official website http://www.lauramarling.com/ where her music videos are also available to view.

Please delete the song from your computer after 2 days, as it is meant for promotional use only. All songs are copyright to Laura Marling and her record label and COLORatuur does not make any profit from the reveiws written here. All images used are copyright to their respective owners.

In honor of our first real post, we decided to post the 3 photos we took today around University of Oregon campus. We had a business card malfunction, so we only had a handful, thus we didn’t take a lot of photos. Thanks to everyone that allowed us to take photos of them!

- Ling, U of O Exchange Student

- Kartz Ucci U of O faculty

Melody and I really loved her shoes, so we decided to show them zoomed in.  Kartz Ucci is an artist, and faculty at the U of O.

- Famery Yang & Chain; U of O students

Today’s photos were taken by Melody.

We decided to not post any music this week, but next post we are hoping to get up some song reveiws. Also, we are hoping to set up an interveiw with The Phenomenauts before their upcoming show on October 8th at The WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments we would LOVE to hear from you! Just leave a comment by clicking the “Leave a comment” link at the bottom of the post.

- Melody & Dorothy