The Tin Ear

Photo-Thursday

2012-01-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

Photo-Thursday [Parlor Mob]

2012-01-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

Tom Waits | Preservation Hall 78

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing the long history of great music recorded at 726 Saint Peter's Street, a 78rpm special edition EP with Tom Waits. Unfortunately @cmclallen only started following @tomwaits on Twitter after Christmas, I guess I'm just going to have to buy it for myself here. If you don't know about Preservation Hall check out the short little video below:

Photo-Thursday [Andrew W.K.]

2012-01-05T10:31:00.001-05:00

Cattelan: All but Nothing

2012-01-04T07:00:00.008-05:00

I recently went to the Maurizio Cattelan retrospective at the Guggenheim, I left uninspired with a touch of nostalgia. Usually I really like Cattelan's work; I find it multi-dimensional, tackling social issues thru humor and craft. I worked with Maurizio years ago on a Gap Ad, I found him to be a quick whit and full of energy -I find those same qualities in his gallery shows. His Guggenheim show seemed sluggish and lacked the finesse of his smaller shows, the announcement of his retirement after the show is over made me smile the most. Lets hope he just needs a long holiday because I think the world needs more artists like Maurizio Cattelan. Below is an except from one of my favorite 'Artist's Statements' that he did:

Things I'll Never Do Again: The Truth Is Not Out There

I will not do that thing with my tongue.

I will not fake seizures.

I will not eat things for money/

I will not reincarnate as Sammy Davis Jr.

I will not instigate revolution.

I will not draw naked ladies.

I will not see Elvis.

I will not encourage others to fly.

I will not be a thirty-teo year-old woman.

I will not cut corners.

I will not sell land in Florida.

I will not do anything bad ever again.

I will not show off.

I will not be a dentist.

I will not torment the emotionally frail.

I will not carve gods.

I will not aim for the head.

I will not send lard through the mail.

I will not dissect things unless instructed.

I will not get very far with this attitude.

I will finish what I sta

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T14:24:00.002-05:00

The Clicking of Bones

2011-12-12T14:15:00.002-05:00

Years ago my uncle, Elliott Forrest, produced/hosted A&E's radio program 'Biography' and I co-wrote an episode about Stephen King. He is a fascinating man and fully deserves all of his accolades but I could just never get into his books. In September, Campfire Media hired me to Produce a project with them for Stephen King's A&E mini-series Bag of Bones, I was less excited about the subject matter and more excited to be working with Campfire. They had done some fantastic work that I liked for Audi and HBO's True Blood. I may not be a horror film fan but I do enjoy a well executed, dark, visual story and that is exactly what creative director Steve Coulson and Michelle Crum concepted for Bag of Bones. The film was being shot in Halifax, so we flew up there with award winning Danish photographer Joachim Ladefoged, who's addiction to eating whole pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream is admiredly paired with his passion for cycling. We spent a little over a week shooting in and around Halifax, which doubles as Maine in the mini-series, getting to know the cast/crew (Annabeth Gish, super-charming), enjoying meals at places like the Bicycle Thief and diving deep in the world that is Stephen King. The final site is fantastic, I really enjoyed working with everyone and I can admit it now...... I drank the Kool-Aid, picked up It and Pet Sematary, especially after learning that all of King's books are interrelated and I am enjoying them. To see the project check out the site darkscorestories.com and see our homage to the Stephen King Universe. Bag of Bones airs in its entirety tonight on A&E starting at 7pm EST.

Photo-Thursday

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Photo-Thursday

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Central Park Conservancy

2011-11-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

No longer do I have to count how many degrees away from Kevin Bacon I am. Check out this piece I co-Produced with Moschini Productions for Klip and the Central Park Conservancy. It stars the Park and Kevin Bacon with music by Sting.

Photo Thursday

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Photo-Art Direction Thursday

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

2011-10-26T12:06:00.000-04:00

Last thursday ended sixty straight days of work for me, culminating in one of the more sophisticated and difficult projects I have ever worked on. As you know I am a Photographer and Director but sometimes I also work as a Producer, luckily enough its usually with one of my closest friends Anthony Moschini. The project last thursday he pulled me onto, he had been working on for months; it included crew from across the US, multiple shoot days, a superstar athlete, mountains of insurance paperwork, far too much water plus a helicopter. Mother nature and bureaucratic red tape were determined to kill us but with Tony's charm and a great crew, the stunning creatives from our friends at the Klip Collective went out to the world with great success. Have a look at Wieden+Kennedy's behind-the-scenes video of the event launch for Carmelo Anthony's new shoe or watch the full interactive experience on Nike.com

Photo-Art Direction Thursday

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thought I would give InDesign a try with my imagery and some great films.

Heroes of Conservation

2011-10-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Once again I was part of Field & Stream's annual "Heroes of Conservation." A fantastic program that celebrates those individuals who are out saving the natural beauty in America.

Photo Thursday

2011-10-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Outdoor Life Magazine: Lou Dobbs

2011-10-11T08:25:00.000-04:00

A beautiful day in Northwestern New Jersey, Lou spent the entire photo session fishing and yes he actually caught this little fish, along with two more.

Big Rock Candy Mountain

2011-08-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

I just finished an assignment deep in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Stunning beauty and wild tales of colorful locals like Popcorn Sutton, make me want to head over to Dashwood to see if they have any Shelby Lee Adams books.

Once In A Lifetime

2011-07-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

BMW has created another eye-popping-heart-stopping viral video called Walls. Unfortunately, like Gymkhana and other stunt virals, it fails to fully engage the viewer. The million+ viewers sit, watch these video and maybe share them with others, which comes across as almost Web 1.0. I think they should be pushing the online experience the same way they push these cars to the limits.

Here is my nickel idea, playing off of the old sales pitch "Picture Yourself behind the wheel of a new Automobile." Make the basic video, push it out like you always do but add-in a link that would make for a more personal user experience. That experience would start with the manufacturer's existing build your own model webpage. Once the user has completed they could upload a picture to sit in the driver's seat, similar to what True Blood is doing. Now the stunt video could play with a picture of the user behind the wheel of the car they designed, how much cooler would that be! Also a still from the video could be now turned into a personalized direct mail/email promo. I'm sure something like this may already be in the works but until then we'll just have to watch the videos the same way we watch old John Ford films.

Beautiful Day

2011-07-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

What a stunning morning for a location shoot and who knew Northwestern New Jersey was so pastoral.

Summertime Rolls

2011-07-06T17:55:00.000-04:00

Hope 'Supergirl' Solo

2011-06-28T17:16:00.005-04:00

Boom goes the dynamite USA 2 - North Korea nil! Hope Solo and the rest of the US women's team are being tipped to win the Women's World Cup tournament, the FIFA website has all the action. Go team USA!!!

I had the opportunity to photograph Hope a few years ago. Something about her reminded me of Helen Slater in the 1984 film Supergirl, probably the blonde hair and the way they both flew thru the air to save the day. My concept was to capture Hope as supernatural; using the familiarities of the game, a surreal landscape and dramatic lighting to give her an otherworldly look. I think we succeeded but the biggest success of the day was that Hope saved every single shot kicked at our two thousand dollar strobe head.

Apples to Orangutans

2011-06-16T07:00:00.003-04:00

Syndication agencies are notoriously wild beasts; large, sloppy and difficult to get exactly what you want out of them. Yes, my celebrity work does bounce around inside the Corbis Outline animal but thats fine considering all the hoops it has to jump thru to get approved. A good deal of my other work goes out thru this lovely boutique agency in London called Millennium. They curate, syndicate and regard the work with a deft touch that you wish everyone had. Their site is full of original photography, enjoyable to flip thru wether your doing business or not. Below is one of my latest, a book cover for the extraordinary John Banville.

La Biennale di Venezia

2011-06-01T01:00:00.025-04:00

If you happen to find yourself in Venice Italy today, check out Anton Ginzburg's film installation opening over at Palazzo Bollani. This visually stunning and philosophical exhibition explores "the tension formed between the actual and the potential" based on mythology during "the golden age of man." My friend Gina Bevilacqua was one of the producers on the project, which means everything has been finished to perfection.

Working for the Weekend

2011-05-06T15:00:00.013-04:00

James Turrell

2011-05-03T18:50:00.000-04:00

Fiji Revisited

2011-04-18T11:27:00.000-04:00

Major Tom

2011-03-30T09:56:00.000-04:00

via Automobiliac

Winter Redux

2011-03-24T09:01:00.000-04:00

Classic Car Club

2011-03-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

This downtown club has a logo designed by Stefan Sagmeister and a garage full of nothing but amazing vehicles. For those of you who don't like to go below 59th Street, don't worry they are restoring a carriage house on the Upper East Side that will open this spring.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

2011-02-16T01:00:00.003-05:00

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction ceremony at the Waldorf is less than a month away and while I'm not being inducted, six of my images were just added to the museum's permanent collection. I am honored and amazed to be a part of the Rock Hall, it blows me away thinking of the history and talent that I am among. I know its a cliche but its true; if someone told me at seventeen that one day my pictures of Rock Stars would hang along side the photographers I was idolizing in Rolling Stone I wouldn't have believed them....... although if they had mentioned that fellow Detroit natives Alice Cooper would be performing and inducted to the Hall that same year, I might have used that information to impress my then girlfriend.

Update: Detroit

2011-02-01T01:00:00.006-05:00

Great things have been happening with my Detroit: Sounds+Legends project. I've lined up an equipment sponsor, some great PR and amazing talent to pose for the project -all details to be announced in late March after my first session back in Detroit. Speaking of which, below is a snap I took over the holidays while visiting. The Bronx Bar is a good place to start, wether your drinking or telling a story. Its the kind of bar thats dark at noon and only gets brighter as the sun sets. I used to live up the block on Prentis Street and spent more than a few evenings in the place, drinking dollar beers and digging on the jukebox which was jammed full of Soul. Back in those days we didn't stay too late at the bar; especially after one morning as I passed on my way to school, the police were pulling a sheet over a guy who had been shot in the doorway. That was well over a decade ago, the bar has since expanded and its customers have definitely become a lot more genteel. That said they still boast an amazing jukebox, cheap prices and great greasy burgers.

How to Disappear

2011-01-17T01:00:00.003-05:00

Some how I missed seeing one of my more interesting assignments published last year. The story of how Frank Ahearn can make you vanish without a trace is straight out of Hollywood. Check out the article we collaborated on together for Men's Journal.

Later Than Never, Best of 2010

2011-01-11T01:11:00.005-05:00

In the 1970 film Kelly's Heroes, actor Donald Sutherland plays a character named Oddball, a tank driver who believes in the power-of-positive-thoughts. When I'm having a bad day I often hear Oddball's voice in my head saying "Why don't you knock off with them negative waves?" It usually makes me laugh, so without saying anything negative about 2010, here is my list of the best albums from last year:

Honorable Mention:

Robyn - Body Talk, Beach House - Teen Dream and Chilly Gonzales - Ivory Tower

5. Kayne West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

While I'm not a big fan of Hip-Hop, I can appreciate when an artist goes out on a limb and really goes for it. I don't believe Kayne is really off his head, I think crazy just makes for good tabloid headlines and is standard PR these days. With his latest album you can hear that he has a brain in his head and you can see he has an eye for a good spectacle.

4. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

The cover art is bizarre b&w photograph of a small women(?) praying beside the stage. Its definitely a what-the-hell-is-going-on-there cover, which I think makes for great album art because I always want to investigate more. Halcyon Digest continues its "alternativeness" inside by inserting strange samples and guitars effects behind Bradford Cox's haunting voice. All making for a nice retro, early '90's, 4AD sounding album.

3. Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

It seems Gil Scott-Heron needs a balanced combination of drugs, poetry and music to be able to release an album (I'm Not Here is his first in sixteen years) Or maybe its just a steady stretch of time off from prison. Whatever his secret is, its working overtime blending jazz, soul, poetry and a little electronica into inspiring album. The track "Me and The Devil" would be my vote for song of the year.

2. The Black Keys - Brothers

The hard working boys from Ohio finally hit the big time with their latest release. After just one listen, its easy to hear why the accolades have come streaming in. (They have been nominated for two Grammys) A bit Muddy Waters and a bit Led Zepplin, The Black Keys Brothers is a bit more bluesy than straight forward rock-and-roll but tracks like She's Long Gone still do the business.

1. Jamiroquai - Rock Dust Light Star

Jay Kay and company finally turn out an album I can't stop listening to. Their funk-soul-disco sound has produced an album where almost every track could be a hit single. From the mellow grooves of Blue Skies to the soon to be dance hit Hey Floyd, Rock Dust Light Star proves Jamiroquai is one of those bands that get better with age.

DSL: The Shelter

2010-12-30T13:21:00.000-05:00

You may remember it from Eminem's "Eight Mile" but I remember it from when there was glow-in-the-dark paint on the walls and Siouxsie & The Banshees was on regular dance floor rotation. The Shelter at Saint Andrews a true Detroit legend.

Rudy

2010-12-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

And a Merry Ole Time!

School Daze

2010-12-14T01:00:00.003-05:00

From way, way back in the day, King Missile live at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit, circa the early 90's. Also a reminder that the fundraiser for my project Detroit: Sounds + Legends ends this week, click here to participate before time runs out: http://kck.st/aGbEbx

AKA Kid Rock

2010-11-30T01:00:00.005-05:00

Wether you like his music or not, he is a good person who stands up for what he believes in and stands by those who have helped him along the way. Here he is at the recent AMA's doing just that. Cheers to you Bob!

Chilly

2010-11-23T01:00:00.003-05:00

MGMT - Congratulations (Erol Alkan Rework) by Erol Alkan

Chilly Gonzales - You Can Dance by Arts & Crafts

Detroit: Sounds+Legends Part 1

2010-11-16T17:35:00.001-05:00

My sketchbooks are not like Picasso's, whose were filled with beautiful sketches. My books look like a madman with ADHD went at them; they are filled in no particular order with one-liners, song lyrics, polaroids, foreign candy wrappers, beer labels and the occasional sketch or watercolor. Earlier this fall I sat decoding a few of these sketchbooks which I concluded in a premise for a new project. Detroit: Sounds+Legends, a series of photographs depicting the people and places that show Detroit as a vibrant city and a legend in the history of music. Of course I will be updating my progress here on The Tin Ear, in the meantime if you have any questions or are interested in participating in the project please email at cm@christophermclallen.com

Beautiful Design

2010-11-02T01:00:00.000-04:00

Original, poetic and visually striking! Check out Neil Kellerhouse's design work for film.

Champagne Supernova

2010-10-12T01:00:00.005-04:00

Beautiful artwork and free champagne, I couldn't think of a better Sunday evening. Its also your chance to pick up a John Currin, Ralph Gibson or one from yours truly.

Saville for England

2010-10-08T10:57:00.001-04:00

Time for a weekend of internationals and we find England adorned in a kit designed by Peter Saville. The man who brought us decades of beautifully designed album covers from such artists as Joy Division, New Order and Pulp. Here is the interview he did about designing the England kit.

Champions League+

2010-09-28T01:00:00.001-04:00

Fall is shifting gears and picking up steam this week. Starting in Europe, with the always elegant, Spring fashion shows of Paris, then midweek United take on Valencia in Champions League and by the end of the week I am in-studio on assignment. No rest in the evenings because of course my Pub teams kickoff new seasons. The highlight of the season will be when we [Manhattan United] play our friends, The Peckham Rangers, in a full 11s/90 minute game on November 23rd. Plenty of time for my ruptured eardrum to heal and the rest of the team to get in shape. If your in-town that week come by the game, 10pm Pier 40 or stop by Slane around 12am to heckle the Rangers about their loss.

So Brave and So Sweet

2010-09-21T05:00:00.003-04:00

Mercury Prize

2010-09-13T16:39:00.001-04:00

The Mercury Prize, which was held last week, has been one of my favorite award shows for years. This year's list may not have been as brilliant as 2001's list but it still was pretty damn good. The Wild Beasts (pictured) who I photographed last year made the list with their album Two Dancers, as did ex-Jam frontman Paul Weller with Wake Up The Nation, Kit Downes Trio have a great jazz album in Golden but it was The xx who took home this years prize with their self titled album. I couldn't have agreed more, an amazing album, well done!

Francis Bacon's Dog

2010-09-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

Lower 9th Ward [NOLA]

2010-08-19T12:35:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago I had an open dialog with a few editors about doing a story on the neighborhood of the Lower Ninth ward of New Orleans. Unfortunately nothing came of it and we all moved onto the next project; although the New York collective unconscious was hard at work because our ideas were similar to Spike Lee's new HBO documentary 'If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don't Rise.'

My recent travels to New Orleans had me covering a story revolving around Lake Pontchartrain. This made me even more curious about what was happening in the Lower Ninth. As I was crossing the bridge from Bywater into the Lower Ninth I was scribbling away in my notebook a reminder to go back and eat at what looked to be an amazing BBQ shack called The Joint. Finally seeing the neighborhoods of the Lower Ninth, I was reminded of my hometown of Detroit; too many vacant lots overgrown, broken streets, as well as empty homes left to rot and like Detroit there were some signs of new construction...... slow progress, I guess that is something.

NENA
Make It Right
Next Detroit
Detroit Declaration

Saint Louis No.1 [NOLA]

2010-08-15T19:14:00.000-04:00

Whitesell Studio [NOLA]

2010-08-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently in New Orleans on assignment and I came across the photography of Pops Whitesell. His images have some similarities to one of my favorite photographers, EJ Bellocq, a Toulouse Lautrec like figure who also worked in the French Quarter around the same time. Pops had a studio behind what is now Preservation Hall, whose original owners later uncovered EJ Bellocq's seminal work. Most of Bellocq's work did not survive but almost all of Pops' has, which makes it easier to imagine what Bellocq's commercial work would have looked like.

Calypso

2010-08-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

Going Underground

2010-07-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

Nightswimming

2010-07-06T00:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-01T13:37:00.000-04:00

Gallery Shows

2010-06-22T22:15:00.000-04:00

Friday evening is lining up to be a busy one, two of my friends have shows that open that night. Larysa Sendich is in a show at The International Center of Photography and Ber Murphy is in an interesting show about Polaroid at A.M. Richard Fine Art in Williamsburg.

Ampersand Studios

2010-05-25T00:00:00.002-04:00

Detroit may not have a glamorous reputation but some interesting minds have walked across the intersection at Kirby and John R. These were my thoughts when my friends asked me to shoot a promo for their latest studio space in Manhattan. Those friends and I may have found some success here in New York but it was back at that intersection where some of our first ideas started to form...... even our model, the Ford GT, has some roots on that block.

June Electric

2010-05-18T20:49:00.003-04:00

Henri Cartier-Bresson + The World Cup!!!

Navy

2010-05-11T13:49:00.002-04:00

I've been bouncing around the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the past week. What a huge and fascinating place, it is one of those places that once your inside its hard to believe your in New York City. The history of the place is amazing; the civil-war USS Monitor was ironclad there, both the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri -ships which opened and closed World War II for the US vs. Japan, were launched there. The Yard no longer builds ships but it is still a working shipping yard and is now home to Steiner Studios -"The Largest and most sophisticated studio complex outside of Hollywood." I think the Yard is just starting to shake off some of its dust and rumble back to life, this time working as a great place to make iconic New York images.

Daft Punk Is Not Playing

2010-05-04T08:23:00.002-04:00

Falling into a similar category as the Nissan GT-R; the Ariel Atom is basically a street legal race car that costs around the same price as a Range Rover. It even out performs many of the six figure Super Cars, only draw back is there is no sound system.

Rude Buoys Outa Jail

2010-04-27T12:40:00.004-04:00

The Specials played Terminal 5 last week here in New York City, it was brilliant! The Specials were one of the bands I missed playing when I was a kid, I was a bit too young. I did however manage to catch The Selector a couple of times and they did not disappoint. So when The Jackanory asked if I would like to join himself, Ber and Stew for the evening, I didn't hesitate and the band did not disappoint. There was no opening band nor was there a Jerry Dammers, (a bit like seeing The Clash without Mick Jones) still the boys came out lights flashing, trumpets blaring. They blazed thru all the hits with the over-30 crowd singing along while the 20-somethings skanked away. The music stays timeless as we have all grown older but for 90 minutes the entire building was 17 again.

I Love You in Velvet, I Like You in Plush

2010-04-20T00:13:00.007-04:00

The Maestro has left the building, the stage is dark but his music and style will live on forever. Malcolm McLaren, the Impresario of Punk, died last week at the young age of 64. Although I never met the man, he was a large influence in my life, as he was to a vast majority of people in the western world under the age of 45. I'm not sure what my own fashion look would have been without Malcolm and his collaborations with ex-girlfriend Vivenne Westwood. Certainly my musical tastes would not have been as diverse without him or his assistant, Bernie Rhodes, who managed my favorite band The Clash. While Malcolm himself managed the Sex Pistols, the New York Dolls, Bow Wow Wow, Adam and the Ants and his own solo artist career........ which, I wasn't a big fan of. Except his 1983 album, Duck Rock, which is definitely worth a few listens; it contains some early hip-hop mixed with African chants and electronica, the cover art has illustrations by Keith Haring and the guest musicians on the album went on to form The Art of Noise. In the end musical history was made and we should all be happy to remember the name Malcolm McLaren.

"Stealing things is a glorious occupation, particularly in the art world."
-Malcolm McLaren

Workers on the Mekong

2010-04-13T08:18:00.000-04:00

This Charming Man/Woman

2010-03-30T00:00:00.002-04:00

Without further ado, the hottest band in the world....... errrr, well maybe not yet but one day he could be, its Devonté Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion. (no association with the nyc messenger service.)

The assignment came thru Kruger Magazine in London, I was to shoot a portrait of Dev at his favorite New York eatery in conjunction with the interview. No problem, the interviewer was my friend Stephanie Price (more on her later) and Dev's restaurant choice Rice/Brooklyn..... odd choice but okay. The rockstar was late, yes he is a rockstar he has worked with both The Chemical Brothers and Arctic Monkeys, but Steph and I hadn't seen each other in awhile so we caught up over a few rounds. Dev arrived just as the third round was being served, good timing or maybe not because I hijacked the interview for a few minutes when Dev mentioned he played for the Charlton Under 16s. We geeked out on football for awhile and just before Steph reached over to choke me I excused myself to set up for the shoot. I had decided that I was going back to E6 film for this shoot and I had brought along my trusty 4x5, I like the organic nature of film and the pace of shooting with large format. Devonté was a great subject, could have been even better had we stopped talking about football, white rice and Charlotte Gainsbourg before our time together ran out. No worries, I'm sure we'll meet again, in the meantime I suggest checking out his new album "Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You" or his "stream of consciousness" You Tube channel here.

My Kruger collaborator, (she is the writer, I'm the photographer) and lovely friend, Stephanie Price, has recently embarked on a tremdously enlightening journey. Steph is an incredibly funny, successful advertising copywriter, the 'Got Milk' campaign is part of her portfolio, who decided after the earthquake in Haiti that life in New York City might just not be as cool as Brooklyn wants you to think it is. She pressed 'pause' on her career and in an inspirational act volunteered with Heart to Heart International. If you need a smile, want to help or just want a good read please follow her daily blog, Heart to Haiti, I promise you will not be disappointed.

The Irish Rover

2010-03-16T12:01:00.006-04:00

I want to start off by apologizing to those of you I spoke to and said I was going to be writing about my shoot with Devonte Hynes. I'm pushing that til next week for something a little more timely.

The "We Are the World" project was bad enough the first time around but the second time was just abysmal. Everyone's heart was in the right place, its just when you have egos that big its hard for your heart to be bigger. Nothing exemplified this more than sticking some random celebrities into the music video; Vince Vaughn who just looked lost and the otherwise talented Jeff Bridges who seemed to be plugging his latest film, which is about a musician. I am not the only one who thought this, smash-cut to last tuesday when everyone's favorite drinking buddy, Shane MacGowan, released his effort to help those in Haiti. It is a soulful and creative version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You" MacGowan collaborated with the talents of his friends Cait O'Riordon, Mick Jones (who also produced the track), Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Glen Matlock with some soulful singing by Paloma Faith and Chrissie Hynde (who still has an amazing voice.) Not to be too far off in left field from Quincy, Shane enlists Johnny Depp to play some guitar and adds brit-pop newcomer Eliza Doolittle to harmonize. It is a fantastic piece of music for a great cause that is accented by the personalities not the other way around. Still how great would it have been to have gone for pints with that group afterwards? Which reminds me, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Sound of Silence

2010-03-09T11:31:00.001-05:00

I promise to keep the rambling to a minimum this week if you promise to help save 6 music. The BBC is threatening to close its online music station, "6 Music", which contains some brilliant weekly programs. I regularly listen to Guy Garvey's "Finest Hour" and Jarvis Cocker's "Sunday Service" but this week I tuned into one of the best shows I have ever heard on the station. It comes from Don Letts of Big Audio Dynamite fame and its a four part series on "The Story of Trojan Records" with music and interviews. Afterwards I spent two hours on Amazon and iTunes buying all the tracks that I heard, I seriously recommend checking out the show.

This week we lost another talent, Mark Linkous, to suicide. I never met Mark but I have known too many others who have traveled his same path and it reminds me to be a better listener, a better communicator. While I was not huge fan of Mark's band Sparklehorse, I do think he always made interesting projects that bettered the world of music. One of his final pieces was "Dark Night of the Soul," an album that is sure to become a legend: legal problems with EMI have held up the album, David Lynch took photos for an accompanying book, Danger Mouse is the main collaborator and a slew of other well known musicians play on the record. I think the Flaming Lips have the stand out track but you can decide for yourself by checking out the entire experience on NPR.

2010-03-02T15:03:00.005-05:00

~~Maggie's~~ Bode's Farm

Three Olympic medals in one Olympic games, achieving the status of the most decorated American Alpine Skier in history, impressive. Congratulations Bode Miller you showed us all you could do it your way...... if that sounds a little sarcastic, it was meant to. As my luck would have it I got to spend an hour photographing Bode on his farm in Franconia, New Hampshire and while his athleticism is amazing, his personality leaves something to be desired. Here is a little peak into our shoot together:

Last winter Men's Journal called me up to shoot a story on Bode Miller. Brilliant! I have always enjoyed working for Paul and Michelle, they always assign me interesting stories and have a clear vision of what they are looking for. I didn't know a lot about Bode Miller before I went in for the editorial brief, other than he was a brilliant skier who did things his own way. No different than a lot of other athletes and the brief from the magazine was nothing controversial. The article was to be about 'Will He or Won't He' be skiing at the 2010 Olympics now that he has his own team and has become a bit of a recluse up on his farm. I was to try and capture images of Bode working and hanging out on his farm, think Rocky IV mixed with a little FSA imagery. Paul and Michelle mentioned Bode might be a little difficult but that I had dealt with more difficult people in the past and they had full faith in me.

So off I flew with my assistant, Payal, to Manchester, New Hampshire to then drive (2) hours north thru the White Mountains. Franconia sits in a picturesque valley and consists of about a dozen building in various architectural styles. The general store had a large banner on it that said 'Home of Bode Miller' and mobile phone service was spotty at best, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. A (10) minute drive from the center of town and we arrived at the Miller farm, which is like any other New England farm with its red barns, plowed fields and cattle. No one was home so Payal and I wandered around outside doing some location scouting, we soon discovered that all the barns were empty except for a table of vegetables and some rusty farm equipment...... hmmmmm, this is going to be interesting. Eventually the writer Bill Gifford showed up and soon after Bode with his publicist. Pleasantries were made and it had been pre-decided that Bill would do his interview first, I crossed my fingers and hoped he wouldn't push Bode's buttons. I always want to do the shoot before the interview because a majority of the time interviews bring up too many emotions and make talent spent by the time they get to the photography set. I then sat down to go over my game plan with the publicist, I showed her samples of my work and sketches of what we wanted to capture. She agreed to everything except having Bode pull out the tractor and oh by the way, even though the magazine asked for it before hand, Bode didn't want to bring any of his ski equipment. I asked if he didn't have something random in the house we could use and I was told no, Bode doesn't really live here, its an investment property and he pays the farmer down the road to take care of the farm. There goes a third of our ideas, this should be fun. The interview took about an hour, then it was my turn to go over the samples and sketches with Bode. He hated all of our ideas, had some choice words for them and asked me to just do a few snaps of him just in front of the barn so he could leave. I told him to just trust me, that I understood his concerns but that I needed a few more images than that because this was going to be a multi-page piece. Begrudgingly and with help from the publicist and writer he agreed but "I'm not changing clothes, I'll take off my jackets but not my hat!" For the next 40 minutes I walked with Bode around his farm, thinking how am I going to get him without his hat, all the while listening to how he won't get too close to the cattle and do not photograph that Porsche parked behind the barn. We were shooting digital, so I was able to show him what I was capturing and by the end he had started to loosen up a little, it was time to ask him to lose the hat. Wrong question, Bode went a bit ballistic and walked out. I pleaded with him to stay, the writer asked him to stay, his publicist asked what the big deal was it was just a hat and he went off on how he didn't want to do the story to begin with. We eventually got him to calm down and he posed for a few more minutes but there was nothing there and I was shooting just so everyone could leave in a better mood. I thanked him for his time and then proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon explaining my actions to the editors, luckily Bill was there as a witness and you can read his account here. While I wish Bode the best on the slopes, I wish my experience with him on nobody and hope he one day makes peace with the press.

Interactive Winter Dance Party

2010-02-23T00:00:00.012-05:00

As the snow/sleet heads our way again, lets think back to the heat of the summer and short skirts shakin' it to Passion Pit's 'The Reeling.'

Garageland

2010-02-16T09:03:00.002-05:00

I recently reconnected with Julie Grahame from back in my Retna days, she is now working as a photo consultant extraordinaire. One of her main clients is rock photographer legend Michael Putland, who once bought The Clash boots for one of his photo shoots. (His shot of the boys here is on a now disintegrated pier in my neighborhood, love it!) Check out Michael's site for some other great classics and Julie's blog where she posted one of Michael's contacts from a David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust shoot.

Are the Godfathers of Punk Still Relevant?

2010-02-09T00:00:00.008-05:00

Back in the mid-60's The Who were THE 'It' band from London, super cool Mods that made those other two English bands look boring. The Who are deserving legends with originality, influence and a back-catalog of hit work that few bands could ever dream of matching. Unfortunately their originality ended in 1978 after the death of drummer Keith Moon, with the band's final creative breath being their 1981 hit "You Better You Bet." I like The Who, "The Seeker" is still in rotation on my ipod after many years and Pete Townsend threatening Abbie Hoffman during Woodstock is just a great rock and roll moment........ my problem is I just don't think The Who make a very relevant band for today's Super Bowl fan. Maybe some Producer thought the drummer Zak Starkey could be the bridge that tied it all together, more likely it was The Who have another Greatest Hits album coming out. (with iTunes/Amazon/Etc... are Greatest Hits albums even relevant for 40 year old bands?) The high point at Halftime was the laser-light show, very well-done, but the 'wow-factor' could have gone up a notch had a younger, more energetic band like the Foo Fighters, Rihanna or another band as exciting as I imagine The Who were in 1965 played instead. Nostalgia is a warm peaceful feeling, its great to look back and remember when, its just not a feeling I want when I am watching a Worldwide sporting event.

"The Art of Classic Rock: The Rob Roth Collection" is a brilliant book of rock artwork that my friend Rich Marot photographed. It is full of beautiful gems but it started to get me down when I thought about today's rock-art, then I found GigPoster and all was right with the world. My point is, it is time to let the next generation's legends grow and prosper, so we as the younger generation have someone to age with too.

Grammy Train

2010-02-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Grammys are the only awards show I really like to watch and its mainly for the performances. Unfortunately I missed most of this year's show, I was able to tune-in at the Travis Barker, Lil' Wayne and Eminem collaboration but had to tune out when Drake came out -he is terrible, a combination of Milli Vanilli and Peter Frampton, I just didn't get how he fit in. I would have liked to have seen Lady Gaga's performance, not that I'm a big fan but I think she a talented entertainer. Beyonce made all the headlines but Kings of Leon did pretty well too, albeit for just one song..... maybe when it comes to the Brit Awards they will win for "Sex on Fire" considering how half the Premier League fans have made it their chant this year.

Two artists I have previously photographed were up for awards, the Silversun Pickups for best 'New Band' and Patton Oswalt for 'Best Comedy Album.' Neither won but I thought Patton had a good chance, he had me in stitches when we were on-set together and his album 'My Weakness Is Strong' is almost as good as that.

There is always next year and I recently photographed for South Magazine a good contender, Kristina Train. Comparisons will be made to her and Norah Jones, particularly since they are both on the Blue Note label and both are lovely down to earth women. Kristina has a larger vocal range and she put it on display for us when she invited us down to she her recently at Joe's Pub. An amazing performer and her song 'Spilt Milk' could easily become a classic.

Light+Space

2010-01-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

Olafur Eliasson presented his Waterfalls project in New York City last year, I was not a fan. Similar to Christo's Gates in Central Park a few years earlier, you needed to visit the installations at specific times of day otherwise they just seemed....... ordinary, even then it was neither artists best work. While I like the scale of Christo's work, I always find his sketches of the work far more beautiful than the work itself. Olafur Eliasson on the otherhand is amazing and I was flipping thru his website recently to look for inspiration for a shoot I had last week. His weather project at the Tate Modern looked stunning but it was his "Your Chance Encounter" exhibit at the 21st Century Musuem of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa that really got me thinking! Take a few minutes at lunch or over morning coffee to have a look at his tremendous use of light and space.

Aziz Is Bored

2010-01-20T09:11:00.001-05:00

If you get a chance check out the very funny Aziz Ansari in his show Comedy Central show "Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening." I photographed Aziz a few years back while he was doing Human Giant on MTV, he was the same in person as on stage; funny, lazy and very driven. In the out-take below he wanted me to take a picture of him holding his favorite shot while acting incensed that we had to do more...... we had only been shooting for five minutes, luckily he stuck around a bit longer.

Yeasayer

2010-01-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

James Brown Loves You!

2010-01-06T14:02:00.001-05:00

This was one of those projects that was a pure joy to work on; from the client and creative director to cast and crew, it is a good sign for a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Freak Scene

2009-12-29T00:00:00.004-05:00

I'm have a seventeen year old moment, cranking Elephants by super group Them Crooked Vultures! It has that classic skate punk sound, too bad the rest of the album is not as good.

Speaking of never growing older, check out this great new video from Dinosaur Jr. made me laugh a few times:

Top 5 Albums of 2009

2009-12-22T02:32:00.002-05:00

Why only five? Because our A.D.D. keeps us from getting to ten. 2009 was grim but not for all, if your a Barcelona FC fan its been a banner year........ Gilipoyas! While super groups, The Dead Weather and Them Crooked Vultures (more on TCV next post) gave us some bright moments, I found the following albums to have shined the brightest this year:

5. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
A Falsetto voice and a driving rhythm section.... its not like those come along together every year. Stand out tracks "All the King's Men" and "Hooting & Howling."

4. Band of Skulls - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

Its flat out rock and roll 2009, great hooks with sex appeal! While I liked Dan Auerbach's "Keep It Hid," it was a little too bluesy for my taste and Heartless Bastard's "The Mountain" had potential but their lack of confidence just became annoying. Band of Skulls oozes confidence but that is what you would expect from a band that seems borne from a one night stand between Chrissie Hynde and Robert Plant. Stand out tracks "I Know What I Am" "Patterns" and "Fires."

3. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
They just continue to make consistently good music! I admit I am a fan of unique voice that can harmonize together over top dueling power guitars. While Swoon doesn't hit the heights of Carnavas, it does manage to rock a little harder even if it doesn't veer too much one way or another. Stand out tracks "Draining" and "There Is No Secret this Year."

2. The xx - xx
I still haven't been able to full digest this one but it excites me. Part Kraftwerk, part New Order, part mopey teenagers -which is a downside to an otherwise deliciously layered album. I love the negative space on the album, it adds this great tension between the two vocalists Romy and Oliver. Check out the tracks "Crystalised" and "VCR."

1. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
He is no longer sooooo depressed and experimental. Further Complications proves that Mr. Cocker can stay true to his roots while still adding his own witty twist to songs. The whole album is a amazing, beginning to end entertainment -bound to be a classic. A good cross section of tracks from the album could be "Leftovers" and "Angela."

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas with a better New Year!

Leeds Not Brooklyn

2009-12-01T00:00:00.007-05:00

Their football club maybe mired in the third division again this year but Leeds have produced something fantastic. The Wild Beasts, another beacon shining down from the north with a unique sound all their own. The falsetto is nothing new to pop music but I was never a fan of Jimmy Somerville, his bands always seemed far more fay than he was. Luckily Wild Beasts are the perfect balance; a driving rhythm section with the deep voice of Tom Fleming interweaving with singer Hayden Thorpe's falsetto and chiming guitar.

I had never heard of the band until I was assigned to shoot them for the super cool magazine, Death+Taxes. I had been forwarded their latest album, "Two Dancer", I gave it a quick listen and wrote it off as a side show with some good hooks. The shoot day arrived, it was raining and I had to travel out to Williamsburg........ the day was against me. Fortunately the band was not; utterly charming, amazing live and to top it off United fans! Their performance of "All The Kings Men" and "We Still Got the Taste...." were awesome, so much more energy live and the sound out at Union Pool wasn't too shabby either. I was swayed enough to let their album grow on me and according to my iTunes counter I have listened to it 52 times since September, so I guess I must be liking it.

Tugboat Captain

2009-11-10T14:56:00.005-05:00

Flash CS4 + Mondo 2000 multiplied by the square root of
Galaxy 500 + Bongwater = Tuesdays with Ann Magnuson

"I hate these whiny, middle-class kids co-opting people's real suffering. Videos ripping off news photography of people in the Third World! I mean, we live like czars. .......I'd just like to make something beautiful. It's something to aspire to."
-Ann Magnuson

Provocateur

2009-11-03T00:00:00.003-05:00

Another reason to love the Hives and Vivienne Westwood's brood:

Cracks in the Foundations

2009-10-20T00:33:00.004-04:00

Ninety-eight per cent of cover songs are crap. The problem is that the newly recorded song is missing the soul of the original. The Arctic Monkeys are one of England's most original and it would be hard to imagine anyone covering one of their songs, much less a hit song. Not so hard for Kate Nash to imagine, as she steals their song Fluorescent Adolescent and joyfully makes it her own. Her gruff vocals give the track a dirtier sound and her faster tempo gives it the edge of a Brit-Pop classic. Unfortunately she has only played it live and bootlegs of it are pretty sad...... too bad because both Kate and the song are alot of fun.

Love It!

2009-10-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

After making changes to my fantasy team this morning, I came across a bit of childhood nostalgia; Patricks. I loved my Kevin Keegan screw-ins, as well as my Michel Platini indoors...... 24 years later I think its time to order my next pair.

Further Complications

2009-10-13T08:50:00.001-04:00

It just makes sense to me. The passing of legend Irving Penn and Jarvis Cocker's "Further Complications" His song "Leftovers" is as classic as a Penn nude.

The Fall of Rock and Roll

2009-10-06T18:22:00.004-04:00

I do not see how rock and roll or photography can ever truly die. The current economy seems to be teaching artists, more than ever, about the inner workings of business. I see just as many articles on monetization as I see about new lighting techniques. The Kings of Leon, with their mix of southern and garage rock, are the current saviors of the future of American Rock and Roll. Sex On Fire is a great song but I'm currently digging the darker sounds of the group, Band of Skulls. Their album "Baby, Darling, Doll Face, Honey" is a moodier and at times a more layered sound than that of Kings of Leon. Emma Richardson's vocals add just the right amount of sex appeal to rein in the rest of the band. It all works in perfect harmony on the track Fires and I Know What I Am. I won't be surprised to see Band of Skulls and Kings of Leon on the same bill sometime early next spring.

Absolut Classic

2009-09-29T00:00:00.014-04:00

A recent viewing of the Absolut commercial made me pull out my copy of New Order's "Movement." I had briefly forgotten what an amazing album it is, the emotion that went into it and the songs that came out. For those of you who don't know, Absolut uses the song "Ceremony" which was written by Ian Curtis of Joy Division who died before he was able to record the song in the studio. The living members of Joy Division reformed as New Order and recorded their friends track as the first single their new album. I spent many hours in the darkroom printing to both bands, they are both part of the fabric that helps shape my visual world.

My friend Mike McHugh has a slightly narrow but always amazing taste in music. (minus his adoration for "Gene Loves Jezebel") It was Mike who introduced me to another Manchester band who could also be destined for greatness. Elbow, picks up where 1980's New Order left off; taking that great Hooky bass-sound, then adding their own layers of texture and charm. I highly recommend watching their appearance on "Live from Abbey Road" and picking up the latest album "The Seldom Seen Kid" (stand out track "The Bones of You") or anything off of "Leaders of the Free World." I look forward to the day that these Manc's stand in front of my lens and we can discuss some of our great influences.

2009-09-24T00:00:00.006-04:00

What I Did On My Summer ~~Vacation~~ (pt.2)

The Francis Bacon retrospective at The Met this summer was one of the best shows in recent memory. It was a vast collection of his work with some interesting insight to his process that was documented thru photographs. The accompanying book to the show is almost as fantastic.

I first became aware of Francis Bacon's work while I was studying photography at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. His painting "The Study for Crouching Nude" hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts, which is next door to the school. I have always admired the way Bacon was able to use elements of classic and modern painting together to come up with something that was uniquely his own. His ability to add motion to a still frame, inspires me to this day.

2009-09-22T15:12:00.009-04:00

What I Did On My Summer ~~Vacation~~

I decided to join the rest of the kids of this fall and write about what happened to me this summer....... well, maybe about one of the bands that inspired me:

Earlier in the year I had a project to direct a video for Lucky Magazine. The accompanying music I chose was from a band called Little Joy, who I was originally skeptical about because it was a "side-project" for Strokes drummer, Fabrizio Moretti. Little Joy is named after a great dive bar I used to drink at with friends in LA, reason enough for me to give them a more serious listen. They have a unique sound that gets better with each listen, its a sound that I would describe as the perfect soundtrack to a summer evening; mellow rhythms of Brazilian Bossa-Nova injected with some good bits of "Alt-Rock" to keep the party going. The missus and I jumped at the chance when Rough Trade sent me an invitation to check them out this summer at the Bowery Ballroom. It was Little Joy's last show of their first full tour of the States and they didn't disappoint; great atmosphere, great sound, a show that you wished went on for another hour. I highly recommend picking up their record and continuing on with the good summer vibes.

***You can listen/purchase music by clicking on any of the highlighted words or scroll down to the bottom of the page for music from other bands in my portfolio.