PHILM’s record release show 5/15/12

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

PHILM had their record release show at the Viper Room in West Hollywood on May 15, 2012.  Since the show, I’ve had the album, Harmonic, on heavy rotation in my abode.  Dave Lombardo on drums. As if I need to say more, I’m going to because equally ferocious are Gerry Nestler on guitar/vox and Pancho Tomaselli on bass!  The best way I can describe them is an equilateral triumvirate of power with a dark, heavy, melodic jazz punk fusion kind of sound.  Here are some photos:

PHILM are on Ipecac Recordings (Mike Patton’s label) and “Harmonic” is in stores now!  PHILM’s FACEBOOK and TWITTER

More photos on my website HERE

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Sonos Studio opening party with Questlove and Bleached

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

I attended the opening party of Sonos Studio in Los Angeles on 5/12/12.  The party showcased the impeccable wireless HiFi that Sonos is known for with DJ sets from Questlove and a performance by LA rockers Bleached.  Sonos Studio is a acoustically-designed gallery space in the La Brea Art and Design District.

The studio is beautifully crafted with architecture designed by Rania Alomar of RA-DA.  The ceiling and walls have strategically places foam cones and one corner has a group of ropes that emit sound signals when touched. It was hard to decipher any rope sonance  over the killer tunes that Questlove was spinning, but they sure looked cool.  In the future, the space with host a variety of exhibits, listening parties, film screenings, and workshops.  Sonos Studio is open to the public on Wednesday through Sunday from the hours of noon to 6PM.  The current exhibition is a touch-activated sound installation by artist Luke Fischbeck of Lucky Dragons and runs through June 6th.

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Mike Watt, “on and off bass” photography book

Posted on May 12, 2012 by

Great things happen in the mornings when Mike Watt paddles his kayak into the waters of San Pedro- art! Both photography and music.  (more on this in the Q&A with Kira Roessler, in the link at the end)  In celebration of his new photography book, “on and off bass”, Mike Watt performed at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA on 5/5/12 with the Missingmen (Watt, Tom Watson and Raul Morales) and also did a few Minutemen songs with Tom Watson and Nick Aguilar.

I had no idea that the thundering bass legend had such a photographic eye, but his love for San Pedro and nature really comes through in the selection of photos featured in this book.  The industrial looks beautiful and sometimes haunting.  Providing accompaniment to the images are excerpts from his tour diary and poems- total eye and mind candy!

Video of Q&A with Mike and Kira HERE

If you want to get a copy of your own, it’s available on the publisher’s site, Three Rooms Press,  HERE and on AMAZON

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Worldwide Pinhole Day in Hollywood, CA

Posted on May 6, 2012 by

To celebrate National Pinhole Day on April 29, 2012, I took the lens off my Diana F+, grabbed color and B&W 120 film and roamed around Hollywood looking for inspiration.  Every once in a while, I like to put down my digital SLR and get back to basics.  For me, that means film and my lomography camera.  Pinhole is about as basic as it gets.

Here is some of what I captured.  To see more or to purchase prints, please visit my website HERE.

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Johnette Napolitano and Jason Bogart, La Luz de Jesus Gallery exhibit

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

On Sunday April 22 2012, I headed to La Luz de Jesus Gallery to check out “Still In Hollywood” featuring artists Johnette Napolitano and Jason Bogart.  The gallery displayed artwork from Johnette’s book, Rough Mix, along with Jason’s paintings.  Johnette read excerpts from her book and delighted all in attendance by singing and adding additional anecdotes to accompany her stories.  At the end of the reading, Jason came out to join Johnette in a duet of Hollywood & Vine, an unreleased song that will hopefully find a home on one of her future recordings.

In the gallery, Jason’s paintings complemented Johnette’s artwork very nicely, blending old Hollywood and Rock N Roll.  It consisted of a series of iconic celebrities wearing Alice Cooper inspired make-up; my favorite being a Bela Lugosi painting.

I’ve been a fan of Johnette’s since the first time I heard Concrete Blonde.  There is some music that you listen to.  Then there is music that becomes a part of who you are.  My best friend got her license and her own car before I did, and one New England summer, Concrete Blonde was a part of our soundtrack of freedom.  Everything had more intensity back then and all these years later, the music still brings me back to that place.

Rough Mix contains lyrics to some songs, poems, stories, photographs and drawings.  You can purchase a copy on Amazon HERE

Concrete Blonde’s website: http://www.concreteblondeofficialwebsite.com

Jason Bogart’s website: http://www.thebogartshow.com

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