Ansel Adams There is stunning silence in this photograph. Spring is here. And with it untold changes. I am looking forward to some of them, despite the sometimes overwhelming emotional waves that wash over me when season's change. It doesn't always happen. It didn't happen last
advertising New advertising work My first campaign launch as a CD at a new ad agency. Roman Coppola directed.
frampton brothers Pittsburgh Salad Days High school was a monumentally transformative coming-of-age experience for me. In both good ways and bad. Bad took in the form of dramatic friendships and relationships breaking up, going from regular kid to "freak, loser misfit" overnight, unrequited loves, and having one fight that ended in my punching
Elegy for Mer I don't know if Mer is dead, or if Mer was even her name. She worked at the South Hills Village Mall location of Rite-Aid drugstore and wore a nametag that said Mer. She looked like a cross between Patti Smith and a less gangly Joey Ramone and
outrageous cherry Alice Cooper I hadn't been paying attention and didn't realize his newest album had an Outrageous Cherry cover on it. It's not bad and I hope the band gets a wider audience as a result.
Digging through clues for graves As I continue sifting through papers and photos and leads regarding my family history, some significant things are unfolding. Names. Locations. And hints of a sotry. Last night I learned my great-great granduncle (I think that's the correct nomenclature) died in battle during World War One. Also: If
The Inner Light This song has been resonating with me over the past year for obvious reasons. But also not so obvious ones. In a few weeks, a new campaign for a home improvement store will start airing during March Madness. It's the first work I've done since taking
Chasing ghosts Pasadena, 1965 Fatima, 1969 I'vespent the past few days looking into a family tree that had until now, only had a few branches on it. One side of the tree is being filled in. Names are being accounted for, even if there are no faces to go with
Fiverr bought Working Not Working The company repsonsible for devaluing freelance work has now bought a so-called "up-scale," freelance company. Ironic, no? Here's how I feel about that.
Zoom Shoots Lats week and this week I'm doing remote commercial shoots for a client. Because of Covid, it's not feasible to be on set unless you're part of the essential crew. Advertising Creative Director does not fall under that category. That absence is felt, no
I wrote about Cults for Splice Today Specifically the Cult of Presidents. It doesn't matter if you are left or right, it's an interesting phenomenon that people fall in to. Willing to ignore the fallacies of a figurehead because he's "your guy." Read The Great Rude Awakening here [https:
captain beefheart Captain Beefheart: Too Much Time Ironic song considering this wee I'm working fifteen hour days. But hey, that's the price of production. Even if it's a COVID remote form.
Dunter Flinn A Ween cover from a Dutch band. Kim Smoltz by Dunter FlinnSong · 7:57 · 2019 · Available with an Apple Music subscription. Try it free.Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/album/kim-smoltz/1479672581?i=1479672583]Fun choice of cover-- a non-album trck, although I do miss the harmonies and
Fear: I Don't Care About You I've seen Hollywood Boulevard Welfare hotel I spent the night in jail In the Wilcox hotel!
guided by voices Cub Scout Bowling Pins The new project from the ever prolific Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard is called Cub Scout Bowling Pins. So basically it's Guided By Voices. But I will say the lead single is brilliant--easily the strongest fattest earworm he's written in a minute. The 7-inch drops
cracker Cracker: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me Seemed like an apropos song for tonight. Hey, man– if you don't keep your sense of humor, you're fucked. Well I'm not paranoid, there is no conspiracy But I swear big brothers watching me Turn on, tune in, drop out, give up, with me
Happy Birthday Sandy Denny I was reminded on Twitter that it was Sandy Denny's birthday. Her life was way too short and too tragic. But her voice came from another world. While most people in America would know her as the other half of the duet with Robert Plant on Zeppelin'
growth The benefits of being a nomad I have a childhood friend who is still living in the same city four decades later. I don't know if this is the norm or not, but staying where you're put always seemed like a strange thing to me. It's as if the world
robyn hitchcock Joseph Arthur: Come To Where I'm From Another podcast that's been out for a while that I've only just now discovered is Come to Where I'm From, where the excellent singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur interviews other musicians. Like this one with Robyn Hitchcock who is one of my favorite musicians and lyricists
King Crimson Christmas Most Christmas songs are sappy and sad. Some are decent. Others have mistakenly become standards even though they had nothing to do with Christmas, like "A few of my favorite things." Or "I believe in Father Christmas." This song sounds so regal and somehow like a