So Sad About Us

Would You Buy This Beer?

Don't answer..

Cover Star: E
Headlining Band: STT

www.jamesmgraham.net

HBCD

Remember.

Yesterday.

The dress and shoes are gone.

I'm not afraid of you.

But you are breaking my heart.

Cover Star: Toad Hall
Headlining Band: From Minneapolis

www.jamesmgraham.net

Oboe

Cover Star: Natalie
Headlining Band: Gregory and his former band, The Afghan Whigs, B-side. Made popular by Billie Holiday. Originally written by Bill Carey and Carl Fischer in 1941.

Props.

www.jamesmgraham.net

A Fence, A Two-Way Street and a Song

"You have a heart and I have a key
Lie back and let me unlock you
Those heathens you hang with down by the sea
All they want to do is defrock you
I know a river, where we can dream
It will swell up, burst it's banks,
babe, and rock you
But if you're gonna dine with them cannibals
Sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten
But I'm glad you've come around
here with your animals
And your heart that is bruised but unbeaten
And beating like a drum

I will sit like a bird on a fence
Sing you songs with a happy ending
Swoop down and tell you that it don't make sense
To attack the very thing you're defending
Didn't I just buy that dress for you?
That pink paper pinafore that you keep mending
Well, if you're gonna dine with the cannibals
Sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten
But I'm glad you've come around
here with your animals
And your heart that is banging and beating
And banging like a gong

I can see that they've hurt you, dear
Here is some moonlight to cloak us
And I will never desert you here
Unpetaled among the crocus
Allow me, my love, to allay your fear
As I swim, in and out of focus
But if you're gonna dine with the cannibals
Sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten
But I'm glad you've come around
here with your animals
And your heart that is bruised but bleating
And bleeding like a lamb
Banging like a gong
Beating like a drum"

Cover Star: BC
Headlining Band: Nicholas Edward

www.jamesmgraham.net

My Favorite Color

Happy Anniversary, NASA.

Yeah, right...

Former SS Officer, Wernher Von Braun, builds the Saturn 5 (after building the V-2 that destroyed London) and during the Soviet inspired "space race," he landed Neil and Buzz on the moon AND they got back to earth safely. In 1969. With "computers."

My 2005 computer just crashed. And I'm only orbiting Brooklyn and just tryin' to fucking type words.

We have a problem with re-entry...

What?
Shut it!

Cover Star: Mr. Braun
Headlining Band: Nova Mob

www.jamesmgraham.net

I Saw a Certain Light In You

Anders mentions three streets in this song:

Boylan
Flatbush
St. Mary's

I had a friend that lived right off of Boylan Street in Raleigh about a block from The Char-Grill. In fact, you could hear the Char's loudspeaker announcing "Two Char chili cheeseburgers, small fries, Mountain Dew" from his living room. I don't know how Carl slept at night.

I live seven blocks from Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. I crossed it last night twice to take my friend Brian to Geido, the best sushi in NYC (although last night the service and the sushi were a little lacking...)

I was born on St. Mary's Street in Raleigh.

Obviously, Anders has spent time in both places. When you hear lyrics that are so familiar and personal ("How the hell does he know Boylan Street?") it kinda gives you goosebumps.

Plus, Anders is a really nice guy and obviously a great songwriter. Check out his former band, Varnaline...

It also doesn't hurt that my very good friend Greg Elkins plays loud guitar on this one, too...

Cover Star: Wet
Headlining Band: Anders Parker

www.jamesmgraham.net

3 Prints

Off to London.

24" x 30"

BIG as hell.

And beautiful.

My thanks to Brian and Ken.
Gentlemen, scholars (to say the least) and compatriots.

This city is a wondertown.

Cover Star: Prints
Headlining Band: Da Yout, July 4th 2008, Battery Park, NYFC

www.jamesmgraham.net

I've Recently Had a Request...

...for shooting people with more clothes on.

I actually do it quite a bit.

But yeah, more.

Thanks for the request, baby.

I listen.

; )

Cover Star: Sarah
Headlining Band: The Dream Syndicate

www.jamesmgraham.net

(An Interlude)

There are so many things I could say.

Like, I shoulda been born in Minneapolis. But...

Makes no sense at all...and/or places I wish I could have been.

Just watch the fucking videos.

The Netherlands, 1987.



The Byrds unearthed by The Du. But why is Greg Norton wearing a grey bodysuit?

Encore. Are you listening Bob, Greg And Grant?

Middletown, NY, 1989



2:59 in, when Paul knocks over the mike after saying "I hate your cell phone."

THAT is punk rock, kids.

"How do you say 'I quit?'"

212, 313...

For CD

Cover Star: Socks 6
Headlining Band: The Mats

www.jamesmgraham.net

Tell My Friends I'm Doing Fine

Drive yourself right up the wall. It's a useless wait.

Love letter.

Your age is the hardest age, everything just drags and drags.

Listen closely.

You're looking funny
You ain't laughing, are you?

Cover Star: Melinda
Headlining Band: The Mats

www.jamesmgraham.net

She Don't Give a Damn What the Other Girls Say

Just saw two test prints of my portraiture work, 16" x 24", digital, on Museo Silver Rag paper. They were so awesome that I came home to re-retouch the files. Again.

Thanks, Brian.
Thanks, Ken.

No, no...
Stand back here.
I wish she was bigger, you know, like four feet tall.
How large do you think we can go with that?
We'll have to do another test.
I kind of want to meet her...
Is that digital?

Oh, and this here blog is exactly three years old.

Cover Star: Cover Star
Headlining Band: The Du

www.jamesmgraham.net

Everybody...Says I Don't Care

I care.

More than you could possibly imagine.

I'm just trying to remember.

Merry Christmas.

Cover Star: Smoke Photo by Steve Bruno
Headlining Band: The Dream Syndicate

www.jamesmgraham.net

Proud

A very good friend of mine asked me a long, long time ago - what about your work are you proud of? And then he told me to think about it before I answered him.

That question resonated with me. I think of what Jim said every time I scan a negative or look at a digital shot. Every time. He has no idea, but I do.

On this here blog, I show everything - warts, dimples and creases.

I don't give a fuck. Here. It doesn't matter. It's process, experimentation and masturbation.

It's cathartic. Or just a lie. Or just a place to be stalked or admired.

Same thing, really.

But, I am proud of this photograph, so the rest of all of that can go to hell:


VIBE folded yesterday. And George helped incubate it and turn it into VIBE. This is for him.

Thanks, Sarah...

Cover Star: George Pitts, Photographer
Headlining Band: Hayden

www.jamesmgraham.net