What About The Night Makes You Change?

Cover Star: One of the many amazing models from Diana Eng's Spring 2010 Show.
Headlining Band: The Black Keys

www.jamesmgraham.net

Piano Song

And did she tie her hair?

Cover Star: One of the many amazing models from Diana Eng's Spring 2010 Show.
Headlining Band: NC&TMFBS

www.jamesmgraham.net

It's a Wonderful LIfe

"We can BUILD our dungeons in the air
And sit and CRY the blues
We can STOMP across this world
With nails HAMMERED through our shoes"

This is not the photo I wanted to exhibit here.
I know better, I think.

My chest hurts...

Cover Star: One of the many amazing models from Diana Eng's Spring 2010 Show.
Headlining Band: NC&TMFBS

www.jamesmgraham.net

And Who But My Black Hearted Love?

Greetings.

I miss Alexander McQueen.

Goodnight.

Cover Star: JG
Headlining Band: PJMFH

www.jamesmgraham.net

Outtake, August 2007

And I'd lose the use of my legs...
...just to see you smile.

Five half-frame shots. Neopan 1600.

Cover Star: JG
Headlining Band: Elbow

www.jamesmgraham.net

Outtake, January 2008

Say one fucking word...
..I dare you.

"I've written a lot of stuff being on something. Drinking or doing drugs doesn't make it any easier, but it's different, you know?... that song, 'Cupid's Trick' on 'Either/Or' - the rock song? I made that up while in a state, and I have no idea what I was talking about. It made perfect sense to me at the time, but now it's just a bunch of words."
- Elliott Smith, SPIN Magazine

Two half-frame shots. Neopan 1600.

Cover Star: MMS
Headlining Band: EMFS

www.jamesmgraham.net

Lost In My Car Somewhere

Because after all, biting isn't fucking - is it boys and girls...?

Is it?

Cover Star: Outtake, December 2007
Headlining Band: The. Black. Heart. Procession.

www.jamesmgraham.net

I Want a Witness, I Want To Testify...

Alvin Booth, Photographer.

I met the man last night and got to experience some of his latest work. Literally, firsthand.

Braille embedded into the photo paper felt through a white cotton glove.

Check him out.

Cover Star: Sarah
Headlining Band: Big Star

www.jamesmgraham.net

Somewhere

"Somewhere"

Doesn't look right when you type it. It's one of those words like, what? Like -

"It looks like time's gonna kill her first."

That kind of word.

Somewhere...there's people livin'.

Cover Star: Karolina
Headlining Band: AMC, in all of their glory.

www.jamesmgraham.net

That's What She Said...

Cover Star: Print & Package
Headlining Band: Alex Chilton, London 1970, destroying his Box Tops hit.

www.jamesmgraham.net

Alex Chilton R.I.P.

"If he died in Memphis, then that'd be cool, babe."
- Westerberg

Big Star's "Thirteen." Quintessential genius.

That's two fucking obituaries in a row...

Cover Star: Alex Chilton
Headlining Band: The Mats

www.jamesmgraham.net

Caligari's Mirror

~Vagabond, free spirit, gypsy. That's what you are. Described to me the other night as having the soul of an old man. That makes sense. There is no fight in you, just flight. And anonymity. And invisibility and the desire to transport at will. Why are you not motivated? Why do you just want to disappear?~

Cleveland. 1998. I was working on a self-funded Pere Ubu documentary with the full cooperation of Ubu bandleader/songwriter/vocalist/accordionist David Thomas. He flew to New York and I interviewed him in a studio in TriBeCa (one of the most uncomfortable two hours I've ever spent, as he is a renowned curmudgeon). But then he asked me out for a drink with his friend Bob Holman, the poet, and THAT was cool.

Shortly thereafter, at David's urging, I drove to Cleveland with my good friend Dino (who was there for a wedding) and landed at the home of Ubu guitarist Jim Jones. Jim, one of the most gracious people I've ever met, personally drove me around Cleveland showing me all the prime "Ubu locations" i.e. "We all lived there" and "That's the building that the cover of 'Ray Gun Suitcase' has on it."

He ushered me around town for two days, took me to his favorite Chinese joint downtown and made me tea in his kitchen.


I took a shitload of photographs. My favorite was shooting Jim shooting a photo of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (he was doing some freelance photojournalism for the local paper). The irony that Cleveland's seminal punk rock band wasn't (and still isn't) represented in that building, was not lost on me.

I'm just scanning the negatives now and the time travel continues.

The documentary never came to fruition - my production company folded and the money went away. Shame, Pere Ubu deserves one. But I have the negatives and the memories.

Jim and I stayed in touch via phone and email for many years. He passed away in 2008 from heart failure. He was only 58 years old. I miss my buddy.

RIP, Jim.

Cover Star: Jim Jones
Headlining Band: Ubu, who else? Jim Jones on lead "secret-agent" guitar.

www.jamesmgraham.net

Those First Few Notes...

...of that song.

That street. That drink. That bartender. My company. That text message. That very revealing appearance. That everything. Late night conversations. DJ's. Card games. Dessert.

"Keeping my soul and my senses apart."

For me, those first few notes of that song reveal everything.

That song.

Cover Star: Daylight.
Headlining Band: Nick, yet again

www.jamesmgraham.net

Ships

Sailing all around me.

Cover Star: Amber. Today.
Headlining Band: Nick, yet again

www.jamesmgraham.net

Proof V

NYU, Summer of 1986. Somewhere on the Upper East Side across the street from Christopher Reeve's apartment. He could still walk at that point. And possibly - fly.

My first Arriflex! xoxoxo

I love several things about this photo:

- That it exists
- The big ass battery pack hanging on the bottom of the tripod
- The completely paranoid over-use of gaffer's tape
- The crooked bellows. I assume that was adjusted
- That sweet '80's digital watch
- Seeing myself at 21, ready to take over the fucking world

Cover Star: The Arriflex BL
Headlining Band: Nick again

www.jamesmgraham.net

Sunday...

What month is it? When will it stop raining? When does the money come rolling in (hunh, Mark Arm)?

My stint at Late Night Feelings has come to an end (for now). I'd like to thank George, Chase, Tony, Merkley, Bob and Nathan personally. And Amanda too. And those guys that drew my WZRD!

Just an awesome experience.

Not only was there a feeling of camaraderie among six photographers whose work I really admire, there was an acceptance and appreciation felt (by me) about my meager contributions.

And I will never forget Chase's impersonation of George asking about the whole vampire thing...

Click here:

Onward. We've got books and parties to work on...

...and remember: she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Cover Star: Katy, from another angle
Headlining Band: Mark Fuckin' Eitzel

www.jamesmgraham.net

Do You Take Jesus Christ To Be Your Personal Savior?

Hysteria, wisteria and a deep sea diver's suit.

And a routine atrocity. Oh, Nick, save the world, already.

Please?

But seriously (and I know the chicks dig it) lose the '70's porn-star mustache, ok?

C'mon now.

Click here:

Cover Star: My friend Theda, pissed off
Headlining Band: Nick Fuckin' Cave

www.jamesmgraham.net

Fire

Cover Star: Katy
Headlining Band: Nick Fuckin' Cave

www.jamesmgraham.net

Whiskey For Breakfast...

...as I sat sadly by her side.

Click here:

Cover Star: Katy and some creep
Headlining Band: Nick Fuckin' Cave

www.jamesmgraham.net

Room #1134

Archives - 2004.

The 'Rooms' series. My second after the 'Alice' series. Twenty different women in twenty different hotel rooms, mostly in NYC. We created characters, back stories and murder/suicide/revenge/boredom alibis - you name it.

It's never seen the light of day, except for a few individual shots. Photographers like Bob Coulter and Peter Gorman trumped me. Did it first. Did it better. Or at least did it first.

I present this story here in all of it's Black Love.

NO...Black and White Love.

I want to shoot 'stories' again...filmmaker angst talkin'.











Cover Star: The lovely and talented Amber Star who I am shooting again this Saturday.
Headlining Band: Greg Fuckin' Dulli covering Courtney Fuckin', well, you know...

LOVE.

I'm gonna get a kiss and I'm gonna get away from here...

www.jamesmgraham.net

In - Camera Diptychs

A dissertation / celebration.

Click here:

But, in the meantime, don't forget to listen to "Drugs." It'll be over in a minute or two...

Cover Star: The Konica Auto-Reflex
Headlining Band: Talking Fuckin' Heads

www.jamesmgraham.net

Vanishing Point

I was reminded what it felt like to just disappear, which is something that deep. down, for whatever reason, I love to do from time to time. One of my favorite things is realizing that no one, and I mean no one, knows exactly where you are or what you're doing, except those in your immediate vicinity. And most of those folks don't know you.

I was reminded of home cooked desserts, familiar scents, circumstances and feelings. Long overdue apologies, catch phrases for a sudden attack dinner, card games and a cast of characters that faded away so long ago.

It was like an all too familiar drug, one that you haven't done in a long time. A good drug, if you will. A very good drug.

Then the driver called and it was time to go...

The last 48 hours kind of went like this.
Not really, but close enough if you're a storyteller.
And I am.

"Driving out of Vegas in their automobile
She was in the backseat while he was at the wheel
With the windows wide open
All the money from the store, they'd gambled away
He said, 'The best laid plans often go astray.'
She took the page of her book and turned it down
She lit a cigarette, she didn't make a sound
"And I know if we'd had just one more chance,' he said
'I know, we'd finally hit the big one at last,' she said

Instead of another lost weekend
Lost weekend
Another lost weekend
Lost weekend

'Pull over soon,' she said, 'it's no big deal,
You can take any exit that you happen to feel is the right one.'
The right one
As she slowly blew her smoke out of the rear wind vent
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
'Maybe I shoulda' stayed in school,' he said
'Yeah, I know, start your own business cleaning swimming pools,' she said.

Instead of another lost weekend
Lost weekend
Another lost weekend
Lost weekend

She leaned forward over the front seat and twiddled with the radio dial
She looked out the window, saw a sign and both of them began to smile
'There's a place we could stay at...it's up another mile.'

I sketched out some potential t-shirt designs for the book release party.

And I gave away my round, wire-frame glasses...

Cover Star: The Potential T-Shirt Sketches
Headlining Band: Wall of Fuckin' Voodoo. Live 1983.

www.jamesmgraham.net

Proof IV

Raleigh, NC, 1987. My mother's long-since redecorated dining room.

That summer I decided to get a buzz cut. That was the last time that ever happened...

I wore these Artcraft frames for over ten years and still have them (at least I did five minutes ago).

Cover Star: The "Albini" look
Headlining Band: Captain Fuckin' Beefheart

www.jamesmgraham.net

Doll Me Up

Cover Star: Stormy
Headlining Band: David Fuckin' Grohl

www.jamesmgraham.net