Holidays

I spent Thanksgiving with the BK. We had Messrs. Berry, Buck, Mills & Stipe on the jukebox all day...The IRS albums, and "Green" (minus a couple of songs) and all of "New Adventures in Hi-Fi," their last GREAT album.

Autumn always reminds me of listening to R.E.M. - perhaps it's the being from the South, perhaps it's the trees, the weather, their music - I don't know.

Autumn in Brooklyn.

Thanksgiving.

Sad, but it means less to me the older I get. When my Grandmothers were alive, it was essential - I'd travel in the car an hour from my parent's house to rural NC with my family and walk into those smells, those arms that embrace you, those generations of traditions - and the food. My Grandmothers could cook their asses off. So can my Mother, but she doesn't anymore.

Autumn in Brooklyn.

All gone now.

Until I reinvent it.

There's a turkey breast in the refrigerator brining and potatoes and broccoli just waiting for hot water and the oven...

Cover Star: Doormat Face
Headlining Band: The aforementioned.

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

I'll Be at Your Arm if Worlds Collide

Yeah, I shot that.

Walk into some empty house and sit around all by yourself?

Plunk out.

Don't go back to Rockville and waste another year. That's not how it oughta be...

Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Cover Star: The Yokos
Headlining Band: R.E.M. (ancient 1985 demo). Dear R.E.M., Can you guys please make your next album at least as good as "Document" ??? OK, Thanks...Love, James.

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

The Last Living Rock King

Shutterbug. When's the last time you heard that term? Now, it's all guy-with-a-camera or some-dude-from-work-that-just-went-to-B&H or WORSE. Paparazzi. Amateur.

"Shutterbug." I kind of like that. Maybe there's a monograph title there?

Allegedly, as far as the song references go, 'he' is a certain drummer from a Seattle band and 'she' is well, "skinny" and "cruel." And from Dorset...

There's shit on TV. You're pushing my buttons. You know how to touch me...

I'm tired of excuses. I'm tired of whining. I'm tired of taking things out on people you care about.

So don't do that anymore, ok?

OK. Going out for whiskey.

Cover Star: Kristin
Headlining Band: Veruca Salt, yes, Veruca Salt. Shame about that band.

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Dichotomy / Melancholy / Vanity

This is why I do not take photographs of live bands. Because I can't.

Or won't.

But I had fun trying.

The Patrick Salt Ryan benefit at Fontana's.

I had a camera to my eye for five straight hours. When I saw Patrick who was on crutches, about four hours into the event, he looked into my eyes and asked me if I was high. My left eye was completely bloodshot. Eyepiece damage is not a thing I'm used to.

All for a good cause.

But man, that borrowed camera and godlike lens aspect ratio is weird...

I am available for album covers. Wait, is there any such thing as an album cover anymore?

I feel the powder burns.

Cover Star: 09/27/2010
Headlining Band: The Afghan Whigs, Bowery Ballroom, 02/20/1999. I was there too.

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Burns Upon Your Skin

Time-lapse.

Kelsey, in motion, shot with Fujicolor 800 and lit by an emergency flashlight.

The blackbird and the fox. Spiritual low. Ho ho ho...

Cover Star: Kelsey
Headlining Band: New Twilight Singers w/ Ani DiFranco

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Here Come Them Witnesses

I walked up Grand Street in Willimasburgland recently listening to this in one headphone.

I asked for the other headphone to hear the guitar.

I got the other headphone.
Sarah Lee and L. Ron Hubbard, indeed.

Perfect.

PJ Harvey. Call me...

I wanna take yer pitcher.

Cover Star: Niki
Headlining Band: Pure Rock Fury

James M. Graham, Website
James M. Graham, Tumblr
James M. Graham, Monograph

Who's Going To Protect You?

Weird head I got right now.

Gallery submissions ready for the mailbox. Pretty see through envelopes in black linen enclosures with seven (7) 11" x 14" prints. A note, a bio and a business card. Some of them even get a copy of my book. Yep.

On-line submissions submitted.

And Bali Shag, in the meantime...

Waiting...

Sold the two Danish Modern "Judith" chairs tonight for cash money. Good riddance. The buyer made me promise to perform an exorcism, which I will do in twenty minutes, guaranteed. I aim to please.

The land of sunshine is just over - there...

Cover Star: Sarah
Headlining Band: FNM, in one of their finer moments, of which there are many...

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Instrumental

Listen...

My hands are strong.

Cover Star: Joni & Carsten's place in Brooklyn, this afternoon
Headlining Band: Slint

James M. Graham, Website
James M. Graham, Tumblr
James M. Graham, Monograph

Why All I Want Is Something Beautiful

I wrote my Last Will and Testament today.

And authorized my Living Will and Health Care Proxy, New York State, yo!

Weird, but morbidly fulfilling. Listened to Bikini Kill the whole time.

No one is gonna put me in the ground to rot now. No one is gonna say who my shit goes to now.

I get to say. One of the greatest things about being an adult.

You get to say. As long as you are alive.

Then I went into the city and saw a bunch of good friends of mine, which affirmed the belief that no one is gonna get my shit any time soon.

Let me get rich first before you fight over it, bitches...

All of these documents are in my filing cabinet, top drawer, back and to the left, should I end up at the Dekalb subway station later tonight.

A place to rest.

Cover Star: Somna
Headlining Band: Mr. Fucking Mike Patton & Band

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Tough Times

Random ramblings 11.09.10

"natural light, capture rather than contrived, bed and breakfast - stu's, matt's, call dean at (agency), contact (agency), get 'pretty girls' and shoot them outdoors, mua, stylist, etc...get a job, and you said you'd let me shoot you - yeah you did, romantic..."moments" - moments, my moments, her style, not mine..."

Thinking...

Cover Star: Sybil
Headlining Band: Mr. Fucking Muddy Waters

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Monkey Trick

"This one, it stops right here now, I think it's trouble you invite.
In so much as they don't know what's right.
This one, it stops right here now, I think it's trouble that you invite.
An absurd gag, a monkey trick, an Irish Bull, a childish joke. "

Sing me to sleep, David Yow...

Ow.

Makes one feel how harmless Bob Pollard is.

Cover Star: Rael
Headlining Band: TJL

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Gold Star For Robot Boy!!!

Last show on the THE HALLWAY OF SHATTERPROOF GLASS TOUR 2010!

Cover Star: GBV
Headlining Band: GBV

James M. Graham, Website
James M. Graham, Tumblr
James M. Graham, Monograph

The Ghosts That Sell Memories...

Nothing is often and always, the best thing to say.

Unless you are Tom Waits. Then, you can say whatever the fuck you want to...

Cover Star: yeah
Headlining Band: Tom

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph

Sometimes Fugazi Makes Everything Better...

Been battling a cold for the last five days that has made me hate my inner life - read: chest, head and heart.

I sweated a 'Shroud of Turin' of myself on Saturday night all over the sheets. No photos, sorry...

Avoid this if you can. Most of my friends have it.

I gave a friend of mine a gift tonight - which he wouldn't have purchased himself - and I knew that. Scalped tickets to get it for him. It's called "Life." And that makes me happy. Look it up...

Listened to Fugazi last night for, I don't know, 5 hours? And then my uptight two flights down neighbor rang my buzzer and asked me to turn 'my music' down. It was 11:45pm - late if you have to get up at 6:00am - I get it - but it wasn't that loud. It is now. "Steady Diet of Nothing" pretty fucking loud. Deal. Ring the buzzer again. I dare you...

I had the best Halloween, of perhaps, my entire life.

Does that mean anything to you, two flights down uptight neighbor? Probably not. But to me, it does.

Did you vote today? And all you Californians - Proposition 19?

Let's talk, or more importantly, let's talk tomorrow once the results are in.

A first step. And I don't even give a shit about 'the pot.' But I do give a shit about the decriminalization of it. And California is the first place to start.

And the second place to start would be Fugazi getting back together so that I can take all my friends that never saw them. And if they want to, they can smoke 'the pot' or not - Fugazi wouldn't agree with that, necessarily. Jus' sayin'...

"It's your Father's footsteps or your Mother's shoes..."

Cover Star: Isa
Headlining Band: FUGAZI

James M. Graham, Website
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James M. Graham, Monograph