Phantasmagoria Machine

A Long Forgotten Friend

2011-11-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

Apparently, it's been a few years since I've last updated this blog. It seems neglect can be quite contour productive. I seem to have gotten the blog bug today and what a perfect day for it as well. Today, one of the most quintessential albums of all time celebrates it's 20th anniversary.

Happy 20th Birthday! Loveless!

You still remain to be as unmatched and transcendent as you where when you were released onto the world.

Virtual Mix Tape 6

2009-08-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Side A:
1. Elvis Costello - No Action
2. The Stills - Dinosaurs
3. The Flamingos - Lovers Never Say Goodbye
4. Buell Kazee - The Butcher's Boy / Adrian Klumpes - Be Still
5. Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song
6. My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
7. Them - My Lonely Sad Eyes

Side B:
1. Pic-Nic - Cállate Niña
2. Surf City - Headin' Inside
3. 1910 Fruitgum Company - Indian Giver
4. Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro - Esas No Son Cubanas
5. The Rays - Silhouettes
6. Circuit 7 - Video Boys
7. Thee Silver Mountain Reveries - There's a River in the Valley Made of Melting Snow

download

If you'd like to listen to previous mix tapes you can download them at Phantasmagoria Machine.

Virtual Mix Tape 5: MiniMix

2009-06-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

Virtual Mix Tape 5: MiniMix

1. Spacemen 3 - Mary Anne
2. Spades - We Sell Soul
3. Bob Dylan - The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
4. Wipers - No Generation Gap
5. Catholic Discipline - Shooting Up With Mother
6. The Shop Assistants - I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
7. Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill
8. Crystal Stilts - Love is a Wave
9. McCarthy - Red Sleeping Beauty

download

If you'd like to listen to previous mix tapes you can download them at Phantasmagoria Machine.

Virtual Mix Tape 4

2009-05-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

Virtual Mix Tape 4
Mixed by Dead Twin in September 2008

Side A
1. The Chameleons - Prisoners Of The Sun
2. The Gris Gris - Medication #3
3. Ariel Pink - The List
4. The Sound - Party Of My Mind
5. Section 25 - Looking From A Hilltop

Side B
1. Herrmann & Kleine - Leaving You Behind
2. Grouper - Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
3. Cocteau Twins - Cherry-Coloured Funk (Seefeel Remix)
4. Danny Elfman - Death! (from Edward Scissorhands)
5. Brian Eno - Spider and I

download

New Deathday Party - Night of the Hunter

2009-04-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

Two new tracks were posted on the Deathday Party blog this evening. The songs are titled Night Of The Hunter and V. These tracks are instrumental demos that date back to August of 2007 and feature Vincent Reyes, formerly of the Whittier band, Friends in the Mountains on drums.

You can download the two songs via the Deathday Party Blog.

Ghosts

2009-04-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

When I was 24 I fell in love for the first time in my life. It happened in a snow covered mountain in a moment much like this one. It was also the first time I attempted to use infrared film. I ended up climbing into the trunk of my car to load the film in total darkness. When I got out of the car, the girl I was with caught me by surprise when she started to undress herself in freezing cold. I began to take pictures of her and followed her every sway through the iris. At some point a group of kids started walking down the hill and I quickly covered her with my jacket. On the drive home we listened to Brian Eno's An Ending (Ascent) and she eventually fell asleep. When I got home I discovered that I hadn't loaded the film properly and that those moments were lost.

These amazing photos come from a British artist by the name of Hannah Davis.

Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"

2009-04-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

For the last two days I've been obsessively listening to a song called "Two Weeks" off the forthcoming Grizzly Bear record entitled Veckatimest. This song is absolutely glorious and the best part of it is that it features guest vocals by Victoria Legrand of Beach House. Victoria joined Grizzly Bear on-stage last week at SXSW to perform the song together for the first time.

Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks" after only one night the link was removed. sorry grizzly bear.

Phantasmagoria Machine Presents

2009-03-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Phantasmagoria Machine and The Eclectic Company Presents:

Saturday, March 28th 2009
Bobb Bruno
Deathday Party
COMBAT!
Moon Pearl
Christiaan Cruz

Orange County Center For Contemporary Art
117 North Sycamore
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Free | All Ages

Here's the break down

Bobb Bruno

Bobb Bruno is an enigma in Los Angeles. He has been a part of LA's most notable acts in some form or another. His resume is spectacular and endless. He's played in Scarnella with Nels Cline and Carla Bozulich. He's also recorded albums by Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko and Pocahaunted. The list goes on and on, however, the best thing about Bobb is the way he takes you on various journeys through the worlds he creates. From glitchy, dreamesque patterns to droned, sluggish doom, Bobb Bruno will statter your expectations of what you think music should be.

COMBAT!

Los Angeles based electronic musician COMBAT!, commonly known as Mark Nieto, has been making music under the moniker for the past four years. Originally playing in punk bands throughout his youth, COMBAT! was turned onto electronic music during his college years and experienced a musical epiphany. Captivated by the sounds of Aphex Twin, Prefuse 73 and others, he set out to create his own abstract compositions. Using found sounds, samples from records, as well as his own personal recordings, he creates multi-textural pieces that give the listener a unique experience with each play.

Deathday Party

Deathday Party formed in Santa Ana in 2001. In March of 2006 they took part in Glenn Branca’s “Symphony #13 (Hallucination City)” for 100 guitars then went on hiatus. In October of 2008 they reformed as a duo and performed with Thrones and The Dead Science. Since then they have recorded two 7" singles, "Prehistoric Pets" and "Pink Noise."

Christiaan Cruz

Christiaan Cruz is a Southern California based photographer by trade. Early studies in Cinema and modern music generated simple installations, videos, improvised music and computer pieces. New concerns in human interaction, connectivity, sound, and appropriate design now shape works for water, flowers, and bouncing balls.

Bleeding Eyes

2009-03-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

The first official performance under the moniker Dead Twin took place on February 21, 2009 as part of the Eclectic Music Concerts series put on by the Eclectic Company at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Arts. This was Eclectic Music Concert #32. It was a blast to play and very much enjoyed finally seeing Christiaan Cruz improvise. Dancing Lethargic was a pleasant surprise and Imra (from Portland) provided blissed out vocals and an ARP synthesizer that sounded like God. Unfortunately, Mitchell Brown had to cancel.

Dead Twin is a project I have been working on since 2005 and it's origins can be traced back as far as the early 90's. It has mostly been facilitated as a form of sound diaries, if you will. Thanks to Sean from Imra for inviting me, other wise this project would have continued to stay in the bedroom.

Here is a clip of a song in progress called, Bleeding Eyes.

Best Songs of 2008

2008-12-24T10:58:00.001-08:00

01. Animal Collective: "Water Curses"
02. Abe Vigoda: "Bearface"
03. Dodos: "Fools"
04. El Guincho: "Antillas"
05. Beach House: "You Came to Me"
06. Cheap Time: "People Talk"
07. Crystal Castles: "Tell Me What to Swallow "
08. The Dead Science: "The Dancing Destroyer"
09. Grouper: "Heavy Water/I'd Rather be Sleeping"
10. The Helio Sequence: "Shed Your Love"
11. M83: "Graveyard Girl"
12. No Age: "Things I Did When I Was Dead"
13. Thee Oh Sees: "Grease 2"
14. Pyramids: Loveliescrushing remixes
15. Silentist: "Entropy"
16. Telepathe: "Devil's Trident"
17. Tickley Feather: "The Python"
18. Vivian Girls: "I Believe in Nothing"
19. Voice on Tape: "Marry You When Yr Sleeping"
20. The Walkmen: "In the New Year"

EP III | Blood

2008-12-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

Blood | EP III

download

Virtual Mixtape roundup!

2008-12-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

Virtual Mix Tape 1

Side A
1. Joe Meek - I Hear a New World
2. Willie Colón & Hector Lavoe - Aguanile
3. Jay Reatard - My Shadow
4. Del Shannon - Runaway
5. Big Star - Big Black Car
6. Screaming Lord Sutch - She's Falling in Love with the Monster Man
7. The Monks - Oh, How to do now
8. The Magnetic Fields - Absolutely Cuckoo
9. Mew - Drown
10. John Fahey - Requiem for Mississippi John Hurt

Side B
1. The Tornados - Telstar
2. Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit
3. Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action
4. Babatunde Olatunji - Akiwowo
5. Roy Orbison - Crying
6. Elvis Presley - Blue Moon
7. Nat King Cole - Nature Boy
8. The Beach Boys - Caroline No
9. OMD - Stanlow

download

Virtual Mix Tape 2

Side A
1. Sparks - This town isn't big enough for the both of us
2. Jay Reatard - Let it all go
3. Moondog - Lullaby (2 West 46th Street)
4. Thin Lizzy - Sitamoia
5. The Zombies - Leave me be
6. The Shangri-Las - What's a girl supposed to do
7. Orange Juice - Moscow
8. Liars - Pure Unevil
9. Loveliscrushing - Plume
10. Why? - Dirty Glass
11. Ariel Pink - Shaven

Side B
1. Elliot Smith - Needle in the hay
2. John Leyton - Johnny remember me
3. The Beach Boys - Vega-Tables
4. Pink Floyd - Scarecrow
5. Eric Burden & The Animals - Sky Pilot
6. Buddy Rich Vs Max Roach - Figure Eights
7. Daniel Johnston - Devil Town
8. Rocket From The Tombs - Final Solution
9. Low - Shots & Ladders

download

Virtual Mix Tape 3

Side A:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Nocturnal Me
2. Disco Inferno - Waking Up
3. Velvet Underground - I Found A Reason
4. The Beatles - Julia
5. Arvo Part - Fratres

Side B:
1. Microstoria - Fakeshift
2. Kraftwerk - Ananas Symphonie
3. Bert Jansch - So Long (Been On the Road So Long)
4. The Tornados - Red Roses And A Sky Of Blue
5. The Tornados - Popeye Twist
6. Scott Walker - Always Coming Back to You
7. Jesus and Mary Chain - Bo Diddley is Jesus

download

Whole Wide World

2008-11-16T18:01:00.001-08:00

Electricity

2008-11-16T01:15:00.000-08:00

Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos 2008

2008-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Share the fuckin wealth, bitch

2008-10-22T12:53:00.001-07:00

foto courtesy of the might gorga

The crew went to UCI last night for the Ian MacKaye Q&A. The classroom in which the event was held was so packed beyond capacity that folks had to stand along the walls, stairs and on stage. Completely resembled a punk rock house party... and it was only fitting, 78% of the audience kept asking questions about old hat shit like Minor Threat, Straight Edge and Hardcore, which were all relevant 28 years ago! I think Mr. MacKaye said it best when asked if Minor Threat would ever reunited... "you want to see Minor Threat? Start a fucking band and blow Minor Threat away!"

foto courtesy of the might gorga

On a more exciting tip, it was interesting, if only for a minute, to hear Ian give his opinions about John McCain.

"...Share the fuckin wealth, bitch!"

Current Playlist:
Alien Sex Fiend - Now I'm Feeling Zombiefied
The Birthday Party - King Ink
Ministry - Burning Inside
Screaming Lord Sutch - Jack The Ripper
Bauhaus - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
Beach House - Tokyo Witch
Dreamend - In Her Little Bed We lay Her

October Mixtape drops in a few days!

La Princesa y El Enano

2008-10-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Había una vez una princesa que vivía en un palacio muy grande. El día en que cumplía trece años hubo una gran fiesta, con trapecistas, magos, payasos..... Pero la princesa se aburría. Entonces, apareció un enano, un enano muy feo que daba brincos y hacía piruetas en el aire. El enano fue todo un acontecimiento.

Bravo, Bravo, decía la princesa aplaudiendo y sin dejar de reír, y el enano,contagiado de su alegría, saltaba y saltaba, hasta que cayó al suelo rendido. "Sigue saltando, por favor" dijo la princesa. Pero el enano ya no podía más. La princesa se puso triste y se retiró a sus aposentos.....

Al rato, el enano, orgulloso de haber agradado a la princesa, decidió ir a buscarla, convencido de que ella se iría a vivir con él al bosque. "Ella no es feliz aquí" pensaba el enano. "Yo la cuidaré y la haré reír siempre". El enano recorrió el palacio, buscando la habitación de la princesa, pero al llegar a uno de los salones vio algo horrible. Ante él había un monstruo que lo miraba con ojos torcidos y sanguinolentos, con unas manos peludas y unos pies enormes. El enano quiso morirse cuando se dio cuenta de que aquel monstruo era él mismo, reflejado en un espejo. En ese momento entró la princesa con su séquito. "Ah estas aquí, qué bien, baila otra vez para mí, por favor". Pero el enano estaba tirado en el suelo y no se movía. El médico de la corte se acercó a él y le tomó el pulso. "Ya no bailará más para vos, princesa" le dijo. "¿Por qué?" preguntó la princesa. "Porque se le ha roto el corazón". Y la princesa contestó: "De ahora en adelante, que todos los que vengan a palacio no tengan corazón".

Salton Sea

2008-10-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

More Salton Sea fotos, these were taken by Sonny.

Throne of Villainy

2008-10-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

We played at The Smell tonight with The Dead Science. It was awesome to hang out with Jherek, Nick and Sam again!
Thanks Guys!

Foto taken from Jeramy's L'enfer sans toi blog.

Straight Outta Jail To My Bloody Valentine

2008-10-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last night a CHP decided he would use me to fill his quota... He pulled me over for speeding and after 20 minutes of so called "sobriety test" he placed me under arrest, drove me to headquarters and had me blow into the breathalyzer. I was never told what my blood alcohol level was. Later I was taken to the Santa Ana Jail where the officers had Scrappy Doo syndrome and fucked with us all night long. I was released around 1pm the following day and came across this on my walk home. I guess lots of kids are dying in the hood these days. A few hours later I found myself in Santa Monica awaiting the arrival of My Bloody Valentine.

Silentist Show At The Smell

2008-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Someone representing Santa Ana in The Smell bathroom.

Open Wounds

2008-09-29T14:20:00.001-07:00

Missing

2008-09-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

The First Day of Fall

2008-09-23T14:59:00.002-07:00

Random Living

2008-09-15T15:07:00.001-07:00

Silentist Show

2008-09-12T16:29:00.001-07:00

posters for the deathday, silentist and thrones show at the smell arrived today.

show info:

September, 30 2008

Thrones
Silentist
Geromino
Deathday Party

at The Smell
247 South Main Street, Los Angeles

A Ghost In The House

2008-09-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year is almost upon us!

Virtual Mix Tape 3

2008-08-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Side A:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen - Nocturnal Me
2. Disco Inferno - Waking Up
3. Velvet Underground - I Found A Reason
4. The Beatles - Julia
5. Arvo Part - Fratres

Side B:
1. Microstoria - Fakeshift
2. Kraftwerk - Ananas Symphonie
3. Bert Jansch - So Long (Been On the Road So Long)
4. The Tornados - Red Roses And A Sky Of Blue
5. The Tornados - Popeye Twist
6. Scott Walker - Always Coming Back to You
7. Jesus and Mary Chain - Bo Diddley is Jesus

Photograph taken at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France in December of 2004.

download

Places for the future: Barcelona

2008-08-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Places for the future: Kreuzberg

2008-08-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Berlin

1991: The Year Punk Broke

2008-08-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

I purchased this on VHS back in 1992 at chain store called Music Plus that was down the street from my parents' house. At the time I was 11 years old and only had three or four tapes, Sonic Youth's Goo, Nirvana's Bleach and Ramonesmania. None of them even belonged to me, I had permanently "borrowed" them from an uncle. All three bands were featured in the film.

At the time all I had was those tapes, a sony walkman and a Mike McGill deck. I think I aquired a stratocaster shortly after.

Santa Ana Ghosts + Flowers

2008-08-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Model Maker

Courthouse Construction

Santa Ana Cafe and See's Candies

These are random photographs of Santa Ana in the old times.

Virtual 7" | Improvisations

2008-08-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

Improvisations | Virtual 7"

I'm cleaning out the vaults before I start putting up new material.

These improvisations were recorded straight to a RadioShack cassette recorder in December of 2004 right before I left to England and France.

They were a result of nervous breakdown.

download

Virtual Mix Tape 2

2008-07-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

Virtual Mix Tape 2

Side A
1. Sparks - This town isn't big enough for the both of us
2. Jay Reatard - Let it all go
3. Moondog - Lullaby (2 West 46th Street)
4. Thin Lizzy - Sitamoia
5. The Zombies - Leave me be
6. The Shangri-Las - What's a girl supposed to do
7. Orange Juice - Moscow
8. Liars - Pure Unevil
9. Loveliscrushing - Plume
10. Why? - Dirty Glass
11. Ariel Pink - Shaven

Side B
1. Elliot Smith - Needle in the hay
2. John Leyton - Johnny remember me
3. The Beach Boys - Vega-Tables
4. Pink Floyd - Scarecrow
5. Eric Burden & The Animals - Sky Pilot
6. Buddy Rich Vs Max Roach - Figure Eights
7. Daniel Johnston - Devil Town
8. Rocket From The Tombs - Final Solution
9. Low - Shots & Ladders

download

Vegan Experiments

2008-07-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Brown Rice, Cuban Black Beans, Magic Mushrooms and Asparagus

Virtual Mix Tape 1

2008-06-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of those tapes that you start making for someone but never give to them. I started working on it back in January and have since modified the tracklisting. The mix tape originally contained the songs "try me" by James Brown and "I've been loving too long" by Otis Redding, which I have since removed.

Shortly after making this tape, my friend Vince asked me to make him a Brian Eno tape and a shoegaze tape. Since then I have been making mix tapes monthly.

I will be posting these monthly, but for now...

You can download the January mix tape here.

My Birthday in Santa Cruz

2008-06-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

EP I | Moaning The Death Blues

2008-05-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Moaning The Death Blues | EP I

These performances were committed to hard disc between July and October of 2005, since then they have been sitting on a wooden shelf collecting dust. Though they are incomplete, I am putting them out because i don't have any intentions of finishing them. For the most part, these were improvisations or basic ideas for songs. They're rough but that seems to be what i'm enjoying about them

You can download them here.

This is the first EP in a series of three, EPs II and II will be posted within the next few weeks.

In a room with a red t-shirt, grandfathers and cuckoos.

2007-12-01T01:52:00.000-08:00

sequences from different channels.

sometimes i misguide myself...
but ultimately, it gets me to the truth.
i need to start keeping a journal.

there's a van heading to the northwest with an acoustic guitar in it.
they're a singing the sonnets of your doom.

list of things i need to remember:

i like cameras but forget to take pictures.
the seasons all change and i can't keep up.
still hear ghosts near the window.
but we all made nice.
can't keep a job in the winter.
my hands shake too much.

i am obsessive,
i've got no restraint,
you break hearts like you change underwear.

the rain gave birth to the sparrow.
you gave birth to a stillborn.
a man that is dying isn't very becoming at all.

a shotgun house in a ghost town.
in a room full of clocks.
there's a trumpet and an old bass drum.

you found another lover.
i bought another record.
i act like a whore cause you've turned to a bore.

should i move to the bay and play my guitar?
is the water cold under the bridge in the night?

he left mother russia when it was destroyed.
now he drinks all day cause he's unemployed.

you smoke to feel nothing.
but the worst thing of all...
you numb yourself dead when i'm most alive.

he's driving cross country to photograph ghosts.
but i'm afraid the place where they rome already burned down.

you sing songs in the car as we head south.
the wind pushes your palms up towards the sky.
when you hear toy pianos.
you march and crash cymbals.
where hearts can feel something and die in delight.

there are twelve different alex's in a year.
go figure.

i had several life altering epiphanies tonight,
i might be ahead by a day.

http://www.oboylephoto.com/girls_school/index.htm

Guanajuato Mummies

2007-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mexico

2007-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Michoacan

2006-12-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

.xiu xiu.

2006-11-10T03:18:00.000-08:00

The Echo Los Angeles, CA

.film.

2006-11-08T01:49:00.000-08:00

a collaboration with manifestosis.

.dia de los muertos.

2006-11-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Downtown Artist District: Santa Ana, California

.coalinga.

2006-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

.satanic masterpiece theater.

2006-08-27T03:07:00.000-07:00

The Smell Los Angeles, CA

.carla bozulich.

2006-07-02T01:43:00.000-07:00

Carla Bozulich. Anni Rossi.
Che Cafe San Diego, CA

.mexico.

2006-07-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Puerto Nuevo Baja California.

.dead babies in the street.

2006-06-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

.may day.

2006-05-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Over 1.5 million people took part in May Day demonstrations in 2006 in what amounted to one of the single largest days of protest in US history. Many also participated in a general strike by refusing to conduct business, go to work, or attend school. The protests were called by immigrants groups and immigrant solidarity groups as a national day of action against House Resolution 4437, which would have criminalized those assisting undocumented immigrants as "alien smugglers" and turned undocumented status from a civil violation to a federal aggravated felony.

you can view the entire infrared foto set here.

.stills from a film.

2006-04-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

.hallucination city.

2006-03-27T04:04:00.000-08:00

.derelict hospital.

2006-02-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Near Downey, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) there is an abandoned hospital campus situated near a residential area. From random clues and records found at this site, it appears as if the hospital has been abandoned for at least 20 years. Already the buildings show signs of advanced aging, by way of vandalism, marauding plant growth, leaky rooves and overall neglect.

more photographs can be viewed here.

.editors.

2006-01-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

Cinespace Hollywood, CA

.los angeles.

2006-01-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

The Smell Los Angeles, CA

.salton sea.

2005-11-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

.visalia.

2005-08-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

this is the portland based noise duo, yellow swans. the appetizer before xiu xiu graced the stage (or floor).

you can access more black & white concert photos here.

Another adventure on the road with Taliana. Drove out to Visilia, a little town near Fresno, to see xiu xiu. Four hours down the grapevine from Los Angeles. Anyway, when we got there Taliana mentioned that it reminded her of Hemet.

So apparently, kids were organizing the shows! They were really taking matters into their own hands by organizing shows and at a pizza parlor no less. They even had a little zine going. Very enjoyable atmosphere… Good pizza too!

Anyhow, Xiu Xiu were great, I really enjoyed their performance, and looks like they trimmed the fat on members from the last time I saw them. Now it’s just Jamie and a girl, boy, was she adorable.

So the show ended, and we had to drive back home. I drove for about an hour and a half before I just started to fall asleep at the wheel. Tal had been sleeping for about an hour. I found an exit and pulled over for a nap. I found a small river or ditch next to a vacant road and parked, the moon lit the water and I couldn’t help but watch for a little before I shut my eyes.

People are so beautiful when they sleep.

still alive

2005-07-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

.manhattan.

2005-04-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

.new jersey.

2005-04-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

.philadelphia.

2005-04-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

.thurston moore.

2005-02-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

you can access more black & white concert photos here.

.paris.

2004-12-18T03:52:00.000-08:00

My morning started a bit early today, I left the hostel in Piccadilly at a little past 4:00 in the morning. The walk to the tube station was amazing, this was the first time I got to see London in its desolate sleep. So gloomy, such historical monuments everywhere and not a soul in sight. People are usually at their most beautiful when they sleep, why should cities be any different?

Anyhow, I got to the waterloo station on foot because the tube wasn't running at the time. The walk was about an hour, my ticket says I should be arriving to Paris at 9.
---From written journal

I just walked out of the train station, boy is Paris a real shit hole. And it's raining. As I'm walking away from the train station, I'm looking at human feces, or should I say "baby mice" just lying in the middle of the sidewalk, amazing no? "Danger de Mort!" I think that means if I touch it I die. Wait! Here comes someone, I’ll ask for directions.
---From tape recorder

So I found my way to the lizard kings tomb... and I must admit I’m a wee bit disappointed, but by no means am I referring to the trip. So far, this has been the most exciting part. I’ve only been in Paris for a little over 2 hours and already, I want to live here. Everything is so old and falling apart, it's a dump! I love it, it's my dump! Anyhow, I’m disappointed that Mr. Morrison has a regular looking tombstone, wasn't his head supposed to be here along side of gratified walls and a coven of vampires surrounding it? By the way, I’m listening to M83. French band in the French land! How appropriate.
---From tape recorder

I just got kicked out of Le Cimetière du Père Lachaise because there’s a storm apparently approaching, I wanted to take more photographs but oh well, guess I’ll have to come back next year.

Anyway, I met an older gentleman named Jacques. He volunteered to show me around the cemetery. He showed me many great sites, but mostly talked about communism and how Americans should assume control to over through their government. I told him I expect another civil war soon. He disagreed and said that, “the swine’s are comfortable in their contentment. They don’t know the sense of revolt.” I believe he’s correct.

But enough, the chapels are breathtaking; this has to be one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world. I sincerely doubt I’ll ever get married but if I do, I want to get hitched in Paris. Maybe even have a quickie on one of the trees. Anyway, I'm getting back on the metro. it's raining really hard now and i sitll need to find the Eiffel tower.

Oh, Most of the graves he showed me were that of dead communists.
---From Tape Recorder

it's about four in the afternoon now and the strom is out of hand! it's fucking freezing! it's great! i found the Eiffel Tower, 2 hours behind schedule though. When i got back to the train station, one of the attendents decided it wound be funny to send me the wrong way on the metro, the bloody wanker. so i ended up on the outskirts on Paris in a little town with a lake surrounded by green fields and tiny houses made out of stone. it was a glorious site, maybe i should thank him?

Cutting to the chase, I just saw La Cinémathèque Française and pretending I was in the dreamers, minus the rain, that's the original part. I think I’m going back to London though, my feet are getting numb. I've been walking in the rain since 9:30 am.

.london.

2004-12-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

.Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band.

2004-12-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

Electric Ballroom London, England

England Day Three

2004-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

tonight we wen't exploring, everyone talked about camden town like it was the greatest thing in the world and they weren't kidding. amazing shops, eats, etc. it's like melrose ave back in LA but only streaching for miles with actual good things for sale. then we went to Sheppards Bush, checkin out the site's when we wondered into a Kabob shop and ordered the jihad special. As soon as we did everyone in the room clammed up and turned to look at us. Just then the guys outside came in, locked the doors and closed the shutters. We were then taken into a low lit backroom that contained a table and a gun. E was forced to play russain roullette against the leader of a splinter cell. Luckily he won, but we had to run for our lives as they attended to there wounded leader. To say the least, I dont think we could ever go back to Shepards Bush again. Arggg this trip is wierd.

.San Luis Obispo.

2002-10-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

The Mars Volta Club SLO Brew San Luis Obispo, CA

view more photographs from the show here.

.san francisco.

2001-01-10T03:59:00.000-08:00