Thursday, August 28, 2008

My Visual Thoughts on "Pecha Kucha Night" for Royal T

I've been invited to participate in "Pecha Kucha Night" at Royal T in Culver City. Basically I can show 20 slides during my talk and my subject matter is going to be TamTam Books.

These are not the slides I will be showing, but it is for sure my 'thinking process' via a visual mode. If you catch my drift?


Josephine Baker with Georges Simenon


It takes place somewhere here


Which is actually here


With this gentleman, Guy Debord


As well as Boris Vian

This is only a rough idea at the moment.... More information later

Saturday, August 23, 2008

images i think of while working on the Indiscreet Chapter for my Book on Sparks


Sparks' "Indiscreet"


Staff at Woodland Hills Elementary School 1960's


Hospitality On Parade


Ritz Hotel


W. Somerset Maugham


Aaron Copeland


Arthur Schnitzler


Tony Visconti


Raymond Roussel


Raymond Roussel's custom-made limo. The first of its kind


An image that stays in my head while listening to "Indiscreet."

John Barry Seven's "Every Which Way"

I am not sure if John Barry actually sings on this record, but at the very least he's 'performing' their recording of "Every Which Way." Barry had a long career before the James Bond adventure started. One of the great film composers, but I also like the music he did before the Bond soundtracks.



John Barry Seven "Every Which Way"

Friday, August 15, 2008

Every once in awhile I come upon something so unique and unforgettable, that it’s hard for me to come to terms with it. At the moment I am obsessing over Rosa Brogden’s book of photographs “Metamorphosis.”



Rosa is a Japanese artist/photographer who lives in London and has a child named “Oscar.”



A small boy that may not be unique in turn-of-the-century London, but in 2008 is a force of nature that really stands out (side) in contemporary London. Even though there are no outside location shots, or even a mention of contemporary London, it seems to be a world that is shut out. And I love that.



I am a huge fan of Joris-Karl Huysmans’s book “Against Nature” (A rebours) and I think of it when I look at Rosa’s photographs. It’s a world that is totally artificial and woman-made. A very dandified environment where the outside world is closed off.



But what you do get is a very rich world with two very unique and wonderful figures. In “Metamorphosis” there are only portraits of her son Oscar and self-portraits of the artist. It’s a mixture of early 20th Century vaudeville and life that is thought out and lived.



One can think of contemporary photographer Cindy Sherman, but this is something more personal and therefore more urgent and live. It’s one of the few new books that came out this year that has a strong positive affect on me. We have it on sale at Book Soup for $25.



All photographs © by Rosa Brogden.

Monday, August 11, 2008

The Boredoms with 88 Drummers, one of them my designer genius Tom Recchion

The Boredoms from Japan came to Los Angeles with 88 Drummers to do a pretty amazing show last Friday night. The concert took place on 8/8/2008 and the show lasted for 88 minutes. And on top of that my brilliant designer for TamTam Books and super genius composer Tom Recchion was one of the drummers. Do enjoy, but you really have to be there to see 88 set of drum kits. That alone was amazing.


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Tosh in Tokyo

Tosh in Tokyo

Lou Teicher R.I.P.



John Cage meets what one may think is the mainstream. Think again my friend....



Ferrante & Teicher performing "Africian Echoe"


Ferrante & Teicher performing "The 7th Dawn"


Ferrante & Teicher performing "Oye Negra"


Ferrante & Teicher performing "Malaguena"


Ferrante & Teicher performing "Va Va Voom"

Sunday, August 3, 2008

"This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" Classic song by Sparks



"This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" is basically, and for me, and some others out there, is the one song that totally changed my life. This song performed by Sparks, and written by Ron Mael is perhaps the most radical pop song ever. To say I love this song is putting it too mildly. I feel great PASSION whenever I hear this song. It makes me sick to my stomach for those who have not heard this song.

The following videos are different versions of the song. You should listen to it in order:


Sparks "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" (The original version by the original band)


Siouxsie and the Banshees


Video by kazokuhouou. A Sparks Fanvid with footage from 1776


From the Green Wing Show


Blue Whale (with Ron and Russell in the video)


A Japanese Anime put together by AtomskSlave


Performed by Pants.


Faith by No More