My new listening obsession...

Now, I've been listening to her CD all week - I am QUITE surprised by this video though. Not at all what I expected. She seems more artsy/eclectic and weird, less pop singer, stripper style dancing on a crescent moon - but hey! To each is own. I couldn't watch the entire video, but that is also in part because I have the cd and would much rather just listen than have my made up image of her ruined by this video. (I'm not judging). Her voice is incredible, and her cd Lungs is awesome. Listen Up - it's definitely worth watching the video if you haven't heard of her (promise).




The XX covering You Got the Love - around 2:45 = awesome.

Another from Clint Baines

Taken at Sweeney Ridge in Northern California

From Seattle.

Pretty barista in a sidewalk coffee shop...




A...





A view from the plane...





A door I wanted to walk through...





Just something I liked...





Something that made think, Really?? C'mon.





Me and Miss Ames who I went to visit...





And, well, thanks to Half Baked - every time I see a cop on a horse I chuckle and think
"Hey Girl, ya Hungry?"





For reference. This entire scene is hilarious but I couldn't find it. Ohhh how we use to crack up at this movie. Love it, good times.

SASQUATCH 2010 !!!!!!

So, last year was a blast (although, I kind of think the lineup was better last year) but I am not disappointed by any means. And (!) since I am completely against Coachella even though it's much more geographically desirable - and only so because it's an hour and half away, not by any means the scenery or actual venue because The Gorge is absolutely beautiful - I guess, situation permitting, I'll be in for quite a treat!

*Italicized for Italic - what is for Bold - bolded? boldicized? eh....

So, I just went through and highlighted in bold (hehe) the actual bands I know and would trek to WA for and there really is not that many - but, I feel like I have a little faith in Sasquatch and probably after doing my own investigating into some of the obscure (to me) bands - I will probably find that there's many more. If you're on the fence - let me just say, IT'S SO WORTH IT.


Lineup
Saturday, May 29th

My Morning Jacket / Vampire Weekend / The National / Deadmau5 / Broken Social Scene / OK Go / Wale / Public Enemy / The Hold Steady / Miike Snow / Z-Trip / Brother Ali / Minus The Bear / WHY? / The Very Best / Portugal. The Man / Mumford & Sons / The Lonely Forest / Nurses / The Middle East / Patrick Watson / Morning Teleportation / Laura Marling / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Fool's Gold / Garfunkel & Oates / Dam-Funk / Shabazz Palaces

Sunday, May 30th

Massive Attack / Pavement / LCD Soundsystem / Tegan and Sara / Kid Cudi / Nada Surf / Dirty Projectors / The xx / The Long Winters / Simian Mobile Disco / Midlake / Girls / Vetiver / The Tallest Man On Earth / YACHT / Booka Shade / Caribou / Avi Buffalo / City and Colour / Cymbals Eat Guitars / A-Trak / Fruit Bats / tUnE-yArDs / Local Natives / Freelance Whales / Jets Overhead / Rob Riggle / Luke Burbank

Monday, May 31st

Ween / MGMT / Band of Horses / She & Him / Passion Pit / The New Pornographers / Drive-By Truckers / Boys Noize / Camera Obscura / The Temper Trap / Dr. Dog / Neon Indian / No Age / The Mountain Goats / Phantogram / Quasi / Japandroids / Mayer Hawthorne & The County / The Low Anthem / Fresh Espresso / Hudson Mohawke / Telekinesis / Past Lives / Yes Giantess / Craig Robinson

It really is only the beginning.

It's the last ten minutes before I should be leaving for work. Docs are still not completely laced up, orange juice is still full, banana half eaten, and yet here we are... hehee. I'm indulging.









All these were taken in Seattle. Have more to post, but when I have more time.

This last one was taken by Ames, in the middle of our bar-hopping, dance-a-thon of a night. This particular stop was in Post Alley, at the Alibi Room.

Headed to Washington for the second weekend in a row. Still haven't gone through or posted the pictures from last weekend. In due time, indeed. Until then, I leave you with an image from WA based photographer Gerry Oar.

Gerry was actually picking me up from a photo shoot with Neil Jordan, being my protective escort of sorts, and as we were leaving we ducked into one of the rooms near the ele and just decided to do a quick 10 minute shoot, incognito style. .... See a spot, quick mutual glance, no exchange of words needed, I get naked, he pulls out the camera, AND we're out! That's how we do it, and that's just one of the reasons I have much love for him. xo ~ J

Video is quite weird but her voice is amazing (and I love this song).




If you ever get a chance to see her play live, I would highly recommend it. She puts on an Amazing show and her voice is impeccable.

Photo By Matthew Brown

Tonight

Stomp w/ Care
Dillons Sports Bar w/ Maria

Home. Need to pack for Seattle.
Have to be out of my house @ 7am (the latest)
Flight leaves at 9:15 am


.....



Erased a few contacts
Came to some realizations
Had a few good laughs
Cheap beers
Good conversation
Sprinkled on the way home
Saw the moon

Let it ALL go.

And

It feels good.

Thoughts and a Thank You.

I am currently reading, and have been for the past 2.5 months (! - it's fricken HUGE...and I'm slow) a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. called "Bearing the Cross" -- It's really, really good, extremely thorough, and well written. I would definitely recommend it.

I am about half way through it, just finished reading about the Birmingham Protests and the March on Washington. Over the weekend I came to a part that referenced this particular image of a cop holding a police dog in one hand and a black citizen in the other. I wasn't familiar with it so I googled it, and now you can see it below.




The Birmingham Protests turned out to be a huge step forward in the civil rights movement. It was the first time that white america was really introduced to the brutality and inhumane tactics that were used to enforce segregation and keep black americans in their place.

When movement leaders were discussing making Birmingham their next focal point for protests and progress, I found it most interesting and inspiring to read about their assessments of the situation juxtaposed with their complete lack of debilitating fear for that which was such a daunting task. Birmingham, and/or Bull Connor - the police chief in command at the time, had reputations that superseded them as being "the symbol of brutality, & police brutality in the South".

To know what they knew going into it, and to be armed with just a hope and faith that they could overcome and have THAT be enough is just absolutely amazing to me. And (!) half of the leaders had just experienced a disenchanting outcome in Albany trying to accomplish the same thing, and in which most of the nation deemed a failure and they went into it anyways - and succeeded. The bravery and courage that is constantly exhibited in the leaders of this book and MLK Jr himself is something I hope to carry with me the rest of my life. Activism is truly in art form in and of itself.

Awhile back, I went to see a photojournalism exhibit at the Annenburg Space for Photography - it mainly focused on areas of war & conflict. For those of you that don't know, photojournalism/documentary photography is the path I would like to pursue when I decide to become a responsible, professional adult. :) he he -- I left that exhibit questioning if I could really DO it. If I, sensitive me who covers her eyes when watching scenes of explicit violence, could be in a war zone and compose myself enough to take a picture of someone in pain, or holding their dead brother and screaming - an image that has stuck with me from that exhibit and brought me to tears upon seeing it.



What I admire most about MLK Jr. is that he was able to overcome his fear about what would happen to him while being thrust into the forefront of the civil rights movement. Although it was not a position he wanted, it was a position he accepted because he believed strongly in what he was fighting for and against. He was quoted saying, "I think when a person lives with the fear of the consequences for his personal life, he can never do anything in terms of lifting the whole of humanity and solving many of the social problems that we confront".

So, I write this as a homage to those that have fought before me, and for me - Thank You. Also, I end this with a universal "prayer" that one day my fear lifts, my shoulders become lighter, my path clearer, and my spirit braver.

~xo
J

Taken from the Yahoo Music Blog. Hilarious.

"SCARIEST LOSER OF THE NIGHT.



Lady Gaga looked less pleased when she lost Album of the Year to Swift, and in a razor-like dress that practically swore 'I will cut you.'"


http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/awards/32110/grammys-to-taylor-swift-im-a-let-you-finish/

"And the clock on the wall has been stuck at three for days, and days"

Images by Neil Jordan
www.shadowzwillfall.com



Neil is an awesome guy with a really good heart.
I owe him a shoot due to missing a flight to Seattle.
I have not forgotten.

Sending good energy your way ~ JD



Sidenote - the blog title was appropiately taken from a Matchbox 20 song called 3am. Which(!) I am reminded of because it's about that time
...
quoting Matchbox 20
...
WHOA.

Really wishing I could sleep
and
that I had not had coffee at 5pm.