BLEACH ONLINE SKY ROCKET

The latest issue of Bleach Online is now live! "Sky Rocket" features some seriously amazing photo editorials and interviews (including a few by me and one featuring me!). I had the pleasure of interviewing talented folks Matthew Frost, Annie Gunn and Peter Simonite, Natasha Pincus and Hayley Mary of The Jezabels.

Bleach was also kind enough to feature my new project VOYEUR and me in the issue, with some amazing images taken by Shayne Stroud. CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ISSUE NOW!

+++ And go to the issue launch party at Cheer Up Charlie's tonight for FREE, featuring live music by Orthy and Gal Pals and Feathers DJ sets. RSVP HERE.

 

SOME SITES

ONE

Introducing my portfolio page. I had been sitting on tiffanydiane.com for about half a year, and it's finally up. Check it out if you want to see things that I do, including journalistic work, styling work, videos and a photo diary.

TWO

Images from Seattle-based Katie Schultz's VOYEUR submission. Also, in case you haven't noticed, there have been a few small changes made to the site. I plan on beginning the "Spaces" project soon and blogging on the site regularly. Check out Katie's 7 Days and my short interview with her.

JESS WILLIAMSON: EYE CANDY AND EAR CANDY

Jess Williamson came to my attention as a photographer through the realm of the internet when I was still in college, and I remember always being mesmerized by her work, being jealous of the subjects and the surrealistically serene lives they seemed to be existing in.

When I found out Williamson made music as well, you can imagine I was impressed and all the more envious of her talent, especially after sampling her MACHINE WHEEL/DEATH SONGS EP. I got a chance to catch up with Jess and ask her about her duel artistic formats, her inspiration and ask her a couple of questions I was just personally curious about.

Photos by Jess Williamson

Which came first, the music or the photography?

Music came first. When I was a little girl, I told my parents I wanted to be a singer like Dolly Parton. My best friend and I used to have concerts on the playground in second grade. There was this cool fort thing, and we would go up there and pretend it was a stage and perform for all the kids. We made up these dances to like, Ace of Base and Alanis Morissette songs, and we’d take turns singing the parts.

Do you feel like your photography and music are inherently intertwined or are they separate entities?

It’s all pretty intertwined. All of my songs are based on actual experiences, conversations, moments, and it’s the same with the photos. My photo work is tied to a documentary tradition. I don’t usually set up shots, instead I kind of filter what’s around me and shoot things based on the concepts I’ve been thinking about.

How does the visual aid your music making?

I learned a tenderness and appreciation of subtlety from photography that I think finds it way into my songwriting.

How does music aid your photography?

I don’t think it does very much.

What photographers do you have your eye on lately?

Luighi Ghirri, Mikaylah Bowman, Nan Goldin. But Marina Abramović is the artist who inspires me the most

Photos by Mikaylah Bowman

Photos by Nan Goldin

Who are you listening to these days?

I like Grimes a lot right now, but it might be that I actually only like that one song "Oblivion." I’m really into the newly unearthed Karen Dalton album called 1966. I’ve been listening to a lot of Arthur Russell when I take drives. I like to take drives this time of year into the hill country and see all the wildflowers, and Arthur Russell is a good companion for that kind of thing. I’ve been listening to Silver Jews a lot too. I went on this road trip a few weeks ago to San Francisco and a friend recommended I listen to Bright Flight. I’d never heard it before, and the first time I heard “Room Games and Diamond Rain” I was driving through this weird stretch of desert in New Mexico near the Gila National Forest with lots of windy roads and I remember a lot of copper colored earth. Anyway for some reason that song made me cry when I heard it the first time in the car like that.

Do you find that the subjects of your arts overlap?

Lately yes, because I have been thinking a lot about the power of shared transcendent moments. It’s been a theme in my new songs and also in the photo project I’m working on.

What spawned your Exes Project? Are they all real exes?

They are real exes. My parents are in there, and I’m in there with my high school sweet heart.

I was working for this photographer Angela Boatwright in New York when I came up with the idea for that project. When I told her about it, she said that she thinks people usually shoot things that they are trying to figure out or work through, and I agree with her. I was still bent out of shape over an ex, and I think shooting that project was a way to try and figure out my own heartache and feelings of rejection.

Images from "The Exes Project" by Jess Williamson

What are you currently working on more?

Right now, I am finishing up shooting for this solo photography show I have at Big Medium in June. The show is called "You Can Have Heaven on Earth."

What's coming up in your horizon?

Right now we are practicing a lot, changing parts and adding new instruments. I just wrote a new song on guitar, and we are bringing in some dulcimer, synth, electric guitar and other things. We want to add more electronic elements. We are also beginning to book our summer tour up the west coast, which I’m really excited about.

VISIT
Jess Williamson Photography
Jess Williamson on Facebook
Jess Williamson Bandcamp

Photo by Ben Aqua

[TONIGHT] BLEACH PRESENTS: ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

Friday, April 6 | 9 - 2
@ 29th Street Ballroom
Featuring work & projections by:
Beth Zimmerman, Danny Yirgou, Davis Ayer, Megan Tipps and Shayne Stroud.

ph: Megan Tipps

ph: Shayne Stroud

With DJ sets by:
Cerise Leang & Veronica Ortuño
Maggie Martine & Kathleen Carmichael

Sushi provided by:
How Do You Roll?

RSVP

AUSTIN BABES ZINE

Artist Beth Zimmerman made a zine featuring ladies of Austin, Texas. These are available for pick up at Laced With Romance and Dog & Pony.

SUPPORT PAUL BANKS

If you kind of like my friend Paul Banks' music (Paul Banks and the Carousels) and at least want to see what he can make for us, please give him your support on Kickstarter. I gave money, and I'm no Miss Money Bags. He's only $410 short of his goal this moment [3/26/12 8:30PM], so help scoot him along his way. Ten days to go...

This dude has the voice of an angel.

SXSW 2012 SATURDAY IN PHOTOS

WINDOWSPEAK
at Baby Blue Studios for the WNYU: This Feels Nice Party

Just chilling.

FRIENDS

at Baby Blue Studios for WNYU: This Feels Nice Party

Bradley Oliver Wilkinson AKA DARM DARM painting at Baby Blue

+ I also caught Idiot Glee at Mohawk for the Panache Showcase, Nite Jewel at the Ad Hoc party and some of Class Actress and Doldrums at the WNYU party after it got dark.

BLEACH X TOKYO PLUM

Hey guys, it's been a little while since I've updated about anything non-SXSW related. The time is now.

I thought I'd post about my recent work for Bleach Online's latest issue Tokyo Plum, which released the end of February.

Photo by Ben Aqua

BEN AQUA
+ I got the opportunity to interview artist Ben Aqua again. I also had the lovely opportunity to get photographed by the man himself in some self-done face paint. Ben was one of my first features on Voyeur.

Photo by Kristin Megumi Wong

TAR + HONEY
+ Was also incredibly happy to get to help publish my friend Kristin Wong's work. She was shooting an all Asian girl gang photo series, which was the perfect complement to the issue; view the rest of the images and read my interview with one of my oldest, dearest friends here. (I've also featured Kristin on Voyeur, I just can't help myself.)

TASHAKI MIYAKI
+ I had the honor of interviewing emerging band Tashaki Miyaki, whose music I've adored since I first heard their Everly Brother's "All I Have To Do" cover.

RIMEL NEFFATI

+ Thanks to Jacqueline, I was introduced to the portraits of Rimel Neffati, a photographer from Paris who produces some of the most eerie and captivating images I've seen. I was also able to interview her.

LOVE IN TIME

+ I styled a shoot with Danny Yirgou in Granger, TX, featuring models Justin Kitchen, Connie Mobley, John Kolar and Ashton Smotherman (in order of appearance).

View the rest of the images here.

MUSIC: FAVE 5 IN 2011

I thought I'd pretend like I was some sort of major music blog and tell everyone a few of my favorite new songs (artists and videos) from 2011. I feel like a lot of really great stuff came out last year, or maybe I've just been paying closer attention.

"nothing can change this love" -TASHAKI MIYAKI

This LA band is so shrouded in mystery, which makes me like them even more. I have a chance to interview them soon, very excited. Been loving on all of their covers, including this and "All I have to do is dream," and self-titled EP.

"Don't Go Out Tonight" -IDIOT GLEE

Got a chance to interview James Friley last time he came to Austin to play a show. Haven't been able to stop listening to his music since. Super talented, and if you read his Twitter, all he talks about is food.

"July" -YOUTH LAGOON

From Boise, Idaho, this kid (Trevor Powers) has been getting the most attention out of this top 5 this past year. His debut album is 100% good, which is hard to come by.

"Sweetest Touch" -GROSS MAGIC

Obsessed with all of Teen Jamz, but this song is my favorite. Dig his (Sam McGarrigle) whole vibe.

"Easy" -PURE X

Straight out of Austin, and genius video by Malcolm Elijah.

Bonus guilty pleasure song: "BLUE JEANS" - LANA DEL REY

An addendum:

"Lord Knows Best" -DIRTY BEACHES

2011 felt so long, I didn't realize Dirty Beaches was 2011. Badlands slays me.

GOOD LUCK SIR

We Are GLS from Danny Yirgou on Vimeo.

Here's some great work coming out of Austin. Photographer Danny Yirgou, who I worked with on a shoot for Bleach Online fronts GLS. If you stop on 0:06, you can see a short clip of our shoot together. Can't wait to see the rest!

HIATUS + NEW VOYEUR

Sorry for the absence guys. It's been a long holiday season + traveling. I will be uploading a whole lot more come mid-January.

For now, please check out the latest VOYEUR feature on Ben Aqua, a local artist/musician/gaylien.

Here's just a peak, for more follow this link.

UPDATE: VOYEUR II, KRISTIN MEGUMI WONG

Intrigued?
Check out wearevoyeur.com

PURE X "SURFACE"

Pure X - "Surface" from Malcolm Elijah on Vimeo.

Malcolm Elijah is at it again with his latest Pure X video, this time for "Surface". I'm bummed to have missed this one out but happy to see friends and familiar faces in the video. Check out my interview with the genius himself here.

BLEACH ONLINE: WILD MINT

The latest issue of Bleach Online "Wild Mint" is now live. Check it out here. We are celebrating the issue release tonight at 29th Street Ballroom at Spider House. The event is all ages and $5, with band Boy's Life, DJs Learning Secrets, Poolside (LA) and a special guest.

Here is a peek into what I contributed to the issue.

+ Styling for photo set Leaving America by photographer Lauren McKinley.

+ Styling for The Trouble These Days photo set by Danny Yirgou.

+ An interview with Colorado-based artist Mario Zoots, who plays in Modern Witch.

Alex / Modern Witch from Mario Zoots on Vimeo.

Check it out for yourself! There are tons of inspirational photo sets and interviews.