Obama got 100 days, we got 11. But we’ve probably spent as much as he has.

background, text and whatnot… I’ll fix it soon.

The wedding was wonderful. Thanks so much to everyone who came out and enjoyed the day with us. We’ve been honeymoon’n in Oregon and Washington, and with the 60 degree weather, mountain views, oceanside drives, good coffee and a nice bride it has been oh so wonderful.

I think I’m going to post some pictures from the wedding and the there-after soon after we get back, but for now I just have this photo. Bac Nghi To-Trong, Hailey Hardin, Kyle Brown, Greg Leppert and Jessica Cain (incredible photographers) all took tons of photos at the wedding, so everything is sure to be just stunning.

Greg sent me some samples of what he took on his hasselblad, and this was his and our favorite:

I was going to wait until I got home to thank you personally Greg, so if you’re reading this… thanks a million… you’re the tops.

4 Days until I get married to Rebecca Pennington.

I’m sitting in a coffee shop and was just getting really excited that foxhole was playing over sound system. After foxhole finished a techno song I wrote started playing!… Because whoever is working is apparently streaming my itunes.

I just heard this out of context quote from an old man on a cell phone at CherryWood Coffee Shop in East Austin, Texas, USA, Earth, Solar System, in the Milky Way Galaxy:

“What ever happens he should always remember that It wasn’t the church, and it wasn’t the psychic, and it was the lawyer that saved his life…. it was you……….mom.”

Working at a local screen printing shop I’m forced to set up plenty of jobs to print every week that aren’t too easy on the eyes, and plenty that are down right ugly. Some have made me laugh so much that I thought that I might start posting them here to share my joy and my major source of pain. A couple of you out there I know are designers, so how about posting your worst work of the week along with me in your comments, it can be an exercise in humility.

This particular shirt I did not design. But probably spent 20 hours of my week color correcting and editing for the customer. I really rather not discuss the history behind this design, I would just like for the artwork to speak for itself. Just soak it in. Discuss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/us/20sumner.html

http://retardzone.com/2008/09/23/abandoned-mike-tyson-mansion-in-ohio/

Sad that little tid bits of Americana can be so quickly forgotten about.

I’m not trying to suggest that these two links are related in some way…

Good Ones. I think they’ve been lost to a certain extent. It seems like it’s used currently as either a design convention, reflecting marketing concerns about the cute lead singer’s face being the main feature of the cover, or a lack of creativity, rather than showing the artist’s intensity and character that goes hand in hand with their music. Maybe that’s because the aspect of a musician being a ‘performer’ has been lost a little. You don’t exactly need to be a stellar, charismatic or completely unique performer to draw a crowd these days. I’m thinking that back in the day that the actual person was more of the spectacle to be seen than the innovation in the music, that of course had to be there from the start. The swing of Elvis’ hips, the Ronettes haircuts, or Howlin’ Wolf’s intensity were maybe the occassion to be seen. That’s my guess anyway. Sure people loved the music, but they loved the people behind the music even more.

I guess the era I’m thinking about is the mid 20th century 50-70’s/80’s. Maybe the fact that the many different types of musical innovations were often the symbols of the social changes that were taking place, and is what made people connect more strongly with the music and hold the musicians in a higher regard. They were agents of change and truly innovative. Not to say that musical innovation isn’t happening now, it’s just a little harder to see maybe. Crazy haircuts, distortion, guitars being lit on fire and smashed for the first time, might just be a little more memorable than lyrical or subtle musical changes.

I guess I’m saying this cause I’ve been working on a lot of album covers lately, and I’m tired of the lame band portrait that I’m always having to work with and mostly… around. I’d just like to see some live photography with intensity make it’s way back onto the album cover.

So I’ve been talking to ole Billy McCoy on the phone arranging things for the day of my wedding, as he is the president of the Burnet County Historical society and therefore the gate keeper to the Church at Shady Grove where Reba and I are to be wed. I haven’t met him yet, but Reba’s mom Kay, met him today to talk about the wedding and sent me this photo. This is exactly what I imagined he’d look like.