pjhstudios blog

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Vanishing America – Michael Eastman

    Michael Eastman’s book, Vanishing America, is a warm, visual elegy to small town America and vintage pop culture. Theaters, signs, stores and other everyday interactions are shown in rich detail with saturated colors. The collection is curated across 10 sections: theaters, churches, hangouts, doors, signs, stores, services, automobiles, hotels and restaurants. Each section is reverent […]

  • Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig

    Carolina Chocolate Drops’ album Genuine Negro Jig is a throwback, reviving traditional country, bluegrass string and jug music. It begins with an instrumental led by a fiddle that sets the tone for the remaining tracks–music from an era that mp3s forgot. Simple, direct and earnest, the album includes a mix of originals and traditionals. The […]

  • Brandon Flowers – Flamingo

    Brandon Flowers’ solo album, Flamingo, is a good, solid collection of tracks. With Las Vegas as his back drop, flowers tells stories of those to succumb or persevere in the bright lights. He varies the tempo and pacing of the album, beginning with a soaring Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas and kicks it up with […]

  • Movie Bar Codes

    Slice a frame from a movie, stitch ’em together, you’d get something that resembles a bar code. A bar code that illustrates the color palate of the film. Here’s Singin’ in The Rain. Prints are for sale, too.

  • Social Distortion – Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes

    Some thoughts on Social Distortion’s latest, Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes: Mostly sounds like garage rock with some bluesy riffs. Not too many punk chord progressions. Stand out tracks: Alone & Forsaken (direct and punky), Still Alive (closer, anthemic), Bakersfield (6.5 minute bluesy guitar anthem story) Some songs go on too long, with half the […]

  • A rock show at your house

    If bands/artists playing intimate shows to 50 people at someone’s house is a trend, that’s a trend I can fully support. “It was at my friend Bodie’s small apartment in Boulder, and Joe Pug was playing,” said Browne, who writes and edits the popular website Fuel/ Friends. “There were probably 40 people in a tiny […]

  • Designing a Photograph – Bill Smith

    Designing a Photograph: Visual Techniques for Making Your Photographs Work by Bill Smith takes a designer’s view of to a photograph. Visually, what makes something interesting or engaging, and apply it to a photograph. Smith makes the argument of knowing how to pay attention to groups of visuals. These visuals include: Figure ground selective focus […]

  • PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

    PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake contains numerous songs, full of atmosphere and reverb. Some vocals don’t seem to make it through all the layers of production. The only standout track, to me, is On Battleship Hill, but only because it feels tribal, like something Enya would do. Not really impressed with this album.

  • Cage the Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday

    Cage the Elephant’s Thank You Happy Birthday takes you on a roller coaster ride through an amalgam of 90s rock. In the layers of drums, guitars, bass and slightly nasal vocals, you’ll hear influences of the Pixies who experimented with sonic textures; effect laden guitars, ala Smashing Pumpkins; simple chord structures in the vein of […]

  • Some Kind of Trouble – James Blunt

    Some Kind Of Trouble by James Blunt is offensively bland. Nasal, sugary, signer songer writer pop that all sounds annoyingly similar.

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