Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Warlocks: Sweet Sounds of Psych


The Los Angeles music scene cannot be discussed without mentioning the neo-psychedelic movement that has evolved over the last decade on the east side of the city. Bands such as Darker My LoveSleepy Sun, RobedoorMr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, Mystic Braves, Joel Jerome, Pocahaunted,The Entrance Band, and most notably The Warlocks, the Psych scene has flourished into a full fledge happening.

Back in 2001, I was contacted by Bomp! Records to photograph The Warlocks for their upcoming album "Rise and Fall" which came out later that year. It was a memorable day creating pretty shapes with seven people, especially in the midst of an earthquake! 

I am happy to present to you out takes from that shoot along with photographs I crafted from their gig at the Bootleg Theater in Silverlake earlier this month. I caught up with the incredibly kindhearted and extremely talented leader of the band Bobby Hecksher, who filled me in on what has been going on with the band in the last few years. Catching them live is quintessential, so I recorded "So Paranoid" which you can enjoy here.

Long live the sweet sounds of Psych,

Julie Green
February 28, 2015



JG: How did The Warlocks form?

Bobby Hecksher: We started in 1998 as a loose collection of friends at my house in Echo Park. We were really just fans of music and all naturally liked to hang out together. The Warlocks were sort of an accidental really. I was playing bass with Anton Newcombe from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. We met after the first incarnation of BJM broke up, pretty much after DIG! ended when everyone goes their separate ways. 

Anyways, I thought I would always just be a bass player but Anton was encouraging me to write my own songs. He would often jam with us and work on stuff. He is on the earlier recordings even. It started with JC coming over then Corey and then they brought Laura who just hung out with us at that point. Also Hunter was in the pictures among a few other weird peeps. Its kind of a blur really. Shows started happening and then we had a band. We went through many changes over the years before we solidified as 5 piece: Bobby Hecksher, John Christian Rees, Earl V. Miller, Christopher Di Pino & George Serrano. We are looking for a keyboard player and hopefully Tara (pictured) will stay with us.


JG: How has your band name been received by Grateful Dead and Velvet Underground fans?

BH: There has been really no comment, conflict or anything. I don’t think anybody cares really. Lots of people have used this name in one way or another and we all seem to get along. There is the Norwegian rap group which no one can mix us up with. Also the long defunct 80s metal band. 

JG: You have always had quite a large lineup. How do you manage to keep the band on track?

BH: It took many years actually. I try to be patient and understanding as possible. I’m always working on being a better leader. We’ve had the same line up for about 5 years now. We get along great. I find the key is know when to take breaks and try to always work out issues before replacing anybody.

JG:  It looks like you’re going on tour in May. Where will you be going and who will you be touring with?

BH: May 2-8 throughout the UK and Glasgow on the 10th with Black Market Karma and Enemies Eyes.


JG: Tell us a story from your tour with The Dandy Warhols.

BH: I’m not sure I can tell you a story! Yes we were that much out of control! The Dandys are really fun to tour with and I think we all got along great. It’s was perfect match musically and it seemed the crowds dug us! I’m trying to think of something PG but no, nothing comes to mind! Just imagine lots of wine (Courtney is a Wine connoisseur) hi-fi cigarettes, hi-fi sleeping medication, beer & thrashed hotel rooms! Ok? Happy?



JG: There was a 4 year break between “The Mirror Explodes” and “Skull Worship”. What transpired during that time?

BH: Well actually at that point the band had a lot of problems. Some of the members quit, moved or ended up in rehab. It was a pretty dark time. So I had a fragmented band between The Mirror Explodes & Skull Worship. We were in multiple lawsuits and we also had some Tax issues. Shit that comes with the territory I guess. Basically I just had to clamp down, roll my sleeves up and sort everything out. To add insult to injury I got burglarized which took me years to emotionally recover from. It forced me to move and be more careful with my privacy. So guess I just worked through it all and just dealt with stuff for a few years. Also the recession hit and wiped everybody out. Music was sort of put on the back burner for a lot of bands so that they could focus on survival.



JG: Why did you drop the double drum team?

BH: I absolutely love the double drummers. The problem is it's really expensive to tour that way. Hopefully we will be  in a position to explore this again someday. Also it's finding someone that will jive with George. I’m hoping plucky (Jason Anchondo) will move back to LA and come jam with us. He’s a blast to play with!

JG: Do you create art in other mediums?

BH: I’ve tried painting but I got bored. I would much rather play with new instruments. I do like to write stories but I’m not sure I’ll ever shares those!

JG: You seem to explore the space-time continuum in your songs. Is this a subject that fascinate you or does it just flow naturally from your consciousness?

BH: I guess naturally from my consciousness.

JG: What are you listening to these days?

BH: Oh god lots of stuff. Tame Impala, Melodies Echo Chamber, Dead Meadow, Primal Scream, Fad Gadget, Death In Vegas, Uncle Acid, Visage, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Kiss, John Maus, Ariel Pink, Jacco Gardner. Ha what a mess that’s just what's on todays iPod.


JG: Tell us a story about Bomp! Record's late, great Greg Shaw.

BH: The guy was a walking encyclopedia of all things rock and roll. It’s really tragic that we lost him at such a young age. He was certainly a man of mystery. I don’t have a really great like “party” story of Greg because he had a liver transplant and didn’t drink or party as much when I met him.

He was more like this cosmic guru to me and had a way to bring people together and making things happen. He always believed in bands and people. I still feel that inspiration flowing through me these days. I guess it’s why I sort of feel a duty to put on these LA shows with all these new bands. I’m going to try for once a month if I can. I’m trying to establish a community of good music which always leads to better things and new friends.


Sure there was weird shit too. He had all these weird relationships with girls that would often end up like an episode of cops. He would do things like call me in the middle of the night to break into his own Labels warehouse. I don’t think we were “breaking in” per say - I mean he was a part owner but him and Suzy were not getting along at that point. Let’s just say he wanted to avoid contact. Sure was strange though. We felt like burglars. It’s not like we stole anything we just got product for bands and used the copy machine. What else, hmm he dared me to sign our first contract in blood. Which I happily obliged!

JG: Where can we see you play next?

BH: March 7th at the Bootleg Theater with Dead Meadow, Feels, Drinking Flowers, and Death Valley Girls


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Sun Shadow Carrousel

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 1"

Continuing my exploration of Sun Shadows, I turned my attention to the fabulous shapes horses and other animals made on the floor of a carrousel. Undulating subjects and the constant movement of the light made it a fun challenge to capture these elusive shadows. I rarely look down on the floor of a carrousel. The intricately carved woodwork of the horses usually steels my attention and the mirrored walls and spinning motion distract my senses. But the light that day was at just the right angle. These shadows captured my eye as they road quickly by and provided this photographer with a lovely visual puzzle to unlock.

Have a Merry-Go-Round!

Julie Green
February 21, 2015

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 2"

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 3" 

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 4" 

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 5" 

"Sun Shadow Carrousel No. 6" 




Saturday, February 14, 2015

Stop and Go: Documenting in a Traffic Jam Part 2

Wilshire Blvd.



I decided to brave another round of rush hour traffic across town, this time down the Miracle and Park Mile, through the Robert F. Kennedy Parkway, through Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire, cutting straight through MacArthur Park and ending up in downtown LA on the street otherwise known as Wilshire Boulevard.

This main artery that stretches across seven cities, from downtown Los Angeles to the beach in Santa Monica, has been a boulevard in flux since its inception in Victorian times. Wilshire is a facinating collection of old and new Los Angeles. Major development and construction made the drive very bumpy indeed, even when crawling its broad streets in a traffic jam. Metal covers overlaped open street construction and upgrades to the median were underway. This boulevard is getting a face lift!

Wilshire reminds me that Los Angeles really is a metropolis. You can forget that while you meander from city to city.  It reminds me of the streets of Manhattan, with their towering skyscrapers. But flashes of that old Hollywood glamour can still be seen in the apartment building facads of the Los Altos, The Talmadge (originally owned by Norma), the Wilshire Royal and The Gaylord - appropriately named after the millionaire socialist Henry Gaylord Wilshire who donated the land which is now the road.

Once again, my self imposed restrictions limited me to shooting with my iPhone out my window every time I had to stop in traffic. Starting at Fairfax and ending on Hope, I did not travel the entire length of this 15.8 mile street but the variations were distinct throughout each individual neighborhood.

My ego kept trying to get me to stop and shoot what I visually found interesting but I had to release it and shoot what ever was out my window when the traffic stopped. Chance came into play. It is such a wonderful tool to explore and it created images I wouldn't normally take. In the editing process, it was difficult for me to not straighten the horizontal when my iPhone photography out the window wasn't exactly perfect, but I wanted this to be raw and real.

The following series of photographs are what was captured that day. Funnily enough, it doesn't appear to be crowded at all but that is perhaps a result of the stop lights holding traffic back every time I stopped.

Next time I'll take Santa Monica Boulevard!

Julie Green
February 14, 2014
















Saturday, February 7, 2015

Patterns and Tones Turns 2!


February 9, 2013 Patterns and Tones was born

Wowwie, two years already! How can it be? The little photo blog that could has been chugging its way into the world weekly now for two whole years. Sharing my vision with you has been an honor and a thrill. I have so many ideas and images in my arsenal, and I derive so much joy in presenting them to you and the world, that I can only see this developing into a life long adventure!

I have been asked many times where the name of the blog came from. Patterns represent my Fine Art creations and Tones covers my love of photographing Rock n' Rollers. But the name actually originated from my a talent show my mother used to perform in as a member of her Glee Club when she attended Oakland Technical High School from 1951-1955. The talent show was called Patterns in Tone.  

I remember as a child going through her old scrapbooks and seeing the red cover of a Patterns in Tone program from 1954. The maracas, guitar, sax, trumpet and conga were very hip and exotic to me. The modernist abstraction of the overlaying pattern burned an image in my mind that represented what I thought cool was. Perhaps it was the beginning of my love for both art and music...

Oakland Tech and their performing arts department is still going strong today and can boast Clint Eastwood, Rod McKuen, The Pointer Sisters and Huey P. Newton as just a few of their famous alumni... Their upcoming Talent Show "Song and Dance Review Celebrating Tech's 100 Year History" will be taking place Feb. 8, 2014 from 2-4pm. It will feature "Technites" from 1940 to the present.

In celebration of Patterns and Tones 2nd birthday, I have listed the top 5 Patterns and the top 5 Tones that YOU have visited. Thank you so much for your continued support!

Here's to many more entries to come...

Julie Green
February 7, 2015








Top 5 Patterns



#5   Stop and Go: Documenting in a Traffic Jam

Posted on May 24, 2014

This project evolved from pure boredom while stuck in a traffic jam across town on Beverly Blvd.

Reaction to this piece was swift. Many people wrote me and shared their experiences in traffic and various ways they channeled their anger and frustrations.

I'm happy that this project resonated with so many people. Next week I"ll be posting the 2nd installation of Stop and Go with a look down Wilshire Blvd.



#4   ARID Entry: A Journal of Desert Art, Design and Ecology

Posted on May 3, 2014

I submitted a series of photographs taken out in 29 Palms and Joshua Tree titled "The Structural Ecology of the Lower Desert" to ARID: A Journal of Desert Art, Design and Ecology.

Although the series was not selected for their Fall 2014 issue, the blog piece drew a lot of viewers. Many commented on the last motel room of Graham Parsons and the now defunct Al's Swinger Bar.

My friend Kim Stringfellow, an amazing artist and educator, is an Editor for this annual Journal which focuses on "cross-disciplinary explorations of arts, design, culture and the environment for both scholarly and new audiences."



#3 Cemetery Crow from The Mask Series

Posted June 21, 2014

The Mask Series, consisting of 33 individual explorations, include the Cemetary Crow. This crow drew a large crowd due to the amazing creator extraodinaire behind the mask, Christiane Cegavske.

The images from this photo shoot are very strong and captured the essence of crow energy. Christiane was effortlessly able to embody their characteristics, as she is part Crow.









#2   The Hayes Adobe -  Exploring the Mojave Desert in Southern California

Posted July 5, 2014

Coming in at number 2 is my photographic essay on the incredible Hayes Adobe out in 29 Palms.

The owners graciously allowed me to document this hand built gem built back in 1936 by my friend's Grandfather, Theodore M. "Ted" Hayes.

This story and the accompanying images had a LOT of traffic and interest. Historians loved the tales and those who love to preserve the past wrote in and shared their enthusiasm for this beautiful structure and her creator.





#1 Moving Pictures - The Feline Feeling

Posted March 1, 2014

The NUMBER ONE Pattern that was visited this year was a faux movie trailer I filmed for the vintage clothing store The Loved One titled The Feline Feeling.

This post saw the most hits this year and sees a high volume of traffic everyday. If you haven't seen this trailer, be sure to see what all the fuss is about!



Top 5 Tones


#5   Leesa Creamer: A Day in the Life of a Rock n' Roller

Posted May 31, 2014

This feature I did on the amazingly talented Leesa Creamer came in at number 5 and is a wonderful look into the life of this true Rock n' Roller.

Leesa let us take a peek into her colorful world and didn't disappoint my viewers. Daily hits keep pouring in making this Day in the Life tops!





#4   Chris Barfield: A Day in the Life of a Rock n' Roller

Posted March 29, 2014

Coming in at number 4, another fabulous Day in the Life of with the legendary Chris Barfield!

The kiddies can'g get enough of Chris and visit this entry each and every day to take a peek into this versatile musicians life.







#3   Dave Gleason: He's a Little Bit Country

Posted June 14, 2014

A perpetual favorite that gets quite a bit of traffic on Patterns and Tones is the piece I did on the amazingly talented singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Gleason.

His Memphis style Rn'B mixed with his Bakersfield Country flair makes this blog entry number 3 for the year!





#2   The Vooduo: A Day in the Life of a Rock n' Roller

Posted April 26, 2014

Two of rock n' rolls finest, The Voodue made the Top 5 Tones this year at #2.

Following these kids around was just pure fun and it shows. As I aways say - you can't fake having fun!

Maybe that's why this blog entry gets so much traffic, it's infectious...




#1   Mighty Manfred Jones: A Day in the Life of a Rock n' Roller

Posted November 29, 2014

And coming in as the NUMBER 1 Tone on the Pattern and Tones chart for the year is Mighty Manfred Jones!!!! The Professor of rock n' roll reigns supreme and rightfully so.

From his amazing stage performance in the legendary band The Woggles, to his daily dose of pure joy he distributes to the masses on his radio program on Little Stevens Underground Garage make this Day in the Life of a super duper hit!

It was an honor and thoroughly enjoyable to spend the day with the nicest guy in rock n' roll. One I wont soon forget and neither will the multitude of fans who come to visit this entry every single day.