Category Archives: Music

I shot this Sunday.

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on October 14, 2009. No comments.

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. . . among other things with a local rock trio by the name of Happy Birthday Secret Weapon.

Saw the gents play at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard a few months back in support of Levi Fuller’s ‘Ball of Wax’ project and was blown away by their performance.

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We got to talking about influences, and two came up: 1) Hella and 2) The F*cking Champs.

The image above had us laughing on account of it’s remarkably sublime homage to the snarky, self-mythologizing album covers the Champs were known for.

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With titles such as ‘Nebula Ball Rests in a Fantasy Claw’ and ‘Thor is Like Immortal’ or ‘I am the Album Cover,’ the Champs had a pretty good sense of humor much like the gentlemen of Happy Birthday Secret Weapon.

In addition to our image above, the guys helped me with a triptych concept that I’m still working hard to complete, so that I may get it up on the blog and soon-to-launch website.

In the meantime, you should go out and give their music a listen.

More always,

Mike

Late Breaking News from the Office of Michael Clinard. . .

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on August 7, 2009. No comments.

It’s being reported that some of my images are featured on the Behance Network!

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I got an email a couple hours back saying that the editorial team selected my project from the several hundred that folks post everyday. Pretty neat being that a couple days ago I decided to pull some images together that I’ve shot over the last year or so in anticipation for the new site that’s being developed. Figured I’d give folks a preview of some of the visuals to expect, and here it goes getting some neat attention!

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I suspect that project will drop from the front pages after a week or so, but in the meantime, feel free to visit the gallery and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy looking at them as I had a great time creating them. Big shout of thanks to all the nice folks that sat for me!

More soon,

Mike

MC Virus and Promo Sneak Peak

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on June 16, 2009. No comments.

I’m slowly adjusting to life back in the states after getting back last weekend from Ecuador.

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Above and below are a couple of the many notes I wrote to myself as reminders on the days leading up to our Exodus from the Emerald City.

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The more I think about the ‘Dor, I always find myself humming Palace Brothers’ ‘West Palm Beach’ track. Oh, sigh. . .

Anyhow, while looking through the images from the sojourn, I remembered I’d shot this interesting chap named Dan who goes under the moniker of MC Virus here in Seattle.

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A super nice guy, his beats are unlike anything I’ve heard before. He played me a few tracks from an upcoming album he’s releasing on the label called Rarefied Heir. Go check him out!

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In other news, I had a few of the upcoming promo pieces accepted onto Heather Morton’s Art Buyer Blog. Check it out here (scroll down to #4).

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More always,

Mike

Ron from Arkansas

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on May 25, 2009. No comments.

Had the great fortune of photographing Mr. Ron Fulton for my Refugee project. If you’re unfamiliar with it, check out past explorations here and here.

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Met him a few months back after finding myself in a conversation about The South and Jimi Hendrix. We hit it off immediately: he telling me about Arkansas, his time serving in the military and his 40-year-old parrot, Sailor; myself talking about Bama and my quirky, conceptual portrait style.

Since then we’ve been chatting every other week or so about getting together to do a little colab in the studio, and a few days back we finally had an opportunity.

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What a treat to hear Ron move with ease from Hendrix to Skynard to ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow.’ I found myself smiling and kind of zoning out, rapt in his guitar wizardry. This man has got endless amounts of talent, and a damn fine bird to boot!

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On this great Memorial Day, I wanted to get this post up to honor Ron and all the service men and women who serve or have served our country to give us the freedom we enjoy today.

More always,

Mike

Pure Love

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on February 19, 2009. 1 Comment.

I don’t remember how I found it, but the other night I came across the video below and forwarded to Jenna.

My heart just smiled with every subsequent screening. Then this morning, I awoke and my good buddy Uncle Beefy came across the very same thing somehow and had the good sense to post for all to see. Needless to say, watched it again and was laughing aloud.

Tonight, while scanning the blogs, I came across a similar item that yet again made my ticker smile.

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

Thanks to HRO, one of my favorite blogs, for posting. *Note: if you’re getting this on an aggregator, iPhone or similar that doesn’t support flash, do yourself a favor and get to a computer to view this bro’s getdown with the getdown.

Year 2009: first transmission from CLINARD

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on January 7, 2009. 1 Comment.

‘Twas a particularly special holiday season visiting the family and friends due to the fact that yours truly turned 30 years of age on January 2nd. I’m saying “so long” to my twenties. So long 2008, and all the years before you (both in the Common Era and how ever many more there were B.C.E.).

As time continued its march into 2009, I took some time to photograph family and friends.

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Above is the one and only Mr. James Fain. Perhaps one of the most knowledgeable guys in my hometown, it was great seeing him and having him sit for these portraits. All the while listening to his remarkable collection of experimental/noise discs and LP’s.

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So here’s to a great start to 2009. I’m excited to see how things continue to shake out.

More always,

Mike

Ich Habe Austrians (schnitt zwei)

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on September 17, 2008. No comments.

I don’t remember all that much from my year in German class. What I do remember is amidst the haze which was my junior and senior years, industrial music was high on my radar. In fact, the only German that stuck with me was Schnitt Acht. . . they ‘habe angst’ in this one.

Charles from Alabama.

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on September 11, 2008. 3 Comments.

So, I’ve been working on this personal project tentatively titled: Refugee: The Southerner in Seattle.

You sound like a Matmos song. . .

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on March 17, 2008. No comments.

Jenna says to me a few days back as we wound our way through a playground. I’d been making little blips, squeaks and non-sensical sounds to refocus Mack’s attention back to my alpha status in the pack as we approached dog Xanadu in Magnuson. As we come ’round a bend, my blip-making is interrupted by the sight of two raptor-sized dogs being readied by their wranglers in the back of a Rav4. My tired eyes caught them rubbing fresh rabbit carcasses into the dinosaurs’ snouts to turn them on to all the fresh dog teeming out there.

I could make the case that I felt like a Matmos song: all seemingly discombobulated but with a kind of order amidst what sounds like chaos.

See, I’d been up since 5am. Perhaps one could chalk it up to the fact that the week before last I was moving into a new studio downtown in the 619 Western Bldg (4th floor North, if you’re ever around), or I’d just successfully used my Jetta Station Wagon as a 1/2 ton grip truck for a shoot with Gregg Segal for Fortune Magazine out at Amazon.

Managed to tie a couple seamless rolls up there as well.

Then last week I was down at Weyerhauser for a three day job with Toronto-based photographer Andric. Guy was supercool and articulate in how he related to the creatives and the client on set. He said things like ‘after shooting this test, what I’ve been able to deduce is that the angle of the road. . .’ His images are whimsical and surreal, and in ten minutes with photoshop, he can turn the ordinary into some pretty far-outness.

With that kind of surrealist whimsy flying around, on the tech scout day, I had some downtime here and there. Earlier that morning, while looking for Weyerhauser, I meandered around the area and found a Devry University. While killing some time awaiting further instruction from my producer, I decided I’d usurp the role of a guy interested in attending their technical college.

Really wanted to take photos inside, but thought I’d get weird looks as if I were a spy for ITT or something. Basically, imagine a slew of JROTC, FFA, and/or Science Club guys/gals finally finding a place on earth to call their own. I do have to say though that Devry University has really nice facilities.

In further support of my scatterbrain-ness, I literally was in or had driven about six to eight different cars last week in some capacity or another: My Jetta Wagon, a Dodge Caravan, a Suburban, a Ford Edge, a Chevy Malibu, a Nissan Quest, another Suburban and finally Jenna’s Prius. This shot was taken from the driver’s seat of my Ford Edge. Andric is the guy in black atop some scaffolding taking a shot of me that will eventually find its way into the Wall Street Journal.

Then, to wrap last week up, I was back out at Amazon again. Only this time it was with Joe Pugliese of LA for Wired Magazine again featuring Mr. Bezos. Being a Wired subscriber, I can’t wait to get my hands on that issue and take a peek at the results, as Joe is a film shooter.

In other news, its a time of “ones.” My one year anniversary since leaving a job at a production company for freelancing full-time and things couldn’t be better! Grasshopper say don’t be afraid to jump out there and get wet. If you’re talented, hard-working and able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you’ll be fine in personal and professional endeavors. Also, Michael Clinard Photography and Bolog Me with Cheese: Michael Clinard’s Blog are Number One in search engines!

Hooray! And Jenna and Mike are swing dancing like crazy! We were just out at Century Ballroom for prom a couple weeks back and had a blast. If you’re ever looking to take some great dance lessons, I’d recommend hitting up Triple Step Studios in North Seattle. Below you’ll find an image of us taken in the mirror, completely pooped from the night out at Century. . .

More always,

Mike

2006 was more (whatever Harper's said) than 2007.

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on February 26, 2008. No comments.

I’m a big fan of Harper’s. The articles are stimulating, and when you read sections like Index, Excerpts and/or Findings, it immediately raises your IQ in ten point incrementals. Read it two or three months in a row, and it’ll cause heavy brain drip from the nose what with all the knowledge you’re attempting to make room for.

You can say something like: anthropologists determined there was an early ancestor of primordial man that laughed. AND you’d be right.

So in my best Harper’s Magazine-type, deadpan delivery style of Index and Findings, here goes. Bare in mind that the images don’t truly exist in a Harper’s but think of the allusions and what one might see if the story could be in pictures:

I typed something out that had another day in the sun in a different context, in a different arena of readership, altogether. In the dark of Magnuson Park, folk in Seattle took photos. Moving pods were packed by Michael Clinard, Jacob Gerber and Gina Cholick–who is currently on her way to LA to tear it up down there (photos of moving pods are everywhere, I like this photo more). When Day/Nyquil bottles are left about the kitchen, smooshed paper towels work wonders to combat pet hair and dander from entering into the inherent technique of delivery. Gretag Macbeth color cards and ASUS eee PC’s are delicious. Jenna and Michael are swing dancing.