The Photography of Ray Shirao

I was browsing a Japanese bookstore the other day and randomly stumbled upon the amazing photography of Ray Shirao. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in complete awe of someone’s work. What really struck me about Shirao’s work was the oddity of his subjects. Never have I seen a photo of seemingly mundane objects appear so alien.

In Undercurrent, Shirao reveals the surprising beauty of the subterranean passages of Tokyo’s extensive sewer system. His photos are completely arresting in that they expose the dark abyss beneath our cities, an eerie man-made netherworld of caves that house the lifeblood of our daily existence, the pipes that carry our water, electricity, internet, television, and heat.

Beneath the strangeness and the surprising beauty is a lurking malice, a fear of the unknown and the unseen. Shirao plays on this unknown by using murky shadows, darkness, bewildering reflections, and odd shapes that let the viewer’s imagination run wild, as we project our own fears into the dark recesses of each frame.

In stark high contrast photos, the blaring concrete offsets the dark shadows in a stunning display of dark mysterious beauty. The photos that are particularly gorgeous are those that utilize the meager rays of light that have penetrated from the world above to illuminate the bizarre caverns. These fleeting rays cast brilliant shadows that bounce off the slimy surfaces and water to make beautiful shapes.

Be sure to check out his book Undercurrent, although it’s been pretty hard to find in online searches as it seems to be primarily in Japanese. In the meantime, be sure to head over to his website and check out his photos. But again, you will have to do some clicking around in the dark (oh badump chh!) as it’s all in Japanese as well.

To make things easier, here are a few of my favorites below.

AA Loves: Made In Japan

My greedy little ears have just been blessed by the music of Made In Japan as will yours in a few short moments.

Formed in 2006, this quartet from Australia mixes tightly interwoven guitar melodies that resemble the carefully crafted sounds of Explosions In The Sky with delightfully catchy pop lyrics. Unmuddied by distortion, their talent is brazenly on display. After only a few bars, it’s clear that each song has been carefully crafted so that every note, drum hit, and chord are exactly where they need to be.

Be sure to listen to their single “Pairs,” which is a sneak peak at their forthcoming release and a very good sign of things to come. While you’re at it, head over to Bandcamp to take a peek at their self-titled EP that was independently released in early 2009.

AA Loves: The Delta Riggs

The Delta Riggs are dangerous, so lock up your daughters, hide your girlfriends, and get ready for some pure rock n’ roll at its best – born in fire, doused in snake oil, and raw to the touch.

With heavy blues rock soaked in gospel organs and as dedicated students of American blues like the Rolling Stones, the Delta Riggs mean serious business. They dropped their self-titled EP last May, and mid 2011 will see the release of their debut album.

Check out Fiend below, but be prepared, the opening lines will hit you hard – heavy guitar riffs driven by a punishing snare with wailing vocals will clear your sinuses.

But to get a real feel for this band’s sound, be sure to listen to their stunner Get Back. They seamlessly blend southern gospel, blues, and R&B for one of the most stunning displays of soulful rock I’ve heard in a long time. Lead singer Elliot Hammond has so much raw feeling in his voice that your entire mind becomes entranced, time literally slows down, and you are left emotionally exhausted. But not to be outdone, the organ and the backup vocalists compete for your attention with equal enthusiasm evoking the feel of a gospel church on a Sunday.

Turn up your speakers and praise the Lord, The Delta Riggs are bringing down the house today.

Fiend by thedeltariggs

Also be sure to check out their EP.

The Delta Riggs EP by thedeltariggs

Sadly, Sony is being a bully and won't let me host a stream of "Get Back," so you'll have to hop over here or here to stream it.

Eddie Cochran – Twenty Flight Rock

I’ve been on a bit of a rockabilly kick lately, so I figured I’d share a quick little jam that’s had me moving my hips in manner unbefitting of an upstanding model citizen of the 1950’s.

Check out the live version of the Rockabilly classic “Twenty Flight Rock” by the great Eddie Cochran.



Then of course, there’s this cover

Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

It’s here!!! I just got my greedy little hands on Smith Westerns’ sophomore effort, Dye It Blonde.

These underage louts have really outdone themselves with this phenomenal album.

Displaying incredible growth, while still maintaining that shithead adolescent energy that made their first album so fun, Dye It Blonde is an absurdly catchy album.

They’ve kept the dreamy and girl-crazy sound of hormone mad young ‘uns, but producer Chris Coady has helped to focus that restless energy.

Thank god for the hi-fi recording equipment and the studio budget because we can know hear the artful psychedelic swirls and arcs of their guitars. This album is loaded with some dazzling guitar riffs and Cullen Omori coos gently with the sweetness of a cherub.

The album opens with a powerful trio in “Weekend,” “Still New,” and “Imagine Pt.3”

Weekend is so damn fun and has probably already made it on to your playlists as it was released several months ago as the lead single from the album.

Still New is surprising in that the lyrics are audibly more mature, as they now include lines like “I want to tell you you’re hard to resist.” On that note, I must say that the George Harrison-esque riffs on this track are hard to resist.

As for Imagine Pt. 3, it’s a fun mix of Beach Boys innocence with a bit of British psychedelic to the moving beat of a 70’s family sitcom intro theme song.

Between British Sea Power and The Smith Westerns dropping phenomenal albums in the past few weeks, we’ve gotten some amazing music in the first month of the new year. That leaves eleven whole months of unabated goodness to come. Woohoo!

Listen to a few goodies below.

Smith Westerns by The Vinyl District
End of the Night

Smith Westerns - Imagine, Pt. 3 by Vicente P

Stream British Sea Power’s New Album – Valhalla Dancehall

British Sea Power’s new album, Valhalla Dancehall, is here! These Brit indie rockers dropped their fifth album in mid January and it’s definitely worth a listen.

Taking a different approach, the band decided to eschew the studio and record the album in a more DIY fashion. They got the hell out of dodge and found an old farmhouse in a remote part of the world and lived there for eighteen months writing, recording, and above all experimenting.

Recounting their adventures in an interview, it seems like the band had quite the time forgetting to order heating oil and struggling with the cold, walking miles on end in empty forests, watching episodes of Heartbeat with a mouse, and making golf courses out of their massive overgrown lawn.

Less grand and eccentric than their previous four albums, Valhalla Dancehall is still filled with esoteric references and influences but in a more accessible package. To quote the Guardian, the album is drawn from “vintage Playboy magazines, population control, crazy golf, Dadaist artist Kurt Schwitters, hedonism, nature, and "French Hitchcock" Henri-Georges Clouzot.

With albums this good coming out so early in 2011, this year is going to be prolific for music.

Here’s just a snippet below, but be sure to head over to the Guardian to stream the rest.

Tour Photos from the Shout Out Louds

I was randomly perusing the Shout Out Louds’ homepage the other day and came across some of their tour photos and must say that they have some insanely talented photographers on hand as they have made some gorgeous frames.
Candid photos of the band as they hang out are mixed with behind the scenes tour shots as well as more personal photos that speak of people simply experiencing new places and documenting their surroundings. The overall effect is that one feels as if they have seen private photos from a vacation among close friends.

Simple, candid, and gorgeous these photos are certainly worth taking a look at if you have a minute. Just hop over to their site and check out their photo section.

Below are a few of my favorites.