Jon Peter Lewis is featured in this week's issue of Billboard Magazine, discussing the independent route he has taken for his new album, "Break The Silence." The title track single debuted today on the R&R Hot A/C indicator Chart @ #40*. It was the 5th biggest gainer and 1 of only 2 independent label records on the chart. "Break The Silence" hits stores on July 22nd. The single is now available everywhere online.
Cool. Go Jon! Maybe I'll get to read the article at some point.
Now, I'm going to rant. But only a little.
Looking at those pictures, I really appreciate the fact that Jon looks at the camera more often than not. I know, there are artistic reasons for not looking at the camera... I'm fine with some "art shots." But the subject should be looking *at* something if it's not the camera, or it honestly begins to look pretentious. Maybe the whole "brooding artist mystique" requires staring into space, or perhaps closing your eyes to block out the unbearable pain of existence that layers your music with emotional burden. But it's SO cliche when you're clearly at a photo shoot, where you probably aren't actually preoccupied with dredging poetry from the depths of your soul.
Musicians are allowed to be happy and-- dare I say it?-- look like normal human beings, even in front of a camera. Maybe I'm crazy, but that's what I think. The whole "looking deep" thing has been played out. Really, shots of good bands "looking deep" make me ill because they remind me of clothes catalogs, and being that none of my favorite bands are called "JC Penny," that's just wrong. You can't get much more of a manufactured image.
So, I know that's a picture of Ace Young, but all I see is his weird shirt. If I didn't know who Ace Young was, I'd never remember him after seeing that photo. That type of shot is good for supplemental/background art, and that's about it.
*phew* OK, my inner photographer is satisfied. lol
Ok. I'll be nice now since Ace's voice is one I can tolerate.
For major marketing photos, it is best to have the singer looking at the camera. In general, that is what I prefer. And I agree that many bands try too hard to look edgy and deep. There is nothing original in the behavior or art of most of them. No truthiness.
Iris, do you like this pic? I like this one and several others where Jon isn't looking into the camera. You know, you kind of have to have something real in your soul to pull off a photo like this one, so maybe that is why they work for me.
And the photos from this set work well for me too.
I could also post the one of Jon walking beside the ocean with his guitar looking at the ocean's margin, but I'll stop with those two.
**************************** California Christmas this year.
Originally posted by artslvr: Ace is in that picture? Are you sure????? LOL
Ok. I'll be nice now since Ace's voice is one I can tolerate.
For major marketing photos, it is best to have the singer looking at the camera. In general, that is what I prefer. And I agree that many bands try too hard to look edgy and deep. There is nothing original in the behavior or art of most of them. No truthiness.
Iris, do you like this pic? I like this one and several others where Jon isn't looking into the camera. You know, you kind of have to have something real in your soul to pull off a photo like this one, so maybe that is why they work for me.
And the photos from this set work well for me too.
I could also post the one of Jon walking beside the ocean with his guitar looking at the ocean's margin, but I'll stop with those two.
That first one is very striking. He's not looking into the camera, but he's a-playing his geetar and there's a sunrise-on-the-lonely-beach mood about the picture. The burlap and overexposure helps with that effect. And Jon still looks like himself.
The second one I don't like so much. It's OK compositionally, but nothing about Jon goes well with the lines of the concrete jungle. The boy has too rebellious a spirit for that. He looks like he's on the set of CSI: Corporate Espionage, or something. Plus, while the colors and lighting bring the focus to his face, all that gray (including the hazy blue-grays of the background) washes him out... which in this case is not good because the shot depends on Jon's visage as the only element of warmth and interest. Also, there are a lot of lines for your eyes to track in there. The whole shot makes me uneasy, which would be fine if Jon was portraying an IRS agent or something, but he's an artist!
(CSI)
Now, Crothers did another shot of Jon looking out the window, but it's much better. The color scheme is the same, and Jon is again the only living thing in the shot, and even the lighting is similar to the "corporate suite" shoot (sunlight filtered through glass). But now we have an more natural line of sight and a candid, relaxed, and intimate effect. Now I can believe he's an artist.
I really like the Crowthers photo too. I still think the skyscraper shot works. It makes me think of Jon sitting at the top of the world, which is where he SHOULD be! His expression is natural. And if he is going to be a singer, he will need to get used corporate. Besides, in spite of Disney's and all of Hollywood's hypocrictical villifying of corporations, the truth is that corporations actually do much good. Anyway, I don't see corporate in this photo so much as I see spiffy. Spiffy Jon. With a visage.
**************************** California Christmas this year.
I really like the Crowthers photo too. I still think the skyscraper shot works. It makes me think of Jon sitting at the top of the world, which is where he SHOULD be! His expression is natural. And if he is going to be a singer, he will need to get used corporate. Besides, in spite of Disney's and all of Hollywood's hypocrictical villifying of corporations, the truth is that corporations actually do much good. Anyway, I don't see corporate in this photo so much as I see spiffy. Spiffy Jon. With a visage.
Would you prefer countenance? Fine mien? Air? Aspect? Mug? Ricky Gervais? What??????
So yeah, I'll just wait for jon's bonus track then. One about the benefits of corporate life.
It totally rocks. Goes like,
My my my my me-mo-ran-da *crazy guitar riff* Template-tuned emboldened Hel-ve-ti-ca *crazy guitar riff* Put the China tiki token in your surfin' stuff shack Just the tiny laws're broken, doesn't matter, gonna hack to the bottom of... the... line so fine... so fine... My my my my... My my... me-mo-ran-da!
Oh, visage is a super cool word! It is precisely the kind of word I would use! It is always nice when someone else uses more interesting words too. Makes me feel right at home.
On Jon's blog, there is a photo of him with Michael Orland on the way to San Francisco. In reference to that photo, Jon says, "Don't ask, I don't know what face I'm making." Well we know. It's a mug! Another great word. If I weren't so tired, I'd post that photo here too.
**************************** California Christmas this year.
What if he had staged a photo in which he plays a surprised tourist in London who's being accosted for his wallet by a Harry Potter villain doing magic... an image that was emblazoned on a coffee cup for those of us in the real non-magic-performing world.
In which case he'd mug as a mugged mugging muggle for a muggle mug, and subsequently mug a muggle for the mugged mugging muggle mug for which he had mugged.
lol
Keep looking at the camera JPizzle. 
