Torche - "Kicking" music video

I directed a new music video for my pals Torche. The song is "Kicking," from their new album Harmonicraft. It premiered today on Stereogum. Here's a quote:

"Director Andrew James Cox manages to hit all the inspirational sports-movie beats while making fun of them at the same time, and that hallucination sequence is a thing to behold." - Stereogum


Torche - "Kicking" (Stereogum Premiere) from stereogum on Vimeo.


Thanks to everyone who helped out, and to Volcom for making it happen.


Also, congratulations to my best friend Jesse Rueter (that's him adjusting his hat in the preview image above) and Caroline Chen on their wedding on Sunday. This has been the best week of my life. I'm working on making it the best year.

MINI COMIC CON

After you drop by your local comic shop for Free Comic Book Day (this Saturday), come on over to Eagle Rock:

Saturday, May 5th 2012 11:00am-6:00pm
FREE ADMISSION


Gallery Exhibition: May 5 - June 7, 2012

Center for the Arts Eagle Rock
2225 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Mini Comic-Con narrows the focus of the monolithic pop-culture event of Comic Con to its humble origins: the overshadowed vanguard of small press and independent comics. The exhibition highlights work that experiments with visual storytelling, both in content and form. Through selective appropriation of narrative devices and the invention of new ones, creators explore new ways to craft stories.

Mini Comic-Con exhibits recent work by emerging and established independent comic artists, a diverse group that is connected by shared influences: traditional comics, literature, film, experimental visual disciplines, DIY and small press culture, and a desire to project a singular voice. These works do more than tell a story with pictures; they blur high art, fantasy, and mundane experience to create something else entirely. Sometimes funny, sometimes fearlessly earnest, the artists use accessible yet refined drawing techniques to simultaneously connect with the viewer and generate a narrative structure that draws us further into their created worlds.

Curated by Andrew Cox and Laura Marchetti

Participating Artists:
Chuck BB
Akina Cox
Andrew James Cox
Marcos De La Siref
Shannon Freshwater
Andy Gohlich
Rebecca Inducil
Keenan Keller
Matt Macfarland
Laura Marchetti
John Martin
Jed McGowan
Kwanchai Moriya
Tom Neely
Never Press
Impossible Moon
Winona Regan
Anthony Rodriquez
Yumi Sakugawa
Britt Sanders
Sar Shahar

Adrian Tenney

Jesse Tise
Mark Todd
Dave Van Patten
Esther Pearl Watson
Megan Whitmarsh
Adriana Yugovich

New Song: AXED CROWN - Cloudbreak

Open Network

The video I directed for Helms Alee is in this art show at Cirrus Gallery, opening tonight (like right this moment, as I am typing this. Sorry for the late notice.) Thanks to Aaron Wrinkle for including me.

ONCE EMERGING, NOW EMERGING: OPEN NETWORK  

March 10- May 5, 2012
  
Opening Reception
Sat. March 10th  7-10pm 

     

Hinged to the website oncenowexhibiton.com, the exhibition presents itself with gestures on technology, community, innovation and performance. A comment on networking, the exhibition and website highlight important examples of artists bringing ideas of collaboration and presentation to the forefront of contemporary art. Artists and groups include: Artists and groups include: Artobjectculture.net (Lucy Chinen and Emilie Gervais), Chris Burden, Andrew Cox, Alan Dunn, Michael Decker, Eternal Telethon, Corey Fogel, Jack Goldstein, Peregrine Honig (Bravo's Work of Art), Mariah Garnett of Human Resources and Geoff Tuck (Notes on Looking), Actual Size artists: Ali Bailey, Scott Benzel, Guy de Cointet, Larry Bell, Doug Edge, Cayetano Ferrer, Katie Herzog, Laura Owens, Ed Ruscha and Barbara T. Smith plus artist submissions from oncenowexhibition.com

Cirrus Gallery

542 S. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Tuesday- Saturday 10am- 5pm

(213) 680-3473

cirrus@cirrusgallery.com
www.cirrusgallery.com

Axed Crown - First show this Friday

My first show as AXED CROWN:

KEEP BULL FIGHTING with visuals by MIKO REVEREZA

DRACULA SPACECRAFT 

AXED CROWN 

+DJ LADY C

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Doors: 8:00pm // $10

Mahasukha Center http://www.aci-la.org/

6512 Arizona Ave., Los Angeles, 90045

A selection of tasty teas and snacks will be provided

Proudly supported by VACATION Vinyl

http://www.facebook.com/events/264199843655785/

HELMS ALEE - "8/16" music video premiere on VEVO

So, the video I directed for HELMS ALEE's "8/16" is finally out. Not only that, but on the front page of VEVO, which means it is getting millions more impressions than I ever would have imagined.

I had a lot of fun making it, especially going up to Seattle and shooting with the band (total DIY friend-fest. We owe a bunch of people hugs and favors.) It was stressful at times, but I was always sure we were working on something awesome. I am extremely proud of how it came out.

Ben told me about the idea for the video when the band was on tour with Boris around the time my video for Torche's "UFO" came out. Which means this was waaay before any of us knew that Beavis and Butthead was going to be back on TV.

So months go by, the band records Weatherhead and we pick up discussion of the video. At one point I proposed shooting them as live action versions of Beavis and Butthead, mostly because I was nervous about animating. We settled on the concept of the video pretty much as it came out, and I suggested trying out Kickstarter to get a decent budget to make the video (when I made the Torche video, what little money we spent came out of my own pocket). I'd do some things differently in hindsight, but mostly it went really well, and we got enough money to do the video.

Shooting the video and editing were smooth, and animating was too, but it is always a pretty slow process. I did all the drawings by hand then scanned, colored, and arranged them digitally. It took longer than I anticipated (as usual). When I gave the band an ETA I doubled how long I thought it would take and ended up being right on the money. It could have been done more quickly, but making videos isn't my full-time job (yet?).

So in the time it took to make the video, Beavis and Butthead returned to MTV, grunge returned to the fashion world, and at Trader Joe's I've started hearing the songs whose videos we re-created. 

Excellent timing.

video link: http://youtu.be/GmcX97Y3vE4

"8/16" comes from Helms Alee's second full length album Weatherhead.  Produced by Matt Bayles in the winter of 2011, and released the following July, Weatherhead finds the band expanding on what AVClub calls 'impossibly catchy heaviness'.  Tours with Torche, Big Business, Boris and Minus the Bear have helped the band, and now Weatherhead, put grunge right back on the map.  

The girls and boy of Helms Alee will be on tour this March with fellow Northwest resident, Thrones:

03/03 Bellingham, WA @ Jinx Art Space w/ Sloths, Tearamanapart

03/31 Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern w/ Thrones

04/01 Vancouver, BC @ Iron Roads Studio w/ Thrones

04/03 Bellingham, WA @ Shakedown w/ Thrones

04/05 Arcata, CA @ Alibi w/ Thrones

04/06 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Thrones


Buy HELMS ALEE stuff in the Hydra Head Shop

Valentine's Day Massacre

Saint Valentine's Day,  2011

17"x14"

watercolor on paper

I made this for Akina for Valentine's day.