Friday, October 8, 2010

Venice Peaches

I find all of us,
my wife and two kids, Claire and Donald,
and old Sadie Mae is on her last leg.
The side porch is well-lit as the
orange in the sky darkens
and hides Ormond Street.

I climb with my son
to pick a long-ripened peach.
Claire will eat it.
She's the only one in our family
who can down soggy fruit.

Later that night,
the kids fall asleep to Jungle Book.
Burst-pulsed sounds from dolphins
jog along the surface
of the ocean
and crash in waves
to spit at me.

My wife grabs my hand and puts it in her pocket.
She buries me there.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Nebraska Avenue

Here is a film I just finished making. It's a montage of a bunch of footage I've shot this past summer.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Sadie Mae

Meet my new dog, Sadie Mae. She is 2 years and 3 months old. German Shepherd/Terrier mix.









Friday, September 10, 2010

Dad

I'm age five
on Castleman Drive.

We're late to Ben's soccer game
and dad shuts the door
- before grabbing the car keys.

No time to waste,
he punches
his fist bulging
the glass door in full
and pulls
his knuckles
cut with blood.

I can't help but consider,
"Mom will pull up right here
in less than an hour."

But dad was preoccupied
to find whatever bides him
the most time.

I look at him
and imagine
my dad as Clark Kent.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Quiet On the Dock

The fishermen could be asleep
or maybe they'll drink
honey wheat.

She says she loves
to cuddle above
the mud
and the lightning bugs.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Gray Hair

Our hair grows gray
on the mexican sarape.

What's been done
and what's to come.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Unsure What I Love

I'm looking forward to the doors
with their creaking boards,
our children crawling
on the floor.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Most Things I Feel

I cannot mention
most things I feel:

her aches keep my heart -
to sweep leaves in piles
and jump like a child,
crumbling wild.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Less Is More

Sometimes I feel like the mute person has the most to say,
the bird without a beak has the most to sing,
the cripple with no belongings has the most to give.

I want to be smaller,
so He can be larger.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Megafaun


Megafaun is Joe Westerlund, Brad Cook, and Phil Cook. They played at Exit/In on June 21st, 2010. Stereogum describes their songs as "mournful, slow-blooming banjo-and-white-noise-laced epics". Their songs are an ode to death, love, musical history, community, tradition, and experimentation.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.









Kaufman's Ballad


The Process

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Taxicab Racers


Taxicab Racers played a show at 12th and Porter in mid-May, 2010. Taxicab Racers is Michael Roddy, Nate Zensen, Adam Newport, and Josh Dillard.

Roddy writes, "Taxicab Racers in its present form is a channeling of rock and dance music. Beneath the surface of swirling arpeggiators and club-friendly leads, you will find a humble pop song that could just as easily be played on a simple instrument. It is poignant dance music without all the repetition and indulgence; ear candy but with a hint of substance. We believe all great melodic ideas start from a core, and if that core is healthy, a great song is produced. I feel that this is the strongest version of Taxicab Racers yet, and from this healthy center you can expect great things to come."

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.





Heavy Heart


In Mind


Take It Easy

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Matt Campbell


You may know Matt Campbell as the fiery lead singer for The Deep Vibration. Nowadays, he's been carrying himself solo. He has a voice reminiscent of Ben Kweller, Jeff Tweedy, and Ryan Adams. He encapsulates Neil Young's best moments on guitar. And he paints the most vivid pictures of desert landscapes, open roads, airports, the 90's, and CiCi's Pizza.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.







Past Her Prime


Tennessee Rose


Tell Me Love


Talkin' Blood Bank

Austin Manuel


My good ol' buddy, Austin Manuel, played a show at his girlfriend's house last night. He's got a lot of new tunes up his sleeves that haven't been released, but he's hoping to put out a few of these by the end of the summer.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.






I Was Going Crazy




I Envy the Moon



You're the Only One



I Don't Know What's Real



Hitler

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Taylor Hollingsworth


Taylor Hollingsworth played at The Basement May 14th, 2010. You may know him from Conor Oberst's band, "The Mystic Valley Band".

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.










Ring Around Saturn



96 Crayons

Friday, June 11, 2010

Take This Bread

My brother married Audrey Alston a couple weeks ago. I made this video for the rehearsal dinner and we gave a DVD out to everyone that came to the wedding.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.

PART 1


PART 2

Friday, May 21, 2010

Colorfeels @ 12th & Porter


My friend, Parker Cason, is now in a band called "Colorfeels". I absolutely love their music. You can see traces of Grizzly Bear in the guitar works, Fleet Foxes in the harmonies, and Panda Bear in some of the vocals.

Make sure you watch them in HD by clicking on the bottom right of the video.







You Know


Mirrored Walls


Unplanned Holiday



Genealogy



Pretty Walk

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Thoughts

If it doesn't reach my tongue,
there's too much good thought
to sound one good speak.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Slow

Huck sniffs the wind.

I know he's just a pup,
but I understand
his goofy beating heart

slowing in the day.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Older, Colder



Written and directed and edited
by Will Rucker

Sound - recording, mixing, and editing
by J.D. Tiner

All music written and performed
by Austin Manuel

Songs:

"I Just Don't Understand"

and

"Everyday's A New Day"

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Silence

I've got nothing to say,
but why would I speak to you
when my thoughts sound empty as dark caves.
I decide over and over again
I don't like vulnerability.

Last year, I nearly lost it
thinking nothing.
I was curious years ago
but I suppose the intrusive nerves
in your body grow thin over time
- the emphatic, excited gestures curl up.
It's weird to think there's still blood in me somewhere,
percolating with deep wet oozes.
Blood somehow always pumps.

I spend many days
mumbling words I'll say clear that night.
But really,
how much do i have to explain
when the universal generalization
explains even that which i can't grasp
for I've only experienced my experience.

You get to know someone really well
and you become so comfortable in their idiosyncrasies.
I sit with you
and say nothing
- it means I love you.

Sometimes you're cutting,
clinching your teeth at my silence
and it frustrates my heart
because I walk and think
in circles on hardwood floors,
the boards creaking
with every footstep I take
toward you.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Forgiveness Rock Record Teasers

Watch a scene from Ghost while listening to Broken Social Scene.

(pardon the naked woman)

Sweetest Kill



Ungrateful Little Father



Chase Scene



Art House Director



All To All



Meet Me In the Basement



World Sick

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Huckleberry (part 3)

I took Huck on an exploration of the great South known as Nashville.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Memories of a Dying Man (remake)

I made a film a while back (what seems like years ago) with Heather Barton. I wanted to expound on the same concept of that video.

Make it full screen too for the ultimate I-Max experience.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Nashville Skyline

I filmed this on my new camera. The Canon 5D Mark II. Audrey, Amanda, Andrea, Adam, Ben, and I hanging out in downtown Nashville. We went to Peter's Sushi and Thai, Dan McGuinness Pub, and Adam's hotel he was staying at.

Music:
Sam Quinn and Japan Ten - "Fanboy"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Worship

Pastor Blaise Katshing asked me to tape a sermon at his church, Fountain Ramah. A man known as Prophet William gave a sermon on worship.

It speaks a great deal of wisdom to me, seeing as how worship is the main way I communicate with God. So I felt like it was worth putting on my blog.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Left on Laura, Left on Lisa

My friend, J.D., showed me this Avett Brothers video 3 or 4 months ago. It's live at the Cannery Ballroom in Nash. I've been watching it a lot lately and I can't help but scream along.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

goose-bumping

remembering my still mind
easily pleased

the shriveled sun in the echoing
song burning in a smelly memory

the nights as Shakespeares
fusing around the bonfire

the Hot Apple Cinnamon Cider
and who knows what else in the kitchen



ballad.

Oklahoma poetry

red oak scratches
sap dripping, bending sallow trees
sleepy weepy flop

her terrycloth socks cleft the creek
caught, arrested in slow pace.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sleep

My friend, Ben Cantwell - who most of you know, recently made a film for his 16mm film class, called "Sleep".


Monday, February 22, 2010

Pickwick Lake

On a socked-in, soupy swamp.


She glims the constellations, absent
- star gazing:

undone in her.

Something I Can't Give

I thought I'd be alright tonight.


But you

wear that low cut V-neck...
bend over lots...
flaunt a nice pair right in front of me...
suck on your finger to be cute (not cute)...
lick your lips far too often...

you can stop now...

I'm crudely ready for something
I cannot have

and cannot give.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Alternate Meanings

Most of my folk
we'll finish wine
and keep the bottle.

* It adds decoration
to the top of the dresser.

The food coloring
is not good for you
but it paints pictures.

* note: Jackson Pollock
was drunk but splattered.

Mario Kart on N64
is for kids but also
resonates in me still.

* A 22 year old can jump back
and forth in times of boredom.

Celebration of Life

I wrote a poem about a year and a half ago, dedicated to the image I have of my mom the day she birthed me.

I don't typically think anything of birthdays, unless it allows me to see a rated R movie or get into concerts or drink in bars. But 22 is the first age no one cares about!

That being said, God is still telling me to carpe diem day after day throughout the year of 2010. I think I'm grasping a bit more and more what that means. God is telling me to think about what it means to turn a new age. And so I have created this video. It's all in chronological order.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Prayer: Haiti, Liberia, Ross Family

There is way too much on my heart right now. We need to be praying.

1) Pray for Haiti. For obvious reasons. They need our prayer desperately.

2) Pray for Liberia. Ben (my bro) blogged about Liberia earlier this week. There is a video below, if you are interested. It's a little less than an hour long, but it's well worth watching. If you're going to watch the video, there's no reason to read what I write. But to explain to those who don't find time to watch the video, please read.



The video touched my heart and really gave me a lot to think about. A group of people from Vice magazine went into Liberia and interviewed many ex-combatant Liberians and filmed all of it to raise awareness of all the crap going on. If other countries don't step in and help Liberia with their ridiculously weighty problems (rape, cannibalism, drugs, malaria, aids, shit and piss everywhere), then there is going to be a sad sad bloodbath that will happen... because the U.N. will leave West Point (worst place in Liberia) next year. The legacy of civil war in Liberia is staggering. It's the 4th poorest country in the world. 50% of the country is illiterate. 70% of the female population has been raped! 80% of the population is unemployed. And a large % of the pop. has eaten human flesh!!! One of the warlords responsible for these atrocities, who fought in all 3 civil wars, says that if the U.N. leaves, then the youth of Liberia will start a war in less than 3 hours. There will be millions of Liberians dying dramatic deaths. There have already been some devastating wars fought (butt naked) where children's hearts have been ripped out from their chests.

With our prayers, God can move in even more mysterious ways than our small minds can grasp.

3) Pray for the Ross family. Barb Ross (who worked in the C.P.A. cafeteria) is going through a lot of sadness right now and it absolutely breaks my heart. Her husband (Bill Ross) committed suicide last week. There is no need to explain how he did it.

Barb has 2 daughters. Kelly Ross (who is a senior at C.P.A.) and Casey Ross (who is also at C.P.A.). Obviously, there is a lot of emotion stirring in their hearts. Pray that C.P.A. would help the Ross family out with tuition and other finances (since the financial supporter of the family is now gone).

I don't know a lot of the people that go to C.P.A. nowadays, but from what Wade Holmes has told me, there is a lot of terrible stuff going on. This is Wade's first year that he isn't going to Destin with his senior guys' Discipleship group. The reason is because these guys wanna get drunk and don't want Wade around. So Wade isn't going because he doesn't wanna be held responsible for these guys drinking the whole time (there's not much he can do about it). But there's something God can do about it. I think God is going to stir a revival at C.P.A. And the incident with the Ross family could be a catalyst for that.

A lot of students at C.P.A. are making stupid choices. A C.P.A. sophomore committed suicide last year. Many many parents have died in the past couple years at C.P.A. Let's just say, there is a LOT of crap going on at C.P.A....good or bad. But I think this incident with the Ross family is going to spread like wild fire. It shows in this video (it actually sent chills up my spine).

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Coffee and snow's rain

The car's inside is still when coffee spills
on the floor down the door.

The rain permeates the smell
that is the memory

- the only attachment I've made
with Winter.

And the snow, of course

I love it when the rain comes down
and makes holes in the snow.

It's well-formed,
the way a single drop plops down on your side
window and sprints across the glass to
explode into another drop that's
resting on the tip.

Kindness

I got really frustrated last night. I was trying to leave my house to go teach my friend, Caleb Gregory, how to develop film and print negatives. BUT I couldn't leave my house until I found my R.C. and Fiber Base paper (it's somewhere in my house, Lord knows it!) I was getting so frustrated because I have about $80 of that paper somewhere in my house. I spent about an hour and a half looking for it. My number 1 weakness as a human is how frustrated I get when I can't find things. I'm pretty sure my bro is the same way.

I ended up leaving my house without it. Then, as I was helping Caleb develop his film, I did the dumbest thing ever. I was distracted because I was telling him about what's going on in Liberia and I accidentally opened the canister that his negatives were shut light-tight in. So I accidentally exposed his negatives to light. Let's just say, I am a guilt-tripper. I beat myself up worse than anyone I know. I felt so bad...

When I beat myself up or get extremely frustrated looking for something, I always see that I'm getting way too angry about something so small. And it makes me see all of the crap that's going wrong with me.

I'm just a little tired of seeing everything that's wrong with me. I've been praying a lot lately that God will help me love myself much more than I do. I don't treat myself well.

The other night at my church, Grace Center, the pastor was talking about kindness. He told story after story of all the moments in his life where God has shown him kindness. He made a really great point, saying, "God is so much more excited and willing to show you kindness if you are grateful to receive it."

I realized right then and there that I really am not grateful. I am pretty spoiled. I always say thanks when people do things for me... and I genuinely mean it. But I never do too much to reciprocate the love there.

The pastor, Alyn, ended his sermon on a really great note. He asked the congregation to show kindness this week. I left the sermon with my mom in mind. I really want to show her kindness every week (not just this one obviously).

Saturday, February 13, 2010

enfant gâté

The poet writes
without caring
just how many words
fit on a line.

The window
in front of his Dell
contains the streaks
from his dog's nose.

He is tempted
to flip through the pages
of his hefty Thesaurus
with a wet index finger.

But he sighs.
He looks at himself
in a mirror.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Neal Casal Photography

Preface: Only read this if you have a built appreciation for Ryan Adams and his Cardinals.

Last weekend, my brother and I were hanging out over at Caylin Cervetti's house (she is a friend of Cooper/Ben/Audrey/Amanda/Andrea). So Ben and I were sitting there listening to the Slumdog Millionaire OST and eating Indian food. Audrey looks over at me with wide, excited eyes.

She says, "Will, guess who is coming over! Neal Casal!"

I looked at her, confused, thinking to myself, "Hmmm...that name....whoa...Neal Casal?! As in, Cardinal Neal Casal? (Not to be confused with Cardinal Richelieu)

Neal Casal was a part of Ryan Adams and The Cardinals from 2005 all the way through early last year. If you don't remember, The Cardinals were formed back in 2004. Casal was a huge part of Easy Tiger, Follow the Lights, and Cardinology. Ryan Adams considers him the bedrock of The Cardinals. I think he meshed best with Adams' Rolling Stones/Guns N' Roses/Emmylou Harris/Oasis aesthetic. He has released 9 solo albums and has lent himself to many various projects, such as Hazy Malaze. Caylin Cervetti is a stand-in for Gwyneth Paltrow in her new movie, Love, Don't Let Me Down. Paltrow plays an addicted-to-drugs Faith Hill...and Casal is in Paltrow's band in the film.

So Ben and I are sitting there, mouths gaping, thinking, "Oh man....I look like a just woke up! Where are my sweet new kicks?"

So Casal walks in and we all shake his hand. At first, Ben and I try not to gush over him and let him know that we indeed know who he is. Someone asked him where he's from and he said he's been living in L.A. Ben looked at him and said, "Oh, I wasn't sure if you were still living in New York, since that's where you've been with The Cardinals." My mind fainted at that moment. I was thinking, "Ben! He's gonna pull a gun out and shoot you! He's gonna wanna dump your body in the TN river, so that you don't follow him back to his house and try to spoon with him!"

But Casal pulled his head up from eating his Indian food and politely said, "Oh, yea, noo..since The Cardinals broke up, I've been in L.A." He seemed a bit shocked that someone recognized him. Little does he know, he's sitting in a room with some people who fantasize about skateboarding with Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore...and that we tried to outdo Ryan Adams and Jon Graboff during their sock competition that was blogged pretty heavily... oh and that we stitched our very own denim jackets with the rose on the back.

So, Ben broke the ice. Now we could drive Casal nuts with our admiration.

Later on in the night, we all went to The Family Wash to see Earl Scruggs' grandson mimic Hank Williams Senior. Ben & Audrey & I asked Casal all about his time with The Cardinals. We mentioned the times we've seen Ryan live and Casal remembered every detail of everything (my thoughts are because he takes so many photos). Ben mentioned how he learned "Let It Ride" on guitar by watching a BBC performance they did in Ireland. He remembered that performance well, telling us what kind of Scotch him and Adams drank after the show and how many hours of sleep he got the night before and the arguments that him and Adams would get into. We asked him what it was like to get left on the curb last year when Adams decided to move on to different things. He told us that Adams was great to work with and that it's disappointing to not be around Adams as much anymore. He ended up explaining to us that Adams is forming a new band this year. Ben and I mentioned that Adams set the bar pretty high with The Cardinals. I also asked him if he knows Taylor Dudney (since Taylor's uncle, Brad Pemberton, played drums in The Cardinals) but he said he didn't.

When I listen to Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, I never think to myself, "Oh, that's Catherine Popper playing piano right now." Or ohhhh that's Jon Graboff or Chris Feinstein or J.P. Bowersock. But when I hear Casal, I know it's him, because he's got really distinctive style.

So meeting him was pretty special.

He told us that he is coming out with a book of photography on February 23rd, called Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows. He told us this book is very meaningful to him and that he's extremely excited for it to come out. He said the book has over 200 photos that share an inside scope on Ryan Adams, The Cardinals, and especially note the importance of Chris Feinstein's life (he died over Christmas break in 2009 and was known as Space Wolf and contributed bass guitar to The Cardinals).

Casal has a website where you can view his photography. His stuff is pretty amazing, recapping memories he has with The Cardinals and also Vetiver, Willie Nelson, Oasis, Martha Wainwright, and Jenny Lewis.

Here are some of my favorites of his photography:


















Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Elinor Scott-Sutter

I was in Art History tonight and my friend, Bonnie Britt, was sitting next to me. She was looking at photos by this girl, Elinor Scott-Sutter, on her website "Equivoque Photography".

Her photos are pretty amazing. My mouth was dropping on a lot of them, probably a little bit of drool involved.

Here are some of my favorites: