Everybody's Dying Just To Get The Disease

I’ve written about Elliott Smith so many times here on the Intrepid Flame that I feel he may need his own tag soon. But seeing that he is one of my favorite artists, I do not think that the over exposure will do anyone any harm. I have also mentioned several times how much I love when my interests interweave.

So the following post is an homage to both of these ideas:

1. The greatest of Elliott Smith and a new book which documents said greatness
   
2. The various roads that our interests steer us towards, and the serendipitous tangents we are allowed to discover.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a new book by photographer Autumn de Wilde. It arrived yesterday and I have yet to put it down. (It is now midnight and I just finished reading it) The book is not only a tribute to a complex and misunderstood musician, but also an intimate look into the life of a troubled yet widely talented man. Through her candid photographs and interviews with friends of Smith, we are allowed to see another side of the artist who eventually took his own life because of the pain he faced. Click here to see some of her images. This is a must have for all fans of Elliott and a nice intro for those who are new to his music. It includes a five song CD with a stellar cover of All My Rowdy Friends by Hank Williams Jr.

Which brings me to my second point which is the talent and beauty of de Wilde’s work and how it links to other roads on which I like to to travel. After checking out her website, I learned that she has photographed several other bands I love, namely Death Cab for Cutie The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Built to Spill, and yes my new love Jenny Lewis…so you see, talent, taste, honesty, and artistic integrity are all linked. You simply have to open up and look for the connections. Each path leads to another, there were a several artist in her portfolio that I am eager to explore.

So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
Im not surprised and really, why should I be?