Rudy VanderLans just sent me his beautiful third book about the musicians and places of Southern California. Following photographic essays, texts and CDs about Captain Beefheart and Van Dyke Parks, ‘Joshua Tree‘ focuses on Gram Parsons, legendary 60s singer-songwriter, ex-The Byrds, ex-Flying Burrito Bros., and performer of what he called "Cosmic American Music". Parsons died, aged 26, in a motel room in Joshua Tree, California, in 1973. VanderLans’ dreamlike photoessays and designs are amongst the finest contemporary investigations into the relationships between music and place, and Joshua Tree is simply stunning. More to follow.

More VanderLans, Supermarket:

"a photographic trip through a broad swath of Southern California, with an emphasis on life in the Mojave Desert. VanderLans’ photographs take the viewer on a hyper-real trip from Los Angeles to Desert Center, from California City to Mecca. The road signs, landscapes, isolated buildings and car window views are a striking portrait of the California desert."

There’s an exhibition of photos from Supermarket at Michael Dawson Gallery, Los Angeles, January 26th through March 23rd, 2002.