QUIRKY MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT E-ZINE

ARCHIVE-DEC 2005-Feb. 6, 2006.

For Feb, 19, 2006 onward, go to Quirky-Current

Now updated daily!

CONTESTS!!

Tom T. won the copy of Future Retro (80s Alternative Classics Remixed). Congrats!

2/6/06

Another 80s band reunites for a new tour. Think of a hit song by Gary Numan, and you've got the answer.

2/2/06

Sid Vicious died on this day in 1979.

CD Review

Who You Fighting For?
UB40
Rhino.

Usually, the release of a new album by any 80s MTV supergroup is greeted with trepidation or at least a cautious ear. How many hyped post '80s albums have Duran Duran had except for Ordinary World from 1993's Wedding Album. UB40 have fared much better with hits like Can't Help Fallin In Love and The Way You Do The Things You Do .

Unlike most other bands from the first MTV era, UB40's eight man, multicultural lineup has remained the same over 23 albums, somehow avoiding the infighting and premature breakups other bands have endured. Who You Fighting For? is a rarity for a band this far along in their career. The 13 songs here sound as fresh as UB40'searliest work. Even so, this is a more fluid and grown-up band, as evidenced during their Live 8 performance. Ali Campbell's vocals are smooth as always and have taken on a more mature polish. The rhythm section (bassist Earl Falconer, drummer Jim Brown,and percussionist Norman Hassan) has honed its sound to a flawless tempo. Reggae rapper/"toaster" Terence "Astro" Wilson and keyboardist Michael Virture round out the group. Who You Fighting For? has a current ambiance, from the scratchy yellow CD booklet art featuring drawings of a Nelson Mandela,Osma Bin Laden, President Bush and other political figures to the current issues the band embraces in many of the tracks.While the infectious title song and Sins of the Father explore social and anti- war themes, the lyrics are free of the strident self-righteousness and name-calling and focus on universal themes of humanity and freedom. Reasons is a catchy love song that celebrates a lover's positive qualities and One Woman Man praises monogamy.


UB40 is best known for their reggae remakes of pop hits, and there are a few more winners here. Good Situation (aka Gene Chandler's Groovy Situation) is effusive and catchy, despite replacing :"groovy" with good. We need more grooviness in pop music, c'mon! And the Manhattans' uber-sad Kiss and Say Goodbye, almost unbearably maudlin in its original version is now a hummable gem. Saxophonist Brian Traver's playing effortlessly punctuates the songs on Who You Fighting For? and is most powerful on the title cut. The lush reggae sound that fostered such hits as Red Red Wine is still here and has only improved with age. The only thing that could ruin my newfound affection for this CD is to hear the songs get overplayed as much as Red Red Wine. However, I don't think the band and their bank accounts would mind that too much.

1/29/06

Interview with one of the raunchy ladies of '80s L.A. punk/cowpunk, Texacala (Tex & The Horseheads) Jones.

Sleazegrinder Interview with Tex

1/28/06

Once you get out of Hollywood, it's not a 20 year old nursing student turned dominatrix caning some portly studio exec. It's this...

1/27/06

One of the most literate blogs on the Net closes up shop.

R.I.P. Black Table.

This is too cute. We had kiddie Kiss, kiddie Guns 'N' Roses and now..kiddie Devo!

Back in October 2002, I saw The Cult at the Wiltern at the second to the last show of their West Coast mini-tour. I remarked to a friend that I couldn't wait for "that sweet, sweet moment" when Ian and Billy would share the stage again. "This tour isn't even over yet!!" my friend countered. "Could ya wait a week or 2 before pining away?" Well, that sweet, sweet moment has arrived. A 20 city tour starts March 1st in San Francisco, with dates in New York, Chicago, Austin...and even Tulsa!!

The Cult.us

For a great time on the dance floor (but only if you're really really drunk), team up K-Fed's new masterpiece with Dessarae Bradford's tale of perverse sex with half of Hollywood. Hey, maybe they could do a tour together...opening night at Jumbo's Clown Room. How about it?

Rockers..Keep Your Day Jobs(Businessweek)

Those of us of a certain age have fond memories of the '70s kids show "The Electric Company." The mini-soap opera Love of Chair was my personal fave, and I still use Rita Moreno's signature "Hey you guuuuys," from time to time.

"HEY YOU GUUUUUUYS!"

SHOUT! FACTORY AND SESAME WORKSHOP ARE GONNA TURN IT ON
WITH THE HOME VIDEO DEBUT OF "THE ELECTRIC COMPANY"

From The Creators Of "Sesame Street," PBS' Emmy Award-Winning Children's Show, Starring Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks And More, Arrives As A Four Disc DVD Set On February 7th

LOS ANGELES, CA - Shout! Factory announces the DVD release of The Best Of The Electric Company, available for the first time on home video. The wildly popular 1970s-era Emmy award-winning children's television series was created by the non-profit educational organization Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) and featured an ensemble cast with Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Rita Moreno, with voice-overs by Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Joan Rivers and Zero Mostel. The Short Circus provided a youth element to the cast, featuring Irene Cara and others. With its roots in the Motown Sound, Broadway and "The Carol Burnett Show," "The Electric Company" became a cultural phenomenon of the '70s, teaching children basic reading and grammar skills, with an emphasis on fun. The four disc set, which features 20 of the best episodes in true nostalgic glory, new interviews and more, is available on February 7th for the suggested retail price of $49.98. As with all Sesame Workshop products, proceeds from the sales of the DVD's will help fund their educational projects around the world.

The Best Of The Electric Company DVD features a wealth of bonus features including new interviews with Moreno, creator Joan Ganz Cooney, executive producer Sam Gibbon, head writer Tom Whedon ("Golden Girls," "Alice"), and Short Circus member June Angela. Show trivia, new episode introductions by Moreno, classic outtakes, and a fun Karaoke version of "Silent E" round out the discs' extras.

Targeting children aged six to ten, "The Electric Company" aimed to teach basic reading and grammar skills to its young viewers through sketch comedy, songs and animation. Even well known characters joined the cast of The Electric Company; Spider-Man emerged from his comic strip and Road Runner cartoons were modified to teach reading lessons. Viewers will fondly remember live action and animated skits such as The Adventures of Letterman and Love of Chair, as well as the original music (several songs, such as "Silent E" were written by satirist Tom Leher). The Best Of The Electric Company includes all the recurring, best-loved personalities, such as Easy Reader, Spell Binder, Fargo North, Decoder, Jennifer of the Jungle, J. Arthur Crank, and more.

ABOUT SHOUT! FACTORY Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory's DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company's audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable "best of" compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, Calif. Its fine products are distributed by Sony BMG Music Entertainment Inc. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com.

ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, Pinky Dinky Doo and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Sagwa products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.

1/26/06

"Live Freaky, Die Freaky!"

Now, this is my kinda movie. Puppets, Charlie Manson, punk rock icons providing character voices, blood, vulgarity, et al. Kinda like Team America meets Helter Skelter meets Pink Flamingos.I ask you, how can you miss with those components! Review forthcoming.

1/20/06

Some news for all you graphic novel/comic book fans out there!

THE LOOKING GLASS WARS: HATTER M OFFICIALLY A HIT

First Issue Sold Out from the Publisher, Critics Give it Rave Reviews

January 20, 2006, Atlanta, GA – Desperado Publishing has been informed by Diamond Comic Distributors that all copies of the Image Comics-released title The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 that the distributor had on hand have been sold. Series creator, Frank Beddor, has given the last of his personal copies to Diamond to fulfill recent reorders so the title has now officially and completely sold out of its print run of 9000.

“It’s a good day for a creator when his distributor sends a purchase order to buy up his own personal stash,” commented series writer, Frank Beddor.

“This is the type of problem a publisher hopes to have,” said Desperado Publishing publisher, Joe Pruett. “We believed that this book was really good and we hoped that others would feel the same way. Judging by the response it’s getting both from fans and from critics, I guess they do. And just wait until they see issue #2.”

Originally released on December 7, The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 tells the story of Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan, who after being shot through an exit portal into a world far different from his own, finds himself in Paris, France in the year 1859, shockingly separated from Princess Alyss of Wonderland. Pledged to protect the princess after the bloody coup that killed her parents at the start of the Looking Glass Wars, Hatter’s search for Alyss commences immediately and continues incessantly leaving the whispers and totems of myth in his non-stop wake. Put to rest any delusions or disinformation you may have of the tea guzzling madman of faux literary history and prepare to expand your consciousness as the saga of Hatter Madigan and his relentless search for Alyss, Wonderland’s lost princess, unfolds in this upcoming series.

The four issue mini-series features a story by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier with full color art by Ben Templesmith. Beddor is the author of The Looking Glass Wars novels, currently only available in the UK, but soon to be released in the US through Penguin Young Readers Group, as well as producer of the hugely popular Hollywood film, There’s Something About Mary.

This sell out is due in part to the rave reviews the title has been receiving. Here are just a few of those comments:

“Comic readers are lucky to have this book…” – Brian Truitt, The Washington Examiner

“This is an excellent book filled with action, horror, and humor. Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier wrote a stunning story; Desperado Publishing has a franchise in the making here.” - John L. Daniels Jr., ComicCritique.com

“The story is at times sweet, raw, inventive and hilarious.” – Robert Taylor, HeroRealm.com

“Ben Templesmith rocks the house in Hatter M.” – Dexter K. Flowers, BrokenFrontier.com

“The writer masterfully intertwines pop culture with the macabre.” – Ariel Carmona, Jr., SilverBulletComicbooks.com

“This issue is creativity at its best. It is rare to read a comic like Hatter M. If you are tired of reading the same old superhero comics and want something new to try, then try Hatter M. Originality at its highest.” – Phillip Hayes, PaperbackReader.com

“It's a mad, mad world that everyone should be reading.” – Hilary Goldstein, IGN.com

“Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier make literary magic with the precocious debut of Hatter M.” – Paul Dale Roberts, Jazmaonline.com

If demand warrants, a second printing of the first issue may become available in time for this year’s convention season. There is still time to order copies of The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #2. The order code to do so is: DEC051775.

To learn more about The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M and other Desperado Publishing series, log onto: Desperado Publishing and Looking Glass Wars.


1/18/06

The explosive, action-packed cult classic returns in this all-new special edition. Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton star as "repo men" who get caught up in a series of bizarre adventures involving G-men, a nuclear scientist, UFO cultists and revolutionaries. Put your seat belt on and enjoy the wild ride in this groundbreaking, punk-rock, sci-fi black comedy with all-new bonus materials! DVD includes extra scenes and an interview with Harry Dean Stanton.


1/17/06

Axl Rose (there's a relevant name) makes a public appearance at Korn's (another relevant name) tour announcement party at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Axl Rose, Korn, members of Papa Roach & The Used--all in one place!! WOW!!! (that's sarcasm, by the way)

Howard Stern's recent move to Sirius has been documented widely by everyone, including the "Family Media Guide" which provided this list of all the naughty bits on Howie's first Sirius show. Can't these Family Media guys just go do something useful, like save some trapped kittens or feed the homeless?

Conservative Group Keeps Tabs On Howard Stern's Sirius Show

1/10/06




Listen to audio samples here

Classic '80s alternative songs go back to the future with FUTURE RETRO as Rhino Records updates the era's shimmering synthesized sounds with remixes by today's hottest club DJs and producers. FUTURE RETRO is available January 24.
Track listing--

1. "The Walk" - The Cure (Infusion Remix)
2. "Situation" - Yaz (Richard X Remix)
3. "Lips Like Sugar" - Echo & The Bunnymen (Way Out West Remix Edit)
4. "Need You Tonight" - INXS (Static Revenger Mix Edit)
5. "Shake The Disease" - Depeche Mode (Tiga Remix)
6. "A Little Respect" - Erasure (Jaded Alliance 'Electrospect' Remix)
7. "New Song" - Howard Jones (Peter Black and Hardrock Striker Mix Edit)
8. "Forever Young" - Alphaville (Hamel Album Mix)
9. "Bizarre Love Triangle" - New Order (The Crystal Method Extended Mix)
10. "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) - Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel (Elite Force Mix)
11. "Girl U Want" - Devo (Black Light Odyssey Mix)
12. "Nowhere Girl" - B-Movie (Adam Freeland Remix)
13. "Boy" - Book Of Love (DJ Irene Rockstar Mix)
14. "Suedehead" - Morrissey (Sparks Mix)

1/6/06

Ringleader Of The Tormentors, Morrissey's eighth solo album, was previewed for the press recently. Brief descriptions are posted at CMJ.com ,CMJ Relay,Billboard.com . Also, Morrissey answers fans' questions at True-To-You.Net

UK reggae band UB40's new album, Who You Fighting For? will be released by Rhino Records on January 24th. It features eight originals and five covers, including their version of the Manhattans' "Kiss And Say Good-Bye." To hear samples from the album, click here

1/5/06

I saw Prima Donna open for Glen Matlock and the Philistines in Hollywood a few weeks ago. This LA quartet joins a handful of SoCal musicians in their 20s inspired by the glitter/glam rock of the early 70s. Prima Donna's look and sound is definitely in the Dolls/Heartbreakers mold. They're glampunk all the way. Catchy hooks, blistering guitar and a rockin' saxophone (yes, that's right-a glam band with sax!) set this ensemble on the top of the Cali glam heap. Prima Donna has also opened for Texas Terri on her European tour, so they've shared the stage with some heavyweight performers early in their career and held their own. Every cut on this CD is a winner. "Eat Your Heart Out", "Stray Doll" and "Miss Avenue" are standouts.

12/31/05

My Top 10 CDs of 2005

Sometimes, my year end Top 10 lists consist of albums that are good for you, like medicine. They will keep you musically hip, but you won't have a good time listening to them. This year, I must confess, I'm sticking with albums I loved, whether they were critic-worthy or not. I admit a few of them might be more like musical ice cream than musical medicine, but sometimes you have to splurge a little. And I wasn't trying to be cutesy with the "color in album title" trio (Black, White, Blue) at the end. It just happened that way.

1. Louis XIV-The Best Little Secrets Are Kept

Yeah, it's about sex!! We need to hear more about sex in rock music Sheesh! I'm tired of hearing 20something men who should be out getting laid whining about their rotten childhoods, politics, hangnails etc. When I first heard "Finding Out True Love Is Blind" and its lyrics (Sample: Carrot juice, gonna squeeze you til I bleed.") I thought "Is this some old song from the 70s' they just unearthed! You can't get away with that now!" Well, apparently they can. Although this band didn't get as much attention as their PG rated brethen, it's nice to know that sexy music is alive and well in rock 'n' roll today. Oh, and there's some hot chick on the cover with her naked butt prominently featured..

2.Gogol Bordello-Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike

Ukrainian immigrant Eugene Hutz and an ecletic array of fellow transplants to NYC have played their unique brand of (deep breath) gypsy- punk- cabaret- flamenco- dance music since 1999. Gypsy Punks is their fifth album, and along with a slot on the Vans Warped tour last year, the band/performance art ensemble is shedding its bohemian cult status and attracting a larger audience. With an accordionist, violin player and dancers supplementing the rudimentary guitar/bass/drums rock format, Gogool Bordello becomes a vertibale punk rock circus for the eyes and ears. And they make this "everything but the kitchen sink" format work with a panache that their more pretentious East Village peers can only dream about.

3.Kaiser Chiefs-Employment

KillersKasabianRazorlightFranzFerdinandBraveryInterpol.DovesArcadeFire…and the Kaiser Chiefs. There, did I forget any overhyped, usually British indie band of the past two years? While all the aforementioned bands have catchy, recognizable songs, many fans agree it's difficult to tell one from the other. For me, the songs that stayed in my earphones the longest were by a Leeds band that named themselves after a South African soccer team-the Kaiser Chiefs. "I Predict A Riot" is a pop anthem worthy of the Clash, and tunes like "Everyday I Love You Less & Less" and "Born To Be A Dancer" channel great 60s' pop ala Herman's Hermits and the Dave Clark Five.

4. Antony & The Johnsons- I Am A Bird Now

The provocative, wistful leanings of I Am A Bird Now might confuse some but endear others. More like cabaret and light opera than mere pop music, the androgynous Antony explores themes of sexual confusion, wanting and freedom. Antony is a fragile, more introspective version of his hero, Boy George, or, if you will, a kinder, gentler incarnation of Klaus Nomi. Sparse, melancholic piano is all that's needed to accompany Antony on some tracks. His emotive vibrato alone conveys so many feelings and textures that the usual pop cadre of instruments is not needed.

5.Fiona Apple-Extraordinary Machine

Epic initially refused to release Extraordinary Machine, claiming it was uncommercial. After fans took up the cause and songs leaked on the Internet, then the suits finally saw the light. Fiona has definitely grown up with Extraordinary Machine,experimenting with hip hop on "Tymps (The Sick In The Head Song)" and vacillating from the lazy honky-tonk of the title track to smoky jazz ala an alt rock Billie Holiday on several of the other cuts. After being inundated for years with young females who are merely vocalists, it's refreshing to see a true artist like Fiona at number 15 on Amazon.com

6. Lucinda Williams-Live At The Fillmore

Williams first live CD, recorded at the Fillmore in San Francisco, captures heartfelt performances of songs mainly culled from her last 2 albums. A keepsake for fans who have respected her work for years, and an introduction for folks who have a passing interest in her music but want to sample more. From the earthy, real woman sexiness of "Righteously" to the angry deep down hurt of a spurned love in "Change The Locks" and "Those Three Days", Williams' songs are not for the emotionally supercial. Her work expresses the realities of life and love in an unvarnished fashion that's more modern folk/Americana than alt-country. Backed by guitarist Doug Pettibone, drummer Jim Christie and bassist Taras Prodaniuk, her playing has never sounded better.

7.Madonna-Confessions On A Dance Floor

After the tragicomic American Life, Madge had a "comeback" of sorts to make with this CD, and Confessions On A Dance Floor is a return to the hypnotic, sweaty sounds that first introduced her to an unsuspecting world. The 12 songs on Confessions have more in common with Studio 54 disco and early Madonna songs like "Everybody" and "Burnin Up" than they do with her later, glossed over pop. Even "Forbidden Love", with its homage to synthesizer heavy '80s dance music, retains an edge we haven't heard from Madonna since her early days in New York.

8.Raveonettes-Pretty In Black

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo continue their fixation with 50s/early 60s pre-Beatles pop, girl groups and the Jesus and Mary Chain on Pretty In Black. Songs like the dreamy psychedelic "Red Tan" and the swirling disco rhythms of "Twilight" make Pretty In Black suitable for daydreaming and dancing.The notoriously bouncy "Love In A Trashcan" should have blaring from radios across the land. And there are guest appearances by Ronnie Spector, Martin Rev, and Mo Tucker.

9.White Stripes-Get Behind Me, Satan

The primitive, drum heavy sound that defines the White Stripes is still evident on Get Behind Me, Satan, but Jack and Meg White explore other options with generally positive results. There's the bubblegum singalong "My Doorbell," its slightly less silly companion "Denial Twist," the metal dance funk of "Blue Orchid" and the plaintive wail of "White Moon." While purists may blanche at these variations, the White Stripes sparse garage rock sound is still intact, and that's all that matters.

10.Bobby Bare-The Moon Was Blue

Country legend Bare returns to recording after a 20 year exile with an album of covers, including such melancholy classics as Everybody's Talkin' and Yesterday When I Was Young. The the choice of songs and their presentation is not terribly original, but it's comforting to hear Bare's mellow voice again. Tell the kiddies this is what "mainstream" country sounded like back in the '60s and early '70s.

12/30/05

Live 8
July 2nd 2005
The Long Walk To Justice
4 DVD Set
Capitol/EMI
Running Time:480 Minutes

1985's Live Aid concert was a milestone in rock and celebrity fueled fundraising. Organizer Bob Geldof, who had brought together Irish and UK rockers to record the charity single "Do They Know Its Christmas" single in 1984, set his sights on orchestrating a concert of enormous proportions to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief, and on July 13, 1985, simultaneous concerts took place in London's Wembly Stadium and Philadelphia's RFK Stadium MTV aired the concerts live, and a cornucopia of artists from Ozzy Osbourne, Adam Ant, the Beach Boys, Madonna U2, and Geldolf's band, the Boomtown Rats performed. Bob Geldof, the rock singer became Sir Bob Geldof, the humanitarian, and rock music, a vehicle for social awareness and change since the 1960s, became even more potent as a tool for charitable fundraising.

Fast forward to 2005. Geldof undertakes an ever bigger set of concerts to bring the need for more aid to Africa to the world leaders attending the G8 Summit in Edinburgh. With concerts in several cities all over the world, a real-time list of petition-signers, and appeals to world leaders to cancel Africa's debt, the concerts did make a difference.G8 leaders approved an increase in aid to Africa and cancelled debt to several of the continent's poorest nations.

How times have changed. Cable TV has given way to concerts streamed live on the Internet.Fans watching the concerts interacted with fellow viewers from all over the world as they dissed and lauded performers in real time, watching via AOL and arguing about how pathetic Pete Doherty's appearance was, or how Madonna is too old to give the camera the finger, or how Mariah was playing the prima donna again.

However, to view highlights of the Live 8 concerts unencumbered by subjective banter, there's a 4 DVD set from Capital/EMI that features select performances from each city where the Live 8 concerts were held. While the daunting task of distilling the best performances onto this impressive sets, many of the artists only get one song but merit more while others barely deserve their lone entry. The eclectic array of performers and the enormity of the event can only be appreciated in retrospect. It was too monumental to fathom the breadth and scope of it in one afternoon of internet clicking and camaraderie. This DVD set, with over eight hours of musical performances and backstage footage, encapsulates this historic footage quite well.

Disc 1 Highlights

Paul McCartney and U2 opened the show at London's Hyde Park. It's no surprise that the major acts performed here, with other key names like Green Day, Bjork and Brian Wilson and Neil Young, stationed in Europe or Canada. Philadelphia got the more mainstream and R & B acts. Coldplay's live act doesn't add a lot of pizzazz to their melancholic music, but a guest appearance from Richard Ashcroft, who sings Bittersweet Symphony, brings a little life to the proceedings. Elton John performs The Bitch Is Back and Saturday Night with his usual peacock charm, but even Sir Elton's presence cannot camouflage Pete Doherty's anemic rendition of T-Rex's Children of the Revolution. I don't understand the fascination the Brit press has with Doherty. I love a trainwreck as much as the next person, but I can't even bear to look at this guy, much less read about him every 10 minutes. I liked the Libertines first CD, but it's been downhill for Doherty since then. After Elton, the underrated Stereophonics rocked fronted by singer/guitarist Kelly Jones, rocked surprisingly well with The Bartender and the Thief. Dido proves that she's more than another soulful, faceless singer as she duets with Youssou N' Dour. I can't watch REM anymore. What was the point of Michael Stipe's blue face paint? Is that a statement or merely theatre? Either way, it just came off as pretentious. Brit R&B sensation Ms. Dynamite won the coveted Mercury Prize a few years back. Brit female hip-hoppers are less invasive than say Lil Kim or Foxy Browne. Ms. Dynamite's signature song Dy-na-mi-tee made me curious to hear more. Other young Brit bands Muse, and Travis (Coldplay with a banjo), and Keane produced tight but moderately entertaining sets. Other young Brit bands Muse, and Travis (Coldplay with a banjo), followed. Black Eyed Peas are next with their hybrid, mainstream brand of hip-hop.Fergie can sing but I don't suppose that's the major reason people talk about her presence in the band. (She looks like Carmen Electra's sister, in case you've never seen her.) Weren't the BEP's touted as some kind of revolutionary R & B outfit when they first entered the public eye? Duran Duran does "Wild Boys" Is it just me or does Simon (now with stunning auburn hair) look like William Shatner with eyeliner? Now before all those 35 year old Durannies yell at me, may I add that John Taylor still looks pounceable. Can we call it a draw? Then there's the obligatory Geldof performance of "I Don't Like Mondays." Hey, at least he admits, "He just had to perform on this stage."
Bon Jovi swaggers onstage in Philly, in their buff, tight trousered, anachronistic glory. Disc one ends with the classy Annie Lennox singing "Why?" as a film of Africans stricken with HIV is projected on the screen behind her.

Disc 2 Highlights

Razorlight singer Johnny Burrell, cocky and cute, has the swagger that fellow young Brit bands like Keane and Snow Patrol lacked. Sometimes as a lesson to the youngins you need that.( However in the best of, you didn't show him with his shirt off you guys need to consult me first on this stuff.) Madonna, as always, proves herself a consummate performer and and incorrigible pain in the ass. Geldof introduces Bihru Woldu, a young Ethiopian woman who was featured in a segment at the original Live Aid as a child and is now a successful college student and the beautiful young woman remains onstage with Madonna for the first minute or 2 of Like A Prayer. Madge is a trouper. How she managed to dance in those long ass white pants without tripping, I dunno. Plus she had to give the camera the finger. Doesn't the Kabbalah forbid that, Madge? And yes, she was wearing the red string beneath her watch. Other highlights are the Killers and the irresistibly campy Scissors Sisters.Take Your Mama Home should have been a big hit in the States. Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban quiet things down a notch with a stirring version of Angel. Rock returns with Velvet Revolver's Fall To Pieces. Duff and Slash are the last of a dying breed of "rock star." And Scott still hasn't gained any weight. If the Monkees been a real band, they would sound like Australian rockers Jet, who perform the 60s mod tinged Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Def Leppard performing Pour Some Sugar On Me in Philly completes the rock trilogy.

Disc 3 Highlights

Mariah Carey, wearing a skintight dress that one might find in the Fredericks of Hollywood catalog, sang Make It Happen and Heroes. Mariah's best diva bit-- her minder has to walk onstage and hand her water bottle. To Mariah's credit, her voice doesn't meander out of control like a stuck siren anymore. Roxy Music finds Byran Ferry in fine voice and looking good with showgirls on stage. Neil Young sings Four Strong Winds with wife Peggi. The heavy hitters come out at the end- Stevie Wonder performs Superstition and Masterblaster solo, then is accompanied by Rob Thomas and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 on two more numbers. Robbie Williams always seemed the Brit equivalent of a Vegas act, but in a good way. He wows the Hyde Park crowd (and kisses a starstruck girl) during his renditions of Angel, Let Me Entertain You and We Will Rock You. He shouldn't try to be a rocker. It doesn't suit him. Robbie's obviously raking in the dosh. with his quirky Brit brand of showmanship and smirky sense of humor. He doesn't need America. The Pink Floyd reunion under the London skyline at night makes it more poignant and even a bit eerie. So far, the band remains cherished as a unique, one off event, not cheapened by excessive cash-in touring. At least not yet.It is refreshing to see kids young enough to be Floyd's grandkids singing along with every lyric..To hear Waters dedicate wish you were here, "to everyone who isn't here, especially Syd". The full Floyd set, consisting of Speak to Me/Breathe/Money/Wish You Where Hear/Comfortably Numb is included here. Paul McCartney and an all-star ensemble cap off the evening in fitting fashion with Hey Jude, after McCartney & George Michael sing Drive My Car.

Disc 4 Highlights

Disc 4 contains extras and performances from the show in Edinburgh, the actual site of the G8 conference. Highlights include Eddie Izzard on piano (sans drag) and Midge Ure performing Vienna during a pouring rain, the Proclaimers, and soprano Katherine Jenkins, who adds a touch of class to the show with her rendition of Nessa Dorum. Bjork successfully bridges the gap between performance art and music and She's interesting to watch despite any proclivity to watch in her three-inch thick eye makeup and geisha butterfly outfit. Shakira is way sexier than Mariah Carey, and she can shake her butt without looking cheap. She has an intriguing vibrato in her voice, which is rare for pop singers. Understandably, some folks think her vocal style is reminiscent of a bleating goat, but she has an edge her American counterparts lack. Overall, this collection is a fine sampler of Live 8 for those with a passing interest in the event. Individual DVDs featuring all the performances from Paris, Rome, Canada, Berlin and are available as well as Africa Calling-Live at Eden which was formed by Peter Gabriel and featured African musicians. The extras include an interview with Bob Geldof, look at the goings-on backstage in London and Pink Floyd rehearsal with interview clips with Waters and Gilmour.

12/2/05

Review-Paul McCartney in Concert, Staples Center, L.A. 11/29/05

11/23/05

Now considered part of the 60s riot-girl genre, the band She were an all-girl rock band who rocked out like the Doors and the Stones, with cool keyboard, electric guitar, and drums. Elsewhere, search out some quiet sounds like Bridget St. John, who made some great music in the late 60s -early 70s. Some songs were sung similar in style to Joni Mitchell, Nico, Vashti Bunyan, etc. If you ever come across a series of compilations released by Electra Records called The Garden Of Earthly Delights, buy them! Not only will you find Renaissance's Island, which is the most if not one of the most beautiful songs one could ever hope to hear on our planet, it is like the best of English folk along the lines of the Fairport Convention. With lovely vocals by Jane Relf, the song has lyrics like " there is an island where it should never be, surrounded by"..If you want to know the rest, well go search for it and you'll feel like you found an undiscovered treasure of the 60s, Also, in this series called 'The Garden of Earthly Delights, you'll find 'Rama Rama' by the Rainbow Band, whom were two Hare Krsna devotees in L.A. who recorded this very peaceful song, which is really a chant put to music.

I'm not stuck in the past, no, no, I like lotsa new music. Check out a sci-fi punk band from Japan called Green Milk From the Planet Orange. Great experimental sounds abound all over their newly released CD. Elsewhere, Lisa Marie Presley released a fine CD in '05 complete with a cover of the Ramones' "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" with Sex Pistols' Steve Jones on guitar, ( who, btw, has the best radio show on the planet, Indie 103.1

If you wanna find out more, I was interviewed by Marianne in ' 04 and I spoke about other lost classics of the past, which u can read aboutit here: Interview with Alan of '70s Invasion

To find these lost classics simply "search the back of your mind, everyone remembers time," to quote the Raspberries, "I Can Remember", Well, we can, can you ?

11/22/05

And now something for the kids and kids at heart. Kermit the Frog has been around for 50 years (and he doesn't look a day over 29!) To celebrate this anniversary, 4 special DVDs are being released on November 29th. They are The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island.

Kermit & Miss Piggy in "Treasure Island"

Here are some favorite Muppet video clips:

Dr.Teeth & Electric Mayhem

Official Muppet Movie Website

We Are One is the first video released from the Masters of Horror Soundtrack. The video features Serj from System of a Down as an animal control agent and Buckethead as a cabin dweller, intent on bringing dead animals back to life. Masters of Horror is a Showtime series featuring episodes directed by Dario Argento, Stuart Gordon, John Landis, John Carpenter and others.

Watch the video here (Windows Media)

11/18

Nashville Pussy "Get Some" With New CD And Tour

11.14.05

Motley Crue Announce
“Carnival of Sins” 2006 North America Tour Dates

Pre-sale tickets are available through select radio stations in tour markets starting Tuesday, November 15. Participating radio stations will announce passwords starting at 7AM local time, which will allow access to pre-sale tickets. Tickets go on-sale to the general public on Saturday, Nov. 19. Check your local box office or Motley.com for ticket information. Tickets available through Ticketmaster unless otherwise noted* below.

Feb 10 Columbus, GA Columbus Civic Center
Feb 11 Ft. Myers, FL Germain Arena
Feb 12 Columbia, SC Colonial Center* Tickets available @ Colonial Center
Feb 14 Wilkes-Barre, PA Wachovia Arena
Feb 15 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Feb 17 Erie, PA Erie Civic Center Complex
Feb 18 Reading, PA Sovereign Center
Feb 19 Dayton, OH Nutter Center
Feb 21 Ft. Wayne, IN Memorial Coliseum
Feb 22 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
Feb 24 Rockford, IL MetroCentre* Tickets: www.centerevents.com
Feb 25 Kalamazoo, MI Wings Stadium
Feb 26 LaCrosse, WI LaCrosse Center
Mar 6 Lewiston, ME Central Maine Civic Ctr.* Tickets: www.thecolisee.com
Mar 7 Springfield, MA Mass Mutual Center
Mar 8 Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Cente
Mar 11 Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum
Mar 12 Charleston, WV Civic Center Coliseum
Mar 13 Roanoke, VA Civic Center* Tickets: http://purchase.tickets.com
Mar 15 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Mar 24 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Mar 25 Jackson, MS Coliseum
Mar 26 Baton Rouge, LA Bator Rouge River Ctr.
Mar 28 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Arena
Mar 30 Tulsa, OK Convention Center* Tickets: www.carsonattractions.com
Mar 31 Lincoln, NE Pershing Auditorium
Apr. 1 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena

To read interviews I conducted with Terry Stamp and Jim Avery of Brit pre-punk band Third World War, click here:

Third World War

New York Doll-The Movie

11.09.05

The Squid And The Whale

Laura Linney, Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels and William Baldwin in The Squid And The Whale

The Squid And The Whale
Written & Directed by Noah Baumbach
Running Time: 88 Minutes Rated R

The Squid and the Whale, loosely based on the unraveling of director Noah Baumbach parents' marriage in Park Slope, Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.(Baumbach is best known as the co-writer of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.) In this fluid, moving comedy-drama, there is no neat, happy ending or high drama. The Squid And The Whale has much more in common with French films like Murmur of The Heart and 400 Blows explore the subjects like divorce coming of age and sexual awakening than standard American fare like Kramer Vs. Kramer.

Jesse Eisenberg plays Walt Berkman, an intelligent but troubled 16 year old who subtly idolizes his Dad, struggling writer Bernard (Jeff Daniels.) Joan Berkman (Laura Linney) has taken up writing as a second career, and fares much better than Bernard, receiving more accolades with less effort than her estranged husband. The character of Joan is loosely based on Baumbach's mother, former film critic Georgia Brown.) Their parents call 16 year old Walt and 12 year old Frank for a "family meeting", their lives are thrown into disarray. The literary community of Park Slope in the 1980s Even the sparsely furnished rooms in the Berkmans homes say a lot about the family. Instead of sports posters, the apartments are decorated with a framed still from Breathless or a one-sheet from The Mother And The Whore. The intellectual milieu seems not to add depth to the family's relationships, but to steel them in icier terms. Frank Berkman, played with conviction by Owen Kline, (son of Phoebe Cates & Kevin Kline) deals with his anguish in other ways. He drinks beer and masturbates at school. Disquieting scenarios, perhaps but t the staggering honesty here exposes the ugly truths not only in Baumbach's own story in the stories of a thousand other children of divorce. During a school talent show, Walt cadges Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd as his own. After he's found out, he explains matter of factly to a school psychologist that "I felt I could have written it so the fact that it was already written was kind of a technicality."

The Squid and the Whale succeeds on several levels. Baumbach's script is literate and, at turns subtle, heartbreaking and wryly funny. The subtle yet thorny ways parents and their power plays and idiosyncrasies effect children is explored with depth and conviction. Walt idolizes his father and is Bernard's only ally until Bernard alienates him. As any child of divorce knows, most separations are not over the top National Enquirer dramas; the emotions they cause are subtle and manifest pain in different and sometimes bizarre ways. One can't judge Bernard, even though he has no apparent likable qualities. We just take him for what his is, and we don't hate him as one would a villain because his grief is so nuanced and real. All the performances in this film are equally impressive, but Daniels had the toughest canvas to draw on since Bernard is such so self-absorbed.

Once a fêted literary novelist, Bernard has hit hard times in his career, garnering form rejection letters and half filled college poetry readings instead of awards. He still manages to attract a literary groupie, bold young student Lili (Anna Paquin). Father and son both vie for her affection. Bernard is so caught up in his own world that he has forgotten how to accommodate or even acknowledge the needs of those around him, including his family. He accompanies Walt and one of his dates, good girl Sofie, to a screening of Blue Velvet, not realizing that the film might be uncomfortable for the girl.

Joan takes up with quirky tennis instructor, Ivan (William Baldwin), who is in most ways, the opposite of Bernard. He becomes Frank's hero and father substitute. While Joan seems like the wronged party , revelations later in the film expose her as equally guilty for the break-up. Baumbach leaves the film's ending open to interpretation, as an unexpected turn of events draws the family together. Tender, funny, flawed and poignant, the characters in The Squid And The Whale could be your neighbors--or your own family. The film's unusal title refers to a diorama at the Museum of Natural History in New York.

The Squid & The Whale Official Website