Hillary so needs to dance along side of LaPenquena in a matching dress suit!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
GNYC show madness and other things
All you NYC area music fans have tons of options for going to see shows this week! Its a very busy week in the world of MEANY Fest party series shows and GNYC shows! This evening Weds 3/26 there is a MEANY Fest party series show at BLVD at Crash Mansion. On the bill tonight is Benji Rogers, Sibvon Rose, the Mercy Bends, Avi Wisnia, Red Sky Morning, Roots Rock Rebel and Knotz. The fun starts at 7:15pm and Crash Mansion is located at 199 Bowery at Spring street. Make sure you RSVP at www.meanyfest.com to get in for free.
And speaking of MEANY Fest, submissions for MEANY 2008 are open. So for all of you looking to be part of the fun and the whole awesomeness of it, here's how you go about submitting your band's tape or your tape:
Go to www.meanyfest.com right now and submit your stuff through Sonicbids
Last year 260 bands played in 20 venues across the city. This year it's only getting bigger with new sponsers and new prizes!!
Okay back to the shows this week!
Friday night 3/28 there are two GNYC shows.
The first show for this friday night 3/28 is at the Bowery Poetry Club. Included on that bill is Celia Rose, Lachi, Kevin Orton and The Maledictions, Cinema Cinema, Lillapucians and Julie Echo among others. That fun starts at 7:15pm and it's a ten dollar cover charge. The Bowery Poetry Club is located at 308 Bowery at Bleecker right across from the old CBGB's.
The second GNYC show on this friday night 3/28 is at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ. The bill includes Lifeguard Nights, Jet setting, Blast Rocks, Midtown, One Punch Nelson, Jason Youdoff and the New Hotness and Melinda Davis and the Eleventh Hour. Like all the other GNYC shows there is a ten dollar cover charge to get in and Maxwell's is located at 1039 Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ.
The last of the GNYC shows for this week is this Saturday night 3/29 at Arlene's Grocery. That bill includes Maslow, Future in Plastics (both MEANY fest 2007 finalists..Maslow were the MEANY fest 2007 runners up), Dr. Mary (a little birdy tells me they will be doing two new songs), Scribes in Fire, After Dawn, Domi and direct from the UK the Voom Blooms. Like all other GNYC shows it's ten dollars to get in and Arlene's Grocery is located at 95 Stanton Street b/w Orchard and Ludlow right in the heart of the good old Lower East Side. And this fun starts at 7:30pm.
Just a last minute note, I read in Brooklyn Vegan that the CBGB's Gallery space will be occupied by Morrison Hotel Gallery. Morrison Hotel Gallery has a Gallery in SoHo in New York and one in LA and one in San Deigo, they specialize in rock photography. From what I read they opened last night 3/25. I'm glad a gallery specializing in rock photography went into that space and not a Chanel or a Pinkberry! The spirit of rock and roll lives on in that space!
www.morrisonhotelgallery.com
And speaking of MEANY Fest, submissions for MEANY 2008 are open. So for all of you looking to be part of the fun and the whole awesomeness of it, here's how you go about submitting your band's tape or your tape:
Go to www.meanyfest.com right now and submit your stuff through Sonicbids
Last year 260 bands played in 20 venues across the city. This year it's only getting bigger with new sponsers and new prizes!!
Okay back to the shows this week!
Friday night 3/28 there are two GNYC shows.
The first show for this friday night 3/28 is at the Bowery Poetry Club. Included on that bill is Celia Rose, Lachi, Kevin Orton and The Maledictions, Cinema Cinema, Lillapucians and Julie Echo among others. That fun starts at 7:15pm and it's a ten dollar cover charge. The Bowery Poetry Club is located at 308 Bowery at Bleecker right across from the old CBGB's.
The second GNYC show on this friday night 3/28 is at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ. The bill includes Lifeguard Nights, Jet setting, Blast Rocks, Midtown, One Punch Nelson, Jason Youdoff and the New Hotness and Melinda Davis and the Eleventh Hour. Like all the other GNYC shows there is a ten dollar cover charge to get in and Maxwell's is located at 1039 Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ.
The last of the GNYC shows for this week is this Saturday night 3/29 at Arlene's Grocery. That bill includes Maslow, Future in Plastics (both MEANY fest 2007 finalists..Maslow were the MEANY fest 2007 runners up), Dr. Mary (a little birdy tells me they will be doing two new songs), Scribes in Fire, After Dawn, Domi and direct from the UK the Voom Blooms. Like all other GNYC shows it's ten dollars to get in and Arlene's Grocery is located at 95 Stanton Street b/w Orchard and Ludlow right in the heart of the good old Lower East Side. And this fun starts at 7:30pm.
Just a last minute note, I read in Brooklyn Vegan that the CBGB's Gallery space will be occupied by Morrison Hotel Gallery. Morrison Hotel Gallery has a Gallery in SoHo in New York and one in LA and one in San Deigo, they specialize in rock photography. From what I read they opened last night 3/25. I'm glad a gallery specializing in rock photography went into that space and not a Chanel or a Pinkberry! The spirit of rock and roll lives on in that space!
www.morrisonhotelgallery.com
Friday, March 21, 2008
Orion the Rockstar....
Johnny Lloyd Rollins up and posted on monday.
Just like the bright shining constellation of stars in the heavens that bares his name, Orion Simprini is a bright shining heavenly star on the New York music scene. The charismatic Simprini is the front man for a new wave band straight out of New York that shares his unique name The Orion Experience. I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Orion at the White Rabbit a funky laid back lounge on Houston Street right in the heart of the good old Lower East Side in NYC. While film clips of famous people such as Madonna and world leaders such as Bill Clinton played on the clean white walls, we talked about everything from were the Orion Experience fits in the NY music scene, indie cred and how playing on stage can be like having an orgasm during sex.
AG: Describe the sound of the Orion Experience?
OS: The sound of the Orion Experience is high energy, dancey pop rock. And it takes a lot of influences from stuff that you may have heard before… people have compared us to the B-52’s and also the New Pornographers is another comparison we get all the time. Also I feel like there is a little ABBA in there…then I think there is something completely new about it as well. So there is a lot of retro elements but I feel like that it is a fresh modern sound that has been unexplored as of late.
AG: Explain for everyone who is reading this, what you mean when you say “unexplored”?
OS: I think that we are very different from a lot of other New York bands. There does not seem to be a lot of New York bands that are doing what we do. I’m sure that there are bands similar, but when you come and see The Orion Experience it’s a high energy party atmosphere that just doesn’t seem to be in vogue right now in New York or in indie music so much.
AG: It seems to be about being depressed and jaded and looking down at your shoes a lot.
OS: (laughs) We don’t play mandolin…..
AG: (laughs) How do you see the Orion Experience fitting into the New York music scene?
OS: To me New York is like a big black landscape and the Orion Experience is this rainbow in the corner. I think we fit in quite nicely in the New York music scene. This city is so drawn to night life and people really like to party here and the Orion Experience offers a soundtrack to a Saturday night in New York.
AG: Well you do! I was lucky enough to see one of the Orion Experience shows at the Annex on the Lower East Side in New York City. And I have to say it was a really good time, it was a nice change of pace from that “trust fund, ivy league graduate, looking down at your shoes, jaded and depressed indie rock”, that seems to be coming out of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in abundance these days.
OS: Yeah well. I would even ask you what you thought of that, cause I know that when we’re on stage we just go nuts! We totally try to put out as much energy as we can…but it’s hard for me to say what it looks like from the other side. But I know when I see an audience reaction, I feel like they are giving back that same high positive energy.
AG: Right, well as we’ve talked about there are some current indie acts who act as if it’s a big chore to get out there and play for an audience. To me the Orion Experience live …is a party but an intelligent and fun party that everyone is invited too!
OS: Yeah!
AG: I felt like I was back in the 80’s..but it was very smart!
OS: Back in the 80’s… that’s a great thing! It’s like if you saw a Culture Club show back in the day, while it’s not the exact same thing as an Orion Experience show… it has those elements and it knows what it is and it’s there to make you smile and have a good time. I feel like the perfect Orion Experience show would be you go there you dance your ass off and you would see a really cute person and you would go make out in the bathroom somewhere and you would go home and laugh the whole way home.
AG: I got that vibe that I was at the Pyramid (a legendary New York night club, where Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry hung out back in the 80’s and Nirvana played on of their first shows at the Pyramid) circa 1985 watching a really cool band…but yet it was very now and modern!
OS: Right! When I sit down to write a song I’m always trying to write a song that I would wanna hear at a rock show. And just from my earliest days stuff like Culture Club, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson ..those are the kinds of things that really started me down the musical path and I try to emulate that.
AG: Besides being smart and fun the Orion Experience is very sexy too!
OS: Well for me there is a feeling of excitement and energy in my brain when I’m on stage that is closely related to sexual energy…..
AG: Is that feeling you get on stage akin to having an orgasm during sex?
OS: Definitely… it really is! It’s funny cause the French have a saying “La Petite Morte” for an orgasm, it means “the little death”. For me it’s strange it’s like I blackout when I get on stage I remember getting up there and I remember a few things on stage. And when I get off stage I don’t remember much about the show cause I’m in such a heighten sense of awareness that I don’t really remember being on stage much and it’s kinda like that little death.
AG: That sexual energy comes across strongly, in your performance and also your songs. You have songs like “Obsessed with You”. My question to you is how much of your songwriting is influenced by sex?
OS: Eighty percent of my songs are about frustration or longing for someone. Those are the kind of things that I really need to express. When I really love someone or are obsessed with someone and they aren’t giving me what I need back…I have to write about it.
AG: Isn’t that what half of rock and roll is? Half of the greatest rock love songs of all time are that!
OS: Absolutely! And it’s also really great to write songs about someone who has a cool name…
AG: (laughs) Like Orion!
OS: Right (laughs) I love songs that have people’s names in them!
AG: I notice that you guys play a lot not only in NYC but also LA. And I know we’ve talked about the difference between the NYC scenes and the LA scenes and the differences between the audiences. You’ve said you find NY audiences to be a little smarter and LA audiences to be a little more outrageous.
OS: I would say that in LA that are much more prone to really like you right off the bat. Where as NY audiences you really have to win them over, they aren’t so quick to be like “oh that was great”! What I feel like in New York you get some real genuine feed back. And the LA audiences that we’ve had have been really great they are very respective to New York bands.
AG: How would you see the Orion Experience fitting into everywhere that isn’t LA and New York….basically how would you see the Orion Experience fitting into the mainstream?
OS: I don’t think there has ever been a more mainstream band then the Orion Experience. With the right kind of exposure we’d be Z-100’s (well known NY top 40 radio station) biggest band. I think it’s better then stuff like Fall Out Boy and it’s smarter then Fall Out Boy but it’s just stupid enough for everyone to get it. And it’s got messages in it that are so mainstream, that I feel like if the stars align we’d be as mainstream as they come!
AG: And you’ll still have that indie cred!
OS: I really don’t care about indie cred. I’ve been playing in rock bands since before I could get into bars! And if you don’t think I have indie cred….I’ve paid my dues and then some! It doesn’t matter to me if people think I don’t have indie cred, I would rather reach as many people as I can, over just ten people that know about us and so I have indie cred! (laughs) You take a guy like Jack White from the White Stripes, he is a great example of someone who took indie music and brought it into the mainstream….everyone likes the White Stripes! And I’ve heard him say in interviews I want to make a career out of music and I don’t want stay obscure forever.
AG: I heard that you are you guys are going into the studio soon.
OS: Yes we are recording four new songs which could become our second album. I’m very excited!
AG: Well besides going into the studio soon, what does this year 2008 hold for the Orion Experience?
OS: I hope this is the year that we reach the masses. One of the things we’re trying to do some touring on a larger scale we are going to go to the UK which is going to be great! We’re going to try and get a much bigger presence and in blogs such as yours. This is the year that we really need to find our audience and I think this is the year that it’s going to happen. We’re always looking for ways to circum navigate the music industry and besides press and concerts we’re trying to get our music on television shows. I think this is the year we’re going to hit that next level of exposure, although I’m not sure how that is going to happen. Right now what we’re focused on is continuing to put out music and really focusing on becoming the biggest band that we can be in New York City right now. And making a name and reputation that people such as yourself are picking up on and that is an encouraging sign.
The Orion Experience will be sharing the bill with NY rock icon Jesse Malin at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on April 26th. To find out about more upcoming Orion Experience shows and to hear their music, you can check out the band’s myspace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/theorionexperience
Or you can go to their website at:
http://www.theorionexperience.com/
Just like the bright shining constellation of stars in the heavens that bares his name, Orion Simprini is a bright shining heavenly star on the New York music scene. The charismatic Simprini is the front man for a new wave band straight out of New York that shares his unique name The Orion Experience. I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Orion at the White Rabbit a funky laid back lounge on Houston Street right in the heart of the good old Lower East Side in NYC. While film clips of famous people such as Madonna and world leaders such as Bill Clinton played on the clean white walls, we talked about everything from were the Orion Experience fits in the NY music scene, indie cred and how playing on stage can be like having an orgasm during sex.
AG: Describe the sound of the Orion Experience?
OS: The sound of the Orion Experience is high energy, dancey pop rock. And it takes a lot of influences from stuff that you may have heard before… people have compared us to the B-52’s and also the New Pornographers is another comparison we get all the time. Also I feel like there is a little ABBA in there…then I think there is something completely new about it as well. So there is a lot of retro elements but I feel like that it is a fresh modern sound that has been unexplored as of late.
AG: Explain for everyone who is reading this, what you mean when you say “unexplored”?
OS: I think that we are very different from a lot of other New York bands. There does not seem to be a lot of New York bands that are doing what we do. I’m sure that there are bands similar, but when you come and see The Orion Experience it’s a high energy party atmosphere that just doesn’t seem to be in vogue right now in New York or in indie music so much.
AG: It seems to be about being depressed and jaded and looking down at your shoes a lot.
OS: (laughs) We don’t play mandolin…..
AG: (laughs) How do you see the Orion Experience fitting into the New York music scene?
OS: To me New York is like a big black landscape and the Orion Experience is this rainbow in the corner. I think we fit in quite nicely in the New York music scene. This city is so drawn to night life and people really like to party here and the Orion Experience offers a soundtrack to a Saturday night in New York.
AG: Well you do! I was lucky enough to see one of the Orion Experience shows at the Annex on the Lower East Side in New York City. And I have to say it was a really good time, it was a nice change of pace from that “trust fund, ivy league graduate, looking down at your shoes, jaded and depressed indie rock”, that seems to be coming out of Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in abundance these days.
OS: Yeah well. I would even ask you what you thought of that, cause I know that when we’re on stage we just go nuts! We totally try to put out as much energy as we can…but it’s hard for me to say what it looks like from the other side. But I know when I see an audience reaction, I feel like they are giving back that same high positive energy.
AG: Right, well as we’ve talked about there are some current indie acts who act as if it’s a big chore to get out there and play for an audience. To me the Orion Experience live …is a party but an intelligent and fun party that everyone is invited too!
OS: Yeah!
AG: I felt like I was back in the 80’s..but it was very smart!
OS: Back in the 80’s… that’s a great thing! It’s like if you saw a Culture Club show back in the day, while it’s not the exact same thing as an Orion Experience show… it has those elements and it knows what it is and it’s there to make you smile and have a good time. I feel like the perfect Orion Experience show would be you go there you dance your ass off and you would see a really cute person and you would go make out in the bathroom somewhere and you would go home and laugh the whole way home.
AG: I got that vibe that I was at the Pyramid (a legendary New York night club, where Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry hung out back in the 80’s and Nirvana played on of their first shows at the Pyramid) circa 1985 watching a really cool band…but yet it was very now and modern!
OS: Right! When I sit down to write a song I’m always trying to write a song that I would wanna hear at a rock show. And just from my earliest days stuff like Culture Club, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson ..those are the kinds of things that really started me down the musical path and I try to emulate that.
AG: Besides being smart and fun the Orion Experience is very sexy too!
OS: Well for me there is a feeling of excitement and energy in my brain when I’m on stage that is closely related to sexual energy…..
AG: Is that feeling you get on stage akin to having an orgasm during sex?
OS: Definitely… it really is! It’s funny cause the French have a saying “La Petite Morte” for an orgasm, it means “the little death”. For me it’s strange it’s like I blackout when I get on stage I remember getting up there and I remember a few things on stage. And when I get off stage I don’t remember much about the show cause I’m in such a heighten sense of awareness that I don’t really remember being on stage much and it’s kinda like that little death.
AG: That sexual energy comes across strongly, in your performance and also your songs. You have songs like “Obsessed with You”. My question to you is how much of your songwriting is influenced by sex?
OS: Eighty percent of my songs are about frustration or longing for someone. Those are the kind of things that I really need to express. When I really love someone or are obsessed with someone and they aren’t giving me what I need back…I have to write about it.
AG: Isn’t that what half of rock and roll is? Half of the greatest rock love songs of all time are that!
OS: Absolutely! And it’s also really great to write songs about someone who has a cool name…
AG: (laughs) Like Orion!
OS: Right (laughs) I love songs that have people’s names in them!
AG: I notice that you guys play a lot not only in NYC but also LA. And I know we’ve talked about the difference between the NYC scenes and the LA scenes and the differences between the audiences. You’ve said you find NY audiences to be a little smarter and LA audiences to be a little more outrageous.
OS: I would say that in LA that are much more prone to really like you right off the bat. Where as NY audiences you really have to win them over, they aren’t so quick to be like “oh that was great”! What I feel like in New York you get some real genuine feed back. And the LA audiences that we’ve had have been really great they are very respective to New York bands.
AG: How would you see the Orion Experience fitting into everywhere that isn’t LA and New York….basically how would you see the Orion Experience fitting into the mainstream?
OS: I don’t think there has ever been a more mainstream band then the Orion Experience. With the right kind of exposure we’d be Z-100’s (well known NY top 40 radio station) biggest band. I think it’s better then stuff like Fall Out Boy and it’s smarter then Fall Out Boy but it’s just stupid enough for everyone to get it. And it’s got messages in it that are so mainstream, that I feel like if the stars align we’d be as mainstream as they come!
AG: And you’ll still have that indie cred!
OS: I really don’t care about indie cred. I’ve been playing in rock bands since before I could get into bars! And if you don’t think I have indie cred….I’ve paid my dues and then some! It doesn’t matter to me if people think I don’t have indie cred, I would rather reach as many people as I can, over just ten people that know about us and so I have indie cred! (laughs) You take a guy like Jack White from the White Stripes, he is a great example of someone who took indie music and brought it into the mainstream….everyone likes the White Stripes! And I’ve heard him say in interviews I want to make a career out of music and I don’t want stay obscure forever.
AG: I heard that you are you guys are going into the studio soon.
OS: Yes we are recording four new songs which could become our second album. I’m very excited!
AG: Well besides going into the studio soon, what does this year 2008 hold for the Orion Experience?
OS: I hope this is the year that we reach the masses. One of the things we’re trying to do some touring on a larger scale we are going to go to the UK which is going to be great! We’re going to try and get a much bigger presence and in blogs such as yours. This is the year that we really need to find our audience and I think this is the year that it’s going to happen. We’re always looking for ways to circum navigate the music industry and besides press and concerts we’re trying to get our music on television shows. I think this is the year we’re going to hit that next level of exposure, although I’m not sure how that is going to happen. Right now what we’re focused on is continuing to put out music and really focusing on becoming the biggest band that we can be in New York City right now. And making a name and reputation that people such as yourself are picking up on and that is an encouraging sign.
The Orion Experience will be sharing the bill with NY rock icon Jesse Malin at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on April 26th. To find out about more upcoming Orion Experience shows and to hear their music, you can check out the band’s myspace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/theorionexperience
Or you can go to their website at:
http://www.theorionexperience.com/
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The HOTTEST fishing video ever made!
While I continue to work on editing my interviews...check out this really hot video of a fishing trip. The sexy bitch that stars in it is my dear friend drummer, producer and fishing enthusiast extrodinaire Shinya Miyamoto. The soundtrack is Shinya's music he has worked on throught the years. http://www.myspace.com/shinyaondrums
Also check out the write up on the Orion Experience at Perezhilton.com it's the first item on the second page
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The apocalypse is upon us...
Sorry today I'm in such a ranting mood! Interviews up and posted by the end of the week.
RANT NUMBER #1: Last night, I was talking to a friend who does A&R for a indie label and we were talking about the whole Spitzer affair. The talk turned to "Kristen" or Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music and my friend had mentioned that someone had emailed her Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music but she didn't have a chance to listen to it as of yet. And I had heard it on AAD's myspace page and I thought it was really awful, I told my friend that it sounded like really really bad Britney Spears! I also mentioned that at least with Britney she has a passable singing voice (made better by pro tools) and a few really good well crafted pop songs that are easily guilty pleasure songs i.e. "Toxic" and "Baby One More Time" where as Ashley Alexandra Dupre's songs and voice aren't well crafted enough to make some one's guilty pleasure list...they just suck (sorry no pun intended there)! My friend mentioned that it's not the sleazy porno type guy (who I thought would finance a record for this girl) looking to make a buck off of Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music....it's the major labels!! This just infuriates me, cause I know so many genuinely really very talented musicians who are working their asses off to get some type of deal and this no talent bimbo who gets signed to a major label deal cause she fucked the Governor of New York for money!? No wonder why the major labels are doomed! GGRRGRRR!! Well at least if she does get signed to a deal maybe she'll have one hit and by this time next year she'll be desperately trying to get back in the spotlight by promoting her porno flick on the Stern show!
RANT#2 Dear Heather Mills,
You are a psycho, lying, gold digger! You got your millions outta Sir. Paul...NOW JUST GO AWAY!!! Stop appearing on TV crying saying that people are after you, Sir Paul is a drunk who beat you and Linda, he made me walk off a flight etc. While I'm sure Sir. Paul wasn't the easiest person to live with, but your past track record with ex boyfriends, your father and others has proven you to be nothing more then a liar! Even the judge in your divorce trial called you a liar! And your really not winning the "I'm not a gold digger and I'm out to tell the truth about" argument when you say shit like 35, 000 pounds a week isn't enough money to raise my daughter! Me who never met any of the McCartneys.... just from reading and seeing interviews throught the years with Paul, Linda and Stella McCartney I knew that Paul raised his children very modestly and normally. The McCartney kids went to UK versions of US public schools over private ritzy boarding schools and held summer jobs as kids. And little news flash.. the majority of the world barely makes 35g's a year at their jobs!! And what's up with bugging someone's phone...isn't that illegal? And that judge in the divorce case should have thrown your crazy one legged ass in the pokey for dumping water on the head of Paul's lawyer! Had you pulled that stunt in a court room in the states...your ass would have been in contemptive court faster then you can say I want that royalty money from "Silly Love Songs"! Your reasoning for dumping the water over the lawyer's head was cause she was saying bad things about you....what are you six years old!? A good PR move would be to JUST GO AWAY AND FADE FROM PUBLIC VIEW!! Your really making yourself look like an even bigger crazier cunt then before every time you open your mouth!! Your poor daughter!!
Rant #3: Damn you ABC for turning me into a "Dancing With the Stars" addict!! I drew the line at watching "The British Bachelor"! But I did watch "Dancing With the Stars" last evening and *gasp* was hooked! And who the freak knew that Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller can actually move and is a really good dancer!? And Priscilla Presley should lay off the plastic surgery, she's starting to get that scary kabuki mask look!
Okay.... few I feel better!
RANT NUMBER #1: Last night, I was talking to a friend who does A&R for a indie label and we were talking about the whole Spitzer affair. The talk turned to "Kristen" or Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music and my friend had mentioned that someone had emailed her Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music but she didn't have a chance to listen to it as of yet. And I had heard it on AAD's myspace page and I thought it was really awful, I told my friend that it sounded like really really bad Britney Spears! I also mentioned that at least with Britney she has a passable singing voice (made better by pro tools) and a few really good well crafted pop songs that are easily guilty pleasure songs i.e. "Toxic" and "Baby One More Time" where as Ashley Alexandra Dupre's songs and voice aren't well crafted enough to make some one's guilty pleasure list...they just suck (sorry no pun intended there)! My friend mentioned that it's not the sleazy porno type guy (who I thought would finance a record for this girl) looking to make a buck off of Ashley Alexandra Dupre's music....it's the major labels!! This just infuriates me, cause I know so many genuinely really very talented musicians who are working their asses off to get some type of deal and this no talent bimbo who gets signed to a major label deal cause she fucked the Governor of New York for money!? No wonder why the major labels are doomed! GGRRGRRR!! Well at least if she does get signed to a deal maybe she'll have one hit and by this time next year she'll be desperately trying to get back in the spotlight by promoting her porno flick on the Stern show!
RANT#2 Dear Heather Mills,
You are a psycho, lying, gold digger! You got your millions outta Sir. Paul...NOW JUST GO AWAY!!! Stop appearing on TV crying saying that people are after you, Sir Paul is a drunk who beat you and Linda, he made me walk off a flight etc. While I'm sure Sir. Paul wasn't the easiest person to live with, but your past track record with ex boyfriends, your father and others has proven you to be nothing more then a liar! Even the judge in your divorce trial called you a liar! And your really not winning the "I'm not a gold digger and I'm out to tell the truth about" argument when you say shit like 35, 000 pounds a week isn't enough money to raise my daughter! Me who never met any of the McCartneys.... just from reading and seeing interviews throught the years with Paul, Linda and Stella McCartney I knew that Paul raised his children very modestly and normally. The McCartney kids went to UK versions of US public schools over private ritzy boarding schools and held summer jobs as kids. And little news flash.. the majority of the world barely makes 35g's a year at their jobs!! And what's up with bugging someone's phone...isn't that illegal? And that judge in the divorce case should have thrown your crazy one legged ass in the pokey for dumping water on the head of Paul's lawyer! Had you pulled that stunt in a court room in the states...your ass would have been in contemptive court faster then you can say I want that royalty money from "Silly Love Songs"! Your reasoning for dumping the water over the lawyer's head was cause she was saying bad things about you....what are you six years old!? A good PR move would be to JUST GO AWAY AND FADE FROM PUBLIC VIEW!! Your really making yourself look like an even bigger crazier cunt then before every time you open your mouth!! Your poor daughter!!
Rant #3: Damn you ABC for turning me into a "Dancing With the Stars" addict!! I drew the line at watching "The British Bachelor"! But I did watch "Dancing With the Stars" last evening and *gasp* was hooked! And who the freak knew that Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller can actually move and is a really good dancer!? And Priscilla Presley should lay off the plastic surgery, she's starting to get that scary kabuki mask look!
Okay.... few I feel better!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Paddy's day!!
While I work on editing my interviews enjoy this classic St. Paddy's Day Video!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
What a way to promote your music!!
The call girl "Kristen" who is at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal has been identified today in the press as Ashley Alexandra Dupre a 22 year old wannabe R&B singer from New Jersey. And I just clicked onto her myspace and it looks like she took her profile down. But when I clicked onto her profile before and I listened her music and... surprise it wasn't very good! Vocally she sounds like a cross between Britney Spears being strangled and cats in heat and musically her songs sound like really third rate really bad versions of Pussy Cat Dolls songs. And lyrically my three year old niece can come up with more catchier and more intelligent and interesting lyrics about her Disney princess bike and sparkly things . But you know there is someone who is going to offer this girl a chance to record an album. And I knew it! Ashley or "Kristen" looks like the typical B&T chick (for all you who aren't familiar with that term B&T means stereotypical people from Long Island and New Jersey..think The Gotti Boys and Amy Fisher types) she looks like she never misses ladies night at Siberia in Huntington. And she looks like the type of chick that is outside my building at three in the morning on a saturday night with all her B&T girlfriends in their flared jeans, titty tank tops, heals, ompa loompa tans, louie bags and flat ironed hair drunkenly screaming "OH MOI GAWWD"!! while one pukes on the steps of my building after a night of drinking at Angels and Kings. Who knew that Spitzer liked those B&T gals!?
History has shown us that in these types of scandals "the other woman" always manages to get a book deal, a Playboy pictorial, a TV movie based on their story, TV hosting jobs, a clothing or purse line, a reality show and a contract to model jeans. I'm betcha anything besides the record contract , there will be a Playboy spread! And watch Ryan Seacrest's production company will offer her a reality show on E! She'll be riding the wave of her notoriety and by this time next year she'll be another footnote in political sex scandals.
Onto something that I'm really embarrassed that I watched the other night! And that is "American Idol's" Beatles night!! First of Beatles songs are such sacred cows! In my mind there are very few people who do a good cover of a Beatles song! And as it is, American Idol is sooo cheesy! Every version of Beatles songs sung by the contestants of AI SUCKED big time!! On AI the contestants either do that R&B/Broadway style of over singing where it's all about vibrato and holding that note and that vowel for as long as possible. Or it's all about what I call douche bag version of singing where it's the male "rockers" and they have to clip every word and make it sound like your constipated when you sing your lyrics, your struggling to get those lyrics out cause your so angst ridden cause the weight of the world is on your shoulders i.e. that David Cook kid or that Ed guy from Live or Chris Dourghty. I do like that Amanda chick with the two toned hair, I think she's got a voice that's a throw back to Ann Wilson from Heart. I honestly think that if John Lennon or George Harrison where alive today that so wouldn't have given their permission to have their music on AI. I think they would have cringed over the whole AI concept and that Paula Abdul is judging people's musical talents! More then likely Lennon and Harrison were spinning in their graves over having people like David Cook sing their songs, Paula Abdul judging people singing their songs and Ryan Seacrest introducing their songs!
Well this weekend I will be hard at work on my Orion from the Orion experience and JLR interviews so that should be posted sometime next week so be on the look out!
History has shown us that in these types of scandals "the other woman" always manages to get a book deal, a Playboy pictorial, a TV movie based on their story, TV hosting jobs, a clothing or purse line, a reality show and a contract to model jeans. I'm betcha anything besides the record contract , there will be a Playboy spread! And watch Ryan Seacrest's production company will offer her a reality show on E! She'll be riding the wave of her notoriety and by this time next year she'll be another footnote in political sex scandals.
Onto something that I'm really embarrassed that I watched the other night! And that is "American Idol's" Beatles night!! First of Beatles songs are such sacred cows! In my mind there are very few people who do a good cover of a Beatles song! And as it is, American Idol is sooo cheesy! Every version of Beatles songs sung by the contestants of AI SUCKED big time!! On AI the contestants either do that R&B/Broadway style of over singing where it's all about vibrato and holding that note and that vowel for as long as possible. Or it's all about what I call douche bag version of singing where it's the male "rockers" and they have to clip every word and make it sound like your constipated when you sing your lyrics, your struggling to get those lyrics out cause your so angst ridden cause the weight of the world is on your shoulders i.e. that David Cook kid or that Ed guy from Live or Chris Dourghty. I do like that Amanda chick with the two toned hair, I think she's got a voice that's a throw back to Ann Wilson from Heart. I honestly think that if John Lennon or George Harrison where alive today that so wouldn't have given their permission to have their music on AI. I think they would have cringed over the whole AI concept and that Paula Abdul is judging people's musical talents! More then likely Lennon and Harrison were spinning in their graves over having people like David Cook sing their songs, Paula Abdul judging people singing their songs and Ryan Seacrest introducing their songs!
Well this weekend I will be hard at work on my Orion from the Orion experience and JLR interviews so that should be posted sometime next week so be on the look out!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Faulty frontal lobe wiring
This is an interesting report from ABC news in light of the Spitzer scandal. According to this report powerful and most men cheat and make other bad life choices due to faulty frontal lobe wiring in their brains. The frontal lobe part of the brain helps us make decisions.
Do as I say not as I do.......
Yesterday news in New York broke that NY Governor Eliot Spitzer has been exposed as being a client of a call girl ring, the call girl company he was using was called The Emperors Club. He was known as "Client 9" and reportedly was a regular client. The women who worked for this call girl company made 5k an hour...shit for that amount of money an hour I'd totally whore myself out!! So therefore the clients were men who were on the caliber of an Eliot Spitzer. What cracks me up is that The Emperors Club was based out of Staten Island. I have this vision of Gina from Bay Terrace complete with really bad Jessica Simpson brand hair extensions , over tweezed eyebrows and a fake ommpa lompa tan showing up at the door of Spitzer's hotel room at some five star hotel in DC, holding a Malibu and pineapple in one hand and a Marlboro red in another ready to have some fun with Eliot Spitzer! And it came out today that he supposedly paid for these hookers with money deposited into bogus business accounts and that's what got the feds onto him.
This whole story is disheartening cause Spitzer really did a lot when he was attorney general and governor. He went after a lot of huge corporations which exposed corrupt people such as Dennis Kozlowski of TYCO and Dick Grasso. He also did a lot for musicians when he was AG he went after record companies and radio stations for illegal payola, a lot of session musicians have him to thank for getting them back royalties owed to them by various record labels! As governor he was one of the few pro choice and pro gay union governors.
It's just really sad cause he seemed to have a very bright political career and a nice wife and family that he ruined by thinking with his small head instead of his big head. And what also gets me about this story is that this just proves like most politicians Spitzer is a hypocrite. When he was a DA of NYC two of his major cases were mafia connected call girl rings and he faught against corruption as the attorney general of NY! Do as I say don't do as I do for sure!
Hypocrites, who are on their moral high horses are the worst kinds of people on the planet. To kinda go off on something semi related to the Spitzer scandal...when the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal was happening and you had people like Henry Hyde, Bob Barr and Bob Livingston screaming about how Clinton should be impeached because he got blown by his intern and he lied about it. Meanwhile good old Larry Flynt exposed Hyde, Barr and Livingston as hypocrites! Bob Barr had an affair on his second wife with the woman who would become his third wife and the second wife also had an abortion which Barr lied about under oath! Henry Hyde had a thirty year affair on his wife with another woman. Bob Livingston, had numerous extra marital affairs on his wife and what is ironic is that Livingston stepped down because of that revelation and was replaced by David Vitter (aka Mr.Conservative) who as it turns out was a client of Deborah Jeane Palfy aka the D.C. Madam! Most politicians and religious leaders who are so on their moral high horses are always the ones who are the most freakiest behind closed doors! As I mentioned above most men think with their penis rather then the brain in their head, especially men who have any type of power! Powerful men do things like cheat because they think they can get away with it and they think they are entitled to have pussy on the side!
I digress....getting blown by your intern and paying for sex are two totally different things. It's illegal to pay for sex!
Well today there must be a lot of music execs, wall street big wigs and Joe Bruno doing a dance of joy of the news about Spitzer.
This whole story is disheartening cause Spitzer really did a lot when he was attorney general and governor. He went after a lot of huge corporations which exposed corrupt people such as Dennis Kozlowski of TYCO and Dick Grasso. He also did a lot for musicians when he was AG he went after record companies and radio stations for illegal payola, a lot of session musicians have him to thank for getting them back royalties owed to them by various record labels! As governor he was one of the few pro choice and pro gay union governors.
It's just really sad cause he seemed to have a very bright political career and a nice wife and family that he ruined by thinking with his small head instead of his big head. And what also gets me about this story is that this just proves like most politicians Spitzer is a hypocrite. When he was a DA of NYC two of his major cases were mafia connected call girl rings and he faught against corruption as the attorney general of NY! Do as I say don't do as I do for sure!
Hypocrites, who are on their moral high horses are the worst kinds of people on the planet. To kinda go off on something semi related to the Spitzer scandal...when the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal was happening and you had people like Henry Hyde, Bob Barr and Bob Livingston screaming about how Clinton should be impeached because he got blown by his intern and he lied about it. Meanwhile good old Larry Flynt exposed Hyde, Barr and Livingston as hypocrites! Bob Barr had an affair on his second wife with the woman who would become his third wife and the second wife also had an abortion which Barr lied about under oath! Henry Hyde had a thirty year affair on his wife with another woman. Bob Livingston, had numerous extra marital affairs on his wife and what is ironic is that Livingston stepped down because of that revelation and was replaced by David Vitter (aka Mr.Conservative) who as it turns out was a client of Deborah Jeane Palfy aka the D.C. Madam! Most politicians and religious leaders who are so on their moral high horses are always the ones who are the most freakiest behind closed doors! As I mentioned above most men think with their penis rather then the brain in their head, especially men who have any type of power! Powerful men do things like cheat because they think they can get away with it and they think they are entitled to have pussy on the side!
I digress....getting blown by your intern and paying for sex are two totally different things. It's illegal to pay for sex!
Well today there must be a lot of music execs, wall street big wigs and Joe Bruno doing a dance of joy of the news about Spitzer.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Is Brooklyn the center of the musicial universe????
This article from yesterday's NY Times claims that Brooklyn is now the center of the alt rock universe, sighting Yeasayer, Dragons of Zynth, Dirty Projectors and of course Vampire Weekend among others. Does anyone recall when the NY Times wrote this exact same article about fifteen years ago but it was all about how Seattle was the center of the alt rock universe and one of the bands sighted at the forefront of the alt rock scene was Soundgarden!!?? And that chick from Sub Pop made up really stupid grunge slang as a goof on the Times and the Times wrote it as fact and the slang got picked up by other mainstream media! Hipsters don't seem smart enough to goof on the Times like that! Humor is something that doesn't seem relevant in the world of the hipster, unless it's evil sarcasm or completely boring and unfunny political humor or two lameos who sing songs full of annoying pop culture references!
In another ten years or fifteen years from now what location do you think the NY Times will be writing about and calling it the hot bed of the alt rock scene?? I say it's gonna be Hohokus New Jersey!
One last thing about the Times article...say what you will about Vampire Weekend I know they are trust fund kids who grew up on Central Park West and dropped out of Ivy League colleges..basically the preppy Strokes and the ultimate hipsters...but I think that song "A-Punk" freakin' rocks! And all this talk of hipsters has me asking all of you if you caught last night's episode of "King of the Hill".....I thought that was brilliant! I love Hank's line to Peggy..."But their hipsters Peggy"!
From the 3/9 NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/arts/music/09sisa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
On an unrelated note, tonight I will be hard at work bringing you guys my interview with Orion from the Orion Experience and FINALLY!...the edits on my Johnny Lloyd Rollins story have been done. So look for those two interviews to be posted the end of this week.
In another ten years or fifteen years from now what location do you think the NY Times will be writing about and calling it the hot bed of the alt rock scene?? I say it's gonna be Hohokus New Jersey!
One last thing about the Times article...say what you will about Vampire Weekend I know they are trust fund kids who grew up on Central Park West and dropped out of Ivy League colleges..basically the preppy Strokes and the ultimate hipsters...but I think that song "A-Punk" freakin' rocks! And all this talk of hipsters has me asking all of you if you caught last night's episode of "King of the Hill".....I thought that was brilliant! I love Hank's line to Peggy..."But their hipsters Peggy"!
From the 3/9 NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/arts/music/09sisa.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
On an unrelated note, tonight I will be hard at work bringing you guys my interview with Orion from the Orion Experience and FINALLY!...the edits on my Johnny Lloyd Rollins story have been done. So look for those two interviews to be posted the end of this week.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
A great many things.....
I got a new high tech tape recorder last weekend and so I will have my Johnny Lloyd Rollins interview up soon as well as an interview with Orion from the Orion Experience. And if all you music fans in New York City are looking for something to do tomorrow night friday 3/7, check out the Orion Experience at the Luna Lounge in good old Williamsburg Brooklyn. The Orion Experience goes on at 10:30pm and there is an eight dollar cover charge. Also tomorrow night March 7th is Orion's birthday so when you see him buy him a birthday diet coke!
Well in light of yesterdays sad and shocking news about Patrick Swayze, I figured someone would have to have had posted that classic SNL skit of Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley as Chippendale dancers on Youtube. But instead I found this gem of a trailer for a film Patrick Swayze did back in the late 70's called "Skatetown USA". The film seems to be about rival roller disco gangs and Patrick's co stars in this film are Scott Baio and Maureen McCormack (aka Marsha Brady), Ruth Buzzi and Flip Wilson.
God Bless Patrick Swayze...he still looked like a total sexy bad ass when he was roller discoing, rocking a mullet and dirty dancing! And only in a late 70's could you have Ruth Buzzi, Dave Mason, Patrick Swayze, Billy Bardy as a roller discoing midget, Maureen McCormack, Flip Wilson and Scott Baio all staring in one film were the main plot line revolves around roller disco!
Something that has got me thinking.....have you ever really hated a band or an artist that critics and the masses have loved!? I ask that question because I was just reading that the Counting Crows are releasing an album fairly soon. And I know people just love that band and think Adam Duritz is a poetic genius.. two of my dearest friends feel that way about the Counting Crows. But me I absolutely HATE the Counting Crows, I hate Adam Duritz's voice and lyrics and I really don't like Adam Duritz, he strikes me as being a smug asshole! Duritz strikes me as the kind of guy who wants everyone to think he's this deep, sensitive and intellectual lyricist. He's a blatantly obvious Dylan clone and not a good one at that! The music combined with Duritz's nauseating deep lyrics reminds me of really bad music for soccer moms, drunk frat boys and helicopter parents who live in Park Slope Brooklyn and the West Village. It's the same melody in every song and Duritz's voice never seems to change tone and is so lackluster much like his lyrics. And why did Townshend and Dylan give the okay for this shitty band to open for them?? If the goal was to get the young folks to the shows there are far better choices then Counting Crows for opening acts. That should have been it for them after "Mr. Jones" and I always thought that song sucked.. it never was even on my guilty pleasure song list! Slightly before the Moldy Peaches, the Pineapple aka Adam Duritz totally brings out the hater in me! And I'm not a hateful person but every time I read an interview or see an interview with Adam Duritz on TV, it just so makes me want to kick him really hard in the nads!
I don't know I just don't get it!
Well in light of yesterdays sad and shocking news about Patrick Swayze, I figured someone would have to have had posted that classic SNL skit of Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley as Chippendale dancers on Youtube. But instead I found this gem of a trailer for a film Patrick Swayze did back in the late 70's called "Skatetown USA". The film seems to be about rival roller disco gangs and Patrick's co stars in this film are Scott Baio and Maureen McCormack (aka Marsha Brady), Ruth Buzzi and Flip Wilson.
God Bless Patrick Swayze...he still looked like a total sexy bad ass when he was roller discoing, rocking a mullet and dirty dancing! And only in a late 70's could you have Ruth Buzzi, Dave Mason, Patrick Swayze, Billy Bardy as a roller discoing midget, Maureen McCormack, Flip Wilson and Scott Baio all staring in one film were the main plot line revolves around roller disco!
Something that has got me thinking.....have you ever really hated a band or an artist that critics and the masses have loved!? I ask that question because I was just reading that the Counting Crows are releasing an album fairly soon. And I know people just love that band and think Adam Duritz is a poetic genius.. two of my dearest friends feel that way about the Counting Crows. But me I absolutely HATE the Counting Crows, I hate Adam Duritz's voice and lyrics and I really don't like Adam Duritz, he strikes me as being a smug asshole! Duritz strikes me as the kind of guy who wants everyone to think he's this deep, sensitive and intellectual lyricist. He's a blatantly obvious Dylan clone and not a good one at that! The music combined with Duritz's nauseating deep lyrics reminds me of really bad music for soccer moms, drunk frat boys and helicopter parents who live in Park Slope Brooklyn and the West Village. It's the same melody in every song and Duritz's voice never seems to change tone and is so lackluster much like his lyrics. And why did Townshend and Dylan give the okay for this shitty band to open for them?? If the goal was to get the young folks to the shows there are far better choices then Counting Crows for opening acts. That should have been it for them after "Mr. Jones" and I always thought that song sucked.. it never was even on my guilty pleasure song list! Slightly before the Moldy Peaches, the Pineapple aka Adam Duritz totally brings out the hater in me! And I'm not a hateful person but every time I read an interview or see an interview with Adam Duritz on TV, it just so makes me want to kick him really hard in the nads!
I don't know I just don't get it!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Patrick Swayze and other things....
I was very upset to read that Patrick Swayze has terminal pancreatic cancer and has a few weeks to live. I had such a huge crush I had on him when I was a kid and he was at his height with "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost". Oh my god... I soooo wanted to be Baby in "Dirty Dancing"!! I wanted Patrick Swayze to lift me in that lake!!
One of the all time greatest SNL skits ever... was the one where Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley were both auditioning to be Chippendale male strippers. I can't hear "Everybody's Working For the Weekend" without thinking of Chris Farley in the Chippendale's outfit and Patrick Swayze's mullet in that skit!! I tried to find that clip on Youtube but it doesn't seem to be on Youtube or Red Lasso, so instead enjoy the video for Patrick's hit 1987 song "She's Like The Wind". She's like the wind through my treeeee!! Very sad story!
Real quick music news, The Orion Experience will be playing the Luna Lounge in Brooklyn this friday 3/7. They are scheduled to go on at 10:30pm, it's an eight dollar cover charge and the Luna Lounge is located at 361 Metropolitan Ave in Willamsburg Brooklyn.
One of the all time greatest SNL skits ever... was the one where Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley were both auditioning to be Chippendale male strippers. I can't hear "Everybody's Working For the Weekend" without thinking of Chris Farley in the Chippendale's outfit and Patrick Swayze's mullet in that skit!! I tried to find that clip on Youtube but it doesn't seem to be on Youtube or Red Lasso, so instead enjoy the video for Patrick's hit 1987 song "She's Like The Wind". She's like the wind through my treeeee!! Very sad story!
Real quick music news, The Orion Experience will be playing the Luna Lounge in Brooklyn this friday 3/7. They are scheduled to go on at 10:30pm, it's an eight dollar cover charge and the Luna Lounge is located at 361 Metropolitan Ave in Willamsburg Brooklyn.
Monday, March 3, 2008
RIP Jeff Healy, a GNYC/Eyeball records show and NIN
Just a real quick blog post for today. I just read that blind guitarist Jeff Healy passed away from cancer that plagued him ever since he was a kid and was the reason he was blind. He was 41. You've got to admit what he accomplished is really incredible. What's sad is that to some people he'll be forever known as that guy who sang that song that was played at every school dance and wedding in the early 90's "Angel Eyes". And to others he'll be known as Cody the blind musician in that Patrick Swazye film masterpiece "Road House" and not the proper musician he was. RIP Jeff Healy!
For all you NYC area music fans or those who will be in NYC this up and coming Tuesday 3/4/08 there is a GNYC/Eyeball Records showcase show at Crash Mansion. Among those on the bill are Kiss Kiss who played the MEANY Fest '07 finals show as special guests. The schedule is below and it's a ten dollar cover charge. Crash Mansion is located at 199 Bowery at Spring in Manhattan. The fun starts at 7:30 and it's a night that is not to be missed!
8:00 - Sleep Station
9:00 - Tiger Lou
10:00 - Baumer
11:00 - Kiss Kiss
http://www.myspace.com/kisskiss
sleep-station.com
http://www.myspace.com/tomte12
http://www.myspace.com/baumer
www.eyeballrecords.com
I've been trying to download the latest Nine Inch Nails album "Ghosts i-iv" but I've been having some issues downloading it... something to do with a zip file! Since I'm technologically retarded and I don't what a zip file is and how to make my computer accept it...if anyone can help me with this zip file thing and to download the new NIN album properly that would be appreciated!
http://www.nin.com/
And one last thought for the day that Moldy Peaches song from "Juno" "Anyone else but you"...has the same melody as "The Macarena" anyone else notice that??
For all you NYC area music fans or those who will be in NYC this up and coming Tuesday 3/4/08 there is a GNYC/Eyeball Records showcase show at Crash Mansion. Among those on the bill are Kiss Kiss who played the MEANY Fest '07 finals show as special guests. The schedule is below and it's a ten dollar cover charge. Crash Mansion is located at 199 Bowery at Spring in Manhattan. The fun starts at 7:30 and it's a night that is not to be missed!
8:00 - Sleep Station
9:00 - Tiger Lou
10:00 - Baumer
11:00 - Kiss Kiss
http://www.myspace.com/kisskiss
sleep-station.com
http://www.myspace.com/tomte12
http://www.myspace.com/baumer
www.eyeballrecords.com
I've been trying to download the latest Nine Inch Nails album "Ghosts i-iv" but I've been having some issues downloading it... something to do with a zip file! Since I'm technologically retarded and I don't what a zip file is and how to make my computer accept it...if anyone can help me with this zip file thing and to download the new NIN album properly that would be appreciated!
http://www.nin.com/
And one last thought for the day that Moldy Peaches song from "Juno" "Anyone else but you"...has the same melody as "The Macarena" anyone else notice that??
Sunday, March 2, 2008
At the movies with Amy part trios
In this current day and age where sexism runs rapid through the current presidential election and Paris Hilton is held up as being a role model for young girls. And with reality TV shows such as "The Bachelor" and films such as "Enchanted". And women getting their lips pumped full of goo, eliminating wrinkles by injecting a form of botulism in their faces and dieting down to the point of where they look like walking skeletons, all in an effort to live up to this unobtainable and cartoonish standard of youth and beauty society puts on females. All I can say is thank goodness for Resse Witherspoon and a little film she produced called "Penelope".
I saw "Penelope" last night, I loved it! Christina Ricci, stars as a young woman named Penelope who is from a wealthy family whose great great great grandfather is cursed by a gypsy woman after he rejects the gypsy woman's daughter. The curse the gypsy woman puts on the family is that the first born daughter will be born with a pig snout and the only way the curse can be broken is if she marries a fellow blue blood. For generations sons have been born into the family and Penelope is the first daughter born into the family and so she is born with a pig snout. Her mother who is played the amazing and very funny Catherine O'Hara who is obsessed with keeping up all appearances of a beautiful and wealthy family, all the while trying to get her daughter married off to a fellow blue blood in order to break the curse and continue the tradition of being part of the elite. A tabloid reporter played by "The Station Agent's" Peter Dinkledge along with another one of Penelope's scared off blue blood suitors tries to get an average guy masquerading as a blue blood to try and get a picture of Penelope. The average guy Max is played by my new boyfriend "Atonement's" James McAvoy. After talking with Penelope through a two way mirror over the course of a few days, Max starts to have feelings for Penelope, when he sees her in person he is startled and runs off.
Penelope runs away to find Max and to find herself and in the process she finds friends who accept her for who she is. One of these friends is a tough as nails rocker delivery chick played by Resse Witherspoon and another person she befriends is a bartender at a pub Max tells her about. The evil blue blood suitor who was working with the tabloid reporter comes back into the picture and wants to marry Penelope all in an effort to make himself not appear crazy and to further his father's company. I will say this without giving anything away Penelope realizes that it's her and her alone who can break the curse. But you have to see the film to see how that all unfolds!!
This film is a smartly done chick flick!! The story is a very cute and quirky one and I thought there was not one bad acting performance in this film. The message was a great girl power message of loving and accepting yourself for who you are and riding your own wave and making your own mark in life! My only complaint with this film was that even with the pig's snout Christina Ricci still looked cute!! It's worth the eleven dollars and it's worth taking all of our young girls to see!!
Today I saw the documentary film "The Chicago Ten", the film is a very unique look at the Chicago Seven trial. For all of you who aren't history geeks such as myself the trial of the Chicago Seven (actually there was ten) was ten anti-war activists including Bobby Seale, Abby Hoffman and Tom Hayden were brought on trial for conspiracy to incite violent protest during the 1968 Democratic Convention. William Kuntsler, who many remember as the defense lawyer for Colin Furgeson and Lenny Bruce acted as the defense attorney for the Chicago Seven.
The anti-war activists wanted to have a protest in Chicago's Lincoln Park during the duration of the Democratic Convention. Most of the protests got ugly with police on orders from the Chicago mayor at the time Richard Daley (who pretty much made Chicago a police state) beating the protesters, at the time the US government was so afraid of the anti war movement and what was going on, on college campuses. Most of the charges that were brought up against the Chicago Seven were fabricated charges due to government paranoia and just about all of the Chicago seven were acquitted.
Seeing what was going on then is very much what seems to be going on now. We have an unjust and illegal war going on where US service people are being killed everyday as are innocent Iraqi civilians, much like the Vietnam war. Just like the Vietnam era, there also seems to be a lot of government paranoia about all those speaking out against the Iraq war. And the film uses Rage Against the Machine and Eminem as musical choices rather then music from the late 1960's to make that exact point.
This film uses the transcripts from the actual trial and the trial scenes are animated as are a few other scenes. The rest of the film used archive footage from the '68 convention and footage of the Chicago seven.
Actors such as Hank Azaria, Jeffery Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schriber and the late Roy Schider all provide voices. The animation was really well done, the trial scenes are computer animated with what looks like that computer program Simms and the rest is traditionally animated. There is one animation sequence where the art almost reminds me of that of the animation from the Pink Floyd movie "The Wall".
I thought this film was very timely and very uniquely done. And if your a political/history geek like me...you'll love it!! Worth the $11 I say!!
I saw "Penelope" last night, I loved it! Christina Ricci, stars as a young woman named Penelope who is from a wealthy family whose great great great grandfather is cursed by a gypsy woman after he rejects the gypsy woman's daughter. The curse the gypsy woman puts on the family is that the first born daughter will be born with a pig snout and the only way the curse can be broken is if she marries a fellow blue blood. For generations sons have been born into the family and Penelope is the first daughter born into the family and so she is born with a pig snout. Her mother who is played the amazing and very funny Catherine O'Hara who is obsessed with keeping up all appearances of a beautiful and wealthy family, all the while trying to get her daughter married off to a fellow blue blood in order to break the curse and continue the tradition of being part of the elite. A tabloid reporter played by "The Station Agent's" Peter Dinkledge along with another one of Penelope's scared off blue blood suitors tries to get an average guy masquerading as a blue blood to try and get a picture of Penelope. The average guy Max is played by my new boyfriend "Atonement's" James McAvoy. After talking with Penelope through a two way mirror over the course of a few days, Max starts to have feelings for Penelope, when he sees her in person he is startled and runs off.
Penelope runs away to find Max and to find herself and in the process she finds friends who accept her for who she is. One of these friends is a tough as nails rocker delivery chick played by Resse Witherspoon and another person she befriends is a bartender at a pub Max tells her about. The evil blue blood suitor who was working with the tabloid reporter comes back into the picture and wants to marry Penelope all in an effort to make himself not appear crazy and to further his father's company. I will say this without giving anything away Penelope realizes that it's her and her alone who can break the curse. But you have to see the film to see how that all unfolds!!
This film is a smartly done chick flick!! The story is a very cute and quirky one and I thought there was not one bad acting performance in this film. The message was a great girl power message of loving and accepting yourself for who you are and riding your own wave and making your own mark in life! My only complaint with this film was that even with the pig's snout Christina Ricci still looked cute!! It's worth the eleven dollars and it's worth taking all of our young girls to see!!
Today I saw the documentary film "The Chicago Ten", the film is a very unique look at the Chicago Seven trial. For all of you who aren't history geeks such as myself the trial of the Chicago Seven (actually there was ten) was ten anti-war activists including Bobby Seale, Abby Hoffman and Tom Hayden were brought on trial for conspiracy to incite violent protest during the 1968 Democratic Convention. William Kuntsler, who many remember as the defense lawyer for Colin Furgeson and Lenny Bruce acted as the defense attorney for the Chicago Seven.
The anti-war activists wanted to have a protest in Chicago's Lincoln Park during the duration of the Democratic Convention. Most of the protests got ugly with police on orders from the Chicago mayor at the time Richard Daley (who pretty much made Chicago a police state) beating the protesters, at the time the US government was so afraid of the anti war movement and what was going on, on college campuses. Most of the charges that were brought up against the Chicago Seven were fabricated charges due to government paranoia and just about all of the Chicago seven were acquitted.
Seeing what was going on then is very much what seems to be going on now. We have an unjust and illegal war going on where US service people are being killed everyday as are innocent Iraqi civilians, much like the Vietnam war. Just like the Vietnam era, there also seems to be a lot of government paranoia about all those speaking out against the Iraq war. And the film uses Rage Against the Machine and Eminem as musical choices rather then music from the late 1960's to make that exact point.
This film uses the transcripts from the actual trial and the trial scenes are animated as are a few other scenes. The rest of the film used archive footage from the '68 convention and footage of the Chicago seven.
Actors such as Hank Azaria, Jeffery Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schriber and the late Roy Schider all provide voices. The animation was really well done, the trial scenes are computer animated with what looks like that computer program Simms and the rest is traditionally animated. There is one animation sequence where the art almost reminds me of that of the animation from the Pink Floyd movie "The Wall".
I thought this film was very timely and very uniquely done. And if your a political/history geek like me...you'll love it!! Worth the $11 I say!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
