Triumphs & Tragedies

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-02-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Another lovely shirtless photo of none other than Nick Cave. It's hard writing when your sick. I'm spacing out and it's really hard right now to judge if my sentences are even correct.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-31T08:40:00.001-08:00

Here we have Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious. Still his best performance to date in my opinion. I think I watched Sid and Nancy about a thousand times in high school. I still enjoy it now. It's one of those films that you really cling to in adolescence but can still enjoy as an adult.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-22T12:00:00.001-08:00

The stuck-up pretentious side of me really wanted to get down on Iggy Pop for his American Idol performance. Yet I have to say seeing that dirty old man paw at middle America's teenage daughters and to see them actually pawing him back was delightful.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Always the showman. We have a shirtless Lux Interior in an interesting pose. He was perhaps the only man that could make a pair of black heels look so tough and manly.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-18T21:52:00.001-08:00

In high school I thought I was the coolest teenage girl in the world, all because I owned a New York Dolls record. I remember showing it to other kids (just the cover mind you) and they'd be like, "What's wrong with these freaks?" Funny how your musical tastes can project your persona. I thought the New York Dolls gave me an edgy persona back then, I really did. How strange. In comparison to what I really know now about the New York Dolls, I was just a babe in the woods in contrast to them (I guess we all are compared to them).

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-18T21:39:00.000-08:00

Another one of Richard Hell. I just love that he has a picture hanging up of himself in the background.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here we have Tom Wait's cell mate John Lurie in the film Down By Law. We'll have to file him under devastatingly handsome and shirtless saxophone players.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Tom Waits killing time in the clinker in Down By Law. Looking handsome and shirtless.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is a truly great press photo. It looks as though The Heartbreakers have been shot in the heart, or their hearts have exploded. Either way it makes for a violent and compelling image. I love their sarcastic "Oh no we're dying" facial expressions too. And to keep with our theme Johnny Thunders has his shirt off.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Rowland S. Howard here with the lovely Lydia Lunch. Howard always reminded me of Colin from The Secret Garden. Just a pale frail boy never to see the light of day.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

Nick Cave and Iggy Pop. Two madmen on a mission. I think the surprising fact about this photo is that Pop has kept his t-shirt on.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite record covers ever! A lovely Roberta Bayley photo featuring a gorgeous and shirtless Richard Hell. You can't learn this sort of effortless grace. Richard Hell knows how to use imagery to promote himself. Not to ramble on like a fanatic geek but so few artists have been able to achieve such a perfect combination of image, ethics, and sound. His books are really great too. Always well-written and highly entertaining (even if they are a little psychologically damaging at times). I can't wait for his autobiography. It's going to be like a R-rated version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

First up is The Birthday Party's Nick The Stripper. In this video I can't tell if it's purgatory, hell or Lord Of The Flies. Enjoy Nick Cave sans shirt, sans pants with a pig's head on a pike.

OUT DAMN SHIRT!

2012-01-03T18:04:00.001-08:00

Apparently male punks had two mortal enemies. Any authority and their shirts. Join me as I celebrate a plethora of shirtless wonders from the golden age of the punk and post-punk era.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2012-01-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

In the 1970's Timothy Bottoms was a cerebral sex-symbol if there ever was one. Playing introverted seekers was this man-child's bread and butter then. Bottoms thrived in films like Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing, Johnny Got His Gun and in my personal favorite The Last Picture Show.

Unfortunately I have to say that ever since he played George W. Bush in the short lived T.V series That's My Bush!, my girlish crush has waned (the resemblance is just too uncanny).

THE PLIMPTONS: FREE CHRISTMAS GIVE AWAY!

2011-12-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Scottish band The Plimptons are giving away a free Christmas themed E.P on their website. The E.P is titled Christmas All Over This Town. If you enjoy The Buzzcocks, The Specials and The Jam then this is the band for you.

Get your free E.P here.

A Singer Must Die: NEW SONG!

2011-11-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

A Singer Must Die is previewing a new song titled The Armless Sailor. The vocals remind me of a melancholy Damon Albarn, while the music reminds me of a slowed down version of Eleanor Rigby. According to the band, "This track will be part of the unique and very original book-work TERRES NEUVES, a work of mixed arts which will contain 25 photographs by French photographer Jérôme Sevrette." Very impressive.

Listen here.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2011-11-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

This time I have decided to make Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club my locker pin-up. Pierce had a pleasing trembling deep voice. When it comes to sexy baritones he and Nick Cave take the cake.

Pierce was also a brilliant lyricist and song writer. With The Gun Club Pierce formulated a bad-ass dreamy combination of punk, blues, and country. He was an absolute innovator and one of the most interesting figures in punk-rock.

Tom Verlaine-Clear It Away

2011-09-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share this Tom Verlaine promotional video from the 80's. As much as I love the song, I have to say I love Verlaine showing off his lithe figure even more.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2011-09-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think if anyone deserves the title "man-child" it has to be Michael J. Pollard in Dirty Little Billy. His portrayal of William H. Bonney definitely puts "The Kid" into the infamous outlaw's famous moniker Billy The Kid. Pollard's ultra-strange performance portrays "the kid" as downright adorable. His performance is far more complicated than that really, but Pollard has that undeniably infectious "aw gee shucks" quality. A really unique portrayal of a historical figure that has been let's face it done to death in film.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2011-08-30T13:16:00.001-07:00

I love Tom Verlaine. He always looks like a corrupted school boy. I think he has written some of the most devastatingly romantic lyrics of all time. I'm having a bit of a monogamous relationship with his solo record "Dreamtime" right now. It's a dreamy record filled with provocative lyrics, cleverly packaged with Verlaine on the cover dawning a come hither stare. He's funny in interviews too. He is not one to suffer fools gladly. Which is something I find charming.

I CAN DIG IT!!!

2011-08-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dig Gallery continues to thrill pop culture junkies like myself with an enticing array of music memorabilia. My personal favorites are Eileen Polk's items. An assemblage of items I thought that I could only concoct in my dreams. She's got Jerry Nolan's scarf, Dee Dee's Tee, what I can only describe as Richard Hell's version of a dressy button up, and many of Polk's own gorgeous photographs (the portrait she took of Nick Cave during "The Good Son" era is perfection and I want it).

Read Dig Gallery's interview with Eileen Polk and learn about the extraordinary woman who amassed such highly coveted items.

I Have A Show On Wednesday:

2011-08-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Feature: Viti di Titanio: Soundtrack

2011-08-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Italian band Viti di Titanio has just completed a soundtrack for the short film The Escape. I have just seen the film. I have to say that the gorgeous creepy atmospheric song Viti di Titanio has created is a perfect marriage to the equally gorgeous creepy atmospheric film. Which is why this band continues to be one of my favorite artists whom I have come to know through this blog. Thanks for keeping me in the loop boys, I eagerly anticipate what I will hear next.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2011-07-30T21:29:00.001-07:00

I have spoke of many men. Yet I have failed to speak of my main man Charles Bukowski. A man who's main interests were drinking, gambling and women. A set of hobbies I find refreshingly manly. He has earned my eternal devotion with his ability to be honest to the point that it becomes unflattering. Few artists have bared all so raw and so hideously beautiful.

A Very Special Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2011-06-15T20:40:00.001-07:00

I was recently contacted by Helen Hall of Dig Gallery in regards to one of the photos they have on display of Richard Hell. As anyone who has paid even a tiny bit of attention to my blog can imagine I was elated, especially once I saw the photograph.

An absolute gorgeous silvery image shot by none other than the legendary punk-rock photographer Eileen Polk (Read all about her in Please Kill Me. Polk's passages are simultaneously entertaining and illuminating).

In the photo Hell is beautiful, violent, and totally indifferent. A pictorial definition of punk itself. With his devil-may-care hair and shredded clothes he looks as though he is ready to madly heave his modern-day version of Rimbaud into the 2oth century.

With this photo Polk haunts us with the fact that Punk wasn't just for the people, it was by the people. The punks were not poets who made cold observations from an ivory tower. They lived it, in the streets, with a needle in their arm.

* I also eagerly await Richard Hell's autobiography titled I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp. You can purchase and preview a chapter here.

** Also, please check out Dig Gallery. They have a wonderful collection of original photographs of some of the greatest musical icons of all time.

REWIND

2011-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

If I were Cat Ballou I would have taken one look at Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin) in leather trousers (even though I'm a vegetarian) and would have dumped that other nerd she wound up with in the film, and would have rode into the sunset with that blue-eyed silver-haired devil. But I guess that would have been a different film entirely. Marvin still looks more enticing playing a belligerent drunk with his pants down, than most modern day movie stars do playing a super hero.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2011-05-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to say it. Buffalo 66 is one of the top five best films of the 90's. That's a high complement coming from a girl who came of age in the 90's, and has many classic films from Quentin Tarantino, James Ivory, Mike Leigh, and Neil Jordan permanently burned into her memory.

Where to start with this film? Dialogue, fashion, music, and the cinematography are just a few things that are absolutely perfect in this modern American classic. It just makes you gasp and say "Damn it! That Vincent Gallo is a genius!" So Mr. Gallo is this week's "Locker Pin-Up." I'd like to personally thank him for using the gorgeously curvy Christina Ricci in this film. Us curvy girls start to feel a little inadequate and under represented in film after a while.

Event Suggestion If You Just So Happen To Be...

2011-03-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

Going to SXSW:

Make sure you check out Leslie Stevens. She's got the voice of Dolly Parton with the sweet and adorable personality to match.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2011-03-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

The Misfits. One of the most beautiful American films to ever exist. How could it not be?Written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston and starring Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift delivering two amazing performances (despite the turmoil going on in their personal lives). Yet it is Clark Gable's insanely complicated performance that keeps me coming back to this film. All that and he aged beautifully. Although, I am such a sucker for raven hair and a pencil thin mustache.

P.S. I don't want to fail to mention Eli Wallach's brilliance in this movie as well. He's twisted and creepy as hell in this movie.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2011-02-18T22:49:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened since I've last written. I grew out a disastrous monstrous haircut. And a bunch of other stuff that's too depressing and personal to mention. Anyways today's locker pin-up is Peter Weller from Naked Lunch. It's too bad that this film is so psychologically damaging to me that I rarely watch it, because Peter Weller is the most beautiful man to ever wear a fedora. I guess one just has to take the bitter with the sweet.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2010-09-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

There's just something about a deep gruff voice that is so attractive. Anyways, I really like this picture of Lee Marvin. He looks half approachable here, not like he'd kill you if you so much as look at him. I miss tough guy actors. They are all dying off (you live hard you die hard I guess). I'm just so sick of seeing movie previews starring these little emaciated sarcastic hipster boys (I won't name names).

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2010-09-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today's pin-up is David Lynch. He's innovative, poetic and bold. But really I'm just a complete sucker for a great head of hair (and his and Jim Jarmusch's are the best). Give me a creative, non-conventionally handsome man with a pompadour and I'm in love.

Review:The Paraffins: Snout to the Grindstone

2010-08-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

When you think about the fact that we spend most of our waking hours at work it's depressing. It's hard to live your life when your making a "living." A concept that I believe is at the heart of The Paraffins record "Snout to the Grindstone." The Paraffins are a band after my own heart with their major punk-rock attitude. So I am going to do as Dorothy Parker once said and "wear my heart on my sleeve like a red wet stain," while I convince you to buy this Scottish band's new record.

Comparisons comparisons comparisons. Let's start with comparisons. Musically The Paraffins combine an interesting array of sounds. At certain points of the record I was reminded of The Cramps, other times I was reminded of Relaxed Muscle, but mostly their sound is reminiscent of Magnetic Fields. A combination that may sound a bit odd, but works very well for this band. Vocalist Billy Paraffin has a pleasing deep timbre that is akin to the legendary and naughty Jarvis Cocker.

All in all it's a wonderful record and very good at inspiring you to start a rebellion at work (even if it's only a tiny one, and only in your head).

Visit:

www.myspace.com/theparaffins

www.theparaffins.wordpress.com

Hair Cut!!!!

2010-08-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair...liberation! Below was the inspiration for my hair cut. My head feels lighter.

Hairspiration

2010-08-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Goldie Hawn from "Cactus Flower" was my hair inspiration. She's adorable. This film is a must see and really shows off some amazing 60's mod style.

Why you should become a fan of Richard Hell if you aren't already...

2010-08-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Even though Richard Hell is a punk rock legend and has legions of dedicated followers, I thought I'd make an argument as to why an individual should join Hell's fan club. Most artists you see pick a certain genre (whether it be acting, music, art, writing ect...) and stick to that genre. That's fine don't get me wrong but if you really adore that artist and you've already bought all of their stuff you're stuck and probably sad and depressed.

With Richard Hell on the other hand the possibilities are endless. You have the work he's done with other bands (such as Television, The Heartbreakers, Dim Stars), you have the work he completely fronted with Richard Hell and the Voidoids ("Blank Generation" is a must have), you have his film work (Blank Generation, The Smithereens ect...), his incredibly well-written books that are not for the faint of heart (Go Now, Godlike), and various film reviews (that are articulate and entertaining in themselves).

Are you converted? I don't think Jack McCoy could have made a better case himself.

That was fun. Like a fan letter. Let's just hope to God now he doesn't read it. That would be embarrassing. Here's crossing our fingers that he doesn't have a google alert on himself.

Locker Pin-Ups For the Thinking Girl

2010-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

Some people are "Star Wars" fans and some people are "Star Trek" fans, I on the other hand am a "MST3K" fan. How much so you ask? Well I have a Tom Servo action figure, and I have been known to watch the show for so many hours that my husband finally loses his mind and goes in the other room to play his guitar. Now the other important question to ask is are you a Joel fan or a Mike fan?

Joel of course. He's like an adorable nerdy smart ass who's always making inappropriate comments in the back of the classroom.

We Were Never Being Boring Collective Interview

2010-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen and ladies, the music industry as we knew it has changed. Some in the musical business have adapted to change, while others have decided that it's time to panic. Being in a band myself, I am on the fence about it. Sometimes I marvel at the endless promotional opportunities that the Internet affords a band, sometimes I cringe at the thought that in all reality I'll never be able to claw my way to the top of an ever multiplying mound of new and interesting bands, most of the time I tell myself to get over myself. Whilst interviewing the Italian label "We Were Never Being Boring Collective" I learned how they have successfully adapted to change.

T&T: Please explain for me what "We Were Never Being Boring Collective" is all about?

WWNBB: We Were Never Being Boring is about loving music and enjoying it from scratch. That's the idea of the Collective, all is around passion and no one gets money out of it. Quoting our presentation on the web "All we need is a small do-it-yourself collective, as tiny as a simple smile."

T&T: Where is your label located? Is it your goal to work only with bands near your location or do you wish to work with bands on a world wide basis?

WWNBB: Our label is made by people that met for some common attitudes, we can define it as an ideal friendship that evolved into a volunteer job, but apart from a legal address, we are kind of spread in the north of Italy, between Bologna and Brescia.Our goal is to work with bands that we like! No borders for music.

T&T: Please name for me a few bands that inspired you to start a label?

WWNBB: We didn't really get inspired by bands, but mostly by a will of doing things our way. We've all been involved with music since ages in many different ways, the label is just a natural consequence.

T&T: How does it feel to turn one year old? I've notice that the label has decided to celebrate by giving away lots of free goodies, what made you decide to celebrate this way (usually you get presents on your birthday)?

WWNBB: Our first birthday is just a good excuse to celebrate! We like parties and happiness! Giving away free goodies is just sharing things we like with everyone. Consider that these free goodies are as well a gift to us by all the bands that accepted to be part of this project.

T&T: Do you have any advice to give to bands in regards to seeking the right label for themselves?

WWNBB: Not really, label market is kind of changing fast. Since some years ago a band could dream to sign with a label through sending demos or stuff like that. I've always thought that is usually a label to get interested in a band, so our advice is just to play, play, and play more! If a live show is impressive and people like it, just keep impressing people!

T&T: What has been your label's greatest musical triumph to date?

WWNBB: We are happy about all our small treasures. If I have to pick one I think our biggest pride is My bubba & Mi, a Scandinavian girls band that just born before meeting us. It's been a long and successful process of shaping each other (we've learned a lot working with them, because of their little experience we restarted from the beginning under all the aspects of producing an album). They're now touring big festivals, licensed in other countries, got articles and many good reviews. And most of all we like their music.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

WWNBB: The Calorifer is Very Hot!'s economy.They're an amazing band that can't deal with money and spend all their income drinking and offering drinks to the audience!

Visit: www.wwnbb.blogspot.com

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2010-06-16T18:42:00.001-07:00

Life is a funny thing I've learned. Not ha ha funny, but just funny in a depressing kind of way sometimes. That's what I think of when I think about the tragic car crash that didn't end Bud Cort's life but fatally damaged his acting career that was on a major upswing before the wreck. What could have been we'll never know.

What we do know is that Bud Cort gave one of the greatest and wonderfully weird performances of all time as Harold in Hal Ashby's classic cult film Harold and Maude. Harold makes my heart flutter with his elaborate fake suicides, killer fashion, adorable hair, and hearse.

Random Patterns- "Psychic Luau."

2010-06-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

L.A band Random Patterns new music video "Psychic Luau" reminds me of another video by the brit-pop band Supergrass called "Pumping on Your Stereo." Both videos are similar in the way that while you're having a great time bopping your head to the song and watching the fun tripped out video, you're also a little visually frightened at the same time. Like you're loving the crazy visuals now but you just know that later on it's all going to dig deep into your sub-conscience and give you horrible nightmares later on. What an incredibly wonderful thing to do and a hard feat to manage at that. Enjoy the wonderful video now and eagerly await their new record called "Rich Soil Pleasures" out on June 29th.

Visit their myspace:

www.myspace.com/randompatternsmusic

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2010-05-21T21:01:00.001-07:00

When I was a young lady I really dug very intense guys. And no one and I mean no one was more intense than Gary Oldman (is it just me or has he mellowed a bit these days). Only Gary Oldman's interpretation of Beethoven could make his own version of Sid Vicious seem as cuddly as a kitty cat. As a result I find myself giving a girlish sigh whenever I see him flashing up in Harry Potter (which is on some t.v channel or other constantly).

Band Feature: Titanium Screws

2010-05-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

You may remember the interview I did a while back with Maurizio of Lolita Terrorist Sounds. Maurizio recently e-mailed me a copy of his band Titanium Screws new ep "Il Giro Di Vite." I must say I am impressed.

Titanium Screws has the same bleak catchiness as the Black Heart Procession. This band does a wonderful job of combing interesting sounds with great song writing. The band easily switches from carnival-esque songs ala Tom Waits to more straight forward melodic indie ballads in the same vein as Pavement. An interesting eclectic mix that works very well for this band. All that and I like their band name. Check them out...

www.myspace.com/vitidititanio

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2010-05-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

I first saw Billy Wilder's Stalag 17 when I was about twelve years old. I remember gazing at the film's star William Holden and thinking "now that's a man." Seventeen years later I still can't shake that concept out of my head. Holden is a lethal combination of good looks, sarcasm and old school Hollywood glamour. He's put together, but not too "put together." I can't describe it but for me William Holden is better than Clint Eastwood and all of the James Bonds combined.

Video Feature: Jamie Long

2010-05-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

A young man named Jamie Long introduced me to his new video titled "Aquarium." Very ambient. Check out the video.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2010-03-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

I recently saw Crispin Glover in the new "Alice in Wonderland." It may be strange to say but I was rooting for him. "Alice in Wonderland" became the playoffs and Crispin Glover was the team that I really wanted to win. I have admired his acting talent for years and I genuinely want to see him do well. Why? Because he doesn't compromise and he does things his way. That and off screen he has some intimidatingly great style (he's so ageless and put together it's almost sickening). That's why Crispin Glover is this week's locker pin-up. I've chosen his portrayal as Layne in "River's Edge" to represent in a nutshell why Glover is so great. In a film that is laced with creepy, strange, and intense characters; Layne is the character with the most complicated motives with his warped idea of loyalty.

Band Feature: THE PASTILLES

2010-03-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

L.A band The Pastilles was kind enough to send me a copy of their new E.P "Follow the Red Light." The very instant I gave it a listen I was filled with nostalgia. I was instantly reminded of all the female fronted brit-pop bands I loved in high school. The Pastilles are a little bit Elastica and a little bit Sleeper. So 90's brit-pop fans, head over to their myspace now and give them a listen.

www.myspace.com/thepastillesmusic

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl...

2010-03-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

Only one man and one man only can be devastatingly gothic while fitted in head to toe rhinestones. That man is Porter Wagoner. He had his own T.V show, made a star out of Dolly Parton, and made country hits out of songs about depression, rubber rooms, murder, cheating, and death (lots and lots of death). Which other artists have touched upon in his genre I know, but no one has done it quite as gruesomely as Porter Wagoner. Which is really why he remains one of my biggest influences when it comes to writing lyrics.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2010-02-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

I guess I'd be kind of lying if I didn't say that I have a "type" when it comes to celebrity crushes. If you're a tall, full-lipped, interesting haired, punk/ post-punk, renaissance man (for example: Nick Cave, Jim Jarmusch) then I'm hooked. Richard Hell most certainly falls into this category. Musician, actor, writer....Hell does it all. Unfortunately Hell's artistic style and look is so emulated these days, you almost find yourself forgetting the guy started it all.

Busy Busy Busy

2010-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been missing in action as of late. I have been busy. I've been making a new record, changing our band name (from The Grizzly Owls to Funeral Club), stressing out at work, and have seriously been contemplating running away and joining the circus. But I promise I am back, so submit away bands, artists, film makers, photographers and whatever else anyone out there might think I'd be interested in featuring.

A Singer Must Die: New Song

2009-12-14T20:13:00.001-08:00

French band A Singer Must Die has a new song up on their myspace. Their new song "Comedy of Feelings" reminds me of The Divine Comedy (which is a very good thing). They have also added a new member and are currently writing new material and looking for a label. Check out their lovely new song:

www.myspace.com/asingermustdie

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-11-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

This week's pin-up is William Blake (aka Johnny Depp) in one of my favorite, or actually my favorite western of all time, Dead Man. I love it for many reasons. It's visually dazzling, is created by my favorite director Jim Jarmusch, and features a crazy good soundtrack by Neil Young. My favorite line of the whole film is when a head hunter asks Blake "Are you William Blake?" and he Blake replies back, "Do you know my poetry?" right before he blows the guy away with a really big gun. I really don't think it gets more bad-ass than that.

Grizzly Owls' Show Tonight

2009-11-01T15:44:00.001-08:00

The Stevenson Ranch Davidians: Life and Death

2009-10-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I have been avoiding reviewing anything, if anyone has noticed. Basically for two reasons. For one I make art myself and I'd feel like a hypocrite for passing judgement on other's art. For two I'm probably one of the most critical people I know but I reserve all my critiques for myself. None the less when I saw a message from L.A based band The Stevenson Ranch Davidians asking me to review their new CD Life and Death, I thought that I just might have to give this whole reviewing thing a try. But I made a promise to myself to only review things I "get." I won't say "like" because I think whether art is amazing or crap all has to do with who's looking at it. So, here's how I see the new Stevenson Ranch Davidians full-length.

I just love it when you find a record that has an immediate wonderful atmosphere to it. Within seconds I was hooked on Life and Death. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians did a great job of creating songs that grab your attention and keep it. Musically Life and Death recalls everything from Neil Young to the nature-esque beauty of Pulp's last and brilliant record We Love Life. Vocally I am instantly reminded of the gorgeous vocal styling of Ian Brown. In a nutshell The Stevenson Ranch Davidians' Life and Death beautifully combines a nice mixture of shoegaze, folk, and brit-pop. Good stuff.

Visit The Stevenson Ranch Davidians' Myspace

Interview: John Meeks

2009-09-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

John Meeks is an amazing songwriter from San Diego. He has mastered the art of country music and has successfully tangoed with the classic western theme of heart-ache. You can see him play tomorrow night at the Echo Curio (Los Angeles, CA) with us (The Grizzly Owls) and Map.

T&T: How long have you been making music? J.Meeks: I started learning and playing music in the 6th grade. I did the whole school band and orchestra thing, all the way up through college. But I didn't start thinking about creating my own music until the last year or so I was at the University of New Mexico. That curiosity - oh, and having to live out of the back of a pickup truck - led me to dropping out of school, moving back to San Diego and taking up the challenge of songwriting.

T&T: What was the first song you ever wrote about? J.Meeks: Hold on, I just threw up in my mouth a little remembering this. It was the worst song in the history of man...it may or may not have talked about my "soul" and how it may or may not have wanted to "fly"...it was called "Means" and no, I never registered it with BMI.

T&T: Please name for me some of your biggest influences? J.Meeks: Instrumentally, it was anything that sounded big and orchestral, and preferably Latin. Like Miles Davis with Gil Evans, old western movie soundtracks, pop classical pieces like Carmen and Suite Andalucia, Pedro Infante, etc. Lyrically, anything timeless and singable. The whole history of American song really. I'm especially fond of, and draw a lot of inspiration from the pre-1980's country heartache type songs. Willie Nelson, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Tom T. Hall, Porter Wagoner, and so on.

T&T: What can we expect next from you? J.Meeks: A record I hope. We're in the mixing process now and I'm biting my nails 'til it's finished. After that, just playing and getting out of town as much as possible. Maybe even making it as far as Europe. Haven't done that one yet.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date? J.Meeks: Oh there's been none of those yet. And hopefully there never will be. I mean I'm proud of all the little accomplishments I've made on this path I've chosen, but I'm always just short of being satisfied. In a real optimistic way though. I can't ever finish anything I'm working on before I'm thinking about how the next one's gonna be that much better. You know?

T&T: Any musical tragedies? (Examples: lost demos, broke down tour vans ect...) J.Meeks: Besides multiple failed relationships and eternal poverty? Hmmm. Ok. Well so far there have been only a handful of near misses. Like the time we were touring in an RV and I didn't notice the height clearance on a little train bridge outside of Athens, GA. I slammed on the brakes just in time to not rip the top off the thing and kill my drummer Jeff in his sleep. Or the time an old lady cut off our bus driver on the freeway in the rain. He did a complete 360 (in a ... tour bus!!!) and managed to roll out of it unscathed. Aahhh, just can't wait to get on the road again...

VISIT JOHN MEEKS' MYSPACE

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-09-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Considering he's my favorite artist of all times it may seem confusing that I am just now making Nick Cave this weeks' locker pin-up, but I can assure you it all makes sense in my head. Anyways, Nick Cave is so amazing because he is so unpredictable and complicated. One minute he's spouting the filthiest lyrics known to man, the next minute he's writing an intro to the bible. I would say he's a genius, but I won't because I don't think he'd like it.

In conclusion I along with other hard-core crazy fans adore Nick Cave. When I was lucky enough to see him perform as Grinderman in San Francisco, I was blown away. He was graceful, vulgar, funny, elegantly clumsy and looked even better in person than he does in photographs. In a nutshell, Nick Cave does not disappoint.

Interview: The Lost Libraries

2009-09-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

With a perfect combination of sound and image L.A based band The Lost Libraries is a band that is becoming a force to be reckoned with. The Lost Libraries include past members of Shoot Out the Lights, Golden Arms, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and they have just released their debut EP called, "Safety in Slumber." They are playing tons of shows in the L.A. area in coming weeks, so check them out.

Q: How did The Lost Libraries Form?

A: We formed when Matt, Chris and Ross' old band (Shoot Out The Lights) dissolved right around the time the band I was in (Golden Arms) had similarly fallen apart. I believe that was all around late 2007, early 2008. I knew Matt from seeing him at shows and we both supported each others bands, and he proposed the idea of having me come down to jam with the other guys and himself. I went down to give it a shot and we hit it off pretty quickly. At the time we got together, Drew (also of Shoot Out The Lights) was drumming, but he had also taken on the duties of drumming for a relatively popular alternative/hardcore band. We wrote a half-dozen songs and recorded them with Drew, but soon after, he was offered a world tour with his other project and soon after we decided to part ways (due to his inability to be available as often as we were hoping). The split was totally amicable and we still love the guy to death, we just needed someone who could help us realize the band in a full-time capacity. We auditioned a number of drummers via ads we'd posted around town and on the Internet, and one of them was Greg. We realized really quickly how amazing he was in terms of talent, and his personality fit in really well with the rest of us, so we'd asked him to join. This was around August or September of last year, I believe. We played our first show around Halloween (dressed as capsized sailors) along with our friends the Henry Clay People, and released our first EP this past July.

Q: I see that you guys have been part of the L.A music scene for some time now (in various musical projects). What do you think makes the L.A music scene so unique?

A: In general, Los Angeles is such a vast melting pot of cultures that it naturally breeds these weird fusions of art. As a result, you get this really broad spectrum of bands and musicians who are all generally aiming to push the envelope musically. All these small scenes start forming, and every now and then one of them falls subject to media attention. These micro-scenes not only form great bonds but also spurs a bit of healthy competition via inspiration. Being that there are so many bands and so many venues in LA, on any given night you've got a good chance of having your mind blown by someone performing somewhere. I think that's ultimately what makes it so unique, but also difficult to sustain at the same time - everyone is trying to be heard.

Q: What are some of you biggest influences?

A: In general, we all grew up on the same sort of underground punk and hardcore scenes, so that always tends to show in our music no matter how hard we try to grow past those roots. In terms of specific influences, I think it's tough to say. We all tend to appreciate anyone doing something different and new. We are all really big fans of music and constantly seek out new artists with a really almost-violent thirst. Every practice usually starts with someone saying "hey, did you hear the new (insert band name here) record?" and there's frequent exchanging of music and opinions amongst us. One minute someone will be gushing over a new Animal Collective song or a recently comp track by The National and at the same time someone else will be talking about going through a Bob Dylan renaissance or a new found appreciation for Neu! and the whole Krautrock scene of the 70s. At one point we jokingly tried to target our direction to land somewhere between Jawbreaker and Grizzly Bear - which, if you're familiar with both, you know is a pretty big genre gap.

Q: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date?

A: It would definitely have to be getting our CD released. It definitely lit the fire in us again to see our efforts in a tangible form that we could then pass on to others. Getting the artwork all wrapped up and the manufacturing figured out took much longer than it should have, but we're all really pleased with the final outcome.

Q: What has been your greatest musical tragedy (example: broken equipment, lost demos, broken down vans on tour, ect....)?

A: Fortunately we've had mostly smooth sailing in this project. After we parted ways with Drew and before we met Greg, there was definitely a pretty depressing limbo where we weren't sure if we should continue or not. We all started losing motivation without a drummer, but Greg arrived just in time and injected the life back in us.

Visit the Lost Libraries on Myspace

REWIND

2009-08-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today I'll be featuring screen legend Anna Karina once again. Watch Anna do the madison in another Godard classic Band of Outsiders.

REWIND

2009-08-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today's rewind comes from Jean-Luc Godard's Vivre Sa Vie. It features the devastatingly beautiful Anna Karina busting out in a spontaneous dance in hopes of getting her pimp's and his friends' attention. The guys just kind of sit around and ignore her (not very likely in real life I'm sure).

REWIND

2009-08-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Every day of this week I am going to be featuring scenes from movies that involve people randomly busting a groove. Many of my favorite movies involve random spontaneous dancing. First up is the lone drifter Allie from Jim Jarmusch's first feature film Permanent Vacation.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl and REWIND

2009-08-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

There's something so all-American about Ed Wood. Maybe it's his can-do attitude or his determination. Through bad press, lack of funding, and even through the death of his star (Bela Lugosi), Woods never let anything stop him from making his masterpiece Plan 9 From Outer Space. A film infamous for being one of the worst films of all time for many reasons. The acting is bizarre, the set is cheap, the time changes from night to day and then back again within the same scene, and Wood uses military stock footage that is charmingly inconsistent with what's going on with the film (you know he had it and just wanted to put it in there somewhere). So campy. So strange. So good.

Interview: Doug Burr

2009-08-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky enough to interview a lot of great artists lately, including Doug Burr. What makes Burr stand out from the rest though, is the fact that he is probably the only musician on the face of the planet earth that can say he's opened up for Son Volt and Hall and Oates (what an awesomely weird resume combination that would make). Here's what the incredibly talented Mr. Doug Burr had to say about himself:

T&T: How did you become involved in scoring the music for the film Topeka?

D.B: The guy who wrote this story happens to also be a (superb) local Dallas Fort Worth musician himself who has followed my last two records closely. Early this Spring he approached me about writing a song for the film - kind of a theme song. I was definitely into the idea because it sounded like a fun opportunity...he sent me the screenplay, and I was impressed, and that's when I committed to do it. Writing something for a film was a first for me, and I'm really looking forward to this film's release as it unfolds.

T&T: I've noticed that musicians from Texas have a very unique sound and that the bands support each other and stick together. What is it about Texas that nourishes this kind of music scene?

DB:Hmmmm, well I can definitely speak for my hometown of Denton. It is very committed to a DIY method - it's a great community of artists more into impressing each other than any corporate style onlookers. I think that encourages a deep creativity. And perhaps that vein runs throughout the entire state. Texas is big. We think we are our own nation. There's talk of secession here. So, I guess, we don't really look to Nashville or New York. We're us, and proud of it, you know?

T&T: You do a wonderful job of combining amazing music with memorable imagery (music videos/ cover art). What influences you?

D.B: Really?? Wow. Thanks! I don't know, I guess I just feel like everything has to support each other within the entire artifact you're making. So often I notice these very commercialized bands or movies, or what-not, and the promotional imagery is killer. And then the music, or the story behind it is such a let-down. With technology and money, it's easy to grab an audience's attention initially - blockbuster movie trailers, etc. But then so often the work underneath just fails to support that weight. So at the end of the day, if I believe in the songs, I want the imagery to be strong enough to lend something to the project, and for the music and images to both stand up under each other's weight.

T&T: What can we expect for the rest of 2009/2010?

D.B: Working on the follow-up to 2007's On Promenade. I'm very excited to get back into the studio...very, very soon. We expect to be ready for an early 2010 release.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date?

D.B: How about two? I got a freak chance to open for Hall & Oates at the Nokia Theater in Arlington a few years back. That's right, I actually opened for Hall & Oates. We played for twenty minutes - me and my sideman - and then turned the stage over to you know who. Second: having a family to support, my wife and I always discussed how I might ease into doing some touring… well shortly after being laid off last January, I got a call to open for Son Volt on a short regional run. That was certainly a classy first time out - and such a huge honor.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

D.B: Tragedies...I think my biggest musical mistake was letting an entire era of songwriting go by without recording most of that material. I had a band called The Lonelies, and I kept waiting for some perfect opportunity to get into a high-end studio and do a big budget recording. We were all penniless at the time, and that was simply not going to happen. Instead of just laying the music down anywhere I could, I let it go by. I grew past most of those songs after awhile, and I can't go back and do them again - just like you can't really ever return to Junior High. But I sure wish I had them down just for posterity and history, for documentation of where I'd been if nothing else.

Visit: Doug Burr's Myspace

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-08-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I'm seriously concerned that I am becoming like Seymour (Steve Buscemi) from Ghost World. My serious dislike of trucks so big that you have to have a tiny ladder to get into them (bullies of the road I call them), my disdain of anything new (whether it be music, films, or my personal style), and my somewhat underachiever type attitude all points to signs that I am catching a serious case of Seymouritis. Or as my mother puts it I'm being negative.

Not to mention no one on the face of the planet could have brought Seymour to life better than Steve Buscemi.

INTERVIEW: Lolita Terrorist Sounds

2009-08-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Allot of the sounds Maurizio Vitale uses to create songs for his new project Lolita Terrorist Sounds, reminds me of the innovative and industrial beats that Depeche Mode used in their landmark record Black Celebration. Maurizio Vitale's creative use of pipes, gas cans, and other objects engulfs the listener in a factory of cold yet romantic sounds.

T&T: Who or what first inspired you to make music?

M.V: When I was a child I fell in love with rock music, my mother has brought up me with a quite number of music-tapes. Then I have always looked for something that could makes me feel satisfied. Thus, when I started to play when I was twelve I understood that I could find in music all that I can’t reach in my daily life and then I would love to try to reproduce something like I used to listen to. In Lolita’s case, surely travelling has inspired me, in particular coming in contact with Berlin and what I have find there (not only music, arts etc. but also a different way to approach the daily life). I come from Italy where who would love to break with the past through something that could be sound different sure will find a lot of moral barriers. I have also drawn on Neapolitan daily life. Naples not only as the common cliché famous in the world (the city of Pizza, the romantic mandolin and Neapolitan song). With Lolita I try to put in music the other side of our culture: from Bagnoli (former industrial zone), never reborn from the ashes of the blast furnaces to the metropolitan sense of anguish, individual alienations and catastrophic landscapes. Lolita try to describe metropolitan nightmares, the narcotic, sleepless nights or the rubbish piles that spoil the urban landscape and the chitchats unable to grasp the variable dynamics of the Neapolitan uneasiness.

T&T: Lolita Terrorists Sounds has a very unique sound. How do you go about creating your songs?

M.V: Lolita’s music has grew up in studio during a great number of record sessions. I have worked recording so many hours of music and finally I have chosen what I consider the most exciting and emotional takes for this debut EP. First and second tracks come from a live-studio session arranged in two different rooms. The large room only for my equipment: an unusual drums-set , tammorra (typical Neapolitan tambourine), metal objects, chains, iron grating, plastic tubes, petrol can, metal bin, bells, diamond wheels, flower pots and various materials; in the small room has worked Marcello Vitale (from Viti di Titanio and many other’s projects). He has played all guitars and effects. His guitar playing on this record I think is great and completely different from others projects where he usually plays. In different way I have worked on “Italsider’s ruins” and “Metropolitan Hoodoo”, recording track by track and thinking before instruments and parts. The sound engineers crew have arranged a strings part on “Italsider’s ruins” and I think it‘s perfect in that song.

T&T: You have collaborated with many great artists. What has been your favorite collaboration to date?

M.V: Um… So difficult to decide, every collaboration or music sharing have a sense. Playing with Giovanni Imparato (one of the most important percussionist in Italy and not only) has give me a great experience, I have discovered very strange time signatures and offbeat.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph?

M.V: Feel me every-time inspired and productive knowing how and where I can find it.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

M.V: So many tragedies, some time ago We have broke our car touring with my other band Viti di Titanio, or I remember many drums-set broking during my shows, or when grew up a big brawl from the audience during a gigs. We can never boredom ourselves.

Visit: Lolita Terrorist Sounds' Myspace

INTERVIEW: The City and Horses

2009-07-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

There are so many New York artists that I love. Jim Jarmusch (as you all probably know considering this blog has practically become a shrine to him), Woody Allen, Andy Warhol, and now Marc from The City and Horses. Marc gave me a chance to pick at his brain to find out what makes this creator of wonderful indie-pop tick.

T&T: You have very lovely and intimate lyrics. What inspires them?
Marc: Thank you. My German ex-girlfriend leaving me for a Turkish chef helped with a lot of songs. Fear [of everything] is also an endless source of material. I don't do many character centric songs but some I have written are about John and Abigail Adams, the TV show "Simon & Simon," and the tallest man in the world.

T&T: Please name for me some of your biggest influences...
Marc: My top five favorite bands:
1. The Beatles
2. The Smiths*
3. The Kinks
4. Belle & Sebastian
5. Sebadoh

*The Smiths shaped my formative years. In fact, if it wasn't for Morrissey, I'd be a successful, well adjusted, gainfully employed adult. I might even been married and have a baby on the way. Instead, my DVR is filled reruns of The Jetsons.

T&T: I've noticed that some of your songs have been used in films, so what director would be your dream director to score a film for?
Marc: Woody Allen would the obvious choice for me but I'm not good enough to play jazz so I'd have to pick a more current director who likes quirky songs sung by people who can't sing.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date?
Marc: It's either writing a song for the United Way of Philadelphia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWyI3OxlKLk) to benefit homeless children or having a GarageBand demo of a song I did four years ago used as the soundtrack for a Jessica Simpson promotional video (http://www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com/, under Spring Video).

T&T: Any musical tragedies?
Marc: When I was 17 I had a small role in my high school's production of "Camelot." Some in the audience considered that a musical tragedy.

Check Out: The City and Horses Myspace

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-07-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

With his perfectly tailored suit, black rimmed glasses, and camera around his neck Quilty (played to absolute perfection by Peter Sellers) proved to be a bohemian sex symbol that even that little vixen Lolita couldn't resist. Even though Sellers is not the focus of Kubrick's 1960's masterpiece Lolita, when he does enter a scene he steals it with mercy for no one. Not to mention that voice of his is so hypnotic. Sellers had a rare talent for being a great character actor, while at the same time being very recognizable and iconic. Sellers makes me yearn for a time when men weren't afraid to dress to impress. These days I think we've all gone a little too casual. Which was proven to me during my recent jury duty service. I was dressed in a fancy a-line dress and heels, while most people had on a pair of torn up jeans and filthy sneakers ( call me old-fashioned but I think it's just plain wrong, we were in a courthouse for goodness sake).

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-07-10T21:37:00.001-07:00

I've always been the kind of girl who wants the most unique, one of a kind items. Whether it be a purse in a vintage store, a rare book, or even shall I dare say it a guy. That I suppose is the attraction to John Lurie for me. He's a true original, and no one else looks like him.

Whether starring in Jim Jarmusch fims, playing saxophone for The Lounge Lizards, creating art, or fishing with friends, Lurie does it all with style. He's partly a beatnik, partly a tough guy, and 100% one of a kind.

Visit John Lurie's Myspace at: www.myspace.com/lurielurie

INTERVIEW: Josh Dooley of MAP

2009-07-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

I've known Josh Dooley of Map for many years now. He is a rare example of an artist who makes music that is a true representative of his self. Josh Dooley is witty, honest, and always a bit philosophical, just like his songs. Here is what he had to say about his past, present, and future, which includes a brand new full-length being released by Velvet Blue Music in August 2009.

T&T: How old were you when you wrote your first song and what or who inspired it?

JD: The first song I wrote was called miserable man. I was a sophomore in high school. I wrote it about a girl I was friends with. She was talking about getting married to some guy with a good job not a musician. So I wrote about me older and alone watching all my old crushes getting married. Yikes prophecy?

T&T: How many Map songs have been inspired by women, if any?

JD: Too many songs. I like to think they tell the listener more about me than the girl. I have been trying to write less about girls as of late. Breakfast at Ikea, The art of living, Silhouettes, and More to life than money to name a few.

T&T: How have your influences changed over the years?

JD: I don't know that they have. Hopefully I have become more focused and disciplined.

T&T: Your upcoming record, "Speechless" is an instrumental record... what made you decide to go this route?

JD: It was a great combination of writers block, a love of instrumentals and Jeff Cloud telling me to.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date?

JD: I just recorded, mixed, mastered wrote and performed the new map record speechless myself at my house. That is a huge landmark for me. At first I was freaking out without the network of a dozen or so friends, producers and band mates. Now that it is over I feel optimistic about creating more.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

JD: None that I can think of. My washing machine broke and my air conditioner broke and friends come and go but music is always there for me.

Listen to MAP at:

www.myspace.com/thebandmap

REWIND

2009-06-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

I once had a friend tell me that I was the most sarcastic person he knew. It wasn't until he told me this that I became aware of the fact that he was right. Almost everything that comes out of my mouth has a tinge of sarcasm. I'd be lying if I didn't say that being so sarcastic has gotten me into trouble from time to time with people that take everything literally.

I guess it's my own love of sarcasm that explains my undying love for Peter Cook (may he rest in peace). This scene from his 1967 film Bedazzled perfectly displays why almost every single comedian in England worships Cook's dead-pan dry wit. Enjoy.

New Feature: REWIND

2009-06-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be starting a brand new feature titled REWIND. This new feature will showcase clips from my favorite movies. I am a pop-culture fanatic, so I am exited to be sharing with you some of my most treasured films.

A pimp, a DJ, and a tourist are sharing a jail cell. Although it may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, it's not. It's the plot of Jim Jarmusch's classic 80's film Down By Law. My personal favorite scene from this film is when Jack, Zack, and Roberto start a little riot to the tune of "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream."

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-06-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

This week's pin-up is Darren Spooner (a.k.a Jarvis Cocker's alter ego). Spooner is the front-man for the wonderfully sexually aggressive Relaxed Muscle. He's one dirty dirty man with lyrics like "Are you house trained? Cause I'll stroke ya." I'm sure many many women would be more than happy to wash Darren Spooner's or Jarvis Cocker's mouth out with soap. I have to say the biggest difference between Jarvis Cocker and Darren Spooner, is that Cocker is willing to wine and dine, while Spooner just wants to get down to business.

Shameless Self-Promotion: Our New EP is for FREE!!!

2009-06-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

My band The Grizzly Owls just came out with a new EP titled I am a Shootist. The EP features four new songs, and the very best part is that you can get the whole EP for FREE! You can download all four tracks on our blogspot. We are anxious to get our music in as many hands as possible. So download our tracks and share them with your best friend, your co-workers, your mailman, your mamma, you get the point... Below is the link where you can get the album, and get more information about us.

www.thegrizzlyowls.blogspot.com

Interview: Schuman the Human

2009-05-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

If Belle and Sebastian leaned more towards the Old-Timey side of the spectrum, and less towards the Northern Soul side of the spectrum you'd have Schuman the Human. Schuman the Human is the brainchild of U.K artist Mark Foster. After listening to his record Showtime for Schuman, I was blown away by Foster's ability to create interesting yet catchy country songs. Here is what he had to say about his craft.

T&T: How did Schuman the Human start?

MF: I started writing songs in the mid 90's a little after i played guitar in a reformed punk band called Subway Sect. Had a band but we never really got it together but after much procrastination got some demos together for the 1st album. The name was a last minute thing-it's from a character by Robert Crumb, whom I have a song about.

T&T: What made you decide to go with a magician theme?

MF: I think the name 'Showtime for Schuman' came 1st then i worked on the cover idea with the artist Patrick Woodrow. I didn't want a typical alt country cover with a band a band in checked shirts standing in a dusty wide open plain.

T&T: What are some of your greatest influences?

MF: My favorite band from my adolescence were The Velvet underground, still go back to them. The main influence on my music has probably been Lee Hazelwood and his take on country but i try and steal from a variety of sources! I like alot of Rockabilly and music of that era but also old bollywood, Reggae Jazz etc..

T&T: Are you planning on touring anytime soon? If so, where and when?

MF: A tour, well I've had a few requests and offers but I'm busy working on the new album really.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph to date?

MF: I'm hoping the new album will be a triumph, relative at least- there's a few songs i'm quitely proud of, one my ex banjo players band (Blueflint) have done for me and an Ennio Morricone style track. It all came together fairly quickly this time and I think i've got a better grip on what I'm doing now in terms of arrangements and production.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

MF: Tragedies? Well since you ask at our 2nd ever gig as we got up onstage at an east london gig at a working mens club some poor guy collapsed at the back. The lights went up and they tried CPR but he died. To add to the pathos it was his birthday- Chilli had given him a birthday kiss. Might take some beating in the tragedies category!

Visit the Schuman the Human myspace

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-05-04T09:41:00.001-07:00

Seeing Tim Roth prance around in a bell boy uniform for over an hour, well it doesn't get much better than that for a teenage girl ( if that teenage girl was me circa 1995). Needless to say I watched his hilarious performance as Ted in Four Rooms on repeat throughout my sophmore and junior year in high school. I'm sure I wasn't alone in my school girl crush on Roth, considering he was the Indie film "it" boy all through the nineties. Presently he's just as in demand now as he ever was. He's the star of his own hit television show (Lie to Me), and continues to be an indie darling in films like Youth Without Youth.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-04-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

For years I worked as a cashier at an auto parts store. As you can imagine over the years I met many middle aged men. Some were hard working mechanics picking up parts for the cars they were currently working on. Some were wealthy self-made entrepreneurs who had built their fortunes from the ground up (who wanted nothing more than to buy you a candy bar and a pop and tell you what their grandkids had been up to). Most of them were nice, and almost all of them had a tall-tell to tell (including my grandpa and my dad whom I worked with, and who got me the job incidentally). I felt like I was surrounded by a room full of Albert Finneys from Big Fish. And in a weird way Tom Waits reminds me of all those customers I met during my days as an auto parts cashier. In interviews it's hard to tell if Waits is spinning the world's largest yarn, or if in reality there is truth to all of the outlandish things he has to say. That though is his charm. He's one of a kind.

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-04-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

There are many things I like about legendary indie film director Jim Jarmusch. For one I like saying his name (it has a nice ring to it I think). For two I like his films. For three I like the way he dresses. For four I adore his hair. There's something to be said about a man that finds a hairstyle that works for him (in this case a pompadour as white as snow) and keeps it decade after decade after decade. I admire that he has such a strong look. Similarly to Andy Warhol he has developed a look that is so strong it is iconic (just like his films). Jarmusch is so striking, that it's almost a crying shame that he spends most of his time behind the camera instead of in front of it.

Finding Beauty In A Dusty Valley

2009-03-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Bakersfield is often delightfully referred to as the armpit of Southern California. Which insinuates it is ugly and stinky (to put it mildly). Yet photographer Ty Rose manages to get past his home town's bad reputation, and finds beauty resting in this constantly growing dusty valley.

T&T: How long have you been taking pictures?

TR: I have been taking pictures for around 4-5 years. I took a photography class at CSUB, which required a 35mm camera and hours in the darkroom. I instantly found myself totally emerged in photography, and I knew that I would rather be in the dark room for hours than doing anything else for any extended period of time. I have always felt a need to communicate myself, and to exhibit my feelings in an artistic way, but had felt stifled and average in all previous artistic endeavors. Photography gave me the outlet I had been searching for in vain through others forms of expression.

T&T: Who or what is your biggest influence?

TR: This could be a 10-page thesis (ha ha), but I will try to keep it short. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec said: "Everywhere there is ugliness, and everywhere ugliness has its beautiful aspects. It is thrilling to discover them where nobody has noticed their existence." That has always influenced me greatly since the first time I read it. Henri was referring to his time spent living in a brothel, and while I have never done that, these words are still very powerful to me. I think that a lot of photographers take pictures of objects that are commonly seen as beautiful (i.e. flowers, mountains, animals, models, whatever it may be), and that is fine, and maybe even quite meaningful for that individual, but most likely nothing that would compel me to snap a picture. I would much rather show beauty in unexpected places, in things that are not normally perceived as being beautiful, and in objects that someone may drive past every day and not even pay attention to. The first time I noticed this in myself was when my mom got me my first digital camera, and took me on a trip to Yosemite to try it out. I was extremely grateful to my mother, but when we arrived nothing really caught my eye. There were plenty of trees and waterfalls, but the only thing I really wanted to take a photo of was an engraving of two people’s initials in the trunk of a fallen tree. The trip was amazing, but I think that was my first real sense of my artistic vision.

T&T: You have a very specific style, how did you develop that style?

TR: I think my style developed largely as a result of where I grew up. I was raised out in the middle of nowhere between Bakersfield and Taft (which does not inspire most in an artistic sense, haha). I was surrounded by farm fields, and lots of empty space with rows and rows of uniform, endless fields. Once I started driving, I had a 30 min daily commute to high school in Bakersfield and I used those thirty minutes daily to listen to music and memorize my surroundings. I think I may know every rock in the ground between my house and Centennial High School. Anyways, through the years I began to find beauty and uniqueness amidst the basically homogeneous farm fields. I also saw the effects of urban sprawl and the erosion of my beloved ‘empty space.’ There were fewer and fewer old farm houses; wooden barns were being torn down for the next huge box house(s) in the ever-expanding suburbia. At first I was very sad each time something I loved to look at was destroyed, and I still feel that way when it happens today, with the one difference being I have a way (with photography) to remember and document the places and things I love. I can show people what they are missing by making everything increasingly similar, and that provides some comfort (though very little). I remember reading a Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan where they asked him what the difference is between touring now and in the 60’s (or something like that), and he mentioned the only thing that was different is that he hardly knows where he is anymore. That cities have lost their individuality, and every place has the same basic structure (i.e. Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Fast Food, all the regulars), and that places everywhere across America are losing their uniqueness and meshing into one enormous, standardized, boring suburb (That is the essence of what he said, I have probably grossly misrepresented his ideas haha). This scared the crap out of me. I knew I felt like this was happening to my small world, but to have someone feel similarly to me wherever he goes in the United States was terrifying. However, it also inspired me, and helped give me a direction and purpose artistically. Hopefully, someday people take notice (if capitalism does not suck the life and personality out of all of us soon….kind of kidding).

T&T: What has been your greatest triumph as a photographer to date?

TR: I get it!!!! This question is about Triumphs, and the next question is about Tragedies. Triumphs and Tradgedies!!! Very clever Jenny! My greatest triumph (besides the connection I just made) is overcoming my fear of shooting people. This is only possible because of my wife, Amy, who helps me pose people and checks the little details (like wrinkled shirts, hair in the face type stuff that I never recognize).

T&T: Any tragedies?

Every place I shoot gets torn down or removed. Two houses I have shot have gotten bull-dozed. A favorite old train car was slowly dismantled and sold off as scrap metal, an abandoned swap meet was burned to the ground for fire fighter training, and the crosses I photographed for a series I did on roadside crosses were removed, because of a county ordinance demanding that the crosses be taken away because they were a ‘distraction’ to drivers passing by. We would not want people slowing down to look at a reminder of the fragility of life now, would we? As my good friend Mark Twain says, “Man is the only Animal that blushes. Or needs to.”

Check out more of Rose's breathtaking photos on his myspace:

www.myspace.com/frameandcanvas

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-03-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

In the '80's there wasn't an adolescent girl alive that could resist the charms of Emilio Estevez. Even though some of his work has been less than honorable (The Mighty Ducks comes to mind but hey the guy has to make a buck), he has played some very memorable characters. His Billy the Kid in Young Guns was great (as blasphemous as it is to say I truly think it's a great western). Even greater was his hilarious performance as Otto in Repo Man. In Repo Man Estevez plays a so-cal punk who is tired of the typical 9-5, and through a series of events becomes a repo man. Not a fun job I'm guessing, especially if you're trying to reposes a car that has aliens in the trunk, that can either waste you, or make the car into a ufo/time machine.

Artist Spotlight: Sister Paul

2009-03-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

Tokyo based band Sister Paul reminds me of a Japanese version of The Sparks. Not only in sound, but also because even though there is only two of them, their sound is huge. This unique band proves that glam-rock is still alive and well.

Sister Paul Myspace

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-03-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

This week's pin-up is my favorite guitarist of all time Mick Harvey. It's hard for me to talk about Nick Cave or any of the Bad Seeds without gushing like a total geek. Some people just bring out the fanatical screaming teenage-girl in you, which is why it has taken me this long to make any member of the Bad Seeds a pin-up. That being said considering Harvey has just left The Bad Seeds, it's time that he's celebrated. We all know that he's done amazing work while working with Nick Cave, but his solo career is intimidatingly wonderful as well. With his haunting voice and spaghetti-western style song writing, Harvey has had a diverse solo career that includes everything from Serge Gainsbourg covers to original material.

www.myspace.com/mickharvey

Shameless Self-Promotion: Our E.P is Finally on iTunes!

2009-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

The Grizzly Owls new e.p The People Have All Gone, is finally up on iTunes. It was mastered by the legendary KRAMER (Daniel Johnston, Low, ect...), and mixed by Raymond Richards ( who I recently interviewed below). Richards also played and sang on multiple tracks. We were also lucky enough to have Rob Poynter (The Harpeth Trace, The Idaho Falls) play drums on a couple of songs as well.

www.myspace.com/thegrizzlyowls

www.myspace.com/redrocketsglare

www.myspace.com/kramersecondshimmy

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while you'll see an actor in a film for the very first time and be smitten. That's how I felt about Cillian Murphy the first time I saw him play Jim in 28 Days Later. He brought something so unique, new, and genuine to the cinema. That and he made a half shaven head look so cool, that I was very disappointed once he shaved the other half of his head later on in the film (I was very convinced for a while that this would be the trendiest haircut for guys, and you'd see a hundred male hipsters on the street copying the look. I was wrong). Even though I was wrong about the trend of his hairstyle, he himself has proven to be a force to be reckoned with that is no trend but the real deal.

A SINGER MUST DIE: An Interview

2009-02-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

A Singer Must Die is a unique french band that is influenced by everything from Nick Cave, The Jesus and Mary Chain, to the bright lights of Sin City. While interviewing members Manuel Ferrer and Tomasz Jankowski, I learned that they are two intelligent frenchmen with a healthy perspective on what it means to have musical success in modern times:

T&T:How long have you two been playing music together?

T: Manuel and I have been working together for more than a year now, I joined him around December 2007. He found me through MySpace. I still don't know how.

M: To be honest, neither do I...We’re living in the West of France, in very close towns.Myspace is definitely a tiny world.

T&T: I see that you are looking for a new label. If you could be on any label which label would it be, and why?

T: I don't know how Manuel used to work with Grand Harmonium, and I have never been on a record label before, but it seems to me that in indie music the small labels give you quite a lot of freedom, because what comes first is the music... I would accept to join a label as long as some dumbass looking like a finance school graduate doesn't start to annoy us with figures. But honestly, I suppose our music does not correspond to it.

M: Ideally, Rough Trade...4AD, Mute, Factory Records....for reasons of musical ‘tribes’, but with the same managers as in Grand Harmonium. And any label for being part of a soundtrack from a movie director we admire : Lynch, Tarantino, Sofia Coppola, Gus Van Sant, Wim Wenders.

T&T: What do you think is the biggest obstacle that modern day artists have to face?

T: Like many other musicians, we know perfectly well that we cannot really rely on music to earn money... I'm from a generation who considers that music is free. I wouldn't mind if people download our music in the future, as long as they like it. I also understand people who think the opposite... I think that if you're really good people will notice you anyway and you will manage to have pleasure and satisfaction from doing what you like...

T&T: What is you greatest musical triumph to date?

T: Not quite much for the moment. It seems to me though that some people actually like our demo songs. Maybe we're not that bad. I think we will have more to say next year... We have our demo, we have some songs we firmly believe in, now we're looking forward to play on stage on a regular basis. It's the only way we can get better.

M: The birth of each new song we enjoy and we feel strong is a kind of inner musical triumph.

T&T: Any musical tragedies?

T: I will never forget our first gig... Not really a tragedy, but the situation taught us about what NOT to do for a first concert. We were offered to play in a club in Paris in July 2008, we came by train with our gear, carrying it all around Paris, from station to station, from one subway station to another, way back to a friend of Manuel's when it was all over... A guitar, an amp (even a small one) and our own personal belongings are quite heavy when you carry them all day long... And I hated Manuel for a few days because he absolutely wanted me to bring my synth. Of course the gig was a disaster because we were tired before we even started to play, and we couldn't obtain the sound we wanted. Quite surprisingly some people actually liked it.

M: I would have definitely been hated if the synth finally was out of work during the gig, a perfect summum of tragedy...
Last thing, girls usually are complicated for so many reasons, but your readers have to know that with you Jenny, things have been quite simple and easy for this interview! It's our first one, we won't forget, it’s sincerely a honour to be on such a clever blog.

Please make sure to listen to A SINGER MUST DIE's fantastic new demo songs on their myspace:

www.myspace.com/asingermustdie

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-02-14T21:36:00.000-08:00

Joe Strummer. What can I say? He was so dreamy and had those fabulous arm muscles (not like he really worked out all of the time, more like he got them from playing guitar so much). Even though he's a rock icon and The Clash is an amazing band, that's not why he's this week's pin-up. He's this week's pin-up for his hilarious performance in Straight to Hell. In Alex Cox's bizarre version of a punk-rock spaghetti western Strummer steals the show. He's a ladies man who has a way with a gun, and looks great in a suit. In a film overflowing with crazy characters (including Shane MacGowan) Joe Strummer somehow manages to shine the brightest. He was a talent that truly deserves his legendary status.

Artist Spotlight: Jeff Zentner

2009-02-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Lush, haunting, and sparse are just a few of the words I'd use to describe the music of Jeff Zentner. This North Carolina native has the whole Leonard Cohen melancholy thing down to a science. His songs are so beautiful that you won't even mind if they make you a little depressed. Unless you're like me and love depressing music, then you'll be elated at how depressed they'll make you.

Sounds like: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Lambchop, and Lullaby For the Working Class.

Check him out at his Myspace

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-02-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

Leonard Bast cannot catch a break. His family has cut him off, his wife is a constant pest, he's lost all hope for job placement, and he's practically starving. That is why for me Leonard Bast from Howard's End is the ultimate doomed romantic figure, and no one could have brought him to life better than Samuel West. Even though poor Leonard is in the end literally frightened to death by one of those Wilcox jerks, he is the one that gets the ultimate revenge when his 'love child' with Helen Schlegel ends up being the heir of the highly coveted Howard's End.

Further Recommendation: Then after you watch Samuel West in Howard's End, you can watch him parody himself and other British period piece films in Stiff Upper Lips.

Samuel West's @ IMDB

...And The Red Rockets Glare

2009-02-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Red Rockets Glare is nestled in a cozy Los Angeles neighborhood called Rancho Park. With it's brilliant colors and serene atmosphere, Red Rockets Glare is more of a musical oasis than a sterile recording studio. This studio was founded by Raymond Richards who is as he so eloquently puts it a " life-coach to the Los Angeles indie elite." Richards and I recently discussed how his successful recording studio came into full bloom.

T & T: How long have you been involved in the Los Angeles music scene?

RR: I arrived in LA when I was 22 after quitting Art School in SF and joined several bands right away. It took me a few years to find a group of friends that felt like a good fit with my musical sensibilities, but I feel like for the past several years I have been working with a pretty tight crew of folks that appreciate what I do.

T & T: What made you decide to start Red Rockets Glare?

RR: In the bands I was working with I was always the only one that knew anything about recording, so i was the one that would communicate between the band leader and engineer. Every so often a generous engineer would let me take the helm of the studio while he ducked out for a bite to eat and I was really comfortable in that position. Word spread that I could engineer and I began to get invitations to "come hang out at the studio" which quickly turned into me freelance recording all over town.

I got tired of dealing with sub-par and sterile sounding studios and began to pick up vintage recording gear whenever possible. Over the course of a few years i had enough equipment to make a record and began doing so for my band The Idaho Falls in the garage that I converted behind my house. When I was laid off my day job at UCLA, the studio became my full-time career and it has been doing very well despite hard times in the economy and the music business.

T & T: How long have you been recording artists?

RR: About as long as I've been kissing girls.

T & T: Who or what made you decide to start producing records?

RR: I like creative relationships, and working in a team. I walk a fine line between engineer, producer and interim band member. I try to fill whatever role it seems the band is most in need of. With your band, The Grizzly Owls, I get to do a little of all three and it seems to work out really well. I try to pick the bands I work with very carefully so that I never feel like it is work.

T & T: What are a few of your favorite projects that you have worked on and why?

RR: The Broken West made their first real record with me and it went on to be released by MERGE records. Not only is it great that the music we made together was heard on an international level, but their bass player and I have gone on to be good friends and close collaborators on several other projects. I consider him a valuable member of my crew.

Ferraby Lionheart came to work on his latest release at my studio, and he was the first musician to utilize both myself, and Dan Long, another engineer/producer that works at my studio as a team, and that has turned out to be a very successful pairing for several records since. I also became as member of Ferraby's touring band and I feel like he and I will always be friends because of our musical adventures together.

T & T: What has been your greatest musical triumph?

RR: Making a living doing what I love, which is helping talented musicians get to a place where they feel comfortable and inspired enough to do the best work they are capable of.

T & T: Any musical tragedies?

RR: A client of mine lost the hard drive that held all the recordings we had made for his new record just as we were about to finish and had to start over.

Red Rockets Glare Myspace

Red Rockets Glare Website

Locker Pin-Ups For The Thinking Girl

2009-02-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

For the longest time I only wanted to date guys with glasses (thankfully for my husband I got over that faze). I was obsessed with boys with specs because I had a major crush on Graham Coxon. In celebration of Blur's reunion, I am making Coxon (guitarist of Blur) this week's pin-up. With his glasses, dark messy hair, and professor blazers, Coxon is adorable in a art-school teacher kind of way. He doesn't look the least bit rock and roll (that is such a good thing). That and he started the whole "I look nerdy in a drop-dead gorgeous kind of way" look in the 90's. Almost like a sexy secretary look, but for boys.

Blur Myspace

Every Girl Goes Crazy for a Sharp Dressed Band

2009-01-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

Even though The Drums have just formed, they truley sound like a band that could have been released in the early 80’s on Tony Wilson’s Factory Records. Childhood friends Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham are well-groomed, have stellar New Order-esque songs, and are ready for your love and devotion ladies. I recently conducted an interview with these two gents to see what’s on their minds:

T&T: What made you two decide to call your band "The Drums"?

TD: We just thought it sounded so cool.

T&T: Who or what is "The Drums" biggest influence?

TD: Well, our biggest influence for The Drums is an old factory records band called The Wake. But it's really more of a mix of them and 50's/60's music and culture.

T&T: When can we expect the first record?

TD: Summer '09

T&T: You two are pretty fashion savvy. So who are your fashion icons?

TD: At the moment (and for The Drums specifically) probably a lot of guys from the golden age of Hollywood; Dean, Brando, Hunter. But we think more than that we're just looking at what the average American teenager was wearing at that time.

T&T: Who do you think is the best dressed musician of our times?

TD: hmmm.... I don't know. We don't really pay attention to a lot of current bands, I'd probably say the guys from The Tough Alliance or the singer for Vampire Weekend.

T&T: What has been your greatest musical triumph?

TD: Writing and recording the first song for The Drums (Best Friend).

T&T: Any tragedies?

TD: Waiting this long to start The Drums.

Go and check them out here: The Drums Myspace

Locker Pin-ups For the Thinking Girl

2009-01-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

The 1969 cult classic "if..." is surreal, beautiful, terrifying, and has Malcolm McDowell in it. McDowell is a vision with his shaggy brown hair, gigantic blue eyes, and perfectly tailored mod suits. Whether he's fencing, stealing motorcycles, or starting a revolution, McDowell looks drop-dead gorgeous throughout the film.

Band to Watch: The Theater Fire

2009-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Theater Fire is an amazing band for many reasons. They're phenomenal live, their music is catchy as hell, and they can make a song about testicles really make you think. With such a winning combination this Texas band is sure to be indie darlings in the very near future.

Sounds Like: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Tom Waits, and like a twangy version of Belle and Sebastian.

Buy: Their newest record "Matter and Light."

Go check them out at: www.myspace.com/thetheaterfire