A New Yorker by heart and a Los Angeles transplant by trade Brendan began his venture into the idustry from the ground up. He says, “we were literally finding people on craigslist and working with a buddy of mine who just moved out here. We did little films here and there, and we started getting into more and more film festivals with each project.”

The first? A physiological drama about suicide titled “Numb”.  The budget?  A mere 600 bucks. After a few projects ignited the flame, the sweet smell of success began to form. “Swerve,” a story about love, fate, and chance encounters paved the way. It stars his friends, Shiloh Fernandez and Juno Temple, who were recently named two of Hollywood’s rising stars. Murphy continues to thrill audiences with his latest short film release “Preceptio,” in which the storytelling techniques take a complete turn from his past work. The film has no dialogue. Instead, it marries the narrative with vivid, dream like visuals and a beautifully composed score.

I sat down with Brendan to speak about his journey as a film director…

Check it:

BTH: You have a diverse background, what drew your focus towards directing?

Brendan Gabriel Murphy: I actually started out acting as a kid, I did a lot of theatre. It was a nice outlet for me creatively. It helped me overcome a lot of things. As I grew up I didn’t know if I wanted to go into filmmaking or if I wanted to go into acting. I decided to go to film school (at Hofstra University). I am able to do several things: I’m a writer, director, I edit, and produce as well. Honestly, I really wanted to go out to LA, because this is the epicenter of film. What really pushed me to go out to LA was 9/11, I was there and I had enough with New York at the time. So I came out here and just started getting people together to make short films. That’s the only way you can really come up.

Let’s talk about “Swerve”, that film really allowed you to share your work with a larger audience.

Yeah, that helped put me on the map, for people to start taking me seriously. It won 5 awards, played 9 countries, and I signed 4 different distribution deals for it. It has opened up a ton of doors for me, with managers and agents, meetings with studio executives.  With “Swerve”, I sunk a bunch of my money into that one as well. It was a crazy time for me.

Was that a turning point for you?

Yeah, I had just put a lot of my money into something and just had a bad break up with my girlfriend. I left the company that I was working with for a while; it was like my whole world came crashing down.  I didn’t know if anyone was going to like the movie, or what I was doing. I just wrote it for Shiloh and his girlfriend at the time (Juno Temple). I wanted to do, sort of a surreal, Hitchcocky thriller, on a short film level, but with a studio like quality. I didn’t want to do something quirky, I wanted to do something awesome.

What are some things you’ve learned as a filmmaker so far?

This is not a one man show, you have to build your army, and every director has his producers, his team. It took time to build my team.

He goes on to explain how the team began to form with the film “Wasted.”

I had my little brother shoot it (Kieran Murphy) while he was still in college. I had him come out for the summer and shoot this short film. I spent five grand of my own money on it. We lived in Venice Beach, on the boardwalk. I shot it in my apartment. I just stole all the shots, no permits, no insurance. That (film) actually helped launch Kieran’s director of photography career and he’s killing it right now! Also, it was the first thing Shiloh Fernandez ever did, he never did anything before that. “Wasted” was his first film.

You and Shiloh continued to collaborate on projects after that, do you guys have a special artistic relationship?

I saw something in Shiloh way before anybody else did. I just knew the kid was gonna be a star, he had it in him. He and I have two more projects (features) we want to do together.  We want that Johnny Depp/Tim Burton relationship. I know that I can bring stuff out of him, I think, even better than other filmmakers could, because I know the kid so well. He’s done great on his own. I’m super proud of him, I love the kid.

Reoccurring themes in your films: death, accidents, drugs, supernatural states, and a lot of smoke. Are these obsessions or fascinations of yours?

Yeah, you basically summed up my life in 20 seconds. We laugh.. 

I have a fear of dying in car accidents, car accidents are a theme in both films “Swerve” and “Perceptio.” Smoke- I just like smoke. Death- my fear of death, but also just embracing it and trying not to be afraid of it. That’s kind of what I did with

“Perceptio.” I created a love story with death- take them (the audience) on a trip. That’s what it’s supposed to be, you’re supposed to escape your world for a while. I immerse myself in my art and my projects- I put myself out there and it’s fun. That’s why I think we go to the movies, that’s why during a tough economy the movie business doesn’t do bad, because more people will need this escape for an hour in half. Get out of the bullshit of real life for a while…

What do you hope people take from your most recent release, “Preceptio”?

When I wrote the script, they saw there was no dialogue and everyone looked at me like I was crazy… but I wanted to do this surreal art piece. I knew half the audience was gonna think, I was genius and the other half was gonna be like, “I don’t get it” and that’s fine. Because that’s what art is.

I hope that they enjoy the journey. Perceptio is latin for perception, I want them to experience the senses. I’ve been looking at film more like a canvas, instead of it just being a screen. That was the biggest difference for me with “Swerve” and “Perceptio”.

Lastly, what would you say separates you from other directors?

I hope I bring a uniqueness to my films. There’s a lot of great directors out there, it’s really hard to re-invent the wheel. Every great director has borrowed from the people they admire and I am borrowing from people I admire.What I’m trying to do is not just borrow from other filmmakers but borrow from other artists. From Alexander McQueen, to Shakespeare, and one of my biggest influences- Salvador Dali. I kinda want to be the misfit kid from all these great artists. I want to have that art quality in my films, but on a bigger level.  You have to break the formula at one point or it’s just too predictable, and I hate those films, it really bothers me.

 For more info on Brendan Gabriel Murphy: Click Here!

5-time Grammy Award winner Lady Gaga is set to make her triumphant return to the stage this Spring with The Born This Way Ball. In this brand new tour, Gaga will perform her latest album Born This Way as well as music from both The Fame and The Fame Monster.The Born This Way Ball, produced globally by Live Nation, will begin on April 27th, 2012 in Seoul, South Korea, and will travel the globe including cities that Gaga has never played before.

Lady Gaga’s last tour, The Monster Ball, captivated audiences around the globe, receiving rave reviews in every city. The Sun called it “the best live show you will see this year,” and the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards named it the Major Tour of the Year.

“The Haus of Gaga and I have worked for months conceiving a spectacular stage,” said Mother Monster. “The Born This Way Ball” is an Electro-Metal Pop-Opera; the tale of the Beginning, the genesis of the Kingdom of Fame. How we were birthed and how we will die celebrating.”

Tickets for The Born This Way Ball go on sale starting Febraury 17th at LiveNation.com with more dates to be announced! For complete tour and ticket information, visit www.ladygaga.com and www.livenation.com.

Tour Dates:
April 27 – Seoul, South Korea @ Olympic Stadium
May 2 – Hong Kong @ Asia World Aren
May 10 – Tokyo, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena
May 28 – Singapore @ Indoor Stadium
Jun 7 – Auckland, New Zealand @ Vector Arena
Jun 13 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Jun 20 – Sydney, Australia @ Allphones Arena
Jun 21 – Sydney, Australia @ Allphones Arena
Jun 27 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena
Jun 28 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena
Jul 7 – Perth, Australia @ Burswood Dome

Official Sites:
LadyGaga.com
LittleMonsters.com
facebook.com/ladygaga
twitter.com/#!/ladygaga

Bassist Chi Cheng of the Deftones, who was in a horrible car accident in 2008 and has been in a coma ever since, is showing signs of improvement, nearly four years since the incident.

As our esteemed colleagues over at Antiquiet pointed out, Cheng can apparently lift his leg on command and express himself vocally.

In the wake of his accident, his insurance company cut off coverage, leaving Cheng’s family in a tough situation, having to pay for an extensvie and expensive surgery that they couldn’t afford - prompting the Deftones to team up with an organization, One Love for Chi, to raise funds to help pay the medical costs. That organization’s site is currently down, probably swamped with traffic, but you can visit it here and donate/read more about his situation.

Below, watch Cheng lift his leg on command.

Good luck Chi, and hope your successful recovery continues!

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

SEE THEM LIVE…

Far East Movement recently unleashed a Behind the Scenes footage from the making of the video for their latest single, “Jello” featuring Rye Rye. “It’s a real fun, corky music video,” says director Matt Alonzo. “It’s kind of like a mixture of Eminem and Beastie Boys.”

The energetic video for “Jello” shows the group crashing a political event and partying it up with Tiger Woods, Oprah, and others. The track will appear on the group’s upcoming album, Dirty Bass (due later this year via Cherrytree/Interscope), and is available now on iTunes.

For more on Far East Movement, visit the group’s official site at www.fareastmovement.com.

Final Line-up Announced Including New Additions: Wolfgang Gartner, MSTRKRFT, Mobb Deep, Nipsey Hussle, Danny Brown, ScHoolBoy Q, Ritmo Machine and Fashawn

Cypress Hill and Guerilla Union–the independent live events company behind world-class platforms including ROCK THE BELLS and PAID DUES–have announced the final line-up of this year’s CYPRESS HILL SMOKEOUT FESTIVAL, taking place March 3 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. The final additions to a bill already packed with some of the biggest names in hip hop, rock and dance music include: Wolfgang Gartner, MSTRKRFT, Mobb Deep, Nipsey Hussle, Danny Brown, ScHoolBoy Q, Ritmo Machine and Fashawn. They are set to join previously announced headliners Sublime with Rome, Korn, Cypress Hill and Thievery Corporation. See full line-up below.

Added to the Main Stage are legendary NY hip hop duo Mobb Deep; LA-rapper Nipsey Hussle; Danny Brown whose latest album was named the #1 Rap album of 2011 by Spin; ScHoolBoy Q performing in support of his just-released album Habits & Contradictions; and west coast lyricist Fashawn, who is preparing to release his second album The Ecology later this year. Joining headliners Thievery Corporation on the Massive Stoned Garden Stage are Grammy-nominated DJ Wolfgang Gartner, touring in support of 2011 debut full length album Weekend in America and Canadian electronic duo and prolific remixers MSTRKRFT featuring Jesse Keeler (Death from Above 1979) and Al-P. Ritmo Machine is also set to perform. The funky collaboration between Cypress Hill’s Eric Bobo and Chilean beatmaster Latin Bitman features a blend of cumbia, Afrobeat, hip-hop and electronica.

In their first major collaborative performance, Cypress Hill and Rusko will perform songs off their recently released five-track EP Cypress Hill X Rusko. Spin Magazine described EP track “Roll It, Light It” as “B-Real and Sen Dog throwing a full-on, bounce-a-riffic green party at a neck-breaking 140 bpm while Rusko provides the lighter.”

Cypress Hill and Guerilla Union have also added the Low End Theory Stage to this year’s festival. Founded in 2006, Low End Theory is a weekly experimental hip-hop and electronic music night based in Los Angeles that has garnered international praise and has since expanded to San Francisco, New York and Japan. The stage will feature sets by founding members Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer, D-Styles, Nocando, and more.

In addition to the three stages of music, the CYPRESS HILL SMOKEOUT FESTIVAL includes the Medical Marijuana Expo featuring the leading hemp industry exhibits and expert panel discussions led by the most influential and dedicated speakers on the topic. The Patient Consumption Area will also provide a private and peaceful area for registered California medical marijuana patients. There will also be a Massive Munchie Garden, interactive vendor village and more.

Tickets for the Smokeout Festival are available now via www.ticketfly.com. Guerilla Union advises fans to sign up for the official mailing list on www.smokeoutfestival.com to receive the most up-to-date festival information and new announcements.

Smokeout 2012 Line-up

Sublime with Rome

Korn

Cypress Hill

Thievery Corporation

Wiz Khalifa

Café Tacuba

Wolfgang Gartner

MSTRKRFT

Rusko

Mobb Deep

Low End Theory (Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer, D-Styles, Nocando)

The Dirty Heads

Curren$Y

Nipsey Hussle

DJ Muggs

Daedelus

Danny Brown

ScHoolBoy Q

Ritmo Machine

Fashawn

Additional Features

Medical Marijuana Expo

Patient Consumption Area

With over two dozen playthroughs over the past couple weeks, my first album submission of the year puts me on a good note. Big Sir’s latest album, Before Gardens After Gardens, is their first LP in many a year. Comprised of the beautiful East Coast songstress Lisa Papineau (known for her work with Air and M83) and legendary Mars Volta bassist Juan Alderete, Big Sir is a staple of the Sargent House family.

Returning to this album is Juan’s signature high treble Fender bass sound that made me fall in love with Non-Stop Drummer from their self-titled album. Also returning is the lovely layering of Lisa’s voice throughout the album. It always made me wonder what would happen if she had backup singers in tow at the live show. But I digress, on to the favorites of the album.

The second track, Ready on the Line is catchy as all hell, with a high tempo drum machine and heavy voice layering. As one of the singles from the album, I’m sure Lisa will break out her next level dance moves at their upcoming Los Angles shows.

This album and tour is pulling great features in for the ride. The sixth track, The Kindest Hour, features RX Bandits front man Matthew Embree with echoing vocals. The bass and strings are almost much to be admired, and had me wonder if it was in fact stand-up bass in this track.

My favorite track is Be Brave Go On. With accordions, Juan’s hypnotizing bass line, and odd timing, it was a no brainer. The lyrics are very relevant to this particular moment in my life, so those are automatic points in the book. The breakdown toward the end of the song carries the powerful mantra “Be brave and thankful all the way on, all the way, all the brave go on”, coupled with sharp synth to close out the song.

Big Sir has the ability to demand attention, while also being ambient and warming the mind from behind the eyes. The album releases on February 7^th, and the small Los Angles tour before their European tour starts soon, so check out the dates, and join us.

Last time, Matt Embree and Cedric Bixler-Zavala came through, and Chris Tsagakis is a for sure guest this time around, so who knows what may happen.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

In the last year, Said The Whale was honored with the highest music accolade of their homeland, bringing home the “New Group of the Year” JUNO award. Their year also included a whirlwind of traveling and performances with two U.S. tours; two Canadian tours (one with Tokyo Police Club); a tour of the U.K.; performances at international music festivals SXSW, Liverpool Sound City, and The Great Escape; and two shows opening for the heritage Winnipeg indie rockers The Weakerthans. Not to mention, the band released the New Brighton EP in November, filmed 16 music videos (15 yet to be released), and were the stars of the documentary Winning America, centered around Said the Whale and their first U.S. tour. They’ve been busy.

More diverse than previous albums, Said the Whale’s third LP Little Mountain is a multi-stylistic tour-de-force that ventures into everything from soaring, horn-laden cabaret (“The Reason”) to jaggedly syncopated rock (“We Are 1980″) and effervescent guitar pop (“Loveless”). First single, “Heavy Ceiling,” is a dancefloor-ready ditty that reflects the confident and razor-sharp sound that dominates this LP. Expect to hear these and more new songs played live at each of their upcoming U.S. shows.

Tour Dates

CONNECT

saidthewhale.com
facebook.com/saidthewhale
twitter.com/saidthewhale
saidthewhale.bandcamp.com
iTunes

“Working with Garbage again was very instinctual,” said Duke Erikson.  ”Like getting on a bicycle…with three other people.”   He adds “We haven’t felt this good about a Garbage record since the last one!”

Garbage - Shirley Manson (vocals), Steve Marker (guitars, keyboards), Duke Erikson (guitars, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, loops) - will hit the road this spring in support of the album by performing several headlining shows as well as various festivals throughout Europe and the U.S. with more dates to be confirmed.

“Thinking about going back on the road is both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure,” said Shirley Manson. “………but we’ve always enjoyed a little pain mixed in with our pleasure.”

Headlining Tour Dates

MAY

9th                    London, England                          Troxy

11th                  St. Petersburg, Russia                 Jubilenyi Hall

12th                  Moscow, Russia                           Crocus City Hall

16th                  Paris, France                                Olympia

Festival Tour Dates

JUNE

16th                  Hultsfred, Sweden                      Hultsfred Festival

17th                  Aarhus, Denmark                       Northside Festival

22nd                 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany   Southside Festival

23rd                  Scheessel, Germany                  Hurricane Festival, Red Stage

28th                  Werchter, Belgium                    Rock Werchter, Pyramid Marquee

* more dates to be announced

After forming in Madison, WI, Garbage released their self-titled debut album in 1995 and rode a wave of visually arresting, female-fronted alternative rock bands.  The album spawned the hit singles “Stupid Girl” and “Only Happy When It Rains” and was certified double platinum in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  The band won the Breakthrough Artist Award at the 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards, and was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy® Award. Their second album, Version 2.0, was released in 1998 and topped the charts in the United Kingdom.  It was nominated for two Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album.  2001′s Beautiful Garbage was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s Top 10 Albums Of The Year.  In 2005, Garbage released Bleed Like Me, earning the band it’s highest chart position with a No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.  In 2007, the band released a retrospective collection called Absolute Garbage. Garbage has sold over 12 million albums worldwide. They have performed in over thirty-five countries and will tour extensively worldwide in support of this new release.