The Slums Off Hollywood Boulevard

Book Review: Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Heavy Metal by Jon Wiederhorn and Katheine Turman

2013-05-15T18:09:00.002-07:00

Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal
Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman
736 pages
IT Books/HarperCollins

Louder Than Hell is the ultimate heavy metal reference book, as told through the musicians themselves, plus assorted managers, journalists, roadies, groupies and hangers-on. Divided into thirteen chapters that cover all metal genres including proto-metal (Stooges, Blue, Cheer, Steppenwolf), New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Ironmaiden, Def Leppard, etc.), mainstream “hair” metal, thrash metal, death metal, black metal and even industrial, which is often left out of journalism on the subject.

Compiled from over 400 interviews and other research conducted by veteran rock journalists Jon Wiederhorn (senior writer for metal mag Revolver) and Katherine Turman, producer of Alice Cooper’s Nights with Alice Cooper, syndicated radio show, Louder Than Hell is a first-hand account of the good, bad and ugly of heavy metal history.

Everything’s here, from tales of the lean days eating Ramen and working telemarketing jobs to the drug and alcohol addictions that almost ended bands - and lives.

All the sex, drugs, alcohol, infighting, and violence are included in detail. So you get to hear everything you’ve always wanted to know (and even some TMI stuff) from the participants themselves.

Interviewees included Lemmy. Alice Cooper, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Rob Halford, Ozzy Osbourne, Axl Rose, Slash, Rob Zombie, Trent Reznor, Vince Neil, Lars Ulrich, Lita Ford, Courtney Love, Josh Homme, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Dave Mustaine, Tony Iommi, Dee Snider, Ronnie James Dio, Phil Anselmo, Eddie Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Daryl Jenifer, Mike Muir, et al.

Here’s just a sample of some of the revelations:

-The proto-metal chapter examines the origin of the phrase "heavy metal" as applied to music. In Chapter 2 Masters of Reality, we find out the great lengths Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi went to create fake fingertips so he could continue playing the guitar after several of his fingertips were chopped off in a factory accident.

-Sweet Connie (of Grand Funk’s “It’s an American Band” fame) is a trip. “I’ve blown Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, but I have not had Neil Peart. That I regret, but Peart doesn’t give it up very easily.”

- Did Ozzy really bite the head off a dove? What really happened to the chicken a fan threw onstage at an Alice Cooper concert? Ozzy and Alice reveal the truth behind these notorious events.

- Pussy passes did exist. They’re not an urban legend. (Said passes were issued to girls who serviced the road crew and/or others in order to get backstage).

Once the happy-go-lucky hedonism of hair metal waned, violence and the occult took top billing in the metal scene. The post ‘80s genres are full of brutal stories, including the murder of black metal musician Euronymous by Count Grishnakh, another Norwegian black metal musician, various deaths and disfigurements in the mosh pits and the addition of raw meat as a stage show prop (Type O-Negative, Deicide). This is not to say thrash and crossover/hardcore bands didn’t have groupies. Evan Seinfeld showed Gene Simmons his groupie porn photo album and Gene’s face was “somewhere between shock, disbelief, envy and disgust all at the same time.”

Those tidbits barely scratch the surface. Louder than Hell is required reading for metal fans. It’s available on Amazon in Kindle and hardcover editions.

You Can't Get it on DVD, Made for TV Edition: House on Greenapple Road

2013-04-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

The Quinn Martin produced House on Greenapple Road demonstrates three of the made for TV genre’s strong points at their finest. - great acting, tight script and cinematography that adds to the emotional as well as visceral quality of the story.

Greenapple Road is a detective thriller that will keep you riveted to the screen because you want to find out “who done it.” It will keep you and your friends debating the murderer’s identity throughout the entire movie – and there’s a good chance you’ll keep changing your mind a few times during the film.

In The House on Greenapple Road, the search for a missing mother and housewife in a small California town called Santa Luisa exposes an extramarital affair, doomed love and a woman’s search for eternal youth. The housewife in question, Marian Ord, is played by Psycho star Janet Leigh. Marian's character doesn’t do much for most of the film, which is told in flashback. She wears a one-piece bathing suit, calls out her disrespectful lovers, and looks doe-eyed into the camera. Marian isn't the stereotypical promiscuous housewife, as her affairs never seem to bring her much joy or relieve her fear of getting older.

The film begins with Marian’s daughter ( the Brady Bunch’s Eve Plumb) returning home after a day at school to find no sign of her mom and one messed-up, bloody kitchen. She runs next door to seek comfort with her Aunt Leona (Julie Harris).

Detective Dan August (Christopher George) and his partner Charles Wiltenz (Keenan Wynn) arrive on the scene. The murder scene has a lotta blood for a 1970 movie. August and Wiltenz even discuss the number of pints of blood in the human body, surmising that no one could have survived such a brutal attack. The detectives schlep around the kitchen procuring evidence without latex gloves. Watch out for those bloody pieces of china! Cops didn’t handle crime scenes delicately circa 1970, on film or in real life.

After a little snooping around in the bedroom, August finds some photos of Marian’s paramours hidden under a dresser drawer. And so the murder investigation begins, with Marian’s secret lovers and her long-suffering husband as the primary suspects.

There’s the lifeguard turned gas station attendant (Burr DeBenning), who plays Benjamin to Marion’s Mrs. Robinson, the rich sports club bigwig (William Windom) and his suspicious wife (Joanne Linville), the leader of a New Age type church, and a locally-infamous con artist (Peter Mark Richman), who has previously crossed paths with Detective August.

Her milquetoast husband George (Tim O’ Connor), a salesman, is away most of the time, leaving Marian to seek affection elsewhere. George is the most obvious suspect to everyone except August, who sees much more than a case of cuckolded husband and cheating wife. When one of his alibis doesn’t check out, the investigation spins in a new direction.

August and Wilteenz encounter a salty old sailor (Paul Fix) and a pot-smoking receptionist played by Christopher George’s wife, billed here as Lynda-Day. After retrieving Day’s character at a pot-smoking party at Big Bear, Wynn’s character, comments “The drive back took 3 hours and she’s still lit up.” (That musta been some good grass!) Greenapple’s cast included Walter Pidgeon as Santa Luisa’s mayor, and Ed Asner as a publicity hungry Sheriff who is only interested in apprehending the murderer quickly, with or without sufficient evidence.

Based on a novel by Harold R. Daniels, Greenapple Road was so well-received it spawned into the short-lived Dan August TV series. The 1970-71 CBS series starred Burt Reynolds, since George was too busy with other projects at the time.

The few violent scenes in Greenapple Road are intense for a 1970 made for TV movie. Some sources say the film was originally shot as a theatrical feature, so that may explain some of the graphic subject matter. Although a tightly-woven detective thriller, the movie has little blips dealing with racism, sexual hypocrisy and child predators.

House on Greenapple Road is available on You Tube, and from a few Intenet sellers of rare videos. A nail-biting whodunit with many surprise twists and turns, it t will keep you hooked until the final scene. House on Greenapple Road was broadcast as an ABC Movie of the Week on January 11th, 1970.

Music Review: Dime Runner: Race to Nowhere

2013-04-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Race to Nowhere
Dime Runner
Uh-Oh Records

Race to Nowhere is the latest album from Orange County, California punkers Dime Runner. This collection of 11 old-school punk songs combine the spirit of ’77 with supercharged OC punk attitude.

There’s hardly a breather from the CD's opening riffs, as the title track barrels into your consciousness, the thumping bassline underscoring it all. This CD is 25 minutes of ultra-fast Ramones riffing, but there’s melody underneath - it’s not just a wall of rrrrwarrr. “It’s an Emergency” has a frenetic edge, obviously a result of influences like Broken Bottles and the Stitches. Crisp, razor-fast guitar and snotty vocals abound through cuts like” Party Song”, the hardcore chant of “No Money, No Home” and the dizzying amphetamine rush of “Tell Me What You Want.” Race to Nowhere ends with an unexpected choice - a tasty cover of Joy Division's “Warsaw”.

Dime Runner formed in February 2011. This Fullerton-based band consists of Brian Schickling (vocals), Rocky Rigs (guitar) Danny Drumkiller (drums, what else?) and Ryan Page (bass). They've played gigs with Duane Peters’ Gunfight, Throw Rag and Guttermouth, and performed at the Punk Rock Picnic (on the same bill with Fear & Jello Biafra) Dime Runner has a bright future in the OC punk rock scene and beyond. The band's songs might be uber-short but they give you a lot to listen to. - and they’re designed to keep you moving, whether you’re at the club or listening at home.

Dime Runner is playing with the Darlings and the Blackerbys at Alex’s Bar on April 4th

Dime Runner's Facebook page

From the Archives: A Bang, Not a Whimper: Marilyn Manson/Monster Magnet Concert Review, 1999

2013-02-02T12:18:00.001-08:00

This review was published on Suite101.com in 2000. Funny, in 1999, I thought I was too old to go to rock concerts & now it's 2013 and I'm still going to concerts - well, maybe they're a tad more sedate than this one. Just a tad.

When you reach the age where you are, as Jethro Tull once espoused, you are too old to rock 'n' roll and too young to die what can you do? I say, if you're going out,waving the white flag, passing "Smoky Joe's Cafe" on the way to a reviewing a rock concert and thinking, sadly, that you'd rather be at a Broadway show (this actually happened) than at a concert, you know you're finally....old. I say, if you gotta go out, if you gotta cop to your geriatric status, go out with a BANG, not a whimper.

Nashville Pussy/Monster Magnet/Marilyn Manson Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y. April 7,1999

I'm at the age now where I feel stupid inviting people my age (39) to see bands that I really like - the music I listen to is just too bizarre-or LOUD-- for every person over 30 except me. It's kinda awkward to drag along the accountant I dated last week to a concert so he can have a heart attack when one of the performers (allegedly) commits some onstage atrocity. I don't have time to for a trip to the emergency room. The most overwhelming element of the night was the underwhelming amount of fans in attendance. What genius decided that two local NY arenas could be filled by said bands!! And this was announced when Hole was on the bill. There was nobody there. Not a soul in the balcony. A half filled main floor. Empty spaces in the mezzanine. It was pretty pathetic. You'd never ever guess this from all the Satan's minions publicity that actual, lauded music was involved- that two albums that had occupied many rock critics' Top Ten lists for 1998 ..pseudo Ziggy Stardust concept (MM #1) and old school hard rock more popular in Europe than America (MM #2) Even Nashville Pussy, the opening band, ( 2 girls, 2 guys, hyper-rock with a lot of dirty words) was nominated for a Grammy this year!

At the purist end of the spectrum, we have Monster Magnet, an Old School sex and drugs and rock n' roll biker band. Eschewing flashiness in favor of straight ahead rock, this New Jersey based band features guitarists who attack their instruments fervently, a singer with an attitude in black leather pants, strippers onstage for the final song, etc. If you were to leave samples of stoner rock in a time capsule for aliens and all eternity, this would be one of the representatives. This is what rock n' roll was like when I was sneaking Peppermint Schnapps into concerts at the "Arrogant Brawlroom" in Chicago...this is how it should be done more often.

So here we are-Marilyn Manson,the most vilified rock star/group in recent memory-in the South, local politicians go to great lengths to cancel impending concerts, one town even sponsoring an ordinance to ban him from the premises. Is MM really the pied piper for all things malevolent?

No, but he and his bandmates put on a helluva show. A concert of this magnitude is truly a cathartic experience. Once in awhile, it's fun to feel complete joy and abandonment at something insulting to the proper world, to indulge in a Beavis & Butthead moment, such as "He's on a cross and its.made of TV sets!. Look at.that mosquito outfit - it's so cool.". Costume changes in abundance,glitter, lights, fireworks, and fierce, non-stop riffs-you name it, our boy had it Although I spent half the show obsessed with the rumor that lip syncing was a definite possibility and that Brian-er-Marilyn isn't actually singing. But even if that's true, his raison d'etre is as a performer, not as an accomplished musician. And though his music is rarely discussed in the general media, (why talk about music when you can interview the latest protesting politician/religiouso and get a good sound bite for the ten o clock news?) the Mechanical Animals CD has some fantastic songs on it including one anti-drug song Coma White and I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me) Of course, we have to see his bare butt at every concert. Does anybody really want to see this EVER? Keyboards were roughed up-but no major carnage occurred during this performance. Not to say that Marilyn, Twiggy, etc. are Boy Scouts. A droll,smartass comment such as,. "In my world, Special K is a breakfast cereal. I will not be hanging out with the band", may be inserted here; however, these guys are way too smart to provide obituary fodder or write for the Betty Ford Clinic Newsletter anytime soon.

"Paging Satan. Satan, pick up the white courtesy telephone in the lobby". Paging Satan Satan was not in attendance at this event. Maybe it was a slow night.. or maybe I don't have the observational gifts of a rural Mississippi preacher.And where are the evil, disenfranchised youth? Don't seem much different to me than when I was a kid, just a bunch of polite suburban kids in Goth garb. And there was less pot smoking than when I was in high school. I bet the copious security detail had more problems with stockbrokers at the hockey game the next night. Hey, it's not a rock band getting drunk and defecating on a drink cart in First Class...its your friendly neighborhood banker.* Some people might consider a guy on a cross (even one made of TV sets) blasphemous,or find it inappropriate for strippers to appear in front of mostly high school kids (see video below) or blanch at "motherf***er" being the most repeated word of the evening..So what do you consider satanic. Porno? The media? Bad Chinese take-out? It's like Mr. Manson himself says in one of his lyrics "Shock is all in your head..."

*This was an infamous news story at the time.

This encore of Spine of God that night was like a dream come true for me....a nightmare for sane people, perhaps, but a dream for moi.

Book Review: Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown's First Superstar

2013-01-18T20:44:00.002-08:00

Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar
By Peter Benjaminson
Chicago Review Press

Mary Wells, best known for her 1964 hit My Guy, was Motown’s first female superstar. Long before Diana Ross and the Supremes graced magazine covers and TV specials, Wells broke ground with her playful voice and good looks, before a serious of wrong turns dimmed her star.

Peter Benjaminson’s entertaining and thoroughly researched “Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar” (Chicago Review Press) details the Motown great’s life through archival research, interviews with her associates, friends, lovers-and, most notably, four hours of interviews recorded by journalist Steve Bergsman shortly before her death. Benjaminson, the author of two other books about Motown (“The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard” and “The Story of Motown”), handles Wells’ story with compassion. Despite all the twists and turns of her life, (including relationships with two of the Womack brothers), her post-Motown travails turn out to be as fascinating as her ascent to stardom.

Born into an impoverished Detroit family in 1943, Mary hardly knew her father. (She later said he was Sicilian, a claim that was never substantiated.) She sang in several local groups before cornering Berry Gordy at a club with her song Bye Bye Baby., which she wrote her for Jackie Wilson to sing. Gordy, however, was so impressed by her voice he had her record the song instead, and her career at Motown swung into full gear.

Competition from the Shirelles and other early ‘60s girl groups couldn’t end her reign. She held a firm grasp onto the Billboard pop and R & B charts between 1960 and 1964 with You Beat Me to the Punch, Two Lovers, The One Who Really Loves You and other catchy hits, many of them penned by Smokey Robinson. She recorded an album of duets with a newcomer named Marvin Gaye. The Temptations and Supremes occasionally sang backup for her and she traveled with an entourage.

“She stood for all the courage and perseverance that any female should need to enter into show business and have a place in it,” Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas notes in the book’s opening chapter. Mary achieved stardom without the help of later Motown mainstays such as their charm school for performers. She had an English teacher correcting her girly “ummms” and “aah”s, and received little publicity from Motown. They did take time to issue a press release the girl who beat the Beatles when in early 1964 when My Guy eclipsed the Beatles’ long winning streak, replacing them at #1. When Mary opened for the Beatles in the UK; the lads became big fans of hers, standing by the side of the stage watching her perform. She even recorded an album of Beatles songs for 20th Century Fox, but the album didn’t chart.

The first half of the book deals with Wells’ climb to stardom at Motown, and the second half with what happened after Mary left Motown in 1964 after a dispute with Berry Gordy. He implored her to stay, but newly-formed 20th Century Fox Records offered her a $250,000 advance and promised her a movie career. Wells was at the top of her game when she left Motown, but her first husband Herman Griffith encouraged her to accept the offer. “Herman Griffith, her first husband, certainly misled her by urging her to leave Motown.” Benjaminson said in a phone interview, “Of course that’s Monday morning quarterbacking. She knew that other stars of her stature were getting paid more she also knew that the first record she recorded was a hit, it was a top 100 Billboard hit as far as she was concerned it wasn’t the company making the hits. It was her showing up.”

Wells’ love life alone could fuel a daytime soap opera. She married Cecil Womack in 1966 and had three children with him and divorced him in 1977 to live with his brother Curtis. (They had a daughter named Sugar.) She also had dated Jackie Wilson, Otis Williams of the Temptations and Wilson Pickett. Wells never abandoned songwriting or performing, but her success waned after she left Motown for a number of reasons. Always tenacious in her career, she suffered setbacks due to lack of promotion from her post-Motown record companies and bad personal decisions. But this isn’t your usual tale of an artist hitting hard times. Mary’s descent differed from many fallen stars in that her desire to make music never wavered despite the turmoil. “Yes, that’s one of the things that intrigued me about her”, Benjaminson says, “She was totally determined. Apparently that was her personality. She was crippled and in the hospital for two years with spinal meningitis. Then she got tuberculous, which started again in her early twenties after she left Motown. She went to school – junior high, high school, even though she was two years behind. She started looking for a job in the music industry and more or less forced herself on Berry Gordy. There’s a person with a purposeful gait in life. She always wanted to move forward and moved right through her life like that. She made mistakes, obviously, but even at the end on her deathbed she was telling the doctors what she would sing on her next tour. She was always a determined person and I admire people like that.”

Wells smoked two packs of cigarettes a day most of her life, and continued performing even when her voice gave out. Even some of the odder events in her life (including a faked kidnapping and a hotel room shooting) endear the reader to her – at least that was my response.

Bruce Springsteen, Anita Baker, Rod Stewart and Robert DeNiro, among other celebrities, donated money towards Mary’s medical care when she developed throat cancer. She received an undisclosed amount of money from Gordy to make up for alleged underpayment at Motown, but didn’t have much time to enjoy it. She died of throat cancer on July 26, 1992. Gordy paid for the funeral, and Smokey Robinson, Little Richard and Stevie Wonder delivered eulogies at her funeral.

“Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar” is a portrait of a flawed but intriguing musical star. Benjaminson has a background in investigative reporting, and it certainly helped him piece together the twists and turns of Wells’ life. This biography presents a balanced but empathic view of Mary Wells’ life. It humanizes a singer known only to most people as “the girl that sang My Guy.“

This review first appeared on Entertainmenttoday.net

You Can't Get It on DVD : Made for TV Edition : The Neon Ceiling

2012-12-27T23:34:00.001-08:00

Most made for TV movies in the early 1970s were either kooky romances ( The Feminist and the Fuzz, The Girl Who Came Gift Wrapped), or horror/suspense (Trilogy of Terror, When a Stranger Calls) , but an occasional slice of life drama/social commentary made its way onto the ABC Movie of the Week. The Neon Ceiling, a drama/romance about a woman escaping a bad marriage, starred Lee Grant and Gig Young and received good reviews when it was broadcast in 1971.

Carrie Miller (Lee Grant) is a sensitive, free-spirited housewife married to a humorless dentist (William Smithers). Their precocious 12 year old daughter Paula (Denise Nickerson) carries around a book on relationship advice for married couples, and is constantly quoting it and asking questions far too advanced for her tender years. Her father is able to deal with Paula’s rambunctious attitude, but not her frail mother, who is unable to keep her mind on cooking dinner properly, much less sparring with a smart-mouthed pre-teen. Her husband pours out his dissatisfaction about their marriage to Carrie one night, but concludes, “I can’t divorce you. You don’t know how to take care of yourself.”

After the Doctor falls asleep, Carrie wakes Paula up, and they get in the car and ride out into the desert, toward no destination in particular. Later in the film, we discover that this isn’t the first time Carrie and Paula have taken an impromptu road trip. Away from the confines of suburbia, mother and daughter talk a lot more, though it’s apparent that Paula’s strong will and Carrie’s “hothouse flower” personality don’t mesh. Carrie’s persona is similar to that of Mabel in Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence, although Carrie stifles her pain rather than act out as Mabel does.

The car sputters out by desert diner/filling station inhabited by Jones (Gig Young), a grizzled loner who lets Carrie & Paula take up residence in the diner. (He sleeps in a trailer on the property.) The trio become friends/verbal sparring partners. Nickerson (who later went on to play Violet in Willy Wonka) steals the movie in the pivotal role as Paula. Jones teaches her how to drive his truck, and she zooms all over the property while Jones and Carrie watch. The adults begin a friendship that slowly develops into something deeper, as the outgoing Jones draws Carrie out of her shell.

The neon ceiling referred to in the title is a collection of road signs and neon art in the diner basement. Jones has collected and fashioned these signs through the years. Carrie and Paula are enchanted by the neon, and stay in the desert for several weeks. Paula even talks the way into working as a waitress in the diner while her mother develops a joy for living she lacked back home.

Directed by Frank Pierson ( who wrote Dog Day Afternoon and Cool Hand Luke ) and written by Carol Sobieski based on one of her short stories, The Neon Ceiling is one of those blink and you miss it movies that lives only in the memory of those who watched it in its initial TV run. Viewers have fond, nostalgic memories of it; there are several positive user reviews on IMDB from mostly female viewers who remember it vividly from its original airing. That’s unusual for a TV movie that hasn’t been screened anywhere (to my knowledge) since the early 1970s.

Lee Grant won an Emmy for her portrayal of Carrie Miller. Gig Young was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and the film was also nominated for Best Editing and Cinematography. The Neon Ceiling is a good time capsule of the social and moral climate of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Some the dialogue is wince-worthy in 2012, though, such as the scene where a family doctor wonders why Carrie and her hubby only have one child. The film isn’t a good candidate for DVD release, but it’s currently available on YouTube (see video below), along with other ABC Movies of the Week.

CD Review: The Crazy Squeeze

2012-12-23T23:59:00.001-08:00

The 13 songs on The Crazy Squeeze self-titled debut CD (Vinyl Dog) are pure and rowdy rock ‘n’ roll This L.A. band blasts its way through a blend of glam and punk, alternatively drawing inspiration from Eddie and the Hot Rods, the New York Dolls, Mott the Hoople and the Boys.

Boozy rockers like Little Girl, All Lies and Outta My Head are on tap here from start to finish. Younger Girl and C’mon and Dance bring to mind the buoyant pop sounds of ‘60s AM radio hits. Every song on this CD is a winner, right down to covers of the Boys' Terminal Love and Cock Sparrer’s I Need a Witness For great glampunk songs with swagger & personality, check out The Crazy Squeeze.

The lineup: Johnny Witmer (Stitches, guitars/vocals), Frankie Delmane (ex-Teenage Frames, guitar/vocals) Johnny Sleeper (ex-Superbees, drums/vocals) Bass on the album provided by Chris B – the current live band features Dat Ngo on bass.

The Crazy Squeeze is also available on vinyl from Wanda Records (Germany) and Vinyl Dog (U.S.)

Order CD here

Music Review: Chaotic Reasoning, Vol. 2

2012-12-21T02:05:00.000-08:00

And now we return to present-day L.A. for a few year-end music reviews....

Chaotic Reasoning ,Volume Two (Kaos Records), a compilation of Southern California punk and hardcore tracks, features a slew of lesser-known bands peculiar to venues like the Cathay de Grande, Chain Reaction and Cuckoo’s Nest.

Older hardcore fans will recognize Love Canal and White Flag, two bands that played the Cathay and other crusty clubs, in the ‘80s. Both bands are still together, in various incarnations, today. The delightfully-named Vagina Den Tata (another Cathay band. I actually saw them in ’83), featuring Michelle Gerber Bell and Pat Smear, contributes Creep Street. Ron Emory (TSOL), False Alarm (featuring Cheetah Chrome) and Peligro are other familiar old-school names on this compilation.

New punk bands aren’t neglected on this collection. Barb Wire Dolls, fronted by dynamic singer Isis Queen, are included with their rallying cry, Street Generation. Other featured bands include The Detours, False Alarm, Section 242 and Corrupted Youth, who win the best song title award with Beer for Breakfast.

Chaotic Reasoning is non-stop hardcore/punk with no breather. It’s not for the faint of heart. A release party for the CD will take place Jan. 19^that the Vex in East L.A , with live performances by Shattered Faith, the Detours and others. Ex-Germ Don Bolles is slated to emcee.

Unearthed Musical Memories: Why Can’t I Touch You? by Ronnie Dyson

2012-12-02T00:20:00.002-08:00

Forget about the user posts and comments on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus unless you want to read about someone’s lunch, self-published book or horrible ex-boyfriend. YouTube is the best social media site for finding more than an occasional literate or heartfelt comment. Sure, there are political comments and spam scattered underneath most YouTube videos , but some of the comments underneath many music videos/ uploads of songs from the 1950s through the 1980s are rather touching and heartfelt. You’ll often see a comment not about the song, but the memories it evokes for the listener. -of brothers and sisters and parents who passed away, or dedications to a lost or unrequited love from 30 years ago. It’s amazing how raw and honest some people become when using a silly YouTube screen name.

I guess we all have songs that we haven’t heard since we were kids and have totally forgotten about – once we rediscover them, they pique memories of old classmates, the head shop at the local mall, or the seashells on Grandma's tchotchke shelf.

If You Let Me Make Love to You (Why Can’t I Touch You), a hit for soul singer Ronnie Dyson in 1970, awakens dormant memories for me - memories of buying Blue Moon ice cream at Zayre, setting off sparklers and Roman Candles on the front lawn on the Fourth of July, going to Santa’s Village on summer Sundays with my parents and brothers. I remember hearing Why Can’t I Touch You over and over on my three favorite radio stations - WCFL 1000 and WLS 890 on the AM dial, with soul station WGRT in the middle. Sometimes the stations would bleed into each others, the songs commingling til I adjusted the dial to make the best song come in clearly. There were so many good songs on AM radio in the early ‘70s, I was constantly flipping from station to station every two minutes to find an even better song than the one I was currently listening to – a symptom of musical ADHD. Why Can't I Touch You?, with it's whirling rhythm and dash of marimba, was danceable but bittersweet, and it sounded so good crackling out of a red plastic transistor radio.

At 17, Ronnie Dyson was cast in the lead part in the original Broadway production of Hair. sharing the stage with Paul Jabara and,Melba Moore, among others. After his success in Hair, Dyson signed with Columbia Records , working with producer Thom Bell (Spinners, Stylistics). Dyson’s smooth, tenor voice had hint of vulnerability, and Why Can’t I Touch You?, adapted from the off-Broadway musical Salvation, hit #8 on the Billboard Top 100 charts in 1970.

A string of lesser hits followed Why Can’t I Touch You? Dyson reached #28 on the pop charts with 1973’s One Man Band (Plays All Alone), from the album One Man Band. It contained some of Dyson’s best work, including When You Get Right Down to It and Just Don’t Wanna Be Lonely. Dyson’s version of Just Don’t Wanna Be Lonely reached #30 on the Billboard R and B charts, in 1973. (Main Ingredient‘s version charted at #8 in 1974.)

Dyson’s songs fused the upbeat sound of commercial R and B with dreamy pop feel of artists like Johnny Mathis, but he never attained the success he deserved. The R and B field in the early ‘70s, was crowded with memorable acts. You had Al Wilson, Al Green Lou Rawls Clarence Carter, Brook Benton, Billy Paul and vocal groups including the O‘Jays, Blue Magic, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Delfonics, Chairmen of the Board, etc., so it’s not surprising Dyson’s music got lost in the mix.

Dyson passed away from a heart attack in 1990 at age 40.

101 Distribution released Dyson’s third and fourth Columbia albums, The More You Do and Love in All Flavors on a single remastered CD earlier this year. Both albums were produced by Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson. (Yancy later produced hit albums for Natalie Cole.)

A remastered version of One Man Band is also available from Purpose Music Vaults.

Music Review: Micky Dolenz: Remember

2012-11-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

The surviving Monkees, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork embarked on a 12-city tour earlier this month. Each show includes a tribute to the late Davy Jones, with film clips and an audience member in each city chosen to come up and sing Daydream Believer. The set list features all the pop hits we know and love - Last Train to Clarksville, Steppin Stone, Pleasant Valley Sunday, etc.), songs from Headquarters, the psychedelic masterpiece Head and Daily Nightly, one of the first pop songs to use a Moog synthesizer. In concert, Mike’s hilarious interpretation of Moog sounds substitutes for the real thing.

The current tour resumes Thursday for four last sold-out shows on the East Coast. There’s no word on future tour dates for the Monkees, but the boys have other solo projects in the works. Mike may launch solo tour for 2013 (according to one of his Facebook status posts) Peter's blues band, Shoe Suede Blues, has a new CD, Step By Step, available at CD Baby. Micky is scheduled to perform at the KLOSChristmas Concert in L.A. and at Walt Disney World in March. Micky’s latest CD Remember, released in October, is reviewed below.

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Micky Dolenz’s new CD Remember (RoboRecords/Universal Music) is much more than a nostalgia trip for the 50 and up set. Younger fans will like it too. Dolenz and producer David Harris compiled a list of songs that were milestones in the Monkees -and Micky’s- long and storied career. They put a creative spin on some iconic songs by the Beatles, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, and, of course, the Monkees.

A breezy reworking of the Beatles’ Good Morning Good Morning kicks off the album. A lighter, acoustic version, it rolls along with sunny ease. Micky visited the Beatles when the recording of Sergeant Pepper and John played him a working version of this song during his visit to Abbey Road Studios in 1967, and a snippet of the song opened the last Monkees episode, Mijacogeo, which Micky directed.

The Paul Williams penned Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song , a big hit for Three Dog Night in 1971. Micky originally turned the song down, but makes up for it on this version. Micky’s soulful take on this tune, comes complete with some mid-song scatting, ala Cab Calloway.

Diary, a hit for David Gates and Bread, is another song Micky passed on in the early 1970s.Remember’s version takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, veering from tenderness to heartache as the arrangement soars, and then back to tenderness during the final verse.

Neil Diamond’s I’m a Believer is one of the most well-known - and overplayed - pop songs of all-time - that goes for both the Smashmouth’s version from Shrek and the original Monkees hit, but the rockabilly arrangement here makes it fun and fresh. Now I’m listening to this one over and over.

Sugar Sugar, originally brought to the Monkees by Don Kirshner. This song allegedly caused the mutiny that resulted in Kirshner's exit as the Monkees' music director. Cartoon band the Archies (actually singer Ron Dante) charted with the song instead, and the Monkees went on to write and produce their own music on Headquarters. Micky’s jazzy version of Sugar Sugar here is more suggestive than the bubblegum original, with a little dollop of Micky’s trademark humor at the end.

Quiet Desperation, the only original song on the CD, has all the markings of 1960s country original – that’s what I thought it was when I first hard it. Micky wrote this tune, and the phrasings on some of the lyrics are simultaneously comic and poignant.

Sugar Sugar, originally brought to the Monkees by Don Kirschner. This song allegedly caused the mutiny that resulted in Kirshner’s exit as music director. Cartoon band the Archies (actually singer Ron Dante) charted with the song instead, and the Monkees went on to write and produce their own music on Headquarters.. Micky’s jazzy version of Sugar Sugar here is more suggestive than the bubblegum original, with a little dollop of Micky’s trademark humor at the end.

Micky played acoustic guitar and contributed 40 separate vocal tracks on Prithee (Do Not Ask for Love). Originally sung by Peter Tork on the ill-fated TV special 33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee), this version has a classical, choral feel to it.

The album ends with the haunting Remember, written by Micky’s Hollywood Vampire buddy, Harry Nilsson. The Monkees gave Nilsson his big break when they recorded his song Cuddly Toy in 1967.

Micky always had one of the best pop voices of the 1960s, equally adapt at ballads and bouncy pop. On Remember, Micky’s voice sounds better than ever, strengthened by his years in musical theater. Dolenz has appeared several musicals since 2004, with roles in Aida, Pippin and and the UK touring company of Hairspray.

Musicians on the album included Vicki Petersson of the Bangles on rhythm guitar Will Champlin on piano, John Cowsill and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Bob Birch on bass. The CD booklet features photos by longtime Monkees photographer Henry Diltz. Kudos to producer David Harris, whose arrangements really bring out the nuances in Micky’s voice. Remember is a great audio time capsule of songs from the 1960s and 1970s. It will evoke memories for older listeners and entertain fans of all ages with its fresh takes on some classic pop tunes.

You Can't Get It on DVD - Light of Day

2012-10-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Light of Day combines the unlikely bedfellows of family drama and a struggling bar band with poignant but occasionally melodramatic results. Written and directed by Paul Schrader, this 1987 film starred Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett as siblings battling to keep their family - and their band - from falling apart.

Joe Rasnick (Michael J. Fox) and a few of his bandmates ( including Bu Montgomery, played by Michael McKean) work in a factory during the day and play in local bars at night for the love of rock ‘n’ roll. Joe’s sister Patti sings and plays guitar by night, and is a single Mom raising her son Benji (Billy Sullivan) when she’s not playing music. Jeanette Rasnick (Gena Rowlands) , Patti and Joe’s mother, rules over the family in a passive-aggressive way, although she makes no secret of her disdain for Patti.

Films about rock band usually mean drugs, sex, booze, fighting, general decadence and the resulting fallout, but the bar band portrayed in Light of Day has to deal with less glamorous situations. They travel in a van, stay in cheap motels and steal food to survive on the road.

The world Light of Day depicts is all too real, from the dives the Barbusters play to the small, ranch-style house that serves as the setting for all the family drama. Patti’s the family black sheep while Joe is the peacemaker. Joe is a loving uncle to Benji while Patti goes on tour with a metal band called the Hunzz. Patti’s impassioned speech to Joe about living for music, about the nitty-gritty of performing music for the love of it, exposes music as her motivation - and her escape from family turmoil. The camaraderie between Fox and Jett is believable; yes you’d buy them as a brother and sister act.. This film was made in the midst of the popularity of Family Ties and Back to the Future, and it was fashionable for hipsters of the time to bash Michael J. Fox for trying serious roles, but he was quite good in this film, Bright Lights, Big City and Causalities of War.

Jeanette’s health deteriorates; she and Patti have their final meeting in a hospital room. Jett holds her own in an emotional performance playing off seasoned actress Rowlands. It makes you wonder how she would have fared in other demanding acting roles.

There’s a blink and you’ll miss it performance by Trent Reznor as a member of a fictional local band. Trent was in a real Cleveland band called the Exotic Birds at the time. Jason Miller appears in a few scenes as Patti and Joe’s dad, Benjamin, a quiet man who has long acquiesced family reigns to his strong-willed wife.

If you want gritty, depressing rock ‘n’ roll unreality, try Hardcore Logo. Light of Day is authentic story of two mutually exclusive worlds – family and rock ‘n’ roll - that mix well in Schrader’s script and the performances of Rowlands and its two young stars.

Schrader didn’t seem to think Jett fit in with the rest of the cast..In a quote from the book Schrader on Schrader and Other Writings, the auteur notes that “although she gave a good performance, Jett’s casting …”did not work.” It’s interesting to note that Schrader is said to have renounced Blue Collar, another one of his directorial efforts that’s currently unavailable on DVD. You can buy used VHS copies of Light of Day or the German DVD version on Amazon.com. I’m not sure why it’s unavailable on DVD in the States, although some viewers have conjectured it’s due to music copyright restrictions.

Film Review - Jobriath A.D.

2012-08-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Jobriath album cover, Times Square billboard, 1973

Jobriath A.D.

Music Documentary

Written and Directed by Kieran Turner
Narrated by Henry Rollins

Screened at Cinefamily’s “Don’t Knock the Rock Festival”

L.A., August 9, 2012

Kieran Turner’s documentary Jobriath, A.D. gives us a long-overdue glimpse into the life of one of rock 'n' roll’s most enigmatic characters. Jobriath, aka Bruce Wayne Campbell aka Cole Berlin, went from through many chameleon-like career changes in his 36 years,. from musical theater star to glam rock also-ran to cabaret singer. Like Klaus Nomi, Jobriath was gay in an era when mainstream culture only accepted gay rock stars who hid or downplayed their sexual orientation. Unlike Nomi, who was a vocalist/performance artist, Jobriath was an accomplished musician and songwriter. He was an adolescent piano prodigy who dropped out of college, joined the military, went AWOL, joined the L.A. cast of Hair, performed with hippie-rock band Pidgeon, spent time in a mental institution –and then things really got interesting.

Regardless of your musical (or sexual) preference, Jobriath A.D. has elements that will capture the interest of most viewers. It’s a story of an artist way before his time, the victim of an over-the-top publicity campaign, an unsophisticated public and a fickle press. Even in photos from a recording session with some of his Hair cast members, Jobriath emitted a cool, charismatic androgyny, long before any of the glam rock trapping appeared. His talent was undeniable, as he churned out song after song. As writer and activist Jim Fouratt, one of the film’s interviewees, notes, “He was one of those people who had talent that transcended his sexual orientation..” Jobriath kept an extremely low profile about his real-life sexuality, despite his pronouncements to the press about being a “true fairy.”

Campbell gave himself the name Jobriath, a contraction of Job and Goliath, shortly before playing Woof in the stage version of Hair. He soon attracted the attention of Jerry Brandt, a flashy (one associate described him as “reptilian”) but successful music impresario. Brandt and Jobriath had a symbiotic relationship; they both wanted fame and fortune, to be “like Colonel Parker and Elvis.” Interviews with Brandt form the core of the documentary. He comes across like a high-end version of the satin-jacketed rock manager Bill Murray portrayed on Saturday Night Live. By the end of the film, though, it becomes clear that he wasn't Jobriath's manager just for the potential money and gold records. He obviously revered his client's talent. The seemingly bottomless promo budget for Jobriath’s first album fueled a 50-foor square billboard in Times Square, full-page ads in major magazines and ads on London’s bus fleet.

Brandt got Jobriath booked on the pop variety show The Midnight Special, where he performed on the same bill with Gladys Knight and Spooky Tooth. Jobriath’s performance confused most people who watched it that night. They simply ignored him and continued listening to the Doobie Brothers. Despite a few glowing reviews, the music press portrayed him in as a flash-in-the-pan imitation of Bowie, Bolan, et al.

Despite a mixed critical reaction to the album and near zero attention from record-buyers, Brandt and Jobriath forged ahead with new projects, which included planning a performance at the Paris Opera House. The spectacle, which would put even Lady Gaga to shame, involved King Kong and a replica of the Empire State Building that turns into a large penis – and this was in 1974! The concert never materialized, but animator Benjamin Nielsen envisions how the project may have turned out in one of Jobriath A.D.'s cartoon sequences. By the time Jobriath’s second album, Creatures of the Street ,was released in 1974, the marketing campaign had run out of steam, and Jobriath retreated to pyramid apartment on top of the Chelsea Hotel. He reinvented himself as cabaret singer Cole Berlin, and gained a following at piano bars in Manhattan. Jobriath died of AIDs in 1983, one of the first rock musicians to succumb to the disease.

Turner includes interviews with people from the pre-glam part of Jobriath’s life, including his brother, Hair castmate Gloria Jones and the play’s producer, Michael Butler. Other interviewees run the gamut from Jayne County, another trailblazer for the LGBT music community, to Joe Elliot (Def Leppard did a version of Heartbeat on one of their covers albums), Ann Magnuson, Jake Shears of Scissors Sisters, Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Marc Almond. So that’s quite a range of performers who credit Jobriath as a musical influence.

Director Kieran Turner’s fully-rounded effort doesn’t gloss over any facet of this story or take too long on any one part of this complicated saga; his timing with the material is spot-on. Turner’s research for the film turned up several gems, including interview footage of Brandt and Jobriath from the Los Angeles. NBC affiliate. This documentary connects all the obscure Jobriath info floating around the Internet and elsewhere and fits the puzzle pieces together. Jobriath A.D. pays homage to a man who broke ground for gay people in rock music, the man some music scribes refer to as “America’s Bowie”

Jobriath A.D. Official Site

From the Archives: Inland Invasion/25 Years Of Punk: Devore CA 9/14/02 : Sex Pistols, X, Buzzcocks, Bad Religion, etc.

2012-07-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared on Suite101.com in 2002. Since Suite101 has purged most of its older articles, I'm posting it here for hysterical, I mean, historical (??) purposes. It was one of the first articles I wrote after rediscovering punk rock after years as a metalhead.

Inland Invasion/25 Years Of Punk
Devore CA 9/14/02
Sex Pistols, X, Buzzcocks, Bad Religion, etc.
Review first published September 16, 2002.

On September 14th, the much-ballyhooed 25th anniversary of punk concert took place in Devore, CA. The show was not an all-inclusive representation, as it boasted no San Francisco or New York bands. .Most of the featured bands were from SoCal. and a few British innovators, including the best punk rock band ever, the antithesis of humankind … the Sex Pistols.

My boyfriend and I spent a few hours waiting by will call to get our passes. Plenty of time to at least hear the bands on the second stage and see outlines of dust being funneled around. I found out later that a few people had been stabbed by the second stage - at least that was the rumor going around. Well, with bands like the Circle Jerks, TSOL, the Adolescents and the Distillers playing, you ain’t gonna get roses thrown at ya. Every other bus bench in L.A sports an ad for Vandals or Distillers CDs. With the exception of Birmingham, England based GBH, all the second stage bands hailed from Southern California.

The parade of T-shirts on incoming fans was mind-boggling! Everything from all the bands who were playing Ramones, X - Ray Spex, the Minutemen, et al. It was a veritable history of punk via outerwear and of course, they were the requisite Sid Vicious lookalikes to boot. (No Nancy lookalikes, though, thank God.)

By the time we got to the lawn, we heard Captain Sensible say something about wanting to shag some Britney clones with free tics. I’m sure, I could almost hear them retort. X played a short, ragged set that wasn’t up to their usual high standards. The fact that they were playing so early in the day was confusing enough, and the generic sound system didn’t help.

The Buzzcocks played next – I had forgotten how good their songs were. Their sound is unmistakably a precursor to what we name-tag “pop-punk” today. But their music is intelligent and stylized, unlike many of the younger bands trading in the genre. New Found Glory and Blink 182 were two bands that definitely did not belong on the bill with real punk bands. Their music is neither pop nor punk, it’s just sing-songy froth that a Britney Spears/N’Sync fan would find cutting edge or risque. Blink especially got it bad, as they played after Pennywise practically incited the crowd to riot. And who was stationed outside the lawn mosh pit during this time -- yours truly, always one to seek out adventure. A nice moment occurred when the Pennywise, (hardcore hell-raisers from Hermosa Beach) played snippets of Ramones songs and dedicated it to Deedee and Johnny. The free booklet given out to concert-goers was dedicated to the spirit of Joey and DeeDee Ramone.

By the time the sun set it was time for serious action. Bad Religion and Social Distortion railed against the man government hypocrisy, and such. Of all the new bands, Offspring fared the best, at least they rocked. As I had suspected, many of the younger fans left after their set. Comments on the packed-like-sardines consumerist midway between shows consisted of variations on “Why the hell did I come here? This is the worst day of my life.” 105 degree temperatures, extreme security measures (no safety pins were allowed. At a punk concert? Gosh, I wonder if they busted the girl who heeded John’s request for a safety pin during the show.) and heinously overpriced food and souvenirs contributed to these sentiments.

It took about half an hour for the Pistols to come on nerve wracking. but it was worth it the moment that little redhead well, now a platinum haired freak hits the stage,it was all worth it. The first song, Bodies, was enough to wake up the crowd wilting from heat exhaustion and 8.00 beers. followed in short order by I Wanna Be Me, New York, Pretty Vacant, and the seldom heard Belsen Was A Gas (with the chorus Oy vey!)

They played everything from Bollocks except Submission. Steve's guitar playing was excellent - some of the best I've ever heard from him - but I swear he didn't even acknowledge the audience once. Gone are the spandex stretch pants and blow job requests of the ‘96 reunion tour. We stayed at the side of the stage for the first song. It was great to glance out and see a crowd of 50,000 plus cheering for the Pistols. They deserve it

John wore some kinda silky pajama type outfit and had a few multicolored streaks in his platinum hair. First thing he does is bash the concert sponsors - Levis and radio station KROQ. Some long-haired dude had one of those dry erase boards with rude comments about the band. I didn't see what he held up during the show, but he was walking around backstage writing dumb shit down on it. Well, John sees it, goes ballistic. “You’re in the wrong decade.” (Can't you just hear that sarcastic English accent of his? It was classic!) Then he added, “Funny, me telling you that.” Later, he was adjusting his pants and said something like "No rapper's got a package like that." Hmm, is that why Nora's so ecstatically happy all the time? During "Stepping Stone" he unbuttoned his shirt, and revealed a flat chest & tummy just like he had in '78.

For most of the Pistols set my boyfriend and I walked back and forth behind the loge. Security wouldn't let us stay backstage after the first song. We had bought lawn tickets as insurance, but kids were packed in like passengers on a Tokyo subway train. No dif. Not to mention over a dozen bonfires were in full force. Needless to say, we couldn't make it back to the lawn. John also made some comment about "I don't live here (Ca.) for no good reason." I must say that at night with the backdrop of the mountains, the Blockbuster Pavilion venue is utterly gorgeous. But security and prices were prohibitive.($5 for a small soda.) Some guy threw a beer on him and it splattered all over his shirt. John lambasted the hapless fan.. “There's some dopey A***hole whose got more money than sense, if you're gonna buy beers f****ing drink 'em, you wuss.”

The band ended its set with the one-two punch of God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK.A lot of kids were leaving and John goes, “I like this, now all the wankers are going home we're coming on strong..The teeny boppers have left the building” The lone encore was a cover of Silver Machine, a song by Lemmy’s old band, Hawkwind. John ended by saying "Thanks to the other bands for letting us play, cheers, and don't let the bastards grind you down." The band was amazingly tight and professional. You have to appreciate Glen’s bass playing. I must say he is like the punk Paul McCartney - still quite handsome at 45. Cookie was pounding on the drums with his customary energy. Is another tour in the works? I hope so.

Life's A Bitch - Betsy Bitch Still Dominating Female Metal

2012-07-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

Speaking of S&M, the bookstore isn't the only place you can find whips and chains in pop culture. Let us return to the days of black leather, Aquanet and the Sunset Strip for awhile to reminisce about Betsy Bitch, one of the few female vocalists on the Southern California metal scene in the 1980s. Along with her band, Bitch, she provided a small but loyal contingent of L.A. thrill-seekers a dose of crunching metal guitars accompanied by sometimes naughty, sometime laughable S & M theatrics. Such a stage show was de rigueur for L.A. bands in the hedonistic '80s (WASP, Motley Crue, the Mentors, etc.)

After signing with Metal Blade in the early 1980s, Bitch released an EP, Damnation Alley and a full-length album Be My Slave. The band also made a few videos featuring highlights (or lowlights, depending on your point of view) from their stage show. Needless to say, these videos never made it into heavy rotation on MTV. They were fun to watch on local L.A. music video shows, way after hours, though.

After an unsuccessful attempt to cash in on the pop-metal bandwagon, with 1987’s The Bitch is Back and 1988’s Betsy, the band went back to their hard-edged roots with subsequent releases. Bitch toured Europe with the band Anger as Art last year.

You can find out more about Betsy at Betsybitch.com (an unofficial fan site) and her official blog Bitchmetal.com.

50 Shade of Grey Gets All the Glory, But You Can Find Better Erotica Out There

2012-07-15T01:31:00.000-07:00

E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey has become the latest mainstream publishing phenomenon by an author plucked out of nowhere. And now even her husband author Niall James has a book deal. Meanwhile, veteran erotica authors are still slaving away (excuse the expression) to sell hundreds or dozens of books. The best I can figure is the James’s Twilight fan-fiction connection and a bit of random luck helped her. She was just in the right interweb place at the right time.

My only complaint about 50 Shades of Grey is the barren, clunky prose. Some authors may choose to dismiss back-story and characterization and are only concerned with plot. I understand that. Some people think lots of dialogue and vivid imagery detract from the sex scenes. That’s not my personal taste. I believe fully-rounded storytelling can heighten a story’s erotic appeal . But I don’t really have a problem with authors who go the other route.

Longtime erotica readers are not the target market for 50 Shades of Grey. Even ardent general fiction readers and regular visitors to bookstores and libraries aren’t necessarily drawn to a book like 50 Shades of Grey. Nowadays, the book fan contingent is quite small, so to rake in the bucks, you’ve got to entice folks who read little more than coupons and TMZ.com to buy a copy. They’re the kind of people who are looking for a quick to read airport book, with a minimum of words and a maximum of titillation and plot twists. The chapters might as well read “Boy meets girl, boy ties up girl, girl is intrigued, boy shoves inanimate object up girl’s bum, girl escapes. The End.”

You know James wasn’t fumbling with a thesaurus or plotting software to create her story. Maybe the rest of us are working too hard! My Tumblr loop features a few teen girls who write excellent fan fiction, much of it erotic. Of course, technically, some of them shouldn’t be reading erotica yet, much less writing it. They're not big fans of the publishing industry's flavor of the month, posting comments like “I’m a virgin and I write better erotica than that” and “Mom! That (Shades of Grey) is poorly- written pornography. Get over it!” The girls have got a point. Witness the following “50 Shades of Grey” prose -

I had no idea giving pleasure could be such a turn on ... My inner goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves,"

Now, quite frankly, if I’d written that, my editor would have chucked the manuscript into the recycle bin.

I also know that some people are grossed by the tampon scene, HA!! They are literary lightweights. Try reading the scene in Scott Spencer’s Endless Love where the obsessed hero has sex with heroine while she’s having a VERY bloody period. (Brooke Shields starred n the movie version. Thankfully, said scene was not included in the onscreen adaptation.)

For those who prefer more evolved characters in their BDSM, there’s Secretary, a story from Mary Gaitskill’s 1988 book Bad Behavior. The dominance and submission in it exists more in the mind than in the handcuffs. The movie version starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader is one of the most realistic depictions of a real-life D/S relationship I’ve ever seen.

For well-written erotic fiction, character development, back-story and BDSM, with a better vocabulary than 50 Shades, try The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice, just reissued by Plume. It's a lot hotter and imaginative than Grey in a medieval kinda way. Also check out Belinda, Rice’s version of Lolita and her Exit to Eden (the book, not the movie version, por favor.)

You can also explore erotic fiction by visiting any of the e-book sites touting erotica ,erotic romance for women and LBGT erotica. Each publisher may put out hundreds of books a year, so the quality certainly varies. You can read a short sample of most books before buying.

A few erotica E-Book Publishers: Total Bound e-Books

Ellora's Cave

Liquid Silver

Shameless plug - Read Geneva’s Story, a short piece I originally wrote it in 1994. I first placed it on a site called Literotica and got a lot of nice emails about it, including one from a sub who said it reminded her of her master!

Music Review : The Cult: Choice of Weapon

2012-05-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

With their ninth album, Choice of Weapon, The Cult are back with a vengeance. After the lackluster reception to 2007’s Born Into This. With the aid of co-producers Chris Goss and Bob Rock, the band returns to their urgent, fiery best. After all, Rock did produce Sonic Temple. 1994’s The Cult and the criminally under rated Beyond Good and Evil.

Singer Ian Astbury is back at his shamanistic best. His vocals, now deeper and more controlled, have urgency to them. His lyrics, derived from Native American mythology, Buddhist teachings and plain old life experience have taken on a maturity that alternately soothes and provokes. Billy Duffy’s rousing guitar work is at its blistering, seductive best on tracks like Lucifer and The Wolf.

The adrenaline-pumping rhythm of “Honey from a Knife” starts off the album, abetted by James Edwards’ chugging piano and the background vocal chant “We got the drugs”. Ian channels Jim Morrison in Pale Horse (which reminds me a bit of “King Contrary Man from Electric), and the hopeful poetry of “Elemental Light.” For the Animals, the first single, barrels through your speakers (or iPod) like a force of nature. The driving immediacy of “Amnesia” recalls the Stooges’ Raw Power.

The hallmark of the band has always been the unique chemistry between vocalist Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy. Duffy’s earthy riffs meet Astbury’s pontificating shaman head-on, and the combination has produced some iconic sounds since 1983. And this is one band that’s never fit into a neat little genre. They wore make-up and sported poufy hair during the Love-era and before, but they were new wave? Nope, not with that guitar sound. With the Rick Rubin-produced Electric, they were heavy, but not heavy metal –the lyrics were too hippie-ish. Even Sonic Temple, released during the waning days of the hair band era, was too smart to be lumped in with other hard rock albums touted by MTV circa 1990. Fans who’ve stuck with the band for better or worse will find Choice of Weapon as aggressive as Electric and as lyrically thought-provoking as The Cult.

Even younger metal (and punk) fans will appreciate Choice of Weapon’s take-no-prisoners approach. Against Me and Icarus Line are opening their L.A. show, and the snarling, passionate riffs of Choice of Weapon are just as aggressive as those younger fans are used to. This album has a ramped-up, renovated sound. It’s not hard rock nostalgia for fans who prefer their music in an unaltered state, regardless of the year.

The Cult’s line-up has remained steady since 2007, with John Tempesta on drums, Chris Wyse on bass and touring rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich. The band’s U.S. tour runs now through June 23^rd, with the final “Hometown” show at the Hollywood Palladium. A European tour follows in July and August.

http://thecult.us/main/

Film Review - God Bless America

2012-05-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

A biographer once commented, “We idolize people who we want to imitate,” If that’s the case, mainstream America is worse off than one could ever imagine. Judging by the still-skyrocketing ratings for the Kardashians (they got renewed again) and other trashy reality shows, America is so dumbed down there’s nowhere left to go but down “the road” described in Cormac McCathy’s bleak novel.

Such scenarios have attracted the ire of director Bobcat Goldthwait, former screechy-voiced standup comedian and director of the cult favorite Shakes the Clown. With the satire God Bless America, Goldthwait has created another quirky underground film. This one, however, deals with subject matter more serious than inebriated clowns.

Disenfranchised loner Frank (Joel Murray) is divorced from his wife, estranged from his daughter, and has just lost his job at an insurance company After being diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, Frank sets out to off himself in front of the TV. He sees a My Super Sweet 16 type show as spoiled brat Chloe bitches at he parents for not buying her an Escalade for her birthday. Frank, disgusted by this arrogant display, and all the oafish behavior he has encountered, snaps, like the blue-collar version of William Holden in Network. He’s got a reason to live now, and he sets out to rid the world of awful brat Chloe and other boorish types. While offing Chloe, he encounters her droll classmate Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr) , and the two set forth on a cross country mission to eradicate a slew of rude and crude poseurs. Frank and Roxy’s relationship is completely platonic, with Frank even expressing disdain for Nabokov and America’s fascination with slutty teen girls. God Bless America is half thinking man’s film, half bloody black comedy. Under Goldthwait’s direction, it achieves its objective (despite some uneven pacing) - to make people think. As in his previous directorial efforts, Goldthwait has the nerve to commit certain on-camera atrocities other directors would never consider. Frank confronts his tacky neighbors in a way that will leave you going “Umm, I didn’t just see that, did I?”

God Bless America pursues the same territory as Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, albeit in a real-time setting. The harmless nimrods of Idiocracy have been replaced by an American landscape inhabited by plenty of crass morons, mostly unseen. Frank and Roxy’s conversations are as much a part of the film as the gunplay. Frank attempts to explain the base nature of the American Superstarz show to a brain-dead fellow employee near the film’s beginning. His diatribe goes on too long, but it’s cathartic to hear a film character express the disgust many of us have felt since reality and (no) talent TV shows took over the airwaves.

Frank and Roxy track down another member of their hit list, a conservative radio talk show host,.“Why do you have to be so rude to people?” Roxy says. The specter of self-absorption and rudeness is the enemy here. God Bless America isn’t a politically-driven revenge fantasy. Even though a few of Frank and Roxy’s targets are conservative, it’s more about the lack of civility used in expressing the beliefs than the beliefs themselves. Other targets include people who talk on their cell phones in movie theaters, rude drivers, and the Westboro Baptist Church. The body count isn’t as large as you might expect from the ominous pic of the gun-toting duo on the movie's poster. Frank and Roxy are the smart person’s Bonnie and Clyde. The violence is ultimately balanced by the articulate self-awareness of the lead characters. A slap-happy bloodfest this is not. Isn’t that the behavior the film is protesting? The movie is not without its twists and turns, but I won’t reveal any spoilers here.

After taking umbrage at the way a William Hung type character is being treated on the American Superstarz show, Frank and Roxy head to Hollywood to exact revenge. This sets up the film’s climax in the belly of the beast where they come face-to face with the faux American Idol’s washed-up judges and hypocritical audience.

God Bless America’s theatrical release is playing in a handful of art house theaters across the country. It’s playing at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles til May 17^th. It is also available for download from Amazon Instant Video. God Bless America is a not so gentle reminder that we are in a pop culture Dark Ages. It’s about time more people stand up and actively create a Renaissance - just not with firearms.

Music Review: Sci-Fi Romance: The Ghost of John Henry

2012-05-06T14:32:00.002-07:00

The Ghost of John Henry, the second album by L.A. indie-folk band Sci-Fi Romance, is a different listening experience, one that puts your mind, as well your ears, to work.. Singer/songwriter Vance Kotrla has crafted a concept album based on the folk legend of John Henry. The story of the steel-drivin' railroad worker who emerged victorious against a steam hammer, only to die for his efforts, has been recounted by many artists, from Big Bill Broonzy to Johnny Cash, but this is the first steam-folk treatment.

The ten songs on John Henry combine bare-bones acoustic music and stark imagery to bring the folk tale to life, transforming the legend into a human being on a complex emotional journey. The battle pitting man versus machine is an ongoing one. John Henry’s courageous race against the steam hammer isn’t really that different than modern man’s love/hate relationship with technology.

Sci-Fi Romance's ambitious project colors in the legend with a musical storyline that’s simultaneously humane and ominous. Kotrla’s evocative baritone expresses this torment without becoming overblown. Kurt Bloom’s drumming and Jody Stark’s plaintive cello strike just the right balance with the somber guitar and Johnnie Kotrla's bass. The rigorous production by Jaron Luksa, engineer for the Dresden Dolls and Amanda Palmer, ties it all together.

This bittersweet concept album may sound monotonous to people weaned only on the jumpy melodies of pop-rock. John Henry is an acquired taste for such folks, but well worth the effort. While the album seems to have been written and recorded to flow as a unified whole, a few of the songs do shine as solo pieces. “We Used to Sing”, the most commercial-sounding of all the tracks, has a lively pace. It's a bit like a Steve Goodman composition, though not quite as spry. In the first “Broken World”, Kotrla sings, "It’s a broken world/But in the cracks, there’s beauty,” This could serve as the album’s mantra.

The Ghost of John Henry carries Sci-Fi Romance into new territory. Kotrla has made it a point to explore challenging subject matter and John Henry is no exception. It will be interesting to see where Sci-Fi Romance goes next.

Listen to the MP3 for Steam Drill Blues here.
Band Website: Sci-Fi Romance
My review of ..and surrender my body to the flames, the first album by Sci-Fi Romance

More Sad Songs : 1970s Tearjerkers about Dearly-Departed Pets

2012-04-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

If you lived through the mixed-bag that comprised AM radio in the 1970s, you probably remember the following odes to deceased pets. Whether you dismissed ‘em as sappy drek or cried til the grooves wore out on the 45, they will stir up lotsa “Me Decade” memories.

Shannon-Henry Gross

Henry Gross, one of the founding members of Sha-Na-Na, is best known for this 1976 tearjerker. Written about the death of Beach Boy Carl Wilson’s Irish Setter, the song made it to number 6 on the Billboard charts in 1976 and was ubiquitous on AM radio. The song is the catalyst for an infamous outtake from Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 radio show. Kasem’s rant about a “Long Distance Dedication” to a dead dog placed after an up-tempo song has been a viral favorite for years. Click Here to Listen

Wildfire - Michael Martin Murphey

I always loved the piano intro to this 1975 hit song. Even if the lyrics about a doomed, mystical horse are too sappy for you, the haunting music will get to you. Songwriter Michael Martin Murphey has enjoyed a long and notable career, recording songs in several musical genres, including country/western, pop, cowboy and folk. His hit songs include “Still Taking Chances”, “Carolina in the Pines” and “A Long Line of Love.” Murphey also wrote the song, What Am I Doing Hangin' Round for the Monkees.

Queen of the Roller Games - Raquel Welch in "Kansas City Bomber"

2012-03-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Drew Barrymore’s 2009 film Whip It chronicled the tattooed glamor girls of modern roller derby. The real-life counterparts that spawned this movie really skate, block and brawl, but many of them look like retro pinups while doing it. That’s quite different than the infamous stars of the Roller Game of the Week , a syndicated TV show from the late 1960s and early 1970s that featured the Los Angeles Thunderbirds versus an array of unsavory opponents, like the Texas Outlaws and the New York Bombers. A pseudo-sport that combined banked track skating, staged fights and colorful characters ala professional wrestling, roller games blared from many a TV set every weekend. The Los Angeles Thunderbirds were the cornerstone of the league.

The co-ed T-Birds battled their rivals at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown L.A. This venue is pretty grimey now: I imagine it was even scarier when the T-Birds plied their trade. Roller Games’ stars included the T-Birds Shirley Hardman, a burly woman with a blonde pony tail who often chased opponents around the rink with a baseball bat; and “Psycho” Ronnie Rains, who was known to wear a WW II German Kaiser helmet while skating from time to time. It was all part of the shtick, of course and the fans loved it. Play-by play announcer Dick Lane ( the first sports announcer to use the phrase “Whoa, Nelly!!) and Bill "Hoppy" Haupt described the action. Every Sunday night, my brothers and I gathered around the TV set and rooted for the T-Birds to squash the opposing team. The skaters’ antics got us so riled up we would often throw chairs around the basement in a hyperactive frenzy. Luckily, no one was hurt during the viewing of the program.

Eventually, the Roller Games caught Hollywood’s attention. Raquel Welch starred as the Kansas City Bomber in MGM’s 1972 skating drama. Lacking the poignancy of the The Wrestler, another film about a “staged” sport, or the good-natured girl power of Whip It, 1972’s Kansas City Bomber starred Welch as roller derby skater K.C. Carr, who is booted from the Kansas City Ramblers after losing a match race with another skater. She is traded to Portland, where the team’s lecherous owner ( Kevin McCarthy) takes a fancy to her. The single Mom of two becomes the team’s reigning diva and a fan favorite. The other female skaters don’t take kindly to this, particularly the eternally soused Jackie Burdette, played by Helena Kallianiotes. Burdette is K.C’s mortal enemy and opponent in the pivotal match race at the end of the film. Kallianiotes earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the troubled, has-been skater. K.C. befriends a country bumpkin male skater, played by Norman Alden, whose attempts to impress K.C. (and become a more “colorful” skater) end with a violent, on-track meltdown.

The final version of Kansas City Bomber was derived from an original script by UCLA film student Barry Sandler. He wrote the script after watching a T-Birds match at the seedy Olympic Auditorium. His original concept was more complicated than what finally made it to the screen, as he explains in the above-posted YouTube video. The final script, less daunting and adapted for mainstream audiences, debuted in theaters in August 1972.

K.C.’s Mom watches her kids while she travels around the country, skating and brawling with the Roller Games. There’s only one short scene of K.C. with her children (her daughter is played by a young Jodie Foster), which ends with her son running away from her and her mother berating her lifestyle. The reason for K.C.’s marital status is never fully explained, so we know very little about what brought Welch’s character to this point in her life. Still, Welch plays K.C. with a mixture of independence and vulnerability that might surprise some viewers who expected her emoting skills to begin and end with “sex symbol.”

Many professional Roller Games skaters appeared in the film, including Patti “Moo-Moo” Calvin, John Hall and Judy Arnold, lending it an aura of authenticity. Welch held her own against the skating pros, even doing some of her own stunts. She suffered a broken wrist after one stunt, which delayed filming for several weeks.

Given the nature of roller games in the 1970s, it’s surprising that there weren’t more movies about it. The subject seemed ripe for the low-budget exploitation craze of the time. Later that year, the American International comedy Unholy Roller was released - aside from that, the roller derby didn't make a big impression on filmmakers at that time. I’m surprised there wasn’t an ABC Movie of the Week based on Jim Croce’s song Roller Derby Queen.

Kansas City Bomber is a engaging movie about a faux sport we’ll never see quite the same way again. It stays true to roller games in all their grungy, bargain basement glory. The everything but the kitchen sink plot takes up time that could have been better spent on more banked track action, but it’s just as entertaining as any other 1970s B movie. But be forewarned, guys, its not as sleazy as you might expect. The DVD release is rated PG, as there was only one, non-explicit shower scene and some swearing.

R.I.P. Davy Jones : Memories from a Groovy 1960s Childhood

2012-03-08T16:56:00.001-08:00

When Davy Jones of the Monkees died on February 29^th, all types of people, regardless of age, background or musical preference, posted loving childhood memories, historical appreciations or Monkees videos on their social media pages or blogs.

But here it is a week later and there are fresh postings underneath many Monkees Youtube videos and under news stories about Davy’s passing. Every time a celebrity dies, there’s a flurry of activity on Facebook, a combination of heartfelt remembrances, simple R.I.P. postings and the occasional troll insults, i.e. “crack is whack” referring to Whitney Houston. Usually, the virtual grieving lasts a day or two and then it’s business as usual. But Davy’s death has touched a lot of people across several generations beyond that usual first twinge of shock. There was a joy and sense of fun to the Monkees music and TV show that appealed to kids who discovered them through MTV in the 1980s and syndicated reruns as well as original viewers.

Maybe that’s why a week later, people are still posting memories and condolences about Davy while the media has long since moved on to its bread and butter - mindless Kardashian news and political bickering. Outside of entertainment, Whitney Houston was known mainly for her drug scandals and bad behavior. That's one of the reasons her death and its aftermath are still in the news weeks later.The mainstream media pays more attention to Whitney because she was younger and more familiar to a generation weaned on MTV. Most members of today’s news organizations came of age when she was popular – Davy Jones was just some guy on an old TV show to them. Plus, her lifestyle made for better copy. You can get a lot of press mileage out of a drug addict; a nice guy, not so much.

I was in kindergarten when the Monkees premiered. The Monkees - Davy, Micky, Mike and Peter - were the perfect “starter” rock group for a generation too young to appreciate Sergeant Pepper - era Beatles or the raunchy Rolling Stones. Davy was just clean-cut and cuddly enough that Mom could like him, too. Every Monday night, we waited for the new episode, which always ended too soon. Most of the first album purchases for kids in the neighborhood were Monkees albums. We were very dedicated to the boys, and made a point to be home on Monday nights. God forbid, there was a delay in getting home before the show. Once we were a few blocks from home after eating dinner at Bonanza Family Steakhouse. The car brushed an 18-wheeler (no one was hurt) and one of the truck’s wheels flew off. Luckily, all matters were resolved and we got home in time to see the show. This was later referred to as the “I don’t care if we hit a train, I wanna see the Monkees” incident.

Davy was the Monkees’ heartthrob, but he was more than just cute. He was a great dancer. My friends and I tried unsuccessfully to imitate his famous sashay dance. (Axl Rose misappropriated this move years later.) And he was as funny as he was cute. There was no such thing as the “funny” Monkee – they were all hilarious in their own way. Davy had funny catchphrases, mannerisms and memorable lines. “You must be joking.” “It’s cuz I’m short, I know.” were two of the most popular. And who could forget that cute little hiccup sound he made when the boys were in a scary situation, right before they escaped some harebrained villain. To this day, I repeat Monkees dialogue as part of my daily routine. Naturally, 99.9 per cent of the people around me have no idea of their origin. (“What a great-looking cardboard box!” Quick! What episode is that from ?)

When people ask me how I developed my non-sequitur, smartass sense of humor, I say “The Monkees.” I don’t remember much about the first season. As the music became more varied -and the humor turned weirder and more random during the second season, my interest grew. I loved the way the guys would break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience. So cute. I didn’t know, of course, that pot-smoking and whatnot fueled much of it on the part of the writers.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia…

When we were in high school, my friend Mary Beth occasionally brought out her Monkees albums and we’d dance around her bedroom and reminisce, singing along with lesser-known songs like Cuddly Toy (written by Harry Nilsson) and Star Collector (Goffin-King).

“Wait a second!,” Mary Beth exclaimed. These songs are about WHOOREEES! We were listening to dirty songs as kids and didn’t even know it! “Of course, she was exaggerating. The songs were more about flirtatious types than sluts, but then again, mainstream songwriters had to be very subtle back then, lest the censors confront them with a long list of changes. In the mid-1970s, Davy toured with Micky and songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart as Dolenz, Jones,Boyce and Hart. .It was fun to see Davy grown-up but cute as ever and Micky, grown-up and manic as ever, on the Mike Douglas Show and ironically, former Monkees Svengali Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert.

Davy’s passing is more than saying good-bye to a beloved entertainer. It leads to other memories of a 1960s ( or ‘70s or ‘80s) childhood that are long gone. It’s ironic that Pleasant Valley Sunday was originally written as a swipe at suburbia. Now that song brings back wonderful memories of lazy summer nights catching fireflies in bottles or swimming in our above-ground pools while music blared from our transistor radios. “Rows of houses that are all the same and no one seems to care”. Those brick homes and their neatly-manicured lawns are now replaced by boarded up buildings defaced by graffiti, at least in my old neighborhood. The comfy JC Penny and Sears Roebuck-equipped house of my youth now resembles a graffiti-laden respite for gang members.

Davy's vocals rarely faltered. His pitch was always spot on. Even in later years he always hit the notes in concert. He had a good rapport with his fans, he never seemed to have a bad day or a complaint from his admirers. How rare is that in the celebrity world? As Micky said in a Associated Press interview last week “What you saw is what you got. He was very much a song-and-dance man, life of the party, always telling jokes, always on, an entertainer and just a great guy to be around.”

Some Davy trivia - He originally trained to be a jockey before moving to America to perform in Oliver on Broadway Davy and other actors from Oliver performed the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, the same day as the Beatles’ first appearance. Who could have guessed that cute little kid would be the lead singer of a band that would outsell the Beatles and the Stones a few years later?

Davy was adorable til the end. Sure, he gained some weight and often sported the standard uniform of aging Baby Boomer guys – shorts and Hawaiian shirts, but his indefatigable spirit always shone through. He last performed in mid-February at a resort in central New York and seemed fine, his normal perky self.

He was married three times, most recently to Jessica Pacheco - Jones, a Telemundo presenter 30 years his junior. She performed as a dancer on the Monkees last reunion tour in 2011. He had four adult daughters from his first two marriages. One of them, Annabel Jones, is a recording artist in her own right with the band Lady and the Lost Boys. Public memorials are planned in New York and Davy's hometown of Manchester, England.

Rest in peace, Manchester Cowboy. We will miss you.

"Listen to the band!
Now weren't they good, they made me happy.
I think I can make it alone."

From the Archives: Interview with Tina Root & Susan Wallace of Switchblade Symphony, 1999

2012-02-27T15:56:00.002-08:00

This is an interview I did with Tina Root and Susan Wallace of now-defunct Goth/darkwave band Switchblade Symphony. The band released four albums for Cleopatra Records before breaking up in late 1999. Tina and guitarist George Earth now perform in the band Small Halo. This interview first appeared on Suite 101.com's Rock Music site.

Manhattan, September 1999

It's been a long and fruitful road for Susan Wallace and Tina Root, collectively known as Switchblade Symphony. In nearly ten years together, they have paved the way for female industrial artists, and toured with big-name acts such as Sisters of Mercy, Type O Negative, Gary Numan and Front Line Assembly. They take the combination of cartoon innocence and somber imagery to a more refined level, than, say the over the top renegade wilderness of Marilyn Manson. Experimentation with trip-hop on "Bread and Jam for Francis" gave way to the slick, landscape of their newest CD "The Three Calamities". Taking their formal musical training, love of bands like Nina Hagen, Skinny Puppy and Tom Waits, and love of Gothic imagery, Tina and Susan have created a CD that should propel them on their way to a larger and more eclectic audience.

Like the wide-eyed subjects of a Keane painting dressed in blue PVC leather, Tina Root and Susan Wallace, the vocalist and keyboard player, respectively, of Switchblade Symphony create music that is a study in contrast, a combination of disparate elements that work so well together, the effect is totally natural.

The San Francisco based band recently released their third full length CD "Three Calamities" (Cleopatra Records) and just completed a club tour of the U.S. and Canada. I spoke with Tina & Susan before their show at Downtime in Manhattan this summer. Tina Root, the bubbly vocalist, performed in school and got her first taste of rock 'n roll playing bass in a boyfriend's band. Eventually, she gave up the bass and became the group's singer. Susan began her performing career in plays, did some modeling, and turned to music by singing in the school choir in junior high. Her first band experience was less than amiable, as the members of the electronic-dance group she joined told her that she'd never get anywhere. And where are these blundering psychics now? "I'm sure they're very happy working at Tower," Tina interjects. The first well-known female fronted band in the industrial realm, Tina and Susan met in 1989 when a mutual friend introduced them. "I was looking for a band, and she had just left a band," says Tina, "They knew us, and were like, "You guys really need to get together, you really need to talk on the phone!", so our first initial meeting was on the phone and we spoke to each other for eight hours straight."

Soon the burgeoning friendship turned into a musical partnership as well, and Tina and Susan began writing songs and producing homemade tapes. They were a fixture on the San Francisco club scene, hanging out and playing their tapes for anyone who would listen. "We'd be like "Come into the parking lot and listen to our demo tape," and they'd be like "Oh, my God, you guys are psycho," Tina recalls, "Back then the tapes were really bad quality, and it was kind of humorous. We did it to everybody."

Their persistence paid off, and soon Switchblade Symphony were a mainstay on the San Francisco industrial scene. Industrial music, macho as heavy metal in the early part of its reign, welcomed Tina and Susan enthusiastically. "We always played with the boy industrial bands- it seems to have gotten bigger. There are more women around." Switchblade's first gigs were at an Italian restaurant. and ardent word of mouth ensued, followed by a compilation appearance (the song Mine Eyes) and the re-release of their first single "Mine Eyes".
Songs from Switchblade Symphony's incubation stage were featured on a special fan club only CD called "Scrapbook" (only 2,000 were initially pressed) , but we've been getting a lot of response from people wanting it, and including the song after which the band is named, just for the nostalgia of it since its the first thing we created."
Signing with industrial stalwart Cleopatra in 1995, Tina and Susan solidified their line-up with guitarist George Earth and drummer Eric Gerbow and their first CD, Serpentine Gallery was released, consisting mostly of older material. The second CD, 1997's "Bread and Jam for Francis" (named after the children's book) expounded on playfully Gothic imagery and melodies, exploring a feminine terrain with a sense of humor that is rarely examined in any electronic based music. The studio experience of making that CD was a bit more structured and "hands-on". "It seemed a little rushed to us," says Susan, "We had recently gotten new equipment and were learning things and I started to tackle the technical side and when you first start its very mathematical and robs the live acoustic feel from it. It’s kind of hard to mesh the two together and that coupled with the short amount of time we had (in the studio) where we didn't get to flower the songs with the pretty little things to season it with - with the newer ones (the songs on "Three Calamities") we're trying to put both of those together. For mixing down, we like to use old vintage analog which really manipulates and changes the sound and gives it a warmer feel - we put live drums over the drums to give (it) a more three dimensional feel, " notes Susan. Three Calamities was recorded in Daniel Lanois' El Teatro Studios and mixed by Grammy award winning producer Mark Howard.

Switchblade Symphony have toured with acts as diverse as 80s' techno pioneer Gary Numan (who specifically asked that they open for him) as well as dark-hued Brooklyn based rockers Type O Negative. Opening the West Coast leg of Type O's 1997 tour, the band was well-received by the hard-core crowd, whose glittery stage set up and bubble machine provided a marked contrast to their tourmates' stark image. Late Type O singer Peter Steele was a big Switchblade Symphony fan, and the admiration was mutual. "He has such a beautiful, melodic voice," says Susan.

Although the band is embraced by the "Goth" community, they eschew labels. "We're just weird," comments Susan. "We are dark and moody, and like to wear black sometimes. The music is dark and melodic, so I think that the Gothic scene embraced us and opened their arms to us, and that's where our core following is - and we're delighted that they like us. But we're more like nursery rhymes, Witches (from "Bread and Jam for Francis") is like a humorous song, with no underlying dark magic or anything."

Tina and Susan make most of their costumes, and Tina fashioned glitter-encrusted kitties that are a mainstay of their stage show. The atmosphere of each show varies, with forest, underwater and snow themes featured. The band has even expanded its' merchandising, with Switchblade Symphony tank tops, panties and other merch for sale at their shows - and selling briskly. Touring two to three times a year for the past few years, they've graduated from traveling in vans to a fully-equipped tour bus, enjoying the fruits of their labor. "We've been getting along so much better," says Susan, "We're eating better, sleeping better."

With "Three Calamities", Switchblade continues their evolution from underground industrial phenomenon to a smart, sharp-tongued but radio friendly band with songs such as "Invisible" and "Wicked." Tina puts her operatic training to good use, her voice trilling like a lush instrument, adding untold nuances to her terse but haunting lyrics. Susan's keyboard melodies are lean and ethereal, lending a quality that is more dream-like and contemplative than the relentless droning of many other industrial bands. "Therapy" verges on industrial/funk with an infectious, perfect for the dance floor beat. Switchblade Symphony echoes Siouxsie with a cleaner, more sophisticated edge. Tina and Susan ,along with drummer Eric Gerbow and guitarist George Earth, are gifted musicians, pushing American electronica to newer, classier limits.

Wesley Willis and His Rock Music Joyride

2012-02-25T14:24:00.001-08:00

"Rock music pays off. Rock music takes me on a joyride. Rock music keeps me off the hell city bus. Rock music will always look out for me. But I will not let my torture profanity demon shoot it down." - Wesley Willis

What is it about Chicago and outsider music? Is it the cold weather, the highly segregated neighborhoods and the corrupt politicians that make it ripe for such off-the wall creativity? Regardless of the reason, it’s interesting to note that two of the most-mentioned outsider musicians are from the Windy City

The late Wesley Willis, a diagnosed schizophrenic, recorded a plethora of CDs despite-or perhaps because of - his condition he was wildly prolific. Willis recorded hundreds of songs, both solo and with his band, the Wesley Willis Fiasco. With a blend of humor, obscenity and surreal scenarios, reciting the song titles alone can provide a nighttime of entertainment. (Mustard Plug, Mr. Magoo Goes to Jail) Now, the uninitiated first comment on Willis' music might be "So, it's a crazy guys rantings set to music?” Well, Willis songs might be just as bizarre, but they’re hilarious and have a honesty that charms as often as it shocks. Willis played all his solo songs on a Technics keyboard, reciting odes to movie stars, friends, rock bands, airlines, and animal’s sexual organs.

His songs were in part, a way to exorcise the demons of his mental illness. Born to a drug addict mother on Chicago’s South Side, Willis overcame his dour background and became an indie music star in 1990s’ Chicago. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 27, Willis immersed himself in drawing to battle the voices in his head. He called his psychotic experiences “Hell rides” and rock ‘n’ roll became the way to combat these episodes.

Initially discovered by local bohemian crowd for his artwork, his friends persuaded him to focus his muse/demons on music, and he eventually recorded over 50 CDS for Oglio, Alternative Tentacles and other small labels. American Recordings signed him to a major label deal in 1996, near the end of the alt-rock craze. The albums sold poorly, but Willis continued to record and develop a cult following. Most of the songs are pretty much identical, musically speaking, and many of the lyrics have a fill in the template kind of feel. In this clip from the Howard Stern show, the lyrics to Willis’ homage to Baba Booey is basically the same as the one to Howard.

His infectious songs will make you burst out laughing. My favorite Willis song “Rock and Roll McDonalds” contains the deadpan recitation “McDonald's sells quarter pounders/ They will put pounds on you.” The un-ironic, plain speak delivery makes it even funnier. (Note: Rock and Roll McDonald's is a real place in Chicago’s trendy River North. The restaurant is decorated with pictures of Elvis and other stars.)

As the Daddy of Rock ‘N’ Roll documentary shows, Willis was kind of a scary looking figure at first sight. At 6 feet, 5 inches tall and 300 pounds,he often wore mismatched sweatpants and shirts and went shoeless. Add wild, ratty hair and crooked teeth to this ensemble and, yeah, you could mistake him for a scary homeless guy. He usually turned out to be quite a sweetheart when his torture hellride demons weren’t getting to him, that is. He wrote his lyrics on a computer at Kinkos, rode city buses, and hung out with a tight-knit group of friends and musicians.

Check out Loved Like a Milkshake: A Tribute to Wesley Willis at Archive.org. , with cover versions of his tributes to Alanis Morrisette and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Memorable titles include I Smoke Weed and Suck a Cheetah’s Dick (many Willis songs dealt with similar subjects, just change name of animal and body part) and My Keyboard Got Damaged. Willis died of leukemia in 2003 at age 40. We miss you, big guy!

Jan Terri: Suburbia’s Answer to Wesley Willis?

If Willis was the city’s idea of an outsider musician, Jan Terri is white suburbia’s version. Full Disclosure: I went to college with Terri, and even visited her at her Mom’s house once to write a song. Sad to say, the tune was never finished. It wasn’t until someone posted a video of Losing You on Facebook that I realized she still existed. One quick glance at the video and I knew it was the same girl I’d gone to school with - there’s no mistaking her one of a kind physical appearance. Her music videos were notable in a cheesy, Rebecca Black “Friday” way. Of course, a lot of people post self-produced efforts on YouTube, despite their apparent lack of talent or production values. But Terri’s videos had that extra “something” that turned her into an Internet meme. What Terri lacked in conventional talent, she made up in chutzpah. She hawked her homemade music videos to biz people in the ‘90s. Not surprisingly, Marilyn Manson took notice and hired Terri as an opening act for one of his Chicago concerts in 1999.

Like Willis, a certain segment of the hipster population has taken to Terri, perhaps overthinking her persona, as in this article Terri is currently recording and planning a comeback for the digital age.

Music Review: Prima Donna: Bless This Mess

2012-02-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

Prima Donna, a five-piece band from L.A, has rattled venues in Southern California and beyond since 2004. They've already put down their brash hybrid of punk and glitter rock with a who’s who of famous and infamous punk bands. The group opened for Green Day on the band’s 2009-2010 European tour, and the band’s singer/guitarist, Kevin Preston, performs with the Foxboro Hot Tubs, a Green Day side project. Prior to that, their onstage cohorts in rock ‘n’ roll crime included Texas Terri, Glen Matlock & the Philistines, Eddie and the Hot Rods, and plenty of local SoCal punk bands.

Their first album on Acetate Records, After Hours, introduced their modern take on glitter rock to a wider audience. The band’s second release on the label, Bless This Mess, revs things up a few notches with the help of engineer Chris Dugan’s (Green Day, Iggy Pop) faultless production.

The 12 songs on Bless This Mess have a cleaner, and more mainstream appeal than Prima Donna’s previous efforts, but the songwriting and rock bravado are as sharp as ever. The catchy album opener “Sociopath,” the confident, strutting bop of “Maxine,” and the "Jeepster" era T. Rex undercurrent of the single “Feral Children” are enough to reel in even the most jaded listener. But there are nine more impressive tunes on the CD, and Prima Donna delivers the kind of unapologetic rock energy on it that is missing from most up-and-coming bands touted by the mainstream rock press.

Preston has old-school rock charisma and is quite the frontman in concert. Guitarist Erik Arcane, bass player “Lights Out” Levine and drummer David S. Field provide a non-stop, rock ‘n’ roll party sound derived from influential rockers of the past like the Ramones and Mott the Hoople. Aaron Minton’s sax playing gives the band that something extra, that bit of musical swagger and spice that sets them apart from the handful of young glam punk bands on the scene today. It’s like combining Johnny Thunders’ descendents on guitar (Preston, Arcane) with X-Ray Spex. The foot-stomping “Miss Avenue,” with its sax intro and rollicking piano interlude, defy listeners to stand still.

“Broken” is the album’s most distinctive cut. It wraps ‘60s Brit Invasion pop with the band’s glam influences. It really demonstrates how their sound has evolved.

It looks like 2012 will be a busy year for Prima Donna. They’ve already received a write-up in the Huffington Post for their performance at London’s KerPUNK Festival. They were filmed for a Corona Beer commercial, and their European tour is in full swing in February and March, with a U.S. tour to follow.

Bless this Mess is scheduled for release on Valentine’s Day. If you’re a fan of straight-on, raunchy rock ‘n’ roll, and are tired of scouring iTunes and your old vinyl collection for retro faves, you’ll appreciate Prima Donna’s music. And if you’re a young fan who wants to sample your generation’s version of hipster-free, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Bless This Mess.

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-prima-donna-bless-this/

Book Review: Marlene Dietrich: Life and Legend by Steven Bach

2012-01-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

Steven Bach’s well-researched biography explores every lush detail of screen legend Dietrich’s life. First published by Morrow Books in 1992, University of Minnesota Press issued a reprint in March 2011.

Bach documents Dietrich’s early career in Berlin in the first part of the book. Actress Mia May reminisces about the young Dietrich, “People used to follow her through the streets of Berlin; they would laugh at her, but she fascinated them; she made them talk.” Bach reveals that Dietrich studied to be a violinist, but turned to acting after a wrist injury stunted her music career. The chapters "Home Front" and "Lili Marlene" chronicle Dietrich’s role as a tireless performer for the USO and supporter of the American war effort.

Much of the book centers around her Svengali-like relationship with director Josef von Sternberg, who cast her as Lola-Lola in Blue Angel and engineered her iconic films Morocco and Blonde Venus. Author/film executive Bach has something of an inside track on the subject, since he studied film with von Sternberg. Bach sprinkles the book with inside details about Dietrich’s love affairs with Jimmy Stewart, French actor Jean Gabin, John Wayne and other famous men. Most of these affairs took place while she was still married to her only husband, Rudolf Sieber. Dietrich remained friends with Sieber til his death, even befriending his mistress and paying many of the couple’s bills. Along the way, Bach offers more mundane, behind the facade tidbits, such as Dietrich’s insistence on a sparking clean dressing room prior to cabaret performances. She sometimes arrived early, scrubbing floors herself if they were not to her liking.

This 626-page book includes a filmography and over 100 black and white photos. While it doesn’t provide the insider view of her daughter Maria Rivas’s Marlene or mention much about her bisexuality, even film buffs and hardcore Dietrich fans will learn something new from this biography. Some readers may find the prose long-winded, but it’s a vivid read that befits Dietrich’s life.