Like many of you out there, I’m a Lynch fan. His films from the industrial surrealism of Eraserhead to the surprisingly linear Blue Velvet and beyond to the agitated disharmony of his series of animated shorts Dumbland play upon the brain in such a clever way that it becomes nearly impossible to shoo away the creeping emotions as his imagery pinpoints and exposes your weaknesses and uncertainties like a nightmare tailor-fit for any audience. On more than one occasion, the artist’s storytelling has left me vulnerable and perplexed, taking in his peerless brand of filmmaking. Even the iconoclast’s more experimental work, like that on his 2002 short films collection, holds a place as one of my most prized and watched DVDs even now.
With all of that said, his most recent “short”, if you can call it that, is aloof rubbish, so much so that the video clip’s sound of a garbage truck backing up are relevant on entirely another level. The 51-second “political commentary” on the debt-ceiling and state of governmental economic affairs is smug with a capital S. A photo of the U.S. Capitol and the noise of early morning trash pickup make up his self-satisfied discourse, called How Things Have Been Going, that, although the point he’s making is clear, doesn’t do much for me. It’s a shame that because of his old age and status, David Lynch is stroked and revered for this uninspired crapola with people calling it “Lynchian” and “post-political”. It is neither of those.
I just think this was a swing and a miss albeit a swing in the right direction. Something as peculiar as the debt-ceiling is terrain I’d like to see treaded by the cult director. David Lynch needs to harken back to his New York City PSA days. Using sound and video free of dialogue or explicit messages he was able to reach that bleak threshold that is, my good men and women, “Lynchian.” See it above.
Any friend of Мишка is a friend of mine and when I finally got the chance to hear young gun T. Mills and his own style of hip-hop inspired college party music, I was a little taken aback to say the least. Its no mystery that this west coaster has got some undeniable swagger keeping the “white bitches” circling him like a pack of wild vultures, his songs, although not shit I’d typically check out, are dank nugs of poppy greatness.
His single “Stupid Boy” is like the soundtrack to a drunken sorority girl’s latenight “mistakes” and the track “She Got A…” has been on repeat in my head for the past week.
T. Mills appeared in the store last week and we had to snap one off of him. The 22 year-old scenester heartthrob rolled through ready to pop bottles and pick up a few tees flaunting a style that’s just as clean as his production value. With fans and naysayers equally on his dick, Mills is doing what he wants with his middle finger in the air yelling “She got a neck tattoo and all her clothes are new.” This kid ain’t done yet, his new album will be made free to the public for download on July 22nd.
It’s that time of year again. Harry Potter fever is in full effect on cue with the enormous international release of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2, the last movie in the series, right around the corner. With that kind of buzz also comes a bunch of contrived media scandals about the cast and crew reported on to facilitate a larger public circle jerk. I’m not sure if this news is just press bait or if actor Tom Felton aka Draco Malfoy, Hogwartz’s resident Aryan prick, is actually taking up a career rapping in the UK grime scene.
I can see it now, the blonde-haired wizard mobbing around with a track jacket and gold fronts screaming “Aye bwoi, diz Draco.” Felton already released a Jack Johnson-esque crybaby piano track called “Hawaii” and it’s about..uh..Hawaii. I just don’t see how the 23 year-old pampered, pretty boy is actually planning on his reputation being converted from thumbsucker to gangsta in the flash of an eye with him picking up a microphone. His career as a grime spittah won’t last more than a few days but the fact that he wants to do it is enough to bring a smirk to my face. I’m gonna go get Shark on this MC Malfoy tip.
Much to our delight, it appears that our very favorite Hogwarts undergrad just so happens to be a Мишка supporter. Rupert Grint, the actor some of you best know as ginger wizard wünderkind Ron Weasley, was recently spotted looking perfectly tousled, sporting a bit of our Keep Watch insignia. Grint was all smiles as he navigated a sea of muggles, which included some fake Clive Owen guy (to the right of the photo), as he was most likely traveling to a showing of the latest Harry Potter film.
The movie, lengthily entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, or HPDHP2 as I’ve been calling it, can be seen nationwide this Friday, and promises to put a cap on the beloved JK Rowling franchise. If you find that you simply can’t wait to see the thing, however, you may be interested to know that NYC’s own Lincoln Center will be holding a red carpet ceremony today at 5 o’clock, before premiering the film this evening. Then again, it’s being reported that diehards have been lining up ’round the block outside the event, even going so far as camping out for a night or two, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the cast members. Basically, If you’re just finding out about the event now, I’m willing to bet you’re kind of fucked.
With any luck, Grint will show up to the event tonight, and perhaps be sporting some of our finest gear. It’s about time that the legions of nerdy wizard-enthusiasts find out where their young hero’s allegiances truly lie!
The first live concert a person attends undoubtedly secures a place in one’s heart, a manifestation in the mind as an un-erasable memory, no matter how terrible of a performance it actually was. When this question comes up and others, my age, are romancing over seeing Blind Melon or The Moody Blues, I get to bust out Weird Al’s name. My initial introduction to live music was through the satirist’s 1999 tour promoting his album Running With Scissors and I’m not ashamed to say it. He rocked the fucking house, “It’s All About The Pentiums” went significantly harder than the Puff Daddy (pre-P. Diddy) original. Oh yes, those were the days.
Since then, I’ve kind of lost sight of Weird Al Yankovic’s career, that’s not to say I ever renounced my fanhood, I just sort of stuck my head in the sand hoping I could loop The Food Album without having to necessarily fuck wit’ Straight Outta Lynwood. All that aside, our boy James Greene Jr. over at Crawdaddy Magazine gave an exceptional interview with the prodigious pundit of parody.
The multi-talented comedian gives us the scoop on his relationships with the celebrities he so gracefully mocks, his newest album Alpocalypse, which features the above “Perform This Way.” His new video parody of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” which has garnered almost 7 million (at the time of writing this) views. Al also shares his own thoughts on the past, present, and future of his career.
The length of those flawless curls speak volumes about his adventure as an artist, hurdling over copyright infringement and humorless musicians, to a place of genuine funniness. The insightful conversation with the maestro of mockery is available to read here.
Blake Anderson is a workaholic. Or at least he plays one on TV. Star and co-creator of everyone’s favorite new slacker comedy show, Comedy Central‘s Workaholics, this mustachioed, large-haired gentleman has, along with his co-stars, emerged as one of the funniest and most successful comedians of the year. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started watching the show, but as the season progressed it grew from funny to downright hysterical.
The triumphant first run just ended, and luckily they were quickly renewed for a second. Contributing to his already high level of coolness, Anderson is also a Мишка fan, and he and the dudes have been spotted in the past rocking Death Adders and more. I was lucky enough to sit down (metaphorically) with the genial, exceedingly nice Blake and discuss the show, the future, pizza delivery regulations, and the merits of alternative chips.
So what’s going on? You guys hard at work on the second season right now?
Blake: Yeah, we’ve uh finished like nine of our ten scripts, we got one more to write and then we start filming at the end of this month. Y’know I’m ready for that, we’ve kinda just been doing a bunch of writing since the season aired, and even before that. Ready to get out of this room and get to having fun on the set.
When do you start shooting the second season?
Blake: We start shooting at the end of this month, like the 27th or something. Is that real date? It sounds real. So that’s our first day, from then on it’s just crazy. When we’re shooting it’s just running and gunning.
So had you guys wrapped shooting before the season started?
Blake: Yeah, yeah, it was actually sitting on the shelf for a little while because they wanted to have it come out with the new South Park episodes, which is really cool because it showed they had a lot of confidence in our show. ‘Cause y’know South Park, with Daily Show and Tosh.0, is pretty much why they’re still around. It’s just legendary on the network, so pairing us up with them was really cool. Showed us that we had something good.
In the past they’ve had some trouble with that particular slot (Big Lake, Secret Girlfriend, Jeff Dunham Show) but Workaholics has been a big success it seems.
Blake: Yeah man, it’s been really awesome. We pretty much found an audience and grew every week, which was just a really good feeling. Y’know we weren’t having like humongous blow the doors off numbers, but we were building and the network likes to see that. Hopefully we can continue to do that in the next season.
Because it did so well do you feel more freedom as far as what you can do in season two?
Blake: We’re definitely still pedal to the metal. What’s weird is that season one, when we’re nobodies, y’know we’d never done anything before so they were taking a gamble with a bunch of no names, so we could get away with whatever we wanted. But now, once they feel like they have something precious, they started to pay a little more attention, give a few more notes. We’re still bringing the crazy, it’s still the same show, it’s still just completely nuts dumb comedy so, I’m excited for it.
You had done some stuff with MySpace TV before, right? The Crossbows & Mustaches series?
Blake: Pretty much before we got this gig we were chasing it for like five years, doing the internet grind. We have like 50 videos or whatever up on YouTube and we never got many views really, kinda just under the radar. We ended up making a series that Workaholics is based off of, and luckily a person at Comedy Central ended up seeing it. Before that, just hustlin’. In between delivering pizzas, when we had like an extra 50 bucks in our wallets, we’d pull an idea and a video together.
Ain’t no fame like internet fame.
Blake: Right man! But, to be honest, we weren’t even that really. Just gutter rats of the internet pretty much. Hardly anyone was even watching but, when you’re creative you kinda just gotta go with it, whether you’re getting payed for it or not.
How did all of you end up working together?
Blake: Me and Kyle [Newacheck], our director who also plays Carl the drug dealer, grew up together in the Bay Area. Adam’s [DeVine] from Omaha and Ders [Anders Holm] is from Evanston. Kyle and I ended up enrolling together at Orange Coast Community College. I took an improv class there and I met Adam. He was sorta the other funny dude in the class, so we grew to hate each other, but also respect each other. We just decided to do some shit, and moved out to LA. Adam was at Second City there and met Ders. From there we pretty much just started to do the damn thing.
I noticed you did the rapping wizards, which had been a video series before, on the show. How much do you think about things you’ve done in the past and bringing them onto this bigger level?
Blake: Like having the Crossbows dudes show up or something? *laughs* Yeah, I mean, we did sneak the wizards in there. I suppose I’d have to go back through the old videos. For the most part the wizards seemed like the most logical thing to be on the show. The wizards and the Crossbows are the two things that I’m most proud of. We’re actually in talks with people over at Cartoon Network about maybe making a wizards cartoon. That’s really in the young stages though.
Cool. So you have that, and I know Anders raps on the show. Then you have that Skinny Boys song as your theme. You guys really into rap?
Blake: Speaking for myself, I’m just a huge music fan in general. I know Ders, he grew up in Chicago, he’s pretty well versed in that stuff. The Skinny Boys was just something I stumbled upon when we were in between shots on set. I like to cruise iTunes down with that little bar that suggests stuff…
iTunes Genius?
Blake: Yeah, that thing. I heard that song and I was like “damn this beatboxing’s gotta be on the show.”
I’ve heard some rumors that you shoot the show in your actual house.
Blake: All true, unfortunately. That house you see on the show is where we’re living at. It’s a nasty little party shack in the valley pretty much. Well we’re actually in the process of getting out of there now. We’re in there basically all the time and it was starting to stink. We’ve had some pretty bad battles with rats, and I think it’s time to treat ourselves and maybe move up a little bit.
The recent death of the Macho Man, Randy Savagem has stirred the emotions and temperaments of professional wrestling’s biggest superstars. Now the pot has boiled over and landed atop Hulk Hogan. James Helwig, better known as the Ultimate Warrior of the WWF, was videotaped airing some major grievances with Mr. America, sparing no cheap shots, as part of a 45-minute Hulk Hogan tell-all that hits the internet this Friday. The collection of interviews, including a couch-side correspondence with Terry Bollea on the state of his relationship with Randy Savage of which I believe is taken from an A&E documentary produced earlier this year, aims to build a case against the Hulkster as a snake in the grass liar with loyalty only to his self-indulgent urges.
This bashing takes place outside of the ring as The Ultimate Warrior, bearing resentments that have consumed him for who knows how long, finally makes good on his threats to post a video exposing Hogan for being a backstabbing greaseball. After the assault on The Hulkamaniac’s integrity, Warrior comes out looking pretty slimy himself, resorting to finger-pointing and slander, when we all know the real way to settle wrestling beef is on the mat. Fidelity problems within one’s marriage and drug tribulations are trivial yet sacred grounds that legitimize any legal action that might be, and is in the process of being, taken in court.
We may never know if Warrior’s accusations hold any water and if Hulk is the conniving turncoat he is alleged to be or if this is a product of jealousy over Hogan’s long and fruitful career whereas the character of Ultimate Warrior has faded into obsolescence with the likes of other gimmicky beefcakes that time forgot such as Junkyard Dog, Iron Sheik, and Sergeant Slaughter. His condemnations better be backed by physical readiness because I have the feeling that Hulk Hogan isn’t just going to take this blow to the ego with a grain of salt. Information or misinformation, we’ve got some juicy gossip that eclipses any drama Vince McMahon could’ve aroused.
“Ya know, being the only wrestler that said ‘no’ to so many things in wrestling, I bet I’m the only guy that ever said ‘no’ to doing your wife” – The Ultimate Warrior [in reference to Hulk Hogan and his ex-wife Linda].
Brad Renfro, an actor perhaps best known for playing the long-suffering, babyfaced Josh in the essential Ghost World, died in 2008 of a heroin overdose. Afterward, he was not included in the Oscars reel of Hollywood denizens who had died during the course of that year, which many considered a wildly insensitive oversight. In an ironic twist, one of last year’s Oscar hosts has created a permanent tribute to Renfro by carving his name into their arm with a switchblade like a disturbed goth kid with a crush.
The whole process was painstakingly documented for art publication The Thing Quarterly, which asks notable people in artistic fields to create an object that somehow incorporates text. Each package also includes a mirror with “BRAD FOREVER” handwritten in lipstick by the celebrity. An intentionally scarred-up arm and make-up smeared everywhere – Anne Hathaway’s stylist is going be so pissed when she hears about this!
I kid, of course – what other actor would turn self-mutilation into hiiiigh ahhhrrt but the pretentious polymath that is James Franco? Also, how much longer can he keep pulling these bizarre moves before high school girls take down their posters of him because he’s just, like, too weird? You would think his short film, The Feast of Stephen, in which he wears a penis on his face, would have been the clincher, but his certified heartthrob status is still pretty solid. Maybe instead of eschewing him, we’ll see a rash of his more obsessed fans pull copycat moves and scar “JAMES” into their biceps. Maybe his next art project should be a slow-motion, black and white anti-self-harm PSA, just in case.
Although she had been mostly quiet for a few years, Everyone’s favorite Riot Grrrl (or at least ours) Kathleen Hanna has been slowly and surely moving back into the spotlight as she and the world at large start embracing her artistic legacy. Hanna recently dropped not one but TWO new interviews. First she ruffled a few feathers in a recent interview with CNN (of all places) and she spoke out over at Spinner as well. when she made some bold claims surrounding the contemporary, often-times dismal, landscape that is popular music. The outspoken artist had spent enough time cutting her teeth spazzing out in Sonic Youth videos, penning Nirvana song titles, and creating seminal feminist-leaning albums throughout the 90′s and early aught’s, that when she has something to say, folks generally tend to take heed. While the interview begins in a typically mundane CNN’y fashion, Hanna’s responses quickly take a turn for the entertaining when the line of questioning shifts to the current cast of gals who populate Top 40 radio.
After big-upping Ke$ha’s initial smash hit “Tik Tok”, Hanna digs her heels in, clenches her teeth, and really starts spitting some venom. While her comments may at first seem rather blunt, they are mostly dead on, as she set her cross hairs on the ultra-popular Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Her most appropriately scathing sentiment surfaces when she refers to the mostly ham-fisted manner in which each of these pop stars have cultivated their public image… she claims “just because you’re wearing a goofy hat doesn’t make it performance art.” One would hope this could act as a rallying cry for the newly developing crop of budding pop stars who may just now be slipping into their first ever pair of tiny hot pants.
Members of Rock n’ Roll’s (I use the term lightly) boys club don’t get off scott free either, as the front woman throws a couple of jabs at some of the worst representatives the genre has to offer. While Hanna never really goes into specifics when dealing with either Jason Mraz or James Blunt, I tend to believe her claim that Blunt’s new single may very well be the “worst thing that has ever been created on the face of the earth”. The former Bikini Kill member, and Le Tigre vocalist also spends a nice chunk of the interview venting on the resurging interest in feminism amongst coming-of-age girl, as well as her group’s new DVD, which recently dropped, and is entitled Who Took The Bomp? Le Tigre on Tour.
In her subsequent Spinner interview, Hanna spend s lot of time discussing the new tour documentary and even touches on a bit about Odd Future and their recent brush up with Tegan & Sara. While she admits she isn’t a fan or all that familiar, Hanna offers up the sage advice that if what’s said bothers you don’t listen to it and don’t publicize it bu publicly complaining about it to your fanbase.
Might I also suggest before I depart, that you read Hanna’s responses to the interviewer’s queries aloud, attempting to mimic the gentle valley-girl lilt found in her distinct speaking voice. It’ll be guaranteed fun for all parties involved!
Most of our readers do not strike me as your average American Idol fans, so perhaps you missed our loud mouthed celebrity apprentice mopster, Lil Jon on the show during the season finale. The episode featured our valiant bass soldier performing “Come Get Some” in order to hype up the crowd for TLC (R.I.P. Left Eye) who went on to perform a medley of “Scrubs” and “Waterfalls.”
I definitely had that album and i would be lying if I said that “Creep” and “Red Light Special” off of CrazySexyCool weren’t supreme boner jams for me… but going by this I take it the Bloglin as a whole have a huge boner for the ladies and songs of TLC.
So whay am I talking about American Idol? Because Lil’ Jon was strutting his stuff on the red carpet and stage wearing our Famous Stars and Straps collaboration Kill’em All jacket and cap. I think Randy Jackson even said “Yo Dog! I dig your crazy swag!” to him. Lil’ Jon’s been a crazy primetime ambassador for us the past few months.
We still have some of these bad boys available so don’t sleep on your WWII swag!
