Entertain Me By Michael Shinafelt: Music

Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Brian Falduto

"Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That"

Brian Falduto’s newest single release is another example of what's become the modus operandi for the Hollywood child actor turned country crooner: it's the same old country love song, but it's gay. He covers Dolly Parton’s beloved classic “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That,” but his version adds a modern twist that while humorous, also carries real significance to Falduto and a large segment of country music fans that have long felt ignored by the genre. “As far as I'm concerned, we all belong in country music,” he asserts. “White, black, straight, gay… country music is about storytelling and it's time we hear some new stories.”

Brian Falduto first gained fame playing the role of Fancy Pants in the Jack Black cult classic film School of Rock. The intense focus on the effeminate mannerisms he displayed as an adolescent would have a major impact on Brian’s coming to terms with his sexuality as a teen and young adult. “Mine is a story of what happens when society attaches a label on something they don’t understand in order to avoid their own discomfort,” he reflects today. Brian would later pen a pivotal essay about his sexual awakening in The Advocate and he now travels the country performing and speaking at Pride events, sharing himself vulnerably and offering hope to people in the early stages of their coming out.

In 2023, Brian released his first country music song, "Same Old Country Love Song.” It was greeted with a flood of positive encouragement and excitement and would become an LGBTQ+ country music anthem. Subsequent releases followed including “Hottest Guy Here”, “Big Boys Club, and “Skip the Step.”

In his live shows, Brian Falduto often mixes his original material with cover tracks. He finds familiar songs complete the vibe of his sets and showcase his inspirations. Dolly’s always a favorite because of her consistent support of the LGBTQ+ community and he is especially drawn to tongue-in-cheek songs like “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” because they are similar to his current catalog. His version of Dolly’s beloved classic doesn’t delineate too far from the original, but it does contain some rootsier, folkier elements that color the song differently. Also, in its production, Brian draws inspiration from the Cam song, “Diane.” “Tonally, ‘Diane’ is similar to ‘Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That’ so I’d say my version marries the two,” Falduto explains.

The biggest alteration from Dolly’s version is Brian’s queer storyline. “People forget this song is about a player,” he laughs. “The cowboy is charming but doesn’t treat his lover so right.”

Brian admits that he can relate to the song. “In my twenties I was always chasing attractive but unavailable men who were incapable of an authentic connection.” (Anyone interested in learning more about Brian’s dalliances can listen to “One More,” a single he released earlier this year chronicling a flirtatiously romantic encounter.)

The “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” video was filmed in NYC at Hill Country BBQ. It was directed by Brian Falduto and styled by Brendan McCann. Hollywood actor Dan Amboyer (Youngerand Uncoupled) plays the charming, cheatin’ cowboy.

“I love that Brian is taking a classic Dolly song and flipping it, making it his own,” Amboyer says from his NYC home. He is excited to play a part in Brian Falduto’s mission to make country music more LGBTQ+ inclusive. “There’s a perception that gays are urban-centric and that country music isn’t for us,” Dan Amboyer continues. “But that’s not my experience. My husband grew up on a cattle ranch. I grew up with pet chickens and pulling bullfrogs out of creeks.”

Brian has noticed a positive shift towards inclusion in country music in recent months. He points to Beyonce Knowles shaking up the genre with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” but also feels there is still a lot of work to be done. “I mean, Beyonce was the first black woman to have a number one single in country music? It's not because black country artists don't exist.”

He places the blame on country music radio who, for too long, have been the gatekeepers on what music gets played on air and what is discarded. “Thanks to streaming services, long silenced genres of country including queer country music are finally finding an audience,” says Brian, adding, “This is only the beginning.”

Brian Falduto’s “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms. Its video releases to Youtube on Tuesday, April 16.

Visit http://BrianFalduto.com

Follow Brian Falduto on FB, IG, X and TikTok @BrianFalduto

Friday, April 12, 2024

The "Roarin' 20's" Are Back!

Johnny Bloom

Johnny Bloom aims to usher in a new age of jazz with his debut single, "Roarin’ 20s." The song harkens back to a post-war era when young people danced the Charleston and the Shimmy. It is fun and flirty, with an attention-grabbing groove that mixes elements of blues, ragtime, marching music and African folk rhythm. “I’ve always been incredibly interested in American music through the generations, and the history of New Orleans street jazz, blues, and bandstand music, in particular,” says Bloom. “My main purpose with ‘Roaring 20s” is to help revive a style of music I am passionate about, and to broaden people’s tastes in music. I have discovered that diversifying the music I listen to has absolutely changed my life for the better and I hope it will do the same for listeners.” Johnny Bloom’s “Roarin’ 20s” is being released by So Fierce Music and distributed by The Orchard/Sony Music. It will be available on Spotify and all major music platforms on April 12.

Johnny Bloom was born and raised in small-town Auburn, Illinois. His parents divorced when he was six-years old and Johnny found solace in the vibrant world of the marching band and theatrical productions. He learned to play the baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, and tuba and dreamed of a career in music. However, before chasing the dream, he felt compelled to pursue a calling most people would not expect from him.

“Since I was a really young kid, I always wanted to join the Navy,” he says. His grandfather, who helped to raise Johnny for a great deal of his young life, was a welder in the Navy during the Cold War. Johnny wanted to carry on his legacy. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving as a nuclear reactor operator. Johnny, who is openly gay, was out to his officers and fellow sailors. “My grandpa passed away when I was 14, but I know he would be proud of the commitment to the US military that I made through him.”

Now that he has completed his service, Johnny has returned to civilian life with a renewed vigor to pursue music. He aims to make his mark by presenting unconventional sounds inspired by music from the early and mid-twentieth century, but with a modern twist. “I love the older feel from Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and Marvin Gaye, but I’m also drawn to the rugged, belt-y voices of Miley Cyrus, Måneskin, Lady Gaga, Raye, and Adam Lambert,” he explains.

Johnny Bloom’s “Roarin’ 20s” is being released by So Fierce Music and distributed by The Orchard/Sony Music. It will be available on Spotify and all major music platforms on April 12.

Visit https://www.sofiercemusic.com

Follow Johnny Bloom on IG @officialjohnnybloom and on TikTok @official_johnnybloom

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

"Not My Problem"

Tom Goss is publicly and comically washing his hands in "Not My Problem," the second single from his ninth studio album, Remember What It Feels Like. The pop/rock banger is based on Tom’s true-life five-year relationship with a very impressive Englishman who was not all who he appeared to be. "I fell in love with a charming but criminal con man who is now in prison,” Goss says, explaining a painful experience in which he was gaslighted and manipulated into believing that it was his responsibility to help heal a man that he loved. “When his lies were finally exposed, I realized that the vast majority of his problems were fabricated to control and take advantage of me.” Goss is supporting the release of the single and video with concerts in San Francisco, Seattle, Palm Springs and other cities to be announced. Tom Goss’s "Not My Problem" is available April 8^th on Spotify and all digital platforms.

“He still writes me on a regular basis,” Goss reveals from his Los Angeles home. “I have a year and a half of letters from a British prison in my house. I don’t read them, but I don’t throw them away either. It’s weird.”

He views the song and video as a “Dear John” letter to his ex; one that gives him the liberation—and last word—that he has longed for. The video is directed and styled by Michael Serrato, who Goss worked with previously on videos such as “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Nerdy Bear.” It was filmed on a prison set at Le Chalet in Los Angeles and in Tom’s own Sounds Awesome Studios in Inglewood. The video stars Goss, Dean Elex Bais as the lying ex, and drag queen Meatball as an overly amorous prison guard.

“Watching Meatball terrify Dean was a pure delight,” says Tom of filming the video. While the video is campy and comical, its message is a serious one. “It’s a declaration that my ex and his lies did not and will not break me. I’m resilient and strong and I will continue to believe in people and be a positive force in the world.”

Tom Goss has been singing for more than 15 years, creating a large and varied body of work (nine albums, five EPs, 40 music videos) that tracks his development both as a man and as an artist. He has transformed the facts of his life—a troubled teen and college wrestler; a student studying to become a priest; touring the country as a gay singer-songwriter; falling in love and getting married; the heartbreak of infidelity and the challenges of an open marriage; and, now, being conned by a lover with a secret life—into songs of remarkable range, strength, and beauty. His songs have been featured on ABC, HBO, Disney+, and in several films. His music videos (including “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Breath and Sound” and “Bears”) have been viewed more than 20 million times.

His latest studio album, Remember What It Feels Like, reflects on where Tom has come from and where he finds himself today: a 42-year-old living in Los Angeles who cherishes all of his memories, both sweet and bitter, as essential parts of his story and identity. The album is an expansive 15-track collection of happy and light-hearted pop songs punctuated by beautiful ballads and raucous rock. Featured artists include comedian and musician Deven Green, hip hop diva Maya La Maya, wry chanteuse Anne Reburn and Goss's longtime collaborator de ROCHE.

"Not My Problem" is a bit angstier than other tracks on the album. It acknowledges the heartache and pain Tom Goss experienced after learning the truth about his ex’s largely fictional life, but also acknowledges that there is a day to every night, a peak to every valley. In true Tom Goss style, the singer manages to find a bright spot in the experience. “If there’s one positive thing I have learned from my ex, it is that reality is whatever you construct it to be. If he could create a fanciful life out of nothing, any of us can. It’s actually kind of empowering to believe that we can all dream big, take chances and risk it all.”

“If choosing to live in a distorted reality helps you to keep your spirits up, that’s fine. It’s not my problem. But don’t hurt people: that’s not cool. You can create whatever reality you want without being a douchebag.”

Visit http://tomgossmusic.com

Follow Tom Goss on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Saturday, April 6, 2024

Woo!!!

Woo

Independent record label Independent Project Records (IPR) announced today that they have released two albums as companion pieces by U.K. cult band Woo. The band was recently featured in Electronic Sound magazine.

Both Robot X (originally released in 2016) and Xylophonics (2017) have been reshaped and newly conceived with updated artwork for release as, for the first time ever, a one-package release on double CD and double vinyl sets, as well as digital formats. Additionally, a new video for the Robot X focus track ‘Repeatability’ is out now on IPR’s YouTube channel, produced and created by Woo’s very own Clive Ives.

IPR and Woo first worked together in 1988 with the release of Whichever Way You Are Going, You Are Going Wrong and then the acclaimed 1989 cult favorite It’s Cosy Inside. Almost forty years later, the men behind Woo, brothers Mark and Clive Ives, have been remarkably prolific, and Independent Project Records is in the fourth year of its relaunch. Time to join forces again.

“We had a great collaboration with Bruce back then,” says Clive Ives of Woo. “Both Mark and I were delighted about this new double album with IPR. We love Bruce Licher’s aesthetic and distinct designs. He has really surpassed our expectations with his beautifully crafted letterpress artworks for the two albums. And IPR asked the brilliant Josh Bonati to master our albums!”

“I first met Mark and Clive Ives in the mid-eighties after being thoroughly amazed by the music of Woo on their self-released debut album Whichever Way You Are Going, You Are Going Wrong,” remembers Independent Project Records founder Bruce Licher. “I’m very excited to be working with them again on their catalog almost 40 years later, as both Robot X and Xylophonics are wonderfully weird albums cut from the same cloth as the electronic uniqueness they created years ago. There is nothing else quite like the sound that the Brothers Ives make — a sound that is quintessentially Woo.”

Robot X and Xylophonics tell a story of retro-futuristic visions from different angles: both proudly experimental, they combine a deluge of musical influences to offer something that is, quite remarkably, deeply layered and minimalist at the same time. The unpredictable instrumentals invite listeners to attach their own fantasies to what they hear, whether those fantasies belong to the past, the present or, more likely, a robotic future.

Robot X was created from snippets of recordings made on a 4-track tape machine in the 80s. “One of our most abstract and surreal albums," Clive Ives calls it. When the record was first compiled in 2016, the brothers felt that the reality of humanoid robots being made and being used was imminent. This concept became the main inspiration for the album, fuelled by the influence of Terry Gilliam’s 1985 masterpiece Brazil, with its blend of sci-fi and dark comedy.

The story, set in a dystopian world in which there is an over-reliance on poorly maintained (and rather whimsical) machines, proved influential for Robot X’s artwork, too: Clive Ives collaged together various old industrial machinery etchings to create robots, coming up with something that is obviously not as practical and functional as modern (real world) robots are designed to be. Even with good design, the question arises: how will these logical machines co-exist with unpredictable humans?

Xylophonics came together after the brothers Ives started reworking tracks found in the 90s section of their spacious archive. Back then, they had just begun recording onto computers. These tracks showcase their first opportunity to properly link drum machines with keyboards, and create loops and multitrack more layers without the need of sound on sound on a tape deck, working on melodic loops made with tuned percussion instruments such as marimba, kalimba and xylophone, and creating a feel that is equally futuristic and optimistic.

Follow Independent Project Records on Social Media:

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Hell Together

David Archuleta

I wrote this song based off what my mom told me a few days after I said I was stepping away from our church. She said she was going to step away too and then said, “If you’re going to hell, we’re all going to hell with you.” While we didn’t look at hell as many people do as Latter-day Saints at the time, and even now my transition out of religion has shifted the idea as a whole for me, I understood the sentiment she meant in what she said, and it meant a lot to me. Thank you for always loving and supporting me mom. ❤️ This song is dedicated to those who show unconditional love in a world where it’s so easy to judge things we don’t fully understand, the way my mom showed that love to me.PRE-SAVE HELL TOGETHER

Check out everything new with David here -

https://davidarchuleta.com/

Monday, March 18, 2024

Tracks From The Attic

Today Independent Project Records and David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) share news of a West Coast tour in support of the recently announced triple album Tracks From the Attic on digital, CD, colored vinyl LP and Super Deluxe Box Set Art Edition formats out on May 3.

Dubbed An Evening With David J, the tour begins on the album’s release day, Friday May 3, with a one-of-kind event at the Bodecker Foundation in Portland, Oregon titled Enter the Attic: an Evening with David J. This will be a tiered ticketed event featuring an interview and Q&A with David and moderator Jeffrey Clark (Shiva Burlesque/IPR), a two-part live performance (solo acoustic and full band) that will find David J performing from the bottom of the iconic Bodecker skate pool (already seen on the Stephen Colbert Show and known for its incredible acoustics and striking design), plus a screening of music videos and a private viewing of David’s original paintings, some of which are also included in the lush deluxe box set edition of Tracks From the Attic. Ticketed live streaming will be available for 48 hours after the performance to allow fans from all over the world to take part in such a special event. A digital download of the live show will be provided to all in-person and virtual guests after the event. Tickets available here.

Tickets to all shows can be purchased here. Additional tour dates & further details will be announced soon.

Hand-picked by David himself, the three-LP Tracks From the Attic was originally part of Record Store Day’s RSD Black Friday 2023 and features solo demos recorded on audio-cassette between 1984 and 2004. With Tracks From the Attic, the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets co-founder invites listeners on a most fascinating journey: we’re looking through boxes of tapes, getting reacquainted with an artist we’ve known for a long time - yet, the intimate songs he recorded in solitude over three decades reveal new sides to him. Tracks From the Attic offers a unique experience that gives equal importance to the aural, the visual and the tactile.

A Super Deluxe Box Set Art Edition of only 70 numbered copies is also set for release and is autographed and extremely limited. It comes in translucent natural vinyl and features a new color scheme cover, plus a limited edition David J artwork. What makes each of the Super Deluxe Art Box Sets so unique is the inclusion of actual cassettes from David’s personal home archive, the very ones that were used to compile this career-spanning archival release. This version of Tracks From the Attic is only available from the IPR store. More details here.

ABOUT INDEPENDENT PROJECT RECORDS

Founded in 1980 by musician and artist Bruce Licher, Independent Project Records and its sister entity Independent Project Press are known for their instantly recognizable hand-printed record covers for bands including Camper Van Beethoven, For Against, Polvo, R.E.M., Savage Republic, Silversun Pickups, Stereolab and more. Aside from creating much of the artwork on his vintage two-ton hand-fed letterpress, Licher was nominated for a Grammy Award for his design work on the IPR released debut album from For Against. In 2020, the label was relaunched by both Licher and Jeffrey Clark with new and archival releases and is distributed by MRI/The Orchard & via Proper Music Group outside the USA & Canada. IPR is based in Bishop, California, at the base of the Eastern Sierra Mountains.

For More Information, Please Contact Joshua Mills at

It’s Alive! Media, 323-464-6314, josh@itsalivemedia.com, www.itsalivemedia.com

Camilla Aisa, camillaaisa@gmail.com

Follow Independent Project Records on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

TikTok

Saturday, March 2, 2024

"No Condition"

LA area punk / power-pop band For Closure has released a new single "No Condition" via Mindpower Records.

Stream "No Condition" HERE: https://orcd.co/nocondition

For Closure drummer/producer Wal Rashidi says, “No Condition” encapsulates much of what I love and seek in a song. And I can say this as someone who’s somewhat detached from it, as I didn’t have a hand in the songwriting, just the production.

For Closure

It is equal parts bold and expressive in its outro, counterbalanced with intimate and sparse in its verses. The arpeggiated, glassy guitar tones we dialed in are an imperfect nod to the 1980s new wave/post-punk watery riffs emanating from the Roland Jazz Chorus amps in videos we grew up watching on MTV (or listening to early KROQ hits). Gizz’s (frontman Gizz Lazlo- Dr. Know, U.K. Subs, The Freeze, Dead Lazlo’s Place) legato vocals, delicately draped over my thunderous toms, recall bands like The Icicle Works, though they also possess the muscle and motivation of Samiam’s Jason Beebout.

I am satisfied with my mix of this song, probably because it happened so effortlessly. I love how the dozen-plus tracks of backing vocals neatly charted their course as they float amid the ether of the song, simultaneously transparent yet plenty apparent. Luis’s tight, crunchy guitar riffing in the bridge eventually yields to a full-throttle send of the outro, with the densely-layered choir repeatedly exclaiming “noooo!” as I hammer quarter notes on the crash cymbal — it really thrusts this cut into an elevated stratum and provides the mashed-pedal drive it deserves, even if the lyrics state an emphatic opposition that, “I’m in no condition / to drive you all the way home!”

What makes it even more impressive was watching Gizz on the other side of the glass, in the vocal booth at the recording studio — the eponymous, succinctly-monikered Studio — in Redlands, California, absolutely nailing it all in one take. I’m nearly sure I exclaimed a stunned “wow” as the hair rose on my arms (I have hairy arms, too). I could somehow still sense the sweet and mildly-spiced waft of a Djarum Special clove cigarette he had just dusted off mere minutes before nailing this cut, quizzically piercing its way through the double-paned window into the control room (“I see you walking through / that crowded, smoky room”). While I already knew Gizz was highly competent at his craft, I didn’t realize Gizz could be unassailably stellar in the studio. (Given this is my first album as a solo producer, perhaps I was just gifted a stroke of beginner’s luck?)

I think “No Condition” could resonate with just about anyone listening. It’s beautiful, powerful and might serve as the flagship track on this forthcoming full-length album by For Closure. I also hope that “No Condition” encapsulates much of what you love and seek in a song."

Socials:

www.instagram.com/forclosurela

www.facebook.com/forclosurela

Saturday, February 17, 2024

No Reason This Can't Be Fun

The Disassociates

SoCal's The Disassociates have released their debut album No Reason This Can't Be Fun.

Stream the new album and follow the band on socials here: https://linktr.ee/thedisassociates.

Vocalist Brie Marie says, “No Reason This Can’t Be Fun is a fun, wild, and completely open & honest look into coping with life and all the struggles that come with it. Whether you want to laugh, cry, or rage, No Reason This Can’t Be Fun has a song for you.”

Stream the "I Don't Wanna" video here: https://youtu.be/5aC4gKQpjbY?si=AaFUSuE6q1bwPcYT .

The Disassociates are an electrifying alternative rock band emerging from Southern California, fusing elements of alternative rock, power-punk, and catchy melodies with relatable, authentic, and at times hilarious lyrics. Debuting in 2023 with their singles "I Don't Wanna" and "30mg", this enigmatic band is comprised of longtime friends vocalist Brie Marie, guitarist Jordan Sutton, drummer Michael Bonanno, and bassist Justin Pittman, each bringing a unique musical perspective to the table.

Known for their thought-provoking lyrics and dynamic instrumentation, The Disassociates navigate the realms of introspection and rebellion through their music with influences ranging from from pop punk to classic rock to metal. The band creates a sonic tapestry that is both familiar and groundbreaking.

The Disassociates' debut album, No Reason This Can't Be Fun, showcases the band's ability to push boundaries both lyrically and musically. If the clever yet true-to-life lyrics don't grab you, the melodies will be stuck in your head for at least 3-5 business days.

Upcoming Show:

March 22 Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry’s Pizza