Fabulous @ 50 - Traci Lords!

Happy Birthday Traci!
Traci Lords

That's correct peeps the one and only Traci Lords turns the big five-oh today. Can you believe it?! So what's an Icon to do for her 50th? Why give her fans what they want most. New music and more Traci! 

I got Traci to slow down long enough to chat with me about her latest tune "Come Alive" and what it feels like for a grrrrrrl turning 50. After all that's what friends are for! It's time to lick it up!  

MS: Happy 50th, welcome to the tribe, how does it feel to be Fabulous & Fifty?

 TL: It’s about damn time!  I am so proud of everything I’ve accomplished and the life I live today. I can straight up tell you that I am happy, healthy and ready to finally take my place at the #elderbitches table! Bring it. 

MS: I wanted to tell you my sister's Birthday is the day after yours and she will be turning 50 as well.

TL: How funny!  Tell that Taurus woman that I wish her a very Happy Birthday!!!!

 MS: Any big plans to celebrate the beginning of another decade of living?

TL: I’m celebrating my 50th over the next year!  I’m going to do 5 things I’ve never done before. All of which must somehow terrify me! I’ll be traveling a lot, recording more music and really savoring time with  my husband and my little  boy! He’s growing up so fast and I love that I haven’t missed ANY of it. And yes, I will eat the cake. 

 MS: It's your party, what made you decide to gift your fans with the new single "Come Alive?"

TL: I really appreciate and love my fans.... without them there is no audience.  They have given me so much of their attention over the years and they have been relentless in their pleas for new music. But it’s been difficult for me to wrap my brain around. Thing is I  love to write and record  but I’m not in a band and I don’t consider myself an amazing singer. I’m more of a vocal stylist. Having said that, I’m excited to be collaborating with different people this year. I’m in an exploring stage.

 MS: Tell me what inspired the song. 

TL: "Come Alive" is about surrendering to what you ache for. When I write, I try to paint a picture. This story is really about the 17 year old Traci who created an ultra ego to dominate men and make her world okay. It’s about being out of control ( Control has always been my obsession! I am a Taurus!!!!). but somehow finding power while flailing.  It’s  about the stories we tell ourselves to deal with the shit life hands us. You know surviving.

"Come Alive" 

MS: Well I really like it. Are you planning a video for it? (Can I be in it?)  

 TL: Thank you so much Michael. The lyric video for "Come Alive" will be up on YouTube Today, my Birthday. 💋 The rest I’m not sure about yet! 

MS: What's the latest 411 on your Pin-Up Girl clothing line. 

TL: My Line at Pinup Girl is doing fantastic! I’ve had such an amazing time working with Laura Byrnes and my team. There’s so much creatively that’s going on in fashion right now. And I have several new pieces due out for summer that are truly classic vintage must have staples. Also, season 2 of our hilarious comedy series Swedish Dicks is landing on Pop TV this July 26. My character Jane McKinney is dressed head to toe in original Pinup Girl designs. We will be releasing the Jane collection as the show airs! 

MS: Tell me one thing that you want for your Birthday that money can't buy.

TL: Tomorrow

 MS: Who are you listening to at present (pun intended) 

TL: These days, no pun intended, I am listening to myself.That's the great part of being an elder bitch. (laughs) Musically though, for real  I am listening to Avicii remixes. I'm blown away that he is no longer on the planet, he was gone so young. I'm feeling a little nostalgic at the moment. I've been listening to the Pet Shop Boys, with a little Pat Benatar and some Blondie thrown in. "Yes" I'm in an eighties state of mind.

Elder Bitches in the Driver's Seat
Me & Traci

MS: Invite some famous people to celebrate Fabulous Fifty with you living or not, who would they be?

TL: Cleopatra, Brian Wilson, and Sid Vicious

MS: Any exciting acting gigs coming up?

TL: Season 2 of Swedish Dicks airs July 26 on Pop TV and my new indie film Steam Room Stories will start playing the festivals this Fall. 💋

"Come Alive"on iTunes at: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/traci-lords/61320

Keep up with Traci on the www at:
https://www.instagram.com/tracilords/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/thetracilords?lang=en
www.tracilords.com/

D.O.A: A Right Of Passage

Punk Rock + It's Origin = D.O.A. "D.O.A. is as much of a Woodstock as punk may ever inspire." - The New York Times "D.O.A. features state-of-the-art performances...  Still, it's the eerie Spungen-Vicious dialogue that will probably haunt most viewers." - Rolling Stone D.O.A.: A Right Of Passage is the ground-breaking classic rockumentary about the origin of punk rock. The film will be coming to select theaters in mid-November, and will also be available in a collector's edition Blu-ray + DVD package. "High Times is pleased to finally uncover and restore this extraordinary, vintage film - D.O.A.," said High Times owner and CEO Adam Levin.  The vision for the film can be attributed to two people: Tom Forcade (the founder of High Times magazine) and filmmaker Lech Kowalski (East of Paradise). The production centered around the Sex Pistols 1978 tour of the US, which ended with the group breaking up. Forcade and Kowalski followed the band with handheld cameras through the clubs and bars during their seven-city U.S. tour.  Mixing this with footage of other contemporary bands, trends in the fashion capitals and punks of all shapes and colors, the film makers captured a grainy, stained snapshot of the punk movement at its peak (which includes the now famous footage of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in bed) along with rare interview and concert footage of the late seventies punk rock music scene.  As John Holmstrom, Founding Editor of PUNK Magazine, writes in his liner notes: "D.O.A., the original 1950 film noir and A Rite of Passage's namesake, was about a dead man walking who wanted to get revenge on his killers. This aptly describes D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage, which was made by a man who killed himself a few months later, who wanted to get revenge on his tormentors: corporate and government control of rock music and youth culture." For Holmstrom's complete story, go HERE. With live performances by the Sex Pistols, The Dead Boys, Generation X (with Billy Idol), The Rich Kids, the X-Ray Spex, and Sham 69, along with additional music from The Clash, Iggy Pop, this iconic documentary is now available for the first time ever on disc! Trailer: https://youtu.be/gYvCYMdnpH4 Screenings: 11/15-11/16 - Phoenix, AZ - FilmBar  11/16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Hollywood Theater 11/17 - Dallas, TX - Texas Theater  11/21 - Baltimore, MD - Parkway Theater 11/29 - Iowa City, IA - FilmScene 12/1 + 12/3 - Boston, MA - Brattle (Cambridge, MA) 12/4 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theater 12/11 - Nashville, TN - Belcourt 12/18 - Maitland, FL - Enzian  1/3 - Yonkers, NY - Alamo Drafthouse 1/12 - Tulsa, OK - Circle Cinema  1/12-1/14 - Seattle, WA - Northwest Film Forum 1/15 - San Francisco, CA - Alamo Drafthouse 1/15 - Denver, CO - Alamo Sloans Lake  1/18 - Louisville, KY - Speed Museum

Pre-order at MVDshop.com

What Becomes A Punk Legend Most...

Max's Kansas City: 1976 & Beyond  coming to CD ad Vinyl on May 5th via Jungle Records   The original Max's Kansas City 1976 pioneering punk club album,  extended with an extra 30 tracks and historical notes Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore

Max's Kansas City is the legendary New York City nightclub that became the focal point for the city's hip artistic community from the late 60's until the early 80's. In its initial period, it was famously often populated by Andy Warhol's Factory crowd, and played host to new artists such as the Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, the Stooges, Bruce Springsteen and countless others. It became a base for jet-setters, glam rockers and celebs, until the scene faded and it shut its doors at the end of 1974. Reopened in 1975 under new management, Peter Crowley was hired as music director. The new young bands he booked helped spawn, in tandem with CBGBs, the New York City punk scene. In 1976 Peter compiled a studio album of acts associated with the club, Max's Kansas City 1976, to help promote the club. It featured the first released recordings of Suicide, The Fast and Warhol-era veteran Wayne County, whose title-track gave a roll-call of many of the famous acts who'd regularly performed there.  Now the original album is reissued as Max's Kansas City 1976 & Beyond, greatly extended to 40 tracks on a double-CD and a selection of 25 tracks on a double-LP. As well as the aforementioned Suicide, Fast and Wayne County, the new extended album features the New York Dolls, the Stillettos, the Offs, the Senders, Philip Rambow, VON LMO, Iggy Pop, Knots, Roland Alphonso, Cherry Vanilla, Nico, Joy Ryder, Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers and Sid Vicious amongst many others. It includes many previously unreleased tracks and rarities. Compiled by Peter Crowley, who also contributes notes detailing the history of the album. Writer, musician and Max's scenester Jimi LaLumia provides historical overview sleeve-notes along with biographies of the artists in a 20-page booklet. Jimi LaLumia writes: "Max's Kansas City 1976 as an expanded edition two record vinyl and double CD collection, celebrates the historic first compilation of recordings by bands that were making big noise in New York City, and, thanks to a hyper active UK music press, around the world in a pre internet, truly underground manner. Melody Maker, a British music weekly, was especially keen on the post Velvet Underground / New York Dolls / Alice Cooper / Iggy & The Stooges scene that was inspiring the most unusual creatures to want to be in bands. The Max's album was my go to album for months; finally, tracks from Wayne County, Cherry Vanilla, and The Fast... Not to mention Suicide and Pere Ubu. I got introduced to Harry Toledo and the John Collins band: I won't go into all the details here, because I wrote extensive detailed liner notes for the Jungle Records UK re issue coming in May, with additional notes from Peter Crowley, which are worth the price of the album, not to mention all the added extra tracks, so I'll simply say that if you think you know everything about the late 70's downtown scene, some additional reading material and bonus tracks are headed your way."

This item can be pre-ordered via MVD Shop or on Amazon

Sunday Sinema: Sad Vacation

Bring on the farewell drugs!!!

SAD VACATION is the latest documentary film by Danny Garcia ("The Rise and Fall of The Clash"/"Looking for Johnny"), which explores Sid and Nancy's fateful trip to New York in 1978. It is a film that is dedicated to presenting the real facts; told as it happened by their friends and those who witnessed it. A film about the dynamics of Sid and Nancy's tumultuous relationship, and how it all ended in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel.

SAD VACATION includes interviews with Roberta Bayley, Steve "Roadent" Conolly, Donna Destri, Kenny "Stinker" Gordon, Bob Gruen, John Holmstrom, Hellin Killer, Walter Lure, Honest John Plain, Howie Pyro, Cynthia Ross, Andy Shernoff, Gaye Black, Casino Steel, Phyllis Stein, Sylvain Sylvain; in addition to the late Leee Black Childers and three key residents of the Chelsea Hotel, Victor Colicchio, "Neon" Leon Matthews, and Ned Van Zandt, who had a lot to say about the events that took place on October 12th 1978. Drawing upon their reflections and a batch of newly-released Grand Jury documents, "Sad Vacation" presents a solid timeline of events for the very first time.

Narrated by Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals), SAD VACATION contains unseen photography of Sid and Nancy and music from The Heartbreakers, The Boys, The Members, Neon Leon, Pure Hell, Sami Yaffa, Luigi & The Wiseguys, Skafish, Corazones Muertos, The PrimaDonna Reeds, Supla, Silke Berlinn & The Addictions and Sid Vicious himself.

SCREENINGS:

11/6 - London @ Picturehouse Central
11/8 - Los Angeles @ The Regent

11/18 - Philadelphia @ PhilaMOCA
11/27 - Austin @ The North Door
11/TBA - Chicago @ Brew & View
12/8 - San Francisco @ The Roxie
12/9 thru 15 - Boston @ Regent Theatre
...more TBA

The DVD can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon 

Blaze Of Glory - Oliver Hudson

I Wanna Be Elated!
Oliver Hudson

R.I.P. Jeff Fordham - for those of you not in the loop, Jeff is the resident sleazy music industry dude on Nashville. 

When last seen Jeff was attempting to help his client, Juliet Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) from plunging herself off the top of a building to her death. Well nothing says Oooooops! Like an unexpected slip which results in a twist of fate. That's right, Savior Jeff Fordham fell down and went boom instead of his superstar client. Fuck! Don't you hate when that happens?!

Jeff was portrayed by Goldie Hawn's devilishly handsome son, Oliver Hudson. Don't cry for Oliver Argentina, he was actually more than OK with the demise of the oily one. When asked how he felt this is what he said:

“Elation, honestly!” Don't hold back, Hudson “Only for the reason that I knew that I had only four episodes left on "Nashville" because of "Scream Queens." So I wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, so to speak. I got my wish." 

How Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen of you!

Apparently sister Kate Hudson was so traumatized by seeing her brothers fall to his death, she cried.

Here's a tissue, wipe your nose, dear. 

Keep Up With Oliver Hudson on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005029/?ref_=nv_sr_1