SHONEN KNIFE RELEASES "GHOST TRAIN" - 2ND VIDEO FROM THEIR LATEST "POP TUNE" ALBUM
On the heels of their North American "Pop Tune Tour 2012" Japanese Pop Punk
Princesses "Shonen Knife" have released their second promotional video from their latest album release "Pop Tune"(Good Charamel 2012).
The video is for the track "Ghost Train" shot at The Osaka Pangea and Shibuya O-Nest in Japan, it was produced by by Mike Rogers and Ken Nishikawa.
After a brief break from touring Shonen Knife returns to promoting the "Pop Tune" album with a European tour and an"Osaka Ramones" (their Ramones tribute alter ego) appearance in their hometown of Osaka.
I'm so excited, and I'm not gonna hide it..."American Horror Story: Asylum" looks amazingly creepy, violent and scary, everything we horror fans loved about the first installment of the FX anthology series.
From the promo trailers and artwork to the cast of returning and new actors: Jessica Lange as a sadistic nun who runs the asylum anyone??? Are perfection!
Also I am excited to see Adam Levine as one half of the characters referred to as "The Lovers" as I am sure with a character moniker like that he will inherit the "Baring Your Booty" legacy of Dylan McDermott.
Seriously October 17th 10pm on FX can not come soon enough, in the meantime here are some of my favorite images and a clip thrown in for good measure - that are building my anticipation to a....fill in your own blank my fellow AHS fans and have a macabre Labor Day Weekend...Boo!
MS:
Extrapolate on “Solar”, your current song/video.
Blaudzun:
Solar deals with a troubled love life obviously, the title was
inspired by Ian McEwan’s novel. But I try not to explain my
songs too much because it deprives listeners of a first an honest
chance to discover any meaning or story for themselves.
This
video was shot at locations world wide. It is 100% analogue and was
filmed on 35mm with a LomoKino, a re-issue of an old camera from the
Soviet Union. It’s directed by my dear friend David Douglas. The
parts were you see me singing were shot in Barcelona (Spain).
MS:
Do you love performing live?
Blaudzun:
Yes I do love it a lot. Songs are meant to be played live in front of
people, actually that’s the final stage of the writing process I
guess. Songs don’t stop evolving after I recorded them. They
continue to grow and change while singing them before an audience. A
song is like a living being to me.
MS:
Tell us about that rush.
Blaudzun:To
be able to sing and to play with other musicians is what I like most.
That’s the reason I don’t do solo performances that often. It’s
great to create sound and musical layers with talented people and
watch those faces in the crowd enjoy and reinforce the music coming
from the stage.
MS:
What song in your catalog best describes you?
Blaudzun:
It depends on my mood I guess, but there’s no particular song that
describes me best. Heavy Flowers (the album) as a whole is what I
feel is me at this moment.
"Whereeeeee The Bears Are" OK, Connie Francis did not croon THAT song, but undoubtedly it was the inspiration for the title of the hit web series "Where The Bears Are" - Set in the furry woods, of beards, male realness and Colt model used to be's of Silverlake, CA.
"The Bears" comes from the creative team of Rick Copp, Joe Dietl and Ben Zook. The web series is a comedy mystery that follows the misadventures of three Gay Bear Roomates living in the Los Angeles, CA neighborhood of Silverlake, CA as they attempt to solve the murder of a partyguest that has turned up dead in their bathroom.
Hey Bears let's get to it strike a pose, there's nothing to it....
MS: What do you Bears do in the woods?
Bears: Showtunes.
MS: How do you make a "Hot Toddy"?
Bears: You script a part that calls for someone brooding and sexy, then put an ad on Craigslist and cast an incredibly talented and hot actor named Ian Parks.
MS: Were any of your neighborhoods sprayed with DDT when you were children?
Bears: We used to run alongside the truck and wave and chase it, all the while breathing in the toxic chemicals. I'm not kidding.
MS: Margaret Cho or Kathy Griffin?
Bears: Love them both. In fact, I actually HAVE loved them both...in a drunken three
way back in the 90's.
MS: Every cruised Craigslist?
Bears: Yes, but not for what you think.
MS: Has anyone ever died at any of your Birthday parties?
Bears: Of boredom, yes.
MS: The "Eagle" or "The Faultline" bar ?
Bears: Love them both. But, have to give it up to The Eagle, who let us shoot the series there for two days. Love Charlie and Hunter.
MS: If there was a drink called a "Bear Bomb" what would it have in it?
Bears: As many carbs as possible.
MS: Want to buy Sharon Tate's house?
Bears: No, but I would love to buy Sharon Stone's house.
MS: OK, guys whose the sexiest Bear alive?
Bears: All bears are sexy. But, I just got back from Chicago and let me tell ya', there are some big, hot, hairy men there.
His first appearance here was for his follow up single "Trying To Leave Now" and then Mr. Leslie was game enough to subject himself to "getting stupid" for me with his "10 Stupid Questions" chat. Well he is back and he is pursuing his "Diamond Dreams" take it away Aiden...! MS: Define what “Diamond Dreams” are. AL: "Diamond Dreams" are anything that you have a deep passion for that you can manifest into reality for yourself. In many ways it's metaphorically speaking to get what you want out of your life and be it.
MS: What were your “Diamond Dreams” growing up in Ohio? AL: I dreamed of something bigger for myself, someplace far away from Ohio. I dreamed of becoming a performer and singing on stage. Little did I realize that it would manifest into expressing myself through my own words and music. That has been the journey.
MS: You are a big Erasure fan and it really shows on this single, I'm sure that was the plan. AL: Yes, a huge fan of Erasure! Always have been really inspired by their music. I'm often compared to Andy Bell (a huge compliment that I do not take lightly), so I can understand what you may be hearing. MS: Any advice for those out there who want to follow their “Diamond Dreams” ? AL: We have one go-around--why not go for what you NEED out of your life. Persistence is 95% part of the equation. Remember this when people tell you will not succeed...because they will. You will also have your supporters--nurture those relationships, as they will carry you, when others will not.
MS: I've noticed you have been performing live a lot, how much do you love doing a live show? AL: Performing LIVE is why I do this...connecting the music and my message to the people. Hopefully it will move them and help them see something different in lives...that is what music is all about.
MS: So, what are Aiden's current “Diamond Dreams”? AL: I'm living them. Live Your Dreams! Log Onto: www.aidenleslie.com
This writer is indeed sorry to hear of Director Tony Scott's recent suicide, it was revealed today that he took his life over an inoperable brain tumor.
Tony directed many prolific films such as "Top Gun" & "True Romance" - most people forget (since it is so different from the rest of his repertoire) That he directed the elegant and artsy vampire flick "The Hunger".
With three of the most interesting leads in cinema history, the elegant and timeless Catherine Deneuve, the sexy and sensual Susan Sarandon & the enigmatic and never boring David Bowie.
This was a film that shaped me in my youth. Thanks to my late Father I have always had a thing for horror films. Cut to my first job ever in at the tender age of 16 in a movie theatre - and guess what film played in it, you guessed it "The Hunger"...
A modern take on vampire's it was the first time I had seen horror and eroticism blended so elegantly and artistically - this showed how horror could be adult and exciting. Since I got to see movies for free, I watched this at least 10 times! Sadly Hollywood does not make adult horror anymore and that's really a shame, and I think Scott's vampire yarn was pretty close to the last of this breed.
Tony Scott's "The Hunger" is one of the great modern horror films of American Cinema - and it really affected this writer, in fact one of my proudest possessions is the original lobby poster which I acquired on the job, I have it framed in my apt.
While there are many memories for everyone of this late great director of cinema, this is my personal and favorite one.
