Michael's Musings

Buckle Up!
Michael Shinafelt

Welcome to the first Thursday of the shortest month of the year, the 2021 edition. "Yes" Minions it's only four days deep into February and in that scant amount of time we have had scandal, history being made and the nominations for the Golden Globes announced. 

Buckle up, if this is any indicator of how the rest of the year is going to be, we're in for a wild ride!!!

Congrats to Pete Buttigieg on becoming the first openly gay cabinet secretary confirmed by the US Senate 🙌

Ascertain use to be my stripper name, the more you know

I'm guessing being Lutheran means I can't have a Jewish Space Laser, damn it!

The Golden Globe Nominations have been announced and aren't you happy???

We need our magic, really we do

Try your best, it's supposed to give you points

Celebrate Black History Month 

Sadly the Marilyn Manson/Evan Rachel Wood situation comes as no surprise, Manson isn't exactly known as being a swell guy

Woman Crush of the Week - In honor of Black History Month and because I admire her and think she's a great performer Josephine Baker 

She can't find a human soul that wants in that box...

It doesn't get better. You get better

Marjorie Taylor Greene for congress: She might kill you. She might eat you. Who f#cking knows anymore.

File this under: In Case You Care - Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means a longer winter. Actually it means a rodent saw his shadow, there I said it!

Wow! I must be in some kind of perpendicular mood. I had an uncontrollable urge to YouTube The Carpenters "Calling Occupants" - There's that...

I'm always straight, never forward at -

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt

Hump Day & Chill

Photo:
Robert Sebree

 

CHERIE CURRIE RELEASES BRAND NEW VIDEO FOR “ROCK & ROLL OBLIVION”

PARADE MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT HERE

SHE ROCKS HONORS CHERIE WITH “GROUNDBREAKER” AWARD WATCH HERE

 

70’s Icon and Ex-Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie has released a brand new video today for “Rock & Roll Oblivion” HERE.  The track is from her critically acclaimed Blvds of Splendor album release via Blackheart Records HERE . For this special, one-of-a-kind “At Home”performance, Cherie (vocals) enlisted special quests Lanny Cordola (co-writer & guitar), Perry Farrell guitarist Nick Maybury,  Grant Fitzpatrick (bass), Greg Holt, Josh Zuckerman & Alyson Montez (strings)and John Tempesta on drums with 17 year old Runaways fan (Isaac Valiente) editing the video. 

“”Rock & Roll Oblivion” is one of my favorite songs on Blvds of Splendor. After making my first video “Roxy Roller” with Suzi Quatro and Nick Gilder, I thought a song with just my vocal would be easier so I could focus on the musicians and violinists I needed to make it worthwhile.   I reached out on Facebook and asked for violinists/fiddle players that wanted to be a part of my new quarantine video and was amazed at the talent. I picked my amazing three and we started to build the song. It was a flook to be able to have some of the the original musicians from the album, Nick Maybury and Grant Fitzpatrick and songwriter Lanny Cordola (who had just come in from Pakistan) come onboard as well.  The final key was editor Isaac Valiente (who had blown me away with his talented editing on Roxy Roller) stepping up to add his magic. He brings such awe to this video.  I can’t thank all these talented musicians for their precious time. They are fantastic, uplifting human beings at a time when we really need the positivity.  They will never know how much they all mean to me and how grateful I am for them all.” States Cherie.

In addition, Cherie has been honored with the She Rocks "Groundbreaker" Award alongside Nancy Wilson of Heart, Amy Lee of Evanescence, the Go Go's and more. Fans can watch the show virtually  via WiMN YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8p-mMBXoZttNyGoyJlxY9Q

The album, Blvds of Splendor features guest collaborations with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff from Guns N’ Roses, as well as Juliette Lewis, Brody Dalle, The Veronicas and drummer Matt Sorum. The special digital only release features three bonus tracks (including a remake of The Runaways classic “Queens of Noise” featuring Brody Dalle, The Veronicas, Juliette Lewis and Matt Sorum paying homage to late Runaways drummer Sandy West).   Blvds of Splendor garnered Cherie the best reviews of her career including a Top 10 Albums of 2020 nod from Classic Rock Magazine stating "Exploding out of the traps with the all-Gunners-blazing Mr X, Blvds clearly means business and compounds the muscular groove with Roxy Roller (where You Drive Me Wild riffing meets Suzi Q dynamics). Billy Corgan makes his mark with a Pumpkins-esque title track (all emphatic strings, pinging guitar harmonics, scrubbing acoustics and co-sung choruses). Force To Be Reckoned With swaggers with loose-ass Stooges hand claps and delinquent ‘na-na-na’s, while Rock & Roll Oblivion cranks up the drama to compelling effect, leaving the listener baffled as to why Cherie Currie hasn’t been making records like this for the last 40 years."

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherie.currie.58

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheriecurrieofficial/

Cherie Currie Official Website: cheriecurrie.com 

Learn more about Cherie and her chainsaw carving here:  http://www.chainsawchick.com/about.html

The Beautiful People

Evan Rachel Wood & Marilyn Manson

Hollywood is currently a buzz with this bombshell Evan Rachel Wood dropped yesterday:

Since then four other women have come out against Marilyn Manson. I applaud Wood for her amazing bravery and candor. Wood and Manson were together for three years, one of the biggest shows of support came from Manson's former fiance' Rose McGowan "I stand with Evan Rachel Wood and other brave women who have come forward. It takes years to recover from abuse and I send them strength on their journey to recovery. Let the truth be revealed. Let the healing begin"  

Rose also added that while Manson was not that way with her, that doesn't mean he couldn't be that way with someone else. Kudos to her for stating this, there are so many women out there who don't have other women's back because when they were with the guy he "wasn't like that" with them, they simply turn a blind eye and choose not to believe it.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org. 

The El Duce Tapes

In the early 90s, aspiring filmmaker (and General Hospital co-star) Ryan Sexton lugged a giant camcorder into some of the seediest clubs and the filthiest apartments in Hollywood. There he filmed hour upon hour of VHS footage of the jaw-droppingly offensive Shock Rock band The Mentors, focusing on their infamous lead singer, "El Duce." 30 years later, the team behind The Nightmare and Room 237 and the editor of Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist uncover this dusty stockpile of long forgotten - and unseen - footage. They begin to piece together a picture of the man under the black executioner's hood and what his wilfully offensive act and controversial views might tell us about 21st century America. An Incendiary, tragicomic documentary (midway between The Decline of Western Civilization and Crumb) which has been hailed as "Essential Viewing" by CineVue and called "Dark and Irresistible" by director John Carpenter, The El Duce Tapes will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you floored.

Media

 Watch trailer »

Bonus Materials

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Brand new audio commentary with The El Duce Tapes crew
• The Ryan Sexton Tapes – 34-minute illustrated audio conversation between Ryan Sexton and producer Tim Kirk about the shooting of the original VHS footage
• The Nilbog Tapes – Video of the band recording the original score for the film
• More El Duce Tapes – A free-standing alternate assembly of unused material, sort of a sideways sequel
• Tape 2: Hollywood Reservoir – A piece of raw tape providing a peek behind the scenes of the process of shooting the footage and a candid document of El Duce and Ryan’s rapport
• El Duce Stories – A humorous cut-up of a few of El Duce’s famously long aimless stories into one completely incomprehensible and endless word salad
• Return to Rape Rock Mountain – A brand new interview with Steve Broy, aka Dr. Heathen Scum of The Mentors
• Reality Check presents the all-female El Duce tribute band The Womentors
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by John Pearson and reverse art by Benjamin Marra
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Manish Agarwal

Order Here: https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV333

Feeling Blue?

Hair "Do"
Jake Shears

Even though there is a new sheriff in town, things are still tough out there, so I can understand if some of you are feeling blue.

Well here to put some pep in your strut is Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters, who posted an image of himself shirtless on Instagram with, what else? Blue hair, naturally. OK well not naturally. Obviously his Pandemic lock down activity to amuse himself was to dye his hair blue.

He captioned the image: Blue hair, don't care. 💙

And aren't you happy? Answer me, and aren't you happy now? Well there you go, that's it smiles everyone, smiles 😊

Now if only Jake would lose the pants, this would have many of us feeling even a lot less blue...

Mic Drop!

https://www.instagram.com/jakeshears/?hl=en  

Who Is That Masked Man???

The Man Behind The Mask...?

It's the weekend, let's play a game. Can you tell me who this masked man is? Hint number one, he's not the Lone Ranger. Hint number two he's an athlete/actor. Hint number three he was engaged to one of the Bellas. 

By now you must know it's stud muffin John Cena. So here's hunky John on the set of the new HBO Max series Peacemaker shooting in Vancouver looking still swoon worthy in a mask and a couple layers of clothing.

Well I really don't have much more to say about John than what I've stated already. So why don't we just leave it at this shall we? "Yes" We Shall. 

Hey, it's the weekend, be well and mask-up Minions!

John on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/johncena/

Strictly Elizabeth

STRICTLY ELIZABETH SECOND RELEASE IN NEWLY LAUNCHED

FULL MOON SERIES PREMIERES TODAY

 

Both the Video and the Track “These Little Things (I Get From You)” is the Latest Installment of This Monthly Full Moon Series  

 

Strictly Elizabeth, announced today the launch of her second track from her monthly Full Moon Series, with the release of “These Little Things (I Get From You)” available now via all digital platforms. This is the second installment of new music to be released on the full moon since it launched last month.   

 

Produced and Mixed by musician Ira Ingber, “These Little Things (I Get From You)” is a previously unreleased song of her own composition released via her own Data Water Records with virtual distribution by Dash/Go. The video for the song can be found on the Strictly Elizabeth YouTube page.

 

“We launched the Full Moon Series in the spirit of releasing what is complete to make room for new creative action and collaboration,” said Jessica of Strictly Elizabeth. “This month’s track, “These Little Things (I Get From You)” is about the person you become through habit and patterns of behavior.”

 

This is a deeply personal track for Jessica, who started to see that she was imitating the men she was in love with and wrote this song about that piece of self-discovery. She found that although she is much more aware of it now, it’s still a deeply ingrained pattern from childhood. The video for this song explores this theme.

 

The Full Moon Series next installment will be released on the next full moon, February 27, 2021 and subsequent full moons throughout the year. This series is a platform to release what’s complete and make room for new creative audio and visual pursuits coming from Strictly Elizabeth this year.