"The Air That I Breathe"

Photo by: Albert Sanchez - Design by: John Stapleton

Belinda Carlisle, beloved solo artist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and voice of the Go-Go’s, returns to her roots with the release of a new studio album Once Upon a Time in California, slated for release on  29 August 2025 by the Demon Music label. 

Featuring ten new studio tracks including the lead single, “The Air That I Breathe” HERE were recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Gabe Lopez, who worked with Belinda on her 2017 studio album Wilder Shores. Belinda shares - “This song has always been one of my very favorites growing up.  I love the lyrics and the complicated melody.  This was on the list I originally made of songs that I wanted to sing if I ever did a cover album. During the pandemic I started performing karaoke style on my Instagram every Saturday and called it “Saturday Serenades.” This one got such a good response that I thought 'This definitely should be a contender for the album'. I'm so happy with the way it turned out and I absolutely love the video as it sort of harkens back to my early solo albums and videos.”  Once Upon a Time in California will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats and available for pre-order HERE

Following the success of Belinda’s 2023 EP Kismet, Once Upon a Time in California sees Belinda  Carlisle take a deeply personal journey through the golden sounds of her youth with this ten-track collection. Steeped in the spirit of her Californian upbringing, the album is a heartfelt tribute to the vintage pop culture that shaped her musical identity. What sets this album apart is that it’s a celebration of Californian culture that stretches its canvas beyond the familiar evocation of the Laurel Canyon sound. It’s a carefully curated and beautifully realized salute to Belinda’s personal education in pop music, and the magical sounds that arrived in her life from near and far, on the radio and on cherished 45s.  

 

With the assured and distinctive vocal delivery of someone who herself has become one of the Golden State’s greatest exports  - initially as frontwoman for the Go-Go’s, who enjoyed Top 10 hits with  Our Lips Are Sealed, Vacation and We Got The Beat  and as a solo performer with a multitude of hits including Mad About You, Heaven Is A Place on Earth, Circle In the Sand and I Get Weak amongst others,  Belinda Carlisle completes this sentimental journey back to her youth with timeless style. 

 

Once Upon a Time in California opens with a stirring remake of the Burt Bacharach & Hal David gem written for Dionne Warwick, Anyone Who Had A Heart.  Belinda then pays her respects to such timeless artists as the Carpenters (Superstar), Gordon Lightfoot (If You Could Read My Mind)  and Jim Croce (Time In A Bottle) and to songs for the ages including The Air That I Breathe (The Hollies),  Everybody’s Talking  (Harry Nilsson) and Reflections Of My Life (Marmalade).  The result is an entirely different kind of Californian dreaming for a new generation. Although this marks the first time all ten tracks have been available on one album, three of them – Superstar, If You Could Read My Mind and Get Together have been available on previous Belinda Carlisle collections.

 

Commenting on the album Belinda says, “I was born and raised in California at a time when music was an important part of Californian culture.  I lived and breathed music, it was my great escape - a refuge of fantasy and imagination.  Every day after school and when it was summer vacation, I would listen and sing along to the music on the radio for the entire day.  Always fantasizing about being a singer myself, one day.This collection of songs is the best representation of what I loved back then that I could think of - listening to it brings back so many memories of a time and a California that doesn't really exist anymore.  That’s not meant to sound like a bad thing, it's just different - there was an innocence and energy back then that was unique and magical. Things I doubt will ever be felt in quite the same way again. Here's to the California of my dreams.”

With Once Upon a Time in California, Belinda Carlisle invites fans old and new to join her on a journey through the melodies that defined a generation.

FOLLOW BELINDA CARLISLE

 

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Don't Rain On My Parade

 

"Here is a strange and bitter crop" Strange Fruit, Billie Holliday

"Oh I'm weary all of the time" Stormy Weather, Etta James

"You say you want a Revolution" Revolution, The Beatles

Weather Forecast For Washington DC Today Here -

https://globalmeteo.com/weather/washington/jun-14/  

It's Friday The 13th!!!

Me & My Buddy Jason

It's Friday The 13th!!! Here I am hanging out with Jason on the rooftop of The Montalban Theater in Hollywood for a screening of the original 1980 slasher movie.

While Jason merely makes a cameo in that one at the end, he is so associated with the Friday The 13th series I guess they figured they'd trot him out for the show. 

Ki-Ki-Ki...Ma-Ma-Ma...

TGIF!

Friday The 13th on IMDb -

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/    

Michael's Musings

"Gimme, Gimme, Gimme A Man After Midnight"
Michael Shinafelt

"Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight, Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight, Take me through the darkness to the break of the day" ABBA, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

Indeed! Keep on keeping...Happy Pride Month!

Resist and Dance! That's all...

Billionaires are parasites, the more you know!

Eat of this Crunchwrap Supreme, for it is m body. Drink of this Baja Blast, for it is my blood - Taco Bell

And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And it's rider's name was Death, discuss 

Exercise your right to protest, and face 2,000 National Guard Troops. Attack the Capitol and get a full pardon. Make it make sense.

Went to the Bears in Space event at Akbar for the first time ever this past Pride Weekend in Hollywood, good times!

Finally saw They All Laughed with the late Dorothy Stratten, So sad her life was cut tragically short and she didn't get the opportunity to do more movies, she was wonderful in it.

I wanted to marry my dreams. So I cheated with fear and broke up with doubt

Woman Crush of the Week - Bisexual Icon, Civil Rights Activist and Pioneer in the Entertainment Business Josephine Baker. A quite remarkable woman, Google her you'll see. 

Jonathan Groff giving Keanu Reeves an eyeful while performing Mack The Knife on The Tony Awards, now that's entertainment!!!

Rachel Zoe joining Season 15 of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, so fetch

So*Do*My neighbors, friends & idols, think about it, not too much

I'm wished I had gotten the chance to see Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. her performance on the Tony's was a knockout!

Speaking of knocking things out, time to get back to work on my secret project, TTFN

I won't give away my secrets, but you can keep up with me here - 

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

https://bsky.app/profile/michaelshinafelt.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelshinafelt  

Hump Day & Chill

Resist and Dance! Hump Day & Chill!

That's all...

Happy Pride Month Minions!

"Equality is a human right."

Pride Month on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_Month  

Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero

Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero, the world’s first animated feature film centered on a drag queen superhero, will be released on TVOD platforms—including Amazon, iTunes, Google, and Dish—on Tuesday, June 17. Created and directed by Anthony Hand, this dazzling fusion of drag culture, high-energy music, and superhero fantasy follows Simon, a shy barista who discovers a magical wig that transforms him into the fierce and fabulous Maxxie LaWow. As Maxxie, Simon must embrace his power, protect his community, and take on the villainous Dyna Bolical, a drag queen scientist determined to reclaim her family’s fortune at any cost. Her devious plan involves an unusual beauty secret (drag queen tears!) that forces Maxxie to rise to the challenge and save the day. Beneath the wigs and shade, the film delivers a heartfelt message about self-acceptance and the power of chosen family.

 

Voicing many of the film’s colorful characters are some of today’s most celebrated drag personalities from RuPaul’s Drag Race, including Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCrème, Monét X Change, and Rosé.  Newcomer Grant Hodges voices Simon and Maxxie La Wow and Broadway and television actor Terren Wooten Clarke lends his voice to the film’s formidable villain, Dyna Bolical. 

Anthony Hand’s journey to filmmaking was far from typical. Raised in a small farming village in Southeast Michigan, Hand never imagined a future in Hollywood. It wasn’t until 2018, after realizing the lack of LGBTQ+ superheroes in mainstream media, that he decided to take action. Moved by the personal stories of drag performers on Drag Race, he set out to merge drag artistry with animated storytelling, creating a vibrant, laugh-out-loud adventure infused with heart and music.

 

One of the biggest creative hurdles was translating the larger-than-life essence of drag into animation. Hand teamed up with Chubby Beagle Productions, a studio deeply rooted in drag culture, and brought on Johnny Burgess as character designer. Every frame was crafted with authenticity—from the intricate movements of wigs and gowns to the film’s show-stopping lip-sync battle packed with clack fans, makeup powder attacks, and aerial choreography.

  

Music is central to Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero, too, with four original pop tracks propelling the story forward. Grammy-nominated vocalist Angie Fisher delivers powerhouse performances on songs like “Bye Girl Bye,” an anthem of self-empowerment, and “Shero,” a high-energy opening number celebrating individuality. Composers Dave Volpe and Electropoint (Roman Molino Dunn) crafted a soundtrack that blends campy fun with deep emotional resonance.

 

As the first animated feature spotlighting a drag queen superhero, Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero represents a landmark in LGBTQ+ storytelling. “In a time when LGBTQ+ voices are being challenged, we need stories that celebrate our resilience, our joy, and our magic,” says Hand. “Simon’s journey is about learning to believe in yourself,” he adds. “His transformation into Maxxie represents that moment we all experience—when we stop waiting for permission and start embracing the powerful person we truly are.”

 

The film has already garnered critical acclaim, winning Best Animation at this year’s San Francisco Independent Film Festival, the Impact Award at the Washington, D.C. Independent Film Forum, and both Director’s Choice and Festival Favorite at Cinema Diverse. 

 

Breaking Glass Pictures, a leading distributor known for championing independent LGBTQ+ cinema, acquired the film for North American distribution and is licensing the worldwide rights. CEO Rich Wolff recalls being instantly captivated by the film.  “Maxxie LaWow is such a joyful, outrageous celebration of queer culture, identity, and drag artistry,” he says. “It is a wild, witty, and unapologetically fun animated adventure that delivers both laughs and heart.”

 

Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero will release to TVOD platforms Amazon, iTunes, Google, indemand, Dish, DirectV and VUDU on Tuesday, June 17.  

 

For more information, visit www.maxxie.com

Up On The Roof

Myself & Tyler Cassity, Owner Of Hollywood Forever

Yesterday I attended a party celebrating the opening of the new mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA, naturally.

The to do was held on the rooftop of the structure, that's correct I said rooftop. This mausoleum is big! Five stories to be exact and one hundred feet tall. With some amazing views and curated space for events and celebrations of any kind.

It was christened with the first yoga class ever held on the roof yesterday before the party.

Here are some photos yours truly took while attending it.

Enjoy!

Rooftop Fun

A View Of The Hollywood Sign, Of Course

Things Are Looking Up

For More information about Hollywood Forever visit -

https://hollywoodforever.com/