Time To "Celebrate" With James Durbin

James Playing The Viper Room - January 3rd 2014

Season 8 "American Idol" finalist James Durbin has come a looooooong way baby! With the success and critical acclaim for his debut album "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" to touring around the world & getting married to the love of his life, Heidi.

Mr. Durbin is living his dreams. Well it's time to "Celebrate" Durbinators as James sophomore CD "Celebrate" drops April 8th, yep that's one week from today! "Celebrate" has already spawned the hit single "Parachute"- here he is the man of the hour, the guy you have all been waiting for, Mr. James Durbin!

MS: How cool was it to be on Conan O'Brien for you? You seemed to really enjoy doing it.

JD: Yeah dude, it was really awesome. I had done the show before with a song from my first album "Love Me Bad" I didn't have the same connection with the song that I did when I performed "Parachute" this time because I didn't write it. It was a lot fun going back, and I got to have a lot more fun with "Parachute" it was a little goofier than "Love Me Bad" was.

MS: Well you were the "Rocker Dude" when you were on "American Idol" and with your first album. With your current album you seem to have taken a turn to pop, why the switch?

JD: I don't really see it as a "Pop Turn" it's just sprinkling a little more mainstream on top of it all. Yeah I am toning it down a little bit, it's kind of hard to play with my son wearing a lot of rings & earrings. (laughs)

MS: Last time I saw you was in Los Angeles, CA at The Viper Room to kick off your acoustic tour. How did the rest of it go?

JD: The last date of the tour was in my hometown, Santa Cruz, CA and it was sold out!

MS: Awesome! You were talking about writing songs on your album this time out of the gate, did you write all of the songs on "Celebrate?"

JD: Most of them. Ten of the eleven songs were co-writes, I have much more of a connection with this record. I still love my first record, but with "Celebrate" it's more my story, more my experiences, so I have more attachment to them.

MS: For the track "Children Under The Sun" I heard you posted an image of the roller coaster from the boardwalk in Santa Cruz to inspire your writing of it.

JD: All the songs that I wrote on the album with a guy named Ted Bruner - every time we would write we would put up a visual that we could base the song around. So for "Children Under The Sun" it was a picture of the biggest drop on the roller coaster itself, it's where my mind exploded and it's pretty much what that song is about. I really wanted to go into "Celebrate" with more involvement in songwriting than my last album, I had already written thirty songs in Nashville.

MS: Wow! Every artist I know gets sent to Nashville, it's like songwriting boot camp, I hear it's very creative, collaborative and supportive.

JD: It is, I wrote a different song every single day. Pretty catchy songs and for the most part they were all pretty rock. Some were punk rock, pop rock - some were very Green Day, some were very Fall Out Boy... (laughs)

MS: I love Green Day!

JD: The songs were all over the place. When I went to Nashville, I was told: "Go Write Songs" but I was not given any kind of direction or ideas that were interested in me writing. It was kind of lame that no one told anything like that, they waited until my two and a half months in Nashville was up - and they did not like any of the thirty songs I had written. I was afraid I was going to get dropped from my label. They asked me to try to go a little bit more radio, mainstream...I was like "You Know What?" I'm open to anything. Hey bring me good songwriters and if we get along and we find magic, you can't fight it.

MS: Everyone who has worked in Nashville tells me how productive the atmosphere is.

JD: Me and my wife want to move there. We want to have a summer house there. Most tours are based out of the East Coast. People usually tour the most in the Midwest and the East Coast. The Nashville house would be the main base for touring and when I'm home and not busy I can go write songs a couple days a week.

MS: It's the "it" place to create.

JD: And you can drink and drive. I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying it's another thing you can do in Nashville. (laughs)

MS: You've got to be kidding me.

JD: No, there has to be one less container of alcohol in the car than the number of people in it to make it legal.

MS: I felt the title track of your current album "Celebrate" was written to your wife, Heidi on some level.

JD: Yeah. There are definitely a lot of levels to that song, layers like a parfait. (laughs)

MS: Well the first thing I thought of when I heard it was Heidi.

JD: Good. (laughs)

MS: Are you going to tour nationally to support your latest?

JD: My booking agent is looking at some tours right now, it's going to depend on what's the right timing and what's the best market that allows me to share as much music as possible.

MS: What would you like people to take away from "Celebrate?"

JD: That it's another piece of the puzzle, another step in the journey. It's not a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn for me. For example, The Beatles, I'm no comparing myself to them, I'm using them as an example. They are country, rock, blues and punk and everything in between. When I last toured all I had to perform from was "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" and all of those songs were at level ten and they really didn't take you anyplace.

"Celebrate" has more levels to it, it takes you places it has quieter moments. I'm thinking the bigger picture here. My next record could be something completely different than "Memories" or "Celebrate." Who knows where I'll be at by then, I'm going to just go with the flow.

"Durbin Rocks" at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DurbinRock
Online: https://shop.durbinrock.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DurbinRock

"Celebrate" on the 8th at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebrate/id825143445

Film Buff Friday: "Boardwalk"

Stephen Verona's "Boardwalk" Finally Released  1979 drama starring Ruth Gordon and Lee Strasberg,  from the director of "Lords of Flatbush"  For all of you Film Buffs out there this is great news as it is the first time this movie has been released on video at all. It is also great news for all of you fans, of which there are many, of the late great Ruth Gordon...Cheers!

Boardwalk is a 1979 American drama written by Stephen Verona (Lords of Flatbush, 1974) and Leigh Chapman and directed by Verona. It stars Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg, and Janet Leigh. The film has not been available on home video, until now. Boardwalk is a film about love, violence, and survival. It was filmed on location at numerous spots in New York city, including the famous but now defunct Dubrow's Cafeteria.  Married for 50 loving years, David (Lee Strasberg) and Becky (Ruth Gordon) have lived in the same Coney Island neighborhood for most of  their life together. But the area is not what it used to be, and their children ask them to move. A powerful and determined man, David states, "I left one country, I'm not about to leave another. This is where I choose to live and nobody, but nobody, is going to make me leave." But Becky becomes ill and David's cafeteria and synagogue are vandalized by thugs. David must make his final stance.  Boardwalk is Verona's 4th film. He's credited with creating the first music videos, starting with The Beatles... He produced over a hundred before retiring from the art in 1972, eleven years before MTV. By the time he was 27, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his live action short film "The Rehearsal" which he created, produced & directed. Not satisfied with commercials or videos, he moved on to write, produce and co-direct his first feature film, The Lords of Flatbush. This is the film that launched the careers of Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, and Richard Gere, who were all discovered by Verona who says, "Stallone said that I created the character of Rocky, and Henry said that he took his Fonzie character from Sly." Stephen Verona's Complete Bio:  http://bit.ly/1deZvZ4 Order Links - DVD  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD5925D     - Blu-ray  http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVD6145BR

Portrait Of Margaret Cho - In Blood

Margaret  Cho: Portrait, Bloody Portrait

"I think it's very primal, very ritualistic.” - Margaret Cho

That's Margaret Cho talking about the Dorian Gray like portrait she has hired artist Vincent Castiglia to do of her with 18 millimeters of her own blood. That's right Margaret is going to have a portrait of herself in blood, how truly wonderful!

And I did not make that comment in jest, referring to the quote from Cho above I am completely on the same page as her...I once had a primal piercing done because I wanted to experience something that raw. It was a huge rush!

It was in my ear, they put a sharpie mark on my lobe where they wanted the hole to be, numbed it with ice and then took a double headed hollow needle aimed and jammed it through my ear, the adrenaline rush not to mention the shooting blood was a pretty amazing and an experience I will never forget!

Margaret has known Vincent for a couple of years, but was a fan of his macabre collection of work, painted exclusively with the artist's own blood — long before the pair even met.

"I loved what he was doing, his art is so finely detailed. This is exciting to go through this process of collecting my blood and getting a portrait painted.”

Ms. Cho expects to use her bloody portrait for album covers and tour art once completed.

As a footnote this is the first time Mr. Castiglia has used anyone else's blood other than his own in his work, the piece should prove historical.

Hey, Vincent I am up for it if you ever want to use my blood sometime!

Go Cho!: http://margaretcho.com/

Enjoy Vincent's Work at: http://vincentcastigliaart.com/

It's The "End Of The Line" & Ponyboy Could Give A "Dick, Dick, Dick"

I am not a baby bird, I am a Ponyboy, Damn It!

Without a whinny or a neigh for a chunk of time, Ponyboy has finally put out! OK, Yes, I know I am stating the obvious since I am speaking of boys, I know, I know, Daddy knows they're Man Whores and he is quite pleased about that!

The Boys have just released an evocative video for their song "End Of The Line" from their awesomely titled CD: "Dick, Dick, Dick."

Well Charles and David, My Little Ponyboys, Daddy is quite proud,,,

PS please remember to take out the garbage this week

                                                                "End of the Line"

Why get a horse, when you can get a Ponyboy: https://www.facebook.com/GodHatesPonyboy

Celebrate! "Better Than Dancing" With Matthew Duffy

• 

  Singer/Songwriter/Performer and "Entertain Me" fave Matthew Duffy is back with a groovy new single and video "Better Than Dancing."
• Being the inquisitive one that I am I had to ask Matthew to give me some insight into his latest musical foray, and here is what the always interesting Mr. Duffy had to say:
• "I started my career in NYC as a ballet and modern dancer and I wanted to celebrate my dance history. I wanted to celebrate the way dancing sets you free and transports you to a place outside of yourself. For me, true freedom is "raising your hands up to the sky and letting the music take you high, the dancer featured in the video represents that.

• I also wanted to highlight he NYC club scene - balls, femme, butch, voguing, and the dance featured represents all dance forms and the underground spirit of dancing.
• The opening quote of the video - YOU LIVE AS LONG AS YOU DANCE is from the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev who was a bad ass and an virtuoso who I have always admired since I was young."
  

Time to take a trip Matthew Duffy style...!

Join Matthew for the ride at: https://www.facebook.com/matthewduffymusic

• 
  

Faster Than A Speeding Musical Note It's: Superfruit!

Superfruit: Mitch Grassi & Scott Hoying

In case you haven't heard there's a new musical hero in town...Superfruit!

Superfruit are Scott Hoying & Mitch Grassi from Pentatonix and their most prolific collaboration thus far is their covering the entire Beyonce album in six minutes. Can I get an Ooooooooh, Ahhhhhhh in Da House?!

Queen B responded by posting the video on her Facebook page calling it: "Flawless!" Beyonce sure knows how to make boys blush.

These fruits are ripe for the picking! Check out Beyonce in 6 at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....! Blast it!

Also be sure to check out the latest Pentatonix video "Happy" below...

                                                                         Happy

Get "Fruity" at: http://www.youtube.com/user/sup3rfruit

Get "Happy" at: http://ptxofficial.com/

Raine Brown "Hearts U" Yes, Really...!

"Raine Brown's love of performing was evident before her hands ever held a script and before her feet ever touched a stage. Growing up, her love for the dramatic was well documented by her parents' aptly coined nickname for her, "Sarah Bernhardt" (after the acclaimed French actress from the turn of the century)"

In her High School years Raine took that flair to the stage and has been acting ever since. Best known as a "Scream Queen" Raine also has many stage and indie film credits. 

With her latest "I Heart U" Raine also was on board as producer of this devious black comedy that draws a definite line between homicidal and suicidal...Heeerrrrrrrre's Raine!

MS: Hey Raine it's been a long time!

RB: A really loooong time!

MS; So, what have you been up to beside the movie?

RB: I've been working with a theater company and editing on another movie called "Timing" that I actually directed. Another movie that I did just came out in January "Torture Chamber" by Dante Tomaselli. Things are good, they keep rolling...

MS: Well you produced your latest "I Heart U."

RB: People kept calling the movie "I Love You" for the longest time, I'm like no it's "I Heart U" - the logo was like the "I Love New York" one except the heart was a bloody version of the actual organ to highlight the horror underneath the comedy. Now it's been changed.

Hey  Raine

MS: Is it safe to say it's like "Eating Raoul?"

RB: I don't know that movie. It's a lot like "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" it's about a couple living together each of them have their own separate lives that the other one does not know about. They live this quiet suburban perfect life. She's a caterer, very Type-A personality, she needs everything perfect and organized. He's more of a slob, whose dirty who has a job, you think "Why are these two people even together?" 

It turns out he has a little side hobby where he goes nuts and murders prostitutes. She has this other life too, even though she's like June Cleaver. They only find happiness when their true passions are intermingled. 

MS: Killing is our passion! (laughs)

RB: It is! But they are happy together! (laughs) Don't you want them to be happy? Come on! (laughs)

MS: As long as you can get away with it!

RB: They do narrow it down to once a year on date night. But now that they are their true selves together, they have a lot more in common than they knew. 

                                                 I Heart U                                  
             
MS: I was surprised that the trailer featured as much gore as it did.

RB: To me it's a Dark/Romantic/Horror/Comedy, the gore is in there, everyone's gotta love that, but it's not the main center of the film. It's a really strong character story that we wanted to create and build upon and then throw in the gore with it.

MS: Independent film is a tough road, how long have you been working on this.

RB: Three, well no, it has been four years since inception, when Billy Garberina (Raine's co-producer and co-star) and I came up with this idea. We tossed around all these ideas, like: She's a chef, he's a dirty guy and we added all these little ideas to it. 

Billy has done many other movies and he has a crew in Mexico who does them a lot. Inexpensive locations, inexpensive everything so we were able to get the project together as quickly as possible.

I was really proud because we started off: I want a script with minimal characters, minimal locations...by the time the writer gave it back to us with our ideas, with his additions and creative input, there were over 40 characters, and 40 locations (laughs) - I was like, OK...we have sixteen days to shoot this. (laughs) You know what? I could only do so much from New Jersey. (laughs) But his crew in Mexico, who I love, hugs and kisses, they pulled that off! 

Raine & Billy "Heart U" at: https://www.facebook.com/IHeartUFilm

Buy it on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/I-Heart-U/dp/B00GX7WLP6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395073093&sr=8-1&keywords=I+heart+u