As predicted by myself and many others Nyle DiMarco and his partner Peta Murgatroyd walked off with the Mirror Ball on Dancing With The Stars. Making Nyle a champ of two competition shows, America's Next Top Model being the first of course.
Here is a statement from Nyle about his DWTS win via his Facebook page:
"I CANT BELIEVE IT!! WE WON! WE WON THE MIRROR BALL!!! The first DEAF WINNER! This is for 70 million of Deaf people in the world! This is for all the Deaf kids suffering language deprivation. Only 2% of 70 million of Deaf people have access to education in sign language. More than 75% of parents don't sign to their Deaf kids. Winning this is a HUGE step to ending LANGUAGE DEPRIVATION of millions.
Thank you all for your continuing support. It means A LOT!"
Congratulations Nyle & Peta you guys truly earned and deserved your win!
I came across this really red hot photo of one Ms. Demi Moore at the Chelsea Flower Show and thought it was one of the coolest visuals I have ever seen! Leave it to Demi to wear an outfit where she and the poppies become one. Yep, you read that correctly, Demi is now an official poppy. She looks pretty pleased about it too. For all of you around in the era when Ms. Moore was a hot commodity and starred in such hits like Ghost & one of my personal faves St. Elmo's Fire (Yes, I am a child of the 80's) you know ever so often when you had a conundrum you would scratch whatever it is you scrape while you are in deep thought and wonder: "What would Demi Moore do?" Of course the answer hasn't changed since then. Demi would do whatever the F#@k she wants and always manage to make an impression. Be like Demi and Paint It Red. Happy Tuesday! Demi on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000193/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Sick Puppies Don't Feed Them After Midnight Photo: Goldy Locks
Want to hear something "sick"?! Keep reading...
DrillDown/Caroline recording artists Sick Puppies are celebrating the release of their new single, “Stick To Your Guns” as it continues to dominate Active Rock radio across America. The single has shot into the Top 20 and stands at #12 this week on Mediabase Active Rock chart. Major market stations playing the single include; Sirius XM Octane channel, WRIF/Detroit, WXBT/Tampa, WPUD/Arizona and WIIL/Chicago among numerous others. Supporting this excitement, the single has already received over 400,000 online streams since its release.
The official music video for “Stick To Your Guns” can be viewed here:
“This whole album has been about not letting anything stand in the way of what you want, and as a band we persevered and made it through to the other side. All the raw emotions that were felt during the process led us to name this album FURY. We hope you love it as much as we do.” – Sick Puppies
Hard Attack Magazine says “While there are almost too many high points to list, the album’s signature is Emma Anzai’s bass lines, kicked up to eleven. And, as always with Sick Puppies, there are songs that have the ability to speak directly to current social justice movements while encouraging the audience to be who they truly are. Overall, FURY is a solid release from a veteran band and could be considered the best in their catalog.”
Sick Puppies just wrapped headlining dates on the HardDrive Live Tour and will announce new tour dates in the coming weeks. The band performed at Rock on The Range over the weekend alongside Disturbed, Megadeth and Sixx A.M. and have upcoming co-headline shows with Chevelle in June as well as various festival dates throughout the summer with Alice in Chains.
Tour Dates
MAY 20: Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range* 21: Maryland Heights, MO @ Pointest Hollywood Casino Amphitheater*
23: El Paso, TX @ Speaking Rock Entertainment Center*
JUNE
3: Portland, OR @ Portland Rose Festival, 105.9 The Brew with Chevelle*
4: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo*with Chevelle
12: South Bend, IN @ The Bear’s Big Growl 5 St Joseph County 4H Fairgrounds*
JULY
14: Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest Chippewa Valley -
15: Oshkosh, WI @ Rock USA Fest with Slipknot
AUGUST
19: Omaha, NE @ 89.7 The River’s Rockfest – Westfair Amp.
SEPTEMBER
17: Chester, PA @ Rock Allegiance Festival with Alice in Chains
24: Houston, TX @ Houston Open Air Fest – NRG Park with Alice in Chains
Like who knew?! After all these years as a pop icon, Cyndi Lauper decided to go country. Surprise! She rules at it and her country debut "Detour" was number four with a bullet on the Billboard Country Music Chart it's first week of release. Go Cyndi, Go Cyndi, Co Cyndi, Go....!!! Tell us about it, Cyndi: "These songs had a profound impact on me when I was a little girl listening to my Aunt Gracie's kitchen radio in Queens. I grew up listening and admiring Patsy Cline, Patsy Montana, Hank Williams - all the greats from the Golden Age of country. It was an honor to record those beautiful songs for DETOUR and I am so thankful for the fans and the country music community for welcoming me with open arms," Lauper said.
Reviews Don't Lie:
“Cyndi Lauper tackles the genre with characteristically daring eccentricity.” - Keith Harris, Rolling Stone
“Once again [...] Cyndi Lauper has dauntlessly created a triumphantly amazing new release.” -Eileen Shapiro, Huffington Post
“...(Lauper) proves herself not only a competent country vocalist [...] but also a masterful interpreter in the classic tradition of the best female country vocalists of the late-‘60s.” - John Paul, Pop Matters
“[...] like Prince, the Grammy-winning vocalist is also constantly reinventing herself.” - Megan Seling, Nashville Scene
“DETOUR makes all the right turns, never missing an opportunity to surprise the listener or stretch Cyndi’s style just far enough to keep things interesting.” - Jonathan Riggs, Idolator She's So Unusual at: cyndilauper.com/
OMG! I am a huge fan of Ken Russell and his visionary, off center brand of film making. This ranks among one of my favorite films of all time. I first saw it on video, the unrated version, brilliant!
Kathleen Turner gave one of the bravest, most original, brilliant performances ever by an actress of her stature at the time. Anthony Perkins was nothing less than amazing! Can you tell I am excited for July 12th?!?!?
She is watched. She is worshipped. And she must remain a mystery.
In the early eighties British enfant terrible Ken Russell travelled to America and placed his unorthodox imprint on a pair of US movies. The first was the Altered States, so out-there its screenwriter disowned it. The second was the equally crazy Crimes of Passion, starring Kathleen Turner (Body Heat, Serial Mom) at the height of her powers.
Fashion designer Joanna Crane (Turner) leads a double life. By night she is China Blue, a prostitute who's attracted the unwanted attention of two men. One is a sexually frustrated private detective hired by her employees. The other is psychopathic priest (played by Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins) in possession of a murderous sex toy.
BONUS MATERIALS - Brand new 2K restoration of the film from original film materials - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations of the director's cut and unrated versions of the film - Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Audio commentary with director Ken Russell and producer-screenwriter Barry Sandler - Seven deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by Sandler - Brand-new interview with Sandler recorded especially for this release - Home movie footage of Ken Russell visiting Florida for a retrospective screening of Crimes of Passion at the 2009 Florida Film Festival - Theatrical trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil
- Illustrated booklet containing new writing by Ken Russell's biographer, Paul Sutton, correspondence between Russell and Kathleen Turner, and an on-set interview with Russell (first pressing only)
We Ride Unicorns
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride
Okay, do I seriously need to provide an explanation as to why Lynyrd Skynyrd is the subject of a Throwback Thursday piece? I thought not, keep calm and throwback like good little buckaroos!
On July 17, the evening prior to the official kick-off of the Republican National Convention, Cleveland - The Rock and Roll Capital of the World - will see a party unlike any they have ever seen as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icons Lynyrd Skynyrd will provide entertainment for the “Welcome To Ohio Late Night” party held at The Auto Lot, a pop-up venue in downtown Cleveland and hosted by Ohio Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger.
Local Ohio foods will be on hand, as well as local beer presented by the Ohio Craft Brewers Association in partnership with Thirsty Dog Brewing Company. The event is produced by Blue Star Productions, LLC in conjunction with the Green Beret Foundation, The Folded Flag Foundation, The Guardians of Heroes Foundation, OH Fallen Heroes, and SRT-K9 Unit, with those military charities receiving proceeds from the event.
Originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 by Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, and Larry Junstrom, the band changed its’ moniker to the iconic name in the early 1970s, and became a fan favorite in the Jacksonville, FL area. They inked a deal with Sounds of the South Records in 1972, and released their self-titled disc the following year. Selling over two million units since its’ release, the album featured “Free Bird,” which became one of the most important singles of the Southern Rock era. Future hits included “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.”
The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several of their road crew. The band took a decade-long hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, Southern by the Grace of God. Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being Last Of A Dyin’ Breed. The band’s current line-up includes original member Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Johnny Colt, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
