Sunday, October 31, 2010

Michael Jackson's Thriller

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Thriller

What can you say about this video, other than it is such a classic? And perfect for this Halloween season? So turn up the volume, hit the full-screen option, and enjoy!

Robbie Williams - Rock DJ

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Rock DJ video

Robbie brings new meaning to stripped down in this video, which might not be a great choice for those who are faint of heart. But the British pop star looks good in the video, trying to get the attention of the ladies at the club. pealing back layer after layer... Enjoy Rock DJ, which also is a fun song!

Happy Halloween, Gimme A Smile!

Halloween Howls cover

Another Song from Andrew Gold. Have a great night filled with tricks and treats!

Delaware Horror Tales

Delaware politics
Delaware State flag
Chris Coons John Carney, Jr.
Delaware Democratic candidates Chris Coons & John Carney, Jr.

Here in Delaware, we have our own Halloween horror tale unfolding, the campaign for the US Senate seat formerly held by Vice President Joe Biden. Since it is Halloween, I thought it would be a great chance to show everyone Chris Coons' latest ad, a tribute to Rod Serling's great series, The Twilight Zone. And, for some Delaware residents, it does seem like the Twilight Zone, as there are people who are actually voting for the woman who managed to repeat talking points and take out a Rep. Mike Castle, a fine man who had served Delaware well for many years as Governor and State Representative. In some ways, this campaign reminds me of the classic horror film Frankenstein, with reactionary townspeople storming the castle with torches and pitchforks, not really understanding the issues at hand. This is not a militia-like response borne out of religious fear, trying to drive out the God-less, it is a political discussion, people! Of course, it was O'Donnell herself who first brought the supernatural into the election, with her own comments about witchcraft and the infamous 'I am not a witch' ad.



Although it seems has though O'Donnell has taken much of the air out of the political room in Delaware, the race for the seat formerly held by Rep. Mike Castle has had it's own share of scariness. Republican and Tea Party candidate Glenn Urquhart has his own ideas to demonize those who don't hold his extreme views. He is running against former Lt. Governor John Carney, Jr.



So, can you imagine anything much scarier?

Being Human Halloween Frights

being human
being human,aidan turner
being human

I LOVE the show Being Human, and thought I would offer up a few tidbits about the vampire, werewolf and ghost who inhabit it. Take, for example, Mitchell's thoughts on George's transformation.



OR when Mitchell parties with a friend. Oh, Hera, Mitchell looks good in this one.



Or, the scariest scene of all, when it turns out the vampire and the werewolf are just men on the inside.

Scary Movie - Hellbent

Hellbent
Hellbent
Hellbent poster

West Hollywood, California. Two men out on a date, and the unthinkable happens. A studio horror film with gay themes breaks out. I am not talking about a horror movie with a gay best friend who gets offed in a bloody and insulting way. More like a host of gay men, victims, cops and a group of Halloween festival goers in an endless parade of costumes, all who seem to be potential victim for a psycho out to leave them bloody and lifeless. Distributed by Here! films. If this one doesn't get you on the edge of your seat, I don't know what would.



The boys are beautiful, and often shirtless, so if you haven't already, you should definitely check this out. It is just as scary whether it is Halloween or not. You can check it out on the official website here.

Halloween Double Feature

Tyler Hanes
Gay Zombie
Top: Tyler Hanes in In The Blood. Bottom: Brad Bilanin in Gay Zombie.

When I was much younger, I remember watching all those 60s and 60s horror movies on the weekend, on shows like the Creature Double Feature. So I thought this Halloween Sunday, I would point out 2 films I like, one short, and one feature.

Gay Zombie
Robert Laughlin, Brad Bilanin, and Ryan Carlberg in Gay Zombie.

Miles the Zombie is seeing his therapist in West Hollywood, who is trying to help him come to grips with the fact he is gay. Soon he is out at a bar and meets the boy of his dreams, Todd, and his BFF Greg. Hilarity ensues, as well as a few terrifying moments. It stars Brad Bilanin as Miles the Zombie, Ryan Carlberg as Todd, and Robert Laughlin as Greg. Michael Simon wrote and directed this short film. This is the trailer for Gay Zombie.



Tyler Hanes

Cassidy Clarke is a senior at an unnamed NYC college, where his sister Jessica also attends. They are close, as Cassidy has taken care of Jessica since they lost their parents. He learns much about himself this year, as he comes to terms with his own homosexuality, as well as a weird thing that happens when he has sex. As the bodies of a few coeds start turning up on the campus, Cassidy sees through the eyes of the killer during orgasm. And he sees the killer getting close to Jessica. Can he stop them? Will he find love with his first male partner, a Latin hustler? It will keep you on the edge of your seat! The incredibly gorgeous Tyler Hanes plays Cassidy, worth seeing in a bad movie, let alone one this good. Here is the trailer for In The Blood.



Boo, everyone!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween Treats from Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold: Top & Middle: In his heyday. Bottom: Today.

I have to admit to being an all-out Andrew Gold fan for a couple of decades now, since the 70s. I remember flipping out the first time I heard Lonely Boy from the album What's Wrong With This Picture. I immediately ran out to buy the album, and still listen to it. It was then I realized he appeared on several of the albums I already owned, including the early solo stuff from Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff. With a bit more research, I discovered his mother was Marni Nixon, a voice of several of the the big musicals, filling in for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Deborah Kerr in The King & I, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. His father was Earnest Gold, who won the Academy Award for composing the soundtrack for the movie Exodus. Andrew also wrote and originally recorded the song Thank You For Being A Friend, which later became the theme song to Golden Girls. He also sang the theme song to the TV show Mad About You, on of my all-tie favorite themes!

Halloween Howls cover

But just a few years ago, I discovered he had also released an album of Halloween music, Halloween Howls. It was released in 1996, but I didn't discover it until the early 2000s. He had recorded it for his kids, and included both original songs as well as covers of some classic songs like the Theme from The Adams Family, Ghostbusters, and other fun stuff. Dr. Demento considers it the best Halloween album ever recorded. Since it is the season, I thought I would share it with you. So the first one I will play for you is the original Trick Or Treat.



Next up is another original, In Our Haunted House. The charm of the sound effects in the beginning just warm my heart so! It is a combination of the Simpsons and all those 50s & 60s bad horror flicks!



This is the track that actually opens the album, even though I chose to close the post with it. the organ opening, along with Andrews voice just adds quite the goosebump moment there. There is It Must Be Halloween.



This just goes to remind me I must do an Andrew post soon. I really do love his music. I certainly hope you enjoy his Halloween music. You can preview or purchase it on iTunes here. It is well worth the money!

Bobby 'Boris' Picket & The Monster Mash

Bobby 'Boris' Pcikett

In 1962, Bobby Pickett o-wrote a song with Leonard Capizzi that made fun of the 'dance' songs of the day, like the Mashed Potato and others, and promptly went into the studio to record it. It was released as a novelty song for the Halloween season, and for the last five decades has been a gold standard for a season that doesn't have a lot of music. One of the studio musicians who played on it was the great pianist, Leon Russell. On the songs first release, it made it to #1 on the Billboard chart just before Halloween of 1962. Pickett tried to follow up this success with other 'monster-themed' songs, but none could match the original. This is The Monster Mash.

Saturday Morning with Angels

Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams

I have to admit that I have been a fan of Robbie Williams, with all the odd twists and turns his life has taken. from his early time with the British boyband Take That to his solo career, and now that it is coming full circle, with his work once again with Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen, the men from Take That. But as we venture into Halloween weekend, and toy with all the ghosts, goblins and demons associated with the holiday, I thought it would be a great start to the day to hit up one of Robbie most successful solo releases, the song Angels. I know I love the song, from the Life Thru A Lens album. While it racked up impressive sales throughout Europe, selling Double Platinum in the UK alone, it never really caught on the the US. I can't figure out why. It was covered by Jessica Simpson, both overwrought and forgettable, and by American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, which was rather nice. But here, I return to the source, and my favorite version of the song. Here is Robbie singing Angels.



This does remind me I have to do a post on Robbie's solo stuff sometime soon. And think that there are several singer/songwriters I follow that could do a killer version of this song.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Friday Night Party Mix - Dressin' Up

Village People Dead or Alive
Culture Club Oingo Boingo
Clockwise from Top Left: The Village People, Dead Or Alive, Oingo Boingo and Culture Club.

Back in the day, you couldn't imagine having a hit song without a really good frock. Yes, I am speaking back in the 70s and 80s, when some of the costumes were a source of campy humor, or a statement to a world that might have just been ready to think about what the performers had to say. Take, for instance, The Village People. The Cop. The Cowboy. The Indian. The Biker. The Construction Worker. The Marine. Given this information, you might guess them to be rough and tumble me, ready for a brawl. But that wasn't the case, as it was a powerhouse disco group of the 70s and 80s, The Village People. This is their hit, YMCA.



Frontman Pete Burns put it all out there when he was performing with Dead Or Alive. He took the gender-bender craze to a different level when the stunning and provocative singer announced he was not a drag queen, but transgender and was starting to transition from man to woman. But that came after they had their big hit, You Spin Me Round.



Boy George certainly didn't shy away from the gender-bending issue, with a high-style make-up and long dreads. He certainly made a statement from the first time Culture Club was noticed and has never looked back. Here they are performing a dance hit, War.



Danny Elfman put together a band that was high on theater, but every bit as high on musical freedom. Oingo Boingo might have had a big hit with Weird Science, but the perfect Halloween song was Dead Man's Party. This was a bunch of str8 men who could rock a costume!



There you have it, four different bands whose costumes were at home on the stage, but could be equally inspiring at any Halloween parade. Hope you enjoyed!

A Commercial Kiss

Jawbone commercial
Jawbone commercial Jawbone commercial
Jawbone commercial

I ran across this on YouTube, and knew I had to post it. Apparently, after the commercial was filmed, the decision was made by the client they were not ready to use it as part of a campaign in the United States. Rather than take the time to try to explain it, I will run the description left on YouTube.

Clever, hysterical & sexy! ...is this new Jawbone blue tooth TV commercial. That's a REAL rugby team + two actors Pete & Randy. Rugby team didn't know about the kiss. The reactions what you see on their faces are REAL!! Directed award winning director Sam Bayer. He has directed videos for Justin Timberlake,The Strokes, Nirvana and Green Day. Bayer won Director of the Year at the MTV Awards in 2005 and 2007.



I have to say, the reactions in the background are priceless...

Jawbone commercial

Thursday, October 28, 2010

TV Preview - 16th & 8th

16th & 8th pilot
16th & 8th pilot 16th & 8th pilot

I was intrigued when I was sent a link to a new soap opera that is being shopped around, the 'pilot' in the can. 16th & 8th. It is the story of a group of LGBT friends and the trials and tribulations of their urban life in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. Looks quite fun, filled with everything a soap is supposed to have - pretty people, sordid tales, and lots of action! This is what I see on the YouTube page.

Here is a sneak peak of the sexiest new soap opera around. After years of life in a sheltered Midwest town, innocent and wide-eyed Luke moves into an apartment complex on 16th & 8th in the heart of New York's gay mecca: Chelsea. Here, he meets a slew of crazy neighbors and experiences life like never before.

Written by Athena Reich and Stephen Schulman
Directed by Stephen Schulman
Song written and performed by Athena Reich
Directors of Photography: Vlad Gitlevich and Laurence Wallace



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If you liked the song - I sure did - it is sung by Athena Reich. Athena not only co-wrote the script, she also wrote and performed the song. As a singer/songwriter, Athena has had a #1 song on LOGO with Love Is Love, which was also named Outstanding Pop Song of 2009 at the Outmusic Awards. The Album had a total of five nominations.



Athena's latest single is a cover of the Logical Song, written by Roger Hodgson and performed by his band, Supertramp. I really remember this song, as I had the album, Breakfast In America, when it was released in 1979. I think it was when I was finishing my freshman year at college, and Supertramp was the music of the summer. Well, here is Athena's really wonderful cover of the song.



For more about 16th & 8th, you can check out their website here, but it is under construction at the moment. You might just want to bookmark and get back to it later. For more about Athena and her music, you can check out her website here. You can find her on iTunes here or at CD Baby here. As usual, it is great to support members of the community, and those who support us. Check out the music, you just might fall in love.

Jake Walden at the Seafront Diary

Jake Waldwn Inteview
Jake Waldwn Inteview

It's not often I do this, but my blog-buddy Jason Shaw did a fantastic interview with Jake Walden, so I thought I would share it with you. While there, you might want to check out the entire site, cause I really enjoy reading Jason regularly.

It’s not often a voice just stops you dead in you tracks and pricks at your very soul, but that’s what happened to to me when I first heard Jake Walden’s ‘Alive and Screaming.’ It’s hard to categorize his sound, as Jake's voice has so many textures, from silky smooth to rough-hewn lumber, forever capturing heartfelt emotion. He can take you from cool sheets to a gravel road, never failing to lend a hand to grasp.

There’s a refreshing honesty to the sensitive and emotive lyrics that have that rare ability to truly reach into your mind, into your very soul and transport you to different place. The son of hippies, born and raised in Northern California, he’s already building up a vast fan base, which is just as well, for his next album really does depend upon his friends and fan’s, no really, it does, literally!

For more of the interview and to visit Jason's blog, click here.

Anderson Cooper Takes on Bullying

Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper

I think by now we should all know better than to piss Anderson Cooper off. Last night, we saw what happens when you do, as Anderson discussed the FaceBook postings of Clint McCance, the vice-president of an Arkansas school board. The story first broke by the Advocate here, it has been picked up by most news organizations. But what I love most about Anderson's coverage is that he brings it back to what is important, the victims. And he speaks so strongly about the perpetrator of this act.



I have always liked Anderson, his news-style being so strong. You are very aware when it is a topic he cares about, and bullying is one of them. Earlier, he ha appeared on Ellen Degeneres' show, and spoke about the issue.



Anderson speaks so directly to the heart of the matter, I hope his use of his position at CNN allows many people to hear it. And that one day, he asks me to marry him. I mean, come on, he is gorgeous, too.

There is a FaceBook page requesting the school board terminate him here. While the board announced they can't fire him - he is an elected official, not an employee, 'liking' the page does send a message I think is good.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tim Curry Does The Rock

Photobucket Tim Curry
Tim Curry

Many might know him from Rocky Horror Picture Show, others from other movie rolls like his unforgettable turn in Clue, or his work on the stage, like in the production of Monty Python's Spamalot. I talked about Rocky Horror Monday night in preparation for last night's episode of GLEE. As the episode hits, I thought it might be fun to do a post about the music Tim Curry did away from the musical. There are also the lucky ones who came to know Tim's work as a recording artist. I purchased the 1979 release Fearless as a record - that's right, on vinyl - and love it! It is a 12-song collection, and from the first rocker, Right On The Money, Curry had me in the palm of his hand. He wrote the lyrics to the song. In fact, Curry had written the lyrics on 9 out of 12 of the songs.



Smart, funny and sassy are just a few of the ways to describe the song I Do The Rock. The tongue-in-cheek named-dropping just slays me. Here is a clip of a live performance, and he sounds incredible.



Curry also wrote the lyrics for the next song, Charge It. Once again, the innate charm and comedic timing to deliver lines like 'Charge it, where do I sign? Charge it, show me the dotted line' just fills me up with joy and laughter.



One of the songs he recorded that he didn't write was Cold Blue Steel, from the 1972 release For The Roses. Not surprisingly, Curry's take on the song is radically different than Joni's, so I hope even Joni fans can appreciated it.



Again, Curry wrote the lyrics to the final video I will post, Paradise Garage.



I tried to find a link to purchase the Fearless album, but I couldn't. Well, I found that you could buy used copies on Amazon, but that is not something I could recommend. So enjoy the clips, and think good thoughts of the sexy Tim Curry while you do!

Five on the 5th - Reminder for November

five on the fifth

I received notice from Stephen Chapman about the upcoming installment of Five on the 5th. So I just wanted to take a moment to let everyone know, with plenty of advance notice so everyone can take advantage of the opportunity!

It's almost time for the next "5 on the fifth." As usual, everyone is welcome to take part. You can either take 5 random pictures of something that happens to you on the 5th of November (or the days leading up to it) or perhaps go for my suggested theme. This coming month, the theme is 'Recycled' (thanks to Alet).

So, there you go! A week from this Friday, November 5, will be the latest Five on the 5th. The elections will be over here in the USA - and our commercials will be back to normal, so get the cameras out and ready to get some pictures next week!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ari Gold Makes My Body Rock

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Make My Body Rock video
Make My Body Rock video

Perfect for Halloween. Gorgeous. Sexy. Sultry. Dark. Bloody. Brooding. Steamy. Driving beat. Unnerving. Scary. Undead. Breathing. These are but some of the words I would use to describe Ari Gold's latest video for his new song, Make My Body Rock. The song is fantastic, the electronic beat heavy with the pounding perfect for the dance floor. The in-your-face sexuality of the song, with the discussion of little blue pills, ecstasy, and spending the night keeps the attention, as does the vocals from the talented Gold.

Make My Body Rock video
Make My Body Rock video Make My Body Rock video
Make My Body Rock video Make My Body Rock video
Make My Body Rock video

The video is a perfect seasonal tale, Ari Gold as storyteller, LGBT diva meets the Brothers Grimm meets True Blood meets Thriller. It opens with a classic family portrait of Ari, his wife and son. We move to sexy Daddy Ari coming home from the office, his black suit crisp and him brandishing his briefcase like a weapon. He seems intent on joining the wife and her lover for a romp while the son tucked in his bed. Writhing becomes nibbling, which turns to biting and sucking as they have a vampiric threesome. Check it out here. Go with the volume up and the full-screen viewing, it will be worth it!



I am a big fan of Air Gold, and can't wait to buy the new single November 2nd. Hope the video will be available for purchase, too! For more about the gifted and sexy Ari Gold, check out his official website here.

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