Seven Questions In Heaven With Brandon McHose

While he may not be a household name yet, Brandon McHose seems to possess that rare quality that all singer/songwriters secretly wish they had: the ability to move back and forth between softer material and shredding guitar licks.

Originally based in Austin, he now makes Chicago his home and after listening to tracks from his two CDs, we asked him to to take a break from his touring and recording schedule to sit down and answer Seven Questions In Heaven.

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
"John Mayer dipped in a country river and a little heavier" (someone said that to me once). A lot of emphasis on the guitar. My music has variations of contemporary rock and is very regionally influenced (i.e. Southern rock), but has west coast flare at times as well.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
Joe Walsh, John Fogerty, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Brad Paisley, Brandon Boyd/Incubus, Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits, Vince Gill, Sting, Foo Fighters, Stephen Stills/CSNY, Johnny Rzeznik, Matchbox 20, and others.

What was the first album, cassette or CD you bought with your own money?
Red Hot Chili Peppers, One Hot Minute. STILL LOVE THAT RECORD! My two favorite songs on it were "My Friends" and "Aeroplane."

G.I. Joe: Restallionation

You know what's better than the new G.I. Joe 2 trailer? The G.I. Joe 2 trailer recut to include... My Little Pony.



I'm pretty sure this is why the internet was created.

Welcome Back, Adrian Lyne!

Let's talk about Adrian Lyne for a minute shall we? As a director, he's managed to stay relevant even though his meager output has seen him helm only eight feature films during his long career. But what an impressive eight films they are:

Foxes, Flashdance, 9 1/2 Weeks, Fatal Attraction, Jacob's Ladder, Indecent Proposal, Lolita, and Unfaithful.

He offered up one of the best sexually deviant romps ever put on film (9 1/2 Weeks) and then threw cold water on the fire by frightening an entire generation of young guys with a cautionary tale of exactly what could happen after a few drinks and an unhinged one night stand (Fatal Attraction).

Doris, "Ladybug Luck"

From 2012, here's Doris with "Ladybug Luck."

Enjoy!

Katherine Heigl's Been Grouponed

Katherine Heigl's new film One For The Money hasn't even opened yet and it's already being heavily discounted:



What gives? Is the movie bad or is Hollywood looking at the bottom line? Here's her career as a leading lady (all numbers taken from The Internet Movie Database):

Date	Film	Opening Weekend	Total Gross
June 1, 2007	Knocked Up	$30,690,990 ($10,690/screen)	$148,734,225
January 20, 2008	27 Dresses	$27,442,040 ($8,974/screen)	$76,808,654
July 26, 2009	The Ugly Truth	$27,605,576 ($9,579/screen)	$88,915,214
June 6, 2010	Killers	$15,837,266 ($5,539/screen)	$47,000,485
October 10, 2010	Life As We Know It	$14,506,464 ($4,605/screen)	$53,358,964

So what do you think this Groupon offer means?

Beatles, Bands, And Chief Brody: Our Interview With Alexander Newton

PHOTO CREDIT: Bobby Quillard

One of the things that distinguishes just another pretty face from the throngs of attractive newcomers that storm the entertainment industry on a daily basis hoping to be the next "It" girl or guy is a certain something that often defies explanation. Some would say it's a combination of stars aligning, raw talent, hard work, and who you know. Others would argue that it's a hit-or-miss game full of pain, rejection, and the ripped-up shards of a thousand broken dreams.

Either way, every once in awhile someone ambles through the door and makes enough of an impression for us to sit up and take notice. Alexander Newton is one of those people.

The multi-talented actor and musician will star alongside the late great Roy Scheider this spring in what turned out to be his last film role as well as release his single "Lost In Forever" which hits ITunes on April 18, 2012.

We spoke to him about music, movies, and the pitfalls of being dubbed the next Robert Pattinson. (Not that I think that hurt.)

Okay, let's preface this with the fact that at the tender age of 19 you are already ringing all the bells with the film and the music. Now when I took a look at this movie you are in, IMDB had changed the title close to three times. So can you tell me officially what we will be calling it when it hits theatres?
Yes, confusing I know. Iron Cross is the working title and Justice Vengence is the big billboard title.

Another fascinating tidbit about this whole thing: it's Roy Scheider's last film. And the performances are getting a LOT of buzz.
Yes, I know. Are you a big Roy Scheider fan?

Huge fan of the man. So sorry when he passed away. One thing that not many people know is that your father Joshua Newton wrote and directed this movie.
He did. He's the writer-director and he edited it too. A pretty talented guy all around.

It's Been Ten Years, But We Finally Have New Cranberries

Check it out: "Tomorrow," a new song and video from The Cranberries!

Let's Hold Hands, Foam At The Mouth, And Watch The Prometheus Trailer Together!

The newly instituted gag order in my home prevents me from talking nonstop about anything to do with Ridley Scott's upcoming Prometheus. Sadly, there is no such rule here at Culture Brats where I am free to sneak in the back door with my key and pen endless posts praising what is sure to be a turning point in all our lives.

There will be Space Jockey back story, questions about the origins of life on Earth, AND Charlize Theron in various states of undress. If the sight of the horseshoe-shaped derelict spacecraft from 1979's original Alien hitting the ground behind a terrified crew running for their lives doesn't make your innards tingle, you were born without a soul.

Now, let us dim the lights, turn on the surround sound and get ready to surrender ourselves to a horrifying universe beyond our wildest dreams:



You just cried a little, didn't you?

And yes, I am aware that this trailer has been around for a few months now but it took this long to watch it in slow motion replay while taking notes for analysis and in-depth discussion.

Mona, "Lean Into The Fall"

From 2011, here's Mona with "Lean Into The Fall."

Enjoy!

Seven Questions In Heaven With Ugly Kids Club

Ugly Kids Club is a Nashville duo comprised of Steve Wilson and Aliegh Shields who recently released their six-song eponymous debut CD. They were nice enough to spend Seven Questions In Heaven with us.

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
Aliegh: We are a minimalistic electronic/guitar duo from Nashville. We try to keep it all very simple because what we choose to keep out of our music, we believe, is as important as what we decide to put in. It's a bit danceable in weird dark grunge rock sort of way.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
Aliegh: Musically, we look up to The Police, Talking Heads, Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, The Kills, and anything Jack White. Though the musical landscape and definition of rock and roll is continuously changing and cross-pollinating, we feel like we are in the tradition and spirit of rock and roll. We also have a healthy amount of punk/d.i.y spirit that drives us to do everything we can ourselves and make sure we love our music first before we share it with anyone. Most of our musical heroes were pioneers and genre-benders in the same way we hope we are.