48 Hours Of Halloween: The Recap

Last year, we did 48 straight hours of Halloween programming: music videos, horror movie trailers, etc., once an hour. When it was all over, we published this list on November 1st. Need some cool tunes for your Halloween or looking for a scary trailer or two? Look no further.

From 12:01 AM on Saturday morning until 11:01 PM on Sunday night, we posted something Halloween-related every hour. In case you missed our 48 Hours Of Halloween or just want to reminisce, here's everything that was posted in one handy location:

Songs

• "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
• "Bloodletting" by Concrete Blonde 
• "Boris The Spider" by The Who
• "Chain Saw" by Ramones
• "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMann
• "Do The Bruce Campbell" by MC Lars & YTCracker
• "Do They Know It's Halloween?" by North American Halloween Prevention Institute
• "Dragula" by Rob Zombie
• "Every Day Is Halloween" by Ministry
• "Fairground" by Pulp
• "Halloween" by The Misfits 
• "Halloweenhead" by Ryan Adams 
• "I Put A Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
• "A Nightmare On My Street" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
• "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads
• "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell
• "The Subway Song" from The Cure
• "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Marilyn Manson
• "This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas
• "Thriller" by Michael Jackson
• "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield
• "Werewolves Of London" by Warren Zevon

Trailers

• An American Werewolf In London
• April Fool's Day
• Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes
• Basket Case
• The Blair Witch Project
• Children Of The Corn 
• Creepshow
• Evil Dead II
• The Exorcist  
• Frankenhooker
• Friday The 13th
• Halloween
• Happy Birthday To Me
• The Lost Boys
• My Name Is Bruce
• Night Of The Creeps
• A Nightmare On Elm Street 
• The Return Of The Living Dead 
• Scream
• Shaun Of The Dead 
• Silent Night, Deadly Night
• Sleepaway Camp
• Student Bodies

Promos

• Five minutes from The Walking Dead

Other

• Culture Brats Radio playlist: Scary Music
• Review of Haunted House for Wii

New Music Releases: U2 And Mike Patton

Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.

Artist: U2
Title: Achtung Baby (20th Anniversary)
Release date: November 1, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue
More information: Comes in several flavors: a) single disc b) 2-CD deluxe edition which contains the original album and 14 b-sides and remixes c) a six-CD and four-DVD super deluxe edition d) a super duper DUPER set that will set you back over $400.

Artist: Mike Patton
Title: Solitude Of Prime Numbers
Release date: November 1, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Sixteen new tracks from the Faith No More frontman.


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The Superions, "Batbaby"

From 2011, here's The Superions with "Batbaby."

Enjoy!



For those of you who missed it, on Friday we interviewed Superions frontman Fred Schneider. He spoke with us about the "Batbaby" video, the new B-52's live album, the key to their longevity, and what he's planning to be for Halloween.

Hanging With The Wild Crowd: Our Interview With Fred Schneider

On October 11, 2011, The B-52's released With The Wild Crowd: Live In Athens Ga, the band's first live album. Recorded in February of 2011, the performance marked the 34th anniversary of the band's first concert. We were lucky enough to sit down with Fred Schneider today and he spoke with us about the live album, the band's plans, the key to their longevity, the new song and video for "Batbaby" that he recorded with The Superions, and what he's planning to be on Halloween.

How are you doing today?
I'm doing excellent.

Good. You just released With The Wild Crowd, the first B-52's live album. What took so long?
We've done live albums before, but one was stolen and two were... the tapes were totally flawed for some reason that they didn't check. But you know, we've got a kickass band that sounds good.

Cool. The concert was recorded back in February. Looking back, are there any songs you wish you had included in the set list that night?
There's always tons of them. I mean, we have so many. We just tried to pick something representational of every album. Except... yeah, we've got even Bouncing Off The Satellites.

The concert marks the 34th anniversary of you guys' first concert. What's been the secret to your longevity?
We're vampires.

First Look: Shark Pool

THERE'S A SHARK IN THE POOL!

Sadly, this looks better than most real movies.

It's A Halloween Miracle!

Well kind of. A few weeks ago we reported that there's a Beetlejuice reboot in the works. Today there's an update: the makers say they won't go into production without the blessing of Tim Burton and involvement of Michael Keaton in the titular role. Now THAT is something I might watch.

Again, I think there's not enough Michael Keaton in the world and I'd love to see him 'Juice it up. You?

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The Woman In Black

Since we're in a scary movie frame of mind here this week, I wanted to point out something that looks fantastic(ally scary). The Woman In Black is actually based on a book turned stage play but now it's coming to the silver screen and it stars everyone's favorite boy wizard, Daniel Radcliffe.



Creepy good, right? I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL FEBRUARY. Who else is stoked about this one?

Tim Curry, "Anything Can Happen On Halloween"

From 1986's The Worst Witch, here's Tim Curry with "Anything Can Happen On Halloween."

Enjoy!

All Access: Our Interview with Ken Regan

I am a sucker for rock photography.

I'm not talking about the finely-managed images of Lady Gaga or Coldplay that get sprayed across the Internet as if from a fire hose. I'm talking about images of the titans of music, at the height of their powers, that defined what rock and roll meant to a generation. Imagine Freddie Mercury with arm raised before the crowds at Live Aid. Or Jimmy Page, hair flopping across his face, channeling primal sounds from his fingertips. Or four boyish lads from Liverpool grinning into the cameras upon their first arrival in America. Those are the images that still stick in our collective consciousness as the essence of youth, music, and the our own teenage memories of AM radio blasting through tinny speakers in our parents' cars.

And Ken Regan was there. He is an award-winning photojournalist who has taken some of the most memorable photos of the last 50 years, ranging from sports icons to war zones. And he's also had the good fortune to have traveled with, photographed, and becomes friends with the legends of rock and roll. He has just published a new retrospective, All Access: The Rock 'N' Roll Photography Of Ken Regan, which showcases his decades of work capturing the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and virtually everyone else of significance at their most intimate and accessible. It's a must have for any fan of rock, and I had the pleasure of speaking with him at length about it.

Your career has spanned decades and spans so many subjects. Why a retrospective on rock and roll, and why now?
Yeah, I started out as a sports photographer then I started doing music, then I started doing politics, then I did wars and then I did food and fashion. I've done a little bit of everything, and I've always wanted—when I got into photography—not to be pigeonholed as a rock photographer or a sports photographer, but to be someone who is diversified and can walk into all different elements of life and have the pleasure of photographing them.

I had done a book with the publisher, Insight Editions, about four years ago that was a retrospective of boxing, and they wanted to do another book with me. I wanted to do a full retrospective, but they felt we'd be better off doing a music book since I'd done so much music over the years. We were supposed to do it two years ago, but the recession hit and the publisher felt like the timing wasn't good to put out a big expensive holiday book. So here we are.

More Axel F?

Eddie Murphy recently sat down with Rolling Stone to give a rare interview and in it he said some interesting things, among which was an update on a new Beverly Hills Cop film, which has been rumored for an eternity:

Murphy has decided not to make Beverly Hills Cop IV. "They're not doing it," he says. "What I'm trying to do now is produce a TV show starring Axel Foley's son, and Axel is the chief of police now in Detroit. I'd do the pilot, show up here and there. None of the movie scripts were right; it was trying to force the premise. If you have to force something, you shouldn't be doing it. It was always a rehash of the old thing. It was always wrong."

Glossing over the fact this he doesn't want a rehash but is involved with a rehash, kinda, I think it's interesting to see that Eddie is thinking about TV. Also, I want Judge Reinhold back. The world needs more Judge Reinhold, don't you think?

In any case, while I AM actually a big fan of the first two films, I'm not sure there's a need for a TV series. Would you want to see it?

The Dresden Dolls, "Shores Of California"

From 2006, here's The Dresden Dolls with "Shores Of California."

Enjoy!

Robot Chicken Meets DC Comics

Do you enjoy Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken?

Do you enjoy DC Comics?

If you answered yes to both, there's a damn good chance you'll find this NSFW preview from an upcoming all DC Comics episode of Robot Chicken hilarious!



Want more? USA Today has a great piece on Robot Chicken.

Secret Music, "T.O.Y.S."

This landed in my inbox yesterday and it's awesome!

From 2011, here's Secret Music with "T.O.Y.S."

Enjoy!

First Look: Duck Sauce, "Big Bad Wolf"

Warning!

This video is NSFW.

There are certain things in this music video that can't be unseen.

Like crotchheads.

Still curious?

Click here

Ice Cube, "It Was A Good Day"

From 1992, here's Ice Cube with "It Was A Good Day."

Enjoy!

Interpreting The Great American Songbook: Our Interview With Robert Davi

For those of us who grew up in the '80s there are certain roles that will stick with us forever. Today we're talking with Robert Davi, who's impressive resume includes movies such as The Goonies (Jake Fratelli), Die Hard (FBI Agent Big Johnson), and License To Kill (Franz Sanchez), the TV show Profiler, and over 100 other titles on IMDB. Now he's coming back to his first love, singing, and I caught up with him to talk about his debut album, why the American Songbook is important, and his favorite roles.

Tell me about the new album.
The album is called Davi Sings Sinatra: On The Road To Romance. It comes out Monday. I'm just terribly excited about it. It was produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, mixed by Al Schmitt, recorded by Danny Wallin, top of the field at Capitol Records when Sinatra recorded a lot of his music from '53 to '61, his Capitol years. Just a thrilling experience.

Singing was my first love. If you'd asked any of my family members, they would've said, "He's gonna be a singer." I studied opera in Florence, studied at Julliard, and here I am about to release my first record. I did my first film with Sinatra in 1977.

You expected to have a singing career and I heard you damaged your voice, then you shared the screen with Sinatra. Did it have an effect or shape your career?
In an Italian household, there are two figures: the Pope and Sinatra. And not necessarily in that order. He was already a figure because culturally and socially he was so relevant. He was one of the great figures of entertainment, a great actor and amazing singer. I already had a huge respect for him and the music, which I used to sing. Now you do your first picture with him, was just amazing.

Were you a little starstruck when you met him?
The first time was when I auditioned for the part. He also produced the picture. That was a roomful of people and I was more intent on communicating my ideas in the character at that moment. The second time was when we were on the set and I had already shot a couple scenes. He showed up on the set for the first time and I was in this big truck and he pointed to me and said, "[Saw] the shot the other day. It's terrific. You're terrific." And he remained a friend and was very friendly over the years.

The first time I saw him live was when he brought me to a concert in New York at Forest Hills while we were shooting Cherry Street. He brought six of us to the concert. That was an incredible experience. He was a marvelous voice that night. To see him perform in such exquisite vocal shape was an absolute tremendous experience.

Perfect For Your 8-Bit Poker Nights: Space Invaders Playing Cards

Oh, I need some of these:



[source]

New Music Releases: Thomas Dolby, Scott Weiland, And Skinny Puppy

Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.

Artist: Thomas Dolby
Title: A Map Of The Floating City
Release date: October 25, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Eleven new tracks; he spoke with us about the album back in August.


Artist: Scott Weiland
Title: Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Release date: October 25, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Ten holiday classics.


Artist: Skinny Puppy
Title: handOver
Release date: October 25, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Eleven new tracks.


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Boogie Down Productions, "My Philosophy"

From 1988, here's Boogie Down Productions with "My Philosophy."

Enjoy!

Scary Creature Double Feature With Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames might best be known as Pulp Fiction's Marsellus Wallace, but over the past seven years he's wrestled with sharks (once), piranhas (twice), and zombies (thrice). So we had to ask him: who's the scariest?

You've battled zombies, sharks, and piranahas: which is the scariest foe?
I'd probably have to say piranhas. I made Piranha 2, oddly enough, that'll be coming out because they come more from the ocean as the unknown. I think the fact that something small could bite you once, you could say, "Oh, that's nothing." And then you're attacked by thousands of them. So piranhas.

Here's the trailer for the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse, which debuts on Saturday, October 29th at 9:00 PM ET on Syfy:



And here's the teaser for the upcoming Piranha 3DD:



Double the terror. Double the D's (snicker).

Thankfully, they didn't double the Hoff.

CD Review: Angels & Airwaves, LOVE Part Two

One thing you can say about Angels & Airwaves is they have a distinguishing sound. LOVE Part Two, the follow up album to LOVE Part One, is due out November 11th and I don't think fans of AVA will be disappointed. LOVE Part Two is another very listenable album full of energetic drums, catchy hooks, and intensifying guitars that have all the characteristics of their previous albums. The music video for the track "Anxiety" is already receiving serious eyeballs online, and I expect that we'll hear more than one of the tracks from this album getting airplay.

Quick aside... what I find really interesting is the way the band is marketing this album. They're offering a number of different packages to purchase the album: you can buy it as a standalone album; as a two-album set; or along with their accompanying movie, LOVE, which DeLonge produced. They're even offering a package that includes an original comic. LOVE Part Two is obviously just the latest segment of their larger art project. Angels & Airwaves ventures beyond music into more than one artistic medium and they seem dedicated to producing interactive experiences. Given how accessible technology has made producing art and reach to fans, this is an approach I expect to see from a lot of bands in the future. The fact that AVA tapped into it early and is offering their extended product in a way that makes it almost fully customizable is quite telling.

Back to the album. AVA is really good at creating solid pop-rock that is polished but doesn't sound over-produced, and Tom DeLonge has just the right amount of angst in his voice to balance the polish. I think we'll hear a lot of "Surrender" and I also really like "One Last Thing". My personal favorite track is "Dry Your Eyes", which I don't expect to hear on the radio, unless they cut the minute-long intro. I don't think the lyrics overall on the album are terribly groundbreaking, but the choruses are catchy and they still work. There is a bit of a metaphysical element surrounding both albums and their movie (and also shows up as a recurring theme within their songs) that I'm not sure quite accomplishes what they're aiming for but I admire their ambition.

My biggest complaint of LOVE Part Two is that while the band does some interesting intros and effects on most of the tracks, once you get into the meat of the songs they are all very similar. At the same time, this is also evidence that they are consistently strong in their own singular sound. I just wish, with the number of risks that they're taking in other artistic media, that we would see some of that risk applied to their future albums. One of their recent press releases said that Angels & Airwaves was trying to be "more than just a rock band". However, I think there are the times when you don't reach for so much, you end up surprised with some really great rock songs.

To learn more about Angels & Airwaves, visit them at angelsandairwaves.com.

Patrick Stump Does Kanye West

Damn.

The Dandy Warhols, "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth"

From 1997, here's The Dandy Warhols with "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth."

Enjoy!

Shattering The Caricature: Our Interview With Patrick Stump

I've been telling anyone who listens that 2011 has been the best year for music since I can't remember when. Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump's solo disc, Soul Punk [review], only helps prove my point. Patrick was nice enough to sit down with us yesterday to talk about the new album, his tour with Foxy Shazam and Panic! At The Disco, his musical influences, and whether or not Soul Punk or Fall Out Boy is the true Patrick Stump.

How are you doing today?
I'm good. We just pulled into Austin and I just woke up.

It's been a day and a half since Soul Punk was released. Have you had a chance to breathe yet?
Yeah. It's weird because I had almost more of a chance to breathe this time around than anytime I've put out a record before because my record didn't really carry many expectations. I say that on a label/Billboard level. We don't really know what it's going to sell first week. With Fall Out Boy, we had all this heat on us for a long time and now once again, I'm kind of a little anonymous nobody putting out a record. It's kind of nice. I've had a bunch of time to get ready for it, get excited for it. My touring band, we all stayed up last night and had a glass of wine for it. We had that much time to ourselves that we could do that.

I love the album. What do you think of the response to it so far?
It's been awesome. Way, way more than I expected. When I was working on the record, I didn't think that I'd have a single on the radio and that I'd be going around doing press in support of it. It didn't sound to me like what was on the radio. It was kind of something I needed to do for myself. I didn't expect anyone to like it aside from me. It's been amazing not only watching my immediate audience "get it," because a lot of people that I didn't expect to get it have gotten it. It's hit a lot of different places that I was real surprised about. I've heard from people I never would have expected. A few guys I never would have expected in a million years to not say that I suck, have actually liked the record.

Who Needs Page, Plant, And Bonham When You've Got The Dude From The Police Academy Movies?

Oh man. I really hope they book Michael Winslow for the next Led Zeppelin Laser Light Show at the planetarium!

Deep.Sea.Creatures, "Sister Mountain"

From 2011, here's Deep.Sea.Creatures with "Sister Mountain."

Enjoy!

TV Recap: The Walking Dead, "What Lies Ahead"

It's been about ten months since we last left those wacky survivors on The Walking Dead, and ok, I admit it, I don't remember a ton of stuff. But the one thing I did remember from last year's cliffhanger (which came after a mere six stinkin' episodes, what's up, Darabont?!?), is that near the end, as the gang ran out of the CDC headquarters into an army of zomboids outside and made it to their caravan right before the whole building exploded, the last remaining scientist dude whispered something in Deputy Dawg's ear, and Deputy Dawg instantly went all Tragic Sad Face about it right before he made his escape.

That's what I really want to know about as Season Two resumes. What the scientist said. I mean, what was it? "All is lost?" "The whole world is overrun?" "Don't worry, Dude, it's just Atlanta that's screwed?" "Don't eat old mayonnaise?" "This whole thing is Michelle Bachman's fault?" What was it?

Let me just end the suspense.  Whatever that scientist said? We don't learn it in this episode. Dammit.

But other than that, the entire hour and a half was absolutely kick ass. Follow along. Be aware that this recap is literally all spoiler. Just so you're aware.

First Look/Listen: The Ting Tings, "Hang It Up"

It's been awhile, guys.

Julia Nunes, "God Only Knows"

From 2007, here's Julia Nunes performing "God Only Knows."

Enjoy!

Top 20 Smiths Songs (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look back at our favorite Smiths tunes.

Here's the top 5:

5. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"

Top 20 Smiths Songs (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look back at our favorite Smiths tunes.

Here are numbers 6-10:

10. "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want"

Top 20 Smiths Songs (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look back at our favorite Smiths tunes.

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. "Shoplifters Of The World Unite"

Top 20 Smiths Songs (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look back at our favorite Smiths tunes.

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. "The Boy With A Thorn In His Side"

Patrick Stump Does Yahoo!

Yahoo! posted a three-song acoustic set from Patrick Stump yesterday and it's pretty much awesome.

"Explode"

Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks, "Senator"

From 2011, here's Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks with "Senator."

Enjoy!

CD Review: Patrick Stump, Soul Punk

When was the last time you were surprised by an album because you went in with a preconceived notion of what you felt the album would sound like? For those of you expecting Fall Out Boy II (Hold The Wentz), Patrick Stump's Soul Punk is a mature and funky affair that is miles above anything produced by Fall Out Boy.

I never realized Stump had such a soulful voice until I listened to this album. I went back and listened to Fall Out Boy more closely and sure enough, you can hear glimpses of his chops buried beneath the guitars but this album gives his vocals a chance to shine. At times he sounds like an incredible mashup of Prince and Terrence Trent D'Arby. Not only that, but the man wrote all the lyrics and music, played all the instruments, and produced the entire album by himself.

There are some great tracks on this album. The album leads off with "Explode," a funky, upbeat character study about a bomb defuser going through divorce, "a living breathing action screenplay cliche." In "This City," Stump has created the perfect concert staple ("Poughkeepsie, you've been a great crowd tonight! Tonight, this city IS MY CITY!") that's sure to get the crowd up and singing along in unison in a grand display of civic pride. "Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers)," with its brassy '80s synths, is an ode to drinking. Other standout tracks include "Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)," "Greed," "Everybody Wants Somebody," and the Princetastic "Allie."

This is an amazing album, which is bound to turn a lot of heads if people give it a chance. Much of Soul Punk is begging to receive tons of radio airplay and rightfully so. It's infectious soulful pop that's a hell of a lot better than most of the stuff you'll hear on the radio.

Patrick Stump's Soul Punk will be released on October 18, 2011.

New Music Releases: The Smiths, Jane's Addiction, The Original 7ven, And Screaming Trees

Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.

Artist: The Smiths
Title: The Smiths Complete
Release date: October 18, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue
More information: The four studio discs, live album, and three compilation albums remastered.


Artist: Jane's Addiction
Title: The Great Escape Artist
Release date: October 18, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Ten new tracks; deluxe version contains live versions of eleven classic songs.


Artist: The Original 7ven
Title: Condensate
Release date: October 18, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Sixteen new tracks from the original members of The Time. Yes, The Time!


Artist: Screaming Trees
Title: Last Words: The Final Recordings
Release date: October 18, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Ten unreleased songs from 1998.


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Eryn Woods, "Gangstas, Geeks, & Freaks"

From 2011, here's Eryn Woods with "Gangstas, Geeks, & Freaks."

Enjoy!

First Look: Wallpaper, "Fucking Best Song Everrr"

MTV is bringing back Liquid Television. Of course, it won't actually be shown on MTV as Jersey Shore takes up most of their programming.

Moving on...

The first thing created for the new Liquid Television is this music video for Wallpaper's "Fucking Best Song Everrr." And you know what? This really might be the fucking best song everrr.

First Look: The Muppets Trailer

Look! Now we know what the movie's about!

You Love Her Coz She's Dead, "Leap Of Desire"

From 2011, here's You Love Her Coz She's Dead with "Leap Of Desire."

Enjoy!



Like it? Download it for free.

Top 20 Vegas Movies

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look at our favorite Vegas-related flicks.

Did your favorite make the cut?

Find out below!

20. Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man
19. Knocked Up
18, Leaving Las Vegas
17. Showgirls
16. The Cooler
15. Bugsy
14. Go
13. Very Bad Things
12. Midnight Run
11. 3000 Miles To Graceland
10. Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
9. 21
8. Honeymoon In Vegas
7. Con Air
6. Rain Man

8-Bit Fonzie

Man, if only this were real!

Some of my favorite '80s memories all crammed in an 8-bit video game!

First Look/Listen: Karen O, "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys"

Cool cover. Cool cause:

"Abandoned" and its accompanying soundtrack were commissioned by The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to raise awareness about the economic hardship family farmers face in the increasingly industrialized American agriculture system.

In the film, director David Altobelli tells the story of three boys exploring an empty house late one night. The boys break into a farmhouse that was clearly abandoned in a hurry some time ago. As the three explore the house - and even begin to vandalize it - one boy slowly comes to see that the family that lived there was not so different from his own. He realizes that the house they are trashing could foreshadow the future of his own family's farm and home. A frightening moment in the house sends the boys running back to the comfort of their still-functioning farms.

On the soundtrack, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs covers Willie Nelson's country music classic "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys."

For more information about The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation visit http://www.cultivatefoundation.org

Cage The Elephant, "Aberdeen"

From 2011, here's Cage The Elephant with "Aberdeen."

Enjoy!

The Man Behind The Astronaut Mask: Our Interview With AWOLNATION's Aaron Bruno

AWOLNATION's Megalithic Symphony is one of my favorite albums of 2011, so I was really excited to talk with the man behind the astronaut mask, Aaron Bruno. He spoke with us about surfing, the first album he ever purchased, pornography, and his amazing music videos.

First things first, how did you come up with the name AWOLNATION?
Instead of saying where exactly it came from, I'd rather just explain what it means to me, if you don't mind.

OK. That would be great.
To me, absent without leave is taken as a negative thing in a lot of cases. It's common to think about a military situation, but that's obviously not where I'm coming from. To me, it's a place you can escape to musically and where you can listen to this record and feel like your day's a little better and escape to, sort of like a drug. Or like you need the record like what got me through high school and my upbringing when I was an insecure weird kid and going through puberty.*

In a nutshell, it's just a place for people to escape to. A lot of people feel that way, that need music or unfortunately in a lot of cases, some people turn to drugs. Some people turn to hiking, mountain biking. For me, it's surfing most of the time when it's not music. A lot of people feel the same way as far as needing something to turn to to get through the day. If this record I made can help anyone do that, that's always been the goal. Music has definitely done that for me.

You've played both Jimmy Kimmel and Austin City Limits this past month. How crazy is your life right now?
You could use that word, but I would say more stressful than anything. When was the last time you watched a band perform on a show and said, "Wow! That was fucking awesome!" It very rarely happens because you're not playing in front of your bitchin' fans where people are doing stage dives and singing along, you're passing the mic to the audience and people are jumping and slam dancing and moshing, all that stuff. You're playing for cameras and that's not what I signed up for at all. It's my least favorite thing in the whole world to do. Having said that, it's a really good opportunity for people to hear the song and get the message across, so you've got to do it. It's extremely stressful because what's the main thing you hear when you see a band on TV? The vocals, way too loud.

Now we're about to do this thing for FUEL TV, it's called The Daily Habit. We're also doing Jay Leno three days after that. It's pretty insane but I feel most comfortable playing shows, so it's not that big of a deal. I don't feel that different than I did before all this happened, I just feel very lucky and humbled by the whole experience.

Patrick Stump Goes New Jack Swinging

Man, this is awesome. Patrick Stump goes from Montel Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" to Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step" to Boys II Men's "Motown Philly" before landing on Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison."



P.S. His album drops next week. It's going to turn a lot of heads.

First Look: Mr. Kong

It's like Office Space meets your favorite video game!

Archers Of Loaf, "Lowest Part Is Free!"

From 1994, here's Archers Of Loaf with "Lowest Part Is Free!"

Enjoy!

Book Review: Mini Weapons Of Mass Destruction 2

Growing up, I would daydream of being a super secret agent. James Bond and MacGyver were my heroes. 007 had the most incredible gadgets, like the briefcase that concealed fun stuff like tear gas and throwing knives. MacGyver could take everyday items one could find around the house or terrorist prison cell and create the most useful weapons and tools. Who can forget the hand glider he made with duct tape? Or the garden hose flamethrower?

John Austin, an award winning toy designer and author, has a brand new book for my fellow wannabe-spies: Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction 2 (Chicago Review Press). When I got an advance copy of this easy-to-follow manual, my mind conjured up diabolical schemes to torture my coworkers with these "deadly" weapons.

The book has clear and concise illustrations to go along with instructions that take you step by step through the MacGyver-izing of normally innocuous objects into real-working gadgets you can use to defend yourself in any dangerous situation. Who knew a box of mints, a tape dispenser, binder clip, or even a pen cap could become a deadly weapon or instrument for surveillance?

Heck, even a piece of paper can be a weapon. I followed Austin's instructions in constructing a "throwing star." This thing was awesome! And from the cries of my eleven-year old, a very effective weapon that is capable of inflicting serious damage when you enemy refuses to fold his socks and underwear.

My other favorite spy tools were the 44 Marker Magnum, Mini Tin Catapult, Assassin Blade, and Gift Card Coin Launcher. Not only does Austin teach you how to build this cool stuff, he even shows you creative ways to conceal them!

This book is fantastic. Not only were the weapons easy to make, they actually worked! This is the perfect book for any ambitious spy/assassin.

Utilizing the techniques in this incredible book, I will soon conquer the workplace with my awesome weapons of mass destruction. My coworkers will think I'm just reaching for an ordinary bottle of soda, when I'm actually retrieving my hidden Cotton Swab .38 Special!

Method Man + Sour Patch Kids = Magic

Normally I wouldn't endorse what amounts to a commercial, but this three minutes and twenty-eight seconds made my morning.



"I tried to told you, son."

Achtung Baby!

I stumbled across a bit of awesome news yesterday. In honor of the 20th anniversary of U2's album, Achtung Baby, (and I'm ignoring that big number because that just doesn't seem right as I loved this album in high school), a bunch of artists have gotten together to record AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered, a recreation of the album by various other artists. Artists like Nine Inch Nails, Snow Patrol, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, Garbage, Jack White, The Killers, Damien Rice, The Fray, Glas Vegas, and Gavin Friday. The release also coincides with the 25th anniversary of Q Magazine, and as such, is available from their website, and various unnamed retail stores on October 26th.

Yes, please.

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Shalamar, "Dancing In The Sheets"

From 1984, here's Shalmar with "Dancing In The Sheets."

Enjoy!

Win A Copy Of The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective

The fine folks at Sony Legacy have given us a copy of the three-disc version of The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective, the new career retrospective of Ben Folds/Ben Folds Five, to give to one lucky reader. To be eligible, all you have to do is send an email to culturebrats@gmail.com with Ben Folds Contest in the subject line. By doing so, you agree to the following three rules:

1. You are a resident of the continental U.S.
2. You are 18 years of age or older.
3. You agree to receive the Culture Brats email newsletter (which you can opt out of at any time).

Sound cool? Then send us an email and good luck! We'll pick a winner on Friday evening!

CD Review: Ben Folds, The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective (3 CD)

It's been sixteen years since Ben Folds Five released their eponymous debut album, so we've been way overdue for a greatest hits compilation. With the release of the sixty-one-song The Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective, not only is the wait over, but it's been worthwhile.

The first CD is a sampling of some Ben's most popular songs during his tenure with the band and his solo career. It's a good mix that runs from Ben Folds Five up to 2011's collaboration with author Nick Hornby, Lonely Avenue. However, as this disc also doubles as the single-disc offering, I feel it's missing important songs that belong on a Ben Folds greatest hits compilation like "Song For The Dumped," "Army," "Battle Of Who Could Care Less," and "Zak And Sara." All four of these songs do appear on the second disc, which contains twenty-one live performances recorded between 1997 and 2011. The standout cut on this disc is his cover of Wham's "Careless Whisper" with Rufus Wainwright. The twenty-two track third disc contains rarities, alternate versions, and demos of Folds' songs. You'll also find covers of Steely Dan's "Barrytown," The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights," Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit," and Ke$ha's "Sleazy."

But the real draw to this compilation is the three songs performed by the reunited Ben Folds Five. Disc One boasts "House" while Disc Three contains "Stumblin' Home Winter Blues" and "Tell Me What I Did." While all three are great, "Tell Me What I Did" stands out as a quintessential Ben Folds Five song. The song was written by Robert Sledge before the band broke up, deals with school kids angst, references pop culture ("The kids formed a circle just like Enter The Dragon"), and would not not sound out of place on one of Ben Folds Five's three studio albums.



The three-CD set might be a little too much for the average person who only knows of Folds as the guy behind "Brick" or who appears on The Sing-Off. But for the rest of us, it's a treasure trove of unreleased gems, culminating in the three tracks by the reunited Ben Folds Five, which further whets our appetite for the rumored full album from the band due next year.

Foster The People Do Saturday Night Live

The musical guests are really the only reason to watch Saturday Night Live anymore.

Here's Foster The People performing "Pumped Up Kicks:"



And here they are performing "Houdini" with Kenny G:

New Music Releases: Ben Folds, The B-52s, Bjork, And Erasure

Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.

Artist: Ben Folds
Title: The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective
Release date: October 11, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue/Rebirth
More information: Single-disc version contains eighteen songs; three-disc version contains sixty-one songs.


Artist: The B-52s
Title: With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, GA
Release date: October 11, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue
More information: First live album for the band contains eighteen tunes.


Artist: Bjork
Title: Biophilia
Release date: October 11, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Ten new tracks.


Artist: Erasure
Title: Tomorrow's World
Release date: October 11, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Nine new tracks.


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Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah"

From 2001, here's Rufus Wainwright's "Hallelujah."

Enjoy!

Pac-Man: The Musical

Pac-Man!

As a musical!

And in glorious Claymation!

First Look: Young Adult

"We can beat this thing together!"

Now THAT Is A Happy Halloween!

Sony pictures is making me very happy this October. They're bringing the original Ghostbusters back to the theaters for three nights.

From the press release:

Starting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 and continuing every following Thursday in October 2011, fans together will be able to see their favorite paranormal psychologists back on the big screen as they save the world from ghosts, ghouls, and Mr. Stay Puft.

To see if it's showing at a theatre near you, head to your local theatre's website. Yeah, this is probably Sony trying to gauge interest in Ghostbusters 3, which is rumored to start production in Spring 2012 but still, it's kinda cool. Mr. Stay Puft was meant to be seen on the big screen.

And hey, instead of remaking Footloose with updated versions of the original songs and dialogue and scenes identical to the original, maybe the studio could have, you know, just put the original back on the screen? Just saying.

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First Look: Beavis And Butt-Head

Man, October 27th can't come soon enough for me.

Get More: Beavis and Butt-Head, MTV Shows, Full Episodes

Starship, "We Built This City"

From 1985, here's Starship with "We Built This City."

Enjoy!

DVD Review: Danny Phantom

Are you a fan of ghosts... or cartoons? Well, you're in luck because Shout! Factory has just recently released the first ever complete Season 1 of Danny Phantom, a well known Nickelodeon cartoon that is still airing today. The DVD includes all 20 episodes from the first season on a four disc set. I was a little disappointed that there were no special features or additional commentary, however since previous DVD releases of Danny Phantom have only included the first 13 episodes of each season this new release is still a nice set for fans.

Danny is a typical 14-year-old with an atypical family. His parents are over-enthusiastic, slightly kooky ghost hunters and through one of their inventions - a portal to reach the "ghost zone" - Danny accidentally gets turned into a half ghost/half boy with ghostly superpowers. He tries to keep his powers a secret from his parents and big sister, while battling other ghosts that slip through the portal with help from his two best friends Tucker and Sam.

What I like about Danny Phantom is it's an action-hero cartoon, but since it's about a young teenage protagonist with an off-beat family they still manage to throw in a few life lessons. There are a lot of cartoons out there with an abundance of the nudge nudge wink wink humor aimed at adults that I, frankly, feel a bit uncomfortable letting my son watch. (They're OK for me, but not for him, if you get what I'm saying. Otherwise he ends up asking me uncomfortable questions!) However, Danny Phantom, even with some humorous elements built in that adults can enjoy (bringing in a character that spoofs Scooby Doo, for example), its primary focus is still a kids' cartoon. I feel completely comfortable with my son watching it and it's a show that I enjoy as well. The action in this series is definitely superheroes and villains, complete with fight scenes (if you're concerned about that), but it's on the lighter side, less Batman and more along the lines of Kim Possible.

All in all I think this series is a lot of fun. I think the characters are interesting and I love that it combines the superhero standard with a supernatural element, for those of us with a kooky edge. I was already familiar with the Danny Phantom series but this DVD let me catch up on a few episodes I had missed seeing, and I'm already looking forward to Seasons 2 & 3 coming out as well.

Danny Phantom: Season One is available at Shout! Factory.

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Honeyhoney, "Little Toy Gun"

From 1998, here's Honeyhoney with "Little Toy Gun."

Enjoy!

Guns N' Roses Live!

Here's a full, two-and-a-half hour concert from Guns N' Roses recorded at this past weekend's Rock In Rio.

Return Of The Beauty And The Beast

CBS is bringing a remade version of the 1980s televison show, Beauty And The Beast to the CW network. The original starred Linda Hamilton (that's Sarah Connor to you!) as the beauty and a heavily made-up Ron Perlman as the beast. It was cheesy and weird and involved sewer people so young me loved it. I'm pretty sure I'd be horrified by it today though. It's on Netflix Instant so I think I'm going to have to do some watching soon.

Here's where it gets weird(er), because they're adding a procedural twist to the revamp. So the beast is a cop? Or lawyer? Or a CSI tech something? How's that work? Wasn't Linda Hamilton a lawyer in the original? Maybe she fights crime and the beast is like Batman? It just sounds strange, and by that I mean lame.

What I think is kind of funny is that there's ANOTHER beauty and the beast show in development on another station, but that's a chick in a castle show.

Is anyone really jonesing for a remake? I'm waiting for the Airwolf reboot myself. Or a Snorks revival. Those I'd watch.

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First Look: Cher Lloyd, "With Ur Love"

I love her. And I'm determined to make you love her, too!

The Primitives, "Crash"

From 1988, here's "Crash" by The Primitives.

Enjoy!

Book Review: Duff McKagan, It's So Easy And Other Lies

I often avoid reading autobiographies by artists because they're generally

1. clearly ghostwritten (does anyone actually think that Snooki or The Situation can actually read, much less sit down long enough to write a whole, more than 5 page, book?)
2. so self-serving they make me nauseous (Kardashian Konfidential anyone? Like the Kardashians have kept anything confidential at this point.)
3. written by someone I flat out don't care about, or who is way too young to be writing a reflection on their life (I'm looking at you Miley Cyrus, on both counts.)
4. don't actually get into the stuff you'd want to read about (I'm thinking of you, Katharine Hepburn. Glossing over Bogey was lame.)

But when I was offered the chance to read the autobiography of Duff McKagan, the bassist from Guns N' Roses, I thought, "Yeah, that might be interesting."

And man is it. It starts with a quote from Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle. About 50 pages in I thought "ghostwritten" but I did some digging and, you know what? Duff's a pretty bright dude. He writes regular columns for Seattle Weekly and a financial column for Playboy.com. Seriously.

A few highlights from the book:

Top 10 Jane's Addiction Songs

For this week's Ranked!, we decided to take a look at our favorite Jane's Addiction songs.

10. "Obvious"

Us3, "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"

From 1993, here's Us3 with "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)."

Enjoy!

Soccer Balls And Soap: Our Interview With Henry Rollins

I once heard a colleague refer to Henry Rollins as a Jack of all trades while we sat across from each other in a dismal office cubicle.

At the time I didn't really give it much thought, but if I had I might have countered with the remainder of the old saying that clearly doesn't apply, "master of none." And while I agree that he moves between mediums and projects at a breakneck pace, you have to understand that when Mr. Rollins gets his teeth into something, he goes at it full throttle until it's either perfect or lying there with its throat ripped out.

Either way, you never end up with something half-baked.

Hey, thanks for taking the time to talk to us about the book today.
No problem.

Before I start congratulating you on a job well done, let me just say that Occupants is not at all what I expected.
No matter what your reaction was, that pleases me. I've done a lot of books and I tried to make this one really different. I mean, I've never done a photo book but I tried to take it a little further than that, hence all the writing. That was way more time intensive than the photos, actually. The photos, you kind of put your finger on the button but the writing was a real bear to kind of drag myself through. I was trying to do something where there are people who dig what I do who go, "OK, this is different, I didn't know what I was getting." We sent out two thousand of the books last week and I had signed up all the preordered and I guess that they are arriving because I am getting hit with lots of emails now from all the people and their reactions. I'm getting some "Wow, this was worth it. Nice going."

Nostalgia For The 00s? Already?

Starting tonight, VH1 is airing the latest in their "greatest" series, the 100 Greatest Songs of the 00s. Like its 80s and 90s counterparts, The Greatest Songs of the 00s, I'm sure, will feature songs snippets and pithy commentary from B-list celebrities, but I'm shamelessly addicted to this kind of nostalgia programming.

The complete list is here, and a few blogs have already added their commentary, notably Stereogum saying, "[...] as absurd as it is, there's something fun about this list, and I'm happy to see great and underrated chart-pop smashes like Blink-182's 'All The Small Things' and Aaliyah's 'Try Again' get some form of recognition, even if it's on a list put together by people who, I'm guessing, don't actually listen to music. Also, it's fun to see 'Seven Nation Army' in the mid-20s, between Nelly and Usher."

The 00s was the first decade I spent entirely as an adult, and a lot of its pop hits flew under my radar, but for an entity as mainstream as VH1, it's a pretty varied list with a few songs I'd actually forgotten existed (Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me"), some that surprised me, because I don't remember their videos actually getting that much airplay in the first place ("Mr. Brightside"), and some that I'm looking forward to simply for the commentary ("Trapped in the Closet"). Even though I still think it's a way to early for 00s nostalgia, not bad, VH1.

New Music Releases: Indigo Girls And Styx

Here are this week's new releases by '80s and early '90s artists. We've compiled this list to the best of our abilities.

Artist: Indigo Girls
Title: Beauty Queen Sister
Release date: October 4, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Rebirth
More information: Thirteen new tracks.


Artist: Styx
Title: Regeneration Volume I & II
Release date: October 4, 2011
Rebirth or Reissue: Reissue
More information: Sixteen classic tracks rerecorded.


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Patrick Stump, "This City"

From 2011, here's Patrick Stump with "This City."

Enjoy!