For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a door plaque from Showbiz Pizza Time. For you youngsters...the original Chuck E Cheese Pizza.

Billy Bob was part of the Rock-Afire Explosion Band. When CEC purchased Showbiz they converted them all. Now in only a few exist. The guys who created them have a set of them and are creating new performances.  You can watch them on youtube. The "Hips don't lie" is pretty funny.

Oh to be 9 again.....yes that would mean that name plaque is over 20 years old.

Skins, the teen centered drama on BBC America, continues to amaze me with its rich writing and talented cast with every episode I watch.  I am convinced that this show is one of the best shows on TV today.   

The last episode I saw centered on the deconstruction of the narcissistic character, Tony, played to the perfection by Nicholas Hoult. He is the good looking kid who gleefully manipulates everyone around him that it has become so habitual that he does it unconsciously. When someone does not respond to him, he cannot stand it and then does everything in his power to win that person back.

With each episode we have see how one by one, each of his friends finally tire of his antics especially after he is discovered by his girlfriend, Michelle, played by April Pearson, fooling around with a boy.  Now Tony is not really gay, he just did that because he could do it. Yep, he was that sleazy.   

Well, he finally goes too far, and in the episode that I watched recently, we learn more about why Tony is the way he is and we see teenage revenge played out. The writing is so intelligent and done so authentically, that the drama is gripping and you find that the characters (even Tony) empathetic.

It really captures “teenage-dom” as it really is, a very complicated and often harrowing period of life. The show is seen through the lens of the teenage mind with an occasional third person point swing back view to gain some broader perspective.   

Skins does not contain the glam up storylines we see in such frothy shows like the Gossip Girl and 90210.  This is the down and dirty real angst stories of teenagers having to deal with the B.S. in their lives and somehow trying to survive it. 

There are times when I wish there were an occasional balanced adult figure shown. However, how many of us at that age viewed adults as balanced.  We actually only saw their flawed characteristics. It took us a while to let those judgmental filters soften and realize that they, like us, were only human.

So this is my third post on Skins.  I love this show.  It deserves to be seen by more people here in America and it deserves to be recognize for its wonderful writing and great cast.

Skins Official Web Sites:

 http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/328/index.jsp

 http://www.e4.com/skins/ 

I have written about musician/songwriter/actor Levis Kreis before on my blog.  I am doing so again because as he continues his evolution as an artist, I continue to be a fan, not only of his music, but of his journey. 

He was featured again recently on the award winning podcast Feast of Fools (http://www.feastoffools.net/).  By, the way, if you have not tuned in yet to the Feast of Fools, you are missing out on the most entertaining and one of the most provocative shows on the Internet.  

Kreis currently is appearing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in the show The Million Dollar Quartet (http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/#/home/). He plays legendary Rock and Roller, Jerry Lee Lewis, and has gotten great reviews. His piano playing has especially gotten some notice. 

The show captures the true event when one night on December 4, 1956 Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley got together for a one time only rock and roll jam session. 

From his initial rise as a Christian gospel singer; to his exposure as a budding pop artist on The Apprentice; to his coming out as a gay man; to his acting career; to his moving, soulful albums; Levi Kreis continues to be a talent to be reckoned with in the business.

His next album Where I Belong is due out in January. 

Personally, Levi’s journey out of a conservative Christian background parallels my own life in a lot of ways, so I find his story compelling.  He is refreshingly honest and lays his soul bare in his lyrics.  There is so much feeling in his songs that it literally sweeps you away into your own emotional self-reflection.  His music is not the commercialized fabricated, disposable kind you hear a lot today. It is music earned and brought forth through the labor pains that come from living life in a very real way.

In his interviews, you find him to be charming and having a good sense of humor. It is that sense of humor that every gay man arms himself with in order to survive. Some of us have made money off it in stand up comedy. He is also honest about where he is in life. He is still a seeker of the meaning of life. He questions the conventional. He seeks truth. He is constantly on growth mode and constantly peeling the layers off as he moves forward in the closest thing I can describe to his personal spiritual journey. I admire that about him. It speaks to a very genuine person. 

If you are in Chicago, see his show. Buy his music. Listen to his interview on the Feast of Fools. Kreis is one of the great ones.

 Levi Kreis - Official Web Site: http://www.levikreis.com/live/ 

Good Boys (2005) is an Israelite film by Yair Hochner that tells the story of two young male prostitutes who meet one night and the events that change their lives.  The film is not for the weak hearted and definitely not for anyone under 18. 

It is filmed in such a way that there is a stark reality to the feel of the film.  It is like a reality show that is not meant to be entertaining but in the very real sense sobering. Hochner pulls no punches in showing the seediness of the prostitution lifestyle and the challenges these young men face in their daily life.

There is an overall sense of sadness that drapes itself over the whole movie as you watch the turmoil in the lives of the boys and the exploitation that occurs. The marginalization of people is also a message that comes across vividly in this film. 

Yuval Raz plays Tal, is held against his will by a renegade cop and is basically abused and raped all night by different men, in one of the most psychologically harrowing parts of the movie. In a desperate act, he finally fights for himself after being told over and over again that he was worth nothing by his captor. He was told repeatedly it was okay for him to be treated the way he was being treated because he was a gay prostitute.

As hard as that scene was to watch, it brought home the filth of our collective souls when we as a society marginalized people and relegate them to less then the human beings. We do this to justify our evil acts so we will not bear the consequences. The truth is, as history has proven, the consequences always follow.

Daniel Efrat plays Menni, the other male lead, who searches for love but is facing the hardened reality of prostitution.  He seeks parental solace in the tired and worn out, but kind, transgendered mother figure played by Gila Goldstein.  He also has a baby from a tryst he had with a female prostitute in the past, another sad figure, Mika, played Nili Tzerruya.

There is a moment in the film where Mika almost abandons her toddler in a public square so she can go trick.  She finally leaves the child with Menni as she descends further into prostitution and drug addiction. In one scene in the whore house, as she is in the middle of servicing a client, the camera focuses on her face, which has gone blank.  At that moment you knew she was lost.

The movie ends with the sun rising and maybe with some hope for some of the characters. It left me disturbed by the ugliness I saw but must admit that Hochner was able to portray this story in such a riveting way. His film won several awards in the Independent film circuit.

I am not sure if it is a film for everyone. It is a film that does not leave your mind quickly. Frankly, I needed to wash myself down with another viewing of the Sound of Music to remind me there is still good in this world. Thank God for you, Julie Andrews!

Good Boys Official Web Site: http://www.goodboysfilm.com/

"Rap is the CNN of the black community, and no one broadcast louder than Public Enemy."

Chuck D

Si può amare il Rap o no. Lo si può conoscere più o meno bene, da tanto o poco tempo. Quel che è certo è che la voce più autorevole di questa cultura è quella di Chuck D. Un personaggio straordinario, a cui ripensavo domenica scorsa quando in una libreria Feltrinelli ho comprato quasi per inerzia un CD raccolta dei più famosi brani dei Public Enemy. Ascoltare un loro disco può essere faticoso e impegnativo quanto ascoltare del jazz o del blues d'autore, o un brano di musica classica.

Ci sono analogie molto forti tra quello che hanno fatto i rapper con la voce e quello che ha fatto Hendrix, per esempio, con la chitarra. Prendere un qualcosa di scorretto e comunicare attraverso di esso. Per Hendrix erano le distorsioni, i feedback e un volume senza controllo. Per i rapper l'elemento di rottura è stata senz'altro la voce: senza intonazione. O meglio, senza quella tradizionale e basata sui rapporti matematici che regolano le armonie, anche le più complesse. La voce del rapper porta innanzi tutto il ritmo, e non l'armonia. Oggi sembra una cosa scontata, ma ai tempi non lo era affatto.

Dicevo appunto che Chuck D è sicuramente il punto di riferimento di questa cultura. Cercando su YouTube ho trovato questo piccolo intervento in una trasmissione televisiva dove lui racconta di un disguido avvenuto il giorno di un concerto a causa del suo inseparabile co-rapper Flavor Flav che aveva perso l'aereo per raggiungere il gruppo in Florida. Al di là della storia divertente, basta ascoltarlo mentre semplicemente parla per capire cosa significa avere la voce e la cadenza da rapper.

After the highly successful BBC programme "Any Dream Will Do" Lee Mead took to the Adelphi Theatre, London to start his role as Joseph in one of Britain's favourite musicals ever! But what ever happened to those who didn't quite make it? Well, they toured with it instead!

With runner up of the BBC show, Craig Chalmers, wearing the coat now, I was eagerly awaiting my third ever viewing of Joseph to start. And I thankfully wasn't to be disappointed with the prologue getting me singing already with the fact you can't help but know the lyrics to half the songs!

So after the prologue it was time for it really to get going with the famous song 'Any Dream Will Do'. And as it goes on there is so many brilliantly worded and sung songs with the likes of 'Close ev'ry door to me' and 'Grovel, grovel, grovel' and of course many, many more.

Throughout the musical you really do get into it, especially with the un-forgettable Pharaoh song, not one to be missed if you're a lady!

But, sadly, I did have one problem, the Joseph. Craig Chalmers sadly wasn't quite as good as I hoped he may be, his voice was slightly weak and his personality wasn't brilliant! But this is made up by the excellent narrator (played by a runner up of 'I'd do anything', BBC's other hit talent show) and the comical brothers of Joseph.

But for entertainment factor and the song factor, Joseph still quite rightly rules the theatres in the UK and if you haven't seen it before, where have you been?

 Out Musician/Singer/Songwriter, Josh Zuckerman  is talented and edgy. His music is an eclectic mix of country, rock and pop that is uniquely JZ. His single Out from Under was the #1 requested video on Logo.

Known for his charismatic stage performances and his music harmonies, Zuckerman is a rising force in music. He has already had sold out concerts of over 40,000 people.

Zuckerman was raised in in St Louis Missouri. His music continues to be a reflection not only of his growth musically but of his life. His first album was A Totally New Sensation.  His second album was Out From Under. His newest single is called Be Real which is my favorite.

Josh Zuckerman Official Website: www.joshzuckerman.com

There is something about this show that I never get tired of and that is the clue finding mission that takes people all over the world to try to win a million dollars.  Not only does it tap into the competitive spirit  that lies in all of us, but the show is edited very well. Common every day people are put in extraordinary circumstances and the real drama unfolds.

The game is literally on and the show has a rhythm that is constantly moving that does not drag like Survivor and the drama does not get too soapy like the myriads of other reality shows on TV. The Amazing Race is an addictive guilty pleasure that takes you on a great ride with a wonderful host of characters you really get to know well through the season.

Season 13 is no different. Two teams have already been eliminated.  Here are the remaining teams:

My personal favorites are Nick and Starr, the brother and sister team. They came in first on episode 1. I know there was a bit of drama on the 2nd episode but I believe they have the smarts to win.

What is great about this show is that it is one show that a group of friends or a family can watch together and enjoy. It is multi-generational as well as multi-cultural. It is just fun! It airs on CBS on Sindays at 8:00 p.m. PT/ET.

The official website is:http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/

Chapter IX:  Death Chamber

The horses stood on the cliff overlooking Tamash-Kree. Kaleea and Kreegar watched while Garrik finished adjusting the packs that lay across the back of the huge horse he had purchased to carry provisions. Today they would leave to complete their journey. Kaleea was afraid that the journey to the Dragon Swamps would be too much for the newborn Kreegar so they had remained in Tamash-Kree for quite some time. Wulfgar and the surviving sailors had spent long nights drinking and celebrating their good fortune whilst Garrik prepared them for the remainder of their journey and Kaleea cared for her new child.

Upon rising one morning a few months following their arrival Kaleea was shocked to find a small boy in the bed where she had laid a baby the night before. Kreegar was growing at an alarming rate though it seemed the older he got the slower he aged. He had matured at least ten years in as many weeks. At the end of six months Kreegar size was that of a twelve year old.  A large boy, he looked normal except for his slightly pointed ears and the bony ridge that ran the length of each shoulder and now ended in small obsidian colored horns. The amazing child’s intelligence was developing as fast as his physical attributes. Kaleea and Garrik had begun educating him. Swordsmanship and everyday things were taught by Kaleea. While from Garrik, he learned the finer points of axe combat and hand-to-hand fighting. Wulfgar even taught him the finer points of fighting with the scimitar. Kreegar learned fast, showing no interest in doing the things that most young boys do.

Instead he was always asking questions, pushing himself to the limit, it was as though he were driven by some primal need. He was a brooding child, having a dark and dangerous side to him. Wulfgar thought him always tense, on edge. “That boy knows no fear, I’ll wager he kills a man before his fifteenth year” He had said once to Garrik after Kreegar had killed a rabid dog that had shown up at the Inn where they were staying. He had lost control and beaten it to a bloody pulp.   

 Wulfgar had ridden with them to this spot to see his young friends off.  The three crewmen had remained in Tamash-Kree having decided that with their newfound wealth there was no need to risk life and limb any longer. Garrik embraced the old seadog  “Thank you my old friend” he said through moist eyes. Wulfgar looked at Garrik and grinned “Boy” he started, “you honor your father by what you are doing. I never had a son, but if I had, I would have been a very proud man had he turned out like you.” He turned to the small woman at Garrik's side. “Fare thee well Kaleea”  

 “Thank you Wulfgar” Kaleea said as the burly giant embraced her next. “I will never forget you or your kindness.” Wulfgar squeezed tight. “Careful you old bear,” she squealed,  “your crushing me” Kaleea groaned smiling at him as he loosened his grip and grinned sheepishly at her.

“Nor I you little one” he said “This has been a real adventure but my bones don’t heal as quick as they used to and I’ve enough riches now to keep me in ale and women till the end of my days.” Wulfgar’s face grew serious. “Stay with Garrik, for he is a strong man and a loyal one. Learn from him Kaleea.” Wulfgar sighed before continuing.  “I’m no prophet but I foresee difficult years ahead with this strange child of yours, you will need the help of Garrik and this hermit you seek. Your child’s birth was sorcery of the darkest kind and the black blood of his father runs deep in Kreegar's veins. I’ve seen it in his eyes, the boy will someday do great Good or great Evil. Which way he turns will depend upon you.” Kaleea looked up at the tired old sailor. “I promise, Wulfgar” she said as one leg went up over the back of her horse. Kreegar sat astride his own small pony, his long black hair blowing in the wind. Though only eleven months old he looked to be at least fourteen years, although his aging had slowed down to more of a natural rate.

The horns on Kreegar’s shoulders had gotten to where they could no longer be hidden by his tunic so Kaleea had found the town Armorsmith and commissioned him to make the lad his first mail shirt. It was of a light chain mail with a plate and hollow horn on each shoulder. Each of Kreegar’s own horns fit perfectly inside the hollow ones and since it was unknown how large they would eventually become they were made with room for growth left over. Beneath it he wore a leather jerkin made of the softest doeskin. It protected the bony ridge that ran from his shoulder to the base of his skull from hooking on the chainmail. A mane of long black hair hid his slightly pointed ears so outwardly his appearance was that of a normal, though very large boy. Garrik finished tying down the supplies to the extra horse they had purchased. “Come you two,” he said mounting his own horse and settling in the saddle “We have a long ride ahead of us.” So saying their final goodbyes the three set off to find a man they had but heard of. Looking back Kaleea saw the giant silhouette of Wulfgar as he stood on the edge of the cliff watching them fade into the distance. “I’ve made a loyal friend in that one” she thought to herself. “I hope we will one day cross paths again. She didn’t know it but Wulfgar would play a major roll in Kreegar's life when he reached manhood..    

                                                              l

For three weeks the small party traveled, the terrain was covered with lush fruit trees. Their branches hung heavy with many different varieties of fruit so Kaleea, Garrik and Kreegar never went hungry. Kreegar constantly asked questions of Kaleea and her companion, his young mind absorbing their answers like water to a sponge. During this time they encountered no problems, in fact they saw no one at all. The three riders now stood over looking a small village. This was the first sign of civilization that they had seen since leaving Tamash-Kree. The village was surrounded by a poorly made wall of wooden timbers sharpened to points. Garrik watched for movement below but saw none. “Strange” he thought. “ It is harvest time, there should be activity aplenty even in a small village such as this.  They rode slowly down towards the village as the sun began to set. Garrik and Kaleea keeping a sharp eye peeled as they went. Kreegar being young and curious as most boys his age had to constantly be reminded to stay close and not stray to far away. Garrik was reminded of his younger brother and at times snapped at the young man a bit more than intended. He got a strange feeling from this small hamlet. There was just something that did not feel right. Eventually he shrugged it off, attributing it to everything they had been through thus far.

As they approached the main gate an arrow sped out of the oncoming darkness to bury itself in the ground at the feet of Kaleea’s horse, the animal shied, rearing up and nearly throwing her to the ground. “ Who are you and what business have you here” a voice shouted from the gate tower. “We are friends,” Garrik yelled back. Kaleea broke in “as you can plainly see there are but three of us, I am Kaleea, this is my son Kreegar” she said gesturing towards the young man at her side. A torch was lit in the tower above looking up the trio saw two faces reflecting in the flames. “Who is the man with you, the one who first spoke”? The guard asked, “He has the look of a warrior about him and we want no trouble here”. The man above had not noticed the fact that both Kaleea and Kreegar were armored and armed as well; their cloaks had hidden the fact from him. Garrik spoke again  “My name is Garrik, friend, we mean no harm nor do we want any trouble, we merely seek lodging for the night”.

“Very well” Replied the man in the tower. Eyeing Garrik suspiciously, you may enter.  The gate slowly began to open, stopping suddenly leaving just enough room for the three of them to squeeze through. As Garrik cleared the gate, it slammed shut behind him with a resounding crash.

Three heavily armed men met them. “You must leave your weapons here with us,” said the largest of the three. Garrik turned to Kaleea who was adjusting her cloak as inconspicuously as possible to conceal the hilt of the broadsword strapped to her back. It was all for naught, for suddenly her son spoke “We do not relinquish our weapons to anyone” the young man said in a low dangerous tone, a look of defiance on his young face. Expecting the worse and bracing themselves for a fight, Kaleea and Garrik were surprised when the three guards, a strange far away look on their faces turned and without another word walked away.

Kaleea looked at her son and was suddenly afraid of what this boy might be capable of. There he stood, a child in a strange cloak and armor, big for his age but a child all the same. As she watched she noticed a large vein that ran the length of his neck on both sides disappearing beneath his collar, it appeared to have grown larger during the confrontation with the three men and was now shrinking back down to almost nothing. “His father’s traits are starting to show themselves,” Kaleea thought to herself and a chill ran the length of her spine.

“Time to find a bed for the night” said Garrik interrupting her thoughts. “And something other than fruit and hares would be a nice change.” Either Garrik had not noticed the subtle change in her son or he had chosen to ignore it for the moment. Once again Kaleea thanked the gods for his companionship.

 Something about the town was very strange, doors were closed and shutters drawn. They past a tavern that should have been full at this early hour, but it was boarded up and quite as a tomb, Garrik looked at Kaleea as if to acknowledge that he felt it too. Even Kreegar was quite, not plying them both with question after question, which he was prone to do whilst they traveled. Off to their left a door slammed, muffled in the darkness. The dry rustling of clothing followed it on the flagstones, and then it was gone. In the distance a dog howled a long and mournful wail. “Look mother, here’s a place” Kreegar pointed as they rounded the corner, it was a run down place called the “Hanged Man Inn”. “It doesn’t look like much” Garrik said. “But after weeks of sleeping on the cold ground anything is bound to be an improvement. Kaleea and Kreegar both nodded their agreement. Garrik pushed the door open and enter the inn followed by his two companions. The gloomy interior held nothing extraordinary, although the place looked as though it had been years since anyone had taken lodging inside. Using her ancient sword Kaleea pushed aside a large mass of spider webs as they entered, suppressing a shudder as she remembered her encounter with the marsh Spiders. “I imagine we will have to make do this night, “ she said.  “Kreegar, Go find us something to burn in the fireplace will you,” Kaleea asked her son  “This place gives off a chill that reaches clear to the bone.”

“Yes mother” the lad answered quietly and set off in search of wood. Kaleea looked to Garrik who was setting about the task of oiling and sharpening his heavy Axe “one can never be to careful” he said smiling at her. “You know that lad of yours is going to need watching more closely. The last thing we need is for him to pick a fight in a strange town.” His look turned more solemn. “Things around here don’t seem altogether right as it is. Did you see the way those guards just turned and walked away earlier, and the way his neck swelled as he glared at them. I thought it my imagination at first.” Kaleea sighed “I fear more of his fathers traits are starting to appear, he could very well become beyond our control. I must pray to my gods that we reach Gorm before that happens.”

                                                       l

  Kreegar made his way to the wine cellar, having found nothing to burn in any of the other rooms. In order to see, he wrapped a length of oily cloth he had found thrown in a corner around the end of his dirk lighting it with a flint and steel from a leather pouch Garrik had given him.

As Kreegar descended the stairs the flickering light created bizarre shadows and forms on the cellar walls. Yet he was unafraid, the air was cold and dank, it smelled of earth and sour wine. Upon reaching the bottom of the steep staircase Kreegar found himself surrounded by racks of wine bottles. Giant kegs lined the back part of the cellar. While searching for food the youngster noticed that one of the kegs jutted out from the wall. Upon closer observation he saw that the wall had a large breach in it. Suddenly the makeshift torch abruptly went out, only to be replaced by a soft flickering light coming from inside the breach. Carefully peering into the opening he saw ancient oil lamps embedded in the stone wall. Using his makeshift torch to light the first one, he shook off the flaming cloth and sheathed his blade, Kreegar stepped into the secret passage and moved forward down a long corridor at the end of which he encountered a heavy wooden door. It seemed out of place in this derelict Inn. It had been hewn from trees that were unfamiliar to him; the grain of the wood ran in swirls and patterns of a chaotic nature. No form or reason to them, yet they were quite beautiful. The hinges and opening mechanism were of ancient design; a green patina covered it, yet Kreegar could still make out the strange carvings and images in the pits and pock marked metal.

Finally the boy’s youthful curiosity got the best of him. Reaching out towards the latch he ran his hand gently over the archaic mechanism, as he touched it a small charge coursed through Kreegar’s body, pleasant at first, but soon his hair was standing on end and his muscles contracted painfully. Suddenly without warning and none to gently, Kreegar was hurled back towards the stairway he had come down only moments before. Striking the floor with a dull thud the young warrior rolled to his feet dirk in hand. “By the gods” he swore to himself repeating a phrase he had heard Garrik utter a number of times.   Kreegar saw a large cloud of dust settling around the open doorway, lying on the floor where he had stood only moments before was the huge door; it had been pulled to the floor with a crushing force by chains that had been previously hidden. Puzzled Kreegar cautiously moved forward. “What pushed me away,” He said quietly to himself, “I should have been beneath that, crushed like an insect.” His body still tingled slightly from whatever it was that had thrown him back. A strange odor issued from the other side of the strange portal, a pungent sickly sweet smell. Kreegar, being far braver than most boys his age entered the room. “By the Gods of Nizzaron” he swore, aloud this time at what he saw. At the far end of the large room, squatting like an obscene toad was a colossal stone Idol. Eight arms jutted from a grotesque frog like torso, at the end of each arm was a clawed hand turned palm upward. Though it was what these hands held that brought the first tinges of fear to Kaleea’s only son. In the center of each palm was stacked a small pile of human heads. Though it was their state that brought a chill to Kreegar heart, for they appeared to be recently decapitated and not cleanly at that. The heads had been ripped from their bodies, not cut. The head of the idol was that of a horned demon, encircling the throat was what appeared to be a necklace of human skulls. Looking down at the base of the grisly Idol Kreegar saw piled in a nightmarish heap the remains of what had once been attached to the heads, bodies piled one upon the other, arms reaching to the sky in a silent plea for mercy, and finding none.

This was all his young mind could take, turning with a scream Kreegar charged back the way he had come.

  “Garrik,” Kaleea said softly,  “Kreegar has been gone to long. I know he is not like other children, but he is still a child.” Garrik smiled at her. “I’ll go look for him.”

“We’ll both go, Garrik,” Kaleea said standing  “this place gives me a very uneasy feeling.” They both turned and walked in the direction Kreegar had gone. Kreegar rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and ran squarely into Garrik nearly bowling he and Kaleea over. “They…bodies…dead…heads…He stammered incoherently. “Kreegar what has happened?” Garrik grab him by the shoulders and shook him. “Calm down boy and tell us what is wrong.”

 Kaleea embraced her son “He is terrified Garrik. What could have happened?” she asked holding Kreegar tighter trying to calm the frightened boy. “I know not Kaleea but I mean to find out.” Looking to Kreegar, Garrik spoke in a gruff voice.  “Get a hold of yourself boy and tell us what happened” 

“A door... many dead.” I think that’s where everyone one is” Spoke Kreegar, terror in his young voice, Kaleea still held him tightly, gently stroking his long black mane. “It’s alright my son, you’re safe with us. Where was it you saw these things.

Kreegar, calmed by the sound of his mother’s voice finally spoke “In the cellar, mother. Down a hidden passage, a room, bodies stacked like cord wood in front of a horrific Idol, the heads gone, yet not gone” He paused as the image still freshly imprinted in his minds eye sprang forth. A shudder ran the length of the youngster’s body causing his mother to hold him closer to her breast. A thought struck her suddenly “He is terrified,” “He may be the son of a demon,” She said “But there is a little boy in there too. “As her son continued, Kaleea thought out loud. “ Dare I hope that the human part of him could prove more powerful than his father?”  

  “Kaleea,” Garrik said, nudging her, interrupting her thoughts. “What Kreegar has described sounds very familiar. The Targons, that blood crazed race of warriors that murdered my family, worship a bloated demon called Kulram-Ra.” “There are whispered legends from my homeland that tell of a cult of warrior-priests that conducted arcane ceremonies in the bowels of the earth.” Perhaps this village was built over one of those ancient temples. The superstitious villagers would have kept away from it.

 They walked cautiously toward the stairway Kreegar had descended earlier, listening intently as Garrik continued. “Entire towns where wiped from the face of the earth in Mass sacrifices to their obscene god.

 As they descended the stairs Kreegar told them about the falling door trap and how he had been pulled from harms way by some mysterious force. They entered the wine cellar where Kreegar pointed out the opening behind the huge keg. Garrik held out his hand stopping Kaleea and her son from going any further. “Wait here a moment” he said. Stepping though the hidden breach in the wall the seasoned warrior carefully made his way towards the open doorway. From inside the room a flickering of torchlight issued forth. Garrik’s axe settled in his hands. Ready for anything he moved stealthily into the chamber of death.

It looked as before, Bodies with arms stretched high in silent supplication. Heads stacked neatly in the palms of the Idol. “Kulram-Ra” Garrik whispered and he felt his blood turn to ice as he took in the grim scene before him. Memories of his slaughtered family sprang forth, images that he had forcibly forgotten long ago.  

 The Targons had returned.

After regaining his composure, Garrik explored the gruesome temple further. Always aware and axe at the ready for anything.

Meanwhile Kaleea and Kreegar were doing some exploring of their own. Kreegar while still quite shaken was doing his best not to show fear in front of Garrik. In the short time they had been together the young warrior had come to look up to the older warrior, cursing like Garrik and mimicking certain mannerisms. Garrik had seen this and thought it amusing while Kaleea saw it as more of a learning trait, and was glad for it. “If Kreegar becomes half the man you are Garrik, I will be pleased.”  She was shaken from her thoughts by Garrik's hand upon her shoulder. “ Let us leave this hellish place, “ he said to her. “There is nothing we can do for these poor souls. The Targons have done their work well.

“Come boy,” he said to Kreegar who was now showing his bravery by standing at the foot of the idol. “These people were killed only a short while ago, so the Targon could still be close by. They are as a rule cowards in single combat but unfortunately they seldom travel alone and when they partake of the Wizards Bane they are a force to be reckoned with.”

So weapons in hand the trio went back the way they had come. Leaving the Hanged Man Inn they noticed the sentries that had stopped them upon their arrival to the small village had disappeared leaving the place devoid of life. Kreegar asked Garrik “Could they have been Targons?” That would explain why they wanted our weapons” “That’s possible boy, but why weren’t we attacked?  Surely it took more than three of them to wipe out an entire village” Garrik said, thinking to himself, “Could you have had something to do with it boy, you and this strange power you seem to have.” With that thought in mind Garrik said aloud, “Come you two, we’ve a long ways to go before we reach the dragon swamps, and if the Targons are on the killing path of Kulram-Ra once again, we may have to fight our way to find Gorm.” The remainder of their journey had come and gone without mishap, they slept during the day and traveled at night, occasionally they had to avoid Targon scouting parties, Garrik used these times to school Kreegar in the art of stealth and tracking. Remaining motionless for hours, sometimes so close they could hear the guttural whispers of the Targon warriors.  Kreegar devoured the knowledge Garrik past on to him, never knowing enough, always wanting more.

They saw very little of civilization on their journey to the Dragon swamps. What contact the trio did have with humankind was always met with suspicion and mistrust. Rumors had spread to the outlying villages that the Targon hordes were on the killing path again, that a wizard of great magical powers was bringing them together.  A name was whispered around the cooking fires, a name that struck terror into the hearts of every man, woman, and child that heard it. The name of Galroth. He who had been slain by King Kreegar so many years before, his bones scattered to the four winds.

I put on MTV Asia or Channel V so there are streaming videos while I work on something and when I want to take a break from CNN, BBC and Bloomberg, or when there's nothing I haven't watched already on Starworld or AXN.

But instead of music videos (I don't even mind if they put those manufactured pop stars on repeat), they have these crappy reality shows or commentaries that just drive me up the wall with the constant blah blah of nothingness that makes Paris Hilton look like Einstein.

What the hey? No wonder people no longer watch your channels. Enough of the interview repeats of the Pussycat Dolls or even Jason Mraz or the constant plugging of the promos. Where is the MTV of yore? Bring it back!

You may not have heard of Planet Brain yet, 3 quiet Italian school friends who have been slowly honing their craft for the last decade, but once you have been exposed to their elegiac, transcendent rock music you will be hard pressed not to separate your life into two distinct categories: pre and post Planet Brain. The culmination of years of writing, refining and aural exploration their 2007 debut album ‘Compromises & Carnivals’ was an explosion of styles. A calling card album that contained a mesmeric set of songs that offer up a foundation that could easily be as important as Radiohead’s ’Pablo Honey’ or Muse’s ‘Showbiz’.  Fusing together the psychedelic tinged guitars of Swervedriver and ‘Gish’ era Smashing Pumpkins to the caustic bombast of latter day Muse they created an album seared with a heartfelt vitality rarely captured on record. In singer Marcello Batelli they are blessed with one of the most emotive voices in music today, though his operatics never overshadow the music, with rhythm section  Nicola Zagrando and Claudio Larese Casanova (yes really) provide a muscle that propels Planet Brains music to deep within any listeners conscious. Following the UK release of ‘Compromises & Carnivals’ on Function Records the band have toured their homeland as well as making frequent exploratory trips to the UK. Currently completing recording on their follow up EP which sees the band pushing their sound to a darker, heavier sounds cape they will be embarking on an Italian tour in November and returning to the Uk in the winter. I recently managed to grab some time with Marcello in order to discuss the bands back story, writing process and where they are heading.

Ok to kick off for those who don’t know can you introduce yourselves and give a brief history of the band. How you formed, what you wanted to get out of the band when you started?

We formed back in 1999, when we were about 15. Nicola and I used to play already together since we were at secondary school, we recorded some stupid songs about our teachers on a demo tape. Then we met Claudio and settled in his house, still our current homestudio-rehearsal room. Our first line up showed Claudio on the keyboards (he’s the drummer now), me (Marcello) on the drums (afterwards moved to guitar and vocals), Nicola on the guitar (then forced to be a bass player). We just started the band to entertain ourselves, without a real project. We soon began to write our own songs ('Walkie-Talkie' is one of the first songs we wrote), and we recorded a first demo-album in 2001 called 'Bottom of the Seas', followed by the 'Orange' EP in 2002, recorded by winning a local contest. We got another “ghost album” recorded in 2004 which was never been released, but some of the songs that were on it had been included in 'Compromises and Carnivals' (2007), our debut album.

The songs on 'Compromises & Carnivals' cover a huge range of styles from the epic versions of 'Gash Discipline' to the highly intimate moments such as 'Prince Astronaut''. Can you talk us through some of the influences that have informed Planet Brains music and also how the writing process works, how you work as a unit and the timescale over which a song might develop, as despite containing complex parts you can imagine being carefully assembled over months when listening each song sounds so natural you can almost see it being created in a few hours.

Most of the songs of 'Compromises and Carnivals' started just as improvisations. We use to jam a lot and record demos when we practice. Some songs were assembled by taking the best parts that came out from the jams, and some others were just left as close as possible to the original versions. Anyway, there is no such thing as a real method in our writing process. Sometimes it all just starts with a guitar riff, or a drum pattern. 'Prince Astronaut' was written by me, alone, in many days, and...yes, in an intimate setting, but “Who do you think I am”, for example, was finished only in 3 takes. Above all, the most important thing we focused on was to preserve the original energy - a sort of spontaneous and emotional feeling - each song has in the first takes.

As a band a lot of the reference points that come up include Muse and Radiohead..... but my mind always brings up early Smashing Pumpkins, as well as some elements of shoegazing from the late 80s early nineties in the UK, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Swervedriver...which drew heavily on pyschedelic guitars. Without asking you to do the impossible and label your own sound what would you flag as the bands formative influences?

You’re right, I am a true Smashing fan. Anyway all the three of us listen to different kind of music, and I can say there are no specific bands to which we refer. Nicola is more keen on 70ies psychedelic-progressive bands, such as King Crimson or Yes, Claudio listens a lot to Tool or Porcupine Tree, and recently I loved Sigur Ros, Oceansize and Mars Volta. Actually, these are just the first bands that come into my mind, not necessarily the main ones.

Vocally do you have any artists you look as markers for what you want to achieve on record. The style of singing you employ brings names like Jeff or Buckley, Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy and though its easy to see why you always maintain a a unique voice. When did you first really realise you could sing and what were your first experiences of singing?

Brilliant vocalists such as Buckley and Yorke have obviously been great teachers. But I also learned a lot from singers just like Billy Corgan, Layne Stanley or Bjork, for example, whose vocal techniques are personal and excellent without being methodic and perfect. When I started singing my main aim was not to break my vocal strings after each concert! That was simply my first experience of singing. Now I would love to acheive a wider use of the voice, I mean not only in extension, but also in a richer range of tunes and styles...from falsetto to growl!

Lyrically what inspires you to write? Do you draw on personal experiences or do you look for outside influences? Quite a lot of the lyrics seem to be examining the protagonists struggles with their own psyche a lot of the songs talk about someone searching for salvation or answers? In terms of the latter what are the band reading/watching/ listening to right now?

Both personal experiences and outside or literary influences actually. It is true that there are lots of characters taking parts in the songs, and the recurring themes are psychologic questions, states of mind, perceptions...together with language and (non)logic matters. Most of the time it’s all about suggestions or it’s all written around a single word I particulary like. I’m more interested in catching the song mood through the sound of the lyrics then in telling a complete story.
About what the band is reading/watching...mmh, I don’t know, but I’m surely not wrong if I say that Nicola is watching a horror film and reading a fantasy book...haha! Claudio will be on a more romantic/comedy style movie/novel. I am currently reading an old Japanese book, 'Essays in Idleness' by Kenko, which is awesome.

With 'Compromises & Carnivals' you achieved a definite sound, from the drums to the bass and even guitars, across the entire record. How was this achieved and did you have specific ideas and reference points for the sounds you wanted when you went into the studio or is it something that evolved over the recording process? Also where does the title come from?

We wanted the album to sound as a whole piece. The ten songs were written in differents periods so we tried to give them a continuity effect. At the same time, we wanted the album to sound as natural as a live concert, but with a clear and detailed recording. That is why the instruments settings are mantained the same across the record and the over-dubs are just a few.
The title of the album comes from a line in the second track. It can be representative of many of the themes of the lyrics and it could also reflect, somehow, the way the album is composed: free jamming improvisations (carnivals) transposed and fitted into song-forms (compromises).

You seem to thrive in the live environment and the shows are always a little special. How important is the live experience for Planet Brain, how do you approach shows and do you find the songs develop and change at all live?

When rehearsing we used to think of the songs in a “live” way - that is “how could it be that song when played live?” Being a three-piece band makes you concentrated all the time on how to fill the spaces in the songs, not to leave holes in sounds. But for hard you try this during rehearsing, stage always remains a challenge. It is our privileged testing field, not only to improve the new songs, but also to bring back the old ones to their original jamming structure. I don’t find the songs change at all live, I think they’re gradually evolving gig by gig, confirming the fact that songs are a living thing...that has to be experienced!

Whenever I’ve seen you in the UK you’ve been on line ups where you stand out from the style of bands you play with, yet despite being maybe not what the crowd expected you have always gotten a great response. I wonder if you could talk about this and also if you face a similar situation in Italy? Are there similar bands around at the moment or is it similar to the Uk where the scene is getting a lot heavier in many cases?

Yeah, that was part of the magic of our UK gigs. It also happens here in Italy to share the bill with heavier bands. Last weekend we played together with a metal friend-band (Wrath Prophecy), and it was awesome, we both enjoyed it a lot. I think that the heavy scene finds more spaces just because its fans religiously support their favourite bands and their live shows, more than “indie” audience does. Anyway, it was great to catch the attention of different crowds during our UK gigs, and when we were worried for our set being mellow, we simply tried to recreate an atmosphere on stage, as a new start, or just...kick ‘em out!

You have what appears to be a very good relationship with Function Records, can you talk a little about how this came to be and the benefits of the relationship to date?

I would say that our relationship is a friendship first, before being any sort of business partnership. It all started as a “bands exchange” between PB and Lebatol (the band that’s running the label). We organised a short Italian tour for Lebatol in 2005 and the plan for us was to come to UK for an equal tour. Lebatol Italian tour was awesome, we will never forget that, we had such an amazing time. After that they asked us to put one of our songs on a 7”...then probably an EP or...and finally we decide to release the album.
It’s a matter of fact that they do for us more than we did for them, and we have to thank them a lot for this. Hope they could join us for a longer tour of Italy, possibly later this year.

You’re currently back in the studio recording for a new EP. How are the sessions going and how are they differing from the 'Compromises & Carnivals' sessions? Are you using the same methods/studio/producer?

It’s going to be much different. This time we’re recording all by ourselves at our homestudio, “Brainland”, while 'Compromises and Carnivals' (except for guitars and vocals) was recorded and mixed in a real professional studio. Plus, we just bought a reel-to-reel 16 tracks recorder,  so we’re going to mess things up with analogic stuff. Sessions are starting right in these days. The reel-to-reel seems to work fine, tapes have just arrived, I haven’t finished the lyrics, but we’re ready to go! We are working without a producer, even if I’d love to, but we’ve done some pre-production demos lately, in order to try and see which are the main mistakes in each songs, and that method helped us a lot.

What can we expect from the new material, how has the Planet Brain sound evolved?  Any more crazy studio effects.. like the alarm at the end of 'Vision' that still has me checking my phone!!!

Haha! Yeah, that was what I wanted as a reaction! We should ask N*kia an endorsement for that. I think this time we will be more concentrated on the sound research itself, also because we have to play the role of the sound-engineers, and I’d prefer to waste some time in experimenting new miking techniques, rather than new ring tones. I’d like the whole sound to be different and renewed, but I can’t tell now how will it be obviously, as much will depend on what we’ll discover during the recordings.
I think new songs represent a step further what we tried on 'C&C'. There is a wider use of a sort of a “cut-up” technique (not properly a Borroughs’ one): more odd tempos, more puzzle-wise structures and juxtaposed melodies. We wrote long prog-ish songs and then made a synthesis of them. I like to imagine those songs simply being “tracks containing three or four different themes mixed together”, just like an object made of different materials but still a single piece. I know that each theme of a track could have been worth its own developing into a proper song, but on the other side I love these tracks being so chaotic and full of distractions, as if it was an environment you’re in, observing things from multi-angle perspective views.

Guitar wise how do you feel your playing has changed since 'C & Cs'? Have you changed your set up and if so how? What effects are you currently using?

Well something has changed in my set up. In these last days I’m trying a double amps setting, switching between (or putting together) a Fender Twin and a Vox AC30, but I don’t think I’m going to use that on the record...I need to practise. I’m using different tunings and some new effects/pedals (GigaDelay, Comp, Phaser, Octaver) as well as new overdrive/distortions, Big Muff and stuff. Also Nicola is using different distortions for the bass. On the newest songs I’m more a rhythm guitar than a lead one - as it was several times in C&C. That is because we worked on the arrangements as a whole body, trying to enframe each instrument (guitar in this case) in the other two (bass and drums).

I have a few American friends who have all been digging PB recently and have been ordered to tel you to get over to the states NOW!!!! On that theme where would you like to play that you havent already visited and are there any particular gigs or festivals you’d love to play onday?

Yeah! Please tell your American friends we’re ready to go NOW!
What’s Glastonbury? Never heard this, is it another small-indie-fest like Pinkpop, Reading, Rock Am Ring, Sziget? with an up-to-30 people audience? Haha, Glastonbury would be awesome even if we were the first opening band at 9 am playing a 30 mins set.
We would love to play more around Europe, or follow a bigger band in a part of their tour as supporters.

Looking forward we obviously have the EP coming up and you return to the UK in late August before a tour of Sicily... beyond that what does the winter 2008 and beginning of 2009 hold for Planet Brain?

No masterplan at the minute. Anyway: touring more than ever, keep writing new songs, having fun...why not?

Ok so a quickfire last few... when not playing or writing music what would be a perfect day out for Planet Brain?

Out in the outer space! What else could the Brainians ask?

We’re buying...what are Planet Brain drinking?

Hoegaarden (just our temporary trend – it was Mojito last summer and Guinness two summers ago).

Finally and very cheekily....what went wrong at Euro 2008???!!!

Toni.

thank you again.

Thanks a lot!
Love

ciao!
You can check out planet Brain news here: Planet Brain.

You can buy Planet Brains debut album through Function Records.

In trying to get out the vote, some Hollywood celebs tend to be overly dramatic.

In the last election, Cameron Diaz claimed that failure to vote would result in the legalization of rape.

P. Diddy, of course, has his running “Vote or Die!” program.

Now Jessica Alba is getting into the election act with an ad that has her wearing a Hannibal Lecter-type mask.

With tears running down her cheeks the actress appears muzzled, accompanied by this message: “Only you can silence yourself. Make them hear you. Register to vote now.”

Why a muzzle?

“If you don't register and vote and make a difference, and hopefully change the bad things that are happening in our country, you are essentially just binding and muzzling yourself,” Alba explains to People magazine.

The Democrats are always seeking new ways to motivate younger voters who overwhelmingly vote the Dem way.

“I think it is important for young people to be aware of the need we have in this country to get them more active politically,” Alba says.

She adds, “People respond to things that are shocking.”

A staged muzzling—I’m shocked, shocked I tell you!

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

Isa lang naman ang wish ko para sa iyo sa b-day mo... Ang sana gumaling ka na. Alam kong mahirap ang pinagdadaanan mo ngayon pero naniniwala ako na Big C is nothing kay Big G. Walang imposible kay God. Happy Birthday and God bless.

I have to wear my favorite FMCC shirt today to show some love. Get well soon Idol!

Let us conquer the world, shout around the globe - "I'm ready to defend the 3 STARS and a SUN"

Last season's American Idol, David Cook is shooting up the music charts with his recently released single, Light On.  Cook is set to release his first album on November 18, 2008.

With his unique rock sound range, Cook won fans across the nation on Idol and won the the popular singing talent contest by a wide margin last May.  He recently toured with fellow idols and has made countless personal appearances on TV and radio shows.  A true musician, Cook is slated for a long and successful career in the industry.

Some great Cook moments:

David Cook Web Site: http://www.david-cook.org/

And this reminded me of the contestants on the reality television show, Big Brother. Every year some poor soul would attend auditions in hopes to achieve his/her 15 minutes of fame with maybe a bit more, and if you were lucky you went to the next stage.

What some of these people faced when they were publicly humiliated on screen (through selective editing and negative portrayal) and torn apart on discussion forums was the least of their concern. While some were treated like absolute stars, others were chewed up and spat out (by the show itself), and in recent years many younger contestants were selected for their titillating value. The sad reality for many of the contestants of this show is that they are quickly forgotten.

Let this be a lesson to anyone considering finding their next career in the entertainment industry, your future is constantly on the line and sooner or later you will be made redundant by a younger and perhaps more attractive actor/actress. That's just how things are. ;)

Se iau una,doua,trei...cinci bucati de fete tinerele,[cu voce neaparat!],se adauga in garderoba lor personala skate shoes [cu sireturile de culori diferite,neaparat!],fundite de par, tricouri pe care sa se vada cat mai evident inscriptia Rock [neaparat!],jambiere colorate si accesorii de metal.

Frumoos...iata inceputul unui nou trend in showbizul romanesc:Poserismul.

Pe cat pariu ca peste un anisor si ceva cand aceste emo wannabes dudui,cu fler de I don't give a shit,se vor desparti si vor deveni toate blonde cu unghiute roz si invitate fidele la Povestirile de Noapte?

Huh,huh? Pe cat? :D

Sa mai zic ca formatia a fost fondata de Costi Ionita?Se stia de mult.Insa eu si acum mai intampin numeroase "Seriooooooooss?!" cand mai pomenesc ca fapt divers in stanga si-n dreapta mea.