The Dark Knight Rhizomes! Hasbro Potato Personas Abound
May 8, 2012 | 
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Batman gets the Hasbro Potato Head Treatment
Some totally tube(r)ular Mister Potato Head personas have just been released or are on their way. As you can see from these images, Hasbro Toys has plenty of new personalities to adorn your root cellar this coming season. The ability to morph the old spud into a plethora of popular characters has kept the franchise fresh – and tasty.
I Was A Pre-Teen Tator-Tot…
I’m old enough to remember when the kit came minus a potato replica and my parent’s refrigerator was regularly raided for real food to bring the gent to life. Depleting dinner menu items wasn’t really high on most Mom’s lists of great things, but the inclusion of the faux-tato in the early 60′s did limit your ability to make recombinant DNA stlye creations.
Mash-Ups…
The members of rock band KISS are available separately and in a limited edition collectors set that includes 3 parody album covers. Elvis is depicted in both white Las Vegas jumpsuit version and ’68 Comeback Special black leathers. The newly minted Three Stooges were a perfect choice for spud characterizations and come with their own weapons of mass disruption, a wrench, clobbering mallet, and ubiquitous pie. Star Trek’s Mr. Spock and Lt. Uhura join the already available Captain Kirk and are an absolute scream. Hasbro has just announced that Superman and Wonderwoman will hit the stores this August.
Battle Ready Batata…
Toy Fair 2012 also afforded a sneak peak at the Batarang wielding Dark Knight which will appear around the time of the third installment of the Batman trilogy The Dark Knight Rises. Makes me wonder… if Batman is represented in potato form is his alter ego Bruce Wayne being played by Christian Kale?
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Jann Klose Wraps Up Rockwood Residency
Jann Klose At Rockwood Music Hall
On April 29, 2012, singer – songwriter – guitarist Jann Klose wrapped up a month long stint at Rockwood Music Hall on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Ken Pierce and I were fortunate enough to catch the capper show of the four weekend residency. Having met Jann at the Greg Lake press conference last month it was a treat to get to hear him perform.
Backed by Chris Marolf on bass, Rob Mitzner on drums and Keyboardist Lars Potteiger, Klose opened the night with one of his newest recordings “Falling Tears.” The musicians took advantage of their extended set time by stretching out a bit and offering up some new songs. Klose noted that the residency was a nice opportunity to mix up the sets and audition material for the next album. He genially joked that he’d be using his “applause-o-meter” to judge the value of tunes for the forthcoming album. Based on what we heard, it will be a hard choice. Each had excellent melodies and choruses to recommend them.
While reviewers have often compared Klose’s vocal delivery to that of early 60’s Paul McCartney, and I clearly hear a Billy Joel like turn of phrase in several songs, he has a wider musical world view than either of them. Born in Germany and spending part of his formative years in Kenya, Klose integrates a universal range of rhythmic motifs into his pop based songwriting. The reggae-esque “Hold Me Down” is a favorite of mine. It’s a fun upbeat tune during which the band – aided by vocalist Aisha Eustache – easily elicited an audience sing-a-long on it’s infectious chorus. With Lars switching to accordion, and augmented by Megan Marolf on oboe and Leah Potteiger on violin, the group took on a gypsy jazz feel turning Rockwood into a poppier version of The Hot Club. The band closed the night with a jazzy take on “Stormy Monday Blues” with a little Sly Stone thrown in for good measure.
In addition to his solo recorded work (3 full length CD’s and 2 EP’s are available) Jann has been a member of the stage companies of Tommy on Broadway, Jeckyll & Hyde touring and Jesus Christ Superstar in Europe. For last year’s Jeff Buckley Tribute Show at Knitting Factory he joined Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, Gods & Monsters) for an impressive rendition of Grace album opener “Mojo Pin.” Lucas returned the favor on night three of the Rockwood engagement.
Jann will be opening for Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty at Iridium Jazz Club on Wednesday May 2, 2012, that’s tonight! There are two shows and it should be quite a treat to hear him join the headliners for a few classics like “Heart Full Of Soul” and “For Your Love.” I suggest you keep an eye on his schedule for other opportunities to catch he and his band.
Posted in Music | 
Tags: gary lucas, iridium jazz club, jann klose, jim mccarty, rockwood music hall | 
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666 Rules, OK! The Devil’s Carnival Hits the Road
The Devil is in the Details
Yes, the devil is in the details when you’re trying to get an original film idea funded. The more outre, the less likely you’ll find willing investors who, not surprisingly, look for sure fire returns. That is how Darren Lynn Bousman explained the process to a goth bedecked audience at New York City’s Times Scare haunted house attraction. The director has been on both sides of the coin, overseeing three Saw sequels and the Mother’s Day remake. These kinds of projects find backers based on franchise popularity but in turn crowd out new concepts with “rehashed” retreads. Alternately, along with writer Terrance Zdunich, Bousman has created the indie as indie gets Repo, The Genetic Opera.
L to R - Darren Bousman, Terrance Zdunich, Joseph Bishara, Briana Evigan
The Event…
The NYC Devil’s Carnival Tour event found Bousman and company halfway through an interesting experiment. Part film experience, part live performance by local acts, part audience participation, Q&A and a meet and greet, it proposes a unique but risky DIY model that circumvents industry gatekeepers. It is quite a commendable effort and I believe inspiring to creative outsiders. Afterall, today’s harebrained schemes can turnout to be tomorrow’s business models. Tapping into the comicbook, sci-fi, horror and cosplay communities puts the creators directly in touch with an established fan base, kind of like a live version of Kickstarter. Their affiliation with goth goddess Emilie Autumn is what peaked the curiosities of both Ken Pierce and I in the first place.
The concept is somewhat akin to “midnight movie” culture where screenings of films like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” had costumed audience members break the prosenium arch and become part of the event. It allows it’s producers to create a different experience at every tour stop. At the NYC event were treated to a contortionist, an audience member costume contest, a behind the scenes reel from the production of “Repo” (sing-a-long!), and a troupe of young ladies who offered an erotic tableau one might have expected to see in a Victorian bordello. Bousman, Zdunich, actress Briana Evigan and soundtrack producer Joseph Bishara were all on hand for a post screening Q&A session. A protracted meet and greet where they kindly signed posters and CD’s. They were genuinely thrilled to meet their fans and marveled at the creative costumery.
The Film…
The film itself follows a trio of characters castoff by a Geppetto like God (played by Paul Sorvino.) These folks are having a hard time on Earth and an even worse stay in Hades, inevitably caught by one of the 666 rules of the realm. Their individual narratives are based on the fables of Aesop. Meager change in the human condition over millennia validates the longevity of those simple parables.
Like “Repo”, “The Devil’s Carnival” is a musical. Unlike its progenitor – which is based in futuristic sounds – producer/engineer Bishara noted that the Carnival soundtrack reaches back to “ancient” instruments for its sonic landscape. The tuba driven low-end gives the film the feel of a Kurt Weill operetta or the rickety rawk of Tom Wait’s albums “Rain Dogs” and “Bone Machine.” Amazingly it was all tracked in one day long recording session. It ain’t rock, but it ROCKS.
Based on its budgetary constraints the film is quite opulent visually. Make-up, lighting and camera work are all top notch and inventive. The fairy tale stagecraft will likely remind you of Laurel and Hardy’s timeless “March of the Wooden Soldiers” (1934) but with strikingly saturated color. Think Mario Bava or the look of Juan Lopez Moctezuma’s “Alucarda, La Hija de las Tinieblas” (1977.)
The cast includes Briana Evigan (Mother’s Day), Ivan Moody (singer of Five Finger Death Punch), Slip Knot’s Clown Shawn Crahan, Dayton Cally (Sons of Anarchy), Sean Flanery (Boondock Saints) Emilie Autumn and plague rats, Alexa Vega (Spy Kids franchise), Jessica Lowndes (Altitude) and screenwriter Zdunich as the dark lord himself.
The film, which runs under 1 hour is a cliff hanger, it’s follow-up script already completed. Bousman revealed teasers that part 2 will include more views of the “Heaven Carnys”, thereby more Paul Sorvino (Yay!), and a duet between Emilie Autumn and Clown.
SkeletonPete Says…
I love the way the ensemble tune “Six Hundred Sixty Six Rules” parodies Rent’s “Seasons of Love” (aka “525,600 Minutes”), what a hoot.
If you have the opportunity to catch “The Devil’s Carnival” in the latter half of the tour be assured of a great time. I suggest you dress to the nines in your best fantasy fineries and participate, it’s rule #667.
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Posted in Film, Music | Tags: 666 rules, alexa vega, briana evigan, cosplay, darren lynn bousman, dayton cally, devils carnival tour, emilie autumn, five finger death punch, ivan moody, jessica lowndes, joseph bishara, paul sorvino, plague rats, repo a genetic opera, saw sequels, sean flanery, shawn crahan, slip knot clown, sons of anarchy, terrance zdunich, the devils carnival, times scare | 1 Comment »
Goin’ Back: Carole King’s Legendary Demos Released
Carole King - The Legendary Demos
Embryonic Journey…
Demos offer a glimpse at a song’s embryonic state and insight into the writer’s initial intent. It’s always interesting the hear how a songwriter interprets their own works when definitive versions have been rendered by others and are ingrained in the public mind. The author’s version usually pales in the shadow of the hit but King’s demos reveal that her distinct phrasings and pronunciations were often copied directly as if learned phonetically. There is a lot more “Carole” in the hit versions than one would have imagined. Her vocal arranging skills, honed from her high school days, are well represented in even her earliest tapes. Background and response vocals were for the most part copied verbatim by the recording artists and producers. While you’d would be hard pressed not to prefer Aretha Franklin’s (“You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” you’ll also be surprised to hear how closely the feel of the demo is followed.
Stripped to basics, tunes like “Take Good Care of My Baby” point out the melodic nuances and rhythmic patterns King delineated in her piano work. It’s enlightening to examine how arrangers took many of those simple cues and turned them into lush string or horn counterpoints. Alternately you can hear how efficiently King could pitch a tune by approximating the style of established artists. Her harmonies on what became The Everly Brothers hit “Crying In the Rain” highlight that ability.
You Win Some, You Lose Some…
A perfect example of how demoes could be surpassed or lost in the translation is heard on the first two tracks. While Carole’s “Pleasant Valley Sunday” offers a lyrically sophisticated rumination on the quirks of 1960’s suburbia it lacks the signature guitar lick we’ve all come to associate with the tune. The Monkees version, produced by Chip Douglas (also the tune’s bassist) introduced Mike Nesmith’s fuel injected riff (based on George Harrison’s “I Want To Tell You”) and set it on a trajectory for the top of the charts.
On the other hand The Monkees reading of “So Goes Love” as recorded for their eponymous first album, but left unreleased until the first Missing Links compendium, totally misses the mark. King’s demo reveals it as “one that got away”. Had it been completed more closely to her demonstration tape – especially the complex background harmonies – it could have easily been a chart topper.
Ladies (and Gentlemen) of the Canyon…
Eventually Carole King left her Brill Building roots and along with Joni Mitchell, Jackie DeShannon, James Taylor and CSNY helped to usher in the Laurel Canyon singer/songwriter model that became a staple of 70’s FM rock. Her album Tapestry, sold millions of copies and made her a star in her own right. Quite honestly the demos for songs King made famous herself are less exciting to hear because they feel less revelatory.
SkeletonPete Says…
It’s an exceptional treat to have these sometimes bootlegged recordings available in excellent condition to explore. They are as enjoyable to hear as they are historically valuable. What’s missing for me? I would have loved the inclusion of two gems from The Monkees soundtrack to Head, “Porpoise Song” and “As We Go Along.” With her memoir topping the New York Times best seller list and interest renewed in the author’s back catalog I’m hoping a second helping of legendary demos will be in the offing soon.
Fire, Ice & Everything Nice: Dark Horse’s “Mother of Dragons”
Dark Horse and HBO Present Emilia Clarke, Daenerys Bust
Not much is left to say when the picture above speaks volumes, but having personally perused this piece from Dark Horse Deluxe and HBO licensing I must note it is simply stunning. Expect this limited edition to be available in late June. The Gentle Giant Studios sculpt is approximately 7 inches tall and 8 inches wide.
Posted in Collectibles | Tags: a song of ice and fire, daenerys bust, daenerys targaryen, dany, dark horse comics, dark horse deluxe, emilia clarke, entertainment earth, fire and blood, game of thrones, george r. r. martin, hbo, hbo licensing, mother of dragons, silver queen, stormborn, the unburnt, valyria, viserion | 1 Comment »