Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Thought Of New Year's Eves & L. Ron DMC Winterwonderland

Good Morning!

I have awoken with a rather stiff neck. Hopefully I can return to sleep for a bit before I must work later.

This marks the first year I have ever not thrown a party or have been part of one with the exception of two years where I attended and helped with a friend's party.



From the time I was a baby, my family always threw large New Year's Eve celebrations. When I was 6-7, I began having friends of the family, the kids of these people, hanging with me, which in following years, became me inviting a few of my friends and this turned into my early teen years, having basically my entire class over and having the basement level of our house, my own party, which then became an even larger and more wide spread event as later teen years and early twenties passed.



As the mid-twenties quickly became late twenties, I was not only a revered veteran of the New Year's celebration but was hosting larger and larger Nyrs Eve events such as the annual Log Cabin Nyrs party, located at a VFW Hall in Belmont Hills, PA (the near outskirts of Philadelphia). These parties started about 7pm and would commonly end far past 7am with the survivors migrating like a virus of delightful zombies to a haven called The Llanerch Diner aka "The Big L".



There was one year in there where I did not throw my own party but was hired to have my own room on the top of The Trocadero Theatre, where I was the sole DJ all evening as well as Master Of Ceremonies. This was part of a Patrick Rogers/ Dancing Ferret / Dracula's Ball festivity bringing in the transition from 1998 to the final century marker, 1999. Lady Bathory, from Boston, was the DJ for the downstairs with Sunshine Blind and Godhead performing live on stage. This was a full ten years before I wound up remixing a track which is on the Warner Bros / Ryko release of Godhead's latest album. While this was an entirely fun and overly intoxicating evening to have been entertaining a few thousand people and not having to promote a party, and just show up and be paid to share music I enjoyed and be "funny" over the microphone, energizing people, I missed a relatively smaller event. (The photo here was taken at "The Big L" after this event and I had drifted into dreamland at the diner.)


There was also New Year's 2000-2001, when very very few people knew I came back to Philadelphia for the Holidays and I arrived just before midnight to my friend, Tim/ Flipper's party, being carried by 8 people on a raft, high in the air. (No, the raft was high in the air, I was not high unless you mean high on life).



Last year marked the very first year NOT in Philadelphia for New Year's. I put together an event in collaboration with Ground Control at The Catch One, the home of Das Bunker. I even imported my friend/rollerderby/DJ, Trishylicious from Philadelphia to spread some of the Philadelphia love to Los Angeles! We also had Philadelphia native, Jim Groves aka DJ Rekast and Kevin Venable aka DJ Morserotonin entertaining. While it was indeed a good time, followed by a Pasadena Parade on the first and an evening of spontaneous hilarity and dance at some "interesting" Scientology Christmas display that was loudly broadcasting old disco and funk, I knew 2008-2009 would have something else in store for me.



This year, I am actually working at Universal until 9pm and then I am most likely headed to my friends' house aka The Brokenhaus of Heather and Andrew. This is toward Pasadena. I am not performing nor am I DJing... just hanging. Well, the plan is to go there. Part of me feels as if I should stay home with the cat, Li and the dog, Miss Pooch-A-Rilla.

I do plan on visiting the outside Scientology Center's Xmas display to get some free dancing happening, laughing and shoot more video again tomorrow evening. While I am strongly against any cult.... there is much hilarity to be had at ANY place where you can just roll up with a bunch of friends and bust a funk n disco party of your own with good friends! Should you want to join me, please email me fda at new grounds dot com.

As a bonus, here are some videos from the Trishylicious cam on her youtube collection of us invading the L. Ron Hubbard Winter Wonderland!!! :):):)

I hope to make an additional post before 2009, however today is a full day. Happy New Year!!!




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Saturday, December 27, 2008

BEATS ANTIQUE & BASSNECTAR performing @ El Rey Theatre

Holy Moses and the lil baby jesus! I am very excited to go see BEATS ANTIQUE & BASSNECTAR at The El Rey Theatre tonight.... I am truly hoping there is a major delay as I am about to leave for work @ Universal Studios now and complete around 10pm.... anyhow.... I have been a huge fan of BEATS ANTIQUE for some time now... Their first album was excellent and their recent album, COLLIDE, continues with their magical blend of tribal rhythms, bellydance friendly world grooves and electronic bliss but now with the essence of ragtime! (Just like the refreshing lemon scent of dishwashing fluid commercials) This music is not dissimilar to Red Light District, which I happen to also enjoy for good reason.



I am also looking fwd to seeing the live audio delights from BASSNECTAR, who is headlining. There are some SICK videos of him on youtube, however I am sharing a video featured on his myspace home. I could go on about his work but due to time limitations, here is a press piece on him.

"A freeform project that merges music, art, new media, social involvement, and community values; dedicated to a constantly-evolving ethos of collaborative creation, self-reinvention, and boundary-pushing experimentation. While existing as a mutating collaborative effort, Bassnectar is traditionally the amorphous music project of Lorin Ashton, a San Francisco based Musician / Producer / DJ, (“probably the largest cult following of any DJ in San Francisco” – SF Weekly) highlighted by massive basslines, thick mob scene beats, freakshow energy, emotive melodics, traditional acoustic instrumentation, and fearless mashing of genres, styles, sounds, moods, and approaches. Fusing elements of midtempo breakbeats, big beat, old school hip hop and dub, DnB, glitch, IDM, electronica, death metal, grindcore, punk rock, alternative, folk, swing, and jazz; and sampling anything from the human history of sound and music, Bassnectar might be most accurately described as “omni-tempo maximalism."

If you would like to meet tonight and dance and enjoy the sounds, drop me a note, I will do my best to check messages. Enjoy the two videos below of Beats Antique filmed on this current tour and the recent single video for Bassnectar respectively.

More performance details for this evening:
Doors @ 8pm $15 & $19
El Rey Theatre concert details here


BEATS ANTIQUE


BASSNECTAR


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Also, if you would like to help, display art, perform, present something at the Red Light District debut party in February, drop me a note!

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Friday, December 26, 2008

DANCING TONIGHT - (not my event)

I hope everyone had a well experienced holiday and can move forward feeling rejoiced, rediscovered, regurgitated, rematastered!

Heading to DOOMIE's VEGETARIAN HOME COOKIN' right now for lunch and then working at Universal until 10pm... then heading to this SILVER FACTORY/ Downtown 81 party... I am in the mood for britpop, manchester, electro goodness for which I shall shake my rump!

If you would like to go with me tonight, drop me a note, I have a guest-list as long as you get back with me before I leave... that would be about 11pm this evening.

More later.. now foodage!




Go here to check Phil's restaurant!!!


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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

the day before the xmas eve - FREE MP3s

I worked 9 hours yesterday. It was dark and raining when I left for work Monday morning, however, as the day traveled, the sun melted the clouds for moments here and there and warmed the air.

Today, I have been listening to some fine n tasty dark jazz from the likes of The Kilamanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble, Randy Sandke and also some random tunes from folks who have a rich palette or sonic medicine!


Blue skies, 58°F with South winds at 2 mph, Humidity is 53% and Pooch has recently gassed the apartment!!!! I need to grab a new brand of food and put her back on GASX. Li, the kitty, also has had gas, but is fine now. You can not light the stove when the pets are near in fear of explosion!

Here are some holiday delights. The first two are from the vaults of my early newgrounds days when Tom and I were being silly.

SANTA DOGG

This is nearly 10 years old and shows Santa Dogg comin' to da hood as he should! This reminds me of my final year in Philadelphia and the insane crew of friends that I had the pleasure of calling my family of cohorts!





FDA B4 XMAS
or THE NIGHTMARE B4 FDA
Combine, NIN, DANNY ELFMAN, ELTON JOHN & a mug advertisement with DATASS... This was the precursor to ASSWARP, which was a 14 minute animated musical I directed, featuring Lenora Claire, Jason Miller of Godhead, Daniel Ash of Bauhaus/ Love And Rockets and more.






Game Time
While on the topic of flash, I never previously mentioned that I composed music for BITTER PILL, a new online game series by Brian Frisk (The Frown.com, Hell On Earth with Dane Cook, We Are Robots). The initial game play is FREE. I know there will be a version with Playboy Interactive, but this one is FREE and you can play the first level now!
- play now -

Music Time
I downloaded this last month and maybe you will enjoy it! This is a song by Eagles Of Death Metal, remixed by Evil Nine. I am a supporter of all remixes by Evil Nine and you can find their albums on my friend, Adam's label, Marine Parade out of the UK.

- Listen and load mp3 legally here for FREE -


Terrence Trent D'Reznor - HUMPTY IN IT (Rump Mix)
You may have heard of this person, you may have even enjoyed the song. Noted as one of the "pre-mashup era" songs from the later 90s, this included a marriage of:
The Humpty Dance by Digital Underground
Down In It by Nine Inch Nails
Shake Your Rump by The Beastie Boys
Dominator by Human Resource
The Choice Is Yours by Black Sheep

You can download the HUMPTY IN IT mp3 for FREE for the holiday spirit and shakin' dat @$$ here

Another free download today is my remix for the band Pink Skull which was cooked and blasted earlier this past year. They have worked with a wide variety of artists and combine many genres.

Download this twisted and glitched bun shaker here


Also, you can enjoy the remix for Seattle based, ex-Diva Destruction band, Cylab from 2007 which hit a slew of blogs in the last year since it's official release. - download & enjoy -

Lastly, for the Mirah fans!

Enjoy the Advisory Committee remix that was released by K Records on the Joyride Remixes album which garnered quite a press frenzy. This album includes remixes from various producers including Guy Sigsworth (FrouFrou, Imogen Heap)

- download & enjoy -


Have a fantastic day!

Now to eat, finish some edits, sort the spring touring and prepare for the first Red Light District rehearsal tonight that we have had in months! We are gearing up for The Bob Baker Marionette Theatre benefit as well as some wild performances and our Record Debut party which will be during the Valentine's wknd celebration.

:)


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Monday, December 22, 2008

Recap, Josie, RLD, Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance

I hope all is where where you might be while reading this.
Friday was an interesting time, being filmed for a VH1 special. Josie Cotton's comeback is eminent and I am happy for her. The worst part of the taping is that while they filmed her "in the studio recording", we had pulled up PROTOOLS. None of her new work is being recorded with that. I spoke with the folks who created what I do use and informed them and am definitely looking forward to meeting my newest endorsing folks at the upcoming NAMM show in January. Anyhow, Josie rocked her interview and as soon as I know about initial air dates, I will post.


Take it from my crazy kitty, STAY BUNDLED!!!
She may be one wacko, ferret-like, rodent-kitty, but she knows how it goes! It is rainy again today in Hollywood. It is fortunately out of the 30s and was a lovely day for my weekly Farmer's Market outting :)

I am leaving momentarily for Universal Studios, where I have hardly worked in months. I enjoy working on rain days as I basically do not work. I am there from 10 until 6pm and then will come home to work with Miss Juliette Angeli on the completion of the editing of "Smoke & Mirrors", our debut under the moniker, RED LIGHT DISTRICT.


Speaking of music, I am going to leave you with a lovely tune, called UTOPIA, by Brendan Perry, whose voice may be familiar from Dead Can Dance. I have been enjoying this tune for a few weeks now and am anticipating his full album. There are quite a number of albums on the way. Jagz (The Aloof/ Sabres Of Paradise) produced the new album for THE PRODIGY, and I have it, and am figuring out if I enjoy it. I have a few tunes for the new Depeche Mode album as well.... not so into it, however in recent years, the DM music needs to stew for some time.


Enjoy Utopia by Brendan Perry below:


I will later tell of the wknd and how Legion and I travelled, ate, saw film, saw fun and discussed the future of the ocean.... or something similar. Have a lovely day!

Lots of FREE MUSIC coming frmo the Timeless EnterpriZes vaults for Xmas!!!!

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Today: Josie Cotton & Me & VH1 show - (also I may need a ride)


Today is not one of my ordinary days... then again, I do live in Hollywood and there are no ordinary days here, in fact, even before I moved here, roughly a decade ago, I lived in Philadelphia and spent much time also in the Apple of Big-ness and no ordinary days of regularity occurred there either.

Well, today I am headed to Malibu, to Satellite Ranch, where I will be filmed with Miss Josie Cotton for a special on VH1. I may need a driver as I may with to bring a few extra items up there and a long long ride on the two-wheeled, vespa-like-motor vehicle is not really a wise choice. Drop me a line if you have some time and want to go! Otherwise I will either hire a car or something.


The focus of the show is all about the 80s and Josie will be discussing her hits including "Johnny Are You Queer" as well as the film VALLEY GIRL, which starred the young and punky version of Nicolas Cage. She will also discuss her upcoming album which is what I have been producing. It should be a good time.


I believe the last time I was on tv performing was when I was 15 or 16 on the Captain Kangaroo show when I was on drums for this juggler/ comedian. Well... that may not be accurate as I did co-host The iRRegular Show on MusicPlusTV and some of the Thrill Kill shows were on tv... maybe they will cut everything I say today anyway...

If you are around and can assist me, contact me. You will have a fun time, food, facts you never wanted to know, fashion tips from a crew of the mtv/vh1 posse and an adventure!!!





<---- Click to see larger version, revealing Josie's name


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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Want to see the film CHOP SHOP or see FAKE BLOOD​ for free?

If you want to see the film CHOP SHOP or see FAKE BLOOD​ & TOMMY​ SUNSH​INE tonig​ht all for FREE,​ conta​ct me soon

I will post later with pics of THE CURE, a wacky MR. ROGERS video and some free music

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Monday, December 15, 2008

LUV JAM - FREE - I WILL BE COMEDIC & MUSICAL

I will be performing a new musical comedy piece tomorrow evening. This will be taking place at the LuvJam 6 party, where I will also be performing on drums, singing and playing trumpet during the evening.

This is a FREE event that occurs every several months where a large group of folks come together and we all cover songs and you get to have loads of fun! Every time that I have friends attend for the first time, they enjoy it so much that they return for every future show! (Either that or my voodoo dolls are finally working!)


The party commences 9:30pm @ The Saddle Ranch on CityWalk by Universal Studios.
There is a safe parking place beside the venue.

I can only reveal at this point that one of the groups with whom I am playing tomorrow will be covering Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole". Jack Archer from Red Light District / Zeitmahl will be on the electric twanger while I am on drums and percussion for this song.

Below is my performance from the last LuvJam when we rocked my cover of HOT HOT HOT, not by The Cure, but by BUSTER POINDEXTER Wow... this just reminded me that I am seeing The Cure this evening with Robert Murphy... heh... I guess i really do not care much for a band I used to love. Well, at least DEPECHE MODE still has my attention! Enjoy the video and contact me with any questions!


LuvJam 4: Love Jam - Hot Hot Hot from Shok on Vimeo.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Rainbows, ChopShop, ClicheFinder, SlumDog, LuvJam

I know that when I was younger, the rainbow was fun... No, I am not referring to the establishment on Sunset Blvd, but the actual RAINBOW. Somehow, this became the gay symbol. I am sure you have heard many folks over the years, including subpar comedians or people who think they are funny say "I want the rainbow back". There is another site that has popped up to FREE the Rainbow association... wait.. @$$ociation. Here is a video promo and link for their home.




- link -


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cliche finder
Have you ever found yourself writing a slew of cliches?
Hopefully, your brain will notify you to filter this when you write, however, I often see this recurr more than I see Paris Hilton on a billboard in Hollywood.

If you do not need it for yourself, you can have fun feeding someone's horrible posting or trite pop music lyrics into the cliche finder operating table and find a blast of amusement with the results.

- link -

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


I thoroughly enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire, which I saw last evening at The Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood with my friends Christina Wise and my recently reconnected pal, Elissa K., whom I had not seen in 4 years up until last wknd! This film is fantastic in so many angles from the characters to the pacing to the sadness, upset, humour, spirit, etc. I do not want to say much about the film other than it follows the story of a homeless, uneducated orphan who wins $$$ on India's version of the tv show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and how someone like him could possibly know the answers. It has been out a bit here in the Los Angeles market and still, at a 7:35, Thursday evening screening, it was a soldout house!

This film is included in my top films for 2008.
Please do yourself a favor and support this film in the theatre. The soundtrack, alone is amazing. There was the inclusion of the MIA tune which desecrates Go Straight to Hell by The Clash, but it worked within the world of the film. While I am not always a fan of Danny Boyle films, this one is superb!!!


- link -

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While on films, here is a blip reminder about the film CHOP SHOP, which I had wanted to catch several months ago, when it was at the Sunset 5. The story follows a young orphan boy of 12 years, who supports himself and his elder, 16 year old sister by work at an auto-body/ mechanic shop. Motivated to forge a better life, he begins saving his earnings for a mobile food truck to enabled their own business and security.


The film seems to be a very realistic piece with a similar look to The City Of God, which remains one of the most realistic films I have ever seen as it was a film without professional actors but one amazing director who called upon the cast's memory of an actual event which actually had affected them and upon which the film was based.

You can see this film FOR FREE which is what I will be doing on Wednesday evening, the 17th of December at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. This screening is sponsored by Scion. - - Ascertain you respond promptly as this may have filled by the time you read it... if not by the time I am posting ;) - -

Send me a direct message if you wish to attend


CHOP SHOP on IMDB
Noruz Films offical site
Watch the Trailer on YouTube


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Lastly, a promotional note... I will be on drums for a few songs and singing/ trumpeting/ acting as a comedian at the upcoming LuvJam 6, taking place this coming Tuesday evening, the 16th @ 9:30 at The Saddle Ranch in Universal City, CA. It is a special FREE Universal holiday show. I know that I am also on drums, covering songs such as Supermassive Black Hole by Muse and the show will close with my musical comedy production number ;) Hopefully it will be a sliver as entertaining to folks as my rendition of Buster Poindexter's Hot Hot Hot was. See Below!



LuvJam 4: Love Jam - Hot Hot Hot from Shok on Vimeo.

- link -

Have a good evening....
I am going to edit some audio for my OWN music for a few ;)
Then later, I am supposed to have dinner at The Redwood Bar at 8pm. Then who knows. Do you have anything fun happening?

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

random + FREE movie

I went on a lovely hike/ mountain "climb" on Sunday in Altadena. The bunch of bananas who joined me were Heidi Bluegirl, Alan de Forest and the talented & ever so graceful, Miss Pooch-A-Rilla.




We certainly took the path less travelled, traversing the more steep trails. This was certainly a great time and a good way to spend 3-4 hours exercising, sharing laughs, collecting thoughts, snapping photos or plotting a way to travel to Neptune on a sailboat powered by personally charged methane.



Miss Pooch was a trooper and was certainly a very happy doggie/ muppet/ Fraggle once we returned to the base of the mountain on level ground.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The part two of today's post is focused on the film CHOP SHOP, which I had wanted to catch several months ago, when it was at the Sunset 5. The story follows a young orphan boy of 12 years, who supports himself and his elder, 16 year old sister by work at an auto-body/ mechanic shop. Motivated to forge a better life, he begins saving his earnings for a mobile food truck to enabled their own business and security.


The film seems to be a very realistic piece with a similar look to The City Of God, which remains one of the most realistic films I have ever seen as it was a film without professional actors but one amazing director who called upon the cast's memory of an actual event which actually had affected them and upon which the film was based.

You can see this film FOR FREE which is what I will be doing on Wednesday evening, the 17th of December at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. This screening is sponsored by Scion

Send me a direct message if you wish to attend


CHOP SHOP on IMDB
Noruz Films offical site
Watch the Trailer on YouTube


over & out

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