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


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.

:)

the day before the xmas eve - FREE MP3s

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!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

LUV JAM - FREE - I WILL BE COMEDIC & MUSICAL

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 -

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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?

Rainbows, ChopShop, ClicheFinder, SlumDog, LuvJam

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.

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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

random + FREE movie

Go to RUIN for FREE tonight on my list (Los Angeles)

Tonight marks the first anniversary for RUIN, where you can here a blend of new wave, post punk, indie rock, darkwave, etc. and drink fine absinthe (the real stuff).

Send me a direct message on here, or simply mention that you are on Shok's list at the door to get in for free before midnight and $5 after.

The event is held at The Monte Cristo and goes until nearly 3am tonight.
-->LADEAD.com

Go to RUIN for FREE tonight on my list (Los Angeles)

Meat Beat. Viacom Beat. Friday & Sat

A drive-by of sorts style posting for you.


This evening is a performance by Jack Dangers and crew aka MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO.
Largely a factor in my diversion from writing and acting into to forays and two decades of my professional world of music, MBM has influenced songs in a profound way. Always keeping underground, the MBM sound has been cited as the father of Drum N Bass, the mover of Industrial Funk and even the modern Dubstep.  Bands such as The Prodigy, The Chemical Bros and Nine Inch Nails list this as big influeces and The Prodigy, Chemical Bros and The Future Sound of London all had their first hits by massively sampling work from Meat Beat.

Meat Beat Manifesto began in 1985 as an offshoot to Perennial Divide, a post punk, noise and psche-jazz project, for which Jack Dangers sang and played bass. He brought Jonny Stephens with to join MBM and release music through such avenues as SweatBox, Play It Again Sam (PIAS), Wax Trax, Mute, Nothing Records (Trent's label with Interscope) and more! Today, his band includes Mark Pistel from Consolidated ("You Suck") and Ben Stokes (DHS), who invented the filing technique where a round of cameras would shoot a sequential still to "freeze frame & pivot the angle" which was popularized in The Matrix trilogy, Gap commercials, Howard Stern's tv opening credits and a slew of Ninja action sequences.

See the band, tonight, at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood. $20
- link -

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A drive-by of sorts occurred today when the behemoth of all media did a 7% employee layoff today.
They are expected a pre-tax savings of over $200 million for 2009, $250 million post tax.
This means that there are roughly 850 people who learned that their holidays and new year shall commence in a very different way. The drop of gas prices will not seem like much now! Happy Holidays!!!!

There is a decent article written by Peter Kafka as linked below
- link-


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Friday is the first anniversary of RUIN.
I have a guest list for the event.
Contact me for info or stay tuned for more information tomorrow.

- link -


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Saturday is an art gallery event at The Hive Gallery, downtown Los Angeles, with burlesque and other performances.

- link -


I am now off to the Meat Beat Manifesto performance. Have a good evening or morning, wherever you may be!

Meat Beat. Viacom Beat. Friday & Sat

BLACK FRIDAY but SALVATION SATURDAY

BLACK FRIDAY but SALVATION SATURDAY

ThnxGvng Saturday: TechItch, Hive, Skynet, etc.

Click image to enlarge ;)

ThnxGvng Saturday: TechItch, Hive, Skynet, etc.

links, obama game, fires, ohgr, janes addiction, freeness

ok.... it has been difficult keeping up with the blog again as I have been on the computer more than usual as we are full speed ahead with the Josie Cotton album... however I do have a set of links and decent information that I had wanted to present on Monday....

1. Here is a view of the recent wildfires in the greater/ not so much greater Los Angeles area from outerspace via Nasa


2. Tonight, OhGr, from Skinny Puppy, will unleash his electroblend of music upon the citizens @ El Rey Theatre this evening.....
Email me if you want FREE tickets.

You can also catch OhGr on the big screen in theatres as he currently is featured in REPO: The Genetic Opera. the horror/fantasy musical by the creator of the SAW films and includes Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton, Sarah Brightman, Bill Mosley, etc


3.
Jane's Addiction continue with their small shows in LA with an intimate performance at El Cid in Hollywood.
- link-


4. Bored at work, home or on the go? (or on the toilet?) Play the Obama tribute to Super Mario Bros-type game, SUPER OBAMA WORLD.

- link -

5. Gothic Umbrella
Watch pop-rnb-goth diva, Rihanna strut some MJackson MManson MButterfly action at the AU MTV Awards show.
Talk about lights and fog!!! Btw, note the mistake where she forgot to sing "Start it Up" and the voice kept going at 4:06
- link -


6.
Check Open Table as there are quite a variety of places that have lowered prices due to the current economy.
- link -

links, obama game, fires, ohgr, janes addiction, freeness

Maxi Wild @ Cinespace this Sunday! (FREE)

This is a qwikkee reminder that this Sunday, the 16th, I will be on drums for Maxi Wild's debut performance at Cinespace, which happens to be a FREE show! Maxi comes to us from the United Kingdom and has worked with such folks as Chris Corner (IAMX & Sneaker Pimps).

The performance on Sunday is at 10pm.
Hope to see you there!!!

Below is her video for Human After All

link

Maxi Wild @ Cinespace this Sunday! (FREE)

Want to see a HORROR-MUSICAL tonight? (Hollywood)

Repo! The Genetic Opera

I had mentioned this film along time ago when it was being shot and the possibilities of Paris Hilton being added to the cast of OhGr (Skinny Puppy), Sarah Brightman and Paul Sorvino...

This is a horror-musical and is receiving some decent reviews!
I am planning to see this @ 10pm tonight at the Laemmle Sunset 5. Should you want to join me, send me a message!

Want to see a HORROR-MUSICAL tonight? (Hollywood)

VOTD: Maxi Wild - Human & Dancing

Howdie!

I have been back on the Josie Cotton sessions and the album is flowing! Expect her new ep early 2009!  Also on the new music tip, I uploaded another tune from the forthcoming Red Light District debut, "Smoke & Mirrors".  This song is a cover of the 1930s standard, "Gloomy Sunday". You can hear it on the myspace page.

The first video of the day is from Maxi Wild and her song Human After All.  Maxi is from the London section of the world and has been residing in Hollywood for a bit now.  She has worked with Chris Corner (IAMX & Sneaker Pimps) as well as some other notable folks. 
She has her first performance this Sunday evening @ Cinespace for FREE!!!
I will be on the drums for her and we take the stage 10pm

Maxi WIld - Human After All

link

The second video of the day is from the trusty failblog, always proving to bring one up from a case of the frowns & downs.  Please watch this attempt at dancing!

Watch 'til the end! Wait for it, Wait for it!


link

Video from The Great Pooch Escape 2008 coming soon!
Also news about my new kitty, Zeitmahl reborn, Emit Peels and more on the way!

Have a great day!

VOTD: Maxi Wild - Human & Dancing

For your ears - Red Light District

It was time to share another song from the forthcoming debut album , "Smoke & Mirrors", by Red Light District, and so uploaded the song went upon the space of my for the listeners of the net which was wide in the world.

Enjoy this earlier promotional version of the standard "Gloomy Sunday", which was initially written during 1933 and has been reinvented over the years.




http://www.myspace.com/redlightdistrictx

For your ears - Red Light District

Struggling Americans Forced To Work Extra-Dimensional Shift

According to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Labor, skyrocketing consumer prices coupled with stagnant wages have forced many Americans to work a fourth shift in another dimension in order to make ends meet.

read more | digg story

Struggling Americans Forced To Work Extra-Dimensional Shift

Wanna see THE FAINT tonight in Anaheim?

Drop me a message if you would like to see The Faint this evening

http://www.myspace.com/thefaint



Giving away some tickets!

Wanna see THE FAINT tonight in Anaheim?

Lost but FOUND!!!!

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!

Miss Pooch-A-Rilla was found!

She is home safely with me! Thank you to everyone who sent warm wishes! It was amazing to realize how much she and I mean to you!

I literally MOONWALKED my way out of the full bill from Animal Control!!!
Youtube video coming soon!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!!!!

We spent a while snuggled just earlier!

Now to bath Pooch-iana Jones from her adventure aeroma!

I will see some of you at the gathering this evening.
I have some musical treats in store!

Have a fine Saturday!

Lost but FOUND!!!!

Please FWD: Help find Pooch-A-Rilla

I am heading out to distribute flyers and posters to find Pooch-A-Rilla in the valley in a short while. She has been missing since Thursday from the backyard. If you would be able to join me today or tomorrow, please email me: fda at newgrounds dot com
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. I am worried for my four-legged girl!

Please fwd to anyone you may know who is in Los Angeles, especially if they are near Granada Hills (Northridge), where the recording studio/ house is located. Thank you in advance!

Please FWD: Help find Pooch-A-Rilla