Assemblog: June 1, 2012

Published on June 1st, 2012 in: Assemblog, Horror, Movies, Music, Trailers |

holy motors
Holy Motors, 2012

New on Popshifter this week: a review of Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life and the highly anticipated Prometheus. There are also fifteen (!) new articles from our May/June issue, True Patriot Love.

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A History Lesson, Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984

Published on March 22nd, 2011 in: Culture Shock, Current Faves, Documentaries, DVD, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Movies, Reviews, Underground/Cult |

By Less Lee Moore

a history lesson cover art

My interest in this documentary on some of the bands in the mid-80s L.A. punk scene was piqued by the inclusion of Redd Kross, which, as anyone who knows me will attest, is my all time favorite band. Not because they are necessarily the best band in the world, or the most famous, or the most infamous, but because they forever changed my life for the better, a topic too lengthy to get into here, but which is, unsurprisingly, completely relevant to a discussion of A History Lesson Part 1.

This is not your standard glossy, let’s-explain-why-punk-rock-is-so-important documentary. It’s comprised of old footage shot by Dave Travis, a fan and friend of the bands featured—The Meat Puppets, The Minutemen, Twisted Roots, Redd Kross—interspersed with current interviews from members of those bands. The immediacy and importance of all the bands is captured in the grainy footage, and rather than coming across as embarrassing, it’s completely invigorating.
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Mike H, Daiquiri: Best Of 2010

Published on December 24th, 2010 in: Best Of Lists, DVD, Movies, Music |

russell mike THUMB
Click to see
larger image.

Fancy Space People EP: I haven’t been this excited about a band in I don’t remember how long . . . this three-song EP is, for me, the best new thing I have heard in years. I love it! Check them out here.

Seeing Don Bolles sing in his early-era-Alice Cooper tribute band THEE EARWIGS was incredible! What a setlist! What a voice!!

The Redd Kross/Fatih No More show December 1 at the Hollywood Palladium featuring Sparks as special guests during the FNM set doing “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us” . . . seeing Patton and Russel Mael sing that together . . . wow.

Getting a photo taken with Sparks after the show! Not as good was me flipping out like a 15-year-old girl in front of them . . . for the third time. Can’t help it. Sorry.

The movie I Think We’re Alone Now (about stalkers)

Daiquiri released Flower Shaped Num Nums on December 6 via their Bandcamp website. You can download the magic for just five dollars! Find out more about Daiquiri on MySpace.

It’s White Flag’s World, We Just Live In It: An Interview With Pat Fear

Published on May 30th, 2010 in: Interviews, Music |

By Less Lee Moore

benefit for cats

Recently we’ve been treated to new music from the venerable White Flag, an excellent EP called Keepers Of The Purple Twilight. Released on Target Earth in March of this year, all five songs are fantastic, featuring the White Flag hallmarks of clever, witty lyrics, which are often belied by hooky, but rocking tuneage.

One intriguing factor is that lyrically, the tunes are pretty introspective, perhaps pondering where a band like White Flag, who has been consistently making music but continually underrated over the years, fits into this weird world of American Idols and Justin Biebers.

If you haven’t been paying attention to White Flag, we’re here to help fill in those gaps for you. What follows is a conversation with singer, guitarist, songwriter, and main Flag-waver Pat Fear about the history of the band, including just a few of the “28 years of stories” he’s accumulated about punk rock, playing Greenland, The Shaggs, Os Mutantes, Gasatanka Records, and being the most connected band in the universe.
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Top Ten Holiday Tunes: By Less Lee Moore

Published on December 14th, 2009 in: Holidays, Listicles, Music, Staff Picks, Top Ten Lists |

1. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Band Aid

I know this song’s privileged, paternalistic attitude is totally inappropriate, but it just reminds me so much of teenaged Christmases, I can’t help but love it. Plus, it features many of my teen musical crushes: Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Boy George, and of course, Marilyn (before the drugs took their toll).
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Top Five Cover Versions That Will Never Happen

Published on May 30th, 2009 in: Issues, Music, Top Five Lists |

By Less Lee Moore

5. INXS, “Some Kind Of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad

I grew weary of the Hutchence/Geldof/Yates love triangle drama in the ’90s, so I wasn’t completely shocked by Michael Hutchence’s death. But when the remaining band members subsequently devised a reality show to find a new lead singer, I was offended on behalf of Hutchence as well as my own ’80s INXS fandom. His voice was sensual and bluesy, yet perfectly poised for pop songs. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until he was gone. Which is why the fact that he’ll never be able to cover “Some Kind Of Wonderful” (or sing and perform ever again, for that matter). makes me so very sad. In addition, INXS was one of the rare bands who utilized saxophone judiciously rather than embarrassingly and that would have been a great asset in a reimagining of this song.
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No Shame In Flamboyance: An Interview With Gere Fennelly

Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Current Faves, Interviews, Issues, Music, Underground/Cult |

Interviewed by Less Lee Moore

One of the coolest live performances I ever saw was in Dallas TX in 1993. Redd Kross was playing with a bunch of other bands (including pre-indie-cred Nick Heyward from Haircut 100) for the Live 105 Acoustic Christmas.

For their cover of PJ Harvey’s “Oh My Lover,” keyboard player and pianist extraordinaire Gere Fennelly performed the song on a baby grand, with singer Jeff McDonald dramatically sprawled on top of it.

Although she left Redd Kross soon after to concentrate on other pursuits, that amazing flair for theatricality and humor still infuses everything she does.
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They Are All, So Don’t Even Try: NXNE 2008 with Redd Kross

Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Reviews |

By Less Lee Moore

You have to understand. . .

There are things that I look forward to, things that I get excited about, and things that I Live For. Redd Kross is one of the latter.
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A Conversation With The Cowsills

Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Current Faves, Interviews, Issues, Music, Popcasts, Retrovirus, Video |

By Mandy Mullins and Jaime Sparrowhawk
(with lots of help from Paul Cowsill!)

cowsills4
Susan, Paul, and Bob Cowsill

The Cowsills are one of the foremost musical families in pop history. Brothers Barry, Bill, Bob, and John formed the group in 1965. Joined by their mother, Barbara (a.k.a. “Mini-Mom”), they recorded their self-titled debut album in 1967 and achieved their first hit, “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” (#2). A short time later, brother Paul and sister Susan (the youngest Cowsill) rounded out the lineup. With unparalleled harmonies soaring above an infectious bubblegum beat, The Cowsills went on to release a slew of LPs and singles, including the top ten hits “Indian Lake” (#10, 1968) and “Hair” (#2, 1969), and served as the inspiration for the popular television show The Partridge Family before disbanding in 1972.
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Speaking The Language Of Pop: An Interview with Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.

Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Current Faves, Interviews, Issues, Music |

Interviewed by Less Lee Moore

Even if you have never heard of Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., you’ve probably heard him. You might know him best from Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, Malibu, Moog Cookbook, or TV Eyes. But he’s worked with dozens of other bands and musicians: from Air, to Beck, to Cheap Trick, to pretty much every other letter in the alphabet. Except Q and X (I checked).

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