Adenoids and AngstAntennas Up, self-titled, Plastic Artifice [4/14/09] On theirlong ges-tating de-but, this Kansas City trio cooks upa propulsive funk-pop concoction. The press note allusions to Gnarls Barkley and Jamiroquai make perfect sense since they in-vest their fast-paced, high-energy dance tunes with soul (to that list, I would add Michael Jackson, circa Off the Wall). When white boys overdo that kind of thing, they can end up sounding pastier than ever, but these crafty gentlemen, who formed their outfit seven years ago, know where to draw the line. Like the band's name, Antennas Up is silly at times, but always enjoyable.Lucky Fonz III, Life

Read more »

Where in the World Is...Every few months, I check Google to see where my reviews are ending up. Here are some of the more interesting results.Bach Movies:Amazon review of The Anniversary Party[My first Amazon theatrical review.]Belinda Carlisle:Amazon review of VoilàDoomed to Be Stoned in a Sludge Swamp:AMG review of the Screaming Trees - Buzz FactoryEschatone Records:AndMoreAgain review of Brian Dewan - Words of WisdomHellHorror.com:Amazon review of CrónicasKnowledge:Amazon review of Style Wars[This review is all over the net, which thrills me, as it means a lot of people are discovering and re-discovering this b-boy gem.]Last.fm:AMG biography of Ben

Read more »

Malibu Stories: Movie of the Month, Part ThreeI recently reviewed the following for Video Librarian, and thought it was worth sharing.CHRIS & DON - A LOVE STORY [***1/2] (Tina Mascara and Guido Santi, US, 2008)While in description, a documentary focusing on the ex-periences of one pair of lovers might sound hermetic, Chris & Don comes across as remarkably expansive.-- Michael Koresky, indieWIRE It's tempting to describe Chris & Don as a full-service doc-umentary, because it covers a surprising amount of groundin a brisk 90 minutes. The film doesn't just depict author Chris-topher Isherwood's relationship with artist Don Bachardy, a man 30

Read more »

The Sonsof DavyJones,JoeyRam-one,and Ola-tunjeGene Dante and the Future Starlets, The Rom-antic Lead, Omnirox EntertainmentWhat hath David Bowie wrought? Though he didn't exactly emerge from out of thin air—his influences include AnthonyNewley, Jacques Brel, and Scott Walker—countless artistshave attempted to walk in his customized shoes, and actor-singer Gene Dante is the latest in a long, glittering line.Dante has even starred in The Rocky Horror Show, so if youcan imagine a cross between Bowie, Marc Bolan (arguably Bow-ie's finest protégé), and Rocky Horror scribe Richard "Riff Raff"O'Brien, you can imagine The Romantic Lead with its theat-rical vo

Read more »

25 CDs About MeCross-posted at FacebookWithseeminglyeveryoneon Face-book pos-ting "25RandomFactsAboutMe"—or varia-tions on that theme—most of which are fascinating, if far from random, I decided to try something different; something less confessional, but not really if you read between the lines...The CDs piled on top of my boombox and my dresser reveal all anyone needs to know about my taste in music—and by exten-sion, my personality. Some people are what they eat; I am the music I consume...and the films I watch and the books I read.Yes, I've run out of shelf space, but these aren't just overflowCDs. They're the ones I listen to the most because: 1)

Read more »

February ReviewsThese are the reviews and other pieces I'm working on this month.Amazon DVDs: TheSidney Poitier Collec-tion (Edge of the City, A Patch of Blue, Some-thing of Value, and A Warm December) [four-disc set], The Guitar (with Saffron Burrows), Magnificent Obsession - Criterion Collection, and 60 Minutes Presents - Obama: All Access.Amazon Theatricals: Gomorrah (Italian mob master-piece), Two Lovers (James Gray directs Gwyneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix), He's Just Not That into You (with Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, etc.), and Confessions of a Shopaholic (with Isla Fisher).Still playing: Doubt, Milk, Notorious, Rach-el G

Read more »