Fall Out, Live at the 5 Towers

Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air - Book Review

“The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air” is a trippy new mystery novel from Phillip Mottaz. It captures the grit and gilt of the City of Angels with the flair of a contemporary Raymond Chandler. The brisk pace and wit are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’s entries in the detective game. Flourishes of Fletch and “Medium” also spring to mind. However, Mottaz has added a psychic/mutant/superhuman touch and his own comedic voice, structure and internal monologues to the proceedings that help the author announce his own style and the arrival of a literary heroine for a new generation. Hairstylist and budding private investigator, Danica Luman is the perfect character to convey the irony, angst and sarcasm needed to tell a 21st century L.A. crime story. Danica also represents anyone who thought it would be neat to get tangled up in a mystery and the darkly comic cautionary tale that follows. The genre is recognizable, but Mottaz offers a fresh take on the not-ready-for-prime-time-hard-b

Well, I Left My Jag In Kansas City

Hey Soul Mates, that's one of my all-time favorite movie lines. On occasion in real life, I've been able to say it. That bit of dialogue is from Silver Streak . My buddy Mike told me to say something about Richard Pryor . That man was funny. How about that? I always looked forward to going to his movies as a kid: Bustin' Loose, Wholly Moses!, Brewster's Millions, The Toy and See No Evil, Hear No Evil . Plus, if you got to see his latest movie, you were "cool." We'd watch the rest on TV: Car Wash, Bingo Long, Greased Lightning and The Wiz to name a few [I know one of Bryan's all-time faves is Moving ]. Just last month, I caught his big scene in Uptown Saturday Night on BET. These are not necessarily classics, but Mr. Pryor's performances were all enjoyable and there was a feeling of rebellion in watching him work. As a kid, it was like you were given a peek into the absurd, adult world through his humor. He was showing us how messed up Ameri

Lord Huron - Long Lost (Review)

Lord Huron - Long Lost Republic, 2021 Released on Whispering Pines Records & Tapes, Lord Huron’s new LP Long Lost is a Fabulist & Western concept album. The band has traditionally tapped into the spirit of Hank Williams, Springsteen and Roy Orbison with lovelorn, operatic flair. Ghosts are never too far, either, and Lord Huron have never been ‘fraid of them or reverb. They have added to their usual cinematic repertoire by way of interludes jarring and organic, spoken word introductions (maybe label founder Tubbs Tarbell?) and reprises, enhanced by headphone listening. The result is an experience that sounds like a vintage radio show produced by David Lynch with lead singer Ben Schneider in the role of Special Agent Chester Desmond’s musical nephew’s doppelgänger. Standout songs are the stunning title track Long Lost, I Lied, and Not Dead Yet. The last quarter of the album is a dream state soundscape, Time’s Blur, the band becoming the radio wave escaping earth’s atmosphere. T

Norman's Rockwell

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