whatevs (dot org)
piping hot content for your sexy bod
oh what rippling muscles!
Friday, September 19, 2003  

the boss

sunday night. comerica park. the forecast calls for clear skies. i'll be attempting to smuggle my Digital Elph in the stadium for some snaps. i'll certainly have a review of the show ready by Monday morn, but until then, get psyched by checking out my review of his last Detroit appearance and by peeping the most recent set lists. come on up for the rising. buzz.

posted by uncle grambo |
 

the tragic number

Detroit Tigers pitcher Mike Maroth managed to lose his 21st game of the season last night, the most for a big league pitcher since 1974. the Tigers have to go five and five in their last 10 games to avoid losing 120 games. but there IS a silver lining in this story ... The Tigers close the season with a four game homestand versus Minnesota from September 25 - 28. we might be able to witness history down at the CoPa!

Fox is seriously considering leaving "The O.C." on Tuesday nights this fall. It was previously slated to air from 9-10 pm on Thursdays against some pretty stiff competition ("CSI", "Will and Grace", and of course Amanda Bynes in "What I Like About You"). Nothing has been finalized yet, but this rumour is a clear indication that Fox execs aren't as high on Dushku and "Tru Calling" (the proposed "O.C." lead-in) as they were a few months ago. As of press time, no comment from Damore.

The New York Post takes a massive potshot at the burgeoning Los Angeles fashion trend — trucker hats (!!!). apparently Von Dutch is blowing up big time, approximately six months after New York hipsters staked this trend in the heart. The Post is reporting that Halle Berry's man-ho, Eric Benet, is photographed in this week's US Weekly wearing both a VD trucker hat AND VD t-shirt. what a DB!

Britney pioneers the Off-Both-Shoulder look for oversized sweatersIn other news from Fashion Week, Brit Brit got booed when she made a surprise appearance at the Diesel show. Just between you and me, she's looked a LOT better.

Who knew? Harry Shearer loves the Fountains Of Wayne!?! all this and more can be discovered if you read the lovely Claire Zulkey's interview with the comedic genius. Maybe this is common knowledge or maybe I'm reading too closely between the lines, but Shearer seems like total dick.

"I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had now for over three years." — Dick Cheney on last Sunday's "Meet The Press". hmmm, then how come they paid you just over $162,000 last year? no buzz (via the good graces of the Information Leafblower).

BREAKING NEWS! A task force made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies on Friday raided a "million dollar home" on Lake Crest Drive in St. Clair Shores in search of a suspect in a large-scale marijuana trafficking ring.

yes, Wes Anderson is currently overseas prepping for his next directorial project, "The Life Aquatic." but before he left, he managed to shoot a spot for (get this) Avon Beauty Products! apparently Avon has recently launched a new brand called "Mark" (no relation to me, I swear). according to their website, "mark is something completely new. More than a beauty brand, mark is Avon's entirely new beauty experience for a new generation of young women. It's makeup you can buy and sell, created for and inspired by today's young women." the following excerpt from Creativity (you have to have a paid subscription, so a link won't do any justice here) details more about the commercials (click here for a schedule of when they'll be airing):

Wieden and Wes Anderson Give Avon a Makeover
Avon doesn't jump to mind as one of the coolest brands in the world, so when it came time to launch its new youth-seeking brand -- mark -- it seems natural that the company looked for all the hip help it could get from Wieden + Kennedy/New York. Wieden, in turn, drafted big-screen stylist Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore) to further crank up the cool. The resulting launch spot -- "Meet Mark" -- is drenched in Anderson's trademark whimsy and cast in plastic pastels, as a succession of young women talk about what "Mark" has done for them, as a sweet pop rendition of "Love Is All Around" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show lolls in the background.

The spot's production was also something of a stunt. All the one-line testimonials take place in stall-like mini-sets, which the camera quickly pans across to jump from scene to scene. Real or effects? A little of both, according to Wieden head of broadcast Gary Krieg, who admits that the footage -- which was shot in one take as the camera panned across the scenes in real time -- did require effects help to become as seamless as it appears. "Wes did his homework and started sketching things that we didn't think were possible, but it worked," Krieg says. Additional credits to production company Moxie Pictures, Tonefarmer for the MTM redux, Mad River Post editor Stephane Demonceau, effects company Smoke & Mirrors and post house Company 3.


Finally, I think that I've got a new blogger crush. meet Gothamist Jen. So cute when she's wearing a t-shirt of the website she writes for! I'm waiting to hear back from the Information Leafblower to see how the Gothamist and 601am Happy Hour went last night, and maybe if the buzz is legit then your Uncle Grambo will breeze into NYC and represent The Motor City at the next get together. HOLLA!

posted by uncle grambo |
 

self-fellatio by mitch albom

oh my oh my. if you are into the Theatre Of The Absurd, you just HAVE to read Mitch Albom's interview with Sergei Federov in this morning's Freep. in typical Albom fashion, the interview only tangentially covers the actual person who is being interviewed. Within the first three sentences, Mitch has already inserted a reference to himself ("I have always found Sergei to be insightful...") and it doesn't stop from there. The entire interview is structured as excerpts from their conversation, which of course allows Mitch equal time in the spotlight with his actual subject. God forbid that he would actually have to sit down and edit the conversation into a column with insights and opinions, it's far easier to just transcribe a tape recorded conversation! And couldn't he have made an editorial decision to snip the times when Sergei addressed him as "Mitch"? Of course not! Worst. Interview. Ever. (EDITOR'S NOTE: According to the guys at WDFN, there is an absolutely ridiculous picture of Sergei in a tub full of rubber ducks that's gracing the front page of the paper ... too bad said pic is not on Freep.com)

what are you gonna do, arrest me for saggy cleavs?i've got an idea for the next guest star on "Nip / Tuck." how about Sharon Stizz? looks like she could use a little assistance with the droopy cleavs, n'est-ce pas?

David Blaine, your magic is real. well at least Wacko Jacko and Paul McCartney think so! The cutest Beatle of them all was involved in an early morning scuffle when a photog tried to snap a picture of him visiting David Blaine! Doesn't Paul have anything better to do?

"An 'N Sync gang bang! Can you imagine?" er, not so much. Jenna Jameson is profiled in Paper.

Ogni homo me guarda come fosse una testa de cazi.

Hamtramck's famed Polish Market goes up in flames. Worst. A few years back when I was dating a girl in Hamtrammy, I used to represent up in this piece all the time for fresh OJ, and their pierogi was truly kickass. What a shame.

Blender asked Liz Phair for her suggestion on 10 songs to download now. Here are her suggestions:

  1. Abba, "Take a Chance on Me" (1978)
    A creamy mid-career confection from the Swedish avatars of Europop, from The Album.

  2. Christina Aguilera, "Beautiful" (2002)
    "I, among millions, commented on how bizarre Christina has looked of late, and wondered why she does it," Phair says. "This was her answer - it shut you up and put you in your place."

  3. All-American Rejects, "Swing, Swing" (2002)
    The best punky power-pop anthem to come out of Stillwater, Oklahoma...ever.

  4. Brendan Benson, "Tiny Spark" (2002)
    The lead track from Lapalco, the latest album from the Detroit guitar-pop underdog.

  5. David Bowie, "Five Years" (1972)
    "I don't really know what the lyrics mean, but I like the idea that something's going to end in five years."

  6. The Cars, "My Best Friend's Girl" (1978)
    "If I'm driving and it comes on, I think I'm the foxiest chick alive."

  7. Extreme, "More Than Words" (1990)
    "The unplugged power ballad par excellence."

  8. Fleetwood Mac, "Bleed to Love Her" (2003)
    "A 'mommy' friend of mine gave me this. She's like, 'Read the words!' She thinks it's all about how Lindsey Buckingham is still in love with Stevie Nicks. She makes a really good argument."

  9. Billie Holiday, "Strange Fruit" (1939)
    "The voice of the downtrodden."

  10. Idlewild, "Actually It's Darkness" (2000)
    "I imagine kids up in Scotland in shitty weather, rocking out in their parents' basements."

posted by uncle grambo |
Thursday, September 18, 2003  

fender shmender

stratocaster shmatocaster. les paul darth maul. i'm gettin' me a Jackson Guitar! and I don't even play guitar (although if I'm to believe "Pablo Honey", anyone can play guitar)! whatever Jenna says, Grambo does. best spokesperson since the Pets.com Sock Puppet. obvs.

where the boys aren't #74

(link originally revealed by the Velvet Ropers)

posted by uncle grambo |
 

hey ma, guess what i did with MY academy award™?

Halle Berry used her newfound clout to get a shitty supporting role in a comic book sequel and to lock lips with Durst! memo to Halle: i hear that Eddie Murphy is looking for a leading lady in "Boomerang 2"! yo go girl, you can do anything! so durst.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Although then again, I suppose she hasn't really done any worse than Marcia Gay Harden. worst Oscar recipient evs? obvs. makes Marisa Tomei look like Meryl Strizz.)

make me feel GOOD!hey, isn't Eddie Murphy planning on a sequel to Boomerang?

posted by uncle grambo |
 

separated at birth

seriously, what has happened to Al Pacino over the last couple of years? he went from complete pimp daddy status (as recently as "Any Given Sunday") to the long-lost twin of the Unabomber.

posted by uncle grambo |
 

shake it like a polaroid picture

I think that it's no secret that I've never really been a huge OutKast supporter. Other than "Bombs Over Baghdad", I can't say that any of their material has ever really won me over ("Miss Jackson" just hasn't been the same since I heard The Vines muck it up). Regardless of that fact, I really respect Andre 3000 and Big Boi for their both their willingness and ability to push the envelope, and Andre's new song "Hey Ya" is a prime example of risk taking paying off. The first two minutes of the song are certainly two of the most adventurous minutes during the last five years of hip-hop, it's just a crying shame that the last two minutes of the song are pure filler. I love the line "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" as much as everyone else, but this song really could've benefitted from some studio editing. Cut this song down to 3:15 and it certainly would've been the front-runner for The Grahammys Single Of The Year.

Ah yes. The movie that (and I'm quoting myself here) "restored my faith in the romantic comedy" is on it's way to DVD. Check out "IQ" over at Amazon. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Full disclosure. It's been a long time since I've seen this movie and I have no illusions that I was likely on crack when I made that comment. But still, I kinda sorta mostly remember it being good. Not great, but certainly good.)

Wow. Borders Books & Music names Crispin Porter & Bogusky as their agency of record. For those not hip to the agency world, Crispin is an up and coming agency with a fantastic reputation for developing great creative (you likely remember their "Lamp" spot for IKEA, which won the Grand Prix award at this year's Cannes International Advertising Festival). Why is this interesting to anyone? Well, it's likely not. But it's interesting to me because I used to work in brand advertising (among a few other roles) for Borders back in the day. At the time, we hired a highly similar agency with some brilliant creative people called Butler, Shine & Stern (the founders were responsible for the famed Sega commercials of the early to mid `90s). After a relatively short time together, forces (read: upper management) began unfairly conspiring against the agency and decided to move towards a more stodgy, Midwestern approach. So it's just kind of funny to me to see that the marketing and advertising philosophies of my former employers have done a full 360 in a little less than four years. I guess Steve Perry was right when he sang "The wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'."

Lizzie Spiers sells out (her words, not mine). Seems all the speculation finally came true, the former editrix of Gawker and the first breakout superstar in the Blogger World is on the cusp of accepting a job at New York magazine. HOLLA! I've been (mildly) critical of Lizzie "Don't Call Me Mary" Spiers at times, but believe me when I say it was purely out of jealousy. I think that she's got talent and it's good to see her break into the big-time world of salaried journalists. Kudos, props and shout-outs to Elizabeth (thanks to Beat Royalty for sending along the link when it was hott off the presses last nizz).

Check out Filmstills' "Soundtrack To A Film Set In Early 90s in the Midwest.". color me impressed.

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars. the video for the first single from the new Britney Spears album will debut on MTV's "Making The Video" on October 13. "Me Against The Music" features Madge on guest vox, but no official word on whether or not she'll appear in the video. Brit Brit's album (tentatively titled "Get In The Zone") will street on November 18. the streets can't wait, the streets can't wait!

posted by uncle grambo |
 

notable quotables

"(Evanescence) floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee and then hits like a brick." the thing that I like the most about NYT writer Kalefah Sanneh is that he's a consistent and reliable target for mockery and criticism. seriously, how did this guy get a job? I'm just wondering if Sanneh thought he was being creative by co-opting one of the most hackneyed and overused phrases in the English lexicon and adding his own editorial spin ("hits like a brick") onto it??? puhLEEZE. no offense to Evanescence, who really aren't that good but are ultimately quite harmless in the grand scheme of things (except for the fashion sense of lead singer Amy Lee).

"Ms. (Melanie) Griffith had done a little dancing in the movies, but only as a stripper." this quote, probably the funniest I've read in days, comes from an article in the NYT on the resurgence of Melanie Griffith's career thanks to her portrayal of Roxie in a Broadway production of "Chicago." Surprisingly, it seems that most critics agree that the producers of "Chicago" snared a casting coup when they signed up Ms. Griffith. some are calling it the best work of her career, but the real question (natch) is whether or not Hollywood will come calling. i say "not so much."

"Five hours in front of a computer is five hours away from drugs." — Sonya Arndt, eighth grader. DUDE, Sonya, you've got it ALL WRONG! haven't you ever gotten really high and downloaded mp3s illegally? it's, like, amazingly trippy, especially when you're rockin' out WiFi stizz. like, how do SONGS just, like, fly through the AIR and then end up as code in my computer? my love is like WHOA. granted, it's not as fun as gettin' super toasty and sitting down on your couch in a terrycloth robe for a few hours of "Family Guy" on DVD, but when you really think about it, what is? dude, drugs and computers (especially SUPER computers) go together like "pretentious drivel" and Glamorama! remember Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips? uh, rock over London, rock over Chicago. you get the max for the minimum at TJ Maxx.

"(Sacramento Kings power forward) Mr. (Chris) Webber has never, to my knowledge, ever publicly expressed even a minor feeling of remorse for his conduct which brought both shame and financial loss to the university." — Laurence Deitch, chairman of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. no shit! when I was in high school and college, I can't think of anyone I idolized more than the Fab Five. they were only one year older than me and managed to transform the way an entire sport was both played and perceived. they were arguably bigger rock stars than a lot of the NBA's elite at the time (I travelled to London for the first time in the winter of 1993 and you could find U of M basketball jerseys in a number of different locations). but over the last few years, the Fab Five's legacy has been indelibly tarnished by the actions of Chris Webber, particularly his relationship with the recently deceased booster Ed Martin. Webber accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in "loans" while he was still a student at U of M, a blatant violation of NCAA rules. even worse, Martin was known to be extremely shady and ran a high stakes gambling ring ... it's one thing to take money from an agent, another from a felon. making a long story short, the NCAA found out about this and U of M's basketball program has been hit hard from every possible angle (financially, athletically, not to mention irreperable damage to a highly respected ). and Webber lied about his connections to Martin to a grand jury, GOT CAUGHT and has used his celebrity status to have his sentence reduced to 300 hours of community service (to be completed over the next two summers). durst. evs. i hate C. Webb.

"People in their 20s will find Oakland County or Michigan is the lamest place to live." — Risa B. Heller, a former Michigan resident who bolted to DC after college. There was a disturbing report in today's DetNews that revealed that since the year 2000, Metro Detroit has had more people between the ages of 25-34 move away from the city than any other city in the country! over 33,000 young people have packed their bags and gotten the hell outta Detroit. that's 1 out of every 20 people in our age bracket. how depressing (natch). think of all the potential hotties who've scooted off! ugh.

posted by uncle grambo |
Wednesday, September 17, 2003  

Mayer McCheeze

gag me with a spizz. John Mayer debuts at #1 on this week's Billboard album charts. maybe I'd be more spiteful towards the gumpy one if it weren't for the fact that thanks to his last concert, I still have visions of thousands of teenage blond hotties in short denim skirts dancing in my head.

The Metro Times presents their Best Of Detroit. inexplicably, they salute 89X's Kelly Brown. I like the husky voiced KB as much as the next guy and her Whitney Garden Parties are always a good time, but is she really worth honoring any more than, say, your Uncle Grambo? mmm, not so much.

Fucktheindustry.org. Boycott buzz. (generously donated by Beat Royalty).

this one's for the ad geeks that lurk on whatevs.org. the NYT looks at the starkly different ad campaigns for the Hummer H2 and Toyota Prius.

and you thought "Marci X" was bad? Magic Johnson's production company has signed a first-look deal with Warner Brothers that could encompass as many as 10 feature films. oy (link via MCN).

Jeffrey Wells calls Woody Allen's upcoming "Anything Else" (starring Biggs and C. Ricci) "a solid ground-rule double." he pretty much acknowledges that Woody's glory days are long since past but that the movie is a step up in quality from dreck like "Hollywood Ending" and "Curse Of The Jade Scorpion." but what really concerns me are the props that he throws in the general direction of Jason Biggs (third behind Durst and Kegzies on My Official Shitlist™) ... he proclaims that the piefucker "totally won (him) over." and Wells is rarely wrong in my book.

when asked for a comment about the breakup of the century in this week's US Weekly, ex J. Lo boytoy Cris Judd responded with "She has my number if she wants to call me." dude, trust me, romantic desperation with a stark-raving beeyatch of this magnitude doesn't make you look cool. it will help neither you nor your career. it's time to move on.

posted by uncle grambo |
 

shock and roll

gotta love it! The Detroit Shock upset the Los Angeles Sparks to capture the WNBA title last night, completing an improbable worst to first run for rookie head coach / former "Bad Boy" Bill Laimbeer. memo to the Detroit Tigers (who, btw, lost their 112th game last night): ditch the zero and get with the hero. fire that acne scarred bum Alan Trammell and hire Billy Laimbeer to take his place! Trammell was a remarkably tigs shortstop for the Senior Caesar's who deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame, but this season at the helm of baseball's worst organization has started to usurp all of my fond memories of the man and his accomplishments as a player. it's time to cut these ties and start fresh (again!).

matt helmsonly in The Freep. Bullet-hole stickers a safe way to go gangsta. great story, Matt Helm (pictured at right).

looks like the Canadian government is trying to pass off skunk weed as medicinal marijuana. cancer patient Jim Wakeford is on the record as saying "It's not marijuana, it's ground-up stems, twigs and beads and it's not fit for human consumption." can't Canadians do anything right?

first it was their ultra-durst decision to ban smoking from all restaurants and bars. now Los Angeles city officials have passed legislation that bans lap dancing at strip clubs. there's now a law established that strip club patrons and dancers cannot come (no pun intended) within six feet of each other, effectively wiping out the only reason to go to a strip club in the first place! if you just want some T&A, why not just turn on Skinemax? no buzz.

only 90 hours til Bruce Springsteen rocks Detroit down at the CoPa. MTV is reporting that if this current tour continues to sell-out venues, The Boss and his E-Street homies will have grossed over $120 mills on this run. can't think of an artist who deserves it more, especially considering our were only $80 a piece. what a bargain!

famed novelist / monologue master Spalding Gray is spending time in the looney bin after an apparent suicide attempt out in The Hamptons. this is truly a sad state of affairs, as Gray is astoundingly tigs. for a great sample of his work, check out the film adaptation of "Gray's Anatomy", as directed by Steven Soderbergh. here's to the hope that Gray can conquer his demons (he's a manic depressive) and get better.

not quite sure if this news is a buzz-builder or buzz-detractor. Peaches to duet with Pink on the follow-up to "M!ssundaztood." apparently most of the album's tracks were co-written with Rancid's Tim Armstrong. hopefully the teaches of Peaches will help take the stink off of Pink and not vice versa.

if there's one film that your Uncle Grambo is anticipating more than "Lost In Translation", it's "Kill Bill." Gothamist reveals that a new trailer for the first installment has just been posted over at Yahoo Movies; meanwhile, over at Slate, Chris Suellentrop questions whether Tarantino can resuscitate his stalled career. my take from reading the article is that Sullentrop has some serious doubts, especially considering that this is the first script that Tarantino has developed that wasn't either a collaboration with Roger Avary ("Pulp Fiction", "Reservoir Dogs", "True Romance") or an adaptation of previously printed material ("Jackie Brown").

posted by uncle grambo |
 

long live sitcoms!

apologies for the lack of posts today / yesterday (I guess because it's after midnight, it's technically yesterday). i was offsite all day at a class called "Creating Great Media Plans" ... yes yes, I know it all sounds so terribly interesting, dunnit? but your Uncle Grambo's gotsta pay the bills, and I got called into this class at the last minute. so my bad for not having enough time to line-up a guest editor to keep the PHC flowing. but enough of the apologies, the Buzz Must Go On!

what do you do when you've got a hit show and your lead actor up and dies on you? the execs over at ABC would tell you that the show must go on, but what they'd really mean is that they've already sold the ad space and make-goods are a bitch in this economic climate (see, that media class is already paying off!). despite the fact that John Ritter passed away, "8 Simple Rules For My Teenage Daughter" will remain on ABC's fall schedule.

remember the recent lawsuit that Cammy Diaz filed against a photographer who had nudie shots of her? Gossiplist.com has got 'em. WARNING, totally NSFW (not safe for work, yo).

breaking buzz courtesy of The Sun. Ben "Phantoms" Affleck was spotted "snogging" (it is a British publication, after all) Leona Naess after a taping of "The Tonight Show" last night! we all know that Leona was recently sent to Dumpsville by her ex, Mr. Ryan Adams ... will Ben become the male version of Winona Rizz and continue to dip in the ultra-exclusive pond of hottie musicians? when and if he ever frenches Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Nina Persson or Liz Phair (God forbid!), just remember that you read it here first!

oh sweet sweet Amanda Bynes, we've gone a long-time here on whatevs.org without discussing you. don't think that we've forgot about you! your Uncle Grambo is psyched to hear about your appearance on the "Jamie Kennedy Experiment" this Thursday at 8:30pm! buzzalicious.

even though Brit Brit doesn't wear underwear, it's somehow comforting to know that charlize Theron still does. mmmm, gammy gammy long time! but I guess the real question is why was she sitting on the far side of that limo? or, more importantly, where does she get such fashionable lingerie?!? stripes ... who knew?

The 50 Greatest Album Covers Of All-Time (courtesy of Stereogum).

poor Sporty Spice. first, there's that impenetrable accent. learn to talk, woman! next, she had to put up with going from the flattest of the Spice Girls to the fattest of the Spice Girls. now comes word that Mel C tore three ligaments in her knee while competing in a judo match on a televised BBC program. and now she's not going to be able to run or even walk properly for the next 18 months! add onto this that she's likely going to be dropped from her contract with Virgin records, and what you've got is one Suicidal Spice on your hands!

judo CHOP!

posted by uncle grambo |
 

Why Glamorama Is Shite (A Reader's Retort)

If you've been doing your diligence as an upstanding member of the FOW Nation, I'm sure that by now you've heard the deafening buzz blowing in from the East Coast surrounding an up-and-coming band known as Stellastarr*. All of the preeminent NYC Bloggers (Miss Modernage, Giulia, Hard Glitter, Ultragrrrl and especially Audrey and Jasper) having been waxing ecstatic (pardon the Sponge reset) over them for at least the last four months, and it's been my experience that these peeps have pretty solid taste in music. the band has also earned critical props from the likes of MTV and NME (who just named "Jenny" their Single Of The Week), and their debut album is being released by RCA next Tuesday. Aside from some dubious praise from Carson Daly and their questionable (at best) decision to insist that their name be spelled with an asterisk, all signs pointed to obvs that the band was worth giving a chance.

But then came Kegzie's instantly controversial post entitled "Why Stellastarr* Are Shite." In the interest of full disclosure, I've known the man behind Glamorama for a couple of years of now and I've generally found his musical tastes to be in sync with mine ... this certainly plays no small part in our friendship (and, frankly, all of my friendships). He recently traveled to London for a Libertines / Stellastarr* show and I was antsy to hear his report on this band that's had so much buzz built up for them. Without getting into too much detail at this point, Kegzies pulled a Ronald McDonald Miller scam and, for all intents and purposes, "shit on their house" ("Can't Buy Me Love" stizz). In so many words, he decried them as utterly talentless and completely unworthy of any sort of hype whatsoever.

So it was with mixed feelings that I walked into The Magic Stick on Monday night for the Stellastarr* / Raveonettes show. After meeting up with Damore and Big Matt (of Motorcityrocks.com fame) and enduring 25 minutes of cacaphonous noise from Kittens For Christian, this New York four piece took the stage. Within thirty seconds , I knew that Kegzies was full of shit in his assessment of Stellastarr*.

Stellastarr*'s sound has been widely trumpted as an amalgamation of The Cure, The Pixies and Interpol; this description suits the band to a T. Their songs range from highly catchy pop gems (the aforementioned "Jenny", "My Coco") to "Disintegration" era hottness ("Moongirl"). Their lead and rhythm guitars alternately crash and swoon, complimenting Shawn Stellastarr*'s unique vocal stylings (which admittedly were a little grating at times in a live setting, but thankfully have been lessened on the LP). But the real tell-tale sign was the reaction of the normally distant Detroit crowd, especially considering that no one in the audience had ever heard them play before (this was their first trip to Tha D). People applauded, danced and cheered and crowded around the Merch Booth for advance copies of their CD immediately after their 45 minute set had completed. For a relatively jaded crowd of hipsters who normally shun the art-school set in favor of blue collar garage rock, this speaks volumes.

Which brings me back to Kegzies. Why spew all this vitriol toward such a young band with so much obvious potential? Don't get me wrong, Stellastarr* has their faults and are by no means perfect, but how many bands are when their first album comes out? Sure, they wear their influences a little too much on their sleeves, but what other bands at the same stage in their development don't? Take The Strokes, for example (a band that Kegzies is a giant proponent of). Where would they be without the VU, The Modern Lovers and Television? The only conclusion I can draw as to the origins of this spite-filled rant is that he dislikes them simply because other people are so high on them. In order to cut through the clutter, he had to establish backlash buzz! And it worked, Miss Modernage linked to him earlier today. But this seems to be contradictory to the mission of Glamorama, as he has backblogged (or was this an email discussion) that he's not by any means interested in web traffic. I just don't get it, especially coming from someone who obsessively pines after The Libertines (a band of no-talent ass clowns if ever there was one)! What the dilly, yo?

posted by uncle grambo |
Tuesday, September 16, 2003  

the good ole days

as reported here on whatevs.org yesterdizz, Brit Brit got slutty wit it in Vegas this weekend for the Maloufs and a few hundred other lucky individuals during an impromptu performance. and to the surprise of no one, she took her clothes off. while your Uncle Grambo normally supports decisions like this with a healthy mixture of gusto and glee, it kinda makes me yearn for the good ole days when Britney wasn't such a trashy ho ... you know, back when she stood outside and posed next to the tricycle? she was so modest at the time that she posed with her back to the camera! i yearn for the days when Britney didn't use her sexxxuality to promote herself. i think we should all say a prayer for Brit Brit tonight, maybe then she'll learn the error of her ways and be saved from a life of fire and brimstone! ptl and hallelujah!


oh , btw, she wasn't wearing underwear. best.

posted by uncle grambo |
Monday, September 15, 2003  

honestly

well THAT didn't last long. Zwan is history. Billy Corgan was interviewed by WGN this morning and announced that the band was splitting up because the band lacked a "sense of deeper family loyalty" (I'm sure the fact that "Mary, Star Of The Sea" stalled out at 257,000 copies didn't help matters much). it looks like Billy is on his way to a solo career, beginning on Wednesday with a poetry reading at the Art Institute of Chicago ... let's just hope that the rest of his solo career isn't spent following in the footsteps of Jewel. (story courtesy of Method One).

bozo v. billy

posted by uncle grambo |
 

vegas baby, vegas

sounds like Vegas was the place to be this weekend. not only was Ben cooling his jets there after sending Miss Lopez packing, but Brit Brit performed an impromptu concert at The Palms after the Sugar Shane / De La Hoya fight. the only place hotter was Ann Arbor, where my Wolverines laid a 38-0 smackdown on the helpless Irish of Notre Dame. those loudmouthed punks from South Bend were hootin' and hollerin' pre-game stizz, but shut their pieholes pretty quickly after they got a taste of Chris Perry up in their grill. obvs. the tailgate was off the heez, props out to Coach Glinka and Jillycakes for hosting another rad pre-party.

Jewel cancels her upcoming tour. Normally this would be an applause worthy headline, but the tour was cancelled because her bass player died ... IN THE TOWN THAT I LIVE IN!!! spooky Royal Oak buzz!

while normally I'd recommend that he gets stomped by Obie, but in this case I think the little guy's got a point. Moby proposes a few alternatives for the RIAA to consider other than suing 12 year old girls (link courtesy of the ever-reliable Information Leafblower).

is the Wiener Dog a lezbo or is she just a trendy hipster? Heather Matarazzo, star of "Welcome To The Dollhouse", was spotted frenching another girl at a recent fcuk fragrance launch. i say buzz.

"Zatoichi", a film about a blind, frail masseur who is really a brilliant swordsman protecting the innocent in early 19th-century Japan, walks away with the Best Film Prize at the TIFF (link via MCN). riiiiight. Beat Takeshi blows.

posted by uncle grambo |
 

welcome to dumpsville, baby

population: YOU!

it seemed like speculation yesterday but today it feels official. Ben was spotted poolside at the Hard Rock in Vegas and J. Lo was drowning her sorrows at Miami's Crobar, at one point ordering a round of White Russians. based upon that evidence, this reporter believes that she watched "The Big Lebowski" to calm her frazzled nerves. no word on whether she was partying with Karl Hungus. but it seems close to 100% certain that Ben was the dumper and Jen was the dumpee. this gives Ben more buzz than a beehive and virtually guarantees that "Jersey Girl" will be a box office smash when it's released in February. hottness.

don't be fooled by the rocks that I don't got

posted by uncle grambo |
Sunday, September 14, 2003  

say it ain't so!

on the other hand, say it is so! Ben Affleck and J-Lo Have Split Up!!! in other breaking weekend news, R. Kells claims that "Osama bin Laden is the only one who knows exactly what I'm going through." say WHAT?

your breath smells like barbeque sauce!

posted by uncle grambo |
quote-a-matic
"I started out with a lot of Audioslave or anything Chris Cornell -- it helped with the aggression. And Chris Webber from the [Sacramento] Kings. There's a real sweetness behind his eyes, but he's pissed off."
Brad Pitt on the sources of inspiration for his character in "Troy"
be like mark
ECOUTEZ


loretta lynn - van lear rose



REGARDEZ


king of new york (special edition)



LISEZ


john kennedy toole - a confederacy of dunces

adventures w/disposable income
date: 5.8.04
source: CVS
amount: $19.48
(1) liter of Captain's
(2) liters of DC w/lime
(1) mother's day card

snl season 29
REVEALED!
by Nummer & H-Bomb
where's grambo?
may 10: the strokes @ state theatre
may 15: cardigans @ magic stick
may 17: softball league @ 8:30pm
may 17: last tourist @ small's (10pm)
may 24: softball league @ 6:10pm
may 27: sea ray / stills @ st. andrews
june 6: dido @ fox theater
june 7: softball league @ 7:20pm
june 14: softball @ 6:10pm
june 19: jessica's graduation party
june 21: softball @ 8:30pm
june 28: softball @ 6:10pm
july 3 - july 11: vacation @ TBD
july 12: softball @ 7:20pm
july 19: softball @ 7:20pm
july 26: softball @ 9:40pm
august 2: softball @ 7:20pm
august 14: nuptial buzz w/c friggs + lescal!!!
october 23: nuptial buzz w/the grizz + mandypants!!!
twenty word reviews
van helsing
**
REVIEW TK.
hellboy
***
REVIEW TK.
walking tall
*
REVIEW TK.
scooby doo 2: monsters unleashed
NO BUZZ!
REVIEW TK.
dawn of the dead
****1/2
REVIEW TK.
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
****1/2
REVIEW TK.
starsky & hutch
***1/2
REVIEW TK.
girl next door
***
re-imagines "Risky Business" with Vivid Girls instead of prostitutes; marks Elisha Cuthbert's arrival as an alluring, big screen sex symbol.
eurotrip
*
Despite the best efforts of TrachtenBest, suffers greatly from a lack of forward momentum (scriptwise) and some remarkably bland casting
along came polly
**
aside from Philip Seymour Best Ever's performance ("RAIN DANCE!"), I vastly preferred this when it was called "Dharma And Greg."
archives
links
search THIS!
sponsors



powered by Blogger


In Association with Amazon.com


Feedback by blogBack

Syndicated avec XML