POP IN TAPE: Hot Wax In The 215

I OWN GROUND HOG DAY BY MICHAEL FICHMAN I have a sort of musical synesthesia — all the great albums I have enjoyed in the past are locked into my memory as the soundtrack to a particular time and place in my life. These associations transcend rhetorical constructions: Midnight Marauders is endless hours in the back of the family car on an epic roadtrip. Devin the Dude’s Just Tryin’ ta Live is the summer I drove a construction truck up and down the hills of Pittsburgh. Neil Armstrong’s epic Originals mixtapes are 2003’s kabob and box wine barbeques. And goddamn […]

THE RONETTES: Be My Baby

Phil Spector has criticises The Ronettes’ induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame which will take place on March 12. Ronettes singer and ex-wife of the producer, Ronnie Spector, has said that Phil has attempted to play down the band’s contribution to music. Ronnie Spector said the producer sent a letter, obtained by her lawyers two years ago, addressed to the Rock Hall‘s nominating committee, dated July 11, 1994 detailing why The Ronettes are unworthy of induction. It says: “My first objection to The Ronettes is that they did not record! Of all the recordings they made, only the […]

We Know It’s Only Disco, But Babies Like It, Like It

DON’T EAT THE RED BALLOONS: Baby Loves Disco, Shampoo, Yesterday CITIZEN MOM REPORTS: Ever seen that Reese Witherspoon movie Sweet Home Alabama, where she goes back to her redneck hometown and runs into an old pal in a saloon? “Look at you, you’ve got a baby . . . in a bar!” I had a moment like that yesterday at Baby Loves Disco, the monthly dj dance party that gives over Shampoo to the area’s funkinest munchkins and their adult handlers. Over on the dance floor, you had DJ KTell and Chatty Cathy getting the Pampers workin’ right along with […]

TOM WAITS For No Man

An animated film starring Tom Waits. Performed for us live (at the La Brea stage in Hollywood, 1978), and rotoscoped — a process that traces back the live action frame by frame and turns it into animation. The original live action was shot with 5 cameras — 2 high, 2 low and one hand held. The music from “The One That Got Away” blared in the background as Tom sang karaoke style different lyrics on each take. Two strippers, 6 takes and 13 hours of video footage were edited to make a 5 1/2 minute live action short which we […]

HOT DOC: Peeps Of The United Internets Vs. The RIAA

BY ADAM FRUCCI/GIZIMODO In case you missed it, last Friday we declared the month of March Boycott the RIAA Month. We’ve gotten sick and tired of always seeing the RIAA pulling deplorable moves and decided it was time for us to do something about it. We’re kicking the month off with this, our manifesto. We want to be absolutely clear about what this fight is about and why it’s so important. This is an overview of what the RIAA does, why it’s damaging, and what we need to do to stop it. Consider this our planted flag. Who We’re Up […]