Hot Docs 2013: Les Blank Retrospective, Program 1 The Maestros
We had the good fortune to be able to secure a few advance screeners for some of our top Hot Read more
Same Seven: The Milk Carton Kids
Every week we ask people the same seven questions This week meet: Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan The Milk Carton Kids Eagle Rock, Read more
So, This Happened: Patti Smith
So, This Happened; Three nights of pure bliss with Patti Smith March 7, 2013; Patti Smith – An Evening of Read more
Review: Sandra Bernhard, I Love Being Me, Don't You?
When we heard Sandra Bernhard was going to be in town performing her acclaimed one woman show “I Love Being Read more
Review: New Country Rehab "Ghost Of Your Charms"
Alt-country band New Country Rehab release their second album, Ghost Of Your Charms, on March 5. With comparisons ranging Read more
Support the Arts – Cowboys & Engines: A Steampunk Film
Supporting the arts can happen in many ways. Funding is usually the critical beginning, whether you are paying for Read more
Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
SASSYTIDBITS has had the fifth album from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Push The Sky Away on repeat Read more
Today’s Tidbits: Young Geniuses, Dali stolen, Newsroom review, Riot Fest expands, Dallas Museum scores $300K, Yoko, Kim & Thurston, Babs directs…from Mashable
from CBC
from Hollywood Reporter
from Pollstar
from ArtInfo
from Music News
from Parade
from CNET
Every week we ask people the same seven questions.
This week meet:
Eric Nakamura
Owner, Giant Robot
Los Angeles, CA
KEEPIN’ IT REALMy friend who doesn’t have a television (don’t get me started), came over the other night to ingest some TV. She wasn’t looking to be educated or challenged. She just wanted to decompress and be entertained. While channel surfing, she came across the new season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Even with the aforementioned criteria, she only lasted about 15 minutes. As she began to curse at the TV, we began to dissect the genre as a whole. I blurted out, “I hate reality shows”. Now, this might seem contraire to previous articles. Yes, I watch American Idol and The Voice, but I consider those to be talent shows. These have been on since the beginning of television. I also exclude “competition” shows such as Survivor, The Amazing Race, Project Runway and Top Chef. These are contests, with actual outcomes and winners. When I say I hate reality shows, I mean “reality” shows. The ones devised to make you think you are peering into someone’s private life, uncensored and candid. Sadly, these shows are as scripted as Law & Order.
Living in Los Angeles, I have some insider information as it were. Twice, my friends were present when shows were being filmed in local restaurants. The director in both cases asked the person walking to the table to “re-do” their entrance, SEVERAL times. Read more
Alec Baldwin drops pants to playdown punch, M.I.A. releases ‘Bad Girls’ Remixes on USB Necklaces, Creatures on canvas, cast in metals, suspended in air at Switzerland’s massive show, How to keep Facebook from recognizing your face, Lilly Allen returns to studio, Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart getting married(?!), WWJD … with Video Art?, Old Media Keeps Seducing Startup Kids
Alec Baldwin and David Letterman Drop Pants on The Late Show
from usmagazine.com
M.I.A. Releasing ‘Bad Girls’ Remixes on USB Necklaces
from billboard.com
from coolhunting.com
How to Keep Facebook from Recognizing Your Face
from readwriteweb.com Read more
Glen Hansard‘s first solo album Rhythm and Repose is now available. In preparation of this, he made a short stop in Toronto and played a few new songs for an invite only crowd. And YES, we were among the lucky ones there.
The showcase was at the Great Hall, due to a flight delay he arrived slightly late to the venue. No matter. He walked into the building immediate took out his guitar and started playing. I don’t even think the crowd was as ready as he was, although they were with him within moments. He even got the spoiled, normally jaded crowd to sing along on one of the new albums best tracks High Hope. When he was done treating us to new songs and old favourites, the crowd buzzed with knowledge that they had seen something special.
I have seen Glen perform several times before; with his band The Frames and as part of the Academy Award winning duo The Swell Season. Another memorable time was during select screenings for the movie Once prior to its release. He came with the director for a Q&A session and after the screening he played a few songs. It was evident he was one of those artists who has no choice but to play music, to create art. Read more
3D Pac Man street art, 30 year “Life In Hell” over for Matt Groening, iconic interviews with Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan donated to Library Of Congress, Monsters’ University teaser trailer, Swype keyboard for Android gets major upgrade, Deadmau5 makes cover of the Rolling Stone, Pendulum calls it quits, vampires vs. zombies, who wins?
Incredible 3D Pac Man street art in the Netherlands
from Mashable
Matt Groening ends more than 30 year run of comic strip “Life In Hell”
from the New York Times
Interviews by Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and more donated to the Library Of Congress
from the New York Daily News
First teaser trailers for the Monsters prequel Monsters’ University
from Gawker
Well the hype has been drumming for Rock Of Ages. We thought we should weigh in. So Trixi checked out the movie in LA, I went on my own in Toronto and LaLa, well, she always does her own thing.
Previews before: The Odd Life of Timothy Green – New Leaf, Great Gatsby, Won’t Back Down, Magic Mike
Trixi POV: There is a lot of buzz about Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx in this film, see my previous column. I went into the theatre with low expectations, and somehow it was still worse than expected. The music is great, but it’s essentially the same story as Coyote Ugly, in musical form. My biggest problem was how it was filmed. It was visually stagnant. A musical needs to be shot with more exciting shots and camera angles (ala Chicago). Also, the Catherine Zeta Jones character was underused, and I don’t need a PG-13 movie about the rock scene. Naturally, Tom Cruise is the best thing about the movie, which should come as no surprise.
Sherry POV: Okay, to be truthful, for the longest time I mixed this film up with We Will Rock You, the Queen musical, which was terrific. When I realized it wasn’t, I was very hesitant to Read more
New web app Timista helps you figure out stuff to do, Morrissey tours in odd places, Twitter sensation inks Hollywood writing deal, Spotify launches free radio service, Picasso painting tagged in broad daylight, Tunisian artists launch petition, Kony 2012 campaign creators not amused by parody, big art sales expected in London
Timista figures out stuff for you to do based on where you are
from Mashable
Morrissey unveils unorthodox tour schedule
from SPIN
Twitter sensation Kelly Oxford signs Hollywood screenwriting deal
from The LA Times
Spotify launches iOS based free radio listening experience, challenges Pandora
from Bloomberg
Seth Godin funds book in under 3 hours on Kickstarter, Songza surpasses 1M iOS downloads in just 10 days, American Mugshot film looks at mugshots as art, “femcees” shaking up the hip-hop world, 10 game changing internet innovators, National Jazz Museum in Harlem expands, Shia LaBeouf bares all in new Sigur Rós vid
Seth Godin funds book in under 3 hours via Kickstarter
from Mashable
Music streaming app Songza hits 1M iOS downloads in just 10 days
from TechCrunch
American Mugshot documentary looks at how the mugshot became art
from The Huffington Post
SASSYTIDBITS hit the road to catch Radiohead in Montreal for their June 15 show, part of their 2012 North American tour.
Despite my long time admiration of Radiohead, I only managed to catch a live show once 4 years ago at Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto in support of the 2007 pay-what-you-can, self-released In Rainbows. My first true live Radiohead experience was a revelation and without question one of my top 5 concert going events. So, when I heard that they were touring again in support of their latest release, 2011’s King Of Limbs there was no question that I would be going.
My relationship with the band began, well, in the beginning with 1993’s Pablo Honey. While it’s was unlikely that they would play “Creep” on this tour, one can dream. Since then, I have listened to everything they’ve released with varying levels of engagement. Like most early fans, my favourite albums were 1995’s The Bends and 1997’s OK Computer.
After that, I thought for a while that they lost the plot a little bit (I know, don’t hate). I don’t think anyone would disagree that they took a turn off the beaten path that was a challenge for fans of their earlier releases to follow. I have lots of friends that lost interest in the band but I’ve stuck with them and based on their continued string of sold out shows, it’s clear I’m not the only one. I never wrote them off or stopped listening even during the contentious Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2003) period, it was a little more challenging (which in retrospect and given their entire body of work, is not necessarily a bad thing, IMHO).
