Tired of MTV and FUSE? Well, now Al Jazeera will deliver you something not really covered enough in the American media: Heavy Metal in the Middle East. On a program called PLAYLIST.
Personally, I would never watch Al Jazeera out of spite, but at least they are giving time to something mainly overlooked til now.
Here’s their pitch:
The story of metal in the Middle East. PLAYLIST explores the massive appeal of heavy rock and metal across the Middle East, bringing you some of the biggest bands and the loudest sounds coming out of the region today. A tale of the longevity and strength of a metal movement that has defied official bans, and survived authoritarian crackdowns and oppression, and is now bigger than ever. Featuring Nervecell, Bilocate, Betzefer, Orphaned Land, Oath to Vanquish and TarantisT.
Jimmy Page had his violin bow. Lips Kudlow of Anvil had his dildo.
Years ago Lips of Anvil retired said dildo because it offended some fans, and he didn’t want to piss off any would-be fans. Fans were sacred to Anvil.
Now with all the success of the band doc Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Lips tells the Village Voice he may take the Dildo out of retirement,
This is the most famous we’ve ever been — ever — in our whole 30-year history. With what’s coming with all this, I think the dildo will return.
The Village Voice treats this as a must-see movie — but I already figured that one out.
The Voice also recommended seeing the 80s broadway musical Rock of Ages, stating the musical goes from “its so-bad-it’s good to good.”
Growing up in the 80s, I might take their advice on both. Afterall, I like to reminisce and I like the cheese factor.
Just bought myself a cool new Metallica ski jacket (above) with two speakers found in the hood, and an amp, and a “custom control panel” on the sleeve.
NOT!
Great for the disposable income of the ultra-wealthy (i.e., the members of Metallica).
A Kerrang magazine tweet brought this to my attention, and I wasn’t sure why Joel Madden would be so obsessed with the actor Emile Hirsch in particular. At first notice, it seemed odd and slightly “bi-curious” on Madden’s part. A belated April Fool’s joke? No. It’s all part of a campaign, for a good cause:
In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims.
After returning to the States, they created the documentary “Invisible Children: Rough Cut,” a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda.s night commuters and child soldiers.
The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, “How can I help?” To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation.
We are storytellers. We are visionaries, humanitarians, artists, and entrepreneurs. We are individuals part of a generation eager for change and willing to pursue it.
As a non-profit we work to transform apathy into activism. By documenting the lives of those living in regions of conflict and injustice, we hope to educate and inspire individuals in the Western world to use their unique voice for change. Our media creates an opportunity for people to become part of a grassroots movement that intelligently responds to what.s happening in the world.
But our work extends beyond our borders. In war-affected regions we focus on long-term development, working directly with individuals and institutions that are eager to realize their full potential. Through education and innovative economic opportunities, we partner with affected communities and strive to improve the quality of life for individuals living in conflict and post-conflict regions.
Our approach to humanitarian work is founded in the strength and intelligence of the Ugandan community. We learned early on it was not only important but essential to heed the wisdom of people that had not only lived in the war, but were surviving it. People who would know better than anyone what the greatest needs were and the best ways to meet them. What we came to find is that while there have been many efforts to address the issues that stem from living and fighting in such a long-lasting war, the people of Uganda are asking for a future beyond the conflict.
Their pleas have become our development strategy.
All of our programming is a partnership between those of us at Invisible Children and those in the Ugandan community. We focus on long-term goals that enable children to take responsibility for their future and the future of their country. Our programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives that address the need for quality education, mentorships, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from the camps, and financial stability.
New York City punkers The Choke (pictured above in a Danielle Ezzo photo) have released another video of a track from their self-titled debut album, which is due for release in September. The song is a scorcher called “Talk To Me.” (The video was directed by John Henry Davis.)
The video crackles with energy and features singer Cameron Eve and drummer Jonny Napalm in a verbal and physical back-and-forth. It is a really effective clip, and it complements the music greatly.
I was quite impressed with Cameron Eve’s screen presence. She should consider giving acting a shot.
To watch the video for “Talk To Me” by The Choke, click below:
To watch the hi-res version of the video, click here.
I’m a bit behind in my personal reading, so I finally got around to reading the April issue of Esquire. It’s the one with that Red Sox-loving douche bag Ben Affleck on the cover. My annoyance at seeing Douche Bag Affleck on the cover was soon forgotten when I got a look at the photos of the amazing Katy Perry inside the issue. She is hot. I mean, she is REALLY hot! (See the photos by photographer Sheryl Nields above.)
The photos were part of a Q&A that Esquire did with Perry for its Women We Love section. Perry discusses dealing with the paparazzi and her love of Freddie Mercury, among other topics. To read Esquire‘s Q&A with Katy Perry, click here.
“Not Fair,” the second single from Lily Allen’s second album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, is quite different from her previous material. It’s done in a country-and-western style. Still, it contains Allen’s trademark raunchy lyrics.
The video for the song features a faux appearance by Allen on Porter Wagoner’s TV show, and is quite entertaining. To watch the video for “Not Fair” by Lily Allen, click below:
To watch the Video EPK for Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You album, click below:
Allen is currently touring North America. She will be playing Roseland in New York City this coming Monday night. I will be attending that show, so a review of the gig will be on the main Powerline A.D. site afterward.
The first part covered the band’s new album, and this part covers the interesting history of the band.
