There are few curses that are worse for bands than having your first full length widely recognized as a masterpiece. The list of artists who have been able to maintain their level of quality after such a feat is very, very short, and sadly Air doesn’t exactly top it. Ever since the 1998 modern classic Moon Safari (and even the masterful soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides), Air, while never releasing an outright bad record, have seemingly struggled to measure up. With the way so many point out how Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel produced the new album themselves this time around (a first) , one would think that perhaps Love 2 would outshine its predecessors; this is not the case. While Love 2 certainly shows glimmers of their abilities, with the exception of a handful of tracks, the record overall shows little value more than simply being Air’s latest.

"I can't believe you wore that ridiculous sash around your neck." "OH MY GOD. Will you just let it go already?? JESUS."

Do the Joy is a remarkable opening track, featuring a dark, almost dingy sounding distorted guitar quickly contrasted with the bright synths, piano, and echo-plastered vocals Air has become known for. Mostly, it’s the ingenious layering of sounds that keeps the song an interesting slab of downtempo. However, after a poor transition into the lacking Love, it becomes evident that Air’s self production has not contributed to anything better than what we’ve seen of them throughout the decade. Right away we are treated to unflattering repetition (namely in hearing the word “love” about eight thousand times), characterless interweaving of bland hooks, and perhaps worst of all, an overabundance of the kitsch that Air was once so impeccable at showing in plentitude while never wearing out its welcome.

This trend continues until we hit Love 2′s nadir with Tropical Disease, which starts out with an intriguing piano and saxophone, but quickly gives way to an uncompelling upbeat mixture of a flute accompanying the rolling piano, a random xylophone, and a few other random sounds until about three and a half minutes in and the song breaks with a sleazy, awkward changeup. It almost feels like the break in an early nineties new jack swing song; if you replace “woman” with “girl,” it would be unmistakable. The music suddenly takes a pit stop, and the vocalist takes over in a smooth voice: “Girl….girl… make ME FEEL. WARM INSIDE.” The heightening piano only makes the second half of the song border even more on nauseating.

However, the next track is Heaven’s Light, which is Love 2′s saving grace. This is an effortlessly beautiful song; the piano flows almost magically, and for maybe the first time on this record, the vocals do not give the notion of being forced. Everything smooths along with such arresting ingenuity that it wouldn’t be out of place on Moon Safari. After this, unfortunately, Love 2 delves back into boring, muzak territory.

What makes Air’s 2009 effort so frustrating is that such talent is still shown, just inconsistently. One can’t help but think: This is just plain background music! Air is capable of far better than this! And then sets in the very unsettling thought… maybe it’s just that they were capable of better.

You may remember a couple weeks ago, the interview I did with lead guitarist Zach Filkins of OneRepublic. You probably remember them from their hit song Apologize from their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud. Currently, Zach and crew are on tour with Matchbox 20 singer-gone-solo, Rob Thomas. Before his single that he did with Carlos Santana; Smooth, I had never rally followed the solo career of the man.

But before I get to the main dish, let’s talk about the appetizer. The opening was band known as Carolina Liar; a group that I had never heard of, but quickly learned to like. Stage swagger mixed with talent mixed with the amazing acoustics and sound system of the Gibson Amphitheater.

I had never heard of them before, but like the name suggests, the band is actually from South Carolina. Truth be told, only one member is actually from Carolina though, with the rest of its members originating from Sweden…so I guess the name fits. And as for sound, the band is exactly what I figured something from Carolina would sound like. Clad in a great southern getup, the band sounded like a fun, pop country meets alt rock. They played a short set before OneRepublic took the stage.

Now’s where the real fun began. Apparently someone dropped the ball on getting us the full scoop on the press passes and photo pass. What they REALLY meant, was that Mama Blanco and I would get random tickets (albeit great seats anyway), and HALF the photo pass. The manager for the venue didn’t want me to shoot, and claimed I wasn’t on her list, but eventually let me in. She even told me that I probably wasn’t going to get to shoot OneRepublic (whom I was there to shoot), because she had to take her sweet time to get the paperwork for me to shoot. And yes, I realize she could have gotten them later, but breaking my balls is in season as of late.

After missing the first song (of the three we are allowed to shoot) I finally got to get into the action for some amazing photos. Lead singer Ryan Tedder was all over the place, singing his heart out. And say what you want about the Kelly Clarkson/Beyonce drama over whose pop song sounds like the other, but this boy can sing his heart out. He had some of the most soulful chords I’ve heard in quite some time.

I also got up close with Zach Filkins to snap him shredding the place to pieces. After the first three songs it was time to head back up to my seat. Of course I had to check my camera in, but I swiftly went back and got my camera, as I’m more than there to “take pictures and leave”. Besides, the stage manager was so rude, why not stick it to them. This is Behind the Hype, and that’s just what we do. Hell, my creds even said Rob Thomas on it, so who was going to say anything?

Anywho, OneRepublic killed it with their new hit All the Right Moves from their upcoming album Waking Up. Since I heard the Timbaland version of Apologize, I’ve been a fan of the band, but seeing them live took it to a new level of respect and appreciation. Plus, with Timbaland working with them, I’m more than confident I’ll be blown away on the new album’s November 17^th release date.

The main act took the stage after a short intermission, and the crowd lit up with roars that made it impossible not to feel the energy and smile. I don’t know any Rob Thomas songs, but I wish I did, because the man and his band were incredible live. I sometimes worry about going to a show were I don’t know anything about who I’m seeing, especially on a big stage. But this was the kind of music where you will be made a fan by night’s end.

Thomas even took breaks in between songs to explain them, and tell background stories in his life. Turns out he’s really funny, and even dropped a few curse words here and there. He played an array of songs, spanning his two solo album’s complete with a broken down, two part version of Smooth. I heard rumors that Santana appeared to play the song at previous shows, but alas, we were not so lucky.

The night went off without a major hitch, and Mama Blanco and I had a smash of a time grooving to the tunes of the evening. Big up to Chad at Total Assault for getting me set up on this venture, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

Recently, I sat down and talked with Dusty Redmon, guitarist of Alt Rock superstars, The Almost. Read along as we discuss their upcoming album, Monster Monster, life on the road with The Used, his bad dress habits and more.

Big up to the amazing Jules E. over in the Capitol Records tower for making it happen again for Behind the Hype. Enjoy!

Dusty: Hey John!

Flak: Dusty, how you doin’ man?

D: Good man, how you doin?

F: I’m great, how’s life?

D: Aww man *inaudible…* we’ve got furniture glued to the ceiling and all that stuff.

F: And you guys are, are chillin’ in Boston yet?

D: Nah man, you know, we’ve got two days off…well not two days off but two days of no shows. We’re in New York right now.

F: Oh ok, so you haven’t made it down yet..

D: Yeah.

F: Well cool, I just wanted to sit and find out a little more about the new album, and everything that’s going on lately.

D: Yeah ok.

F: Well how do you feel about it? It’s about to come out. How do you feel about Monster Monster?

D: Well I’m pretty excited, the tour has been super awesome, because half of our set, are new songs and we’re all really pumped about the record. The EP thing that were doing pre release guy that were doing is kinda like an appetizer

F: That’s good, I’m out here in LA and I’ll see you on the tenth at the Wiltern. And by the time people see you, they’ll have memorized the album, so it’s good you’ll have half of it on there.

D: That last run of the tour will be awesome we’re hoping

F: As far as new vs old, the singles, Say This Sooner on the old album and Hands, how do you feel?

D: Geez, Hands for us is kinda weird, because that song…this album has a bunch of different stuff on it, so that song is like a different kind of pop song.

F: Right. But it’s definitely got a good feel. It’s not pop to the point where… people are going to be turned off by it I don’t think. It’s just that natural progression you know what I mean? In a way.

D: Yeah, it’s just like…vibish kinda you know? It’s weird, especially playing it live, cause we run around, but it’s still kinda chill. I dunno *laughs* But it’s definitely a really cool song. From the get go, when Aaron gave it to us, he gave us a rough skeleton idea…the “whoa whoas” and the melodies I guess. And when he gave us that, we were like “that’s pretty cool!” you know? And we weren’t really sure how it was going to turn out, but once me and Jay (Vilardi, Guitar and Backup Vocals) got our hands on it, it was a really cool vibe.

F: Right….and speaking of songs, why do you guys have a song called Monster Monster, and another song just Monster?

D: Well Monster Monster….well…the naming is all Aaron *laughs* So you’re getting plenty of monster for your buck. Monster Monster is the first song on the record and it’s probably…well I don’t know if it’s the most aggressive song on the album, but it’s pretty fast.

F: Yeah it hits pretty hard. I think Summer Summer is another good one as well, as far as a harder hitting vibe.

D: Totally, and then there’s Monster, which is kinda just the end one. It was kinda like…Monster Monster… slow. It was totally like the album closer.

F: Right, at first I thought it was going to be an acoustic version of Monster Monster.

D: Yeah, well it’s weird, because it’s almost the idea as a song lyrically, but yeah music wise…totally not *laughs*

F: So how’s touring with The Used?

D: Oh man, it’s awesome, shows have been great, and those dudes are really cool. We’re getting to that point where we have “bro time”…

F: Learning each other’s dark secrets and whatnot?

D: Yeah! *laughs* I’m starting to mess with em and whatnot.

F: What are you favorite tracks on the album?

D: On our record? *he laughs nervously*

F: Hah, yeah I won’t put you on blast about The Used just yet! But yes, on yours.

D: Heh, I was gonna say… Well I don’t know man; I really like Monster Monster….Hand Grenade, that one turned out really cool… Young Again on there is pretty cool… But I dunno man; it just kind of depends on the mood that I’m in.

F: Of course. I believe there’s music for every mood, so that’s a good statement. But let’s get back to Hand Grenade, I actually wanted to ask you about that. Do you think that it’s too Country for the album? I don’t think that it is. Especially considering where you guys are from (Clearwater, Florida) , and you’re from North Carolina.

D: Yeah I’m from North Carolina, and actually it was the studio that we were in, it had all these levels and looked like a bird’s nest. Up at the very top was this steeple kind of area, and one night I went up there and just wrote a lot of music; guitar parts you know, and it turned out to be Hand Grenade. And I was like “oh this is cool, I’ll keep it for some country stuff or something”, and I took it Aaron and said “dude check this out, it sounds really pretty” you know?

I told him I would keep it and maybe write some lyrics to it down the road. But then he told me “wait, well let me do some stuff with this song…” so we got lyrics and a melody, and we tracked it. And it turned out awesome.

F: And it made it to the album, that’s cool! But anyway, a while ago, people were telling me that you have some kind of signature hat?

D: *laughs* I don’t really know about that. I’m not a pimp or anything!

F: Hah, no I don’t mean a pimp hat, I mean like a trucker hat or something.

D: Oh no man, I got none of that, but I guess I do wear hats a bunch.

F: And your wife’s a designer right?

D: Yeah man, and she actually designs clothes for Urban Outfitters.

F: Oh really? Does she ever customize anything for you or what?

D: Nah man, she just likes to tell me how bad I dress.

F: *laughs* And you can’t really say anything either or else she’s like “well I’m a professional”.

D: Yeah, but ya know, at the same time, she’s like “well you get to listen to your music!”.

F: Well fair enough, fair enough.

D: Yeah, and she’s awesome, she does women’s clothes. And I see her stuff in a store and be like “Whoa that’s so cool!”, and also we’ll be watching TV and stuff… well do you watch that show True Blood?

F: Yeah! I just got into it like a week ago, I just finished the first season.

D: Dude yeah, that show is awesome, and you know that crazy girl, Amy? That Jason Stackhouse dates?

F: Yeah!

D: Well there’s a few times were she’s wearing my wife’s clothes.

F: Yeah cause I was gonna say, it looks like she’s wearing some Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie type shit.

D: Yeah totally with the whole Anthro deal. And my wife said it was cool, and I actually freaked out more than you did. I mean, you see kids wearing band shirts…

F: Yeah and its different. Cause a band shirt and a dress are two different things. It takes more effort to make a dress.

D: Yeah exactly, and that’s ALL her.

F: That’s cool man.

D: Yeah I’m really proud of her.

F: And you should be. I’ll make sure to put that in there, so she can read that!

Yeah...he's the one in the hat...

D: Yeah please score me some points man.

F: I’ll get you some brownie points, don’t worry.

D: *laughs*

F: So who are you guys using in the live show? Cause I know that only four of you recorded on the actual album, but…

D: Yeah. We have a drummer now, his name is Joe Musten. He’s been around a long time, and I’ve known him since like…sixth grade. I was in another band, and we actually toured with Underoath, and that’s how we met Aaron.

When Kenny left, Aaron and I both called Joe, and he had been in a superheavy band called Advent (I think that was the name). So he was singing for them, and had a super brutal voice, but he was also the best drummer we know.

F: Alright that’s awesome. And what’s been the best show so far?

D: Detroit was pretty awesome. I mean all the shows were good, and people were really stoked for us. We didn’t know what to expect. But Detroit was awesome. We stuff to do during the day, and when we came back, the line was just… the longest one we’d seen for a show in a long time. The crowd was just stoked when we came out and it was awesome.

F: They had a lot of love for you, that’s really cool. And one last question. Can you give me something that no one else really knows about? That’s going on in the band. Something that gets them more pumped about the upcoming LA show?

D: Hah let me think. I just woke up *laughs*

F: *laughs* Isn’t it like….two o’clock in New York?

D: Heh yeah well we went out, then half of the band stayed in the bus, and the rest of us came up here. We passed out and shut the blinds so it was pitch black in the room. But I don’t know if there’s anything super crazy going on with this tour. (He racked his brain for something juicy, and provided a hilarious response) We might play a Garth Brooks cover…

F: Really?! Garth Brooks, that would be funny.

D: Be prepared man. It may or may not happen but… don’t say we didn’t warn you.

F: That’s fine man, I’ll be ready. I’m not a Garth Brooks fan , but I’m sure you guys will kill it.

D: Dude…I’m not a Garth Brooks fan at ALL.

F: HAHA you’re not?

D: Nah man and you can quote me on that. Garth Brooks is too much. He’s straight Kmart Country ( a new diss I’ve never heard of).

F: Damn man! Well I’m printin’ that one!

There you have it my friends, Dusty Redmon, guitarist of The Almost in full effect. Their new album, Monster Monster, drops on November 3^rd, so check it out then run out to get yours. Also, for you Los Angeles kats, they are playing a show at the Hollywood Palladium with The Used on November 10^th, so I’ll see you there!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

No one can accuse Nellie McKay of being predictable. Just when you think you’ve got her pegged as an obscene lyricist who will speak out against anything and anyone she loathes, she’ll release a tame collection of Doris Day covers called “Normal As Blueberry Pie.” A natural, if somewhat mocking homage (in terms of the photographs used for the album), Nellie’s voice does justice to the iconic songstress of the feel-good early 1960s era.

Normal As Blueberry Pie album cover

The album opens with the classic “The Very Thought of You,” but from there McKay veers toward the lesser appreciated songs of Doris Day, like “Do Do Do” and “Black Hills of Dakota.” While still maintaining the original arrangements and lyrics, McKay finds a way to make each song her own, possibly because they are not some of Day’s most lauded and well-known works.

Doris Day: Perhaps reincarnated as a contemptuous gamine in Nellie McKay

McKay's past albums, like Pretty Little Head, have always exuded a tongue in cheek vibe that melts away for Normal As Blueberry Pie

There are some who might see this as a vanity project, an undeserving comparison between a legend and a connoisseur of a legend, but that simply isn’t so. If nothing else, McKay opens a new generation’s eyes to the sweet-natured, artifice-free songs of Doris Day. Hopefully though, McKay does not think that making this album exempts her from a return to form. After the brevity of her third studio album, Obligatory Villagers, an extensive, profanity-ridden track list for her next venture is absolutely essential.

Since I know you all love Steel Panther so much, I thought it was only right to get together with them to bring you a contest. I have two signed copies of the album, along with two signed posters for your hanging pleasure. These guys are legends, and are some of the most hilarious musicians to hit the stage in quite a while. Some of you have never checked out the live show, and this is the prelude to that.

This contest runs for two weeks. That’s November 10th, so shoot me an email why you think you’re sexy enough to get in on one of these gifts!

Their new album, Feel the Steel, is in stores now. In the mean time, check out the video for Fat Girls.

By the time the double-kick drums and blast beats explode on the new Creed album, I already needed to change my pants. Scott Stapp has apparently traded in his comical singing voice for guttural screams and Cookie Monster-grunting this time around. With their ‘reunion’ album Full Circle, Creed has undergone a transformation. Instead of the wussy radio-rock posturing they’ve been known for all those years, they have returned with a revamped sound, and it REALLY caught me off guard. I guess they grew tired of all the horrific clone bands they inspired (Theory of a Deadman, Nickelback, Crossfade, etc.) and decided to try to kick all our asses this time around.

Okay, okay, maybe not.

I just had to start this review in a way that amused me. This is Creed. We all know what that means. The songs will have buzzy guitars and Scott Stapp’s pompous macho posturing and incredibly irritating voice. And HEY, guess what? Those are all over this record.

I wonder why this record is called ‘Full Circle’….because no one gave a shit about Stapp’s solo album the Great Divide, and thus he had to come back to the band (i.e. come ‘full circle’) that somehow put him on the map? Because somehow Alter Bridge sucked more than Creed in the first place? The mind boggles.

i bet it took 5 hours to get all these poses and pouts just right

This album actually starts off pretty well. Lead single Overcome sounds oddly familiar, maybe because it’s so damn formulaic, but it’s still a pretty solid song. And, oh yeah, it probably represents how Creed was able to overcome odds and critics/haters and record a new album. I get it.

Bread of Shame confused me at first, too. The guitar work by Mark Tremonti is SO down-tuned that it sounds somewhat Korn-esque, which is never really the kind of association I’d expect to make with this band. The guitar in this song reminds me of the riffage in Korn’s Did My Time. Bread of Shame is pretty much the hardest-rocking Creed song I’ve ever heard. It’s sludgy and dark, and the powerful chorus also sounds a bit Soundgarden-ish. Needlesss to say this song REALLY surprised me, and it’s a solid cut.

Of course, just when it might sound like I’m giving this album a positive review, I get reminded tenfold just how much it all sucks. I just can’t take Stapp seriously, because, well, he’s SCOTT STAPP, the guy who was so wasted onstage that fans tried suing the band for a bad performance. Oh, and he lost a fight with 311 (a band of stoners) in a hotel bar.

I remarked to my roommate “this would ALMOST be pretty cool hard rock music if it wasn’t Scott Stapp-affiliated”. That’s how much it detracts from the songs to me.

Just when I was almost convinced this was a new Creed with hard rocking songs and an edge, A Thousand Faces came along and puked all over my expectations. This is a typical sappy midtempo Creed tune, probably primed for FM radio play (if that even exists anymore). Blah blah blah, boring.

a shirt after my own heart

Time is unlistenable, insipid dreck, even compared to Creed’s usual toxic waste dumps of music. Stapp’s voice in this one is completely ridiculous and even more over the top than usual, with James Hetfield-ian flourishes like “this time-AHH I have nothing left to lose…I’m stuck, the second hand won’t move, it’s about time that I speak my mind-AHH”, and so on. Whereas Hetfield’s voice is funny and badass, Stapp’s little vocal spasms are just irritating.

I avoided doing a track-by-track review of Full Circle because I couldn’t get all the way through some of these songs. Creed’s just so damn boring. I’ll be completely honest: I do like a few songs from their career, such as What If, One Last Breath, and Higher (because I associate it with baseball games), but for the most part their songs are just too dramatic. Stapp sings with such an overly dramatic voice that pronounces every syllable with such a ridiculous overzealousness that it just ends up sounding silly. Tremonti’s guitar work is consistently impressive, but it all gets bogged down in the band’s muddled self-importance.

This album started off well, after the first two tracks I thought this might actually be a startling change of direction for Creed into a new, much more badass sound. Alas, these hopes were dashed as the other songs on the record are exactly what people would expect a Creed album to sound like.

In closing, I didn’t ever think the world would see a new Creed record. When the band broke up a few years ago I figured that was it, mainly because Stapp became a joke and the other guys seemed to be over it. Well, they’re back, and I’m not sure if anyone cares, since I’ve barely heard anything about this album at all. But it’s out now, and it’s just as unnecessary as one would expect.

I can see this album selling well in Wal-Marts, right next to the Daughtry and Nickelback records and 5 dollar DVD’s, in one big retail vortex of suck. I bet these people will buy five copies each.

I actually hope this record does moderately well – if it doesn’t, it might drive Stapp back to making another solo record, and the world needs that EVEN LESS than it does a new Creed album.

But yeah, Full Circle is pretty lame. No real shock there.

Almost everything has a return policy, so it seems reasonable that eventually newborns

Bye bye Baby!

will come with a return policy as well. And while there are usually restrictions on returning items, there are definitely some good reasons to return a child. It is our duty as scientists to determine what those reasons are. After all, a hideous baby is really the fault of your own genetics more than a flaw with the child itself, and we can’t allow every child to be returned.  (Or can we…) In any case, I present to you, the top 5 reasons to return a baby.

Wrong Size

It is important to note that children are much like clothing when it comes to returns. Therefore, the first reason to return a baby is because it is the wrong size. Maybe you wanted it to be a football player and it came out small. Maybe you wanted it to be a jockey and it came out too big. Either way, if the child is the wrong size, it should be returned immediately. If you’re going to be raising it for 18 years, you may as well start off right.

Wrong Gender

In the same respect, if the child is the wrong gender, it may not have the future you envisioned for it. As a good parent, it is your responsibility to give your child every advantage and gender matters. Future gold-diggers are preferably female. Future lumberjacks are preferably male. There are obviously some exceptions to the rule, but why oppose societal norms?

Buyer’s Remorse

It happens occasionally, and without any rationality behind it, that a couple will decide it’s time for them to have a child. But when they get home, they realize that children are loud and breast feeding hurts the nipples.  Suddenly, the parents aren’t getting any sleep, and relatives keep pestering them. It’s at this point that people realize that children are a terrible idea, and they want to return them. Keep in mind that we’re not suggesting that if you accidentally pop a child you can return it. That would be wrong.

Wrong Color

One of these is not like the other

This is more a personal problem than a child defect, but it could seriously affect your life. If your child comes out a different color from the father, you might want to get a return. Preferably before the father sees the child. At the very least, go for an exchange. While this is no fault of the child (you slut), it will affect its future if the father hates it. Therefore, returns will be allowed for children coming out the wrong color.

Twins

Whereas getting things for free is normally good, getting an extra baby is not. It doubles the cost, the effort, and the time consumption.  If ever there was a good reason for a return, it would be having twins. It’s similar to ordering a double cheeseburger, and it getting one without meat. Or going on a date with a hot girl, to find out she wants the wrong kind of threesome. These situations should just not occur.

While these are all good reasons for returning babies, there is still the question of what you return the baby to. Obviously, you can’t return it to the doctor. He wasn’t the one that spawned it. You can’t return it to sperm and eggs. That’s just impossible. So, I guess until that’s decided, these guidelines will have to remain unused. Sadness.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to call button down dress shirts sexy, but rest assured, Emily Belgard, lead singer of kick ass rock band Prohibition Rose brought us back to what we’ve all been missing.

The band invited me out for a Monday romp at the Key Club, to open for the longest lived Sunset act in history, Steel Panther (aka Metal Skool). Before the panther took the stage, Emily and her band came out and blew the hats off the front row.

The ladies with their boyfriends were instantly jealous as Emily dropped it like it’s hot several times during the set. But don’t let the aesthetics fool you, she a grade A singer, being backed by Eric Lenning on lead guitar and backup vocals.

Eric reminded me of Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects, but with a less pop image, and more respect on my books. To his left, was the lovely short shorts wearing blonde bombshell, Mia Heldt. Speaking of comparisons, I told her after the set that she reminded me of a blond Paz Lenchantin; apple of my eye, and bassist of A Perfect Circle. Watch the video for the song Judith and you’ll get the idea of what I had the honor of witnessing.

Andy Bonura and Tanner Bean killed it on the drums and guitar, kicking the set off with Come Out Racin’ of their upcoming album, …To the Wolves. The whole set was raw rock, with a refreshing and sexy twist offered to Valhalla by Emily at the helm. Personally my favorite tracks of the night were Slippery Slope for the drums during the chorus and Bag Full of Sparrows for its slow tempo, and powerful chorus tones. Here’s the complete set list for your viewing pleasure:

1) Come out Racin’
2) Slippery Slope
3) Bag Full of Sparrows
4) Vertigo
5) Stocking Stuffer
6) More
7) Retrograde

Prohibition Rose is not to be trifled with, and seeing as they were a perfect pairing to Steel Panther. The night carried on, with Petty Cash playing downstairs, bringing up Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 up to party with them. After a great sing-along set of Tom Petty songs we all made our way up to enjoy Steel Panther perform their usual amazing antics, complete with a performance of Death to All But Metal.

I’ve seen the song performed before, but that night was even better than normal, with Chris Mintz-Plasse… but let’s be real and call him McLovin, the name we all know him by. Joining him onstage for a duet was The Iceman himself, Chuck Lidell.

Mix in the flashing of ridiculously large breasts from the VIP section after some encouraging chanting from all around, and three to one better hair on guys than girls, and you have a night in Hollywood. Thanks to Prohibition Rose for bringing me out to have a good time, and giving us something new to behold (in oh so many ways). No new shows are posted yet, but check out their MySpace for a good chunk of their new album.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

Where it was once sporadic to see a different take on marital infidelity through the portrayal of a woman carrying out the act of adultery instead of the archetypal sex-obsessed man, it now looks as though this new slant is the preferred angle, Richard Eyre’s The Other Man being an ostension of this trend. Nobody’s worried though, either perspective makes an adequate Lifetime movie.

The standout quality of The Other Man is its mildly disjointed narrative, which does not become evident into well into the last part of the second act. In the meantime, try to imagine a film with a plot centered solely around a man who stares at his wife’s MacBook trying to figure out her password and looking through her personal photos. When you’ve done that, you’ve just envisioned The Other Man‘s core source of action. Nothing really starts to happen until Peter (Liam Neeson) figures out the name and location of his wife’s paramour (Antonio Banderas), Ralph (rhymes with rape).

Lisa and Ralph take a boat ride on the scenic Lago di Como

Driven by a somewhat rote form of jealousy, Peter sets out to Milan to stalk and kill Ralph, leaving his daughter, Abigail (Romola Garai), totally in the dark about his whereabouts. Instead of outright stabbing, shooting, or poisoning Ralph, Peter takes his time analyzing his prey, steadily getting to know him  by joining him in a game of chess every day at a caffeteria in the Corso Magenta area of Milan. As their acquaintanceship grows, Ralph freely speaks to him of a tryst he had with a shoe designer from Cambridge (a description that fits Lisa to a tee). Squeezing tightly to the chess piece, Peter grits his teeth and bears the account of their love affair.

Unlikely chums: The husband (right) and his wife's paramour (left)

Richard Eyre’s story is laden with potential, but the acting delivered by Neeson and Banderas, especially Banderas, is so wooden, it falls short of enhancing the intractable dialogue in any way. The only decent characters are Abigail and her boyfriend, George, but their appearances are so rare, it just isn’t enough to save the film from an acting catastrophe. The only interesting element is that Lisa’s location is not at all what the viewer would expect. Eyre would have us believe that she simply abandoned her family, but it turns out to be something else altogether. That, I would say, is the one reason that The Other Man is different or worth seeing as opposed to, say, Unfaithful, another movie about adultery with far more intrigue.

The main question on my mind as I watch Tearist open for La Roux is: Which one of these band members sucked the cock and/or pussy of the person in charge of booking at the El Rey? How does a band with under 11,000 MySpace views on the day of the show end up landing this type of gig? Not to say this isn’t indicative of a talent all its own, but shit, are they going to start letting any band within ten miles of Silverlake that has a MySpace page go on? At that point, every venue in the city will be overrun with white guys in glasses, ill-fitting pants, and a sweatshirt clearly bought from Goodwill.

La Roux previously performed one date at The Troubadour

Apart from Tearist, there was La Roux, who was ever so languid about taking the stage. I smoked half a pack of Camels, waited in a bathroom line that moved at the speed of Lonesome George (the famously celibate turtle), and bought several obscenely priced drinks in the time it took Miss Jackson (La Roux’s Christian name) to appear. Before she went on, it was explained that an ongoing illness/sore throat would cut the set a bit short. And so, with that sobering news, La Roux erupted onto the stage with a sky high tidal wave of red hair belting out “Quicksand.” Immediately after the song, she apologized for her voice and then wasted no time delving into the latest single from her self-titled album, “I’m Not Your Toy.”

The surrealistic cover of La Roux's debut album

After performing a single only available in the UK and probably some Japanese version of the album (“Finally My Saviour”) and a slow jam called “Cover My Eyes,” La Roux introduced her band: Mikey on synths/keyboards, Mickey on backing vocals/keyboard, and William on drums. She then encouraged the crowd to help her sing along to the ever so successful (in the UK anyway) “In for the Kill.” The audience quickly obliged, some even (premeditatedly of course) jumping on stage to dance with the ailing Brit. Before the closing song, La Roux danced about to “Colourless Colour” and then closed up shop with “Bulletproof,” which she assured was the equivalent of two songs because of its extendedness. So long it was in fact, that there was even time for La Roux to bring a child on stage strategically dressed by the girl’s mother to garner such attention. Need I say this kid’s just one step away from being the next balloon hoax? The show concluded more quickly than it began and although La Roux delivered a worthy performance, I still say: Next time, take a fuckin B12 shot and heal your damn self. Oh well, it’s not as though that many people were disappointed. It still seems that the only ones aware of La Roux in the LA area are chic people and lesbians (two qualities that are sometimes indecipherable).