You never know which Madonna is going to show up.

Sometimes, The Material Girl is the sexually charged songstress posing nude for a coffee table book or dry humping one of her tour dancers. Next, she’s the primly dressed children’s book author trying to be a good role model for her own kids.

This week, the latter piped up to chastise singer M.I.A. for flipping the audience the bird during Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Madonna has taken to the airwaves to express her disappointment with M.I.A.’s decision to flip the bird at cameras during the halftime show, calling the move a “teenager … irrelevant thing to do.” Madge was chatting with Ryan Seacrest about her performance when he brought up the incident.

To the pop star, the middle finger was simply “out of place” at a show characterized by “such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity.

M.I.A. would have better served the event by making out with another woman, apparently.

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There’s nothing better than being able to do the right thing and the politically savvy thing while simultaneously paying back a long-time abuser in spades.

And that’s just what the Republicans in Congress did to Hollywood when it abandoned the rush to pass SOPA and regulate the Internet for the benefit of Tinseltown. Astonishingly, considering its usual inability to perform competently at even the most basic level, the GOP not only managed to embrace good policy but drove a wedge into the Democratic coalition that may well have dramatic consequences down the road. And, best of all, it provided a bit of long overdue payback to the smug oligarchs of LA’s West Side who have spent the last couple decades treating Republicans like something you’d hasten to flush.

Hey, suckers, how do ya like us now?

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is only the latest attempt by Hollywood to breathe some life back into its dying business model. Enraged that online “pirates” are passing around bootleg copies of movies, shows, books, music, and all other manner of intellectual property, the industry did what it has done for years: ran to Congress for ever more burdensome and onerous laws designed to hold back the inevitable consequences of progress. 

But this time, it went too far. Perhaps it was Hollywood’s arrogance. Perhaps it was the provisions allowing Hollywood to use the United States government to shut down any website it pleased on the mere accusation of “piracy” without any due process, a power lefty–fascist bureaucrats would be only too eager to accept.

Not surprisingly, the people who make their living on the web were less than thrilled about giving Uncle Sam and the media conglomerates an off-switch.

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The venerable dance show “Soul Train” was never just about the music.

The series debuted at a contentious time in our nation’s history, and audiences of all colors could watch – and groove to – the sounds being spun by host Don Cornelius.

The “Soul Train” impresario may have passed this week at 75, but his musical and cultural legacy will endure, says Kansas City Star columnist Jenee Osterheldt:

The show first aired in 1971, on the heels of the civil rights movement, and it proved to be a great unifier. It served as a platform for black artists like Al Green and Johnnie Taylor, but it didn’t take long for the likes of Elton John and David Bowie to ride the train too. To me, that’s what makes it so important.

On “Soul Train,” you could tune in and see people of all colors and ethnicities singing and dancing together. What fan doesn’t remember Cheryl Song, the long-haired Asian dancer with moves to mimic? And Rosie Perez? She’s arguably one of the best dancers of the past few decades….

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Some of country music’s biggest names are putting their songs behind the upcoming action film “Act of Valor.”

Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Trace Adkins, Wynonna Judd and Montgomery Gentry contributed original tunes inspired by the new film for its upcoming soundtrack release.

“Act of Valor” hits theaters Feb. 24 and features active-duty Navy SEALs in an action-packed movie unlike any military movie seen before. The film’s soundtrack is available now for pre-order on iTunes and will hit store shelves Feb. 21.

The track listing includes music by Keith Urban (“For You” which is heard over the film’s end credits), Sugarland (“Guide You Home”), Lady Antebellum (“I Was Here”), Trace Adkins (“If the Sun Comes Up”), Lori McKenna (“Two Soldiers Coming Home”), Jake Owen (“The Best I Can”), Montgomery Gentry (“What It Takes”), Josh Kelley (“The Best of Me”), Hunter Hayes (“Where We Left Off”) and Wynonna Judd (“Whatever Brings You Back”)

Writer/director David M. Rosenthal had already connected with his estranged daughter by the time it came to shoot his deeply personal new film, “Janie Jones.”

Making a semi-autobiographical tale of a singer confronted with the daughter he didn’t know he had helped complete Rosenthal’s real-life healing process.

“It was hugely cathartic for me. I’m so glad to have it done it,” Rosenthal tells Big Hollywood of the personal film project. “It brought us together on a whole different level …. I wanted to do it for me and for my daughter.”

“Janie Jones,” out on DVD today, follows a selfish rock star (Allesandro Nivola, “Junebug”) who learns he’s the father of a 13-year-old girl named Janie Jones (Abigail Breslin). The girl’s junkie mom (Elisabeth Shue) deposits her in his care while she heads to rehab. That forces the distracted rocker to care for his daughter while trying to hold his struggling band together.

No, Rosenthal isn’t a hard-charging musician, but the story’s themes clearly mirror his own life. He just made sure “Janie Jones” didn’t shadow reality too closely.

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In preface to this critique, it’s important to say that there is no such thing as a perfect Christian; Jesus Christ, the God Christians follow, was the only perfect human being, which is why true Christians believe faith should be placed in Him alone.

With that said, it was after the Jesus Movement of the ’60s and ’70s, during the 1980’s that many non-denominational churches sprouted up all over America, some of them overseen by self-appointed pastors and leaders who were unaccountable to anyone but themselves. As a result, in the Christian community, young adults, desirous to serve God, were drawn into congregations with showbiz-style charismatic leaders who exploited the enthusiasm and commitment of individuals who, at that time, were too immature to differentiate the counterfeit from the divine.

Kids “raised” in many of these churches responded harshly to hype and unbiblical legalism and emerged from the experience tattooed, smoking, drinking, and toting around babies born out of wedlock. Lost between redemption and confusion were grossly cynical parents who realized they wasted precious years serving man and not God and a generation of kids who sang with Psalty, then grew up eager to partake of forbidden fruit.

Similar scenarios were common in churches across America and could explain the disturbing phenomenon presently on display where the worldly success Christian pop stars achieve is often accompanied by a public fall from grace. Two of the most obvious examples of church kid tragedy include the sorry lives of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson and train-wreck-waiting-to-happen Katy Perry. (more…)

The Sundance Film Festival is where one-percenters gather to hurl stones at haughty, out of touch (Republican) politicians whom they claim are hurting the ninety-nine percenters. This year a curious thing happened: Gene Simmons rolled in and cleaned house.

The bassist for KISS, who can always be trusted to speak his mind and who, unlike many other entertainers, actually has something to say, gave us his take on Robert Redford, President Barack Obama, and Mitt Romney.

Regarding Redford’s statements against one-percenters, statements that only Occupy Wall Street types could love, Simmons said:

He means well, he’s a great guy. But it’s a bit hypocritical, since he’s part of the one percent, to address the 99 percent.

Simmons then went to speak to that fact that he doesn’t like all the class warfare, all the dividing of people into different camps.

Either we are all Americans, or you’re going to fall victim. This is the reason why the old Roman Empire died, it fell from within. Division from within is one of the stupidest things you can do.

Regarding Obama, Simmons basically called him a rookie, and stated anew his regret for supporting him in 2008.

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Even nearly 20 years later, I can still remember the day my college girlfriend gave me a copy of Matthew Sweet’s “Girlfriend” on cassette.

Its cover was a gorgeous picture of then-young actress Tuesday Weld gazing into a camera, a vision of beauty that nonetheless appeared too perfect to last.

Indeed, both the cassette and the relationship wore out eventually, as I played its 15-song cycle of love prayed for, won and lost until it snapped in my stereo deck, and as Laura fell for another guy while spending the next semester in Spain. As Sweet ruefully sang in the closing song, nothing lasts.

That lesson and those memories came back to haunt me and a few hundred other people Jan. 13 when Sweet hit the stage of the Echoplex for the final stop of a special tour marking the 20^th anniversary of his best-selling album, a record considered along with the likes of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” as one of the seminal albums of the ‘90s.

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What happens when a pro-American rock band tries to infiltrate an “Occupy” event and is bold enough to sign up to perform on the event’s Open Mic Sign Up website? When Richard Mgrdechian, President & CEO of Terabit Media Corporation, fellow “Dawger” at BigDawg Music Mafia, and manager for the openly conservative band Madison Rising, told me he had signed them up to perform Jan. 17 at the Occupy Congress rally, my first thought was, “there is no way the organizers are going to allow them to take the stage once they find out who they are.” I was wrong.

As I was making my way to D.C. to meet up with the band for their scheduled free concert at the Capitol Hill Club immediately following their scheduled “Occupy” performance, I spoke with Richard on the phone and was surprised to hear Madison Rising was still listed in the lineup for an on-stage appearance.

I thought to myself, “Oh boy, this is going to get interesting; when these malcontents hear the lyrics to their songs, especially their song Honk if You Want Peace, which mocks the occupiers, they will be booed right off the stage, at a minimum.”  Wrong again.

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Van Halen recently played a much-discussed show over at Cafe Wha?, a small club owned by David Lee Roth’s nonagenarian uncle. The small crowd was made up of celebrities, music industry types and journalists like Grantland’s metal guru Chuck Klosterman, who proclaimed the show to be “incredibly, insanely, undeniably awesome.”

There is no doubt in my mind that seeing Van Halen, fronted by the mega-personality of Roth, in an intimate club setting the way God intended us to exhibit rock n’ roll, must be akin to a religious experience.

YouTube

Along with the pop-culture powerhouse of KISS™, Van Halen helped usher in the era of ‘80 heavy metal, when mainstream rock n’ roll was all about partying hard and living in the red, before MTV switched from cocaine to black tar heroin in the ’90s, and everyone playing music became depressed and started killing themselves.

“Eruption” announced to the world that Eddie Van Halen was pretty much the gnarliest guitarist around, and Roth’s Jim Dandy-influenced stage persona made him the model frontman of that era. After a wildly successful run, the band kicked Roth to the curb, bringing Sammy Hagar into the fold, leaving Roth to find some success as a solo artist before slowly fading away. Despite doing four solid albums with Hagar, he too was eventually shoved out, leading Van Halen into a chaotic period that included an aborted reunion with Roth and an album with Extreme’s Gary Cherone on the mic that most would rather forget.

Long story short, bassist Michael Anthony, whose soaring backing vocals were a big part of classic Van Halen tunes like “Dance the Night Away,” was given the boot to make room for Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, and Roth was finally brought back in for a full-blown reunion and a much-anticipated new album. Last week, we heard Van Halen’s first single with Roth since 1984, “Tattoo.”  Generally bands put their best foot forward when tossing a single off, and if “Tattoo” is any indication, this new album is gonna be a snoozer. (more…)

The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things. Of Shoes and Pips and Basement Tapes, and the best power pop records of the year. Forgive me if I repeat myself, but 2011 was a great year for pop music ALTHOUGH YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT FROM THE TRADITIONAL MEDIA!

The first six months saw the release of most of the best albums, while some of my favorites have already recorded next year’s contenders but won’t release them until ‘12. These heavy hitters include The Foreign Films, Explorers Club, and Bryan Scary.

One: Marco Joachim, “Hidden Symphonies.” “Hidden Symphonies” is a pop masterpiece that achieves a Sgt. Pepper-like grandeur through constant melodic and textural invention. “Gramercy Park” is as memorable as anything the Beatles achieved in later years. “Cellophane Sue” is an obvious goof on “Polythene Pam” and a solid hit in its own right. Marco is immeasurably aided by producer/guitarist Jon Gordon whose epic guitar is all over these tracks.

Two: Cirrone: “Uplands Park Road.” These Sicilian brothers (with Ferdinando Piccoli on drums) reinvent the modern pop song drawing on the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Big Star, the Byrds, Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Hollies, the Zombies and every other great power popper, but they have a unique sound built around three-part harmonies and Alessandro’s and Mirko’s thrilling guitar work. Don’t believe perfection is unobtainable. Listen to this record. (more…)

The flawless transfer of writer/director Alex Cox’s equally flawless cinematic story of the mutually destructive relationship between Sex Pistols’ punk rock bassist Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) and his groupie girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb), includes a number of documentaries that examine both the film and its subjects. Our own Kurt Loder is interviewed throughout and offers up a brilliant insight. Loder points out that at night, in the dark, the punk lifestyle looks glamorous, but that in the daytime, it looks like a nightmare existence.

Loder is exactly right, which goes a long to explain why Cox stages most of his action in daylight and why the result of this alternately harrowing, beautiful, and poignant examination of two heroin addicts is the furthest thing from just another piece of Hollywood nihilism. Cox never flinches from the debasement that made up much of the life of our two protagonists. The genius of the script, though, is how the presentation of those moments is easier to take thanks to a wickedly funny and knowing sense of humor. You find yourself laughing out loud at the absurdity and outright stupidity of how these two lived their horrible lives, fed their habit, and raged in self-delusion against reality and their own self-immolation:

Nancy: I fucking hate them! I fucking hate them! ! Fucking motherfuckers! They wouldn’t send us any money! They said we’d spend it on DRUGS!
Sid: We would!

And:

Nancy: I hate my fuckin’ life.
Sid: This is just a rough patch. Things’ll be much better when we get to America, I promise.
Nancy: We’re in America. We’ve been here a week. New York is in America, you fuck.

Best of all, the story never denies its protagonists their humanity. In order to feel every moment of a slow-motion suicide, Cox makes it impossible for us not to pity Sid and Nancy, even though their many flaws are always on display. As two unspent lives swirl the drain, the glimpses we’re given into what could’ve been (especially with respect to Sid) makes these moments touching in a way that sneaks up on you.  And as destructive as the relationship was, we do know for certain that these two truly loved one another and, moreover, we are never allowed to forget how heartbreakingly young they were (he was 21, she was 20).

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Whatever happened to the protest song? Music stations and the Billboard charts of decades past were chock full of politically-themed songs, most notably during the Vietnam War and its many statewide protests. Recently, liberal filmmaker Adam McKay (“Anchorman,” “The Other Guys”) started his own website–a protest song submission page–asking that very same question. What is it that has led to the decline of political music’s popularity?

Fortunately, “New Party Systems” is here to answer that question. A New York indie “supergroup” consisting of David First of the Notekillers, Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio, and the bassist and drummer from Liturgy (saw them in concert recently–the singer intentionally sounded like a screeching banshee, and I’m pretty sure they spent one song playing the same chord in different strumming patterns for seven minutes–nuff said). New Party Systems recently released “We Are,” another in a long line of songs written to inspire and represent the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Penned by guitarist First,”We Are” isn’t terrible musically, but it absolutely fails as a protest song for many, many reasons. There’s so much to work with here, actually, that we can use “We Are” as a case study in The Top 5 Ways Indie Rock Killed Protest Songs. Read on, aspiring hipster musicians, and immerse yourself in cautionary tale-age.

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Rapper Jay-Z took time out from defending the Occupy Wall Street movement to ply his new young daughter with the very best of the best.

What child doesn’t need a $20,000 crib?

That’s just the tip of the one-percent iceberg regarding the riches the rapper’s daughter received since her much-publicized debut.

Since entering the world of music royalty five days ago, 7-pound Blue Ivy Carter has collected a cache of presents from her parents and their celebrity pals, including media queen Oprah Winfrey.

The newborn’s superstar father plunked down $20,000 on a Posh Tots Carriage Fantasy Crib made of solid cedar and birch. A rear luggage rack doubles as a changing table.

And then there is the $285 Jean Paul Gaultier silk dress to burp on, sources told the Daily News….

The new parents have also been inundated with gifts from the likes of Sean (Diddy) Combs, Kanye West, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey, the source said.

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When then-Sen. Barack Obama promised Hope and Change, what he really meant was, “gimme eight full years” for the full array of said hope and change.

So thinks Janelle Monae, the young soul singer gearing up for her first Obama fundraiser.

Monae, whose hits include, “Tightrope” and “Cold War,” is all too eager to line the coffers of the Obama war chest. After all, who can get anything done in a mere four years?

Monae will perform at a fundraiser for the president’s re-election in the Windy City on Wednesday. Explaining her support of Obama on her Facebook page, Monae wrote: “President Obama is not finished. Let. the. man. finish.”

Here we have the entire album “Themes for an Imaginary Film” from Symmetry, yet another project by Italodisco revivalist Johnny Jewel, known for his involvement in Chromatics/Glass Candy/Desire/all of the “Italians Do It Better” music label. Word around the ‘net is that Jewel was originally tapped by Nicolas Winding Refn to score “Drive,” and while several existing tracks from his groups Chromatics and Desire were used, the gig for original music went to Cliff Martinez. Jewel denies that “Themes” is his unused “Drive” music, but it’s already become Internet canon to interpret it as such.

“Themes” is a good listen, but I can surely see why Winding Refn would choose the tracks he did, particularly Kavinsky’s “Night Call” during the opening credits. Jewel’s “Themes” are subtle, a little too cool and laid back for the on-edge tone of the film, and they’re experimental–messing around with  rhythms when a simple kick-snare-kick-snare much better represents the single-minded driving force of Ryan Gosling’s character. Furthermore, the synths are noticeably MIDI instead of analog, which would have made the film seem low-budget and campy.

Still, it’s an interesting listen to think of what may have been, and it’s a reminder that script isn’t everything; style and tone can make or break a film as much as stilted dialogue can. For comparison, here’s the song that was ultimately chosen for “Drive”’s opening sequence–a work with far more grit, aggression, and swagger: (more…)

Candy Claws, “Do You Ever Feel That Way?” (Starflyer 59 Cover)

Of all the contemporary Christian bands in the genre’s mid-to-late ’90s boom period, Starflyer 59 was one of the few respectable acts, as they understood the difference between “Christian rock” and “rock made by Christians.” Skirting the edges of grunge, shoegaze, and emo, the band carved a respectable niche for itself alongside contemporaries like Pedro the Lion, gaining enough industry respect to inspire a covers album after their breakup. The track “Do You Ever Feel That Way?”, re-recorded by sunshiney haze-rockers Candy Claws, adds a noisy, ebullient, wider scope to the original’s lilting melody, and Candy Claws pull off Starflyer singer Jason Martin’s vocal affectations rather uncannily.

For those unfamiliar with Starflyer 59, here’s a track from one of their latter works:

Starflyer 59, “Good Sons”

The New Wave-heavy sound of “Good Sons” eases our transition to another recently unveiled cover song. (more…)

Kid Rock says he doesn’t mind if a politician on the left or the right wants to crank up his tunes on the campaign trail.

The shaggy crooner is the exception to the rule.

FoxNews.com reports that most singers balk when a Republican wants to co-op their songs for campaign events. Things are mighty different when it’s a Democratic politician singing a familiar song.

On the other hand, Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” in his successful 1992 presidential bid, Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry played Springsteen’s “No Surrender” in his 2004 campaign, in 2008 Sen. Barack Obama revived Springsteen’s “The Rising,” and that same year fellow Democrat John Edwards used Mellancamp’s “Our Country.” All of these came and went without objection from the artists. In fact, except for 2008, when Barack Obama was sent a “cease and desist” letter from the legal team for Sam Moore (one half of the legendary duo Sam & Dave) over the unlicensed use of “Hold On, I’m Comin’” as background beat at his rallies, its hard to find examples of Democrats getting taken to task.

Histamines, “Legit Wax”

I promise this is the last time I toot my own horn here, and this is a special exception, as it’s a collaboration with a longtime friend and talented young producer, Steve Chab. While the two of us normally make electronica or rock, we decided to test out a different genre and cooked up five original funk songs. You can listen to the full Special Ultimate Unlimited Collector’s Edition here.

David Axelrod,”The Edge”

This was the artist that inspired Steve to ask me to take on this project. Yes, you read the name correctly. And this is why I want every single one of you with a personal blog to create an entry titled “David Axelrod rules!” or “I love David Axelrod!” linking to this video or another D.A. song. (more…)

The Morning Playlist is a new feature for Big Hollywood collecting new or notable music from around the web. Grab yourself some coffee, turn up your speakers, and start the day with a healthy assault on those ol’ ear drums.

As the music world has few notable releases this post-holiday week, today’s playlist includes songs from 2011 whose music videos either saved them from mediocrity or elevated them to even greater heights.

Toby Keith, “Red Solo Cup”

This list isn’t in any particular order, but I will unequivocally state that Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” is by far the greatest music video of the past year. For one, the song is fun and catchy and exactly what the country music scene needs right now–a step back from that self-serious, over-produced Nashville sound. And how audacious it is–how refreshingly politically incorrect! I can’t help but guffaw to the line “You, sir, do not have a pair of testicles if you prefer drinking from glass.” It’s impossible to describe what makes comedy work, but the sheer goofiness of this video–the background visual gags, the progressively weirder celebrity cameos, the heartfelt bromantic interlude–is a home run for Keith. There’s a purity in media like this–”Jackass” being the greatest example–in seeing guys goof off with each other with no pretense and no other purpose besides having a ton of fun. (more…)