DWEEZIL ZAPPA

Saw the Zappa Plays Zappa show last night at the Tower Theater in Philly.
MAJOR props to Dweezil for putting this tour together and carrying the torch for a whole new generation!
I've been waiting 18 years to see a "Zappa show" again and this did not disappoint!!

He's taken the extremely high standard that his father (aka: my God) set and has risen to the occasion with an amazing band of incredible young musicians and special Zappa alumni guests (Napoleon Murphy Brock, Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio)

The setlist was PERFECT!
It was pretty much my dream setlist (Inca Roads, Montana, St.Alphonzo's, Achindna's Arf, Zomby Woof, Florentine Pogen, Peaches, The Black Page)
There's no need for me to ever do a Zappa tribute anymore, because this would've been my exact setlist!

Really, this was EXACTLY what seeing a Frank Zappa show was like...
If any of you never saw the master live back in the 70's/80's, get your butt out to one of these shows to see how it's done!

AMAZING!

MP
 

MASTODON

Went and caught the "Unholy Alliance" tour kickoff last night which is DREAM line-up with 3 of my favorite metal bands on one stage (Slayer, Lamb Of God and Mastodon)

Spent most of the night hanging out with Mastodon drummer extraordinaire Brann Dailor who so kindly burned me a copy of their upcoming CD and it is totally SICK!!

Kind of a cross between King Crimson, Tool, The Mars Volta, Slayer, Watchtower and Voi Vod - but at the same time, totally original sounding and like nothing else out there.

And Brann's drumming (as always) is off the hook - imagine what Keith Moon would've sounded like if he played in a hardcore band! 

Be on the lookout in the coming months when this is released....

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ROCK STAR: SUPERNOVA
 
OK...I hate to admit it, but I am a sucker for some good (and even some not-so good) reality TV...
 
I also have to admit I have NEVER seen a single episode of American Idol in my life (really...I swear!) so I figured with all the hoopla over these type of shows (and a cool band line-up on this one), the new season of Rock Star could be interesting to check out so I tuned into the first two episodes and I am now hooked!!
 
Some of these singers are real talented and it will be interesting to see who makes the cut...
Plus the house band (and especially the drummer) KICK ASS!
 
 
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SYD BARRETT
 
Just returned home from a 3 day camping trip with my son to learn the news that Syd died a few days ago...
Wow...
 
I guess it's not a total shock as so many people thought he's been dead for a very long time now and are often shocked to hear that he has indeed been alive all these years.
 
I guess it's mostly sad as I still held some hope that one day he would resurface to the public as his history is such an enigmatic and fascinating one that it would've been great to see and hear from him again.
Of course, now he will forever remain a mystery to us fans...
 
The ironic timing with this is that I am currently working on something (NOT at all a musical project) that incorporates my 5 favorite bands/artists of all time:
The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Frank Zappa.
And only just a few days ago I was thinking how of my "Big 5", 4 out of 5 have members that are now gone...and Pink Floyd was the only exception.
Weird timing...
 
Shine On You Crazy Diamond,
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KEVIN SMITH
 
Clerks 2 is Kevin Smith's best film since....well, Clerks!
 
This sequel was everything I was hoping it would be!
 
Everybody always thinks of and associates Jay And Silent Bob as THE duo from Kevin Smith's ViewAskewniverse, but really it is Dante and Randal who are the true dynamic duo of his films.
 
Nobody can deliver Kevin's dialogue as sharply as Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson...(well, Jason Lee does a damn great job too)
 
Here's hoping to a Clerks 3 in another 10 years!
 
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PS - With all the great marketing Kevin Smith does, why on earth hasn't he created a salad dressing yet called "Snoochie Blue Cheese"?

THE CRUMBSUCKERS
 
Last night's 20th Anniversary/reunion show at BB King's was a total TRIP down memory lane for me....
 
I was totally into the whole NYHC scene back in the day...
(Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist, Cro Mags, Agnostic Front, Leeway, Nuclear Assault, etc.) 
But The Crumbsuckers were always ahead of the NYHC pack as they all could really play well...incorporating odd times, alot of temp changes, guitar solos, etc.
 
These guys are old buddies of mine (Chuck Lenihan in particular was one of my best friends in the late 80's/early 90's) and my friendship with these guys was responsible for landing DT its first record deal with Mechanic in 1988.
 
Seeing them all together again on stage again and all of the fans and friends from the old scene was like a big class reunion!
 
Thanks to Chuck, Gary, Slate and Chris for bringing everybody back together again for a great night!
(and Alex from England for initiating the whole party!)
 
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MUSE
 
Saw them at the Electric Factory in Philly on Friday night....
 
Man....are these guys the greatest band in the world at the moment???
I think quite possibly so...
They have all the makings to be so massive and it looks like America is finally beginning to catch onto them...
 
They mix the majesty of Queen with the reckless energy of Nirvana and the soul and emotion of U2....
 
I have to say hands down, they are my favorite band to emerge in the past decade...
 
Oh....and they are incredibly cool guys....hanging with me for hours! 
(thanks for the hospitality guys!)
 
MP
 

MP & Dominic Howard - the phattest groove to come out of England since John Bonham!
 

MP & musical genius Matthew Bellamy - Freddie Mercury meets Kurt Cobain meets Thom Yorke...and a hell of a nice and humble guy.... 

HARD CANDY
 
Just watched this great psychological revenge thriller which is kind of like Fatal Attraction being directed by Takashi Miike or Chan Wook Park...
(with a torture scene reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs and Audition that had me literally holding on for dear life!!!)
 
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ROGER WATERS
 
Went to see him last night at Madison Square Garden and as always, he put on the ultimate Pink Floyd show....(I've always known "Which one's Pink"....there's never been a question who my allegiance is with in the Waters/Gilmour debate)
 
Plus as an awesome bonus, Nick Mason joined him for the 2nd set and encore!
Getting to see Gilmour with Wright in April and now Waters with Mason, fans are at least getting to see PF reunited over 2 different shows!
 
BTW - I had the privilege of meeting Nick and Roger earlier in the day and watching soundcheck from Nick's kit on the stage! 
But that (and some other very cool news) is another story for another time (coming soon!)
 
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13 TZAMETI
 
Just saw this gripping low-budget French film about a young man who mistakingly gets involved in an underground game of russian roulette...
 
Pretty dark and disturbing stuff...
David Fincher could do a killer remake of this baby!
 
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GIGANTOUR 2
 
I had a great time at Saturday's Gigantour show at the PNC in NJ...
 
I think they have a great line-up this year and I'm glad to see Dave carrying it on beyond our maiden voyage together last year.
 
For starters, I jumped up and played Elimination with my boys in Overkill which is always fun....
(I really do need to do a HEAVY side-project one of these days...it's so in my blood!)
 
Spent some time hanging out with my friends Mikael & Peter in Opeth...
Man, I love these guys!!!
They are the KINGS of what they do...such incredible dynamics...
And yes, me and Mike continued to talk about needing to do our much-talked about project together...
At this point, it not a matter of "if" - it's just a matter of "when"....
 

 
Also spent some time hangin with Chris Adler and the Lamb Of God boys...
They are another one of my favorite bands out there at the moment.
I've loved their last few albums, but the new one just KILLS!!!!
Perhaps the most brutal, consistantly strong album of it's kind since Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power...?
And surely one of my favorites of the year...
I sat behind Chris at his kit for a few songs and he is so incredibly tight...I love the way he plays.
 

 
And of course, Dave Mustaine and Megadeth were great and totally hospitable to me....
 
Congrats to all on another year of Gigantour!
 
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A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
 
I've seen the ads for this film describe it as a cross between "Mean Streets", "Saturday Night Fever", "The Basketball Diaries" and "Kids"....and I can't think of a better description! That really nails it...
 
I really loved the raw edge of this film...great performances, great camerawork, great soundtrack.
 
Possibly my favorite film of the year so far!
 
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THE FLAMING LIPS
 
Just watched the documentary "The Fearless Freaks" which documents 20 years of the band.
 
Interesting to see their development from a garage punk band to a psychedelic pop band to alternative sonic masterminds.
 
Their style is surely not for everybody on this board (especially if you are a prog or metal purist) as they can often sound like Syd Barrett meets Neil Young, but their last few albums are indeed sonic masterpieces (kind of modern day "Pet Sounds")...
 
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DEXTER
 
So far, I'm digging this new Showtime series.
Of course I love seeing the great Michael C Hall back in action (from one of my all-time favorites Six Feet Under)
 
This show has potential to be a true classic if it keeps up the standard layed down in these first few episodes.
 
It's a pretty dark show with shades of "Nip/Tuck", "The Shield" and "Six Feet Under" mixed together with "Seven"...
 
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EXTRAS
 
Although HBO in America hasn't begun airing Season 2 yet, the BBC in England has already broadcast all 6 episodes (and those of you who are net-smart should know where to find em!)
 
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have created another masterful show...
(think less "Office" and more "Curb Your Enthusiam")
 
With hilarious cameos ranging from Chris Martin to Robert DeNiro to David Bowie, this new season was even better than the first.
 
Shame if the rumours are true that Gervais and Merchant are gonna to do as they did with The Office and end it after two 6-episode seasons...   
 
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LITTLE CHILDREN
 
Todd Field's follow-up to "In The Bedroom" is a great film in the vien of "American Beauty" with great performances from Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley who's been MIA for 25 years!
 
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BORAT
 
Absolutely hilarious!
I've been a fan of Ali G for years now (even before debuting on HBO a few years ago, every tour bus in Europe always stocks the original UK shows and DVD's)
 
Sacha Baron Cohen is the Andy Kaufman of our generation....
 
I can't wait for a Bruno movie!
 
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INLAND EMPIRE
 
I just got back from a private screening of the new David Lynch film that I was privedged to have been invited to....and I am still numb! 
 
His latest masterpiece is dark, strange, twisted, disturbing, cryptic, bizarre, beautiful, challenging, frightening and intense....
....and I have no idea what it's about!!
 
I can't wait for the online fanatics to analyze this and help make heads and tails out of it (which really helped me with Mulholland Dr)
But this is as "out there" as Eraserhead!
 
Lynch's first film shot on digital video is a strange visual adjustment at first (I'm so used to his incredibly clean and darkly lit imagery), but after a while the dream-like quality of the story becomes actually enhanced by this "new look" of his...
 
And BTW, Laura Dern delivers the tour-de-force performance of her career...
 
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ROBERT ALTMAN
 
It's a sad sad day today with the news of one of my favorite director's passing away...
 
His always incredible ensemble casts, improvised dialogue (often simultaniously overlapping!) and multi-layed character studies were incredibly unique and his groundbreaking style paved the way for so many of today's great fillmakers (most notably PT Anderson).
 
Films like Magnolia and Crash would not exist if it weren't for films like Nashville, The Player and Short Cuts.
 
RIP
 
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
 
Christopher Guest scores again with another hilarious film.
(Although for the first time, he's abandoned the traditional "mockumentary" format)
 
His usual cast of greats are all still in tow (Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Michael McKean, etc.) and are even joined this time by Ricky Gervais.
 
These guys can do no wrong with these films!
 
MP
 

THE BEATLES - LOVE

COLOUR ME KUBRICK
 
Strange little film with a great performance by John Malkovich as an insane man who impersonated Stanley Kubrick through the last 10 years of his life....(this is a true story)
 
I found this film intriguing on many levels:
--- The Kubrick film references and nods throughout the film were very clever
--- I happen to personally know somebody that was conned by this very guy in the late 80's
--- It was eerily similar (and disturbing) for me given the situation I went though back in 2003 (and am still dealing with...)
 
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THE DEPARTED
 
Finally got around to seeing this as I've been waiting to for some time now....
From the opening scene staged to "Gimme Shelter", it was obvious this was going to be classic Scorsese.
And indeed, it is his best film since Good Fellas 16 years ago.
The performances from Nicholson, DiCaprio, Damon, Wahlberg and Winstone were all absolutely top notch and the story line is incredibly dense and complex with many twists and turns.
Could this finally be Scorsese's year at the Oscars?
 
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DEAD MAN'S SHOES

OK Kids...it's that time again for my year end round-up!

Top 10 Albums of 2006 (in no particular order):

1. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
2. Lamb Of God - Sacrament
3. Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
4. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
5. The Beatles - Love
6. Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May
7. Slayer - Christ Illusion
8. Beck - The Information
9. The Panic Channel - (ONe)
10. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist

and of course:

--- Dream Theater - Score
--- OSI - Free
--- Morse, Portnoy & George - Cover To Cover


Top 10 Films of 2006 (in no particular order):

1. Children Of Men
2. Inland Empire
3. The Departed
4. A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
5. Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
6. Little Children
7. Borat
8. The Fountain
9. The Prestige
10. For Your Consideration

(Positions 9 & 10 can possibly change pending a few remaining 2006 films still waiting to be seen....)

Happy New Year everyone and all the best in 2007!

MP

CHILDREN OF MEN
 

CARTOON NETWORK'S ADULT SWIM
 
With most of my favorite "normal" shows in between seasons or on temporary winter hiatis (Lost, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Heroes), I'm finding myself constantly watching the great, bizarre and twisted shows on Adult Swim.
 
First and foremost is the BRILLIANT Family Guy which has now taken its place as my all-time favorite animated series (topping previous favorites the Simpsons and South Park - neither or which I have consistantly watched in years now...)
 
I have also been getting into the absolutely out-there Aqua Teen Hunger Force which makes me wish I still smoked pot! (I guess this is the next closest sensation!)
 
Also, equally amusing is Metalocalypse - which is kind of a Death Metal version of Spinal Tap.
(I know they are indeed Scandanavian, but they really do look like the guys from Meshuggah, Opeth and Pain Of Salvation!)
 
Finally, there is also the hilarious Robot Chicken (think SNL meets Reality TV meets the WWE) and Moral Orel (Davey and Golieth meets South Park)
 
This is the new generation of animation, claymation, comedy and parody....
And we are all going to hell!!!  
 
MP 

24
 
OK...Here's the deal:
I followed the show religiously for the first 4 seasons (and LOVED it), but by the end of the 4th season I was starting to become a little annoyed by some of the far fetched premises.
("why doesn't anybody ever have to pee or eat?", "how can a president be assassinated at 7am and then by lunchtime life is back to normal?")
 
I gave the Season 5 premiere a chance but then decided to let the show go (hey, that's 24 hours of my life back!) thinking the show was on an X-Files decline...
 
Then the 5th season got rave reviews by both fans and critics, so when it was recently released on DVD, I decided to give it another chance...
I am currently half way through Season 5 and WOW!!
Every episode is on the edge suspense and excitement!!
 
Granted, the only way to really enjoy this show is to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride...(ignore the above questions when they arise in your head)

So now I am racing the clock to finish Season 5 on DVD and catch back up with the rest of you to join in the fun for Season 6 (which just began this week with a 2-day, 4-hour Season Premiere of which I know nothing about it...so I'm desperately dodging posts and headlines!)
 
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ALPHA DOG
 
Never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd be putting a Justin Timberlake film as a HOTD entry...but this new film kicks ass!
 
Picture a Larry Clark film (Bully, Kids) being told with the flash of PT Anderson or Martin Scorsese.
 
And Six Feet Under's Ben Foster gives one of the most over the top portrayals of a wreckless teen since Crispen Glover in River's Edge 20 years ago!
 
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THE PRESTIGE
 
Finally got around to catching this serious mind-bending film by Christopher Nolan.
 
I cannot wait to see it again to piece together one of the best ending twists since The Usual Suspects or Nolan's own masterpiece Memento....
 
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MARTIN SCORSESE
It's about time!!!!
 
Realistically, his big win tonight was not for the right film (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Good Fellas are in a whole other league from The Departed...), but his win was a lonnnng time coming and very sweet nonetheless!
 
The icing on the cake was it being presented to him by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola....that in itself put a major smile on my face!
 
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FAST FOOD NATION
 
Just watched this great character piece by one of my favorites, Richard Linklater.
 
This was really a great film with great dialogue (like all Linklater films) and great performances by a great ensemble cast. Very much in the vein of Crash, Traffic and Babel (of which I thought this was the superior 2007 film of its type...)
 
Warning: there is one scene towards the end that is excruciating to watch if you are an animal lover...(I had to watch it through my fingers)
 
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THE DEAD GIRL
 
Emotional ensemble film (also very much in the vein of the above mentioned Fast Food Nation, Babel, 11:14, Go, etc. and throw in a big pinch of Twin Peaks as well) about a murdered young girl and the effect on many different people her life and death come in contact with.
 
Amazing performances all around and great writing by director Karen Moncrieff.
A great, overlooked film from last year...
 
MP

An overdue HOTD TV update:
with Season Finales coinciding with the release of the new DT CD and kicking off our World Tour, I am behind on my HOTD entries…but I have indeed been watching!
 
THE SOPRANOS
Possibly the greatest TV show ever (it’s surely up there in my book) came to a close with a few final episodes in which we lost some major players (RIP Christopher, Bobby, Phil and possibly Sil). Unlike most of America, I was not AT ALL disappointed with the open ended final episode. In fact, anything otherwise would’ve been too easy and too expected.
I think David Chase rounded out the final episode with class and showed that life doesn’t always have closure.
 
LOST
This season went out with a bang and opened up a whole new world of future season possibilies with flash forwards and the idea of a post-island story taking place….
….and RIP Charlie!
 
HEROES
The best new show of last season came to an exciting finale. I hope they keep up for Season 2….
 
THE SHIELD
Another great season with great performances all around. The brewing battle between Vic and Shane is getting very intense and I cant wait for next season….
 
ENTOURAGE
After a VERY disappointing second half to Season 3, the premiere to Season 4 was a breath of frest air – showing the entire making of Medellin in a 30 minute documentary style format. The character of Billy Walsh is a great one and I hope he sticks around for this season. (BTW, HBO sets a bizarre new between-season record…instead of the frustrating year to year a half wait between seasons – Entourage had a whopping 2 week interval between seasons!)
 
THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
I’ve been checking these guys out for a while now on You Tube in preparations for this new HBO series and they are hilarious. They are an obvious comparison to Tenacious D (even the fan character Mel is their equivalent to the D’s Lee), but with the D no longer doing their HBO skits, I’ll gladly take this New Zealand substitute. And mark my words, Jemaine is another Jack Black or Sasha Baron Cohen waiting to take Hollywood by storm in the coming years.
 

ON THE LOT
The Contender meets Rock Star Supernova. Yes, I’m a sucker for this reality competition stuff! I am enjoying watching these incredibly talented filmmakers’ work, but I find myself screaming at the screen over Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall’s ridiculous, overly PC, and totally overly critical reviews of these filmmaker’s work. Anything that is daring and out of the box gets immediately shot down and unfairly sways the audience voting…
But I am enjoying watching these young talents at work…
 
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THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW
 
Having only casually watched it in the 90's, I'm totally enjoying the new 4-disc box set that was recently released...
Shame they aren't releasing them season by season, but this compilation is surely done right with amazing behind the scenes stuff and great personal interviews all throughout....
 
Hey Now!
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UNEXPECT
 

WOW.....I am speechless!!!
(well almost...)
 
I just got turned onto this INSANE band from Canada and their last CD "In A Flesh Aquarium".
They are pretty indescribable...
Kind of in the vein of Mr. Bungle, Spastic Ink, Estradasphere, Dillinger Escape Plan, Fantomas and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (another new favorite band of mine BTW - thanks Stephane!)....
 
Absolutely some of the most OUT THERE, progressive, technical, avant garde music I've ever heard!
 
My brain hurts!
 
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BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
 
Their new CD "Colors" is absolutely incredible!
Kind of a cross between Opeth, Dillinger Escape Plan and Dream Theater!
 
I guess between this album and my previous post about Unexpect, there is a whole new wave of progressive, extreme music happening....and this album is surely a masterpiece of its genre! 
 
There is so much going on in this album, it's gonna take me a few more dozen spins to even start to grasp everything.
 
This is definitely a candidate for my album of the year!
 
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RESCUE ME
 
Well, I spent the last 2 DT legs playing catch-up and watching all 4 seasons of this brilliant show.
What a great cast, great writing, great direction....
 
This is now surely up there with some of my favorite shows of all time...
 
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ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
 
I absolutely LOVED this great new musical based on The Beatles music.
 
I went in really sceptical (yes I remember "Sgt Pepper" in '78), but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well done it all was.
Kind of a mix between "Moulin Rogue" and "Hair".....
 
The film was perfectly written to the Beatles songs, almost as if the songs were written JUST for the movie! (some songs that I've heard tens of thousands of times, will now have a whole new meaning for me...)
 
And the entire film PERFECTLY spanned the the Beatles' timetable (starting with the Cavern Club and ending with the rooftop concert.)
 
Well done!
I heavily recommend it to all Beatles fans....
 
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