Ciao, Baby: The Cult

I can't remember the first time I heard The Cult. It may have been at a dance after a football game; I can remember dancing to "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Love Removal Machine" in the gym at Salpointe Catholic High School, but whether or not that's the first time I ever heard them I can't be sure. I really got into them (as I imagine other people did) when Sonic Temple came out in 1989. For reasons I'm not sure I can entirely explain, "Firewoman" became an anthem of sorts for me and also became my nickname among friends of mine. As much as I loved "Firewoman", I really loved "Edie (Ciao Baby)", and that song still holds some sway over me. The image of Edie that's used on the cover of Edie:  Girl On Fire is also the image The Cult used for the single. I think it's fair to say I would never have had any idea who Edie Sedgwick was without that song...it's still a beautiful melody, great lyrics and epic. There's plenty of other good tracks on Sonic Temple-"Sun King", "New York City", and "Automatic Blues" are some of my favorites.

Over the years I've picked up other albums of theirs, including Electric, which was the album preceding Sonic Temple. When I heard The Cult were coming to the Rialto and that they would be performing Electric in its entirety, I thought,  "Oooh...'Wildflower'? 'Love Removal Machine'? 'Memphis Hip Shake'? The cover of 'Born To Be Wild'? Yes, please!" But, I also thought, "Hmmm. These guys must be in their 50's now. Am I going to be sorry I saw them?" I posted my concerns on  facebook, asking if I should see them, and an old friend of mine said, "YES. You want to see them. They've still got it."

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas - The Unheralded Jim Henson Gem

There are many Holiday TV classics to enjoy this time of year.  My absolute favorite is Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.  This Jim Henson-produced treasure has somehow managed to fly very much under the radar since its premiere on December 17, 1978 on HBO (which, at the time, we called "Home Box," and there was, in fact, a big unsightly box that went on your TV and a button on that box which one pushed to access "Home Box").  Please read on to learn more about this under-appreciated Muppet masterpiece.

Less Than Zero

Less Than Zero is a 1987 American film based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same title. It stars Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey JR, Jami Gertz and James Spader. The film is a cautionary expose on the 1980'S world of young wealthy college students and drug addiction of Los Angeles. The main draw of the film is that is a perfect time capsule of the music scene at the time. The pop friendly sounds of The Bangles covering Simon And Garfunkel, The headbanging hairband ballads of Poison and David Lee Roth, the classic rock (resurgence) of Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and The Doors, the hardcore metal of Slayer and Danzig, the alternative rock of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cult and Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, the hip hop and rap of Run D.M.C., Public Enemy, and LL Cool J, and the classic melancholy rock of Roy Orbison. Keep reading to learn more about the film and it's soundtrack.

Rock'n and Rav'n Round the Christmas Tree

It seems that every year, the time frame for the "holidays" expands further than my waistline after gorging on pumpkin pie. According to retailers, Black "Friday" now starts on Thanksgiving night (if not the week before in the online marketplace)! And let's not even start with Christmas time. Santa Claus must enjoy trick-or-treating with all the goblins and ghouls because I definitely started hearing holiday songs around Halloween...

But I cannot really complain because deep down in my electronic/rock loving heart, I have a soft spot for holiday music. The Little Drummer Boy. Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Jingle Bells. Hearing these songs reminds me of carolers in the snow, singing good tidings and cheer as snow gently falls onto the cobblestone streets below. Or at least that's how it looks in those Christmas movies...I live in Tucson, after all!

Because I have plenty of traditional holiday CDs, I decided to do some research on alternative Christmas songs available through the library and Freegal (three free downloads a week)! I found musical gifts for patrons both naughty (death metal Christmas anyone?) and nice, so follow the links below for the fun!