Hello, and welcome to my Zumba class. Haha. Only about four people on the planet will get that reference. And I bet it's not you. Welcome to the Phile, how are you? I am actually in a good mood. Okay let's start off with a crazy story. Harrison Ford managed a pretty impressive crash landing in this hunk of junk... a vintage World War II training plane on the 8th green of the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California yesterday. The plane apparently suffered a mechanical failure shortly after takeoff... other pilots reported hearing Ford radio in an "engine failure" before going silent. Mr. Ford was flying solo with no co-pilot or passenger. He was flying solo. Get it? No more Kessel Runs for you, Han. The nice thing about crashing on a golf course is that you're almost guaranteed to land near some doctors, two of whom immediately rushed to the plane and treated Ford. A golf course employee told NBC, "There was blood all over his face... Two very fine doctors were treating him... I helped put a blanket under his hip." The firefighters who responded to the scene say Ford did indeed walk out of the craft himself, and paramedics described Ford as having been conscious, talking, and helpful. Hospital authorities described him as being in "fair" condition with some serious injuries. While we may not like Harrison Ford taking risks with the body that's supposed to play daredevil pilot Han Solo, flying is a passion for the 72 year old, which he has maintained even after crashing a Bell helicopter in 1999. I think I know why his plane went down.
That damn Boba Fett. The media has spent much of this past week reporting that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and his lawyer are in talks with the U.S. government to return to home soil and face trial for his crimes. That story, however, might not be 100 percent true. "I would love to go back and face a fair trial, but unfortunately... there is no fair trial available on offer right now," Snowden explained during a live Q&A session conducted over the Internet from the freedom of Putin's Russia. I'm worried about Edward Snowden's safety. Mostly due to that scary colored crazy-ass mole on his neck. In defiance of a federal judge's decision, the Supreme Court of Alabama has ordered judges around the state to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In a 148-page opinion issued last night, the justices focus mainly on the longstanding precedent of Gay v. Ick. Alabama's Supreme Court has halted gay marriage, which is remarkable since Alabama's Supreme Court consists of 3 Bud cans and a tire swing. An activist group calling itself Women On 20s is attempting to get a new face on the front of America's $20 bill. Its plan is to replace racist, Native American-killing President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks or any one of a plethora of universally respected women who did not gain their reputations through acts of attempted genocide. They are expected to receive a lot of push back morally upright, patriotic Americans. When I was a little I had no idea who Andrew Jackson was but was terrified by his portrait on the $20 bill. I thought he was an evil ghost. The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that it will not charge Darren Wilson for shooting and killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown. According to the DOJ report, "There is no evidence upon which prosecutors can rely to disprove Wilson's stated subjective belief that he feared for his safety." Plus, there's the whole white cop thing, but they don't really need to get explicit with that. Right now someone at FOX News is discussing the most tasteful way possible to offer Darren Wilson a job. Ian McKellen... most notable for playing an old man with crazy powers in the Hobbit films and an old man with crazy powers in the X-Men films will play an old man with crazy powers in the upcoming film Mr. Holmes, which features an aging Sherlock Holmes embarking upon his final mystery and presumably complaining about the temperature of some soup. Sherlock Holmes is a public-domain character, you can draw him with his penis out as much as you want. Ian McKellen is also doing another movie... 50 Shades of Gandalf the Grey. You shall not ass! Haha. Last week as you know Leonard Nimoy passed away. I can't believe William Shatner skipped Nimoy's funeral. I attend the funerals of everyone I haven't worked with since 1988. Ha. That's a lie. I don't like funerals. I might not even show up for mine. Anyway, with Nimoy's death Disney decided to add something to the Star Wars movies if they ever get rereleased.
That really makes no sense. I'm glad they put Sabastian Shaw back though. Speaking of Disney rereleasing movies, I have been telling you they have been rereleasing some of their classic animated films with scenes added in for those people that like that 50 Shades movie. Here's another one...
I like it. Did you see that new Averngers: Age of Ultron trailer? I cannot believe who they added already. Here's a screen shot if you didn't see it.
Hey! The Phile has a new sponsor. That makes me happy.
That's real, people. The Internet is more than just a place where you can stalk your exes from the privacy of your own home. It's also a place where you can buy things. For the low, low cost of all your personal and financial information, you can have pretty much whatever you want delivered right to your door without ever interacting with a human. So I decided to start a brand new pheature called...
Bathing Suits.
When you try it on and cry in front of the mirror, at least you'll be in the privacy of your own home. And now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...
Top Phive Startling Similarities And Differences Between Dr. Seuss And Justin Bieber
5. Famous for nonsensical rhymes.
4. His work is best enjoyed by those with the minds of three year olds.
3. Will be forever associated with ridiculous hats.
2. Wrote/Has trouble reading "Hop on Pop."
And the number one startling similarity and difference between Seuss and Bieber is...
1. Once got a tattoo of a Power Ranger taking a bong hit while flying on a magic falcon because he was kind of bored.
If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Good luck. Alright, I have to mention something that is pretty bloody cool. Real Gone Music released Foghat's original "Foghat Live" double platinum album from 1977 on vinyl. It is an exact, fantastic replica of the original artwork and cutout cover design in 180 gram vinyl.
Check it out at foghat.net/p…/foghat-live-vinyl-limited-release-3315/. Go buy it, there's a picture of me as a kid inside. Speaking of Foghat, go and read this article about a dog named Foghat...
aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2014/aging-in-dogs.html.
This is the 35th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club...
My good friend and friend of the Phile Jeff Trelewicz will be a guest on the Phile this coming Monday.
Okay, today's pheatured guests are two members of the sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk band Bad Wolf whose debut "Time is Falling" is available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile Kota Wade and Tommy O.
Me: Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile. How are you?
Tommy: Awesome.
Kota: Great! Thanks for having us!
Me: Okay, so, I'm gonna ask the obvious question first... Bad Wolf... are you "Doctor Who" fans?
Kota: Well, I sure am! I'm trying to convert the rest of the band still, that'll probably take some time, but I've been a huge fan for years, and Rose was my favorite companion so Bad Wolf was a no-brainer!
Me: Did you like the way they used Rose in the 50th anniversary episode?
Kota: Yes, I did actually! It was a completely different storyline than I expected, but it was very creative. It was a great way to come full circle and somewhat explain the creation of bad wolf!
Me: Okay, so, who is in the band?
Tommy: Me on guitar, Kota on vox, Tim on drums and Alicia on bass.
Me: Kota, that's a beautiful name, does it mean anything?
Kota: Thank you! It's actually short for Dakota, which is my real name. People are often surprised when I tell them this, which still gives me a laugh. I've gotten a lot of questions about the name Kota. I do a lot of business via email, so when it comes time to meet people in real life, they're often surprised by my appearance, as quite a few people imagined a large Hawaiian man, which I think is hilarious. I've also learned that it means "chicken" in Greek. But Dakota is actually a Native American name, which means "friend".
Me: Jason means sexual healer. True story. Haha. Where are you all from?
Tommy: Tim and I grew up and went to high school together in L.A.
Kota: I'm originally from New Mexico, but have lived in California (Orange County and L.A.) since I was 12 so it's my home now. As for Alicia, she's lived in the Pasadena area her whole life.
Me: How did you meet?
Tommy: Tim and I played in a metal core band in high school together. After college, I called Tim up and we started playing some experimental post rock music that I had been working on in college. Our band played a show with Kota’s hip-hop band and the rest is history. Alicia was a mutual friend of Kota’s and mine who actually appeared in our first music video “A Better World” before she joined the band.
Kota: It was all written in the stars! Right place, right time kinda thing!
Me: And who came up with the band name?
Tommy: Kota.
Kota: Guilty. I actually had a Bad Wolf Facebook page for myself as a solo artist before the band was even formed, so when Tommy and I started writing music, we just started using that page and stuck with it.
Me: Looking at your photo's I can definitely tell you are all into fantasy, sci-fi and steam punk, is that true?
Tommy: I’ve always been a sci-fi nerd. Philip K. Dick novels and "Firefly" really do it for me.
Kota: We all are into different genres of the "fantasy" world, but yes! I'm definitely the "fairy" of the group; Alicia is more into goth, and the boys just looking dapper! As far as sci-fi, yes, I'm a huge sci-fi nerd also!
Me: When did steam punk become so popular? It seemed to happen over night?
Kota: I actually started getting into steampunk about 5 years ago when an ex-boyfriend of mine exposed me to it. I thought it was really rad, because I was already into the Victorian type of fashion (petticoats, corsets, etc.) and from there I just dove head first into it. I'm a big fan of Kato & Steampunk Couture, and Emilie Autumn who mixes elements of steampunk into her look. Even Lady Gaga often sports elements of steampunk, which is probably a big reason it's becoming more mainstream.
Me: I don't know how to describe it, can any of you?
Tommy: "Firefly" did it pretty well: basically futuristic Victorian, right?
Kota: Tommy's right, "Firefly" is definitely a good example of it. If I had to sum it up, I would say that the ladies should be a mix of edgy and soft, and the gentlemen should be dapper! Throw in some gears, metallic tones, stripes, and you've got it!
Me: Okay, so, who does the songwriting in the band? I'm guessing Kota or Alicia.
Tommy: Generally, I write some wonky guitar parts that vaguely resemble a song. Kota then works her vocal magic to make the song coherent and Tim and Alicia pull it all together with the rhythm section. It’s definitely a team effort.
Me: Who are your influences music wise?
Tommy: Songwriting wise... Incubus: unique, stylized, complex yet catchy and marketable. Musicianship wise... Minus the Bear: visionary guitar use and where I get the math-rock influence; and the Reign of Kindo: mind-blowing jazz-rock piano fusion.
Kota: I take influence from a wide array of music, because I am inspired by anything that moves me. Artists like Bjork really inspire me because she's so out there. Tim and Alicia are also both huge fans of Marilyn Manson, so needles to say, we're quite an eclectic bunch.
Me: Am I right that you kids opened for Panic! at the Disco? I always wanted to have an Hispanic band called Hispanic! at the Disco.
Tommy: It was Dallon Weekes’ (bassist for PATD!) side project The Brobecks on his birthday. It was awesome seeing him as a leading man... his charisma and singing ability was insane… also he dressed up as the 11th Doctor.
Kota: Ha! I'm actually Hispanic, so if you need a lead singer, I'm in!
Me: Deal. Bad Wolf has an EP out called "Time is Falling" and a separate single called "Drowning Beautiful". I love the video, kids. Where was it filmed?
Tommy: Thanks. It was filmed in 3 different places: Our director Raiya’s backyard (garden), my Mom’s pool (water) and a place in the middle of nowhere between L.A. and Las Vegas (desert).
Me: A lot of it was filmed in water. How was it filming in the pool?
Tommy: I spent 2 hours diving to secure black fabric to the bottom of the pool.
Kota: Chlorine and white hair do not mix, let me tell you. I definitely had green hair for days.
Me: Ha. I have a screen shot of you in the pool, Kota.
Me: That looks beautiful. Who came up with the idea and concept?
Tommy: Kota.
Kota: Actually, our director Raiya really nailed in the concept and storyboard after a few brainstorming sessions we had together. We both knew that we wanted to incorporate multiple fantasy worlds, but went through several story lines before we decided on the final concept. We're both huge dreamers and have giant imaginations, so some times we have to bring ourselves down to earth before we can get to filming! The first draft of the video included gothic steampunk mermaids in the desert, which I would love to do for a shoot some time still!
Me: Did you have to buy new clothes to go in the water and Tommy, you didn't ruin your guitar, did you? What kinda guitar was that?
Tommy: Haha. People ask about that guitar a lot. That was the first guitar I convinced my parents to buy me when I was 15 for $100 on eBay. It’s been through a lot of abuse and doesn’t really play anymore so it was the perfect prop guitar.
Kota: This is why thrift stores are my best friend!
Me: Speaking of clothes, where do you get your fancy clothes from? Do you kids cosplay?
Kota: Like I said, thrift stores are my best friend, but I'm also lucky enough to have friends that are extremely talented designers and seamstresses that often provide items for our videos or photo shoots. I'm also a wardrobe stylist on the side, so I have TONS of clothes just waiting to be shown off! I haven't really gotten into cosplaying as much as I'd like to because not only can I not sew to save my life, but I also just don't have the time that it takes to do it right. I admire cosplayers for their dedication to their craft, but music is my priority!
Me: Was the water cold?
Tommy: It was lovely. We filmed in July in Los Angeles.
Me: So, what is a typical Bad Wolf show like? A lot of beautiful people there I imagine.
Tommy: We try to go over the top in terms of energy. Also we have a light up TARDIS sign that I built.
Kota: The light up TARDIS was obviously my idea. But yes, beautiful people, usually a sea of pastel haired ladies, because our friends are awesome! And I frequently wear a tutu on stage in order to whip it off mid show! Don't worry, I wear multiple layers of clothing! Gotta keep it PG!
Me: So, with the EP out, are you guys working on a full-length album?
Tommy: We are writing a lot of new material and we hope to record it for an EP this year.
Me: Kota, I saw a picture of you petting a white wolf. I have to show it here...
Me: Are you fucking crazy?! Were you scared?
Kota: I didn't know quite what to expect when I found out we'd be filming with real wolves, but I'm all about taking risks for the sake of art! When it came time to meet the wolf I'd be shooting with (his name is Damu!), I was absolutely shocked at how friendly (and downright goofy) he was! He was licking my face and bear hugging me. The most dangerous part was almost being decapitated by his leash when he would start to run around in circles around me. But we were definitely friends. Maybe we bonded over having white hair.
Me: Kota, I have to ask you about Disney Chickz. I have a picture of this as well...
Me: Is that a side project you are in?
Kota: Ha, maybe one day! But no, it was actually just a fun project I did with friends. Traci Hines is a cosplayer who frequently does Ariel (The Little Mermaid) inspired videos, so we thought it would be fun to incorporate more princesses, and make a music video! It was actually a response to Toddrick Hall's "Disney Dudez" video!
Me: You play Rapunzel, am I right?
Kota: Yup! Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty are my favorite princesses, but I thought it would be hilarious to put Rapunzel's hair into Baby Spice inspired pigtails!
Me: You have to come back on the Phile and talk about this. Will you? And bring Traci with you.
Kota: Anytime!
Me: Are you guys Disney fans? I have worked at Disney World for 27 years, so if you ever wanna visit. I am sure you go to Disneyland all the time, don't you?
Tommy: Kota and I had passes last year. They keep jacking up the price, so it’s hard and we miss it a lot. I did get to show Kota "Captain EO" though... possibly simultaneously both the best and worst creation in human history. I remember having nightmares when I was a child.
Kota: Haha! I can't help but laugh at Tommy's answer! I remember watching "Captain EO" with a look of pure confusion on my face. But anyways, YES, huge Disney fan right here!!! I've never been to Disney World and think I would just about pass out if given the opportunity!
Me: Okay dokey, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics. Ready? How do you define integrity and do you have it?
Tommy: For me it’s about doing what you say, working hard at what you do, taking responsibility for yourself and helping out those who need it.
Kota: Integrity is about doing what's right no matter what, and doing things that you can be proud of. Don't do anything that you wouldn't want your mother to know about! I think each member of Bad Wolf has integrity, which is why we've been as lucky as we've been so far to have a group of dedicated fans. People respond to positivity, and we just want to share that and spread love and integrity, because there's a lack of it in the music scene these days.
Me: Thanks so much for being on the Phile and I hope you will come back soon. All the best, kids, and continued success. Mention your website and links if you want.
Tommy: Thanks!
Kota: Thank YOU! Hope to be back soon! weareBADWOLF.com, youtu.be/JL9dBrKkSC8, youtube.com/watch?v=d17VFhH628Y.
Well, that about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Kota Wade and Tommy O. The Phile will be back on Sunday with musician Jonathan Burks and then on Monday with author Jeff Trelewicz. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.
Not if it pleases me. No, you can't stop me, not if it pleases me. - Graham Parker
No comments:
Post a Comment