It featured a small interview with Jamie Lee Curtis. This interview was done after the success of “Halloween” and “The Fog” and before “Halloween II” began shooting.

It’s a good, quick read. I liked it because she is very honest and humble in her approach to working as an actress and just doing horror films because they are the only roles that she has been chosen for. She agrees to do them to further her career and not necessarily because she’s passionate about them. In fact, she admits that she doesn’t even like watching them because they terrify her.

It’s interesting that 30 years ago, it was no big deal for a movie’s lead actor to only express partial interest in the project they were promoting.

Nowadays, everything is so squeaky clean. This would be a publicity nightmare and the actor would be blacklisted.

It’s great to see that Jamie Lee Curtis went on to be a very successful mainstream actress.

Do yourself a favor and watch the first 2 “Halloween” films back to back. They connect seamlessly and make a nice double feature.

Rock On And Be Well — Jasper

Click Here For a Large Printable Version

My last post was about Eminem’s new jam available on iTunes from his upcoming record, Recovery.

A recording of him doing 2 minutes of freestyle rap titled “Despicable” was recently “leaked” and it’s all over youtube.

I am sharing it here for several reasons.

First off, it’s great. No chorus. Just Em layin down rhyme after rhyme like no other.

One of the iTunes reviews that I read yesterday for “Not Afraid” said “I Think His Prime is Still Ahead of Him”.

I rolled my eyes for a second, just thinking it’s a fan who’s overly excited about the new material, but after hearing “Despicable”, I completely agree.

The delivery is equally as fierce as anything on “The Marshall Mathers LP”, which to many is one of, if not THEE, most groundbreaking rap records ever recorded.

Secondly…
This is the important part for marketers and new media trend followers…

If you are a musician or a person who is responsible for marketing any product or brand, there is a lesson here that you should store in your memory bank.

When the beat ends, Eminem says “Recovery”. The title of the new record.

This is obviously an intentional leak that was put out there to go viral and get people excited about the new record …and it worked.

Many individuals have created videos to run with this song and have uploaded them to youtube. The view count is collectively at over 500,000.

This is less expensive and more effective than any effort that will be put towards promoting this record.

I suppose one could compare this to releasing a teaser trailer for an upcoming film, a preview page for an upcoming comic book or pre-releasing an official music video for a record’s first single. These are not a new concepts or practices.

This particular case is unique because Em has shared something that will not be included on the record.

I wish that every single one of my favorite bands shared demo versions or rough mixes of new songs that they’re recording to get myself and other fans excited about an upcoming release. Or, like Eminem, share something that won’t be on the record with the possibility of it going viral.

The “Wait ‘Til Christmas” approach to marketing is tired and not conducive to the successful release of the official product.

Give people a peek.

The tools are available to get your followers/demographic/fanbase excited about your next move.

Show Confidence. Be smart and use them.

Eminem’s new single “Not Afraid” was released on itunes on Tuesday.

The song is great. Some of the lyrics are a bit self deprecating. I always like it when an artist drops the ego and gives you something honest. In one of the lines, he weaves in “….In Fact, Let’s Be Honest. That Last Relapse CD Was Ehhh…”

However, I was most surprised to see that the song received nearly 5000 itunes ratings in just 48 hours and over 4400 of them were 5 star ratings.
I cant wait to hear the rest of the record when it comes out on June 22nd.

If you want to give the song a listen, I’ve embedded a youtube video below uploaded by a fan. The official video is in production now.

Before I write an essay on everything that makes Dee Dee great, I’ll get to the point of today’s thought that I’d like to share.

The Ramones spent most of their career in the 80s as a dysfunctional family. Personal differences didn’t stop them from touring though.

Dee Dee battled with sobriety throughout his entire Rock n Roll career and decided that being on tour wasn’t helping him stay sober.

He left The Ramones in 1989 to pursue a solo career as a rapper known as “Dee Dee King”. He wrote and released a record titled “Standing in The Spotlight”, which features a mixture of hip hop and rock songs. This record is hard to find and it’s pretty underrated in my opinion.

I have included 2 songs from the record in this post. “The Crusher”, which ended up later on a Ramones record and “2 Much 2 Drink”, which is a rap jam.

My good friend, Michael Butler, who hosts “The Rock n Roll Geek Show” podcast dedicated an entire episode to this record. It’s a great listen. You can find it HERE.

Enjoy The Jams and Be Well, Friends — Jasper

I’m a grammar nerd and, in my opinion, an extremely competent writer.  I think I can pull this off without committing too much time every day.

The first topic that I’d like to touch on is the story of my life – experiences and inspirations that shaped me into the person that I am today.

I will begin with my earliest memory and continue to where I am in my life presently.

In conjunction with each post, I will include separate entry with a recommendation to a book, film, website, podcast or media piece that I found interesting.

This will be designed to keep things fresh if you’d prefer to skip over my personal stories.

I have a lot of hobbies, interests and creative ideas.

Most recently, I’ve been focused on job hunting, graphic design, skateboarding, and keeping up with tech and social media trends.

I plan to update this blog at least once a week and share parts of my life and things that I think are important.

Keep reading.

At some point these entries might become focused on a specific subject or appeal to others who share my interests.

Until then….   THIS TIME BOMB IS ALIVE!!

Thanks for reading — Jasper

This News Really Hit Me Hard, Not Just as A Cramps Fan, But as A Rock Enthusiast.

Lux Was Everything That A Great Frontperson Should Be And More.  

Anyone Who Has Seen The Cramps Live Remembers Each Show To Be Unfogettable and Special in It’s Own Way.

I Was Lucky Enough To See Them Twice Live.  In 2003 and, I Believe, In 1999, Where Guitar Wolf and The Demolition Dollrods Opened.

This Might Sound Selfish, But I’m Deeply Saddened That I Will Never Get To See The Cramps Live Ever Again.  

I’m Also Frustrated That The Younger Generation Will Never Experience The Cramps Live.  

Another One of Our Heroes is Lost and No Modern Rock Band That I Am Aware of Is Capable of Leaving The Same Impression on an Audience.

I Have Recorded a Plan Nine Rock Show That is Dedicated Completely to Lux Interior and The Cramps.

Choosing a Songlist Was A Chore, Because They Have So Much Great Recorded Material.  I Also Own Some Live Recordings and A Radio Show That Lux Hosted in 1984 With Some Entertaining Speaking Segments.

The Piece is nearly an hour and a half of Cramps songs. It can be found here…

http://planninerockshow.punkrockdemo.com/p9episode_135.mp3

This is My Tribute To Lux Interior and The Cramps.

Thank You For All of The Happiness That Your Music Has Brought Into My Live.

Rest In Peace– Jasper

***Pasted From an Article Published on The LA Weekly Website*** For some of us, he was the embodiment of cool. The way he crawled, the way he climbed the speaker cabinets like a panther, the way that Poison Ivy, his wife and collaborator in the Cramps, looked at him with equal parts love and indifference. Lux Interior, born Erick Lee Purkhiser in 1948, was an icon, and his influence on American culture will only rise with his passing. In 2004, LA Weekly’s Jonny Whiteside wrote a great profile of his friends Poison and Lux, and captured the band’s essence: That exhilarating manifestation of deviant intent and skull-denting impact remains Lux and Ivy’s exclusive domain. Where punk rock was a barrage of refutation that fomented rabid exultation, the Cramps reclaimed the hillbilly power long since flushed down the Mersey. Through a self-stated “disdain for the myth of musical progress,” they melded their mutant propensities to emerge as a guiding voice in the wilderness, a commanding force that redefined the rock n roll spectrum while outgunning almost everyfuckingbody in the game.

The Cramps’ New York publicist, Girlie Action, released the following statement: For Immediate Release: February 4, 2009 Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music. The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.