Here are some of the fun people at the Doll Hut 2nd Anniversary Party. Band photos will follow in the next issue of Barflies.net magazine.

I took a LOT of pictures Sunday at the Doll Hut. Here are just a few to whet your appetite...

More to come over the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving my readers! Itís time to stuff yourself silly with turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and yams while desperately trying to avoid the people you would never hang out with if it wasn't for the fact you call them "family."
For me, alcohol keeps the situation bearable. Hey, itís free and it keeps a goofy grin plastered across my face.
There is an alternative - movies. I used to work at a theater and know for a fact they are open come rain, shine, and all national and religious holidays. So go see a movie and avoid the relatives for a couple hours. Itís like a vacation within a vacation.
The Top Three Candidates for My $10:

1) In America
2) The Missing
3) My Flesh and Blood

Feeling bad about all the music you've dowloaded without paying for it? 'Fraid you're gonna get caught? Check out SendThemBack.org and absolve yourself now!

First article in a series of two on the "Future of the Music Industry" on the BBC website:

Last week, two of the five major record labels, Sony and BMG, announced plans to merge. And itís likely that EMI and Warner will follow suit, leaving three big majors, each responsible for about 25 per cent of the music we ìconsumeî. The remaining quarter is produced by the independent sector. So how do the people in charge of indie labels see the future of their business, and how will it affect the music we listen to?

ìI think weíll mutate into a new type of company - a mixture of artist management, publisher, marketing consultant, agent and promoter,î reckons Steve Beckett of Warp Records. ìWeíll be a company representing artistsí ëcareersí, in whatever way they want to be represented.î

I took my own advice last week and saw Master and Commander. It was awesome. I love it when I'm right.
Now for this week's picks. This week we have the white man's assisted attempt at a slam-dunk (please see extended version for explanation), Cat in the Hat. Not recommended for anyone older than 5 years or with an IQ above 60. For those of us who are not Neanderthal preschool students, my recommendations are as follows:
1) 21 Grams
2) Barbarian Invasions
3) Shattered Glass (wider release)

THIS IS AN INVASION! Well, sort of. This is the APRILFALLING invasion, soon to be a regular around these Barflies parts.. Be on the lookout for images/art/band.photography/collages/etc*infinity - anything and everything visually interesting and appealing..

here's a piece i thought i'd share for starters:

Also, if you have an idea/phrase/song.lyric/expression/image/etc. you want to use to try and influence my post, email me: aprilfalling@kuci.org . Are you up for the challenge?

<3 AXF

p.s. current music: Tears For Fears - "Mad World"

The Throwrag & Menace at Halloween show review and photo essay is now up and ready for your viewing eyes and pleasure...

Kim Carnes' sung a song entitled, "Bette Davis Eyes." I would like to introduce the rock'n'roll concept of Nikki Sixx Thighs. It came to me during an inspired moment at the Garage in Silverlake on Thursday night, while I was watching The Stitches play the 4th to last live music show ever at the Garage. Starting on Tuesday, the rock dive known as the Garage will be a dance club.

Anyways, back to thighs. Really great rock'n'roll has always been, in a large part, an blatant expression of male sexuality. As a confirmed fan of rock and of men, I particularily love it when tall (at least 6'), built / meaty rock guys (no skinny men need apply) wear tight or tight-ish leather or pleather pants, as their long, but shapely thighs are showcased by their choice of pants. Meow....

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx pioneered this look in the 1980s, much to my delight at the time and now.

Needless to say, I am not a fan of baggy pants on men. They don't have to wear pants so tight that their personal parts are in threat of strangulation, but men ought to show off their thighs a wee bit more often.

Johnny Witmer, of The Stitches, is tall, meaty in the right places, and was kind enough to wear red pleather pants on Thursday evening. He had a good case of Nikki Sixx Thighs going on.

Only one problem.... About the third song into The Stitches set, I turned to Lulu and asked, "Ummm... is Johnny wearing boxers under his red pleather pants?" Lulu looked closer and nodded.

Just say no to chonie lines when you are wearing rock'n'roll pants, it distracts from the Nikki Sixx Thighs....

Someone needs to beat the studio execs into submission until they fully and unquestioningly understand the notion that part of what makes democracy such a riot is freedom of choice. How can we exercise this right without VARIETY? Itís like a MilkyWay without the caramel. All you have is a Three Musketeers, which is a completely different animal.
This week there is only one obvious choice for my $10, and it stars my favorite Spanish slave with an Australian accent. The good lord had a hand in creating him.

1) Master and Commander
2) The Big Empty
3) Tupac: Resurrection

of Miss Norma Jean Avila

This week we lost our friend Norma Jean to a drunk driver. Miss Norma Jean was so full of life, so excited to be alive, that this is a terrible shock. Our condolences to her friends and family and all those that knew her. She will be missed.

A memorial to celebrate her life will be held at the Doll Hut Tuesday, November 11th, at 8:30 p.m. Please join us to remember Norma.

Betcha didn't know that Pooh Bear has a side career as a stripper in Long Beach...

This afternoon was the West Coast Choppers 'No Love' Party in the LBC. A good 2,000 - 2,500 folks were there at the height of the afternoon, 92% men and less than 8% women, as well as lots of LB Firemen and EMTs, and a LBPD helicopter circling the sky. Bikers galore. The odds were very very very good, but the goods were very very very odd....

Happy Birthday to West Coast Choppers' Jesse James. And to Manic Hispanic for playing a great set of punk rock. And an even bigger thanks to all my friends who let me take their pics and put them up. Louisa, here you are...

Not too many releases this week, and I think we all know why. No one wants to compete with the final installment of the Matrix series. Not even yours truly. I'm not even going to do my usual three recommendations. Why bother? You're just going to go see Revolutions anyway. So go. See it. Experience it. Be let down by it (you know you will, nothing will ever top the first).
But for the sake of tradition, I will keep a stiff upper lip, and state the top three candidates for my $10:
1) Neo
2) Morpheus
3) Agent Smith

But remember, there are other movies out there. They're just not The One.

As I was out running errands today, I tuned into the local NPR station and heard Fresh Air's Terry Gross interviewing Wanda Jackson.

She had several hits in the late '50s and early '60s, including "Mean Mean Man," "Let's Have a Party" and "Fujiyama Mama." In the '70s she kept recording music, mostly gospel. She's 65 now and still touring. She's just released her first studio recording in 15 years, Heart Trouble. Guest musicians, including Elvis Costello and The Cramps, join her for several tracks.

I recommend tuning into your NPR station today for Fresh Air or listening to the interview online. Not only is Wanda Jackson one of the most gracious women alive, but she is a pleasure to listen to. Fresh Air plays a few tracks off the new album.

Wanda Jackson's Website

Marc Cendella says that these are the worst album covers ever....

Kevin, can you top these with selections out of your collection???

Looking for a Christmas present for the 50 Cent fan in your life?

Pimp Cups may be the answer to all of your holiday gift giving dilemmas.

Thanks Davezilla for the link to this one...

From the August edition of Training&Development:

"If you've become averse to picking up the phone, you're not alone. An onnline survey from META Group polled 387 U.S. Organizations to find that 80 percent of businesspeople prefer email for work-related communication. The reasons for preferring emailover the phone include:
response flexibility - 84 percent
easy communication with multiple parties - 83 percent
paper trail - 78 percent
faster communication - 40 percent
more productive - 29 percent
easier global communications - 25 percent
proper context - 24 percent

And what of the humble fax? The META Group study found that the number of faxed pages dropped 50 percent in the past five years."

But what about my favorite reason for work e-mails: I really don't want to deal with you at all and e-mail is the least heinous way to do that - 100 percent!

According to MSN, the most common Halloween injuries are:
1. tripping and falling due to unfamiliar shoes or hems on long costumes
2. cutting yourself while carving a pumpkin
3. getting hit by a car while crossing the street to get candy

I thought that first one must be a joke until I saw this girl almost eat pavement last night while traipsing in extremely high heeled boots. Be careful ladies!

In an alternate report, the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission has recorded that the three most common Halloween-related injuries are:
1. Eye abrasions from sharp objects attached to masks or costumes
2. Skin irritations or rashes from decorative face paints or creams
3. Burns from flammable costumes being ignited by open flames (candles)

Whatever you do this weekend, BE CAREFUL!

Happy Halloween!