Watch out! It's a Ssssnake!

ssssnake

album cover

As life is blasting through this summer, I have been stuck on a few tracks of some albums. One in particular is Hostile Takeover by ssssnake (exactly how its pronounced too).  I saw this guy live at Spike Hill a few weeks ago and got connected with his album, Hostile Takeover, which include the tracks he performed.
"Wolf and the Bear", "Under the Snow," and "Slow" have been stuck on me and have been 4-starred on my iTunes library.

Ssssnake is a "hip-hop, funk, and gospel-inflected soul project" managed, produced. and performed by Noah Tabakin, a man all the way from Chicago.

While on stage, he tends to not only sing but include the audience in his performances. Seeing him at Spike Hill up and close, I saw he will dance and move around while performing. I think he knows his tracks are irresistibly danceable (sorry Webster Dictionary) so he dances to them too while involving some humor. He of course, encourages dancing from his audience and includes any brave souls who do in his performances. Right now he is on a tour from Ohio to all the way in Austin. (Right now he is on his way to atlanta).

On his website you can play the tracks and buy them at whatever price you want if you really dig this album. However, I suggest at least a dollar or more because this guy really puts himself in his music.

If you want to find out more of this guy you can check his website: http://ssssnake.com/


Til Next Blogpost,
Miss Bobo

It's a Free Riot Party and I Scream if I want To

Summer is in full swing and I am just ready to parrrtaaay.

courtesy of Webster Hall event calendar

I recently found through a friend of a free PUNK party at Webster Hall that starts at 11 pm every Wednesday.

I went this Wednesday and found myself smack dab in some 80's/90's punk/goth throwback. There was your occasional emo hairdo's on guys, random hipster, and the frequent goth-punk rockers.

This party doesn't go in full swing until midnight when the occasional group of shameless girls come in to show off their bods for a strip tease contest. The prize winner gets 100 bucks while the guy who chooses to be the receiving end of it, gets a free lap dance on stage. I was astounded because I never seen a stripper let alone some random girl throw off her bra in person. But that was a first that night.

If you're in New York City and you want to have a crazy rock (mostly punk) party I recommend going here. It's not that crazy but there is the occasional BDSM moment where a guy gets handcuffed and gagged. I love the fact that there is oldies and fake smoke with a tattoo section in the back. YES! you get tatts at this place. I didn't get a chance to figure out the price range but I would def like the idea of getting inked while being at a party. The only few cons I found is that 1. there is no mosh pit: people are sensitive in getting hit especially the girls; 2. There is not much dancing involved (yes, you can dance to some of the music). 3. people go into cliques and aren't much to talk with other people that aren't seated with them unless there is a hook up to be had.

But this event is free so why not show off some lacey goth/punk duds. Doesn't hurt to try. 

Grimm's Snow White is Back?

courtesy of Just Jared

For most fairy tales dealing with a princess there is always a bad, a good, and the cliche happy ending. Recently, with the release of Snow White and The Huntsman, fairy tales aren't just about cliche endings:

Dealing with the grief of a beloved queen, a wife, and mother; a king marries a woman he finds in mysterious circumstances. She is beautiful and fair but holds a deep dark secret of a curse that will bound her to the king's daughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart). As the new Queen finds out Snow White's role, Snow escapes and is therefore hunted by The Huntsman under the Queen's orders. 

I just got home watching this movie and found it interesting to get into with such intense detail which I am inferring is mostly due to the amount of computer graphics. The way this story is shown is waaaay different than the Disney version. It's resemblance is more geared towards the Brother Grimm's original tale of Snow White. The evil Queen is given more of a human face than what Disney failed to do. And of course the ending is not your stereotypical buttered up ending.

As for the acting: Charlize Theron did an excellent job as the Evil Queen proving that cruelty takes more than just the talking. Chris Hemsworth who most people remember as Thor, did awesome chopping bodies and fighting minions of what seems to be made of black shards of glass. As for Kristen Stewart, there was more effort given than her usual bland facial expressions in showing a rebellious Snow White. She could still have given more of an oomf to her character but her acting was good enough to portray the "fairness" of Snow White.

Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Stewart

All in all, I thought this movie was better than I expected. The graphics were astounding in capturing the beauty and immensity of what kingdoms would actually look like as a Brother's Grimm story. There is a realistic historical factor exposed in the wardrobe and dialogue, specifically the accents, that give the movie a good Brother's Grimm punch. Wouldn't recommend to pay a movie stub for this but rather wait for the DVD to come out to watch it at a cheaper price. However, if you can't wait to bite into this apple, then be my guest. 

Pandora's Muse: Band Found

Victory At Sea Before they disbanded

Hey there, back on the ropes now. Hope you guys had a great Easter break (if any of you celebrate that).  Been MIA for personal drama with friends and now family. But I am back and with new things to share.

While working as an intern, I have been on Pandora a lot lately and found some good bands similar to the ones I love to listen to.The good thing about Pandora is that they pick out the sounds of the songs/bands you put as the title of the radio station; and pick out bands that sound similar to them. One band that has been stuck on me lately is Victory At Sea. I found this one from the Mazzy Star radio station I created on Pandora.

Victory At Sea was indie since they started 1996 but they (sadly) disbanded around 2007 according to their myspace.
However, if you dig their sound as much or even more as I do, I think you can still buy it from ITunes, myspace, or straight from Pandora. Here is the song I have been stuck on, hope you like it :D

Chika Chika Bombs for News!

Hello! Hello! Long time no post! Classes have been more busy and challenging and now I know some Japanese. So for some of you who do Kobanwa! ("goodnight" since its 7 pm here)

the old banner

Having so much time since the last blogpost, I had a lot of ideas that might interest you guys. And I was thinking of having any of these as a constant part of this blog/magazine (did you know in Japanese magazine means zaashi?!) such as an anonymous advice column or a suggestion coming from you guys. Any suggestion you can give that will make this zaashi blog more interesting and engaging will be welcome at (cupcakeriot45@aol.com) or even in the commenting box below this post. Credit will given to you for the suggestion :)
And on that note, I would like to tell you guys: Rockinglicious now has a tumblr! I thought why not post random memes or things that are part of the alternative-style culture! So far, there is one post but hopefully I would be able to get more posted there. Oh, and Rockinglicious has a facebook too if you want to check updates straight from your facebook news feed, just hit like! (pwease?). I will hopefully be on the trail for some new interviews with underground bands, designers, and random people.

an alternative-styling fairy-tale

In other news, found a fraja-listic tumblr of a designer called KyleX who posts pictures of alternative styling related things ranging from the clothing he makes and wears, to random memes like this one:

I definitely recommend checking out his tumblr for new ideas on a new outfit (or just look at the crazy stuff people wear sometimes). Beware some of the content might be above the PG-13 rating of content (like spiked underwear o.o?) but hopefully you will dig his tumblr and funky crunchy dub-step music playlist.




Til Next Blogpost,
Miss Bobo

The LowBrow Monster Mash

Monster version of Birth of Venus

With the upheaval of classes starting, looking for internships, and off on adventures; I have been looking at random Bride of Frankenstein images through the handy dandy Google Image search engine. To my utter gasp of delight and wonder, I found a few pictures of paintings done of Bride of Frankenstein and even Frankenstein himself by a lowbrow artist named Mike Bell.
I later did some digging and found his ultra-cool website where you could see more paintings not only of the gloomy famous couple but of robots, pin up girls, and even Jesus rocking it out Kiss style (unfortunately not the Simmons style).
Coming from New Jersey, Bell is described as "a true lowbrow painter" who "blends an aura of nostalgia and humor" within the artistic influences of "Japanese cartoons, classic monsters, vintage toys, punk rock, carnivalesque images, MAD magazine and Big Daddy Roth."
Looking at his stuff, I found his paintings to be enticing in the vibrant contrasts, graphic backdrops, and random martinis he brings to his paintings. If I could, I would put his paintings on my bedroom walls and even the ceiling! If you want to check more of his stuff you can check it out on this link right here: http://www.belldogstudio.com/
(Have fun!)


Til Next Blogpost,
Miss Bobo

Pop! Comes out the Random Mystery Box

a random Music Box

(Random title WOOT!) Hope everyone had some awesome holidays. Today, as a holiday gift I decided to post an interview with someone very special. I wrote a post about her a month ago with a link of one of her many songs called "Casimira."...so with an awkward drum roll here is the interview: (*drum rolls while the box is being opened slowly*)

1. If you could make a music box what would it consist of?

What a fun thought! Hmm..I would like my music box to be an intricate and elegant wooden contraption, with telescoping sections and cut-outs that would slowly spin and make various designs as music [is being] played.

It would also gently levitate somehow, maybe with some sort of candle-powered lantern apparatus attached to the top- or have that be one setting/option, and a slow-fading, color-changing LED display be another.

There's so much music I adore that it would have to play a different song each time I wound it up, preferably songs by my friends and tour-mates ("Seething Sun" by Bekah Kelso, "Got To Fly" by Marian Call, "This Cocoon" by Ginger Doss, "Amazon Warrior Princess" by Big Bad Gina, "Must Be the Moon" by Amy Steinberg, "Thirteen" by Vixy & Tony, "Medusa" by Heather Dale, "Secret Portal" by Scott Huckabay, "Kudzu" by Trillian Green, "The Mushroom Song" by Tricky Pixie)...and occasionally something random, like the "Ghostbusters" song by Ray Parker, Jr. It would be impossible to break, and it would have a lifetime warranty.  :)

2. Do you have any tattoos and if so what do they mean to you?

I currently have one tattoo, with lots of plans for more in the future. My tattoo is a small, tribal Grim Reaper, done in black ink who sits between my shoulder blades on my back.I got the tattoo when I had just turned eighteen. Later that year at my college, a Slavic classmate of mine asked me about it. When I told him the tattoo's story, he told me that in the folklore and fairy tales he was raised on, the personification of Death was always female. I liked his story so much that I then decided that the Death pictured in my tattoo was female as well.When people ask me about it, I tell them that she is watching my back for me.




3. You have done a handful of concerts. What is one memorable moment of them?

((laugh!!)) Lots of interesting things have happened at my various concerts over the years as a result of so many people falling in love with the song "Alligator in the House", written by my cellist Betsy Tinney and embellished by me.

The first time that song [was performed it] caused something interesting at LunaCon 2005 in NY/NJ. A fan of mine who happens to be a historical social dance teacher, performed a tango with her dance partner, across the back of the stage, both of them wearing bright green tango dresses and mirror-covered plush Alligator hats!

They hadn't warned me before the show that they were going to do this. [Nevertheless], I thought it was great! This type of fan participation has continued with "Alligator in the House" and has expanded to include my pirate songs (The Wendy Trilogy), "The Truth About Ninjas" (look it up on YouTube; it's worth it), and "Salad of Doom", which Betsy also helped to write.

4. A few of Rockinglicious' readers personally commented that they liked "Casimira", what was the inspiration or story behind it?



the book behind "Casimira"

Wow, thank you! The song "Casimira" was inspired by the character of the same name in Catherynne M. Valente's novel, Palimpsest. The Casimira of the book, like the Casimira of the song, is someone not to be taken lightly. She is effectively the queen of a land of dreams, and she can be rough when she doesn't get her way.
The song was directly inspired by a conversation that Casimira has with another character in the shadows of a very strange opera house, about how so many people try to get to the land of Palimpsest and so many fail, the same way every time, leading to despair and even suicide.

Casimira has seen this happen so many times that it bores her- she even admits to laughing at it. She has a sort of predatory affection for this other character, a young woman from California named November, and I hoped to evoke that in the song. "Casimira" is definitely my Nine Inch Nails moment, and I am very happy with it.


5. Describe a day in the life of S. J. Tucker.
Usually it goes something like this:  

wake up between 8-10am, put on comfortable clothing, do Qi Gong/Pilates/yoga or play outside if possible (usually with my hula hoop) for a few minutes, breakfast, shower, deal with a few tasks online that keep the business end of my music-business going: (booking shows, contacting friends and fans, answering interview questions, boosting the signal about upcoming concerts on Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

take a walk or practice hoop, staff, or poi if time and if weather permits; eat lunch, and then ideally get ready to drive to my next concert or rehearsal.

By nightfall, I'm putting on my show clothes and makeup, tuning my guitar, checking all of my cables, and starting sound check. I'm visiting with fans and concert-goers, and I'm giving the best show that I can give.
My head [then] usually hits the pillow between Midnight and 2am, depending on whether I have a concert the next day or lots of traveling to do--getting enough sleep is a must for any performer. At the moment, this routine is mostly relaxed, since I'm off the road right now visiting family and gathering strength for my February-November 2012 tours. I'm getting a lot of recording done and getting a lot of rest.


6. Werewolf or vampire?
I see your land-dwellers and raise you this:  Selkie or Mermaid?


7. Your website lists "mythpunk" as one of the genres for your music. What is mythpunk?
Mythpunk is a genre that started with speculative fiction and fairytales that get radically retold by modern authors- like my friend, the aforementioned Catherynne M. Valente, who coined the term. I extend Mythpunk to music with story-songs (what folk music is sometimes known for); for example, my trinity of tunes about Peter Pan's Wendy staying behind in Neverland to become a very successful pirate captain.


taken from the mythpunk link

Mythpunk to me is about gorgeous word-craft and not being afraid, as a writer or composer, to take a story that's been around forever, and breathe new life into it, however weird your methods may be.  Read more about Mythpunk here:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Mythpunk



8. There are a few videos of you doing spoken word. Can you give Rockinglicious a piece?

I'd love to!  Here's a link to my favorite new spoken word piece:
http://tinyurl.com/cun4ph9. 


9. And last but not least, what is your New Years resolution?
In 2012, I will remember to take time off when I need it, to do what makes me happy whenever possible. I will act in the name of love, good music, and creativity, and I will make other people happy without wearing myself too thin. I will release a new album, if not two, and I will figure out a good balance between time on the road,time to record, and time to rest.


(*closes box slowly*) Hope you all digged the dandy mystery gift (not so mystery now) because for Rockinglicious' New Year's Resolutions for 2012, random mystery interviews are on the list. Another note, if you guys are interested in getting more information on tour dates and other awesome stuff on S.J. Tucker, you can check her out at her facebook, her blog, or even better check out her download page at this website: http://music.sjtucker.com/.

taken from Contemporary Art Blog by Micci Cohan

P.S. If you like this awesome random picture of an array of mixed tapes, you should definitely check out the rest of the blog from where it came from: http://www.miccicohan.net/blog/



thanks for reading everyone,
Miss Bobo