‘Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo’ Trailer

Some think that documentary film making has become a little too intrusive of late, often grabbing us by the scruff of the neck and ramming our faces in to the unwinding characters lives, often without invitation; total access or die. So it’s heartening to see the trailer for writer/director Jessica Oreck’s fantastically titled ‘Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo’, which beautifully and unobtrusively winds itself through Japan’s tangled, age old romance with the hemipterous insect. You can get more info on this beautiful film at www.beetlequeen.com


Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo Trailer from Myriapod Productions on Vimeo.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez by Emmeson

Julian Casablancas ‘Dancing in the Dark’ Cover

I’ve always cursed the eyes of anyone covering one of Springsteen’s finest hits, but aside from a couple of flabby drum fills, Julian Casablancas and his hired guns did a fine tribute to The Boss’ ‘Dancing in the Dark’ in St Louis on Monday night. You might not be able to see anything from this video, but for a fan clip on Youtube, the audio’s in pretty good shape. This gun’s for hire!

“I Think It Sucks” Steve Van Zandt on ‘Born To Run’

"All I did on 'Born To Run' were the horns on 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’. I was just in the studio, hanging around. He said, 'What do you think?' and I said, 'I think it sucks.' And he said, 'Well, go fucking fix it, then.'"

"So I went and fixed it. People came to the Bottom Line [venue] basically to laugh at us. And a funny thing happened: we fucking blew their minds."  Steve Van Zandt

M.I.A 'Born Free' Uncut

Leonard Nimoy Clocks Out

After two years in the army, 60 years in TV and film, 44 years in the Star Trek franchise, six movie as director, two autobiographies (1977’s I Am Not Spock and 1995’s I Am Spock), seven volumes of poetry, one book of photography, five studio albums, a million fan photos and one serious identity crisis, Pop Culture Icon Leonard Nimoy announced his well deserved retirement this month. At 79 years of age, he’s lived long. With a pretty penny in his pocket, he’s prospered.

Happy Retirement Leonard, you’ve earned it!

Free Download: Band of Horses ‘Factory’

Beard supporting Seattleites Band of Horses are the giving type. They want you to know about their new album ‘Infinite Arms’, which is not coming out on Sub-Pop this May the 18th, so they’re giving away the album opener ‘Factory’ for zilch, as a taste of what’s to come.

Rub your cursor over the widget below to get your copy. If you like, there’s a US, European and UK tour in the pipeline, with the dates available HERE.

‘The Sentimental Engine Slayer’ Trailer: Omar Rodriguez Lopez

When he’s not twisting your melon with The Mars Volta or making unlistenable solo records, former At The Drive-in guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez likes to make films. His third, the David Lynch aping ‘The Sentimental Engine Slayer’ is getting a public airing at New York's Tribeca Film Festival this week, the first time one of his talkie efforts has seen any semblance of a release.

Rolling Stone described it as a “tale about a young man who may or may not have an incestuous relationship with his sister, who may or may not try to choke and kill the prostitutes he enlists to help him lose his virginity”, which is exactly what I thought after viewing the trailer.

New Twilight Eclipse Trailer

A vampire army? Versus a rag-tag band of wolves? Its take 3 films, but I think Twilight just caught my attention!

Four Lions Trailer

Chris Morris is gonna have to watch his ass!!

Lynn Goldsmith Shot The Boss

Lynn Goldsmith is our hero! Not only is she a successful director, recording artist and a stone-cold fox, but she’s also captured some of the finest shots of the finest musicians in history. We’re not going to blow our trumpet about the finer details of Lynn’s career here as her photos speak for themselves; although you should head over to her site at www.lynngoldsmith.com to read up on her amazing career and buy some of her prints.

Here’s a series of shots that Lynn has taken of Bruce Springsteen over the years. Budding rock photographers, pay attention Goddammit!!!

Awesome Afroman Concert Poster

from www.dangerousminds.net

Rowland S. Howard ‘ Autoluminescent’ Trailer

He was born in the desert hearted country where the old thieves were frying in the heat. He formed a band, at an awkward 16, with a snub-nosed boy called Nick, called The Birthday Party.

They took a plane to old London town, shocked them here, then to Berlin, shocked them there. The kids cried for the sound of his guitar and the sight of his mania. Nick cried that the sound they made no longer connected, and The Party was over. Nick became a Bad Seed, he became an Immortal Soul.

The cool kids liked him just fine. There was Lydia Lunch, the scary girl, and then there was Henry Rollins, the tough kid with the mouth and lanky Thurston More. There were others too.

In 2009 he felt sick with cancer in his liver, and by Christmas’ end, he was gone. They buried him back in the desert hearted country where the old thieves fried in the heat, and the cool kids cried.

Then they made a film.

Get Well Soon Bret Michaels

M.I.A ‘Born Free’

M.I.A has been pissin’ and moanin’ a lot lately, how everybody’s ripping her off. I can’t see the Lady Gaga angle myself, but yeah, Rhianna’s ‘Rude Boy’ video is in the same territory. I guess nobody’s allowed to use the 80’s as inspiration? You don’t hear C&C Music Factory crying their eyes out to NME.

Despite all her shit, M.I.A is pretty decent at what she does, mostly thanks to her man Diplo. The two need to step it up for album No 3 (scheduled to drop in June), if they’re gonna capitalise on ‘Paper Planes’ mad success. What’s that, “M.I.A is more than just that one gimmicky cut”? Maybe so, but the kinda numbers that’ll keep her comfy once she’s too old to wear neon and throw gang signs ain’t gonna come from the pockets of hipster alone. Joe Public wants’ it poppy, Joe wants to dance.

Joe won’t be dancing to this!

M.I.A. - Born FreebyTLC Blog

New Big Boi Album on the Way

Big Boi AKA Daddy Fat Sacks AKA General Patton AKA Sir Lucious L. Leftfoot AKA Billy Ocean AKA Hot Tub Tony AKA Francis the Savannah AKA Chitlin' Pimp......has announced that his new solo album 'Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty' will be within your reach by the 6^th of July, through Def Jam.  The album also features an unimpressive list of collaborators in Lil Jon, Jamie Foxx, T.I. and the ever-present Andre 3000.

Big’s and Ice Cold are also working on a new Outkast album, which are always better than their solo efforts. Saying that, ‘Idlewild’ was actually quite shit. Let’s hope they tap back in to that ‘Love Below/Speakerboxxx' vibe, quickly.

Happy Birthday Roy Orbison

The SLA Jay Z Covershot Gallery

Trailer: The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González

Sweet voiced Swedish guitar virtuoso José González has spent the last three years under the scrutiny of directors Fredrik Egerstrand and Mikel Cee Karlssons probing cameras, as they absorbed his life for a new documentary ‘The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González’.

The film tracks González around the globe and focuses in on his struggles to record his second album ‘In Our Nature’. It’s sombre tone is punctuated with a series of biographical animation sequences, depicting his parents flight from Argentina to Sweden during “the dirty war days”.

No news on a theatrical release just yet, but having premiered at the Göteborg International Film Festival in January, you can surely expect further festival appearances to follow.

Rolling Stones: Plunder My Soul

Those with things to do may not have heard that The Stones are rereleasing their classic 1972 double album ‘Exile on Main Street’  next month, bolstered by a whole sack full of extras like bonus tracks, a DVD of the infamous ‘Cocksucker Blues’ flick, and 4 songs that Joe Schmoe has yet to surrender his ossicles to. Scratch that, it’s THREE songs, as ‘Plunder My Soul’ was released as a limited edition 7” on Record Store Day.

Well it sure as hell doesn’t take long for these babies to hit the info-highway. Check out ‘Plunder My Soul’ below.

Best Worst Movie Trailer

In “Best Worst Movie,” Michael Paul Stephenson makes his directorial debut by taking us on an offbeat journey into the undisputed worst movie in cinematic history, Troll 2, in which he starred in as a child. In 1989, Italian director Claudio Fragrasso cast small—town dentist Dr. George Hardy and a group of unwitting Utah actors, including Stephenson, in the ultra—low budget horror film. Soon after Troll 2’s disastrous release, Dr. Hardy retired from his short—lived acting career and returned to dentistry in his hometown of Alabama, unaware of the legions of fans that would one day recognize him as a cult movie luminary.

Twenty years later, Dr. Hardy’s days of drilling cavities are met by nights of signing autographs at sold—out revival screenings throughout the world. Admiring fans champion Troll 2 through fan sites, viral videos, and even homage in one of the most successful video games today: Sony Playstation’s Guitar Hero 2. Best Worst Movie unravels the improbable, heartfelt story of the Alabama dentist—turned—cult movie icon and the Italian filmmaker who come to terms — or not — with this genuine, internationally revered cinematic failure.

The result is a tender offbeat journey that pays homage to lovers of bad movies and the people that make them.

Paul Hardcastle: 19 Again

’19: Boys to War’ is Paul Hardcastle’s second stab at being famous, by reiterating his warning of the war machine’s taste for youth. This time it’s Afghanistan, and this time he probably made the effort to get clearance on his samples!

Beck v Professor Green: 'Need You Tonight'

Record Club: INXS "Need You Tonight" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Robert Rodriguez’s ‘Machete’: Release Date Announced

Everybody’s jibber-jabbin about how great the cast of ‘The Expendables’ is, but Tarantino’s right-hand man Robert Rodriguez has brought together a killer cast list for the eagerly anticipated ‘Machete’, the full length version of the fake trailer he produced for 08’s ‘Grindhouse’.

Check it: Super-badass Danny Trejo returns in the title role, and will be backed up Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, Don Johnson and Steven Segal. If that’s not sufficient, how about some serious eye-candy? Jessica Alba, Rose McGowan, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan appear for your personal entertainment, does that do it for you Buddy? Huh??

The good news is that you won’t have to wait too long to see it. Twentieth Century Fox, who won the fight to the death to distribute, has announced that it’ll be hitting theatre screens in the US on Labour Day Weekend, 30^th of September.

Excited? You should be, especially if you’re an admirer of edged weapons.  ‘Machete’ will have more knives than Tiger Woods’ back, so expect blood by the bucket load. Just to get you juiced up, reacquaint yourself with the Trailer that started it all.

“They just fucked with the wrong Mexican”!

Blur ‘Fools Day’ Free Download

So, after the final copy of Blur’s limited edition 7” ‘Fools Day’ was bagged by the eager beavers who queuing all night outside of Rough Trade East in anticipation of slapping their sweaty meat-hooks on the bands first new material in 7 years, the band decide to make the new track a free download over at www.blur.co.uk

It’s not like those hardcore dweebs who spent the night in the street waiting for a copy are gonna complain, they just wanted something tangible from their boys, or at least, something to get on eBay pretty sharpish (there’s currently 39 on there, peaking at just below 200 English Quid’s).

So, in exchange for your personal details, you can go HERE and get yourself a digital copy of the aptly named ‘Fools Day’. Or you can just listen to it below. Same same.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot: Watch It For Free

You been to a Slayer concert recently? Well it’s pretty much the domain of the retarded, beer guzzling manchild, and yeah, I’m one of them. Of course, Heavy Metal has always been a safe home for the unashamed adolescent-at-heart Neanderthal, a Neverland jungle of clumpy hair, sweaty bandshirt’s and rudimentary bodyart. It’s the best place to go people watching, go deaf and go nuts.

Upon watching the apparent ‘Cult Classic’ short film Heavy Metal Parking Lot, it’s refreshing to see that the scene hasn’t changed since the 80’s metal heyday. HMPL is a 16 minute “documentary” filmed in the arena parking lot at a 1986 Judas Priest show in Maryland, Virginia. Consisting solely of puberty ravaged kids drinking beer, goofing off with their buddies, groping their chicks and spouting some of the most unintentionally hilarious shit about “the greatest fucking band in the fucking world”, this movie has been in bootleg circulation around metalhead circles for over 20 years.

It’s as unintentionally sad as it is retarded. One guy, the 20 year old Dave Halvey, is at his last metal show before shipping out to join the armed forces. He’s there with his 13 year old girlfriend Dawn, and he’s “ready to rock”, shoving his tongue down the minor’s throat for the camera in his beer stained adolescent swansong, before getting eaten up by the War Machine.

It’s been pretty hard to get your hands on a copy of Heavy Metal Parking Lot in the past, and those who had a copy cherished it like the 17 minutes of eternal, carefree youth that it embodies. Apparently Nirvana used to keep a copy on their tourbus at all times. But I guess there are some people you just can’t cheer up.
You can watch it for free over at the awesome Snag Films website, by clicking the link below. Tune in, Burnout!

Heavy Metal Parking Lot - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

Record Store Day: Best of the Sleeves

So it’s Record Store Day once again, and with even more high profile/low profile bands jumping on board to support the remaining independent outlets around the world by coaxing you in to your local store with the promise of limited edition releases, the sad truth is that by the time you read this, all the good stuff has been snapped up and is already on eBay. The idea is great but it needs to be administrated a little better. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy looking at what we’ll never be able to hear!

So Standard Love Affair has decided to bring you a gallery of the best artwork that Record Store Day has thrown up! This is dedicated to all those people who don’t need the incentive of a Blur 7” to visit their local record store.

DEVO: “Fresh”/ “What We Do” 12" Single

NADA SURF: “If I Had a Hi-Fi” Album

NECKO CASE: “Middle Cyclone” 12” Clear Vinyl

TUTU & THE PIRATES: “Sub-Urban Insult Rock For the Anti-Lectual” Demos ‘78-‘79

THE FLAMING LIPS FEAT STARDEATH & WHITE DWARFS: “Dark Side of the Moon” 12” Green Vinyl

ROKY ERICKSON AND OKKERVIL RIVER “True Love Cast Out All Evil” Vinyl LP

PHOENIX “Fences" 12" Pink Vinyl