Gay zombie flick by Bruce LaBruce debuts at Museum of Modern Art, spawns equally modern soundtrack.

Gay zombie flick by Bruce LaBruce debuts at Museum of Modern Art, spawns equally modern soundtrack. Co-star Gio Black Peter to release new EP as Black Peter Group this Christmas.

Canadian director Bruce LaBruce, the man behind such gay-themed, controversial films as Hustler White and The Raspberry Reich recently premiered his latest and most accomplished film to date, Otto; Or Up With Dead People (TRAILER) at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. Obviously, John Waters was in attendance. The film is a brand new, exceptional addition to the zombie genre the renounces the most obvious clichés, with LaBruce letting his protagonist – gay punk zombie Otto – ramble and roam the streets of Berlin until he finds himself cast for a low budget flick. With a keen eye for style, the director picks and mixes references from classic horror, silent movies and Modernity into a strident, yet poetic film. In this, Otto; Or Up With Dead People continues the tradition of the political pornographer’s previous successes.

While watching the film, music fans will notice more than 50 international tracks and sounds! After careful selection, Berlin-based label Crippled Dick Hot Wax now presents the movie’s official soundtrack (featuring 14 tracks and available on CD or 2XLP), promising to take us on a truly crazy acoustic rollercoaster ride. Despite the artists glaring differences, the result is a surprisingly coherent, compact and homogeneous compilation. Weaving classical, electronic, drone, avant-garde, pop and punk/disco into a well-balanced whole, the soundtrack introduces cinema and music lovers alike to the weirdly wonderful world of Bruce LaBruce.

LaBruce explains, “To capture the tone I wanted for my undead melancholy baby, I started looking at lots of Charles Addams and Edward Gorey cartoons, trying to pinpoint that arch, macabre, and deliciously ghoulish posture. Asking the famous fashion designer Rick Owens to do the costumes was an easy choice: he has that neo-Gothic, doomed romantic sensibility in spades. But for the music I didn’t want to narrow it down to a single sound or style: I wanted something modern and classical, tonal and atonal, traditional and avant-garde, pop and experimental. The only solution was to send out word on MySpace that I was looking for music for a melancholy gay zombie movie. The response was overwhelming. Suddenly I was inundated with hundreds of messages from musicians of all stripes and polka dots, mostly independent, self-produced artists from all over the world with dark and disturbing yet endlessly creative ideas. The variety of music was astonishing, including a vast array of genres: obscuro, experimental, ambient, post-punk, industrial, psychedelic, melodramatic popular, electronica, gothic, emo, indie, avant-garde jazz, metalcore, deathcore, and drone, and various combinations thereof. Tapes, vinyl, and CDs began to flood my apartment, a process that went on for about a year.” Click HERE for the rest of Bruce LaBruce’s story behind the music of Otto!

One musician that does not appear on the Otto soundtrack, but does appear in the film itself is co-star Gio Black Peter who plays the role of Otto’s boyfriend, Rudolph. Gio’s New York and London based band, the Black Peter Group is set to release the It’s F**ked Up! EP (Gulp Communications) on December 22nd, 2008. Co-written and produced by Andrew “Friendly” Kornweibel, It’s F**ked Up! is a cornucopia of sonic delights, taking in influences from electro, rock, punk, rockabilly, country and funk. The EP features the addictive title track (MP3 | VIDEO) and “Goody Two Shoes” (MP3), a cover of the Adam Ant 50’s-inspired rockabilly pop tune, which suits Gio’s distinctive vocal perfectly.

The Black Peter Group has been around the globe in 2008 with its “Flesh Show” tour – see a YouTube short documenting this HERE. From New York’s infamous Ruff Club, Miss Shapes, and Kill Whitey parties to London’s notorious All You Can Eat, Nuke Them All, Trailer Trash and Collapsing New People parties. The Black Peter Group has also shown the kids at the Pop In (Paris), Cabaret Furie (Paris), Torino SUPERM (Italy), Galleri S.E. (Norway), Los Ninos (Belgium) and Suck My Sound (Berlin) events how to party just like they did back in “old” New York City -- a time when NYC was a colorful place covered with beautiful graffiti and every night out was a guaranteed adventure. And it doesn’t stop there. The group has also performed at the Bergan National Academy of the Arts in Norway, Berliniale Film Festival in Berlin, Show Studio in London, the Super Super Fashion Show ‘08 in London and The John Conelly Gallery in New York.

In addition to Gio’s acting and music, the artist is an accomplished painter and philanthropist, as well. Best known for works produced on NYC subway maps (LINK), Gio’s paintings are currently being shown in Norway and Berlin with a show in NYC planned for the near future. Gio also recently had the honor of participating in NOBODY WA S THIRSTY, a collaborative project created by Australian denim label NOBODY and Ivan Kane’s CAFE WA S in association with charity: water (LINK) with the goal of bringing clean water to the children of Africa. At the moment 4,500 children die every day due to the lack of clean water. Each NOBODY WAS S THIRSTY tee-shirt sold gives two African children clean water for 20 years. For more info and/or to purchase a NOBODY WA S THIRSTY tee-shirt, visit www.nobody.com.au.

For additional info about the Black Peter Group, read an in-depth interview with Gio Black Peter at the East Village Boys website HERE. Black Peter Group has been featured in I.D. Magazine, Super Super Magazine, K48 Magazine, Pavement Magazine, Cake Magazine, TETU Magazine, BUTT, and Zoo. Download a full packet of Gio Black Peter press clippings HERE.

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Otto: Or, Up With Dead People Soundtrack
Label: Crippled Dick Hot Wax
Release Date: November 25th, 2008

01. Mikael Karlsson - Descent
02. Jean-Louis Huhta – Halfway Between The World And Death
03. 4th Sign Of The Apocalypse – Ascending The River
04. All My Friends – Theme From All My Friends
05. Pandas Of Black Metal – Kill Your Gods
06. Misty Roses – Mario And Dario
07. The Living Dead Boys – Discohell
08. No Bra – Doherfucker
09. Brittle Stars – On The Cusp Of Infinity
10. Eyes And Teeth – Sonicize
11. Othon with Ernesto Tomasini – Metalipsis
12. La Jovenc – Going Home
13. Ultra Milkmaids + V – Load
14. The Homophones – Everyone’s Dead (MP3)

Artist: Black Peter Group
Title: Its F**cked Up EP
Label: Gulp Communications
Release Date: December 22nd, 2008

01. Goody Two Shoes (MP3)
02. Its F**ked Up (MP3 | VIDEO)
03. Kamakaze Kid
04. Its F**ked Up (12” Version)
05. Its F**ked Up (Humpday Project Remix)

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On The Web:
www.ottothezombie.de
www.myspace.com/brucelabruce
www.crippled.de
www.myspace.com/crippleddickhotwax
www.gioblackpeter.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/blackpetergroup
www.myspace.com/friendlybits
www.myspace.com/gulpcommunications

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Former My Favorite leader teams up with daughter of Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson for new EP as The Secret History.

Former My Favorite leader teams up with daughter of Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson for new EP as The Secret History. Comparisons to Roxy Music, The Patti Smith Group, Felt and The Smiths scratch the surface.

EP to be released by Le Grand Magistery, home of Stars, Momus, PAS/CAL and others. Record release party at Public Assembly in Brooklyn this Thursday night!



Desolation Town, is the debut EP from New York City’s The Secret History to be released by the Le Grand Magistery record label. The Secret History was formed in 2007 by songwriter Michael Grace Jr., best known for acclaimed cult indie pop band My Favorite.

The Secret History also features vocalist Lisa Ronson, daughter of Bowie guitarist, and glam-rock legend Mick Ronson. Le Grand Magistery is a label which has earned it’s reputation as a critics favorite by bringing artists like Stars, Momus, Baxendale and PAS/CAL to American ears for the first time.

The Secret History continues as a vehicle for Grace’s myth and monster laden song writing, which unfolds across cinematic landscapes…part New York in the late 1970s, part Sicily at the turn of the last century, part Nowhere. The sound itself, created by longtime collaborators Darren Amadio on guitar, Todd Karrasik on drums, Gil Abad on bass, and Kurt Brondo on keys, is a kind of continental art rock, combining the rainy jangles of C86, the stomp of glam, the innocence of the girl groups, and the anxiety of disco. Comparisons to Roxy Music, The Patti Smith Group, Felt and The Smiths scratch the surface. The words form the libretto of a mope rock opera, concerning the members of a fictional band called "The Haunted Hearts." Their stories parallel Grace’s own, whose decade long relationship with My Favorite’s vocalist disintegrated in 2001, to be followed shortly after by the disintegration of the band… which had consumed his entire adult life.

Grace first met vocalist Lisa Ronson at an Irish speak-easy in the East Village called ‘The Scratcher,’ with the third verse of Dylan’s “Desolation Row” echoing through the bar (a moment referenced in the title of the EP) She was living in Chinatown, bookkeeping for the Museum of Modern Art when she answered an ad in The Village Voice seeking a “Female Voice/Tragic Cult Figure.” Her dad, Mick Ronson, was the greatest Spider from Mars (and producer on Lou Reed’s Transformer and Morrissey’s Your Arsenal), and that was tragic enough, but it was the voice...and everything desperate just under the surface of it... that convinced the lads. The addition of Erin Dermody, an ethereal young lady in dress, to sing harmonies, completed the new project. A sold out debut at Cakeshop (which Grace dubbed CBTweeB’s) was followed by shows alongside Love Is All, Boyracer, My Teenage Stride, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Dig and others. They also appeared at the legendary 40 Watt Club for the Athens Popfest.

The songs of Michael Grace Jr. have made fans of some of his favorite artists, leading to opening slots with Belle & Sebastian and The Magnetic Fields. Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople fame was seen tapping his foot at a recent performance, and Grace’s song “The Happiest Days of My Life” was chosen by Morrissey himself to be part of his pre-concert music in 2006 alongside his usual list of heroes and fascinations. But perhaps most importantly, his songs are included on mix tapes the world over by indie kids in the know, who wander into a dark, emotional universe that most of the mainstream music press has never glimpsed.

About Desolation Town:
The lead track “It’s Not The End of The World, Jonah” (MP3) presents the shabby end of a hipster ‘belle epoch’ as an allusion laden night at the discothèque, where all memory and desire collapse. Driven by brittle funk and a dramatic trumpet break by frequent Arcade Fire member Kelly Pratt, the song becomes a vehicle for the longing and unease in Ms. Ronson’s voice, alternating in fits and starts. “Our Lady of Pompeii” meanwhile tells a tale of alienation from the perspective of an Iraq War soldier who leaves his girl and his rock n’ roll band behind to find dubious redemption in the dust of Fallujah. The drums and piano lock into a glam rock stomp that shatters the tune, and the protagonist alike. “The Ballad of The Haunted Hearts” somehow marries “Still Ill,” to “Like a Rolling Stone” in a Spector-esque slab of anthem pop. The psychedelic no-wave of “Obelisk,” leads right into the power chord and farfisa swirl of “Mark & John (Bring on The Glitter Kids.)” This live favorite turns The New York Dolls inside out, in a gothic meditation on the death of John Lennon and The New Testament. The ghost of Giorgio Moroder makes an appearance during the middle 8, but God fails to. The EP concludes with “Our Lady of Palermo,” a redemption seeking “lamentation” ballad in the finest 19th century folk tradition. The girls create a haunting harmony over accordion and guitar eulogy... part Gram Parsons, part Cocteau Twins. Grace transplants a depressive youth in Long Island to Palermo, Sicily… the tortured city of his great grandparents. The plaintive concession that “our dreams are wrong,” closes a chapter while opening up the narrative of what’s to come.

The Secret History Live:
11/20 Brooklyn, NY Public Assembly (Record Release Party!)

Artist: The Secret History
Title: Desolation Town EP
Label: Le Grand Magistery
Release Date: November 11th, 2008
Download the Promo Booklet HERE

01. It’s Not The End of The World, Jonah (MP3)
02. Our Lady of Pompeii
03. The Ballad of The Haunted Hearts
04. Obelisk/Mark and John
05. Our Lady of Palermo
Facts about The Secret History:

• This is the new project by songwriter Michael Grace Jr., formerly of acclaimed cult indie pop band My Favorite. Features most of the ex-members of the band, including guitarist Darren Amadio, drummer Todd Karasik, bassist Gil Abad and keyboardist Kurt Brondo
• Features the debut of vocalist Lisa Ronson, daughter of Bowie guitarist and Glam Rock legend Mick Ronson.
• This is the opening chapter of a mope rock opera concerning the fictional band "The Haunted Hearts," which is based in part on the disintegration of Michael Grace’s 12-year relationship with My Favorite singer Andrea Vaughn, and the eventual Fleetwood Mac-ish disintegration of the band.
• The Ziggy Stardust-esque “The Haunted Hearts” rock opera was already half written before daughter of actual Spider From Mars, Lisa Ronson answered an ad in the Village Voice seeking a “Female Vocalist/Tragic Cult Figure.” Destiny was not messed with.
• Michael Grace and his previous band My Favorite have received abundant critical praise in the music press, mentions in American Poetry Foundation blog, opening slots for Belle & Sebastian and The Magnetic Fields, were put on mixed tapes by Morrissey… are minor celebrities in Scandinavia…but remained unknown to most not wearing anoraks to bed. That should change with The Secret History.
  

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On The Web:

www.myspace.com/friendsofthesecrethistory
www.desolationtown.wordpress.com
www.magistery.com
www.myspace.com/legrandmagistery

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The Secret History In The Press:
“This is music that matters to me. The songs have become requirements; Grace’s obsessions suddenly seem to have become mine. The alien, the girl or boy “differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility,” to quote Webster’s. This band reflects an amalgamation, of sounds and styles while all the while retaining an awareness of the awkwardness of youth. Each single track is better than most bands’ entire album.” – Ink 19

“This pristine, heartbreaking panorama of teenage wastelands past and future is no mope-fest: tight instrumentation and clever lyrics give it a near-lethal bite and snap.” – Gear

“When Belle and Sebastian recently performed in New York, the Scottish popsters specifically requested the presence of one band to open the show. Nope, it wasn’t Hall & Oates, but good guess. It was the Long Island ensemble called My Favorite. It’s really no surprise that Belle and Sebastian would be drawn to the chirpy pop melodies and dark, quixotic lyrics, and titles that could even make Morrissey smile...” – Boston Globe

Their “nostalgia for meaningful things,” which includes black anoraks and synthesized strings, creates enough distance from the music’s initial inspiration to block the pain and allow them to bask in the unmitigated joy of melodies well-delivered.” – RollingStone.com

“Stage noir with silent dialogue that tells you high school is death and pop songs are the afterlife. And beyond this, that pop music is a kind of purgatory truth: There’s no half-allegiances here--you were born to die a teenager. Be a ghost or be boring.” – Twin City Pages

“Poetic themes find their perfect companion in a glorious concoction of arching, melancholy synth lines, arpeggiated ‘80s guitar melodies, and wistful, cooing vocals. A loving tribute to fallen idols...” – The Big Takeover

“Songwriter Michael Grace delivers themes of isolation and alienation matched with upbeat tunes and sweet voices... creating a pleasantly ironic group of songs that suggest dejected suburban dwelling can inspire beauty.” – Boston Weekly

“If you don’t know every lyric to ‘Meat Is Murder’ or never patched a broken heart with ‘Disintegration,’ you’ll likely be mystified by the band’s dreamy teenage anthems. Those of us who fall into this category, however, will find it an blissful journey back into days that were anything but.” – Pitchfork Media

The greatest thing ever written about My Favorite can be found here in the influential music blog “The War Against Silence” HERE.

“Dancethink Music” purveyors My Dear Disco teams up with Grammy-nominated Shiny Toy Guns, The Cure, Tricky knob-turner for new album.

“It’s trancy and brilliant and gives me hope for the future of this planet -- all during the first song.” – The Ann Arbor Observer.

A year and a half after its inception, My Dear Disco has already earned a permanent place in the incredible lineage of bands that have emerged from the Detroit suburb of Ann Arbor’s music scene -- bands like Funktell, Cloud 9, Tally Hall, Nomo, and The Macpodz.

Known for their distinctive, “Dancethink Music,” My Dear Disco’s debut has been met with critical acclaim since it’s release in 2007, described as, “…at once a psychedelic exercise and a grasp at the Top 40,” (CD Reviews.com), “Ultimately the successful delivery of many musical variables, tastes, and influences into one final product ...“ (The Sentinel-Tribune), and displaying influences “…from Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder to Daft Punk and Tom Waits.” (The Battle Creek Enquirer).

With music featuring electrified Irish Bagpipes, and a line-up including a two-time International Acoustic Music Award winning composer, a three-time Ireland’s World Champion instrumentalist, a first place Michigan Idol winning singer, and two first place M-Block Records “New Music on the Block” winning recording artists, My Dear Disco’s live show has been hailed as “…one of the must see acts in Detroit and Ann Arbor.” (The Detroit Fashion Pages).

My Dear Disco’s latest full-length, Dancethink LP, features mixes by Grammy-nominated engineer Mark Saunders and his multi-platinum record generating studio in New York, the same people responsible for the sound of Shiny Toy Guns 2007 Warner Brothers release We Are Pilots, Tricky’s Maxinquaye, David Byrne’s Feelings, and The Cure’s Wish.

On May 15th, 2008 My Dear Disco was named one of the most promising bands in the country by American Eagle’s “New Music Union.” As a result, My Dear Disco was invited to perform at the American Eagle Summer Festival, curated by Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Coming off of a fully-stocked summer schedule -- including BlissFest, Hoxeyville, Dunegrass, Feel Good Festival, The Jazz Aspen Snow Mass, and Nelson Ledges, alongside artists such as Lotus, Moe, Buckethead, and Bela Fleck -- My Dear Disco is in full-flight, following their “Dancethink Music,” wherever it takes them.

My Dear Disco Live:
11/22 Geneva, NY @ Sigma Phi Epsilon
12/04 Buffalo, NY @ Nietzsche's
12/05 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
12/07 Somerville, MA @ Johnny D's
12/09 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
12/10 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
12/13 South Haven, MI @ Foundry Hall
12/19 Chicago, IL @ Martyrs'
12/26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
12/27 Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrews Hall
12/31 Traverse City, MI @ City Opera House

Quotes From The Press:

“...one of the new ‘it’ bands of Ann Arbor.” – Real Detroit Weekly

“One of Ann Arbor’s hottest bands brings its own signature brand of dance-rock... for yet another night of sweat-soaked, techno-meets-funk, party-all-night grooves that would make even ABBA blush. Seven wild folks on a mission to make Donna Summer proud, oh dear - Disco is back.” – Toledo City Paper

“It’s like sitting next to an electrical storm.” – The Current

“...traversing musical territory thus far unexplored” – The Michigan Daily

“With shreds of Devo, Gloria Gaynor, The Cranberries, and Men At Work, My Dear Disco’s compositions aren’t just for the dance floor. But if you’re looking for exuberant house in the mold of Roger Sanchez, they have you covered.” – The Lansing State Journal

“Brains and Booty.” – The Ann Arbor News

Artist: My Dear Disco
Title: Dancethink LP
Label: Dancethink Records
Release Date: January 13th, 2009
Watch The LP Trailer HERE

01. White Lies (MP3 LIVE)
02. For Your Love
03. My Dear Disco
04. All I Do
05. Amsterdam
06. The Way
07. Madam Eon – Part One
08. Madam Eon – Part Two
09. M.Y.F. (Move Your Feet)

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On The Web:
www.mydeardisco.com
www.myspace.com/mydeardisco

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Band Member Bio Excerpts (follow links for full bios): Tyler Duncan (Synths/Uilleann Pipes/Sax): In 1999 and 2000, Tyler Duncan won the All-Ireland Championship (the World Championships of Irish Music) on the uilleann pipes -- the first American to win the All-Ireland on that instrument. In 2001, he won the All-Ireland on the bodhran -- the first American to win an All-Ireland on that instrument as well. Read full bio HERE.

Theo Katzman (Guitar/Vox): Multi-instrumentalist and singer Theo Katzman was born to the highly acclaimed bebop musician Lee Katzman (former member of the Benny Goodman Band, SuperSax, The Baha Marimba Band, and many more). Read full bio HERE.

Mike Shea (Drums): As a child, Mike Shea’s first passion was Irish dancing. He competed in --and won--numerous local, regional, and national competitions, including the Mid-America Championship, which earned him a place in Ireland’s World Championship competition. Soon after, Mike discovered his true passion in life: Drums. Read full bio HERE.

Michelle Chamuel (Lead Vox): Michelle Chamuel began singing and experimenting with musical instruments at age four. In 2001, Michelle attended Oberlin’s intesive TAMARA Computer Music program -- soon-after, she recorded and self-produced an album of all original music. Read full bio HERE.
Joey Dosik (Keys/Sax/Vox): Joey Dosik is a Saxophonist and Keyboardist with roots in jazz, soul and afrobeat. Growing up in Los Angeles, he began to learn jazz from a wide variety of creative musicians, including members of the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, and the Cal Arts improvised music scene. Read full bio HERE.

Christian Carpenter (Bass): Bassist Christian Carpenter holds a degree from the innovative Jazz & Contemplative Studies program at the University of Michigan, where he studied with Bass legends Robert Hurst, Dianna Gannet, and Marion Hayden. Equally adept on Electric, Fretless, and Upright, Christian has been involved in a number of Musical Theater Productions, Rock Outfits, Jazz Combos, and Folk/Singer-Songwriter groups. Read full bio HERE.

Bob Lester (Guitar/Inventions/Vox): In the spring of 2008, Robert Lester graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Technology. Throughout his time at Michigan, he maintained a dedicated focus on performance and instrumental techniques, as well as utilizing the compositional and technological resources that the University of Michigan is known for. Read full bio HERE.