CDO and I could write a bad romance

So, as almost everyone knows, Gaga's video for "Bad Romance" debuted this week. Heretofore, I was a very casual observer of Lady Gaga. I had never watched her videos, so I had no idea what they were like. I only heard her stuff on the radio. But the buzz was getting to me. Then the video was released and it exploded. With over a million views a day, it seems I'm not alone in discovering the spectacle that is Lady Gaga.


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And to make sure my title makes sense, I have to mention that Chris Dane Owens uploaded a TV spot or something last week. So video two is going to be a video for "Light Speed". Good to hear it, Chris. Now finish it already, kthx.

And our romance? It would be a fantasy romance, duh.

Album review: Blue Stone by Chris Dane Owens

Yay, I've finally taken the time to do a listen through of CDO's Blue Stone. Very delinquent of me, I know.

Blue Stone is, to put it very simplistically, a collection of non-offensive pop in the classic 3 min. + change variety. It's reminiscent to some degree of nineties pop. It's a bit like Bryan Adams, but cutting back on the syrup. The songs contain a solid, but fairly conventional rhythm section. Kind of formulaic in song structure, "Verse/Chorus/Middle eight/Break, fade/just listen", to quote Morrissey, but I like that. In fact one of the reasons I don't like Mariah Carey's "Obsessed" is because the verses just roll into the chorus and it bothers me. Also, auto tune.

BAM, lightening round!
The opening "Light Speed" is a fast-paced opener going on into the slightly rockier "World Turns Round".

"Do You Believe in Miracles?" I freaking love this song. I'm a sucker for lines like "Catch your breath/and hold on tight." I don't care how much cheese was used in the manufacture of this song. Also, the repeated "I feel you" makes me contrast this song to Depeche Mode's song by that name.

"Here She Comes" - GLOCKENSPIEL? or am I imagining things? Either way cute.

"Shine On Me" stands out because I know almost every note and frame from the song and music video. Also stands out because there's some funky elements, whoo.

"Superhuman" - 1 of 2 techno songs. Nineties-flavored techno. Vaguely reminds me of a track off this compilation. WEIRD.

"Lost At Sea" like the first song on Side B if we still thought of albums like this. Reminds me of "Sailing".

"Love Is Blind" - I tuned out a bit on this song because it's past my bedtime, but there's a "crown of thorns" mention so I'm going to say this song is about Jesus. Apologies if I'm way off.

"Pure" I always sing along with "Now you take your first step/like it was your last breath" but I don't know the rest of the words.

"Wicked", techno part 2 - vocalizations and a "chunga-chunga-chungetty-chunga" guitar riff. I used to like "Superhuman" but now I prefer this one.

"Bleed" I'm a bit unfamiliar with this song because by this point customers come in and I have to help them so I always miss it. No opinion.

I give this album a 3.5 out of 5. It fills a niche for feel good music that's not challenging in the slightest. Great for homework, chilling, and possibly knitting. It would have higher marks if it was more cohesive in style, tone, but I don't fault Owens at all because it's all good stuff and I assume he's still working on a songwriting style.

Blue Stone on CDBaby
CDO's site
Also available at itunes and Amazon

Tomorrow I'll post my interview with CDO!

Hey kids

I am the proud owner of Chris Dane Owens' Blue Stone. I'll be reviewing that for your reading pleasure soon enough. I'm also going to be having a chat with him which I'll post in a couple days. I like talking to and about him because he's so genuinely kind. Also, I was pleasantly surprised by the track "Superhuman". It's kind of cheesy nineties-sounding techno, but I like it. This could get me some flack, but it reminds me of Moby/Recoil. Honestly, Moby and Recoil/Alan Wilder do cheesy things, too, so chill.

Add this to your bookmarks: http://www.justhearit.com/ Search the web for any song and find it immediately. It's pretty remarkable. It helps that it picks up Youtube links as well.

Also I'm getting tweets from the Leto brothers saying that the new 30 Seconds to Mars album is almost completed. I'm not sure if they mean recording or post production or what and I don't really want to go deeper into that because, come on, it's 30 Seconds to Mars.

Let's finish things up by posting a video to Adam Ant's "Puss'n Boots" off of Strip (1983). Strip era Adam is so damn attractive, it's criminal. Also this video features the shortest leather mini I've ever seen combined with the longest thigh-high boots. Sassy!

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You may be wondering

Sarah, how come you haven't talked about Blue Stone yet? The answer is simple: I'm holding out for the physical version. I want to hold that beloved jewel case in my hot little hands and then hug it to my chest in a spontaneous outpouring of love. So just wait, you harpies. Jeez Louise.

Chris Dane Owens update

If you're like me, you want to know when Blue Stone is coming out. So I went the CDO himself and asked, "Hey, what's up?"

HERE IS WHAT IS UP, OKAY.

The Blue Stone Cd is nearly done!! We are mastering the album in NY right now and are very happy with how it's all sounding. Next, we will begin pressing the 2 disc set back in LA, and at the same time we'll start uploading to Itunes, Amazon, etc... (For the download version of the CD)

It looks like the end of April for the Itunes version and then May for the 2 disc set to become available on Amazon and CD Baby...

Meanwhile, we will be putting up some adventerous teaser shots for the next video in about 3 weeks. We should have 7 pix total. We'll try to put up a new shot each week in the "news" section of my site. Some cool new fantasy elements are on the way, that we really hope people spark to and enjoy. As usual, I've been having a great time putting these teasers together.

To steal from Bill Nye the Science Guy: WELL NOW YOU KNOW.

My very own interview with Chris Dane Owens [dreamy sigh]

Yo, peeps. I thought I'd get the jump on a whole bunch of journalists/bloggers by talking to the man of the hour December, Christopher Dane Owens. But, dang sauce, the kids at the LA Times music blog, Pop & Hiss apparently had the same idea. They may have beat me by a few days, but I'm not bitter, oh no.

Now, ignore all that other stuff and READ THIS.

I discovered Chris Dane Owens at almost exactly the same moment everyone else did: Friday, December 5. Then I became curious when I saw the date that "Shine On Me" was posted to YouTube - October 3. How had it stayed hidden for so long? The world may never know, but we do know why thousands know about it now. Videogum and G4's Attack of the Show both mentioned "Shine On Me" and bloggers quickly got wind of it and spread the love aaaaaall around. My only regret is that I didn't find it in time for my birthday. That would have been the best birthday present ever.

"Shine On Me" has proven to be polarizing, with tweets from both the lovers and the haters; sometimes both at once. Bonus twitter search link here. I am firmly in the lover camp, by the way.

I decided to email Chris (we're TOTALLY on a first-name basis, y'all) requesting an interview and I found him to be super nice and very approachable. (Well, I mean, why would you be rude to a blogger - there's no reason for it.) I totally geeked out at his answers to my questions. We have kind of similar taste in music from the 80s. But enough about me, on to the interview!

SB: You're a film and television producer by profession. What made you get into music? How long have you been playing guitar?

CDO: I have been playing since I was 13. I met some guys at school who were doing a talent show and their bass player had to back out. They asked me if I wanted to do the show with them and join the band. Problem was, I not only didn't own a bass, I had never even played before. So I said Ok, and my parents helped me get my first bass. It was a beat up Gibson SG , and I practiced for the show until my fingers were mangled. I only had a few weeks to learn the 2 songs; Led Zep, and Aerosmith tunes. The show was really a blast for me, and I have been addicted to music ever since. I moved over to lead guitar about 2 years later. My first real guitar was a red BC Rich.

SB: The video for "Shine On Me" is pretty lavish. What was the inspiration for such a fancy music video?

CDO: I am a huge fan of Anime/ Manga, as well as films like Braveheart, LOTR, and The Matrix, ...So by far, that creative body, was the greatest influence.

Also, I went back to Tokyo right before I started storyboarding for the video and that totally lit my imagination on fire. The Anime culture is thriving, and everywhere I turned, I found something new that fascinated me, with its power, beauty, or whimsical humor.

So the director, and my long time friend, Bob Short and I turned to those sources quite a bit for inspiration. It's one of reasons there is so much wind blowing in a lot of our shots in the video. We wanted to capture as much energy as we could in otherwise static setups like the animators do in Anime. People were laughing at me on the set while filming the video, because I kept cranking up the turbo fans on the actresses playing the Witches and Angels. Some of the footage was so over the top you couldn't even see their faces through all the flying hair. But I loved it.

When we do the next installment in our series of music videos, I am planning on working with some of the Hollywood stunt coordinators I know, so we can really bring more fight/ battle action to the game. I also want to get the camera moving more, to bring more dynamism to the scenes.

SB: Speaking of the video, it recently got a lot of attention on the internet. I literally showed it to everyone I know. Have you been following all the blogs and buzz?

CDO: Thank you Sarah for your support. What happened was that I was working in the mix studio last Friday with Chris Garcia, and out of the blue the video got 11,000 hits that day. I thought it was a glitch on my iPhone. All sorts of e-mails came up from friends telling me something wild was happening. Then G4 Television did a small piece on it, and it has taken flight for the last week. No doubt it will cool off, but this small flurry has set a few things in motion that were very pleasant surprises for us.

As for the blogs and comments, I have been sent lots of the blogs and am totally blown away by some of the fantastic remarks and amazing reviews of the project. For lots of people, the video seems to be very uplifting, adventurous and heartwarming. And that feels great to all of us.

Of course on the dark side of the coin, is that there are the "Enemies of Love" who aren't into the video at all. Or they actually like the video, but don't spark to my song in any way. Or maybe they love the song, but can't stand my look (with or without mustache). I'm sure you get my drift. It's hard to make mass appeal entertainment. I have learned this through my career in TV. That's why we always said while making the Vid, that we are going for a particular audience and that we would be quite happy if the right people really resonated with our themes and imagery. Also, I have discovered that not everyone even likes these kind of fantasy projects. Some people want a much more grounded universe…

But I have noticed a shift however when some people learn about the Anime inspiration behind it all. Perhaps it explains things a bit.

SB: There are mentions of an international tour on your website and MySpace page. How big of a tour are you planning? What cities do you wish to play in? Do you want to play large venues or in a more intimate setting?

CDO: Yes, touring is a big part of my goal. In many ways, like lots of musicians, I would like to perform where ever the art is appreciated. Even if that's to 300 people in a small clubs in Tokyo. I am optimistic that we will play some good sized venues in certian cities. Japan will be first I think, however, we must finish mixing the record, and then we can set a course for the next goal. It's all about finding an audience who embrace the craft and messages.

SB: Much of the commentary I've seen compares "Shine On Me" to music made in the eighties. What is your reaction to this?

In that song in particular, from the album, I can see that! There will always be a place in my heart for musicians like The Cure, Big Country, Tears for Fears, ABC, and PIL [Author's (interviewer's?) note: psst, that would be Public Image Ltd., for those not in the know]. And as these people mostly gained notoriety in the 80's in particular, I would call that a portion of my 80's influence.

In "Shine On Me" We have a funky slap bass in the verse of that song that Damian Valentine my producer and writing partner played. My guitar work has some 70's / 80's funk to it as well. But mostly I believe it's the vocals that are probably vibing in an 80's style. I think the sliced up guitars modernize it a bit, but I agree with the comment. Conversely, our songs like "Wicked" and "Superhuman", are a complete 180 from that, as I do something more akin to vocal chants on those rock-techno tracks.

Since my deepest roots are really grounded in Led Zep, The Beatles, and most predominantly David Bowie. I never know how that influence is going to bleed through into my work.

These days my favorite groups are MCR, Rise Against, Foo fighters and Muse. So I like pulling inspiration from lots of places eras.

And a closing message from CDO to the fans:

As I jump off line now to give my thumbs a break, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who is enjoying the first video from the album. I know some people really want to know more about the 3rd Kingdom storyline and I look forward to telling that another time. Happy New Year!! CDO

Your light of love shined on me and I jizzed in my pants

I owe a lot to bestweekever.tv, but nothing I can do can make up for being shown this video by Chris Dane Owens. I have trouble expressing my feelings about this music video and song. Suffice it to say, there are unmatched levels of joy in my life now.

But first, a little background info. When I first heard of this, I looked up Chris Dane Owens on Wikipedia but dude didn't have a page. He does, however, have a page on imdb. This man, whose lyrical creations light up my ears, is a television and film producer and he is the son of Gary Owens whom I know best as Dirk Niblick from Square One Television.

My early comments upon viewing the clip:
"Is he trying to look like Cary Elwes?"
"I like that if you just listen to the music, it is impossible to tell what year this was made." I mean that in the best way possible. I have memories of sitting in the car as a child and listening to jams like this, circa 1990.
and simply "WHAT THE FUCK" as I sat there in awe.

"Shine On Me" appears on the album Blue Stone which comes out in February. The physical CD will come with a letterbox version of the "Shine" video. Well, I'm sold.

That video is vying for my attention as it's time for the SNL Digital Short holiday song. We all remember "Lazy Sunday" and "Dick in a Box". Now we can add "Jizz in My Pants" to that list. This song is the first single from The Lonely Island's debut album "INCREDIBAD". In stores 2/10/2009. THE DUDES ARE RELEASING AN ALBUM. That's super Ka-blamo, y'all.

PS I'm stupidly pleased with my post title.