what it's oops

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

emily blunt personal life new

Emily Olivia Leah Blunt born 23 February 1983 is an English actress. Blunt's first major film role came in the British drama My Summer of Love 2004 She then appeared in The Devil Wears Prada 2006 for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. She has since appeared in a number of American and British productions, including Charlie Wilson's War 2007 The Young Victoria 2009 , and The Wolfman 2010
In 2007, Blunt won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the 2005 BBC television film, Gideon's Daughter.
Contents
* 1 Personal life
* 2 Career
* 3 Filmography
* 4 Theatre performances
* 5 Awards and nominations
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Personal life
Blunt was born in Roehampton, London, England. She is the second of four children born to Joanna Mackie, an English teacher and former actress, and barrister Oliver Blunt, QC paternal uncle is Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP for Reigate.
Blunt previously shared a home with her ex-boyfriend, Canadian singer, Michael Bubléwhom she first met in Melbourne backstage at the Australian television Logie Awards in 2005. She later provided background vocals on his cover of "Me and Mrs. Jones" on his album Call Me IrresponsibleIn November 2008, Blunt began dating actor John Krasinski, after the pair were set up by Blunt's The Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway. On 28 August 2009, Blunt and Krasinski announced their engagement.The couple married on 10 July 2010 in Italy
Career
At the age of 16, Blunt moved to Hurtwood House, a sixth-form college known for its performing arts programme. There, she was discovered by an agent. Blunt made her professional debut in Bliss, a new musical written by Paul Sellar, at the 2000 Edinburgh Fringe while she was still an A-level student. She went on to perform at the National Theatre and at Chichester Festival Theatre. In 2003, she made her screen debut in the British television drama Boudica, about the life of the ancient British warrior-queen who fought the Romans. She also won considerable praise for her performance as the 16th-century queen Catherine Howard in the two-part British television drama Henry VIII.
Blunt's breakout role was as Tamsin in the dark British movie, My Summer of Love in 2004, which depicted a story of deception and lesbian love in the English countryside. She shared an Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer with co-star Natalie Press.
In 2005, she co-starred with Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson in the British TV drama Gideon's Daughter, an original screenplay written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, in which she played the troubled only child of New Labour spin doctor Gideon Warner, played by Nighy. Blunt won a Golden Globe for her performance.
2006, she appeared opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in the box-office success The Devil Wears Prada. Streep and Hathaway received most of the critical attention initially, but Blunt proved to be equally memorable with Entertainment Weekly naming her the Best Female Scene-Stealer in their end-of-summer special issue. She appeared at the 79th Academy Awards where she co-presented the award for best costume design with her Prada co-star Hathaway. Blunt and Hathaway lost weight for their roles in the film. In an interview with Us Weekly, Hathaway said “I basically stuck with fruit, vegetables and fish to slim down for the movie. I wouldn't recommend that. Emily Blunt and I would clutch at each other and cry because we were so hungry." Blunt also spoke about the weight loss, claiming she had to go "painfully thin"
Blunt co-starred with Susan Sarandon in the independent drama Irresistible. When Sarandon became attached to starring in another movie, The Girl In The Park, she strongly suggested that director David Auburn should cast Blunt. In 2007, she appeared in the film Charlie Wilson's War.
In 2009, she played Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes. The movie co-starred Miranda Richardson and Rupert Friend as the queen's husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She also starred in the Toby Spanton-directed short film Curiosity. She was director Jon Favreau's first choice to play the Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but scheduling conflicts with Gulliver's Travels forced her to cede the role to Scarlett Johansson.In 2010, Blunt co-starred with Academy Award winners Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in the big-budget movie The Wolfman, which was released on 12 February. She also is set to star in Gulliver's Travels and in The Adjustment Bureau alongside Matt Damon as a ballet dancer "being mysteriously kept apart" from Damon's character Blunt was offered the female lead in the forthcoming Captain America movie but turned it down.Her next film project is Lasse Hallström's Salmon Fishing in the Yemen alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Ewan McGregor
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Notes
2003 Boudica Isolda
2004 My Summer of Love Tamsin
2005 The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle Jean Leckie
Gideon's Daughter Natasha Television film
2006 Irresistible Mara
The Devil Wears Prada Emily Charlton
2007 Wind Chill Girl
The Jane Austen Book Club Prudie Drummond
Dan in Real Life Ruthie "Pig Face" Draper
Charlie Wilson's War Jane Liddle Cameo
2009 Sunshine Cleaning Norah Lorkowski
The Great Buck Howard Valerie Brennan
The Young Victoria Queen Victoria
Curiosity Emma Short Film
2010 The Wolfman Gwen Conliffe
Wild Target Rose
Gulliver's Travels Princess Mary
2011 The Adjustment Bureau Elise Sellas completed
Gnomeo and Juliet Juliet voice completed
2012 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Harriet Chetwode-Talbot post-production
Looper Sara filming
Television Year Title Role Notes
2003 Henry VIII Catherine Howard Serial
Foyle's War Lucy Markham Episode "War Games"
2004 Poirot Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle Episode "Death on the Nile"
2005 Empire Camane Miniseries
2009 The Simpsons Juliet voice Episode "Lisa the Drama Queen"
Theatre performances
Year Title Role Notes
2000 Bli Maddy Edinburgh Festival
The Royal Family Gwen West End Theatre
2002 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Chichester Festival Theatre
Vincent in Brixton Eugenie Loyer RNT
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2004 BIFA Most Promising Newcomer My Summer of Love Nominated
2005 LCC British Newcomer of the Year Nominated
ESBFA Most Promising Newcomer Won
2006 Teen Choice Award Choice Breakout The Devil Wears Prada Nominated
2007 BAFTA Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
Rising Star Nominated
LCC British Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role Nominated
MTV Movie Award Best Comedic Performance Nominated
ALFS Award British Supporting Actress of the Year Won
Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Nominated
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Gideon's Daughter Won
2009 BIFA Best Actress The Young Victoria Nominated
Satellite Awards Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated
Golden Globes Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated
Satellite Awards Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Sunshine Cleaning Nominated

emily blunt

Emma Roberts early life pics

Emma Rose Roberts born February 10, 1991 is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and designer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and the niece of actresses Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts Gillan. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's soundtrack Unfabulous and More. Roberts then pursued a solo singing career by recording two songs for the soundtracks of Ice Princess and Aquamarine in which Roberts starred as one of the leads Roberts then began to focus on her acting career, the title character in the 2007 film Nancy Drew, and her voice-over debut in The Flight Before Christmas.
In 2008 and 2009 Roberts was cast in coming-of-age movies, the first being Wild Child, this was followed by Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and Lymelife. Roberts appeared in the 2009 family film Hotel for Dogs and The Winning Season. In 2010, she appeared in Valentine's Day, which also starred Julia Roberts. She had a main role in It's Kind of a Funny Story. She is now starring in the popular horror series sequel, Scream 4, along with Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox Arquette and David Arquette as one of the main characters.
Content
* 1 Early life
* 2 Acting career
o 2.1 2001–2005: Early career and Unfabulous
o 2.2 2006–2011: Theatrical films
* 3 Music career
* 4 Other work
* 5 Filmography
* 6 Discography
* 7 Awards
* 8 References
* 9 External links
Early life
Roberts was born in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, New York dead link She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and his then-girlfriend Kelly Cunningham Roberts is the stepdaughter of Eliza Roberts and the niece of actresses Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts Gillan. She has two stepsiblings, Morgan and Keaton Simons. Roberts attended Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, California from 2004-2005 for 7th and 8th grade. needed Roberts said in a 2007 interview on her education that: "Oh yes, I have a tutor and we have three hours of school every day. That way I am caught up on my work and then when I am not doing school work I am shooting something or other
career
2001–2005: Early career and Unfabulous
During her childhood, Roberts spent a lot of time on the sets of the films in which her aunt Julia Roberts was starring. These experiences sparked a desire in Roberts, from the age of five, to follow her father and aunts into the film industry Although her mother initially wanted her to have a normal childhood, Roberts made her acting debut at age nine in Ted Demme's 2001 drama Blow. It was the first film for which she ever auditioned. In the film she portrayed Kristina Jung, the daughter of Johnny Depp's character, cocaine smuggler George Jung. As the film is rated R, her mother reportedly would not allow Roberts to see it before she turned eighteen. In 2001, Roberts also had a role in Leif Tilden's 10-minute short "bigLove" which also starred her future stepfather, Kelly Nickels and was an uncredited extra in some scenes featuring her aunt Julia Roberts in America's Sweethearts
She went on to appear in smaller roles in two family films, in 2002's Grand Champion, as the sister of the main character Buddy Jacob Fisher and in 2003's Spymate, as the kidnapped daughter of former secret agent Mike Muggins Chris Potter who tries to rescue her with the help of a spy monkey. Grand Champion had a brief theatrical release in August 2004, while Spymate was not released until February 2006, when it was given a theatrical run in Canada followed by its DVD release in April 2006. In August 2003, Roberts was scheduled to shoot an independent film called Daisy Winters, starring as the title character, alongside Rachel Weisz However, the film, which would have been Roberts' first leading role, never began shooting due to financial problems. In 2004, Roberts became a teen idol at the age of 13, starring as the lead character Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon series Unfabulous, which debuted in September 2004. Nickelodeon had wanted to cast her for the role from the beginning, and the teen sitcom earned Roberts a Teen Choice Award nomination and several Young Artist Award nominations.[citation needed The show aired for three seasons from 2004–2007 and aired 42 episodes; the third season ended on December 16, 2007.
The television series focused on Addie Singer Roberts a seventh grader whose life is "unfabulous" and she writes songs about her life, The television series had had various TV movies which include: The Perfect Moment which premiered on Nickelodeon on October 6, 2006. In 2004 Roberts guest-starred in an episode of the Nickelodeon series Drake and Josh, Roberts was in the episode "Honor Council". Because her character on Unfabulous writes songs and plays guitar, Nickelodeon soon considered a career in music for Roberts as well, following the lead of other actress/pop singers such as Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan
2006–2011: Theatrical films
In 2006, Roberts returned to the big screen, starring alongside Sara Paxton and singer JoJo in Aquamarine. Roberts won a 2007 Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film for her role in the film.The film Aquamarine took 5 place at the box office on its opening weekend making 8 millionIn early 2006, Roberts finished shooting her title role in Nancy Drew. The film was released to theaters on June 15, 2007, and grossed over 7 million in its opening weekend though the film was not well received by critics.In December 2007 Roberts began filming Hotel For Dogs. In 2008 Roberts had her voiceover debut when she voiced the English version of the character Wilma in the CGI-animated family film The Flight Before Christmas. citation needed
Roberts at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
In 2009, Roberts starred alongside Jake T. Austin in Hotel for Dogs based on the novel by Lois Duncan. The film premiered on January 15, 2009 and was released to theaters on January 16, 2009 and took #5 place in its opening weekend with over 17 million. The film has to-date grossed over 114 million, and received generally mixed reviews from critics.Roberts starred as the lead in the film Wild Child, a rebellious teen from Malibu sent to a boarding school in England. Roberts described her character as "pretty much your typical spoiled-brat Malibu socialite who gets shipped off to British boarding schoolRoberts also described the film and her character as being: It’s about a Malibu princess who isn’t getting along with her dad so well because she behaves pretty badly, so he ships her off to boarding school in England. It’s a very cute story and I am so excited because I get to shoot in London all summer Roberts also appeared in the indie film Lymelife with Alec Baldwin, which was premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Roberts said that Lymelife is “kind of like American Beauty meets The Ice Storm, that her reasoning for doing the film was that, “Some people look at me and think, She’s just Julia Roberts’s niece. So I wanted to do something smaller and edgier, something that would show I really am an actressRoberts also described her character in Lymelife and said of her, "Adrianna really is your typical girl. I think everyone knew an Adrianna type of girl growing up, and I could relate to her just because I remember being at her age, like 15, 16, where you're kind of frustrated because you don't know if you want to be older or if you have to act your age, or if you're supposed to act sexy or cute or what. I could definitely relate to that aspect of her.Roberts also said that she chose to do the role because: "I had t finished Hotel for Dogs, and I wanted to do something just completely different. So the script for Lymelife kind of just came out of nowhere, and I read it and I really liked it. I met Derick and I really, really liked him. For the most part the cast was set, and I thought the cast they had chosen was brilliant. It was something I really wanted to be a part of; when you want to be a part of something like that, you'll do whatever they want you to do also said of the film: "I just really loved the material, and I loved the people that were involved with the script, and I just really wanted to be a part of it. I'm 18 now, so I think that it's appropriate and time to do something more matur Roberts said in a interview with Vanity Fair that: I’d love to do another role similar to my character in Lymelife, just because it was such a fun character to get to play with. I’d love to do a thriller, and I’d love to do a role like Kate Hudson’s in Almost Famous, because that’s my favorite movie. I just want to keep trying new things. I want to constantly be surprising people with different roles
Roberts co-starred as Grace in the hit 2010 film Valentine's Day with, among a host of other actors, her aunt Julia Roberts. Roberts is set to reunite with Nancy Drew director Andrew Fleming on both Rodeo Gal and a Nancy Drew sequel although the latter has been put on hold since 200She appeared in the sports comedy The Winning Season.In 2010, Roberts also appeared in Twelve and It's Kind of a Funny Story.
According to BloodyDisgusting.com Roberts will be starring in the horror film, Grimm, which follows the Quinn family that moves to Marburg, Massachusetts, a town that turns out to be haunted by the most horrific nightmares spawned by the imagination of the Brothers Grimm. She will co-star in the film adaptation of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, A Great Education and Homework May 2010, Roberts received the role of Jill in the upcoming Wes Craven film Scream 4 is set to be a new character in the film alongside Neve Campbell who will be playing Jill's cousin The film hits theatres April 15, 2011, over 11 years since the third installment in the popular Scream franchise.
Music career
In 2005, Roberts had a debut album Unfabulous and More. The album was released on September 27, 2005 through Columbia Records and Nick Records. It also served as the soundtrack to the popular television series, Unfabulous, in which Roberts stars as the leading role. The album peaked at 46 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers char In September, two promotional singles were released from the album: "I Wanna Be" and "Dummy". The album includes several original songs among them "Dummy" and "I Wanna Be", both of which were also released as music videos, "I Have Arrived", and "This Is Me", which was co-written by Roberts as well as some of Addie's songs from the first season, including "Punch Rocker" and "New Shoes" both from the episode "The Party" Weeks Metal Mouth Freak from "The Bar Mitzvah" and "Mexican Wrestler which had previously appeared on Jill Sobule's 2000 album Pink Pearl and in the episode "The 66th Day" from Unfabulous Heather Phares from Allmusic praised her "fresh" and "genuine voice", and also claimed that the album was "filled with, sweet idealistic songs sung by a young girl who sounds like a young girl instead of a pop tart During the same year, Roberts recorded "If I Had It My Way" for the soundtrack of the 2005 Disney film Ice Princess. In 2006, Roberts covered the song "Island in the Sun", which was originally recorded by Weezer in 2001; she recorded the song for Aquamarine's soundtrack, a film where she starred as one of the leads.
Roberts said in a 2007 interview, "Right now I am focusing on movies, I am getting ready to start a new movie this summer so that is taking a lot of my time. I think when I am a little bit older it is definitely something I’d like to pursue. In another interview, she said, "My musical career is indefinitely on hold. I don’t like people who become like ‘actor slash singer.’ I think people should be one or the other because usually you’re not going to be great at both. You’re going to better at one, so you might as well stick to the one you’re good at. I’m going for acting."
Other work
In February 2009, she was named the brand ambassador for Neutrogena; she appeared in print and television ads for the companyRoberts has also appeared multiple times as part of Teen Vogue’s Best Dressed list including June 2007, September 2008, December 2008, February 2009.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes
2001 BigLove Delilah
2001 Blow Young Kristina Jung
2001 America's Sweethearts Girl in Purple T-shirt Uncredited
2002 Grand Champion Sister
2006 Spymate Amelia Muggins
2006 Aquamarine Claire Brown
2007 Nancy Drew Nancy Drew
2008 Flight Before Christmas, TheThe Flight Before Christmas Wilma Voice role
2008 Wild Child Poppy Moore
2009 Hotel for Dogs Andi
2009 Lymelife Adrianna Bragg
2009 Winning Season, TheThe Winning Season Abbie
2010 Valentine's Day Grace Smart
2010 Twelve Molly Norton
2010 4.3.2.1 Joanne
2010 Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac Alice Leeds
2010 It's Kind of a Funny Story Noelle
2010 What's Wrong with Virginia Jessie Tipton
2011 Homework Sally Completed
2011 Scream 4 Jill Roberts Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes
2004–2007 Unfabulous Addie Singer Lead role
2004 Drake & Josh Addie Episode: "Honor Council"
2010 Jonas L.A. Herself Episode: "House Party"
2010 Take Two with Phineas and Ferb Herself Main role

Emma Roberts

The Clothing Drive

Sorry for yesterday's post being super uber late. I haven't felt all that great in the last couple of days. (I don't like to say that I'm sick or getting sick because I don't like to be sick. I figure if I just avoid that terminology, everything will be fine. Try it yourself! Though you should probably be warned that it doesn't really work. Like, at all.)

So, I'm going to keep in line with the theme of Super Bowl commercials. (What? One day does not a theme make? You try feeling like I do and then saying that. Trust me. One day does a theme make!) Bud Light always seems to win when it comes to most amusing Super Bowl ads. And again, I'm not just referring to the ones that make it on the air. I have another favorite that came no where close to being aired and it is hilarious as well. It kind of has a similar theme to the Swear Jar commercial. (See?! Bud Light thought that one of something could make for a theme! I don't see why I can't.) If it worked for them, it's going to work for me. (I hope to be back in tiptop form shortly. I've been doing this every day for three years. I can't stop now! It might be some sort of Internet record!) Behold!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Aya Kiguchi a famous actress in Tokyo

One of famous actreess in Japan is Aya Kiguchi.
Aya Kiguchi was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, and now she lives in Tokyo, she is a famous actress, gravure and AV idol in Japan. She works with the Platinum Production agency.

English Name: Aya Kiguchi
Romaji Name: Kiguchi Aya

Alias: Ayatei, Kigutchi, Ayakabu, Kiguchiyan
Date of Birth: October 11, 1985
Place of Birth: Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Place of Living: Tokyo, Japan
Zodiac: Libra
Blood Type: A
Height: 158 cm

Bust: 89 cm
Cup Size: F70
Waist: 57 cm
Hip: 86 cm
Shoe Size: 23.5 cm
Nationality: Japanese
Occupation: Actress, Gravure Idol, Singer, Race Queen
Talent Agency: Platinum Production

Moore pictures :
Aya Kiguchi 1
Aya Kiguchi 2
Aya Kiguchi 3
Aya Kiguchi 4
Aya Kiguchi 5
Aya Kiguchi 6
Aya Kiguchi 7
Aya Kiguchi 8

RhoDeo 1105 Aetix

Hello, breaking away currently from watching Zeitgeist: Moving Forward, the third installment in Peter Joseph's Zeitgeist film series. The movie was independently released simultaneously in over 60 countries and in over 30 languages on January 15, 2011 with over 340 screenings worldwide, meanwhile it's been up at Youtube more than 1.6 million views have been registered in the first 6 days, me i downloaded a 1.1 gig xvid of this impressive 160 min documentairy. Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (btw plenty of language subs aswell)

Ok..some more psychobilly again.. that highpowered and subsequently colourful lifestyle-without the big bucks or press mosquitos..as such it is powered by the internal drive, with highly infective results....

xxxxx

The Legendary Stardust Cowboy has been known to make people do strange things. Like sign him to a recording contract. Major labels aren’t receptive to weirdness; they’re in business to make money, not scare customers. Yet it was Mercury Records who propelled the Legendary Stardust Cowboy (a.k.a. "The Ledge") into the marketplace. In 1968, the label released his 45 rpm single, "Paralyzed" -- a blast of Texas no-fi wreckage, two-and-a-half minutes of Indian whoops, rebel yells and caveman cretinism -- that forever staked this unforgettable vocalist’s claim to fame.

The perpetrator of the feral "Paralyzed" is a relatively mild-mannered pussycat. Before he adopted the guise of the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, he was Norman Carl Odam, born September 5, 1947, in Lubbock, TX, to Carl Bunyan Odam and Utahonna Beauchamp. He was a shy youngster; he says it took his kindergarten teacher six months to get him to talk. One of his earliest recollections is that at age 7, he knew he "would like to go to Mars instead of the Moon." In school, he distracted himself by scribbling poetry and short stories.

At some point in his teens, Odam merged two great obsessions -- the Wild West and Outer Space -- and decided "The Legendary Stardust Cowboy" suited him better than "Norman." He spray-painted the name -- preceded by "NASA presents" -- in big gold and black letters across the side of his new Chevy Biscayne. He couldn’t get gigs at local clubs, so he obsessively sang in public: at frat houses, outside the Dairy Queen, in the parking lots of the Hi-D-Ho Drive-In and the Char-King. His makeshift stage was the roof of his Chevy.

With $160 in his pocket, the Ledge aimed his Biscayne at New York. His goal: the Tonight Show. He had no manager and no demo tape. He also had zero business smarts. He pit-stopped in Forth Worth, 300 miles east of his hometown. Two vacuum cleaner salesmen, headed out to a local club, spied the Ledge's graffiti-blessed Chevy in a parking lot, they knew the club owner, so they invited Odam along to perform. After witnessing the musical demolition derby that is a typical Ledge showcase, they whisked him to a nearby recording studio, where he auditioned an original song for a young engineer named T-Bone Burnett.

They spooled up a reel of tape and hit "record." T-Bone leapt to the drumkit, the Ledge grabbed a mic, and "Paralyzed" was born. The Ledge’s aboriginal shrieks and freewheeling bugle brays were underscored by Burnett’s furious, not quite-metronomic drumming. That was in the morning, in the afternoon the above situated radiosatation had already recieved positive feedback on their playing the recoding tape. Immediately 500 copies were pressed and not much later was sold to Mercury Records for national distribution. It cracked the Billboard Top 200. It brought the sagebrush spaceman instant fame, if not fortune.

Lubbock’s most eccentric export had launched a chart-climbing record and caused pandemonium on the nation’s top-rated TV show. Offers quickly followed for appearances on American Bandstand, The Joey Bishop Show, and Ed Sullivan. The "legendary" part of his name seemed assured; the "star" part was imminent. Unfortunately, within a short while, his dreams were "dust." Just as the Ledge was set to collect dividends on years of dues paying, a musicians’ strike imposed a network ban on live music. Because he'd played guitar on national TV, the Ledge was categorized "union." The variety show offers were postponed. By the time the strike was over, so was "Paralyzed." It was off the charts. Two followup singles flopped. Doppler-like, the Ledge zoomed off the nation's cultural radar as quickly as he’d arrived.

During his stay in Las Vegas, he met DJ-entrepreneur James Yanaway, who had a new label, Amazing Records, for which he recorded the Ledge’s first full-length album, Rock-It to Stardom (1984). Unlike the skeletal instrumentation on his early singles, this recording (and all his later waxings) employed a band -- a cookin’ crew. Technique remained parked in the lobby; spontaneity was the prime directive. Some of it turned out all right, considering the chaotic conditions it was recorded under. The album includes a new version of "Paralyzed," recorded in 1981 with the LeRoi Brothers. As re-makes go, it’s nearly as vigorous as the original.

A crew of San Francisco-based musicians undertook the honor of backing the Ledge in his Bay area debut in early 1986. Later that year they joined him in the studio to record the album Retro Rocket Back to Earth for Spider Records. The repertoire is largely first-take, sloppy but spirited, with no overdubs. Our lost-in-space cowpoke betrays his Luddite leanings, proclaiming in one song title, "I Hate CDs," though it’s perhaps less the technology than certain personalities associated with it. "I hate those CDs that Bruce Springsteen put out," the Ledge howls, "He’s the number one reason why I hate CDs." The same entourage recorded The Legendary Stardust Cowboy Rides Again, but they couldn’t find an American company that would touch it. (The album was released on France’s New Rose in 1990.)

Nowadays, the Ledge lives in San Jose and works in Santa Clara for defense contractor Lockheed-Martin as a security guard. "Got a top secret clearance," he revealed. "They designed the Pathfinder spacecraft that landed on Mars." Odam's a meteorology freak -- his TV is constantly tuned to the Weather Channel. Despite his hatred of CDs, he bought a deck, primarily to listen to his favorite singers: Barbra Streisand, Dinah Washington, and Barry Manilow. "And don't forget Sinatra," the Ledge advised. "He's #1." He rarely performs in public anymore. And despite his loyal following, the Ledge will always be a taste some folks never acquire.

Legendary Stardust Cowboy -Rock It 2 Stardom (84 ^ 80mb)

01 Paralyzed-'80's
02 I Walk A Hot Wind
03 Radar
04 Fly Me To The Moon
05 I Took A Trip
06 Cast Iron Apron
07 Cactus
08 Shadow Of A Tiger
09 Who's Knocking On My Door
10 Brass Rainbow
11 Shootout On A CB Channel
12 Mr Songwriter
13 Dynamite
14 Crack Of Dawn
15 Rock- It To Stardom

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25 Years Of Rockin’ & Wreckin’

For fans of psychobilly, that insane subgenre of punk and rockabilly developed separately and simultaneously by the Meteors in England and the Cramps on the North American side of the Atlantic, this contains tracks of pure, power-driven, horror film-imaged psychobilly. It contains virtually every other act produced by the genre and some songs by bands -- like the Tailgators -- not normally associated with it. The Guana Batz are here, as are the Termites, the Frantic Flintstones, the Gazmen, just to name a few.

VA - This Is Psychobilly 1 (148mb)

01. The Meteors - Mutant Rock (2:23)
02. The Guana Batz - King Rat (2:35)
03. The Deltas - Heart Attack (2:22)
04. The Ricochets - Hit Man (2:20)
05. The Sharks - Charlie (2:06)
06. The Meteors - Johnny Remember Me (3:10)
07. King Kurt - Road To Rack & Ruin (3:10)
08. Torment - The Source (2:45)
09. The Pharaohs - Blue Egypt (3:42)
10. The Frantic Flintstones - Bedrock (1:56)
11. The Krewmen - Night Of The Living Dead (2:35)
12. Sugar Puff Demons - Mask (1:59)
13. Stage Frite - Island Of Lost Souls (3:01)
14. The Termites - Shout It Out Loud [(3:06)
15. The Tailgators - Godzilla (2:41)
16. The Meteors - Eat The Baby (3:18)
17. Sugar Puff Demons - Dance With The Dead (2:21)
18. The Radiacs - Hellraiser (2:21)
19. Stage Frite - Bad Moon Rising (2:30)
20. Batfinks - Raisin' Hell (2:18)
21. Mad Sin - Ride This Torpedo (2:42)
22. The Guana Batz - Shake It Up (3:12)
23. The Frantic Flintstones - Billy Overdose (4:50)

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Happy Black History Month & Langston Hughes Day (Poems)

Today begins Black History Month, which is celebrated throughout the month of February in both the United States and Canada (in UK it occurs in October). It became an official US celebration in 1976, though its origins date back to scholar-activist Carter G. Woodson's establishment of Negro History Week in 1926. It is also, happily, Langston Hughes's birthday (1902-1967). I have posted more than a few Langston Hughes poems on this blog, and relish any opportunity to do so.

A draft of Hughes's "Old Walt"

Here are of two of his most famous poems, from Montage of a Dream Deferred (Henry Holt, 1951), both in direct conversation with each other. Note the light, jazzy, celebratory but ultimately critical tone of the first contrasting with the graver and more somber tone of the second, which I had to memorize and recite as a child (ah, the 1970s!). Both also might be read metonymically in relation to African America as it was in his day, and our own.

GOOD MORNING

Good morning, daddy!
I was born here, he said.
watched Harlem grow
until colored folks spread
from river to river
across the middle of Manhattan
out of Penn Station
dark tenth of a nation,
planes from Puerto Rico,
and holds of boats, chico,
up from Cuba Haiti Jamaica,
in buses marked New York
from Georgia Florida Louisiana
to Harlem Brooklyn the Bronx
but most of all to Harlem
dusky sash acros Manhattan
I've seen them come dark
wondering
wide-eyed
dreaming
out of Penn Station--
but the trains are late.
The gates open--
Yet there're bars
at each gate.
What happens
to a dream deferred?
Daddy, ain't you heard?

***

HARLEM

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?