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Friday, July 31, 2009

Wendy & Lisa called 'geniuses' by Nurse Jackie Creator!

Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius, the co-creators of the great Showtime drama, Nurse Jackie, were recently interviewed by AfterEllen.com about their hit show. The interview is very interesting and is worth the read! For example, Wallem and Brixius discuss their past relationship together and their ability to work together post break-up (hmmm... that story sounds a bit familiar). They also discuss the representation of gays and lesbians in television as well as their close friendship with Melissa Etheridge.

During the interview, the Nurse Jackie creators also compliment the ladies who write the score for the show, Wendy and Lisa. Below is the excerpt where Linda Wallem talks about having the ‘geniuses’ score the show as well as how Wendy and Lisa reacted to the last 4 episodes of the show! After reading that, I can’t wait to see those episodes!

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Excerpt from ‘Interview with "Nurse Jackie" creators Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius’:

LW: One of my favorite things is that we have Wendy (Melvoin) and Lisa (Coleman), who do our music. We love them and still can’t believe we have them. They’re just geniuses.

One of the most fun things was when Lizzie and I went over to their studio and we had just finished shooting and brought the last four episodes over and sat there and watched them with Wendy and Lisa. They hadn’t seen them and hadn’t scored them yet.

So we’re sitting there and Lisa’s jaw is on the floor and Wendy is saying, “Jackie! No!” It was hilarious and thrilling to see their reactions.

So I’ll just say that the last four episodes kind of blew Wendy and Lisa’s heads off, and I think they will for everyone else too. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s great. And it sets us up beautifully for what’s going to happen in season two.

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As previously mentioned, you should really read the interview in its entirety! It is very candid, interesting, and insightful. You can find the article here: Interview with "Nurse Jackie" creators Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius


(site last visited: July 30, 2009)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Sountrackgeek.com gives The Heroes Score A Geek Score of 9!

Recently, Jorn Tillnes of Soundtrack Geek conducted a very nice review of The Heroes Score CD (2009). Tillnes writes about his initial disappointment with the release of the Heroes Soundtrack (2008) (Note: the ‘Soundtrack’ and the ‘Score’ are two completely separate CDs) because of its lack of original music (i.e. the score) featured on the show. Tillnes then writes about his happiness at hearing that Wendy & Lisa released the Heroes Score earlier this year: “Not long ago, I heard about the score release which I couldn’t be happier about. I got exactly what I wanted, nay craved, last year, when reviewing the original soundtrack to Heroes.”

Tillnes concludes the review by stating that “[e]ven though Heroes might not be as great as it used to be, the music is really intriguing. It really fits the show well (at least the first season) and the style is great. It’s ethnic and can be quite dramatic. Wendy & Lisa did a great job and I would love to hear music from the third season as well, even though I’m not so into the series anymore. I wish they had a theme for Nathan though, that would be interesting.”

Finally, Tillnes gives The Heroes Score CD a 'Geek Score' of 9 (out of 10)!

To read the entire review, please click here: Soundtrack Geek Heroes Score Review

You may purchase a copy of The Heroes Score (2009) at either of these sites: Amazon - Heroes Score (Note: Amazon labels it the ‘Soundtrack’ but it is actually the score) OR La La Land Records - Heroes Score


(site last visited July 30, 2009)

Lisa Coleman's MusicLAB Returns (This) Friday, July 31st!

Lisa Coleman’s radio extravaganza, MusicLAB, returns on Friday, July 31st, at 9pm PST(Click here to see when the show will air in your area: Time and Date) on luxuriamusic.com! In case you have not had the pleasure of listening to MusicLAB, it is a bit different from DJ Wendy’s show. Of course, as on Wendy’s show, there is still a wide variety of great music, however, Lisa’s show also features US FANS! Prior to the show, Lisa will give us a topic. We then call in (she gives us the number) and we put in our two cents worth! Our recorded memories, opinions, etc. are then played back during the show! It is a neat and cool idea! This week's topic features 'stage fright'. I, myself, have never had stage fright (I stunk so much in the acting dept. that I was actually never given a part in a play), but I look forward to hearing other people's stories!

As usual, in addition to the great music and radio convo, there is THE CHAT!!! Luxuriamusic.com has a chat room (you should register to use the chat beforehand, if you haven’t already) where we tend to talk about anything and everything. Recently, the chat also has become a ‘family affair’. In earlier chats, Wendy’s sister, Susannah, has stopped by and during the last Girl Bros Radio chat (July 17th), Lisa’s sister, Cole, stopped by to say hello to her sis and us! The chat is always a LOT of fun and you never know who may enter the room to say ‘hi! So, if you have the time, make it to MusicLAB this Friday! It is ALWAYS a lot of fun and I’m sure you will have a good time!

If you have missed any of the previous Girl Bros Radio programs, you can download the podcasts from Luxuriamusic here: Girl Bros Radio Podcasts

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

25th Anniversary of Purple Rain

If you have not noticed the proliferation of magazine and internet articles discussing the movie ‘Purple Rain’, then you may not be aware that July 27th, 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of the movie premier! As a result of Purple Rain’s silver anniversary, those involved with the movie (except, of course, for the star) have done interviews recounting the making of the movie and its impact on the record industry as well as its impact on pop culture.

In my opinion, the most thorough interview has come from Spin Magazine (July 2009 issue). Unfortunately, as of the date of this post, the interview has not been reproduced on-line, however, the article interviews pretty much everyone from the Revolution as well as those responsible for the creation of the movie.

Until that article becomes available, however, you can read and listen to several good interviews on Purple Rain discussed by... (drum roll please) Wendy & Lisa!

The Minneapolis Star Tribune conducts an ‘Oral History’ of the Purple One as told by those closest to him (at the time). The interview covers the Purple Rain premier, the Oscar win, Under The Cherry Moon, and the rise and fall of The Family. Contributors to the ‘Oral History’ include Wendy, Lisa, David Z, Eric Leeds, and Paul Peterson. To read all about the Purple Rain premier as well as funny antidotes of the Oscar win, head over to the following article: An Oral History/ Purple Majesty


Chicago Public Radio’s “Sound Opinions” also decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Purple Rain by conducting a ‘Purple Rain Album Dissection’. The ‘Dissection’ includes a very nice Wendy & Lisa audio interview in which they discuss how they both ended up joining The Revolution, their inputs on Purple Rain, their influence on ‘The Kid’, as well as the kind of music they listened to during the Purple Rain era. The actual Purple Rain segment of the audio begins around the 5 minute mark. Wendy & Lisa’s interview begins at the 11 minute mark and lasts for about 20 minutes. You can listen to (or download) the entertaining audio interview here: Purple Rain Album Dissection

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Wendy & Lisa Talk About Scoring Virtuality

Oops! I don't know how I missed this interview! The Good Ship Phaeton interviewed Wendy & Lisa about their 'Virtuality' scoring gig. During the interview, the ladies discuss how they landed the gig, the 'feeling' that they hope to convey through the score, and their feelings about the show!

I actually watched the 'Virtuality' pilot today (I'm a little late, I know) and thoroughly enjoyed it! It felt a little slow in the beginning (I guess all shows have to be, initially, so that the audience can be filled in on the background), however, by the second half of the show, I was entranced! The second half developed a lot of mystery and someone (not saying who) dies!

At the time of this post, the show has not been picked up by any network :( It is a shame! This show looks very promising and I REALLY would like to know what happens! Like I said, the show ended with a lot of mystery and suspense... It would be nice to see how the plot thickens and turns out!

My theory on why the show has not been picked-up is that it is, perhaps, a little to 'progressive' for some of the prime-time networks :/ The show features an inter-racial couple (Black and Asian) along with a gay couple on the ship. To mature adults, neither of these factors are a big deal. However, after Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction', it seems that a good proportion of the television-viewing audience is not composed of 'mature adults'. Anyway, I hope that one of the major networks can get past those issues (if they are issues) and will realize that the show presents a very intriguing story line that can capture a major viewing audience (much like the TV series Lost).

I have rambled too much! Here is The Good Ship Phaeton Wendy & Lisa Interview: Good Ship Phaeton Talks to Wendy and Lisa

Friday, July 17, 2009

Girl Bros Radio, Something Old/Something New, and Largo!


GIRL BROS RADIO

Girl Bros Radio airs again tonight, July 17th, at 9pm PST (Click here to see when the show will air in your area: Time and Date) on luxuriamusic.com! This go around, DJ Wendy will be controlling the mic and spinning the tunes. There has never been a Girl Bros airing that I did not enjoy! Wendy always plays great (and a good variety of) music and the chat often gets pretty crazy! In addition, Wendy's "partner in crime", Lisa, will be chatting with us! Please stop by and enjoy the good music and crazy conversations!

Please note that luxuriamusic.com has recently made improvements to the chat and website. If you have not already set-up an account, please do so prior to the show (to be on the really safe side, give yourself 30 minutes) so that you can sign-in and join the chat when the show begins. It may be a good idea to log-in to the chat, prior to the show, even if you have already set-up an account.

SOMETHING OLD/SOMETHING NEW

Wendy & Lisa have a newly released incredibly funky track on their website! The track comes from the Town and Country Club (London) performance in 1989! The track is titled ‘Oh Wow’ and lives up to its name! You can check it out by clicking on the 'OH WOW' button below or by checking out the Wendy & Lisa Offical Website: Free MP3 of OH WOW (Note: In order to successfully download the track, you will have to provide a VALID e-mail address).

OH WOW!




LARGO!

Wendy & Lisa have announced a NEW upcoming concert at Largo at The Coronet on Saturday, August 1st at 9pm! The ladies truly have a wonderful show and if you don’t believe me, just check out my review of their last concert below. If you are anywhere near the area or if you just want a really cool vacation, I encourage you to check them out! You can find additional details of the show by checking out The Wendy & Lisa Official Website.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Wendy & Lisa at The Largo, June 27th 2009 – My Memoires

If you ever get the opportunity to see Wendy & Lisa, live in concert, DO SO! You will be glad that you did; even if you have to travel cross country to do it!

On Saturday, June 27th, Wendy & Lisa performed at Largo at The Coronet Theater! Largo is a very small and cozy theater that seats almost 300. I think that I have been to movie theaters that seated more people. However, the smaller venue meant that every seat was a good seat! I was sitting in the 3rd row 3 seats from the left! Perfect!

Right before the show, we were instructed not to take photos & to not turn our phones on. Initially, I thought that the inability to Twitter was going to be excruciatingly painful. However, I soon realized that this was for the best. The venue is so small and intimate that any flash would have definitely disrupted the band. The inability to tweet, text, or take pics definitely meant that everyone in the audience could focus on the great music and truly enjoy the moment.

The stage featured a big screen in the background with two smaller PCs up front. One PC scrolled through some of the pics found on the Official Site (as well as additional pics not on the site) while the other scrolled through a screen saver.

Here's a very fuzzy picture of the stage (courtesy of my cheap camera which apparently takes fuzzy pictures when you don't use the flash in a dark room):
















The stage set-up consisted of Lisa (on keyboard/guitar) on the far left, followed by Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Susannah Melvoin [Bramhall] & Libby Lavella (background vocals), Jeremy Stacey (on drums), and Chris Bruce (on bass) at the far right. Wendy, of course, stood front-center stage.

Here is the set list from the Official Website:

1. Waterfall

2. Lolly Lolly

3. Reaching One

4. Balloon

5. Invisible

6. Red Bike

7. Niagra Falls

8. INSTRUMENTAL (w&l, no band): the Guise of Love/You and I/Jonathan

9. All I Wonder

10. Waiting for Coffee

11. Love Song (Elton John cover)

12. Love and Trouble

13. Mother of Pearl

14. But Not For Me (Jazz Standard)

encore: 15. Are You There? (Dionne Warwick cover)


Throughout the show, the large screen in the background featured vintage video footage. The footage featured a lot of video from the Civil Rights era (1960s) as well as video of a young Fidel Castro and other 'less serious' footage.

For me, some of the most memorable moments of the concert actually resulted from some of the footage. Specifically, the footage played during the performances of Invisible and Red Bike made me see those songs in a completely different light. Image Wendy singing 'Invisible... I will not be' while, in the background, civil rights pioneers like Huey P. Newton and Martin Luther King are marching in the background defying to be 'invisible'. Also, there was a truly perfectly timed moment when Wendy was singing Red Bike. At one point, she was belting through the chorus "I'm freeeee" and in the background there were young African-Americans holding up 'Freedom Riders' signs. The background video was perfect during those two songs and completely put a whole new spin on their meaning for me. It was a great moment!

Another memorable moment occurred during the performances of 'You and I' and 'Jonathan'. Prior to these songs there was a lot of jovial back-and-forth between Wendy and Lisa. However, during the performance of 'You and I', I could definitely notice a change in Lisa's demeanor. She got really serious during the performance of 'You and I', which I just attributed to the fact that it IS a sad song. However, while she was singing 'Jonathan', she started to cry and you definitely knew something was not right (it definitely wasn't part of the show). Now, I sincerely hope that this does not come off being mean because it definitely is not my intent. However, the performance of 'Jonathan' was like emotional tennis for me. Lisa began crying during the song. However, Wendy was doing her damnedest to make Lisa laugh and cheer her up. So, I look left and see Lisa crying (sad), then I look right and see Wendy making all kinds of funny faces at Lisa (funny). Look left again and Lisa is still crying (sad - she doesn't see Wendy). I look right again and Wendy looks like she is mentally willing for Lisa to take just one look at her so that she can make her laugh with crazy facial expressions (really funny). So, I look left, sad, and then look right, happy. It was truly like a weird sad, happy, sad, happy tennis match. In the end, Wendy lost: Lisa never looked at her. However, through much concentration, Lisa got through the song and let us all know that a close friend of hers had died that week (sad again). I do give Wendy tons of credit, however, for truly trying hard to make her friend laugh! Her efforts did not go un-noticed... well, it did with Lisa... but not me :)

As for the music... it was GREAT! I was curious to see how the music would be played with a band considering their music is so complex (especially the music from White Flags). Songs such as ‘Niagra Falls’ sounds like there are at least 8 different instruments on it. With a 5-piece band, I was wondering how they would make up for the additional instruments. However, they definitely pulled it off! The songs sounded mostly the same except the ‘layered’ sounds were replaced by more complex chord arrangements from Wendy on guitar. I am sure that statement would make more sense if you could hear the music (hint hint for a live album). I t is hard explaining in words what you can truly only understand with your ears. There is older live footage of Wendy & Lisa on YouTube that will definitely give you an idea of what I am trying to explain (albeit inadequately). However, some of the songs were stripped down and were actually made more beautiful as a result.

Almost (but not quite) as enjoyable as the music is the banter between Wendy and Lisa. They are like female versions of Laurel and Hardy. They are constantly joking with each other which makes the 'down times' (like when Wendy is toning her guitar) much more pleasurable. For example, when introducing each other, Lisa called Wendy her 'Evil Half'. There was this truly horrible 'Ukrainian Whore' joke which I won't repeat, but they both should be ashamed of themselves :) After performing 'Invisible' Wendy proceeded to tell a story about getting kicked out of a restaurant in Nice, France for ordering a salad (the horror). Throughout the show, Lisa kept joking that a toy bus that was sitting on her keyboard was their 'tour bus' until they could get more funds. Clearly, I am not making it sound funny, but take my word for it; they were FUNNY!

Another pretty funny moment occurred after 'Niagra Falls'. There was a quiet moment (when Wendy is tuning her guitar) & someone yells out 'play Stones & Birth' so loud that we all hear. Wendy takes a moment to think and realizes that she can't remember the lyrics. So then someone in the first row proceeds to sing the song out loud. Wendy kinda remembers some of the lyrics but then forgets again. At that point, Lisa says that 'No!' they can't sing the song and we all laughed.

One of the cutest moments during the show happened at the very end. During the final moments of the show, you can see this hand (holding a camera) sticking out of the curtain on the right side of the stage. It turns out that the hand belonged to Doyle Bramhall II who was taking some video of his sister-in-law and wife. At the end, Wendy also brought out Susannah's oldest daughter out to say 'Hi'. It was a true family affair! Speaking of Susannah, she was her normal terrific self during the concert! You can always tell that she really enjoys singing when she performs. As usual, she was in 'the zone' singing and dancing during the concert. She is always fun to watch during shows and this was definitely no exception!

As if the great concert wasn’t enough... there was a Meet & Greet after the show! Immediately after the show, people began lining up to meet Wendy & Lisa. Unfortunately, I did not see this line until it was about 20-30 people deep! Anyway, I made my way to the end of the line and enjoyed The Largo pictures and artwork until... it was my turn!

This was my first time meeting Wendy and Lisa. It’s funny, on Twitter, I have had conversations with other fans who have not met them. We had a discussion on whether we would be nervous meeting them. I think I was the only one who said that I would not. True to my word, I wasn’t nervous but I think that my lack of nerves had much more to do with a lack of sleep than the circumstances at hand.

When I get to the table, Lisa sees me and mouths “MIKDEV!”, which is freaking awesome! That is the power of social media! ‘Mikdev’ is my Twitter name and I’m guessing Lisa recognized me from Facebook. It honestly never occurred to me that they would recognize me or know who I was but, perhaps, I was momentarily caught up in the Twighlight Zone :) It is a testament to how they actually pay attention to us fans. Truly amazing! Lisa was also kind enough to mention that she enjoyed (and thought was funny) the pics that I have posted on this blog (look to the right).

The first thing that I ask is whether I could take a picture of them and, of course, they said ‘Yes!’. So, I go behind the tables (where they were sitting) and get the biggest hugs (and kisses) from both of the ladies. They are soooo nice! No one should ever feel nervous around them because they seem like they are two of the nicest people on Earth. They very quickly put you at ease and make you feel comfortable. They were nice enough to take a couple of pictures with me and then I ask them to sign my poster, to which Lisa said ‘No!’ She was obviously kidding!

After taking the pics, I move back to the other side of the table and as Lisa is autographing my poster, I am face-to-face with Wendy Melvoin! As a second testament to how much they pay attention to their fans, Wendy proceeds to tell me that she read one of my blog posts and had a question for me. WTF?! I’m thinking “OMG! I wasn’t expecting questions!” Wendy recalls, in a blog post, that I mentioned how I kind of ‘lost track’ of them at one point and then ‘discovered’ them again. She asks me, basically, how I lost track. I tell her that I listen mainly to 'Urban' radio and that I remember the first two albums were played on Urban radio. However, since the 3rd and 4th albums were ‘alternative’, I never really heard about those albums (note to self: when speaking to favorite musicians, it might not be good to mention the fact that their albums have not gotten enough radio play).

So, I think that the questioning is over, but then she asks me how I managed to ‘find them’ again. In my mind, I am saying ‘WTF?!’ again because I have no idea how to answer the question. I mean, I understood the words and what she was asking me, but I was clueless on what the answer was (which is sad given that I wrote the blog post). So, I proceed to tell her that I had lost track of them after ‘Fruit At The Bottom’ but found out about ‘Eroica’ and ‘Girl Bros’ through the Internet. In my mind, I am thinking ‘Whew! I got through that question without saying anything stupid’.

Well, Wendy then proceeds to ask me what made me purchase ‘Eroica’ and ‘Girl Bros’. Again, “WTF?!” came to mind and I wondered if I could just donate a kidney rather than risk sounding stupid (again after the radio play comment) by rambling off a crazy answer because I’m not sure of the 'actual' answer. Well, I proceed to ramble! I enter into ‘fan mode’ and start talking about how ‘wonderful their music is’ and how ‘complex and layered it is’ and how ‘I bought the albums because I knew that I would enjoy them’... and on and on and on! I’m not sure what happened; maybe I started to make Wendy a little uncomfortable with the adulation or maybe she realized that my consistent rambling wasn’t getting her any closer to an answer. However, she finally said ‘Thank you’ and that I had answered her question. Thank Goodness!!!!!

Even after that mini-inquisition, Lisa, Wendy, and I still managed to talk a little bit about Pres. Obama and Girl Bros. Radio. Apparently, Wendy was thinking that it would be a good idea to let us call in LIVE on the radio. I second that idea! It would be fun, and she could ask us fans some really, really, complicated questions that really aren’t that complicated but, because we are actually on the phone with her, would seem really, really complicated and we could ramble crazy fan-induced compliments that really don’t answer her questions but somehow satisfies her curiosity :)

As you can tell, Wendy and Lisa were very generous with their time and were very patient speaking, taking pictures, and signing autographs with each of us. I seriously doubt that you will find many musicians willing to take as much time out for their fans... especially at a Meet and Greet where some musicians would usher you in and out in about 5 seconds flat.

I can't say enough times how enjoyable and how much fun the show was! It was well worth the cross-country trip and I would strongly encourage everybody to try and see Wendy & Lisa perform live! You definitely will not be disappointed! It was an amazing show and I am grateful to have been there!

If you DO manage to see them on Aug. 1st, here is some advice:
  1. Come prepared with a few compliments. No matter how hard/easy the questions are that they may ask, you can easily get out of answering them by dishing out a few compliments.
  2. Don’t be afraid to bring your ‘good’ camera! At The Largo, they do not appear to mind if you bring a camera just as long as you do not take pictures during the show! I wasn’t sure, so I bought my cheap compact camera, which was a mistake since I could have taken much better pictures at the Meet & Greet. So, bring your nice big expensive camera... just don’t take any pics during the show :)

Here are a few pictures along with the cool poster that they signed!


THANK YOU Wendy & Lisa for the great memories!!!









































































Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wendy & Lisa Talk About Heroes, Each Other, & Prince

In a very nice (short) interview for echoes.org, Wendy & Lisa talk about creating the score for Heroes and how there was not a special effects machine during the first season! So, many of the effects came from them!

In addition, they speak briefly about their 22-year relationship and playing for hours in 1 key during Prince rehearsals!

Again, another great interview by the ladies. Click here to listen: Echoes Wendy & Lisa Interview


(site last visited: July 8, 2009)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Temp Technorati Post

This is just a temporary post to complete Technorati registration:

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Wendy & Lisa IPhone APP Available!!!!

A brand new IPhone APP is available featuring our very own Wendy & Lisa!!!

The App is FREE and contains music from White Flags of Winter Chimneys as well as their (and fan) Twitter Streams and a few games!!!

Below is a screenshot of the ITunes App page. You can also find additional information regarding the App at the AppShopper page.


Two New WFOWC Reviews This Week

This week, Wendy & Lisa's White Flags of Winter Chimneys received two album reviews which were both very positive (which can only expected).

The first review comes from Pampelmoose.com. Below is a brief excerpt.

'Thankfully for Wendy & Lisa, the years have been kinder to them than they have to their former employer, musically speaking, as evidenced by this, the duo’s first album in a decade. Their approach to songwriting hasn’t altered much, but the work on White Flags feels as mature and fully formed as ever.

It’s an album that is instantly recognizable as a byproduct of the duo’s adopted hometown of Los Angeles, bearing the sun-baked haziness that has marked so many of the best pop records to come out of the city. It’s there in the rambling tempo and sparkling cool of songs like “Red Bike” and “Invisible”, as well as the album’s overall relaxed, yet assured tone.'

To read the entire review, click here: Pampelmoose WFOWC Review
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The second review comes from the Feminist Review blog. Below is a brief excerpt of the review.

'White Flags of Winter Chimneys is all about atmosphere, which is to say it’s thick with textured vocal and string arrangements that form a kind of cloudy yet bright mixture of sounds. Though containing only nine songs, this album is both energetic and sprawling, making it a kind of mini-epic. The opening track, “Balloon,” is an ethereal, almost childlike, meditation that gives way to the choral and guitar-heavy pop ballad, “Invisible.” There’s something ominous about “Niagara Falls,” in which Wendy and Lisa hauntingly repeat, “It looks so small from here/Please don’t help me.” Despite their sweet and smooth voices, there’s a sincere melancholy that comes through.'

To read the entire review, please click here: Feminist Review of WFOWC

(sites last visited: July 4, 2009)