Anton Corbijn is a powerful force in the rock world, as a photographer and music video director creating images of such rock legendary wizards : U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, Front 242, Elvis Costello, Miles Davis,David Bowie,REM, Depeche Mode, Kurt Cobain, Coldplay and many many others. I first discovered his work staying up late as a teen watching Dave Kendell on 120 minutes. Now say out loud in a british accent, "Hello, I'm Dave Kendell and you are watching 120 minutes! Tonight we will premiere videos by artists such as Lush, The Cure, Skinny Puppy, MC 900 Foot Jesus and much much more!" He was so enthusiastic, he's probably living in satellite radio somewhere. Like many other photographers, turned music video directors, Corbijn's first feature film is Control, about the life of frontman Ian Curtis of Joy Division. The movie premiered at Cannes to rave reviews and I give it 5 fingers up! Sam Riley, a british actor and the lead singer of the band Leeds gives a blistering breakthrough performance as Ian Curtis, and Samantha Morton is blistering as well acting as Curtis's wife, Debbie. As the credits rolled, I learned that the movie is based on the book written by Debbie Curtis entitled, "Touching from a Distance."  The book and the movie examine the troubled life the young musician Ian Curtis, his battle with epilepsy and his extramarital affair. Ian and Debbie had a child together, Nathalie, and I found out she is living in Manchester working, like  Anton Corbijn, as a rock photographer.  Unlike traditional rock images you see on magazine covers, her images are quiet and intimate documentary style portraits.  I wish magazines today would publish more pictures like this, rather than the slick, styled, polish portraits you see  that grace a magazine's cover with the intention to market whatever the atisit is selling at the time.  

The Punk rock girl is alive and super well living in New York City, The Dead Milkmen will play April 17, at Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
And yes, she's on the List!

Does anyone really like Kiss anyway? They used to scare the living daylights out of me when I was younger. Then when I grew up, I didn't really like the music. It was the act, which caused nightmares, but then grew to love it like any other 10 year old growing up in the 1970's. It was something to watch besides Silver Spoons and Different Strokes on a friday night. But hey, someone probably has a 2008 power water gun out there waiting for me. This band is idolized. People get buried in Kiss caskets, married in kiss costumes, carry kiss credit cards, form Kiss cover bands, and now they have a reality TV show. Gene and his significant other, Shannon Tweed, got facelifts together on their TV show. And Gene Simmons is super strict, if his kids are caught drinking, he throws them out of the house and cuts them off. He's straight edge! And a brilliant business man.