The Pop Culture of Gus Lequerica

The reboot of Star Trek won the Best Film Award of the Hollywood Film Festival, for the best movie of 2009 (yeah the movie rules and I’m not a Trekkie) plus Zachary Quinto was awarded with the Spotlight Award 2009 (given by the femme fatale and heroine of Lost Michelle Monaghan).

Even in the death Michael Jackson continues to generate some kind of controversy; this time AllGood Entertainment is the responsible for the latest drama; and they want more than US$300 Million in revenues for the movie that chronicled the last days of the King of Pop and even so far they want to share revenues of the Sony Catalog.

AllGood also is suing John Branca and John McClain the specials co-administrators of the Jackson State as well Frank Dileo because he acted as a booking agent and he even promised that a Jackson 5 reunion would happened but AllGood didn’t expected that Michael Jackson was going to die and now they are wanting retribution. This situation is more crazy than Britney Spears Circus (and I don’t mean the song).

Recently I had the chance to interview Memphis Indie Musician Andrecus “Gentrax” Boyle or as he’s known also AndrecusB; the interview was made in English and translated because  the publication I collaborate with it’s basically in Spanish but here is the interview in English; and I hope you enjoy.

The topic of the interview it’s basically e-marketing and how indie musicians can take advantage of youtube and social sites as Myspace to promote their message and art.

Q:  What do you think about the power of internet and networking sites like YouTube and MySpace give to new artist the opportunity to promote their arts?

A:  I think sites like Youtube and MySpace are tremendous tools, especially for independent artists like me because they allow us to reach places that we ordinarily wouldn’t or couldn’t be seen or heard. They help us get that exposure to the regions where we physically can’t be. So there are great asset.

Q:  How were your formative years as a musician (artist)?

A:  Well it all began for me in church, as a 5yr old singing beside my mother in our church choir! That was the beginning, the foundation! I come from a family rich in music history. My father and his brothers and sisters, when they were young used to sing and tour throughout the southern region, so music’s a part of who I am. As a youngster I was always doing something musically from singing in church, to joining my brother and 3 cousins in a local singing group! We did gigs everywhere we could, from church concerts, to school functions to parties! My passion for musicianship really grew during the time I spent as a trumpet player in my middle and high school bands. Also taking piano lessons along the way I started respect and became intrigued with the production side of the music! I’ve just been involved in and been around so many great musicians locally that those many different experiences have helped shape the musician I am today!

Q:  What difficulties have you found in the way as an independent musicians?

A:  Well, It’s difficult for independent artists because major label artists get designated marketing dollars for radio play, music placements in films, television shows, and commercials. They also get album promotion and etc. We as independent artists aren’t afforded such luxuries, so it’s that much harder for us to get our product or our brand to the masses. Also, as an independent artist, you are in control of your Marketing, and Accounting. You play the role of Manager, PR person, and Booking agent. You do it yourself, because you have to…It’s difficult, but I enjoy the challenge!

Q:  How did you get started in the music business?

A:  Well, the game was kind of given to me early. During high school I began working with FL Studio. I took me awhile to get my sound up to par! I used to sneak in and just watch my big cousin as he would produce his tracks, soaking in everything. I learned a lot of the game from him. There was a period of about 5 years, from 2001 to 2006, where I was producing for everyone and featuring on songs with everyone. Although I knew I could sing and had been doing so all my life, I didn’t have the confidence in myself as an artist. So I would write and produce for other artists, hoping that somebody would blow and I would be on my way! Eventually, it boiled down to me acknowledging that I had to get out here and make it happen. I locked myself in my room and submerged myself with music. Writing, producing, and recording, hit music. This when I really started to take myself and my craft seriously! This is when it became my career. GENtrax Productions, the business was spawned.    

Q:  What eStrategies (Virtual Strategies) do you use to promote your art?

A:  I try and have profiles on all social networking sites, music on all music sites, so fans can have access to my music. I make sure I establish a rapport with my fan base and build on the support of my fan base through video blogs and etc.

Q:  How do you finance your music?

A:  Honestly, I work a 9 to 5 job!  Right now the revenue from the music is now steady enough for me to rely solely on it. On the production side it comes and goes. Some weeks, months are better than others.

Q:  What are the styles and musicians that influenced your personal style?

A:  My style, artistically, is a mixture of many styles. From R&B, Neo Soul, and Hip Hop. I mean, I do it all. As far as influences go, the biggest musical influence on my music has been Timbaland! Dude is one of the best producer’s ever! But it’s bigger than that with him. He’s produced some great artists and hit songs. That’s me as a talking, but coming up Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, and Playa were huge influences. Now days I like multi-faceted artists like Keri Hilson, NeYo, PJ Morton, and Tank. People who vocally are gifted, but also work their magic behind the scenes. Writing, producing, and arranging vocals. They’re more than just one dimensional artists. I like to think of myself as I do them.

Q:  What advice can you give to young musicians today regarding the strategies they can use to develop their art and to promote it independently?

A:  I would encourage everyone to make sure your making quality music. Quality is better than quantity. There are millions of independent artists out there striving for the same goals as you are. What are you doing to stand out from the crowd?  You have resources out there! MySpace, YouTube, Reverbnation, just to name a few that can help get your music heard! Be true to yourself in your work. Be prepared to take risks! Someone once told me in order to get something you never had you have to do something you’ve never done. So be prepared to take some bumps and bruises. Be prepared to have set backs. There will be haters, but with discipline, a strong work ethic, and great music you can be successful!

Q:  How is the process of composing a song for you?

A:  Most cases, when I’m in a session by myself, it starts with a song concept. Usually an idea will pop in my head and then I’ll begin with a foundation for a beat, just enough to get the writing process flowing. Then as I write the song, I build the beat around the song. It’s a fairly simple process. This is normally how it works. When I’m collaborating with other artists it just depends on if they already have a concept and verses, then I listen to what they have and then that get my creative juices flowing! I enjoy writing music, and making music. The entire creative process is amazing!

Contact Info:

Andrecus B.

gengothits@gmail.com     

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/andrecusb

http://www.stereofame.com/andrecusb

http://www.memphisrap.com/andrecusb

It seems that Chris Pine will be teaming with director D.J. Caruso to an adaptation of the book “The Art of Making Money” a book by Jason Kersten about the life of American counterfeiter Arthur Williams. According to Variety, the movie will be released in an unspecific date next year (2010).

The script will be written by Frank Baldwin who has no relation to any other famous Baldwin, not even to Adam Baldwin or to the Baldwin brothers.

The story seems to be a biopic about Arthur Williams and how he counter-fitted the One Hundred Dollar and how he forged several bills so detailed that it was impossible to distinguish the fake ones between the originals; according to Variety there is not much information about the project nor if Chris Pine will be playing Arthur Williams in the biopic or another central character. 

You probably will say the opposite but it’s true; after the cancelation of Futurama and King of the Hill, the Sunday animation block of Fox has lose some quality that was present when there was a variety of shows and thus more developers but now after almost 10 years Seth MacFarlane is the new king and that doesn’t mean that the shows have to keep the quality they were famous for.

When he was one of the most revolutionary people in the animation industry ten years ago when Family Guy was introduced right now he’s most like a conformist Simon Cowell that don’t care about using repetition as a resource to keep the viewers interest. I can’t find a piece of differences between 3 of his 4 shows except that The Cleveland Show don’t have the talking animal as a household pet but rather than a neighbor then at the end I can’t find a difference between his 4 shows at all as they are the repetition of the repetition; four shows set in different cities but with similar characters.

FOX as a network should follow the example of other national and cable channels by offering a more interesting line-up rather than giving someone the opportunity to fill space at the cost of US$100.000.00 and not, I’m not referring to Simon Cowell who by some strange reason has kept American Idol for ten years and there no is a real American Idol but mostly many ones that had fallen really quickly to the price of fame and just a few that had been in the eye of the spotlight but not without paying the consequences first.

Probably the only decent that is right now at FOX is The Simpsons but after 20 years in the air the show is losing his touch and maybe it’s time to make room for something new and interesting but first the lineup needs to be updated as the reason is having four shows that in essence are the same then is not worth to watch the channel at all.

Provocative, avant-garde and revolutionary against the status quo are one of the few words to describe one of the masterpieces of Paul Krassner, one of the first modern satirical artist of the counter culture of the 20 Century. The piece titled The Disneyland Orgy was revolutionary for it’s time as it’s right now because it’s a powerful critique to the Disney Empire World so far that the Disney Company didn’t sued when the caricature was published in The Realist because the knew they would lose the lawsuit as they would be violating the amendment of free expression and the caricature wasn’t a violation to the copyrights of the company.

Analyzing the piece isn’t quite difficult; first we have to explore a little of the background when it was made. The Memorial Orgy was drawn and published in 1966 the same year Walt Disney died to cancer and basically the cartoon is a response to other caricature called “God is Dead” only applied in a more realistic environment.

Because Disney tends to practice self-censorship, the company sometimes tend be mocked because of the lack of diversity of the characters, so far that in the year 2009 it was the first time that it was announced that a Disney movie will contain an African lead character but the cartoon was made 40 years prior the new Disney movie. When Walt died the counter culture didn’t wait to long before releasing several parodies about the lack of self consciousness of the mascots and totalitarian control of WDW to create an utopia in an imperfect world where at the end everyone looks and act the same, much like the regime of the Big Brother in the fictional novel of 1984.

When Walt died Paul Kassner started to imagine a more realistic response from the characters now that their God was dead and they were free to do whatever they want, so in the best spirits of the sexual revolution came The Disneyland Memorial Orgy where several of the key character of Disney explore their most profound desires and sexual fantasies now that they were free to find themselves beyond their 2.5 D reality. The characters find themselves in a series of sexual situation that go from pepping, orgies, fisting, bestiality and cropophilia where they seem to be happy giving themselves to the pleasures of the flesh but that happiness didn’t lasted to long because a new God came on board.

Truly fantastic and with a deep profound message that perfection at the end don’t exist but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time in one of the parks exploring their imaginary worlds.

Hasbeen and douchebag Kanye West has put an end to his concert with “musician” Lady Gaga before it even started. Live Nation the promoter of the tour didn’t gave any explanation about why the tour was canceled but tmz.com gave a different perspective by saying that the tour wasn’t selling at all; man! Kanye when Perez Hilton sells more than you, you should start worrying about it.

According to Live Nation refunds for the people who bought the tickets are available but that’s it. According to the Washington Post they said that the tour met his premature end because of the entire negative stunt of the VMA during Taylor Swift performance and according to tmz.com they say that the reps of Kanye and Gaga couldn’t stand each other and were constantly fighting over the spotlight of their artists.

At least Lady Gaga did something right, stay away from the drama and the negative publicity Kanye is involved now.

This is kind of interesting and yet another dull note extracted from entertainment journalist who can make a little incident something really nasty; in the latest Kanye West Watergate it seem to be that people don’t even like to eat or order something with Kanye’s face in their menu, it seems to be the clients of Wolfgang Puck restaurant can’t tolerate to eat in front of Kanye even before his scandal with the sweet Taylor Swift because they feel a little bit grossed out by this dubious man. Youch Kanye!

Check out Adam’s new video We’re All Gonna Die, if you want to say hello to Adam you can check his Myspace and send the cheers.

The Hall Effect is a Colombian rock band that appeared in the mid of the summer of 2006; singing primary in English in a country where English is just a second language and Spanish is spoken by the majority but soon after their debut the voice started to run into different parts of the country and soon everyone was speaking about The Hall Effect as one of the best bands in the past 10 years of the country; but the new wave of indie bands in the country which is similar as the movement that was given in Seattle, Washington during the 90 which bands like Nirvana appeared in the music scene and probably the story it’s just repeating itself in a new country.

Here is the band biography taken from their Myspace :The Hall Effect exploded onto the Colombian rock scene in 2006. A four piece indie band, their compelling fusion of rocking riffs and sonic inventiveness, soon gained a fervent following amongst fans and key media.

The Hall Effect are:
Oscar - vocals
Charry - guitar
Douglas - bass
Andres - drums

The band, who sing in English, released their debut album, ‘Aim at Me’, in 2007, on their own independent label. The singles, ‘Become’, ‘Aim At Me’, ‘Unpure’ and ‘Trip Dog’ were heavily rotated at radio. MTV was an early supporter of The Hall Effect with the result that the video for ‘Aim At Me’ reached the number 1 spot in Latin America. Because of that although they sing in english, MTV nominated them in 2007 as BEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST.

The Hall Effect are widely hailed as one of the best live rock acts on the continent, and it was no great surprise that they were asked to support international superstars Muse and Gwen Stefani. The band have won numerous awards, “best rock band”, “best album”, “best video”, among many others….

The Hall Effect have international ambitions which has brought them to London. For the next 6 months they are working with Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera on their international debut album:

Phil Manzanera: “For the last 20 years I’ve been producing the cream of rock artists from Spain and South America, and so when I heard The Hall Effect I knew that they had something special. The fact that they sing in English, have great songs, and are brilliant musicians, made this project an exciting challenge. And of course there is the fact that they are from Colombia, myself being half Colombian!”

With all the political and social progress in Europe maybe Ukraine didn’t noticed that in almost the rest of the countries of Europe gay and lesbian can adopt but it seems Ukraine is one of the few exception because if you are gay and/or single and above 45 years old you can’t adopt so ask that to Sir Elton John who wanted to adopt an Ukrainian 2 years old boy named Levi who is HIV positive, which the singer met in a visit to the country a few months ago and was enchanted with the little champion.

But, Ukraine authorities as soon knew that Elton is a gay man decided to negate the adoption process because he is gay, above 45 and in Ukraine civil unions between to people of the same sex aren’t recognized at all thus by consequence they can’t adopt or have the same privileges they have in countries such as United Kingdom or the Netherlands and even an undeveloped country as Colombia in South America recognize same civil unions (under certain jurisdiction) so I guess at the end the Ukrainian Officers decided that it was better for an HIV positive boy to live and die in an orphanage rather to be place with a loving couple who could made his last years more easy and joyful only because the people that wanted to adopted him were two men. Shame on you Ukraine!.