AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE ~ SHOW 48!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE ~ SHOW 48!

Join the BIG W every Sunday evening as he continues to explorer, with drink in hand, the Space-Age Pop Hi-Fi musical sounds of the 1950’s and the 1960’s in LIVING STEREO!

SHOW 48 PLAYLIST:

• Swing, You Lovers - Keely Smith
• Diane - Art Van Damme Quintet
• The Boy From Ipanema - Peggy Lee
• That Old Black Magic - Buddy Cole
• I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover - Sid Ramin
• Let’s Hang On - Percy Faith
• Mr. Success - Frank Sinatra
• Gentleman Jim - Bert Kaempfert
• I Got Plenty o' Nuttin' - Sammy Davis, Jr.
• June Night - Ray Conniff Singers
• High Time - Henry Mancini
• Little Rock Getaway - Marty Paich Piano Quartet
• This Could Be The Start Of Something Big - Buddy Greco
• Plumbers Tune - Murry Willson
• Will You Still Be Mine? - Ann Richards
• Tequila - Al Caiola
• No Such Luck - Shorty Rogers
• Never On Sunday - Ann-Margret
• We've Got a World That Swings - Jerry Lewis
• Frenchie - Neal Hefti
• Michelle - Billy May

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

NAPKIN TIE!

NAPKIN TIE!

YES, IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU!

Add a bit of humor to your next dinner party - or a bit of kitsch, depending on your tastes. Perhaps the napkin tie is best reserved for more informal occassions - a lunch with friends or an entertaining picnic getaway.

Regardless of its application, the design strategy here is an intriguing one and could be applied in a variety of ways to napkins, table cloths and other textiles around the house. However, such a design approach is probably best used in moderation.

TO CHECK IT OUT FURTHER CLICK HERE

TARGET PRACTICE THROWING KNIVES DOUBLE AS COAT HOOKS!

TARGET PRACTICE THROWING KNIVES SOUBLE AS COAT HOOKS!

OKAY, THIS IS A UNIQUE DESIGN TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT I WANT A SET!

They are bound to jar your guests, but that is precisely the point (no pun intended) of these sharp-looking and seriously black throwing-knife hangers. Aside from their obvious and offbeat aesthetic appeal these are also uncommonly functional in their design.

After all, they look best when scattered in an apparently random way which means installation is an easy eyeballing process and you can put up as few or as many in whatever rough pattern you believe will work best for you. In short: they are overtly clever and innovative but they are also subtly pragmatic.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

COLOR CODED BOOK SHELVES!

COLOR CODED BOOKSHELVES!

I'M AS ANAL AS THE NEXT PERSON ABOUT THE VERY PERSONAL ARRANGEMENT OF BOOKS ON MY LIBRARY SHELVES ~ PERHAPS EVEN MORE SO ~ BUT THIS IS TAKING THINGS TO EXTREMES . . .

Some of us are more particular about the appearance of our interiors than others - perhaps to a fault. Sick of seeing your books sloppily organized by type, or, worse yet, having them randomly disorganized across a series of bookcases? Sorting your favorite volumes by color may just satisfy that too-organized part of yourself.

TO CHECK OUT THE MADNESS CLICK HERE

SERENITY BAR FIGHT ~ REHEARSAL!

SERENITY BAR FIGHT ~ REHEARSAL!

REMEMBER THE FIGHT SCENE IN THE MOVIE SERENITY WHERE RIVER TAKES OUT THE ENTIRE BAR? THE FINAL MOVIE VERSION OF THAT FIGHT IS FEATURED IN THE THE YOUYUBE VIDEO CLIP ABOVE.

BUT WHAT IS EVEN COOLER IS THE YOUTUBE VIDEO CLIP BELOW OF THE REHEARSAL, WHICH IN SOME WAYS, IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE IN MOVIE ITSELF.

CAREFUL, MY LUGGAGE IS DANGEROUS!

CAREFUL, MY LUGGAGE IS DANGEROUS!

WANT TO HAVE A TOUGH TIME GETTING THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY? FRENCH ARTIST PINKWOLF, HAS DESIGNED THESE ATTRACTIVE, SATIRICAL CARRYING CASES FEATURE MOLDED GUN, KNIFE AND AXE DESIGNS ON THEIR EXTERIOR JUST FOR THAT REASON.

TO CHECK THE LUGGAGE OUT FURTHER CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #62!

COCKTAIL NATION #62!

Tonight on the Cocktail Nation Koop Kooper talks tv spies with Dr Wes Britton who has a brand new book out....news on the tv show Lost in Space...some cool shows to attend.....news of an interesting film based on a famous spy and speaking of spys which we are a always obsessed with...a website about spys.......the Moonrays and Waitiki need your help plus the coolest lounge on the planet.

www.cocktailnation.net

PLAY LIST:

Martini Kings-March of the Moai
Octobop-Have You Hugged Your Martian Today
Spy Fi-Black tie Spy
Al Cailola-Bernies Tune
Blossum Dearie-Just one of those things
Vic Flick-From Russia with Love
Tikiyaki Orchestra-Stranded in Paradise
Waitiki -Ruby
Dave Brubeck-Take Five
Frank Sinatra-luck be a lady
Nelson Riddle-Route 66
Project Pimento-Heart
Julie London-Girl Talk
Hugo Montenegro-Our man Flint
Three Sons-Caravan

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

PARKER’S JESSE STONE ~ THIN ICE!

PARKER’S JESSE STONE ~ THIN ICE!

Time to set the DVR for the latest Jesse Stone movie for television starring Tom Selleck as Robert Parker’s disolute hero. The movie, Thin Ice, will premier Sunday March 1st at 9PM on CBS.

I’ve enjoyed Selleck’s performance in the four previous films, so am looking forward to this one even though it is not based an any of the books in the sereis ~ as the previous movies were.

With a new Jesse Stone novel, Night and Day, ready to hit the book shelves next week, Resolution, the final book in Parker’s western trilogy, coming in June, and the first Young Spenser YA novel, Chasing The Bear, due in May, Parker is once again showing the influence he has not just in the mystery community, but well beyond.

In Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, Tom Selleck reprises his role in the fifth installment of the Jesse Stone franchise from Sony Pictures Television, which includes Stone Cold, Jesse Stone: Night Passage, Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise and Jesse Stone: Sea Change.

This time around, Paradise, Mass. Police Chief Jesse Stone finds himself in trouble with the Town Council when he inadvertently becomes involved in a shoot-out on a Boston street. His friend, State Homicide Commander Healy, is seriously wounded and Jesse comes under investigation by the Boston Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, which causes him to be away from Paradise for extended periods of time.Jesse further alienates the Council by firing the Paradise Police Department's most prodigious ticket writer, resulting in a considerable loss of revenue for the town.

His issues with the Council are further exacerbated when a celebrated out of towner shows up in Paradise in search of her missing child, and Jesse agrees to take her case. His continued defiance of the Council's wishes now begins to jeopardize his very job.

Kathy Baker and Kohl Sudduth reprise their roles as Paradise police officers. Stephen McHattie reprises his role as State Homicide Commander Healy, as does William Devane as Jesse's psychiatrist, Dr. Dix.

Camryn Manheim joins the cast as Elizabeth Blue, a desperate woman in search of her child along with Joanna as a woman in Paradise who helps Jesse with his search for the missing child and Leslie Hope, who stars as a beguiling and attractive internal affairs investigator.

CALIBER: FIRST CANON OF JUSTICE ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

CALIBER: FIRST CANON OF JUSTICE ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

CALIBER IS AN CLEVER TAKE ON THE AUTHURIAN LEGEND SET IN THE WILD WEST ~ CLEVER WRITING, GREAT ART. AGAIN, THE REVIEW IS FROM THE GRAPHIC NOVEL REPORTER BLOG . . .

CALIBER: FIRST CANON OF JUSTICE
Sam Sarkar
illustrated by Garrie Gastonny
Radical Books
Hardcover

The first thing you’ll notice about Caliber is the breathtaking art. Resembling something akin to lifelike anime brought to the page, Garrie Gastonny’s work is so lovely, so perfectly filled with perspective and depth, that it’s worth staring at for long periods of time. It’s that good, and it’s impressive to see Radical Books embracing such advanced work so early on.

The art is a wonderful complement to Sam Sarkar’s fun story, a retelling of the Arthurian legend vis-à-vis the Old West. Caliber in this case refers to a six-gun that only one man will be able to fire. For the rest of the world, the gun isn’t loaded, but for Arthur Pendergon, it will fire the power of the heavens themselves.
While lovely Gwen awaits Arthur’s return (making time in a brothel, natch), Arthur tries to restore balance and justice to the lawless land ahead of him. Arthur and his men have been blessed by the powers of a mystical Native American shaman, and they have their work cut out for them. The story, which originally unfolded over a five-issue series, moves steadily along; Sarkar never strays too far from the action and keeps the tale close to its adventurous roots at all times...

TO READ THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

HELLSING ~ MAGNA!

HELLSING ~ MAGNA!

I’M NOT MUCH INTO MAGNA, THERE IS JUST TOO MUH OF IT TO REALLY GET A HANDLE ON, BUT I AM A FAN OF HELLSING ~ A GREAT MODERN VAMPIRE TALE ~ WHICH WAS RECENTLY REVIEWED OVER AT THE GRAPHIC NOVEL REPORTER BLOG . . .

HELLSING
Kohta Hirano
Dark Horse Books
Paperback
208 pages

There’s a quiet mansion in the countryside of England. Deep inside, an elite force of vampire hunters trains for its secret battle against the infestation of vampires spreading across Europe. The Hellsing Organization, a.k.a. The Royal Protestant Knights, is run by the ruthless Integra Hellsing, a descendant of Dr. Van Hellsing himself. She will stop at nothing to seek out and destroy the monsters and the puppet masters that plague mankind.

At the heart of Hellsing is its secret weapon Alucard, an ancient vampire bound to serve the Hellsing family by Integra’s father. At the start of the manga, Alucard offers to save a police officer named Seras Victoria by granting her eternal life as a vampire, but it has to be her choice. Die or live on as a creature of the night. Seras accepts his offer and finds the life of a bloodsucker to be a deep struggle as she tries to cling to the remains of her humanity.

As Seras adjusts to her new lifestyle, Hellsing falls under attack by the mysterious Millennium group, remnants of the Nazi Third Reich. Now Hellsing must fight not only to survive, but also to save Britain from Millennium’s apocalyptic schemes to destroy humanity itself.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

NEW FROM DECODERING THEATRE!

NEW FROM DECODERING THEATRE!

AN EXCITING NEW BLACK JACK JUSTICE ADVENTURE - NOW WHO'S THE DUMMY?

The life of a private detective is one that tends to keep a fella behind the times. After all, if you're sitting on top of the world, you rarely find yourself in need of a pair of low-rent gumshoes.

Sometimes a little nostalgia isn't a bad thing... and sometimes the line between reality and anything-but is paper thin. Those are the days that leave a fella asking... Now Who's The Dummy?

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

JOHN ERIC BOOTH ~ ALIVE AND SWINGING!

JOHN ERIC BOOTH ~ ALIVE AND SWINGING!

You're sure to swing to the solid and addictively tuneful hits contained within John-Eric Booth's debut CD album "Alive & Swinging"! 11 HOT tracks, supercharged with the timeless and classic big band sound!

FEATURES PAT LONGO'S HOLLYWOOD BIG BAND!! LISTEN!!!!

TRACK LIST:

1. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
2. Pennies From Heaven
3. More
4. Recipe For Love
5. They'll Be Some Changes Made
6. Steppin' Out With My Baby
7. We Are In Love
8. Mack The Knife
9. Why Don't You Do Right
10. For The Good Times
11. Everywhere You Go

A FEW WORDS FROM FANS . . .

"It's a great great pleasure listening through this record, and all these wonderful standards you sometimes feel has been recorded too many times already, John-Eric Booth manages not only bring them to life all over again, but actually reinvent them!" Carl Beluga/Gbg Sweden

"This CD is just PURE fun! I have seen J-E-B perform live several times and he introduced me to this great music. I highly recommend this album to everyone!" Michael Searls / Huntington, WV

"Make room to dance and start shaking the martinis, because John-Eric Booth is bringing Vegas into your living room! Man this guy knows how to swing it!" Dr. Raj Jain

"John-E can croon for ME anytime! I love this CD! Just wish there were more songs! XOXO." Lydia in Texas

"A singer I really value... and NOW I have him in my collection!". Billy Michaels / United Kingdom

TO LISTEN OR FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

WOLFGANG PARKER ~ ROOM 19 CD RELEASE!

WOLFGANG PARKER ~ ROOM 19 CD RELEASE!

Saturday, Feb 21, 2009 9:15 AM
Skully's Music Diner
1151 N. High St.
Columbus

Wolfgang Parker rocks Skully's Music Diner with guests Vegas 66 and Hells Fire Sinners for the North American release of Room Nineteen!

100 LIMITED EDITION discs will be on sale for this show ONLY!

SOCKS, R.I.P.

SOCKS. R.I.P.

MISS CELLANIA SHARES THIS SAD NEWS . . .

Socks, the White House Cat from 1993 to 2001, has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Socks became Chelsea Clinton's cat in 1991 and moved from Little Rock, Arkansas to Washington with the family in 1993. He remained at the White House after Chelsea went to college, where he lived antagonistically with president Clinton's dog Buddy. When Clinton left office, Socks went to live with presidential secretary Betty Currie in Maryland. Socks, who succumbed to cancer, was approximately 18.

SIX STRING SUMARAI!

SIX STRING SUMARAI!

THANKS TO BILL CRIDER FOR THIS REMINDER!

THE BLACK COAT: ONE SHOT!

THE BLACK COAT: ONE SHOT!

By Lichius & Hardman.

Black Coat fans rejoice! New York City's revolutionary super spy is back with 2 all-new stories written by Black Coat co-creator Ben Lichius and featuring art by the incredible Gabriel Hardman (War machine, X-Men, and Spider-Man 3 films).

Packed with swashbuckling action and adventure, this 52 page special also features the first Black Coat story to appear in full-color!

52 pages, full color, $6.95

TO VISIT THE BLACK COAT WEBSITE CLICK HERE

ATHENA VOLTAIRE: FLIGHT OF THE FALCON!

ATHENA VOLTAIRE: FLIGHT OF THE FALCON!

By Paul Daly, Steve Bryant, and Chad Fidler.

Collecting the sold out first mini-series! As tensions among world powers escalate to the inevitability of World War II, another war already rages between the forces of white and black magic.

When Athena Voltaire is hired to transport an ancient artifact from Burma to the United States, she finds herself the target of nazi forces led by her opposite number - S.S. Aviatrix Hanna von Helm!

Can Athena stop the Third Reich from opening a portal that could spell the end for mankind?

This quality trade paperback volume collects the critically acclamed Flight of the Falcon mini-series!

TO VISIT THE ATHENA VOLTAIRE WEB SITE CLICK HERE

THE BLACK COAT & ATHENA VOLTAIRE ONE SHOT!

THE BLACK COAT & ATHENA VOLTAIRE ONE SHOT!

By Ben Lichius & Steve Bryant

Two Pulptastic Heroes. Two Complete Stories. Two Centuries. Two Dollars. Find out what a Revolutionary-era Crusader and 1930's Aviatrix have in common, besides their status as two of Ape Entertainment's most exciting heroes.

An adventure spanning two centuries: from the Black Coat facing down a pirate attack to Athena Voltaire encountering the horrifying consequences of the treasure they sought.

The two variant covers by Eisner-award nominee Steve Bryant combine to form a poster image.

A crossover 150 years in the making!

TO VISIT THE BLACK COAT WEBSITE CLICK HERE

THE WHISPERER VOLUME 1!

THE WHISPERER VOLUME 1!

"He knows no law but Justice!" The Gray Wraith deals out bloody vengeance in two hardboiled pulp thrillers by Laurence Donovan writing as Clifford Goodrich, in the most violent series ever published by Street & Smith.

In The Dead Who Talked, Police Commissioner James Wildcat Gordon is ordered to bring to justice the sinister super-villain known only as The Whisperer.

Then, the Long Arm of the Law becomes ensnared in the crossfire of a bloody tong war between the Underworld and The Red Hatchets.

BONUS: From the pages of Crime Busters, the first Norgil the Magician story by The Shadow's Walter B. Gibson writing as Maxwell Grant.

This instant collector's item showcases the original color covers by legendary illustrator Tom Lovell and Spider cover artist John Newton Howitt, classic interior illustrations by Paul Orban and historical commentary by Will Murray and Anthony Tollin.

Sanctum Books
Softcover, 7x10. B&W, $12.95

THE AVENGER VOLUME 2!

THE AVENGER VOLUME 2!

The Pulp Era's strangest superhero returns in two more epic adventures of Justice, Inc. by Paul Ernst writing as Kenneth Robeson.

First, Chicago skyscrapers collapse after The Sky Walker is seen striding above the skyline, sparking fears of an alien invasion in the pulp epic that was later adapted to comics by Jack Kirby.

Then, The Devil's Horns, a cryptic message traced in a dying man's own blood provides the clue that helps The Avenger clean up a corrupt city.

This instant collector's item showcases H. W. Scott's classic color pulp covers in the same format as Sanctum's popular Doc Savage reprints, along with all the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban.

BONUS: A Whisperer novelette from the back pages of The Shadow Magazine, plus original commentary by pulp historian Will Murray.

Sanctum Books
Softcover, 7x10. B&W, $12.95

THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE PURPLE SCAR!

THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE PURPLE SCAR!

REPRINTING ALL FOUR OF HIS APPEARANCES, NOTES FROM GEORGE MCDONALD (THE POSSIBLE AUTHOR) AND AN ALL-NEW INTRO BY WILL MURRAY.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

THE SECRET 6: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES!

THE SECRET 6: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES!

BY ROBERT J. HOGAN

FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER ONE COVER, ALL FOUR ADVENTURES OF THE SECRET 6 FROM 1934-1935.

AVAILABLE IN SOFT AND HARDCOVER.
650 PAGES.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

SOLOMON KANE VOLUME 1: THE CASTLE OF THE DEVIL!

SOLOMON KANE VOLUME 1: THE CASTLE OF THE DEVIL!

Written by Scott Allie, penciled by Mario Guevara, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mike Mignola. Robert E. Howard's vengeance-obsessed puritan begins his supernatural adventures in the haunted Black Forest of Germany in this adaptation of Howard's The Castle of the Devil.

When Solomon Kane stumbles upon the body of a boy hanged from a rickety gallows, he goes after the man responsible‹a baron feared by the peasants from miles around. Something far worse than the devilish baron or the terrible, intelligent wolf that prowls the woods lies hidden in the ruined monastery beneath the baron's castle, where a devil-worshiping priest died in chains centuries ago. Collects the Solomon Kane five-issue mini-series.

128 pages, $15.95, in stores on July 15.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW VERSION!

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW VERSION!

MISS CELANIA HAS A GREAT POSTING TODAY OF THE LOL CATS DOING THEIR VERSION OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.

TO CHECK THEM ALL OUT CLICK HERE

DEATH WAS IN THE PICTURE!

DEATH WAS IN THE PICTURE!

BRUCE GROSSMAN HAS A REVIEW OF LINDA RICHARD’S NEW NOVEL OVER AT BOOKGASM ~ I’VE ENJOY RICHARD’S PREVIOUS NOVELS, AND THIS ONE SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER DANDY . . .

Linda L. Richards’ DEATH WAS IN THE PICTURE is a detective story told through the eyes of the his secretary, Kitty Pangborn. Set in the Hollywood of the 1930s, this fine whodunit has Detective Dexter Theroux taking a back seat in the action, happier around pals Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker. That leave Kitty doing all the heavy lifting.

It’s as though Richards took the idea of Velda from the Mike Hammer books and made her the central figure, which is an original idea for readers who are so used to follow the detective lead. The plot deals with Dex being hired by some shadowy man named Dean to keep tabs on Hollywood star Laird Wyndham.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

GEEZER GIRLS ~ 4 WOMEN, 1 JOB, BUT WILL IT BE THE LAST THING THEY EVER DO!

GEEZER GIRLS ~ 4 WOMEN, 1 JOB, BUT WILL IT BE THE LAST THING THEY EVER DO!

GEEZER GIRLS BY DREDA SAY MITCHELL IS SET FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK IN MARCH. BETWEEN THE COOL COVER, THE INTRIQUING TITLE, AND THE WAY COOL OPENING, I’M GOING TO HAVE TO PLACE AN ORDER THROUGH AMAZON.UK.

The bride and bridesmaids stared at their guns.
Uzi.
Pistol.
Revolver.
MAC-10
They stood in one of London’s hottest clubs. On the middle floor. In a room that was two floors up from the silent dance floor, two floors down from the Members Only spa. They stood in a semi-circle. Around the table where the guns lay. The bride, Jackie Jarvis, dragged her gaze away from the shooters. Stared directly at her three friends. Roxy. Anna. Ollie.

MITCHELL WON THE CWA's JOHN CREASY AWARD FOR ONE OF HER PREVIOUS NOVELS, RUNNING HOT.

TO READ MORE OR CHECK OUT THE AUTHOR’S WEBSITE CLICK HERE

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THE COLD LIGHT OF DAWN BY GRAHAM ISON!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: THE COLD LIGHT OF DAWN BY GRAHAM ISON!

Returning yet again to another real life police detective turned author brings me to my friend Graham Ison – one of the plethora of British coppers who have turned their attentions to fictional pursuits. In Ison’s case, his career with Scotland Yard’s Special Branch, he was involved in several famous espionage cases and spent four years at 10 Downing Street as protection officer to the prime minister. He later guarded crowned heads and US presidents during their visits to Britain, and served as second-in-command of the Diplomatic Protection Group, the unit that guards London’s embassies.

This background led Ison to start his writing career with The Cold Light Of Dawn, dragging his hero into direct confrontation with Britain’s MI-5.

As dawn breaks on the coast of Brittany, a retired colonel finds the body of an attractive young redhead.

In the search for her identification the French police pass her picture to the CID at Scotland Yard and it is from there that an enquiry spirals into action. As the facts come in slowly, but surely, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Tipper and his assistant Charlie Markham, begin to form a picture of the dead woman and her life, and it’s a very strange one at that; provoking sympathy on the one hand and revulsion on the other.

The enquiry leads eventually to Whitehall and the highest echelons of the Diplomatic Service, causing the CID to call upon the powers of Special Branch, and even MI5, in their bid to unravel all the strands of this compelling mystery.

Ison has now written 28 novels, including his current Hardcastle series of historical police procedurals, and has written scripts for the British television series, The Bill (slang for the police).

TO CHECK OUT ISON'S WEBSITE CLICK HERE

JANE MONHEIT @ CATALINA JAZZ CLUB!

JANE MONHEIT @ CATALINA JAZZ CLUB!

ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES IS COMING BACK TO ONE OF THE BEST JAZZ VENUES IN TOWN. CHECK OUT HER NEW CD, LOVERS, DREAMERS, & ME! THE PUREST VOICE IN JAZZ TODAY!

Thurs Feb 26, Fri Feb 27, Sat Feb 28
8:00 pm/10:00 pm

Sun Mar 1
7:30 pm/9:30 pm

Catalina Jazz Club
6725 West Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028

Reservations/Info: (323) 466-2210

Or Click Here to purchase tickets online

BILLY VERA @ VITELLOS!

STARSWINGER ~ CARL BELUGA!

STARSWINGER ~ CARL BELUGA!

I’M USUALLY A LITTLE LEARY OF THIS TYPE OF SELF-MADE CD, BUT THIS ONE HAS SOME GENUINE HEART. BELUGA’S ARRANGEMENTS ARE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ~ AS IS THE WHOLE PACKAGE! THIS ONE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THE HYPE IS ALL GOOD!

With his debut album "Starswinger", singer/songwriter Carl Beluga brings the golden age of popular music back into the 21st century.

An all-original swinging sensation of exquisite music and explosive big band orchestrations!

This debut album consists all the things you may have missed from the past, the stompin' rhythms, soaring brass and flying charts, combined with seductive melodies and romantic crooning!

This stunningly fresh album delivers 12 ORIGINAL HOT SONGS written and arranged by Carl Beluga, and features Sweden's finest and "swingingest" players.

All in all, a feel good record from a multi-talented artist, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and a tap to your feet!

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

TO LISTEN ON CD BABY CLICK HERE

ROYAL CROWN REVUE ~ MY FAVORITE SWING BAND!

ROYAL CROWN REVUE ~ MY FAVORITE SWING BAND!

RCR is putting on a BRAND NEW SHOW to be performed LIVE at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, March 14th, 2009.

Come and help RCR kick off their 20 year anniversary with a gala new show, to be performed in one of Southern California’s most elegant theaters. This high-energy production will feature a cavalcade of new material, and a host of very special guests, including:

A tribute to Louis Prima and Keely Smith, featuring seductive songbird Jennifer Keith.

A special acoustic set, courtesy of tough guy crooner Eddie Nichols.

The world premier of the “Rat Pack Concerto.”

Bodacious burlesque showgirls.

High flying swing dancers.

An expanded horn section.

And joining RCR as Master of Ceremonies . . . the world famous Maxwell DeMille!

This is a show you do NOT want to miss.

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

RAT PACK POSTERS!

RAT PACK POSTERS!

THANKS TO DINO'S DEN FOR THIS RETRO COOL BLAST ~

RAT PACK ART WORK POSTED HERE IS DONE BY ARTIST SAM GAMBINO.

THE 1ST ONE HERE IS CALLED LIVE IN ORBIT, & THE 2ND ONE IS CALLED THE SUMMIT MEETING, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE.

AREN'T THESE SO DINO FABULOUS??

ENJOY PALLIES!

MORE FROM MOONSTONE BOOKS!

MORE FROM MOONSTONE BOOKS!

TO CHECK IT ALL OUT CLICK HERE

THE AVENGER CHRONICLES IN HARDCOVER!

THE AVENGER CHRONICLES IN HARDCOVER!

FROM MOONSTONE BOOKS ~ VIA WIN SCOTT ECKERT ~

Limited edition hardcover with dust jacket by Douglas Klauba. Beautiful!

Extra story by Max McCoy and a few other bonus materials.

BUDGET CUTS HIT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT!

BBVD CELEBRATES CAB CALLOWAY!

BBVD CELEBRATES CAB CALLOWAY!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy presents How Big Can You Get - 100 Years Of Cab Calloway. The popular modern swing band salutes the hundredth anniversary of one of swing's original masters; Calloway was one of the '30s and '40s' most popular musicians, famed for his wild jive talk and classic tunes like Minnie the Moocher.

In 1989, Scotty Morris, jaded by life as a young studio guitarist, decided to launch a three-piece jazz, blues and swing combo. The trio included drummer Kurt Sodergren and was named Big Bad Voodoo Daddy after a fateful meeting with blues guitar legend Albert Collins at one of his concerts. "He signed my poster 'To Scotty, the big bad voodoo daddy'", Morris explains. "I thought it was the coolest name I ever heard on one of the coolest musical nights I ever had. So when it came time to name this band, I didnt really have a choice. I felt like it was handed down to me."In the years that followed, Morris and Sodergren formed the rest of the band which includes Dirk Shumaker on string bass, Andy Rowley on saxophone, Glen Marhevka on trumpet, Karl Hunter on saxophones and clarinet, and Joshua Levy on piano.

Feb 28TH @ The Canyon Club in Agoura, CA.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

FOR HALF PRICE TICKETS VIA GOLDSTAR CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

ENCHANTMENT PLACE ~ EDITED BY DENISE LITTLE!

ENCHANTMENT PLACE ~ EDITED BY DENISE LITTLE!

Like Witch High, also edited by Denise Little, Enchantment Place is a delightful, lightweight, collection of supernatural short stories. Here, Little brings her stable of reliable authors to the mall – only this is a very special mall with a very special clientele. Apparently, vampires, werecreatures, wizards and witches, elves and unicorns, and all manner of beasties need a place to shop for their own special needs –Enchantment Place Mall in Chicago open 24 hours a day 364 days a year, closing only that most sacred of holidays, Halloween.

There are seventeen shopping trips documented here with trips to a store selling the highest quality familiars, to the non-magical daughter of a magic-filled family who is left to mind the family jewelry store though she has no means to defeat an enchanting thief, to a woman running a Wiccan supply store who is suddenly faced with an IRS audit, and many more.

While I am far from the target audience for these types of stories, I’m halfway through the collection and haven’t hit a dud yet. In the mood for a little whimsy, then Enchantment Place could be the place to hang out.

LAW & ORDER: UK!

LAW & ORDER: UK!

Digital Spy has a few video interviews with the main cast of Law and Order: UK ~ Freema Agyeman, Jeremy Bamber, Ben Daniels, Bill Patterson, Bradley Walsh and Harriet Walter.

THE STORY:

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime, and the Crown Prosecution Service who prosecute the offenders.

Bradley Walsh is DS Ronnie Brooks, a real East End, copper’s copper, friend and partner to the charming DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) whose approach to policing is part seduction part force. Both report to DI Natalie Chandler (Harriet Walter) a working mum who would back them to the end.

Meanwhile, the CPS team comprises Ben Daniels as dedicated Senior Crown Prosecutor James Steel, a man on a mission for justice, Freema Agyeman as the hard-working and strong-willed young prosecutor Alesha Phillips, and Bill Paterson as their respected boss CPS director George Castle, a man trying to balance his ideals with the bigger picture. Together they represent a formidable team.

The first of the 13 episodes will be shown on 23 February. More videos and information can be found at the ITV Law & Order website.

A THANKS FOR THE BRIEFING TO THE EURO CRIME BLOG

THE SPY WHO LOVED FLEMING!

THE SPY WHO LOVED FLEMING!

Famed war-era spy, Christine Granville, the woman known as Churchill’s favorite spy, is the focus of a new film project. In reality, Granville was actually a Polish countess named Krystyna Skarbek. She was awarded The George Medal for her work with Britain’s Special Operations Executive.

As for her connection to James Bond – she was one of Ian Fleming’s lovers, and long believed to be the inspiration for Casino Royale’s Vesper Lynd.

TO READ THE WHOLE STORY AT THE DAILY MAIL ONLINE CLICK HERE

CORGI LICENSED TO KILL AGAIN!

CORGI LICENSED TO KILL AGAIN!

THE BOND E-ZINE MI-6 REPORTS:

Corgi has secured a worldwide deal to produce a range of James Bond products - reports ToyNewsMag.Corgi has had a long association with the James Bond brand with one of its best known models being the James Bond gold painted Aston Martin DB5.

Since Hornby’s takeover of Corgi in 2008, the firm has been working to regain the Bond licence in order to create more iconic models.Now, with the return of the die-cast 1:36 scale 007 cars, the company will once again be associated with the James Bond brand from both classic and modern films. The deal will also encompass the next Bond film to be made.

TO GET THE FULL DEBRIEFING CLICK HERE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ SAX ROHMER!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ SAX ROHMER!

THE CREATOR OF FU MANCHU IS 126 TODAY!

FU MANCHU STILL RULES!

TO CHECK OUT A COOL POST FROM THE RAP SHEET CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

SPY VIBE!

SPY VIBE!

I'VE JUST DISCOVERED JASON WHITON'S COOL SPY BLOG AT SPYVIBE.COM.

AGENTS WISHING TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

'NUFF SAID!

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

HERE’S THE LATEST FROM HARD CASE CRIME EDITOR CHARLES ARDAI ~

Apologies for taking two months this time, rather than my usual one month, to write to you. January was jam-packed, not just with Hard Case Crime-related matters but also with work related to getting our new pulp adventure series -- THE ADVENTURES OF GABRIEL HUNT -- up and running. (Specifically, I had to finish writing the second book in the series, HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR, a rip-roaring, two-fisted yarn set in Hungary, New York, Egypt, Greece, Istanbul, and Sri Lanka. Whew! I'm exhausted just naming all those places, and poor Gabriel Hunt had to fight his way through every one of them...)

If you want a sneak peek at what the Hunt books will look like, check out

www.HuntForAdventure.com. You'll also find instructions for signing up for a Hunt mailing list if you want to be in the loop about developments on that front. Rumor has it you may even get e-mail from the big man himself.

But...enough about Hunt. (For now.) You're here to hear about Hard Case Crime. And we've got plenty to tell you.

In May of this year we'll be publishing -- for the first time in the United States -- Jason Starr's "lost" novel, FAKE I.D. This is the book Time Out called "a powerful novel of the American Dream turning into the American Nightmare" and that the Web site Pulpetti called "an American masterpiece, a great piece of literature while it's also a great crime novel." For a book whose champions use the word "American" so much in singing its praises, it's sort of funny that it has only previously been published in Germany and the U.K. But it has. And we're very proud to be able to give it its American debut.

If you'd like to get a chance to read the book before everyone else, we're proud to offer that as well. Specifically, we'll be choosing 12 lucky readers to receive an advance reader's copy of the book for free. If you'd like to enter the drawing for one of these copies, just send an e-mail message containing your name and the address to which you'd like the book mailed if you're chosen to drawing@hardcasecrime.com before 5PM (New York time) on Saturday, February 28. Only one entry per person, please. Good luck!For a taste of what FAKE I.D. is like, visit our Web site, www.HardCaseCrime.com. And while you're there, you'll see that we've added two more forthcoming titles to the site, both featuring brand new cover paintings by long-time paperback illustrator Ron Lesser. The books are HONEY IN HIS MOUTH by Lester Dent (creator of legendary pulp hero Doc Savage!) and QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE by Max Allan Collins. Both are first-rate books with very snazzy covers -- you'll definitely want to take a look.

And when you get to the site, you'll also see the good news that one of our books has been nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award. The book is MONEY SHOT by Christa Faust, and the nomination is well deserved. This book got more attention and acclaim when it came out than almost any of our other titles, and I am thrilled to see Christa receive this level of recognition for it. If you haven't read MONEY SHOT yet, do yourself a favor and get a copy.

If you have read MONEY SHOT, why not give our newest title a try? That would be THE DEAD MAN'S BROTHER by the great fantasy author Roger Zelazny. Unique among his books, this one has no fantasy element to it -- no magic, no mystical creatures, nothing but real-world suspense and mystery. But it has those things in spades, and you'll find yourself drawn into the world of the novel just as powerfully as into any of Zelazny's fantasy worlds.

Already read that one, too? Well, in just a few weeks we have a book coming that I'm pretty sure you haven't read -- and that you'll want to. It's the late Donald E. Westlake's THE CUTIE. We all miss Don terribly here (for those of you who don't know, he passed away on New Year's Eve). He was excited to see this book back in print -- it was his very first novel, and we're publishing it for the first time ever under the title he originally meant for it to have -- and publishing it is not the same without Don around to enjoy it. But we couldn't ask for a better way to pay tribute to a man who meant such a lot to us and to our readers. So, when the time comes...please do pick up a copy -- of THE CUTIE or of any of Don's books, whether from us or another publisher -- and take a moment to remember what a terrific writer he was.

Charles Ardai

Editor, Hard Case Crime

THE GREAT ESCAPE MOTORCYCLE JUMP RECREATED!

THE GREAT ESCAPE MOTORCYCLE JUMP RECREATED!

THANKS TO BILL CRIDER FOR THIS TIP ~

Steve McQueen’s bike jump is an iconic movie moment, but is it as authentic as it looks? To find out, we recreated it.

Two feet, four, six . . . 7ft off the ground. After repeated nervous, muddy attempts, Bud Ekins, a motorcycle stunt rider, coaxed the old Triumph into the air, flew over the strands of fake barbed wire and into the history books. The sequence helped make The Great Escape a cinema classic and turn Steve McQueen into an international star. It also made Ekins, who doubled as McQueen, a legend among fellow riders.

In stunt-riding circles, the jump is still regarded as one of the most technically skilled — and controversial — performed for the big screen. Controversial because Ekins later claimed it was done on a standard, factory-built Triumph. Some film historians say such a jump could not have been accomplished except by special effects or on a highly modified machine. Forty-six years after The Great Escape was made, The Sunday Times has solved the mystery by reconstructing the jump.

TO SEE THE VIDEO AND READ THE POST CLICK HERE

BEAT TO A PULP #10

BEAT TO A PULP #10

NEWS FROM BTAP EDITOR DAVID CRANMER ~

Chris Holm delivers our first horror story and it creeped me the hell out. The Toll Collectors takes place in the Northeast US, an area that I've travelled through many times which only added to the story's eerieness, but, regardless of where you’re from, you will feel the chill. If you picture Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling standing along a stretch of abandoned road, narrating this extraordinary piece, I'm right there with you, and you'll be glad for the company.

Next Week: Finishing off the month of February will be an excerpt from Bill Raetz’s spy novel, No Blood, No Foul, set for release on March 1st.

In BTAP News: The piece that kicked-off our webzine, The Instrument of Their Desire, will be featured in an upcoming anthology from Ed Gorman. We couldn’t be more pleased for Patti Abbott on the success of her captivating story ... congratulations!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THE TOLL COLLECTORS

Chris F. Holm is a writer and scientist whose work has appeared in Demolition Magazine, Spinetingler Magazine, The Back Alley webzine, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. His short story "Seven Days of Rain" won the 2007 Spinetingler Award for Best Short Story on the Web. He's also written two novels: DEAD HARVEST and THE ANGELS' SHARE. You can visit his website at www.chrisfholm.com.

TO DOWNLOAD THE LATEST STORY CLICK HERE