TIKIYAKI ORCHESTRA!

TIKIYAKI ORCHESTRA!

The latest Tikiyaki Orchestra CD ~ Swingin Sounds for the Jungle Jetset!

12 new tracks of classic style Exotica, Lounge, Crime Jazz, and a little bit o' surf twang goodness ~ make sure you grab your copy today!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

DIGITAL JETPACK COMPANION ~ TIKI STYLE!

DIGITAL JETPACK COMPANION ~ TIKI STYLE!

Let's face it, we live in a digital age. Now the Tikiyaki Orchestra lets you digitize in tiki style with the new Digital Jetpack Companion USB drive.

* Both Tikiyaki albums in hi-res MP3 format
* Video interviews with the band
* Rare, unreleased live tracks
* Photos
* & more ~ all in a hand reusable USB flash drive tiki pendant with matching stand designed and made by Kirby

COMING SOON ~ FOR MORE CLICK HERE

TIKI JOE’S OCEAN!

TIKI JOE’S OCEAN!

Arriving on shores around the world, “THE EXOTICATING WAVES OF TIKI JOE’S OCEAN” is ON SALE NOW!

With his June 27th release, multi-instrumentalist and composer Andy Nazzal takes on the pseudonym of “Tiki Joe’s Ocean” and ventures into a medium he is most familiar with, EXOTICA.

We are invited here to be sonic witnesses to the creation of the next chapter of his versatile style. His command of dozens upon dozens of instruments are beautifully blended with the limitless possibilities inherent in this exciting musical genre.

Within the CD, you’ll flow from five-piece combos to out and out full blown wild orchestral scores. There is no holding back the vision and the drive of the material presented in this most unique CD. “Classic Exotica” is painted all over such songs as “Bamboo Skin,” “Sacred Island” and “Polynesian Dreams.”

Frantic fun is key to the homage to Hawaii 5-0 in “Waikiki Pursuit” and Andy boldly steps into the shoes of the extraordinary composer / arranger Les Baxter in his mind-blowing tribute entitled “Baxter Pad.” Latin percussion flows through the steamy “La Luna Negra” and Andy gives us the feel of the pre-Carnival vibe on Copacabana Avenue with “Rio de Jean.”

As a beautifully added bonus, within three songs, Andy presents the amazing and hypnotizing voice of Miss Samia Panni, who herself is no stranger to the microphone with a long and respected vocal resume. This is an extraordinary CD, not just for Exotica fans, but for those who love songs that sets the senses afire and breathes anew the notion that music can be many things at once- powerful, dreamy, moody, fun and inspiring.

Mr. Nazzal has accomplished all of those things in each of the 12 songs. THE EXOTICATING WAVES OF TIKI JOE’S OCEAN will resonate within you, like the crystal blue waves pounding the shores around the world. Take a dip, and ENJOY!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

HAPPY-GO-LUSHY!

HAPPY-GO-LUSHY!

Lushy was founded in a desire for warmth, a warmth fired by Manhattans to survive the long, grey, rainy winters and springs of the Northwest. Toasted and fuzzy, the Lushy crew hews to a life of bourbon and bonbons, coconuts and fountains, and a dream that there is always somewhere, a happy hideaway with a cordial bartender who can make a proper drink.

It's Cal Tjader meets Stereolab meets Brasil 66 in a bar in Berlin. Welcome to the wonderful world of LUSHY! Drink up people--it's LUSHY! Bossa beat flavored alterna-pop that goes down nice and easy. If you like the B-52's, Brazilian Girls, The Bird and The Bee, Astrud Gilberto, David Bowie and Martin Denny you'll love Lushy! Lounge-y and danceable with hints of exotica, and a touch of electronica...nutty and hip...intriguing and soothing--must see live!

Lushy concocts a refreshing pop style, that blends original samples and sexy Bossa beats with elements from exotica, vintage-Latin jazz, surf, ska, new wave, sixties and French pop to create their own distinctive intercontinental sound. What started as a lighthearted recording session among friends, has now turned into a lasting and successful project. In the basement tiki den, with fully stocked cocktail bar, that is their studio, Lushy was formed and began compiling an extensive catalog of original songs.

With several releases on Dionysus Records and scores of gigs from Vancouver BC to Los Angeles, to Berlin, Germany to Chicago, Lushy has steadily risen through the ranks of Seattle's musical landscape. Led by musical mastermind Andy Sodt, dynamic vocalist Annabella Kirby, honey-toned guitarist Matt Nims, conga king Bradley Chodos-Irvine along with rotating members bongo brains Terence Gunn and toaster/merry maker Lynval Golding of Specials fame Lushy holds sway over every stage they inhabit.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

RETRO~FUTURE ADS FROM MOTOROLA!

RETRO~FUTURE ADS FROM MOTOROLA!

ULTRA SWANK HAS A COOL POST WITH A LOOK AT SOME MOTOROLA ADVERTISING, I REMEMBER SEEING IN MY LONG AGO CHILDHOOD.

The Motorola TV ads from Taschen's book All-American Ads of the 60s very unique. They feel so retro but still very futuristic at the same time and I love the way they portray the future in such a optimistic and bright way that was only possible in the mid 20th century.

TO CHECK OUT THE FULL POST AND A SERIES OF ADS CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #83 ~ TIKI JOE'S OCEAN!

COCKTAIL NATION #83 ~ TIKI JOE'S OCEAN!

Thanks to Brad Parker and the gang at Tiki Shark, Koop Kooper is back with the Cocktail Nation for this week and feeling pretty good after his haircut from Tony at the Sterling Barber shop here in Sydney ~ So, feeling like a new man with a nice trim of the pencil-thin moustache, Koop is spinning the latest and greatest classic and neo lounge, and taking a look at the world of swank. Plus tonight, we'll catch up with a man who has just released a new album with Andy from Tiki Joes Ocean, and we’ll have news from Tiki Oasis.

TRACKS:

Combustible Edison ~ The Veldt
Spy Fi ~ So What's Up
Tiki Joe's Ocean ~ Bamboo Skin
Metolites ~ Today We Kill Tomorrow We Spy
Dudley Moore ~ Waltz For Suzie
Frank Sinatra ~ I get a kick out of you
Tikiyaki Orchestra ~ Bachelor No 1
Tiki Cowboys ~ My Little Song
Kava Kon ~ Pacifica 66
Nina Ferro ~ Blame It On My Youth
Chet Baker ~ Like Someone In Love
Chaino ~ Afri Cuban
Blossom Dearie ~ I Won't Dance

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

BEAT TO A PULP #33!

BEAT TO A PULP #33!

Kissy-Face by Cindy Rosmus

"Oh . . . one more thing," Misty said, from the register. When she turned around, she wasn't smiling. "You can't tell him why you're kissing him."

"Then forget it," Katrina said. "What if it's some creep?"

Sandy lit up. Imagining some fat, needy slob walking in . . . for Katrina's turn . . . made her howl with laughter. It was the first time she'd laughed in a long time. Maybe since she'd met Juan. It felt so good.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy is a New York textbook editor by day, a hardboiled Jersey female by night. Her fiction has appeared in Black Petals, The Beat, The Cynic, Red Fez, Zygote in My Coffee, Hardboiled, NVF, The Monsters Next Door, Out of the Gutter, Devil Blossoms, & 13th Warrior Review. She has four collections of stories out: Angel of Manslaughter, Gutter Balls, Calpurnia's Window, and No Place Like Home. She is the editor of the e-zine, Yellow Mama. She is also a thrill seeker, a Gemini, and a Christian.

TO READ THE FULL STORY CLICK HERE

Up Next: A serving of "Marmalade" from Keith Rawson

Coming Soon: John Kenyon's "A Wild and Crazy Night?"

THE LIGHTNING THIEF!

THE LIGHTNING THIEF!

I AM EARGERLY ANTICIPATING THE 2010 RELEASE OF PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, BASED ON THE FIRST IN THE SERIES OF RICK RIORDON'S MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL YOUNG ADULT NOVELS.

What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes -- like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?
What if you were one of those children?

Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #63!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #63!

The BIG W is pulling out all the stops tonight to celebrate Apollo 11 and the 40th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon. A 90-minute fun filled musical jubilee of Moon, Space Travel, and New Frontier pop classics…in Living Stereo. Tang is optional.

PLAYLIST:

• Preparation and Blast Off - Voices of Walter Schumann
• Swining’ On The Moon - Mel Torme
• Old Deval Moon - Enoch Light
• Fly Me To The Moon - Julie London
• No Moon At All - Warren Klime
• Oh, You Crazy Moon - Frank Sinatra
• Moon River Cha Cha Cha – Barney Kessel
• What A Little Moonlight Can Do - Anita O’Day
• Space Station - Voices of Walter Schumann
• Blue Moon - Paul Weston
• In The Chapel In The Moonlight - Dean Martin
• It’s Only A Paper Moon - Sammy Davis, Jr
• The Moon Was Yellow - Terry Gibbs
• Moon Love - Nat King Cole
• Destination Moon - Dinah Washington
• New Frontiers - Voices of Walter Schumann
• Moonlight In Vermont - Les Brown
• Moon River - Artie Kane
• Moonstruck In Madrid - The Four Perps
• Moonglow - Gia Malone
• Moonscape - Les Baxter
• Moonlight Becomes You - Bing Crosby
• The Comets - Voices of Walter Schumann
• Theme From Star Trek - Henry Mancini
• Music To Watch Space Girls By - Leonard Nimoy
• How High The Moon - Ella Fitzgerald
• The New Frontier - The Kingston Trio
• Look Up - Voices of Walter Schumann

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

FOR THE ALL NEW BUDDIES LOUNGE LIVE365.COM STATION CLICK HERE

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTER!

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTER!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED THE QUIRKY FUN OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH THE FUN BEFORE THE FOLLOW UP SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTER STARTS TAKING LIVES THIS FALL . . .

HERE’S THE NEW BOOK TRAILER:

COLOMBO'S FEATURED ARTIST SERIES!

COLOMBO'S FEATURED ARTIST SERIES!

Starting July 17th, the COLOMBO'S FEATURED ARTIST SERIES will take place EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT from 9:45 till midnight, featuring some of L.A.' most outstanding Jazz Soloists.

First featured artist on Friday the 17th is KATISSE BUCKINGHAM on Sax and Flute, a truly outstanding musician and composer that, we believe, you do not want to miss.

The following weeks we will rock the house with JOHN TEGMEIER (clarinet and NICK MANCINI (vibraphone), both absolutely outstanding artists in their own right!

Expect some really high energy jazz excursions and spontaneous arrangements!

Colombo's Italian Restaurant
1833 Colorado Blvd
EAGLE ROCK, CA
(between Glendale and Pasadena)

THE CAT'S MEOW!

BLACK WIDOW ~ SCARLETT JOHANSSON!

BLACK WIDOW ~ SCARLETT JOHANSSON!

THE ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS SCARLETT JOHANSSON AS THE BLACK WIDOW, MARVEL COMICS' EX-SOVIET SUPERSPY, AS SHE WILL APPEAR IN NEXT SUMMER'S IRON MAN SEQUEL.

I AM SO THERE!

Y/A CORNER ~ PASTWORLD BY IAN BECK!

Y/A CORNER ~ PASTWORLD BY IAN BECK!

SET TO BE PUBLISHED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER IN THE US AND EARLY OCTOBER IN THE UK BY BLOOMSBURY.

THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT MIX OF SCIENCE FICTION, MYSTERY, AND A LITTLE ROMANCE.

PASTWORLD.

A city within a city. A city for excursions and outings. Pastworld is a theme park with a difference, where travellers can travel back in time for a brush with an authentic Victorian past. But what if the Jack the Ripper figure stopped play-acting and really started killing people? For Caleb, a tourist from the present day, his visit goes terribly wrong when his father is kidnapped and he finds himself accused of murder. Then Caleb meets Eva Rose, a Pastworld inhabitant who has no idea the modern world exists. Both Caleb and Eva have roles to play in the murderer's diabolical plans - roles that reveal disturbing truths about their origins.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL PASTWORLD WEBSITE

NEW ALEX RIDER NOVEL NEWS!

NEW ALEX RIDER NOVEL NEWS!

FOR MY MONEY THE ALEX RIDER SPY BOOKS ARE THE BEST ESPIONAGE STORIES BEING TOLD TODAY – EVEN BETTER THAN THE YOUNG BOND BOOKS, WHICH RUN A CLOSE SECOND – SO THIS IS GREAT NEWS . . .

PER BOOKSELLERS.COM:

The publication of the new Alex Rider novel, Crocodile Tears, to this autumn after author Anthony Horowitz delivered the manuscript earlier than expected.

The announcement will be welcome news to the book trade in the run-up to what is expected to be a difficult Christmas on the high street.

The last Alex Rider title, Snakehead, was published in 2007 and achieved £2m of sales in hardback and paperback (figs from Nielsen BookScan TCM). The eighth Alex Rider novel will now publish on 12th November.

Next year marks the tenth anniversary of Alex Rider. Walker Books’ publishing director Jane Winterbotham said that Horowitz’ family appeal would be the focus of the marketing, sales, PR and events programmes.

“We believe that in a challenging economic climate retail needs its strongest brands more than ever before," she said.

During the past decade, Horowitz has sold some 8m copies across all his titles in the UK and Ireland. His forthcoming collection of horror stories, More Bloody Horowitz, will now publish in autumn 2010.

DEAN MARTIN: LIVE AT THE SANDS HOTEL (1964)

DEAN MARTIN: LIVE AT THE SANDS HOTEL (1964)

HERE’S A PRIME RAT PACK RECORDING DOWNLAODABLE FROM KELLY’S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

LINER NOTES ~WILLIAM TUHLMANN:

This live recording of a performance by Dean Martin at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas on February 8, 1964, gives a good sense of Martin's stage act at a time just before he made a major comeback on records with the release of his chart-topping hit "Everybody Loves Somebody". That song, in its soon-to-be-written rock 'n' roll-inflected arrangement, is missing from the set which otherwise features some of Martin's biggest hits: "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", and "Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto De Blu)".

But the show is not to be understood as a conventional musical set by any means. Since Martin split from comedian Jerry Lewis in 1956 he had been developing an act that incorporated nearly as much comedy as a Martin & Lewis show. As part of the act he played the part of a charming drunk who weaved from song to song often altering the lyrics to create jokes.

Numerous songs were begun and never finished as Martin kibbutzed with his piano player and bandleader and harangued the audience. If you attended only one of these performances you might think it was all spontaneous but watching several (or hearing a few of the live recordings that began appearing after Martin's death) demonstrated that the act was performed much the same way time after time. Those special lyrics had been penned for Martin by songwriter Sammy Cahn and drunk as he might have appeared to be his timing was never off and much of the same material was repeated in the same way from one show to another.

In other words, the act really was an act. The performance captured here is typical full of bawdy humor and references to Martin's celebrity friends, the songs mostly tossed off. If you want to hear him sing straight, Martin says (as he did often in his shows), buy an album (carefully mispronouncing "album" the same way every time). This is an album too but it is really a record of a unique musical/comedic persona, Martin's most brilliant creation.

TRACKS:

01) Introduction/Medley
02) Memories Are Made Of This
03) That's Amore
04) Monologue
05) June In January
06) You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
07) More Laughs With Dean
08) Comedy Medley
09) Dino's 'Pretty Songs' Medley
10) Slow Boat To China
11) Medley
12) Closing Monologue
13) Celebrity Intros
14) Mr Wonderful/ Closing Theme

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

GABRIEL HUNT: THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR!

GABRIEL HUNT: THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR!

By Charles Ardai with cover art by Glen Orbik!

When a secret chamber is discovered inside the Great Sphinx of Egypt, the mystery of its contents will lead Gabriel to a remote Greek island, to a stone fortress in Sri Lanka...and to a deadly confrontation that could decide the fate of the world!

HERE’S THE WORD FROM CHARLES ARDAI HIMSELF:

The second Gabriel Hunt novel, HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR, officially has an August publication date -- but I've already started seeing copies crop up at bookstores in New York, so if you're eager to get a jump on all your fellow Hunt fans, you might check your favorite local bookseller. You may just get in early on some exciting weekend reading! (And if your local bookseller doesn't carry the book -- or is sold out -- you can always get a copy shipped directly to you by calling 1-800-481-9191.)

This time out, Gabriel starts in Budapest, Hungary, before embarking on a whirlwind adventure that takes him around the globe in pursuit of (among other things) the legendary Riddle of the Sphinx. You'll get to visit Egypt, Greece, Turkey and more, all at a pace that will leave your pulse pounding and your fingers chapped from turning the pages so fast. Online reviewer Kevin Cummings wrote, "If you want the literary equivalent of a summer blockbuster, HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR fills the bill...

The action is positively cinematic and the pace is breathless." Why go to a movie theater, only to sit through two hours of loud and lackluster storytelling, when (for the same money or less!) you could turn on the AC, pull up your most comfortable chair, crack open a copy of CRADLE OF FEAR, and get whisked away on the adventure of a lifetime?

Oh, and the book includes a bonus, too: Mr. Hunt decided to bind in with the novel itself an all-new adventure novelette by yours truly, set in the late 1940s, telling the story of an aging adventure hero's quest through the streets, deserts, and mountains of North Africa for what might be the greatest treasure ever found...or the most dangerous. It's called "Nor Idolatry Blind the Eye," and you'll find it included for free at the end of HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR.

Still not convinced? Maybe you're the sort who likes to take a look around before you buy. Well, if you visit the Gabriel Hunt Web site (http://www.huntforadventure.com/), you'll not only find a sample chapter from the book, you can also find a hidden page -- not accessible unless you know the secret address -- that contains photographs from around the Internet of some of the real-world locations and artifacts featured in HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR.

Warning: The page contains mild spoilers, at least in the sense that it'll tell you what parts of the world Gabriel visits during the story...so if you want all the book's surprises to stay surprises, you might not want to look at this page till you've read the book.

But if you just can't restrain your curiosity...click here: http://www.huntforadventure.com/events.shtml

Enjoy,

Charles Ardai
Editor

THE SHADOW STATUE!

THE SHADOW STATUE!

ELECTRIC TIKI IS PROUD TO PRESENT RUBEN PROCOPIO'S FINAL SCULPT OF THE "CLASSIC HEROES" SHADOW STATUE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT IS PRETTY AWESOME!CHECK OUT ON THE ELECTRIC TIKI WEBSITE FOR ALTERNATE VIEWS!

A DOC SAVAGE STATUE IS ALSO COMING SOON FROM ELECTRIC TIKI!

THE CHRONICLES OF SOLOMON KANE!

THE CHRONICLES OF SOLOMON KANE!

Coming in December!

Written by Roy Thomas and Ralph Macchio, art by Howard Chaykin, Steve Carr, Bret Blevins, Mike Mignola, John Bogdanove, John Ridgeway and Al Williamson.

Continuing in the vein of the successful Chronicles of Conan collection series, Dark Horse is expanding its Robert E. Howard reprint line by presenting all of the original 1970s and 1980s Marvel color comic books featuring Solomon Kane in one awesome volume! This trade paperback features the landmark stories "The Mark of Kane" and "Fangs of the Gorilla God," by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin, and the entire Sword of Solomon Kane miniseries, by Ralph Macchio and a host of talented artists -- including Mike Mignola, Al Williamson, Bret Blevins, John Ridgeway, and others!

From the French countryside to the Black Forest in Germany, from England to Africa -- follow Robert E. Howard's solemn, driven Puritan, Solomon Kane, as he cuts a path of vengeance across the globe! This beautiful 200-page tome includes meticulously recolored Kane adventures from Marvel Premiere #33 and #34, and the entire six-issue Sword of Solomon Kane series from the mid-1980s.

208 pages
$18.95
In stores on December 16.

DARK HORSE COMICS

SECRET AGENT X ~ THE COMPLETE SERIES VOLUME 3!

SECRET AGENT X ~ THE COMPLETE SERIES VOLUME 3!

Scheduled for Late-August/September!

For 41 issues from 1934 to 1939, SECRET AGENT "X" battled the forces of evil in the page of his own pulp magazine. Now, for the first time... the complete pulp series is being reprinted in nine deluxe omnibus editions! The text has been reset and all the original interior illustrations have been remastered. This volume contains the next four stories, by Emile C. Tepperman and Paul Chadwick: "Servants of the Skull," "The Murder Monster," "The Sinister Scourge" and "Curse of the Waiting Death." This is THE Secret Agent X reprint series to own!

374 pages
$29.95

ALTUS PRESS

MYSIMS AGENTS!

MYSIMS AGENTS!

FELLOW C.O.B.R.A.S. LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD AGENTS SHOULD CHECK OUT THE NEW MYSIMS AGENT COMING IN FALL 2009 FOR WII AND NINTENDO DS . . .

In MySims Agents on the Wii, players take on the role of a special agent hired to foil the sinister plans of Morcubus, lord of the criminal underworld. By recruiting different MySims, each with their own special characteristics, players can build up their very own crime-busting dream team. From tracking footprints and using forensics to picking locks, hacking into computers, following leads and collecting clues, players must rely on their wits, skills and trusty gadgets to piece together the clues to solve the mystery. Jump aboard the jet to reach an ancient temple, a spooky mansion or an icy mountaintop chalet in search of clues that lead players closer to the sinister Morcubus. Return from the adventure with cool treasures that players can use to construct and customize their headquarters and make it their own.

CHECK OUT THIS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO:

SHERLOCK HOLMES ~ NEW TRAILER!

SHERLOCK HOLMES ~ NEW TRAILER


I'M FAR FROM A HOLMES PURIST, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GUY RITCHIE'S TAKE ON THE GREAT DETECTIVE ~ IT CERTAINLY CAN'T BE ANY FURTHER FROM THE BOOKS THAN THE BASIL RATHBONE FILMS WERE . . . IF YOU WANT THE CLOSEST CINEMATIC VERSION TO THE BOOK WATCH (AND RE-WATCH) JEREMY BRETT'S PORTRAYAL FROM PBS' MYSTERY! SERIES.

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ DEAD BALL BY BARRY CORK!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ DEAD BALL BY BARRY CORK!

This is the first in a series of golf related mysteries. Originally pushed, like so many British sports mysteries, as comparable to Dick Francis, Dead Ball suffered by comparison. However, judged on it’s own merits, it’s a good start to a series, which got stronger with each entry.

Cork's first mystery bears the originality, dry wit and suspense typical of the best British thrillers. Angus Straun, police inspector and author, recounts the doings at the Royal West Wessex Golf Club, where he is investigating suspicious acts originating in landscape vandalism but escalating to the murders of Keith Fletcher, feminist April Yonge and others. Since only days remain before a tournament (expected to attract huge crowds and TV coverage) takes place, cunning is required to guard the gathering world-class champions and halt the perpetrators. Luckily, Straun's literary agent and true love, Laurie Wilson, is on hand to help crack the case. This appealing partnership turns in an offbeat, ace performance in Cork's capable hands.

Mostly for sports mystery fans, certainly not for fans of book covers. This one is such a murky morass it’s a wonder anyone on the publisher’s sales staff had the nerve to use it to convince potential bookstore buyers. The interior in this case is certainly better than the exterior.

NEW MYSTERIES ON BBC!

NEW MYSTERIES ON BBC!

In a press release yesterday, the BBC announced that the network has commissioned over 20 hours of original authored drama for BBC One next year, including a crime dramas and an adventure series which features a 21st century Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock is a 3 episode (90 minutes each) contemporary take on the classic stories, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured above) as the new Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade. Sherlock is a thrilling, funny, fast-paced adventure series set in present-day London.

Luther (working title) is a 6 episode (60 minutes each) psychological crime drama in which John Luther is a detective struggling with his own terrible demons; he might just be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts. Each week, the killer's identity will be known to the audience, making every story both a ticking clock and a psychic duel between hunter and quarry – who have more in common than either would like to think.

THE CATS' MEOW ~ DOUBLE PLAY!

ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS ~ PETE EMSLIE STYLE!

JAZZ BREAK ~ SOPHIE MILMAN!

JAZZ BREAK ~ SOPHIE MILMAN!

Next to Renee Olstead, Sophie Milman is my favourite current jazz singer. She’s a young chanteuse out of Canada via Russia and is making a name for herself not only in Canada, but also internationally.

She's actually Russian born and grew up in Israel, but has been living in Toronto for quite a while. Apparently, she didn't speak much English prior to arriving in Canada, so her phrasing is really quite impressive.

THE BAMBOO LOUNGE!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

1st ANNUAL SLED CONVENTION CAR SHOW / CONCERT ~ THIS SATURDAY!

FIRST ANNUAL SLED CONVENTION CAR SHOW/CONCERT!

SATURDAY: JULY 18 2009
TIME: 04:00
THE HUB, 2001 VALLEY BLVD., COLTON, 92324,

FIRST ANNUAL SLED CONVENTION CAR SHOW/CONCERT.

CAR SHOW(4PM-DUSK) - FREE ALL AGES

CONCERT INSIDE THE BAR (TIL-2AM) - 21 AND OVER $10 ENTRANCE INTO THE BAR IS $10., THIS ALLOWS YOU IN AND OUT OF THE BAR DURING THE CAR SHOW AND ALLOWS YOU TO SEE THE CONCERT. AFTER THE CAR SHOW, THERE WILL BE LIMITED IN AND OUTS (PER SECURITY). NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL ALLOWED!

MAD MEN SEASON 3!

MAD MEN SEASON 3!

Season 3 of the Emmy Award-winning series Mad Men featuring the adventures of Don Draper and his team of creative people at New York based ad agency Sterling Cooper will premiere on Sunday, August 16 at 10pm on AMC.

For those of you who want to catch up with the previous season, AMC is hosting a Season 2 marathon on Monday, August 10, from 7am to 8pm. Also, don't miss out on getting the Season 2 box that was released on July 14 on DVD and Blu Ray from the AMC shop.

And to get you all in the Mad Men mood, check out the hot new promo video for Season 3 below.

A TIP OF THE FEDORA TO ULTRA SWANK

THE CAT'S MEOW!

TRAVIS MCGEE ON THE BIG SCREEN!

TRAVIS MCGEE ON THE BIG SCREEN!

I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT ~THE LA TIMES SCOTT TIMBERG GIVES THE LOW DOWN ON TRAVIS MCGEE’S CLOSE-UP. . .

The late novelist John D. MacDonald's most famous character never made the leap to movies with anywhere near the success of Ian Fleming's James Bond, but that finally may change.

Back in the 1960s, two hugely popular literary characters ruled the pages of more than 10 novels each. Though it was a famously transformative decade, both were old-school men's men who loved risk, adventure, liquor and attractive women. Both protagonists became touchstones of their eras.

They differed in significant ways -- one was English, suave, favored bone-dry martinis, and worked for a large government organization. The other was Floridian, raw-boned, drank gin, and remained fiercely independent, avoiding entanglements of all kinds.

But perhaps the biggest difference between James Bond and Travis McGee is cinematic: The Bond films that began with "Dr. No" in 1962 became so popular that they're vastly better known than Ian Fleming's slim, taut books. McGee, by contrast, exists almost entirely on the pages of John D. MacDonald's 21-novel series, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #82 ~ SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT!

COCKTAIL NATION #82 ~ SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT!

Thanks to Tiki Shark, Koop Kooper will be coming down from up high in the penthouse in Sydney to head to the barber shop, a new place for Koop to get his locks and pencil moustache trimmed. It's only recently opened, so he'll see what secrets the barber Tony can share with us on acheiving the perfect retro look for both cats and kittens. We’ll also have news out of the recent hukilau, and check out a recently released book on Vic Damone.

PLAYLIST:

Dom Halpin ~ Mambo
New Morty Show ~ Blue Martini
Henry Mancini ~ Call Me Irresponsible
The New Classic Singers ~ Call Me
Arthur Lyman ~ Red Sails In The Sunset
Spy Fi ~ Jam Up
Kenyon Hopkins ~ Lonely Girl
The Peanut Vendor ~ Rumba
Enoch Light ~ Fly Me to the Moon
Lushy ~ Tradewinds
Kahuna Kawentzman ~ Road To Estoril
Armando Stella ~ Song Go Out Of My Heart
King Kukulele ~ Carrying a Tiki Torch For You
Cocktail Angst ~ BatesMotel
Clouseux ~ Chic Alors

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SCOPITONE: CAROUSEL OF STARS!

SCOPITONE: CAROUSEL OF STARS!

OUR FRIENDS OVER AT BUDDIES LOUNGE HAVE TIPPED US TO THIS VERY COOL EVENT . . .

On Sunday, July 19th, the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood will be presenting “Scopitone: Carousel of Stars” – a festival of the best I.B. Technicolor 16mm Scopitones produced. It’s a rare chance to catch these films on the BIG SCREEN, presented in 16mm dye transfer Technicolor!

For the uninitiated, Scopitones were pop music short films produced in the 1960’s and were designed to be played in "film jukeboxes." These machines were primarily located in bars, lounges and casinos. The campy quality and overt sexuality of these films provide an early view into what the music television industry would later become in the 80's and 90's. They also provide a glimpse of the influence of the sexual revolution in the mainstream culture. It’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday eveninG ~ in Tecnicolor no less!

If you missed seeing these rarities at the 2007 AMIA Conference in Rochester NY, or at the Echo Park Film Center last year, please come and enjoy on Sunday, July 19th, at 7:30 p.m. for “Scopitone: Carousel of Stars”.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

Be aware the American Cinematheque’s mention of a panel discussion is incorrect; The evening will be simply a screening plus a Q/A with the curator of the collection.

TAKE THE FILM NOIR QUIZ!

TAKE THE FILM NOIR QUIZ!

NOT TOO TOUGH FOR MOST AFFICIONADOS, HOWEVER, I STILL MISSED #6 TO MAKE MY SCORE 9/10.

TO TAKE THE QUIZ CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ FOUR PACK!

LEVERAGE ~ SEASON 2!

LEVERAGE ~ SEASON 2!

Leverage, the American rip-off of the British Hustle, is a fun crime caper series starring Timothy Hutton as Nate Ford, the leader of a gang of professional thieves and con artists, who use elaborate scams designed to exact revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people.

The 12-episode season debuted on TNT in December 2008 and ended with the team apparently breaking up, after destroying their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The first season of Leverage on DVD will be released on 07/14/2009.

Leverage returns for a second season this Wednesday, July 15th, at 9PM (ET/PT). In the opening episode, the team meets up in Boston for "The Beantown Bailout Job". Nate Ford reluctantly reassembles the team to pit the local Irish mob against a banker who is gaming a government bailout. If they survive, Nate has to deal with four thieves who've decided he needs them in his life, whether he likes it or not.

SUNDAY JAZZ!

SINATRA & ARMSTRONG - BIRTH OF THE BLUES!

Y/A CORNER ~ TROUBLE IN SOCCERTOWN!

Y/A CORNER ~ TROUBLE IN SOCCERTOWN!

BY RITA AND SPENCER OLIN

Lazer McNulty is crazy about soccer and pushes the envelope every time he's on the field. He has a serious temper problem. When his coach cancels soccer season early, Lazer and his friends have a lot of time on their hands. The situation takes a radical turn when Lazer is pulled into an adventure of discovery. While learning that something terrible is about to happen in his town, he discovers a lot about himself, his sidekick cousin, Carmen, his friends, and the town's adults. Lazer becomes the unofficial leader of the pack as he and his friends try to stop the looming disaster.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE