M  i  l    M  a  n  i  a

       

        The Official Newsletter of WWW.ARTISTINSANE.COM

 

 

Thanks for reading this issue of Mil Mania!  And, remember, this is a work in progress, subject to many and varied changes — all adding up to a new and improved publication...so I hope!  Please drop me a line to let me know what you think, including any and all suggestions.  Thank you!!!

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All Content © Mil Scott                                                                                                         www.artistinsane.com

Welcome To The April

                           Issue of Mil Mania!

 Volume 2, Issue 4, April 2006

 

Music Mayhem    

As noted in the December edition of Mil Mania, I will continue to include news in every issue to keep readers up to date on the latest happenings with the three acts most prominently featured on www.artistinsane.com.  In addition,  for each issue I will also choose one additional artist — in some cases a new discovery I’ve recently made, in others an individual or group whose work I’ve long appreciated — to make a one-time appearance here.  And, of course, as with all aspects of Mil Mania, feel free to offer suggestions.

 

This month’s featured artist: 

The Goo Goo Dolls —

     It may seem odd that
I don’t own as much as
one album, single or
other bit of recorded
music by the group I’m
recommending this month.
However, as a song they released late last year came on the radio the other day, and I automatically reached to turn it up, I realized I’ve been doing the same thing with nearly every Goo Goo Dolls song I’ve heard on the radio for the past decade (most notably, “Name”, “Here Is Gone”, “Big Machine”….and the aforementioned recent single, “Better Days”).  What’s more, the one experience I’ve had of seeing them in concert (which came about simply because they were sharing a bill with Third Eye Blind) likewise left a hugely positive impression.  Not only did Johnny Rzeznik’s live vocals prove even stronger and more passionate than their recorded counterparts, but the wonderfully giving, leave-everything-on-the-stage spirit with which his portions of the show were delivered quickly served to dispel any images that a full-length performance by this seemingly laid-back  artist might possibly prove...well, a little boring (though I must confess fellow band member Robby Takac performed about a third of the show in question...with far less artistically pleasing results, in my opinion). 
     In any case, as I learned from the commentary following that recent radio moment that a new Goo Goo Dolls album is to be released later this month, it seemed even more appropriate to make note of my appreciation at last. Who knows, maybe I’ll even (finally) go buy a small piece of their work...something many of you have probably already done.  If not, check them out for yourself and see if you don’t feel inspired to do the same.

     For more info, visit www.googoodolls.com.

 

……………………..

 

Third Eye Blind news as it pertains to Mil Mania continues to evolve and change even as actual news of the band itself since last month stays pretty much the same.  To clarify, I noted in the March issue that StephanJenkins.com was closing its doors...but now it seems Jen has experienced a slight change of heart (a good thing, in my opinion).  The latest update declares the site “on sabbatical until a new album is released”.  In the meantime, my 3eb bio is to be added to what is currently “The Place” for Third Eye Blind info fan discussion, etc... The Village Churchyard.  What’s more, Adam (the site’s administrator) has enlisted me to write individual bios for each of the band’s members, past and present. Watch for updates on when these are completed and will be published to TVCY.

     Also, Third Eye Blind has embarked on a brief spring tour with dates in TX, the West Indies and PA  — including a 4/29 date in Villanova.  My attendance at this is uncertain at present (as only very limited ticket info has been made available thus far).  Of course, if I do, I’ll share my review in May’s “Music Mayhem”.

 

Brian Fitzpatrick has been very quiet of late...I’ve heard no news since his St. Paddy’s Day appearance at The Underpass, but will be sure to keep you informed if additional info or show dates come up prior to the next issue of Mil Mania.

 

Michael McDermott returned to Philadelphia’s World Café Live for a brief opening set recently.  You can check back here for a full review with photos, which I will be adding to the host of McDermott related material on artistinsane.com in the days ahead.

     In the meantime, you can view video clips of an interview and two songs from a recent appearance on a local Chicago television show:

Interview

 

Off My Mind

 

Long Way From Heaven

 

     Lastly, it was announced at the aforementioned Philly show that the tentative release date for Michael’s new acoustic album is sometime in July.  Let’s hope there are no further delays and we all get to hear some wonderful new music from this tremendous talent SOON!

Ravings of a
          Mad Woman

This column corresponds with the Mad Ravings On section of www.artistinsane.com, and is dedicated to selected reviews of movies, television and books… most of which are unlikely to represent “the latest” in any of these categories, but rather a  random selection that represents a new and/or noteworthy discovery to me.

 

            ………………………..

 

     With the movie adaptation of The DaVinci Code opening next month I thought it an appropriate time to discuss this best-selling book — and the (to me, anyway) truly brow-furrowing enigma of its “numerical” success. 
     Lest you’re a fan, before gasping in horror, or assuming my negative reaction is based on mere disagreement with the theological theories it puts forth, consider this:  if someone attempted to unabashedly offer you a 21st Century-penned novel by pointing out that (despite its alleged intent of glorifying “The Divine Feminine”...largely by repeating that phrase with heady glee ad nauseam) it features only three females among a host of characters introduced over its 454 pages, and that the primary one of these is given credit for being attractive and moderately clever, but ultimately subordinated at every turn to the male lead, who on Earth would buy such a blatantly offensive piece of obvious drivel?  A few million people, apparently.  Because if you get past the understandably human desire to stroke one’s ego/pat oneself on the back for your “intellectualism” (as surely proved by a willingness to seriously weigh the alternative possibilities regarding the life of Christ The Da Vinci Code presents), and instead objectively dissect the work, a pompous exhibition of male ego at its worst is, in a nutshell, what you’re left with — and based on that succinct (and indeed accurate) description, a “nutshell”  (completely unrelated to artistic “insanity”, of course) is undoubtedly from whence its clearly hypocritical author crawled.  At least, that’s the opinion of this particular (though, under normal circumstances , not particularly radical — and most certainly not Divine) feminist.
     The fact author Dan Brown blamed his wife for much of the research and credited her with a great deal of input on the novel in his recent plagiarism case further strengthens this point...after all, he either used his unsuspecting wife as a scapegoat or chose to marry a woman who qualifies as a contender for possessor of the lowest self-esteem of any female in America (as evidenced by her not hitting him over the head with a frying pan when she realized how non-feminist/non-woman-inclusive this book really is).
     As for the theology that apparently for so many masks the misogyny, the one defense I will offer Brown is that he has in fact published The Da Vinci Code as a work of fiction.  And, while it’s my firm belief fiction is nonetheless aimed at arriving at some form of truth, the events via which one gets there are not necessarily at all true in and of themselves.  That said, I will admit I find it almost as interesting that people take the theory of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdelene seriously as I do that they miss the feminist issue…at least any who consider Jesus to have been “a good man”, matters of Divinity aside.  After all, if you’ve actually read the Gospels, you know that in all of these Jesus points out that to bind oneself in marriage to an “adulterer/ess” makes one equally guilty of this “sin”.  And, in saying that it should be noted I’m not herein putting forth a stance either way on the position Jesus was in these statements advocating.  The point is, having clearly stated that such was his stance, to violate this by marrying the known adulteress Mary Magdelene would obviously make Jesus a hypocrite.  And, while many even wholly non-religious people consider him a man who lived an exemplary life, personally I don’t consider hypocrites  role models.  But, of course, that brings us back to Brown and his misogynistic presentation of “feminism”.  Oh yeah, this book of fiction without a doubt arrives at truth — the truth about Dan Brown and his negative views on women.
     As for Jesus and women, one doesn’t need to seek out theories linking him in marriage to realize he didn’t spawn the subordination of females certain of his followers may have  engaged (or continue to engage) in — or to discover that his own far less than 454 page tale contains far more than three of them.  Again, one need only read the Gospels to see how many women Jesus counted among his friends...and to learn that in all four of these accounts, it was a woman/women to whom his resurrection was first made known.  And, it was she/they who were subsequently first charged with the task of sharing this “Good News”.
     Now that’s a feminist whose story deserves to be a bestseller.  Hmm...maybe that explains why the Bible remains the top-selling title of all time.

 

P.S.  To read my full review of The Da Vinci Code, click here.  (Yes, believe it or not, there’s more!) 

                               (If you haven’t met me yet, you might want to
                               read the Dec. issue first.)

 

     Well, here I am again to share a few thoughts and observations from the perspective of a rodent single mom.  And, finally, I have my first real questions from readers who have written with messages for me since last month’s column.  Needless to say, I was very excited to receive them — after all, how can I “madvise” if I have no one asking me about things that “madden” them?  So, thanks very much for each of those, and, of course, please keep them coming!

     To get down to business, then, the first inquiry comes in three parts and solicits what I see as my…

 

     “Favorite book?  Favorite character in a movie?  Biggest injustice [against my species]?”

                                                                            “Anon Y Mous”