Net worthless heiress somehow fit to sing alongside Joan Jett, Daniel Ash, David J.

By Randy Harward

Repo! The Genetic Opera looks like a cool film. Watch the trailer closely, however, and you’ll see someone who looks familiar despite her—and the makeup department’s—best efforts to act and conceal, respectively. Among shots of substantially more talented artists like Joan Jett, Bauhaus and Love and Rockets principals David J and Daniel Ash, Skinny Puppy’s Nivek Ogre, Rasputina’s Melora Creager, Sarah Brightman, Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins and Filter’s Richard Patrick is famous-for-nothing, hot-as-herpes Paris Hilton. And get this: she’s one of the vocal leads.

According to the film’s Wikipedia entry, filmmaker Darren Bousman was initially cool to the idea of auditioning what David Cross so accurately called a “rich, giggling cunt,” he gave in and upon seeing her do her thing—oh, here it comes—said she “rocked” the soundbooth audition. Really? Or did she just pull a Sharon Stone with a nitrous oxide/pepper spray surprise to cloud his judgment? KOFF! CHOKE!

More likely is the filmmakers decided their film—which also stars Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and B-horror luminary Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Pt. 2, every Rob Zombie movie)—needed a little more star power, even if it was of the cheap and easy variety. And that’s a shame, because it really does look like a good movie.

The film--from the producers of the Saw franchise--is set in the future, where organ failure is now an epidemic and replacement parts are sold like new automobiles. Also just like with car loans, when you default on the payments, the repo man comes knockin’. And guess how he reclaims the property? Yup—he comes like a thief in the night, and… you know.

The music, which you can sample here, is also pretty good. The songs are darkly funny in a Spring Awakening kinda way and the film’s Sin City-in-color graphic novel look is slick. So it could be fucking cool. Except for She Who’d Pollute the Film With Her Venereal Presence.

Oh, well. We can always hope that the Saw people are just planning a particularly nasty end for her.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

SATURDAY OCTOBER 4:

10:00 AM PLD HD: SoulStage: The Roots

1:00 PM VH1C: Seven Ages of Rock

4:00 PM FUSE: Welcome to Timbaland

5:30 PM Noggin: Yo Gabba Gabba!: Aggrolites

6:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Stereophonics, Colbie Caillat & Joan Armatrading

8:00 PM PLD HD: SoulStage: Erykah Badu

8:00 PM VH1C: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

9:00 PM PBS: Austin City Limits:  R.E.M.

10:00 PM VH1C: Heavy Metal (1981)

11:30 PM NBC: Saturday Night Live:  Anne Hathaway / The Killers

12:30 AM VH1: NWA: The World's Most Dangerous Group

2:00 AM FUSE: Loaded: Motley Crue

SUNDAY OCTOBER 5:

6:00 AM History: History's Lost & Found: Sun Studio Sound Board w/Sam Phillips

9:00 AM CBS News Sunday Morning: David Byrne

10:30 AM VH1C: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

12:00 PM HDNet Concert Series: Keane - Live at the Aragon Ballroom Chicago

12:00 PM Sundance: Gimme Shelter

1:15 PM Encore Western: The Cowboy and the Senorita (1944) w/Roy Rogers, Dale Evans , The Sons of the Pioneers

3:00 PM RAVE HD: Later With Jools Holland: Roni Size , The Zutons , Razorlight , Mory Kanté , Robin Gibb , Jocelyn Brown

3:00 PM VH1C: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

4:40 PM HDNet Concert Series: Robert Randolph and the Family Band

5:30 PM Noggin: Yo Gabba Gabba!: Cornelius , Biz Markie

6:00 PM TVONE: James Brown: The Man, The Music & The Message

8:00 PM HDNet: CSNY / Deja Vu

9:00 PM RAVE HD: Beautiful Noise: Grace Potter

9:40 PM HDNet Concert Series: John Mellencamp Live at Walter Reed

11:00 PM PLD HD: Dave Chappelle's Block Party w/Mos Def , Erykah Badu , Jill Scott , Kanye West , The Fugees , Talib Kweli

12:00 AM VH1C: Krush Groove (1985)

Tosses his porkpie hat into the ring in a late bid for the highest office in the land.

By Blurt Staff

Silver Spring, MD: It's already being called this election's October Surprise, according to a slew of media outlets, including Fox News and The Village Voice: this week BLURT Managing Editor Fred Mills formally announced a run for the President Of The United States. He's running, naturally, as the BLURT Party candidate, whose official motto is "40 Acres and A Mule in Every Garage, Plus Some Pot For the Chickens."

Citing an "overwhelming disgust" in the political system following Joe Biden's "craven failure to ritually disembowel Sarah Palin and dress her like a moose" in front of the cameras during prime time during Thursday night's Vice Presidential debates as his chief motivating factor, Mills has already built up an impressive grassroots movement, as evidenced by this news clip.

"There's an old saying about politics and the American people: ‘We're all bozos on this bus',' Mills noted at a brief press conference held at the BLURT grand ballroom yesterday morning. Pulling his hair back into a ponytail and stroking his peach fuzz, Mills continued, "'Well, not any more - I'm hijacking the bus and kicking all the bozos off."

Mills hasn't picked a running mate yet, but his short list reportedly includes Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, funkmaster George Clinton and hockey mom Patti Smith.

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:00 AM CBS: The Early Show: Melissa Etheridge

9:00 AM Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Amy Macdonald ,

9:00 AM Syndicated: Live with Regis and Kelly: Robin Thicke

12:00 PM Rave HD Concerts: Glastonbury Festival 2004 w/Paul McCartney , Oasis , Morrissey , Scissor Sisters

1:00 PM VH1C: Rock Fest: Guns 'n Roses

2:30 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit:  Man Man

4:00 PM VH1C: BBC Crown Jewels: Sight & Sound in Concert: AC/DC

5:00 PM Great American Country: Edge of Country: Billy Bob Thornton , The Boxmasters

5:00 PM VH1 Classic in Concert: Rush in Rio

7:30 PM Ovation: Jazz Heroes: Ella Fitzgerald: The Singer Not The Song

8:00 PM VH1C: BBC Electric Proms: Paul McCartney

9:00 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Foals

10:00 PM Sundance: Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club

11:35 PM NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: T.I.

12:05 AM ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Nelly

12:30 AM VH1C: Heavy Metal (1981)

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Nick Cave

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Randy Newman

1:30 AM ETV: Saturday Night Live (E!): Snoop Dogg / Avril Lavigne

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly: Grizzly Bear

Lydon does a butter commercial and he means it, maaan...

By Fred Mills

The British media are reporting - aren't you glad that we check the British media each morning to see what they are reporting? it's all for YOU, dear readers - that John Lydon is shilling for a butter company called Country Life.

That's right, Johnny Rotten mean's it, maaan: he's apparently filmed TV ads for Country Life, which will begin broadcasting them soon. The company issued a press release about their choice of the "icon," stating, "We don't think enough people know Country Life is the only major British butter brand and John gets the message through loud and clear.He is seen as a great British icon. His independent views are part of his consumer appeal and his tongue-in-cheek sense of humour shines through in our TV advertising."

Added Lydon, noting that he'd never done a TV ad before, "People know I only do things that I want to or that I believe in and I have to do it my way. I've never done anything like this before and never thought I would, but this Country Life ad was made for me and I couldn't resist the opportunity."

Er, it might have something to do with the paycheck, too, right, John?

Lydon, dressed in traditional tweed, is seen in a British men's club then roams around in the country and proposes reasons why he prefers Country Life. The raucous rock music playing in the background is decidedly, er, Sex Pistols-esque.

The company's slogan: "It's not about Great Britain, it's about Great Butter."

Legendary musician testifies to the candidate's character and abilities.

By Fred Mills

Bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley and his band the Clinch Mountain Boys may be men of constant sorrow most of the time, but starting yesterday the good Doctor had a different persona: a man for Barack Obama.

A radio ad that has started airing in the southern section of the election battleground state Virginia has Stanley giving props to Obama's bonafides as a tasty little bit of banjo twang is heard in the background.

Says Stanley, in part, "Howdy, friends. This is Ralph Stanley, and I think I know a little something about the families around here. Barack'll cut taxes for everyday folks -- not big business -- so you'll have a little more money in your pocket at the end of the year. I also know Barack is a good man. A father and devoted husband, he values personal responsibility and family first."

Boy howdy to that. Thank you, Dr. Stanley. You're a good man yourself.

Take a listen to the entire ad HERE.

Dandys and friends band together to fight Portland, OR urbanization

By Blurt Staff

The Dandy Warhols sure do have a lot of friends in bands.  Good things these friends all decided to get together and do some good.  They got their friends to gether to help record an album over time in the band's studio, "The Odditorium," which is described thusly:

"The Odditorium...is more than simply one band's space. It's also home to their friends, the touring and local bands looking for a place to play, to record. The Dandys began inviting other bands to participate in a collective project, the artists coming in on their own time to record new ideas over tracks others had already laid down, together creating what becomes a nearly living musical entity."

And that "nearly living musical entity is "Breath Easy."  Finally, fans who have wondered what J. Mascis guitar drenched squall would sound like next to Saul WIlliams industrial tinged political rap have to wait no longer.  "Breathe Easy" also features Britt Daniel from Spoon, the Black Angels, Midnight Angels, and the Raveonettes.  100 % of the album profits will go to support the Three Rivers Land Conservancy.

The Three Rivers Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that works to conserve and preserve land by the Clackamas, Tualatin, and lower Willamette Rivers against urbanization.  Through consumer purchases, and corporate contributions, their initial goal is to save 10,000 acres of Oregon's natural habitat.

That's not the brown acid that's causing your flashback....

By Blurt Staff

 Due Oct. 28 from Eagle Vision DVD is the two-hour feature film documentary A Technicolor Dream.

More than just the story of the British 1960s underground movement that culminates at "The 14-Hour Technicolor Dream" (an all-night happening at Alexandra Palace on April 29, 1967), it also offers a crucial look at a young Pink Floyd (with the mythic Syd Barrett). This DVD comes complete with three full bonus Pink Floyd performances - "Astronomy Domine," "Scarecrow" and "Arnold Layne" - with Barrett on guitar and vocals from 1967, as well as additional interviews with Roger Waters, Nick Mason and others not seen in the original BBC broadcast version. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and the Pretty Things are in the film as well performing and being interviewed.

According to Eagle Vision, "From the London Free School and UFO Club to the Notting Hill Carnival, this is the story of an activist generation and how that generation-like their stateside counterparts-protested inequality and injustice. The sense of community that bonded such a generation to see wrongs and try to right them hasn't been seen since. The marches, the mania, the fact that back then, activism was part of the daily fabric of youth culture, seems almost impossible in this day and age. Those who lived it, though, on either side of the Atlantic, know what it felt like. Those who didn't, can only watch a film like this and imagine."

Nothing more irresistible than a limited edition if yer collector scum!

By Fred Mills

Mexican Summer is the name of a new vinyl and digital label  that quietly launched last month. The concept? Revive the notion of the "record club" - think the great Sub Pop Singles Club, but not limited to just 7" releases, and include links to DRM-free downloads of the material with each platter for consumers who like their music on the go, too. Thus far the label has made available sharp records from Dungen, Nachtmystium and Headdress, with releases en route from Marisa Nadler, Black Moth Super Rainbow and others.

According to the label, the records will all be "pressed in very limited quantities and will also be available for download, bringing a musical and visual experience to music lovers and collectors that want more than just a tune to consume."

The vinyl will be available on a subscription basis and at a select group of exclusive indie retailers across the country.  Two or three records will be released every other month in various formats - 12", 7", Picture Disc, etc., and all will be "beautifully packaged, hand numbered, pressed on high quality virgin vinyl and include a download card." There will also be bonus gifts available only to members, such as slip mats and tote bags.

Subscriptions are available via the website: www.mexicansummer.com

Mexican Summer Release Schedule:

9.2: Dungen - "Sat Att Se" 12" (1,000 PRESSED, 300 Orange/Gold Haze, 700 Gold)

9.2: Nachtmystium - "Worldfall" (500 Red w/ black splatter, 500 gray w/ red splatter)

9.2: Headdress - "Turquoise" (LP - 500 press)

11.1: Marissa Nadler - "Ballads Of Living and Dying" (reissue w/ bonus unreleased 7") (1,000 press)

11.1: The Tallest Man On Earth - "Shallow Grave" (LP w/ bonus 7" EP) (1,000 press)

TBD: Bobby BeauSoleil & The Orkustra (2XLP - w/ unreleased material) (1,000 press)

TBD: Black Moth Super Rainbow - (picture disc) (1,000 press)

TBD: Valet

Compiled by Blurt Staff

206 digital, satellite and hi-def channels and nothin' on? Not likely. Here are BLURT's top music television picks of the day. The time is followed by the network/cable/satellite channel, then the name of the program and/or featured artist(s). All times are EST. For a comprehensive hour-by-hour listing, go to the VH1 Rock On TV site. Note that for certain channels, shows frequently repeat during the day on or subsequent days.

TIME (EST) / CHANNEL / PROGRAM / ARTIST(S)

7:30 AM Showtime: Liza with a 'Z'

8:35 AM Starz Cinema: Metric: Live at Metropolis

10:00 AM TVONE: TV One on One: Robin Thicke

11:00 AM Rave HD Concerts: Oasis Live at Manchester City Stadium

11:30 AM NICK: Yo Gabba Gabba!: The Shins , Mark Mothersbaugh

1:30 PM VH1C: Rock Fest:  Heart

2:00 & 5:00  PM Ovation: Definitely Dusty w/Dusty Springfield , Elton John , Burt Bacharach , Lulu , Martha Reeves , Madeline Bell

2:30 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit:  Aesop Rock

4:00 PM Ovation: Bonefish Grill's Notes From The Road: Matisyahu

5:30 PM PLD HD: Isle of Wight Festival 2008

6:00 PM Ovation: Stand By Your Dream - Tammy Wynette

8:00 PM Ovation: Bonefish Grill's Notes From The Road: 3 Doors Down

9:00 PM FUEL: The Daily Habit: Man Man

9:00 PM PLD HD: Tupac: Resurrection

10:00 PM Sundance: Live from Abbey Road: Stereophonics, Colbie Caillat & Joan Armatrading

11:00 PM Sundance: Iconoclasts: Quentin Tarantino and Fiona Apple

11:35 PM CBS: The Late Show With David Letterman: Lucinda Williams

12:35 AM NBC: Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Ben Folds

12:37 AM CBS: The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Michael Franti , Spearhead

1:00 AM MTV2: Subterranean:  The Jesus and Mary Chain

1:35 AM NBC: Last Call with Carson Daly:  Garbage

3:00 AM BBCA: The Graham Norton Show: Joss Stone