"Wonder Woman's" Keri Russell is 'a tourist' with a tiara
One of Keri Russell’s most vivid childhood memories is folding laundry while watching Lynda Carter twirl as Wonder Woman on television. And then there was her star-spangled Halloween costume when she was 4, a homemade outfit that for one night made her feel like a real Amazon princess.
"So you can imagine, the idea of playing Wonder Woman now, well, that’s pretty special," said Russell, who gives voice to the most famous female superhero of them all in "Wonder Woman," a PG-13 animated movie that hits stores Tuesday as a straight-to-video release on DVD and BluRay.
For Russell, there is "a certain feeling of responsibility" in playing a character that has been quite literally wrapped in the flag since her first appearance on newsstands in December 1941, the same month Pearl Harbor was bombed.
"She was the strong female among all these male heroes and for little girls she was an important symbol, so I do take it seriously,” said Russell, who won a Golden Globe for her starring work on the television show "Felicity" and has appeared in films such as "Mission: Impossible III" and "The Upside of Anger."
Still, Russell chuckled when asked about the physics of Wonder Woman's red, white and blue outfit (“It’s a bikini, and she’s jumping around and fighting? I’m glad it was a cartoon.") and the somewhat startling experience of treading into the comic-book sector ("The fans are very, very passionate and obsessed in a way, and it’s, um, interesting. I’m a tourist.")
Wonder Woman has been portrayed through the decades in different ways. There were many times when she seemed like a super-powered Barbie look-alike but in the late 1960s she was also a groovy boutique owner and staunch champion of the feminist movement. This time, the 75-minute animated film, which is steeped in Hellenic legend, presents her as confident and powerful princess from an ancient tribe who is repulsed by plenty of what she sees in callow American culture.
The movie was guided by acclaimed animation producer Bruce Timm and isn’t for kids –- at one point, the makers of the film were told their movie needed trims or it would be tagged as an R-rated feature. Even after trims there are still saucy scenes, such as the one where the heroine puts her truth-demanding lasso around Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion, who worked with Russell in "Waitress") and he feels compelled to comment on her breasts with a crass expression. Later in the film, Wonder Woman swings a sword in battle and, in a shocking moment, she beheads an evil opponent. This is not the "The Super Friends."
The movie is part of a robust surge in direct-to-video animated movies featuring publishing-world heroes created by DC ("Justice League: The New Frontier," "Superman: Doomsday”), Marvel (“Hulk Vs.,” "Ultimate Avengers") and Dark Horse ("Hellboy: Sword of Storms"). Sales have been steady if not spectacular but the relatively low production costs and the pop-culture momentum of superhero stories in Hollywood has studios willing to cultivate the sector.
Also, the quick voice work and the chance to channel iconic roles are appealing to plenty of established stars. For instance, "Wonder Woman" and its dark tale (much of it drawing on the Wonder Woman comics of George Pérez in the 1980s) features voice work by Rosario Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Oliver Platt and Alfred Molina.
"It was two days' work and you are part of this great story and production,” said Russell, who laughed about the need to grunt and bellow on command. “You get to be a superhero and what’s better than that?"
Neil Young Confirms New, Electric Car-Inspired LP “Fork in the Road” Due April 7th
When Neil Young began playing nine new songs a night towards the end of his 2008 tour it became apparent a new album was in the works. Today it was confirmed that Fork in the Road, a theme record about Young’s Linc Volt electric car project, will come out April 7th. The title track was turned into a hilarious YouTube video earlier this year. The only previously unheard song is “Johnny Magic,” a loving tribute to Jonathan Goodwin, who is Young’s partner in the Linc Volt project. Young has spent significant amounts of time working with Goodwin at his Wichita Kansas garage over the past year. Goodwin, known as the “motorhead messiah,” is one of the worlds preeminent electric car experts, and has little interest in his partner’s other career. “For the first month I thought he was Neil Diamond,” Goodwin told Rolling Stone last year. “I guess he is another singer. My wife told me ‘That’s Neil Young. He sings the older songs.’ To this day I’ve never listened to any of his music.”
The album was recorded with Young’s touring band, which includes Ben Keith (pedal steel guitar, keyboards), Chad Cromwell (drums), Rick Rosas (bass), Pegi Young (vocals) and Anthony Crawford (vocals, guitar). They just wrapped
up an Australian tour and are headed to Canada and Europe later in the year.
Here’s the track listing:
“When Worlds Collide”
“Fuel Line”
“Just Singing A Song”
“Johnny Magic”
“Cough Up The Bucks”
“Get Behind The Wheel”
“Off The Road”
“Hit The Road”
“Light A Candle”
“Fork In The Road”
"Spinal Tap" stars getting serious on new tour
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – It's no joke. The comedic trio behind "Spinal Tap" are hitting the road for a 30-city North American tour next month, and are leaving their heavy-metal guises at home.
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer -- accomplished musicians who have been playing together since 1978 -- said on Monday they will perform music from their "Spinal Tap" days as well as from subsequent film collaborations like the folk-music spoof "A Mighty Wind."
They performed a few songs and took questions during a news conference held on the 25th anniversary of the release of the influential mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap," in which the Americans played deluded English headbangers.
The cult hit spoofed situations that have rung eerily true for real-life bands, such as getting lost while trying to make their way to the stage, being confounded by malevolent stage props, or dealing with problematic drummers.
The film also popularized phrases such as turning the volume "up to 11." And when artists explain away their waning popularity by saying that "their appeal is becoming more selective," it's an inadvertent quote from the movie.
NO ROYALTIES
"It's a cautionary tale that we don't intend anyone to pay heed to," said McKean, who played vocalist David St. Hubbins. "If you're a young guy or gal and you want to be in a rock 'n' roll band, see this movie but do it anyway."
But musicians might want to pay heed to one small factoid: The trio never made a dime from the Rob Reiner-directed movie, their manager Harriet Sternberg told Reuters.
The film, originally funded by TV producer Norman Lear at a cost of $2.5 million, has changed hands at least half a dozen times, and is now owned by French firm StudioCanal. Sternberg said no attempt has been made to recover any royalty income.
The trio's "Unwigged & Unplugged" theater tour begins on April 17 in Vancouver, B.C., and runs through May 31 in Milwaukee.
"We've never gone out as ourselves," said Shearer, who played Derek Smalls, the hirsute bass player famed for stuffing a cucumber down the front of his pants. "It's interesting. After playing characters on stage all these years, we're having meetings now trying to figure out who we are."
They have toured several times before in their Spinal Tap incarnation, but played it straight off stage. Now, "we're gonna destroy hotel rooms," said Guest, the man behind guitarist Nigel Tufnel.
"Actually, at our age, we're gonna hire people to destroy hotel rooms," added Shearer.
The trio have also recorded studio versions of the Spinal Tap songs that appeared in live form on the film and soundtrack. The as-yet-untitled album, bolstered by seven or eight unheard tracks, will be released on May 26.
Lynda Carter a wonder on new CD
NEW YORK - Lynda Carter peers at the ultrasleek stereo in her hotel room, trying to find the right button - any button, really - that will get it to accept her CD.
"Now, where would Play be?" she asks.
"Is it Enter?" she wonders. "That's not it."
"CD? Does that say CD?"
Carter played Wonder Woman on television, someone who stopped bullets with her bracelets or hopped in an invisible plane. On this day, she's more human - more alter ego Diana Prince - stumped by an unfamiliar stereo.
But not for long.
"OK!" she says with delight as the right button is pressed and the squeal of a saxophone signals the beginning of Sam Cooke's torch song "You Send Me."
The voice that emerges, though, isn't Cooke's. It's Carter's. And, while walking over to a sofa, she can't help but sing along with herself, a grin plastered to her face.
"I didn't realize how much I missed music until I came back," she says, her tall frame swaying. "It's just a blast. It's so much fun."
That's right: Long before she donned her famous star-spangled one-piece, Carter was a singer. She's getting back to it now with a new CD and a cabaret tour, proving that the 57-year-old is still something of a wonder woman.
"She's really a very incredibly talented singer," says drummer Paul Leim, the leader of her band who has worked with Carter since her "Wonder Woman" days and also with the likes of Lionel Richie, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Faith Hill.
"Hopefully, everybody will get a chance to experience the real Lynda Carter instead of the actress from the cartoon," says Leim by phone from Nashville, Tenn.
The album contains covers of standards like "Cry Me a River," "Blues in the Night" and "Summertime," as well as playful torch songs such as "Million Dollar Secret."
Carter even covers the Etta James' classic "At Last," a song that also lends the CD its name. "It was 'At Last' for a long time before I knew it was the president's dancing song," she says, slightly chagrined.
Listeners might be startled at the strength of her voice and the soulful colouring of her songs, backed by top-notch studio musicians.
"I don't think I work for surprise, but I think I'm surprising," she says.
Carter has lost little of her head-turning looks. On this day, she wears a short embroidered jacket, tight silk shirt and black leggings, a look few women decades her junior could pull off as well.
Besides being a powerful charity fundraiser, she turns out to be a news junkie, able to talk about presidential line-item vetoes or Tom Daschle with ease. She also embraces her inner goofball.
"I'm really kind of a corny person," she says. "I think I am so funny. I do - I crack myself up. I consistently, at least according to my children, make a fool of myself. I am a completely flawed person. It is what it is. I'm happy with it."
She'll be appearing this month on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard and then at Lincoln Center in New York. In April, there's a fundraiser in Washington and a one-night stand in Modesto, Calif. And, in June, she'll be at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
"I like to make people laugh and feel comfortable with me," she says. "I work just as hard for 100 people as I do for 1,500 people. They deserve it."
Carter, who grew up in Phoenix, got her first professional singing job at 14. At 17, she was on the road, playing the Catskills, clubs in the Reno-Tahoe area, and made her debut at the Sahara Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in a band called The Garfin Gathering.
"I thought I was living the dream. Being paid to sing was unbelievable for me. When being paid to sing no longer felt right, that's when I quit," she says.
She won the Miss World-USA title in 1972 and four years later landed the iconic role of Wonder Woman, which she played until 1979. She says its success was due less to the skimpy outfit than her focus on making Diana Prince feel real.
"People forget that I spent most of the time on television playing an alter ego," she says. "That's how I allowed people to really understand her."
Carter, who released her first album in 1978 and sang in several prime-time specials in the 1980s, has returned to performing of late, as her two children with her second husband, lawyer Robert Altman, become young adults. She's appeared in "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Sky High" and the TV series "Smallville."
She recently played a sociopath on "Law & Order" and loved it. "People like me don't get those opportunities very often," she says. "My daughter called it creepy. So I thought I'd hit a home run."
Carter returned to singing and performing in 2005 in a London performance of "Chicago," and a year later was part of the musical's 10th anniversary show on Broadway.
She dipped her toe in cabaret in 2007, playing small venues in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Leim is working on a live CD of a show that she did in front of a nine-piece band at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.
Despite the new work, she knows that she'll never fully escape the legacy of Wonder Woman. Perhaps only when someone new steps into her old suit.
"It needs to be done again," she says. "I think they should. I'm the first one to pass that baton and I hope it makes a bizzilion dollars."
New U2 album to come in 5 formats
TORONTO - For U2's first release in five years, Bono and Co. are going all out - and expecting fans to do the same.
Sure, consumers can pick up the plain CD release of "No Line on the Horizon" when it comes out Tuesday, or they can splurge on one of the other four packages. There's the limited box set that includes a DVD and hardcover book, the "digipack" edition with a fold-out poster and rights to download a U2 film, the 60-page magazine version and the limited-issue vinyl double LP.
Yep, even the biggest band in the world is taking steps to rouse record buyers out of their collective malaise.
Loading a CD release with fan-friendly bonuses is a strategy that many bands are adopting as a way to entice consumers who otherwise might be just as happy downloading new music.
When Bruce Springsteen released "Working on a Dream" in January, it came with a bonus DVD featuring 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage. Radiohead's "In Rainbows" was available in a pricey limited deluxe edition that included both CD and vinyl, plus a second disc of new songs and a lyric book.
With the record-buying public seemingly shrinking with each passing year, it's becoming a necessary strategy even for the titans of the industry.
"I definitely think it does (help sales) because it adds a better sense of value to what people are buying," said Terry McBride, CEO of Vancouver-based Nettwerk Music Group. "I think it brings in the added value proposition of things that can't be digitized."
Of course, those bonus-loaded packages don't come cheap - the super-deluxe version of U2's new album runs a hefty $83.99 on Amazon.ca. That, McBride says, makes it even more important that the content is worthwhile and coming directly from the band.
"Knowing (U2), they had a lot to say about all of it, and they had their hands all over it," he said of their new release. "That makes it a lot more authentic, because they actually care.
"In the case of U2, it's not a marketing thing. They're really sincere people about what they release and what their fans like."
Toronto indie rockers Metric are releasing their fourth studio album, "Fantasies," in similarly bonus-packed fashion.
Beginning Tuesday, fans can pre-order the new album - which doesn't see physical release until April 14 - from Metric's website in three formats. The album will be available on limited edition vinyl, as a deluxe hard-cover CD or as a straight-up download in one of several "content bundles" that will include other extras.
Though Metric is releasing the album on Last Gang Records in Canada, they're essentially putting the record out themselves in the U.S. With that added responsibility, they took it upon themselves to include bonus content with the release.
"For us, it's just a way to stay creative and to think outside of what is normally allowed, which is based on a retail construct," said singer Emily Haines in a recent telephone interview from New York. "We're all discovering that ... preconceptions of how the world has to be are appearing to be not set in stone at all.
"So we're just having a good time and trying to stay inspired and make art."
Metric has documented their tours with photographs and videos taken by the band, some of which will be included with the record.
Haines says that beyond extra features, she thinks more care needs to go into the physical albums as well.
"I just think nobody is going to be impressed by something that looks cheap or throwaway," she said. "Particularly material goods and manufacturing, we all know the cost in environmental terms. If it's something I'm going to go buy, I want it to be valuable.
"Nobody wants a pile of plastic cases."
Not all musicians are onboard with this new strategy. Some are suspicious of what looks like a new method to rake in cash for record labels.
"Everything is about added bonus, added bonus, added bonus," said TV on the Radio singer/guitarist Kyp Malone. "But I feel like I'm not personally trying to sell records to anyone but the people who buy records already, you know? I know that's a shrinking market, and I recognize that, and I'm fine with it.
"I don't think I can trick anybody."
Haines understands Malone's point, but says the process feels less ominous when it comes directly from the band.
"(If) it's presented to you as a crass marketing tool by somebody whose taste you don't respect, you find yourself resisting ideas that are potentially just kind of cool," she said. "We enjoy making (these extras), and ideally, people are interested in seeing them. It's just a few minutes of entertainment or insight.
"But it takes a lot of the sinister side of things out of it when I don't feel like somebody's trying to sell every moment of my life."
Tragically Hip announce theatre tour
The Tragically Hip may be the same, but their next tour won't be.
The CanRock legends have announced they'll spend the spring and summer promoting their new album We Are the Same — due in stores and online April 7 — with a theatre tour.
Dubbed An Evening With The Tragically Hip, the jaunt will see them playing two sets per night, with multiple performances in many cities and no opening acts.
The tour kicks off April 27th in Kitchener and winds its way through the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up in Ottawa on Sept. 28.
Pre-sales begin Tuesday, March 3 at 10 a.m. for registered users of thehip.com. When buying tickets, you can also pre-order We Are the Same, along with the bonus CD Live From the Vault: Volume 4, a 1994 concert recording from Belgium. Check Ticketmaster and Live Nation's websites for public onsale dates in various markets.
The Hip's tour dates:
April 27-29 / Kitchener, Centre in the Square
May 1 & 2 / Montreal, Metropolis
May 4 / Quebec City, Le Capitole
May 7 / Philadelphia, Fillmore
May 8 / New York City, Nokia Theatre
May 9 / Boston, House of Blues
May 11, 12, 14-16 / Toronto, Massey Hall
May 23 / Kingson, K-Rock Centre
May 26 & 27 / Chicago, Vic Theatre
May 29 & 30 / Detroit, Fillmore
May 31 / Cleveland, House of Blues
June 2, 4-6 / Lewiston, N.Y., Artpark
June 9-11 / Los Angeles, Troubadour
June 13 & 14 / San Francisco, Fillmore
June 16 / Portland, Wonder Ballroom
June 17 / Seattle, Moore Theatre
June 20 / Victoria, Save On Foods Memorial Centre
June 22-24 / Vancouver, Orpheum Theatre
July 23 / London, Ont., Harris Park
Sept. 9-11 / Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall
Sept. 14, 16, 17 / Edmonton, Jubilee Auditorium
Sept. 19 / Banff, Eric Harvie Theatre
Sept. 21, 23, 24 / Calgary, Jubilee Auditorium
Sept. 26-28 / Ottawa, National Arts Centre
War epic Passchendaele among GG winners
Acadian singer Edith Butler, dancer Peggy Baker and filmmaker/playwright Robert Lepage are among the winners of this year's Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Also named as winners are playwright George F. Walker, composer R. Murray Schafer and writer/singer Clemence Desrochers.
Each recipient receives $25,000.
The awards will be presented at Rideau Hall May 8.
As well, actor/director Paul Gross was honoured for his film Passchendaele, winning this year's National Arts Centre Award for achievement over the past performance year.
And philanthropist James D. Fleck was named the recipient of the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts.
"The presentation of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards is a time for us to recognize the invaluable contribution of our artists who have chosen the stage as a space in which to create and to express themselves and who dedicate their lives to enriching our own," said Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean.
New CD Releases, March 3rd: U2, 'Watchmen,' Neko Case, Raul Malo, Rush, and more!
U2 "No Line On the Horizon" (Interscope)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers from Dublin, Ireland are set to unleash their 12th studio album, which marks the group's first batch of new material since 2004's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."
"No Line on the Horizon" was produced by longtime U2 collaborators Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Steve Lillywhite. The album's first single is the track "Get On Your Boots," which the band debuted in mid-February at the 2009 Brit Awards in London.
"No Line on the Horizon" will be made available in five versions, including a standard CD, a double-vinyl pressing and a deluxe box set.
* * *
Various artists "Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture" (Reprise)
Comic book fans are counting down the days until the release of the "Watchmen," the major motion picture adaptation of the popular comic book series/graphic novel. The film hits theaters on Friday (3/6), but fans can get an advance taste of the film by purchasing "Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture."
This collection includes offerings by such legendary musicians as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. It also includes one track by a much newer band--My Chemical Romance offers up a cover of Dylan's "Desolation Row."
* * *
Neko Case "Middle Cyclone" (Anti)
The popular singer/songwriter, who releases records both under her own name and as a member of The New Pornographers, delivers another solo album. "Middle Cyclone" follows 2006's "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood."
The record was co-produced by Case and New Pornographers studio engineer Darryl Neudorf. "Middle Cyclone" features a number of guests, including M. Ward, Garth Hudson and Sarah Harmer, as well as members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico and Giant Sand, among others.
Case is set to support the new album with a tour that begins March 31 in Austin, TX.
* * *
Raul Malo "Lucky One" (Fantasy)
The former Mavericks frontman drops his first set of original material since his 2001 solo debut, "Today." In the interim, he released the cover collections "You're Only Lonely" and "After Hours," which feature songs written by his favorite performers, including Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson and Roger Miller.
Malo will showcase "Lucky One" during a five-week US tour. The trek launches March 6 in Portland, OR, and will hit more than a dozen clubs and theaters.
* * *
Rush "Retrospective 3" (Atlantic)
This two-disc CD/DVD combo spotlights the multi-platinum Canadian band's more-recent releases. "Retrospective 3," which draws from the years 1989 to 2008, features such tunes as "Roll the Bones," "Driven" and "Half the World."
* * *
More new releases:
Boston Spaceships, "Planets Are Blasted" (Guided by Voices)
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem In Person at Carnegie Hall: The Complete 1963 Concert" (Sony)
Justin Townes Earle, "Midnight at the Movies" (Bloodshot)
Bela Fleck, "Throw Down Your Heart, Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3: Africa Sessions" (Rounder)
Ian McLagan and Bump Band, "Never Say Never" (R.E.D.)
Buddy and Julie Miller, "Written in Chalk" (New West)
Nashville Pussy, "From Hell to Texas" (Steamhammer)
Alan Parsons Project, "Vulture Culture: Original Recording Remastered" (Sony)
Arvo Part, "In Principio" (ECM)
Prodigy, "Invaders Must Die" (R.E.D.)
Tierney Sutton, "Desire" (Telarc)
Thin Lizzy, "Still Dangerous: Live at the Tower Theater Philadelphia" (VH1)
Various Artists, "The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 11B: 1971" (Hip-O)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" (Lakeshore)
"Watchmen: Original Motion Picture Score" (Reprise)
Penn to lobby for Harvey Milk Day in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fresh from his best actor Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, Sean Penn is pushing California to officially recognize the late gay politician's birthday.
State Senator Mark Leno plans to reintroduce a bill Tuesday with Penn by his side designating Milk's birthday a "day of significance."
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the same bill last year.
In his veto message, the governor said Milk should be honored in San Francisco but not statewide.
Leno says Penn's award shows that Schwarzenegger's argument about Milk being only of provincial interest no longer holds up.
Prince to release new CD set through Target
NEW YORK – Prince is coming to a Target near you.
The superstar is releasing a three-disc CD set through the retailer at the end of this month. The set will include two new albums — "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND" — as well as a third by his new artist, Bria Valente, for the price of $11.98.
Prince is just the latest music legend to release new music exclusively through a major retailer. AC/DC and the Eagles were among the acts who sold millions of CDs through their partnership with Wal-Mart.
Prince has released his recent CDs through major labels, but they were one-album deals that gave him the flexibility to go elsewhere when the project was done. Last fall, he released a coffee table book of photos titled "21 Nights" documenting his record-breaking, 21-night run at London's 02 Arena in 2007. The book also included a CD of live performances.
"Prince has long been renowned as one of the world's most original and iconic musical artists," said Mark Schindele, Target's senior vice president of merchandising. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share his most recent work with our Target guests."
The CD set will be on sale at Target and its Web site on March 29.