The Greatest Band You Never Heard...

The day The Beatles called it quits was a dark day for me. The months and years that were to follow lead me in search of music that could bring the same thrill. I was hooked, and I needed another fix...bad.

The void left by the breakup resulted in a journey that would define a large part of my life. Immediately afterward, I began digging way deeper into the Beach Boys' catalog and soon became enchanted with the unimaginable genius of Brian Wilson. I had always been a Beach Boys fan, mind you, but in the sixties I was too obsessed with The Beatles to give them enough of my personal musical bandwidth.

While all my high school pals were moving forward to Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin (admittedly, great bands), my musical tastes went off in a different direction. In addition to The Beach Boys, I began listening to Badfinger, The Hollies, The Raspberries, Emitt Rhodes and Todd Rundgren. I don't think they called it Powerpop in those days, but that's what I was into.

I was always "in search of", and a typical Saturday afternoon would usually include a trip to Tower Records, where one day in 1977, I discovered the debut album of The Rubinoos. Never heard of 'em. I'm not sure what impulse made me pick up the album, but I never looked back.


I got home, plopped the vinyl on the turntable and was instantly smitten. The LP included every ingredient for a Powerpop birthday cake, with icing and spreckles and candles that you can't blow out. Everything about it was world class: the songwriting, the vocal harmonies, the incredibly hooky guitar riffs, and that captivating feeling of joy you get when you hear a great pop song. The album was eclectic -- some songs were edgy, some were breezy and some showed a knack for irreverent charm and humor. It gets better. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, I was happy to learn that The Rubinoos hailed from Berkeley, and the entertainment section of the Sunday paper, I learned they were playing the following Friday at The Keystone Berkeley, a legendary rock club from the good old days. The live show was mind-blowing. Up on the stage were four lads, not looking old enough to be in a bar, and singing and playing with a musicality and effortlessness that seemed impossible for anybody that young.

On lead vocals was Jon Rubin (the Rubinoos name was actually a play on Buck Owens and The Buckaroos), with a pure soprano voice that even Eric Carmen would envy. Royse Ader was a tall, nordic-looking fellow who played bass ably and sang harmonies. Donn Spindt, a remarkably talented drummer, also sang harmonies. Their secret weapon was Tommy Dunbar, who played guitar like a world-class evil genius, wrote most of these wonderful pop songs, and whose between-song banter and mischievous smirk were eerily reminiscent of a young John Lennon.

Not unlike The Beatles, The Rubinoos possessed an irrepressible irreverence and charm that was spellbinding. In my opinion, it seemed like nothing would stop them from becoming the next big thing.

As often happens, I was wrong. As the rock music scene evolved in those days, it was essential that you MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY (oooh!). Well, The Rubinoos threw that notion out the window with reckless disregard, and I applaud them for it. As legend has it, they once opened for Jefferson Starship at Winterland, and were booed off the statge for playing the Pepsi Generation song from the TV commercial. The Rubinoos were throwing a bit of comedy into their act, and the uptight San Francisco audience did-not-get-it.

In true Rubinoos style, they carried on, undaunted and unflinching. They were subsequently hand-picked by Elvis Costello to be the opening act for the Armed Forces tour of 1978. Their second album, BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, yielded the Powerpop classic "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend".


Soon after, as the story often goes, record company and distributor foul-ups threw a spanner in the works, and the most deserving band from Berkeley were out on the streets, and for the most part left unpaid by the smarmy label. By this time, bassist Royse Ader had decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Al Chan, a monstrously gifted singer and bass player.


The road to follow was a bumpy one. They disbanded, then Rubin and Dunbar continued on with Warner Brothers, and then briefly with Epic. Over the years, the Rubinoos have issued previously unreleased rarities from their archives (Basement Tapes, Garage Sale), reunited and recorded new material (Paleophonic, Twist Pop Sin), and released a wonderful collection of covers (Crimes Against Music). Some thirty years after their debut album, they are no worse for the wear.


Now, your average Joe on the street may have never heard of The Rubinoos. Real Powerpop fans regard them as icons. And most of the rock stars that were trying to be taken seriously in the 70's are either long since forgotten, or if not, probably embarrassed at the red leather pants they were wearing.


So, you have to ask yourself this question -- what is the difference between a band that made it big and a band that didn't? It could be pure luck of the draw. In the case of The Rubinoos, I firmly believe that they refused to play the game, and held true to their particular art instead of re-fashioning their image to the flavor-of-the-month. And for that, they will have my undying respect.

If you've never heard their music, listen to Michael McCartney's show -- he's bound to give them a spin with great regularity, because he's in on the secret. The secret is that they are one of the greatest bands ever, and if you haven't discovered that yet, consider yourself lucky, because there's soooo much good stuff just waiting for you.

Marty Rudnick
July 2006, Sunny California

The Rubinoos


Singer-songwriter Marty Rudnick's debut release "More Songs About Cars And Girls" has been getting tons of spins on our playlists. Marty's album was produced by the multi-talented Michael Carpenter.

Marty Rudnick's Official Website

Marty Rudnick's MySpace Music where you can sample four of his songs


We would like to also mention the newest additions to the band; Kit Potamkin (keyboards), Nick D'Virgilio (drums and vocals) and Susie Davis (keyboards). We don't have any photos of Kit but here's one of Nick and a few of Susie:








Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, keyboardist Susie Davis is the daughter of FM radio pioneer Norman Davis. Here is a list of some of the acts that have benefited from her talent on the road and in the studio: Prince, Sheila E, Billy Idol, Pat Benatar, Mick Jagger - and, of course, The Rubinoos.

We lost our beloved Mako... :(

We've been emotionally taken aback by the passing of our beloved Mako. He was here on Maui filming "The Hawaiians" where his role solidified our love and appreciation for his craft. He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe just four years earlier for "The Sand Pebbles" which made us all proud even though he wasn't even from Maui. His presence was always felt in films and television. We've been holding back on the passing of Mako because both of us were so sorry to hear of his death last week. It was so odd because we just watched "The Hawaiians" again and we were both watching "The Sand Pebbles" the night before finding out that he had died. We've always thougth that Mako was one of the finest actors in American cinema and for over fifteen years while everyone was playing "Six Degrees of Bacon" - we were playing "Six Degrees of Mako". Our good buddy Michael Yoshida and a few fellow crew members of "The Time Machine" had hoped to have a Mako Film Festival here on Maui and have this incredible actor be a guest of the festival and be honored by Hawaii film goers. We deeply regret passing on this news. He was a treasure of American cinema and pop culture. We'll miss him.

Jenny Leong and Michael McCartney
The Time Machine





Mako, a distinguished stage and screen actor who was widely regarded as having blazed the trail for Asian-Americans in films, on television and in the theater, died on Friday July 21st, 2006 at his home in Somis, Calif. He was 72.

The cause was esophageal cancer, his wife, Shizuko Hoshi, said.

Mako, who used only one name professionally, was born in Japan and came to the United States as a teenager. An Academy Award-nominated actor, he was also a distinguished presence on the Broadway stage, winning a Tony nomination in the leading role of the Reciter in the original cast of Pacific Overtures.

Mako earned an Oscar nomination for The Sand Pebbles (1966), in which he played opposite Steve McQueen. Among his other films are Conan the Barbarian (1982), Conan the Destroyer (1984), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Memoirs of a Geisha, released last year.

Pacific Overtures, which opened in 1976 at the Winter Garden Theater, was Makos Broadway debut. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, it told the story of Commodore Matthew Perrys American expedition of 1853, which renewed Japans contact with the West after more than two centuries of almost complete isolation.

Though Mako was a nonsinger, his authoritative presence set the tone of the show from the moment he delivered its opening lines:

In the middle of the world we float,

In the middle of the sea.

The realities remain remote

In the middle of the sea.

Reviewing the musical in The New York Times, Clive Barnes wrote, The leading role that of a Reciter who occasionally plays a part in the action was brilliantly taken by Mako.

Makoto Iwamatsu was born on Dec. 10, 1933, in Kobe, Japan. When he was a young child, his mother and father moved to New York to study art, leaving Mako in the care of his grandparents. He joined his parents in New York after World War II.

Intending to become an architect, Mako began his studies at the Pratt Institute. One day, a classmate asked him to help design and build a stage set. Mako quickly succumbed to the theaters hypnotic pull so much so that he seldom went to class and, as a result, lost his student draft deferment. After two years in the United States Army, he enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he studied acting.

In the 1950s and well beyond, there were few roles for Asian actors on the American stage or screen. Those parts that existed were often demeaning. Typically written in pidgin English, they portrayed stock figures like houseboys, coolies, laundrymen and white slavers. Mako, who began his career playing small roles on television shows like McHales Navy 77 Sunset Strip and I Spy, was often similarly cast.

In The Sand Pebbles he played Po-han, a Chinese coolie who spoke broken English. But most reviewers hailed the performance, saying it transcended the roles stereotypical confines.

In 1965, Mako helped found the East West Players, the nations first Asian-American repertory company, based in Los Angeles. He was its artistic director until 1989. In 1980, he directed the first two plays on Asian-American subjects to be produced at the Public Theater in New York: The Music Lessons, by Wakako Yamauchi, and FOB, by David Henry Hwang.

Besides his wife, an actress, director, dancer and choreographer, Mako is survived by their two daughters, Sala Icsman of Hamburg, N.J., and Mimosa Skelton of Camarillo, Calif.; a sister, Momo Yashima, of Los Angeles; and two grandchildren.

Despite the progress Asian actors made during his lifetime, Mako remained adamant that many barriers still existed. As he explained in an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 1992:

"I go into a young film directors office these days and he says, Hey man, I know who you are. I grew up watching McHales Navy. And I think, Oh boy, here we go again."



California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed condolences over the death of legendary Japanese-American actor Mako who is credited with opening the doors to Hollywood and Broadway for many Asian-American actors.

"Maria and I were saddened to hear the news of Mako's passing. He was a talented actor whom I learned a lot from when we worked together on 'Conan the Barbarian' and 'Conan the Destroyer,'" said Schwarzenegger in a statement issued Tuesday.

Mako delivered the unforgettably haunting narration for "Conan the Barbarian" and played the memorable role of the Wizard Akiro who personifies the sorcery to match then up-and-coming action hero Schwarzenegger and his sword in that film and in the sequel, according to the official Schwarzenegger website.

"Mako was also an extraordinary teacher who made the dream of acting a reality to many Asian-American actors through his East West Players theater company, Schwarzenegger said. "Our thoughts are with Mako's family as they mourn the loss of a gifted individual."



Actor Mako dies -- pioneer for Asian Americans
By JOCELYN STEWART
Los Angeles Times

In the early days of his acting career, when most roles offered to Asian American actors were caricatures or stereotypes, Mako took just such a part and used it to open the doors of Hollywood and Broadway to others.

In the 1966 film ''The Sand Pebbles,'' he played the Chinese character Po-han who spoke pidgin English, called the white sailors in the movie ''master,'' and treated them as such. But through the power of his acting, Mako transformed Po-han and compelled the audience to empathize and identify with the engine-room ''coolie.''

The portrayal earned Mako an Academy Award nomination, which he used to continue his push for more and better roles for Asian American actors.

Mako, who in 1965 co-founded the East West Players, the nation's first Asian American theater company, died Friday of esophageal cancer at his home in Somis He was 72.

''What many people say is, 'if it wasn't for Mako there wouldn't have been Asian American theater,''' said Tim Dang, current artistic director of East West Players based in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles.

He appeared on series including ''McHale's Navy,'' ''I Spy,'' ''MASH,'' ''Quincy,'' and ''Walker, Texas Ranger.''

In films, he was a Japanese admiral in the film ''Pearl Harbor,'' and a Singaporean in ''Seven Years in Tibet.''

He was Akiro the wizard in ''Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Conan the Destroyer'' movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But Mako had a larger view of the possibilities for Asian American actors.

As artistic director of the East West Players, Mako trained generations of actors and playwrights. He brought to the stage classics including Shakespeare's ''Twelfth Night,'' Chekhov's ''Three Sisters,'' and lesser known contemporary works. He devoted the entire 1981 season to works discussing the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The series coincided with the opening of a national discussion on internment reparations. It was a risky endeavor, but Mako said it was crucial.

Although his own career was marked by moments of success, it was also forged by struggle.

''Generally for him it was particularly hard, because he was an immigrant... there was the linguistic challenge,'' said George Takei, who played Sulu in ''Star Trek.'' ''But he recognized we needed more opportunities to practice our craft.''

Mako was born Makoto Iwamatsu in Kobe, Japan, on Dec. 10, 1933. When Mako was 5, his parents left Japan to study art in New York. Mako stayed behind to be raised by his grandparents.

Because his parents lived on the East Coast, they were not interned during World War II. They ended up working for the U.S. Office of War Information and were later granted residency. Mako joined them when he was 15.

A young Mako had a plan to become an architect and enrolled at the Pratt Institute in New York. But that plan changed when a friend asked him to design a set and do lighting for an off-Broadway children's play. Mako was hooked: ''That's when the trouble began,'' he said. ''I was out of class so much that I lost my draft deferment.''

During his two years in the military, he traveled to Korea and Japan and re-immersed himself in Japanese culture. After his discharge, he moved to California and studied theater at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Mako married Shizuko Hoshi, a dancer, choreographer and actress. She survives him along with their daughters, Sala and Mimosa.

Mako used the prominence the Oscar nomination for ''The Sand Pebbles'' gave him to address the dearth of parts for Asian Americans in general. Unless a script specifically called for an Asian American, producers and casting directors rejected them for the roles.

''Of course, we've been fighting against stereotypes from Day 1 at East West,'' Mako said in a 1986 interview with the Los Angeles Times. ''That's the reason we formed: to combat that, and to show we are capable of more than just fulfilling the stereotypes -- waiter, laundryman, gardener, martial artist, villain.''

The company's mission soon expanded to include training writers. ''Unless our story is told to (other) people, it's hard for them to understand where we are,'' Mako said.

Mako, the group's first artistic director, kept the theater afloat paying the company's bills. He also taught acting classes.

In 1976, Mako appeared in the Stephen Sondheim musical ''Pacific Overtures,'' playing multiples roles as reciter, shogun, emperor and an American businessman. Set in 1853, the play explores U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's push to open Japan to foreign trade and visitors for the first time in 250 years.

The performance earned Mako a Tony Award nomination for best actor in a musical.





AN APPRECIATION
Like ripples in the water

As a performer and as co-founder of East West Players, Mako set many changes in motion. The benefits keep accruing.

By David Henry Hwang, Special to The Los Angeles Times

http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/cl-et-mako29jul29,0,95107.story


In 1965, there were no Asians in America. At least according to Hollywood, there were only Orientals: Japanese and Korean enemies, mysterious foreigners crammed into exotic Chinatowns, geisha girls beguiling American servicemen abroad, Charlie Chans, Fu Manchus and the cook on "Bonanza." To the movies, an Oriental was Mickey Rooney in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Luise Rainer in "The Good Earth" or Marlon Brando in "The Teahouse of the August Moon."

Yet in 1965, a young actor named Mako believed Asians did exist in this country, and he spent his life proving it, not only through his most acclaimed performances — his Oscar- and Tony Award-nominated roles in, respectively, "The Sand Pebbles" and "Pacific Overtures" — but also in the everyday jobs of a working actor — from "McHale's Navy" to "F Troop" — where his talent and dedication consistently managed to elevate stereotypes into fully realized human beings.

Had Mako's achievement been limited to his own performances, we would be remembering him today as a brilliant artist and pioneer. But he was also a fighter and activist of extraordinary vision and courage. In 1965, he co-founded East West Players, the nation's first Asian American theater, and served as its artistic director until 1989. Suddenly, Asian actors were not simply looking for work, they were taking control of how their stories would be told. It was natural, then, that under Mako's leadership, East West evolved from an actors' theater into one that also nurtured new playwrights, thus giving birth to a literary and artistic movement. Though the invention of Asian American theater was a collective act, Mako was its center, its heart, its founding father, the glue that held all else together.

My own story is typical. My mother was the piano accompanist for one of East West's earliest productions, Gian Carlo Menotti's operetta "The Medium." Dragged to rehearsals as a child, I spent time mostly running around underfoot, but the experience taught me early on that Asians could be theater artists. Years later, as a college student, I started writing plays. Mako had initiated a playwriting contest, which encouraged me to tackle Asian American themes. East West gave me a summer internship, in which I reupholstered seats and watched sets being constructed. When my first play was slated for production in New York, Mako was tapped to direct. He called me up: "There's someone who'd be good for your play. Come down to the theater and meet him." I showed up at East West's then-home on Santa Monica Boulevard, where he introduced me to a young actor named John Lone, who would later find fame in the title role of Bernardo Bertolucci's film "The Last Emperor."

More than any other theater I've known since, East West Players under Mako's leadership felt like a family. Sometimes, this was true in a literal sense, with his wife, Shizuko Hoshi, his daughters, Sala and Mimosa, his sister Momo, all remarkable talents in their own rights, busily working on productions. Like all families, there were the inevitable quarrels and rivalries and heated arguments, but even these were made possible by an overarching sense that we were all in this together, searching for a voice that had not yet been heard in the American theater. At the center of it all was Mako — passionate, exacting, more fun than just about anyone to drink and eat and swap stories with: our benevolent patriarch. This freewheeling environment was exactly what we needed to dream big dreams, to experiment, to fail — and to succeed. Mako knew this, the same way he knew so much about his own world, and about the future. With his unforgettable mix of warm smile, raspy voice and steely commitment to excellence, he was difficult to dislike, and impossible not to love.

Just last month, East West Players hosted the first ever national Asian American theater conference. Almost 200 attendees from three continents, representing dozens of theater companies, gathered as testament to the movement's explosive growth and its potential for the new century. At one point, thinking of Mako, whose illness was then known, the director Judith Nihei commented, "None of us would be even here, if not for that man."

Mako's life touched that of every Asian American theater artist, whether he or she knew him or not; when he passed away on July 21, we all lost a colleague, a friend and an ardently supportive father. Moreover, anyone who has ever attended an Asian American play, or watched Asian actors perform onstage or onscreen in recent decades, has seen the work of Mako. He lives, not only through the roles he played himself but also in those played by others, and those yet to come.

Goodbye, Mako. Thank you for helping us find so much of ourselves. We will miss you, even as we see you everywhere.

David Henry Hwang is a Tony Award-winning playwright whose works include "M. Butterfly," "FOB," "Golden Child" and the musical books for Disney's "Aida" and "Tarzan," and the Broadway revival of "Flower Drum Song."






And finally, words from the artist himself from a 2002 interview at Schwarzenegger.com:

A deep drum sounds slowly in the background... we hear a growling voice begin:

"Between the times when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the Sons of Aries, there was an age undreamed of, and unto this, Conan, destined to bear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure..."

Mako, born Makoto Iwamatsu, delivered the unforgettably haunting narration for "Conan the Barbarian." In that film and in "Conan the Destroyer" he played the memorable character of the Wizard. To Arnold fans, he is an icon. He personifies the sorcery to match Arnold's sword.


Mako has had an illustrious film and television career. In 1966, when Arnold was competing in some of his first bodybuilding competitions, Mako received an Academy Award(R) nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his first film role, as the coolie Po-Han in "The Sand Pebbles." He has since starred in over 60 movies and made more than 50 television appearances.

In the early days of his film career, Mako formed a theater group in Los Angeles called the East/West Players (EWP). Since its founding, EWP has premiered over 100 plays and musicals about the Asian Pacific American experience and, through its many artistic and educational programs, has held over 1,000 readings and workshops. EWP is the only repertory theatre in Southern California that specifically implements its mission to develop an Asian Pacific American audience.

With all the buzz and excitement about the Conan 3 sequel, we wanted to get some background information on one of Conan's most integral sidekicks. We were extremely pleased when Mako agreed to a telephone interview with us.


Schwarzenegger.com: You were born in Kobe, Japan in 1933. Can you tell us a little about your life growing up?

Mako: Japan in those days was peaceful as I recall because the war hadn't started yet. Of course as a child, I didn't sense any of those political movements that had been going on in Japan. In other words, the militarism that was taking over Japanese politics. Of course, I didn't see it. I guess if anything, my parents tried to shield me from that type of atmosphere. So I was a very happy child, so to speak. But, since we didn't have video games or television, and very little radio, in terms of a form of entertainment, I used to read a lot and I would draw a lot, and those two things used to occupy my time, and I used to dream away of someday becoming a general.

Schwarzenegger.com: Arnold had to come to America to become an actor. Is that how it happened with you? Or were you an actor in Japan, as well?

Mako: No, I wasn't. I came to America to become an architect. And somewhere along the line while I was still in school, I was lured into theater, and that's how I became interested in theater. My first play was something called "A Banquet for the Moon." It was a weird play.

Schwarzenegger.com: When you first read the script for Conan the Barbarian, what were your thoughts?

Mako: I couldn't make heads or tails of it, because I wasn't familiar with the novels, or the cartoons. I had a younger friend, who is an actor as well, but he was a Conan freak, you know, a fanatic. So he loaned me stacks of novels, but I couldn't really get into it. Then he said, "I tell you what, maybe comic books might be of interest to you." So, again he brought me a whole stack of comic books. And, it's funny, you know, since I was not raised with comic books in this country, I had a hard time digesting it. So, I mentioned that to John Milius, and Milius said, "Ok...you remember Kurosawa's Seven Samurai?" I said yes. "You remember cut number such-and-such?" I said, "I don't know the cut numbers, but I do remember the characters." He said, "Yeah, that's the kind of wizard I am looking for, and, also, another actor, in Seven Samurai in a different scene, do you remember him?" I said, "Yeah. I respect that old guy very much." He said, "That's the kind of composite of character that I'm looking for." So, then, it became easier for me to visualize, because instead of visualizing myself being in (Conan) I could clearly visualize those two characters being involved in a situation that wizards would be in. See that's the kind of direction that Milius gave me. He knew what he was after... even though he wasn't too verbal.

Schwarzenegger.com: Describe your first encounter with Arnold for us.

Mako: My first encounter with Arnold was in Almeria in Spain. John Milius had asked me to work with Sandahl Bergman and Gerry Lopez. Arnold must have heard of me, because there was a time he was contemplating coming with them to work in the scene and such. But that never materialized. So, when we first met Arnold then, finally, he was like (in Arnold accent) "Hello, Mako." (Laughs.) We weren't strangers. I didn't feel as if I were meeting a stranger, you know? He was very open and friendly.

Schwarzenegger.com: Besides the Conan adventures, you have worked on some amazing films in your career including "Pearl Harbor" and "The Sand Pebbles." What were some of your favorites?

Mako:My favorite would be... oh; I have to go back to "The Sand Pebbles." Unfortunately, "Pearl Harbor" is not one of my favorites.

Schwarzenegger.com: A Conan movie just isn't a Conan movie without your wizard character, Akiro, and your narration. Have you and John Milius talked about the 3rd Conan movie yet?

Mako: I have seen him once or twice since the first Conan film for a different picture. I guess John was troubleshooting or helping a director with a script or whatever, and I went in for a meeting, but that's about it, so we have never discussed the third. We shall see.

Schwarzenegger.com: You are an Artistic Director Emeritus for the East/West Players in Los Angeles, and you have worked with them for a long time, in fact, you co-founded the group. Can you tell us about your experiences with the group?

Mako: Our motivation for creating a theater company for ourselves is so that we can control what we do, and what we will be doing. We emphasize developing younger Asian-American actors as well as writers, directors and designers as well. So working with them was very difficult and yet rewarding for me. It was hard work, it was draining emotionally, as well as financially, but it was worth it.

Schwarzenegger.com: What directions would you like to see the East/West Players take in the future?

Mako: In the future I think I would like to see them developing more writers, playwrights. This is my preference, but it seems like they've been doing nothing but musicals or plays with music, which is fine, but I would like to see them devote half their time at least to developing drama.

Schwarzenegger.com: What are you currently working on?

Mako: I am waiting for John Milius to call me! (Laughs.)




An incomplete listing of his many works on the big screen and small screen:

2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles *slated as a starring voice for this animated feature

2005 Avatar: The Last Airbender *Animated TV Series

2005 Memoirs of a Geisha

2003 Black Sash

2003 Bulletproof Monk

2003 Samurai Jack: Season 03

2003 Charmed: Love's a Witch (aka Charmed: Episode 116)

2002 Samurai Jack: Season 02

2001 Samurai Jack *Animated TV Series

2001 Samurai Jack: Season 01

2001 Pearl Harbor

2000 Rugrats in Paris: The Movie

1998 The Bird People of China (aka Chugoku No Chojin)

1997 Seven Years in Tibet

1997 Riot in the Streets

1997 Balance of Power

1995 Crying Freeman

1995 Highlander: The Final Dimension (aka Highlander III: The Sorcerer *1994)

1994 Red Sun Rising

1994 A Dangerous Place

1994 Frasier: Author, Author (aka Frasier: Episode 022)

1994 Cultivating Charlie

1993 Rising Sun

1993 Sidekicks

1992 Robocop 3

1992 My Samurai

1991 The Perfect Weapon

1990 Murder in Paradise

1990 Pacific Heights

1990 Taking Care of Business (aka Filofax)

1989 Fatal Mission (aka Enemy *2005)

1989 An Unremarkable Life

1988 The Wash

1988 Silent Assassins

1988 The Nightingale

1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream

1986 Armed Response (aka Jade Jungle)

1986 Kung Fu: The Movie

1986 P.O.W.: The Escape (aka Behind Enemy Lines)

1985 Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor

1984 Conan the Destroyer

1984 Hawaiian Heat

1983 Testament

1983 Faerie Tale Theatre: The Nightingale

1983 The Last Ninja

1983 Death Ride to Osaka (aka Girls of the White Orchid)

1982 When Hell Was in Session

1982 Conan the Barbarian

1981 An Eye for an Eye

1981 Under the Rainbow

1980 The Bushido Blade (aka Bloody Bushido Blade)

1980 M*A*S*H: The Best of Enemies (aka M*A*S*H: Episode 199)

1980 Battle Creek Brawl (aka The Big Brawl)

1979 M*A*S*H: Guerilla My Dreams (aka M*A*S*H: Episode 176)

1976 M*A*S*H: Hawkeye Get Your Gun (aka M*A*S*H: Episode 108)

1976 Farewell to Manzanar

1975 The Killer Elite

1974 The Island at the Top of the World

1974 Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders

1972 The Streets of San Francisco

1971 Chinmoku (aka Silence)

1971 If Tomorrow Comes

1970 The Challenge

1970 The Hawaiians (aka Master of the Islands)

1970 Fools

1969 The Great Bank Robbery

1968 The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell

1966 The Sand Pebbles

1965 I Dream of Jeannie: The Marriage Caper

1965 The Ugly Dachshund

Matt Burger

THE TIME MACHINE is out of the norm in radio programming when it comes to "the station's voice". You know the drill. It's that one voice you hear pretty much all the time on your favorite radio station. Well, we have more than one and they are all important to our programming; Monique Chachere (film actress and voice over goddess), Laura Lee (Armed Forces Radio and Jazz DJ legend), Bill St. James (Nick@Nite, The Discovery Channel and 98% of motion picture previews - yes that voice!), Rick Dees and Matt Burger. Along with Matt, these talents have been an integral part of our programming. In addition, St. John, Brian James and Sean Caldwell have done wonders for us in the past. Brian still continues to be "our go to guy" at WILD 105.5 FM.

Thru it all, Matt has been there from day one of THE TIME MACHINE. Matt's presence began at KMVI and continued to KPMW FM, KONI FM and KEAO FM. It was Matt who supplied our presentation even while in a foreign country. His voice never left our airwaves since 1991 and we salute him by showcasing his professional life in cyberspace. In addition to his "backstage announcer" duties, Matt is our chief comedy writer and performer. Most of our fake commercials, spoofs and parodies come from Matt. Heaven forbid when both Matt Burger and Michael McCartney get together on an idea. Maui radio has been unprepared for the audio that the two of them have unleashed and we are forever grateful when they are locked up in a studio creating "radio magic". If all of this wasn't enough to handle, Matt also held; a weekend airshift, acted on stage, did some indie film work AND worked his okole off five days a week as a staff member of The Maui News.


The Time Machine's Matt Burger and producer Jenny Leong.


Matthew Burger's radio career has spanned over sixteen years and three countries, beginning on Maui as a graveyard shift DJ at the age of twenty. Matt then moved on to Honolulu radio, working at KSSK AM/FM for over three years doing everything from filling in for the traffic-watch guy to producing "The Perry and Price Morning Show." Matt also did afternoons on Honolulu's STAR 101.9 KUCD. He kicked Oahu into gear with the new adult alternative format that stations like San Francisco's ALICE had success with. Hawaii was ready and the station still enjoys success to this day.

Not long after completing his journalism degree in 1997 with a minor in Russian, Burger soon found himself living in Moscow, Russia, and back on the radio again, this time as a foreign correspondent for Community Radio Taiwan, on top of his other jobs in the former Soviet Union.

"It wasn't quite Maui, but I enjoyed the edge that living in Russia gave to every aspect of my life." For the next two years, along with his radio duties, Burger worked first as the sports editor for the Moscow-based English daily newspaper The Moscow Times and then as a full time Assignment Editor / Internet Contributor for NBC Worldwide News.

Despite the excitement of working for a national network, the pace of the job was something Burger was glad to leave behind. "It's great to be away from television news!" says Burger, who doesn't miss the egos, chaos and ambulance chasing of TV. "Working for NBC was like working in an emergency room! People yelling and screaming, over-inflated egos left and right, having to coordinate live satellite feeds at the drop of a hat."

Burger, a Maui native and a 1990 Baldwin High graduate, made plans to permanently settle down on Maui after being away for more than six years.

"Living in Moscow made me realize more than ever how special and lovely (and clean!) Maui really is," says Burger, adding: "I realized that I was 100 percent a small-town kind of guy. Big cities were just not meant for me. They're great to visit, but I like to see the stars at night."

Burger also made plans to get more involved in the community, starting with his neighborhood, Olinda. "I always wanted to do more in terms of contributing to the community around me," he says. "But in Moscow, the situation will just eat you alive; there's so much that needs to be done. Here, I feel I really can do something for a place that I truly care about."

Burger works full time on the news desk at The Maui News, culling the wires and helping put the paper together. On "The Time Machine", though, he relished the opportunity to get back on the radio airwaves. "It¹s a great feeling to be on the air on Maui again and at a place like "THE TIME MACHINE", where I can have fun on stations whose product I believe in and whose listeners are, simply put, the best!"




Air Talent MATT BURGER with his former boss from NBC - TOM BROKOW



Da Worm



June 26, 2006 8:42 PM

Hey Matt Burger was my classmate @ Baldwin. We both graduated the same year 1990. Damn I'm getting OLD!!!

See It and Scream

Summer is full of barbeques all around America and Hawaii is no exception. We love to gather, "grind ono food" (for you non-island readers...tranlate that to "eating a delicious meal") and "talk story" for hours. Below is a message for Julie who gave up our typical Maui "get together" to go to Disneyland instead.

Hey Julie,

I hope you guys are enjoying your trip. We sure missed you and the family last night. We’ll make sure to get together again.

Just to get you up to par for our next gathering, we have to tell you about the new game we invented last night. It’s called, "See it and scream"! Yes, thank goodness the children were busy in the house and we definitely didn’t want them participating or witnessing what occurred. Now don’t get too carried away with the title since it took a while for the game to evolve. The men were in a jovial mood and liquids were flowing in abundance! The women, of course were more sedate although that could be because you weren’t there (referring to Alphred’s wedding, haha).

Anyway, the game starts with Sean showing everybody something. I don’t know why he did it since his isn’t that big or so I thought. But, I guess with alcohol, strange things tend to happen. So, he gets the guys all riled up and Ernie jumps in and grabs his spear and starts holding it and jabbing it at things. It’s one of those frozen moments in time and you know that this picture will be with you for life even if you get Alzheimers. Gee, I don’t ever remember being involved in a party like this one even when I was in college. What a wild bunch you all are! Though maybe you have done these kinds of “activities” before. . .

Well, Ernie, being the bravest put up a good show. He concentrated and jiggled his spear and out pops this hairy ________! Roxanne is screaming, standing on the chair, trying to get a better look. Erica is standing on tip-toes, although I‘m sure it’s nothing new, and Jenny is running away. As we all encouraged Ernie, he continued to “dance” and watch the thing between his legs. But, it happened so fast that I had to replay the scene in mind several times to be sure I saw what I saw. Gads, for me, it was pretty funny since it’s not every day I get a chance to see exhibitions like these! Hey, it was free!

Finally, after all the commotion died down, everybody settled and we started the game again. This time Erica and Roxanne noticed that Sean was. . .well, Roxanne was back on top of the chair again with high pitched sounds emanating from her and Erica was pointing and out pops a _______ ! Holy cow!

Meanwhile, Michael was sitting with his feet up on a chair and not moving at all. And Phil was slowly approaching the spectacle though not fully participating yet. Too bad we didn’t have total participation because that would have been the “crowning” moment! Ha!

The show was so good, I’m bummed that we weren’t able to get any pictures. But hey, black or gray hairy things are fun! See it and scream! Very aptly named.

I’m sure that the next time we meet, this story will come up and I just wanted you to be up to speed when we play again. Just be ready! Oh, and by the way, if you fill-in the blanks with the word rat, the story will make sense.


Posted by Cassie

JENNY LEONG and MICHAEL McCARTNEY cruising between film takes

Joe King



March 12, 2006 12:10 PM

Is that the car in the front yard?


The Time Machine



March 12, 2006 2:22 PM

Could I be more white trash? No...it's actually on set. Thousands of miles from Hawaii so there isn't a chance of it being anywhere near the studio or at home. Not to say that someone on the west coast may have that car in their yard up on concrete blocks.

"More Songs About Cars And Girls" from Marty Rudnick

Sandbox Records has proudly announced the arrival of the new album "MORE SONGS ABOUT CARS AND GIRLS", a collection of melodic pop tunes by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Marty Rudnick, which was recorded between 2005 and 2006 at Love Hz Studios, Sydney, Australia, and Sandbox Sound, San Jose, California.

The Time Machine was pleased when songwriter Carl Mindling dropped by the studio last week to discuss the album on the airwaves. After hearing those songs we just had to have Marty Rudnick on as a guest too! Marty will be joining us this afternoon at 4PM.

MARTY RUDNICK hails from San Jose, and has been performing and recording in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 20 years. As a performer, he has played with many Bay Area bands, including Mersey Beach, Plan 9, and the acoustic pop duo, Ken & Marty. In 2002, he was recruited to join San Francisco’s legendary Beau Brummels for the "Summer of Love" reunion concert, and other subsequent performances.

In the studio, Marty has worked for many years as a recording and mastering engineer, and served as producer for Joel Crawford’s BEFRIENDER, and two releases by Ken & Marty, TWO OF US and LOOKING FOR A SITUATION. As a mastering engineer, he has worked with Bigwheel, The Corner Laughers and The Sportsmen (featuring Chris von Sneidern). He has also engineered many radio and TV spots for The Direct Marketing Group.

The transoceanic recording experiment…

For MORE SONGS ABOUT CARS AND GIRLS, Marty enlisted Australian pop icon Michael Carpenter as producer. Rudnick credits Carpenter for developing and delivering the full potential of his original songs. Carpenter is well known as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and his additional contributions as a performer on this album were essential to the sonic deliciousness that was achieved.

The album highlights a blend of soaring, layered harmonies, solid pop songwriting and showcases the abilities of two diverse musical talents.

The album features notable guest appearances, including session work from members of The Rubinoos and Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

The album features nine original songs, written or co-written by Marty Rudnick. Five of the songs were co-written with lyricist and long-time associate Carl Mindling. Carl’s endlessly sunny disposition and deft wordplay contributed a breezy flavor and an age-of-innocence sensibility. An additional song was co-written by Kinzy Mudd. The album also features four covers of great songs by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Hollies and The Everly Brothers.

MORE SONGS ABOUT CARS AND GIRLS is available now through Not Lame, iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon.com or directly from the Sandbox Records website at www.sandboxrecords.com.

…on MORE SONGS ABOUT CARS AND GIRLS:

“Marty Rudnick, a pure pop guy from the old, melodic school, crashes into the crazy, lazy, hazy days of summer with a swinging sampler of sweet, harmony-filled treats that delights like no other collection of songs about cars and girls. A pure pop winner of extraordinary proportions!"

- Alan Haber
Pure Pop Radio
WEBR-FM, Fairfax, VA



“All killer – no filler."

- Michael McCartney
The Time Machine
KEAO-FM / KONI-FM / KPMW-FM / KTOH-FM, Maui, HI

Steely Dan's Open Letter To Actor Luke Wilson

We have no idea how much longer that this will remain online so check it out while you can:

www.steelydan.com/heyluke






Since the original posting of the above link, Steely Dan has also generated this open letter to Wes Anderson:

From: W. Becker and D. Fagen [AKA Steely Dan© ]

To: Wes Anderson

Maestro:

As you may know, we are the founders of the celebrated rock band "Steely Dan"©. If for some reason you don't know our work, check with Owen and Luke Wilson - they're both big fans. Here's something you may not know about us: when not distracted by our “day job” – composing, recording, touring and so forth – we like to head downstairs into the paneled basement of our minds and assume the roles we were born to play - you may have already guessed it by now – the roles of Obsessive Fans of World Cinema.

That's right. Eisenstein, Renoir, Rene Clair, Bunuel, Kurosawa, Fellini, Godard, Tarkovsky, Ophuls the Elder, Blake Edwards, Ophuls the Younger, you name it. Sat there, dug it.

Maestro, we give to you this Message: there was a time when Giants walked among us. And, damn, if you, Wes Anderson, might not be the one to restore their racial dominance on this, our planet, this Terra, this... Earth.

You may have heard that we have recently made it our personal project and goal to deliver a certain actor of no small importance to your past and present work from a downward spiral of moral turpitude from which it seemed there might be no escape. We are delighted to report that, with the news of Mr. ________'s participation in your new film (which we understand to be entitled, indeed, charmingly, “Darjeeling Limited”), our efforts have been repaid, and How.

This unqualified victory has inspired us to address a more serious matter. Let's put our cards on the table - surely, we are not the first to tell you that your career is suffering from a malaise. Fortunately, inasmuch as it is a malaise distinctly different than that of Mr.______ , and to the extent that you have not become so completely alienated from the intellectual and moral wellsprings of your own creativity, we are hoping that we - yours truly, Donald and Walter - may successfully "intervene" at this point in time and be of some use to you in your latest, and, potentially, greatest, endeavor.

Again, an artist of your stripe could never be guilty of the same sort of willing harlotry that befalls so many bright young men who take their aspirations to Hollywood and their talent for granted. You have failed or threatened to fail in a far more interesting and morally uncompromised way (assuming for a moment that self-imitation and a modality dangerously close to mawkishness are not moral failings, but rather symptoms of a profound sickness of the soul.)

Let's begin with a quick review of your career so far, as it is known to us and your fans and wellwishers in general.

You began, spectacularly enough, with the excellent "Bottle Rocket", a film we consider to be your finest work to date. No doubt others would agree that the striking originality of your premise and vision was most effective in this seminal work. Subsequent films - "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Life Aquatic" - have been good fun but somewhat disappointing - perhaps increasingly so. These follow-ups have all concerned themselves with the theme we like to call "the enervated family of origin"©, from which spring diverse subplots also largely concerned with the failure to fulfill early promise. Again, each film increasingly relies on eccentric visual detail, period wardrobe, idiosyncratic and overwrought set design, and music supervision that leans heavily on somewhat obscure 60's "British Invasion" tracks a-jangle with twelve-string guitars, harpsichords and mandolins. The company of players, while excellent, retains pretty much the same tone and function from film to film. Indeed, you must be aware that your career as an auteur is mirrored in the lives of your beloved characters as they struggle in vain to duplicate early glories.

But, look, Mr. Anderson, we're not trying to be critical – dammit - we just want to help.

Enter the Faboriginals©, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan©. The muse is a fickle mistress at best, and to leave her high and dry, with just a "lick and a promise" of the greatness of which one is capable - well, sir, it's just plain wrong. It is an Art Crime© of the first magnitude and a great sin against your talent and your Self. We just don't want to see it go down that way.

So the question, Mr. Anderson, remains: what is to be done? As we have done with previous clients, we have taken the liberty of creating two alternative strategies that we believe will insure success - in this case, success for you and your little company of players. Each of us – Donald and Walter - has composed a TITLE SONG which could serve as a powerful organizing element and a rallying cry for you and Owen and Jason and the others, lest you lose your way and fall into the same old traps.

-------------------------------------------

STRATEGY 1:

Donald believes that you are at a crossroads and that you must do what none of your characters has been able to do - namely, let go of the past: leave it as it lies with no concern for the wreckage, and move boldly forward towards new challenges and goals. To this end he has composed a fresh, exciting title song for your new film, "Darjeeling Limited". It's rousing, it's hip, by turns, funny and sad, and then funny again. Although the music is not entirely out of line with the chic “retro” pop you seem to favor, it's been fire-mopped clean of every last trace of irony and then re-ironized at a whole new level – “post-post-post-modern” if you will. The lyrics are as follows:

[CHORUS ]
Darjeeling Limited©
That's the train I wanna get kissed on
Darjeeling Limited©
But I'll be lucky if I don’t get pissed on

This is a country of starving millions
We've got to get 'em their tea on time
I know romance should be on the back burner
But girl I just can't get you off my mind
Cause baby every single time I'm with you
I'd like to have as many arms as Vishnu
(Arms as Vishnu)

[CHORUS ]
Darjeeling Limited©
That's the train I wanna get kissed on
Darjeeling Limited©
But I'll be lucky if I don’t get pissed on

You told me you'd be mine forever
That we'd get married in the Taj Mahal
The minute I'm done baggin' this tea, babe
Then I'll be makin' you my Bollywood doll
Forget the Super Chief, the China Star now
Give me the choo-choo with the Chutney Bar now
(Chutney Bar now)

[CHORUS ]
Darjeeling Limited©
That's the train I wanna get kissed on
Darjeeling Limited©
But I'll be lucky if I don’t get pissed on


STRATEGY 2:

Walter believes that the best strategy for you now would be to return to the point in your career when it was all good, when all was working as it should, when there was magic in every song you sung, so to speak. Youthful idealism, jouissance©, original spirit - these will be your watchwords. "Birth is residual if it is not symbolically revisited through initiation" - it's an old French proverb. In other words, your new film will be called "Bottle Rocket Two©" and will be the logical continuation of the first film which was so well loved. ("Bottle Rocket" was our fave among your movies, did we mention that?) You pick up where you left off and find a new continuation that takes you elsewhere than to ruin. The eponymous title song would reframe the important existential questions which are at the core of your artistic vision and would go something like this:

Bottlerocket Two©

Any resemblance
Real or imagined
People or places
Living or dead

Any resemblance
As-if or actual
Characters or circumstance
It's all in your head

Flying out to India
Trying to get into you
Old Bombay
It's a very long way
To chase a "bottlerocket" to©

Precise simulations
Possible parallels
Never intended
Co-incidentals

Persons and places
Present or otherwise
Comrades in comedy
Brothers in crime

Hiding out in India
Babycakes they're watching you
This is our latest -
It may be our greatest -
It's called "bottlerocket" too©!

Who pitched the story?
Who built the scenery?
Who raised the money?
Whose movie is it,
Anyway?

[Guitar Solo ]

-------------------------------------------------------

Come to think about it, these songs are both so fucking strong that you may wish to consider a hybrid approach that uses both of them - after all, they're both set in India, which is where your company is setting up shop now. You could go with some kind of "film within a film" or even a "film within a film within a film" or some such pomo horseshit, just like Godard's “King Lear” or whatever. That's your call, you're the director.

Please note that all these lyrics and titles have been heavily copywritten, trademarked, registered, patented, etc., etc., so anybody using them will have to negotiate the rights from the legitimate Faboriginal© owners, which is us. We are currently represented by Michael “Mickey” Shaheen, Esq., of Howard Beach, Queens County, New York NY.

The other change that we would have to make would concern Mark Mothersbaugh. Everyone in Hollywood knows that he is a first class professional musical supervisor. Obviously you and he have a lot of great history together and we can imagine there is a certain rapport both professional and personal. But we certainly can't work with him, anymore than he would consent to work with us. Same thing for the mandolins and the twelve-string stuff and the harpsichord, they're out. You yourself may be partial to those particular instruments. We're not. Remember, we saw “Tom Jones” in its original theatrical release when we were still in high school, we had to listen to “Walk Away Renee” all through college and we fucking opened for Roger McGuinn in the seventies, so all that "jingle-jangle morning" shit is no big thrill for us, OK?

Argh!...goddammit...sorry, guy! We kinda lost it for a minute there. Look - Mark is probably a swell guy. But you, Wes Anderson, must remember that Mark and his music are part of the old way of doing things, the old way of being, the old way that has brought you to the precipice. Mr. Anderson, you must be fearless in defense of your creations and your genius, absolutely fearless, and not give in to sentimental considerations.

So - let's get going, shall we? Send the check for US$400,000 (advance on licensing fees) out by Fedex to Mickey by tomorrow and we'll talk a little later in the day about merch, percentages, backend, soundtrack, ASCAP, etc. Mickey himself doesn't need any kind of an advance but he'll probably take a couple of points on your net career action. It's a little expensive - and Mickey certainly doesn't need the bread - but just pay the points, okay? It's a lot better than the alternative.

We remain your abject servants,

W. Becker and D. Fagen AKA Steely Dan©

Luna Pride

WILD 105.5 FM



April 30, 2006 11:06 AM

Represent!

A Prairie Home Companion!

Singer-songwriter Alice Peacock drops by in a nostalgic mood...

Okay...so I just got booked on A Prairie Home Companion this Saturday! Let me tell you how cool this is...when I was kid growing up in Minnesota we didn't have a TV so radio was king! Saturday nights were sacred as that's when A Prairie Home Companion was on. The rule was no one could talk during Garrison Keiller's monologue about Lake Woebegon, MN and the characters of that mythical small town. The monologues, often humorous, had a thread of a lesson through them that left you feeling warm and cozy (at least I felt warm and cozy)! Maybe my fondness for the show harkens back to my childhood and a family gathered around the radio, maybe it's because of it's stories and the music of "my tribe" - the Midwest and the people in it. I was introduced to wonderful folk singer/songwriters like Greg Brown and bluegrass greats like Ralph Stanley. I'm sure that the music played on the show influenced who I am today as a musician!


When I moved away from home and throughout my travels as a grown-up I would tune in to A Prairie Home Companion for a dose of that warm, cozy, familiar feeling. Sometimes it comes on the radio incidentally while touring out on the road and I too make those around me stop talking during the monologue :-)


Posted by Alice Peacock




Alice has been filling up our playlists since the turn of the century with wonderful songs from her self titled 2002 release. Alice has just released her latest collection of songs on an album titled "Who I Am".

Listen to Alice Peacock's music at her official website - www.alicepeacock.com


You can also check out Alice Peacock at MySpace Music

Guest Artist: Singer-Songwriter Jim Boggia on The Time Machine

Every once in a while, due to strange hours and scheduling with an artist, we find ourselves at The Time Machine actually recording an interview like a reporter would for a newspaper article (except that we toss in music for good measure). Singer-songwriter Jim Boggia sent the word out about just such a thing via his website about the interview that will air this afternoon. Take it away, Jim...

Hey Everyone,

ON THE AIR: INTERVIEW AND FEATURE ON KEAO's THE TIME MACHINE - SATURDAY, 7.15.06:

The friendly and knowledgeable Michael McCartney of Hawaiian radio station KEAO asked if I'd agree to do a phone interview with him for a segment on his show, The Time Machine. Sure, I said. We agreed on doing it in a few days time at midnight EDT - there being a big time difference between Hawaii and Philly, y'understand.

I've been enjoying wine quite a bit lately. Trader Joe's has opened up in Manhattan and the quality / price ratio can't be matched by the government-controlled state stores here in PA. So, flaunting how many laws I'm not quite sure, it's been great to be able to pick up a case and bring it back and have a nice bottle of wine in the evening.

I'd like to mention that midnight is kinda a weird time to do, what we call in this industry, a "phoner" and I, like many folks approaching senility, occasionally forget a small detail here or there, like, oh - - I don't know - - say a phone call I'm supposed to get at midnight on a particular night.

So, it may not surprise you to learn that I will be as interested as you (perhaps more) to hear what it is I might have said to Mike when he called.

We can both find out this Saturday (7.15.06) at 9p EDT (6p PDT and 3p whatever they call the timezone in Hawaii). You can stream it here:

http://www.manaoradio.com

Apparently, there's 70 minutes of music and conversation. 70 minutes.

I probably shouldn't have told you any of this.

Peace,
Jim

Syd Barrett: Some Thoughts

Syd Barrett was a gentle soul who played his guitar like a soul who'd circled the spheres for centuries: exploring, learning, knowing, teaching. Then he was done. Syd created sounds that had never been heard before or since. His words were a great reflection of his innocence and curiosity in this World. He lived as a complete individual who influence thousands of lives. Syd Barrett became an icon of the 20th century through his imagination and use of drugs (LSD) as Poe, Van Gogh and Monk before him: abstract genius' on individual planes of existence and thought, totally original and impossible to emulate successfully. Syd Barrett was an "absolute original artist", the greatest thing an artist can ever lay claim to. I pray that he knew this in his lifetime and enjoyed some satisfaction from it. Syd Barrett has been missed for a long, long time, but he was never gone. Why should he be gone now? I don't miss Syd any more now than I did before. Some people can never go away. Syd is one.

Love,
Nelson Bragg



Posted by Nelson Bragg




Nelson is a fine musician and singer-songwriter who has had the chance to contribute to the sounds of; Brian Wilson, The Mockers, Carolyn Edwards, Jeff Merchant, The Mello Cads, The Tyde, The Quarter After, The Now People, Cloud Eleven, Cosmo Topper, Kevin Kane, Stew and Andrew Gold. In addition to music, Nelson also paints. You can sample his music on Nelson Bragg's Music Profile on MySpace Music

Jackson Hole, Wyoming...

Singer-songwriter Courtney Jaye drops by with a peaceful mood from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Hello my friends,

I am writing to you from the beautiful Wyoming town of Jackson, literally looking at the Teton mountain range as we speak...it was time for a summer vacation and I am so happy to be here...the weather is gorgeous, the livin is easy, and I am here with some of finest people this world has to offer...we did yoga on the back porch all day yesterday, as they shot a yoga show called "yoga today", which for anyone who is an enthusaist, you should check them out(www.yogatoday.com)...yesterday we were focusing out cleansing our livers, which was highly appropriate considering we stayed up the night before drinking champagne and french martini's...we had a big cookout last night, sang songs around the fire pit, and at one point a moose came from out of the woods to drink from the pond right next to the firepit...saw a bunch of shooting stars, made a bunch of wishes and the moon was out in full force...it was perfection...

Today is world cup watching day and we are all taking it very easy, I actually just woke from a siesta myself and my go for a jog before the festivites begin tonight...tomorrow we are going hiking and the "yoga today" folks will be returning in the evening for another session in the backyard...so life is good and i hope you all are as peaceful and happy as i am today...

Blessings,
Courtney


Posted by Courtney Jaye




Courtney's music has had a home on our playlists and in our hearts since her debut release. Be sure to pick up a copy of her first album, "Traveling Light" and keep an eye peeled out for CJ's upcoming release. Get a sampling of what she's been up to lately (including both "Til It Bleeds" and "The Sweetest Tune" which are getting some positive response from our radio listeners on the studio lines) at Courtney Jaye's MySpace Music Profile










The Time Machine



Sunday, July 09, 2006 at 4:05 PM

Wow! We saw shooting stars last night from Maui. Could we have been seeing the same shooting stars? That would be cool! Totally cosmic.

Get To Know DJ Fat Jo

" Five, six, seven, eight...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha"

- Smart E's - "Sesame's Treet"

As the opening bars of Smart E's "Sesame's Treat" met his ears, Kurt Jo, a fresh-face youth of 12, was hopelessly addicted to techno & electronica music and by the end of the song he had decided to become a DJ. Now, years later Kurt has made a name for himself as DJ Fat Jo, not only on the Hawaiian island of Maui where he was born and raised, but in his newly adopted home of New York City.

From just pretending to be a DJ in his bedroom as a child, to doing 8th grade dances, Fat Jo followed his dream of becoming a DJ to eventually landing an internship at KPMW/Wild 105.5 FM on Maui. Here he was able to learn the skills that eventually earned him two of his own mixshows at the station: The "Wild Workout At Noon" and "Planet House" as well as an On-Air jock position as host of the #1 listened to "Between The Sheets."

In addition to his radio work, Fat Jo held residency at one of Maui's top Night Clubs: Hapa's, (where his popular night "Ultra Fabulous Tuesday's/Fat Tuesday's" was voted "Maui's Best Theme night" in 2005 and also made appearances at two other of Maui's hot party spots: Tsunami's and Spats.

Having mixes featured on the east coast’s Super 91.7 WMPH, nationally broadcast Sirius Satellite Radio and planning an Asian club tour, Fat Jo now lives in Manhattan and spins regularly at the "Living Room Lounge" where he introduces the people of New York City to his "Island-Style" all while continuing to bring the hottest beats, through KPMW, to his home Island of Maui.



The Time Machine



July 6, 2006 5:33 PM

...and I thought as I strolled thru the concrete jungle that it was condensation from an air conditioner that landed on the top of my head and arm. It was the saliva of Fat Jo falling from several stories. I am so honored! If I had known then, I would not have wiped it off so quickly.


DJ Skinny Guy



July 6, 2006 6:05 AM

Holy crap! Did you get bigger? Do you spit on people down below from up there?

Yoko and Paul

Outside of all the public bickering, it's wonderful to see a photograph like this.

Before Mtv's JACKASS, it was just known as CORONA...

Our favorite air talent, Kathy with a "K", drops in again with her take on the rockumentary "We Jam Econo" which hits the truth of the matter in a way that so many documentaries fail.

High waters...I dig it if it's a look. True. Like rockabilly or straight punk ala early Clash. Oh...see, that's the other thing.

Last night I sat down and watched the Minutemen film WE JAM ECONO...the authorized documentary featuring Mike Watt and stock footage of D. Boon, George Hurley and Mr. Watt himself.

I got into the Minutemen in 1991 or 1992; I picked up "Double Nickels on the Dime" on cassette and thought how strange it was that it was lumped into the punk rock category but it didn't sound punk rock. The songs were short, fast and loud...the singer yelled and the rhythms were crazy.

My first exposure to anything remotely punk was in 1984 or so. A young surfer boy newly transplanted from California hung out at the beach with me; he played the Circle Jerks and the Vandals on his stereo at home, bobbing his asymetical haircut and all. It was definately ear-expanding, nothing like the Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and Sabbath the other boys were listening to; even the rap music was melodic by comparison.

"What do you think?" he would ask, shuffling through his tapes, moving around records and magazines about surfing and music around his messy room, Sex Wax and surf leashes everywhere. I would nod and shrug my shoulders, asking what else he had.

I like all kinds of music. I am not too good with what makes a genre "emo", "lite jazz" or "urban r&b"...that's a radio thingy, I think. Marketing, right. I just like good music. If I stop what I'm doing and ask about it, like that Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" or Phoenix "Everything is Everything". Some radio singles are nice and I get a kick out of visiting the various myspace.com profiles and hearing what's new or under exposed. Good is good.

The Minutemen, though...wow. Really didn't make sense to me. I liked it though I didn't know what it was that I liked. Sometimes I thought I would hear some jazzy-beat nonsense then thought, how could that be? In my younger self, the cross pollenation of genres could not be done...so I didn't understand it. I liked it though I couldn't put my finger on what it was that I liked about it. I like peanut butter though was it the texture, the flavor...the brand?

Watching this DVD made me feel this relief...that everyone starts from knowing a little of something then realizing that what you know is nothing. You constantly begin at zero and if you're lucky, you keep getting back to the innocence of the new.

Mike Watt was so honest and relaxed...there's a bunch of great moments, especially when talking about his naivete when it came to playing bass. It's beautiful...as he's driving (a lot of his interview footage from the inside of his van) he recalls going to a store and seeing a guitar with "strings like bridge cables" and being in awe. The store owner asked why he's tripping, "thought you said you played bass"; earlier Watt said that he originally played guitar though D. Boon's mom had them switch instruments thus the non-knowledge about guitar versus bass strings.

"...from far away, you can't tell what kind of strings are on the (bass) guitar," he said. It's sweet...if you are a longtime fan of the Minutemen, you will really appreciate this film and it includes a few live shows from the mid-to-late 1980's. The doc includes interview blurbs from Ian MacKaye/Fugazi, Henry Rollins/Black Flag-Rollins Band and Milos Auckerman/the Descendents. The deeper commentary comes from Jello Biafra, cats from Husker Du, Wire, Slovenly and Saccharine Trust (the last two bands of which I will try to get familiar with in the future...).

The real treat is when you get to hear Mike Watt's mom and San Pedro residents who have known the boys from shmall keed time joke and reminisce about the early-early days. This wasn't "The Decline of the Western Civilization" yet a great tribute to a little band that continues to confound and inspire those who just want to express themselves without having to conform to labels. Not to be political, not to make a stand...just to be creative and have fun. Enjoy the freedom to have fun.


Posted by Kathy

Social Distortion's "Story Of My Life" REVISITED

It was only a few days ago that we discussed a song that we thought perhaps we were one of the few stations playing on a regular basis for over a decade. Imagine our surprise when catching the film "The Break-Up" this past weekend and hearing Social Distortion's "Story Of My Life" on the soundtrack. If that wasn't enough to freak us out, the film also featured the band Old 97's playing themselves. Why the freak out? We were listening to the band in the car on the way to the cinema. Spooky...

By the way, it appeared that we may have been the only theater goers who enjoyed the motion picture that night. Great performances from everyone involved. Almost had a "The Way We Were" feel to it without too much focus on the building of the romance that led to the break-up like the 1973 Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand film did. Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn's characters get together in the first ten minutes of the film and the rest is about breaking up. Have no idea why the other members of the audience were disappointed by a film with that title. They had to have a gut feeling that the title explained it all and that the outcome of the movie was pretty much expected. Toss in a little bit of the bite from 1989's "The War Of The Roses" and that may give you an idea of the film. That may be a bit off base but the film is worth a look.

Speaking of the Old 97's...why wasn't "Designs On You" included on their recent "Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97's" compiliation? Please tell us that we weren't the only station playing that great song. They performed the song a few times on television when the song was released as a single and may have received the most mainstream exposure of any of their songs. Yes...we go on record as loving the song and we were only wondering why it was left off a release from Rhino Records no less.

Air Talents MICHAEL McCARTNEY, MIGHTY JOEL YOUNG and LOUD LARRY

*The musical goon squad taking a moment from selecting songs from "The Time Machine" library to pose for a serious photograph.

Can You Dig It?

Our favorite air talent who defines "smooth" on the radio, Kathy with a "K", reflects back at her early comedy memories.

My very first audio purchase was from Gem in the Windward City Shopping Center in Kaneohe. It was an Eddie Murphy (Delirious, 1983) cassette that was well before the Tipper Gore-slap-happy-explicit-warning sticker made its way upon anything remotely testoteroni-riddled.

Now, this was a very crazy Christmas gift to myself. This was the concert that played endlessly on HBO, curse words, no bleeps and all. The one in which Eddie Murphy thanks the Bus Boys for playing and saying they must get a lot of...play.

I used to play this tape endlessly, to the point where I was able to mimic the bits, "...Norton! Hey, Norton...come here! How would you like to %$&* me up the ? Now I'm going to bend over...and when I do, start " Insane. Nuts. Still stunned to remember that I had ready access to such language, such ramblings, to such a comic wonderment that it opened the door for me to read interviews and search for the influences in the likes of Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and even Bob Newhart.

Yes, Bob Newhart. He's one funny guy. Clean...cleaner than Bill Cosby, if you can imagine. I love stand up. Love, love, love to laugh. I enjoy hearing how the bit begins and wanders around before you think the punchline is out there then BOOM! It goes on for another few minutes and returns nearly forty minutes later.

I used to go to the Ilikai and watch visiting comics. There have been other clubs around Waikiki and Honolulu where I would drag a friend to see if they were any good. The downside, sort of, is that once you caught their act, you couldn't watch them again so soon. Sure, Chris Rock's Bigger and Blacker or Bring the Pain is good ten times over as is Dave Chappelle's For What It's Worth...but I'm talking the new kid on stage still working out his or her spotlight persona.

What makes music great? Sheesh, the greater question in my book is what makes a comic great? Politics? Timing? How blue you can go? How clean you can rock it? I really like Dane Cook, Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Augie T., George Lopez, Patton Oswalt and more.

Then at what point does the comedian become a political figure or social commentator and should there be a line drawn for that distinction? Like Margaret Cho, Dennis Miller, Carlos Mencia, Bill Maher, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart...these are the more mainstream known names. Can you even imagine when they were struggling to snag a three minute run on maybe Arsenio Hall or Letterman?

There are so many more than should be mentioned and sought after. Oh...the reason behind the thought about laughing out loud. Damon Wayans, Eddie Griffin and David Allan Grier are coming to Honolulu this summer for shows at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. It's a good venue for comedy; my first stand up exposure there was Steven Wright and I couldn't sit still. I couldn't believe he was in Hawaii; same with Dennis Miller except he was featured at the Sheraton Waikiki (he killed me with the Michael Jackson/Dorian Gray comparative study...).

Local comics or comedians...hands down, Rap Replinger. He's one cat I wish I could have witnessed live. Andy Bumatai, of course. Did you know he had an Andy Bumatai Scrapbook he put out back in 1982, 1983 or 1984...from his small keed days up to when he played at the Monarch Room in Waikiki, fotos of acting on the TV Show "The Jeffersons" as well as details about his "All in the Ohana" show on KGMB?...yikes, speaking about stalkers...

Posted by Kathy





Kathy with a "K" can be heard weekdays from 10AM to 3PM on Honolulu's powerhouse KSSK FM. Enjoying a "Kathy sandwich" are Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. Could a girl get more lucky in Hawaii?


The Time Machine



Wednesday, June 28th, 2006 at 12:49 PM

The most underestimated of performers. Comics. There are so many comedians from several generations that still make me chuckle just thinking about a line here or a dead pan look there.

Just like you, I found myself as a kid mimicing and memorizing monologues from Pryor to Carlin to Cosby to Newhart. Newhart and Cosby were the first comedy records that I listened to over and over followed by George Carlin and Cheech and Chong. It didn't matter if it was Monty Python, Redd Foxx, Franklin Ajaye, David Steinberg or Woody Allen - as long as a comedy album had me laughing that was pure gold to me. The frosting on the cake was the pure genius comedy that also made you think, for that was where the true comedy lay, in the truth of what surrounded us. That truth could be bursting from Richard Pryor or Robin Williams and I don't think there really is a line that can be crossed especially in the political or topical humor of Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher or Dennis Miller. Even Saturday Night Live's bread and butter was half gross out and black humor with the other half all political and topical in its golden years.

Just you bringing up Eddie Murphy's album on cassette brings back so many memories. The one that springs to mind is his Mr. T bit which I can't repeat. :)

Of course growing up on the comedy of Newhart made it a no brainer when Steven Wright came on the scene. That album still slays me! "I'm feeling kind of hyper." Classic.

Margaret Cho is another true original as is Wendy Leiberman and Jerry Seinfeld. Rap was KING! If there was no Booga-Booga, would we have been fortunate to have the talents of Rap or James Grant Benton? Have you ever heard James' album with the conversations that went on during the first trip of the Holule'a. I wish I could find that on CD! Truly Monty Python goes Hawaiian. Here I go back to the beginning by stating that there are literally hundreds of talented stand-up comedians and there are thousands around the country the past 20 years that I still haven't caught up with.

Now I'm off to search thru old comedy cassettes and see if they still play in my car (I don't want to even think what I would become if Hawaii got XM or Sirius in our cars here - I'd be locked onto those comedy channels while in stuck traffic giggling to either of the Richards - Belzer or Lewis).

Social Distortion's "Story Of My Life"

We've been playing Social Distortion for such a long time on the program that we realised that almost four weeks went by without the band getting their usual spins. How could we be so careless? We stood around between playing songs on the radio and discussed our favorite songs from the band. It looks like the clear winner with the two Mikes raving about the song's merits was the Mike Hess penned "Story Of My Life". Both Mike Mantel and Michael McCartney always crank up the volume on that song. McCartney credits Mantel for bringing the album to the station some ten years ago and it remains in the library to this day. If you aren't familiar with this 1990 gem, pick it up when you get a chance, the album "Social Distortion" is still in print.