"Jaysus! Dracula is not a Christian....but I am.....how can that be?"

Oh my brothers and sisters, there comes a time in everyone's life, if they really look into themselves and find that kernel that makes them who they are, apart from the connections and distractions of the world, there will be, hopefully a new awareness.  Possibly with some distinct fear as a chaser.  But that is where I am at in this existence, and this is the first time I have ambled on to the Wild, Wild Web and really had that feeling.  But I must learn from it.  This is what I have discovered.

When we embrace distraction, bread and circuses, we destroy ourselves.  Even observing it makes one feel uncomfortable or on the other hand more distant from others.  I can't live that way. 

An example of this bread and circus mentality is the bizarre debate going in the United States about
healthcare, and there are citizens protesting coverage for all Americans.  Yeah, you read it right.  No pun intended.  I think these same people are going to revolt against warm puppies, vaccinations for children and blankets without smallpox for the Native American population.  What I am saying is that this is something I am going to do without for quite a while.

So, Bette Dillinger is going on a much needed sabbatical.  I think we are in a hazy age at this time in history, and being on  the Web only makes me feel that the sun is indeed going down.   

Thank you.
Bette 

Bette Dillinger: "You Could Say I Am the Janus Face of Peaches"

     Well, a big thank you goes out to those who emailed me (bette@bettedillinger.com) to ask about purchasing the album.  Apparently in my excitement Amie Street got in on the deal, so I think the whole album is going for something like 2 cents on that site.  Get "Assassin's Hand" while it lasts, baby! 
Anyway, you can also go to my main website http://www.bettedillinger.com/ and for a donation you will get five
MP3s.  Thus, you can work around the Amie Street situation and support a truly independent maker of sound and fury.  Bless your heart.
     I also have received some inquiries that involve who/what is Bette Dillinger, etc.  I think it is only fitting
to elaborate on it.  In no way am I saying I am being inundated with questions, but they are coming in at a
steady rate, and I feel people actually are feeling the music.  That truly is the best feeling in the world, to
have someone express sincere appreciation and I look at the little American Idol kids with a new sadness.
I will never be part of the company store, but if they were Beethoven they would still be called a corporate whore.  Such is the state of music in 2010 (almost).
     But said company store has peeps who do interviews with musicians.  Like that hologram Barbara Walters.  Damn, I do remember when she actually tried to do interviews with pretty important peeps, like Fidel Castro.  Anyhoo, that has left me with a wacky predicament that I am now going to break out of.......I just looked on a search engine for "questions to ask music groups" and will answer these questions. 
http://www.ehow.com/how_2141091_band-what-questions-ask-musicians.html

Here are the questions......ready?

Step 1*What’s the name of your band? What’s the origin of that name? Have you changed the band’s name before?

I am a band of one, I am Bette Dillinger.  The name has alot of meanings for me, but the most basic one is Bette Davis and John Dillinger were both rebels in their respective roles in the 1930s.  Bette Davis fought Warner Brothers tooth and nail to get her first break, which was playing Mildred in Of Human Bondage, and John Dillinger of course is known as being the most recognized of the "Public Enemy" era.  However, I have much more of a proclivity to look beyond that aspect, and think of the boy who was given a horrendously long sentence in a federal prison and who came out a changed, angry man.  That is a theme
that is very typical of my lyrics. 
I was evaluating different names, but Dillinger and Bette always kept coming back.  I remember reading on the same day headlines that the US recession was as horrible as the Great Depression, there was a movie being made about John Dillinger, and I read that some cable station was playing a Bette Davis film festival.  It made me very comfortable in my feelings about the name.  I also can relate to both individuals as well, and for me
that is essential.  It is me performing with the cloak of history. 
Step 2*Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member.

It is just me, Bette Dillinger.  I am over 28, so I am an old bitch, eh?  I certainly am not a kid in school, and I make music I think you need some intelligence to appreciate.  It is not just lower chakra bs.
When I was a kid, I wanted to see adult performers.  Even then, however, you had to look around for them, but they were there.  Now, not so much. But we want to reduce everyone to the lowest common denominator in the US, and the experiment is in full effect.  Some record company producing a tamer Peaches (whom I love, btw, I am her Janus face) for kids?  Makes me ill.     


Step 3*What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
I am the Mother of Hipno, my theatre is the web, and let me tell you, that and a few dollars will get you some coffee.  My major influences just span the last century, aside from Classical composers.  My grandfather introduced me to Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, traditional German music.  My grandmother loved Dinah Washington.  I also loved Bessie Smith, Hank Williams, just a very eclectic blend of music.  Then I found on my own Billie Holiday, Tim Buckley, Bauhaus, and so many others.  I mean, I have Gregorian chants and Alien Sex Fiend side by side. 


Step 4*How is "Peaches Your Janus Face"?
  Well, she is Dionysian and I am Apollonian?  LOL.  I am just saying that I find her hilarious and fiesty.  But it is the complete opposite of everything I would ever do, we both use camp for very different effects in our music.  She started out a much better producer than me, of course, and tours all over...my home is the Web.
   When I have listened to her I think she is a great force.....she truly is confrontational, and she wasn't created by some music label.  She raps about sex yet is totally indifferent to the fact of the listener finding her sexy.  There is a Youtube video of the Muppets doing one of her songs that I love.
  But like I said, she is still animus, and I am motivated by the dark feminine, Kali, or the anima.  I want to take back the rage of women that has been buried for so long, and invite people into this environment of delicious fear.  Peaches assaults the male dominated world of hip hop by being as vulgar as she wants to be.  I have to respect her dedication.  She doesn't give a fuck about the reception.  I don't either.

 



Step 5*When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
I formed Bette Dillinger many years ago, since I am stating it is simply me, and I have always been fascinated by sound.  I used to record the washing machine and try to splice in my voice when I was a kid.  But I have been posting the music on the Web for about two years.  I mean, I have been playing with sound all my life.  That is reflected in the early stuff on the Web that will be there for a while longer. 



Step 6*Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
I have my own label, Diluvian Productions.  I named it that because I think there is going to be a backlash against major labels, and we will see a return to a more organic type of style.  No one can stand autotuned vocals except inept producers and frightened bean counters.  Great peeps that I have met are Healeysisland and Pixieguts.  These people are outrageously talented, yet no one knows about them.  Pixieguts truly is on the level of Elizabeth Frazer of the Cocteau Twins, and she is a networking guru!  Healeysisland, wow, so prolific and profound.  Just a beautiful sense of sardonic humour and a love for making music, not flashing an image.  He also is very active.  I admire the fortitude both of them have.....and that is what music should have......a communal spirit......that's how it originated, that is the only way it will survive.


Step 8*Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
       I have performed locally, but not at any major venues.  There is no way I can evaluate playing a huge venue.  Friends are helping me look into streaming a concert, I want people to see that I sing and do not have backing tracks.  I am just a strange witch casting a spell that hopefully works.  A few people have expressed interest in using my music for a video.  This all would be posted here and on youtube.  This is the site to watch if you are interested in any developments, or want to contact me.



Step 9*Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
"Spectator" is a song that people really like.  I cannot tell you how many people across the web have said very nice things about it, and said it really summed up how they felt.  Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I almost cry about that......the song was done in one take and I had just heard some news that pissed me off
so much I didn't give a shit how it turned out.  It is just a furious song.  I have covered "Mack the Knife" and written my own lyrics and done my own arrangement.  Really, it is great to have people respond to that and hear my desire to return it back to Brecht's style.  A lot of people listen to different songs regularly....."Your Public Enemy"....."Clockwork"......just depends on what others see in the work.  I am happy to see I have made any small nic at all in someone's world.  It is an honor  that I think the really young and green don't see.


Step 10*Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
I write all the songs, and all the lyrics.  The main theme is "The Public Enemy"....who is that?  Why did we say this person is one over that one?  Does it have to do with certain sociological factors?  We have become much more suspicious and paranoid since 2001......I have to address that.  I really feel trends in society and try to relate them as best I can.


Step 11*Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Anything thing could inspire me.....an old lady on a park bench.  Or I will read some line from a story or play, like the title "Assassin's Hand" is from Oedipus Rex.  Or I just get full of rage, and have to vent, which is the emotion behind "Spectator".


Step 12*How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?  I have learned alot from other electronica musicians!  Jaysus, when I first started......I was soooo pathetic.  I am not saying I am a master producer now by any means, but some very sweet electronica geeks got me up to speed when I posted on this now defunct site....and I will always appreciate that.  Man, it was just horrible in the beginning..really the start of my evolution is this latest album, though my first baby step was "Spectator".  Rough sometimes is necessary to convey the meaning of a song.



Step13*What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
I suppose I would like to work with people, but I am also very shy and hesitant.  With some people I have been able to overcome those feelings.  But also Bette Dillinger is about me exorcising my demons, and that is the main purpose, so it is a precarious balance.  That sounds really pretentious.  I just try to go with the flow.


Step 14*What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
I would like to be a more prominent 2.0 entity.  People buying my album would making me very happy, but fame has always looked very problematic.  I am not a psychic vampire, and I never will be one.  I want to be Van Helsing and put a stake through a fame gargoyle's heart. 


Step 15*What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
Just do it.


Step 16*How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?  My website, http://www.bettedillinger.com/ there they can find access to the latest deals on my music.  last.fm has the biggest selection of my music.  Amazon and itunes of course sell my stuff. 



Step 17*Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
They know who they are, and I love them too much to profane my life and relationship by naming them.


Step 18*Any last words?
Can it be........we are the public enemy?

My Work

About Moi


My first musical memory was being set on a stage by my father with three elderly gentlemen at a local Oktoberfest and singing traditional German songs in English. I liked it, but I was also aware of being used for the “awww there is a kid singing” factor. Very early I learned that some people feel a need to use until they finally get to refuse you. And that was only one experience. I can’t imagine being pressured by parents at that young of an age to perform regularly. You have to develop. I refused ever to do anything like that again. My family was slightly annoyed, but I always had a very strong will. Or, I should say, I grew into one.



This anecdote also made me realize that I was from a working class family. The fancy dresses and outfits of some compared to mine was very obvious. I also noticed this in church as a child, and resented it...until the day my parents stopped attending. That became my focus, and it still is....poverty, the exploiter and exploited. Detroit and its surrounding areas are bleak studies in this contrast. I will always remember the day a little girl was leaving our school and I asked her if we could remain friends. She smiled, such a very cruel smile, and said, enunciating every word: "Look what you are wearing and look at me. We will never see each other again." Of course she was right. But please know one thing:  I make music not to depress people, since life itself is depressing enough. I want to share my thoughts and I often love to dream of different worlds.  And like everyone, it amuses me to try something different, like with "Black Widow", and many other songs. I am just saying I feel very close to that happy/sad posture of Brecht and Weill.



My music is not perfectly produced. My voice is strange. Sometimes I myself wince at an old song. But my only goal is that you know, I mean know the words I am singing. Literally and figuratively. My favorite film genre is Italian realism. I want to capture in words that look on that child's face when his father steals the bicycle in "The Bicycle Thief". Some times it works, other times not so much. But you live and learn.



I know music is just numbers to everyone except the few. It appears to be very cruel, too. So I stay
where I am, and think of that line from "A Christmas Carol": "Business? “Mankind should have been my business!”



I must feel something in order to enjoy a song. And I mean to really love a song; like Tim Buckley’s “I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain”…..something that makes you tear up…



You can’t play that in a damn club, but the days of club dance hits being the only songs focused on are soon to be over.



I think this is my best album ever, but everyone says that don't they? The disparity between wealth and working class comes into this as well...I have played with sound my entire life, but in the only way a working class girl could. So only wealth is allowed to call itself precocious.  Is the game fixed?



I didn’t take piano lessons because my parents would never have been able to afford them. As a kid, I would collect sounds on tapes and try to make them work. I would also of course record my voice. You use whatever you can. So it is back to that public enemy scenario....is Mozart a prodigy because his father was a court composer who had his son play as a toddler and his father was the one doing the annotation? I love Mozart, but don't believe he was composing at three. Mozart's father would have made sure any child born to him was declared a prodigy. Except of course if she was a girl. Then you have the Shakespeare's Sister scenario.



Growing up I heard people that made the seed grow, like Tim Buckley and Bobby Darin, but it was always there inside me. I have my own stories to tell, I am not a parrot. If I sing completely out of key, if I have a cold, whatever, I believe in preserving that integrity. Of course my production values would make someone like Red One run for the hills with horror. That is why I love it. It is Punk 2.0 on Web 2.0. I hear the drum beats of the future and I feel people want their humanity embraced. Dark and light.

I Have A Sentimental Weakness

Greetings one and all, ……


Well, the release of the album coincidences (10/23/09 for US, 23.10.09 for those lovely Europeans) with many major corporate label releases, or should I say those old albums where filler has been tacked on at the end in the hopes of upping sales around the holiday season.

I have a sentimental weakness for "The Godfather" movies and used to dream my father was Vito Corleone, so he could make some people offers they couldn't refuse.  Like help me with
a tad more exposure on the music scene.  Listen to my opinions about those that were only in it for the money, and discuss
with me my impressions with confidence and respect.  But I always would pretend that Daddy Vito wouldn't use any force in my scenarios, and that Tattaglia business was something that escaped my memory cells ...I just
thought of the luxury of being the model daughter to ol' Vito.  "I mean, Daddy Vito", I would say in my sweetest voice, "you said it yourself, a man is not a man if he does not spend time with his family.  So I would hope you would give your little girl some attention."  Of course he couldn't resist. 


(Cue nauseatingly emotional Soap Opera music)  But, sniff, I am just a wee lass who has no powerful connections.  Also, I am a goofy real person who strangely prefers a high degree of privacy in this age which espouses the opposite. Music is first to me, not an image. I have always admired those who can bypass the mainstream media junk and their anointing of people as talented or not and do things on their own terms.

I will remain 2.0;  every media will eventually be forced to see that the Web is the conduit for the new era.  I appreciate being on Web exclusive entities: Podcasts, etc. With open arms I welcome common thinkers, but would never do an interview with a mainstream organization. And yes, in this weird world of ours someone like me was asked. Once.

But I do get some questions sent my way, especially at http://www.bettedillinger.com/.    But I am not overwhelmed by any means with concerns, so I truly enjoy the interaction.  So think about "Assassin's Hand" after you see the new website in all its glory on the 23rd, and thanks for taking some interest!  I wanted to write "We Won't Get Fooled Again", but in this era it seems like that is all that is trying to be done.


    I truly hope this age in music will change.  All this comparison of Dollar Store American Idol peeps to people like David Bowie (!) makes me enraged.  But on the positive side, I see this is the coming of a new age. You have instant access to more music than ever;  these dodgy comparisons make the desperation of antiquated music execs rather amusing. 

     I have been pondering the viability of streaming video. Certainly I would love to be a performer that
is accepted as Web based, but I am very cynical about who controls things in this world.
Very cynical. I do get responses, but sometimes I think 400 years from now some person will trip over my studio after the last nuclear holocaust and say : “Jenda!  Get a load of this crazy broad.”

Sign up to be a "fan" or listener and get a free listen to "Assassin's Hand"; out on the 23rd of Nov. The website changes then too. Naw, you want to buy a Lady Gaga song, eh? ;)
http://ping.fm/RhRbC

Alice

Well, mon freres (I watched the great "Omega Man" this weekend and can't get the leader of the cult's voice out of my head: "OH BROTHERS!" Check it out....70s Apocalyptic Nirvana)........the time of my new album draws neigh. It will be released on the 23 of November, but you can groove for free on two singles that are all over the net. Check last.fm....or contact me!

Anyway, since the website is being updated too, and will be looking different to reflect the mood of "Assassin's Hand", I was going through some of what influenced this album and my trusty web designer said "Hey, Bette, you're from Detroit....look at this site...the album...pretty dark...you MUST like SOME Alice Cooper."

Now at first, I looked at my dear comrade in confusion. Alice freaking Cooper???Sure, we both explore dark material, but I am not a rawker touring with Lita Ford, like Mr Cooper is this year. But I took a spin on the video site of the web and found the brilliant "Is It My Body" by Alice Cooper when he was part of a band. By the way, the band was fantastic as well.

So, in some ways Alice Cooper still haunts Detroit, and he now haunts me. He still is considered one of the pillars of rawk here, but he is a "classic rawker" that I never gave much quarter to......and I never really paid much attention to until seeing this video I mentioned. It is Alice Cooper at his rawest, with an uncanny ability to evoke fear, interest, excitement, and outright awe. I used to get rather annoyed when people would compare Bowie with Alice Cooper....but damn, I see it now!

After watching the video I watched a video of Alice getting a pie in the face from Soupy Sales. He knew early he had to treat everything as theatre that he was not too great to partake in....

Now we have corporate drones made up to look like "shock rockers" and "monsters". The huge difference is that Alice Cooper made some fine music. I love his quote: "A rock show with props but without real music is a puppet show."

Amen, Alice. You have won a new fan.

Alice Cooper "Is It My Body" (1971):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHFIVJtqpc

Hey you! Yes, you my paisan! Wanna know a secret? I am posting two tracks off of my album that will be released on November 23...and I think they reflect the dark but funky mentality I was going after. But....ya gotta sign up to be a fan at Reverbnation. Don't worry, I will never spam you, you just will be on a list to win free stuff. And yes, the Official Website will change on the 23 and you will see Bette Dillinger in physical form. Free stuff.....good music...wadda waitin' for, chico?
http://ping.fm/UWRUA

From: Diluvian Records
Re: “Assassin’s Hand”/Bette Dillinger
Future Release Date: November 24, 2009

Diluvian Records is proud to announce the forthcoming release of the album “Assassin’s Hand” by Bette Dillinger. Also on this date the Official Bette Dillinger website, www.bettedillinger.com, will reflect this new direction Ms Dillinger has taken. It also contains “freebees”, communications, and opportunities to win copies of the album.

In the words of Ms Dillinger: “”Assassin’s Hand” comes from a phrase in “Oedipus Rex”. I was instantly in love with the phrase because it just jumped out at me as I was finishing up this album, which I was working very diligently on, but feeling increasingly anxious about releasing it because of personal issues. The work is both about nightmares and consequences. This seems to be the year of death of some very famous people, and this cultural nausea is reflected in this entire album. However, it is neither “goth” nor “gloomy and sparse” which I felt were approaches that needed to be challenged by me. I still adhere to the principles of Brecht.”

“My first emphasis is on the ability of the song to reach the listener. The production has improved, if I may say so myself. I am really happy about that! The various subjects addressed are love, death, wealth, poverty, control (this is always a theme), Stanley Kubrick, Oedipus, Greek myth, Mother Kali, and of course certain individuals that are named in the songs themselves. This is a record of death and transformation, with the emphasis on transformation.”

We Will Save You Balloon Boy/A Rant By A Devotee of Mother Kali

You might have heard about this case, which appears to be a very orchestrated attempt by two "adults" to yet again gain media attention. The "adults" also were on a horrid reality spouse swap show on the television (even though the father insists he doesn't watch television.....how does that work?) The little boy, who is obviously embarrassed to tears right now, since he is the focus of attention, allegedly snuck into one of his father's "balloons" and was carried off. He was eventually found, so people are just "investigating".

This is my view of things: if you, as an adult, want to go up in your own handmade "balloon" and attempt to fly to the North Pole, more power to you. Do what thou wilt, but only with yourself and/or a consenting person over the age of 18. When you involve a slave, and that is what a child is in our fragmented nuclear family, then the games you can play are OVER. I am so bloody sick of seeing adults acting like children and when it has been discovered they lied the entire time, as this family is obviously guilty of doing, everyone just shrugs and leaves the situation alone until something very serious happens. And no, I am not advocating for more social service BS. I am talking about societal evolution. You dig?

When you only think of yourself, you are a narcissist. A narcissist does not care about the thoughts and feelings of their children, since they care nothing for themselves (read Bernstein for info if interested). Thus, those children will be solely attached to the outside world and extroverted attention, good or bad.

What more evidence do we need that these children are at risk? That this man is at risk? That this society is at risk? Okay, feeling too much like Al Pacino in "And Justice For All" so I will stop. Where is my Killing Joke album? Ah, yes....

xo
Bette

Ze album is comin' at ya in November! Thanks for the inquiries......remember I have a website, which will have some truly cool stuff on it.

Hey everyone, getting ready for the release of my album.....kewl new song up! xo
http://ping.fm/9LLhB

Dead Men's Bones

New song, check it out, gives you a taste of what is to come......

Peace,
Bette

Mama Medusa

New track, check it out, album out November 24th.....


http://www.last.fm/music/Bette+Dillinger/Basement+Tapes+II

Woody Allen on a Roman Holiday

When I first read this, I thought it was a joke. But it wasn't April the 1st, and in this bizarro world that we are firmly planted in now, I sighed after a second and let it sit in. I guess I don't understand. So here is an open letter to Woody Allen.

Dear Mr Allen:

Yes, I understand you are a contemporary and also a one time great director who, like Mr Polanski, has been taken to task for your sexual behavior with girls. However, Mr Polanski is now in a legal pressure cooker. Anyone can look up what he did and make up their mind for themself, so I will not go over the facts of Mr Polanski's case. However, the extremity of it is rather startling.
Marty Scorcese coming forward I understand. He loves that controversy, and he likes young women, but I really don't know any whispered stories about his preoccupation with minors. I am thinking in his world he feels that "I am Marty Scorcese, the voice of a generation, and everyone who sees my name will feel that Polanski is innocent". Now this is mere conjecture on my part, but I hope the reader catches my drift. One doesn't see Marty Scorcese and think right away in their alligator brain "likes really young girls".
You, Mr Allen, are another type of case. Your publically coming out and defending Polanski is like a plot from one of your films...when they were funny. What was that, 35 years ago? I mean, infamously, you married your own stepdaughter and took nude photos of her when she was a minor, Woody. Why do you think Roman Polanski would want you of all people in the world to defend him? My word, is Marilyn Manson going to release something to the press? "Hey the man has been through enough! I'mma let you finish, I like the little nanas too, but what happened to Roman in 1969 was so horrible he has been in a mental prison ever since! Free 'em!"
By the way, Woody, paying for Polanski's "defense", would be more compassionate
but your name wouldn't be bandied about. Gee, there are consequences for the abuse of innocence? I guess you see them everyday. Good luck with your rationalization.

Santa Muerte in a serene moment.

http://ping.fm/p0bk6

Yes, I Saw Him

He was at Woodmere. He is still there.

And Santa Muerte laughs

“Life is a cabaret, all the world’s a stage — and everything is beautiful at the ballet!” Mr. Jacobs said backstage.

This is a quote from a famous fashion designer, oh my brothers and sisters, about his new Spring/Summer fashions for 2010. I happened upon it as I was reading the NYT, and knew of course the man wants to feed his ego and sell some clothes. I appreciate that, but maybe these remarks were made after a trip to the bathroom with some models? I have serious doubts these were meant ironically.

But I will leave his words to be dissected by someone else. What will be coming from me will be the total opposite. I expect to get a few emails along the lines of "but, like you are jealous of this designer, he makes more money than you." If this was in your thought process at all when you read my dissent, take your life elsewhere and live it.

Life has never been a carbaret for those who are truly aware, or those who have not been sheltered their entire life from the slings and arrows of the economy (that latest pop tart, et al) and that was the intent of the song. There are people who must clean that stage after the whole world has lived a millenium on it, and I am from stock that had to do that work. So bollocks to "escapism is what the small people need from we the artists". Promoted 15 second fools deny the power of realism in a day and age that needs maturity above everything else. Above everything else. Above everything else.

The album will be out soon from Diluvian, and the website (www.bettedillinger.com) will soon be changing rapidly to accomodate fact that I have been doing alot of target practice and will be releasing an album.....and there will be a lot of kewl freebies on that site.

Information Transmission

News of Ms Dillinger's album will be posted soon. Please be patient.

Merci,


Our custodians

Beware, Take Care......We will Soon Be there

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Logan's Run

Hello.....a bizarre thing just happened that I have decided to record for posterity's sake. I was going to do an impassioned rant about "Logan's Run" from 1976 being antiquated (I know, duh), in that the "cut off" date of humanity was when the person met their 30th year...and how that year should be changed in this climate of hyper sexualization and individual subjugation to 21.....well, Hollywood did do that, and it will be out in 2010.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402344/

Strange is the age we live in....does it have to be?

All is One

And everything comes to One,
As we dance on, dance on, dance on.
- Theodore Roethke

New Album Soon....Blood, Mayhem and Aliens with a Beat

My new album is being finished now, narrowing down songs still......I am getting excited....get ready earthlings!!!!!!!!!

Moonbeams and tangerines,
Bette Rat A Tat Tat Dillinger

Fame: No One Has Fifteen Minutes

One impression I have about those few Lady Gaga emails is that they are from teens who don't know that even for the biggest names, fame is over before you know it. It hurts to hear that in our society, but now no one will ever have the fame of past generations. This can be very positive, but some will find it scary.

A case in point is the Bob Dylan article I cited a few posts ago. He was picked up because they didn't recognize him. As you might note if you do a search, Bob Dylan was the embodiment of the 60s. I was taken aback that he wouldn't have looked a little familiar to the police, but they were sincere in their lack of recognition. So, Lady Gaga has no chance whatsoever. Sorry.

I posted a picture at the top of this entry of........Michael Corleone....Tony Montana.....Dr Kevorkian (yeah, his hair is not the trademark black, and that is the reason). I didn't recognize him and I can recite lines from "Scarface", and have seen the "Godfather" films so many times I have lost count. I am sure less devoted fans would have no idea who he was. And, sadly, in twenty years people will be asking who he was and what he was famous for.....Al Pacino!

So if you do ANYTHING for "fame" you are crucifying yourself. An 18 year old I know asked me who the "old ugly girl" in the "weird blonde wig" was....and I was looking at a book of Andy Warhol photos.

Whoa, I got some Emails About My Posts!

I couldn't believe that a few emails about my post re: Lady Gaga were waiting for me on various sites across the Wild Wild Web for me. I mean, no one comments on this blog. I sometimes think of it like a diary.....but these were so intense I couldn't go without answering them:

1) "You don't know anything. You are horrible. How could you say those things about Lady Gaga? U are never going 2B the rock star she is now. you are just jealous. she writes her own songs, and she can play the piano. get a lyfe!!!!!!"

Lady Gaga is a rock star? Okay, drink some more kool aid. And, sure I am jealous that she has a huge monetary cushion.....she is the hieress to a large fortune, and I entered this world without a cent. So sure, I am jealous. "Writing your own songs" is something to brag about when the lyrics are great. I actually have heard David Bowie, Grace Jones and Queen. They write/sing/interpret great images in their songs. As for playing the piano, did you have one in your mansion? Everything is based on exposure, which is determined by economics. Thanks.

2) "I don't get you. you are an idiot and so is bob dylan. you don't know about stuff today like lady gaga does. she is talented, and she is the next madonna. go to hell."

How did Bob Dylan get into this? And no, I don't know about Lady Gaga's "stuff" like her creepy tendency to market to little girls though all she can act like is a bad Peaches. When you find her talent, you should give it to her. Maybe Madonna is keeping it in storage?

Evidence of Pop Music's Saga of Rags to Riches

I saw this, and remembering my post "Dear Lady Gaga" about the necessity of a popular musician coming from a modest background (read: being able to relate to others from all walks of life, and this does not mean your chauffeur or maid) in order to be successful over the long term, I just had to post this:

In the past nine months, Dylan has visited the childhood homes of Neil Young and John Lennon, in both cases appearing without fanfare and barely identifying himself after he was recognized.

Last November, Winnipeg homeowner John Kiernan told Sun Media's Simon Fuller that Dylan and a friend arrived unannounced in a taxi to his Grosvenor Ave. home, where songwriter Neil Young grew up.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8335824&page=1

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, eh?

New Album Soon

Soon there will be a new album.......maybe the title of the blog will give you a clue.
Check back soon, and thanks for the interest!

Dear Lady Gaga/The Narrative of Rags to Riches

Lady Gaga, before you were born into a lifestyle that involved going to the same school as Caroline Kennedy, during the times of the icons you state influenced you, there was an unwritten rule that the media is currently trying to distort. The masses (myself included) know it all too well still, sweetie: the happiness of seeing a working class individual cleverly place themself in the monied arena through sheer moxie made many feel that there was still class fluidity in the Western world. Maybe that is why NME readers voted you the most overrated music act EVER this week? Hmmm...
See, to me and to many others, a main source of the fun of music "legends", aside from their music and aura, was the knowledge they now were free from the typical working class destiny: to remain in the working class. That implicitly told the listener/viewer that maybe they might get to embrace the "riches" of life, even though their lot was too often dark rags. Of course there are negatives to this, but I am not going to analyze them here.
So, Lady Gaga, rising out of obscurity is the beginning of the roller coaster of media attention, and I can't imagine how fantastic it was to see true talents like David Bowie, Grace Jones, Debbie Harry, et al, get their first taste of attention, and of course the relatively mild monetary spoils that follow. But it seems people (except for children) are repeat listeners when they can relate to the person, and that is typically done by early childhood experience. Who over twenty has not seen the childhood photo of little Kurt Cobain? The message implied is that Kurt came from a very working class town, and wanted intellectual freedom. Your Sacred Heart photos are probably kept in a nice vault. Wonder how much was spent on your Communion. Are you understanding my point?
Bowie's is the story I know the best, and his father was a modest organizer for a charity. It was great to read the life (though romanticized, but what isn't?) of Bowie the man, who broke out of the rigid class system his creativity was stuck in through the power of rock and roll! When I saw newer music stars on the scene, such as Kurt Cobain, I was happy he had been able to avoid the grey fate of a janitor as he described in his journals.
So it seems people see through your game right away, and that is why they dislike you. And that hate will only burn hotter...that is why you are re releasing you album again, huh? Also, why did you want to be a pop star when you went to school with millionaires? You and your family also are millionaires, so the usual logical answers do not fit, but you are not compelling enough for people really to care, it seems. And anyway, if anyone is taken aback by your clothing, they should look up Leigh Bowery. I am in the Motor City and am amazed no one sees the ridiculous way you appropriate his images.......to an extent. He really did provoke people. You, not so much. But I am writing this, so huzzah to you.
Anyway, MTV is dead and you have fans that are notoriously fickle (11 year old girls). They will be moving on very soon. You know that, thus the re release of a first album. But you will never be the next anything to any community. You cannot reproduce the narrative of "rags to riches". You desperately try to be a "gay icon" yet choose Perez Hilton as your celebrity friend? Do you know any gay people? lol And you are fanning your flames (pun intended): All those individuals you site, regardless of where they came from, had a humble upbringing, but, as the narrative story goes, they overcame it through their own determination and fire in the belly.
Why is it fixed in place? Because it is a tad ridiculous to desire to be a pop star...you know, wacky props, outfits etc. The ones who can make high art out of a low budget are celebrated. Buying or sewing numbingly accurate reproductions doesn't count, Stephani. That means you are going from riches to riches. Andy Warhola is laughing his ass off at you, honey, for so many reasons.
So, Stephani, saying you danced in a bar in New York for a few months while going to an elite school is not "paying your dues". Having to chose between food and rent is......comprende?

Marilyn Manson: What the Hell Happened?

Dear Marilyn:

Darling, what on Earth has happened to you? I was never really a huge fan, but I could appreciate the fact that you were taking the very dark elements of glam to their extreme, and mocking androgyny by your strange breast wearing period. Really, underneath all the greasepaint, I thought there was a very intelligent, honest individual. When I saw your well known interview in "Bowling for Columbine" where you answered the question "What would you say to the survivors?" with "I would listen to them," I was beyond impressed. You really did think. I wanted to believe that, I suppose.

I remember when you married the beautiful Dita Von Teese. Even though I again really didn't listen to your music, I really knew that there needed to be someone like you around, and I was glad you were mature enough not to be dating little girls and you seemed to be evolving. You also were raging for millions of 15 year olds, and giving them something to think about. Good on you.

Then, wow, what happened? Dita left the manse and you hooked up with a 19 year old. Yeah, also the painting situation.....well......and then the movie with the 19 year old....and then I read a current article where you are not feeling any pain and making vicious comments to Lady TaTa about her intimate areas. Where did the self-hate come in? Also, Marilyn, the Rasputin meets Uncle Fester in drag look does not suit you. You need a stylist. I expected so much more from you...but you seem to have given up on yourself. Why?

Please get better. See a therapist. Have some oolong tea. Find someone who loves you. As sappy as that sounds, it might just help.

Moonbeams and tangerines,

Bette Dillinger

A Kindred Spirit

I love men, not for what unites them, but for what divides them, and I want to know most of all what gnaws at their hearts.

Guillaume Apollinaire

Transmission Number One

Today marks a new time in my life, my brothers and sisters, as my communication with my planet, 143.1, has been terminated. It feels like a new beginning, yet at the same time, a wistful ending. My work has been focused on this for these several months. I walk among you glued to the strange spectacles that have always riveted me: the American denial of the dark, the glorification of the vulgar and crude that has completely destroyed the remaining remnants of intellectual discourse, but has given way to partisan pseudo-intelligence that is a laugh and a cry. I write this because I see the future, but it is obvious to most: the complete dominance of the Web over the entire media intrastructure. This means that I embrace the Web 2.0 culture and am its slave. The individuals that want to distribute my music certainly don't tell me this, they simply encourage me to "tour". My tour has been a global one for some time, and it embraces the world. This world you are reading about now.
My album will shortly be available, and I do not cater to children who are too young to learn about the sexy times from some idiot who is funded by their father's money. I am disgusted with the music industry, and especially the underlying themes of exploitation that is forced in my face. I do not do product placement.

To be a slave is to accept that status. I am not a slave.