Making Gummys

The Bubblegum Queen stopped by today, and we affixed bubblegum balls to the raised torches of all the Bubblegum Achievement Awards that are getting handed out next Friday night. Her Royal Pinkness also was kind enough to replace the ball that fell off of my own honorary Gummy, a magic lamp trophy with which she surprised me at the first Gummy Awards two years ago.

I played the rough mix of the "Kelly, The Bubblegum Queen" theme song that Jackson Del Rey and Meg Maryatt recorded for her at their secret lair in Malibu, and she proclaimed it "cheap karaoke," and thus "perfect." This number will be her big duet with Canned Hamm.

We also went through the Secret Prize Closet and determined that it will be much more fun to break into the boxes of Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids cards and put the individual packs out as freebies than to raffle them off, potentially to collector hoarders who don't open 'em on the spot. So get ready for a massive card trade in the party room after the awards!

A new web project from editrix Kim

Birth announcement: Subcrawl

Announcing the launch of Subcrawl, a new group linkblog overseen by yrs truly whose subtitle is "tomorrow's zeitgeist today." Our brilliant editors, many of whom also contribute to Scram, a journal of unpopular culture, will be presenting a hand-picked selection of their most intriguing online discoveries. We hope you'll tune in and enjoy the show.

Subcrawl is at http://www.subcrawl.net
and we welcome your feedback.

Doin' the Commercial Suicide with Van the Man

Did you read Brian Doherty's piece on Van Morrison's contract-bustin' Bang Records sessions in Scram #16 and want to hear those crazy tracks? The fine folks at WFMU have just made all 31 tracks available in MP3 format. Now everyone can do the Wobble, and the Ring Worm, and the Dumb Dumb George.

Give to hurricane victims, shmooze with Brian Wilson

From today's Norton Records email:

• BRIAN WILSON WANTS TO CALL YOU! Nortonians and other people who might
exist: Brian will PERSONALLY call you if you send $100 or more to help victims of
Katrina plus he will match your donation. http://www.brianwilson.com

You have to make a paypal payment to a friend of Brian's who is collecting donations to qualify, and the offer ends October 8. More info is at Brian's site.

Another great graphic from the San Antone screening. Click it!

Fabulous FREEBIES at the Gummy Awards!

Attendees at the 2005 Bubblegum Achievement Awards will have the opportunity to take home some great prizes courtesy of our sponsors. Most will be randomly awarded through drawings, while others may require special skill/knowledge. And there are tons of prizes, plus K-EARTH will be on hand to give out promo items, so no one will be going home empty-handed.

But only two super special lucky ducks will be taking home original bubblegum art that's made out of bubblegum!

We have two Grand Prizes: bubblegum art by Bubblegum Society and Gum Blondes.

Ben Harben (Bubblegum Society) and Jason Kronenwald (Gum Blondes) chew multicolored gum and paint celebrity portraits with it. It's an ironic comment on the disposable nature of fame, and it's strange and beautiful. From Gum Blondes, we have a Giclee art print, one of an edition of 6, of Britney Spears rendered in soft swirls of bubblegum. From Bubblegum Society, an original portrait of Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp, his every patch of fur and gaping chimp nostril rendered in the chewy chewy stuff!

Here are some more of the goodies we're keeping safe in the Magic Prize Closet:

Free memberships for musicians to sell their songs on CDBaby

Two great new titles from Chicago Review Press, TV A-Go-Go and Vanilla Pop

From Feral House, the inspiration for the whole event, the book Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth and from Routledge, the new Scram anthology Lost in the Grooves (copies will also be available for sale).

From Continuum, 7 different mini album histories starring Arthur Lee & Love, the Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, ABBA, the Kinks, the Beatles and Pink Floyd

Thunder Bay Press sent the new book The Monkees: The Day By Day Story of the 60s Pop Sensation

Our pals at Topps sent a ton of Bazooka bubblegum, plus their new series of Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids

Toy piano band Twink sent one of their incredible limited edition musical toy boxes

Art of Bleeding is providing Abram the Safety Ape t-shirts and a very scary coloring book

Y-Que, purveyors of striking t-shirts, sent over a retro care package featuring Mr. Rogers, TAB cola, MOOG, vinyl pride, Dick and Jane and store mascot Arthur Bunny Boy.

And Classic Media has sent DVDs starring their great characters Roger Ramjet, Rocky and Bullwinkle (4 DVD sets of the complete Seasons 1-3) , Fractured Fairy Tales, Underdog, Dudley Do-Right, Mr. Magoo, Peabody & Sherman and a Christmas package of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy and Frosty Returns.

Wow! good stuff, and it's all going home with lucky Bubblegum Awards guests... maybe you?

Celebrate International Bubblegum Month with Bubblegum Queen postage stamps

Click the image for more info.

Chicago Bubblegum happenings and more about the documentary

CELEBRATE BUBBLEGUM MUSIC MONTH WITH CHICAGO PREMIERE OF BUBBLEGUM
DOCUMENTARY (AND DANCE PARTY!)

Scram Magazine, Roctober & Chic-A-Go-Go present Bubblegum Music Is The
Naked Truth!

WHAT: Bubblegum movie screening/dance party featuring Kier-La Janisse’s
underground Bubblegum music documentary Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth!
WHEN: Sunday October 2, 2005, 3pm
WHERE: The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago 60622, 773.227.4433,
hideoutchicago.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
From the Archies to Britney Spears, bubblegum music has excited every
generation of music lovers. In 2001 Scram Magazine publisher Kim Cooper and
her collaborator David Smay compiled the book Bubblegum Music Is the Naked
Truth (Feral House), a thorough exploration and defense of the genre.
Featuring a number of Chicago writers, including James Porter, Jake Austen
and Mike McPadden, the book was a brisk seller and was licensed by VH1 for
a TV special. Unfortunately, the resulting program, Bubblegum Babylon,
hosted by Shannon Doherty, was a disappointing, overly ironic mess. Inspired
by VH1’s failure, filmmaker Kier-La Janisse made a more reverent video
adaptation of the book.

Focusing on the golden age of prepubescent pop (1967-1972) Bubblegum Music
Is the Naked Truth! features rare footage of the 1910 Fruitgum Company, The
Archies, Ohio Express, The Sweet, The Bay City Rollers, and their
S-A-TUR-DAY morning counterparts Lancelot Link & the Evolution Revolution,
the Banana Splits, the Wombles, and the Jackson 5, as well as coverage the
scene's movers and shakers like Don Kirshner and Kasenatz-Katz. Boldly
underground, this film will likely never see commercial release after it
screens around the world this October.

Before and after the screening Ratso the puppet rat, host of the cable
access dance show Chic-A-Go-Go will be playing great bubblegum tunes for
everyone to dance to. Like Chic-A-Go-Go the event is free and open to all
ages. However, though the movie certainly features great music and cartoons
that kids will dig, it’s analytic narrative may be slow for the youngest
music fans.

This October is the inaugural International Bubblegum Month, and will
feature screenings of this film in various American cites, as well as in
Spain, Berlin, Australia, and Canada. The highlight of International
Bubblegum Month with be the Bubblegum Ball in Los Angeles, which will be
highlighted by the Bubblegum Achievement Awards. This year’s honorees
include Ron “The Archies” Dante, Steve Barri, Joey Levine and Dr. Demento.

To learn more about Bubblegum Month visit www.bubblegum-music.com
or e-mail Filmmaker Kier-La ( “Kayla”) Janisse at kier-la@originalalamo.com

Toronto Artist Chews Out Gum Blondes

TORONTO (Wireless Flash) – Chew on this: A Toronto-based artist is getting a bite of fame by creating paintings of famous blondes out of chewing gum.

Since 1996, Jay Kronenwald has been creating his “gum blonde” paintings by chewing up 500 pieces of gum and placing them on pieces of plywood.

Some of the females who’ve been chewed up and spit out by Kronenwald include Avril Lavigne, Paris Hilton and his favorite muse, Britney Spears.

Each painting takes 40 hours to complete – not counting chewing – and he gets about $2,000 per piece.

So far, all of his paintings have been done from pictures and Kronenwald says that’s because he wouldn’t want to subject a live model to “sitting that long” while he chews.

Kronenwald hopes to exhibit his favorite “Gum Blondes” next year but one of his Spears’ works will be given away next month at the Gummies, a Los Angeles-based awards ceremony honoring bubble gum musicians.

However, now that Spears has given birth, Kronenwald is no longer interested in gumming her up and has set his sights on Jessica Simpson.

San Antonio Bubblegum Screening Flier (click for more info)

New reviews at Garage & Beat

This is a public service announcement message from P. Edwin Letcher:

Hi Music Lovers!

I've been busier than usual of late, but I finally got a bunch of new
reviews up.

I've also got some DVD reviews up, curtesy of Steve Elliott.

To check out all the latest and greatest go to:

www.garageandbeat.com and check out REVIEWS PART 1 and PART 2

Thanks to all!
Edwin

Rick Rubin knows the naked truth

A little bird tells us that in the new issue of Rolling Stone, with the band of the same name on the cover, producer Rick Rubin is listed as having a history of bubblegum music in his "now reading" stack.

Could it be... this one?

Blowing Bubbles Over Berlin

Bubblegum will turn post-election blues into bright pink when Berlin joins in the International Bubblegum Month festivities next month. On October 21, 2005, 10.15 p.m., the Xenon cinema will host a special screening of the documentary "Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth", a behind the scenes exposé of the chewiest pop music ever, featuring bubblegum's heaviest hitters, from the Archies and the Partridge Family to the Bay City Rollers.

D. Strauss, music editor of Berlin's English language monthly EXBERLINER will read juicy passages from Kim Cooper's acclaimed book upon which the film was based. After show lounge features D. Strauss in record-spinning mode as DJ Milk-It (Musicmope/Exberliner).

October 21, 2005, 10.15 p.m.
Xenon cinema
Kolonnenstraße 5
10827 Berlin-Schöneberg
Tel. +49-30-782 88 50
www.xenon-kino.de

Entrance 6 EUR

Fine art from chewed bubblegum? That's the grand raffle prize at the Bubblegum Awards

For immediate release ­
September 19, 2005

Los Angeles- Two lucky guests at the Bubblegum Achievement Awards this October 7 will be going home with a most unusual keepsake: a work of art crafted not in oils or acrylics, but in multi-colored, pre-chewed, icky, sticky bubblegum!

The Gummy Awards celebrate the silly, double entendre-laden music made by studio bands in the late sixties and marketed to pre-adolescents. Presented by the editors of the book "Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth," this year's ceremony honors Archies singer Ron Dante ("Sugar Sugar"), Joey Levine of the Ohio Express ("Yummy Yummy Yummy"), Steve Barri (Lancelot Link & the Evolution Revolution) and beloved novelty DJ Dr. Demento. There will be free Bazooka bubblegum for all guests, the west coast premier of a new bubblegum music documentary, live performances from Canned Hamm, The Bubblegum Queen, Abram the Safety Ape and Ron Dante, and an exclusive marionette spectacular by legendary puppeteer Bob Baker.

Every guest will receive one raffle ticket, with the option to purchase additional ones. The prizes, provided by the event's many sponsors, range from books ("Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth," "Vanilla Pop," "TV A-Go-Go," "Lost in the Grooves," "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story," and volumes from the 33 1/3 series), retro-look t-shirts from Y-Que and Art of Bleeding, collectable Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages cards, Twink box sets, Bazooka bubblegum and free artist memberships at CDBaby.com.

The twin grand prizes are a fine art print of Britney Spears in bubblegum on plywood by Jason Kronenwald from the Gum Blondes series, and an original, small scale bubblegum portrait of Lancelot Link Secret Chimp by Bubblegum Society artist Ben Harben. Both artists riff on the ironic connections between disposable celebrities and cheap and trashy chewing gum, while producing compelling, provocative and very beautiful art.

Bubblegum artists Jason Kronenwald and Ben Harben are available for interviews, as are the honorees, performers and event organizers.

For more info on the Bubblegum Awards, visit http://www.bubblegum-music.com

For photo or interview requests, contact Kim Cooper, amscray@gmail.com, 323-223-2767

Podcast: A Visit to Bubblegum Land

Join editrix Kim on a confounding bubbleloon voyage from Strawberry Shortcake Land to Bubblegum Land with the Bubblegum Queen and the Queen's pesky sidekick L'il Chewy. During their travels you'll hear all about the fun happenings planned for the Bubblegum Achievement Awards, and the Bubblegum Queen will share some favorite rare tunes by honorees Ron "Archies" Dante, Joey "Ohio Express" Levine, Steve "Lancelot Link" Barri, plus the Wombles and Professor Morrison's Lollipop. Pay special attention and you'll hear about a SECRET SPECIAL GUEST STAR whose attendance has not yet been announced anywhere else!

It's a Bubblegum radio special for all to enjoy!

check it out here

1947project's Kim & Nathan on the BBC tonight

UPDATE: hear the uncut version of the interview at Chris Vallance's website (the Beeb ran out of time and cut Nathan off in mid-rant!).

You can tune into BBC 5's bogging and podcasting show Up All Night this evening at 6:50PM PST to hear an audio tour of downtown Los Angeles that your cranky bloggers recently gave to visiting London journalist Chris Vallance. You can listen live here, or download for later podcasting from the station's archive here.

Chris got a ton of our blathering on tape, so I can't even tell you what topics will be covered, but Nathan was raving quite charmingly 90% of the time, so I reckon you will hear raving. Please check it out, and put any comments on the show here.

We have a raffle winner!

Congrats to Patrick Xavier, whose name was randomly drawn this morning from all the early ticket holders for the October 7th Bubblegum Achievement Awards. Patrick wins an extra seat at the Awards ceremony. Scared he won't ask you to come along? There are still spots available, so visit the website to learn more about the pinkest day of the year and reserve your ticket.

Boss Norton Records NOLA Benefit in NYC

Big benefit for victims of Katrina this Sunday in Brooklyn!!! Know that the
money raised at this event will go directly to people from the rock and roll
community who are in need...

Sun 9/11
at Magnetic Field - 97 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn
$10 cover (more if you can afford it!)
Doors 4PM
Bands start at 6PM, DJs all day and all night long!!!!

Bands to play:

A-BONES (Norton Records)
KID CONGO and the PINK MONKEY BIRDS (ex-Cramps, Gun
Club, Bad Seeds)
INSOMNIACS (NJ Mod-Garage Rockers)
SPITTOONS (Brooklyn 50s and 60s rock n rollers)

Plus DJs all day and and all night long:
TIM WARREN (Crypt Records)
TODDOPHONIC TODD (Telstar Records, WFMU)
KARI KROME (from the Runaways!)
DAVE THE SPAZZ (WFMU)
THE GREAT GAYLORD (WFMU)
JOSH STYLES (Smashed Blocked)
THE THING WITH TWO HEADS (Penetration Party),
PADDY BULLOCKS (Penetration/Shop Fronts)
TOMDASH (Dot Dash)

Raffles from: Crypt Records, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Get Hip
Records, Telstar Records, Norton Records, as well as local merchants and
community members!

Baked Goods for Sale, Special CD comps for Sale

All proceeds will go to The Rock n Roll Community Fund and New Orleans
Musicians Clinic.

For more info on these funds, please see below...

Since this was done on the fly, please spread the word!!!

The rock and roll community fund

This fund was put together to aid members of the garage and punk rock
communities who have lost everything due to Hurricane Katrina. Most
recipients identified are currently in Memphis and Austin, however we are
taking names of those in need from wherever they have established temporary
homes. Thanks to DJ Paddy Bullocks, whose father is a minister there, funds

are being administered by Trinity Parish Church. Due the high concentration

of those in need who have fled to Memphis and Austin, funds are being

distributed by Goner Records in Memphis and Rocks Off Records in Austin.



Trinity Parish Church Episcopal Discretionary Fund

200 N Elm St

Searcy, AR 72143-5271

put Katrina Fund in subject line of check

paypal to: trinityparish@yahoo.com




New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)


This is a fantastic hands on organization who has the names and addresses of

so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE

health clinic all these years and now, they are the ones who are tracking

down the local musicians and finding them shelter.


They are the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and know the whereabouts of the

local musicians down there.

Send donations to:

NOMC Emergency Fund

funds will be distributed by:

SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.

103 Independence Blvd.

Lafayette, LA 70506

desk: 337-989-0001

fax: 337-989-1401

Contact: Kathy Richard directly at 337 989-0001

email: finance@swlahec.com

http://www.swlahec.com/

musiciank@swlahec.com


The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music

Alive! We want to relocate our New Orleans musicians into the Lafayette/

Acadiana community where they can remain a life force! But most of them have

lost everything... we must help them rebuild their lives.
homes. Thanks to DJ Paddy Bullocks, whose father is a minister there, funds
are being administered by Trinity Parish Church. Due the high concentration
of those in need who have fled to Memphis and Austin, funds are being
distributed by Goner Records in Memphis and Rocks Off Records in Austin.

Trinity Parish Church Episcopal Discretionary Fund
200 N Elm St
Searcy, AR 72143-5271

put Katrina Fund in subject line of check
paypal to: trinityparish@yahoo.com

New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)

This is a fantastic hands on organization who has the names and addresses of
so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE
health clinic all these years and now, they are the ones who are tracking
down the local musicians and finding them shelter.

They are the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and know the whereabouts of the
local musicians down there.

Send donations to:
NOMC Emergency Fund funds will be distributed by:

SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
desk: 337-989-0001
fax: 337-989-1401
Contact: Kathy Richard directly at 337 989-0001
email: finance@swlahec.com
http://www.swlahec.com/
musiciank@swlahec.com

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music
Alive! We want to relocate our New Orleans musicians into the Lafayette/
Acadiana community where they can remain a life force! But most of them have
lost everything... we must help them rebuild their lives.

Rare F***in' Archies Sh** for you

Some believe that we old-fashioned tenured bubblegum scholars rest on our bouncy pink laurels while a "street team" of young whippersnappers like Mr. Bubblegumfink uncover fresh aspects of Archiana, like the mysterious document in today's blog post. *

*link fixed! kids today...

Bubblegum Achievement Awards make the LA Times today

from Steve Hochman's Pop Eye column:

Almost certain to be more entertaining than the MTV Video Music Awards is the second biannual Bubblegum Achievement Awards, honoring Ron Dante (the musician behind the Archies), Joey Levine (of "Yummy Yummy Yummy" fame with the Ohio Express) and novelty-record aficionado Dr. Demento* — complete with a themed puppet show by the noted Bob Baker troupe. The event takes place Oct. 7 at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater near downtown L.A., with free cake and Bazooka bubblegum for attendees.

*and Steve Barri, the undisputed king of psychedelic chimp rock!

Neutral Milk Hotel book cover!

Just saw this up on Amazon! Pretty cool. Somehow thought it would be... greener. (See, it was explained to me that the 33 1/3 cover colors are derived from the colors in the album sleeve; looks like the lady's bathing costume and flesh tones rule the day.) The pub date is supposed to be the day before Hallowe'en, now. I turned in the proofed galleys this week, and am lobbying to include some extra photos.

BTW, Olivia Tremor Control are at Arthurfest at Barnsdall on Monday afternoon. Julian Koster, Scott Spillane and, yes, Jeff Mangum, played with them last month in NY. Monday... who knows?

Oh my soul...

Saw on the Bomplist today, Alex Chilton is missing in New Orleans.

New look for the Scram website

In honor of St. Ägidius' Day, I've revamped the main Scram page, a long overdue action considering how ridiculously many pie-tins we've been spinning lately. It'd be much appreciated if you could take a look and leave some feedback and suggestions for further changes in the comments below.