Bradley's Buzz

The Music

On Friday I got the chance to meet one of my all time idols - Miss Patti B or Pat Benatar as she is more commonly known. She was at Borders in Westwood signing her new book "Between a Heart and A Rock Place." Unfortunetly there weren't any pictures of any kind allowed so it's something I'm going to have to remember for as long as I can - until I can get backstage one day.

It was actually still really cool - I went with my friend Marc and his friend Charlie who had met Benatar several times and she recognized immediately and asked if Marc and I were with him so it was like we were long lost pals. I told her how the very first record I ever owned was In The Heat Of The Night - I'm sure she was totally impressed.

When I was a kid I used to go to my Aunt Dianne's and she had this wood stove in the living room that was set up on a sort of step up and I would turn it into a stage and sing "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" to all my relatives while the 45 played. They loved it and I was going to share the story but for some reason I choked, and honestly thought she could give a shit about it, but whatever.. it was still an experience.

I finished the book on Sunday and got totally stoked to work on more music. I love how her and Neil have worked continuously together and wish I had a man who actually liked music but I guess my life and "career" will remain separate, though I have decided that I really, really, really do need a collaborater to work with like she has. Someone who works with me exclusively and can help and support what I want to do - plus come in with brilliant ideas and keep me in check while actually pushing me to work. Now I just need to figure who that is and where to find them.

In the interim, I started working on some stuff. For years I've been trying to re-record the Mexican Gods album from 2002 so my vocals sound at least presentable since I thought it was a pretty good album but had no experience working on my own. I have had a few "done" for awhile and now I'm working on some that never panned out.

It's mostly to get me to rehearse because I am working on re-recording some of the back catalog. Not sure what I'm going to do with them but a 'my pick of greatest hits' album may be coming. I've asked Devin to help me out as I really, really, really need a producer and musical director and he is one of the most talented people I happen to be lucky enough to know. Luckily he has agreed to help me a bit so I'm totally stoked. There's some great Swivek songs that have been overlooked and I'd love to be able to present them in a fresh and better sounding form..

and finally I have a full day of real studio time booked for anytime so with the re-recordings I'm hoping it puts my voice in shape and inspires a new single to record in a professional setting... and that's what is up these days with Bradley in La La Land.

Labels: My Life In La La Land, Pat Benatar, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 10:00 AM 1 comments

The Year Of The Brad

Labels: Brad Jacobson, Everybody Hates You, My Life In La La Land, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 11:39 AM 0 comments

Monday Random Photo

Labels: Monday Random Photo, My Life In La La Land

posted by swivek @ 6:49 PM 2 comments

Monday Random Photo

Well we are back from the Mexicana Riviera and I even have proof - no not the extensive sunburn, instead a pic of me and the Leivas with our new friend Nanook, though I just called her Nanoo, cuz we were tight like that.

Labels: Monday Random Photo, My Life In La La Land, The Leivas

posted by swivek @ 12:16 PM 0 comments

What 2 Do

So very sorry for not writing as of late but it suddenly occured to me I have a bunch of self induced projects going on. First and foremost I'm still working on that damn new Swivek album, but with all the work going into it I can tell you it's going to be good. I even wrote three new songs in the last few weeks so things are a rocking. Obviously with next week being Thanksgiving and Christmas only a few weeks away, I'm pushing the date for Everybody Hates You to next year... but it will be sometime in the early parts. This gives me the extra time to fine tune the songs I am definitely including, finally figure out the track list - there are 8 songs for absolute sure - "Everybody Hates You", "Art Attacks", "Wounded", "Rock Hard", "Fabulous", "Cry Baby", "This Is A Town" and "Suck Out The Sun" -

luckily the only reason I can't come up with a definite track list is I like all 23 (yes 23!) songs I recorded for the album... and I'm going to have my pal Jules come over and add her angelic voice to some harmony on a few songs and since she's as busy as a busy busy b, I'll be lucky if she can hit the mic before New Year's.... plus with the extra time we can make a video or two! I really want to shoot a cool (as cool as cheap can be) for the next single which will be "Rock Hard"... I also am sending some songs over to my ingenius godson/nephew Z who makes videos with his friends so he can whip up a Swivek video...

Then I just realized I HAVE to go Christmas shopping this weekend or anyone not in my immediate residency won't get their Christmas presents on time. Luckily, I found some cool things for my little nephew - he's fun to shop for.

and for almost two years now I've been promising the second (and final) season of Carlton Heights, and I have my notes all together and the first episode almost complete, but it just takes me a bit to get back into it.. and everytime I hit the computer I end up working on music. So once that's wrapped up we'll be good to go.

And then there's that little Bubbatunes CD re-release project that is never ending.. hopefully I will have a couple more before year's end including a few more Kim Wilde CDs, two Cheryl Ladd CDs, Scott Baio, Kirsty MacColl and a few more... I know what would you do without my odd taste in tunage...

and for the Cher fan who loved "Prisoner" and was looking for more Cher, I have to search out the blog with "Take Me Home" on it, but I'm sure it's here somewhere and as for the other Cher albums on CD, they're still a coming - sometime in the future, I plan on putting, "Stars", "I'd Rather Believe In You", "Allman & Woman" and "Cherished" on CD and a compilation of Cher Misses (the songs that just didn't hit)...

Alright I'm off to find something to do... but will be next week with more posts ( I swear )

Labels: Bubbatunes, Carlton Heights, Cher, Cheryl Ladd, Kim Wilde, Kirsty MacColl, My Life In La La Land, Scott Baio, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 1:02 PM 2 comments

A True Turnblad

Okay, let me start by saying yesterday (and a bit still today) I was so upset about this whole prop 8 shit (yes I said it, shit) and almost left work because I could not think about anything else (and also cuz I'm a big tit baby so I'd almost bawl like a baby when I thought of it) and then after reading the internet all day long looking for some kind of comfort, I found out there was going to be a protest rally in West Hollywood at 7 pm.

So I went to my first protest/rally ever. I felt just like Tracey Turnblad - "integration now/segregation never!" plus I have put on a few pounds. Regardless of my size, it was really emotional for me. A lawyer spoke who told us that (just like Jerry Brown - attorney general has said) that anyone who was married while the marriage law was in effect are and will still be married.. but until Gloria Allred tells me that's the case I'm still walking on eggshells.

Also, it has bugged the shit out of me that like 70% Black and 60% of the Latino populations voted y on 8 (I can't bring myself to even write the prop) !!!! What the ... John Duran stated something I thought was important - the fact that everyone has been on the bottom rung of the ladder. Our stories may not be the same but the results are the same. I may not be discriminated against because I'm black but I can tell you that there is no doubt in the world that I know exactly what it feels like to be discriminated against and not just with this vote, but all the way back to the playground taunts to the drunken rednecks. One black woman told a black lesbian at a polling place (who had the No on 8 signs) that her kind was not wanted. Gee, how those 40 years since the days of Martin Luther King have flown.

Labels: My Big Gay Wedding, My Life In La La Land, No on 8, Protest, West Hollywood

posted by swivek @ 10:22 AM 1 comments

FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU

Labels: I Hate People, My Life In La La Land

posted by swivek @ 11:25 AM 1 comments

A Few Of My Favorite Things

First and foremost on this week's list of a FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS is Happy Hour! How I love happy hour. For years and years (I maybe exaggerating) my pal and I would have Monday Night Amy Cissell Happy Hour which sometimes wasn't even on Monday, and surely didn't last only an hour but always always involved Amy Cissell and the Fiesta Cantina. Now that I walk to work and half to walk past all the West Hollywood bars on my way home, I sometimes dream my pal Amy Cissell will be sitting at Fiesta as I walk by - which of course means I would turn around and walk right into that bar... Last night as I walking home, my pals Howie, Pachuli and Scott were sitting right there at Fiesta, so imagine my sheer delight as I joined them For Wednesday Night Howie Pachuli Scott Happy Hour

In my big TV screening post of yesterday I forgot three very important shows that I also watch including "Chuck" which is exciting and hilarious, "Sordid Lives" which is funny and full of Livvie and the Thursday night glory known as "Ugly Betty" which has its season 3 premiere tonight! Here's an awesome little scene from last year featuring Vanessa Williams (super super excellent) as Wilemena and her assistant Marc... love it:

and finally, this may seem a bit weird to you all - but only if you don't really know me I think. A few years ago it occured to me I had some random Crystal Gayle songs on my computer and after listening to them, I was pulled back to being a kid when my mom used to have the 8 tracks for When I Dream and Miss The Mississippi, Crystal's 1978 & 1979 albums respectively.

It was then that I started conjuring up all the big hits Miss Gayle had during the late 70s and 80's and realized I do love her. So when a 2 for CD of her albums We Must Believe In Magic and When I Dream came out last year I bought it, and then to my utter shock, dismay and I hate to admit it, excitement, all of her albums from 1979 through 1989 have been released on CD as two fers - I am not ashamed (and I don't care who knows it) to admit that I bought all four of the CDs so I now have on CD - Miss The Missisippi & These Days, Hollywood, Tennessee & True Love, Cage The Songbird & Nobody Wants To Be Alone and Straight To The Heart & Nobody's Angel... and they all come with all the lyrics and liner notes and in remastered sound.. plus I didn't even pay all that much for them, and to me they're priceless.... don't you judge me or I may just have to burn you some Crystal and you won't be laughing for long..





Crystal Gayle

Labels: Amy Cissell Happy Hour, Crystal Gayle, Favorite Things, Fiesta Cantina, My Life In La La Land, Ugly Betty

posted by swivek @ 2:19 PM 1 comments

Video Killed The Would Be Star

So last night I decided to take the old webcam and make myself a video - luckily I'm a musician so I had something to lipsynch to - not that it matters as nothing really matches up and it's really just an experiment gone hysterically wrong... None the less, Swivek has made a video and because I have no shame I am sharing it with you. Perhaps I should've had that ring on my finger before showing this to the Leivas as he insists I have lost my mind...

You'll laugh, you'll hack - it's the very first Swivek video "FLIRT"

Check it:



GET THE FULL SWIVEK EXPERIENCE AND DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE
INTO THE BLUE album at our website - simply CLICK HERE

Labels: Flirt, My Life In La La Land, Orange Television, Patrick English, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 9:48 AM 0 comments

A Few Of My Favorite Things 2

I love buying stuff, I am not sure why exactly it brings such a thrill but I can barely stand to go one week without buying something new, and of course most of the stuff I buy is music and clothes and shoes and booze. Though movies sometimes get in there as well. Either way, sometimes I just drink my booze, put on some tunes, lie on the floor and look at all my stuff. Does that make me superficial or just nuts?

As you can maybe tell it's time for another round of a few of my favorite things so here we go:

My pal Cissell (two days and two mentions??) loves her some fancy shoes, she even writes a Wednesday blog called Shoe Porn where she lusts over sexy stilettos and the like, well I too have a huge fondness for shoes and my latest kick is in the kicks made Van's - okay, really I've always had Van's so my obsession is just a continuation but I did buy a few more pairs recently in fact when my mom and sister were here we went to the Beach to see the Leivas' family and as we were headed back to WeHo I smelled me a Van's store and we went in. I'm only up to 5 pairs so far these are in my collection (minus an American flag pair that I can't find a pic of) Anyway here's what I have (love them!):














Then of course I love to get my drink on - and upon a visit to Barney's Beanery one summer afternoon I discovered Strongbow. It's an English cider that tastes like a strong apple beer, it's so good and so summery I think I may have to run to BevMo and buy me a few cans after work... oh and if you get it, by all means get the cans not the bottles - it's just so good when you pour it into an iced glass!

and finally something to watch while drinking your Strongbow and showing off your new kicks - it's SORDID LIVES the movie - I have loved this movie for years and years - I mean ONJ as a lesbian ex-convict who snaps gum and sings at funerals, a one legged man who killed his elderly lover when she slipped over his leg in the night, frickin' Beth Grant as Sissy, the sister of the ill fated woman and a sassy gal who has just quit smoking - oh and Leslie Jordan as a Tammy Wynette impersonator - it has it all and now it's going to be a TV series and the Leivas and I have tickets for Outfest this Saturday where they will be airing the first two episodes. I can't wait. ONJ in a TV series - hello! To see why the movie is so good - here's a little clip to enjoy:

Labels: Favorite Things, My Life In La La Land, Sordid Lives, Strongbow, Vans Shoes

posted by swivek @ 12:12 PM 0 comments

The Unveiling - Brad's Art Attack

So as I had told you awhile ago, I decided to pick up a paintbrush the other day and to the right is what my demented little artistic mind came up with.

Originally titled "Chaos" as I was working on it, it is now entitled "I Suck" and will become part of a trilogy - "I Suck", "A Little Better" and "I Give Up" so keep your fingers crossed, this little piece of 'art' may be worth something someday.

Who wants to buy it?

Labels: Brad's 'Art Attack', My Life In La La Land, Painting

posted by swivek @ 8:12 AM 0 comments

It Starts With A C

I don't like to get too political - or at least not here on this little blog - but today I'm feeling a bit of an agenda - you see this morning I was listening to some news programs where a couple women were saying they were protesting all the sexism that went on during the Democratic debates of Obama and Hilary and so are thus supporting John McCain instead of the O - now I am all for protesting and the idea that sexism was involved seems important but do these women really think John McCain is less of a sexist than Obama? And do we all have to pay by having another Republican in office just cause Hilary wasn't the nominee?

Meanwhile news came out also that in some private confrontation in his home that John McCain called his wife a ... well I can't really say it... but in the words of Bette Midler, "it starts with a c ends with a t and it's 'cunt'" Now that seems a bit sexist to me... but whatever

Another meanwhile - my sister called me to inform me that our nephew is going into the Marines. My brother had told me Jared was thinking about it and I adamantly said I didn't think it was a good idea unless he really, really had a desire to be in the military - call me selfish but I'm terribly afraid they are going to ship his ass off to Iraq the minute he finishes basic training - but according to him he scored on the tests in the top 10% and the Marine dudes told him he had his choice of what he wanted to do - he wants to work on jets and planes so maybe we'll luck out. In good news about it all he will be in San Diego for training and that's only a couple hours from me - which means in even better news I practically have free passes to Fleet Week!

We are all proud of him but I can't help but be a tad scared as well though my bro insists Obama will be in office in January and the war will be over - since Jared goes in around February maybe we'll luck out.

Whew! All this politics talk got me going so for a cool down let's listen to one of MY favorite songs from one of MY favorite artists from one of MY best albums - Why it's Thursday's Swivek song - and this time we have a little sassy tune about politics from the Army Fatigue album (2005)



To download Swivek - Wasteland click here:
WASTELAND





Today's walk to work was sponsored (not by Swivek) but by:
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Armed Forces

Labels: Elvis Costello, Marines, My Life In La La Land, Polidicks, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 11:40 AM 0 comments

Never The Bridesmaid

So there's more wedding news to be had - it seems that those bastages in the night that think I'm a second class citizen are tyring to get a vote to make California's state constitution define marriage as between a man and woman only thus the new Supreme Court status that just declared discriminating against gay marriage as unconstitutional so where does that leave homos that get married starting June 17th?





Today's walk to work is sponsored by:

Labels: Bjork, bub99 Cyndi Lauper, Gay Marriage, My Life In La La Land, The Leivas

posted by swivek @ 3:22 PM 2 comments

Up and (Hung) Over

What a frickin' weekend - I am finally climbing out from the rubble that was my hang over - which was no small feat let me tell ya as I started drinking around 5:30 pm on Friday and stopped sometime around Sunday at 11.

In between I prided myself out and spent many a moment at the beer tent and saw a few shows, you know the cool of the cool - Shitting Glitter and Olivia Newton-John. Stay tuned for pictures (I know I say that all the time but I mean it)

Then it all ended with having to work yesterday - ugh! I hate that. The Leivas took the day off but it does take him a bit longer to get over drinking - as he is way way older than I am - I am but a measely trophy wife.

Our big gay life was filled last night with watching the New Now Next Awards (ugh! though Cyndi Lauper did perform) and watching Juno which I've had from Netflix since it came out on DVD sometime last year. All to which I have to say, the movie was all right but highly, highly overrated.

Tonight we will resume with another in our line of Bubbatunes for Bubbatunesday so stay tuned..

Monday's walk to work was sponsored by

Olivia Newton-John 'Totally Hot'

Labels: Drunkenest Gal in town, My Life In La La Land, Olivia Newton-John

posted by swivek @ 11:20 AM 0 comments

Eat Ur Heart Out Mike Chapman

This weekend is Gay Pride here in La La Land and I couldn't be more excited as it means two of my favorite things - drinking outside in the hot sun and listening to live music. I know, you're jealous you can't be as big of a drunk as I am, but hey I've had years of practice.

Including such exciting news as Olivia Newton frickin John playing a set, my pals in Shitting Glitter have a whole Sunday of performances, playing at the Java Joint on the corner twice plus a set in the Erotic City section - yes we have an Erotic City section - jealous still aren't you?

Anyhoos its, before I get to see my pals perform or drink in the sun, I've been approached to do a project - just like that day so many years ago when Fai Light from Korea approached me to write music and mix for him, I am producing a track for Shitting Glitter. I know! Can you even believe it. I hope they aren't as hard to work with as that bastard from Swivek.

Regardless of how difficult and how much sweat goes into the project, there's one thing for certain, I have to get my ass in gear and start working on it or I'll be fired. Shitting Glitter has a single coming out in June (shit, this month!) and I'm doing one of the B-sides so quit talking to me, I've got work to do!

Labels: Fai Light, Mike Chapman, My Life In La La Land, Shitting Glitter, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 10:30 AM 2 comments

Just Like A White Winged Drunk

It all started with a mimosa at brunch, that turned into four mimosas in all and continued with two bottles of White Merlot, endless drunk dialing and it all ended with me spinning around my room to the songs of Stevie Nicks - yes, that was my Sunday night..

and I felt I must share the story with you, for those who either didn't get a call or just wanted to read about my life today.

I've been a tad slow with the blog posts but that's cuz it was MY BIRTHDAY MONTH and I was on vacation for two weeks while my mommy, sister and genius nephew visisted me.

So stay tuned for pix and stories on that - and for now here you can also enjoy the likes of Stevie Nicks - or her tribute band Bella Donna, which we happened to see Memorial Day Weekend at the street fair in Hermosa Beach - not as good as Stevie for real, but she certainly has the moves down:
http://www.belladonna-music.com/

for the real deal, why not relive Edge Of Seventeen, it's a damn fine tune and sounds even better when I'm not twirling around in my room, slurring the words and singing ever so slightly off key.

Labels: Bella Donna, My Life In La La Land, Stevie Nicks

posted by swivek @ 12:01 PM 0 comments

All Mixed Up

Ugh! What a nightmare... so I've been working and working on my new music and when I say working, I mean working and mixing and when I say mixing I mean both the music and the drinks... geez who knew someone could blow threw that much booze in a few short months. I feel like Bree in that episode of Desperate Housewives where Lynette drops off all those empty bottles Bree has drank. Oh well, it's all in the name of art.

Labels: My Life In La La Land, Swivek

posted by swivek @ 4:22 PM 0 comments