12 Fictional Bands That I Didn’t Mention on Nerd Lunch Episode 170

The Nerd Lunch Podcast Episode 170 is now available for download! It’s all about fictional/fake bands from various forms of entertainment. Tim Lybarger, CT, Pax, and myself offer some of our favorites and then later in the show we try to guess some really obscure selections! After you listen, check out my list of fictional bands below that I didn’t get a chance to mention on the podcast.


12. Danger Kitty, Discover Card Commercial, 2001
They’ve been enjoying the biggest success of their career as Steel Panther, and to think they started as a cover band playing ’80s hair band songs in Los Angeles! Originally they were known as Metal Shop, and then Metal Skool and they gained quite a following, now, as Steel Panther they’re touring the world, literally. Everyone loves a some good, tight zebra skin spandex and vagina jokes. Early on, the band appeared as Danger Kitty in a Discover Card commercial where they played a kids Bar Mitzvah. In 2001, at their website, you could get a CD single of the track they played in the commercial called “Love Rocket,” and you can imagine that I requested mine in about .02 milliseconds. Of course, I still have it and have been obsessed with the band ever since.

11. Arsenal, Rock of Ages Musical, 2005-present
Rock of Ages has been a staple musical since 2005 in various parts of the country and touring all over the world. The show spawned a 2012 film adaptation which I still haven’t watched in fear that it’s nowhere near as good as the stage show. The main band in the show is Arsenal and they play actual ’80s arena rock tunes, but what makes them so special to me is that all of the stops on their fictional first tour were to random New Jersey towns! If you want to see proof, I have their original promotional t-shirt and there are photos in my review of the off Broadway production from 2008. This early incarnation of ROA reviewed here was the best before they started tweaking the story, characters, and actors.

10. The Barbusters, Light of Day, 1987
The band in this rock drama is comprised of Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett in one hell of an oddball mash up. The title track was written by Bruce Springsteen. Bon Jovi also appears on the soundtrack.

9. The Lost Soulz, The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll
This rock and roll road movie was filmed partly in New Jersey and my friend Jasin Cadic from the band Starkiller co-wrote it! Check out my review from when it was released.

8. Black Roses, 1988
A monstrous metal band turns everyone into monsters – quite a masterpiece. I recommend adding it to your Halloween time viewing if you haven’t done so in the past. Tracks like “Dance on Fire” and “Soldiers of the Night,” are staples of my Fall playlists. Bands that appear on this rare soundtrack include Lizzy Borden and King Kobra.

7. Vesuvius, The Rocker, 2008
For a while I was watching The Rocker at least 3 times a week. That’s what happens when HBO gets a hold of a new movie. Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate star in the comedy, but it’s a who’s who of comedic actors such as Fred Armisen, Will Arnett, and Jeff Garlin. It’s well worth your time if you are into silly comedies about rock bands like Spinal Tap. The direct result of watching this movie constantly: I was obsessed with “Promised Land” and listened to it on loop on the way to work for several months. The tunes by Vesuvius are attributed to singer Keith England and his band Lazlo Bane.

6. Stillwater, Almost Famous, 2000
A young music journalist embarks on tour with his favorite band Stillwater to document their exploits for a possible published spot in a rock magazine. Said to be based off of the early years of director Cameron Crowe’s life. I’ve had a couple of Stillwater songs on my iPod ever since I owned an iPod. The authentic track, “Fever Dog,” it sounds like it was a lost track made recorded in the mid ’70s, and it’s not surprising because the Stillwater songs were written by Crowe, his ex-wife Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Peter Frampton which helped give it that special vintage sound. Although the film did not knock ’em dead at the box office, the soundtrack won a Grammy for best soundtrack/compilation.


5. Dyver Down from Holliston, 2013
Used mostly for comic relief, the Van Halen tribute band Dyver Down, lead by Lance Rocket (Dee Snider) actually has a track available on iTunes called “Love It Down Your Throat” and a schlocky, badass music video to go along with it. This was my favorite aspect of the show, well, this and Laura Ortiz of course.


4. Mouthfeel and Juggernaut, Gettin’ The Band Back Together
You’re almost guaranteed not to be familiar with these next bands, (it’s a twofer, I cheated) but you will be soon if all goes well. I was lucky enough to see the play getting the band back together with Miss Sexy Armpit at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick in its early phase. It’s been rumored for a while now that it’s on making it’s way to Broadway. If this happens, you may be seeing Rock of Ages take a back seat because that is how funny and entertaining this play is. The comedy/rock musical hybrid is about, you guessed it, a guy who gets his band back together to save his home and neighborhood. They get into a battle of the bands which pits the evil Mouthfeel against the rock heroes in Juggernaut. The original songs are ’80s arena rock style and a select few are available on iTunes. Unfortunately the self titled track “Mouthfeel” isn’t available. I hope Mouthfeel’s tracks make it to the Broadway show otherwise I’m protesting in ’80s hair band attire.

3. Eddie and the Cruisers, 1983
This Jersey classic is possibly one of the most successful fictitious band songs ever. “On The Dark Side,” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, scored a number one hit on the Mainstream Rock singles and reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The sequel, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives, arrived in 1989.

2. Tears of Blood, Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have read about how my life has spun out of control ever since Netflix removed Wizards of Waverly Place from their streaming service. I was completely devastated. It was like a punch in the gut! It’s one of my favorite shows of all time and it never fails to make me happy. One minor aspect of the show references a rock band called Tears of Blood. They get mentioned in a bunch of episodes and there’s even a poster that shows up on the wall in one scene. TOB is crazy popular with the teenage crowd within the universe of the show. They even get mentioned in other Disney shows which was always surprising considering the very un-Disney-like name of one of their tracks, “Crying Blood for You.” I can’t be certain anyone has actually heard their music though. If anyone has Tears of Blood music, send it my way!

1. The Hex Girls, Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo fans are ultra familiar with this “eco-goth rock band.” You can see and hear them perform in several Scooby outings, but I suggest you check out the Mystery Inc. episode “In Fear of the Phantom” while it’s still streaming on Netflix. In it, Daphne joins the band as a temporary new member, Crush, voiced by the lovely Grey DeLisle-Griffin. Look out for the influences of Phantom of the Opera, Phantom of the Paradise, and an awesome little surprise cameo from Vincent Van Ghoul from the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo!

Who are some of your favorite fictional bands? Leave ’em in the comments! Thanks for reading!

The Dirty Pearls Scavenger Hunt

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Fans of NYC rockers The Dirty Pearls have the chance to win tickets to see their next live show on 12/9 at The Gramercy Theater! Watch the video above for “Who’s Coming Back To Who?” (look for the Where’s Waldo style cameos by The Sexy Armpit) which will help you answer the questions below. Only the real fans of The Dirty Pearls will be able to get the answers to these! Winner will be chosen on 11/16.

E-mail your answers to sexyarmpit@comcast.net

Questions:
1. What exact time does lead actor Jasin Cadic meet and shake hands with Kelle Calco?
2. How many bottles are on the coffee table?
3. What color is the phone that Breedlove is on?
4. Which shoulder does Tommy London have his dead Elvis tattoo on?
5. How many times does lead actor Jasin Cadic tap Jeanine Moss on her shoulder to get her attention?
6. What exact time does Brian Newman put out his cigarette?
7. Who ended up coming back to who?

The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll Hits ON DEMAND Tomorrow!

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The Sexy Armpit has just set up a nice little Friday evening for you. Order some pizza, pour yourself about a half gallon of Jack Daniels, and then pick up your remote control. You’ll merely be a few finger strokes away from finally being able to see the movie I’ve been telling you about for a long time now! Available to you in the comfort of your own butt cheek indented couch is: The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll! You can also go old school and see it in an actual movie theater (Village East Cinema), but either way you’ll be supporting a fine film that’s a favorite of mine and also has connections to New Jersey. For more info and movie theater show times – LIKE it on Facebook! By the way, it’s rated R…for Rock n Roll! (couldn’t resist)

The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll

Perfect Age of Rock n Roll Premieres!

In theaters and ON Demand August 5th!

Long time readers of The Sexy Armpit will recall me posting about the film The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll. I’m excited to announce that the film is finally getting it’s official release! I was lucky enough to see it a few years back at a private screening and be the first to review the film. After tracking the evolution of the film and hearing about it’s awards at film fests and other positive feedback, I’m pleased that it will finally be released for all to see. Congratulations to Scott Rosenbaum, Joe White, and the rest of the cast and crew who poured their heart and “Lost Soulz” into this project.

The Perfect Age of Rock n Roll is about the erratic relationship between 2 band mates (Jason Ritter and Kevin Zegers) and how their music has brought them back together on a journey across the country. On the way they discover their rock and roll roots as well as get involved with the same woman (Taryn Manning). As I said in my review, this ain’t the Partridge Family! The title of the film represents the idyllic age of 27, an age at which many famous rock musicians died such as Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison to name a few.

If you’re a music fan, especially rock, metal and the blues, you will dig this movie. It’s for guys and girls alike so you can watch it with your boyfriend or girlfriend. The original songs on the soundtrack by Steve Conte and Andrew Hollander kick so much ass and I recommend downloading them for a reasonable price on iTunes. After seeing the movie the songs will definitely be stuck in your head.

For the Jersey aficionados like me, many scenes were filmed in Jersey. You might not realize that Jersey isn’t all fist pumping and juiced up guidos, we also offer line dancing and mechanical bull rides at The Colorado Cafe, which happens to serve as one of the clubs the band plays at in the film. The film’s co-writer is New Jersey born Jasin Cadic who is also the lead signer of the metal/industrial band Star Killer and the director of The Dirty Pearls latest video for “Who’s Coming Back To Who.” Be sure to check it out in the comfort of your own home ON Demand on August 5th!

For showtimes, tickets, and to download the free poster:

STAR KILLER: Savoring Their Surge of Success

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STAR KILLER Photo by Coco Alexander (L to R): Lou LaRossa, drums – Steve Perlmutter, bass – 
Jasin Cadic, vocals – Rob Hayder, guitar – Ian Krier, guitar 

Have you ever been invigorated by a feeling of accomplishment when you get a lot done in a really short amount of time? It’s a feeling that New York City’s ultimate industrial rockers Star Killer are extremely familiar with. Progressing at a breakneck speed, it’s as if the band has taken a quantum leap, except Scott Bakula’s not at the forefront, it’s NJ born lead singer Jasin Cadic, who I spoke to recently upon hearing the news of their upcoming tour. “It’s a combination of luck, talent, and a lifetime of networking and connections all coming together at the right moment” said Cadic. Star Killer will now be moving full throttle into a tour with CombiChrist.

Any band that has formed within the last couple of years would kill to be in Star Killer’s boots right now. And although they are savoring these moments, Cadic mentioned that it isn’t without added stress and responsibilities. For many rock bands, it’s admirable to write a “To Do” list, but sometimes it’s futile. In fact, I can probably tell you that most of them read like this: 1) Rock really hard 2) Get Super famous 3) Get crazy drunk with Lemmy 4) Bang a bunch of groupies. Well, I guess if you’re going to have a to-do list that would be a better jumping off point than some bands start out with. I’ve seen bands come together, fantasize about stardom, practice a lot, but yet never even make it to the stage. In Star Killer’s case, merely their 7th live show will be on a tour in support of CombiChrist, one of the most eminent electro-industrial bands. CombiChrist, who will be promoting their latest work “Throat Full of Glass,” share a similar musical vibe with Star Killer which is credited to the bands roots.

This tour is reminiscent of Han Solo running into Lando on Cloud City as it reunites Cadic with old friend and former band mate Combi’s drummer, Joe Letz. Several years ago Cadic and Letz started their first serious band, Handful of Dust. Cadic told the Sexy Armpit that Letz is still one of his closest friends and that the tour “reunites us in a musical setting which is very full circle and exciting.” (Guitarist Rob Hayder of Star Killer was also in Handful of Dust for a number of years as well) Cadic expressed his appreciation for CombiChrist having Star Killer on the tour: “We are very fortunate and lucky that CombiChrist has given us this amazing opportunity. Combichrist is one of the best industrial bands out there today, bands would kill to be on this tour, and we don’t take that lightly. We plan on giving it all we got on this tour.” After their tour with CombiChrist ends, Star Killer has responded to the demands of their fans by setting up a few more big New York shows.

Their debut EP featuring the single “As The Sky Is Falling,” has been downloaded in the U.S, and around the world. Their first live show was not your average rock gig. Star Killer debuted at the House of Blues in New Orleans on Halloween 2010 at the world’s most badass Halloween party, The Endless Night Vampire Ball. After the overwhelming response from that show generated a positive buzz, packed shows in New York and New Jersey soon followed. From there, it’s like they’ve been accelerating to ludicrous speed with no sign of slowing down. I asked Jasin if they were ready for the rocket ride and he replied, “Myself and Star Killer are ready for whatever the future holds, no matter how big, I say bring it!” Check out the CombiChrist tour with STAR KILLER on Wednesday, May 4th at Irving Plaza in New York City.

Star Killer’s diabolical sounds of cosmic chaos are not only a favorite here at The Sexy Armpit, but they have also been embraced by Brian Basher at Hard Rock Nights Radio, The Metal Mish, as well as other college radio stations around the Tri-State area. Tune in and ask them for more Star Killer!

Can’t stand that you only have 6 songs by Star Killer? Well, you have two options. Head over to their Reverb Nation page right now and check out an exclusive track “Echoes and Amputations,” a track not on their EP. Or you can wait patiently until their follow up CD gets released. Jasin Cadic has confirmed that Star Killer will be returning to the studio this summer. More music from Star Killer is on the way!

CombiChrist with STAR KILLER Tour Dates
5/2 Norfolk VA             Norva
5/3 Baltimore MD         Bourbon Street
5/4 New York NY        Irving Plaza
5/6 Worcester MA         Palladium
5/9 Detroit MI                Harpo’s
5/11 Minneapolis MN    Ground Zero
5/16 Portland OR           Hawthorne Theater
5/17 Sacramento CA      Ace of Spaces
5/19 Santa Ana CA        The Galaxy
5/22 Phoenix AZ            Nile Theater
5/23 Albuquerque NM    Sunshine Theater
5/24 El Paso TX              Club Peoria
5/25 Lubbock TX            Jakes
5/26 Dallas TX                South Side Music Hall
5/27 Houston TX             Numbers
5/28 San Antonio TX      White Rabbit
5/30 Jacksonville FL        Jack Rabbit’s
5/31 Orlando FL              Club Firestone
6/1 West Palm Beach FL Respectable Street
6/2 Tampa FL                  State Theater
6/3 Spartanburg SC         Ground Zero
6/4 Atlanta GA                Masquerade

“Reboot, Rebound…”

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You’re probably thinking that this post will compare and contrast the finer points of the Canadian CGI cartoon ReBoot that aired in the mid ’90s with Martin Lawrence’s 2005 theatrical tour de force Rebound. I’ll tell you this: You’re completely f’n wrong! This post will merely serve as an update as to what The Sexy Armpit has been up to as of late.

The lack of posting recently is because there’s been so much cool shit going on. I feel like Michael Cera’s character Evan in Superbad. Through all this welcome craziness, I haven’t had much time to write, but now I’m BACK! I didn’t want to make my little comeback without a new look, so take it all in! Breathe in all the noxious fumes! Ahh yes, “Reboot, Rebound…” not only signifies a new look here at The Sexy Armpit but it’s actually a line from The Dirty Pearls newest single “Who’s Coming Back to Who?” available now on iTunes and Amazon via the link below.

If you’re here reading this post and you still haven’t listened to at least ONE Dirty Pearls track then I’ll give you 30 – 60 seconds to create a new tab in your browser and go listen now. Come right back of course!

You’re still here? That means you’re either already aware of the New York City’s reigning kings of rock and roll, or you are just being an obstinate prick. You won’t regret discovering music from The Dirty Pearls, and you better get used to them because you’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the future and SEEING them too. The Dirty Pearls just wrapped up filming their first official music video for “Who’s Coming Back to Who?” and The Sexy Armpit was on location in NYC to capture behind the scenes footage for the making of the video. You’ll see that very soon, but until then I highly recommend you download the track because it’s so addictive that you’ll want to listen to it a bunch of times in a row.

I can’t reveal many details about the actual video yet, but I can say that the performance aspect has an old school rock and roll feel. Bands like The Beatles The Stones, KISS, AC/DC, and mostly all the great rockers have band members with their own distinct personality and look. The Dirty Pearls are bringing that idea to a new generation and their music and image will appeal to fans young and old.

At the helm directing the video was Jasin Cadic, lead singer of Star Killer and co-writer of the upcoming film The Perfect Age of Rock and Roll. I am hereby crediting Jasin and The Dirty Pearls for resuscitating the long forgotten art of the music video. After you see this video you will recall the days of being fascinated by MTV for hours and hours and all they played was videos. Judging from what I saw on the set, “Who’s Coming Back to Who?” restores hope for a full force comeback of stylish and bombastic music videos. Stay tuned!

*Remember, you still have time to enter The Green Hornet Toy Giveaway which ends this week. More info here.

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Star Killer Causes a Stellar Explosion in Newark

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Crime was the least of my worries on Saturday night as I ventured to QXT’s in Newark NJ to check out the NYC industrial metal band Star Killer in their first official New Jersey appearance. Lead singer Jasin Cadic grew up in New Jersey, so putting on a show for us here in his home state was a priority.

For over 20 years QXT’s has been the only club in the area where you could hear new wave, goth, 80s, industrial, and punk all in the same venue. As a lifelong Jersey resident, one of the reasons why I never went to the club wasn’t because of the crime in Newark, it was mostly because I doubted that I’d fit in. I listen to the genres of music that their DJ’s spin but visually I always figured I’d have to show up looking like I was the lead singer in a Cure cover band. But, upon hearing that Star Killer would be playing a show at QXT’s I threw all my apprehensions out the window because I knew I had to see them live. For months and months I’ve been listening to their EP (which is available HERE for a limited time free of charge) on my iPod and looking at a few videos from YouTube of shows that went down elsewhere. It was New Jersey’s time to feel the power of Star Killer live, and damn it was a spectacle.

I was in luck, it was superhero night at QXT’s. Glowing lights drenched the scantily clad Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy who were dancing all up on each other. It seemed like a typical night for them, although there was no trace of Batman anywhere. There were other girls dressed as characters from the film Kick-Ass as well as a couple of female Robins too. Holy supertight latex Batman!

As we arrived at the bar I noticed our female bartender’s costume. “Black Spiderman, right?” I asked her. “NO! VENOM!” she snapped back at me dumbfounded that I didn’t know who she was supposed to be dressed like. The Sexy Armpit cut her some slack and decided that her blood wasn’t made up of geekoglobin like mine and she was probably unaware of the origin of Venom. When she bought the costume I’m sure it said “Sexy Venom Costume” because every costume for a girl is “Sexy,” but this one really looked more like your basic black Spiderman costume from Secret Wars. Too confusing for untrue believers. Nevertheless, she was completely attentive and appreciative of her tips. My partner in crime for the night, Money Marc and I hung out and soaked in the scene until Star Killer finally stormed the stage.

Just before it was announced that the band was about to go on there were a few people who trickled out to the offshoot rooms in QXT’s. They really missed out because Star Killer stunned the crowd. For those in attendance who stayed to check them out, it was obvious from their banging heads and lots of crowd feedback that they liked what they were witnessing.

Star Killer’s aggressive onslaught of industrial metal featured songs that are immediately memorable and always get me pumped such as their single “As The Sky Is Falling.” As he introduced the song, singer Jasin Cadic even gave a shout to The Sexy Armpit for being big supporters of the band which was pretty f*cking awesome of him. The stage was lit up with green lasers and blue and red lights as Star Killer tore into many songs from their EP as well as an incredible cover of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself For Loving You.” If you are as unsure about getting into a new band as I was about heading to QXT’s, get over it and download their EP now! Star Killer will definitely appeal to hard rock and metal fans, especially those who are into Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Korn. Click Here for our full review of Star Killer’s debut EP 

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