Vacationing With THE BRIGANTINES!

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Are you planning on soaking up the rest of the summer at the Jersey Shore? Maybe you say “F*ck the Jersey Shore” because you live in Malibu, CA? Well, whatever the case may be – you only have a short time left to wring out the last drips of awesomeness the summer has in store for you. I suggest you do it with The Brigantine’s full length debut, Vacation!, loaded on your iPod.

New bands that do the whole surf-rock thing usually get lost in obscurity. And to say that I’m an authority on surf-rock is a bit of a stretch, but I am probably more of a fan of the genre than most people you know. The Beach Boys may have brought surf rock to the forefront, but their music was bubbly pop compared to some of the other more pure surf rock bands that hit since the style’s inception. Truthfully though, there are a lot of bands that consider themselves “surf rock” but play a confusing mixture of garage rock and second rate rockabilly. But that’s not surf. You want examples? Start up a search on ReverbNation and you’ll hear what I mean. It’s rare to hear a modern day band capture the surf sound so dead-on. Simply put, The Brigantine’s do it most excellently.

There’s an ethereal quality in the best surf rock tunes and that texture is all over The Brigantine’s debut Vacation! A couple of weeks ago, the album hit local record stores as well as digital stores like Bandcamp, Amazon MP3, and iTunes (and streaming on Spotify). I gave Vacation! a few thorough listens during my version of surfing – navigating New Jersey’s Route 287 on my daily commute, and I got really into it. Not every single track blew me away, but there’s much more good than bad here. Let me tell you what I thought about some of the songs.

First, I found it very cool that they kick off the album with the title track “Vacation,” but they also include the instrumental version of the track at the end of the album. It’s a nice book end and it also emphasizes the scene that the title track sets. It makes me feel like I’m back on the beach in Brigantine gazing at that pink sky.

The bouncy and humorous “Ray-Bans” may be the one track that I associate with most. It’s about losing your sunglasses (possibly while surfing) which is something I do a lot (not while surfing). It’s a huge disaster for me so I know how it is. I love the line “…Maybe I should put up a sign,” have you seen my Ray-Bans? HAHA. Love it. Word is that the band has filmed a video for this song which is premiering soon!

For the surf rock aficionado’s out there, look no further than “Brigantine Barrel” and “Reeferone” – songs you can confidently fit into a playlist beside any classic surf track like “Miserlou,” “Penetration,” and “Pipeline.” If you’re not into the surf genre than these guys aren’t going to be for you, but maybe you’ll dig their cover of “Then She Kissed Me,” the re-worded version made popular by The Beach Boys and later by KISS. “Next Summer” is quite possibly the strongest track overall. The head bopping beat and yearning harmony is reminiscent of Jersey icons, The Smithereens.

I’m happy that New Jersey has a new surf rock band on the scene who has delicately produced an album that will go down in the Garden State’s rich musical history. Like I said, I feel that I’m qualified to recommend these guys to you for a few reasons. I once drank 4 Stunned Mullets in 10 minutes down on the beach in Asbury and came away with merely a slight headache. I once interviewed Dick Dale and he talked to me for over an hour and a half about everything you can possibly imagine. And last but not least, I don’t surf, but if I ever do, I’ll be bringing my Shark Repellent Bat-Spray because I’ve seen “Surf’s Up, Joker’s Under” about 346 times and those sharks ain’t nothin’ to f*ck with.

The songs on Vacation! remind me of those laid back summer days you get all nostalgic about. That said, if you’re in the mood for some tasty waves and good tunes, check out The Brigantine’s. If you can’t get to the beach, turn on the album, put on your headphones, and use your imagination.

*I’m hoping this is true: Their bio states that they are working on a Halloween single which is making me flip out. I want it NOW! I love when bands release Halloween tracks. I nearly passed out when Alice Cooper released “Keepin’ Halloween Alive,” so these guys will be on my annual Halloween playlist!

The Brigantines are: Aaron Leonovich, Vincent Minervino, Scott Saint Hilaire, Don Tojeira and they’ll be playing at the bonfire in Asbury Park this Friday night 8/24!  RSVP HERE: http://www.facebook.com/events/322097011214545/
Official site: http://thebrigantines.com
Twitter: @the_brigantines

Toy Hunter Hunts In Jersey!

Toy Hunter

There always seems to be so much going on in the world of pop culture, comics, and toy collecting that I can’t keep up with it all. That’s why I feel Twitter is beneficial in trying to stay abreast of all the developments. If something passes me by, my tweeps are there to let me know about it and vice versa. (@sexyarmpit) One recent example was when Cool and Collected let me know that the premiere of the awesome new show Toy Hunter was filmed in New Jersey.

Toy Hunter takes the same basic concept of many other reality shows of the moment that deal with finding and buying vintage stuff. Instead of raiding storage lockers and junkyards, this toy obsessed guy, Jordan Hembrough, raids collectors attics, sheds, and basements to find items from their collection that he wants to buy in order to resell for profit.

Jordan is very enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable about his hobby, which reminds me of myself and most of my blogging friends – you know who you are! As revealed in the first episode, Jordan is Jersey guy and the owner of Hollywood Heroes in Ridgewood, NJ. It was cool to see him mention Toms River, NJ and see other the locations that he dropped in on as well.

It was a real kick to see the Super Powers Batmobile and the Gobot cap guns on my TV screen. I never thought I’d see someone talking about this kind of stuff with the same reverence I have for these collectibles. At first, I did find it weird that the host went into a little description of what Colorforms were. Chances are, whoever is watching the Travel Channels presentation of the first episode of Toy Hunter about vintage collectible toys, they’ll know the concept behind Colorforms. His description did turn out to be beneficial for me though because he explained the history of Colorforms and the company’s early headquarters in New Jersey.

My only complaint is that the ending felt too contrived. The speeder bike pedal car that Jordan bought had a buyer by the end of the episode. Ultimately I think he sold it to a father for $1,000 for his young son to have it. There’s no father that I know personally who has that kind of scratch to drop on a toy that will probably collect dust!

Read a full recap with screen grabs at Cool and Collected:
http://coolandcollected.com/toy-hunter-jersey-shore-episode-recap-and-review/

Katrina Bowden is August’s Garden State Playmate!

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We don’t look at the gross side of things here at The Sexy Armpit nearly enough. That’s why I wanted to change it up a bit for this month’s Garden State Playmate. Wealthy/snobby town Wyckoff, NJ not only spawned the Jonas Brothers, but also actress Katrina Bowden. She may have been voted Esquire Magazine’s 2011’s sexiest woman alive, but is she really? Before we go ahead and crown her Garden State Playmate take a look at the picture below, does she look sexy there? Haha, well that’s just from a movie where she projectile vomits (sexy!) in 3-D, Piranha 3DD, which was completely ridiculous…ridiculously awesome that is. It’s got David Hasselhoff and David Koechner (you know him as Champ Kind from Anchorman), and piranhas escaping from Katrina Bowden’s crotch. So maybe it’s the ambitious roles that Bowden chooses that makes her sexy, or is it the fact that she’s a spoiled Jersey girl with a snotty attitude? Does she make you want to puke or feel kinda funny? You tell us!

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Bowden looks like a cross between the girl next door and an emaciated blonde model type. Eat some White Castles will ya? She’s got the lock on roles that require her to be as dumb as a rock like her character Cerie on 30 Rock in which she accentuates her great comedic timing, among other things. Recently, she’s starred in the latest installment of the American Pie franchise, American Reunion and the TV series New Girl. Out of all her roles I recommend checking her out as Allison in 2010’s Tucker and Dale vs. Evil a kickass horror/comedy, which, aside from 30 Rock, is her best work thus far. Don’t get your hopes up fellas, she’s engaged to NJ musician Ben Jorgensen of the band Armor for Sleep.

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Katrina Bowden Cameltoe from Piranha 3DD…just sayin’

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq8WVBc3ac8?rel=0]

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.66: Piranha (2010)

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Oh shit SHARK WEEK starts next week! To prepare for one of the highlights of the summer, let’s take take a look at a movie based on another scary creature that lives underwater – PIRANHA! The 2010 remake of the film was lightweight, but a surprisingly refreshing horror comedy. And what’s a horror comedy without references to the great state of New Jersey?

Before we get into the Jersey name drop, I’ll tell you about another Jersey connection. The cast of Piranha was like a who’s who. As unpopular as this next sentence is going to sound, I’m a big fan of Jerry O’Connell, and he’s perfect as the obnoxious “Girls Gone Wild” knockoff producer Derrick Jones. And GREAT SCOTT! It’s Adam Scott and Doc Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd. The film also features Richard Dreyfuss in a cameo nod to his role in Jaws. As for hotties, Riley Steele and Kelly Brooke provide some eye candy, and on a milfier note, scoring one of the main roles is Elisabeth Shue who grew up in New Jersey.

In the scene pictured above, Sheriff Julie Forrester (Shue) is on a mission to find out why the local lake is being infested by Piranha. She stops over to see Mr. Goodman (Lloyd), a local fish store owner who knows all about different species, and luckily a lot about Piranha. As she and Novak (Adam Scott) bring a bucket with a Piranha over to an empty tank, Mr. Goodman’s wife deduces what must have happened:

“You know I’ve heard of this happening, it’s like those baby alligators in New Jersey, someone leaves them and then they breed…” – Mrs. Goodman (Devra Korwin)

I didn’t get to see the film in 3-D while it was in theaters, but it was still fun to watch. Piranha is silly, mildly scary, and still pretty awesome, much like the 1970s original. With a running time of 88 minutes you won’t have a chance to get bored. Even though it’s sequel, Piranha 3DD, is schlockier than it’s predecessor, it has David Hasselhoff as himself basically reprising his role as Mitch from Baywatch, but it doesn’t offer Riley Steele and Kelly Brooke swimming naked to the euphoric sounds of Lakme: Flower Duet by Delibes…in 3-D, but both films offer vomiting and castration…in 3-D.

G.I. JERSEY: Mutt’s PSA

G.I Jersey - The Sexy Armpit
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As we pointed out in this column last summer here at The Sexy Armpit, the only G.I. Joe character to hail from Iselin, New Jersey is Mutt the K-9 Dog Handler! Here’s a classic G.I. Joe public service announcement starring Mutt who warns us not to pet an animal you don’t know. There sure are a lot of stray dogs and cats around these parts so be sure to heed his warning because knowing is half the battle! 

Before and After: Silent Bob The Goon

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Technically Bob The Goon came way before Silent Bob, so that rejected Wheel of Fortune clue doesn’t really work. But it is true that there is a connection between these two beloved Bobs – and it’s more than just their names!

Bob The Goon is a character created for the 1989 Batman movie. Played by Jersey City’s own Tracey Walter (who has appeared in TONS of films and TV shows), Bob The Goon was The Joker’s main lackey. Putting it more simply, he was Joker’s NUMBER ONE GUY!!!

5 years after Batman, in 1994, Kevin Smith’s alter ego Silent Bob debuted in his own film Clerks. Silent Bob is the quiet, chilled out partner of his friend stoner friend Jay (Jason Mewes) and they later go onto several more cinematic adventures together.

As recently revealed by Kevin Smith on his Fatman on Batman Podcast, Bob The Goon was actually an inspiration for Smith in creating the Silent Bob character. Episode #8 (available on iTunes) is all about The Dark Knight Rises and like all the rest of the episodes – it’s totally FREE! You can’t beat that, thanks Kevin!

It’s pretty awesome that we New Jersey fanboys can be proud that not only Kevin Smith is a local icon,  but Bob the Goon is as well. Read more about Joker’s #1 guy in this post.

New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.65: The Fighter

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Micky and Dicky stare across the ring in awe of 
Micky’s formidable opponent in 2010’s The Fighter

Nearly 2 years after The Fighter hit theaters, both of its stars are still enjoying huge success. This summer, Mark Wahlberg scored big with Ted and obviously Christian Bale tossed the batarang out of the park with his powerhouse portrayal of Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. Previous to those blockbusters, as “Irish” Micky Ward and his half brother Dicky Eklund, Wahlberg and Bale give us the performances of their careers in The Fighter.

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Most of The Fighter was filmed in Massachusetts, but one early pivotal scene was set in Atlantic City. Micky, a welterweight, was set to fight an opponent in his weight class, but a middleweight fighter who was 20 pounds heavier than him replaced the original opponent at the last minute. *SPOILER* Micky gets his ass beat. Micky’s actual match did indeed go down at the first casino hotel in Atlantic City: Resorts, but IMDB does not list Atlantic City as one of the filming locations so I doubt that this scene was filmed in New Jersey. They just merely slapped the Resorts turnbuckle on the ring and BAM! We’re magically whisked away down to Atlantic City in no time.

As far as I’m concerned, the film should’ve won best picture, but it did take home both the awards for best supporting actor and actress. Amy Adams isn’t hard to look at either.

1989 Batmobile Sand Art in Belmar, NJ!

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1989 Batmobile Sand Art in Belmar, NJ photo courtesy of The Bat-Blog

Tommy over at The Bat-Blog is known for consistently providing cool Batman stuff to his readers on a daily basis. Over the weekend the Bat-Blog reported that the “Junior Bat-Squad” created sand art on the beach in Belmar, NJ in the shape of the 1989 Batmobile! These kids did a fantastic job and if you want to see more pics check out the link and the story here:

BATMAN: THE RIDE at Six Flags Great Adventure

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I’m sure Batman’s life is dangerous and exciting, much like the roller coaster created in his honor. How exactly does the caped crime fighting lifestyle translate into a steel corkscrewing thrill ride? Let’s take a look at Batman: The Ride at one of my favorite places to go in New Jersey, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.

When Batmania hit with Tim Burton’s 1989 Bat-film, the Bat-symbol was slapped onto everything you could imagine for the next couple of years, including roller coasters in various Six Flags Theme Parks around the country. At the time, Warner Brothers wanted to start competing with Disney theme parks so they started utilizing their DC Comics characters to compete. Batman was the first to be exploited.

The first rollout of Batman: The Ride opened at Six Flags Great America in Chicago in May of 1992 to coincide with the release of Batman Returns a month later. It wasn’t until the next year (May 1993) that the ride opened at Great Adventure. Back when the ride debuted in New Jersey I don’t think I realized that the ride already existed elsewhere. When I was a kid it seemed as if the only Six Flags park was located off exit 7A on the NJ Turnpike, even though that clearly wasn’t the case.
The 1989 movie Batmobile is parked out in front of the entrance to the ride which has always been a highlight for me. At its peak, the ride queue was usually fully packed as it extended through the mock up of Gotham City Park. For most of the the early to mid ’90s I used to wait 2 hours to get on the ride!
Once you get into the loading area Alfred is heard over the speakers telling everyone they have entered the batcave. The bat-costume is on display as well. When the 2 minute ride starts to roll, the unexpected happens: the floor of your car drops out leaving your feet dangling! The ride is one of my favorites and the nonstop thrills it contains are still effective even if you’ve been on the ride a hundred times. Even at almost 20 years old, this old bat still kicks. Of course, I should watch my words because I said that about The Great American Scream Machine and the Green Lantern Coaster replaced it.
Since it felt like there was a constant flurry of Batman stuff happening previously, 1993 felt like a fairly thin year for Batman events. Although, in hindsight, two Batman related events were better than none. At least for the Jersey folks we had the debut of Batman: The Ride at Great Adventure and the release of Batman Mask of the Phantasm later in the year.
Six Flags tried to make lightning strike several times with more Batman related rides, but we’ll get to them in the coming days here at The Sexy Armpit. Do you have fond memories of Batman: The Ride? Do you still enjoy the ride? Let us know in the comments!

Batman Festival in Asbury Park

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Producer, comic book writer, and Jersey guy Michael Uslan came to Asbury Park last fall to sign his book “The Boy Who Loved Batman” and greet bat-fans. Uslan was instrumental in bringing Batman to the big screen in 1989 and his work on Batman films continues ’til today with his involvement in the latest Nolan franchise. Obviously, I didn’t miss this event and I thought it was awesome that it was held right on one of my all time favorite places to be – the Asbury Park boardwalk. You can read about my experience HERE and also watch BatDave’s video chronicling the event posted above. Since I’m so backed up with my book reading I have yet to begin reading Uslan’s book. Shame on me! I’m hoping to get to it before the end of the summer. The book is available for a reasonable price via this link at Amazon.