Lucien Shapiro & Minka Sicklinger Present: The Gaslamp Killer Experience's Trippy Live-Desert Visual, "Ritual" (Low End Theory Records)

"The Gaslamp Killer is the assassin and the antidote. His nickname wasn't conceived out of thin air. William Bensussen is entitlement's worst nightmare. His DJ sets bludgeon the basic sh*t, restoring music to a sacred place: shamanistic, visceral, honest, leaving pupils dilated and heads rolling," reads a rather interesting Impressum (or description section) attached to Alternative Hip-Hop DJ-producer Gaslamp Killer's Facebook profile. While it doesn't seem to appear within Bensussen's recently-released The Gaslamp Killer Experience: Live in Los Angeles, his latest video-single "Ritual" seems to have been filmed at the same November 2013 Mayan Theatre concert that yielded the album's highly complex, nearly orchestral sessions; recorded in collaboration with a 15-piece band featuring revered saxophonist Kamasi Washington, Jogger guitarist Amir Yaghma, LA-based drummer Gene Coye, and trumpet player Todd Simon. "As you watch, the video itself seems to hallucinate and fall into a dream, with twirling desert vistas making their way on screen-shots taken during GLK's recent Coachella festival set," okayplayer perfectly describes the transition from "Ritual"'s fall 2013 live footage to its cryptic desert shaman-esque hi-jinx; "we [explore] gorgeous craggy valleys, long flat horizons, sunsets over water, strange masks and... a gold-studded baseball bat."

"My friends and family begged me not to go through with this performance due to the fact that it was only four months after my near-death scooter accident," The Gaslamp Killer revealed to Rolling Stone back in April. "I insisted that I could handle it and after an insane amount of help from the people closest to me – and with only three rehearsals – we got up onstage in front of a sold out crowd of 2,000 people and performed my original compositions live with a 14-piece crew of some of my favorite Angeleno musicians for the first time," Bensussen continued. Urban Obsessor artist Lucien Shapiro is credited with designing the ornate bedazzled masks and "Sculpture + Art Direction of Desert Ritual," while Minka Sicklinger is credited with "Wardrobe Design + Creative Direction of Ritual," who along with Allison Bagg and William Bensussen himself, round out the mysterious "Desert People" from GLK EXP's Phil Nisco & Sawa-directed Coachella desert footage. Although "Ritual" just arrived this past week on the heels of The Gaslamp Killer Experience's final show of 2015, @GASLAMPKILLER promises: "Big news coming in 2016 from my [Gaslamp Killer Experience] crew & some solo sh*t on the way, too!" In the meantime, THE GASLAMP KILLER EXPERIENCE: Live in Los Angeles is currently available in a variety of formats in conjunction with Low End Theory Records through William Bensussen's own personal Bandcamp artist page.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel

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