The Witzard

Actor, comedian, author, director, painter, scholar, cell phone salesman, and apparent sleep-less human, James Franco has seemingly decided to add yet another "notch to his belt;" he's currently finishing up a full-length album with his art school band/multi-media project, Daddy . Franco formed daddy with fellow forward-thinking Rhode Island School of Design classmate Tim O'Keefe around 2011. Daddy 's formative Motorcity EP and companion "Love In The Old Days" Remix EP were recorded on location in Detroit during the making of James Franco 's 2013 Wizard of Oz prequel, Oz The Great & Powerful and featured a Polaroid of his scantily-clad Spring Breakers co-stars on Motorcity 's cover. Franco and Tim O'Keefe even went as far as to recruit local golden-voiced legend and Motown founding father, Smokey Robinson for additional vocal duties on early video-single, "Crime." "We took a 10-poem sequence called "The B...

Let's be honest here, it'd be almost impossible for a part-time writer/web-master like myself with a regular 9-5, too to even attempt to assemble a 50-album year-end list in an effort to "compete" with the Big Dogs like Pitchfork , Stereogum, etc; I think it'd be far more feasible to do a list of my Top 5 Favorite Albums of 2013, not even your typical run-the-mill best of list. So, with that said, here's a collective run-down of the most played artists and companion albums on The Serpent (my 160GB iPod), my car stereo, and personal iTunes library. I tried to compile a pretty diverse broad-spanning list, which ranges from Industrial Aggro-Hip-Hop to Philly-bred "Pig-Fuck." Enjoy the list and Happy New Year! While The Wizard's #5-ranking album is seemingly an unwarranted 16-track leaked bootleg; the scattered fragments of Jai Paul 's long-rumored XL Recordings album. Included within were 16 rough tracks, 3 of which had been previously releas...

Hyper-productive actor/director and sometimes writer/artist James Franco recently teamed back up with his This Is The End/Pineapple Express co-star and long-time buddy Seth Rogen to film a shot-for-shot re-creation of Kanye & Kim 's grandiose "Bound 2" video, which debuted online just last Tuesday. From what I understand, Franco & Rogen are currently on-set filming The Interview (out Oct. 2014), supposedly centered around "an attractive talk show host and his producer [who] unwittingly get caught up in an international assassination plot" ... and this is what they've been doing in-between takes! "Bound 3" really doesn't do anything at all to help put to rest James Franco 's oft-questioned [homo]sexuality, including but not limited to passionate lip-locking, romantic middle American landscapes, endearing bro-hugs, and a few vaguely insinuated dirty scenes. Lest we forget, this isn't exactly the first time Franco's ha...

The lone Soul -based track on Kanye 's recent Death Grips -inspired Aggro-Hip-Hop album Yeezus , "Bound 2" essentially made me commit record-diggin' treason and buy a bootleg LP on South Street against my better judgement, which ended up being f*#king scratched mid-way through the coveted track! After performing it on a number of late night variety shows, Kanye finally debuted the official Nick Knight -directed "Bound 2" music video on Ellen Tuesday morning. It's a semi-strange trip across America 's lush countryside, with new-found fiance Kim Kardashian awkwardly seated backwards on the front of Kanye 's BITCHIN' motorcycle; Ellen kinda forgot to Tweet -ion [mention] that Kim 's essentially topless and somehow, sans nipples, too. Knight manages to artfully inter-splice in images of wild horses, a Bald Eagle , Kanye in double flannel, and a bunch of all- American imagery that counter-echoes Kanye 's Wes Lang-designed Confe...

It's a comedy match made in heaven that I'm surprised Judd Apatow or Todd Phillips haven't thought of pairing up before: The Lonely Island, James Franco , and Zach Galifianakis . Former SNL alum Andy Samberg and comedy partners Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone announced their third upcoming Comedy-Rap masterpiece, The Wack Album earlier this week, which Republic will release on June 11th. It's rumored to feature appearances from the likes of Justin Timberlake , Kendrick Lamar, Solange , Lady GaGa, Pharrell , Billie Joe Armstrong, Adam Levine , and T-Pain; and I'm guessing The Wack Album will most likely re-use previously released Digital Shorts /non-album singles like "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" and "YOLO." The Lonely Island will release new material every Wednesday from now until June 11th in an effort that the self-proclaimed Frappers lament, " Wack Wednesdays , it's like #GOODFRIDAYS ... But way wacker." "Spr...

This Is The End , the movie formerly known as The End of The World/The Apocalypse , is quickly nearing it's June 12th nation-wide release. First time directors, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg just unveiled it's second Red Band trailer this past Monday, which follows one that was released on "the dawn of the apocalypse" (just in case). Thinly veiled behind a Pineapple Express 2 / Sony -backed April Fool's prank, This Is The End 's new trailer naturally reveals a lot more of the film's plot than it's predecessor; Mishka Bloglin laments that "the movie plays out an end of the world scenario at a party hosted by James Franco -- including everyone who's ever been in a Judd Apatow comedy," plus Rihanna , Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling , Martin Starr (Bill) from Freaks & Geeks , and maybe even a semi-misplaced Backstreet Boys cameo ha. Franco's RAGER is soon interrupted by the impending apocalypse, pesky Earth quakes, etc... as soo...

Spring Breakers seems like one of those Pop Culture -ragging statement piece/art films that NO ONE's gonna get, which'll likely get dismissed as yet another alcohol-soaked PARTY flick. Having directed a handful of "cult classic" status short films and music videos for everyone from Die Antwoord to The Black Keys , Harmony Korine is finally attempting to bridge the gap between independent semi-success and mainstream recognition. After months of post- Cannes Interne t buzz, Spring Breakers first full-length trailer was unleashed late Friday afternoon. It's primary cast includes former Disney starlets Selena Gomez & Vaness Hudgens , James Franco, Gucci Mane, Ashley Benson , and his wife Rachel. Some of Harmony Korine's past work(s) encompass Gummo , Kids, Above The Below , Mister Lonely, and The Fourth Dimension . It all starts when "Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation fi...

Here's James Franco 's infamous sun-drenched "That Someone Is You" clip; It's #2 of R.E.M. /Franco's long-rumored music video collaboartion(s) unearthed in just under a month. Looks like James Franco carries around a handy dandy flip-cam just about everywhere he goes. "That Someone Is You" is very chill, fun, and laid back in comparison to "Blue"'s underlying Avante Garde [weird] feel. The footage seems to be culled from 2011, when Franco and Anne Hathaway were practicing for their Oscars co-hosting gig... specifically behind-the-scenes footage of them rehearsing a scrapped Grease -inspired bit. What blind dumb-ass decided to cut this CHERRY footage 2 Hollywood A-listers re-creating the closing, over the top "We Go Together" dance scene!? R.E.M. parted ways in September 2011, after 30+ years together, and released their 15th studio album, Collapse Into Now . Oh yeah, Anne Hathaway 's head has been replaced by an...

I kinda feel like James Franco could [should] rightfully be labelled as the Über/Anti-Hipster all rolled into one; He's seems to have been secretly mocking that very idea of "celebrity" for the bulk of his career ... Smoothly aligning himself with Mila Kunis , wide-ranging roles, Avante Garde music, Indie films, grad school, writing short stories , General Hospital , Spider-Man (1), Harmony Korine , Doo-Wop , etc. Franco's latest project is "Blue" starring Lindsay Lohan , a music video that he directed for now-defunct Alternative Rock band R.E.M. nearly 2 years ago. It's unclear as to why the footage was temporarily shelved and it may or may not stem from either James Franco & Lindsay Lohan's long-rumored mystery film project or that infamous "nude photo book." Terry Richardson makes a cameo appearance as the sleazy, flannel-wearing photographer... while fuzzy images of Lohan on a stove-top, Franco dressed in drag, and the LA...

James Franco , a true "Renaissance Man" has now added Doo Wop musician to his long list of credentials, which also includes: method actor, college student, performance artist, "soap star," director, award show host, author-poet, etc. On top of all that, Franco recently somehow managed to find time to form Daddy with his old college buddy, Tim O'Keefe while on the Oz: The Great & Powerful set. Daddy 's Motown -inspired debut effort, MotorCity EP was released online roughly 2 weeks ago on Sept. 25th; There's been no specific record label mentioned for it's release/promotion, but I guess, who really needs label backing when you're James Franco ha. Franco's scantily-clad co-stars from his upcoming Indie film Spring Breakers , including Selena Gomez & Vanessa Hudgens , are strewn across MotorCity EP 's Instagrammed album cover... "If it was four unknowns on that cover, maybe it'd just be purely this sexual thing. But w...

Diplo reportedly antied up some $3-5 million to sign "viral rapper" RiFF RAFF to Mad Decent for a staggering 8 album deal; The labelhead also threw in a $45,000 3-D/reversible gold-encrusted Cheshire Cat chain to further sweeten their deal. Over the weekend, RiFF RAFF unveiled his first official [mixtape] project for Mad Decent , BiRTH OF AN iCON . It's basically a collection of 25 re-mastered tracks total, including 7 BRAND NEW productions to hold fans over til his 2013 full-length. 16 of 25 tracks already have music videos , all varying in quality and some of which date way back to Spring 2011. RiFF RAFF 's currently-untitled album will probably be released sooner than later and is supposed to highlight Dubstep production(s) from Diplo, Skrillex , and Rusko . BiRTH OF AN iCON kinda plays out like a "Best Of" collection and it's material was selected from a super-sized mix of old tracks, remixes, and features ... that further display the vast ta...

I was originally going to do a feature-length spotlight [rising] post on Bizarro Internet rapper, RiFF RAFF , but I soon realized that my scope was far too broad for the average reader's attention span. So, like they tell you on those high school research papers... I decided to "narrow my topic range." While RiFF RAFF recently signed to Diplo 's ever-growing Mad Decent record label and has released tracks with everyone from Action Bronson to Kitty Pryde , he has yet to unveil a proper full-length album. RiFF RAFF was notoriously axed from the cast of From G's to Gents on the second episode (2009). RiFF RAFF has since strategically aligned himself with Soulja Boy , Chief Keef, Lil Debbie [KREAYSHAWN], Wiz Khalifa, MOD SUN & Cisco Adler as his rap career slowly grows into something more and more prosperous. Having all raked up reality [M]TV time, RiFF RAFF formed "Three Loco" along with fellow weirdly funny rappers, Dirt Nasty and Andy Mi...

By now, most everyone should know... the timespan between 2010-11 was without a doubt rather prosperous for one Mr. James Franco . In some circles, he's been affectionately titled, "Tinseltown's Favourite Weirdo" - For his diversified movie role selections and various side-projects. A few of "Teddy" 's recent block-busters include: Pineapple Express , Milk, Howl, Your Highness , Date Night ["Taste Tripplehorn"], and 127 Hours . IMDb then lists Franco's Upcoming Projects (2011-13) as: The Broken Tower, Rise of the Planet of the Apes , Rebel, Maladies, Sal [Mineo] , The Stare, Cherry, Oz: The Great and Powerful ... The Iceman, and [Linda] Lovelace? James Franco decided to go back to UCLA during the 2006-08 semesters... nearly 10 years after dropping out after his freshman year. Talking some 62 19 course credits/quarter, Franco graduated with an English degree/3.5 GPA and enrolled in 4 separate grad. schools. Really carving out a unique...