The Witzard Premier: WEEKENDS Multi-instrumentalist Adam Lempel Tunes AM Rock Radio to Folky Indie Rockin' "Don't Know Why" (Friends Records)

"Adam Lempel started making solo records as a departure from his work in Baltimore Noise Rockers WEEKENDS. Focusing more on songwriting and heartfelt lyrics, his first record Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats stood out in the Baltimore DIY music scene because it was so unapologetically straight-forward. After getting into the Conservatorium van Amsterdam to study classical music composition, he moved to Amsterdam where he currently lives," reads a brief description attached to Baltimore by way of Amsterdam multi-instrumentalist Adam Lempel's about me page. Lempel and his noisy partner-in-crime, Brendan Sullivan quietly put out three guitar feedback-drenched albums and and aptly-titled Acoustic Tape, Vol. 1 between 2008-2013; right on the cusp of Indie Rock's frenzied WEEKENDS/Weekend/The Weeknd mass confusion felt echoed across the blogosphere. However, WEEKENDS have been on an indefinite hiatus since the majority of copies of their then-forthcoming third album, "NEW HUMANS" (2013) were suddenly lost when an auto body shop, which co-existed as a makeshift "art gallery, practice space, and much more" tragically burned to the ground. Adam Lempel has released a number of rather subdued and stripped down solo releases including Instrumentals, Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats, and 80's-tinged Adam Lempel & The Casiobeats, as well as a number of self-released projects and EP's during the Noise-Rock duo's still unspecified break.

"Hey Matt, here's the video for the first single off Still Life called "Don't Know Why." I made it edited it myself and it was shot by Juliet Altonen... Still Life will be out the last week of February on Friends Records," Lempel wrote within a recent email sent over the holidays; as he's briefly returned home from The Netherlands, where he's currently perusing a masters degree in music design, to kick off the roll-out for his soon forthcoming third solo album, Still Life. Adam Lempel has given me the great honor to officially premier his self-edited music video for lead single, "Don't Know Why." It reminds me of a unique blend of Folk-indebted Indie Rock and 1950's AM Radio Rock "N" Roll akin to Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley & His Comets, etc. which seemingly fits the bill, as Lempel's previous Heartbeats-backed album was befittingly tagged as "alternative baltimore folk pop rock singer songwriter." While additional release details are currently sparse, Adam Lempel has personally assured me that Friends Records expects to release Still Life sometime during the last week of February and it "features vocals from fellow musician, Amanda Glasser." I'm able to additionally report that Lempel and WEEKENDS co-founder Brendan Sullivan have a stockpile of unreleased recordings; however, it's unclear as to what exactly Friends Records ultimately plans to do with it.

"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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