All posts by Anthony Kozlowski

If I had a nickel for every time someone chalked up a series of bad decisions to “daddy issues” I’d probably be rich.  A whole Diet Coke rich.  That’s a lot considering every striptease is met with a series of *tsk tsk tsks* and a general inquiry as to where that woman’s father was.  I’m not going to get into a discussion about the parental effects on a child’s decision to disrobe for a living–which I, for the record, believe is a perfectly valid and intelligent way of putting oneselfRead More

Rock and roll has always been a bit of a boy’s club, but don’t tell that to Alex Kandel, frontwoman of Kentucky’s Sleeper Agent. The rooftop lounge of Hollywood’s Bardot is packed with bodies and the stage seems impossibly small for the six-piece Bowling Green outfit, yet Alex still commands the room, bounding through the band’s energetic twist of alt-rock like a young, fiery Joan Jett.  Backed by real-life fiancé Tony Smith on guitar and vocals, she and her scrappy band of misfits turn it way past eleven after openerRead More

Oh, Facebook.  Thank God I have you to tell me what I want.  Think of all the things I’d miss out on if I just stuck to Netflix reruns of Archer. When I logged on the other day, I found the typical slew of game and app suggestions accompanied by the usual “10 of your friends like this” tagline.  I was just about to download Siege of Legends (or Legend of the Siege, I can’t remember which), when I stumbled upon an ad quite different from the cutesy FlappyBird ripoffs. Read More

We think about it every day.  Total strangers pass us on the street and we think maybe they could be the  one – or at least wonder what it would be like to kiss them. Thanks to filmmaker Tatia Pilieva, we don’t have to wonder anymore.  Her short film First Kiss took the internet by storm last night, featuring twenty strangers in gorgeously simplistic black and white making the instant jump to first base.  Moments after meeting, each “couple” was asked to engage in a little game of tonsil hockey.  As you canRead More

Working in production takes a toll on a human being.  Long hours can mean debilitating health as well as a lack of social life (and forget dating altogether). I’ve come to know these pratfalls all too well during my stint as a freelance production sound mixer, yet the most ironic things I’ve missed out the most on are current film and television releases.  You’d think that being as entrenched as I am in the creation of new content (be sure to check out the UnderArmour commercial I recorded sound forRead More

In somewhat of an upset, after J Law took home the Golden Globe in January, “12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at last night’s ceremony.  Before Christoph Waltz called her name, many of us hadn’t heard of Miss Lupita, daughter of Mexico City and graduate of the Yale School of Drama, but since she took the stage we can’t wait to see what she does next.  Check out her show-stopping acceptance speech here: Not since Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her way to theRead More

For years he’s been known as the millionaire in blue jeans, a hero for the working class.  So maybe it’s fitting that Bruce Springsteen paid humble tribute to Lorde’s diamond-in-the-rough hit “Royals” at his show in Auckland, New Zealand two nights ago.  While not the best cover of the teenage superstar’s calling card, it makes a moving acoustic ballad that could easily have been recorded in the Boss’ early days. “Long ago I was the next big thing,” he adds in his trademark rumble.  And it’s true.  Big things haveRead More

It seems the internet isn’t serving its function unless there’s something that everyone is foaming at the mouth about. Case and point: the recent upheaval surrounding a certain Duke underclassman that has sparked the largest feminist discussion this side of a Women’s Studies class. If for some reason you don’t know what I’m talking about, perhaps this will refresh your memory: This little story sent the blogs, forums, online publications and YouTube channels into a tailspin over the past week. It seems everyone from Huffington Post to The Daily BeastRead More

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery may be known for its late-summer screenings and concerts among the dead, but tucked away in one of its many offices sits an unsung hero of the movie industry.  Scott Johnson, proprietor of Scott’s Lookalikes – Hollywood’s premiere agency for actors who want to make a living resembling someone more famous, sits behind his desk (really, just a circular table in the conference room).  The “office” is decorated with knock-off award statuettes and framed photos of his clients (I could swear one looks just like JackRead More

For every Nickelback and Green Day that dominates the airwaves, there are countless bands that seem to be forever stuck in the underground – a kind of beer-soaked, pool hall purgatory.  Life there is an endless cycle of supporting Paramore on their latest tour and playing covers (because no one came to hear your music anyway). But just because the Average Joe off the street hasn’t heard of a band doesn’t mean they deserve obscurity.  For some reason or another, some of history’s best musical acts have flown under theRead More

Late last night, the world got a taste of the next chapter in the Marvel saga, and it’s a wild a departure from the clash-and-bang comic book adaptations we’ve come to expect. “They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy.” Forget the Avengers, this August a new team of superheroes will be raiding both the megaplexes and your pockets.  Led by Peter Quill (the Parks and Rec scene-stealer Chris Pratt), or Star-Lord as he’d like to be known [“you know, the legendary outlaw…?  Forget it”], these intergalactic misfits include theRead More

Overrated bands don’t start out that way.  There’s always the trickle of promise as they emerge from the underground, a whisper from mouth to blog that there’s some fresh, talented blood on the music scene.  But like Frankenstein’s Monster, good bands can stray from their hopeful path and prey on a few villagers along the way. The list of overrated bands is exhaustive and very much subjective, but there are definitely some acts that induce earbleeding more than others.  Too bad every radio station insists that they’re the one youRead More

In the cluttered world of YouTube, it’s often difficult to decide what to watch.  Between the sea of cat videos, epic meal suggestions, and the ever-growing FAIL catalogue, it can sometimes seem like you’d break a greater mental sweat (*ahem) “brushing up on your typing skills” than keeping up with your subscriptions. Luckily, there are oases scattered across the brain-dead wasteland of YouTube, the most refreshing of which is provided by none other than the Public Broadcast Service.  Hosted by spirited think-geek Mike Rugnetta (@mikerugnetta), PBS’s Idea Channel deconstructs InternetRead More

In the world of professional sports, a dislocated knee could mean the end of a career.  For a certain Los Angeles-based electropop quartet, however, it was only the beginning.  “It’s been a trip,” muses frontman Ryan Daly.  “We never thought a year ago that things would have blown up so quickly.” The Slidebar in downtown Fullerton is packed, but somehow I’m able to hear him over the roar.  The KROQ Locals Only Show is already in full-swing, but we still have a few solid hours before Parade of Lights takesRead More

If you’re one of the millions of New Years’ resolvers who vowed to get fit this year, chances are you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to help you push through the wall or run away from the Blerch.  And if you’re like us, you’re tired of the incessant Top 40 that the gym insists on blasting while you’re trying to get into the zone.  A great workout mix needs variety as well as the driving BPM to help get you up and get you psyched.     Whether you needRead More