BEFORE:

AFTER:

Why did you have to leave the dollhouse?

You get eternal props anyway,

   M.

   Peeps,

 I’m not a scrupulous follower of the R’n'B scene in general, of the Bad Boy Records roster in particular. But, man, that Carl Thomas really made me raise an eyebrow or two, I can’t front. First it was the hook to ‘The World Is Filled’ on Biggie’s second album. Then, the smooth vocalising on Puffy’s ‘Been Around The World’ remix with Mase. His first hit, ‘I Wish’ (2000), got us all singing off-key “And I wish I never met her at all!..”, ask Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige. And his unexplainably overlooked contribution to Capone n Noreaga’s ‘The Reunion’ album intro, a superb rendition of Sam Cooke’s classic ‘Change Is Gonna Come’, was absolutely perfect. Matter fact, he even featured on my personal favourite R’n'B record of the naughties, the almost faultless ‘Touch’ album, by Amerie.

(I’m breaking down all these songs precisely because if, god forbid, you were not familiar with them by now, I’d strongly advise that you run to your iTunes store or Limewire RIGHT NOW.)

   I don’t understand what made Carl fall suddenly off the radar around 2003. His second album (as well as his third, apparently) went almost completely unnoticed. Seems that the tragic loss of his brother affected him so bad that he didn’t want to do any promotion anymore. Consequently, Bad Boy dropped him off and he hasn’t been seen much around ever since. I feel truly blue for Mr Thomas as I think he is one of the most gifted male vocalist in the genre today and his career story could be used as an itchy sticky note for the rest of us, word to Black Rob.

   Carl, hope to hear some new music from you soon,

     Mehdi.

PS: Picture by D-Nice from the Boogie Down Productions, check where his head’s at HERE

   In the world ‘Now Whats’, obviously Biggs is no Thora Birch. I mean, the man is a huge star, and although I was never a fan of the AMERICAN PIE movies, you have to admit that he got the job done. I couldn’t help finding the guy ’sympathetic’ if you may. He has that proper A-Trak-meets-young-Tom-Hanks look, nice guy appeal, the kind of actor you can imagine in any role where the average Joe has an appointment with a bigger destiny (who the hell is SHIA LABEOUF??).

   Yesterday I watched ‘ANYTHING ELSE’, and found it my own favorite of the Woody Allen 2000’s movies. Part of it because Christina Ricci is absolutely irresistible in it, part of it because Allen’s writing and acting in there is just too funny. And moreover, because you can’t overlook Biggs performance as a young Woody-like character, with the same goofy, attention-drawing manners that make the watching of this movie the joy of any rainy afternoon.

   You might know my M.O. by now, I had to do my little research straight up: what has Jason Biggs been doing since 2003? Well, not much. A couple of cameos in TV series, three ’straight-to-DVD’ movies, and apparently two flicks with Eva Longoria that have never crossed the Atlantic. If it wasn’t for the news of a recent marriage with Jenny Mollen, I would say it sounds like a one-way ticket to weight-doubling, rehab in-and-outing, and more DVD movies with Maggie Wheeler or what have you. Word to Chandler Bing.

   Jason, quoi d’neuf?

     M.

  Peeps,

 I’m now OFF, on a two months break from touring. I’m going to spend this time taking care of my little one while The Fafster focuses on her comic. I also want (need) to write some new music, and I came up with two new series for CoolCats, the first being started right here before your eyes: the NOW WHAT stories about those promising young cats who kind of disappeared from the radar when we would’ve loved to see them triumph.

 I had this idea last night while watching the almost-classic adaptation of the GHOST WORLD comic by Terry Zwigoff, a movie that sparkled Scarlett Johansson’s career of course, as well as confirming all the good things we thought about THORA BIRCH after seeing her shine in AMERICAN BEAUTY.

 A quick google/wikipedia/IMDB check of her resumé won’t contradict the feeling that she kind of fell off unexpectedly after Ghost World, while Scarlett was being catapulted in stratosphere by, hold your breath, Robert Redford, The Coen Brothers, Brian de Palma, Sofia Coppola, and eventually Woody Freaking Allen. What the eff happened here?

 Here’s Thora now in 2008:

  Could it be that Hollywood peeps couldn’t see her doing something else than “serving the soup” to her blonder, prettier (if any), easier co-stars Mena Suvari or Johansson and that she got sick of it? Has she been mismanaged by what seem to be her, very, curious father?  Did she simply need a time-off?

   Thora, quoi d’neuf?

    M.