KUNG PAO & DONUTS

June 4, 2014 Valerie Day

This year, by supernatural coincidence, National Donut Day came in the same week as the release of the NU SHOOZ latest album, Kung Pao Kitchen. We feel that this harmonic convergence deserves some quiet reflection…

TODAY’S MEDITATION:
What does the latest Nu Shooz release, Kung Pao Kitchen, have in common with a donut?

For starters, both have a hole in the center. While we could go deep into the meaning of that Negative Space, it’s the part we can see where the richness lies. This richness can only be experienced directly. Bite into the donut. Dive into the music.

Only then is the true flavor to be revealed.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012)

April 15, 2014 Valerie Day

Maurice Sendak died this last Tuesday.

Of all the famous people we met during the NU SHOOZ years, he was the one I was most excited about. I have a picture taken with him in the green room at Good Morning America. Our appearance never aired due to some crisis in the World, but it didn’t matter. I got to meet the guy that wrote ‘Where the Wild Things Are.’ Maurice Sendak gave us a masterpiece that will live forever. Meeting him was the thrill of a lifetime. Martin Scorsese said the best art tells us about what it’s like to be human. ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ does that and more. We are all MAX. Thank you Maurice Sendak.

Go where the Wild Things go.

The Sweet Middle

March 5, 2014 Valerie Day

It’s a frightening time to be an artist. On one hand we have technological capabilities undreamed of thirty years ago. On the other, our lives are so full of distractions it’s a wonder anyone can do anything. Worst of all, it’s impossible to get anyone’s attention these days, not without a million dollar advertising blitz. Open up the paper and there are thousands of bands, art exhibits, films, dance performances, a tsunami of artists.

Welcome to the Post-Modern world.

In the midst of this apocalyptic scenario, the conversation around our house lately has been ‘Why do art at all?’

Here’s what we came up with:

Don't Push The River: Movement Is Life

February 12, 2014 Valerie Day

Thirty million years ago we were writing songs for the fifth Nu Shooz album. It was a struggle. The label hated everything we handed in. We began to doubt ourselves. But I’m proud to say we didn’t stop.

Movement is life, and by moving, we know we’re alive.

Sink or swim, baby.

Russ' Retro Rock Interviews The Shooz

January 9, 2014 Valerie Day

We recently christened the new 80s feature on Russ' Retro Rock! Even though some of these questions have been asked before, we discover something new about ourselves every time we answer them...and we hope you do too! Enjoy.

Mahavishnu and Music As Mating Ritual

December 13, 2013 Valerie Day

I read an article in Scientific American Mind about music preferences in humans. Different personality types prefer different levels of complexity in music art and literature. Extroverts love mainstream pop, they love magazines, and Mark Rothko. Introverts love dissonance, byzantine novels, and Albrecht Durer.

Extroverts want their expectations fulfilled.

Introverts want to be confused.

These are gross generalizations, but see if they ring true for you.

(You’ll see where I’m going with this in a second.)

I Can’t Wait: The Video…What IS It All About?

November 19, 2013 Valerie Day

Since it first appeared in 1986 during the heyday of MTV, people having been asking us about the video for “I Can’t Wait”. What is the meaning behind it all? Why is Valerie pulling a shark out of a coffee pot? Is the dog wearing sunglasses a part of the band?

How to Get A Hit Record and Sell a Million Records

August 22, 2013 Valerie Day

Want to know how to achieve FAME and FORTUNE in the music business? Yes, YOU can be a pop sensation. Check out our very tongue-in-cheek entry on "The One Minute How To," as we tell you the secret of "How to Get A Hit Record and Sell a Million Records." It's a fun show, hosted by George Smyth. In this educational, 550-episode series, you can learn everything under the sun from how to unclog your drain to how to ride a Bactrian camel, and all in sixty seconds.

Follow along with the interview here:

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