Oakland's Ill Mondo Release Second Album "De Novo": These Guys Have SWAG For Days...Better! Ill Mondo Even Makes ELP Sound Ill...EVEN BETTER! This Post Is TOO Funky For This Blog!!...Better STILL! Don't Get Caught With Your Party Pants Down Around Your Ankles...Unless That's The Look You're Going For, In Which Case, Ill Mondo Will Help Get Them There!!!

The Men of Ill Mondo, Johnny Igaz & Jeff Smothers

"What Duvet Said's..." army of interns are charged with two things: 1. Keep their ears to the ground to continue to bring to you, Dear Readers, the best and most interesting music that's out there 2. Maintain Bob Duvet's impressive and growing collection of dioramas depicting Dicksonian era London slums. Well, KUDOS INTERNS! They have outdone themselves with their latest discovery, Ill Mondo! Now, get back to sweeping those tiny chimneys!

Ill Mondo is an Oakland, CA based production team comprised of Jeff Smothers and Johnny Igaz. The two have been creating some incredible music over the last couple of years with a string of releases ranging from "Chopped & Screwed"- inspired mixtapes, an amazing collaboration with hip-hop MC Neal Rames (featuring Prince Po, Sean Price, Percee P, and others) and their latest release De Novo.

De Novo marks a departure from the more hip-hop influence of their previous releases without losing any of the SWAG. The album features over twenty-five collaborators and runs a gamut of influences with a decided psychedelic, Latin-driven rock bent, that drifts into jazz - all delivered with a retro-funk sheen. Ill Mondo are a true example of "the devil being in the details" with pristine production skills and a knack for finding the perfect combination of musicians to employ to the all-original material on De Novo. If that isn't enough all their releases are available on Circle Into A Square Records for FREE!!  "What Duvet Said...About Music" host, Robert "Bob" Duvet, recently sat down with Ill Mondo for his latest music podcast, with Jeff and Johnny not only talking about music production, influences, and what they have been listening to but also helped curate the playlist. Ill Mondo also has been delving into the visual medium with two excellent videos for two cuts off their album De Novo, which can be seen below!

Just push play for "What Duvet Said...About Music" Issue 34 “The Ill World Of Ill Mondo: Robert ‘Bob’ Duvet has a conversation with Oakland, CA powerhouse production Team Ill Mondo! That’s right, Ill Mondo’s Jeff Smothers & Johnny Igaz talk about their latest release “De Novo”, working with Neal Rames, Percee P, Sean Price, & Prince Po, “Chopped & Screwed” mixtapes & Emerson, Lake & Palmer? They also help curate what is sure to be the winner of next year’s BEST MUSIC PODCAST VMA!!  BELIEVE IT!!”

"What Duvet Said..." Now on Mevio.com...Or, World Domination On The Menu For Duvet...Alternate Or, Despite Themselves WDS Continues To Expand...SUPER SECRET Or, This Podcast Will One Day Be Remembered As A Podcast!!

Hurricane Irene wasn't the only story making news this past week, as perennial podcasting favorite "What Duvet Said..." made its debut on Mevio.com. Mevio.com is described as:

"MEVIO hosts networks of personality-driven episodic entertainment to best engage our customers-comprised of viewers, producers, advertisers and partners. MEVIO is one of the fastest growing entertainment sites on the web. We're guided by an A-list of venture capital and thought leadership, including the investors that brought you Google and a management team that brought top shows, hits and releases to consumers. MEVIO is backed by leading venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital, Sherpalo Ventures, DAG Ventures and Crosslink Capital. MEVIO has over forty shows in production, ranging from technology to comedy and general entertainment. We currently have an audience of over six million monthly unique visitors and are ranked by comScore as a top twenty site for both general entertainment and music. Our top networks include technology, music, women's and men's content." (taken from www.mevio.com)

The move signifies WDS's (the fledgling network and parent company of the "What Duvet Said..." podcast and blog) commitment to expand its reach and market share - even with no apparent demand or public outcry to do so. WDS's "El Duce" and CEO Bob Duvet is expected to make an announcement later in the week stating plans for not only the Podcasting division but also the TV, Publishing, and Pet Apparel branches of his nascent media empire. The move sent shockwaves through "the street" sending many traders into a frenzy trying to find out why they should care? WDS stock surely would have soared had there actually been shares available. This is the latest in a series of positive signs which included a rare appearance by Mr. Duvet on a recent episode of "Succotash: The Comedy Podcast, Podcast".

Some have questioned if WDS might be expanding too fast in a sluggish economy but many industry insiders cite Mr. Duvet's sluggish approach to CEO-ing as cause for being bullish on the future of the network. WDS and Bob Duvet can't get out of their own way..." one unidentified Wall Street insider stated, "...and that is the perfect position to take in this market, just look at how well it seems to be working for congress." The announcement will also be expected to coincide with a spate of hiring in all divisions, particularly in the publishing side of WDS where Them Magazine and the "What Duvet Said..." blog are expected to be offering unpaid internships to "HOTT" female college students revealed in a recently leaked memo to the nonexistent shareholders. Some speculators speculate that the move to Mevio.com might be, "much ado about nothing". But, Mr. Duvet has stood by his previous claims to do nothing and it seems to be paying off. The "What Duvet Said..." podcast, which features programming as diverse as "What Duvet Said...About Music" and "The Tank with Rob Celli & Jason Duplissea" has been attracting serious buzz among the music and entertainment communities, with many performers, industry "bigwigs", and flaks clamoring to get on the show - which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Below is a list of guests and performers who have appeared on the podcast over the course of the past year.

Chelsea Hobbs - actress most recently seen on ABC Family's "Make It Or Break It"

Alicia Witt - actress and musician

Josie Loren - actress most recently seen on ABC Family's "Make It Or Break It"

Joy Nordenstrom - CEO of Joy of Romance and noted matchmaker/relationship expert

White Arrows - band

Tamaryn - band

Sean Boling - author and pop culture authority

Julie Mann - actress, comedian and pop culture authority

Holly Sorensen - creator, executive producer, writer of ABC Family's "Make It Or Break It"

The Soft Moon - band

True Widow - band

Brandy Kuentzel - NBC's "The Apprentice" season 10 winner

Robert Ellis - musician

Caitlin Rose - musician

Tristen - musician

Daniel Pujol - musician

The Shining Twins - band

Tim Cohen - musician (The Fresh & Onlys, Magic Trick, solo)

Kristina Kell - contestant on CBS's "Survivor: Redemption Island"

Rita Verreos - contestant on CBS's "Survivor: Fiji"

Olin & The Moon - band

Ill Mondo - producers/musicians

Tyanna Alvarado - NBC's "The Apprentice" season 10 contestant

Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - band

Ethan Lipton - musician

Year of the Tiger - band

Holly Long - musician

Molly Bryant - musician

Bob Duvet Reveals Identity On “Succotash, The Comedy Podcast Podcast”… Or, Pass The Pinwheels, Bob Duvet Comes Clean...STILL MORE OR, Hershon Gets The Get Of The Decade, Then Loses That One And Has Bob Duvet On As Last Minute Replacement!!

That’s right Duvetians, when asked to co-host and help curate the latest episode of “Succotash, The Comedy Podcast Podcast” hosted by, the internationally recognized Marc Hershon, the normally reclusive and vaguely French Duvet, revealed his true identity. “Succotash” is a comedy podcast “round-up” featuring clips from some of podcasting’s nether regions. Previous guests on the show have included Dana Carvey, Rick Overton, Mark Pitta, and Will Durst.

The shadowy Duvet has been reluctant to appear in public due to an underwhelming demand for his appearing in public. The recalcitrant Duvet was coaxed out of hiding by Hershon last week to help curate episode 8.  Plied with Smirnoff vodka and Nabisco Pinwheel cookies, both substances Duvet has had a storied past with, he entered Sausilito’s Studio P where “Succotash” is recorded.  Duvet emerged from a dirty, black, late-model Mazda disguised in a Quick Draw McGraw furry outfit in a bid to maintain his anonymity. Inside the scene was described as, “awkward…very, very awkward.” by Duvet mouthpiece Robert Celli. At one point producer Joe Paulino had to come between “Succotash” announcer Bill Heywatt and Duvet who had apparently both been partners in a disastrous business scheme seeking to create a chain of bathhouses in the mid-seventies.  The chain, “Bob & Bill’s Bathtopia”, was slapped with several health code violations and shuttered its doors after the worst plumbing disaster in recorded history at the inaugural opening night party. The two were later spotted standing in front of the sites of several former fern bars visibly reeling from the effects of the potent Pinwheel and vodka concoctions. San Francisco convenience store owners later confirmed having seen a run on their shelves of both products between the hours of midnight and 5am. Police are reviewing surveillance footage purely for their own amusement.

The show itself was handled deftly by Hershon who has dealt with several jackasses wearing furry jackass costumes in his long career in entertainment. When asked how he was able to get the tight-lipped Duvet to open up on his show Hershon simply stated, “vodka…and a loaded pistol.” Some of the podcasts Duvet sited as useful supplements to his involvement in the Church of Scientology were “Good Clean Fun”, “The S&M Rants”, “Gee & Jay Radio Show”, “Paul F. Tomcast”, “Comedy Bang Bang” and “Comedy Accident”. For access to this rare and uncalled for appearance click here!  And here! Oh, and over……HERE!

Duvet's Eye Candy: Girls, Cars, & "Vomit"

The best things about San Francisco's Girls are all here in this video for the song "Vomit" off there September 13th release of their third album "Father, Son, Holy Ghost". We have an EPIC tune, featuring torrents of guitar swirl, a sexy, red, classic Mustang, and the streets of San Francisco captured in all their mysterious glory. If this song is any indication, the band is hitting its stride with a larger scale production. The band will also be touring soon in support of the record, bringing them to SF for two shows at the Great American Music Hall in early RAWKtober.  I for one can't wait to climb into the backseat of this record to take it for a spin. Enjoy a taste of this cherry red, sex on wheels ode to the quest for love on the dirty streets.

The Bonehead BBQ Music Festival, "Wants You, To Want It..." Or, Where There's Smoke There Is Fire In Fort Mason...BETTER OR, O'Reilly Productions Fill Classic RAWK Gap...BONUS OR!! STP & Cheap Trick Play Budokon By The Bay...

The ubiquity of the music festival seems to be here to stay and San Francisco certainly has been one of its early pioneer cities, dating back to the late 60's panhandle days. O'Reilly Productions team with local classic rock radio mainstay The Bone to bring Stone Temple Pilots, Cheap Trick, Fuel, and The Hooks to picturesque Fort Mason for an all day RAWK blowout on Saturday, August 20th. O'Reilly Productions are the same folks who consistently bring unique and creative bookings to the annual SF Oyster Fest they have hosted for over a decade. They saw a void when it came to a more classic rock centered day of music and have tackled the this injustice head on with, what is sure to be a day of great music. STP are hot on the heels of their first new release in years, with a revitalized Scott Weiland back in the fold. As for Cheap Trick, come on, the charisma of Robin Zander alone is worth the trip to Fort Mason. With the mighty Golden Gate Bridge in the distance and Alcatraz looming in the Bay, a dog friendly environ with ample supplies of food and drink, this should be a no-brainer for loyal "Boneheads". The festival will be a welcome tonic to the three day indie fest the weekend before that is Outside Lands.  "The Bonehead BBQ" will be non-stop rock from noon-7pm and tickets can be had here.