Taryn Manning / Boomkat

On The Scene: BoomKat, Key Club

Even though cheeky electronic duo BoomKat consists of actress Taryn Manning and her brother Kellin, Voake insists it's no vanity project. "She puts on a real rock show. This picture is sort of a quiet moment, but later on dancers came out and they did a whole choreographed routine!" BoomKat's second album, A Million Trillion Stars, came out in March.

http://www.spin.com/gallery/scene-los-angeles?page=6#main - SPIN MAGAZINE

"You know, you think you know somebody and you let them in. And then they cut your heart out."

Wow. Powerful words, Taryn Manning. In this case, she's speaking more or less literally. The actress guest-starred as a scary version of herself, a singer -- she too sings in an act called Boomkat -- dealing with stalker issues whom Jonah had to coax out of a dressing room so he could direct her in a music video. Ella, who can't help herself when it comes to her nerdy neighbor, booked the high-profile gig. Sigh, if she doesn't watch her heart, it's going to get trampled.

Really, Manning's quote can be used for just about everyone in this episode.


Click link to read full article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/09/melrose-place-2009-grand.html
- LOS ANGELES TIMES (TV BLOG)

When she's not filming a movie or designing for her fashion line Born Uniqorn, Taryn Manning rocks out with her bro Kellin in the band Boomkat. We met up with the multitalented star during the MySpace Records and Bacardi-sponsored release party for Boomkat's new single, "Stomp," to talk fashion...

What She's Stylin': Tara Subkoff designed this dress for Bebe's couture collection. She used to design for Imitation of Christ. I really respect her. I like that the dress is funky. My shoes are Yves Saint Laurent—they're pretty sick!

Fashion Philosophy: I dress different every day, but I like vintage. I do the '60s retro look when I go out.

Fave Shops: Urban Outfitters is fun and inspirational. Pop Killer carries a lot of Japanese-inspired designers. Diavolina has really awesome clothing, too, and at great prices!

Stage Persona: I like to stand out, but I don't like looking costumey. Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are wonderful artists, but they're clothes are jarring. It takes me out of the music. I like how Gwen Stefani dresses. She's flashy and fashion forward, but you can still concentrate on her.

Click here for full article: http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/b3660_mystyle_qa_taryn_manning.html
- MYSTYLE.COM (The Style Network)

Dear Gods of Pop Music
Why Isn't Boomkat Huge?!
Kelly Wiles
Featured Writer

Dear Gods of Pop Music,

You know I love you, but let’s be honest: I bust my ass for you guys. Who sat writing diligent notes in the middle of a ba-jillion screaming Zac Efron fans during High School Musical 3 at El Capitan theater? That would be me. Who pimped out new albums from Katy Perry, Lily Allen, Hall & Oates, and Dido? Me again. Who analyzed your greatness at an event called “Pop Universe,” and who, just last week, became Facebook friends with The Veronicas? Once again, the answer to that question is me, your loyal servant, doing everything I can to spread your gospel of radio-friendly hooks and accessible quirks to the neon converse-wearing masses.

I think you would agree that I have done a lot on your behalf, Gods of Pop Music, and I don’t expect a lot in return. Pretty much the only thing I’d like from you guys is one answer to one simple question that has been plaguing me since 2003:

WHY ISN’T BOOMKAT HUGE?

Why? Please tell me why. Is it because you decided that Taryn Manning was successful enough as an actress and didn’t need the added props for putting out some of the freshest electro-pop music since new wave’s resurgence? Is it because you thought Taryn’s brother Kellin Manning was too out-there random with his keytar synth thing? Is it because Taryn and Kellin pull off the white-trash-meets-high-fashion thing better than all the hipsters in Silver Lake and Williamsburg combined?

Please tell me why Boomkat never made the cover of Rolling Stone. Why none of those insane songs on Boomkatalog.One never had a huge Billboard hit. Why? In the video for “The Wreckoning,” Taryn rode on a wrecking ball in a junkyard and sang, “I came, I saw, I kicked some ass.” Um, excuse me, Gods of Pop Music? That was your cue, guys! It was your responsibility to make that credo a reality for Boomkat, and you failed miserably.

Everyone I know who has heard of Boomkat agrees with me. I can get names if you want. There aren’t many because you made sure that no one found out about Boomkat, but I can e-mail you a petition signed by some Boomkat fans. Or, when the new Boomkat album, A Million Trillion Stars, comes out on March 10th, you guys could do your job and give this band the recognition it deserves. It’s up to you.

Love,

Kelly Wiles

http://www.buzzine.com/2009/02/dear-gods-of-pop-music/ - BUZZINE

Taryn Manning? doesn’t want to be thought of as an actress doing music. “My first record came out and Rolling Stone reviewed it and the whole review was about how I was an actor turned singer. There was nothing about the music, nothing about the production, nothing about the beats, nothing about the songwriting—the most retarded review ever,” she says. “Just because they couldn’t get over the fact that I’d been in a couple films.”
To be fair, Manning was already making music with Boomkat (a duo that consists of her and her brother Kellin) years before she broke out in films like 8 Mile, Crossroads and Hustle & Flow. The group’s sophomore album A Million Trillion Stars drops today, so we decided to chop it up with Taryn about her everyday struggle between movies and music…

Complex: Do you write your own lyrics in Boomkat?
Taryn Manning: Yeah, me and my brother usually write together. Our first record was basically pretty much him and I, but my second record I wrote with a couple other writers here and there. I write on my acoustic guitar a lot and I play my guitar live for three songs, so I can play.

Complex: Where do you draw from for your material?
Taryn Manning: Last night, for instance, I kind of had a rough day and my brother has this one beat that evokes a more sentimental, sad song and we put on that one beat, because we live together, and started writing to it. The song ended up being called “Wall Around My Heart,” about like building a wall around your heart.
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Complex: What was behind the decision to get involved with music in general?
Taryn Manning: It’s just something that’s part of me. It’s not like I made a decision, Oh I’m going to sing. My brother writes the music, I can sing, the decision was, “Oh shit, let’s form a group together.”

Complex: What were the circumstances surrounding Boomkat losing its recording contract in 2004?
Taryn Manning: Dreamworks went out of business and Geffen didn’t want to pick us up. They didn’t want to honor our second record because whoever took over wasn’t a fan, and they basically only really took over the big artists like Papa Roach and Nelly Furtado. Newer, up-and-coming artists were overlooked. It sucked at the time, but that was a long time ago.

Complex: So what’s up with Boomkat’s new album?
Taryn Manning: The new album is cool; it’s much different from the first one. It’s produced by Mike Elizondo, who did a lot of production for Dre and is pretty much like a hip-hop producer.

Basically me and my brother have to get back out in the game, because it’s not necessarily awesome to be on a label now; times have changed so much. If you have a fan base and you have the material, you can do it all yourself. We’re really excited. It’s been a long time since we’ve put out a record of ours. A lot of people have missed us.

We’re about to go to South By Southwest, doing two shows, and we’re going to do a Canadian tour and then I start on a couple film projects. Then after that we’re going to see what happens with the record.

Complex: Did your background in music lead to your involvement in music-based films like Hustle & Flow and The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll?
Taryn Manning: Maybe, because when I’m reading for films, the directors see that I’m authentic. They can sense and feel from me that I am an artist and a musician. It’s not like I set out to get those films because of that reason, I think I just have ended up in movies like 8 Mile and around people like Britney in Crossroads because all those people helped cast me.

Complex: When you were filming Crossroads with Britney Spears in 2001, did you see any signs that she’d unravel in coming years?
Taryn Manning: Not at all, to be honest.

Complex: Did you observe the pressures of her pop stardom?
Taryn Manning: Yeah, it was absolutely insane filming that movie. We’d be trying to film a scene and that whole hour, borders of our set would be filled with screaming fans holding up signs as we’re trying to go, like, “Action.” For the PAs to try to like shut them up was a joke. And I mean, I was just like, “Holy shit;” I’d never been around somebody with that level of fame. It made me feel almost like getting off the plane back in the days when the Beatles arrived in Japan or something. But I always thought she took it with such style and grace. I really didn’t sense what was coming. I know that I sensed a little bit of turmoil between her and Justin. I could just tell that wasn’t going so well by little things she would say.

Complex: Do you envision yourself reaching that level of fame as a musician?
Taryn Manning: I don’t really like approach music to become famous. I’ve actually consciously made the decision that I’m just going to do music because I love it. A lot of people want to judge the fact that I’m an actor. That’s just like, ridiculous. No one knows what I was doing before I made my first movie. I just happened to do it as an actor all the while I’ve been doing music, but never with the intention to become a screaming famous pop star. I just happen to make music and if that happens along the way that would be cool but that’s not why I do it…Actors get so ridiculed for wanting to sing. I’m not going to sit there and invite the ridicule. It’s just like discover it’s me you know and then decide if you like it.

Complex: How did you come to contribute songs to soundtracks to films you’ve been in such as Crazy/Beautiful, Crossroads, 8 Mile, Weirdsville… ?
Taryn Manning: Every single one of those opportunities happened organically. Like, a lot of times when I’m working on a film, I bring my guitar to my trailer and my bro used to come and hang out on set because there’s a lot of downtime when you’re filming, it can get a little bit boring. The director would say, “Oh, you play?” and I give ’em my CD and I end up with a song on the soundtrack. I never ask, they always ask me.

Complex: You don’t really show up on gossip sites like The Superficial or Perez Hilton, but last year there was this dust up outside a club involving you, your boyfriend and Jesse Metcalfe. What happened there?
Taryn Manning: It was me and my ex out together and Jesse started talking to me. My ex-boyfriend has an anger problem and aggressive nature, and he decided to knock Jesse out for talking to me. It’s actually pretty funny if you watch the video of it. My ex-boyfriend got a little bit carried away. It was kind of retarded actually and a little bit over the top with the jealousy. But it is pretty funny.

http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/03/10/taryn-manning-talks-boomkat-britney-jealous-ex-boyfriends/ - COMPLEX MAGAZINE

Triple threats are hard to come by in La La land nowadays (Sorry Bey -- Obsessed cancelled you out), but thankfully, there's the always exciting and refreshingly real, Taryn Manning. To most of us, Taryn Manning is the very talented (and, let's face it, underrated) actress with that distinctive throaty voice who portrayed the prostitute with Bo Derek cornrows to pimp daddy Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow or (my personal fave!) Britney Spears's preggers BFF in Crossroads. But she's also the soulful pipes behind the brother-sister duo Boomkat, known for their funky pop melodies and hip music videos. And if that were enough, Manning's Born Uniqorn clothing line is ideal for working it Agyness Deyn style on the Bedford Avenue catwalk. In anticipation of two upcoming exciting projects (a guest stint on the CW's Melrose Place and a starring role in Love Ranch with Joe Pesci and Hellen Mirren), I recently got a chance to chat with the Manning and discovered that she really likes Gwen Stefani, she's not scared of Chelsea Handler and she thinks typecasting sucks.

I just saw you on my personal Xanax after a long day, Chelsea Lately. And she was pretty freaking easy on you!
Yeah, I felt that it went pretty well. I thought she was really cool to me and I was really happy that my record got exposed. I love her but I could tell like the whole time that she had this look in her eyes -- like she's waiting to attack on something you say, to just destroy you. You kind of have to be on guard. But besides that, what a great time. She really loved the clothes. She actually wore the jacket from my Born Uniqorn line three nights later on the show. Whenever they play the commercial on E!, they play the segment in which she's wearing my jacket. You know, I'm all about all that stuff -- my line, my music, my acting.

Tell me about your role on the new Melrose Place. (And please tell me it's better than what they did to my dear 90210).
I'm playing myself, and what's cool about it is that I get to sing. It's dope, dude. They had a huge tour bus for my character, a big video production. They wanted to hire a singer or a band, but they wanted someone who could act as well.

What did you like better: Melrose Place or 90210?
90210, but I watched both. But to be totally honest with you, I think they're gonna have a major push behind Melrose Place, on another level, which is exciting. I'm just a guest star, but it could become a recurring character. They kind of made me and the lead characters flirt, because, you know, there's so much cheating on the show.

Your music videos are all sorts of fun. How involved are you?
I'm pretty much at this point kind of doing what I want because, you know, it's my record company that's putting out Boomkat music. I write the treatment with the director -- a director who's into me and thinks it's cool. But I also always encourage their ideas because I want everyone to be a happy family.

Tell me about your latest video for the Girl Power anthem with an edge, "Stomp."
"Stomp" is kind of old to me to be honest. I made that video over a year ago but then we decided to put out "Run Boy" as the first single, and then we backtracked and put out "Stomp." At the time, it was supposed to be about a girl who just found out her man's cheating and she's kind of just having a temper tantrum in her apartment. Just simple, simple, simple. Not overdone.

It's pretty sexy with the whole rolling-around-on-the-floor-in-heels thing...
It's a little over the top sexy for me. I mean, you know when you do something and you're like "I don't wanna put that out." It's me in the video -- there's definitely a sexy side to me. But I've seen No Doubt three times on this tour and I realized, this is my freaking hero. She truly is. I was with my man on Sunday night and he was like, "you seriously know every word to every song." Even the obscure stuff. Gwen's like the ultimate tomboy. She like shakes her booty twice during the show and the crowd goes berserk, but otherwise, she's just being herself.

For me, less is more. For the public, sex sells but I'm a little tired of it -- it's everywhere we turn. So that video is definitely that side of me, and I liked it. I think it works. It's not like I felt out of my element. But I'm definitely a bit more edgy and tomboy-ish, like Pink, and Gwen. Even Fergie.

Boomkat's been playing a slew of shows in LA. Why no love for the Big Apple?
I was literally packed up to come this summer and got a call from production that the film has been pushed back due to financial difficulties. I was gonna be in New York all summer. I'm kind of sad I'm not there to be honest. I love it there.

We've been a band for so long that we have a pretty strong show now, I have to say. I do think it kind of takes good songs, good live performance, being able to do interviews and to be kind of normal. You have to have it all. I'm really proud of our live show because it used to be really bad.

I couldn't stop YouTubing the acoustic version of "It's Not My Fault." It's quite the contrast compared to your funky, foot-stomping jams.
That's what everyone says, it's really funny. There are all these songs and then you do something random and they are like "What was that one?" Because we don't normally play acoustic. We were so nervous -- my brother practiced all the time. I was like "Kellin, you're fine. Let's just do it." I feel like it says a lot and it really has a lot of meaning to it. I wrote that when someone was blaming me for something I didn't do.

From Eminem's ex-girlfriend to pregnant teenager, you've got a resume full of edgy film roles. Do you gravitate to these realer roles? Are you worried about being typecast?
Well, I'm already typecast. It just is what it is. It's not that I gravitate toward them, like yearn for them. Basically, there's slim pickings all around. It's a saturated industry. There's so many incredible artists, to be honest. When I sit in a waiting room, I see so many recognizable, reputable actresses that all bring their A-game. It's like, okay, if these are the kind of parts that people see me as, then I'm gonna get one of these, I'm gonna kill it, and it's gonna open up my world so I can pick and choose. And that's sort of the longterm goal.

Do you ever just want to rip off the pseudo-preggers bump and go all Rachel McAdams on us?
I used to rebel. "I don't wanna play a druggie, the pregnant one. I don't wanna play her anymore." And I did play the girl next door. There's a film I did called Jack and Jill with Freddy Prince, Jr. That's like me being the girl next door, but it just doesn't suit me. I did it -- I did it, well, because I'm a good actress. But to be honest, I have friends that are actresses... They're like more classic beauties, just really pretty women. Not to say I'm not pretty, but it's a different look. And they're like, "I'd give anything to have this audition right now." And I'd be like "Take it, fuck!" But now I'm happy, I'm cool.

I love to play characters with depth. It's the fact that I've been through a lot and I don't think I can hide it. It like comes through my eyes that I've seen a couple things, been through a couple things -- a little sad, a little worn and torn, and just that I've been through it and I'm not shallow. I can't hide the rockstar in me, for lack of a better word. And that's what everyone reads. It's that bravado that comes through the room. You know, music is my first love -- period. When I'm acting, it's fun, it's cool and it pays the bills. But I love music, I love touring, I love traveling -- nothing compares. So I always bring that into the room with me or to the movie that I do. And I think that's what people see -- the musician in me. People can't put their finger on me -- it's edgy, it's strong, it's confident. It's the musician in me. It's not like I'm that... I'm quiet, I'm shy. But it comes through. And by the way, typecasting sucks. It does.

These casting directors need to get it together. I could totally see you in, say, a comedy likeJuno.
Oh yeah, my mom says, "That's you when you were 21." If Juno had been casting when I was 21, I probably would have been in the mix. But that's the thing -- because I've played so many dramatic roles and I play that well, everyone thinks I'm a dramatic actress but I'm really a clown! I'm a goofball, a stupid moron. Everyone thinks I'm so serious but it's the last thing I wanna be. Especially nowadays.

What's your dream role?
To be in a musical, like a Moulin Rouge or a Chicago... something like that. Because I'm a dancer too -- I totally grew up dancing. So if I could put all of that into one little package and display it, I'd be stoked.

Hello? Have you seen Rock of Ages or Hair?Another reason to move to New York!
I've told my agent and manager. I was in New York all summer filming, and I went and saw Mamma Mia! and I was just like, "Oh my God, that looks like too much fun." I grew up doing plays and musicals. And Gina Gershon is a pretty good friend of mine and she's been doing a ton of plays in New York and now she's doing Bye Bye Birdie. She's a singer-actress, and I'm all about that. I think that's good stuff. Do a play? I mean, c'mon!

Celebs and clothing lines aren't always a good thing. How involved are you with Born Uniqorn and how's it going? What kind of lady would rock it?
What's really funny about the situation right now... So, we have a New York sales team and an LA sales team. Our New York sales team is killing it for us -- love our line, believe in us, do so well for us. Basically, the majority of our sales are from the East Coast... But we're called Born Uniqorn Hollywood, which is funny. So, the kind of woman or girl that wears our clothing is an East Coast, chic, hip sort of day into night girl. A girl that obviously walks to work in her heels or her comfy shoes, but can later throw on her heels and leggings. And that's sort of our whole M.O. You can take our clothes from day to night by just adding heels, jewelry, and accessories. It's doing really well, it's really picking up. We've been at it for like six years. It's legit, it's legit stuff. Me and my partner design everything. When I'm not doing music or acting, I'm grinding on it, like no joke. It kind of stresses me out to be honest. But I can't quit. I can't give up.

So do blondes, redheads, or you know, Bo Derek cornrows à la Hustle & Flow have the most fun?
I have the worst hair ever. It's kind of like reddish blonde right now. It's so destroyed from the films I do -- it's so fine and fragile. Like from Hustle & Flow when they put all of those braids in, it's never been the same.
- PAPER MAGAZINE

Taryn Manning is exhausted. Consider the slew of film auditions, big time fashion shows in support of her Williamsburg-friendly line Born Uniqorn, getting her party on with the likes of, you know, Paris Hilton and company, and now, the March 10 release of her electro pop funk of an LP A Million Trillion Stars. As the distinctive voice fronting brother/sister duo Boomkat, Taryn's proving that the whole actress/singer/fashion designer thing doesn't always have to conjure up J.Lo (and we're thankful for that, as JLO jeans still haunt us). You've likely come across Manning's fearless acting chops as the no-bullshit prostitute who rocked Bo Derek cornrows in Hustle & Flow. With all of Manning's film roles, even as Britney Spear's knocked-up BFF in the chic-flick Crossroads, Manning keeps it real, and equally as real in life--whether it's on the silver screen, as heard through her throaty, soulful pipes, or through an e-mail. No publicist or puppet strings of any kind hold Manning back; she's the all around real deal in the unfortunate Taylor Swift/Katy Perry world in which we live. We talked about her Large Marge nightmares, Lynne Spears requesting her MySpace friendship, and her regrets for turning down make-out sessions with Charlize Theron.

You have a whole lot going on. Who were you when you woke up this morning?
Today I woke up and my hair and makeup girl came over and she did it for the day because I have two big auditions—not a cattle call, but parts that are, you know, really awesome. But it’s really competitive so when I go into these auditions I’m seeing other actors that are my contemporaries that I really admire. I take a lot of pride in my work so I always get my hair and makeup done. But right now, I’m with my music manager. The official release for A Million Trillion Stars is coming soon so I’m just working on all of that stuff. So today I’m more of the actress-singer but I’m very tired because I just did two amazing runway shows for my clothing line. One in Vegas was for the huge trade show, “Magic.” It’s just a time when everyone goes and everyone has a booth—all of the buyers come from all over the world to see all the lines at one time. I also had a huge fashion show at Tao. And I had a big, big, giant dinner that I hosted with my partner, Tara Jane. So, I went to Vegas, then the next morning at the crack of dawn, flew home for this amazing Elle magazine runway show that had my line and Russell Simmons’. Paris Hilton and Queen Latifah are good friends of mine and they came so it drew lot of press as you can imagine. But, today I’m the singer actress. I’m really tired today.

Do you believe in R&R?
I told my mom: “Mom, I don’t understand. I’m sleeping 8 hours but everyday I’m not feeling that good” and she actually said “Your adrenal glands are drained.” Having to be so on and up, like “Hey, how you doing? I’m Taryn!” to buyers who only speak Japanese or French and you’re trying so hard to have a conversation with them and it’s tough. But things are really good. I’m really happy with my life, and I’m really enjoying all of the endeavors.

I remember seeing you rocking stars on your face for your first album, Boomkatalog One, and now your latest LP is called A Million Trillion Stars ... coincidence, or do you have a big time penchant for stars?
Yeah, I still do that when I play with Boomkat—I still love to put a star on my face. It’s just something I started doing when I was really young—I don’t know, but I’m definitely like Rainbow Brite and my friends call me Rainbow Brite. My clothing line is called Born Uniqorn, I have a unicorn tattoo, I have a tattoo of a ghetto blaster on me. I wear stars around my eyes. I’ve always just been kind of funky. It’s funny now seeing Lady Gaga wearing all of that space stuff. It’s cool, it’s on another level. I just like having that trademark to separate the actress Taryn from the singer Taryn. Now I’m in music mode because sometimes there’s the actor-turned-musician and musician-turned-actor. I’m not turned anything. I am a musician, I’ve been one my entire life. Me and my brother are, my father was, and I’m an actor. I’ve studied acting really hard, and went to a lot of schools for acting. So I believe I’m legitimately an all around little entertainer.

What can we expect from A Million Trillion Stars?
The title came from a dream. Our first album was called Boomkatalog One because me and my brother have so many songs, so obviously we were gonna call the next albums Boomkatalog 2 and 3. But I didn’t always love that. I just didn’t know what to name it. It’s so eclectic and it’s been so long since I put out of a record and all of a sudden I had a dream. Do you know Large Marge from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure? She drove a truck and when Pee-Wee got in, they were talking and she looked over and her eyes would bug out of her head and she kind of turned demonic. So in my dream, she was giving me a ride in her semi. I was like, “I just don’t know what to name my record.” All of a sudden, she turned her head like in The Exorcist and her eyes bugged out of her head and she said “It’s called A Million Trillion Stars and if don’t name it that, I’ll kill you!” And I was like, “Yes, ma’am!” So I woke up, and that’s what I named it. It’s super cool and it speaks to me. So thanks Large Marge! But I never had a dream do that before where I’ve actually taken a lesson from it and used it.

Do you find it a lot easier collaborating with your bro?
We both respect each other and what we bring to the table. It can be hard sometimes hanging with your brother so often but we’re pretty close and he’s a really funny guy. And we’re the exact opposite, the Yin and the Yang. We’re two completely different breeds of humans which is good because I’m sort of the social kind of front person and he definitely goes home right after work and makes music—that whole mysterious artist sort of thing. So it’s a good match.

You were in will.i.am’s celeb-filled, pro-Obama “Yes We Can” video—how was being apart of something like that?
That was really cool. Actually, I didn’t realize quite the impact it was gonna have at all. My friend is a really big club promoter in LA. She became very active when Obama became a candidate. She’s friends with will.i.am and she called all of her celebrity friends and I kinda just went and did it. It was really cool, there were awesome celebs in the studio. But I didn’t really know the impact it would have actually. It won an Emmy for I think best web something ... some sort of award. But will.i.am is so intelligent. I believe that the video is another reason why Obama was elected. I really do.

Have any musical dream collabs?
It’d be cool if Prince would write me a song. I love Prince. I’d love to work with Timbaland one day. I think he’s pretty cool. I love the way he like collaborates with offbeat artists like Nelly Furtado and Chris Cornell and sort of recreates an awesome sound for them. But Prince was my first concert when I was like five. He’s definitely a big influence for me.

Does it piss you off when other actors take a stab at singing who really aren’t that good or aren’t successful? Like Scarlett Johansson attempt at covering Tom Waits. Or do you think people are getting over that? Zooey Deschanel’s She & Him are pretty legit.
It doesn’t piss me off. I’m definitely a supporter of any artist being an artist. I’m not someone who judges or is like “Oh gosh, here’s another actress trying to sing” because I get that sometimes and I don’t like the way it makes me feel. And you never know, a lot of these actors that are singing could have been singing before their acting. Or now having money or getting tired of the same outlet, they go on and explore their singing abilities. Not everyone has to have an amazing voice to be a singer. I’m not Whitney Houston by any respect but I love to sing, I love to write music. And I believe I have a lot to offer. Yeah, acting happened first but no one knows my history and upbringing and I don’t really care what people think. I decided lately that I’m gonna do it because I love it. I have fans and they like it. I definitely dream of it going to a bigger higher level so I can tour the world and reach further. You mentioned Scarlett. She’s got a pretty good voice ... kind of dark and indie but that’s what she’s into. I mean, Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, so he obviously has a musical side to him. He’s definitely a great actor too. I love him.

You’ve worked with two of the biggest music superstars - -Britney Spears and Eminem—who both had pretty public downfalls and now subsequent comebacks. Did you learn anything from them behind the scenes, and did they offer you any advice about super stardom? Are you afraid of becoming too big after seeing what happened to them?
Eminem’s a very, very private person. You know, he doesn’t go places where you can be with him. After the 8 Mile premiere, he went home and didn’t wanna go to the after party. I don’t know much about him except he’s really nice, a big goofball—really funny. And every chance he had, he was writing lyrics in his notebook. To me, he represents a true artist that had all this inner dialogue that he wanted to get out on paper. Who knows? He could have been writing the soundtrack or a hit record. I mean, all his records were hits. It was very cool to be in that completely and cool of him to watch tapes of actresses and have a part in choosing me to play that role. Same with Britney—she saw the tapes too and chose me. And it makes me feel I’m on that level of talent. But I also think that I learned so much since I was young that I don’t think I would have any kind of public downfall. I don’t see that happening with me in particular. Britney’s been doing it since she was like 13. It’s kind of fair that she had a little bit of a meltdown. I mean, she’s been through a lot. I think she’s gonna be alright now. She’s an intelligent girl. But it was pretty incredible to work with them ... definitely a highlight of career… so far.
I’ll admit, I heart Crossroads and totes shed a tear (or two) after your character lost her baby ...

That’s funny you said that because Crossroads was on TV last night and my mom and my brother were watching it and I was like “Why are you watching that?!” But it got such a bad rap but it’s actually a sweet, little movie. And then I woke up to Britney’s mom requesting my friendship on MySpace ... So, Crossroads was on last night and I woke up to “Lynne Spears wants to be your friend!”

Tell me about you and your BFF’s line, Born Uniqorn. I hear LiLo’s a fan. Can us little people and recessionistas afford it?
It’s very price-conscious right now. We’re keeping prices lower these days. It’s just cute and really for any girl. We try to make something for everyone to be honest. The more cleaner cut and the more simple bodies sell more than when we were trying to do something that’s kind of edgy. We really learned how to streamline our clothing line. What people wear on the East Coast can be kind of traditional; California is kind of funky. And Middle America is looking both East and West. We really had to perfect to make our sales continue to be big. We had to really sort of not style, not make the clothing for ourselves but make it for the masses. The spelling is not the traditional unicorn, it’s uniqorn—like “born unique.” It’s been a lot of fun and was just a hobby I did on my down time with my best friend of 17 years. It just kind of turned into something that got a little bit more serious and became another business of mine. I enjoy it thoroughly but it’s hard, hard work. I really hope that we can sustain it and make it happen for a long time.

Should we expect to see you at the tents ... er, at Lincoln Center, in the spring?
We were asked to last year but we weren’t quite ready. Now we’ve done a couple so we feel like we can take on a New York Fashion Week. We’ve come a long way, but we feel like we’re really ready to keep going.

Who are your fashion icons?
I definitely respect Kate Moss’ fashion sense. I think she always has the coolest outfits on--not trying too hard but always looks great. Nicole Richie’s whole ... whatever happened to her was pretty amazing. I look for her for fashion ideas. I know a lot of it has to do with Rachel Zoe, but Nicole has a great frame to wear some of the things she wears. As for the classier kind of actresses—Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, and Cate Blanchett look great as far as the red carpet. But for more funky, Nicole Ritchie, Kate Moss, and also, I love Gwen Stefani. I wouldn’t dress like her but she wears whatever she wants, kind of out there, but I love it. I look up to her because of her music and her clothing line and she’s an actress--we have a lot in common.

Where do you like to shop in LA?
Popkiller, Han Cholo, Shabon, and What They Wore.

And where do you like to head after a busy day for some grub?
For breakfast, I like Hugo’s, and for lunch, La La’s. Some of my favorites for dinner are Ago, Madeo, and El Compadre.

You’re making me hungry ... Where do you go to get your music fix?
Spaceland, Viper Room, Largo, and the Roxy.

Are there any film roles you would have died to play?
There’s two roles I auditioned for that I wish I would have done. I sort of passed the one part to be in Monster to play Charlize Theron’s girlfriend, Christina Ricci’s part. But I didn’t want to play gay at the time. I don’t know why, I just was very ignorant and I didn’t know. But I would have done anything to play that role. I could care less now. But at the time, I was like 22 and I was scared. And I also auditioned for Million Dollar Baby and remember wanting that so bad. I know that’s kind of the role that I could do really well. Acting wise, every thing’s going well. I have a couple offers but they’re all pending. I don’t want to say what they are but I’m really excited about the record coming out and traveling a bit for that.

What’s your take on trashy celeb blogs?
I’ve read some stuff about myself that’s been hard to read—judging my looks or whatever, saying mean things about me like I’m not their type or they don’t like the way I talk or the way I sing. But there’s also been some really kind things that I appreciate. It’s a double edged sword. But it’s fine. You gotta be liked and disliked—that’s what makes the world go ‘round; that’s what makes a superstar. You’ve gotta be controversial but you can’t be perfect. A lot of times, it’s just insecure people that just wish they were different people in their own lives who blog and spend time being negative. It’s pretty sad when people just sit on their computers and be negative. It’s a pretty sad quality of life but if that’s what floats their boat then so be it.

http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/taryn-manning-does-it-all/6691
- BLACK BOOK MAGAZINE

Taryn Manning bared her bod as a hooker in "Hustle & Flow", but the renowned actress has returned to her musical roots, and is exposing much more of herself in the new record "A Million Trillion Stars" she recently released with her brother under their band name "Boom Kat".

"A lot of the songs on the album like ‘Runaway’ and ‘I Wish I Could’ evoke very personal memories, they are very sentimental. I’m a very personal songwriter, some people say it is like reading my diary," Manning told Tarts. "I’ve always been into my music but I got so caught up in the acting world I stopped putting it out there for a while so now I’m just trying to balance both."
- FOXNEWS.COM

Checked out another liquor-sponsored party and performance by petite, powerhouse actress Taryn Manning, whose band with her bro is called Boomkat. They were celebrating the release of a new single, “Stomp,” at a mansion in the Hollywood Hills last week. The Barcardi-backed bash offered an amazing view of the city and the requisite signature drinks named after the party host (while we liked Dita’s violet-infused “Cointreau Teese” served at her event, the Bacardi “Boomkat,” a jalapeño infusion, was too hot for our party palate). The group kept their set short and sweet, mainly because, as Manning’s Hustle & Flow co-star DJ Qualls announced before they went on, the cops were on the way to break up the bash. Not sure if talk in the crowd about lack of permits was true, but the valet situation outside sure was a mess. As for the music, we dug the sexy electro-pop off Kat’s latest, A Million Trillion Stars, which has evolved from their previous disc’s trip-hoppish groove. The in-your-face synth-heavy style suits Manning’s rasp well, but ultimately it’s her charisma and style that carry the group. As anyone who’s seen her films already knows, the li’l gal’s got tons of both.

BY LINA LECARO

http://www.laweekly.com/2009-07-30/music/teese-please-found-my-thrill-boom-with-a-view-grey-area/1 - LA WEEKLY