Worth a Look

From audio caffeine to apes on the big screen, what’s on the radar for two media-savvy locals

Brad Stanfield

Music producer/engineer/arranger

Current Endeavor

Emily Richards’ new iTunes album Open Soul. I checked mixes and mastered the album in my NoHo studio. Her songwriting, arranging, melodies and lyrics are beyond words. Her muse knows no bounds!

Tunes you are loving right now?

I find myself gravitating toward bands like The Black Keys, Band of Horses, The Naked and Famous, Cage the Elephant and new stuff on its way from The Dandy Warhols this month.

What music do you like to get pumped?

Rage Against the Machine is like “audio caffeine” that really gets me pumped up.

Nightstand book?

Excuses Begone! by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He does not consider himself a guru, and he has no religious nor political agenda. He is a PhD therapist who is so uplifting it can take one out of a deep depression and self-doubt.

Where do you movie-watch?

My wife and I walk to our nearby Laemmle theater on Lankershim. I loved seeing Sound City with Dave Grohl & Company. What a rush. I used to record there in the ‘90s!

Favorite website?

SoundCloud is pretty cool. You can post and listen to all kinds of music as it comes out, kind of like YouTube but just audio—at least that’s how I use it.

Cocoa Brown

Actress/comedian

Current Endeavor

Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club. It is about the resilience of women who are single moms, by whatever circumstance made them that way, and how it takes a village to raise a child.

Movie you’re looking forward to?

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes—because that last one was insanely good!

Music fixations?

Beyonce’s new CD. Every song on the album makes me feel real sexy. I’m also feeling Daley, this Robin Thicke kind of guy from England.

Book on your nightstand?

I was given Power Was My Mentor, written by my friend and fellow comedian Art Garfield. It talks about his life as a writer for The Cosby Show and how Bill Cosby mentored him.

With Mother’s Day coming up, can you recommend a great parenting book?

Brain Rules for Baby. The book is hilarious, and so much in it is true. Also Einstein Never Used Flash Cards. It talks about how allowing your child to play helps them excel in academics.

Any favorite mommy apps?

Uniden Guardian—for nanny cams when I’m on the road. Don’t get me wrong; I love and trust my nanny. But it’s come in handy when my son’s pillow pet nightlight is still on in the afternoon.