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Fashion Black Milk Does Minimalist Luxe

July 30, 2010 - 9:31 am

blackmilk

Designer leggings.  Is that an oxymoron?!

James Lillis of Black Milk would say no.  Based in Australia, this designer — who had no formal training –  was first inspired by the fashion atrocities he saw committed on the street!  Australia is awash with leggings: every girl owns several pairs, & many of them prefer leggings over pants.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with that — we are all entitled to our preferred aesthetic.  But what really upset James was the poor quality of the leggings he saw girls wearing.  If you use cheap cotton to make leggings, the sad outcome will eventually include saggy knees & bottoms, which don’t flatter anyone.

He decided that he couldn’t take it any more!  Why couldn’t anyone make good quality leggings?!  Maybe he was the right man for the job.  After many, many hours at a sewing machine, breaking needles & making messes, he created his Black Wetlook leggings & hasn’t looked back since.

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Music Jazztronauts: Heavenly Stuff

July 30, 2010 - 9:18 am

Jazztronauts Live

It might be difficult for those jaded raver kiddies to know how to react when Jazztronauts, aka Jonathan Craft, take(s) the stage. Rest assured, the Belgian-born DJ has your best interests at heart : Taking the best of jazz throughout the past 30 or so years (but especially the last two decades or so) Jazztronauts revel in their adoration for the genre with a mix of dancy, techno dance beats — the proof is right in his ambitious remix of BLUE’s “Fall to the Stars”). So they know their roots but have the souls of ravers; they’ve obviously done their homework, studied their music history, and come a long way after a lot of hard work. “Gotta Beat It” sounds like a cross between Square Pusher and the bebop of John Coltrane, “Homefree” could be the surrealist soundtrack to a Bunuel movie, if they were blended with those similar jazz sounds of old…what’s more, the DJ’s life seems to be taking off even more since he started offering his services as a producer. Considering he got his start at the ripe old age of 21, he’s come a long way. Jazzaholics and electronica fans alike will find something to love now at Red Bull Music Academy Radio.

Gallery Music The New Politics

July 29, 2010 - 10:51 am

Yep, that’s David standing on his head again…  and yep those are “The New Politics,”  A 3 piece Rock/Pop trio originally haling from Copenhagen Denmark.  The group consisting of David Boyd, guitar/vocalist Soren Hansen, and drummer Poul Amaliel released their self-titled debut album June 13th of this year and played the Viper Room Tuesday night to a room full of zealous fans.

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Music Big Bad Leroy Burgess is the Unknown King of Soul

July 29, 2010 - 10:31 am

Leroy Burges

Well, largely unknown until now, anyways. This week Red Bull Music Academy Radio highlights the work of Leroy Burgess, the founder of a late-sixties soul trio and a guy not only considered one of soul’s most renowned producers, but a pioneer of the sound known as boogie as well. Addition, he helped form the soul group Black Ivory. By the time Burgess was starting to get popular, the travesty known as disco exploded on the scene, and Burgess was simply unable to compete. Burgess stuck with his talents though, pouring energy into helping write hits for musicians/groups like Fonda Rae, Aleem, and Convertion, not to mention the one and only Rick James. And Burgess’ brainchild, Black Ivory, has earned countless accolades industry stalwart and hitherto-relatively unknown gem of soul/disco/R&B, having released a string of serious hits like “I’ll Find A Way (The Loneliest Man In Town)”, “Spinning Around”, “What Goes Around (Comes Around)” and “Will We Ever Come Together” — one of which you’ve almost certainly heard on one of countless jazz/R&B/classic soul stations on the radio. Right now though you can get a little taste of what you’ve been missing below.

Contributors Gallery Williamsburg, NYC: Hipster Sector Extraordinaire

July 28, 2010 - 9:27 am

Every city has it’s hipster sector, but not all hipster sectors are created equal. New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn stands apart not only because of its density, span, and tastemaking power, but also its considerable cultural diversity. A breeding ground for bands and artists of all stripes since the 70s, Williamsburg is home to numerous theaters, cafes, art spaces and concert venues. Local and [often] imported bohemia thrives alongside multiple ethnic clusters, often inspiring snarky dismissal by other NYC residents. Clearly, if you like fun, this neighborhood is not to be missed.

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Comic Books Gallery The Girls of Comic-Con

July 28, 2010 - 9:15 am

While The Con of Ages is now over and we’re home safe from the crowds and the smells, there is much to fondly look back on. Everyone can agree on one specific, delightful aspect of this event: costumed laydeez. Whether it’s the legions of Sailor Moons or the armies of Harley Quinns, there’s something irresistible about cute girls in costumes, especially when said costumes look like they took several days to make. As far as I’m concerned, the more DIY and elaborate the look, the better. After all, Comic-Con comes once a year.

(The ever-present naughty schoolgirls are also acceptable.)

To bring you this gallery, I spent much of my Friday and Saturday looking for dressed-up girls to document. Like shooting fish in a barrel, you say? Not so! It’s not easy to locate, stop, and pose amidst thousands of humans, all out on missions of their own. Still, my camera and I persevered. Enjoy!

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Music Tuesday Newsday: New Releases From Robert Cray, Dru Hill, Avenged Sevenfold, 36 Crazyfists, and Century Media!!

July 27, 2010 - 10:08 pm

Robert Cray

This week: another gem from legendary blues guitarist Robert Cray, the pseudo-metal of 36 Crazyfists and Avenged Sevenfold, Tom Jones gives you another excuse to take off the panties, epic underground label Century Media gives us another ‘best of’ more than worth getting…

Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
Tom Jones
– Praise & Blame
Best Coast
– Crazy For You
36 Crazyfists
– Collisions & Castaways
Kimberly Caldwell
– Without Regret
Dru Hill
– Indrupendence Day
Robert Cray
– Cookin’ in Mobile
Menomena
– Mines
Sky Sailing
– An Airplane Carried Me to Bed
Proghma-CBar-do Travel (Armoury)
Revamp - Revamp (Nuclear Blast)
SodomLords Of Depravity II DVD (SPV)
Various Artists20 Years Of Century Media: 2001-2005 (Century Media)

Featured Gallery Music Free Hugs with Ed Sharpe and the M.Z.s

July 27, 2010 - 1:15 pm

It’s been a while since I got to photograph a band that I am enamored of and I had forgotten how thrilling it could be. I don’t even know how to write this review– I just want to squeal.

Edward Sharpe and the M.Z.'s

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are a band consisting of 10-ish members (they seem to float in and out) led by the charismatic Alex Ebert. Their hugely successful song ‘Home,’ off their first and only album, has granted them the adoration of music fans everywhere, including the masses that swarmed a sold out Webster Hall on Thursday, July 22.

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Film A Family Portrait with ‘The Walking Dead’

July 26, 2010 - 7:51 pm

Walking Dead

Comic Con 2010 is over and I have cast my vote for the fictitious “Bad Ass Mamma-Jamma Booth of the Year” award. Since I am the only voter in said academy, the winner is booth #2010! AMC television’s The Walking Dead set (a six-episode series based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman).  It’s not every day you can take the kids out for a stroll and pop in somewhere to have a lovely photo taken with your choice of:

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Moody Mondays Moody Mondays: Eisner-Nominated Ben Templesmith

July 26, 2010 - 11:08 am

Ben Templesmith

Ben Templesmith is an Eisner-nominated Australian comic book artist, known for many things, among them Fell, written by Warren Ellis, and 30 Days of Night, written by Steve Niles. He’s also known for his love of tentacles, zombies, and making very special faces in photos. I spoke with Ben at the Image booth while he was hard at work on a sketch for someone’s future tattoo, and asked him for his top five songs for a Moody Monday.

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