Pretty Masculine. Photos by Mike Ruiz.



"If it isn't fun. It's not worth doing."


Mike Ruiz is a world-renowned photographer, who also happens to be a TV personality, former model, actor, spokesperson, creative director and director. With his wide array of experiences and interests, it's no wonder Mike lives by these words.
Mike was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and at the ripe age of 20, he moved to the States with just $300 bucks in his pocket and a desire to be in the entertainment world. After working for more than a decade as a successful model, his true calling came into focus one Christmas morning, when he received a gift of a lifetime: his first camera. Wide-eyed, he took the camera out of the box, and in the blink of an adept eye, his whole life was about to change. With focused determination, Mike immediately took to his new present--taught himself the intricate mechanics of the camera and to this day, he hasn't stopped clicking away. Perhaps it's only when you might hear him say, "we got it!", that there is but the slightest of pauses to an otherwise very hectic shooting schedule. Sharing with the world the images that he captures is tantamount to poetry. Whether it's Kim Kardashian, Betty White, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry or Prince, Mike has seen and shot them all.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

MR: The B-52's released in 1979. I was obsessed and played it until the grooves were gone. I still listen to on my iPod.



B-52's Rock Lobster.

Q2. When did you first become interested in photography and what prompted you to go into it as a career?

MR: I became interested in photography when I got a camera for Christmas in 1992. It became the spicket for everything creative I had been bottling up inside of me. After about a year of photographing everything in sight, I realized that there wasn't anything else I ever wanted to do professionally so I put every ounce of my being into making a career out of it.



Q3. Can you tell me a little about your latest book "Pretty Masculine"?

MR: Pretty Masculine began with my desire to portray masculinity out of context, a sort of deconstruction of what society deems to be "Masculine" and I compiled images for a book which I released in Oct of 2011. It was a philanthropic effort as well with 100% of the profit going to GMHC.



Q4. You often featured on TV shows like "The A-List," "America's Next Top Model," and "RuPaul's Drag Race"...What's the craziest thing you've seen happen on one of those shows?

MR: The craziest things that I have been witness to have only come from me watching the final cut of the episodes on TV. The way that hundreds of hours of footage are whittled down to less than an hour of programming is astounding to me. Needles to say, it would seem that most reality show cast members are perpetually having meltdowns, panic attacks and hysterical fist fights!!!





Mike Ruiz interview on ETalk News.

Q5. Any good/outrageous celebrity stories from your career that you can share, maybe without naming names?

MR: The best story is not outrageous as it is inspiring. There have been a small handful of people who have inspired me creatively over the years and most of them were at their pinnacles in the 80's. One of which was Prince. I had the good fortune to work with him on more than one occasion and it was just spellbinding for me to be collaborating creatively with someone whom I see as a creative genius. Times like those are what make me realize how incredible fortunate I have been and how grateful I am for all of the decisions I have made for myself.

http://www.mikeruiz.com/

Budgie was a popular British television series starring former popstar Adam Faith which was produced by ITV company London Weekend Television and broadcast on the ITV network between 1971 and 1972. The series was created by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall . The show was produced by Verity Lambert, Rex Firkin was the Executive producer.

Each episode was a complete story, usually depicting Budgie's involvement in some harebrained scheme to make money, usually somewhere on the wrong side of legality. However he was continually the victim of circumstance, or of the sharper, more experienced underworld operators he tried to emulate.



London Weekend Television's " Budgie", Titles with Adam Faith.





BUDGIE (SERIES 1, EPISODE 13, PART 2)



BUDGIE (SERIES 1, EPISODE 12, PART 2)

Kraftwerk – Retrospective April 10–17, 2012.

Over eight consecutive nights, MoMA presents a chronological exploration of the sonic and visual experiments of Kraftwerk with a live presentation of their complete repertoire in the Museum's Marron Atrium. Each evening consists of a live performance and 3-D visualization of one of Kraftwerk's studio albums—Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour de France (2003)—in the order of their release. Kraftwerk will follow each evening’s album performance with additional compositions from their catalog, all adapted specifically for this exhibition. This reinterpretation showcases Kraftwerk’s historical contributions to and contemporary influence on global sound and image culture.




Kraftwerk - Das Model.




Kraftwerk - Computerliebe (1991).



Kraftwerk - Radioactivity.



Kraftwerk - "Pocket Calculator" (1981).

Rachel Felder is a New York based writer and expert on style, trends, and travel. Her work has appeared in publications including People, Rolling Stone, The Financial Times, Travel and Leisure, New York and many more. She is author of Manic Pop Thrill, a book examining the connection between music and style, and co-author with Coach’s Reed Krakoff of the book Fighter: The Fighters of the UFC. She is currently working on a novel about her days working and playing in the music industry.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

RF: The first record that deeply changed things for me was the first Clash album, which is still my favourite record ever. (I actually wrote my college thesis on that record, years later.) That album -- the lyrics, the swagger, that glorious sound -- just became an obsession. And it pointed me towards so many great bands from the same era (like the Ramones, Pistols, and the Jam) that have been my soundtrack ever since.

The Clash - London's Burning (live) 1978.

Q2. How did you become involved in the music industry?

I went to university in New York City and basically cared about three things: fashion, music, and writing. So my college years were essentially spent living at CBGB's, looking for cool clothes, and writing for anyone who'd publish me. By the time I graduated, my work had appeared in Rolling Stone and Spin, so I skipped journalism school and worked full time as a music journalist right away, eventually managing a few bands at the same time. After a few years, I started writing a weekly column for HITS Magazine -- the bible of the music industry at the time, and still widely read. That lead to job offers from record labels, and I ultimately took a job at Columbia Records doing a&r: finding new bands, signing them to the label, and overseeing the making of their records.

Manic Pop Thrill.

Q3. Your book 'Manic Pop Thrill' documents the phenomenon of Alternative Music and the rise of Grunge. Do you think we will see guitar based musical movements of this type in the future?

RF: The whole experience of consuming music is so different now: file sharing and walking around with headphones on has made following bands a more internalized experience. But there are still great guitar-fueled artists out there, and ultimately there's nothing more powerful that a memorable song sung passionately with the intensity of loud guitars in the background.

Rachel Felder and Alan McGee - A Discussion on the Music Industry.

Q4. What part did you play in the development of the documentary 'Upside Down-The Creation Records Story' ?

RF: I've stayed close friends with Alan McGee, the brilliant founder of Creation Records, since we first met when I interviewed him for a story in the late 1980's, so I was aware of the film from its inception. After the director filmed an interview with me, we remained in touch and I helped wherever I could, particularly in America. It really is a wonderful documentary, capturing the spirit of the label, the bands, and the era -- in other words, many years of my misspent youth! -- perfectly.

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.

Q5. After a long career in the music industry you decided to leave. What prompted this and can you ever really leave it behind?

RF: I worked at Columbia Records for 8 years -- an eternity in record company years! -- and always felt that once that stint was over, it would be time to move on. And, of course, I was pregnant when I left, making my job -- staying out late hanging out with rock bands -- not exactly ideal. I'm glad not to be in that business anymore, which has been truncated thanks to downloads, plus I love what I do now….but you can't take the music lover out of a true fan. To be honest, it's much more fun to go to gigs now, simply as a fervent fan.

Follow Rachel Felder on Twitter: @rachelfelder

Alan Moore Discusses WATCHMEN: The Mindscape Of Alan Moore.



Alan Moore is an English writer known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Frequently described as the best comic writer in history, he has also been described as "one of the most important British writers of the last fifty years". He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon.



Alan Moore - The Simpsons.



Moore started out writing for British underground and alternative fanzines in the late 1970s before achieving success publishing comic strips in such magazines as 2000AD and Warrior. He was subsequently picked up by the American DC Comics, and as "the first comics writer living in Britain to do prominent work in America", he worked on big name characters such as Batman (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Superman (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), substantially developed the minor character Swamp Thing, and penned original titles such as Watchmen. During that decade, Moore helped to bring about greater social respectability for the medium in the United States and United Kingdom, and has subsequently been attributed with the development of the term "graphic novel" over "comic book". In the late 1980s and early 1990s he left the comic industry mainstream and went independent for a while, working on experimental work such as the epic From Hell, pornographic Lost Girls, and the prose novel Voice of the Fire. He subsequently returned to the mainstream later in the 1990s, working for Image comics, before developing America's Best Comics, an imprint through which he published works such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the occult-based Promethea.



Moore is a Neopagan, occultist, ceremonial magician, vegetarian and anarchist and has featured such themes in works including Promethea, From Hell and V for Vendetta, as well as performing avant-garde spoken word occult "workings" with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.



Alan Moore - V for Vendetta.

Despite his own personal objection to them, his books have provided the basis for a number of Hollywood films, including From Hell (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), V for Vendetta (2005) and Watchmen (2009). Moore has also been referenced in popular culture, and has been recognised as an influence on a variety of literary and television figures including Neil Gaiman, Joss Whedon, and Damon Lindelof.

David J, is a British alternative rock musician. As well as being an accomplished solo musician he was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. He has also appeared on releases by Porno for Pyros and Jane's Addiction.


Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

DJ : T Rex - 'Hot Love'. It came out in 1971 when I was 14 and hit me like a lightening bolt. I was in a hospital ward when I first heard it on the radio. I had a badly broken leg and torn cartilage, the result of a vicious two legged flying tackle in a soccer match. That music made the pain go away. The effect was only intensified when I saw Marc Bolan and his band on Top Of The Pops. From that moment on I was obsessed!



David J "Candy on the Cross"

Q2. You describe 'Not Long For This World' as an ‘accidental concept’ album about the Grim Reaper. You raised funds to finish this project via Kickstarter (over one and a half times the original goal). I loved the ‘pitch’ video you made for this-do you think the online community has created a viable future for funding all creative endeavors in this way?

DJ : Yes. People really like the sense of involvement and personal contact that results from that kind of patronage.
It also encourages the artists to be creative in the way that they garner that support. We're all in this together, let's make magic happen!



Q3. The album has a very ‘filmic’ quality and lyrically contains a lot of dark humor, particularly ‘Dress Sexy At My Funeral’. When did you start piecing together these songs into a concept and could you see this being turned into a film narrative?

DJ : The genesis for the album was a two night stand that I played at a wonderful little subterranean theater called The Cavern in LA.
I came up with the idea of having a theme for the shows which was 'Bouquets, Wreaths and Laurels' ( The title of an old song of mine ) The set was divided into three sections. 'Bouquets': Love songs, 'Wreaths': Death songs and 'Laurels': Songs of glory. Following the shows I recorded some of the death songs and gradually realized that I had a little concept album on my hands. ( The Cavern shows were filmed and a DVD will be released later in the year. )

I know what you mean about the album being 'filmic' but I would prefer that those movies just play in the listener's imagination.



David J. and Rene Halkett - Nothing


Q4. The limited pieces of original art hand-made art that you created to commemorate tracks of the album are fantastic. What is the medium that you created them in and have you always had a parallel life as a visual artist?

DJ : They are basically collage pieces based around a kind of painted rorschach. I did them all at the same time. Moving from one piece to another. They were created very quickly. In a couple of days. Yes, I've always made visual art. Until music took over ( Hello Marc! ) I wanted to be a painter.



Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust : Old Grey Whistle Test.

Q5. I met you in the tiny dressing room of a very sweaty club in Leeds in late summer 1980, with your cohorts in your first band (and you were all very friendly towards me, despite possible post gig dehydration). At that time did you imagine that a long career of creativity lay ahead of you and what advice would the David J of today give to your younger self if you could beam back in time?

DJ : From as far back as I can remember I knew that I would be some kind of artist.

I would tap that rather intense young chap on the shoulder and advise him to loosen up and not sweat the small stuff.

http://www.davidjonline.com/

Official Press Release:

MADONNA COMIC BOOK IS SET TO HIT SHELVES.

Bluewater is pleased to announce a special comic book project featuring one of the most accomplished and well-known figures in the history of American pop culture, Madonna.

“Female Force: Madonna” will be released in August 2011 and have a cover price of $3.99. The bio on the pop icon's life will be written by CW Cooke and drawn by Michael Johnson.

Madonna is arguably the most influential figure in the history of American music. This comic book will focus on her humble beginnings and the incredible events that led to her eventually becoming one of the few people in the world recognized by only their first name! Though she has paved the way for many female pop stars that came after her, from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga to Beyonce she is unique in that while many are compared to her, she is never compared to anyone else. There is still only one Madonna and even today, in her fifties, she remains culturally relevant. This comic book shows the influences on her music and style that in turn have influenced every pop star who aspires to not only make songs that people will always remember, but have an impact on society.



The “Female Force” comic series offers a broad examination of strong and influential women who are shaping modern history and culture. In past issues, the monthly series has featured, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, JK Rowling, Ellen Degeneres, Sarah Palin and others.



Bluewater's Vice President Jason Schultz said, “Our goal is to show the little-known events and influences that resulted in Madonna becoming the phenomenon she remains to this day, more than a quarter-century after she burst upon the scene. A visual medium provides perspective that is not only accessible but more relatable to the average person without losing any of the information involved”.



Rock N Roll Comics Madonna Special (1993) comic books.

This 32-page comic book will be chronicling this saga, “Female Force: Madonna ” will explore all sides of this inimitable talent, from her live performances, ever-changing musical tastes, to her being a leader in fashion and her charity work, Madonna has made positive contributions to her fans' lives and society at large and how, despite numerous controversies she remains beloved by more fans than ever. Through it all, she always remained true to herself and appeared to be genuine. What you see is what you get with her. That - and her remarkable talent is what has made her an enduring legend. Madonna is quite simply one of the most powerful women in the history of entertainment.



"Most pop stars owe everything to this woman. It's amazing all of the things that she's done in her lifetime, and I have a feeling that this is still only the beginning", says Cooke, who said he had fun scripting the Material Girl's life story.

Material Girl - Collection 2011 with Kelly Osbourne.



Madonna - Material Girl Collection (Behind The Scenes) [2010]



Madonna & Lourdes Leon Live on MG launch in NYC.



Madonna - Celebration.

Make Up Artist Charlie Green.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

CG: 'Diamond Dogs'-Bowie. The Album artwork, the lyrics, raw rebellion, early anarchy. I was at school and played it on vinyl and cassette! To this day I love it and dance around doing air guitar always.



Q2. How did you become involved in the beauty business?

CG: By default. I was working in fashion for a clothes designer and met /boy George and wanted to paint faces after that. I started in London then moved to Paris where I was lucky enough to work with mind blowing photographers, beautiful designers and amazing stylists and models-hard work but they could encourage creativity and individual style.



Q3. You've worked with many music industry icons. How different is creating beauty looks for a performer as opposed to editorial looks for fashion?

Models are Chameleons and morph into different looks daily thanks to the clothes, different make up, hair and lighting. Some performers have an image they need to stick to; others love to change. We work according to their wishes, it's always a team effort.

Q4. You were the mentor for Lifetime television's 'Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist' alongside Hal Rubenstein and Vanessa Marcil. How close was the show in portraying the reality of the beauty industry?

CG:Blush was a blast to work on and shoot and I met some very creative people on both sides of the camera. However the nature of TV is essentially entertainment and not real life at all. I think the public are swamped with so-called 'reality' shows and forget that a 25 minute episode is the product of 48 hours of shooting many varied situations and very careful editing, to result in an episode contrived to capture your attention and is more about sensationalism than the truth. Having said this I conclude 'Blush' to be a better representation of the beauty industry than other heavily advertiser orientated fashion/beauty TV shows.



Q5. Any good celebrity stories that you can share?

People sit down in my make up chair and spill their secrets.-it's maybe because we work so close to them that they feel secure, then there are no boundaries. I have seen some salacious behavior from a 'variety of people' such as a classless 'super model' who was too lazy to walk to the bathroom when on set and insisted in pissing in paper cups that the poor studio assistant had to pick up and dispose of...and my personal favorite is the legendary rock star who arrived at our shoot strung out and 9 hours late (no big deal) and snorted "powdered asprin" continuously . But the best line was when the hair dresser spilled a bottle of powdered dry shampoo and the rock star eagerly chopped it up into a line and snorted it!

Nancy Garcia is a Fashion Industry maven, whose credits include working as a fashion producer on top reality television shows, fashion show production, brand strategy and management for fashion companies. She is also Keanan Duffty's business partner, which is a reality show in itself.

Nancy Garcia - Photo: Marco La Conte.

Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

Nancy Garcia: Though I’m a New Yorker, I grew up in a Colombian household, listening to all this great Latin music that my Dad had on vinyl record sets he brought back from the Old Country. I always loved the boleros best, those slow romantic songs - they were hot!
I remember my parents were mystified the first time they went to an “American” party – they didn’t understand why the guests sat around and just talked all night, and no one danced. Music is an inspiration for dancing in Hispanic culture, and a lot of it is judged by how easily it is to move to. So, even though kids listen to Reggaeton today, which I love, Hispanics still love to slow dance and smooch to the “oldies”.






Q2. You were the Fashion Producer of Isaac Mizrahi's The Fashion Show, and 24 Hour Catwalk, with Alexa Chung. What does a 'Fashion Producer' do?

NG: I get hired on television shows as a consultant and producer, but it’s kind of a generic title that encompasses many areas. On a show, the production and creative team come from a television background, not a fashion one, so I’m usually the only producer that has a fashion and design background.
Even though these shows are “reality” TV, the challenges, content, rules and sets are created in pre-production first, before filming starts. I consult on things like the feasibility of challenges, I create challenges, and I have a team of assistants that source all the materials to make them happen. I also oversee the creation of the workrooms and sewing rooms on the set, which have to be professional and fully functional (and include machinery of all types, dyeing stations, and all materials that contestants could possibly need). If needed, I bring in partnerships with companies for supplies and services like Singer, Swarovski, fabric sources, etc. Many companies in the industry like the exposure that a fashion reality show brings to their business.
I also over see the fashion shows, which is one per episode. Many people don’t know that TV episodes are shot back to back, so we’ll put on 10 fashion shows in 5 – 6 weeks. I’m often involved in casting, as designers must have some level of sewing expertise, and of course, design skills. And I cast the models for the runway shows.

It’s really fascinating to work with lighting and camera experts to create say, an “underwater” show, or a neon lights out show, or something very unique. On TV, things have to be really big to stand out, and it’s super fast (especially on 24 Hour Catwalk, where designers have to create an entire collection in, you guessed it – 24 Hours), so it’s very different then the fashion industry.


Q3. What are the Top Five Tips you can give to would be Fashion Reality Show contestants?

NG: We all know what people say about fashion reality TV, but the truth is that it’s a fun, guilty pleasure for millions of viewers! And, the other truth is it can offer an emerging designer an incredible amount of publicity, exposure, and if they win – cash!
I’ve seen literally hundreds of contestants try out for shows.
So – if you think you have what it takes – think again – this is what it really takes:

1) STAND OUT.
Reality TV is not for the shy, weak of heart or retreating type.
Yes, you can be bitchy, back -stabbing, cranky, crazy, loopy, super chatty, narcissistic, insane or by contrast, super nice; yet it must be BIG, and you need to do it in front of the cameras. And you must have an angle. Are you a super sweet, southern gay boy that talks alot – sounds good!
A self involved, crazed mother of five who knits bodysuits? Great. Want to start your own line but your Mom’s a crack Ho and you don’t have the money? Fantastic. A Belgian intellectual designer who mumbles to himself ?–not so much. If you bore us within 30 seconds on your casting video, you are O.U.T.

2) STAKES.
Stakes are very important on reality TV. This means – how much do you need it? If you’re a rich girl who has everything, and it doesn’t matter if you win, you just want fame - it doesn’t matter if you are the next Phoebe Philo, you won’t get cast. Broke with student loans? Have a medical condition? Need to prove your self to the fashion world or just plain hate them? All of these are things that will motivate someone to compete – and of course, it is a competition.

3) YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SEW - IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO SEW.
You will probably have to sew some of your garments on these shows, but you are almost always allowed to bring blocks (slopers), because of the time constraints. However, some shows provide experienced seamstresses to help you. They are mostly off camera, but on 24 Hour Catwalk, they are on camera – and fierce!

4) YOU WILL BE SEQUESTERED.
If you are cast, you will report to the film studio, have all your electronic devices taken off you, have people go through your luggage ( for illegal stuff; i.e, your favorite book by Diana Vreeland, which will be confiscated), and from then on, you will not be allowed to take one step alone. A cast wrangler will be glued/assigned to you, until you leave. Oh, and no one on the production is really allowed to talk to you. This varies per production, but the cast is always sequestered. You get use to it, really.

5) IT'S LIKE DOING A TRIATHALON, BUT HARDER, AND FOR LONGER.
You will be woken up at dawn, taken to weird locations in the snow or 110 degree weather and have to act happy and surprised when Iman or Alexa Chung tell you your next challenge is to create a ball gown out of a swamp.
You have to sketch, design and choose fabrics at lightening speed, work all night, answer a million interview questions, do model fittings when you’re not ready to, oh the list goes on. Sleep? forget it. Coddling? In your dreams. This makes your senior collection project feel like winning the Ecco Domani. One word: prepare.


Diana Vreeland.

Q4. 'Downton Abbey'- Discuss.........

What can one say about the delicious sibling back-stabbing, the drawing room scheming, and the noble sentiments of the aristocracy, led on the “upstairs” side by our favorite, diva dowager, Maggie Smith?
And the “downstairs” drama!
A handsome Evil gay footman, the gut wrenching love saga between lady’s maid and wounded valet, and dead foreign aristocracy turning up in the most inconvenient places.
All set in a genuine stately home, (the yellow Labrador, is the home’s real dog) –and – the backdrop - the war, always the war. Which of course shaped British culture and created it’s indelible backbone. J’adore!


Photo: Juergen Teller.

Q5. Who is your ultimate Fashion Icon?

It’s always Vivienne Westwood for me. She is one of the few designers who has maintained her individuality and vision, without compromise, and without fear. She is a rebel in the true sense of the word - I’ve looked many times at her new collections and scratched my head, only to see versions of what she’s done seasons, or even years afterwards. She doesn’t give a fig about what anyone thinks, and in this age of self-conscious navel gazing, she is still refreshing. This is my favorite photo of her.

http://www.nancygarciafashion.com/

ICI Fibres - 1970s Clothes Commercial

Last night in NYC, Christian Louboutin celebrated his 20th Anniversary with a party at Bergdorf Goodman.





Patrick McDonald, James Aguiar.





Nancy Bacich, Nancy Garcia.

By Sean Michaels guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 1 February 2012

Neil Young has claimed he was working with the late Apple boss Steve Jobs on a follow-up to the iPod. Young said he and Jobs were developing a new device for listening to "high-resolution audio", which would download content "while you're sleeping".

"Steve Jobs was a pioneer of digital music, but when he went home he listened to vinyl," Young said during an interview at the D: Dive Into Media technology conference. He and Jobs were apparently both concerned with the dearth of high-quality listening formats for audiophiles, and the two men met to work on new hardware that could store the large music files Young prefers. Since Jobs's death in October, Young complained, there is "not much going on".

Young is a notorious opponent of MP3s and other compressed music formats. He even criticises CDs, which he claims offer only 15% of the audio information contained on master recordings. "What everybody gets [on an MP3] is 5% of what we originally make in the studio," he said. "We live in the digital age, and unfortunately it's degrading our music, not improving."

The 66-year-old singer called on his audience to improve standards for high-fidelity audio and new consumer-friendly playback devices. The main obstacle to better quality recordings is file size: audiophile-quality songs can take as long as 30 minutes to download, Young said, and current players can store no more than about 30 albums. "I have to believe if [Jobs] lived long enough he would have tried to do what I'm trying to do."

While Young attacked the internet's effect on audio standards, he acknowledged its utility as a promotional tool. "I look at [the] internet as the new radio," he explained. "Radio [is] gone. Piracy is the new radio; it's how music gets around."

Young is currently working on two new albums with his long-time on-off backing band Crazy Horse. He recently updated his website with an epic, 37-minute jam, thought to be taken from these sessions.

Tony King began his career in fashion online as Gucci Group’s eBusiness Design Director. 2004 marked the year that he established CREATETHE GROUP to transform the face of luxury online. As the former chief creative officer and founder, Tony led the conceptualization and development of digital solutions in his New York, Milan, and London offices. Under his exacting standards and distinctly unique creative direction, Tony has been a leader in design solutions for over a decade. Dissatisfied with big agency mentality, Tony founded a new kind of agency with King & Partners in 2010.


Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

TK - don't take this the wrong way but it was Sex Machine by James Brown. In 1987 I was 15 and started going to club that played funk and soul music, the music of James Brown really stood out. I remember buying the 7 inch vinyl of the that record.


Q2. You have a 'blue chip' client list that includes Kenzo, Thakoon, Bottega Venata, Jack Spade and Reiss. Why is fashion your chosen area of expertise and how adaptable is the industry to online marketing and e-commerce?

TK - I was told early on that if you do something you love you'll never work a day in your life. I've always loved fashion, design, architecture etc and I like to apply what I'm good at to those markets, and what I'm good at it coming up with ideas for digital properties, whether it be digital marketing or commerce ideas.


Q3. Vice is positioning itself as the 'new MTV' with a huge amount of original online content with Tom Freston at the helm of their endeavor. Do you think that a fashion brand could position itself as 'the new MTV' and if so, who?

TK - I actually don't think one brand could do that. Fashion is only interesting when it's mixed up with lots of brands and inspirations.


Q4. What are the Top Five Tips you can give fashion clients in the world of e-commerce?

TK - 1. find the right agency, embrace them as your partner and trust them. 2. know best practices but don't be afraid to break them where applicable. 3. forget focus groups, go on your gut, use intuition. your customers wont know what they want until they see it or use it. 4. having said that don't ignore your site analytics, read the statistics and know how to act upon them. 5. take risks.


Q5. Who is your ultimate digital icon and why?

TK - Not original but it has to be Steve Jobs. He did everything based on his instinct.

http://WWW.KINGANDPARTNERS.COM/

Bleecker Bob's - the classic record store located at 118 Third Street in New York's Greenwich Village since 1968, is going out of business and will be replaced by a Starbucks. So here's an idea-how about Starbucks goes into business with small local stores and leases them space inside the Starbucks that replaces them? That way, everyone wins. Our great cities don't become totally homogenized with all of the same boring corporate store fronts and Starbucks still gets to make more money. How about it Howard Schultz? Pick up that gauntlet.

Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" (April, 1991), and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. All stories take place in Basin City, with frequent recurring characters and intertwining stories.

A movie adaptation of Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller with "special guest director" Quentin Tarantino, was released on April 1, 2005. A planned sequel was announced soon after, but has since been delayed indefinitely.











Available from:

http://www.darkhorse.com/

Jayne County has been an influence on musicians such as David Bowie, The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed. Pianist Jools Holland's first studio outing was with County on her single "Fuck Off". She is known for her outrageous stage antics and her songs "Are You Man Enough To Be A Woman", "Fuck Off", "Stuck On You," and "Night Time". County was previously an actress at Andy Warhol's The Factory.



Q1. What was the first record you owned that really inspired you?
JC: I think as I remember correctly, the first record I owned was 'Mashed Potato Time' by Dee Dee Sharp. I was crazy about her! Bought every single she put out.


Q2. Can you tell me a little about your amazing artwork? It seems to have an East Indian influence and is very confrontational.
JC: I call some of my art work 'Psychedelic Expressionism. I also like to refer to it as. 'Degenerate Art' cause thats what the Nazis labeled all modern art during the Weimar Republic, which is my favorite period.


Jayne County - New York Underground.



Q3. You’ve always had a strong following in Europe. Why do you think Europeans love your performances so much?
JC: Europeans are more generally open minded, I think. And they are always interested in anything out of NYC!

Q4. Do you think that you get credit for the other artists and performers that you have influenced? Although you credit Jackie Curtis as an influence on you, there are certainly a good few around who have benefited from your barrier breaking too.
JC: I never get any credit and it really bothers me. I'm trying very hard not to let it make me bitter, but it 's very difficult!


Q5. You’ve performed in a lot of films either as a character or as yourself. Have you ever been approached to have a movie made about your life?
JC: Nick Abraham is doing a documentary on my life, and we are of course hoping for a 'real movie!'



http://www.jaynecounty.com/

From Rolling Stone:

A mysterious Japanese clothing collection featuring photos of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love is making waves online. Apparently a three-part collaboration between retailer Eyescream, Spade Magazine and Number (N)ine designer Takahiro Miyashita, the capsule collection features sixteen "extremely limited" pieces of clothing printed with images of Cobain and Love. At least fourteen of the photos come from photographer Kenji Kubo.

Miyashita collaborated with Undercover's Jun Takahashi on some of the visuals, while OpenStrings provided the t-shirts for the artwork. To complement the grunge tone, there's even a one-off Pearl Jam tee offered as a perk if you purchase 10,000 yen of product (approximately $130). Check out the collection here.

No word yet if Courtney Love knows about the existence of this collection. Watch this space.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/mysterious-kurt-and-courtney-themed-clothing-collection-emerges-in-japan-20120127#ixzz1kmg5kB5x

Amy Winehouse’s Dad Attacks Jean Paul Gaultier’s Tribute.

He tells British newspaper the Sun:

The family were upset to see those pictures, they were a total shock. We're still grieving for her loss, and we've had a difficult week with the six month anniversary of Amy's death. To see her image lifted wholesale to sell clothes was a wrench we were not expecting or consulted on ... We're proud of her influence on fashion but find black veils on models, smoking cigarettes with a barbershop quartet singing her music in bad taste. It portrays a view of Amy when she was not at her best and glamorises some of the more upsetting times in her life. That's upsetting for her family.