NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!!
This blog has moved to a new location! You can now find it at www.la-story.com.
I haven't left Fashiontribes.com. I am still part of the staff. It was to streamline the blogs.
Why the move?
So you can find it easier and the pages will load faster.
There's a ton of new podcasts and features waiting to go up. So check out the new location and let me know what you think!
Stevie Wilson
NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!!
This blog has moved to a new location! You can now find it at www.la-story.com.
Attention Southern California Lifehouse fans!! Want to be a part of an exclusive major internet event with Lifehouse? Yahoo! Music and Geffen Records want you to join us when Lifehouse takes the stage for Nissan Live Sets in West Los Angeles, CA.
Check it out at the LA-Story.Com blog
Stevie Wilson
2nd Annual Night of Spirits Event Benefits the LA Chapter, Muscular Dystrophy Association
For MORE information on this event, please check out
www.LA-STORY.com for all the details.
Papierblog ponders whether Australian designer Josh Goot made a mistake going with Target
Stylehive has just launched Style Communities with great brands such as InStyle, Gap, Shopbop and Ron Herman! Check them out and join today!
LA STORY suggests you "Surrender" to the luscious voice of Jane Monheit in her podcast!
FitFlops are all the rage in London says Girlawhirl
Second City Style is making beautiful music with the accordion...pleat this summer.
SheFinds - -Fashion, Beauty, FINDS: Chic Luggage for Chic Travelers
Styleaholics Love the 80's? Love Cassettes? Then you're gonna love these wallets!
Jewelry gets the bag as The Jewelry Weblog dicusses the idea of combining jewelry bling with hand bag function.
eBelle5 discovers a handful of Marc Jacobs Designer Handbags that retail for under $65
Find out what's tops for Pops with StyleBakery.com's list of Father's Day Gifts he's sure to love
Don't you hate it when you spot another gal in your favorite outfit? Coquette introduces you to the unique handprinted fashions of Snoozer Loser.
Zzzzzz.....time to catch up on your beauty sleep, advises Fashiontribes. In honor of Better Sleep Month, learn the secrets of a good night's sleep from experts at the Better Sleep Council.
Some dames dig dogs, other kittens cuddle cats-Kristopher prefers glammy dead animals, like a vintage alligator bag.
It's sale season at Bag Snob so get your goodies before they sell out!
If you don't know who Jane Monheit is, please don't skip over this podcast. This is really something different. It's not your typical 'indie rock/pop' person that I interview. Instead it's a singer whose vocal prowess is phenomenal and she's just as beautiful as her voice. Grammy nominated Monheit has just dropped her seventh album and still finds there's a goldmine of songs in the pop/jazz repetoire to sing-- and bring her own tone, "voice", personality to each one of these songs and make them her own.
Produced by the magician producer, Jorge Callandrelli (Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand and more, Surrender features 10 tracks of fab ballads and sexy and romantic bossa novas. Now you might not recognize all these names but you do know Stevie Wonder and Jane covers Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” in a magical way. She also worked with Sergio Mendes’ on his “So Many Stars,” which he produced, arranged and guests on, along with Johnny Mandel & Paul Francis Webster’s “A Time for Love.” There's so much depth to these songs, that they don't sound like classics but fresh material.
Working with her core of musicians including Ari Ambrose (saxophone), Michael Kanan (piano and Fender Rhodes), Orlando Le Fleming (bass), Rick Montalbano (drums) and Miles Okazaki (guitar), Monheit has shown us that not only can she do the classics, but she can take contemporary material and make it gorgeous as well as venture into Brazilian jazzy bossa nova beats and produce a lush, sexy "meet me in Rio" feel to these amazing songs - and she's very very good at interpreting the romance of the language.
Check out the podcast so that you can learn the who, what, where, why and how about this album as Jane Monheit gives us some time to ask her about her newest "baby" and what she's doing in her life when she's not on the road or in the studio-- and you will be surprised at the things she really loves. Or -- if you already listen to Monheit-- you won't be surprised. She's a multi-faceted, fun-loving person whose enthusiasm for her favorite things should be 'bottled" for it's pop and fizz. Don't forget to check out the track listings-- there are 2 streaming songs!
Surrender Track listing:
1. If You Went Away
2. Surrender
3. Rio De Maio (with Ivan Lins)
4. Like A Lover
5. Só Tinha De Ser Com Você
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/JaneMonheit-SoTinhaDeSerComVoce.asx
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/ram/JaneMonheit-SoTinhaDeSerComVoce.rm
6. So Many Stars (with Sergio Mendes)
7. Moon River
8. Overjoyed
9. Caminhos Cruzados (with Toots Thielemans)
ww.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/JaneMonheit-CaminhosCruzados.asx
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/ram/JaneMonheit-CaminhosCruzados.rm
10. A Time For Love
Want to know more about Jane Monheit? Check out these websites:
Jane Monheit Concord Official Site:
http://concordmusicgroup.com/janemonheit
Jane Monheit Official Site:
http://www.janemonheitonline.com
Jane Monheit on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/janemonheit
Jane Monheit Surrender Tour Dates
06/02 The Cleveland Playhouse Cleveland, Ohio
06/05 -06/10 Catalina Bar and Grill Los Angeles, CA
06/13 -06/14 Soho Restaurant & Music Club Santa Barbara, CA
06/15 Anthology Restaurant Live San Diego, CA
06/16 Anthropology Restaurant Live San Diego, CA
06/17 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
06/22-06/23 Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club Miami Beach, FL
07/09 Kuumba Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA
07/12-07/15 Yoshi's Oakland, CA
07/17-07/22 Jazz Alley Seattle, WA
08/10 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA
08/11 Mt. Gretna Playhouse Mount Gretna, PA
08/12 Planting Fields Arboretum Oyster Bay, NY
08/18 Mable House Amphitheatre Mableton, GA
09/01 On The Waterfront Festival Rockford, IL
09/22 Travis Park San Antonio, TX
09/23 One World Theatre Austin, TX
10/09-10/11 Blue Note New York, New York
Ready to buy now?
If you are a "shoe addict" (or someone seriously addicted-- "shoe ho"), you are familiar with the brand Stuart Weitzman. Known in the industry as a craftsman and designer of gorgeous shoes that fit well and have cutting edge styles for the fashionista in you, there is always a run on his shoes when a new collection comes out.
Weitzman is known for great style in the entertainment biz because he creates a collection of Oscar worthy shoes every Academy Awards season and it's typically a six to seven figure shoe that is worn by some extremely lucky actress who attends the Oscar ceremonies. The collection is sold for about a month after the Oscars and the "special shoe" goes out on tour. Celebs clamour for Weitzman shoes because 1) they are gorgeous and 2) they are extremely comfortable.
Now you can get styles similar to those worn by celebrities (and in some case are the same styles)! The Stuart Weitzman store is featuring a TRUNK SHOW in Beverly Hills to launch his fall collection.
Sashay Peep Toe Pump in Fire Patent.
This is an opportunity to choose your favorite styles in an extensive range of sizes: 6-12 AAAA, 5-12 AA, 4-12 B and 5-11 C and not have to worry about availability because they are all there.
Circle May 21-23 on your Smartphone Calendar dolls, because the Fall Stuart Weitzman Collection will be in town and get your toes into some gorge shoes for fall.
Times: 10am – 6pm
Location: Stuart Weitzman
437 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-9600
Definitely get there -- and get there early! I am telling you now so that you can block out some serious time for shoe hunting!
See you at Stuart's place!
Stevie Wilson
Come on girlies! If you missed the fem Fashion Elements sale last week at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica (or didn't but want to shop till your credit card smokes), then get your gas tank filled up and head to the OC -- to the Irvine Hilton (just off the Freeway!) and fill your trunk with designer clothing and accessories at MUCH LESS THAN RETAIL PRICES!!
What brands are you going to see? Check out these babies:
Orange County
2B Free-- Love them!
American Laser Centers
B. Boheme
BCBG--works for me!
Blowout Men
Cheena Chandra Jewelry-- GORGE jewelry
Christine Price Inc.
Contrabrand
Convoy
Eleanor Group - Spa Services--heavenly
Flux Nouveau
Geren Ford-Yummy!
Joan Nguyen
Julieri
Kristin Kahle Design--fabulous belts
La Chica Chic-- the most adorable bags
Lesa Wallace Handbags
Marisa K
Mike & Chris-- killer brand I have 4 pieces from this line
Nap
Natalie Anne Designs
Nyali
People for Peace- love them!
Rock de Goth
Rock & Republic-- rockin' jeans
San Damian Collection
Shop Robertson
Shu Shu Belts
T-Bags
Theresa Kathryn--great bags!
Too Faced Cosmetics-- Gorgeous cosmetics
Wahine Jewelry
Yoga Army-- cool yoga and leisure wear
Yesodra's Designs
And More…
Event sponsors include
944 Magazine, MONSTER Energy, ZMario, Sambazon and more!
The VIP shopping starts at 11 AM. Best to get going early and do order tickets online-- it speeds you through the check in process and saves you dinero!
Shop, get a spa treatment, have fun!
What more can a girl ask for!
Stevie Wilson
It's crunch time boys and girls! Shop till you drop or find the perfect gift for your mom. Here are some quick ideas that you can find online and in stores NOW!
If it's jewelry that catches here eye, Check out Tadam for some amazing pieces at affordable price points.
Bellmore Earrings are a smash hit for summer wear and into fall and would be a memorable gift.
Mom would be star struck with this fab necklace called
appropriately "Star Struck" also from Tadam Jewelry.
What mother wouldn't love a gorge robe like this? Silk Charmeuse bi-colored embroidered long kimono robe features a detailed embroidered peacock on the back with Chinese characters embroidered on the front symbolizing long life, prosperity and good health. Three color combinations peach/ivory, lavender/pink, sage green/celadon from Shirley of Hollywood .
Moms love handbags-- well who doesn't? Check out this adorable piece from Kipling-- a duffle in a hot RED called Anatomy that is perfect for spring/summer!
Want to know what's hot in the blogosphere? The newest trends in fashion, the best spots to shop, the coolest new item? Web Snob brings you the best so that you don't have to google around to find out what it's all about. Now you already know!
The Antrobus Convertible Bag is the perfect solution traveling light says Bag Snob!
Coquette picks her spring favorites from Kris Nations Jewelry.
eBelle5 reveals Jessica Simpson's version of Rafe's Rivington Handbag
Yes, you can wear a dress in emerald, fuschia, purple or any other bold color. According to Fashiontribes, the secret is accessories in nude or metallic tones.
An organized handbag makes girlawhirl’s life a little more manageable. Girlawhirl finds options from Alexandra Bee and Purseket
Kristopher Dukes does a non-tribute to the YSL "Tribute" shoe.
Give Someone Special the Gift of Love. LA STORY Suggests David Martin's Something In Your Eyes CD
Are reusable designer shopping bags truly the future? Papierblog finds out.
Second City Style interviews Project Runway winner, Jeffrey Sebelia.
SheFinds Asks: Dresses with Pockets -- Hot or Not?
Want to know what the StyleBakery.com editors are loving? They're sharing all the products they can't live without this season.
Styleaholics' Najwa Moses catches up with sneaker blogger Ms. Exclusive Sneaker Aficionado Illuminati
Hot Trend: Alice in Wonderland - Have your own mad tea party and revisit your childhood with these Lewis Carroll-inspired finds at the Stylehive.
Already looking toward summer jewelry accesorizing, The Jewelry Weblog discovered some yummy fruit jewelry.
Stevie Wilson
Iridesse is both a real store and also a dot.com from Tiffany that specializes in just PEARLS!!! Wow.. we do love pearls. Perfect for brides and perfectly suited for MOTHER'S Day. So take a hint from the photo above that indicates a SALE is going on .. so get over there pronto to a store, call in an order, or do it online and get Mom a big bouquet and tell her the pressie is on the way.
We did do a little cherry picking of jewelry for you though.. we always love to help you out in a pinch. A get this-- the prices won't break anyone's bank!
Cultured freshwater black baroque pearl hoop earrings in sterling silver. Cultured freshwater pearls, 10-11mm. $110 ( yummy!)
Cultured freshwater black near round pearl and leather bracelet with sterling silver beading. Cultured freshwater pearls, 5.5-6mm. Bracelet, 7.5" long. $70
Edgy but fun and shows that pearls can be hip too!
Cultured freshwater multicolor oval pearl butterfly lariat necklace in sterling silver. Cultured freshwater pearls, 8-9mm. Original price, $145. Now 15% off.
$123 (WOW!! What a great deal! PINK Pearls and this is HOT!)
So skidaddle over to Iridesse for gorge jewelry. Or check out this page for locations near you and an 800 number too.
Happy shopping!
Stevie Wilson
Vilebrequin and Men’s Vogue magazine have joined forces to celebrate summer style by hosting an online charity auction of one-of-a-kind celebrity customized swim trunks from the luxe St. Tropez Company to benefit Project Angel Food.
A VIP invitation-only event on Wednesday, May 9th at Vilebrequin’s Beverly Hills boutique located at 2 Rodeo Drive show off all the auction items and were definitely a great hit with the crowd of celebs and noted guests featuring 10 Cane Cocktails (YUM).
All items will be on display at Vilebrequin for one week (ending May 16th) and during that time the Company will also designate a portion of sales to the charity.
Celebrities were provided with Vilebrequin’s classic Moorea style swim trunks in white and colors along with a colored fabric markers and were offered the opportunity to create an original design using the nylon fabric as a blank canvas to create their original masterpieces.
An elite roster of celebrities have rallied together to support Project Angel Food. Those who have customized swim trunks include:
• Sir Elton John & David Furnish
• Eric McCormack & his son Finnigan
• Andy Garcia & his son Andrés
• Gary Payton & his sons Julian & Gary II
• The cast of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”
Each lot will also include a special gift from Men’s Vogue magazine honoring the celebrity as well as a $300 store gift certificate from Vilebrequin. Bidding begins on Thursday, May 10th and closes Thursday, May 24th at 6PM EST at www.charityfolks.com/PAF.
For over 30-years Vilebrequin, the world-renowned men’s and boy’s swimwear manufacturer from St. Tropez has been outfitting the most stylish men with their vibrant and colorful swim trunks. Please visit www.vilebrequin.com.
Project Angel Food is the only organization that delivers freshly-cooked, nutritiously-appropriate meals, free-of-charge to men, women and children debilitated by cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. Clients range in age from 7 to 104. Thanks to a devoted corps of volunteers, they prepare and deliver more than 1,300 meals each day. Project Angel Food has never maintained a waiting list and has never turned anyone away who is eligible for their meals.
Charity Folks is the leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, corporate cause marketing campaigns and celebrity-driven charity initiatives; a cross-market penetration that has made them the "go-to" in the field of ePhilanthropy. Among its special partners are hallmark nonprofits, including Entertainment Industry Foundation and The World Wildlife Fund; A-list celebrities, such as Alicia Keys and Morgan Freeman; and top-brand corporations, including Cadillac and Esquire Magazine.
Stevie Wilson
Macy Gray was on the Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, May 3, 2007 and did a performance.
LA Story featured the contest to win a pair of tickets to see Macy Gray LIVE on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Wouldn't it be better to GO to the show and watch it live, for free!
One of the Fashiontribes contributing writers was on the guest list to get in to that concert for a review and we had it all nailed down since she recently did a phone interview with Macy Gray on a new website. You will see an excerpt of this great interview on the Fashiontribes Life & Style blog! We thought getting a couple of live quotes post performance would be pretty nifty.
While the PR had everything in place, it seems when the FT contributor showed up with guest in tow, that she suddenly wasn't on the guest list. No matter how much she tried to explain that she was press and on the list, Geffen Records and Jimmy Kimmel Live staff refused to let her and the guest in to the show. What's worse is that they offered her the option to watch OUTSIDE in the cold Burbank weather. What we aren't clear on is if she was to watch through a window or just simply standing but given that there was a seated audience- and that was where the writer was supposed to be -inside, this was really not an optimum result. If it were a sultry LA night, no big deal but the weather wasn't cooperating and it was windy, blustery and cold!
Knock Knock Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Geffen. LA Story plugged the HECK out of this contest on 4 different blog sites--which helped get you a lot of LOCAL LA people to enter the contest and another plug for Macy Gray's new CD. Yet you blew our writer out of the show so rudely and were offering her the chance to watch it through a window?
This little mishap is back out on all the blogs. This shows that Geffen Records and Jimmy Kimmel Live don't have a lot of respect for blogosphere writers. While they "use" us to get their clients out there and get the grass roots movement, bloggers are the first to get booted.
Doesn't make me much inclined to
1) watch Jimmy Kimmel Live;
2) support Geffen artists and
3) buy the CDs (yes some of us actually buy the CDS. I personally have purchased 50 CDs since the first of the year to cover some artists).
All I can say is Boo Hiss and a pat on the back for the writer who went from the far "Westside" of LA to Burbank for the event and got zip from it.
That's show biz for ya!
Stevie
This is a time of weddings, Mother's Day, graduations, and seasonal changes that often make one reflect on the "state" of your personal situation--particularly if you are "in love"; in a budding relationship or a more solid one; planning a wedding or newly married; or perhaps have a long standing relationship or marriage in place. No matter what, love is something that should be expressed because it creates a deeper bond between both partners. There is no one gift that can really create or nurture that sentiment or feeling better than music.
Recently released from Astonish Entertainment is the debut CD of gifted musician David Martin. He may not be a singer or musician you have heard of yet, but he's going to be burning up the airwaves and the concert trail pretty quickly. Don't let the "eye candy" looks fool ya! He's got the musical chops to drive you to tears with some of his songs. Lyrics are phenomenal and the music itself is amazing. This singer, song-writer, musician did all the composing and even produced his own CD to make sure it had the right "feel" while working with top notch musicians behind him.
Martin-- known in the industry as a rising star-- was asked to open the show for Bill Boards Annual event. The headliner was Sir Elton John-- so it was quite a coup to be asked and then actually get up there on stage and rock the house with his gentle melodies and harder edged tunes.
Something In Your Eyes is a collection of love songs-- some ballads, some uptempo, some with serious rock and roll vibes and some acoustic tunes. Gifted in crafting lyrics, particularly love songs and ballads, Martin displays a talent that has "legs" (longevity) and this debut CD displays this distinctive talent best because making a love song sound "real", "authentic" and "genuine" isn't the easiest thing in the world. This CD is a "diary" of his marriage of 10 years and how much he treasures his wife and the life they have built together.
Consider this a CD to be a collection of "love letters" to the woman he adores and it encompasses the good and the bad-- the hard times and the fun and "off the wall" times of being married to a musician who is essentially a traveling troubadour always on the road.
The title track racks up an impressive orchestral arrangement that would work equally as well with just a piano or a guitar. Check out the video because it's a real heart breaker (links below). The model in the video with him, isn't just a model... it's his wife. When I first saw the video, I had nothing more to go on but the music. I had very little information. I watched the video and saw that this was no "usual" video--sparks were flying between Martin and the girl in the video and I was betting that it was his wife-- but hesitated to put it into a blog.
I was able to interview David Martin via phone (such a nice guy too!) and we talked about the ins and outs of that video (interesting side note: the director was the actor who played the Cobra Kai karate champ in the Karate Kid movie. If you haven't seen No More Kings, check out the reference), where it was made, and I asked a lot of questions -- all of which are answered on the podcast which will be posted soon. (You didn't think I was going to give you all that 411 NOW did you?)
More than a musician, Martin is a husband who is passionately in love and wants to express this to his wife in the only way he really knows how-- that he loves her more than the first bloom of passion.
Quicktime high:
Quicktime low:
Windows Media high:
Windows Media low:
The other songs present different aspects of their relationship and there are the rough patches where they have to be strong. Stand is one of those songs as is Be Strong. The song that hit me the hardest and told me the most about David Martin's ability as a musician, a writer of significant poetic ability, and a producer (no mean feat that-- producing his own CD), was the song Connected. You will have to wait for the podcast to hear the details but it's more acoustic in flavor, but it's about what we all need to "know" and "do" if we are in a relationship. While we are busy with our lives, sometimes we forget to take the time to "connect" one on one, eye to eye, and reach the core of the other person's soul and heart. Martin does just that in that song. He reaches out and touches you and tells you how and what it takes to make a relationship work. For a musician who admittedly is circling the globe and spends not nearly as much time at home as he would like despite the use of the cell phone, there's nothing like being face to face with the one with you love .
If you are in a new or long-standing relationship, whether engaged or newly married, or maybe not married at all but in a partnership/relationship, this is a CD for you. It's a CD of hope and anticipation for those who aren't there yet-- because you too can have this sort of passion in your life. Just realize that this type of relationship requires work and it's not always easy and there is that rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. You can do it.
I highly recommend this CD. While I spend a lot of time reviewing music and cds in various genres, I make sure that I spend a lot of time listening to each CD-- immersing myself in the music --to get a feel of what each musician brings something to the plate that's unique. I have a deep appreciation for what each musician communicates in his music yet I listen, evaluate, chart the evolution of the music with a slightly detached perspective. Very few musicians dig a hole deep in my heart with their lyrics. This guy is one of them.
No matter who the special person is in your life, when you give this CD to them, note the changes in them as the music hits them that you are showing your partner that you really appreciate what you have together.
David Martin's SOMETHING IN YOUR EYES CD. Song entitled I Will Love You
Check out David Martin at DavidMartin.com
Visit him on myspace at www.myspace.com/davidmartin
Sold already? Want to buy this record? Check out Itunes for a download to your iPod.
Or you can buy it at Amazon.com.
Stevie Wilson
