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
Want a bit of newsy news? Catch onto WebSnob and check out what's cooking in our collective kitchens-- a little fashion, a little beauty, a little commentary, even a video or two
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There's MORE Web Snob-- but you need to hit the NEW site for LA-STORY.. which is www.LA-STORY.COM! So easy and just a click away..
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.
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
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
Hola Chiquitas, hang onto your tv time and don't totally blow it off this summer because one of the hottest summer shows will be on SOAP.net with a NEW reality series that marries fashion + cosmetics+ Jane Magazine + New York Fashion Week all in show that has 10 episodes!! It's called The Fashionista Diaries. Buena Vista (Disney division) partnered with GO GO LUCKEY ( Laguna Beach) and HOUR ONE to present this show.
This show will depict the drama-- the high and low points of 2 new assistants from 3 different companies: Flirt Cosmetics (a brand from BeautyBank of the Estee Lauder Corp); Jane Magazine (If you have to ask, go buy a copy), and Seventh House PR, a boutique PR firm specializing in fashion and collaborating with Charlotte Ronson's Fashion Show and AfterParty during New York Fashion Week. You will see the highs & lows, the ups and downs as these six men and women try and make it "happen" (as a career) in these highly competitive industries and companies.
Accoring to Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney ABC Television Group. “This is the first of many new series that will originate with Buena Vista and find their way to SOAPnet.”
General Manager, SOAP.net, Deborah Blackwell, was thrilled to have this opportunity to work with such high profiles brands and publications and create a truly unique inside peek into the world of fashion and beauty-- as it really plays out during NYFW. Blackwell stated, “We will also be able to work on exciting cross promotional opportunities across all our brands. We’ve had great success with reality programming and this docudrama is a natural progression.”
The assistants and the three companies commingle in a unique way as they try to make it big in the BIG APPLE with high rent apts, long hours and a crazy life that is a blur of work and social. Each is involved in the launch of the Charlotte Ronson NYFW event --a priority project-- that can pit the assistants against each other or teach them to team up to get the job done while impressing the boss and not get fired before the big event. The series will conclude in September alongside New York’s Fashion Week.
It's reality tv for the real fashionistas and those who wonder what it's all about!
Check this out!
Stevie Wilson
Enjoying the wave of the mixed media jewelry trend, the Jewelry Weblog is loving the mix of suede and glass from Sepia.
Vote for your favorite emerging designers in StyleBakery.com's third annual "On The Rise" contest and you could win a $500 shopping spree at ravinstyle.com
Papierblog's ongoing mother's day gift guide highlights fragrances from Chanel
How to look like a bathing beauty, even when you don't feel like one. When it comes to Summer '07 swimwear, Second City Style has the ultimate swimwear guide for your body type.
Alexa Wilkinson Has An Amazing Appetite for Life and Music Check out her Lullaby Appetite CD and Podcast on LA STORY
Girlawhirl Gift Guide: Mother's Day Gifts-- All with special discounts for girlawhirl.com readers!
Go nude! In a podcast interview with CoverGirl makeup artist Molly Stern, Fashiontribes learns the best tips & tricks for rocking this hot trend for summer.
A Gift Guide for Mother's Day from the Bag Snob!
SheFinds Asks Hot or Not? The Return of Wayfarers
Styleaholics : Month of May Sample Sales Galore from D&G to LeSportsac
Stylehive gets the inside scoop on Zac Posen's widely rumored new blog project - check out the exclusive interview with the charismatic designer!
Inspired by or a coincidence. EBelle5 discovers the similarities between BeBe and the Louis Vuitton Riveting Bag.
This platinum Stella McCartney bag's playing PETA-friendly is nice, but leatherless or lambskin, Kristopher digs it.
My Fashion Life says "hell no" to the Jeans Bikini pant
eBeautyDaily addresses a common home haircoloring problem and its solutions.
Coquette loves the look of cute cropped cardigans.
Alexa Wilkinson is a name you might not recognize right now but very soon, you are going to hear her tunes climbing the charts and her voice will be on the radio a lot! Her first CD, Lullaby Appetite, currently available on iTunes and will be nationally released June 2007 on DNK Records (home to Josh Kelley.)
Photo my Mario Antoine
Having been a musician since the age of 10, Alexa Wilkinson is a formidable talent in a small package. Don't let her youth fool you! She's seen enough of life to carry her tunes and give you a fresh feel and also some edge to the music that won't disappoint. Her fresh, smooth vocals slide easily around the extremely hummable melodies, toe-tapping rhythms and sprite guitar playing. The lyrics are rich with expression, exposing a vulnerability and honesty sans naïvete. Young she may be and willing to learn, but immature isn't in the vocabulary to describe Wilkinson. Rather there is an emotional maturity of looking at life with an optimistic eye, learning from one’s mistakes, and moving on.
Recently I was able to snag some interview time with Alexa Wilkinson while she was in Denver on tour. As of tomorrow 4/30, Alexa along with Josh Kelley and Keaton Simons and gang will be back in LA hitting 2 dates in Los Angeles: the Coach House on 4/30 and then The Troubadour on Friday 5/4/2007-- where Keaton Simons will open for Alexa and Josh. Definitely a tour date worth heading into the city to see! Here's a podcast of PART I of the interview with Alexa. Look for part II soon!
Part 1 of Alexa Wilkinson, singer/ songrwriter/musician
Photo of the recording production crew including Josh Kelley
Josh Kelley, a serious musican/artist/record producer promoting his third album on this tour, learned of Alexa’s talent and collaborated on and produced five of her songs by July, 2006. Other collaborators include Michael Brauer (Coldplay, Paul McCartney, and Grammy winner John Mayer), David Thoener (Matchbox 20, Faith Hill, and Santana), and Greg Calbi (John Lennon, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Lenny Kravitz)--so there is some SERIOUS writers and musicians involved in this album and it belies that talent that's quite evident from the opening .
Alexa and Kate Voegele (as described in the podcast)..
Josh Kelley commented on working with Alexa,
“I was immediately impressed with Alexa’s music—she is an extremely talented singer and songwriter whose unique sound will no doubt propel her to the top. She’s got such a natural, easygoing style to her music that anyone from all ages can relate to. I’m proud to have her on tour with me
The Bitter End
Want to hear her tunes? Check out her myspace site below--and also Itunes.com too to purchase your favorites. I highly recommend the ENTIRE CD since there's a lot more to the music than what you will notice from 1-2 listening of the tracks. She's sharp as a tack.
www.myspace.com/alexawilkinson
Look for Part II of the Alexa Wilkinson Podcast coming soon! Probably after the Monday Coach House date on 4/30 .. and then I will follow up with the Coach House interviews of Josh Kelley, Alexa Wilkinson and Keaton Simons!
Stevie Wilson
Macy Gray will be performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, May 3, 2007. Tune in at 12:05 pm for the show and catch her performance!
Wait!!! We have something better. Wouldn't it be great to see the show LIVE?
Wouldn't it be better to GO to the show and watch it live, for free!
Jimmy Kimmel Live is looking for YOU!! He wants to find Macy Gray fans to be part of his mini-concert on Thursday, May 3rd.
Jimmy Kimmel Live features celebrity guests and cutting edge performers with plenty of surprises, panic, and general pandemonium. The best part is that Macy Gray will play 5 songs for you.
If you are interested in seeing Macy Gray in person and being a part of the Jimmy Kimmel Live audience, please visit www.1iota.com and follow these simple steps:
Click the 1iota TV Shows button
Click the Jimmy Kimmel Live logo
Choose Macy Gray event link to request tickets
ATTENDANCE TO THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY!!! Remember, BE QUICK, because space is EXTREMELY LIMITED!!
ESSENTIAL NOTICES & Important 411!
You must be at least 18 years old
You must be available on Thursday, May 3rd from 6:15pm – 9:00pm
You must have a valid photo ID
Please do not wear white, light blue, beige or logos, as they don’t come across well on camera
Please do not bring large handbags or knapsacks
No cameras or recording devices
NOW go get your tickets!! If you get tickets, if you go, PLEASE email me directly to tell me about it so that I can get feedback and post it on this blog..
Happy Jimmy Kimmel Live Time!!
Samira from the Joshua_Radin_fansite snagged a GREAT Q&A with Joshua Radin -- you remember him! I did SIX interviews with Joshua on the Hotel Cafe Tour on this blog!
Well catch up with him and his life courtesy of Samira who had a chance to sit down with him LIVE!!!
LUCKY GIRL and LUCKY us because she's sharing the 411 with fashiontribes.com.
Stevie
Wednesday afternoon, Drew Barrymore was ceremoniously unveiled as the newest face of CoverGirl Cosmetics. The star and filmmaker will not only find herself in front of the camera launching new products for the company, but also behind the camera as a co-creative director of her first TV commercial for the Brand.
“I am honored to be associated with a brand that has been at the forefront of its industry for almost fifty years,” Barrymore said. “CoverGirl has managed to change with the times, yet stay in touch with women of all ages and backgrounds. To be chosen not only as the newest face of CoverGirl, but to be given the opportunity to be a co-creative director of my first TV commercial is truly amazing.”
“Drew is a wonderful addition to the CoverGirl family and her role – both in front of the camera and behind the scenes as co-creative director – is new and different for the cosmetics industry,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Vice President and General Manager, CoverGirl Cosmetics in North America. “We wanted to honor Drew’s passions as a filmmaker and are thrilled she is not only lending her beautiful face to CoverGirl but also lending her artistic talents as the co-creative director of the ad campaign.”
Barrymore’s national print and TV ad campaigns will break in January 2008. This is the first major beauty contract for the actress. She joins CoverGirl spokesmodels Queen Latifah, Christie Brinkley, Keri Russell, Molly Sims and Rihanna as the newest face of the Brand.
Karina Mediate gives us her "on the scene" report.
DREW BARRYMORE signs her first major Beauty Campaign!
Drew looked beautiful in a canary yellow Carolina Herrera, drop waist dress with lime green satin Christian Laboutin shoes; hair was middle-parted,
blond and straight, all Cover Girl make-up.
She was introduced by Esi Eggleston Bracey, (General Manager of CoverGirl in North America). Drew emerged from behind a large movie clipboard that had Take One and her name with the CoverGirl Logo. Drew made
some lovely comments about the history of CG and how excited she is to have been asked to represent such a legendary cosmetic line like Cover Girl Cosmetics.
She mentioned how as a young teenage girl, she had Cheryl Tiegs, Carol Alt Cover Girl ads pasted on her walls. She likes the availability of Cover Girl and confessed that she is a make-up junkie.
When asked why now in her career, she said that in her 30's, she wanted to feel the best about herself and, saying "embrace what you have been given". Cover Girl has also stepped up and is joining her in her philanthropy,
starting with her schools and books for her Kenya project. There are other charities that she and Cover Girl will cooperate on.
Drew will also be working in tandem with Cover Girl behind the
camers as a co-creative director of her first TV commercial for the Cover Girl brand! Her national print and TV ads for Cover Girl will break in January 2008!
Karina added that she was exceptionally well treated by the Cover Girl contingent and was specifically requested to ask Drew a question-which she asked about her philanthropic activities and how they would involve Cover Girl.. which is happily answered above!
I first came across Sara Bareilles at the Hotel Cafe Tour at the House of Blues Anaheim as the closing night performance.
I had never heard of most of the musicians on the bill and was impressed (hard to do typically.) But this group was sensational and one of the stand-outs for my friend Cheryl and I (which is a separate podcast review of the concert) was Sara Bareilles. This singer with the rocking gorgeous voice plays piano and writes her own lyrics that any one can identify with-- particularly the girls because we all know what it's like to have our hearts broken, shattered, trampled on and tossed back to us in so many little pieces. Her voice is pure, clean and has a huge range and depth of emotion that most don't have these days. Reminscent of the singers from the 40's and 50's, she's very much a chanteuse with a low key attitude.
Luckily, Sara Bareilles spared us some time from her very busy touring schedule to talk to us. She's been criss-crossing the country and working on her new CD from Epic Records (due to launch soon) called Little
Voice. Her current CD -- Careful Confessions-- is what we are talking about today and if you can find a copy-- BUY IT! Don't wait and think about it. Just do it!
It's a phenomenal CD and one that has been in my car since November and every time I hear it, I laugh, I cry, I sing along and am also dying to get her sheet music for piano too because the melodic lines of her piano playing underscore some of the melancholy tones of the music.
What is Careful Confessions all about? Think of it as a peek into the heart, soul, and heartaches of Sara Bareilles as "everywoman" but also as herself. She talks about the pluses and the huge minuses or relationships-- especially those that go bad. She talks the talk because she's walked the walk-- and maybe still does. Her lyricism is striking and metaphors are phenomenal.
Gravity is a song about the pull of her feelings for a man where it she loves him -- and it doesn't seem to be very reciprocal-- but that he "magnetically" draws her to him-- " to hold me without touch; keep me without chains".. and she has a hard time breaking away because of his "gravity". "You're neither friend nor foe," he "keeping me down". She is pleading for her to leave her be-- to let her go and her singing, her passion, emotions are apparent-- both live and on the CD.
Undertow deals with the ocean metaphor of a riptide/undertow. Her lyrics take you to her repeating history of finding something (someone) that she can't have. She only wants things when you tell her she can't have it. He comes and goes and "heart breaks in a heartbeat.... should have warned me of the undertow and I couldn't find a better man to let me go". It's the self-repeating pattern of the "waves going to break" and the jazzy feel and sweet tones and the rhythmic of her piano matching up with her musical presentation makes this one a winner. It's addicting.
Love on the Rocks-- one of my personal favorites. She exemplifies the Billie Holiday type of chanteuse quality. Her lyrics show the ups and downs and how she knows that it's not going to work out- and that this is the "last time that you'll hear the beautiful sound of love coming down". Her bridge lyrics is a perfect description of love as a drink on a hot summer night when nothing is cooler than the icy rim of a glass against the forehead.
Responsible -- soft acoustic guitar.. slower yet a lower key in pace and tone. It's almost the dance of two lovers who are circling each other --both in knowledge of having been lovers yet also because they are finding that they don't know each other well-- and that "careful confessions" are what is driving her to him to "love him a little at a time". She's losing patience with walking on the edge-- coming to him on his terms.
One Sweet Love-- it's a beautiful tale of what she gives to a man to get him -- the time, the effort, the giving of herself to get a taste of one sweet love.
Fairytale--amusing, lovely, innovative, sharply smart-- and should be the anthem for most women out there because life is not a fairy tale and excuse the rip of a title of a book --but Cinderella Was a Liar. Bareilles doesn't want a fairytale prince, she wants a man. Check out the HILARIOUSLY great video for this song here. Well done and actually should be "required listening/watching" for every woman out there.
Come Round Soon is a beautiful bluesy, jazzy song about a guy who is a thunderstorm of a heartbreak and her analogies regarding addiction and storms is perfectly nailed. This guy has heartbreak written all over him and she's hoping that he's going to come back and see her as a love.
Inside Out is a soft acoustic guitar based song that is gives more play to Sara's lovely voice that sounds a lot like the best of singers from the 40's and 50's-- with real fire, feeling and depth. It's an explanation of who she is or will be eventually.
City a luscious tune that's just Sara and her piano LIVE! It's her as she really is at her best.
Red is another
