A different kind of Wu

A few months ago, Terry Richardson directed a thirty second spot for Belvedere vodka.
While the video is a direct reflection of Richardson's irreverent, crude and sexy work, what really attracts me is the groovy background beat.
The track originated from a collaboration between Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and the multifaceted Vincent Gallo.
The video displayed above is an original cut of Jacob Septimus music video and Terry Richardson's commercial.

The Wu

"Fashions fade, style is eternal" Yves Saint Laurent

LA based, Fashion Stylist Johnny Wujek's most discernable trait of character is that he's probably one of the most like-able guys in town.
While most of us get infatuated with the young starlette the night before, watching her walk the red carpet, performing before thousands or quite simply entering the room, looking more angelic and delightful then ever, there is usually someone behind this perfect appearance, a person responsible for the manifestation of our obsession. A fashion stylist.

Wujek's singular, original and clever vision has dressed some of Hollywoodland's highest profile actresses as well as created his own highly innovative shoe line "johnny Wujek for Modern Vintage" (available at American Rag).

A Cross The Universe

Justice is known for incorporating a strong rock influence into their music and image. (Wikipedia)

Directed by Romain Gavras (responsible for Justice's highly aggressive and controversial Stress music Video), SoMe and the band themselves, the documentary follows the Electronic Duo on their 2008 Northern American.

One of the highlights of the film is probably band member Xavier De Rosnay turning to the camera and telling Gavras:
"I'm not really quite sure what you're trying to do with this footage but I'm getting flashbacks... I'm pretty scared..."
Spitting pure vodka at a drunken groupies face backstage, cracking a match and lighting her hair on fire?

Our parents had the underground, heroin induced Cocksucker Blues (Robert Blank's 1971, never released, Rolling Stones documentary), we have A Cross The Universe.
Take that you goddamn, long haired mother f****g hippies!

Electric Arguments

"Imagine you're Bob Dylan in 1967' or 'Imagine you're Captain Beefheart meets Jimi Hendrix on a bad trip"

This is one of the direction that Youth gave Sir Paul McCartney before recording the track "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" from his new album Electric Arguments.
Recorded at McCartney's countryside estate in Sussex, both artists worked so fast they would cut an entire song each day (spread over the course of a year).
While McCartney reveals that some of the lyrics inspiration comes from books of poetry by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg and Walt Whitman, the overall record sounds like a fresh new approach to psychedelic English-sounding Folk.
The result of his collaboration with youth on his experimental side project, The Fireman is one of the most personal, inspired and creative records of Paul McCartney I've heard since Band On The Run.

The Academy Awards

This years academy awards was one of the least painful and most glamorous we've seen in years and I couldn't be happier with the Academy's choice to celebrate a rather small budget and one of the most brilliant, uplifting, creative and inspirational film, Slumdog Millionaire!
This modern day fairy tale set about a young boy trying to get the love of his life's attention, is just absolutely admirable and awe-inspiring!

David Bailey

"The first half of the century belongs to Picasso and the second half belongs to photography."

In 1960 David Bailey was contracted by British Vogue as a freelance fashion photographer, he was 22 years old.
Two years later, he was sent out on his first foreign assignment, a New York shoot with then girlfriend Jean Shrimpton, he received some instructions to not wear his black leather jacket in the St. Regis Hotel since he will be representing Vogue. Bailey and Shrimpton arrived fully dressed in leather, not surprising since they were the tremors causing swinging London's fashion and music youthquake.

One of his most recognizable work was his 1964 Box of Pin-Ups, a box of poster-prints of celebrities, politicians, artists and socialites including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Catherine Deneuve, Terence Stamp, Twiggy, Michael Caine, Jane Birkin, Marianne Faithfull etc...
Bailey's career and personal life thrived during the Heyday of the Swinging Sixties and at times, the public seemed more interested in his colorful exploits than in his photography.
In 1966, Michelangelo Antonioni directed the experimental and legendary Blow-Up, the film documents the work and sexual perks of a London fashion photographer considerably inspired by David Bailey.
Groovy.

Lily Rose Beatrice Allen

You will probably think that I'm some sort of retarded recluse living under a pile of Rock'n Roll records but until last night, I thought Lily Allen was just some inexplicable, ridiculous paparazzi attraction.
Way past my bedtime, I finally decided to decipher this odd little tabloidish creature and discovered a cutting-edge, original artist.
I'm not a big fan of modern pop music but I then realized that Miss Allen was a Brit and that her producers were Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson.
What they did is managed to reinvent and fiercely manufacture, fresh new energetic sounds. Lily's honest, witty, amusing lyrics and her charmingly pretty voice are just (I hate to admit it) incredibly entertaining!
So if you are a bit tired of listening to Adele's "19" on repeat and while we all wait for Amy to get rid of her beehive hidden crack pipe and get her shit together, pick up a copy of Lily's "It's not me, It's you" and F**k you, F**k you very very much!
I think I have a bit of a crush.

Jean Loup Sieff

"Time is the essence of all photography: time that slips between one's fingers, time that slips between the eyes, the time of things and the time of people, the time of the light and the time of the emotion... time that will never be the same again"
Jean-Loup Sieff

No photographer captures the exquisite and sculptural beauty of a woman's silhouette like Jean-Loup Sieff did for decades.
I met the photographer in my early teens in his Parisian atelier and the memory of this very brief meeting with this unique, original poet stays anchored in my head.
Jean Loup Sieff's singular eye has captured so many avant-garde images, weather they are nudes, landscapes or editorials, his photographies inspire the most wonderful sensation, a moment in time that you impulsively get nostalgic about.
http://www.jeanloupsieff.com/

Sensations

Par les soirs bleus d'été, j'irai dans les sentiers,
Picoté par les blés, fouler l'herbe menue,
Rêveur, j'en sentirai la fraîcheur à mes pieds.
Je laisserai le vent baigner ma tête nue.

Je ne parlerai pas, je ne penserai rien :
Mais l'amour infini me montera dans l'âme,
Et j'irais loin, bien loin, comme un bohémien,
Par la nature, heureux comme avec une femme.

Arthur Rimbaud

Mars 1870

Cosmic Dancer

Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love. (Wikipedia)

My first Rock'n Roll shock were The Rolling Stones, four british lads trying to create and record American sounding Blues.
Very quickly ensued The (ultimately highly superior and innovative) Beatles.
I immersed myself and got completely absorbed with the genius creativity and constant reinvention of Pop and Beat from The United Kingdom.
Now I have personally owned a copy of (the almost perfect) Electric warrior for a couple of years and like most people, recognized the sound of tracks like Jeepster, 20th Century Boy or the sexual suggestive Get It On, but for some strange reason I never tried to get deeper into Marc Bolan and T. Rex until now.
I recently purchased the entire T.Rex collection and I feel like I've just been introduced to the most vibrant, exciting, powerful form of Glam Rock.
Astounding, I feel like I'm having deprived, dirty, wet sex with the most beautiful, sculptural, amazonian beauty and while I'm trying to figure out why she even considered laying her eyes on me, I'm just enjoying the moment and hope it lasts forever.
Hot Love

Happy tuesday!

Thenewno2

After their september residency, Thenewno2 is back at the Key Club for one night on February the 11th!
For the few who are yet to be familiar with Thenewno2, try and imagine Portisheads lead singer Beth Gibbons and Tricky's lovechild conceived on the back seat of a truck, high on MDMA at a Radiohead concert while listenning to Led Zeppelin's III on an 8 track.
Can you hear them...
To top that, Thenewno2 is lined up to play at Coachella this April.
Nice one!

www.Thenewno2.com