Happy Friday!

"Temple Pressure" by Alvin Band

These guys are baller. Get into them.

myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alvinband

group site: http://www.alvinband.com/#/News

More Music to Snob Your Friends With

If you're looking for a new band to get into, give a listen to the Philadelphia band, Grandchildren.  I guess you'd describe their sound as electro/acoustic (think of Animal Collective or Freelance Whales).

Gant Rugger Spring/Summer 2011

Local Natives: Tiny Desk Concert, from NPR

link: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/21/133899844/local-natives-tiny-desk-concert

IMG and 505 Games Connect YOU to the Fashion World

Standing with Tim Woodley

From the second that lederhosen-wearing, blonde bombshell Heidi Klum appeared on television, I was addicted to every dramatic second of that visually stunning show, Project Runway. I instantly knew that I needed to drop whatever provincial career aspirations I had so I could follow my calling to become a fashion designer.  About a week later, I dropped those aspirations off at the end of my driveway in a clear plastic bag that also held a very ugly and very broken beginner's sewing machine that was too pink for words.

This week, in an interview at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Head of Global Brand at 505 Games, Tim Woodley explains how a new, interactive game is due to not only captivate players, but also quite possibly reignite the dreams of fashion obsessed people all over the world like me.

Alex Goes to the Fall 2011 Timo Weiland Show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

LOTS of shots I took at the Timo Weiland Fall 2011 fashion show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. 

Video and more after the jump!

Steven Alan Fall/Winter 2011

Today was the first day of Mercedes Benz Fashion week, and that means bright lights, big names, and enough swag to drive a hoarder insane!

Right now, all the hippest musicians, designers and A-List celebrities are buzzing around Bryant Park for a preview of this coming season's fashion trends.  

Check out these shots of some the outfits shown in the Steven Alan show.

XMEN

It's finally here!  The trailer for X-Men: First Class!  
The movie, which takes place in the 1960's, is a prequel to the other X-Men movies, that tells the story of how the line between the good mutants and the baddies was originally drawn.  


I gotta tell you, because I'm a big fan of everything X-Men, I'm crossing my fingers, but I'm not expecting too much!  If this movie is anything like X-Men 3, which was a HUGE letdown, I'll probably throw up all over the theater and never see another superhero movie ever again.  (And this time I mean it, Fantastic Four!)


 For now, I'll spend the next four months crossing my fingers!

X-Men First Class comes out June 3rd 2011

Starring James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon, Zoë Kravitz and Nicholas Hoult

Something to Make Your Eyes Water, By Alix Malka

Lately, as I've been trying to get back into photography, I've been spending time clicking through the seemingly endless photo albums of artists whose manipulation of light, position, color, and composition have set them apart the rest.  

One artist who has unknowingly become one of my muses is fashion photographer and stylist, Alix Malka.  

 I think the thing I admire the most about Malka, is his ability to use bold, brassy colors to create soft, ethereal scenes that lock you in.  

Malka has worked with names like Vogue, Numero Magazine, Citizen K Magazine and H&M.

Made My Summer:

Joseph Gordon Levitt is such a ballerrrrrrrrrrrr.

Zara Men August 2010 Lookbook

Zac Efron and Kristen Bell Do New PSA For StandUp2Cancer

Check out the new PSA for StandUp2Cancer, which features celebs like Zac Efron, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Bell, and Vanessa Anne Hudgens getting into sucky, unlikely situations.

StandUp2Cancer is an awesome organisation through which you can donate money that goes towards Cancer research!

Check out the vid: 



You can find out more information about StandUp2Cancer at http://www.standup2cancer.org/

Ima Robot is on Slightly Less Drugs

Here's some new stuff from LA band, Ima Robot. 

If you know anything about these guys, you'll know that when they released their previous album -Monument to the Masses- which came with the wicked single "CREEPS ME OUT", these guys had an awesomely bizarre, alien-like sound that reeked of long nights spent dropping acid and huffing bug spray.

Their new song, Ruthless, (off the album entitled Another Man's Treasure) which was released this summer, has a melodic new sound that you can dance to. 

I can't actually prove that the guys from Ima Robot are on less drugs.. (or on drugs at all) but lets be real, this video is trippy as balls!  You don't get these ideas by watching PBS!

Check it out:

..and this is just an awesome pic from the group's myspace:

you dont do this unless you're on drugs

Ten Things You Can Learn From Summer Concerts: The Art of Music, Sweat, and Taking advantage of People

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the 10th annual SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL, which takes place at the rickety heart of NY: Coney Island. 

As I entered what looked like hipster heaven, I didnt expect to get much from the day; maybe ringing ears, an awkward sunburn, or a stack of CD's that I didnt need, but hastily bought..

but at the end of the night, I realized that I had gotten so much more: knowledge.  

Here's what I learned, broken down into 10 (plus 1) easy steps:

1)  Dont wear sunglasses in the mosh pit.  

You will lose them.  I don't want to talk about it.

2) Your next best friend may be just around the corner!

Summer concerts are a hotbed for obnoxiously chummy behavior.

These kind of events always end up LOADED with approval-seeking types desperate to make friends. You'll see high fives, hugs, and often unnecessary sharing.

Here's an example of dialog that might spontaneously take place:

"Hey bro!"

"Whats up dude!  Nice t-shirt!"

"Thanks mayn!  Want me to lift you up so you can crowd surf??"

Keep a look out!  You never know which one of these saps will be willing to express this new-found friendship in the form of cold, hard cash.  Or at least buy you a sandwich.

3) If you've got long hair, put that jawn in a ponytail! 

NO ONE wants to choke on that mess!  I can't tell you how many times I've gotten my fingers snagged in a thicket of someone's hot, sweaty, matted hair or pulled out long strands of hair from my throat.  So Gross.  And unnecessary.

4) Crowd surfing is a good way to get violated.   

That "random" hand slip and sudden palm grip were nooo coincidence! 

For some, besides an occasional goodnight kiss from mom, "helping" people crowd surf is the only physical contact they will have.. and they'll take all they can get their sweaty little hands on!

5) Crowds are a hot, sweaty mess.
Some other words that describe crowd atmosphere are moist, clammy, drippy, slippery, salty and... pruney.

As in: Is that your sweat or my sweat?  Either way, don't lick your lips.. ick

6) If you have a fairly decent camera and a dark pair of shades, you can get people to do just about anything!    

Looking official is the key in this farse!  If you tell people they could get on the internet for doing something you want, they'll do anything! 

EVERYONE wants to photographed and everyone wants be famous.  

Even if people act shy, everyone is secretly a whore for the camera (coming from the biggest of them all)-- . Take advantage of this.

7)  People in tight, rowdy, crowds get hot, dehydrated, and desperate FAST!  Take advantage of this!

I traded a guy a half empty bottle of warm water for his advanced place in the crowd!  It went something like:

Dude: 

Hey!! Does anyone have anything to drink!??  Water?  Anything! Please!

(sounding desperate)

Me: 

I have water.

(menacingly) 

Dude: 

Can I have it??

Me: 

Sure!

I pull the water out of my backpack and show it to him.  As he reaches for it, I snatch it back!

Can me and my friends get in front of you in the crowd?

Dude: 

Yes! Sure, Whatever! (Ever so thankful) Thank you!

Me: 

No, my friend.  Thank you.

--And thats a little lesson on Real Estate--

8) Fake singing guarantees good time.
You probably only came for one or two of the bands; the rest most likely suck, but quietly nodding your head and tapping your toes is boring.

I like to pretend like I know all the songs.  I just erratically scream out unheard of noises in random notes that surprise even me!  I don't care about the side eyes I get from people standing in ear shot, I'm just trying to have a good time!

9) Do everything you can do to avoid the porter potties
...unless you're trying to contract 21 types of herpes. Why would you want to be locked in a hot, musty chamber full of other people's poop in the first place?  Keep it classy: bring a pee-jug.

10)  Put on deoderant. and pack extra.

Self Explanatory. Ya nasty.

I smelled the kind of B.O. that causes nose bleeds while at Siren Fest.  You're not in 7th grade.  Don't get all funky and rub your pits all over everyone.  I don't care if you have a sweating problem! Contain that.

11) Only the strong and aggressive make it to the front of the crowd.

If you really want the ability to say that you tasted the sweat of the lead singer, got your ear drums blasted out by the speakers, or were the crazy kid that got restrained/tazed by stage security, you're gonna have to work for it!

It's a dog eat dog, world in the front, and you're gonna have to throw some elbows and knock some little kids to the ground in order to get where you want.

You ever palm a kid in the face?  I have.  And I also held hands with Matt AND Kim from Matt and Kim that same day.

--And thats all I can tell you, jabronies. Take what you will. Comment if you can think of anything better.  Though I doubt it.--

Check out all my pics from Siren Fest here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2421361&id=9030110&l=25be035165

Siren Fest official site: http://siren.villagevoice.com/2010/

Audrina Patridge (OfficialAudrina) on Twitter

Did anyone know that Audrina Patridge is going to be staring in a sequel... to Honey??

She just tweeted about it

WHY??

Couldnt she be content being dumb on MTV??   She's a real piece of work...

At least we know no one is gonna watch this!

this is going to be a trainwreck. And I'm pretty sure I'm good at PREDICTING THIS STUFF!

-Alex

Audrina Patridge (OfficialAudrina) on Twitter

Heidi and Spencer Call It Quits!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Dunzo

Soooo heres something we didnt see coming:  MTV's reality nightmares Spencer and Heidi Pratt have split up!

Whew! It's about time!

This comes days after Heidi's mysterious "I Am Woman" tweet: "I am not Heidi Pratt, I am Heidi Montag."

And it all makes sense now!

Heidi's reps told TMZ on Friday,

"Heidi is looking to move out due to all the fake bad press that Spencer controls."

Wait-- Is this a recent thing?  Because I'm pretty sure White Beard has been throwing Heidi under the bus for years now!

But there's more good news for Heidi, who, thanks to her new grapefruit-sized bubbies, now looks like an Icelandic hooker!  Heidi's reps go on to say that she is now looking for a place of her own and "wants to focus on her acting career."

SCORE!  Now homegirl can put her REAL talents to use!  Maybe now she can play Jenna Jameson in a Lifetime Original Movie!

Imagine what kind of babies they would've spawned!

It's about time Heidi wisened up, but to tell you the truth, there are a few things I'm going to miss... hating about Speidi!

• 
  
  
  I'll miss hating their constant, PDA

• 
  
  
  I'll miss hating their mindless publicity stunts

• 
  
  
  I'll miss loathing Spencer's ghostly beard and random freak outs

• 
  
  
  and I'll even their times frolicking at the beach. (a lot)

Though something tells me that, like the warmth I feel in my heart after watching High School Musical, this feeling won't last for long..

  

Because just like the worst case of jock itch, Spencer and Heidi have a way of coming back when you least expect it!

  

Pre-Summer Tunezzz

Local Natives benefits from free local advertising

One thing I love doing during the hot summer months is going to summer concerts and festivals. 

Whether they're in a crowded city park or in some far-flung country field, these outdoor music fests are an excuse for all you die-hard fans to lose your voice, not shower for days, and let out that rable-rousing, closeted band freak that you keep pent up for the sake of public appearances! 

Two bands that I'm trying to see this summer are  Local Natives and Empire of the Sun.

No Mo' Fox

Transformers 3 starts filming this summer!  But this time, filming for the explosive Michael Bay movie will go on without the hard-to-miss presence of the narcissistic, bird brained, media-wench, Megan Fox.  


Fox's representatives say the 23 year old hot bod has made the decision not to return on her own, saying "She wishes the franchise the best."

Now if there's one thing I hate more than a liar, it's a bad liar... with a studder.  If I wanted to hear that kind of jibber jab, I would've gone to an AA meeting.  

I'm no media professional, but I'm gonna guess that the decision probably has more to do with...

• The fact that last time she was in a Transformers movie, Fox describe director, Michael Bay as "a nightmare to work with", "hopelessly awkward", and "a tyrant", comparing him to Hitler... 

• orrrrr the fact that she said that being a part of the movie franchise has nothing to do with acting..

• or maybe (just maybe) it's just because she plain-old sucks??

The search is now on to find a new leading lady to fill Fox's size 7 clodhoppers as Shia LaBeouf's love interest.  Producers are considering gals like Scarlett Johansen, Amanda Seyfried, and Miley Cyrus...  Imagine!

But for those of you weeping inside for Ms. Fox's absence, don't worry, you'll be able to see her this summer in the movie that's sure to be a blockbuster, Jonah Hex!
And if it's anything like that work of art, Jennifer's Body, I think Fox will do juuuust fine!

No Mo' Fox? http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/michael-bays-revenge-no-more-megan/

hitler? http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/09/05/megan-fox-michael-bay-hitler/

no talent needed? http://io9.com/5290263/megan-fox-transformers-is-not-a-movie-about-acting

I'm Baaack!

There are many things I love about the warm spring and summer months;

• Gorging to your heart's content at awkward family bbq's 
• oh-so-short jean shorts 
• and all the embarrassing, drunken parents who take advantage of the extra hours of daylight to go buckwild at six flags.

School is out for summer and yes, that means I'm poor, jobless, and facing a whopper of a recession, but it also means that I can finally get back to the thing that matters the most.. no, I'm not talking about going green!  I'm talking about this blooog!

SO, this summer, you can expect Toy Story 3, The Hills finally ending, more Twilight and Shrek movies, and more Toast of Today!

Enjoy those shorts!

ADIOS!