Straight to Hell: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Issue 65 of Straight to Hell is finally out. Scott K48 Huggs helped Billy put it together. With a little help from the usual suspects. And a few new ones. I was prepared to wince at the revamped “Billyburg” edition, but was pleasantly surprised to find it remained blue true to the old fag rag.
After confusing the location (Happy Endings for Double Happiness), I walked in around midnight, to the sight of ironic retro 20somethings bopping around to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The place was practically festooned with pink and white balloons and ribbons. “There was a wedding party earlier,” someone explained. Apparently, the place was also not debriefed on the booking and was taken aback when handed a goodie bag of swag: poppers, bikini briefs with XXX crotch iron-ons and a label featuring a cum-faced boy (eBay!), and the much-anticipated Issue 65.
I had a few Stellas and a couple Patron shots with Andy (“Tommy Boy’s releasing a Chavela Vargas collection;” “not going to Miami-never get anything out of it”) R. and J. “freelance editrix” Sanchez-sporting a fly set of nerd glasses that looked great when accessorized with an open bottle of poppers on the dancefloor. Said hi to N. Jenkins briefly (“Just saw your Crutch piece on PBS again”) crossing said dance floor. When the shrill attack of the 80’s (“That reminds me: Rozalla is touring”) and the pull of the agave got to be too too much, Andy and I bounced, smoking and strolling up to his corner, where I hopped in a cab…

Mi Casa, Su Casa (Gentrification hits home)

After more than 30 years, my family in LA is moving out of the 90026. The streets of Echo Park/Silverlake/Los Feliz are now as crowded with sidewalk cafes as those in Wicker Park in Chicago and Alphabet City in New York; the bars and clubs that my mom held inebriated court in through the 70’s and 80’s, on and off Sunset and Santa Monica Blvds, are now blowing up my email inbox with press releases and listings for bands I review.
It’s all just enough to drive the rent up and my mother out of her bungalow.The one my aunt had a fatal stroke in. The one the ex and I exchanged our first giddy strokes in. Down the block from the former KDAY 1580 AM station, away from under the red and white radio towers. Away from the corner our own single-mom sweat-shop occupied; from the blocks we walked to and from elementary, junior and high schools.
On the phone, I explained to her that I had seen this happen everywhere I lived; enough to wonder if I was a larger part of the problem than I cared to admit. After all, gentrifying comes naturally to some of us. As a precocious brat, I could see the good bones in our hilltop cul-de-sac, the latent vitality in its dust and rust. Long before I understood the economics of gentrification, I knew that it was beyond my family’s working-class means. But I was always accused of living beyond those. Still do.
Next time I go home, when I get picked up at LAX, I won’t be exiting off the Hollywood Freeway onto Glendale Blvd. Instead, I will be crossing – finally – to the east side of the LA “river,” to a carriage house in another cul-de-sac. Next time I go home, someone like me (yet not), will be living in my family’s old house, perhaps even a former New York friend of mine.

Speed of Sound

In Michigan, a 16-year old downloaded the billionth mp3 from iTunes: Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound,” natch. His $.99 investment yielded a stack of swag including an iMac, 10 iPods, and $10,000 worth of tracks. And to think, some people were going to jail for this.

#

J Dilla RIP 1974-2006

Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 19:01:47 -0500
Subject: J Dilla Dies of Lupus

J Dilla Dies of Lupus
James Yancey AKA J Dilla, heralded producer for A Tribe Called Quest, Common and Slum Village, died Friday of complications from lupus according to his manager Timothy Maynor. James Yancey’s mother found him dead in his room. He was 32.

Yancey had been on a dialysis machine for two years. The Detroit native was living in Los Angeles with his mother after being diagnosed with the immune system disease roughly three years ago. Yancey’s joints and kidney’s were weakened by lupus …

FULL STORY: http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/85763.php

Fashion Tweek Fall 2006

In 2000, I missed the Besty Johnson/Playboy show – it was storming, as it does, presumably thanks to Kenneth Cole – I was sick, and not in the mood to be wrangling Wet Bunnies with big tops into small bottoms under the big top. In 2001, everything got cancelled because of 9/11; in 2002, I was Exec. Assisting the EIC at Vibe, so had to stay put – but I did manage to screw up at least one talking head gig. 2003, caught GenArt; 2004, watched the festivities on Full Frontal Fashion while freebasing with the Thousandeiress; 2005 missed out altogether.This year, I can watch online from my cube. And yes, it rained again.

• Muse, Fall 2006: Faye Dunaway/AliMcGraw/Patty Hearst/Rhiannon on the lam.
• Guilty Pleasures: Tracy Reese, Luca Luca, Custo Barcelona. Moschino, J Mendel, Manuel

• Designer we’d most like to fuck: Alexandre“prostitutes and transvestites“ Herchcovitch

  

• Item we covet: Narciso Rodriguez leather jacket
• Menswear:Costume National
• Dynamic Duo: Proenza Schouler

• Happiest Models: Michael Kors
• Hair: Vivienne Tam
  

• Best set: Y3
• Most Cunt-structive Criticism: Hal Rubenstein
• Party Crashers: NY Observer
  

Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 3:51 PM
To: ML
Subject: RE: Fashion Groove Thang
Guilty as charged… one night I’ll tell you about how EW pulled a Mahogany and stole my Sean Jean floor length shearling trench from me, then ripped it on a plane trip back from Milan…[while I fudged his expense report, converting Euros to dollars, so he could write off a tryst with his best friend with benefits...]

From: ML Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 3:30 PM
Subject: RE: Fashion Groove Thang
you all up in that fashion twist. me too!!

xo,
m

—–Original Message—–
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 1:46 PM
Subject: Fashion Groove Thang
Love that snippet of backstage fashionspeak [A. Leon Talley @ Kimora's first Baby Phat show] – it’s a language all its own, lord help us if space aliens find that time capsule first….This year, Karl Lagerfeld is also offering his show on PODCAST – knock-offs, are you watching?!

http://www.olympusfashionweek.com/fall2006/home.html
http://www.imgfashionworld.com/tracker/default.asp

Control Freak: Joy Division BioPic

Ian Curtis Biopic Cast

Casting has been announced for the upcoming Joy Division film, Control. Newcomer Sam Riley will play the brilliant-but-doomed singer Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in 1980 on the eve of the band’s first American tour. Samantha Morton, who has previously been nominated for Oscars for her work in Woody Allen’s Sweet And Lowdown and Jim Sheridan’s In America, will play Curtis’ widow, Deborah. (It is her book, Touching From A Distance, on which the screenplay is based.) German actress Alexandra Maria Lara, who just finished filming the new Francis Ford Coppola film Youth By Youth, will play the singer’s lover Annik Honore. The film will be the first feature from acclaimed photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn (Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box”). Deborah Curtis and Tony Wilson, Factory Records founder and the subject of 24 Hour Party People, will both be credited as co-producers. Accord ing to NME, New Order will rerecord some Joy Division tracks, as well as lay down some new songs, for the soundtrack. The production team hopes to begin shooting in Manchester later this year.

www.neworderonline.com

Textimonial

—–Original Message—–
From: Latanya S
Subject: unlimited text

Hello I just want to say that i enjoy bling chat and I
have made so many new friends. The only thing is i
wish that someone could warn us when we send the last
message for the month because there is times when i
want to respond back to a message and you take me off
the network which causes inconvience. Because i text a
lot of messages and i have unlimited text messages
with my carrier. And i want to know what is your limit
per month that you allow per user because i have been
taken off the network twice while other people are
still messaging each other and we text the same amount
to each other.Again I have unlimited usage.

Thank you !!

Latanya S

The Fire – next time?

>Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 12:22 PM
>Subject: Fuego
>
>Hey. Unfortunately Harris Publications decided to fold
>Fuego Magazine. It just wasn’t selling enough. Anyhow in the
>meantime you can send me a kill fee for your article.
>
>thanks and we’ll be in touch,
>
>J
>
>PS: I’ll still be here working with the other magazine I started (SCRATCH).

#

ValenSwine’s 2006: Lovers, Unite

Geek alert. Dispatches from the indy music hustle.

******
On her show Thursday, Feb 09, DJ Trouble at WFMU’s doing “st. etienne moment somewhere around 10:30-11″

******
The screening at Gavin’s didn’t work out; they went with Galapagos instead. I found out when the newsletter arrived:

———- Forwarded message ———-
Lovers Unite Newsletter
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Happy Last day of the Month. We have news…
New York Screening of ‘Finisterre’ and ‘What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?’ is confirmed on Sunday Feb 12th at 7.pm at: Galapagos Art Space

*******
Flavorpill ran a spotlight with ticket/DVD/CD giveaway in this week’s emailer/issue.

Saint Etienne gracefully glide into town with their dreamy brand of indie-pop for this week’s rare New York appearance as part of the British band’s first US tour in four years.

*******
The after party’s at Joe’s Pub, with Bob doing a DJ set. Tricia @ Village Voice was into it. Bruce helped push a rev in TONY.
Time Out New York / Issue 541: February 9–15, 2006

*******
Kurt’s holding an interview slot; now I just need to secure placement…somewhere.
“it’s the least i could do! phoner or in-person? -K”

********
Oh, the things we do for love-and passes. I started to bitch about how “only record labels can break your heart,” until T stopped me short, interjecting, “Like it’s the fist time somebody got played in party land.”

Now, what to do with the extra ticket on Valentine’s eve?

#

ValenSwine’s 2006: Lovers, Unite

Geek alert. Dispatches from the indy music hustle.

******
On her show Thursday, Feb 09, DJ Trouble at WFMU’s doing “st. etienne moment somewhere around 10:30-11″

******
The screening at Gavin’s didn’t work out; they went with Galapagos instead. I found out when the newsletter arrived:

———- Forwarded message ———-
Lovers Unite Newsletter
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Happy Last day of the Month. We have news…
New York Screening of ‘Finisterre’ and ‘What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?’ is confirmed on Sunday Feb 12th at 7.pm at: Galapagos Art Space

*******
Flavorpill ran a spotlight with ticket/DVD/CD giveaway in this week’s emailer/issue.

Saint Etienne gracefully glide into town with their dreamy brand of indie-pop for this week’s rare New York appearance as part of the British band’s first US tour in four years.

*******
The after party’s at Joe’s Pub, with Bob doing a DJ set. Tricia @ Village Voice was into it. Bruce helped push a rev in TONY.
Time Out New York / Issue 541: February 9–15, 2006

*******
Kurt’s holding an interview slot; now I just need to secure placement…somewhere.
“it’s the least i could do! phoner or in-person? -K”

********
Oh, the things we do for love-and passes. I started to bitch about how “only record labels can break your heart,” until T stopped me short, interjecting, “Like it’s the fist time somebody got played in party land.”

Now, what to do with the extra ticket on Valentine’s eve?

#