Clams Casino's 5 Favorite Beats of 2011

December 16, 2011, 10:31 am

≫ Next: Rebecca Minkoff On Her Baby-G Collab

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As one of the hottest hip-hop producers in the game right now -- having worked with the likes of A$AP Rocky and Mac Miller -- Clams Casino, aka 24-year-old Mike Volpe, knows his beats. But what does a producer listen to when he's not producing? He took a minute to tell us his five favorite songs of 2011.

"Stranger," Jhene Aiko, produced by Fisticuffs
"It's haunting and spooky but very relaxing. It's also pretty repetitive which puts you in a zone."

"Zan With that Lean, Part 2," Soulja Boy, produced by DJ Scream and Swamp Izzo
"The drum sounds and programming are great, and the song is just so catchy and addicting."

"Brand New Guy," A$AP Rocky, produced by Lyle
"This beat is just hard. It makes me picture dinosaurs stomping around and shit, like T-Rexes."

"Bossalinis & Fooliyones, Part 2," Main Attrakionz, produced by Ahyve
"It has a beautiful sample, and is uplifting and soothing."

 

"Up up and Away," Lil Wayne, produced by Wizz Dumb and Timbaland
"I like that I can't figure out what the sample is and how all the different parts of the track keep getting piled on top of each other."

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Rebecca Minkoff On Her Baby-G Collab

December 16, 2011, 12:30 pm

≫ Next: Banksy's New Sculpture + Cool Sign Painting Studio Icy Signs = Eight Items or Less

≪ Previous: Clams Casino's 5 Favorite Beats of 2011

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Handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff launched her new watch collaboration with Baby G at the Back Room in the Lower East Side the other night.  With her shiny, dark locks done to perfection and a glow only a new mother can have (Minkoff is the proud mama of a three-month-old), she sat down with us talk about the Baby G collab, how it's designed to complement her latest handbags, and three most important things she learned from her mother.

Happy Holidays! What is on your wish list this season?

I am hoping that when I go down to visit my parents for the holiday break that they take the baby and I get to go to sleep!!

Talk to us about designing the Baby G watch? What were the challenges, or was it just a piece of cake?

It was pretty easy since I was given the body of the watch. But I think if I had to design something from the bottom up, it would have been a lot harder. After I got the body, I could do whatever I wanted to do, which was really fun. So I put the elements I put into my handbags  into the watch. Like, we made the numbers in studs and we made the face in rose gold because it happens to be a great fit with new bags we are shipping this month, which also have rose gold hardware.



Your aesthetic has been described as "downtown romantic." What does that mean exactly?

Sometimes downtown can mean harsh, or a little too edgy, but our girl is a romantic at heart, so she likes to be someone who enjoys fashion but also wants to be known as someone who discovers new things on her own, not as a follower.
 
What's next for the Rebecca Minkoff brand?

Our goal is to have a whole lifestyle brand, and we want to touch every aspect of our customer's life. And then we want to grow into a global brand. China is a huge, growing market and entrepreneurs have money to spend now and we are finding that could be a really good market for us.

Your reputation in the industry is as someone who is friendly and unassuming, how does that translate into your business ethic?

I have the same approach with either my customer or within my company. I am not interested in being a diva or unapproachable because I feel better when someone is nice to me, so I just want to be that way to others.

Who do you admire most in the world?

Would it be cheesy if I say my mom? I admire her because she has really taught me to have a really strong work ethic.  She also taught us to make something out of nothing, so I never feel like I need money to do things, especially in a growing business, so it's always about being creative. And I love that she always laughs at herself, and she taught me that.  My husband even says his favorite thing about me is that I laugh at myself.

Banksy's New Sculpture + Cool Sign Painting Studio Icy Signs = Eight Items or Less

December 16, 2011, 1:38 pm

≫ Next: Jackson Rathbone's Travel Hazards

≪ Previous: Rebecca Minkoff On Her Baby-G Collab

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1. Banksy made a sculpture called "Cardinal Sin" of a priest with his face lopped-off and replaced with a pixel mosaic. [Independent]

2. American Apparel's holiday warehouse sale starts today and runs until December 27th at 766 Sixth Avenue between 25th and 26th Street.

3. There's a book-launch and party for Tim Barber's "Untitled Photographs" tonight, December 16, 6 to 8 p.m. at OHWOW Book Club [227 Waverly Place].

4. The Beach Boys are re-uniting for their 50th anniversary and plan a new studio album and world tour in 2012. [Billboard]



5. The pop-up sign painting studio, Icy Signs (200 Livingston Street, Brooklyn) is closing tomorrow, December 17th.  The cool space in downtown Brooklyn was created by Dan Murphy, Mike Langley, Josh Smith, Pat Griffin and Sam Meyerson and was recently the site of the Stephen Powers and Todd James "Street Market" show.  It's your last chance to check it out. (Arrestedmotion has a bunch of pics of the studio)

6. Weirdest "Best Of 2011" list (so far): Goldman Sachs' Top 100 Charts.We dare you to look at all of them. [Zero Hedge]

7. L.A.'s Natural History Museum made a dinosaur float for this year's Rose Parade in Pasadena. [Art Daily]

8. Black squirrel eats a taco shell" is cute and all, but it's no "squirrel eating a Ritz Cracker to Huey Lewis' 'If This Is It.'" [Buzzfeed]

Jackson Rathbone's Travel Hazards

December 16, 2011, 1:58 pm

≫ Next: Ba'sik, Noorman's Kil, The Shanty: New Bars to Hit this Weekend in Williamsburg

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The actor Jackson Rathbone stars in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 1, in theaters now, and the web series, Aim High, which he co-produced with McG. Next year, he will head back out on tour with his band, 100 Monkeys. Here, her writes about how her got that black eye as part of our Winter Issue's Travel Tales feature

We'll be posting more travel pieces by everyone from Momofuku pastry chef Christina Tosi to Lady Gaga stylist Nicola Formichetti. You can read about Sasha Grey's trip to Thailand and Germany here.

It was the spring of 2010 and I was in love. The girl who had stolen my heart was a black 2006 custom Gibson Les Paul. We had met in the City of Angels on my 25th birthday. She wanted to come home with me, and I could tell this would be more than a one-night stand. This was love -- not my first -- but the last in a long line of broken strings and humbuckers. Our love was electric. She sang to me, and I knew her name was Betty.

I had been on the road with my band, 100 Monkeys, playing shows across North America. On this leg of the tour, we were playing dive bars and juke joints, caravanning with a small trailer lugged by an old Ford van, followed by a small white Scion xB. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but we were able to connect with our fans on a personal level.

The end of the tour brought 100 Monkeys back to our home state of California, to San Francisco specifically. We had one day off to explore the city, but we spent it in a dingy rehearsal space near the main piers on the industrial side of town. We were writing new songs for our return to Los Angeles in preparation for our future album, Liquid Zoo. After all, music was why we were there, and we had already driven by the famous Haight-Ashbury, now home to a Gap. We preferred to keep playing as opposed to sightseeing.

After rehearsal, we began unloading in a rather disorderly fashion -- joking, sipping beers and passing back instruments and gear, which we lined up along a dimly-lit, one-way alley. I was humming the still half-written lyrics for our future song "Prayer," while directing our tour manager as he backed the van-trailer through the narrow street. Though I was on "night watch" duty, I (admittedly) lost focus of our precious instruments and gear. I would soon learn to never ever make that mistake again. My beloved Betty was gone.

I was in a panic, my senses fully alert. I could taste the salty San Franciscan air, polluted with sticky-sweet carbon dioxide, and my own fear. I could smell the bay, miles away, lapping against the shoreline like an excited Jack Russell terrier. Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow. I turned: "Hey!" A singular exclamation that meant: "You son of a bitch! That's my guitar! Get your ass back here before I cut off your sticky fingers and shove them so deeply into every known orifice that your parents will reel back and choose to never consummate that moment of lust years ago when you were merely a swimming little spunk in your father's left testicle!"

The shadowy figure started running, and so did I.

There are moments you will always remember, and then there are moments when you awaken flying through the air in a fury of righteous anger and indignation, where physical bodies impact much like comets in the cosmos, exploding upon impact, each chipping away at the other and wrestling over a freshly painted guitar case containing a sleeping object of ebony, mahogany and my bleeding, beating heart. I tackled the shadow and it swung back, wild with elbows and fists. My hands bit into concrete to cushion my fall. I held onto the guitar case amidst the writhing and the swinging limbs, as blood began to flow from my temple. Suddenly, the shadow was gone. I began to breathe again. I was alone with my love in my arms.

Ba'sik, Noorman's Kil, The Shanty: New Bars to Hit this Weekend in Williamsburg

December 16, 2011, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: Get Out Of Town with Nicola Formichetti

≪ Previous: Jackson Rathbone's Travel Hazards

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Four new places where you can sate your thirst in Billsburg this weekend.

Ba'sik: Simplicity is Ba'sik's strong point. Deviled eggs, hot dogs and cocktails built upon the classics are the staples in this understated. Beautifully designed with white washed walls and brushed metal details, Ba'sik is implicity at its sexiest

Brooklyn Night Bazaar: For only two more evenings, the Night Bazaar will be serving up crafty hipster goods alongside some of the Flea's frequent food vendors (it's like Marrakesh!). Tonight, Fucked Up takes the stage as presented by Brooklyn Vegan and tomorrow The Hold Steady close it down for the holiday season.

Noorman's Kil: Blending right into the Brooklyn landscape, neighborhood bar Noorman's Kil specializes in whiskey and grilled cheese, once again proving the combination a brilliant model upon which to base a business (especially when it includes smooshing ricotta, nutella and jam between two pieces of bread).

The Shanty: Allen Katz's beautiful new distillery and bar may be a bit off the beaten path, but much of its charm lies in the 'undiscovered' quality. Lowly lit with a wall of windows that reveal a gorgeous pot still on the distillery's main floor, The Shanty was surprisingly packed on a Wednesday evening. Though it specializes in Katz's gins, the bar is fully stocked and serves up everything from classic pink gin from a mini still to old fashioneds and beer.

Photo via The L Magazine

Get Out Of Town with Nicola Formichetti

December 20, 2011, 12:25 pm

≫ Next: The Top 5 WTF Parties and Shows of 2011

≪ Previous: Ba'sik, Noorman's Kil, The Shanty: New Bars to Hit this Weekend in Williamsburg

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Nicola Formichetti, Lady Gaga's stylist and the creative director of Mugler and Uniqlo, loves his job(s) so much that he thought he didn't need a holiday -- that is, until he spent a romantic, relaxing week in Ibiza with his boyfriend. Now, he's hooked.

The great thing about my job is that I get to travel everywhere, but all of my trips always end up becoming work. This year my manager was like, "I shouldn't be saying this to you, but you should take a holiday. You have to just switch off everything. Don't call me." So, a few days after the Paris shows, I went to Ibiza with my boyfriend Chris. We'd been dating for about three months and it was our first holiday together.

It was Chris's first time in Ibiza. He only knew it from that J.Lo song, "On the Floor," where she's like "London to Ibiza," so he was like, "Are we really going to Ibiza?" 

The first week in October is kind of a famous week for Ibiza; after that no one's there (unless you live on the island) because the weather is not so great. I used to go to Ibiza almost every year because I lived in London, so it was very close. It's a party island, and definitely not known for being calm and spiritual. People think it's all one big crazy club town, but that's just 10 percent of it. The rest is actually so beautiful. I don't want to promote it too much, because people don't really know that side of Ibiza, and I don't want the word to get out. It was a hippie island in the '70s, and a lot of them haven't moved since then.

We got this cute little villa up in the north in San Carlos that is owned by some old hippie woman. There was no "OK, we have to do this today." It was just go with the flow -- and it was so nice. I haven't done that in such a long time. We just got a car and drove. I cannot drive, which American people are like, "What do you mean you can't drive?" I don't even know which one is the brakes. And do you have to use both legs? I have no idea. Chris is American so he drove. And since there was no frigging Internet in the fucking mountains, I couldn't do anything anyways, so I basically just took pictures and used Instagram. It was very relaxing and inspiring and I actually came up with so many amazing ideas while chilling, reading books, taking pictures and just having fun.

We would wake up really early at like 7 a.m. because we were not tired. We'd have breakfast at the villa and then I'd put on my American Apparel shorts and go. We would  have a map and say, "OK, today let's go to the east side," and then we'd stay and have a lunch on the beach and then go to another side of the island. At night we'd stop by Ibiza Town, this beautiful old village and have dinner there. It was usually seafood and tapas. You eat healthy and smoke cigarettes less and then go home and sleep. That's it. Really simple. I love it.

One of the most romantic places is this huge rock in the south of Ibiza and you can stay on the beach and wait for the sun to go down behind it. It's the most beautiful thing ever; you just see how the sky changes from blue to purple to red to yellow to rainbow, and it's incredible. I mean, this sounds a bit wet in the vagina, but when you're there you're just like, "Fuck."

Before my trip I was like, "I don't even care about holidays I travel so much," and what I loved most was to stay at home in New York. I moved here from London two years ago and I never get to stay in my apartment in Tribeca. I love going through books, watching TV and doing nothing, so my holiday used to be staying at home and seeing friends. Then I was talking to someone during the shows and he was like, "Just go because once you're there you get used to it and then you get addicted to holidays." It's totally true. Now it's like, "When am I going away again?" It's like taking vitamins and going to the gym and doing yoga -- you just go and then you're charged for the next few months.

Over the next week, we'll be posting more travel pieces by everyone from British band Is Tropical to '60s supermodel Marisa Berenson. You can read about Sasha Grey's trip to Thailand and Germany here, Twilight star Jackson Rathbone's account of being robbed in San Francisco here and Momofuku Milk pastry chef Christina Tosi's 10 traveling rules here.

The Top 5 WTF Parties and Shows of 2011

December 20, 2011, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Javelin's Canyon Candy Screening at the Clocktower -- Yee-haw!

≪ Previous: Get Out Of Town with Nicola Formichetti

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1. Barneys' Carine's World Party during September Fashion Week
The likes of Carine Roitfeld, Valentino, Margherita Missoni, Simon Doonan and Karolina Kurkova (to name a few) singing karaoke in a small, crowded room as people like Bruce Weber and the Brant boys cheer them on? (Kurkova sang Gaga's "Paparazzi" as photogs snapped away, no less) Carine and her daughter doing tequila shots together? Top-notch champagne and tacos? Need we justify this further?

2. SSION's weekend at MoMA PS1
The wildly creative Cody Critcheloe crafted an extravaganza with crazy, colorful projections and costumes for his three-night stand at PS1. The live act featured a long list of musicians, dancers and special guests, including Casey Spooner, Sky Ferreira and Jamie Warren. It's hard to say which was more stimulating, the music or the visuals.

3. Prince Rama's Exercise/Exorcise sessions at Issue Project Room
The two Hare Krishna-raised sisters who comprise the band Prince Rama -- Taraka and Nimai Larson -- created a three-part series of interactive events for their residency at the Issue Project Room. The first was an aerobics class, constructed as a clever play on the similarities between exercising and exorcism, led and narrated by the sisters in leotards and headsets, amidst an immersive mystical environment featuring altars, a chakra-water bar, and original videos and sound. [VillageVoice]


4. Sufjan Stevens at Prospect Park Bandshell
Wow, this guy has lost his mind (but in a totally fun way).

5. The Creators Project
The creative direction of Vice plus the deep, deep pockets of Intel is clearly a formula for awesome. A fascinating performance by a maniacal, drooling John Maus (pictured above), an impossibly blissful set by Atlas Sound, the dance-inducing talents of Justice, and a massive, pulsing cube of light, all with with the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan as a majestic backdrop. And, um, that was just the small stage...


Runners-up:
Alexander Wang's Fashion Week Frat Party
Bike Kill (in the snow, no less)
Fashion's Night Out (in Madison Ave territory)
West Indian Day Parade
House of Latex Ball

Photos by Rebecca Smeyne

Javelin's Canyon Candy Screening at the Clocktower -- Yee-haw!

December 20, 2011, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Most Upsetting Christmas Video Ever: The Pretenders' "2000 Miles"

≪ Previous: The Top 5 WTF Parties and Shows of 2011

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Sonic sampling wizards Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford, aka the duo Javelin, have never been types to be complacent with their artistic output. In past years, they created "boombaatas," large "speaker totems" made of color-blocked boom-boxes, and broadcasted their shows via an FM transmitter to "foster audience participation or battery-powered mobile parties."  Now, Javelin is back... with a 20-minute Western film and complementary installation at the Clocktower Gallery called "Canyon Candy," created in collaboration with filmmaker and artist Mike Anderson. The project is part of a larger initiative dreamed up by Clocktower Director (and P.S.1 founder) Alanna Heiss and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, to "reconstitute the idea of music videos" and to bring in more emerging talent to co-exist alongside the gallery's more established holdings, such as work by Alex Katz.

Last night, the Clocktower hosted a private screening and tour of the installation, an "immersive soundscape" which replicates many of the environments and characters from the film. For the screening, guests sat around red gingham-covered tables playing cards, and on bales of hay. Tom from Javelin walked around offering friends sips from his bottle of moonshine, and Joe Ahearn, the Clocktower's Event Director, donned full cowboy gear for the occasion. Yee-haw! Watch the Canyon Candy video, released today, here and see pics from the opening, above.

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Most Upsetting Christmas Video Ever: The Pretenders' "2000 Miles"

December 20, 2011, 1:45 pm

≫ Next: Kris Jenner's "I Love My Friends" Gives Rebecca Black a Run For Her Money

≪ Previous: Javelin's Canyon Candy Screening at the Clocktower -- Yee-haw!

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"Seasons greetings to you and yours from the holiday nightmare factory." -- Everyone and everything in this Pretenders video for their 1983 single, "2000 Miles."

Thanks/no thanks to Lauren Lumsden for the tip.


PREVIOUSLY:
Garth Brooks, Scott Weiland and Motorhead Top Our 10 Most Upsetting Christmas Album Covers
The 14 Most Upsetting Mark Twain Impersonators
The 10 Most Upsetting Turkey Costumes
The 15 Most Upsetting Babies in Hats on Etsy

Kris Jenner's "I Love My Friends" Gives Rebecca Black a Run For Her Money

December 20, 2011, 2:01 pm

≫ Next: Leo Fitzpatrick & Friends Not Garbage Book-Signing Photos

≪ Previous: Most Upsetting Christmas Video Ever: The Pretenders' "2000 Miles"

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Just caught wind of this truly amazing/intensely horrible music video that Kris Jenner (formerly Kardashian) seems to have made to mark her 30th birthday -- "I Love My Friends," to the tune of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." It features amazing lyrics ("We're big on car pool, Judith Leiber, Bible study, Cheesecake Factory"), an O.J. Simpson appearance and lots of shots of Kris wearing no pants on a treadmill. If the song seems a little... well... not great, that might be because the lyrics come courtesy of "Kourtney, Kimberly and Khloe." Also, the video seems to have been directed by pretty acclaimed filmmaker/author Lawrence Schiller, who is connected to the Kardashians for having written American Tragedy, a book about O.J. Simpson's "Dream Team," which included Kris's late husband Robert Kardashian. There's actually something really sweet about the whole thing. Enjoy!

Leo Fitzpatrick & Friends Not Garbage Book-Signing Photos

December 21, 2011, 4:35 am

≫ Next: Tips for Today: Stephen Merchant at Town Hall, Asher Roth Mixtape Release at Brooklyn Bowl & Esprit Flash Sale

≪ Previous: Kris Jenner's "I Love My Friends" Gives Rebecca Black a Run For Her Money

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Last night, the West Village basement bookstore OHWOW, Lilliputian in scale but not import, hosted an informal book-signing for actor/artist Leo Fitzpatrick's Not Garbage. The book is based on a Half Gallery exhibition he recently curated called Ray's A Laugh, about New York artist Ray Johnson (1927-1995). Like the exhibition, the book presents contemporary artists' reactions and interpretations to Johnson's work with contributions from Dan Colen, Hanna Liden, and Dash Snow. Some of the people we spotted at the opening included the Virgins' Donald Cumming, artist Maggie Lee, Sophomore's Chrissie Miller, and of course, Fitzpatrick, who hung out in a side alley, smoking with some pals, in between signing copies of his book. The book is available to order here. Pics above.

 

Tips for Today: Stephen Merchant at Town Hall, Asher Roth Mixtape Release at Brooklyn Bowl & Esprit Flash Sale

December 21, 2011, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Broadway's Best (and Worst) in 2011 According to AndrewAndrew

≪ Previous: Leo Fitzpatrick & Friends Not Garbage Book-Signing Photos

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Stephen Merchant at Town Hall 

This noodly British comic (who we once saw at a party, and thought was a member of The National) is actually Ricky Gervais's right-hand man and co-creator of The Office, Extras and the forthcoming Life's Too Short. He takes on the U.S. for the first time, alone, with two shows at Town Hall. His stand-up show, "Hello Ladies," details his (most likely hilarious) struggles with dealing with the womenfolk.

Town Hall, 123. W. 43rd St. 8 p.m. $29-$49.

Asher Roth Mixtape Release Party at Brooklyn Bowl

Rap wunderkind Asher Roth (he of "I Love College" and dating Hannah Bronfman fame) celebrates his brand new mixtape, Pabst & Jazz -- featuring guest appearances from Action Bronson, A$AP Twelvy, Nathan Santos, Phil Ade' and more -- with a performance at Brooklyn Bowl tonight.

Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 6 p.m. $10.

Esprit Flash Sale

At today's two-hour-only flash sale (from 12-2 p.m.), everything from outwear to party dresses to sweaters to accessories are a whopping 70 percent off at all of Esprit's New York locations. Sounds like some people's idea of hell, and others' of heaven. 

Find a store nearest you here.

Broadway's Best (and Worst) in 2011 According to AndrewAndrew

December 21, 2011, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Beauty + Grooming Goodies: Over 60 Last-Minute Gifts Ideas

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Papermag's intrepid theater reviewers AndrewAndrew break down what was hot and what was lukewarm on Broadway this year.

Top 5 Musicals of 2011

The Book of Mormon
What can we say that hasn't already been said about this absolutely perfect production?

Anything Goes
This classic revival may have been almost too classic for some with its racist portrayal of buck-toothed Asian characters named "Ching" and "Ling," but history deserves examining and this show deserves celebrating.

Bonnie & Clyde
It's criminal that this show is already slated to be executed. This gory and historically accurate love story about the 99% taking what's rightfully theirs is topical, fun, and sexy as hell.

Sister Act
You may need some of those adult diapers Whoopi's been promoting. This confection of a show will have you laughing so hard, that, well...

Catch Me If You Can
An improbable piece of source material for adaptation, the incongruity of the film to stage transfer makes the show that much better when they nail it.

Honorable Mention:

Lucky Guy
This huge show staring one of the stage's smallest stars, Leslie Jordan, was the perfect blend of downtown intellect and uptown schmaltz, red state earnestness and blue state sarcasm It should have been on Broadway and shouldn't have been prematurely canceled.


TOP 5 Plays of 2011

Jerusalem
This play has everything; the first act's a comedy, the second a tragedy, and the third is a session in metaphysics. We had to keep re-shooting our initial review because we couldn't stop crying.

Bengal Tiger in The Baghdad Zoo
This show was robbed at the Tony's.

The Mountaintop
Just because it's the theatrical equivalent of a Hallmark card doesn't make the emotional impact of this magically realistic historical fiction about Martin Luther King Jr. any less potent. Long live the king.

Venus In Fur
Fur our money any show with Nina Arianda is a winner so a show with so much of her, wearing so little, is a big win

Motherfucker With the Hat
Hats off to these motherfuckers for building a believable world of emotional cruelty and redemption

Top 5 Worst Productions of 2011

Godspell
Not only was it terrible, it has a terrible agenda.

Wonderland
Just plain bad. We'd love it as a cult classic straight to DVD movie, but Broadway doesn't work that way.

War Horse
Over-hyped. Good writing is not praising a horse with "good boy" for three straight pages.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Kudos for an ambitious re-imagining, but next time be more imaginative -- we want more drag on Broadway, not shows that drag on.

Relatively Speaking
The Woody Allen, Joel Coen and Elaine May-penned piece is too little too late to save this mish-mash of confessional complaining.

Beauty + Grooming Goodies: Over 60 Last-Minute Gifts Ideas

December 21, 2011, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Top Five Party Moments of 2011 According to Zac Sebastian

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If, like us, you're doing last-minute gift-shopping this week, beauty items are a smart move to make (after all, everyone likes to get dolled up every now and then). If you really want to win with your loved ones this year, here's an 11th-hour shopping guide to our favorite products from 2011 for all the various characters around your holiday table. Enjoy!


For the Glamour Gals (Ed. note: We fall in this category, in case any generous readers were wondering.)

For the Bath & Body Work-ers

For the Hair Hoppers

For the Men Folk

For the Mother You've Always Had But Never Wanted (Just kidding. Love you, mom!)

For Your Little Sister

For the Lacquered Lovelies


LIKE WHAT YOU SAW? HERE'S WHAT IT IS AND WHERE TO FIND IT.

Glamour Gal (l-r)

Nars eyeshadow in Outremer. $23 at narscosmetics.com, Urban Decay Midnight Emergency kit. $39 at urbandecay.com, Oribe 24K Gold Pomade. $49 at bergdorfgoodman.com, Chanel Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadow in Illusoire. $36 at chanel.com, Versace Yellow Diamond EDT. $50-$88 at macys.com, L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes. $8.95 at lorealusa.com, Tom Ford lip color in Wild Ginger. $48 at neimanmarcus.com, Andy Warhol by Bond No. 9 Fragrance. $180-$260 at bondno9.com, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Perle N°112 in Spellbinding Violet. $34.00 at Yslbeautyus.com, Make Up For Ever Fluo Night Black Light Pigment. $31 at sephora.com, Youngblood Mineral Basics Kit. $45 or (buy one get one free) at ybskin.com, MAC Fabulously Festive Face Kit. $59.50 at maccosmetics.com

Bath and Body (l-r)

Kiehl's Limited Edition Koons Crème de Corps. $29-$72 at kiehls.com, Burberry Body EDP fragrance. $95 at burberry.com, Kiss My Face Pomegranate Acai Castile Peace Soap. $2.99 at kissmyface.com/peace, Bliss 'Glow' Ho-Ho Radiance-Revving Triple Oxygen Trio Gift Set. $75 at sephora.com, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Bath Pearls. $65 at neimanmarcus.com, Lush Moon and Sun steamer tabs. $2.95 each at lushusa.com, Shiseido Honey Cake in Green. $7.99 at shiseido.com, Jimeale New York tote. $19.95 at jimeale.com

Hair Hoppers (l-r)

Tigi Bed Head Candy Fixations Totally Baked Volumizing and Prepping Hair Meringue. $15.95 at tigihaircare.com, Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil. $68 at shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com  Cricket Friction-free mini straightener. $26.50 at amazon.com, Philip Kingsley Body Building shampoo and conditioner. $22 each at philipkingsley.com, Sebastian Shaper hairspray. $16.95. Visit sebastianprofessional.com for salons, Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist. $25 at fekkai.com, Bumble and Bumble BB Big Shine Soin Brillance, Refresh Volumizing Dry Shampoo. $25 at qvc.com, Ouidad 12 Minute Deep Treatment. $50 at ouidad.com, Goody Jewel Shine brush. $6.49 at Walmart stores nationwide.

Men Folk (l-r)

Redken for Men, Defining wax shine form. $15.44 at redken.com, Axe Shock Shower Gel. $5.79 at drugstore.com, Eau de Lacoste Vert Edition. $62 at macys.com, Dopp Kit. $28 at maptote.com, Santa Maria Novella Shave Foam Holder and Cutter. $180 at lafco.com, Anthony Logistics For Men Holiday Body Cleansing Gels in Eucalyptus/Mint. $35 at Anthony.com, Clark's Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Balm. $19 at clarksbotanicals.com, Kiehl's "Close-Shavers" brushless shave cream in White Eagle. $16 at kiehls.com, Kiehl's Razor Bump Relief. $27.50 at kiehls.com

Moms (l-r)

Beauty For Real Midnight Beauty Box. $35 at beautyforreal.com, Kai Nightlight candle. $26 at kaifragrance.com, Kai Bathing Bubbles. $36 at kaifragrance.com, Jurlique Love Balm. $6.50 at sephora.com, Tom Ford Violet Blonde fragrance. $100 at saks.com, Penhaligon's of London Malabah Classic Candle & Matches Collection. $65 at penhaligons.com, Dolce&Gabbana Ruby Blush in Peach. $55 at saks.com, Kerstin Florian Rescue Crème. $70 at kerstinflorianusa.com, Kesari Pore Minimizing Indian Clay Masque. $29.50 at kesaribeauty.com, Give Scent. $48 at givescent.com, Clark's Botanical Anti-Puff Eye Cream. $87 at clarksbotanicals.com

For Your Little Sister  (l-r)

OPI Muppettes set. $12.50. Visit opi.com for retailers., Lush Chilli Tingle lip tint. $8.95 at lushusa.com, Charlotte Ronson Masquerade Collection Set. $29 at sephora.com, Sonia Kashuk All Out Glam Six-Piece Brush Set. $24.99 at target.com, Lolita Lempicka Shimmering Perfumed Powder. $48 at parfumslolitalempicka.com, MAC Ice Parade Snow Globe eye shadows. $38 at maccosmetics.com, Meow! Fragrance by Katy Perry $65 at nordstrom.com, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars Neon set; Queen, Harlot, Anime, Beta, and Hoochie. $49.50 at occmakeup.com

Lacquered Lovelies (l-r)

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Shake Your Groove Thing. $18 at DeborahLippmann.com, Butter LONDON 3 Free Nail Lacquer in Tart with a Heart. $14 at butterlondon.com, Essie Luxeffects nailpolish in A Cut Above. $8 at nordstrom.com, Nicole by OPI nail lacquer in My Sleigh's in the Shop from the Merry Must-Have Kit. $10 for a pack of two at target.com, CND Colour and Effects nailpolish in Green Scene. Visit cnd.com for more information, OPI nail lacquer in Rainbow Connection. $8.50. Visit opi.com for retailers., Topshop Make Up Nails in Eyes of Steel. $10 at Topshop, 478 Broadway, New York.

Top Five Party Moments of 2011 According to Zac Sebastian

December 21, 2011, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Top 10 Holiday Cards We Received This Year -- From John Waters to Phyllis Diller to The White House

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Here are PAPER/PAPERMAG.com nightlife photographer Zac Sebastian's top five moments of 2011 wherein he stopped, looked around, and thought, "Wow, I love this job."


1. The launch party for Julia Restoin's lingerie line with Kiki de Montparnasse

My job is great... Need I say more? OK, I will. I shot this on my birthday.  Usually people would complain about having to work on their birthday...


2. Penn Badgley, Zoe Kravitz, Alexa Chung and More Host "Occupy" at Bowery Hotel

Discussing income inequality in the Bowery Hotel with a plethora of downtown It kids and the creative media elite. Mos Def read a letter from prison for a solid 45 minutes and the drinks were still 20 bucks. Who said equality came cheap?

3. Mick Rock's "Rocked" opening at the W Hotel Downtown

That's the man himself shooting Phantagram killing it onstage right before Mark Ronson took to the decks. A legend worth celebrating in my opinion. And celebrate we did with a collection of pretty people, Miss Karen O and the rest of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and two-thirds of the Gossip Girl man cast. A blowout indeed.

4. The Florence and the Machine x Interview party at the Boom Boom Room

You can have all the staging and theatrics you want, but when you have a voice like this all you need is a mic and breathing room. I'm pretty sure the Boom Boom Room was at capacity, but Florence sang four new songs that I'd never heard from her then unreleased album, and it was amazing. The dog days truly are over.

5. The T-Mobile party featuring The Black Keys

So as you can imagine, that was a really loud moment. And even if I end up basically deaf as as an old man, I can say for sure that watching one of the greatest bands of our time rock the shit out of some ridiculously chosen uptown venue with sub par spacing but creative hors d'oeuvres... was totally worth it. Who can say no to fantastic egg rolls and fucking awesome music?

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Top 10 Holiday Cards We Received This Year -- From John Waters to Phyllis Diller to The White House

December 21, 2011, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Azari & III's "Reckless (With Your Love)" Is Our Music Video of the Day

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We here at PAPER know some pretty interesting characters -- who often send us equally interesting holiday cards. Here are 10 of the best we've gotten this year, including one that's edible!

1. An elegant and disturbing card courtesy of John Waters

2. M&Ms from artist Marilyn Minter and husband Bill Miller, funnily enough printed by Walmart.com!

33. Every year PAPER film critic Dennis Dermody goes the upsetting route with his Christmas cards. This year, he did not disappoint with this hilarious gem.

4. Chanel's delicate and tasteful card

5. A pup wearing a tuxedo and a top-hat from Nars

6. This card is neither here nor there, but it's from the White fricking House, so we had to put it on here.

7. Each Christmas, the amazing nonagenarian Phyllis Diller writes a hilarious poem -- this year's is cat-themed!

8. Diesel encourages us to work hard and party harder, a motto we here at PAPER Publishing Inc. can really get behind.

9. Ruben Toledo painted a lovely little scene for his and Isabel Toledo's holiday card.


10. We think we're going to eat Dries van Noten's card right after we publish this blog. See ya!

Oh, this one doesn't count, but we wanted to stick it in here anyway -- it's ours!

Azari & III's "Reckless (With Your Love)" Is Our Music Video of the Day

December 21, 2011, 11:46 am

≫ Next: Amar'e Stoudemire, Fashion Icon/Basketball Player, Had An Amazing Year

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Is Toronto replacing Williamsburg as the best source for new music? This year we've seen great albums by Drake and The Weeknd and also by this group, Azari & III, and all three are from that Canadian city. The group was started by the producers/remixer/DJs Christian Farley and Alphonse Lanza and they've just released this clip for their new single "Reckless With Your Love." Plus, it now looks like their debut album -- originally out last summer -- is about to get a big push in February with a global re-issue by Island Records. If you're headed over to Russia for New Year's Eve, they'll be playing in Moscow at Krysha Mira.

Amar'e Stoudemire, Fashion Icon/Basketball Player, Had An Amazing Year

December 21, 2011, 12:30 pm

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When he's not on the basketball court playing for the New York Knicks, stylish NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire is making the rounds at runway shows, sitting in the front row with fashion elite like Anna Wintour. The pair have clearly hit it off, because the Vogue editor-in-chief improbably teamed Stoudemire with editor Hamish Bowles for a story and photo spread in the magazine's April 2011 issue. Stoudemire, who recently teamed with Nike and their "Always On" video ad campaign, was out and about Monday night to premier his video at 21 Mercer streaming live performances by Vado, Stalley, Jesse Boykins III and French Montana. Gracious and soft-spoken, the 6'11 specimen of manly pulchritude is a complex figure who's overcome the early death of his father and an often absent mother to become an NBA all-star. We caught up with him the night before his video premiere to talk fashion, acting, agriculture and his year with the Knicks.

David Hershkovits: What kind of year has it been for you?

Amar'e Stoudemire: It's been a phenomenal year for me. I traveled to Israel and learned a lot of history. On top of the basketball season we had in New York, I acted in a few movies and shows like MacGruber and Entourage. Fashion just took on a whole other realm. I was able to attend some shows with fashion moguls, and received the Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle Award. I also made the second All-NBA team.

DH: Had you ever thought about acting before? Like when you were growing up?

AS: I always thought about wanting to get involved in TV, but I just didn't know when or how. It just all kind of came into play last year.

DH: Did you sweat out the lockout and the possibility that there wouldn't be a season?

AS: It wasn't easy because as players we want to play as soon as we can, but we couldn't quite get a deal done as fast as we wanted to. Now we're back on the court, though.

DH: I'm surprised you have a night off. Don't you have a game Wednesday?

AS: Yeah, I had a long practice today. I'm working extremely hard. I did a charity event earlier today for Garden of Dreams and tonight's Nike Always On.

DH: Are you looking forward to anything this year outside basketball?

AS: Not right now. I'm just continuing to enhance the different avenues I've already driven down. Other than that, I'm just really focusing on basketball and bringing a championship to the city, which is the ultimate goal.

DH: In terms of music, what do you like?

AS: I love all genres. Alternative rock is a little bit much for me. Jazz is great. I like R&B, soul, hip-hop and pop.

DH: How do you discover new things?

AS: My friends turn me on to old school music, old-school jams. I listen to a lot of jazz stations when I'm driving alone to get a little clarity.

DH: If you weren't playing ball, what do you think you would be doing?

AS: I think I'd be a school teacher. Teaching is a passion of mine. Maybe a history teacher.

DH: You didn't go to college. Do you regret that or did it work out OK?

AS: Things worked out OK. I did attend classes for a few summers.

DH: If you went back to school, what would you study?

AS: I'm into agriculture right now. I follow an organic diet. When I'm on the road I've just got to pick the right foods on the menu. Sometimes I'm intrigued by certain things on the menu, but the majority of the time I eat organic.

DH: How do you balance the discipline of being an athlete and going out and doing all the other things you like?

AS: You've got to have the goals in mind and understand what it takes to achieve those goals, and then you've got to establish self-discipline. I've had my goal in mind since I was a kid. I wanted to become an NBA player and once I was on pace to do that I wanted to achieve something great within the NBA. I persevered through injuries, I had the self-discipline to train a certain way and that's why I am where I am right now.

 

Boys In Underwear Tell Us What They Want For Christmas

December 21, 2011, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Most-Watched Videos in 2011 + Real Shit Girls Say = Eight Items or Less

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This holiday season, one of our favorite photographers, Richard Phibbs, got together with some of the sexiest men in show business -- that is, the scantily clad fellows of adult film site cockyboys.com. Since a few of them are on Mr. Mickey's Christmas list, I asked the boys what they're hoping to see under the tree this year.

Marc Dylan

1. The one thing I wish for every Christmas is to have my mother back with me.

2. A new Corvette

3. A shopping spree

4. A new watch. I lost mine at the gym.

5. To find my special someone.

Tommy Defendi

1. A new Macbook Pro

2. A shopping spree at my favorite shoe/hat store!

3. A puppy (preferably a Frenchy -- but I love all dogs)

4. A good time with my loved ones and closest friends

5. A new sexy piece of ass to have some fun with on camera for all my fans' entertainment. Gotta spread the holiday cheer.

Kennedy Carter

1. To get my mum to New York for a vacation next summer. By the time I go back to London next October, I will have been out of the country for 16 months. I miss my family a lot. Plus my mum has not taken a holiday abroad since before I was born so I feel like I owe her!

2. For Florrie to release her new EP. The last two have been two of my favorite collections of pop music in ages, and she is still giving away all her music for free on her website. My pop star of the year.

3. To finish my year of school in Mexico without turning into a giant taco. I have a frightening addiction and the taqueria next to my house doesn't help.

4. For Katie Holmes to throw off the barley water-scented shackles of Scientology and write a tell-all memoir.

5. Happiness, love and success for all the important people in my life.

Phenix Saint

1. A 7-day day cruise to Jamaica
 
2. Shannon Elizabeth
 
3. An American Express Black Card

4. A Ferrari 35

5. And last, but not least, that everyone has a very happy and safe holiday.
 
Turk Mason

1. A second butthole

2. To be Jewish so that next year I get eight presents

3. A sandwich. God, I'm hungry!

4. A third butthole

5. World peace

Mason Star

1. A horse-drawn carriage pulled by ghost horses
 

2. A black pearl necklace
 

3. A pair of Christian Louboutin Puck heels
 

4. A Benjamin Cho polar bear fur coat as seen in the "Bad Romance" video
 

5. A signed, used pair of Lady Gaga's panties


Marc wears briefs by Calvin Klein, Tommy wears briefs by Calvin Klein, Kennedy wears briefs by H&M, Phenix wears briefs by American Apparel, Turk wears briefs by H&M and Mason wears briefs by Wrangler.

Most-Watched Videos in 2011 + Real Shit Girls Say = Eight Items or Less

December 21, 2011, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: Tips for Today: Dum Dum Girls at Glasslands + Totally J/K at UCBeast + It's a Wonderful Life at the IFC Center

≪ Previous: Boys In Underwear Tell Us What They Want For Christmas

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1. YouTube's most-watched how-to video and their most-watched fashion video for 2011 was "25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes," with 8,220,462 views. Go here for more of their most-watched clips of the year.

2. Here's a guide (plus ticket links) to tons of New Year's Eve party in New York City. Club Planet has over 250 party spots listed, including the subMercer's (147 Mercer Street) Black & White Masquerade Ball with DJ Justin Strauss. BrooklynVegan narrows it all down to the coolest concerts and hippest parties here.

3. Comedian Rose Surnow has made a Twitter account called "Real Shit Girls Say" as a response to the wildly popular "Shit Girls Say" videos. Highlights: "Why don't I make the same amount of money as my male co-workers" and "Why is there only 1 out of 15 new shows on Comedy Central starring a woman?" [Buzzfeed]

4. Best Celebrity Shirtless Photos and Best Cleavage of 2011. [PopSugar, Manjr]

5. You should have bought that Damien Hirst painting back in 2002. Since then, works by the UK artist -- as well as those by Andy Warhol -- have increased in value threefold and even beat the stock market. [Bloomberg]

7. Washington, D.C. police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ran a fake rap music label and recording studio called "Manic Enterprises" in a year-long sting that netted 70 people, $7.2 million in drugs and 161 weapons. [All Hip-Hop]

8. Super-depressing Tweets from 13 morons who don't know what Hanukkah is. [Buzzfeed]