Shinola Taps Bruce Weber -- and Detroit -- For Its New Campaign

February 12, 2014, 12:30 pm

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Model Carolyn Murphy and Shinola Campaign Stars

Detroit-based watch/bicycle/leather goods brand Shinola recently teamed up with legendary photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber for their new campaign celebrating the spunky spirit of their home city. Featuring real-life residents -- including a poet, school kids, and a soul musician -- alongside supermodel Carolyn Murphy, the campaign also includes videos and a zine that share more about the folks featured and why they love the Motor City. Take a peek at Weber's photos above and below.

Natasha T. Miller, Poet, and Jane Billington, Retired Teacher

Melvin Davis, Detroit Soul Musician

Asia Newson, Spirit of Detroit Winner

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Badger from Breaking Bad Has the Worst Basketball Practice Ever In New Guided By Voices Video

February 12, 2014, 3:00 pm

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Guided By Voices returns with a goofy new video for their single "Planet Score" starring Breaking Bad's Badger (a.k.a. Matt Jones), Daily Show/Hot Tub Time Machine's Rob Corddry, his brother and fellow actor Nate Corddry, and comedian Willmaierica in the most unexpectedly high-pressure basketball practice ever. Badger plays under the strain of an over-invested friend, a well-dressed coach, and a jerk dressed as a hotdog (seriously). The clip was directed by Mike Postalakis for Funny or Die and "Planet Score" appears on their forthcoming album, Motivational Jumpsuit, out next Tuesday.

The Sochi Athlete's Village Is One Big Tinder Meat Market

February 13, 2014, 6:30 am

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According to U.S. snowboarding Jamie Anderson, tons of Olympic athletes are all up on that Tinder tip while staying in the athlete's village. She told US Weekly: "Tinder in the Olympic Village is next level. It's all athletes! In the mountain village it's all athletes. It's hilarious. There are some cuties on there." And even added, "There was a point where I had to be like OK, this is way too distracting...I deleted my account to focus on the Olympics."  [via US Weekly]

Hey, sup? [via Coin Farts]

Night night! [via Humor Train]

Why you gotta be such a drama queen? [via F Yeah Dementia]

That's a fun fuckin' fact. [via Rats Off]

Here's an amazing clip of Russian Olympic figure skater Evgeni Plushenko's 2001 routine, re-cut to look like he was skating to Ginuwine's "Pony." It matches up perfectly and makes us feel like we're watching Magic Mike all over again.  [via Buzzfeed]

Two dorky -- but, as much as you hate to admit, kinda cute -- white dudes covering a rap song by another dorky -- but, as much as you hate to admit, kinda (back in the day c'mon!) cute -- white dude: Two administrators at a North Carolina prep school sing Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby" to announce the school closing for a snow day. [via Tastefully Offensive]

The Wanted's Siva Kaneswaran Shares His Fashion Week Diary

February 13, 2014, 9:15 am

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Super cute musician Siva Kaneswaran (formerly of The Wanted) came to town this week for his first-ever New York Fashion Week -- as a guest, that is. (A former model, Kaneswaran walked a few NYFW catwalks back in the day.) He was kind enough to share a photo diary of his busy few days going to shows, after parties, and even one of Times Square's biggest tourist traps. Read on.

Thursday:

Backstage at Desigual with my friend, Billboard's Gregory DelliCarpini

This was my first New York Fashion Week as a guest. The last time I was ever at New York Fashion Week, I was working as a model and walked in shows like G-Star. That was around four years ago.

I arrived on Thursday and rushed straight to the Duckie Brown show as soon as I landed. I was a bit flustered to have to rush like that and I also had to speak in an American accent to make the taxi driver understand me and where I wanted to go! The show was awesome though.

The finale at Desigual

From there I went to Desigual. I know the brand from when I was in Spain. The fashion show was just amazing -- it was very colorful, there was lots of energy. The models were even dancing down the catwalk. At the end of the show, they threw souvenirs from Desigual into the crowd, which I thought was really cute. They were little hearts. 

Fitting at G-Star RAW

After Desigual, I went to a fitting with G-Star before their big party on Saturday. We went in, I knew exactly what I wanted to wear, they were super accommodating and it was quite easy. I got a denim shirt and jeans but I wanted to mix my own style in so I wore my own shoes and a leather jacket -- gor-geous jacket. In terms of style, normally I try to keep my clothes fitted. It's a habit of being in the industry for a few years. You've got to be prim and proper and dapper and look and feel like a man.

Trying on some jeans at G-Star

Back at the Sanctuary hotel -- the view of NYC's skyline never gets old

After the G-Star fitting, I wanted to go out but that night when I got back, I was so jet-lagged from the whole day that I just conked out on the couch, which wasn't great.

FRIDAY:

It was great to catch up with Kellan before the Nautica show

That morning I had an interview with E! News and after that, I went to Nautica. I bumped into Kellan Lutz. I've briefly been at the same events with him but this is the first time we got to talk. We both enjoyed the Nautica show and just made small talk like, "Hey, I liked those shorts!" "Yeah, I liked those shorts!" But I did really like the Nautica show --  I wanted a pair of shorts from there, a jacket from there. I also met the designer -- he was really nice.

Nautica finale -- what a great show!

Afterwards, I went to the Charlotte Ronson party and took a few pictures. The party was in my hotel -- the Sanctuary -- so I felt like I should pop down -- it would be rude not to. It was the first time I got to go out [since getting to New York]. I got a bit tipsy and headed back up to my room because I didn't want to drink too much because I had to work the next day. But then my friend came around who lives in New York and we continued the party. We've been best friends since we were kids and he surprised me with a bottle of rum and we drank that until I got so tired from the jet-lag.

SATURDAY:

Channeling my inner tourist at Bubba Gump -- love their fried chicken!

In the morning we went to meet Rushka Bergman from Vogue Italia and L'Uomo Vogue. She was really expressive and was saying she wanted to help me on my "fashion journey." That was a great start to the day.

I've only been to Bubba Gump shrimp once but I love their fried chicken and I had to go back and try it so we went to the one in Times Square. There were a lot of [fans]. When I walked in, I took off my hat, which was a big mistake. I don't know why I did it. I got stopped by an English girl and her family and a French girl, too. I was like, "Wow, I'm in NYC and I get stopped by a French girl and an English girl?

Posing on the denim carpet at G-Star's party

Then we went to the G-Star party at the American Museum of Natural History. It felt nostalgic -- I remembered [modeling] years ago for G-Star. They're so passionate and they're perfectionists about every detail. The party was celebrating a collab with Bionic Yarn and G-Star and curated by Pharrell. It was about raising awareness about plastics damaging the ocean and how the collab found a way to turn plastic into yarn for G-Star. Everyone was emotional at the end of the presentation. I'd love to be involved with something like that in the future. 

Night at the museum! Man vs. Tiger

We couldn't get enough dessert at Antica Pesa

Afterwards, we had dinner at Antica Pesa, which was awesome. I *think* I've been to Brooklyn before -- maybe even for a gig -- I can't remember! But I'd never been to this restaurant. We walked in and there was a jazz singer above us on a terrace that overlooked the restaurant. Straightaway, good vibes. The people were really nice, the staff was lovely, and we had really good food. I remember I had the lamb chops and they were so nice and tender. After dinner I had to crash right away because I was going into the studio the next day.

SUNDAY:

It was great bumping into Mr. Mickey!

Sunday, I went to the Public School show. I just liked the whole vibe of it -- the hats, the black quilted details, the layers...even the shape of the catwalk was interesting, too. I liked that it enabled me to focus on one person and not have to constantly look left and right. The models could pass by and you could take it all in. The show felt very modern and I'm very excited about the label. It feels very futuristic -- like the next step [in fashion]. I thought, "They're gonna grow and grow and be a big thing."

Public School

Scoping the Public School finale

After the show, I had lunch at a diner down the road -- it was awesome. I had waffles and bacon -- I can imagine myself very fat if I lived in New York City for a few months.

After that, I went to the studio and worked with [producer] RedOne on a new track. It was nice to get to do stuff on my own and be creative. We got on really well. Hopefully you'll all hear the song soon! After that, it was on a plane and back to London.

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 7

February 13, 2014, 9:30 am

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Proenza Schouler is always one of the best shows of NYFW and this season was no different. I love when they do patterns and this look on Binx (one of my favorite models) is fun because it has a bit of an Alaia silhouette happening.

I don't think we've ever seen Anna Sui reference her Chinese heritage in her collection and I was cuckoo crazy for this show. It was very Anna May Wong in an art deco opium den. The hair was heaven. The makeup was heaven. The jewelry was heaven and the clothes were.... that's right.... heaven.

This hunky dude was wearing my favorite look at the Jeremy Scott show. Well, okay -- maybe HE was my favorite look. Jeremy always does amazing castings! Everyone was so excited for his Moschino debut in a few weeks that the show was EXTRA exciting.

These three mens looks at Michael Kors say it all: Luxurious, chic and fantabulous.

Just when you think you're jaded and can't be starstruck at a fashion show Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon show up at Jason Wu's debut for Hugo Boss. Swoon.

Superstar Stylist Katie Grand Still Gets Starstruck. Especially When Miley Walks In.

February 13, 2014, 12:00 pm

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Katie Grand is probably the most famous stylist in the world. Currently best known as the founder and editor of Love, the London-based, biannual, super high fashion glossy, Grand previously worked her magic at magazines like The Face, Dazed & Confused and Pop. The Birmingham, England native has collaborated with a who's who of the fashion industry including Marc Jacobs (she styled 18 Louis Vuitton shows and in February she'll work on her fourth Marc Jacobs show), Bottega Veneta, Kate Moss and Prada. We caught up with Grand the day before she headed to New York to start working on Jacobs' Fall/Winter 2014 show­ -- his first since leaving Louis Vuitton -- and chatted about trying to top Jacobs' last show, her love of supermodels and which celebrities still leave her starstruck. 

 

Miley Cyrus on the cover of Love's Spring/Summer "Fantasy Documented" 2014 issue, on stands now,
Photographed by David Sims.

Mickey Boardman: It seems like there's so much happening in London right now. What is it about the city that makes it such an amazing place for young talent and fashion?

Katie Grand: We're so used to being exposed to London as a cool, happening city with cool, happening people in it. You don't really get that in Milan or Paris. You're getting less and less of it in New York -- I'm talking about Manhattan -- the more sanitized it gets. People are brought up with images of cool-looking people in London from the '60s up to the present day and some people want to be that. That's how it keeps perpetuating itself. It's always going to be a vibrant city. It can't exist on tourism alone.

MB: You're known for working with supermodels. Do you ever like to work with new, up-and-coming people?

KG: I think it depends on the season and it depends on the clothes. Established girls look interesting in conceptual clothes because that's not how you're used to seeing conceptual clothes. For the current issue of Love we've got Anja Rubik in the Comme des Garçons collection. A sexy girl with a red lip and a red nail wearing that collection is the polar opposite of how it was shown and how you think of it. Most of the rest of the issue is pretty new girls. I haven't worked with Kate [Moss] for two issues, but before that I'd worked with her on every issue. It's how fashion goes. Sometimes you want someone young and new and other times you think, "Can we just have someone turn up who knows what they're doing?"

Rila Fukushima by Nobuyoshi Araki; Flowers by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

MB: Let's talk about Marc Jacobs. You've worked with him for a long time, but this is the first Fashion Week he'll be able to focus solely on his Marc Jacobs line after 16 years with Vuitton. What's that like?

KG: I always get quite anxious about it because it's going into such an intense work period. It's going to be two weeks of 16,17, 19, 24-hour workdays with basically one person, so it's really intense. Today I'm a bit like, "Ooh I hope everyone's in a good mood. I hope it's all going to work out. I hope the fabric arrives." The usual. And then there's the gremlin in the back of your head yelling, "The expectation is so high!" But you would never get out of bed in the morning if you really took that seriously. You have to get on with it. I do think his last show is one of my favorite shows that I've ever worked on, so it's been more mental torture about how we are going to better last season than what people are going to think of Marc's first show without Vuitton. That's actually been more of a pressure. The set, the casting and the hair and makeup were so good. It was quite magical, and I don't say that lightly. You want to react against that and say, "Let's not do any embellishment!" and then you think, "That's not gonna fly." It's not like the '90s where you could say, "Let's just do something really simple." Everyone will go to sleep.

Kate Upton by Nigel Shafran; Lily McMenamy by Juergen Teller

MB: You said you were starstruck when you worked with Kylie Minogue at Dazed & Confused. Do you still get starstruck or are you over famous people?

KG: No, I'm so uncool. When Miley walked into the studio I was like, "Oh my God you're Miley Cyrus!" She just stood there and I thought that probably sounded really bad. Miley is a big one because she's tall and good-looking and she has quite a powerful physical presence. I was quite an idiot over her. I kind of like that some people still excite me. I'm never particularly impressed by people because they're famous, but I do find it really amazing when they're famous and they're good people. Like Drew Barrymore, I just love. I think she's great. But just because people are famous I don't feel the need to hang out with them only for that reason.

MB: We shot Duran Duran a few years ago and when Yasmin Le Bon [Simon Le Bon's wife] came in I lost my mind.

KG: John Taylor still does that to me. My dad chased John Taylor down the motorway in Birmingham when I was 11 years old. No matter how many times I see John Taylor and no matter how many times he's normal to me I still have that thing of  "Ahhh! I followed you down the motorway because I loved you."

MB: A girl never forgets her first love.


REMIX: Love issue 11 Spring/Summer 2014 will be bigger and better featuring six special covers and content celebrating the pure imagery of Love. Available exclusively at Bookmarc and Marc Jacobs stores on February 17.

Love Hurts: Celebrity Break-Ups We're Still Coping With

February 13, 2014, 2:00 pm

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Outsource your Valentine's Day ennui this year -- be sad about these celebrity couples' break-ups instead of your own.

Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp

Wino forever.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston

They got matching blonde highlights just for their wedding. That is love.

Amy Poehler and Will Arnett
This is actually too painful to talk about.

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore

This one too.

Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey

The "Chicken of the Sea" of Hollywood breakups; we'll never understand it.

Seal and Heidi Klum
Does Halloween even exist without these two?

Al and Tipper Gore
Never forget. The king and queen of political PDA.

Tony Kanal + Gwen Stefani
Don't speak to us about this break up. Tony was down with Gwen even back during her OC dickies-and-ultra-plucked-brows-days. Anyone who knew you in your embarrassing ska days knows the inner workings of your soul.

Linda Ronstadt + Mick Jagger

Linda seems like she was the realest of all of Mick's women. Models schmodels -- look at those gams! Linda Ronstadt is Woman with a "capital W."

Madonna + Vanilla Ice
In a way, if these two reunited now, it would make so much sense.

Glenn Close + Woody Harrelson
Is that his satchel or her satchel Woody's holding? It doesn't matter whose it was -- that's just how these two roll(ed).

Paris Hilton + Val Kilmer
Just kidding! We just wanted to show you this photo. And, yes, they really did apparently make out in real life one time.

Mr. Mickey's Fitness Diary: "There Have Been Some Moments of Despair"

February 14, 2014, 2:30 pm

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Paper's editorial director Mickey Boardman is dedicating the next 100 days to getting in shape. Track his progress every Friday here in his weekly fitness diary. Join us below for his next entry, as he recounts eating a Payday on the toilet and going to SoulCycle in a blizzard.

Here we are on Week 3 of Mr. Mickey's fitness journey and let's just say that we've hit a few bumps. There have been moments of grandeur, like my trip to SoulCycle at 8 a.m. during a blizzard. There have been some moments of despair, like me eating a Payday candy bar on the toilet. What is it about eating in the bathroom that is particularly irresistible yet shameful? Get my therapist on the phone!

SoulCycle was fabulous. I go with my friend and co-worker Jamie, so I really feel like I need to show up. Plus even though it wrecks me I do feel a great sense of accomplishment once I'm done. This week we did a class with a hunky teacher named Ben T. at the 19th St studio. Even though I don't wear my glasses during class,  I can still distinguish shapes and Ben T's shape was HOT. Dark, handsome, hairy, fit. Get Mr. Mickey the smelling salts!

Ben seemed to be training another instructor during the class so she rode the bike while Ben walked around shouting inspirational chants and demonstrating the moves. This was super helpful because even though I'm a veteran of about 7 SoulCycle sessions, I still don't feel 100 % capable of all the moves. Ben also did a little bit of sexy straight-man dancing, which I found particularly inspiring because I know there's a Ben T. inside of me waiting to get out. (Except, of course, that I'm a fabulous gay dancer.)

Since it was a blizzard that day half the people didn't show up (which is unusual since most classes are sold out!) so I really felt like I was a hard ass for getting there and getting the job done.

Later in the week we rode with Emily, my favorite teacher who does the 1980s class. She always has the best music for me even when it's not the '80s class. Emily asked for a show of hands of any first timers and since there weren't any she said she was going to really work us hard. And did she ever. I was sweating like a pig throughout but, hey, that's what I'm there for. Despite the bumps of the week (Hello Payday on the toiler) I did feel like I'm getting in touch with my inner athlete. We all have one. We think because we're gay or fat or housewives or old or have arthritis in our big toes (yes, I do) that we aren't athletes, but really we all have a beast within. It just needs to be unleashed.

 As for food, this past week was New York Fashion Week which is one of the craziest times of year for style addicts like me. You're running around all day and night and usually don't get a chance to make healthy food choices. I did eat several greek yogurts which are my new favorite thing because if you get the kind with the gooey fruit in it they actually taste like pudding. And which food addict doesn't love pudding?

I wasn't able to make it to Weight Watchers this week because it was the same time as the Lacoste show, so I can't tell you how much I currently weigh. But next week we'll have a numerical update. And since I'm off to London tonight for their fashion week let's hope I can get some healthy food options together instead of just having Cokes and crisps from the Mayfair Hotel mini-bar. Oh kids this is a journey, but there are lots of detours and many potholes!
 

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The Best, Worst and Weirdest of the Week

February 14, 2014, 3:00 pm

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Paper Original Valentine We're Most Proud Of On Our Tumblr: This one! -- Elizabeth Thompson

Best Web Commercial of the Week: Cuckoo Echo Park boutique Dog Show's fun and funky mid-80s pastel infomercial realness. -- Abby Schreiber

Best Gams: Jay Z's. Who knew? Does he wax?! -- E.T.

Most Interesting Fashion Week-Related News We Heard All Week: The news that Lil' Kim is pregnant! Do they make sparkle jumpsuits for infants? -- A.S.

Most Poppin' Song We've Had On Repeat All Week: Thumpers' "Unkinder." This is THE jam. -- E.T. (H/T Paper's James Rickman) 

Best Never Forget of the Week: Courtney Love's old nose in Paper, 1986. -- E.T.

Hottest (Haute-est?) "Forest Rangers" We Saw All Week: The models at GLAZE's fashion week presentation. -- A.S.

Least Viral Winter Olympics Ever: This one? Where are our GIFs? Our reaction shots? Our 25 MUST-SEE videos? This shit is boring this year. -- E.T.

That Said, Here's the Best (Only?) Olympics Gossip We Heard All Week: That the athlete's village is one big Tinder/Grindr fest. -- A.S.

Best Tumblr Valentine We Spotted This Week: This anti-Robin Thicke one. You know you don't want it. -- E.T.

Mr. Mickey's Lodon Fashion Week Diary

February 16, 2014, 10:21 pm

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks!

JW Anderson is not afraid of bold shapes and neither are we. He always goes there with his silhouettes.

Sister by Sibling is known for their knitwear and this bright red take on the classic Chanel suit is sophisticated and subversive at the same time.

Duro Olowu is the master of lush prints, and for fall this suit felt particularly irresistible.

John Rocha was really feeling the ruffles this season. Get Lynn Yaeger on the phone because she could really work this look.

Punk legend Vivienne Westwood took her final bow with her granddaughter. Could she be passing the torch to a new generation?

House of Holland means fun fun fun and our favorite look has a splash of orange, the color of the season.

Speaking of orange, we love the orange hair on model Irina Kravchenko. White blonde is the trend of the season but red feels new to us. Here's Irina in my favorite look from the Preen show.

Richard Nicoll has one of the tangiest color palettes in London and this pink top with pleated skirt with purple details is the perfect combo of traditional shape with fresh colors.

Pringle Scotland showed at Savile House which was super chic and glamorous. The collection looked super expensive and I think this knit coat is a great substitute for a fur!

Mary Katrantzou is really the queen of London Fashion Week. Known for her bold, graphic prints, this season she went wild with the embroidery and embellishment and it was major. The cherry on top was having legendary model Kirsten Owen open the show.

This Paul Smith coat is the kind of thing we could wear to a Downton Abbey party.
 
Hunter, the outerwear and rain boot company, did a runway show with new Creative Director Alasdhair Willis (husband of Stella McCartney) and it was a fun, creative presentation of totally waterproof cuteness.

Bill Murray Getting His Flirt On With Paloma Faith = Delightful

February 17, 2014, 6:30 am

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Bill Murray, Matt Damon and Hugh Bonneville were on the Graham Norton Show with Paloma Faith and things got interesting. Bill Murray, you dog. [Uproxx]


Meet your new favorite dance craze: Dance Crying. [Jezebel]
 
Ladies and gentlemen, Olympic Cat Curling. [TastefullyOffensive]
 
Meanwhile, this video featuring the sounds of female Olympic curling is amazing [TastefullyOffenisve]

Hero. [Mlkshk]
 
If you're sad about working on this national holiday (NO COMMENT), just let this video of Kama the surfing pig hanging 10 in Honolulu fill you with joy. [TastefullyOffensive]

Meet best friends Penny the chicken and Roo the disabled Chihuahua. They were both rescued by an animal hospital employee in Duluth Georgia and they love hanging together. "He loves snuggling with her because that's his big teddy bear," says their owner. Askdfj! [Uproxx]

Must be. Keep looking! [Mlkshk]


If conference calls happened as real-life meetings. This is so excellent. [TastefullyOffensive]

Ten Thoughts On Girls' Latest Episode: "Beach House"

February 17, 2014, 9:30 am

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This week, the girls head to the North Fork for a "healing weekend" that, uh, doesn't go quite as planned. Below, 10 highlights from the latest episode.

1. Hannah and Marnie's bus greeting made me uncomfortable but was so, so perfect
Hannah and Marnie's squeaky, high-pitched, hyper girly "hi!" and "how's it going" reeked of fakeness and is totally how females often behave around one another when they're mildly uncomfortable and think they're good at hiding it. That interchange was also a great foreshadowing of how F-U-C-K-E-D the weekend was going to become and how tense the friends felt around one another. We saw Marnie being quick to assume Jessa had flaked (but really she had just decided to sit at the back of the bus "for political reasons") while Hannah covers up her anxiety by cracking a crude joke ("I have to pee so badly I'm going to shit myself"). It effectively depicted how dislocated the foursome had become from one another and, however lousy the weekend might become, that it was a good idea in theory.

2. Hannah's reaction to running into Elijah beautifully showed how complex their relationship is/was
As Lena Dunham notes in the "Inside the Episode" segment, Hannah's relationship with Elijah isn't entirely devoid of her past resentment towards him as a former boyfriend. Elijah has an unusual dual role in Hannah's life as this 'gay best friend' and an ex and while it's easy to let the former role subsume the latter, Hannah can't entirely behave towards him as she would someone she never had romantic feelings for. That's also why they basically cut off contact since the night they did coke at Greenhouse and Elijah confessed he slept with Marnie. It was a fucked up situation but the ridiculousness that the viewers might have felt watching a gay man have sex on a couch with his ex-girlfriend's friend wasn't shared by Hannah, who, as we argued, already felt vulnerable enough to learn her ex-boyfriend was gay, let alone that the same gay ex would sleep with her best friend and hide it from her. We got to see all this tension roil to the surface when they bumped into each other on Main Street but eventually Hannah's affection for Elijah does, in fact, overcome whatever resentment she has towards him and they make amends.

3. Marnie and Charlie's break-up was really, really sad
This has been my favorite episode of the season for several reasons, one of which is the fact that we get to learn more about Charlie and Marnie's break up. And it was really depressing! After telling her he loved her and wanted to propose, Charlie apparently did an about face and came to their apartment with a co-worker, packed up his bags, and left. All Marnie knows is that his company went under and now he's "a carpenter's apprentice and working at some sneaker store." We don't get to find out the chronology of when the company folded in relation to the breakup but part of me thinks that the company started to have problems before Charlie decided to dump Marnie. When the two of them got back together, Charlie's company (and confidence) was booming and there was a sense of grandiosity in the way he behaved -- especially toward Marnie. (Remember when they fucked on the conference table?) Charlie had a successful career and wanted the picture perfect partner and, despite all their problems, knew Marnie could fulfill that role. But -- and we're veering into fan fiction territory here -- we can imagine that as soon the company started to flounder, Charlie nosedived straight into reality and realized that Marnie wasn't what he wanted after all. Just a thought.   

4. Elijah kind of sucks
We've generally liked Elijah -- until now. We'd always gotten a kick out of his sass but this episode, his cloaked insults bordered on cruelty. Yes, it may have been those "North Fork fizzes" talking but it was really shitty -- and willfully obtuse -- of him to respond "she's so fat" about a friend whom Hannah reminds his new boyfriend of and to tell Marnie that he realized Charlie had deeper issues only once he started dating her.

5. How weird was Jessa's pseudo-come on to Paul?
We got a kick out of the fact that Jessa says to Elijah's gay friend, Paul, "Do you know you look like someone Mapplethorpe would've photographed?" (and after which he replies "I don't know who that is") but did anyone else think that exchange was a little weird and a little come on-y? Between Hannah getting a piggyback from Elijah and telling him, "it's been a long time since we assumed this position" and Jessa sidling up to the friend, there was some definite displaced sexual energy in that skinny dipping session.

6. Despite her control freak-ness, I felt bad for Marnie
Even though this episode really hits you over the head with a Waterford crystal vase filled with wildflowers how Type A Marnie is, it also made a part of me feel sad for her. Yes, Marnie should take a Klonopin and chill the eff out but her friends -- and Elijah's crew -- were being really immature and obliviously unappreciative about the dinner and the weekend in general. She really made a big effort to make the weekend fun and it was a pity that no one sucked up their annoyance and stepped up to defend her at dinner when Elijah was snarking that the meal reminded him of a Lean Cuisine. Did anyone else feel empathy for Marnie?

7. Sober Jessa is super friend savvy
Was anyone else impressed by how a recovering Jessa got Marnie to buck up and do the dance to Harry Nilsson's "You're Breaking My Heart"? Jessa's always been a good manipulator but there was something particularly masterful about how she sensed Marnie was feeling insecure and buoyed her ego by whispering, "C'mon you're the best one." But a taste of power (or confidence) can be corrupting -- Marnie uses her fleeting "dance captain" position of authority as an opportunity to criticize Hannah's skills and get her back for making her feel shitty about the dinner. Womp womp.

8. Big ups to Shosh!
Who would've expected a sloshed Shosh to unload on her friends like that? Even though most of what she said was super bitchy and hurtful, I enjoyed watching her speak up and stick up for herself. She's right -- her friends don't take her seriously and don't behave toward her with a lot of respect. I'm curious to see what long-term consequences come of this and whether her standing within the group will change. Jumping ahead a bit, it seemed like the writers wanted to end the episode on an ambiguous note. The whole episode showed how dislocated and out of the sync the four were with one another but the final moment where they're sitting on the dock and doing the dance moves literally shows that it's not impossible for them to get back in sync after all.   

9. Hannah saying to the others "I miss my boyfriend" was both sweet and wrenching
Another reason why I really enjoyed this episode was this moment and how it wonderfully illustrated the fact that the girls aren't each other's primary relationships anymore. While it's a completely normal life progression, there was something a little bittersweet about Hannah's comment since in most cases, the trend only moves in one direction and it's unlikely that they'll ever have the kind of intimacy and connection as they used to.    

10. Was anyone else reminded a bit of Marnie and Booth Jonathan during Elijah and Pal's "I love you" scene?
There were undertones that reminded me a bit of the miscommunication -- and power structure -- between Marnie and Booth during Elijah and Pal's scene in the living room. Pal's confusion and attempt to end the relationship seemed to echo Booth telling Marnie he thought they were just casually sleeping together after she assumed they were a couple. As she tells Hannah in the episode, Marnie has abandonment issues from her father...what's Elijah's excuse?

Best Lines of the Episode:

"I can't go in open water unless I'm menstruating." -- Jessa

"I thought this would just be a nice opportunity to have fun together and to prove to everyone via Instagram that we can have still fun together as a group." -- Marnie

"I can only imagine she's just walking around, bossing everyone around like a mean, skinny Miss Hannigan." -- Elijah

"So I gained 25 lbs but then I lost 30 lbs." -- Elijah
"Oh amazing, how'd you do it?" -- Hannah
"The Victoria Principal diet." -- Elijah
"Wow, what does that consist of?" -- Hannah
"It's black coffee and you can have one slice of turkey until 4pm and then you can have whatever you want." -- Elijah

"Pal is a theater publicist. He did Kinky Boots, the whole viral marketing campaign." -- Hannah
"I can't believe that's who came after me." -- Marnie
"Well, knowing Elijah, it was eleven closeted math teachers who came after you but after that, it was Pal. And he seems great." -- Hannah

"We watched Wild Things once and I was pretty sure we were gonna start jacking off together." -- Elijah

"I spent $80,000 on a theater BFA. Of course I am talented, Gerald." -- Paul

Chelsea Handler: The American Everywoman's Most Outrageous Friend

February 17, 2014, 10:45 am

≫ Next: Angel Haze's Revolutionary "Battle Cry"

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Dress by Marchesa, undergarments by Jenna Leigh, bracelets by Lulu Frost and ring by Sorellina.

Chelsea Handler is one of the few Americans in the world who would take a trip to Africa and call the elephant camp she visited "one of the lamest parts." 

But, she says, as we sit down to lunch in an empty bar at the Four Seasons with her dogs (one is hers, one belongs to her travel companion who she frequently reminds me is a lesbian), the safari was a different story. "I have never drunk more in my entire life than on that safari, because you are sitting in that car all day long," she says. "You can't get out." (Because of the lions and other carnivorous wild animals roaming the environs. She has photos of lions eating a dead animal to prove it.)

A waiter approaches and she orders margaritas for both of us. In an oversized tote bag swimming with loose paper, Handler somehow easily locates pages from her forthcoming book of travel essays, Uganda Be Kidding Me. She wants to show me photos from the trip of herself and her friends peeing off the sides of various modes of transit -- a Jeep here, a boat there.

"I have 85 pictures of me peeing," she says as she takes me through the photos. "This is me peeing off a boat, in Botswana peeing off a Jeep, my sister and my cousin peeing, Sue"-- who works with her -- "peeing." She laughs. "It was crazy."

Handler is just as put together as she is crazy. The author of the memoir Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea's party girl persona suggests otherwise, but it's hardly a secret that she has to be wildly hard-working and smart to run a talk show on E!, Chelsea Lately, that attracts more women in the 18 to 34 demo than any of her competitors on network television. Four books, three of which flew to number one on the New York Times' Best Seller list, contribute to the legend. (Grand Central Publishing gave Handler her own imprint several years ago.) When she's performing stand-up or hosting her show, she's certainly putting on a bit of an act -- but only to a degree. She really does love to drink (we both have two strong margaritas before two in the afternoon the day we meet) and she really does say inappropriate things (she jokingly refers to the bartenders waiting on us as "Asians" because they are all Asian). She really is the American Everywoman's most outrageous friend who somehow always seems to have more fun and be more fearless than you and everyone you know. You want her to be your plus-one at every event, even though you worry she might cause a scene. 

Handler didn't think she'd write another book after editing Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me, a collection of funny stories about her by her family, friends and coworkers. "It was just as much work as a real book for some reason," she says. Then, "I went on tour back-to-back for two years, which meant shooting my show from Monday through Thursday, flying out Thursday, performing, doing a book signing, two shows Friday and book signings after each, then flying to a new city Saturday, two shows and book signings at each -- it was the most insane schedule you could imagine. I was happy to do it. But by the end of it, I was like, 'I don't ever want to hear the sound of my own voice again.' Which was unfortunate because I had my television job." 

But on that Africa trip, she decided to write another one. After lunch, she's headed to her publisher with notes on the cover mock-up she has in her purse. "I hate this font," she says. And on the retouching: "Can you make my arms look a little less airbrushed and fatter or more muscular?" She's confident they'll do what she says. "No one tells me what to do -- in any capacity."

Handler unabashedly enjoys all the "nonsense" -- her word for the fruits of her fabulous wealth and success--she has now. She's become so successful that -- like the state of modern celebrity -- it's comical. She's rumored on many websites to be worth $35 million. Forbes put her on its Celebrity 100 for the first time in 2010, reporting her income as $19 million with $10 million from her stand-up tour and $4 million from book advances. She didn't go to college. She held -- and was fired from -- nine waitressing jobs, which she worked from age 19 to 27. 

"I was the biggest bitch," she says of her waitressing days. "I didn't understand people who wouldn't look you in the eye and tipped before tax. Do you have any idea the kind of tips I leave? How you make someone feel when they get a $100 tip on a drink?"

Even when she was waitressing and doing stand-up, she had a hard time saving money. "I would go to San Francisco and lose money on my week because you have to put yourself up at a decent hotel if you don't want to be, like, staying with drug dealers and prostitutes," she explains. 

When Handler finally did get on TV, she still waited tables, but none of her customers recognized her "because I was on the fucking Oxygen network doing like a kitchen camera show."

Skirt and top by Dsquared2, earrings and bangles by David Webb and bracelet by Lulu. 

She decided to write her first book, My Horizontal Life, after her friends urged her to put all her funny and outlandish one-night stand stories -- which Handler says are all true -- into a book. "I had been reading David Sedaris and I'm like, 'Well, maybe I can write discursive, essays about different things and then have a through line,'" she says. "I wrote a couple chapters and I sent it to my manager, who at the time had never read a book in his life, and he was like, 'These are really cute. You write like you talk.'" She found a literary agent who sold it to Bloomsbury for $35,000. "I called one of my friends who told me to write a book and I go, 'I just got a book deal because you told me to write a book.' She goes, 'You didn't hand in what you wrote, did you? Because we saw that and that's not a book.' I go, 'That's exactly what I handed in. You told me to do it, and then I got a book deal, and now you're not happy for me?' That was the reaction. I couldn't believe it." (She later made up with the girl.) 

Now she has assistants, flies privately, lives in a mansion in Bel Air where she employs, much to her amusement, a one-armed gardener, drives a Tesla and shacks up at the Four Seasons when she visits New York, where she feeds her dog bits of chicken paillard from her plate. "Life has become so ridiculous because I have access to such nonsense and I can go to these places. I've become so infantilized by having so many assistants -- people who take care of you and pack for you and dress you. It just never stops," she says. "It's very random nonsense but I'm glad to have it.  

"We stay in places based on how they make a margarita," she continues. "I call ahead and have my assistant talk to them. I'm seriously on the border of turning into Jennifer Lopez. That's what I think of myself." She counts among her close friends Sandra Bullock, whom she refers to casually in conversation as "Sandy," Jennifer Aniston ("Jen") and Charlize Theron ("Charlize"). "People are like, 'Why are you friends with her and her and her?!' I'm like, 'You guys, I have a different person on my show every day,'" she says. "That's how I date, that's how I make friends." 

Handler is quick to point out that she has tons of friends who aren't famous. Like Shelly, who lives with her and whom Handler calls "my lesbian" -- the owner of one of the dogs who's joined us for lunch. They traveled with Handler on the safari and force her to leave L.A. when she needs to get work done.

"Hawaii is gross. I just went there to finish my book. My friends were like, 'Where can we go that you will fucking finish this book?' I went and I sat there," she says. "I went out on the beach the first day and there were paparazzi everywhere. Thank god the pictures were nice."

Handler never writes in her home. She wrote half of Uganda Be Kidding Me at the nearby Hotel Bel-Air. "I go there and I have to have two margaritas. There's a great quote from Ernest Hemingway and it says, 'Write drunk, edit sober.'" 

Chelsea wears a dress by KaufmanFranco

You wonder where Handler's real and stage personas begin and end. She's made a career out of simply being herself, but part of her act is just that: an act. At the Paper Nightlife Awards, which she hosted the night before I meet her, she told the crowd sardined into the Manhattan nightclub Marquee that she hates Brooklyn. It's one of those things, in the age of Girls and the obsession with artisanal everything, that you're not supposed to say, which is exactly why it's funny and why Handler knew the audience would laugh hysterically. But offstage, over lunch: "I don't really hate it. I've been to Brooklyn like twice and I don't hate it. I'm sure it's probably great."

But she stops short of being disingenuous. Handler really thinks what she thinks, and she doesn't care how that makes you feel about her. For instance, she hates Fashion Week and finds fashion reviews "utterly ridiculous." "I'm interested in looking good for me, but I'm not interested in going to a fashion show. It's not real," she says. "I went once last year with a boyfriend. I was like, 'This is the worst nightmare I could have ever been to.' I was embarrassed to be there."

She also never wants to go to Vogue's annual Met Ball ever again. She attended in 2012. "I was like, 'Why am I here?'" she recalls. "I didn't have fun." The theme was "Impossible Conversations" between fashion designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada.

For Handler, the whole thing was just, well, impossible.

"I have no idea what the theme was, nor did I care. I know that I wore motorcycle boots under my Roland Mouret gown. I think it was a Roland Mouret and Anna Wintour was like, 'She cannot wear motorcycle boots.' I'm like, 'Well then I'll wear them so I can guarantee never getting invited again.'"

She has plenty of projects to keep her busy anyway. She's doing a stand-up tour to promote the book this spring, as well as onstage conversations with Ronan Farrow at 92Y in New York and Gwyneth Paltrow at the Alex Theatre in L.A. And she's working on developing shows for a few fellow comedians. As for herself, she drops hints about a Netflix project but won't go into specifics. "I'm on a network that doesn't get a lot of people watching, so all my people, I'm bringing in," she says. "So if I'm doing that on that network, imagine what I could be doing where there are viewers." 

With all this work, how much does Handler even sleep?

"A lot," she reassures me. "I take a Xanax every single night." 

Chelsea wears a skirt and top by Dsquared2, earrings and bangles by David Webb, bracelet by Lulu Frost.

styled by Jill Lincoln for rachel zoe studio / shot at The Podosin House courtesy of Meyler & Company Locations 

Makeup by Gina Monaci for Magnet Agency / Hair by Adir Abergel 

Photo Assistants: Courtney Beckett and Marc Kelly / Stylist's Assistant: Alyssa Sutter 

Angel Haze's Revolutionary "Battle Cry"

February 17, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Two's A Trend: Star Wars

≪ Previous: Chelsea Handler: The American Everywoman's Most Outrageous Friend

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As if you needed another reason why Angel Haze is the most fearless MC in the rap game right now, she just released a new video, "Battle Cry," whose content -- like the song's lyrics -- goes into thematic territory rarely seen in rap videos: childhood sexual abuse, doubting one's faith, self-harm, and resilience. Haze has been outspoken about her own history overcoming sexual abuse (listen to the excellent track "Cleaning Out My Closet") and here the emphasis is on how the rapper's risen above the trauma. The clip shows Haze rhyming amidst wrenching scenes of a man molesting a young girl (presumably meant to symbolize a younger version of the rapper herself) and a young woman cutting herself and throughout the video we see spectral flickers of Sia, who's featured on the track. But despite the heavy subject matter, the song's ultimately about personal strength and, like its name, leaves you feeling rallied and inspired. Check it out, above.

"Battle Cry" will be released as a single on March 17 and you can listen to Haze's debut album, Dirty Gold, HERE. Keep you eye out for Haze in the latest issue of PAPER!

Two's A Trend: Star Wars

February 17, 2014, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon Perform "The Evolution of Hip-Hop" on Fallon's Tonight Show Debut

≪ Previous: Angel Haze's Revolutionary "Battle Cry"

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This is how our recurring series Two's a Trend works: If you spot something that has happened at least twice, you get to declare it a trend on PAPERMAG.com. (Like we did here, here, here and here.)

Fashion's gone to the dark side -- Star Wars is the new black. Yes, you heard right. The classic space odyssey obsessed over by geeks everywhere is in fashion. Last week in New York, Rodarte's Mulleavy sisters embraced their inner nerds and decorated drapey gowns (left) from their Fall/Winter 2014 collection with characters from the epic franchise like Yoda, Luke Skywalker, R2D2 and C-3PO. Meanwhile, yesterday in London, Preen's Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi showed floaty dresses and blouses screened with images of Darth Vader's helmeted head (right). It was weird, but fashion loves a gimmick -- see logo parodies and Disney characters. Next fall, may the force be with you.

---

Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon Perform "The Evolution of Hip-Hop" on Fallon's Tonight Show Debut

February 18, 2014, 6:30 am

≫ Next: 8 British Bloggers Disrupting the Fashion World

≪ Previous: Two's A Trend: Star Wars

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Will Smith came on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show debut and the two of them performed "The Evolution of Hip-Hop." Watch your back, Justin Timberlake. [via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]

Improv Everywhere staged a surprise Olympic torch run in Manhattan and this clip is delightful. [via Tastefully Offensive]

Here's a clip of people not being able to tell the difference between real presidents and Hollywood presidents. [via Late Night Basement]

Enjoy some coy JFK vibes on this otherwise snowy, miserable day. [via Knusprig Titten Hitler]

Hop on the fart express. [via Humor Train]

Here's the Jamaican bobsled team theme song complete with dancehall beats and 8-bit animation. So, so good. [via Tastefully Offensive]

[via Peter from Texas]

Tuesday is brought to you by this collage of male skaters' derp-meets-O faces. [via Humor Train]

8 British Bloggers Disrupting the Fashion World

February 18, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Mr. Mickey's Lodon Fashion Week Diary: Day 2

≪ Previous: Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon Perform "The Evolution of Hip-Hop" on Fallon's Tonight Show Debut

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Though London Fashion Week comes to a close today, you can keep up with all of the cuckoo creativity happening in the British style scene all year long, thanks to the good eyes -- and good taste -- of these eight up-and-coming UK bloggers you need to know now. We chat with each about their sites, their aesthetics, and what makes the London scene so enduringly cool. Read on.

BLVCK WALNUT (by Valtteri Laihanen)

How would you describe your blog's aesthetic?

In each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. It's about the idea that we're each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real.

What designers most inspire you right now?

Rei Kawakubo, Black Scale, Acne, Damir Doma, Iris Van Herpen, and Ralph Lauren.

How does London Fashion Week compare to those in other cities?

London is a fantastic place to keep an eye on up-and-comers. You have the opportunity to see a great deal of things that potentially don't have the same commercial appeal...but some of them might make sense commercially in the near future. 

Camille Over the Rainbow (by Camille Charriere)

Describe your personal style.

My style is very simple: lots of jeans, leather and basic tees. I'm not particularly trend led but do like to inject a new season statement piece here and there so it looks like I know what's going on.

How would you describe your blog's aesthetic?

It's a mix between Scandi and French effortlessness. French because I'm happy to stick to a uniform and not over think things and Scandi because I live in sneakers and like to play around with layers and textures like the girls there do.

What is most unique about London Fashion?

I think the designers here are less worried about who their customer is and as a result are way more expressive when it comes down to the actual garments on show. They formulate eccentric, avant-garde ideas, happy in the knowledge that London is the capital of "capital-C" Creativity.
 
How does London Fashion Week compare to those in other cities?

Everyone is slightly more wacky here -- and certainly less judgmental. McDonald's style: Come as you are.

Maria Pizzeria (by Maria Pizzeria)

Describe your personal style.

My parents are Thai but I was born (and bored) in Sweden, which says loads about me.
I am bored of the Scandi "clean" style, but I love the Asian Kawaii [style], with comfy unisex streetwear and loads of vintage.

Who are some of your favorite designers right now?

I generally don't like to reference specific designers but Gemma from Lazy Oaf has always been a big inspiration for me, and I have been lucky to be able to work with her during my first year in London. I love up-and-coming young designers with a strong connection to the '90s, such as Rose Blair, who did amazing "My Little Pony" puffer jackets.

The Nyanzi Report (by David Nyanzi)

Describe your personal style.

Simple and functional.

What is your blog's aesthetic?

Minimalist.

Who is the number one up-and-coming British designer we should look out for?

Charlie May.


Kitty Cowell (by Kitty Cowell)

Describe your personal style.

It's menswear with a girly vibe, streetwear with a smart edge.

What is your blog's aesthetic?

My blog is all about unisex fashion and a unisex lifestyle. I live my life very unisex! I like getting my nails done and then going to a skateboarding event. I like trainers and streetwear but also make up. We cater to both sexes and look at how masculine and feminine characteristics cross over.

How does London Fashion Week compare to those in other cities?

I feel like LFW is SO important to the fashion world because Britain is so much smaller than America, so what we have to say is stronger because it's coming from a less diluted place.

What is your all-time favorite article of clothing?

My black wool mid-length coat with black leatherette sleeves. It's a day-to-night savior and is only from Forever 21!

Who is the number one up-and-coming British designer we should look out for?

Jeetinder Sandhu. His menswear is something else: it's tailored, printed, bright, bold -- I love it! He only graduated last year. I've already borrowed from his graduate collection.

Laura Takes Pictures (by Laura Ribeiro)

What is your blog like?

My blog covers a little fashion, a little traveling, and a photo diary series.

What is most unique about London fashion?

Everyone wears whatever he or she wants and no one gives an opinion on it. So you can be head-to-toe in designer clothes, or strutting around in clothes that look like they belonged to your great grandparents -- especially students!

The Swelle Life (by Denise Grayson)

What is your blog's aesthetic?

The blog is very much about details when it comes to fashion, and I'm a huge lover of color. Now I'm redesigning the blog to reflect a cleaner, more straightforward look.

Who are some of your favorite designers right now?

Duro Olowu is amazing, and I like what Ostwald Helgason are doing, as well as Japanese brand Everlasting Sprout, and Paris-based Xuan-Thu Nguyen, who makes exquisitely detailed couture. Swedish brands such as Acne and Patouf are cool for every day.

How does London Fashion Week compare to to those in other cities?

Other than LFW, I've only been to Paris. The overall difference would be that Paris is more chic, while London is far more colorful and adventurous, both on and off the runway. It's probably not a coincidence that London is where the major fashion trends are born.

Arvida Byström (by Arvida Byström)

What is your blog's aesthetic?

It's colorful and aggressively girly -- or at least I'd like it to be! A friend used that expression the other day.

What are your all-time favorite articles of clothing?

Something I can wear on my bike and still look pretty, like my backpacks or cute short skirts in the summer.

Mr. Mickey's Lodon Fashion Week Diary: Day 2

February 18, 2014, 9:46 am

≫ Next: Singer Angel Olsen Goes Electric

≪ Previous: 8 British Bloggers Disrupting the Fashion World

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks!


Christopher Kane always has a stellar show and this season wasn't any different. The highlights included a group of origami style dresses that looked sexy but moved with the models as they pranced down the catwalk.

Tom Ford shows feature comfy and expensive looking couches rather then the usual teeny weeny chairs and they provide a great perch to see all of Ford's fabulous designs like this animal print suit. Meow!

Ashish is the king of sequins so naturally he's one of my favorite designers in the universe. This season I was particularly coveting this sweatsuit with long rectangular paillettes. Cozy and glamorous at the same time.


Roksanda Ilincic showed a mildly deconstructivist art-inspired collected that we loved. The colors, the cuts and the fabrics were all top drawer.


We're obsessed with the model Binx, and we loved the juxtaposition of her street style cool look and this sparkly sleeveless mini dress at Erdem.


The Burberry show is always the most luxuriously presented in London. This season I went especially crazy for the men's looks with mesh t-shirts and carpet bags!


Peter Pilotto showed a strong collection of patterns and splashes of embellishment. Riding high on the success of his Target x Net-a-Porter collaboration, this collection proved what a big talent he and partner Christopher de Vos are.

Singer Angel Olsen Goes Electric

February 18, 2014, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Fallon vs. Meyers: The Battle for Late Night Supremacy

≪ Previous: Mr. Mickey's Lodon Fashion Week Diary: Day 2

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Since Angel Olsen released her 2012 debut album Half Way Home -- a quiet, devastating folk record that recalls the beautiful darkness of her former collaborator, Bonnie "Prince" Billy -- she has been thrust into the indie-folk limelight.

"The album came out, I got a band together, I was on tour, I got a record deal [with indie powerhouse Jagjaguwar], I got a manager and all of the sudden, all of these people were in my face," Olsen laughs over the phone from her new home base of Asheville, North Carolina. 

For her much-anticipated sophomore album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, Olsen decamped from Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood to Asheville with her bandmates in the summer of 2013, ready to work through a handful of demos she'd managed to lay down before the craziness surrounding Home kicked in. 

She teamed up with superstar producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Erykah Badu, the Roots) and went electric, backing her indefatigably gorgeous voice with shit-kicking guitars and organs and a robust rhythm section. Her first single, the searing howler "Forgiven/Forgotten," is a far cry from the stillness of Home, but working with a full band prompted Olsen to overcome her anxieties about moving from a solo act to a collaboration.

"I never felt confident enough to lead anything," she says. "I wasn't sure how to communicate what I wanted, and I'd just become really frustrated and impatient. When I began working with my band and became more comfortable with how that process worked, it just completely fucking rocked."

Rocking or not, Olsen's songs -- and the stories behind them -- are mysterious, even to her. "Eventually, I can't tell if [a song] was something that even happened or something that happened in my head. In a lot of ways, [my songs] aren't autobiographical; they're just very creative lies."

Burn Your Fire For No Witness is out today via Jagjaguwar.

Fallon vs. Meyers: The Battle for Late Night Supremacy

February 18, 2014, 12:30 pm

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≪ Previous: Singer Angel Olsen Goes Electric

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As anyone who refuses to go to bed at a reasonable hour knows, things in the world of late night have shaken up once again. But this time around, thankfully, it has nothing to do with two bickering, egotistical old dudes doing their best to desperately cling to their last scraps of comedic relevancy. Instead, Saturday Night Live head honcho Lorne Michaels continues to tighten his death grip over post-primetime comedy programming at NBC, helping former SNL golden boy Jimmy Fallon make the transition from his Late Night gig into becoming the sixth host (in as many decades) of America's highest-rated late night show, the legendary Tonight Show. Last night Fallon kicked things off in an appropriately spectacular way, welcoming a cavalcade of A-listers (Robert DeNiro, Lady Gaga, Will Smith, and Rudy Giuliani -- among many others -- all came through to pay off a $100 bet that Jimmy would never host the show), doing the evolution of hip-hop dancing with Will Smith, and letting U2 literally rock the roof off of 30 Rock.

Big shoes to fill, indeed, but next Monday, former Weekend Update anchor and fellow SNL alum Seth Meyers will take over Jimmy's vacated Late Night spot. Even though Fallon has an eminently more visible fan base (see their social media stats, below), expect some of that to change in the coming weeks. With that in mind, we decided to break down these two new sibling late night shows to their core components to see who is going to give viewers the most bang for their buck after 11:30pm in 2014.

Quick Stats

Age
Jimmy Fallon: 39
Seth Meyers: 40

Marital Status
Jimmy Fallon: Married film producer Nancy Juvonen in 2007. They have one daughter, Winnie Rose Fallon, born in 2013.
Seth Meyers: Married human rights lawyer Alexi Ashe in 2013. No kids.

Hometown
Jimmy Fallon: Saugerties, NY
Seth Meyers: Manchester, New Hampshire

Alma Mater
Jimmy Fallon: College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY
Seth Meyers: Northwestern University in Evanston, IL

Social Media
Jimmy Fallon: 11.6 million personal Twitter followers / 785,000 Twitter followers for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon / 819, 850 personal Facebook likes / 1.5 million Facebook likes for Tonight Show / 1.2 million Instagram followers
Seth Meyers: 2.24 million personal Twitter followers / 62,900 Twitter followers for Late Night With Seth Meyers / 11,500 Facebook likes for community page / 92,000 Facebook likes for Late Night / 48,000 Instagram followers

Monologue
Granted, both of these guys have spent their fair share of time behind SNL's Weekend Update desk, so both are pretty comfortable around a topical zinger or two. On one hand, Jimmy's had more experience delivering warm-up jokes in front of a late night curtain, but Meyers -- who in recent years has proven to be one of the most consistent Update anchors the show has ever seen -- is a force to be reckoned with. While Jimmy's nervous aloofness isn't without its charms, Meyers' delivery promises to prove refreshingly laser-guided.
ADVANTAGE: Meyers

Guests
There's little question that Jimmy really has the pull here. Despite the fact that his insistence on ingratiating his guests like a rosy-cheeked schoolboy can prove a little trying at times, all that ass-kissing isn't without its benefits. Not only does Fallon boast regulars like Justin Timberlake and Amy Poehler, all the buddy-buddying means he can convince virtually anyone on his couch to partake in virtually any ridiculous activity that pops into his head (the man got the President of the United States to "slow jam the news," for chrissake).
ADVANTAGE: Fallon

Musical Guests
Like Conan O'Brien before him, Jimmy Fallon has used his time as Late Night host to offer his stage to some of the most interesting and hot-button musical acts of the past few years. Not only can he wrangle big names like Bruce Springsteen and Gaga (who's dropping by tonight), up-and-coming acts (Odd Future) and big indie names (Deerhunter) have made Fallon the go-to guy for both comedy and music lovers alike. But in taking the reigns from Jay Leno, a host that was as popular as vanilla, it's unlikely that Jimmy will be able to take as many chances when it comes to hosting lesser-known but equally vital artists (you don't want to have to explain to your dad who RiFF RAFF is, do you?). While there's plenty of opportunity for more U2-caliber acts in the coming months, look to Meyers to continue the tradition of holding the torch for up-and-comers.
ADVANTAGE: Meyers

Sketches
Meyers -- as an actor, writer and Update host -- knows his way around a memorable character, and we're sure to see both new and old when he takes over the Late Night desk. But it's been Fallon that's changed the late night game by making his sketches not only water-cooler buzzworthy, but also viral sensations. His meme-ification of late night television has proven a success, with bits ranging from glorified food fights to the infamous "History of Rap" racking up both views and clicks. Copying Fallon's YouTube-friendly style might backfire, so it's probably best if Meyers sticks to what he knows. That said: We loved Stefon. Really, truly did. But please, for the love of god, no more of him.
ADVANGTAGE: Fallon

Band
No lie, Meyers came in swinging with this one. Not only will his 8G Band be lead and curated by former SNL castmate Fred Armisen, the band also boasts members of Les Savy Fav and Girls Against Boys. But in the end, Jimmy's got The Legendary Roots Crew and, well, good luck topping them even on a bad day.
ADVANTAGE: Fallon

Innovation
This is the "unknowable category" where things get really tricky. While it's hard to say that the idea of Tom Hanks performing slam poetry about Full House could be considered particularly innovative, you have to give Fallon credit for pushing late night in a more irreverent, subversive direction. Though his pre-taped serial sketches were frequently more "miss" than "hit," Fallon's Late Show was welcomingly unpredictable. So it's hard to say whether or not his quirks will translate with a more mainstream audience. Still, he might be better off than Meyers, who has been stuck within the rigid parameters of Weekend Update for so long, he might have trouble shaking the cobwebs. Still, he certainly has more freedom of the two, so this might be our chance to finally see Meyers' freak flag really fly. Meyers is probably in the more enviable position, but don't discount Fallon's energy and originality.
ADVANTAGE: Draw

Overall advantage: Fallon