Cruisin'......

Hi Everyone!
I just want to let you know, this week will be verrrrry short on posts. I'm gonna be on a cruise!! I will still have access to email on my Blackberry so continue to send in your emails about the site. I love hearing from you all. I am returning to the site (and real life) on August 23. In the meantime, I invite you to read back to the beginning of TMFB in our archives and come back on August 23rd for an update and hopefully some pics and video from the cruise. I'll be sure to get pics of the Do's and Don't's of cruise-wear. Have a fantastic week!

-Farzad
Editor-in-Chief, TheMensFashionBlog.com
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Quick Tips.

Traveling? Here's a quick tip to help keep your luggage light.

For weekend getaways and short business trips, only pack one pair of pants. That's right....ONE pair. If you pick the right jeans or slacks, you can mix and match with different shirts, tees, sweaters and blazers. For example, the right pair of straight-leg or skinny jeans can look great when worn slightly rolled up with Converse and just as good when rolled down with classic wingtips.

Also, if you're flying, wear your blazer/sportcoat so it won't get wrinkled in your luggage.

In days when airlines are charging extra for your baggage to travel with you, I hope this tip will keep you traveling right and light.

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Before The Music Ends: 8.12.09

Being the music buff that I am, one of the constant things I get asked is, "where do you get all your new music from?" If you take a look at my i-pod and my CD collection (yes, I do still buy CDs), most of the stuff I have is underground music or literally, barely up and coming musicians- musicians that have a demo or an EP to their name. Well I thought I'd be nice for once, and let you all in on my daily life of scanning the internet. I live by certain websites (as I hope you will one day live by what I write) that I read and re-read every day. Through these websites comes new music, new artists, and new ideas. So take notes by little butterflies:

My Top 8 Music Websites (In No Particular Order):
1. All Music- This website is dedicated to giving you all the information you could possibly want regarding any musician, group, composer, writer, producer, you name it. There is a full biography, full discography (by both albums and songs), credits, and any awards they have received. While this site is really dedicated to the information about a particular person or group, every now and then brand new music pops up. I use this website to look at upcoming album release dates and such.

2. Hypebot- Quite possibly my favorite blog, but I can only assume that most of you will just find this one boring. This one is one that I consider my bible as it relays up to the minute information about all music industry information. Whether livenation decides to merge with Ticketmaster, or whether Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls made $10,000 in one night via Twitter... all that is in this lovely little blog. There is even a community network you can join where you begin to network with people from all aspects of the community to give each other advice, suggestions, etc. If you're really into whats going on in the business side of the industry, then this site is for you.

3. Pollstar- This website is the free version of Pollstarpro.com, which is a magazine/website used for industry professionals in the concert aspects. The free version just gives up the minute details on all concerts going on around the world. Its a bit hard to get your concert dates added if you are a brand new musician, since this website is regulated by major booking and promotion companies, but it still serves a great purpose for the rest of us out there who just want to know the next time Bruce Springsteen will be in town!!!

4. Stereogum- Ahhh! Now here's one you're sure to be interested in. This website dedicates itself to all things indie and alternative. This includes news on upcoming projects and upcoming bands. But the best part about this website is that it has daily free downloads that are completely and legally free!! Keep in mind that this is still indie music, so if you're looking for something that sounds like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, or Akon, then you're better off heading over to MTV.com. 

5. Pitchfork- This, my friends, is the go-to website when it comes to ANYTHING underground or indie. Pitchfork does have the reputation of being the leading new independent music website, but it also has the reputation of being the biggest snob about music. Getting music reviewed by Pitchfork can be one of the highest honors (if you even get them to look at your demo, be honored then too), but they also have the ability to tear you to pieces. Their reviews and articles are superb, and you must have the patience and humor to deal with the things these writers say. But hey, through Pitchfork I discovered some of my now favorite bands (Bon Iver, M85, Animal Collective). While you can't download mp3s from here, they do have a player with their picks of the best new music, most of which I can guarantee you won't ever have heard. Swing by, I think you'll be impressed.

6. New Music Tip Sheet- This website is great to stay on top of upcoming releases, TV listings, and news. This is directed more towards the general population and mainstream music realm, but it does what it is supposed to do, and it has become a tool for the industry to look into music placement as well. For all of you who couldn't find your music at Stereogum or Pitchfork, you may just find it here.

7. Artist Rise- Okay, so as a manager to a local band, I LOOOOOOOVE this site. This in a way, is sort of like pollstar, only for up and coming artists. While for the time being, this is directed towards the Los Angeles and New York music scenes, it is a great way to see what new artists are playing where. Artist Rise is sort of like a facebook or myspace, except that once a profile is created (whether your an artist, band, venue, booker, promoter), you use your profile to network and get gigs. 

8. Crazed Hits- So this technically is another industry site, but don't worry. This could potentially be the best website to find completely unknown music. It is an industry A&R website which takes unsigned bands or artists, places their music on this website, and distributes it to labels, publishing, other a&r agents, etc. Through this site, a virtually unknown artist has the chance to become the next Justin Timberlake (horrible analogy, but I thought I'd talk in simpler terms). For example, some of the artists that were featured on this site before they were signed to major labels are: Katy Perry, Iglu & Hartly, Drake, LMFAO, and a tons others. 

So there you have it... my top 8 websites that I go to daily as both a music fan and music manager. But there are hundreds more that can tell you about upcoming music. Just one word of advice, you may be overwhelmed over just how much new music is out there. Myspace helped for a while in this area, but new blogs are taking over, and they are wayyyyy better.

Happy Searching!

Dals

Black: The Must Have in Every Guy's Wardrobe

Black, a color that makes you look depressed, or is it the new power color. Many music artists have worn black to show resistance, mystery, and cultivation. Black has become in recent years classy and stylish, adding dominance and confidence to yourself and what you wear. So you’re probably telling yourself right now, that I want you to go out and paint your nails black and put on 500 pounds of piercings, but that black was for the 90s. The new black I consider to be a power color that can transform any guy into an instant hit at a party or any social gathering. Let’s start with the basics. First of all, please do not wear white socks and black shows. If you do, you just transformed a power look, into a clown suit. We are going black and not coming back, so from top to bottom, BLACK. Start off with some shiny black shoes, but don’t go over board and get disco looking ones, simple and modest are the way to go. When choosing your pants, go with a sleek modern fit, or a classic dress pant. The belt should have a silver buckle, not gold. We are not the sopranos. When picking out a shirt, go with a slimmer fitting button down, and leave the top two buttons undone, or for a more casual look, go with a slim fit short sleeve tee and add a silver plated watch. If you have a few black items in your closet, play around with them and see what goes best with your features. Boom, you just have transformed your look, into a power look. GO BLACK!

Drink of the Week.

I'm very happy to announce that TheMensFashionBlog.com now has a Designer Drink Guru. Collin Miller has created a fantastic drink menu for the Oasis Lounge at the Plaza Theatre here in El Paso. Using the films being shown during this years film festival as inspiration, Collin has mixed up something to accompany any one of your favorite movies.

As Paulina (TMFB photographer) and I sat at the bar, Collin made us the delectable "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"; a carrot cake martini that is part of the Mary Poppins section of the menu. We also enjoyed the "Fred & Ginger" for the Top Hat section and another Mary Poppins selection, the "Spoonful of Sugar". He also used us as his test subjects for his deliciously limey Key Lime Pie martini, which is not yet on the menu.

If you're in El Paso, I highly suggest you stop by the Oasis Lounge, directly next to the Plaza Theatre, and enjoy a sandwich and (a few) delicious drinks created by Collin Miller.

Today, as Collin's first Drink of the Week selection, he presents to us the "Blueberry Muffin" from the Breakfast at Tiffany's section of the Oasis Lounge's special Film Festival drink menu.

Equal Parts

Vanilla Vodka

Blueberry Vodka

Splash of Frangelico

Shake and Enjoy! (Garnish with 3 fresh blueberries)

-Farzad

farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Update.

Coming this week on TheMensFashionBlog.com....
- New Articles from Matt
- more 5 Minutes with TMFB
- New Articles from Joey
- More Quick Tips.
- and more.....

If you've got questions or comments pertaining to our site and content, we welcome your emails and comments! Let us know what you think. After all, we're here for you...

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Quick Tips.

This weekend, I discovered something quite valuable. You see, in the past 3 weeks, I've lost 10 lbs and about 11 inches around my "midsection".

My dilemma: T-shirts. I do usually buy size Medium t-shirts but I've found that, regardless of the brand, t-shirts shrink. Sizes vary, no matter what the label says, from brand to brand.

My solution: Find a t-shirt that fits just right and buy one size bigger. Go home and before wearing it, wash it in hot water and tumble-dry on low heat.

I tested my theory this weekend on about 5 t-shirts that I just recently purchased and have not yet washed. 1 from Alex&Chloe, the rest from Target. The results were juuust right! I tried them on before and they were loose and not well fitting. After, they fit perfectly with the exception of a couple being just slighty too long for my taste.

Considering that many of the designer and pricier t-shirts tend to shrink (no matter how you wash them) this little tip could come in handy next time you're shopping for t-shirts.

-Farzad
farzad@themensfashionblog.com

Before The Music Ends: 8.9.09

Before I get into my post, which is long overdue, I have to start off with a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our awesome blog editor Farzad... yes, he is one year older and I highly suggest you bombard his email with reminders of him getting old and crusty! It's been a while, but I'm back from vacation with lots of things to write about: concert reviews, music reviews, new music, and my usual ramblings. But I don't want to bore you so I'll stick to my review of the weekend concerts here in San Diego. One thing I did discover on my travels throughout Spain.... I realized just how much I hate techno/trance/house music. Sorry.

As I get ready to make my big move from San Diego to Los Angeles in the next week, I decided to spend my last weekend checking out tons of shows. To start off: The Airborne Toxic Event at the Del Mar Racetrack. Now, every year after the races, an artist or band perform in the middle of the racetrack. This year though, they moved it to the courtyard, which makes for less space for people filled with obstacles (fountains, bushes, etc), but also makes for a better sound. The band went on stage to a crowd of about 500 people and they rocked!! They played most of their self titled debut album including their very first single Does This Mean You're Moving On? and the current chart toppers Sometime Around Midnight and Wishing Well. They did a cover of The Smiths and with lead singer Mikel Jollet's vocals, he sounded very close to Morrissey on This Charming Man. Here's whats cool about this band; aside from the traditional ensemble of drums, guitar, bass, and vocals, they also have a classically trained violinist, Anna Bulbrook, who is just breathtaking all around. If you haven't heard of these guys (and girl) I HIGHLY suggest you do, as they were named by Rolling Stone Magazine one of the top 25 bands of 2006. Another highlight of the weekend was the No Doubt Reunion show. I'm going to say this even at the risk of being murdered by fans, I'm not a big No Doubt fan. I'm what I call a whatever fan. But I will say that they do put on a fantastic show, not to mention that Gwen Stefani has the best abs I've ever seen! My main focus at this show was the opening act, The Sounds. They are one of my favorite bands around, and I really do consider them to be the new Blondie. Maja, the lead singer is one of my rockstar hero(ine)s and although they only played 5 songs off their new album, Crossing the Rubicon, and 2 from their first, Living in America. I can not wait for their headlining tour this fall. The second opening act was none other than Panic! At The Disco... or whats left of them. Since Ryan Ross leaving the band, there seems to be a void to what Panic used to be. Ross was the brains behind the band, having written both the lyrics and the music. Brandon Urie is still singing away and continues to be the face of the band, but he just doesn't have IT anymore. His voice was pretty bad last night. I hate to say it, but its true. It's like he can't go as high as he used to, which marked his signature singing style, and he would crack and trail off. There were points where my friends and I would look at each other and go... what....?? It is with a heavy heart (lol) that I say that this seems to be the end of Panic! At The Disco. They had a sophomore slump with their second album, trying too hard to be the new Beatles (it aint gonna happen boys!) and now with Ross out of the picture, there just doesn't seem to be anywhere for them to go from here. Sorry all you tweens who are probably crying your eyes out.

I also attended the North Park Music Thing, but I will not bore you on all the amazing panels I sat through and all the information I got- if you want to know anything about the panels and information about the industry, email me dalit@themensfashionblog.com. But I will say that Dynamite Walls, a local San Diego band, performed and although they played a random set (2:00 pm in the close to empty beer garden), the few people that were there seemed to have enjoyed it tremendously. I am using this as my transition into this week's new music obsession: Dynamite Walls. They formed in 2006 and are lead by Tom Pritchard who also serves as the songwriter. These guys take what they do seriously, making music their entire life. And it shows with their music, as well as when you watch them perform. I've had the priviledge of watching them several times around town, and once as a band I once worked with, War Stories, opened for them at the Beauty Bar. Their songs are a blend of happy songs that make you laugh ("Sold drugs to pay the rent.... I made a fortune") to songs that describe the hopelessness of the American life. I'm sitting tight waiting for these guys to blow up, I really am. So because of that, I'm including the video for their song "Kiss & Ride"... enjoy and love it like I do.



I have TONS of stuff the write about this week, so keep checking in... this was the sunday night/weekend update, so this week you'll be getting a SHIT TON of new music for your lovely little ears.

Keep on Rockin'

Dals