Telling secrets to the one guy you don't tell secrets to

William Miller definitely had the best job ever. Highway to the sky. 

Tiny Dancer

From the Wildfox lookbook

Based off Almost Famous (Greatest movie ever!)

I am in love with the groupie, Penny Lane vibes of this shoot.

See more here

Wolf Like Me

So I may have "found" my soul mate. Enter Chris Ford, brother of my fav. Suzanna Ford from Spanish Moss. He was featured on stylelikeu.com and I am so in love.

Here are some quotes from Chris:

"Routine scares the shit out of me. But then, the life that I lead is probably a major fear for other people."

"I really like Krystal Simpson's take on menswear. I feel like she's a modern day Annie Hall with a touch of Charlie Chaplin."

"I get bored easily so I'm not afraid of change."

"Live by the seat of your pants. Have the most amazing experiences. I have a passion for life."

"Fashion is a fantastic form of personal expression. Changing a look can elevate someone's mood and sometimes change a self image."

"My favorite movie of all time is 'Almost Famous.' When music was the best, they didn’t sleep with the band, they were there for the music. That whole culture, the lifestyle, the music."

"I'm inspired by classic films and American history. I watch Anthony Bourdain travelogues to inspire me while working on creative projects. I love looking through classic photography, especially black and white military photos to connect with the past. [It helps me] put my own spin on what I'm designing."

"I’m in love with the 60's, 80's, and 90's. I love the cheesy high cut bikinis and tackiness of it all. I also love the passionate 70's rock era where it was all about free love and listening to great music, when music actually meant something. People would actually put on a record and fall in love with the whole thing."

And should I explain more? Watch the video here

The Rock and Roll Myth

I couldn't figure out what was so appealing to me about Rock and Roll for the longest time. It wasn't my childhood. I was raised on country music. It wasn't the music itself. Some of it, I could do without.

So I dug and dug into my soul and I have finally figured it out: it's the myth, the legend that accompanies each band that I worship that draws me in.

When I listen to Led Zeppelin, I am convinced Robert Plant is singing to me, telling me that he wants to be my "backdoor man."

When I hear the Stones, I buy into their excessive boozy image. I buy into the heroin mythology of Keith and the mystery that surrounds Brian Jones death.

When Freddie Mercury hits those insanely high notes, he is sharing in my search to find "Someone to Love."

When Iggy Pop carouses around the stage freaking out on drugs, and rubs peanut butter on his chest, he embodies my sense of adventure.

Rock and Roll says everything I want to say. It says "I fucking hate you", "I love you", "I want to sleep with you", and "I want nothing to do with you". It says everything that is hidden deep below the surface.

So when I put on a Who track, like "Behind Blue Eyes" I really do mean, what is going down behind my blue eyes. I connect with it more than any other type of music no matter how carnal it is.

It's much like what Penny Lane says in Almost Famous (see previous post) when you get lonely, you go to a record store and visit your friends. I really do feel like Mick Jagger is a friend of mine. That I understand the inner workings of Gram Parsons, that Jimmy Page and I connect on a spiritual level.

Rock and Roll myth is that the Rock Stars get you. They understand you. They are your friends. So when I listen to the Doors, I say to myself: "He may not love me but Jim Morrison sure as hell does..."

Vinyl Vixen

"I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if you never take it seriosuly, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends. "

- Penny Lane in Almost Famous

Everything always comes back to that movie. Here is an interview I did with a journalism student on my love for Vinyl:

Q: Why do you buy or listen to vinyl records? How many do you have and how often to you buy them?

A: There is something mystical about vinyl. Something about vinyl feels more authentic when you listen to it. The sound feels warmer and more inviting. I think with digital music we have lost the appreciation of the album and album art. With vinyl, you get to listen to the entire album. There is no need to skip from song to song, artist to artist, like you would in your itunes library. Vinyl has more focus on album art. I like vinyl because you get to hold something real in your hands.

I have over 100 records. A lot of them were given to me from my parents. I just started collecting vinyl on my own 2 years ago.

I usually buy a record a week. I live right buy an excellent record store so I stop in regularly to look through the discount bins.

Q: Where do you buy them? What are the stores like?

A: I buy records at Hertiage Music and Posters on 14th St. or at Hot Wax in Kensington. I also look for records at thrift stores like Value Village. Sometimes you can find some real gems.

Q: Do you buy old or new records? Or both?

A: I buy both used and new records. Older stuff is definatly cheaper to buy, but sometimes its neat to buy something newly release on vinyl. Overall, I would say my record collection is 80 % old, 20% new.

Q: Do you purchase CDs or digital copies of the vinyl albums as well, to put them on an mp3 player? Do any of the vinyl albums come with digital copies?

A: It really depends on the particular album whether or not I buy a digital copy of the vinyl album or not. Neil Young's album Harvest is one of my favourties so I have it on vinyl, cassette, CD and in my itunes library.

I haven't purchased any vinyl albums that have come with digital copies, but I do know that Arcade Fire's new album The Suburbs came with a digital copy. I think that is an excellent marketing idea to intice people to buy vinyl.

Q: Where did you get the record player to listen to the albums?

A: My dad had a record player from back in day, so I grew up listening to vinyl on that. Once I branched out on my own, I bought my own brand new turn table from The Source. I thought buying a new one was the best idea, rather than dealing with an old turntable that needs a new stylus or other parts replaced.

Style and Inspiration

When I think about Style Icons only a few ladies come to mind:

Kate Moss-her coked out eyes and leopard print coats.

Mary Kate Olson- the bag lady look.

Krystal Simpson- rock and roll 70's inspiration. We are soul mates.

Edie Sedgwick- Again the factory girl look, twiggy eyes, silver and gold, stripes and

leopard print, damaged goods.

Anita Pallenberg- I don't know a lot about her yet but

she is fab. in her fur coats and in Performance.

Penny Lane in Almost Famous- Everything about her.

Pamela Debarres- the flowers in her hair, eternal flower child in lace

Suzanna from Spanish Moss- gothic type of vintage with a Californian charm.

and maybe a little of Lindsay Lohan. Again, I love the trashy coke head look.

But most of the style and inspiration comes from men.

A big part of what I like could be described as Keith Richards meets the Cobra Snake.

Steven Hyde from that 70's Show meets Oscar Wilde.

Gram Parsons meets Julian Casablancas.

Robert Plant meet Steve Aoki.

David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

I love the look of the dandy. The suave man in velvet with long brown hair and pouty big lips- like Mick Jagger or Julian Casablancas.

I love the glam and mystery of Bowie. All the colours and costumes.

I love the country times of Gram Parsons. Nudie suits and navaho patterns. The Southern Californian dream.

I love the pure pleasure of Robert Plant. Flowing shirt busting open to a bare chest.

Oh my, so much inspiration.

Waiting For the Sun

Jim Morrison

Eternal Rock God.

The sad part is that he just wanted to be

known as a poet.

A few of these images are how

the world chooses to iconicize him.

And the others are as he truly was

a bearded man who wanted

to write poetry and make films.

Not dance around in leather pants

and be a "drunken buffoon"

as Lester Bangs called him in Almost Famous.

You Are Home

Almost Famous. My most favourite film of all time.

What do I love about this movie?

I love how most of it is based on things that actually happened in rock and roll history. It's a conglomerate of Cameron Crows life/ Led Zeppelin/ The Alleman Brothers/Pamela DeBarres.

It's about decadence, you know, drugs, sex and rock and roll.

This film inspired me to be a journalist. I want to be the enemy. I want to be honest and unmerciful when I write. I want to be living in this Almost Famous world.

The above is a clip from the film of a bonding sess. over Elton John. Here I am home.

I'm With the Band

It's about time I've credited this lady.

Miss Pamela DeBarres, Queen of the groupies in the late 60's and early 70's. The prettiest member of Frank Zappa created girl group The GTO's. Miss P. was romantically involved with many rockstars. To name drop a few: Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Chris Hillman, Robert Plant, and Mick Jagger. To name a few.

She wrote a kiss and tell memoir called "I'm with the Band: Confessions of a groupie". You will have to read it to find out more about her trystes and who she rubbed shoulders with.

I admire Miss P for her freedom. She lived life to the fullest with such a vulnerable heart. She fell hard, got hurt, but moved on to love again. She is a true free spirit. Groupie is a little harsh but not necessarily a damning term. The character Penny Lane in Almost Famous is based off her, as well as the character Suzanne in The Banger Sisters. Needless to say, Miss P left quite a legacy.

The Boat that Rocked

Yet another understated movie.

Pirate Radio(The Boat that Rocked) was released under most people's radar undetected. What a surprise! It being a very music oriented film, it is possible it wouldn't appeal to the Avatar/Transformers seeking group, but for music fanatics, it was welcomed with open arms.

Pirate Radio rides on the curtails of movies like Almost Famous and Dazed and Confused. It is filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll, of course. Debauchery and classic rock hits are meshed together along with engaging characters. Rhys Darby plays a hilariously awkward DJ, that is just a clueless as Murray, the poseur manager character he plays in Flight of the Concords. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays another cool as a cucumber DJ that bares a strikingly similar resemblance to his Lester Bangs character in Almost Famous. That must be just a coincidence.

In a way, the story of Pirate Radio is quite familiar. It's the story of a boy, Young Carl, who in the throws of youth, finds himself and his father. Another coming of age story right? Except it has charm and the swagger of Mick Jagger( Ode to Ke$sha). And the soundtrack is beyond fabulous; It's doused with hits from the Kinks to the Yardbirds.

Pirate Radio will never replace Almost Famous or The Doors, in the rock/bio flick gauntlet, but it does satisfy that lust for a music/film sundae.

Check out these other rock oriented films:

Almost Famous

Dazed and Confused

Detroit Rock City

Empire Records

The Doors

Hair

Across the Universe