Jimmy models some boots for Ronnie Fieg’s latest collaboration:
Ronnie Fieg laced Harlem rapper Jim Jones in his latest collaboration, the classic 6″ construction boot lined with authentic sheep fur to the toe. For the shoot Fieg caught Jones in his element, fresh out of the booth in his Manhattan studio where he was putting the finishing touches on a track for his upcoming mixtape – “The Ghost Of Rich Porter”. Priced at $175, The boots drop this Friday on DavidZ.com as well as the David Z flagship store in soho. Special thanks to Jim Jones and Joe La Puma of Complex.
More pics from the shoot below, and more pics of the boot after the jump.
Check out Jimmy’s interview with Complex here.
Read more about Ronnie Fieg’s collaborations over at The Calm.
I bring passion and art into people’s lives. I do what I love; I get a ton of shit for it by my friends and family. But I can’t stop. It’s a mixture of love and receiving guilt. It’s not the status quo, and that’s very difficult for a lot of friends and family to handle. I think they understand when they come to shows, but they don’t understand it when I’m sitting on the couch answering interview questions. Haha.
what are you currently working on?
I’m doing quite a few things right now. When I started doing music full-time, I added a ton of work to my schedule. I am really working on making a TON of contacts outside of my local area (although, I just realized that I’ve been neglecting my local scene). I’m trying to give props to more local bands and hopefully we’ll all start collaborating again to make new music and play really solid shows around this area. I’m also developing a new show. It’s more character-developed. My thought is that even MTV focuses on reality shows, so it’s time for each of my band members to have a really clear-cut identity onstage. Fans want artists that they can explain to their friends. Unfortunately it’s becoming more about the artist’s identity than it is the song or record’s identity. The music business is definitely going through a “mid-life crisis” in the US. People are more interested in immediate gratification. Singles over albums. iTunes. Shopping in a record store for hours is dead. People want an instant connection. Character identity will do that… and then the songs will hopefully leave a lasting impression. My goal is to have a mix of new fans that are interested in who the band is and old fans that are really in love with the songs. Speaking of songs, I’m working on five songs right now. I’m trying to write about 20 songs for the new album (we’ll take the best 11 or 12).
what has had the greatest influence on your work?
Life experiences and other singer/songwriters. Every experience I go through is a potential song or piece of art. Without life experiences, I’ve got nothing. I sort of have to take a step back from work every now and then and just open myself up to getting out and experiencing people and life. That’s not always easy to do.
Singer/songwriters such as Billy Mann, John Mayer, Matt Nathanson, and Ryan Adams have all inspired me. I could go on for hours… but I won’t.
what is the greatest misconception about you or your work?
Because I work in entertainment, people think what I do is “all play” and “no work”… which is completely untrue. There is so much work involved in the music business from writing to marketing to negotiating compensation to making contacts to updating website info. It’s a full time job! I would say that I spend at least 5 hours a day online promoting, making contacts, and updating. I then play and write and practice. I’m also committing to attending more local shows. Local musicians need attendance and more love, and I haven’t been doing enough of that. So on top of the 8+ hours of work every day, I definitely will add more local show support. But don’t get me wrong, I love doing this job. It’s just that people don’t understand what goes into it.
how has technology impacted upon the work you do?
It’s changed the game… period. I used to be a Store Manager for Wherehouse Music back during the N*Sync days. We made a KILLING in selling their records, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and Eminem. I was also a Store Manager when Wherehouse Music was going out of business. The digital medium has taken over. iTunes is officially the NUMBER ONE music retailer in the United States. For me, that’s a great thing. I don’t have a distribution company getting my CD into stores across the country… but I have iTunes. iTunes sells my EPs which means my music is available across the United States instantly. I have the internet to promote shows from the comfort of someone’s couch. It’s a wonderful marketing tool for local musicians. On the crappy end of the internet is the piracy aspect. I’m not necessarily opposed to piracy, but it has given a perception of “music shouldn’t cost anything”. That sucks for artists that are trying to make a living (especially on a local level). It’s a very fragile balance of promotion vs. making a living. Because I’m not famous or on Top 40 radio, marketing can sometimes take the shape of giving away certain songs for free… just so people get a chance to hear my music. At the same time, I’ve spent $10,000 making an EP and recouping my money is important as a business.
what’s the greatest piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Persistence pays off. Keep at it; keep fighting the good fight. Don’t be afraid to take chances/risks. Chances and risks are what got me the most opportunities in this business. It’s so cliche for me to say that stuff, but it’s true.
where can we find you online?
Everywhere! Haha. You can find me mainly at http://www.brandontyler.net Some people only want to go to myspace, facebook, or twitter though. I’m on all of those as well. If you go to my website and scroll down to the bottom of the main page, you will find all of those social networking site links on the right.
what are you reading at the moment?
I am in love with Dave Eggers. He wrote A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. He also wrote the screenplays for Away We Go and Where The Wild Things Are (see them both). I’ve asked for his books for Christmas. I intend on starting them Christmas day. The books are Zeitoun and What Is The What.
what are you listening to at the moment?
Wintertime (is it even here yet?) totally gets me into a Singer/Songwriter mood. I’ve been listening to John Mayer’s Battle Studies a lot lately. I’ve also been listening to Ingrid Michaelson, Jesse Harris, Ari Hest, and Ryan Adams. In the band department, I’ve been listening to Pearl Jam’s new album, Cage The Elephant, and The Damnwells.
anything else we should know?
I’m a Libra, 6′2, and I love to take long walks on the beach.
Selena Gomez looks amazing in these stills from her Seventeen Prom photo shoot. She models several different dresses and dishes to the mag on if she’d ever ask a guy to prom and why she’s staying away from the internet.
On asking a boy to prom: “Oh man! I’m not sure there’s really a specific way to do it. I think you would seem more powerful if you just went up to him, even in front of his friends, and asked him. Because even if he says no, you can walk away knowing that you had the confidence to ask him. And I think that confidence is the best quality to have.”
On staying away from the Internet: “I’ve given up the Internet. I don’t read comments, and I don’t go on any of the sites anymore, and I just feel better. And it’s not about being a celebrity — you get on MySpace, Facebook, there’s all these different outlets where people can just feel like nobody’s watching them so they can just say whatever they want to say, and that gets dangerous sometimes.”
On being positive in life: “I get hurt — everybody does — but I’m more at the point where I’m looking at all the good things in my life. I have a healthy family who’s alive that I’m blessed to have, and wonderful friends.”
Read more at the Source
The Wood Brothers rocked Funk 'n' Waffles last Friday night
PREVIEW: VISIT The Wood Brothers’ Website PHOTOS forthcoming!
The Friday night crowd wasted no time whooping and hollering during The Wood Brothers’ first song, a funky take on Steve Earle’s “Mystery Train Part II.”
“Feels like a Friday night,” guitarist Oliver Wood said, acknowledging the energetic crowd.
The brotherly duo treated the crowd to a night of personal, soulful, and bluesy songs. The music was carried by Oliver Wood’s pitch-perfect trebly vocals and bassist Chris Wood’s eloquent and tasteful lines. For this special show, they were joined by percussionist Jed Kosiner, who added rhythmic textures on his snare drum, cymbals, and pandeiro (a Latin, tambourine-like instrument).
Oliver later gave his appreciation for “The Wood Brothers dancers,” the smiling mini crowd of twirlers to his left the whole show. You would have guessed they were a rock band by the way the crowd yelled during songs.
“The foundations of their music are spiritually inspiring. If you look inside to the nature of yourself, you’ll see that that’s what they’re singing about. The spirit,” said Funk ‘n’ Waffles co-owner Kyle Corea.
Chris Wood, also the bassist for Medeski, Martin, & Wood, brought his signature sound. He took off on imaginative solos, making indescribable sounds with his upright bass we hadn’t heard anyone else make. He didn’t need to watch his hands throughout his performance, and when he did it seems like he did for personal amusement.
Oliver Wood can hold his own as well. He effortlessly threw in guitar licks in between his lush vocals lines, sometimes finger-picking a solo as Chris danced over the changes. His guitar-work received notable applause during the blues jam “Spirit.”
And the two could harmonize. Confident crooners. Chris Wood sang soaring harmonies that blended organically with brother Oliver’s. To the band’s delight, the crowd sang loud for a few choice tunes as well.
“If I die young / At least I got some chocolate on my tongue,” the room sang during “Chocolate on My Tongue.”
Before the show, Oliver Wood shared some insight on his approach to writing lyrics. He said he writes a lot from personal experiences and likes that his songs have multiple interpretations.
Chris Wood said touring with his brother keeps things fresh for him, and it gives them time to catch up. He said the two do not spend much time together off the road. When they come together, they play shows.
The Wood Brothers have new material they’ve been playing on the road and plan to put it on an album in the next two years.
Before ending the show with a danceable song, the two encored with “Luckiest Man,” the most requested song of the night, which erupted in a sing-a-long.
Oliver Wood complimented his vocal fans: “You all sound great tonight!”
The 20-year resident of Georgia even shared some of his southern jokes.
“In Georgia, they say ‘Hey can you cut on the lights?’”
The crowd chuckled.
“You know what they mean, but why would you say it that way?”
It was a beautiful day in Twifty land, as some of us (uh, Race) experienced a light snowfall, Christmas music, baking, gift wrapping… and an awesome interview with an awesome author. The writer in us could not ask for more for Christmas. That is, unless the “more” was a guest post from the same awesome author.
Wait. Both?
That is right. The incredible Steph Bowe has granted TWFT a fantastic interview today. And soon she’ll be penning a guest post on what Race believes should be a fabulous probe into the publishing industry as applies to teen writers!
Visit her at www.heyteenager.blogspot.com and enjoy the interview!
TWFT: Describe your novel in a single sentence?
SB: When Jewel saves Sacha’s life, they are both forced to confront pasts they’ve so carefully concealed – a lost brother, an empty space where a mother should be, a debilitating illness, fractured families and buried secrets.
TWFT: Do you usually try to follow an outline? Any process you normally go through?
SB: I don’t follow an outline, I just write the novel without a plan, start to finish. It works pretty well for me, though there are a lot of things that have to be cleaned up in editing (stuff like character-arcs and getting rid of pointless scenes, which are things I might have avoided had I outlined).
TWFT: Do you consider yourself a writer or a story teller?
SB: I don’t really consider myself either (I just love to write). I do tell stories, but I think that’s what a writer does, anyway.
TWFT: Do you write what you know?
SB: I do, and I don’t. I think it’s the same for a lot of writers. I write the emotions that I know well, but I don’t write my own experiences. Writing allows me to explore things I haven’t experienced first hand, but also be introspective at the same time.
TWFT: How do you discover your characters? Or do they discover you?
SB: A bit of both. Sometimes I start with a name, sometimes with a trait (garden gnome thief, science genius), sometimes the whole character appears fully-formed in my head, with a story they deman be written. It really does vary from character to character, though they always come easily.
TWFT: Did you have a soundtrack for your novel, or any particular type of music you listened to while writing?
SB: Yes! I have a soundtrack for all my major writing projects. My soundtrack for the last novel was made up of songs by The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Regina Spektor, the Kinks and Aussie band Augie March (look up One Crowded Hour on YouTube - brilliant song).
TWFT: What first inspired you to become a writer? Career-wise, did you always want to be an author?
SB: Ever since I was very small I have loved writing, and since I was about seven, I’ve aspired to sell a book so that I could buy my family a house. This has not yet happened, but it will! Someday!
TWFT: Favorite novel or writer? Why?
SB: Can’t pick one! My favorite writers are John Green, Sarah Dessen and Melina Marchetta, and my favorite book right now is a tie between Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
TWFT: Now, I know you have a the guest post coming up (We’re so excited!), and you will be discussing the industry and teens. But, in general, if you had a few words on your experiences with querying for the first time? Any advice for our readers?
SB: My experience of querying was very quick, but still incredibly stressful. My advice to writers querying for the first time is that they should try and keep a good sense of humor through the entire process, and not automatically accept if one agent offers (it’s a big decision, there’s no rush, and if one agent offers and there are others still reading fulls, you might get another offer).
TWFT: What annoys you about the perception of teen writers?
SB: That we can’t actually write and only get published because of the novelty of our age. The reality is that age is irrelevant: it’s all about your book. Don’t let the meanies get you down.
And TWFT’s official interview question – What is your favorite flavor of jelly bean?
Jim Jones sat down with Complex Magazine to talk about his new mixtape, how he feels about the Jay-Z/50 back-and-forth, Cam’ron (of course), his relationship with Game, and Max B’s murder charge…
Complex: So the Ghost of Rich Porter mixtape—how long have you been working on it?
Jim Jones: Well it started as a mixtape for the street. I’ve been working on it probably for like two months now. I got over 40 songs, and we had to sit and break them shits down. It started becoming harder and harder, and there was an album there and people started offering me money for it. It went from something I was going to give away for free to something somebody was going to pay me to give away for free. So, in the end, I’m still going to give it away free.
Complex: Why did you choose to channel Rich Porter?
Jim Jones: When it comes to Rich Porter, he was a very instrumental person from Harlem as far as the days of hustling. He set the precedent for my generation coming up. Watching the hustlers, the fast cars, pretty girls, and the fast money and things like that. And the story that goes behind it as far as the love and the betrayal. This is Harlem history. So, you know for the Diplomats, me, Juelz, Zeke and Cam, coming up and being instrumental in Harlem right now, it’s like synonymous to the life we live. We do business and we’re rapping, but this is pretty much the fast life of the entertainment industry.
Complex: So when you performed at ThisIs50 Fest, I noticed you kept saying that 50 owes you a favor. What did you have in mind?
Jim Jones: [laughs] Oh yeah, he owe. Motherfucker, you owe, motherfucker! Nah, shouts to 50, he’s one of the smartest people in the game as far as strategy and the way he attacks it. So I spoke to him like, “You know, this one ain’t gonna go down that easy. You know, I charge a fee to get on stage.” He was like, “I respect you, sir.” I’ll see what happens.
Complex: Now him and Jay. He’s baiting the shit out of Jay.
Jim Jones: [Rapping 50's "So Disrespectful"] “Jay’s a big man, he too big to respond…” I was working out to that shit today, no homo. When you diss me, I’m so disrespectful. [In British accent] “I’m so disrespectful!” He caught that. He caught that song, word. “I’ve been gone so long that my accent changed.” [Laughs]. I’m still a fan of the music, so pardon me. I still listen to all the music, you might catch me boppin’ in the club to niggas I hate, but that has nothing to do with good music.
Hey! Lizzie here and reporting for duty. My friend Izzy (get it? Izzy and Lizzie? Heh. Maybe not…) asked me to do some interviews, and so here’s the first one from a local owner of Rescued Pages, Ingrid Hartwin!
How long have you been living in Killamarsh?
Christ, what has it been now? Almost twelve years, I think. However I could be wrong… Oh no, I was right. It’s twelve. Almost twelve. I know it’s a horribly long time to be confined to one place. I’m content though. I don’t really have anywhere else to go, after all. It would be silly to just up and leave. I’ve sort of found my niche, you could say, and I plan to stay in it.
Who or what sparked your interest in books?
Who? I don’t… know? Myself probably. I spent the majority of my childhood trying to find ways to keep myself occupied. Mum didn’t approve of jumping on the furniture or attempting to make my own homemade recipes. Mess. She didn’t care for mess. Books aren’t messy, I wasn’t messy after reading them, mother was content. I was, and still am, attracted to the escapism that comes along with cracking open a good book. My childhood wasn’t particularly terrible, but it was definitely dull. So, it was rather simple for me to willingly slip into the exciting fantasy worlds or the just as dull lives of other little children.
Besides binding books, what other job could you see yourself doing or have you done?
Actually I was a teacher back in the day. Mainly eleventh year World History. Though I did drop down to the lower years. Terrifying little creatures, I tell you, the teenagers and younger children. I suppose you have to find the half way mark. I’ve never really considered doing anything else. Maybe some actual writing? Trust me, I’ve tried. I just lack the attention span needed to keep up on a continuous project.
If there was one interesting fact you wanted to share with everyone else, what would it be?
Uhh… I – I don’t know. What exactly qualifies as an interesting fact? You really should have called before hand and given me time to think about it. Then I’d have something really spectacular for you. I used to play the cello? Yeah, I suppose that’s interesting. I actually used to be able to read music. Super, huh?
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
Oh, this one’s too easy. Joseph Stalin, of course! …What? Yeah, yeah, not necessarily appropriate, seeing as he led to the death of approximately twenty million people… BUT! Think about if for a minute. In that week I can be a man, a slaughterer, and a powerful dictator all in one day. I would get to experiment with everything I’ve ever wanted to, and some other things that I’ve probably never even thought of, without any of the repercussions. It’s excellent, really.
What three words would you use to describe yourself and why?
Oh gosh, another hard one. Yeesh. Um, I would have to say lovable, bookish, and dull. I love hugs and such, and enjoy a bit of cuddling here and there. Bookish… because, well, you know. The bookbinding and – yeah. Dull? Yes, of course. I’m terribly boring. I’m not really sure why you were so keen to interview me.
Finally, if you could go anywhere in the country right now, where would you go and why?
Home. No, really. I’ve been running around all day. It would be lovely to collapse onto my couch and take a quick nap. Maybe even a really long nap.
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Stay tuned to our next edition of Masquerade and the next interviewee!
