Now the Foo Fighters’ new CD, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is sure to impress anyone, from die hard fans to casual listeners and newcomers alike. From the rousing start with The Pretender to the Once & For All (Demo) finale, it soars.

Sometimes it floats gracefully, sometimes it thunders overhead like a jet fighter, but it never let’s you down. Each song is so well crafted it is really difficult to pick a stand out. That’s really not surprising if you consider the band’s track record. Clunkers from them are rarer than pandas. This is undoubtedly going to win them a Grammy or two next February.

I love the way the CD changes tempo and speed without seeming forced, yet it all fits together well and doesn’t feel like a singles collection. Each song is complete and well developed. It’s not boring and repetitive. The whole CD seems very unified, is beautifully done and extremely enjoyable. It is well worth your time and money.

Foo Fighters “Come Alive”

When I purchased the 50th Anniversary issue on GQ and flipped through the pages to the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years, there were a few people I thought might be in it. There was, however, only one man whose name I knew was on that list, David Bowie. “The Thin White Duke” has personified Rock Style for 4 decades. No other man has influenced rock music and rock genres like him. Ever. So, to commemorate the good sense of the folks at GQ, here is David Bowie (and David Bowie) , from all the way back in 1984 in the video for “Blue Jean”, directed by Julien Temple. To see numbers 2 – 50 (at least in my opinion) hit the link below.

GQ: 50 Most Stylish Men.

Everlasting Sprout is one of those newer label I found through JFW. Everlasting Sprout is designed by Keiichi Muramatsu & Noriko Seki, graduates from Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, one of the most respected fashion schools in Japan. It can be equated with Parsons School of Design in New York City. I like their fabrics, the comfort and color palette of their line. I can totally see my girlfriend in this.

Everlasting Sprout.

Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo. 

  We have a sort of two for one deal to close out today’s posts. Ne-Yo’s new video for Can We Chill and Nicole Scherzinger’s new video, Baby Love featuring Will.I.Am. Enjoy. 

Jason Rowan, aka The Tech Therapist has a few good solutions for those of us not pulling down six figures who are looking for a home theatre setup for our, uh, less endowed homes. If you’ve got a shoebox for a living room and not one of those cathedral-ceilinged, “Big Willie style” pads, like the ones they showcase in Architectural Digest, you might want to check this out…

Esquire. 

Move over J-Lo., Che’Nelle is a 23 year old Malaysian R&B/reggae/pop singer who currently lives in Perth Australia. She’s putting a rush on American music charts right now and I think her voice, sexy looks, smooth mocha skin and cute ass might be enough to make some folks forget about Jenny from the block. She knows how to move that ass too, take a look at her concert from McDonald’s Live. If you want to see more of her, check out the current issue of King Magazine at a newsstand near you or hit the link below for one of the pics and her interview available on their online edition. Her album, Things Happen For A Reason, is also out now.

Che’Nelle on MySpace.

King. 

New favorite blogger, Black Crayon, recently put me onto Aloha Rag, an online outlet for designer goodies for men and women (ala bluefly & yoox) and I thought I’d share the good news here. Designer labels I found as I perused the site included Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Philip Lim, Chloe and Martin Margiela. To top it off, it’s in english and japanese. Great clothing, good price points, verisign secured and it’s in a language wifey can understand. That just makes me all kinds of happy. You could never have too many shopping options.

Aloha Rag. 

Okay. Let me just start off by stating I’m a nerd. Apple computers, comic books, video games, Bruce Lee movies and all things retro 70s. If you it’s retro and sci-fi I go easier than a drunken prom date. The only thing that makes me any different from other nerds is I know how to dress, I love bellbottoms but until Marc Jacobs or Costume National come out with a pair, I won’t be wearing any; and I have a girlfriend – which means I get laid.
Although I do have a sex life, I still went limp at the knees when I saw the commercial for Bionic Woman. I was excited enough to leave work early to catch the first episode. My expectations were a bit high, so in order to ensure I was at least entertained, I lowered them as I set down in front of my widescreen and counted down to 9PM. It’s a good thing I lowered my expectations.
Not great, the show was enjoyable enough in spite of the bad writing. The acting was good. The pacing was adequate. The creators laid the foundation well enough and I’m certain I’ll be recording the next episode. However, they cribbed from all over the place: 24, Alias, Hostel II, Blade Runner, every David Fincher movie to see the light of day. That annoyed me a bit. I fully realize the show is a remake from another series, which in itself was a spinoff (spinoff = carbon copy) of another series, but am I wrong to expect a little originality? Add the fact that the producers seem to be angling for that Heroes crowd, which could further distract them from producing a unique television series.
There is a kind of men controlling women subtext to this series that creates some interesting tension. Also this Bionic Woman has a few grrrl power moments which are cool. For example, this new millennium bionic woman (Michelle Ryan plays Jamie Summers) is a single mom. She’s tough an tender, and apparently a genius. Nice way to update a character, but I really like Sarah, the Other bionic woman/evil nemesis character played by Katee Sackhoff. It’s clear from the opening scene that she’s a total sick puppy and she plays very nicely off Michelle Ryan’s good girl bionic woman. Both are good news for viewers.
The show is lucky to have Miguel Ferrer in its cast. He’s always good. He’s the shadowy government figure behind the group that made Jamie all bionic and whatnot. Molly Price, Will Anthros and Will Yun Lee are good as his flunkies. The next episode promises the introduction of some new characters. One of them is played by Isaiah Washington, who famously got himself booted off of Grey’s Anatomy. If they’re as interesting as Katee Sackhoff, Miguel Ferrer and the rest of the supporting cast, we may have ourselves an interesting and engaging series after all. I’m going to get some blank DVDs this weekend… just in case.

The Bionic Woman.