NEWS SAMPLE SALE

May 17-19, 10am-6pm

NEWS Showroom

495 Broadway, 5th Floor (ring buzzer)

Last time we talked to Holly, she was hoping a blown tire would keep her in Brooklyn for an extended stay. Luckily, the band is back in Brooklyn this Friday performing at Public Assembly. Having shared the stage with such acts as Florence and the Machine, The Juan MacLean, Sebastian Tellier, Crystal Castles, Midnight Juggernauts, A-Trak and Broken Social Scene, you can be sure this show is well worth the $10 ($12 at the door).  If you’re not in NYC you can find out more about Parallels tour here.

For a further taste of Parallels, check out their video for “Dry Blood” off the Visionaries album.

Will lighting strike twice?  Dragonette recently released the new single “Let it Go” from their upcoming album. Lyrics like “we don’t need a cure for the weight of the world, cause its floating round in the universe”, make this dance track more substantial than some of the beat backed nonsense songs currently out there.

Whether it conquers the summer or not, you’ll be hearing it more and more as it is already getting the remix treatment from such electronic masters as Laidback Luke and The Knocks.“Let it Go” is available on iTunes.

1. Hunt eBay for the first line of J. Scott for Adidas.  Be on the lookout for the flames or the bones styles to really make it look like you had these BEFORE everyone else. They are out there to be found. Just be ready to watch, bid and wait.

2. Buy some new Adidas hi-tops that are colorful and interesting without appendages on them. Here are the top picks from the Adidas online store that will get people looking at you feet first. All of these fall below the lowest J. Scott mens shoe price of $180.

If you aren’t a style pro yet, but are ready to embrace the hi-top, check out the super subtle Top X shoes ($75). Based on the Top Ten Hi this updated sneaker is more street than sport. The white  has metallic detailing that make it pop without screaming.  For the price of $37.50 a foot (welcome to shoe math) you can hit the summer streets in style without breaking the bank.

For those who want to treat their feet to something more regal,  get into the Adi-Rise shoe ($95). The design is sleek and the cardinal and new navy colorway packs a punch with patent leather accents. The gold details help take this boot from ballyard to bougie without looking bogus.

More rocker than royalty? The Adi-Rise 2.0 Animal shoe ($100) takes the rowdiest Muppet and honors him with a black suede trimmed and orange faux fur footie.  Studded straps, drumstick detail and Animal’s mug top off this musical moccasin.

Last but not least, say hello to the Adizero Crazy Light shoe ($130).  The “crazy” lightweight means you can pound the pavement in these all day long in and not feel weighed down one bit. Offered in eight colorways, the black & super cyan is stylized enough to have people asking, “Where’d you get those?” not “When’s the next pick up game?”.

So whether you choose your hi-tops with tails or not, just make sure to keep them colorful and conversation worthy this summer.

The album is uncomplicated and rocking. The lyrics are straightforward, almost raw and the sound is tight and not overproduced. You’ll find no studio magic tricks in front of these guys. The honest sound harkens back to a time when people actually cared about live music and weren’t fooled by industry gimmicks. Standout songs include “Make it Right”, “Baja California” & “Good Posture” from where the album’s title was pulled. Take a listen to “Where Do You Live?” from the album.

With songs that reference partying too hard and drinking too much it would seem the JIB would be a motley crew to hang out with.  However, when asked Johnny says they’re “not that bad” with a laugh that hints otherwise.  We’ll be waiting to see if the band resembles anything like Johnny’s illustration of them (pictured) when they start touring the US later this year. In the meantime, you can pick up Ask All the Doctors at Urinal Cake Records.

The Rookie

You don’t want to be odd man out this season but you’re more comfortable on the sidelines than out in the shops. Sneak in this style with a fresh pair of white Chuck Taylors and someloud colored lacesof your choice. Pair with khakis and a white tee and everyone will see you know the score.

The Seasoned Veteran

It’s not a tough call. You’re up for the sport but you don’t want your closet tackled by just one season.  Show off your seasoned skills with this two tone Marc by Marc duffle. Whether your gearing up for the playing field or the pavement this duffle will carry you well into a winning look.

The MVP

You’ve played this game before and you’re not about to let a little colorblocking slow you down. Show your opponents you’re up for the challenge with this Jil Sander cotton sweater. It has all the key elements to help you take top prize and is smart enough to keep around long after the season ends.

You’ve had your training. Now pick your game plan and suit up! It’s gonna be one fun season.

Pronounced “Go-tea-yay”, the Belgian-Australian singer/songwriter has already made a name for himself in Australia. Now he’s setting his sights on getting well know stateside. His third album, Making Mirrors, was originally released in August 2011 (US release, December 2011) and ended up on many Best of 2011 lists.  In November 2011 Gotye took home three ARIA Awards (think Australian Grammy’s) for Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release.

If you can’t get to one of his shows (see below), you will definitely want to buy the Making Mirrors album. The album is chocked full of amazing audibles strung together by Gotye’s signature voice. With sounds ranging from Motown (Eyes Wide Open) to Electric Lounge (State of the Art) this album’s got a little something for everyone.  Don’t be surprised when these songs start popping up on movie soundtracks and commercials all over.  Drew Barrymore loved “Learnalilgivinanlovin” from his 2^nd album Drawing Blood so much it ended up on the soundtracks for her films Whip It and Going the Distance.

Having already sold out shows across the US. A new NYC date has been added for March 25^th. Tickets go on sale, Friday February 3^rd at noon.

If you’re lucky enough to score a ticket you can see Gotye perform live on the following dates:

February 2       Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey (SOLD OUT)
February 6       New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
March 22         Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club (SOLD OUT)
March 23         Philadelphia, PA @ TLA (SOLD OUT)
March 25         New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *NEW DATE*

March 27         New York, NY @ Webster Hall (SOLD OUT)
March 29         Boston, MA @ Paradise
March 30         Montreal, QB @ Corona Theatre
March 31         Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
April 3             Chicago, IL @ Park West
April 4             Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
April 6             Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
April 8             Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
April 10           Seattle @ Neptune
April 11           Portland, OR @ (venue TBA)
April 12           San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

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January 9^th, I ordered pair of Harry’s of London Jasper boots from Mr. Porter. This was the first day of a sale and these were marked down to $238.50 from $795.

January 10^th, The boots arrived. I tried them on and they hurt. These were extremely tight all over. After looking at the boots that were marked a 45 by a Mr. Porter tag, close inspection revealed something rather interesting.  The boots were actually a 44 but someone had taken the time to write over the last 4 to make these look like a 45. The person even used a silver pen to match the manufacturers silver marking.

I called the Mr. Porter number and explained what happened. The customer service representative didn’t really understand what I meant no matter how I tried to explain someone writing the size on the boot.  They only understood they didn’t fit.  They looked for another pair but unfortunately were sold out and said I could return these for a refund.  The rep offered to put me on a reserved list for these boots, in case someone returned them. I have used the wait list option on Mr. Porter before and nothing has ever become available once it goes on sale. I asked to speak to a manager, was placed on hold and then told the manager couldn’t do anything since they were sold out. I didn’t understand what had happened. I just wanted the boots I ordered. Who would take the time to write over the size to make them look like a 45? What kind of operation was this?

Later that day, I sent out a tweet explaining my disappointment with Mr. Porter and a picture of the boots with the handwritten size on them.  I received a direct message from the Mr. Porter account asking for an order number. Responding to them took an extra day since the Mr. Porter twitter account holder didn’t realize you have to follow someone for them to respond to your direct messages.  I actually had to tweet that to them to get them to follow me so I could respond.

At this point you are probably wondering, why I was so bummed out over one pair of boots?  Look there aren’t that many options when it comes to guys shoes. If you see a nicely made shoe in a color, it’s usually a subtle shade that everyone else offers. These are a rich, almost burnt, burgundy color.  Try to find a pair of burgundy lace up boots that aren’t Dr. Martens and that would work with a suit as well as a pair of jeans.  Please let me know if you find these. Also, if you’ve ever owned a pair of Harry’s of London you know these shoes break in beautifully and will last you a long while.

January 11th, I was contacted by a Mr. Porter representative wanting to know what happened, since I tweeted about it.  I explained, they apologized and were going to investigate. They were going to contact the manufacturer to see if they could get another pair for me. They issued me a $25 dollar credit for my troubles. The least expensive thing on the Mr. Porter website at this time is a $25 tee-shirt from J.Crew. J.Crew has the same shirt on sale for $19.00. I was told to call my dedicated rep if I wanted to order anything else in the future and they would take extra care of my future orders to make sure it would be handled appropriately.

 January 13th, I placed a call to my dedicated rep about a sweater. I left a message. When I didn’t hear back for a while I went ahead and placed the order online using the credit. I got a call later that day apologizing for not getting back to me sooner. They had seen the order in the system and thanked me for placing it.

January 18^th, I received an email that my reserved boots were available. When I called I found out these were actually the boots I had returned. The system messaged me automatically. There were no other boots returned. The rep said if the boots were “returned by a miracle” (No lie. That’s what was said, I saved the message.) I would be contacted. As for the writing on the boots, they were in the process of “launching an investigation” and “looking at tapes” to find out what had happened. They had contacted the manufacturer to get another pair of boots but it didn’t look good.

January 31^st, I left a message for my rep asking for a follow-up since I hadn’t heard anything yet and still wanted these boots, which were now back on their website at full price in smaller sizes.

February 1^st, I received a message explaining their investigation turned up nothing and they couldn’t tell if this had happened at their warehouse or with the manufacturer. The rep said to please call with any other orders or questions.

I realize mistakes happen all the time. However, someone took the time to try to cover this up with a silver pen.  Mr. Porter has no explanation of who wrote on the boots or how it happened.  They weren’t able to get the boots in my size but the boots are back on their site at full price available in other sizes. This whole thing is extremely disappointing and shady to say the least. The time wasted on this ordeal was worth a $25 credit to them and I was the one who had to call to follow up.

I had high hopes for Mr. Porter. Were these hopes too high? Am I asking too much? I don’t think so. If you are thinking about ordering from Mr. Porter ask yourself this…how much is my time really worth? After 22 days with no boots and no answers I finally realized, my time is worth more than a $25 credit.  I’m not going to be placing any more orders with Mr. Porter.

February 4 – Queers Beers & Rears (QxBxRx) Five Year Anniversary and Final Party @ Glasslands
DJ Set by Luiza from CSS
21+, 9pm, $10