Archive for November, 2009

Hey Fashion Freaks,

I hope you’re all getting ready for a weekend of hard partying to work off the extra pounds gained by the gluttonous gorging Thanksgiving brings! After some bargain brawling on Black Friday, hit the town for one of the many dance parties happening, Clockwork is a fun one I like to hit every so often.

Then, on Saturday, don’t forget to check out the debut of my new band “Cold Blue Rebels” when we will dish out our brand of Psychospookabilly for Tiger Mask events with Igor Spectre and Experiment Perilous @ The Bordello Bar downtown! The Rebel Dancers will be handing out freebies courtesy of Lip Service thru out the night!!! So come have a drink with us and don’t be afraid to hit me up for the latest inside dirt on the Lip Service world. (After I’m drunk is a good time!!).

In other band news my, Rock n Roll outfit JETBOY are currently auditioning drummers, and bass players for what promises to be a busy 2010 following the release of our new record on Rocket Science Records. Interested parties should contact the band via myspace, or the official band website.

Anyone who has been down to the LS warehouse in the last 10 or so years might have noticed my friend and co-worker Mr Arturo, working as our receiver, fork lift driver and the everything “go to guy” around the warehouse. He has started a business making Coffin shaped furniture and does and awesome job! I have 3 Coffin shelving units in my house and a 7’ long Coffin Reptile cage that he made for my 12lb. Lizard Malakai. He also does wall cabinets, nightstands, jewelry boxes, coffee tables and will build customs to order for your imagination and hearts desires! Interested clients can contact me here at 323-260-7308 EXT. 214.

I just came out of a long meeting to discus and see some early samples of next years Military themed group from the famed Division LS. Awesome stuff as always, this time will be a poplin and cracked, semi gloss Vinyl, with custom made buttons and dark colored metallic chains.

Holiday styles have been arriving this week and the and the feedback from customers on the “Caged” group is that it’s a big hit already! Ghost Town is a big hit with our Rock n Roll crowd and should be in and shipping by the end of the month.

Well gang I hate to be brief but I’m off to a production meeting, and then out of here to search for the biggest turkey I can buy along with all the fixins’ for tomorrows feast! Have a happy one and don’t hesitate to “eat too much” cause next week its back to the grind and starbucks for breakfast! Enjoy it while you can then dance it off this weekend!!

Hope to see you at Bordello on Saturday!
Work hard, play Harder
Music+Fashion=Life
Mickey Finn

Oh, sure, there will be lots of lists all over the damn place about what all the boring-ass vanilla super-sunshiney people are thankful for coming into tomorrow’s show-thanks-by-stuffing-your-face fest. But who fucking cares about some asshole gushing over the kids they shove up your Facebook stream every fucking day anyway or the oft-posted-in-all-his-cutesy-pet-glory Mr. Fuzzy or what the hell ever … or *GYAH! … the endless meanderings about how very thank-fuuuuuuulll we should be for whatever mundane bullshit.

Well, I AM thankful … but for (at least I think) a slightly more interesting, eclectic, and … well, naughty list of fabulousity.

 

Warren Ellis

If you have not been introduced to the King of graphic novel jaded cynicism and glorious vulgarity (not to mention the weirdly funny and nasty one-frames “Edison Hate Future” and “Watson Hates Holmes“) go check him out immediately!  His Twitter stream has become so infamous, there is now an actual Warren Ellis twitter generator. (Arse eels to all involved!) This is also the genius who created Transmetropolitan‘s Spider Jerusalem and gave him awesome lines, like: There was a time when I liked a good riot. Put on some heavy old street clothes that could stand a bit of sidewalk-scraping, infect myself with something good and contagious, then go out and stamp on some cops. It was great, being nine years old. His latest project, being the kick-ass human being he is, is FreakAngels, with free updates every Friday.

William Shatner

Is there a finer examplar of unbridled and unapologetic cheeztasticness in all the world? I think NOT! From the original gloriousness of Rocketman, to the god-awful TV shows, to his recent game show in which he ordered models over to poles to DANCE and OF COURSE the commercials, Shatner has a fine sense of humor about himself and the cult of personality which has grown around him and is a hero of epic proportion to any and all who can’t get enough ham-fisted, bloated semi-acting on a grand scale. Oh, and the “singing”! Enjoy this lovely tidbit of Shatnerificness lent to Jarvis Cocker’s “Common People” with Joe Jackson.

John Waters!

What self-respecting dirty stinking perverted freak does NOT adore the King of the Fringe, Baltimore’s Pride and Joy (or not … depending on who you’re talking to), John Fucking Waters. Beside his awesomely freaky movies, the man I like to think of as The Perverted Uncle I Never Had has also done some really fantastic spoken word. This Filthy World is equal parts insight, hilarity, and (of course) filth. Check out everything you could possibly want to know about the man and his work at Dreamland.

Larry Flynt

Ah, Larry, the patron saint of perverts and cranky bastards everywhere! I fucking LOVE this man! Not only has he built an impressive empire of awesome smut, he’s been there all along the way to fight for your right to see and read whatever the fuck you want. He’s hoisted holier-than-thou douchebags on their own sordid petards. And, all the while, he’s done it with quirky panache! Thanks Larry!

Finding everything you need for photo shoots 1 block away

How can a freak, especially one who likes to shoot lots of of sexy and gory photos, not absolutely love having latex, zesty mint blood, fangs, and everything else one could possibly want in walking distance? Add to that, a remarkably knowledgeable staff, who know everything one could ask about pretty much everything they carry, and you have a shop you never take for granted! Thanks Hollywood! Here’s a taste of some of the lovely stuff we did recently with goodies from our favorite toy store (photos by the Circus Hooker Smut Regime … painless decapitation by Wicked Illusions)…

Last but not least … how could any article of mine be complete without some lovely, naughty images to send you on your naughty way into this holiday weekend?

The Resurgence of Pin-Up!

Any and all of us sick to fucking death of seeing an endless array of starvation victims masquerading as hot babes can thank our lucky stars for the re-awakening of pin-up style. Curvy girls in saucy poses, a wink and a smile, and the lovely suggestion of invitation was something missing in other eye candy. Some of us want to be seduced, intrigued, lured … not bludgeoned with obvious and gratuitous. Thanks to The Pin-up Files for these gorgeous images of some of the classics and a few artists we may not have disovered otherwise. Check out their impressive 3-part gallery of some of the best pin-up art the web has to offer!

Well, there you go … stuff to be thankful to have as a mental escape from the spectacle of being forced to watch Uncle Skeeter ask some poor schmucky kid to “pull his finger” one more damned time.

Happy Thanksgiving to US freaks and … well … Happy Thursday to all of you outside our food-coma-addled borders!

LA freaks, come by Bordello Bar Saturday night to join the WebMaster and I as we catch some bad-ass psychobilly, compliments of Mickey Finn and his new band, Cold Blue Rebels!

Have I mentioned that we fucking LOVE it when you send us your awesome photos in Lip Service gear!?!? Well, WE DO! In this case, I was checking out the conversation at the fantastic Lippy Addicts community and came across a post by Lady Rosetta sharing a Flash with some yummy bits from her modelling portfolio. We got together and I got all the info to share with all of you here on the ‘zine. Below is a gallery of some of the Lip Service highlights, but if you want the full show, complete with bad-ass pin-up style photos and custom art, you can check out the killer Flash compilation of all the retro goodness!

credits:
Photographers:
Ralph Corrigan
Capt. Lites Photography

Planes provided by:
Capt. Lites

Model / Stylist / Image post-processing:
Lady Rosetta

Flash Presentation:
C. Haskins

A note from the webmistress: We LOVE it when you all send in photos of yourself rocking Lip Service gear! We just about danced with glee at the awesomeness of these photos shared with us by the always-gorgeous Andromeda X (who you might remember from some of our earlier photo contests). I’d have compiled them into a gallery but, honestly, it would be a crime to not show every one of these photos in their splendid full-sized glory. ENJOY!

“I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming.”
-Courtney Love

I don’t know anyone in the world who looks forward to a twenty-four hour drive in a fifteen-passenger van more than I did two weeks ago. The Crüxshadows are officially on the road again for the holidays in our home country away from home.

My suitcase is lighter this round, with a few pairs of Lip Service skinny jeans, and a few too many pairs of cowboy boots.

I definitely geeked out at our first show in Dresden, Germany; mostly because I have a badass new guitar to play, courtesy of Daisy Rock, but also because fans actually recognize me now! Last August was my first tour with the Crüxshadows and I hadn’t been around long enough to make a name for myself in the scene.

Two more cities and venues later, I am in Osnabrück, Germany.

Most of the time me, and the rest of the band are scrambling for interwebs, which aren’t so common in the hotels here, and we’ve recently discovered that our best method of communication is, yes, the banana phone. Unfortunately we have to replace it every few days, and whenever I get a call it’s usually someone I don’t want to talk to.

The Christmas music has officially been played in the sound-check, and it’s only a matter of time before I start singing it.

Our opening act, Ayria, who is on their third tour with us, is awesome and they have been incredible to perform with!

We just came off stage here in Osnabrück, it was a great crowd and it’s always so cool to see people singing our lyrics and dancing to a single that hasn’t even been out for six months!

Some of our Danish fans came down to Germany for the show and brought with them homemade pumpkin pie…Guess I won’t miss having it after all!!

With Great Love and Faith,
Cassandra Luger

Want to get your shopping juju on this weekend? Come out to our Bargain Basement for kick-ass deals on Lip Service gear!

We’ll be open “Black” Friday (Nov. 27) and Saturday (Nov. 28) from 9 AM – 5 PM and giving a free gift with every purchase. Bring your cash or Visa/Mastercard to get the hottest gifts for everyone on your list (including YOU)!

The Bargain Basement store is at:
Lip Service HQ
130 South Anderson Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Hey, tall Fashion Freaks! New LONG (36″ inseam) jeans will be available in Rock ‘n’ Roll Jeans Classics men’s junkie and rocker fits in 2010! Check for them on lip-service.com around mid-January!

This coming month, we have a killer change of pace in our On the Road with Stertch Fuck’n Jeans feature. Not only are we segueing from rock ‘n’ roll to goth-wave dance … our weekly guitarist/correspondent is … yes … *GASP* … FEMALE! For the next four weeks, we’ll be following Cassandra Luger from Crüxshadows as the Florida band tours Europe.

A bit about Crüxshadows (from their website)
One of the most enduring acts of the entire Darkwave subculture is the Florida based group The Crüxshadows. Originally formed in 1992, The Crüxshadows have consistently delivered their positive message through the portal of synth pop hooks and dark electronics to a massive international fan base of followers. From their self-released debut, the 1993 album Night Crawls In, right through to the present, The Crüxshadows have formulated their success out of old fashioned hard work.  They have logged an impressive one thousand plus performances in over thirty countries via their many marathon-like tours.

With the release of the seminal Telemetry of a Fallen Angel (existing in a few incarnations prior to Dancing Ferret Discs’ version in 1997), The Crüxshadows enjoyed their first defining moment courtesy of the infinitely catchy dance floor anthem “Marilyn My Bitterness.” With additional strong releases including The Mystery of the Whisper (1999), Until the Voices Fade (1999) and Paradox Addendum (2000) backed by lengthy tours, The Crüxshadows were able to build a legion of diversified fans consisting of everything from jarheads to gamers to anime & role playing enthusiasts.

Although The Crüxshadows maintain a strong fan base in their native United States, their most perceptible success seems to be  focused in Europe.   It is not uncommon for the band to share stages with the likes of Ladytron, Prodigy, The Cure, or even Bjork. The 2002 Tears EP topped the Deutsche Alternative Charts for months, a practice that has continued with all subsequent releases soaring to the DAC’s Top 10. “I don’t think we’re actually more popular there (In Europe)” says Rogue, Crüxshadows’ forntman and mastermind, “It just seems like there is more access to our fans.  What we do has more acceptance by the powers that be.  In America it feels like all of our victories are covered up or are unacknowledged by the media.”  2002 also saw the release of their fifth full-length album Wishfire; a fan favorite that featured the Euro hit “Tears” and a number of other dark dance mainstays. Similarly the follow-up album Ethernaut (released in 2003) brought the band what has become one of its most notable tracks, the European club anthem entitled “Winterborn (This Sacrifice).”

In 2006 the band would seem to breakaway from their underground moniker.  The addictive single “Sophia” impressively debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts in September at position #1, replacing Beyoncé in the top spot while landing  #7 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart.  “We couldn’t believe it, doors began to open.  It was as if we couldn’t be ignored anymore, after a decade and a half we seemed to be getting some respect.  The local news in Florida even put us on the nightly news to get our take on the whole thing”, the frontman recalls.  The following year was pivotal for The Crüxshadows; in May the band successfully toured China performing at the Midi Open-Air Festival in Beijing, in the presence of many thousands of new fans. Later that year the band released the highly anticipated Dreamcypher album that contained yet another Billboard #1 Dance Single with the song “Birthday.”  This time the band climbed into the #2 spot on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart.  With Dreamcypher, The Crüxshadows melded their fondness for 1980s Synth Pop/New Romantic sounds with modern Euro dance nuances into perfection.  Dreamcypher joins the aforementioned shimmering “Sophia” and “Birthday” with the guitar fronted “Defender” and the majestic sounding “Eye of the Storm.”  The infectious disc would become The Crüxshadows’ best selling album to date both in the United States and abroad.

The following year witnessed another single marching up the Billboard charts.  “Immortal” continued the bands musical string of hits. While The Crüxshadows spent most of 2009 touring in Europe, the band still managed to release yet another successful Billboard charting single in America.   “Quicksilver” debuted just in time for their annual appearance at Atlanta’s famed Dragon*Con Convention before an impressive capacity crowd of several thousand of their most loyal fans. “I think the new single, and really the most recent releases in general, are our most polished and well written work” says Rogue, “but there are still those in the scene, and in the business in general, that just think the whole thing is just dumb luck.”  Seemingly too pop for many critics and too underground for the industry, the band has apparently found the perfect balance for the people who matter the most to them; their fans.

Get more info about the band at Crüxshadows official site
Check out some Crüxshadows videos

We had a chance to ask Cassandra a few questions before she set off on tour.

LS Webzine: How long have you been w/ Crüxshadows in it’s 17 years together?
Cassandra Luger: I’ve only been with the band since April of this year but it feels like a lot longer. Spending almost every day with your band makes you feel like you’ve been there forever

LS: There are currently 7 members in Crüxshadows – how well does that work while touring? Do you all get along, really?
CL: we actually have nine people on the road with us and I’d say that the hardest thing about being on the road in Europe would probably be the fact that we currently use a nine passenger van so we’re all packed pretty tightly. Some days are worse than others, but we get along really well. It’s just the right group of people in the right room.

LS: How long have you been a musician and was guitar your favorite? Have you been in other bands?
CL: I’ve been playing music since I was a whopping three years old when my grandmother would take me to piano classes and I’d sit under the keyboard for the entire lesson. I didn’t start playing guitar until I was in high school and taking it for a class but I fell in love with it. I’ve been active on the Tallahassee music scene for the past few years, making merch and all that but the Cruxshadows is the first band I’ve been in.

LS: The band’s motto is “Live, love, be, believe,” – do you have to tattoo that anywhere to be a band member? (Just kidding). Seriously, do you all contribute to the songs, musically and lyrically?
CL: We all do believe in the motto but no one has gotten it tattooed…yet. Rogue is definitely the primary song writer but we all are able to contribute musically, and make our parts our own.

LS: What’s your favorite place to play a live show? How was it performing for the 2009 Gothic Cruise?
CL: My favorite place to play this pas year was definitely M’Era Luna, I was looking out at a sea of people to the horizon line. It was my third show…ever. It kind of made an impact. I loved playing on the Gothic Cruise but it was hard to jump around like a maniac on a moving boat. Every time I’d leave the ground and land, the floor would be in a different place.

LS: What’s your number one must have fashion accessory (or accessories….!)?
CL: I would definitely say that the thing that I NEVER take off would be my rings, four on my left hand and five on my right. I’ve been collecting them since I was young and I wear them everywhere. Even when I play.

LS: How easy is it to stay looking great while on the road? Any insider secrets?
CL: Seeing as I didn’t start voluntarily wearing make-up or styling my hair until I was almost seventeen I’ve had to figure out a lot of things on the fly, but I’ve learned that eyeliner pretty much fixes everything. And if I’m too far gone, Jessica can usually fix those problems.

LS: Anything you want to say the Lip Service fans our there who have never heard of Crüxshadows ?
CL: I would say that you fashion addicts need to go and check out the website! Why haven’t you gone yet? What are you doing still reading this? The interview is over…Go! :-)

…..and then we woke up and brushed off the all the dirt. Zurich was killer. It turned out that we were staying in the same hotel as the Jonas Brothers. I was a little bummed to find out that the 100 girls waiting in the rain weren’t there for Prima D, but we signed autographs for them anyway.

Italy Italy Italy! What can I say? It’s heaven on earth. Pizza & Peroni all the way. I’d go back tomorrow if I could.

Now about the last show…Green Day has a tradition of pranking the opening band. We got it pretty good! The details are a little blurry. Before we went on, they filled all of our water bottles with vodka, so I was already hammered before the 2nd song. Let’s just say that by the end of our set, the stage was covered (and I do mean COVERED) in toilet paper, vodka, shaving cream, tequila, confetti, feathers and Gold Bond powder. To get revenge, we ran up on stage in matching track suits during their set and flashed some mangina to the band. It was pretty nasty!

**note from the Webmistress … We have some evidence and photos coming soon. In the meanwhile, we have a taste of the Prima Donna and Green Day prank madness in this crazy bit of video**

Green Day is the absolute best band to go on tour with! I wish I could do it all again!
=Kevin Preston=

Chad Cherry and I share the same exuberant passion for horror and exploitation movies. In fact, when we start talking about what we’re gonna cover next it’s hard to narrow it down to one idea! But this month we wanted to do something extra special so we decided to cover one of our favorite directors: Abel Ferrara.

Much has been said on Mr. Ferrara so rather than drag over the same boring facts you’ve heard a thousand times, We’d rather touch on his brilliant films and what they mean to us. Evil Sex rocker Chad Cherry does offer this little bit of insight into Ferrara’s early days: He directed a very awkward and confusing porno movies under his alias, Jimmy Laine, with the quaint title “THE NINE LIVES OF A WET PUSSY”. He stars in it but he doesn’t do any of the olr’ in and out, if ya catch my drift. That’s right! Ferrara knows how to get this party started with a skin flick. Well done Mr. Laine. He also went by Jimmy Laine when acting in THE DRILLER KILLER (which he played the lead in) and Ms.45. (He plays the first rapist.)

Ahh yes, Abel Ferrara you had me at-

BAD LIEUTENANT: Originally one of the first movies rated NC-17 for sexual violence, strong humping situations, naughty language, and hardcore drug use … and it’s a police lieutenant that does all this! A corrupt, smacked out, cocaine sniffin’, angry sex addicted, badge wearin’ po-po. To serve and inject! Bitchin’ dooods.

Harvey fucking Keitel. I really can’t say enough about this incredible actor. BAD LIEUTENANT is my favorite movie that Keitel has ever starred in. What Ferrara was able to pull out of Harvey was truly Oscar worthy. I still cry during the church scene. This movie is so raw and honest, one of Ferrara’s more poetic films. It’s really sad that the “remake” looks like such crap. Then again I’ve been assured that it’s not really a remake. They just took the name. – And that my friends is what we call “saving face”.

THE BODYSNATCHERS: Okay this movie has been done SEVERAL times. Seriously there’s a version of it to fit your every mood. You have the 1950’s Don Siegel b-movie classic, that creepy 70’s version with Leonard Nimoy and the fucking human head dog (that STILL gives me nightmares), the shitty Nicole Kidman thing, and right in the middle is Ferrara’s early 90’s version with the sexy Gabrielle Anwar. I can never really decide if I like this movie or not. The higher budget feels a little weird for one of his films. There is this overwhelming sense of dread throughout the whole movie that’s very intriguing. I still watch it about once a year.

Plant like pods that take over earth by killing off humans while they sleep and replace their bodies with emotionless carbon copies that work together to take over the human race!!! This must be based on a true story because … well holy shit!! I think it’s happening right now!!! I’m outta here!!!!

THE ADDICTION: A black-n-white gem of a flick. Out main girl Kathleen who is a philosophy student, gets attacked by a woman that bites the hell out of her neck and drinks her blood!!! And you know what’s next right? You guessed it punks. “SYMPTOMS OF VAMPIRISM”. Say bye, bye to sunlight Kathleen. My favorite scene (and you will understand why) is when out lil’ blood sucker savages some poor shmo’s jugular at her graduation party. And then takes it up a notch by participating in a chaotic blood soaked, killer vampire orgy!!! Hello sexy town!!! If you really pay attention to this movie it’s an allegory about drug addiction. Oh yeah, and one more thing … Christopher Walken.

But this is the best (my opinion rules) …

DRILLER KILLER: Oh yes … truly one of the greats in exploitation cinema. I think it was this movie that made me develop a lifelong crush on Ferrara. Maybe it’s because he plays that starving artist thing so well! It’s the perfect film for when you’re having one of those days. You know the kind where you want your roommates, lovers and family members to drop off the face of the planet? Just put this flick in and you’ll feel better. Promise. I love that after 30 years the gore still holds up in this film! Powerful, scary, and sexy, this movie has made a lasting impression on me.

The 1979 grindhouse slasher cult classic that was banned in the U.K. and in Germany. It’s one of the “first video nasties” in the United Kingdom, and has that great sleazy grainy film quality to it. Our boy Abel Ferrara not only directs this bastard of a movies but also stars as Reno Miller, a struggling artist and bum hater. A.K.A. “Driller Killers”!!!

The British punk band THE DAMNED (Hell Yayeah!) refer to this baby in their song “Nasty”, a Swedish crust punk band dawns their name from the title, the Danish psycho-billy band THE NEKROMANTIX (Currently on tour with ROB ZOMBIE), U.K. punk rockers DISORDER, and the U.S. death metal band MORTICIAN (who use wicked samples from this puppy) all have songs inspired by DRILLER KILLER. Alright now, that shit ROCKS!!! Hey Reno, are you wearing lipstick and drilling people to death? Oh, I guess you are. Artists. So creative.

And we can’t forget …

MS.45: Not gonna lie … this movie is the reason I wanted to be a model/actress. A very dear friend of mine loaned me an un-abridged copy of this when I was 17. I was completely blown away by it. Zoe Lund plays the character of Thana, a mute seamstress working in New York. After being attacked twice in the same day she takes revenge on all men. Lund portrays a great deal of strength while still maintaining her feminine side… with a performance that is truly something to marvel at. Ferrara has an understanding of the female that surpasses most men. Pretty safe to say that I’m in love with him.

So that wraps up our little tribute to Able Ferrara. These films are just the tip of the ice! He continues to out stupid good movies on the regular. If you’ve never seen anything by him, I hope this column has persuaded you to seek out his work!

Here is a small sampling of posters and images of Abel Ferrara’s work:

Now what have Chad Cherry and I been up to ?

I rarely have time off from THE LAST VEGAS with all the touring, filming, grave diggin’, TLV astro physic teachings, ect … or from writing the sound tracks to the mayhem all you humans create, but when I do, I like to get dressed up in all my bad ass LIP SERVICE stage clothes, put on some blood red lip stick and hit a night on the town Driller Killer style. (Did I just write that? Yes I did.) ROCK ON ABEL for making kick ass flicks, AND ROCK ON LIP SERVICE for making every one so goddamn hot! See you all next time, and I’ll see you all on the wild side. – CHAD CHERRY.

These last few months of 2009 have been wicked productive for me! Not only have I been keeping up with my SCARS BLOG (scarsmagazine.com/blog/nos-blog/) and writing for LIP SERVICE but I’ve also taken on a new project. I’ve joined forces with the amazing folks of CIRCUS HOOKER (chsregime.com/) and am now in development of my own site! Soon you will be able to see hundreds of my photos and videos in one handy dandy place! How cool is that? Rest assured I will be wearing some sexy Lip Service in the photos …

Here is a tiny sample of photos from the Goddess of Gore site:

Nos photo credits:

photos 1 – 2:

photography by: Wicked Illusions

photos 3 – 5:

photography by: Chad Michael Ward

A launch date hasn’t been set yet but Lippy fans will be the first to know!

Can’t wait that long? Well I also have my own merch site set up! myblackumbrealla.com) Signed Nos prints and DVDs are available for your pleasure! – Nos