VV Brown

We're always on the lookout for a new sultry songstress and some of our favorite singers and bands came to us through fashion (like One Night Only and Beth Ditto). When we finally caught up with our October 15 issue of WWD and saw VV Brown on the cover with an write up that compared her to Amy Winehouse, we immediately googled her to hear her tunes. We were instantly hooked and know you'll thank us for the reco. VV told WWD she's a fan of Grace Jones, David Bowie and gospel.

Moreover, VV Brown loves fashion as much as it loves her. She's the founder of VV Vintage, an online store that features 80s'-esque fashion that is so in vogue these days. We would personally like to see more of her own self proclaimed "Fifties glam couture" on the site, but we'll take what we can get!

Gavin DeGraw at the W Hotel in Atlanta

Calling all Gavin DeGraw fans: You'll want to head to the W in Atlanta this Wednesday to hear the sexy singer perform in the W Hotel's Wonderlust Live Music Series. The intimate concert will showcase Gavin's new album, "Free" along with his classic hits, "Chariot" and "I don't Want to Be".The concert is open to anyone with a MasterCard who signs up for the W's All Access Pass. The Insider Package starts at $249 and includes two tickets to the performance, two cocktails, a 3PM late checkout and a Spectacular Room. And, of course, you'll get these yummy Bliss amenities in your room.

W Hotels Symmetry CD

Here's a CD to tide us over until the next great movie soundtrack is released or we're motivated to make our summer playlist: W Hotel's Symmetry CD, the 7th in the series. Symmetry was curated by W’s Global Music Director, Michaelangelo L’Acqua. To sneak a listen or to purchase it, go over to W Hotels Store.

Gossip/Four Letter Word (Album Version)
Daniel Merriweather/Impossible (Venice Sunset Remix) – Exclusive Remix by Michaelangelo L’Acqua
The XX/Crystalised
Sebastien Tellier/Roche
Bibel Gilberto/Sun Is Shining
Miike Snow/Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)
Desire/Mirroir Mirroir
Friendly Fires (Featuring Au Revoir Simone)/Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
Little Dragon/After The Rain
Wave Machines/Keep The Lights On
Kleerup (Featuring Lykke Li)/Until We Bleed
Phoenix/Lisztomania (Classixx Version)
Empire of The Sun/We Are The People (The Golden Filter Remix)

Catch Macy Gray in Concert Tonight for Origins Rocks Earth Month

Origins is one of our favorite cosmetics brands--not only for their amaze products, but because they really care about the environment. Origin counters and stores are one of the few places where you can recycle any compact, lipstick or other cosmetic container. Further proof: Origins calls is Earth Month, not just Earth Day.

Tune in tonight at 10 pm EST to catch Macy Gray in Origins Rocks Earth Month, as Macy and friends celebrate Mama Nature.

Lady Gaga and Beyonce: Road Tripping

Have you watched the Lady Gaga - Beyoncé Telephone Video yet? Granted, the nine-minute playing time did throw our laptop for a loop. No worries--it's totally worth it to see Lady Gaga and "Honey B" making their getaway in the P*ssy Wagon, complete with over-sized fuzzy dice and bad-for-you snack food a la Thelma and Louise. This song is definitely making the playlist on our next road trip!

Josh Charles at the City Winery

If you're in NYC for fashion week and want to take a break from the fashionista madness, head down to the City Winery on Monday to chill out with a live performance by Josh Charles to celebrate the release of his album, Love, Work & Money. We don't know too much about him, save for the fact that The Huffington Post compared him to Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys and that he first hit the scene with a “Healing Time,” a song that benefited the rebuilding of New Orleans. Put that together with the $15 ticket price and we are SO there!

Get more info on Josh Charles' show at City Winery.

Tarina Tarantino's Jet Set Playlist

We were so intrigued when Tarina Tarantino told us she had a "Jet Set Playlist" (Love the name!), we had to find out what's on the mix. Looks like we have a lot of new tunes to download!

Come On Lets Go--Broadcast
Green Light--Cicada
Jet Society--Cordera Orchestra
Miracle (Bogdan Irkuk Remix)--Sally Shapiro
Pollution of the mind--Miss Kitten
Universal Traveler--Air
Run--Air
Silently--Blonde Redhead

The Operation--Charlotte Gainsbourg
Zap Zap--Cut Copy
Veridis Quo--Daft Punk
Walking Away--The Egg
AF607105--Charlotte Gainsbourg

The Sicilian Clan--Ennio Morricone
Pilots--Goldfrapp
Peppermint Dream--J.D King
Le Mepris "Camille"-- Georges Delerue
Sleep--The Dandy Warhols
After all this Time- -John Foxx & Harold Budd

W Hotel's New Music Director

Here's how you know the W Hotels are uber-cool: They have a global music director. Michaelangelo L’Acqua was previously the music director for Gucci and YSL and has produced fashion shows for Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, John Varvatos, Jil Sander, Chanel, and Diane von Furstenberg among others. One of his first tasks is producing the seventh edition W Hotels CD.

We had the chance to chat with Michaelangelo at fashion week at the W Backstage VIP Lounge. We asked Michaelangelo for his secret to creating killer playlists. His tip: Think about your event as a movie and visualize the score to go along with it. He also suggests logging on to iTunes and checking out the "Listeners Also Bought" link on your favorite songs to find new bands and keep your playlists fresh.

Bachelorette Party Ideas: 6. Bachelorette Party Playlist

Single Ladies-Beyoncé: Because, hey, he liked and he did. Shouldn't you get to brag a little?

City of Blinding Lights-U2: It reminds us of one of our fave chick flicks and who is to say Bono wasn't singing about Vegas?

Cherish-Madonna: We abide by the rule that every great playlist requires at least one cheesy 80s song and this one is Madonna at her gooiest, poppiest, pre-Madge best.



Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes: You know all the words and it's a funny reminder to appreciate the one you're with

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien - Edith Piaf: Let's hope the bride feels this way, both at the end of the weekend and about her impending nuptials

Believe - Cher: Dedicate this ultimate dance song to all the boys who done you wrong. They would eat their hearts out if they saw you now!

We Are Family - Sister Sledge: Gather together all your besties and dance like you mean it!

American Boy - Estelle: So what if this song was popular last summer? The hometown boys still deserve a shout out!


That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings: Who says you have to tell the random guy at the bar your real name?

Black Eyed Peas - I've got a feeling: Cause "tonight's gonna be a good night" for sure!

La Vie en Rose - Belinda Carlisle: The best song for living happily ever after

Want more tunes? Check out our Summer '09 Playlist!

Lollapalooza, Peter Yorn and More

We're still coming down from the phenomenal Coldplay performance at the All Points West Festival in New Jersey on Sunday. (That's our S.O.'s own original video. We got pretty close, huh?) Despite all the untimely rain and fields of mud at APW, we're determined to only go to outdoor concerts from here on out. Lucky for us Lollapalooza is in Chicago this weekend. It's headlined by The Killers, Depeche Mode and Kings of Leon and features a number of bands that were also at APW, like Tool, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys and Silverspun Pickups.

Our only word of advice: If it rains, wear your wellies!


If you're headed out to Chicago a day early, be sure to hit the Peter Yorn show at the W Chicago City Center as part of its Worldwide’s Wonderlust Live Music Series on August 6. It is indoors, but we'll make an exception for this ultra-exclusive performance. For more info, check out the W Hotel site.

Summer '09 Playlist

Whether you're hitting the road, getting dressed in the hotel room with the girls or simply barbecuing in the backyard, ever summer needs a good playlist. Here's ours for Summer '09!

Sex on Fire-Kings of Leon
Due to it's R-rate lyrics, it’s not quite as ubiquitous as Umbrella was in summer 2006, but it’s up there!

Just for Tonight-One Night Only
This band’s popularity shot up after playing the Burberry party for the likes of Orlando Bloom, Blake Lively and Claire Danes. Lead singer George Craig (below) is an adorable 18-year old who was featured in the spring '09 Burberry ads.


Lisztomania-Phoenix
One of those happy songs that it’s impossible not to start dancing too.

I Do Not Hook Up-Kelly Clarkson
We don't either. (Ya right.) The video is hilar if you haven't seen it.

Michael Jackson-Beat It
No summer ’09 playlist would be complete without a tribute to the gloved one. This song is our fave of his many worthy hits.

Heavy Cross-Gossip
The first single off Gossip's new album is another hard rocking jam that will have you sweating from dancing so much in no time. Lead singer, Beth Ditto (below), recently launched a plus size clothing line with British brand Evans, cementing her post as the fashion world darling of the moment.


Live Version of Clocks-Coldplay
This oldie but goodie never sounded better than on the live album, LeftRightLeftRight, that Coldplay invites you to download for free off their website. Yes, for free.

A-Punk-Vampire Weekend
In a summer as wet as this one, there’s no better lyric to sum it up than, “Look outside the raincoats coming.”

Lips Like Sugar-Echo and the Bunnymen
Because every good summer playlist needs a classic 80s tune. Plus, we're going to see them in August at the All Points West Festival, so we need to start remembering their music.

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked-Cage the Elephant
By the end of August, let's hope that's true for all of us!

Did we miss a favorite song of yours? Let us know!

Shop at the iTunes Music Store.

D.J. AM at Dusk

Hurry up and get packing for Atlantic City tonight to catch D.J. AM at the last of three opening parties for Dusk at Atlantic City. D.J. AM is part owner of the club at Caesar's Palace. Fitting as he's from Philly and the last time we were in A.C. nearly everyone we met was from the City of Brotherly Love.

No word on how often D.J. AM will be spinning at Dusk, but it's the only venue you'll catch him at in A.C. The club is open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If we do end up planning out bachelorette party in A.C. it will definitely be on a night he's there! We know from experience that it's worth the trek.

Read more about D.J. AM's Dusk in the Philly Daily News.

Beth Ditto: Coolest Girl in the World

We're a little slow on the uptake of this one--you know it's bad when the Wall Street Journal beats you to finding a band. Oh well. Better late than never. As WSJ rightly pointed out last month, Beth Ditto, lead singer of The Gossip is fashion's latest flavor. WWD reported that even notoriously blasé D.J. Leigh Lezark practically gushed over Beth's performance in her skivvies at the Nina Ricci after-party during Paris Fashion Week.

What makes Beth so cool, aside from her killer voice? She's a self-described fat, feminist, lesbian from Arkansas. Here are a few of her bad ass quotes from Wikipedia, which we find particularly endearing:

"Women aren't cats, we aren't pets, we are just people trying to cross the freaking street to get an ice-cream."

Of her hit song, "Standing in the Way of Control," written during the Bush administration, in response to its stand against gay marriage:
“I wrote the chorus to try and encourage people not to give up. It’s a scary time for civil rights, but I really believe the only way to survive is to stick together and keep fighting.”

We're sure Beth is thrilled with what happened in Iowa last week and Vermont yesterday. (JSG is happy, too!)

Download her song now--it's perf for your next road trip!

Richie Rich Celebutante

We're so super-proud of our friend (and ideal travel companion) Stephanie, who created the new Richie Rich Celebutante CD. It's a compilation of Richie's favorite dance and party songs including Lily Allen's Take What You Take; Mya's Whatever Bitch and Scissor Sisters Filthy Gorgeous plus Richie's own Celebutante--a tune that will stick in your head for days (in a good way). We're always a sucker for a good compilation and this one is no exception. Put this on at midnight, when you're party's really starting to take off: It's an insta-DJ that will make your fete Legend-ary! Celebutante is available at Target.comand Amazon.com. Go buy it today!


One of the many benefits of being friends with Stephanie is that she invited us to the launch party for the CD last Thursday night at NYC's Citrine, a club that only officially opened a day later (and Samantha Ronson is DJing tonight!). The party was a blast. The DJ, Lina Bradford, nailed it. Richie performed Celebutante. And a dancing pig stole the show. That's Richie and friends, Andre J and a pal from Tokyo.



And our group of friends, Felissa, Susan, Elizabeth and JSG's Annie who are just a little less colorful.

Effortless Playlists

We’re in an iPod rut! With 3,361 songs, why do we always listen to the same 10? Granted Kate Nash’s “Merry Happy” is a peppy song that will stay in your head all day long, but really, a girl needs to mix it up every once in a while. Plus we haven't forgotten that it was our New Year’s Resolution!

But coming up with a new and varied playlist takes work. Favorite songs are our most listened to for a reason.

A few years ago, when we were traveling back and forth to Cali frequently, we came up with a semi-brainless way to make a new playlist. We created a NY-Cali playlist, which included songs that mentioned New York or California. It ended up being a fun mix of tunes with everything from Wheezer’s “Beverly Hills” to U2’s “New York” to Ben Lee’s “Catch My Disease”--it mentions Pamona. (Come to think of it, with 2 more trips to Cali between now and July, we may need to up the rotation on this playlist.)

We liked this idea so much, we created another themed playlist—this time it’s Boys and Girls and all the songs have a name in the title. With songs like Michael Jackson’s "Billie Jean," ABBA’s "Fernando", The Police’s "Roxanne" and The Killers “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” the mix ends up being a bit random, but isn’t that the beauty of an iPod?

Any other thoughts on creating effortless playlists?

The Most Ridiculously Happy Playlist Ever!

In an effort to keep at least one of our resolutions, here's a brand new playlist for '08.

Maybe you over did it the night before and need a little something to get the girls all revved up or maybe you’ve got a touch of jet lag after a long flight.

Whatever the reason, the songs on this playlist will have you and your girls back in the groove in no time. (It’s also not bad if you’re going for a run.)

La Vie en Rose - Belinda Carlisle
Who knew our fave GoGo could speak French? She does a heck of a job singing en francais on this remake of the Edith Piaf classic. (BTW—if you haven’t rented the recent movie of the same name about Edith’s tragic life, put it on your Netflix list NOW)
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
An oldie but a goodie. It’s hard to argue with.
Candyman - Christina Aguilera
Pending motherhood must have changed our favorite Drrty Girl. This ditty will have you tapping your toes. Catch the video if you can where Christina sings as a blonde with a brunette and redhead version of herself (that’s some guy out there fantasy come true).
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
We loved it before it was in Little Miss Sunshine, but the fact that it was is reason enough to add it to the list.
The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
We owe Drew Barrymore for this pick. We first heard it on her celeb playlist on iTunes—a fab place to hear new music and connect with your favorite star.
For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder
The song that made Ari Gold happy on Entourage when he was fired at the end of season 2. If it could make cranky Ari dance at his low point, it can make us happy anytime.
Upside Down (remix) - Jack Johnson
A seriously uplifting song off the all-Jack Johnson Curious George soundtrack. We won’t say which one of us, but one member of the JSG team had a stuffed Curious George growing up (and still does).
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
A 20-year old adorable Scottish boy singing about how his new shoes “Make everything all right”? Good Lord, we think we’re in love!
Love Generation - Bob Sinclair
A killer beat and lyrics about peace, love and rainbows makes us want to be part of the Love Generation, too. If only we could whistle.
Tonight I Have to Leave It - Shout Out Louds
We fell in love with this song at the Carolina Herrera Spring ’08 fashion show. WARNING: It will stick in your head!

Music to My Ears

The JSG loves playlists for our iPod! We've got ones for the beach, for the plane, and for the gym (but we never really make it there when we're away with the girls). Below are the tunes we listen to while getting ready for dinner, when you'll often find us crowded around the mirror putting on our war paint. So, pour your glass of wine, plug in your flat iron, and pull out your make-up. We promise these songs will get you and the girls revved up for a night on the town!

1. Into the Ocean- Blue October

2. She Moves in Her Own Way- the Kooks

3. Love Song- Sara Bareilles

4. You Don't Know What Love Is- White Stripes

5. Tonight I Have to Leave It- Shout Out Louds

6. Ruby- Kaiser Chiefs

7. Laid- James

8. Big Wheel- Tori Amos

9. Young Folks- Peter Bjorn and John

10. Lazy Eye- Silversun Pickups

11. All Night- Damian Marley

Got a getting-ready playlist? Share it with us!