Randi Russo

If there’s one person to make us trudge over to Avenue A in the cold weather, it’s Randi Russo, who will be playing on January 30th at Sidewalk Cafe. And as if you didn’t enjoy Randi’s awesomeness enough already, here’s more with this enigmatic songstress…

I LOVE my shirt:
Randi: I can’t go wrong with a black tank top. It’s almost pretty standard for me, especially when I play shows.

I LOVE my jeans:
Randi: I wear jeans about 98% of the time. I try branching out and putting on corduroys, but I never find them as comfortable as jeans. Summertime is when I wear skirts and dresses, but once the cooler weather hits, I’m in jeans.

I LOVE my boots:
Randi: Boots give a little height, which is nice… something about feeling temporarily taller gives a little lift in confidence as well. I feel much more commanding in boots than in sneakers (makes perfect sense, right?). Like black tank tops, boots are my shoes of choice when I perform.

I LOVE my tattoo:
Randi: Hmm, sometimes I love my tattoo and sometimes I don’t. It’s based on a drawing I made. I had such an obsession with gargoyles at the time so I guess I wanted one on my shoulder. I like the symbolism of gargoyles — they’re meant to scare the evil spirits away. Not quite sure how good of a job it’s doing!

I LOVE my necklace:
Randi: This necklace was a recent birthday gift. I love the silver (I’m not into gold) and I love how it’s got this ‘tribal’ thing going on. It really makes a statement. …which is good when you’re a girl in just a black tank top and some jeans.

I LOVE my watch:
Randi: I do I love my watch because my parents gave it to me and I like the sleekness and simplicity of the black leather band and a silver face (matches my necklace perfectly!). I don’t like wearing a watch all the time but I guess I’m just addicted to wearing one because my day job requires me to be on time and to keep a tight schedule going to several locations throughout the day.

But after saying all this, ultimately, I’m not much of a jewelry person. I do wear my watch pretty much daily, but it’s rare that you’ll see me wearing anything else. I occasionally like to wear a necklace but I never really wear any rings, earrings or bracelets. It’s a little too much for me. I like to keep things on the low-down and simple.

Jennifer Stock

Jen Stock one darn cool girl. As we’ve reviewed over at You is Awesome, it’s hard to pinpoint just exactly what it is Jen does. That’s why you gotta head out to Brooklyn, as she is playing the vBrooklyn video festival on Saturday, December 13th and check it out for yourself!

I LOVE feathery vests:
Jen: My mom ordered this vest from a Native American artist in Canada who put on all the feathers by hand. The vest spent like three months in customs because for some reason they didn’t want to let it across the border, but eventually it came as a belated birthday gift. It’s very warm and one of my favorite things to wear.

I LOVE bling:
Jen: I do love bling. That basically says it all. I feel vaguely apologetic for loving bling, but the truth is I think gigantic jewelry is awesome and humor myself with wearing it once and a while.

I LOVE comfortable shoes:
Jen: These are my favorite shoes ever. They have terrible holes now and will probably need to go into retirement soon, but I wish I had bought several pairs. These were, again, a gift from my mom, who is renowned for her fashion sense. She always gets me things I’m pretty sure I can’t wear because they’re too outgoing, and then when I do people always compliment it. I rarely get compliments on things I pick out myself, but that’s ok.

Editor’s Note: Your mom sounds cool. When we wear stuff that our moms buy us, we usually get made fun of…

I LOVE warm gloves:
Jen: properly in the winter. I used to wander around through blizzards in little jackets and flats, but New York has taught me to be practical — now it’s always hat, gloves, umbrella, boots, you name it.

I LOVE hats with references:
Jen: This is my dad’s hat that I stole from him. My dad was born in 1925 so this might be a VERY old hat. At any rate, hopefully he won’t see this and want it back because it’s definitely mine now; I wear it everyday in the winter.

The Middle Eight

The Middle Eight is comprised of lead singer Jason, guitarist Matt, drummer Tallin, bassist Steve, and keyboardist David. Really, their names actually include the instruments they play.

Err…Oh wow, we’re feeling really lame today–from the incredibly feeble song we wrote as an ode to The Middle Eight to this last joke, You is Awesome and I LOVE Your Clothes just aren’t in the groove today. But that’ll all change as soon as we start listening to The Middle Eight, and even more so when we get our hands on their new EP, scheduled to drop in early 2009. And if that’s not enough for you, they’re featured in an upcoming major motion picture, The Rebound, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha. But we all know that nothing can beat a live show and they have a few coming up.

In the meantime, for your instant Middle Eight fix, head over to You is Awesome and read why Barack Obama is hip like that.

I LOVE collared shirts:
David: Collared shirts are the everyman shirt. Fancy? Casual? They’ve got you covered. My personal favorite is the sweater over the collared shirt. Hey, I’m wearing that right now.
Tallin: No shirts allowed!

I LOVE wearing t-shirts over long sleeves:
David: No, no, it’s sweaters over collared shirts…
Steve: No, no, it’s super-low v-necks under cardigans. This way my chest is fully exposed and I can breathe with the music in the world.
Tallin: Refer to previous answer.
Matt: Watch out for Steve’s chest hair. It’s a registered sex offender in 51 states. It’s so stimulating, it actually created the state of arousal.
Jason: I don’t know if I’ve committed such an act.

Editor’s Note: Hey, guess what state we’re in right now. Ohh, some of you have a dirrrty mind!

I LOVE glasses:
Matt: I had glasses when I was about 6 years old. My memory lapses at this point, but when I was 7, I didn’t need them anymore. I am probably Spiderman.
Steve: Yeah, I love the look of glasses, just hate the feel. I have contacts but wear the geek glasses due to popular demand. I feel bad hiding my eyes but feel better when I don’t bump into things like when I’m not wearing them.
Tallin: Glasses block my baby blues.
Jason: No glasses I used to have 20/15 vision which was a great mark of pride for me. I could have joined the Air Force. Speaking of which, before I got into music I had an obsession with West Point. I really wanted to go. Fancy that.
Matt: I know I already commented, but what is 20/15 vision? Does that mean you can see 1.33333 times what someone with perfect vision can see? Maybe you are Spiderman.

Editor’s Note: In the spirit of always learning, we’ve done some research. Jason may or may not be Spiderman, but 20/15 vision means he can see things at 20 feet that the normal eyes need to see from 15 feet away. Of course, this doesn’t solve why Matt suddenly no longer needed glasses…

I LOVE comfortable sneakers:
Steve: I love my personalized Plekan Converse in many crazy colors. I also love those comfortable ugly shoes that I wear all the time which just slip right on. Better for rocking out in.
Tallin: Can I get a pair of Plekans?
David: That’s what she said.
Jason: I usually get sneakers that are a little small for me which means I’m usually not comfortable in them.

I LOVE jeans:
Steve: Yeah jeans pretty much rule. Especially skinny jeans on my skinny butt.
Matt: What can I saw about jeans that hasn’t already been said? I will write a haiku:

Comforting denim.
Great as pants, awful as shirts,
worst as underwear.

threefifty duo Giveaway Winner Announced!

Today is a sad day for headbands everywhere. Geremy, the people have spoken: No headband.

But on the bright side, a winner has been randomly chosen! We wrote everyone’s name who voted on pieces of paper, folded it up, mixed it around, closed our eyes, and then grabbed a piece of paper and the winner is…

JANE!! (Who voted no, proving that winners are always winners. Ha.) We wish we had some fancy congratulations graphic, but pretend like you just won a game of spider solitaire on your PC and that silly little Congratulations prompt with weird little fireworks just came on. Hey, now that we mention it…

And this is what you win:

When the boys get back from Bosnia, they’ll sign the CD and a headband and we’ll ship it on off to you Jane! Congrats and we know you’ll love it!

threefifty duo

Update: The Yes headband/No headband vote will be closing on Monday, giving all you trytophan-laden (and for us vegetarians, tofurkey-laden) folks a chance to vote over the Thanksgiving weekend. Yes and No are pretty much neck and neck, so vote to make a difference! Not to sound ominous or anything, but the future of Geremy’s forehead depends on it…as does your CD collection. After you vote (by clicking “Comments” after the entry and tags below), you’re automatically entered to win threefifty’s first album and a headband!

Have a good holiday!

Apart, Geremy Schulick and Brett Parnell are two guys who play classical guitar. Together, they are two guys who play classical guitar together. Hee. No, seriously though, together, they make up threefifty duo, a ridiculously talented, entertaining, and yes, awesome, duo. Not only are they anticipating an early 2009 release of their 2nd album, Circles, they will be playing for the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in December in a really cool cultural initiative to maintain good relations between the US and Bosnia and Herzegovina. But before they leave, you’ve got one more chance to catch them in the US on November 26th at Zebulon in Brooklyn.

And if that’s not enough for you, do drop by You is Awesome to read a little bit more from these two genuinely funny and talented guys.

But wait, there’s even more! Give yourself a chance to enter the history books as the very first winner of an I LOVE Your Clothes/You is Awesome sweepstakes by leaving your vote in the comments section as to whether or not Geremy should sport his headband more often in our Yes headband/No headband survey! A winner will be selected at random to receive threefifty duo’s debut, self-titled CD, and an original G. Schulick headband…

I LOVE jeans:
Geremy: Through this interview I think it’ll become apparent that Brett is the fashion policeman of the group. And he gets most of his fashion from his brother Dave. I used to wear baggier jeans before I met Brett just because that’s what felt more physically comfortable and that’s what I was used to. Still, I don’t conform to everything Brett tells me to do — if I wore jeans as tight as Brett’s my voice would rise two octaves and I honestly don’t think I’d be able to bend my knees — I don’t know how he does it.
Brett: I do love me some tight jeans. These are a pair of Howe Denim jeans that I got as a hand-me-down from my bro. I usually go for Levi’s but I actually head over to the ladies section because I don’t like the cut of most guys jeans. It can sometimes be a challenge to find a good pair with no frilly stuff or hearts on the ass pockets. Though I would definitely sport a pair with “threefifty” spelled out down each leg in rhinestones. You hear that Levi’s? Don’t let me down!

I LOVE bright colors:
G: I’ve been told by some people I have sort of a ‘70s thing going on, and that I’m sure is in part due to the fact that the majority of my clothing I bought at American Apparel. (Yet again a store Brett introduced me to).

I LOVE the absence of bright colors:
B: I am normally a pretty brightly colored guy but every now and then I like to descend into Williamsburg hipster attire and renounce everything but black and gray. Of course I would need to put my hood halfway on in order to be completely in hipster uniform. Come on people! On or off!

I LOVE sneakers:
G: I bought these sneakers like 4 years ago probably and they’re still going strong. They’re the only sneakers I have and I wear them practically every day. When you find an article of clothing you really love, I’m a firm believer in sticking with it till the end.

I LOVE boots: My bro tracked these down on eBay for me about three or four years ago. I think that they cost ten bucks. I wear them all the time. The only problem is that I am a heavy walker. I kill the soles of these boots in no time. There is an awesome shoe repair place near where I live that I go to when I need life breathed back into these things. They are so comfortable. I refuse to let them die.

I LOVE headbands: I certainly wouldn’t be wearing this headband right now if it weren’t for Brett. If it were up to him I’d never take this damn thing off. I have sort of a John McEnroe thing going on when I wear it (I even dressed up as him for Halloween once) which I guess I can dig. I tend to save the headband just for special occasions though — such as a photo shoot with I LOVE Your Clothes!!!

I LOVE headphones: I LOVE these headphones. I used the normal iPod ear buds for years but once I listened to one song on a nicer set of headphones there was no going back. I am a man who loves his bass. I remember listening to Tacobel Canon by Ratatat when I first got them and loving all of the crazy low bass stuff that I was missing before. I always tend to wear them around my neck because it is way more of a pain in the ass to wrap them up and put them in my bag. Damn, Bose should sponsor us.

Editor’s Note: If you make a wish to Bose and there’s no one at Bose around to hear it, have you made a wish? ‘Cos we kinda wish the same thing…

I LOVE crazy hair:
G: If you do then again you have Brett to thank for it. I used to comb my hair, shying away from the possibility of a Jew fro. But Brett and some of my other friends started encouraging me to embrace it. It’s certainly less work this way — I just get out of the shower, dry it off, and there you have it.
B: I am lazy when it comes to all matters of hair. My crazy hair started while in Hawaii at a master class with our old teacher Ben Verdery. We would go to the beach in Makena every day after class. I got so much sand in my hair I actually gave up washing it and let it do whatever. When I got back to the city I decided to keep up that routine.

I LOVE not shaving everyday:
G: I shave like once a week on average. It feels good when I do but I know I’d get sick of it if I did it any more often than that. Plus razor burn blows.
Now Brett will go without shaving for multiple weeks on end to the point that it looks like, to the casual observer, he actually has a legitimate beard. However, he chooses to conceptualize it as though he just hasn’t shaved and denies the fact that in all practicality he has a beard. I’d say that especially in recent months the majority of the time I see him he has a beard but says that he doesn’t.
B: I don’t know what the hell G is talking about. I don’t have a beard.

PS: Remember to vote!

Kenji Shinagawa

In Kenji’s own words: “I like good home-cooking, old guitars, drawings, Gatorade/Powerade, baseball, and the art of sandwich making. I like smells that remind me of people/places/thoughts. I like Zaytoons. I’d love to visit Seattle and Spain someday.”

We don’t know what you, dear reader, are doing on Friday, November 7th at 8:00, but we know that we’ll be enjoying his clothes AND his music at Spike Hill in Brooklyn. Fo’ shizz. But Kenji isn’t all music and clothing, he’s a deep man with deep thoughts. We touch on nearly all of his faves and more over at You is Awesome.

I LOVE scarves: When I first moved to New York several years ago, I was too poor to afford a real winter coat, and I used to walk around in this Fall jacket that clearly lost the battle once January arrived. I was freezing all the time. I discovered then, that if you just covered your neck with a scarf, you stayed much warmer, and considering my long neck, I really needed something to cover up this large surface area of exposed skin that was falling victim to the howling wind. I also find them to be a fashionable accessory.

I LOVE earrings: In the Shinagawa family, there is an old tale about ear piercings that go something like this: my oldest sister wanted to get her ears pierced in high school. Dad said no. She fought back. Dad remained firm. He said she must collect a detailed survey of the population of her grade to see what percentage of kids had their ears pierced. She followed with a convincing spreadsheet analysis of the percentage of kids with their ears pierced, broken down by gender and race. The path was paved. Years later, I left home to go to college, and got one ear pierced right away. The other one soon followed.

Editor’s Note: Wow, if you don’t mind us saying, your sister sounds smart!

I LOVE hoodies: Hoodies are essential. I own several of these also. All zip-up. I like being able to accommodate different temperatures, and strip down at will and at ease. Jackets and coats come off quickly, hoodies are even faster. I don’t like playing that game with a tight-necked sweater where I almost lose my head.

I LOVE jackets: I love the Summer, but I really like the seasons that require me to wear jackets and coats. I’ve come a long way from those poor old days with one jacket, and now own several to choose from depending on temperature and mood. Life is good. Inside that jacket, I feel more distinguished, and less like a kid that I tend to be.

I LOVE Converses: I know every other person has a pair, but I really like them. Comfort, style, and speed. It’s all there. And the design is classic. My first pair was a limited edition denim low-top with the rubber section in a color I can only describe as pale garbage can blue. That one lasted 7 years before my feet started to ache. My next one was a cream colored high top, which I still have in rotation. The latest is this red number.

I LOVE gloves that still allow me to use my fingers: I started wearing cutoff gloves to have easy access to the MetroCard in my wallet. I realized that with full-length gloves, I lose the ability to perform the most basic of tasks with my fingers. For me, that’s like covering Beckham’s feet with large marshmallows. I have this system, where the MetroCard is tucked away in a compartment of my wallet that can be reached without opening it. When I approach that turnstile, there is no slowing down.

Dave Parnell of runaway dorothy

Runaway Dorothy hail from North Carolina and play…ehh, just read their bio on their official site! With us is lead singer Dave Parnell, who was a great sport and gave some pretty darn entertaining answers to our insouciance over at You is Awesome. Let the carefreeness continue as Dave tells us the stories behind the stories his style tells. Huh?

I LOVE glasses: Seeing is good. I got my glasses after stretching out some one year disposable contacts over a period of four years. My old glasses were eaten by my old roommate’s dog. Damn you Alice! My new cool glasses are from Ray Ban. I got them at the Lens Crafters on First Ave and 14th Street. They are really nice in there.

I LOVE scarves: Coming from Charleston, SC it is nice to live in a city where you actually need a scarf and aren’t just wearing it for fashion. Down there we will throw on a scarf if it’s 75 degrees outside. I got this scarf about 8 or so years ago. I was living in Raleigh, NC for a hot minute. It was the first scarf I ever bought. Now I have too many to keep track of.

I LOVE white t-shirts: I think I am the Fonz. So I wear white t-shirts to be like him. Aaayyy! In my mind it’s 1955 and I drive a ’52 Ford.

I LOVE jackets: This Boxfresh jacket is from a Boutique I used to work at called NULA in Charleston. My boss Noula was this awesome lady. I am convinced she only hired me ’cause I am cute and in a band. It’s fine by me though. Whatever came into the store we could get at cost to her. So I swiped up this jacket in a hurry. It’s too big for me but I don’t care. I wear it anyway. I keep meaning to have it tailored, but I always forget where to go to get stuff tailored.

Editor’s Note: Might I LOVE Your Clothes suggest a…tailor?

I LOVE dogtags: I bought these dog tags on eBay as well. Go figure. It’s a war out there. And if I should be struck by a hipster on a bike while walking through Williamsburg I want the authorities to know who I am. Not that they wouldn’t. I am famous afterall.

 

I LOVE jeans: Or should I say I love black jeans. I have somewhat of an obsession with jeans. I buy jeans all the time in search of the perfect pair. And when I find them (usually on eBay) I buy up a ton of them to last me a while. I currently have four pairs of these jeans. They are from Ksubi. They however don’t make this cut in black for some strange reason so I have to dye them myself. It’s not really fun to do and takes quite a while to do. And it’s really messy. But I love the end result. So I guess until Ksubi starts making them in black I will be dyeing away.

I LOVE boots: I love boots a little too much. I have at least 5 pairs of cowboy boots. The problem is that I walk A LOT and wear them out fast. So I have to keep spare boots for when I have a pair in the shop being resoled. These particular ones are from eBay. In case you didn’t know I am addicted to eBay. I buy everything on there.

We swear that, as far as we know, Dave is NOT a spokesperson for eBay…