This one was for Ego Magazine.
Quote-o-the-Day
“I think that in todays media culture we’re stuck in this passive mode of spectatorship.”
Throwback Thursday
Woman Crush Wednesday
Prop Arrows
C2C "ASK THE BOYS"
We want to send out a big "THANKS" to Coast to Coast Central for giving us the grand opportunity to guest blog on their site! You can read our post below and be sure to visit their page for more dopeness along these lines. // C2C
MAKE UP
Let’s talk makeup! A lot of guys like to spread rumors, saying they prefer women wear no makeup at all. We’re proud to say we have never been on that bandwagon, and we definitely identify makeup as something to be appreciated. Before we get ahead of ourselves, yes, we believe women are beautiful just the way they are, but we think of makeup as something that adds a touch of creativity and fun. A good foundation, a dash of powder, poppin’ lipstick, and some wispy eye work goes for miles and miles. An everyday beauty look we love and have seen girls sporting can best be described as “fresh-faced with a dash of shimmer and color”. The skin looks flawless and smooth, the cheekbones are accentuated, the eyes are luminous with a subtle gleam, and the lips well-moisturized and colorful. This look is minimalistic, looks great on any girl, and like we said, we love it!
HATS
We feel like every girl could stand to have a beanie and a curved bill baseball cap in her arsenal this fall. Along with a wide brim hat, either of these are cool to whip out on those blustery autumn days, adding an instant boyish charm to most any everyday ensemble. We’ve even seen vintage-looking, wool baseball caps dressed up with heels! If you’ve never seen it, you would be surprised how well these polar opposites play off one another.
SHAPE
Tops with a boxier silhouette is a trend we’re starting to see more of and this fall, you’ll see pieces from many of your favorite designers taking this shape. Boxy silhouettes are hip and flatter most body types, so we can’t find a reason not to hop on this one.
All the evidence you need is here, here, and yes . . . here!
MILITARY GIRL
Ladies, we are all about military inspired looks! One increasingly popular facet of this look is camouflage. Keep in mind, we’re not exactly talking about the camo from your local hunting shop! Here’s a few things about rocking camo that you should know:
• It’s a completely neutral pattern, full of earth tones that are perfect for fall.
• Keeping it slim is the way to go, whether it’s a pair of pants, a vest, etc.
• When done right, it adds a flattering edge that gives you standout appeal (which is the opposite of what "camouflage" is supposed to do, but hey, just go with it).
BOOTS FOR BABES
“A girl in boots > ” Ladies, wear your boots this fall. WHY do babes need to wear their boots? …Because they just look uh-may-zing, no matter if they’re riding boots, booties, or anything in between. And ladies, it’s ok to strut a little bit in your boots…us guys like that [insert wink here]. Please and thank you!
TODAY
225 Mag Interview
by Matthew Sigur // published October 9, 2013 at 1:50pm for 225 Magazine
Any Questions? ASKTHETHOMASBROS
At 23 years old, twin brothers Torrence and Thurman Thomas are ready to dive into the music industry pool.
After years of covering songs and being backup musicians for artists such as New Orleans rapper Dee-1 and playing big gigs at Jazz Fest and South By Southwest, the Thomas brothers are prepping material for a slate of R&B-tinged EPs under the moniker ASKTHETHOMASBROS.
The band performs Friday at 10 p.m. at Quarters with DM. Cover is $5.
During the interview, there's a nervous energy hovering over the conversation, a feeling of this is happening. However, the brothers know how difficult it is to catch listeners' ears today.
When playing covers, they developed their skills and learned how to work a crowd.
Torrence says it gave them a good fan base, and the transition to performing original music hasn't been as difficult as a local band that starts with its own tunes.
However, they knew that there would still be a little apprehension.
ASKTHETHOMASBROS' essentials
"Where Have You Been"—Rihanna.
"Figure 8"—Ellie Goulding.
"Paradise" and "Princess of China"—Coldplay.
Random Access Memories—Daft Punk.
The Complete 20/20 Experience—Justin Timberlake.
"Too Much," "Hold On, We're Going Home," "Come Thru," and "All on Me"—Drake.
Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City—Kendrick Lamar.
Three Kings—TGT, a supergroup featuring R&B singers Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank.
"I prepared myself for the fact that our fans might not like our original music," Thurman says. "First of all, we had to ask ourselves if we really wanted to do this. Second of all, if I make it, I'm going to have to love it. If someone doesn't like it, that's okay because I like it. But, if anybody takes a second to criticize me for a second, it's an honor because they took the time to listen to my stuff and verbally express an opinion about it. I would be flattered."
When meeting twins, you might wonder if the cliché holds—do they finish each other's sentences? In the studio and general conversation, they don't interrupt each other's thoughts as much as build on each other's ideas.
They both grew up in Baton Rouge, playing in the local church band. Thurman is a guitarist. Torrence is a bassist. Both can play keys and synths, too. Torrence learned drums out of necessity.
They took classes at Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College, learning everything from production to music theory. In class, Southern professor Herman Jackson changed the way they thought about music.
"[Jackson] taught me this exercise where we would sit down and listen to a song, then stop, and he would ask, 'What is it about this song that makes you like it?'," Torrence says.
"I never asked myself that," Thurman says, laughing. "We analyzed that, then started putting together everything we liked."
Learning from Jackson, the brothers started noticing the key components of songwriting—rhythm, tempo and groove. They learned how to actively listen to music. As self-producers in the studio, they're meticulous, arranging and re-arranging songs two or three times.
"Recording is great, but nothing that goes in raw is so amazing that you keep it how it was recorded," Torrence says. "Post-production is where the magic happens."
"The EQ is everything," Thurman interjects, building on the post-production talk. "You're shaping this diamond. You could have this great raw diamond, but that's not nearly worth as much as a pillow or princess-cut that's polished."
ASKTHETHOMASBROS upcoming EP, re-Present, is due by the end of this year or early next year.
WOMAN CRUSH WEDNESDAY
We knew her voice and songs before we even knew what she actually looks like…definitely didn't expect Brooke Fraser to be as pretty as she is! She's an amazing artist, sooo:
STEP 1: Go to Google.com or the search bar above
STEP 2: Enter "Brooke Fraser", then press the ENTER key
