The Godfather of Disco is a new documentary about Mel Cheren, his contribution to the New York disco scene in the 70s and 80s, his role in the fight against Aids, the Paradise Garage, West End Records, Larry Levan, and, and and.
Watch the trailer.

Earlier:
New York Moments
Reality or Concept?

Not only does Beth Ditto look increasingly like Ricki Lake in Hairspray, especially in the new version of the Listen Up video, she is also posing nude on the cover of NME.

Ricki Lake in Listen Up

Beth Ditto in Hairspray

I’m so late on Beth Ditto and The Gossip, even they have written about her. I guess the indie rock label scared me off. Finally, I’ve got to listen to Gossip’s cover version of Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody. So good.

Thanks kevin h.

Kanye is so frozen

I am so happy to be back in T.O.

I had the most useless stopover in Montreal and even missed my connecting flight. Anyhow, this gave me more time to study the Guardian:

“This has given rise to much speculation about the role that her husband, Bill, would play in a Hillary administration. He would be not only the first male consort of a president of the United States but also the first one to have been president himself - and as such would enjoy the same right as his wife to be greeted by a band playing “Hail to the Chief!” as he enters a room.
He would also be entitled, as are all ex-presidents, to be addressed as “Mr President”, so the waiter bringing in the Clintons’ morning coffee would presumably say “Good morning, Mr President” as well as “Good morning, Madam President” as he puts down the tray. We could be in for an orgy of sycophancy.”

J’adore the video for the current men’s summer collection of Maison Martin Margiela. I’m feeling the subtle rent boy / Stricher vibe. I know it is a bit of a stretch - at certain points the imagery reminds me of Faustrecht der Freiheit. Maybe it’s the crotch shots.

Here is a direct link to the flash movie, though you should probably make the window size smaller.

I’ll threaten to post more pictures if you don’t watch it.

Earlier:
They call him the Greta Garbo of fashion

I went record shopping in Soho and bought yellow vinyl housed in a sealed sleeve with random die-cut lettering.

On my walk to the wreka stows I discovered my new favourite sweets: Cream Puffs by Beard Papa. I walked into the small shop on the corner of Oxford & Berwick St. and the two self printed sheets of paper above the counter did me in:

“Over 300 stores worldwide - First and only in Europe”
“World’s best cream puffs! - Choice of original vanilla OR flavour of the day”

So, I ordered a vanilla puff and it was pure heaven, the crispiness of the dough and the tasty cream filling, perfect. Mmmmh. Then, I thought, well, they only have one other flavour today, you should better try this one, too. “One green tea puff, please.” I guess I was drolling already. I took a bite, it was vanilla again. I adored the sales person: That nifty devil just wanted me at the counter one more time. And back I was for another puff.
Verdict: Beard Papa keeps me happy & obese.

I took the bendy bus to my apartment and went to the Beard Papa site right away. Make sure to watch the Beard Papa story, revealing everything about the owner, Beard Papa (you guessed it), hailing from Osaka.

Beard Papa did not let the towns people down.

Beard Papa, fill me up. Please.

Lauryn Hill has chosen the soundtrack to the animated movie about a penguin, Surf’s Up, to feature her first single in ages, Lose Myself.

The press release has more to say: “Apparently, she related to Big Z’s story - reaching the top, checking out for a while, doing some soul searching and re-emerging with joy - and wrote and recorded a real celebratory summer jam session for ‘Surf’s Up.’”
(via & listen)

Whatever. I’ve been listening to Lose Myself all weekend, I think it is brilliant. There have been rumors about Lauryn’s new album for a couple of years, with album titles like: Reconciliation, New Heavy, Call Me Ms. Hill or Khulami Phase. I’m sure she’ll come up with something new. The word on the street is that she would like to release the album next year, 10 years after The Miseducation.
That will almost push her into Kate Bush territory regarding the time taken between albums (if you don’t count Lauryn’s Unplugged set). Issues.

Earlier:
Lauryn as MM

The Cannes film festival opens today and I’m especially curious about two upcoming movies (can’t wait for the trailers):

My Blueberry Nights

The first English-language film by Wong Kar-Wai opens the show. It heavily features Nora Jones. I’m feeling very ambiguous about this. It could turn to be a horror flick, although very enjoyable I guess.
This NY Times article from the set has more background on the road movie.

Mister Lonely

The first feature by Harmony Korine since how many years?
I’m intrigued by the cast and one of the stills off the movie, showing Marylin Monroe and Michael Jackson talking a walk in Paris.

Diego Luna Michael Jackson
Samantha Morton Marilyn Monroe
Denis Lavant Charlie Chaplin
Werner Herzog Father Umbrillo
James Fox The Pope
Anita Pallenberg the Queen

Timeout article from the set
More at filmpressplus (go to materials)

Strip Down is one of my favourite songs off the new Khan album.
The others are: Get To It, You Like To Party, Favor After Favor.

The album is out on tomlab.
Khan myspace.

You know I like to post visualisations of pandas. Below is a very special one, a Fiat Panda. Carmen Gheorghe put it on display at Ritter & Staiff, Frankfurt.

R & S has no back door, okay?

Pictures from Saturday’s Hotnuts (more after the jump). How I wish I was there.

Let me get you in the mood for the next hotness already. It looks like we will have an extra special lineup for Saturday, June 9. Birgit a.k.a. Bitz will be in town from Frankfurt, spinning the turntables with me.
Live performers are Karl Lagerfeld’s Ponytail, singing my personal favourite: La Lohan, and hopefully Gartina.

Read all of "Hotnuts T.O."

It seems like in the UK and London for that matter, the 7 inch single is still alive and kicking. When I went record shopping, a lot of the new releases where available as vinyl singles.
Lured by the cute cover I snatched up a copy of My Moon My Man by Feist which was released last week. I hadn’t heard the B-side, the Boys Noize Classic Remix of the song, which is also going to be featured on the Kitsuné Maison 4 compilation out in June. I was not disappointed as the vocoder vocals and hand claps add a welcome aggressiveness & messiness to the dance floor.
Stream the remix at Boys Noize myspace or hype.

After I sent the link to shimbulak, he told me that Will played it at Hotnuts and totally rocked the house. Right so.

The video has been making the rounds on the interwebs, so by now you probably have seen the amazing My Moon My Man clip, shot at Toronto Pearson airport:

Shed some light on me, please

I adore these two very short dance clips. The first one, were she comes in, bosses the other guys out of the room, gets her hair in place and starts dancing. Hilarious. And be sure to watch the second one till the end.
Eternal love.