August 2013 News

by Rebecca Adams | Photography by Hedi Slimane



The moment Hedi Slimane took the creative reins at Yves Saint Laurent -- excuse us, Saint Laurent -- he made it quite clear that there would be no new "it girl." Rather than looking for the next big thing, the designer has kept his gaze turned staunchly to the past when it comes to muses.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Slimane's latest photoshoot for V Magazine's September issue. The French photographer lensed a rock'n roll feature for the glossy, shooting stark, pensive headshots of music icons JOAN JETT, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Michael Gira and David Johansen.

Classic Hedi, no? For Saint Larent's recent ad campaign, the brand's creative director cast the likes of Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson and Kim Gordon, as opposed to trendy models like Cara Delevingne or Karlie Kloss. For such an of-the-moment guy, Slimane has gone against the grain by choosing old over new -- his subjects are iconic, grungy figures, the antithesis of "it girls."

In an industry where '90s supermodels are the closest things to "vintage" throwbacks, we think Slimane's take is actually pretty refreshing. See his recent shoot below and click over to VMagazine.com for more photos and the accompanying feature.

by Chris



Unvarnished, the first studio album from JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS in more than seven years, is now available for pre-order at retailers such as Amazon and Interpunk. The vinyl edition is labeled as "limited" and includes an expanded digital download.

Jett teamed up with some stellar collaborators on Unvarnished including Laura Jane Grace of Against Me, Dave Grohl, Blackheart band members DOUGIE NEEDLES and THOMMY PRICE, and longtime songwriting partner/producer, KENNY LAGUNA. Soulmates to Strangers was written with Against Me singer Laura Jane Grace, with whom Jett first became acquainted while on the 2006 Warped Tour. Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters co-wrote the single Any Weather. Amazingly, the single features just the two musicians performing the song, with Jett on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Dave playing every other instrument that is on the track. Make it Back, is about the spirit that Jett saw first hand in the aftermath of Sandy. With her neighbors being some of the hardest hit, not to mention Jett being displaced in the wake of the storm, she was able to see this spirit that was really beautiful come out in all the people, and people helping each other. Among the more lighthearted commentaries is a meditation on one of today's more deplorable trends: over-sharing. Jett says, TMI concerns everybody throwing every little detail out there and is both cautionary and observational of this new reality. Unvarnished is inspired, as always, by Jett's overriding philosophy: Rock ‘n' Roll is about a certain integrity...just being true to your own self.

The album will be released on October 1st.

by Guitar World Staff



Got a question for your favorite guitarist? Let us be your go-between. The concept is easy â€" you submit your queries and we pass them on to some of the world's greatest guitarists. Only the sharpest and funniest questions will be used.

This month, we're giving you the chance to ask guitarist JOAN JETT anything you want!

From the RUNAWAYS, to the BLACKHEARTS to solo and beyond...no part of her career is off limits!

Just email your questions to dearguitarhero@guitarworld.com and put "JOAN JETT" in the subject line. Remember to include your name in the email body, so you can get credited in the magazine, and impress and annoy your jealous friends!

by GLENN GAMBOA | Photo credit: Getty Images



JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS' fantastic new single, "Any Weather" (Blackheart), uses the stripped-down simplicity of late-'70s punk to create her catchiest sing-along in decades.

"We could stay together through any weather," she declares, over sunny harmonies, festive hand claps, roaring guitars. "We could stay together through anything!"

As the first single from the upcoming "Unvarnished" album, her first in seven years, it sets an upbeat tone for a collection serving to rally her beloved Long Beach after superstorm Sandy, as well as those who have suffered losses the way she has.

by STEVE APPLEFORD



Debbie Harry, JOAN JETT talk punk underground at Los Angeles opening.

On August 9th, Blondie guitarist Chris Stein returned to the decade that launched his band, opening an exhibition of his photography at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, Sunset Marquis Hotel, in West Hollywood. Debbie Harry, JOAN JETT and other survivors of the Seventies underground music scenes in New York and L.A. depicted in the pictures joined him to remember how it all began.

"Chris was the one who taught me how to relax in front of the camera," Harry recalled to Rolling Stone, sitting with her ex-boyrfriend Stein as guests crowded into the small gallery. "I didn't think I would really enjoy doing it until he started shooting me. We had an intimacy. It was never that serious. It was just fun to do."

Some of those same pictures were among the first that many fans ever saw of Harry, who began appearing on international magazine covers once Blondie exploded into the mainstream with their 1978 album, Parallel Lines. "It was a really wonderful time, a lot of great music, and I was living my dream," Harry said. "I was in a touring, working rock & roll band that really got up people's noses."

Stein wasn't just a musician taking snapshots of his friends in that pre-digital era, but he was quite serious about recording the early punk and new wave culture rising up around him. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and began shooting in 1968. He eventually set up a darkroom in the kitchen he shared with Harry on 17th Street. "Whatever was there, I was always trying to document it to an extent," said Stein, wearing a dark suit and glasses, a small digital camera in his lap.

by MICHAEL ROFFMAN



JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS visited Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, where they debuted "Any Weather", the lead single off their first album in seven years, Unvarnished. For nostalgia's sake (and given the extra minutes), they also tossed in a quick performance of classic hit and Freaks and Geeks theme, "Bad Reputation".



Unvarnished hits stores October 1st and features appearances from Dave Grohl and Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace. As Jett recently told The Modesto Bee. "The song's aren't all sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. There comes a time when you have to go through stuff. For me â€" this isn't very uplifting â€" but I call it the decade of death, losing people, companion animals very close to me, my parents, really heavy things."

In anticipation of the album's release, the band will perform at this year's edition of Riot Fest Chicago. Tickets are currently available here.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS new album "Unvarnished" is NOW available for pre-order! Go grab the deluxe edition on iTunes and get an instant download of the brand new single "Any Weather": Click here to pre-order!

by Jeff Giles | Photo by Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images

JOAN JETT has been through some dark times over the last 10 years - so many that she refers to it as her 'decade of death.' But she's channeled that grief into a new album, 'Unvarnished,' that contains some of her most personal work.

Jett discussed 'Unvarnished,' due Oct. 1, during a recent interview with Rolling Stone, conducted after her triumphant Aug. 1 gig at the Sunset Strip Music Festival. Calling it "very refreshing" to come back to the city where "people were laughing at me" during her early years, she delved into the "very different" topics she tackled in her new songs.

"I wrote a lot about what teenagers write about: love, sex and partying and having a good time. As you grow up, things change," she explained. "You have responsibilities and realize you've got to do stuff. I suppose you could run from that, but you've got to be there for your family and your friends."

Jett's 'decade of death' included the loss of both parents, which - as one might expect - proved difficult to cope with. "They made it possible for me to do this. They encouraged me. They got me the guitar," she recalled. "My father, who hated rock & roll, put up with it. He didn't come down on me to stop it. So losing my parents was big, and I think it translated to the music in songs like 'Fragile,' which is about life being fragile, love being fragile, how easy it is to break hearts."

by MSN Music Staff

LOS ANGELES -- In the notorious Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip, there's a plastic banner that still hangs on a wall off stage left that reads "Miller High Life Welcomes Motley Crue -- Home Sweet Home." A couple of blocks west, The Roxy still has black-and-white framed photographs of Ozzy Osbourne and other acts who have played there. The history of the Sunset Strip, that stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles legendary for its rock 'n' roll lifestyle (and debauchery), hangs overhead of every billboard, every marquee and every band that takes the stage of one of the Strip's clubs.

If the Strip is stuck competing against its past self, the Sunset Strip Music Festival is stuck competing against a crowded festival calendar in Southern California, and if the lineup of the 2013 edition is any indication, the Strip might be losing. While headliner Linkin Park was a great catch for both star-power and historical reasons, much of the rest of the lineup lacked either a tie to the community or a buzz to set the festival apart.

With HARD Summer across town featuring summer "it" duo Disclosure, local fave Flying Lotus and rapper 2 Chainz, much of the festival crowd found its way to the electro-bash at Los Angeles State Park over the weekend. Hipsters await FYF Fest in three weeks, with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and My Bloody Valentine headlining, while hip-hop fans are counting the days until Wu-Tang Clan, Kid Cudi and J. Cole take the stage at Rock the Bells. With Coachella owning the front part of the summer thanks to buzz and contract wrangling, Los Angeles has a glut of festivals in August and early September.

The 2013 edition of the Sunset Strip Music Festival had two major selling points, though: JOAN JETT was honored with the festival's Elmer Valentine Award on Aug. 1 and followed the presentation with a set of favorites and new tracks, while Linkin Park returned home to close the festival on Saturday night.

by Paty Elias | Photo by Michael Owen Baker

The Sunset Strip Music Festival celebrated its sixth year in West Hollywood honoring the famed boulevard's role in rock history and the musicians who got their start in its many clubs.

Apart -- and sometimes part -- of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the Sunset Strip is the backdrop of a rich musical landscape where the Byrds (who held court at Ciro's, a one-time rock 'n' roll club in the '60s, now the Comedy Store) the Buffalo Springfield, the second incarnation of the Animals with Eric Burdon, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Love, the Seeds, Frank Zappa and many others played at clubs like the Whisky a Go Go, the Roxy, Pandora's Box and the London Fog.

To those who found fame on its stages, the Strip was the “axis mundi," or the center of the universe, as described by the Ray Manzarek at the Doors SSMFcelebration last year.

This year's SSMF took a more modernist approach with musical genres that included rap-rock, hip-hop and electronic dance music. Closing headliners AWOLNATION and Linkin Park rocked the festival along with Wale, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Logic, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, Asher Roth, Finch and Street Drum Corps.

by L. Paul Mann

On July 31st the sixth annual Sunset Strip Music festival got under way with their customary awards show at the House of Blues in Hollywood. This years' honoree was the Queen of Rock and Roll, JOAN JETT. The feisty slender singer guitarist was one of the first successful women in rock, with a string of hit songs, mostly in the 1980′s including her hit song "I Love Rock and Roll."

The awards ceremony began with tributes from long time friends of the 54 year old singer. In a fitting juxtaposition, two of the most personal tributes came from femme fatal, Carmen Electra, and flamboyant comedian Margaret Cho. Electra spoke first, appearing in a tight sexy outfit, highlighting her attributes. She spoke of how a strong sexy female rocker seduced generations of young men, both physically and musically into becoming avid fans. Cho, spoke next, hilariously parodying Electra's excessive fondling of the phallic like microphone. She then proceeded to honor Jett as a role model for all women, regardless of sexual orientation.

The event, which is open only to music fans who buy the VIP three day music festival pass (A bargain at $150.00), featured several hours of free refreshments including a variety of sponsor Jack Daniel's flavored whiskeys. Appetizers, representing most everything on the extensive HOB menu poured out of the kitchen in the arms of dozens of scantily clad servers.

While the crowd satiated themselves, the ceremony continued with the customary presentation of the Elmer Valentine award, presented by veteran club owners, Nick Adler, owner of the Roxy Theater and Mikael Maglieri, owner of the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Then Jett was presented a custom Gibson guitar, by radio veteran, Rodney Bingenheimer. The slightly disheveled looking Los Angeles radio legend could be seen early in the day, pacing up and down Sunset Boulevard, in the front of the club, indistinguishable from several homeless panhandlers that he had engaged in conversation. The uniqueness of her Hollywood surroundings was not lost on Jett, as she gave a bittersweet, heartfelt acceptance speech. She reminded the crowd that no less than 23 record companies in Los Angeles rejected her first record with the BLACKHEARTS. Finally, the band released the album independently which was an unheard practice at the time, and the rest was history. The awards ceremony was followed by a lengthy presentation of music videos of the BLACKHEARTS' biggest hits.

By Marisa Rose Ficara



Nothing is more dangerous than a woman with her own agenda. Throughout the decades, JOAN JETT has always been a woman who paves her own road in whichever direction she wishes. The cherry bomb was selected to be the 6th annual Sunset Strip Music Festival honoree. Not only is she the first female to receive the Elmer Valentine award, but Jett will also be the first honorary to perform at their own ceremony. Jett received the award at the House of Blues, recognizing her mark in music and her mark on the Sunset Strip. Jett's talents, adamancy and standing in the music industry broke ground for young females everywhere.

Through all the lights, cameras and revived eighties attire, the House of Blues was transformed into a night all about this icon. The red carpet featured a giant Gibson guitar with the rock star's face printed on the body, so guests could take photographs with it. The guest list consisted of music industry stars, famous personalities and fans alike. Renowned tattoo artist Kat Von D was not only there to support and congratulate Miss Jett, but she also provided some goodies. Female guests received goodie bags stuffed with a liquid eyeliner set, an eye shadow pallet and Von D's signature red lipstick, all from her Sephora makeup line. Jack Daniel cocktail waitresses weaved their way through the private event handing out classic, good ol' Jack and Cokes.

All nestled within the downstairs of the House of Blues, bodies stirred toward the stage as guest speakers shared heartfelt stories. Jett sat above the crowd, surrounded by her closest friends and family as she humbly absorbed the praise. Comedian Margaret Cho, a friend of Jett's, looked up and confessed how inspiring the star was to her growing up - how, even with failed attempts to copy the icon's ragged 'do, Cho felt closer to knowing herself because of Jett. Carmen Electra spoke of her own pride in calling Jett a friend and her admiration for what her status means for women.

There is nowhere else on this planet where you could witness a mayor and councilmember decked out in full rock attire. Abbe Land, mayor of West Hollywood, and councilmember John Heilman sent their blessings up to JOAN JETT for still believing in rock 'n roll, even when rock 'n roll momentarily did not believe in her. With that said, Land was happy to announce on behalf of the City of West Hollywood that August 1 would be proclaimed as JOAN JETT Day. The stream of guest speakers was touching. This woman has moved a wide variety of people.

Photo: Jim Donnelly



SSMF Day 1: JOAN JETT Tribute Ceremony The Sunset Strip Music Festival proudly honors the rock goddess JOAN JETT! August 1, 2013. â€" at House of Blues Sunset Strip.

JOAN JETT will be rockin' the Jimmy Kimmel Live stage on August 8th! Click here to RSVP

by STEVE APPLEFORD

Rocker's next album, 'Unvarnished,' set for October release

August 1st on the Sunset Strip, JOAN JETT returned as hero and honored guest to the birthplace of her career as a rocker. It was declared "JOAN JETT Day" in the city of West Hollywood, which kicked off this weekend's annual Sunset Strip Music Festival with a raspy 90-minute set from the iconic singer-guitarist and her band, the BLACKHEARTS.

"This whole thing is pretty overwhelming," Jett declared onstage at the House of Blues after she was handed the festival's Elmer Valentine Award, named for the cofounder of three essential nightclubs on the Strip: the Whisky, the Roxy and the Rainbow Bar and Grill. She described being drawn to the Strip by stories in Creem magazine about the glitter-rock scene at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco and hunting for rock-star autographs at the Hyatt House (a/k/a "the Riot House") hotel although she was too shy to ever ask for any of them.

With the RUNAWAYS, she said, "We played the Whisky a shitload!" But after their breakup in 1979, she added, "I left with a really bad taste in my mouth. People were laughing at me, so this is very refreshing to come back."

Jett and her band ripped through a 90-minute set of hits and new songs from her first new album in nearly a decade, Unvarnished, to be released October 1st. She thanked RUNAWAYS impresario Kim Fowley and the late Neil Bogart of Casablanca Records for being the only label to take her seriously enough to sign her as a solo artist, and greeted various family members and friends in the sold-out crowd, including John Doe and Exene Cervenka of X and Alison Mosshart of the Kills.

Jett stood center-stage in a black leather jacket over a sparkly red catsuit, her guitar slung low, as recognizable a rock & roll icon as Keith Richards. She led the band through the RUNAWAYS' "Cherry Bomb" and the T-Rex-inspired "You Drive Me Wild," the first song she ever wrote, eventually recorded by the BLACKHEARTS. On "Bad Reputation," she was joined by Pat Smear, current Foo Fighter and guitarist for the Germs when Jett produced their only studio album, 1979's GI.

Among the new songs were "Soulmates to Strangers" and "Make It Back," inspired by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, which tore through her current home in Long Beach, Long Island. For the crashing, melodic rock of 1983's "French Song," she introduced it playfully by saying, "Love between three people can be a beautiful thing â€" especially if one of them is me."

by Mariecar Mendoza, Staff Writer

In 1981, JOAN JETT got Los Angeles to scream: "I love rock 'n' roll!"

More than three decades later, Los Angeles showed that they love her, too, by giving her a coveted music award.

"It's surreal. I left L.A. with a very bitter taste in my mouth," Jett said, referring to the nearly two dozen rejections she got from Los Angeles record labels before hitting it big in the music scene. "And now I'm coming back to all this. It's a great feeling."

Jett, who once lived off the Sunset strip across from the Whisky A Go Go, received the Elmer Valentine Award and was named the 2013 honoree of the Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) on Thursday night at a packed House of Blues in West Hollywood, kicking off the festival that celebrates the rock 'n' roll scene along the famed Sunset Boulevard.

She was also presented with her own signature Gibson guitar, which had the rebel girl's photo on the back, and the West Hollywood City Council proclaimed Aug. 1, 2013 JOAN JETT Day.

"It's very, very humbling," said Jett after accepting the award, "and I can't say more than that because I'll cry."

The 54-year-old "Goddess of Rock" joins the ranks of SSMF rock legends Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Motley Crüe and The Doors, but was the first award recipient to perform live after receiving the honor.

And Jett played a full set with her band The BLACKHEARTS, rocking everything from classics like "Bad Reputation" and "Cherry Bomb" to "Make It Back," a new song dedicated to victims of Hurricane Sandy including her neighbors in Long Beach, NY.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS also did their first live performance of the band's newest single, "Any Weather," which Jett co-wrote the song with Foo Fighter's frontman Dave Grohl. The song is on the band's forthcoming album, "Unvarnished," which is set to release in October. It'll be Jett's 14th studio album with The BLACKHEARTS in seven years.

by Jeremy Bergman,

JOAN JETT still "loves rock 'n' roll" and is finally returning to music.

The rocker announced Thursday that she will release her first album in more than seven years, "Unvarnished," on Oct. 1.

Jett, who is best-known for her work with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS and their hit single "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", will team up with her band again to release the album on the BLACKHEART RECORDS label.

The singer and guitarist said in a press release, "It's a real band album. Everybody was involved." Notable rockers Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and Laura Jane Grace from Against Me! will join her on the album.

Jett further explained that the album is the "most autobiographical project" she has ever undertaken. Unvarnished will feature songs concerning the death of both of Jett's parents and her celebration of the determination of Hurricane Sandy victims among other modern topics.

Jett will be debuting the first single off of the album, "Any Weather," on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Aug. 8. The track can be preordered on iTunes two days prior.

The standard version Unvarnished features 10 tracks, while a deluxe edition will offer four bonus songs. Check out the track lists below.

"Unvarnished" (Standard Version)
1. Any Weather (606 Version)
2. TMI
3. Soulmates To Strangers
4. Make It Back
5. Hard To Grow Up
6. Fragile
7. Reality Mentality
‘ 8. Bad As We Can Be
9. Different
10. Everybody Needs A Hero

by GLENN GAMBOA

In honor of "JOAN JETT Day," celebrated Thursday in West Hollywood, Calif., as part of the Sunset Strip Music Festival, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS have announced that they are readying their first album in seven years for release this fall.

The Long Island Music Hall of Famer has teamed up with Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Against Me's Laura Jane Grace, as well as longtime collaborator KENNY LAGUNA, for "Unvarnished," set for release on Oct. 1.

Jett, who has lived in Long Beach for decades, addresses the determination of those affected by superstorm Sandy on the album, adding that it's her most autobiographical project ever, as she deals with the loss of both her parents. "It's a real band album," Jett says. "Everybody was involved."

The first single "Any Weather" will hit iTunes on Tuesday, and Jett will debut it on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" next Thursday.

by Lina Lecaro

Joan Marie Larkin got her first guitar when she 13. The Philly-born, Cali-bred musician, known as JOAN JETT, was born to rock, and her first band, The Runways, continues to inspire legions of young girls to jump on stage.

Her solo career -- highlighted by I Love Rock n' Roll with The BLACKHEARTS -- showed a successful woman in the music business breaking barriers while maintaining a DIY spirit.

With a forthcoming new record and August 1 recognition by the 2013 Sunset Strip Musical Festival (she's its first female honoree), Jett's still a badass.

August 1 is JOAN JETT day in West Hollywood. What does all this mean to you? I grew up on the strip, played there and for a while lived just off of it. It's definitely a big part of my life in a lot of ways. It was tough you know. It was a lot of fun but it was difficult on some levels to be taken seriously. So, to come sort of full circle, it's kind of humbling and definitely a real honor.

Starting off in a band known for being young and sexy, how did you balance those parts of yourself?
I was very aware when I was younger that people would key in on the fact that we were cute young girls. And we used that to our advantage. But it got more attention than if we had been males. I was super aware that if I started talking about other things, like my personal life or whatever, that's where it would stay. And we could never get it back to the music. So I always tried to steer it back to the music. I'm not really sure if the other girls were as hyper aware of it.

They seemed more into wearing sexy things and working that angle. You were always the dark, mysterious one in leather or jeans.
I've never really been so much a visual artist. It's more about the personal connection. That was my style. hat's how I was comfortable. I mean God, I used to turn the lights off when I started performing, I was so nervous. I never felt like an exhibitionist. It was tough for me to get out there or show skin. It wasn't my thing, but I had no problem with the other girls doing it.

by Tony Maglio



JOAN JETT announced Thursday -- which was officially proclaimed "JOAN JETT Day" in West Hollywood -- that she will be releasing her first new music in more than seven years.

The announcement took place at the Sunset Strip Music Festival.

The singer also said that the new album's first single will make its television debut on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Aug. 8

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS' new album of all original music, "Unvarnished," will be released Oct. 1 on the BLACKHEART RECORDS label.

The album features 10 original tracks and a deluxe edition will include four bonus tracks. The first single, "Any Weather," will be available Aug. 6 via iTunes preorder.

Here are the track listings:

Standard Version
1. Any Weather (606 Version)
2. TMI
3. Soulmates To Strangers
4. Make It Back
5. Hard To Grow Up
6. Fragile
7. Reality Mentality
8. Bad As We Can Be
9. Different
10. Everybody Needs A Hero

by Erin Coulehan

JOAN JETT will release new music for the first time since 2006 with a 10-song album featuring contributions from Dave Grohl and Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!

Unvarnished, due out on October 1st, will be Jett's 14th studio album with the BLACKHEARTS. The singer and guitarist says it's the most autobiographical work she's done, with songs about the death of her parents and about topics including the victims of Hurricane Sandy and the modern tendency to overshare online.

"It's a real band album. Everybody was involved," Jett said in a statement.

She and the BLACKHEARTS will perform August 8th on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where they'll debut "Any Weather," the first single from the album.