editorial – Ruby Hornet

[Interview] Toby Jeg (Red Scare Industries Founder)

This year marked the 10th anniversary of Chicago's Riot Fest, but it's not the only Chicago punk rock establishment celebrating the decade mark in 2014. Red Scare Industries, one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed punk rock labels still in existence, has played host to an amazing catalog of punk bands, including The Falcon, Cobra Skulls, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Methadones, and more. To commemorate the label's 10th year, I had the chance to exchange emails with Toby Jeg, Red Scare founder and all-around awesome dude. Click along to read about his relationships with the bands, why he moved the label from San Francisco to Chicago, and what's coming up next for the label.

If you want to get involved with the festivities, you can make your way to the Northside for a trio of amazing punk shows. Friday at the Gman Tavern will feature acoustic sets from Nothington and Elway, a set from Dan Vapid, and some secret guests (tickets can be purchased here). Saturday is an all-day affair at the Metro with Reaganomics, The Brokedowns, Elway, Direct Hit!, The Holy Mess, Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Sidekicks, Enemy You, Masked Intruder, The Methadones, The Lillingtons, and THE FALCON all performing. Trust me, the price is worth it for The Falcon's reunion set alone (tickets can be purchased here). The party returns to the Gman Tavern Sunday night for a special Brendan Kelly solo set, an acoustic Cobra Skulls set, and more (tickets can be purchased here).

by Geoff Henao

Vogue April 2014 issue shot by Photographer Annie Leibovitz

Vogue's Keeping Up with Kimye Controversy

Photos by Annie Leibovitz

In the latest pop culture news, it's been hard to avoid Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's current controversy as they grace Vogue Magazine's April 2014 cover, including an exclusive family editorial spread. Although the magazine print doesn't actually hit stands until March 31st, there was a total social media uproar over Vogue's decision to feature what they hashtagged: #worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple. And even though the photos were shot by well respected celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, it seems celebrities and subscribers alike addressed more negative feedback than positive. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour even had to put out a statement defending her decision and even debunked accusations that Kanye paid her to do the feature.

All in all let's face the facts, Vogue is still going to sell copies, and will probably have one of it's more successful month's because of the controversy. Also, whether anyone likes it or not, the couple proves to be some of the most influential people in the fashion industry, and the issue emphasizes that. It's even profiled by famed fashion writer Hamish Bowles outlining Kim's fashion influences as she searches for the perfect wedding dress. Let's also not forget that it's refreshing to see an interracial couple on Vogue's cover, period. For the most part, the cover is typically seen with elegant, pretty, skinny, white actresses, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, let us remind you that the last time a black man was put on its cover, it was in reference to King Kong. And even if this is a colossal misstep on Vogue’s part, for Kim and Kanye, it’s just another round of media attention, and exactly what they set out to do. So who do you think wins out in all of this?

Check out some of recently leaked photos and tell us what you think. Also take a look at their full behind-the-scenes video feature. To read the full article from the April issue, get it at newsstands March 31st or download the digital edition, and check out more photos here.

by Angela E. Mejia

Miley Cyrus is Barely Recognizable in W Magazine Spread

Photos by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/W Magazine

The controversial singer, Miley Cyrus, snags our attention yet again with a barely recognizable photo spread for W Magazine's March 2014 issue. Adorned with jewelry and bleached eyebrows, the 21-year-old appears naked on the cover while straddling a white pillow. Inside the issue, she poses in low-cut dresses and even topless, exposing part of her breast. As we are all used to seeing Miley pretty exposed, the photos have people wondering why she is so unrecognizable. Is it the work of extensive Photoshop or for the simple lack of eyebrows? Although her style has been questionable lately, the photos are visually appealing and done quite tastefully, they're even pretty artistic.

The article includes an exclusive interview by Ronan Farrow, where she elaborates on recent negative press, her care-free lifestyle, monetary success, personal style and even space aliens... yes, space aliens. I suppose nothing should cease to amaze with Miley, but the interview was actually entertaining and flows well with the photo spread.

Do you recognize Miley in the following photos? Be sure to check out the interview here.

[Via NY Daily News]

by Angela E. Mejia

Solange Previews Bright Spring Style

Photos by Cosmopolitan, Saint Heron

Aside from her music, Solange Knowles has created quite the name for herself in the world of fashion. And now, just a couple of month's after announcing her new position as Art Director and Creative Consultant for Puma, she splashes the pages of Cosmopolitan Magazine with a bright Spring style for their March 2014 issue. Going even further, her new music label, Saint Heron went on an Instagram spree with even more bright pastel, lace infused, pattern mixed photos of what may be from that very shoot.

Check out some out the following photos and definitely stay tuned for more.

[Via Necole Bitchie,Saint Heron]

by Angela E. Mejia

Erykah Badu Stars in Givenchy's SS14 Collection

Photos by Riccardo Tisci/Purple Magazine

Cast by world renown Italian fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, Erykah Badu stars in Givenchy's SS14 Collection, fortifying her stamp in the fashion industry. The announcement that Badu would be the face of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection came late last year by Tisci himself, after being inspired to create a line mashed up of African and Japanese influences. With Givenchy already being one of the most respected fashion lines in the industry, the collaboration effortlessly proved to be a success with praise from blogs to runways around the world.

In most recent news, popularity of this collaboration widened with photos of what appears to be a spread styled by Riccardo for the French Magazine Purple. Take a look at the following photos shared from his very own Instagram account where Badu is seen wearing Givenchy designs from past and present, and find more from the Givenchy SS14 campaign here.

[Via Vibe Vixen]

by Angela E. Mejia

"Win Y'all Hearts Before I Win a Grammy": Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Grammy Wins

Well, it was what we thought it was. The 2014 Grammy Awards came and went, with the same frustration and disappointment that seems to follow the milestone award ceremony year-to-year. After a run-up to the show that included the judges for Hip-Hop suggesting that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis not be included in the rap category for their album, The Heist, which eventually stayed put, winning that and sweeping the rap category. A lot else happened at this year's Grammys, but this may have been the biggest robbery since Naughty By Nature's Poverty's Paradise beat out 2pac's Me Against The World in 1996, the first year the title was a part of the festivities. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis deserve a ton of credit, and they certainly received it last night, but The Heist was not the best rap album of the year by any stretch. To be fair, Kendrick's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City should have been last year's Rap Album of the Year, having been released in October of 2012, but nonetheless was the most powerful album on the list by far.

Last night Macklemore & Ryan Lewis very well may have realized both the best and possibly most damaging moment of their careers. A lot was written about 'white privilege' in hip-hop and the Grammys at large and the inevitability of the Seattle rapper walking away with the golden gramophone. To be fair, The Heist deserves accolades, but different ones. It is a huge independent success that has laid a road for artists like Chance The Rapper to keep from signing, and furthered the ability of an artist to create music creatively and find an outlet, but even he knew what would happen if the Grammy voters were as un-inventive as ever, choosing him for every award available. In an interview with The Source Macklemore said: "“We’re up against Kendrick, who made a phenomenal album. If we win a Grammy for Best Rap Album, hip-hop is going to be heated. In terms of [that category], I think it should go to Kendrick. He’s family. TDE is family, and I understand why hip-hop would feel like Kendrick got robbed [if he didn’t win]."

One thing is for sure; Kendrick got robbed. No one in the building or watching on TV last night can dispute that, but at least they got it wrong with the right guy. With a message behind his music that saw 33 gay marriages happen live onstage, Macklemore allowed an optimistic spirit in a year when we crept to the edge of the fiscal cliff several times while battling each other over petty social issues seemingly on the daily. The hip-hop game needed a breath of fresh air and got it in Kendrick Lamar, but the greater world needed a breath of fresh air from day-to-day life, and that's what Macklemore & Ryan Lewis provided. On his 2009 mixtape, The Kendrick Lamar EP, K Dot rhymes, "See y'all don't understand me/My plan B is to win y'all hearts before I win a Grammy." With those bars in mind, perhaps no one understands Kendrick's loss better than him.

Macklemore's text to Kendrick afterwards.

[youtube id="BMbl2tNzMz8"]

by Jake Krzeczowski

[CIFF] 15 Films to see at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival

_{[Ruby Hornet will be attending the 49th Chicago International Film Festival from 10/10 - 10/24. Be sure to follow along as we bring you coverage from the longest-running competitive international film festival in the country. You can find all of our coverage from this year's CIFF here.]}

This year's Chicago International Film Festival will be screening 180 films made in over 60 different countries over the next two weeks. That's pretty impressive... if not intimidating. Luckily, you all have me around to help guide you along your path to foreign film enlightenment. Unlike the majority of the major American film festivals (Sundance, SXSW, NYFF, etc.), CIFF specializes in finding foreign film gems from all across the world. Because of the low profile of most of the films, they wouldn't normally garner much attention if it weren't for CIFF and other international film festivals giving them the spotlight.

That's not to say, of course, that American or English-language films won't be screening at CIFF - far from it. Rather, while high profile films will be shown during CIFF, the real fun is finding that one under-the-radar film that will surprise you. In saying that, I'm leaving a few (not all) of the big-name films that will be shown, such as 12 Years a Slave and The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete simply because they'll be playing in theaters by the end of the year.

Read on as I share 15 films you should see at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival listed in chronological order for your convenience. Note: While I have yet to see the majority of the films on this list, I have seen a select few. Proper reviews for such films will be published ahead of their scheduled screenings.

Blue Ruin follows the aforementioned man as he returns to his old neighborhood to act out revenge. However, when things go wrong, he finds the tables turned against him. I admittedly don’t know much about Blue Ruin, but the first image I saw of the film (a bearded man covering in blood driving with a desperate look on his face) won me over. The film, tauted as a “classic American revenge story,” won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at Cannes this year, so the critical acclaim is already there for the rest of us to determine whether or not it was justified. Blue Ruin will be screening on October 11th at 6:15pm and October 13th at 8:15pm.

From France comes Under the Rainbow, a comedy illustrating the trials and tribulations of young love and romance. Of course, the French definition of “comedy” usually comes with much more tragedy and drama than the typical American comedy full of sex jokes and terribly cheesy innuendos. Under the Rainbow takes the typical notions of romantic comedy and mixes them up with fairy tale tropes to create a whimsical story of love. Under the Rainbow will be screening on October 12th at 1:00pm, October 15th at 5:00pm, and October 21st at 3:30pm.

How do you describe a cloud? How to Describe a Cloud comes from the Netherlands about a young DJ returning home to take care of her blind mother whose memory is slowly fading away. To stave off even more memory loss, doctors have advised her to describe the world around them. The film is described as being “beautifully dreamlike” and imaginative; how can you resist that? How to Describe a Cloud will be screening on October 12th at 2:00pm, October 19th at 4:00pm, and October 20th at 7:30pm.

I’ve raved on and on about Blue is the Warmest Color for months now, and with good reason. The film adaptation of the graphic novel Blue Angel hits all of the high notes over its admittedly overlong three hours. The story of young Adele discovering herself and her sexuality amidst a blossoming romance with an older, female art student is poignant in the way only French filmmakers are able to display. Don’t let the controversy over graphic sex scenes overshadow the film’s tender story of love and identity. Blue is the Warmest Color will be screening on October 12th at 6:30pm.

The title of Monsoon Shootout might seem like the entire film has been spelled out for you, right? The Indian film focuses on a rookie cop, Adi, on his first job amidst a monsoon in Mumbai. When he comes across an assailant, he puts a gun to his face. The film then spins off into three separate “What if?” scenarios. It’s this twist that has me excited for the film. Monsoon Shootout will be screening on October 11th at 9:00pm, October 13th at 12:30pm, and October 15th at 1:00pm.

How I Live Now is an adaptation of the novel of the same name about a teenage girl, Daisy (Saoirse Ronan), sent to England because of political turmoil in the States. While she’s initially distant, she eventually warms up to them… even questionably falling in love with her oldest cousin. When England becomes a military state due to the rising tension across the world, she has to do everything she can to survive the onset of war and reunite with her loved ones. How I Live Now will be screening on October 15th at 7:00pm.

Miele is an Italian drama about a Irene, whose nickname is the titular “Miele,” a woman who performs assisted suicides for a living. Due to her job, she has become cold to the world. However, an encounter with a depressed, yet physically healthy man challenges what’s left of her humanity. Films that tiptoe gray moral areas can oftentimes be too preachy or too shallow in their attempts to humanize an otherwise dehumanized character. Miele, however, could be the rare film that can remedy the dilemma while not alienating the protagonist’s central character… if that makes any sense. Miele will be screening on October 15th at 8:15pm and October 16th at 5:45pm.

What would you do if you found out the boy you’ve raised for six years isn’t your biological son due to a mix-up at birth? In the Japanese film Like Father, Like Son, director Hirokazu Kore-eda explores two families’ options. On one side is the strict, hardworking Ryota whose son is a smart, caring child; on the other side is Sakai, a carefree, small shop owner whose devotion to his family overshadows any notions of laziness. Like Father, Like Son examines the Nature vs. Nurture debate in the framework of a Japanese culture that sometimes values blood lineage a bit too much. Caution: You might end up crying. Like Father, Like Son will be screening on October 16th at 6:00pm and October 19th at 7:00pm.

Chasing Fireflies is about Manrique, an old man content with his lonely routine of watching an abandoned salt mine with his dog as his only companion. When his teenage daughter shows up, her positive optimism influences Manrique to break out of his isolation. The Colombian film has notions of love, self-discovery, and sheer happiness mixed into a subtlety that won’t appear overbearing to even the coldest of hearts. Chasing Fireflies will be screening on October 16th at 8:00pm, October 18th at 5:30pm, and October 19th at 11:45am.

It comes to no shock to anybody that the immigration process can be a long, sometimes unfair system that is harder than what it’s worth. For those looking for a better, more promising life in the United States, sometimes the only solution is taking matters into your own hands. La Jaula de Oro follows three teenagers from Guatemala doing exactly that: roughing it out on a 1,200 mile journey from their home to America. Along the way, they must be mindful of their surroundings and the strangers they come across. La Jaula de Oro will be screening on October 16th at 8:00pm, October 17th at 6:00pm, and October 22nd at 1:15pm.

From Argentina comes La Paz, a character study about a teenager re-adapting to life following a stay at a psychiatric clinic. However, struggle abounds as both he and those around him have trouble reconnecting with one another. La Paz sounds like a character-driven drama that examines the effects of psychiatric problems and the way people respond to those suffering from them. Given its name, I wonder what form the titular “peace” will come in. La Paz will be screening on October 18th at 2:00pm, October 20th at 4:00pm, and October 22nd at 8:00pm.

Never make a promise you can’t keep. That’s the central theme of the German A Pact. When Georg and Paul were teenagers, Paul convinced Georg to give his girlfriend, Anna, to him. Georg relented on the understanding that he’d be able to take her back at an undetermined time in the future. Decades later after Paul and Anna have started a family, Georg re-enters their life… and insists on following through with the promise made in their youths. If psychological love drama thrillers are your types of films, A Pact has you covered. A Pact will be screening on October 18th at 8:15pm, October 20th at 8:30pm, and October 21st at 1:00pm.

At the 47th Chicago International Film Festival, I found myself surprisingly enchanted by the Drake Doremus-directed film, Like Crazy (and its lead actress, Felicity Jones, in the process). At the time, I didn’t think much of the film, infuriated at the initial conflict of overstaying a student VISA. However, two years since I saw it, I still can’t shake the film off of my mind (especially with its accessibility on Netflix too convenient to resist). This year, Doremus’ follow-up, Breathe In, finds Jones as a British exchange student upending the lives of a music teacher (Guy Pearce) and his family. While the concept sounds eerily similar to Ry Russo-Young’s Nobody Walks (itself revolving around a musically-gifted person being tempted by my main actress crush, Olivia Thirlby), if it’s half as captivating as Like Crazy was, I’ll be more than forgiving for the similarities. Breathe In will be screening on October 19th at 6:00pm.

The cartel and drug situation in Mexico has been escalating for years with little to no movement towards stopping it. Heli fictionalizes the very real danger that surrounds Mexican citizens in a crime drama with devastating consequences. Heli was awarded Best Director for Amat Escalante at Cannes and has been selected as Mexico’s selection for Best Foreign Language Film at next year’s Academy Awards, so the pressure is on to see if the film delivers. Heli will be screening on October 19th at 9:30pm and October 21st at 8:30pm.

Salvo is an Italian action/drama thriller about a ruthless Mafia hitman that finds himself taking pity on his target’s blind sister. Unfortunately, his moment of redemption results in himself becoming an assassination target. Thusly, the predator becomes the prey as he must protect not only himself, but the woman he uncharacteristically showed grace to. Do you feel that? Those are the goosebumps this film’s premise just caused. Salvo will be screening on October 20th at 6:15pm and October 22nd at 8:00pm.

by Geoff Henao

Top 10 Best #NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK Tweets

Jimmy Kimmel opened up a can of worms the other night when he spoofed Kanye West's interviews with BBC's Zane Lowe this week. In typical Kanye fashion, he went on a Twitter tirade against Kimmel last night through a series of tweets, with one of the best being:

JIMMY KIMMEL PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES … OH NO THAT MEANS YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TOO MUCH GOOD PUSSY IN YOUR LIFE…

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 27, 2013

However, the future of Twitter was forever changed with one hashtag:

SHOULD I DO A SPOOF ABOUT YOUR FACE OR YOU FUCKING BEN AFFLECK…#NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK #ALLDISRESPECTTOJIMMYKIMMEL!!!!

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 27, 2013

By this point, Kanye's rant was simply "Kanye being Kanye." However, the floodgates were opened with the ridiculously amazing hashtag, "#NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK." We now live in a world post-#NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK, unable to return to who we once were before Kanye West changed our lives for the better. Below are The Top 10 Best #NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK Tweets.

JammyJx shares an intimate moment between Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Affleck’s best friend/mortal enemy, Matt Damon.

Radio.com Associate Music Producer Shannon Carlin never wanted disrespected Ben Affleck before Kanye ever wanted to not disrespect Ben Affleck.

Film critic Callum Marsh had a problem with Affleck’s last major film, Argo.

Even Jimmy’s sister, Gloria Fallon, got in on the action.

Father John Whiskey uses the hashtag to illuminate a dark period of time from Ben Affleck’s past.

Actor Zach Braff makes his dream role public.

An awesome Ruby Hornet writer fired shots (and the truth) by claiming Spider-Man is a better superhero than Batman.

The Disalmanac does what it can to steal some of Ben Affleck’s thunder with some questionably real facts.

Screenwriter Damon Lindelof tweets what we were all thinking about Boston’s nickname.

One of The Dissolve’s film critics, Nathan Rabin, praises Kanye for his brilliant insanity (or insane brilliance).

by Geoff Henao