Lostprophets are back. Enough said.

Now if only they’d tour America. Sigh.

Here’s two tracks from the new album WEAPONS, which will be released on April 2nd.

*By Joelle, who has not posted in ages because she is busy writing a book called Trash the Dress: Stories of Celebrating Divorce in your 20s. Coincidently, the Lostprophets song “Where We Belong” is the theme song to her divorce.

Download “Better Off Dead” for free at Lostprophets.co.uk

Revealing some inside, scoop Manon tells Planet Verge, “No one had a better time at our event than Jessica’s mom- no really!”

Photos by Jeffrey Grossman

From L to R: Sharie Manon, Jessica Romano, Briella Marie and Glamo.

Krystal Couso of Jerseylicious

“They gave us keys to the kingdom back when record deals were exorbitant, and we looted it dry. In the end, the only things left emptier than our bank accounts were our souls, as we would find out soon enough.”

In his memoir, Drinking with Strangers: Music Lessons from a Teenage Bullet Belt, Butch Walker has authored the music business text book for a new generation. From accounts of growing up in small-town Georgia to playing a sold-out Webster Hall in New York City, Walker shatters dreams of the naive who believe a major label deal is the key to success, sounds off on where profits in the biz really reside and escorts readers on the scenic route down his personal highway of life, sharing the inspiration behind the songs a cult following of fans hold as Bible truth to their existence.

Butch Walker, pictured during his performance at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ this past weekend.

A self-proclaimed “mid-level artist between flop and big time,” Walker’s illustrious career has earned him 2005 “Producer of the Year” status from Rolling Stone and legions of local musicians so inspired by his music that they dedicate their lives to ripping him off. Having been around the block and back, he’s learned a few lessons:

• “I would come to learn that A&R actually stood for ‘alcohol and restaurants.’”
• “The biggest money to be made right now-no, make that the only money to be made in the dying industry- is through songwriting and publishing. It’s not through record sales because there are none; that means that producer points and royalties are pretty much reduced to nothing, too, depending on the genre (that’s code for ‘most country music fans don’t own computers’).”
• “There’s a difference between a hit song and a good song.”
• “Note to ‘industry types’: stop talking about yourself and everything you’ve done and listen to your artist. Nothing shows insecurity flaws like a braggart.”
• “If you don’t ever venture outside of your comfort zone, you will not have enough colors around you in the end.”
• “Independent promotion bigwigs are hired to go in and do favors and payola and suck dick to radio stations, like giving season tickets and condo timeshares in exchange for playing questionable music…People always wonder why music that gets played on the radio isn’t so great- it’s because of these independent promo goons.”


The spotlight is on members of Walker’s band, The Black Widows, as they open each night with individual performances. Walker sets the introductions and the tone for a special evening and even performs a pre-show acoustic set.

Recounting the first time the music business fucked him, Walker writes “Right then and there, I realized that the music business will fuck with you no matter what: that those guys who were your friends, bandmates, gang members, fellow musketeers, whatever- they can and often will screw you at the drop of a guitar pick. After that, I made sure I was always the leader; I always took matters into my own hands and did every deal, setting up everything myself from that point forward.” He’s referring to a man named Chuck– you will have to read the book to find out exactly who he is but bells may ring for those who have Walker’s new album The Spade and have heard “Summer of ’89.”

Other page turning topics in Drinking with Strangers:

• Top 10 essential cover songs
• How to make a bad video in 1990
• The evolution of Walker’s studio
• Why Walker walked out during a recording session with Lindsay Lohan
• Bands he turned down producing who later became huge
• The importance of building from the ground up to secure tangible fans
• How he got screwed over and lost a million dollar chart-topping song + the identity of the famous go-to producer that ripped him off
• His taste of Hollywood life and friendships with Pink, Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, who counts Marvelous 3’s readysexgo as one of his favorite albums
• What Katy Perry’s first record label really thought of her future in the biz
• Walker’s first bands and their blush-worthy names Bands The Scene, Nytemare, Badd Boyz and Byte the Bullet
• In the studio with Weezer and how he first met Rivers Cuomo
• What happened when he was left in China without a ticket to flee, inciting a riot at age 23
• What band he chose not to take songwriting credit for and why

In the midst of the industry insight, Walker digs into painful moments of his past, including the end of his first marriage in his early twenties. He reflects, “I suppose I was more in love with the idea of love.”  He also unlocks heartfelt stories about his now-wife, who inspired perhaps his most lauded Marvelous 3 tune, “Cigarette Lighter Love Song” (read the book for this story!) and their son, James.

Coincidence?

Today it’s not uncommon for Walker to find himself in the middle of a sold-out venue singing sans microphone with an acoustic guitar in hand while the entire crowd is sitting Indian style, jaws dropped in awe, singing along. But it’s been a journey to reach that point. As the pages are turned, Walker shares his past anguish over his own status as an artist, revisits the loss of his home during the California fires and shows that he’s really just a humble version of his 13 year-old self living his fantasy.

*By Joelle, who has been following Butch Walker for about 13 years now. You should, too: Twitter @ButchWalker

View more photos of Butch Walker and The Black Widows at the Stone Pony on Planet Verge’s Facebook page.

On a side note:

After having finished reading Butch Walker’s book and now writing my review, I realized he has been my favorite musician for over 13 years. That is crazy. It’s really awesome for us to have had his support at Planet Verge since day 1 and I’m going to post something he told Jordana and I many years ago while we were filming something PV related together for The Style Network: “I think you always have to do what you set out in life to do, regardless of how successful you are at it. You are successful when you’re doing what you want to do. You’re not successful if you give up and do something you don’t want to do. It’s not about how much you make, as much as it is that you actually went for it.”  It’s something that I always say to myself. – Joelle

Drinking with Strangers: Music Lessons from a Teenage Bullet Belt was written with Matt Diehl

Rethink Breast Cancer has created a hilariously hot video to raise awareness about the importance of breast cancer exams.

Scary stats:

-In the United States, is estimated that about 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women. The term “invasive” refers to a cancer that has already grown beyond the layer of cells where it started as opposed to the “non-invasive” carcinoma, which is the earliest form of breast cancer. About 57,650 women will be diagnosed with this non-invasive breast cancer.

-A nutritious, low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Fat triggers estrogen production that can cause tumor growth; therefore a high-fat diet increases the risk of breast cancer.

-With as little as four hours of exercise per week, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer.

Some of the major breast cancer risk factors are hormonal and related to a woman’s reproductive history. The greatest risk results from breast tissue being consistently exposed to estrogen, as it is through long periods of uninterrupted menstrual or ovulatory cycles.

Hormonal factors that increase risk include:

* the birth of a first child after the age of 30 or not having children at all
* menstruation starting at an early age (before 12)
* late menopause (after 55)
* taking birth control pills and /or hormone replacement therapy (although debated, many experts say that this slightly increases one’s risk)

Evidence shows that lifestyle factors that increase estrogen levels increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
Lifestyle factors that increase risk include:

* more than mild or moderate alcohol consumption (alcohol may raise estrogen in the blood)
* obesity with excess caloric and fat intake (fatty tissue may raise estrogen levels)
* more than moderate meat intake (meat may raise estrogen levels and be a potential source of gene mutagens). Studies have shown an 18% difference in risk of breast cancer between those with the highest and those with the lowest levels of meat intake.

Thirty Seconds To Mars will celebrate their 300th and final show in support of their critically acclaimed third studio album This Is War with a special Tribus Centum Numerarae concert at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Dec. 7th, 2011. This show will set a new Guinness World Record for the most shows played during a single album cycle.

“We have been on the road for an incredible and insane two years and thought what better way to celebrate the end of this phenomenal journey than with a week of special shows in New York City. We thought documenting this for posterity with the Guiness Book of World Records would be fun especially as we aren’t any good at growing our fingernails very long or cultivating the world’s largest squash,” says frontman Jared Leto.

WATCH THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS ON PLANET VERGE TV.

WATCH ANOTHER PLANET VERGE TV FAVORITE, DAVID GARRETT, DISCUSS HIS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD AND PERFORM. AND IF YOU CAN’T GET ENOUGH, WATCH DAVID GARRETT DISCUSS HIS LATEST ALBUM.

Go behind the scenes and inside the making of My Ancient Rebellion, Enation’s highly anticipated new album. Lead singer Jonathan Jackson discusses everything from the process of making the album, to the band’s accomplishments as an independent band, as well as Enation’s partnership with the Global non-profit anti-human trafficking organization Not For Sale. My Ancient Rebellion is due out October, 2011.

Listen now: Enation iTunes
Read our Enation interview.

Butch Walker’s “Summer of ‘89″ > Bryan Adam’s “Summer of ‘69.” Here’s why:

Planet Verge & Sweet Avenue Bakeshop present Cupcakefest 2011 to benefit Bloomfield, NJ’s John A. Bukowski Shelter for Animals. Go behind the scenes and watch performances by Monday Night Bear Claw, Fairmont, Those Mockingbirds, The Front Bottoms, Bern & the Brights, The Nico Blues and Gary Bender.

View Planet Verge’s photo recap of Cupcakefest 2011.

Hair genius Sharie Manon creates styles that not only make heads turn, but makes people do double takes. Recognized as North American Editorial Hairstylist of the Year (2002), former Regional Education Director and platform artist for Tigi Linea and Creative Director for several salons including Maximus Salon in Soho (Salon Today salon of the Year in 2002), Manon is applauded for her color artistry and correction, styling, bridal work, makeovers and extension applications. Elite clientele including reality television personalities, models, musicians, rappers, news personalities, comedians and CEOs of major beauty companies seek Manon’s magic hands and creative expertise.

Her work transcends mediums. Creating a marriage between fashion and tresses, Manon has brought runway visions of high-end designers Badgley Mischka, Reem Acra, Jeffrey Chow, Derek Lam, Diesel Style Lab, Behnaz Sarafpour, Joop and Ron Chereskin to life during New York Fashion Week. Editorially, her work has been featured in YRB, Lemonade, Launchpad and Salon Today. Having worked on television shows, music videos and film, Manon’s chair has been occupied by Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Nina Sky and Treenie, to name a few.

Now Manon is the one to watch. As key stylist on Glam Fairy, the new Style Network series that shines a spotlight on Jerseylicious master makeup specialist Alexa Prisco (who has previously worked on a Planet Verge staff photoshoot), Manon helps transform the lives of Glam Factory clients looking to unleash their inner glamazon.

Manon discusses her roots–literally, figuratively and musically, shares the concept of her upcoming product line and provides Planet Verge readers with essential style tips in the interview below. Read on and be sure to mark the Glam Fairy premiere October 23 at 8:00 p.m. on your calendar.

By Joelle, who used to give her friends crooked haircuts.

From where did you graduate beauty school?

I finally graduated from Federico College of Cosmo in Sacramento, California. I say finally because I was a beauty school drop out! I started in Colorado and then got a wild hair to move to Mexico and chill on the beach. After I was sun burned enough I came to my senses and moved to Cali to finish.

Why is hair your passion?

I love the transformation of textures. As an artist I simply choose hair as my medium to work in. I love contrast and irony in hair. Before I moved to NYC, I was considered this awesome “cutter” and then when I got to NYC everyone labeled me “the colorist.” I just love my craft in all capacities.

Where did you start out working? Did you train under anyone?

My first salon job was as a brush-cleaning girl for my mom in middle school. Then I went to school and graduated and worked as a stylist for my mom’s salon. She was this amazing stylist who won tons of awards in the 60s for some crazy hair and she taught me so much. She was very ahead of her time. I remember her being so into Annie Lennox that in high school she loped off my hair to just a few inches of my scalp and bleached me blond. Her exclamation was “Now that is cool!” Mind you that I am captain of my cheerleading squad in rural Wyoming at the time!

Once I got really into my job I started poking around Denver and looking into continuing education. Aveda was happening, as were L’Oreal and Toni & Guy. I based my decision to go with Toni & Guy on this awesome chick named Lani who was a platform artist for them. She would go onto stage with her bleached, jacked up hair and little makeup. She rocked tight white tanks with leather pants and put most male hairstylists to shame. I was like “yeah- I can do that.” I started training in Denver, which was 100 miles away, once a month and soon became part of their Art Team. I stayed with them as I moved salons and states. I wound up a Regional Education Director and good friend to most of the original team from London. Finally in 2002 upon moving to NYC I decided our relationship had run its course.

Do you ever look back on the first hair cut/color your ever did and laugh?

Ha! I feel so bad for my boyfriend at that time. He had this fine, pale blond hair that showed every mark. So many times we would just shave it after. He was such a good sport about it. He would invite his buddies over for me to practice on, too. The price was $10 or a six-pack of beer.

What was your first big break?

After a hiatus from hairdressing due to a serious addiction to snowboarding (I was pro for a few years), I moved to Las Vegas. I looked at all the reviews and found this awesome salon, Diva Studios. Steven and Lisa Brookes were a husband and wife operation that was killing it in Vegas. I convinced Steven to meet with me and get an interview. I remember that I had a terrible goggle tan and I walked in wearing tennis shoes, but I got the job. Quickly, I rose above the ranks of the multi-unit salon and became their Creative Director.

What have been your biggest challenges along the way?

The technical aspect to what I do has never been a challenge. Mostly it has been clients, actually NYC clients. These women will eat you up and spit you out for a mediocre blowout. I also had to learn in to be my own PR machine. I was in a secondary market before so I was the big deal. In Soho, I was just another talented hairstylist, and had to make people realize yet again why I am better.

What are your specialties?

Color and color correction is my strong suit, followed by styling hair. I do however pride myself on the fact that I can do anything with hair. Any texture, any color, any style. If I can dream it up, I will figure it out. This season of Glam Fairy really put me up to that task!

How have you experimented with your own look? How often do you change it?

I have been every color including mint green, powder blue, Dr. Pepper red and peach (by accident.) Twice I shaved my head, once due to a bleach situation and once—well, I can’t really explain that time. I have also had every type of extension that exists! Because I work in fashion and hair is just an extension of that, it is important to change my look. I usually do a big change two times a year.

Your bridal work is in demand. What kind of styles do you typically create on brides?

Overall, my point of view on bridal hair is romantic and renaissance in nature. I still love a bride with hair up on her wedding day. To make things modern I rely on unusual textures to keep it fresh and relevant. I was disappointed but not surprised that Kate Middleton went with the look she did–boring.

The product line you are developing is very exciting. What can you reveal and when can we expect it?

I’m so excited, too. I’ve been playing with this idea for several years and have just decided that the time is right. I will be launching with two products and followed quickly by a third. I can say that the first two are for styling and are also organic/paraben free. The third product is a children’s product. My products will be available on line at my Web site as well as Mario Diab Salon in Soho, where I work.

Tell us about the salon you owned.

Over the course of my career, I have owned three salons. Two were in Wyoming and one here in New York. I partnered up with a gentleman from France on the Upper East Side. Sadly, my partner became ill and had to return to France for treatment. We were forced to sell. It wound being a blessing. The UES is not my market and I was just kinda experimenting. My market, my home and my client are a Soho woman.

You came to NY in 2002–where were you working before that?

I was 23 years old when I bought my first salon, Opus, in Wyoming from my mom. I renovated, expanded and moved location. We were doing very cutting edge looks and I have never been so busy in my entire career as at Opus. I sold that space and moved to Jackson and opened a very unique spot call The Blue Room. We were the first salon in the region to carry Bumble + Bumble and had a very cool design–an Alice in Wonderland look but done in a blue mosaic motif. In 1999, I packed up and moved to Las Vegas to live with my brother. Vegas is where I started working for Diva Studios and quickly became their Creative Director in their award winning salon. We did some serious numbers in Vegas and in three years I burned out. I also really wanted to do work that was more fashion forward and in a major market.

What can fans expect from you this season on Glam Fairy?

The fans can expect a wide range of hair from me. Seriously, I do it all this season. We color, color correct, cut, extend and weave! And dare I say, one thing even has a battery!

You’re taking part in Fashion Week – do you often cross over into the fashion/magazine world?

When I first arrived to NYC, 90% of my work was runway and freelance work. I love the controlled chaos of runway. These days I work with designer friends who ask me but don’t exclusively work in freelance. I still love the magic of a photo shoot and editing. I try to do three or four shoots a year to keep inspired.

What have been the highlights (pardon the pun) of your career?

I won North American Editorial Hairstylist of the Year in 2002 and accepted the award from James Morrison of Toni and Guy, one of my major mentors.

Being named Creative Director at Maximus Salon in Soho, which was the Salon Today salon of the Year also in 2002.

I love being the key stylist on Glam Fairy. I have a ton of creative freedom and Alexa and I work very well together.

When we first met, you mentioned working with a lot of musicians. Can you name some and what you did (video shoots, etc)?

I have worked on Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Nina Sky and Treenie. “Misfit” by Elfant was my first music video and I have done the Radio City Rocks events with some really big names.

What are your musical roots?

I have a punk rock heart. I still listen to “Down” by Law, Social Distortion, Fugazi, Bad Religion and The Clash. I also like old school hip-hop like Gangstarr, Biggie and some Jay-Z.

What are your favorite products?

I really like Davines Gesso for styling/ grooming, Tigi Rockstar dry shampoo and Barex Weighless Shine.

Fashion is obviously a huge passion of yours. What’s your personal fashion philosophy?

I have a very eclectic style. Mixing very high-end designers and some piece from Top Shop always works for me. I really don’t follow trends per se; I know my style and just expand with current pieces. Layering unusual pieces together with different textures is big with me. I’m friends with several amazing jewelry designers and I rely on unusual pieces to make my look “mine.”

Sharie’s inspirations:

Do you have any tales of how makeovers or style transformations you’ve done have changed people’s lives?

Every makeover that I do transforms my clients. So many woman are very transfixed by their outer appearance–especially their hair. My clients even walk different after I am done with them. I have had several woman even say that I improved their sex life!

CHOP SHOP: SHARIE MANON’S HAIR TIPS

Many women are afraid to chop their locks. What face shapes complement short hair? Why should they take the leap?

Many cultures define femininity with long hair and America is certainly no different. I firmly believe that there is a “short” look for everyone. My short look may be inches shorter than your short look. A good candidate for short hair has good bone structure like defined cheekbones and does not have one area of face that overpowers the rest such as a really large forehead. Clearly if you have a longer face shape, such as an oval, you need a bit more width in the style like a short, stacked bob. When I cut a woman’s hair short I look at growth patterns, bone structure, life style and attitude of client. One thing is not more important really than the rest. A woman’s short haircut is a true test of a stylist–you can’t hide anything by styling. It is also the details of a woman’s short style that is so important. No masculine napes or square lines.

On the contrary, a lot of girls go years without cutting their hair. Is this particularly healthy?

No, no, no! Hair grows between four to six inches a year. If you trim, it just looks thin and splits and breaks off on its own. Any chemical work or blow drying don’t help that situation. Really long unstyled hair is just so blasé.

How much is too much when it comes to flat ironing?

You really should only be flat ironing your hair every other day at the most, after you blow out. Your iron should be of a quality that you only have to take one slower pass through hair. Always use a heat protector before you blow out, too!

How can one achieve the perfect blowout from home?

After you shampoo and condition, mist in a heat protector. I tend to use very little other product because the hair just gets dirtier faster, especially in hot humid weather. Rough dry the hair for several minutes, but not upside down. That just roughs up cuticle. Skip this step if your hair is really curly to kinky. Work in one to two inch sections–just what your brush can handle–and clip the rest of the hair out of your way. I like to start on the sides and then work my way back. I use boar bristle round brushes to straighten and smooth and ceramic to curl and volumize. Gently pull against root area with brush and start to dry with a nozzle attached to dryer so all air is directed to area. Start to work down section and turn brush under on ends, now lift up section and do same to underneath. That section is dry and you can move on to next. For my signature blowout, I allow sections to cool down on rollers to give hair added staying power.

What’s the least harmful way to go blonde? Is it for everyone?

When I take someone blonde I work with the least harmful products I can, such as ammonia free bleach and low developer volumes. If you have been artificially colored black, dark brown or a deep red, I will always do a blond transformation in two appointments at least a week apart. I also use protein and moisture treatments during process to help strengthen hair. As the self-proclaimed Queen of Blonde, I believe that anyone can have some blonde depending on how it is placed. It may be a deep honey or platinum and it really depends if it is only highlighting or an entire head.

Tell us about the hair extensions you use on clients.

I have used every system on the market and I love to work with Hot Heads, which is a tape in application. The base is very flat and the product is extremely durable. I love that I can customize the appearance completely by mixing the colors of hair within in one section. I am doing tons of the Ombre effect this way. Color with no chemical!

Anything else you would like to add?

I think that people are going to pleasantly surprised by the hair on Glam Fairy, I really didn’t hold back. I’m sure that a lot of other hairstylists and artists will be tuning in to see just how far we took things. Now that I am wrapped on the show I am back to Soho at the Mario Diab Salon and hoping that people like the show enough to have a second season. I have more crazy hair ideas that I need to express.

Catch Sharie Manon as the key hairstylist on Glam Fairy premiering October 23 at 8 pm on the Style Network.

Visit www.shariemanon.com

Book an appointment with Sharie at MarioDiabSalon.com
shariemanon@tumblr.com

Just because a natural disaster is hitting town doesn’t mean one’s appearance should match. Filling up the gas tank in your car, stocking up on bottled water and non-perishable food and making sure your pet supplies are plentiful aren’t the only preparations needed when the threat of power outages is looming overhead. It’s important to also prepare your hair to withstand days without a blow dryer. Here’s how to save yourself from embarrassment when it’s time to walk back into the office:

1. Wash and condition hair.

2. Apply a tiny drop of product, such a Moroccan Oil for shine.

3. Blow dry.

4. Limit or completely omit styling products like gel, pomade and hair spray that will build up and cause residue.

5. Spray dry shampoo on roots the next day if necessary to soak up oil.

*By Joelle, who will know the storm is close when her dogs start hiding in corners.