August 17, 2012 – There are few things to dislike about the Gathering of the Juggalos, the annual togetherness-fest thrown by loving adult rappers Insane Clown Posse; and none of those are reasons you've probably heard. Sleep deprivation is one (I woke up to a 6 a.m. two-car bass battle, the sound of a man puking his guts out, and numerous "whoop whoop"s); constant substance temptation is another (depending on who you are); voracious bugs and sunstroke well, those are the hazards of camping. Far more prominent are the sparkling bits of ingenuity and enterprise that turn the temporary carnival in the middle of fucking nowhere (Cave-in-Rock, Illinois) into a self-standing, self-policing, self-supporting community. Some elements of ratchet do prevail, but more noticeable the Gathering is a place where no matter who you are, you can come as-is and be accepted.

August 16, 2012 – It was a done deal that Lana Del Rey's H&M campaign would be invoke the '60s in soft-focus — why would a mass-market retailer hire someone with such a recognizable aesthetic if they were gonna go off-brand? Leave that to Paris labels or Vogue shoots. But we're feeling the late-era '60s silhouettes they went for, with Del Rey doing her greatest modern-day Megan Draper face in smart Chanel-esque tweeds with just-edgy-enough shoulderpads and body-con shapes, not to mention plush autumn pastels for Fall football games and verboten motorcycle rides. When French monks invented Angora wool in the 6th Century, they were pre-cogging Lana Del Rey in that mono-hued sherbet number. Word to the Priscilla Presley pigtail bouffant. (Thanks to Idolator for the tip-off.

August 14, 2012 – Everyone knows that everyone who's anyone eventually gets their own sneaker line, an honor bestowed upon only those with rabid enough fanbases to scramble for their names on their feet. But often those sneakers are also fugnacious, almost as if their celebrity endorsers are daring you to let them know how dedicated you are: how much do you love them? Enough to wear this ugly-ass shoe? Really though? From Kanye to Kim K, we've seen some repeat offenders who adorn their footwear with every bell and whistle and zipper and lizardesque accoutrement in sight (Air Yeezy II, sweet pete). But Eddie Van Halen, guitar god, pared it down for his latest kicks, offering simple cap-toe slip-ons with his signature paint-splatter pattern in three colorways that deliver a proper rocker's statement but are also screaming for you to chill out on the high fret.

August 10, 2012 – This afternoon, at the 13th annual Gathering of the Juggalos, horrorcore mainstays Insane Clown Posse announced that they are looking into suing the Federal Bureau of Investigation for classifying their fans as a "loosely organized hybrid gang" in its National Gang Threat Assessment — a demarcation that put Juggalos up there with Bloods, Crips, and the Aryan Brotherhood. ICP made the announcement Thursday afternoon in the Seminar Tent, one of the largest sit-down mini-venues on site. It was overflowing with an estimated 1,500 fans waiting for what the group had tweeted earlier would be "the biggest announcement of our career." During the seminar, ICP's Violent J discussed how, at first, he didn't know how to respond to the FBI's accusations.

August 3, 2012 – Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply seems to be trying to rebrand rugged New Americana for the less rugged New Radio, at least if this new campaign by the workwear imprint says anything. Trumped up by Swedish DJ superstar Avicii, who looks evermore like Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor in flannel and baggies, the slot casts denim as the go-to uniform for the studio, loft makeout sessions, and raves — a loose, versatile look that transitions easily from Avicii's day cab to the DJ booth at night.

August 3, 2012 – Late-night lover's muck comes to dreamy fruition in this debut single from Los Angeles duo Frank + Derol, whose angel voices scratch an itch somewhere between Ellie Goulding and Warpaint — they're giving us dark moods but reaching heavenward nonetheless. The just-minimal-enough spiritedness of "Barely Love You Too" does their sweet pop melodies justice, while the exasperation of their spurned lyrics give them bite. "Stop these games / you got me feeling like I'm so insane / you know I'd tell you but I feel restrained." We've been there, ladies. We predict this track will factor majorly in your future: Not only is it eminently singable, but Frank + Derol are comprised of classically trained pianist/singer Codi Caraco and guitarist/singer Brandi Cyrus — yes that Cyrus, sister of Miley, daughter of Billy Ray, bless his genes.

August 2, 2012 – Dropping "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" mid-Olympics is a clever bit of marketing genius, what with its inspirational message and Mariah Carey flossing her octaves all over the end like a dismounting gymnast tosses up her arms. But while she's been known to pop a rapper on a track whenever she needs a little career shake-up, we are a tad disappointed at the inclusion of Rick Ross and Meek Mill. For one thing, they're not the Lox — Mariah and Jadakiss are a magical pair — and for another, they occupy the first half of the song, forcing us to add nearly two full minutes to the three years (not counting the Xmas album, sorry) we've been waiting to hear new music from Mimi the God. Is rap radio that disdainful of female R&B singers that Mariah "top-selling woman of all time" Carey can't have her guests rap mid-song? Is this Peter Rosenberg's destiny, fulfilled?

August 1, 2012 – In the past year or so, Jeremy Scott has sailed in his winged Adidas shoes to publicly rise to the position of Rappers' Best Friend, a symbol of the weirdo-stuffed, space-flosser-enriched era of rap in which we're currently living.

July 30, 2012 – Natalie and Nicole Albino, the twin ingenues that comprise Nina Sky, have established themselves as stalwart style fixtures over the past few years, having popped up in campaigns for MadeMe and Rachel Roy and performed at fashion parties all over the place. It's not rocket science: they're striking presences and have a natural flair that easily translates from club and street style to super slick gamine jams. They've been in these lookbook streets. But over the past eight years, we've been missing large chunks of their music, the duo having been wrapped up in label drama with Universal and Polo Grounds, while a whole cache of tracks are apparently sitting in a vault somewhere.

July 26, 2012 – If for some unlikely reason music doesn't work out for Azealia Banks, clearly she could have a second career as a model. She's as stunning as any chica walking the runway these days, and while she might be a tad too diminutive for haute couture, can't you see her as the signature face of Lancome or something? So it's totally unsurprising that Alexander Wang cast her as the kinetic force in his latest ad for his T Fall 2012 campaign. Wang's a mega-fan of music — perhaps you've seen giant wheatpastes of his adverts with Spank Rock and Santigold — and the youth-obsessed designer already brought Banks as his date to the Met Gala this year.