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"AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL" hasn't changed too much since its 2003 debut: hopefuls compete weekly in photoshoots and runway challenges, there's catfighting and backstabbing in the communal house, and hostess Tyra Banks always advances contestants by telling them they're "still in the running toward becoming America's Next Top Model."
The next and 14th(!) cycle begins at 8 p.m. on March 10 on The CW, and this is the first season without a supermodel on its judging panel. In the past, that chair has been filled by Janice Dickinson, Twiggy, and Paulina Poriskova (also known as Mrs. Rick Ocasek). But Banks has opted for "brains over beauty," giving "Vogue" editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley a regular spot on the panel, alongside herself, photographer Nigel Barker and a rotating guest judge.
The winner of "ANTM" gets a great start to her career — a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl, management by Wilhelmina Models and a cover spread in "Seventeen" magazine.
But the show is more about entertainment than about modeling. So here's a look at the five most entertaining contestants from past seasons.
Continue Reading "Girl Is Fierce: 'America's Next Top Model,' Cycle 14" »
R&B CROONER RAHEEM DEVAUGHN wants to get your fists up and your pants down — but not necessarily in that order — on his new album, 'The Love and War MasterPeace.'
Obviously, the singer — who grew up in Prince George's County and recorded most of this album there — definitely has political opinions, and he's not afraid to talk about them. But some of the tracks here are brazenly outspoken, with DeVaughn firing off against politicians, the U.S. government and anyone with a bloodthirsty sense of patriotism.
Ultimately, though, DeVaughn is more of a lover than a fighter, and the plethora of sensual songs on this 16-track release prove that.
Continue Reading "Got Soul?: Raheem DeVaughn, 'The Love and War MasterPeace'" »
EVERY OUTDOORSY WASHINGTONIAN craves a perfect fall hike with (a) no crowds, (b) foliage, (c) burbling streams and (d) miles of trails to burn off urban carbs. Also, the hike should be within an hour or two of Washington. Carbon footprint, people! Let's say an intrepid reporter tracked down hikes meeting these criteria. The result: crowds! So, if anybody asks, tell 'em these trails are really lame.
TRADER JOE'S TRAIL MIX
That's not really the name for three lovely paths off Maryland's Route 29. Collectively, they're the 10.2- mile Rachel Carson Greenway Trail. But Trader Joe's is a landmark. Head north from downtown Silver Spring. After passing the Beltway, the road crosses a wee stream. Just before TJ's, 29 is flanked by two stately brick buildings. Each has a parking lot leading to trails along the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River. "The foliage is amazing, and there are not a lot of people," says Halle Enyedy, REI outdoor school supervisor for the mid-Atlantic region, who sighs, "Many of my friends will be upset that I'm revealing this."
The lot on the right (the Trader Joe's side) is the entry spot for a southward trail to Prince George's County. You'll enter a magical world of boulders and slabs, beautifully clustered around babbling H20 and shaded by graceful trees. Note: You will clamber. But it's not too hard. On a recent Saturday, a mother with baby in backpack had no problems.
IF YOU BUILD IT, they will bike it — or walk it or jog it. Trailblazers are always hungry for a new route, and they got a beaut in the new 1.1-mile stretch alongside the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which connects Old Town Alexandria to the National Harbor development in Prince George's County. Here's our spin on the trip:
» Getting There
The Virginia side is a cinch to access from the Mount Vernon Trail. Just head south from Rosslyn. When you arrive in Old Town, follow the bicycle signage along North Washington Street that leads you to a half-mile path that winds to the mouth of the bridge. (Currently, no trails connect to the Maryland side.)
» The Ride
Whether you're on foot or wheels, don't rush the trip. As you're headed into Maryland on the wide lanes (enough room for riders to zoom two abreast), a mesh-style wall lets you scoff at cars on your right, and a chest-high railing at your left makes it safe to gaze at the Potomac without toppling into it. Three overlook locations offer resting spots for an extended gander. Bonus: Free telescopes let you spy on passing boats.
As you reach your destination, the packed gravel morphs into seashell bits, and a sign directs riders to dismount and pull over at two large temporary bike racks. Then you're free to show off your glorious helmet hair.
Continue Reading "Be a Bridge Commander: The New Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail" »
WHITE RAPPERS SEEM to fall one of two ways. You can either gain major success in the underground scene but never fully break into the mainstream (Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, El-P, Cage, Yak Ballz and practically every other rapper on the Definitive Jux label) or become overwhelmingly popular, sell millions of records and compromise your integrity (Eminem, basically).
There are exceptions here and there — elder statesmen the Beastie Boys, for example, are fighting becoming caricatures of themselves while also legitimately working for social causes (such as the Tibetan freedom movement), even if their current creative output will never be as good as "Paul's Boutique" was — but it's not an easy path to walk. Just ask Vanilla Ice.
So it's impressive, then, that Asher Roth's "Asleep in the Bread Aisle" (SRC) is actually not awful, considering that the young rapper's somewhat superficial college-loving shtick drives most of the album.
But the thoroughly non-threatening collection of self-aggrandizing tracks about getting wasted, getting laid and getting high — all with nods to "Mario Kart," hot moms, beer pong and $1 slices of pizza — never gets too repetitive, and thanks to catchy instrumentation, guest spots from the likes of Cee-Lo, Keri Hilson and Chester French and Roth's own happy-go-lucky wordplay, "Asleep in the Bread Aisle," isn't a horrible way to spend 55 minutes. There are no thematic concepts here that haven't already been covered by The Cool Kids, Eminem or Atmosphere, but that doesn't keep "Asleep in the Bread Aisle" from being an infectious, solid freshman effort.
Continue Reading "Slim, Not Shady: Asher Roth, 'Asleep in the Bread Aisle'" »
WHEN DELORES WILSON decided it was time to remove the late 1980s-era striped wallpaper from her powder room and coat the walls in a textured beige-green paint combo, the project was far more daunting and extensive than any other she had undertaken. But she wasn't worried. That's because she had a dedicated team of three other women to help her out, even as the project hit its low point, when all four were crammed inside the tiny bathroom, scraping at stubborn scraps of paper with putty knives.
"I would never have done it on my own," says Wilson, 46, of Bowie, a safety manager for the government and a member of the Do It Herself Meetup Group of Prince George's County. "It took me years to even get up the nerve [to start the project]. But once I was talking to the ladies, it was, like, power in numbers."
The Do It Herself group, which has about 13 members, gets together a few times per month to work on members' home improvement projects- everything from replacing a vinyl kitchen floor to installing an automatic light switch in a garage. And it seems they are on to something; an Associated Press story published in November noted that DIY clubs have recently begun to spring up across the country as homeowners try to save money amid the recession.
Continue Reading "They Know the Drill: An All Female D.I.Y Group" »
IF YOU'VE NEVER heard the Prince George's County power pop quintet the Dance Party, you should know they didn't pick their name to be ironic. They really do want people to dance and party, as evidenced by their wild shows and goofy song titles like "Sex Disco" and "New Wave Drugz." In other cities, such a hedonistic musical approach might seem passé, but in the earnest D.C. scene, their rowdiness has made them stand out.
"I think around here there's been a kind of idea that music is very serious," says lead singer Mick Coogan. "There's lots of post-punk going on and political-minded bands. We found that there are a lot of people that just want to come to a show, let their hair down, get loose and party backstage — and just go crazy."
TIRED FROM HOLIDAY shopping and festivities? Hop in the car and drive through Watkins Regional Park in Prince George's County to see an annual holiday display that features more than a million twinkling and animated lights.
Brightly lit displays of Christmas trees, dreidels, Santa and trains are sure to bring smiles. Don't forget your camera as well as some canned goods to donate to locate food banks; it'll make you feel extra jolly.
» Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro; through Jan. 1, 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., $5 car or mini-van, $15 mini-bus; 301-699-2456
Written by Express' Hannah Kim
Photo courtesy Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission
REGGAE IS HARDLY a niche genre, but Jamaican performer Beenie Man took it one step further and became an international superstar by combining upbeat dancehall with R&B, and by working with hip-hop names.
Catch his worldly blend of genres when he performs at Crossroads Club in Bladensburg on Saturday night.
» Crossroads, 4103 Baltimore Ave., Bladensburg, Md.; Sat., 9 p.m.,$25.; 301-927-1056.
Photo by Jonathan Mannion
ONE SUMMER DAY last year, Prince George's County and City of Bowie police approached a townhouse on Piller Lane. The county sheriff SWAT team stared at the door, awaiting its signal.
Pvt. 1st Class Jamie Anderson was there. A week before, the city of Bowie police officer had made a routine traffic stop. "The driver bailed and ran," she says dryly, "and dropped a pound of marijuana."
The driver had run toward this house, and research linked the car's registration to this address. Anderson wrote up a search warrant, laying out probable cause for a raid and outlining public dangers of not investigating. Among them: "The house was 200 to 300 feet from a school and right in front of a playground."
Continue Reading "D.C.'s Finest, Apply Here: Becoming a Police Officer" »
Addison Road