2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Band Mania!

"Mike, Carol, kids & Alice... Get ready to rock out with your Brady's out!"

Hey, all you nice gift-givers and you greedy gift-getters out there in holiday land! Welcome NewNowNext's holiday gift zone, crunked up full of hot gift ideas to rock your yuletide.

First up, techie gift maestro Vinny Lopez, who covers gadgetry for The Advocate has brought us a sample of the new music/rhythm game, Rock Band. This takes the fun of playing air guitar Wayne’s World style, mixes it with karaoke, and basically let’s you and a few friends become the rock stars you know you are.

Watch the video below for some handy basic info!

After the jump, there’s more Rock Band goodness... Including a Vlog segment from AfterElton’s Geek Talk! Plus, you can head to LogoOnline and see how crazy gay pimp Jonny McGovern spent his Thanksgiving slaying some Rock Band fierceness alongside all of his homo posse.

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: "Perfect" Design Gifts

Some of the fab designy gift ideas from The Future Perfect. Crafty!

All of the video “gift guide” segments seen on Logo (and view here at NewNowNext.com) were shot at Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s awesome hub of art and design and killer gifts, The Future Perfect. The store is owned by Dave Alhadeff (watch him in the video below) who showcases the artwork and crafty creations by some of NYC’s (and the world’s) coolest emerging art talents.

Dave’s eye for design is uncanny... So when he spots an artist and puts their work in The Future Perfect, it’s like being declared young design royalty.

Watch and check out some of Dave’s cool gift suggestions below...

After jump get the details on all the items—and then some!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Coolest Bike Ever!

Look, I'm stunned. "A bike? For me? Gasp!"

Not only is Vinny a godsend for bringing me the Rock Band game this holiday season (see above), he almost takes it up a notch even further by giving me the present every kid dreams of this time of year: A bitchin’ new bike!

And this bike is the super-stylin’, tech-savvy Lime Bike by the folks at Trek. It’s got disc brakes and automatic shifting! And it just looks hot. But watch the video and you’ll see more...

Cute bike pics after the jump, too!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Techie Treats

"Damn, I hope I got an iPhone..."

Gadgets make for killer holiday gifts. And they usually convey that uber-cool “whoooaaa” factor. As in “Whooahh!? Who thinks of this stuff?”

Vinny Lopez, who covers techie reporting for The Advocate (and some other mags) loves these gizmos. And he zipped in to clue you in to a few cool gift ideas that will add some geek chic to your tinsel-trimmed holiday season.

Check out what he’s got in the video...

And then get all the info on the goods after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Josie's Foodie Picks

Chef Josie's mixing it up!

You probably know out chef and TV personality Josie Smith-Malave from her stint on the second season of Bravo’s Top Chef. The NYC-based culinary maestro can be found cooking and consulting these days at Brooklyn’s Speakeasy restaurant, and she’s also still a presence in the food media scene, too.

She graced us with her presence to offer some tasty holiday gift ideas that will help you out in the kitchen or the dining room—and she’s even willing to lend a very personal hand, too.

More gifts—and good news about what Chef Josie can do for you—after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Give Green!

It's gonna be a "green" Christmas...

2007 may be the year where awareness of all things “green” really hit mainstream. And if you wanna shop for eco-friendly gifts this season, it’s easy to do!

Lifestyle expert Jono pedalled over to visit and offered up a few cool ideas of items that you can give—and feel good about! Check out the video...

All the details on Jono's featured items—and several more!—after the jump.

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Inge's Musical Musts!

Watch out! Inge and I are talking about gifts you can dance to! Or at least get rhythmic with... Hit it!

One of NYC’s coolest DJs, Inge Colsen (who’s also the Marketing Director at Girlie Action, a music media and marketing firm) skated by to offer up a few of her inside tips on some good music gift ideas this holiday season.

Watch the video for her recommendations for a couple of hot CDs, a cool magazine and some truly kickin’ headphones! Turn it up!

Get the full details on Inge's recommendations after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Goods!

Holiday air travel in the UK, circa 1946. Nifty!

Maybe you go home for the holidays. Maybe you whoosh off to Mexico or Sun Valley or Scotland or someplace equally festive. One sure thing is that gays like to travel. So when thinking of the globetrotter on your list, think big!

Ken Panton of the luxury online travel magazine ECityofTravel.com visited us to recommend a few first-class gift ideas for this holidays season. Watch the quick video below, and after the jump you can upgrade to see what’s what!

Ken Panton on Hot Travel Gifts

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Oak Fashion Musts!

What to wear, what to wear... Shopping means "Fashion!"

I know today you’ll probably be loosening your belt after snarfing down too many yams, but hey... You still gotta dress well, right? There are too many holiday parties for you to attend to not look sharp, and you probably also know so well-dressed types who you gotta shop for this season, too...

For these reasons, I wanna point you to the very cool Brooklyn-based outfitter, Oak. With stores in both Williamsburg and Park Slope (keeping it in the gay ’hoods, y’all) and retailing online too (and there’s talk of a store possibly opening in Manhattan, too), Oak provides smart shoppers with killer clothes (for him and her) by emerging designers as well as some tried and true labels, too. Stuff isn’t cheap, but you can browse the sale sections of the site for deals.

Anyway, they also dressed me for the “Thanksgifting” TV spots that are airing tomorrow, so check them out!

Hot "Oak items" for him (and something for "her" too), after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Good Reads

Holidays. Books. Gifts... No mystery there!

You can give juicy novels, serious literature or splashy coffee-table photo tomes. Here a few morsels I came across that seem giftworthy. Read on!

Pierre et Gilles: Double Je, 1976-2007

French artists Pierre et Gilles aren’t just photographers. They’re artists who create entire worlds that meld fairy-tale beauty, burlesque, old-Hollywood glamour, sci-fi and all around raucous-ness as part of the portraits they craft. They may shoot celebs (Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, Marilyn Manson, porn stars like Jeff Stryker or Aiden Shaw) or just plain folks, but trust—the images are never plain. This tome is a celebration of 30+ years of over-the-top gorgeousness. Wrap it up!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Live Music Musts!

The holidays are all about great music...

The end of the year and holiday season always brings out more stuff from your favorite artists. They’ve always got more to give (Face it. Performers crave your attention.), and there’s always more you can find out about your favorite singing starlet.

Live concerts DVDs always offer insight into just how good your favorite diva or heartthrob really is... So here are a few to keep you entertained while all the included parties work on new material for your consumption.

Mika – Live in Cartoon Motion

Live from France—it’s Mika! This live DVD offering serves up Mika performing his hits, "Relax, Take It Easy," "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)," and the global chart-topping "Grace Kelly" (plus others). Shot with 10 cameras in high definition, it also features a documentary chronicling Mika's romping about the planet during his world tour. Maybe you can look for clues to the always nagging “is he or isn’t he” question, too!

More live divas, legends and lushes after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: TV Shows & Movies

New and classic TV and movies for the holidays? "Whatchu talkin' bout Kimberly?"

Nothing helps you endure the holiday season and family visits more than being able to retreat into your own space, slip in a DVD and tune out the seasonal lunacy for at least an hour or two. And then comes the holiday travel, and if you have to fly you might as well stock up on DVDs, right?

Oh, like I have to convince any of you of the virtues of DVDs...

Here’s a few worth highlighting during the current gifty season, with some full-on gay shows, first!

After 2+ years on the air, Logo has finally found its funny bone. And while the cable channel is in about 25 million homes, it’s still not everywhere. Luckily, the network's two funniest shows can be had on DVD.

Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is rude, kinda raunchy, pretty non-PC and adorable. Twinks, dykes, party boys, fag hags, AIDS activists, gym bunnies, rice queens and even gay Klansmen (who knew?) get skewered in this six-episode series which follows the antics of West Lahunga’s gay poster boys, Rick and Steve, their lesbo pals Kirsten and Dana (one of whom gets pregnant—of course), and the surly and slutty (respectively) Chuck and Evan. Plus, musical numbers!

And The Big Gay Sketch Show is a loopy ride, fueled by scorching young talent and general gay irreverence. The crew is hard at work on Season 2 (due in early 2008), so snatch the DVD of Season 1 and get prepped. PFLAG Mom will thank you!

More full-on TV/movie madness (including Liza, Agent Cooper and Zac Efron) after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Calendar Girls & Guys

Hmmmm... Who DOESN'T want a foxy calendar?

Sure, calendars are an easy gift for the holidays... And yes, we’re going for some fun flesh (just a little) with the top two recommendations here... Not that there’s anything wrong with that, right?

DIEUX DU STADE 2008 FRENCH RUGBY CALENDAR

This calendar has become a yearly event, as well as a landmark of man photography. And the “Making of” DVD is usually as big a seller as the calendar—featuring ridiculously hot French Rugby players—which has gone on to inspire imitators all over the planet. This year’s Dieux du Stade is shot by uber-photographer Steven Klein, who’s serving up a sense of grandiose drama alongside some hot skin. He shoots, we all score...

I HEART BROOKLYN GIRLS 2008 CALENDAR

Brooklyn women are hot. (Duh...) Accordingly, so is this calendar which is the self-proclaimed “only queer femme swimsuit calendar in the U.S. of A.” Each month you get another real-life Brooklyn lesbian, shot at the landmark spot of Coney Island, and wearing skimpy, swimmy togs from Brooklyn designers and shops. This is grass-roots girlie action at its finest!

And as the women behind the Brooklyn Girls calendar put it, they’re not only serving up foxy pics, they’re also “redressing stereotypes of what pinup calendars—and lesbians—are about, both on and underneath the surface.” Amen!

Plus, like good lesbians, they’re donating 10% of the proceeds from calendar sales to non-profits like Coney Island USA, the resident not-for-profit arts organization. Cool!

More fun calendar action after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Happy ThanksGrooming!

"Dad, I might wanna borrow your new aftershave in about 16 years or so... That cool?"

I like getting grooming supplies as gifts. Mainly, it keeps me from trudging to the store to restock, but who doesn't love some good product, eh? And you can't dispute the good will (as well as lovely thank you’s and praise) you'll get when you give some nice gentleman friend (or anybody who likes good product) one of the cool kits from the California-based Baxter. I’ve been using their stuff for a couple of years now, and it’s always great. Stylishly packaged, not exorbitantly pricey and it smells fresh and kind of old-school masculine, but not overwhelming at all.

Giftwise, the easy way to go is to grab one of their 1.2.3 kits, which combine three products in a convenient package.

You can opt for their Shave 1.2.3. Kit, which goes for $60 (yep, it’s nice like that). Included in this comes a totally gorgeous badger hair travel shaving brush (’cuz you know badgers travel well), a 10oz. bottle of their Super Close Shave Formula (it’s got that bracing tea tree oil in it, plus witch hazel, menthol and peppermint—mmmm...) and their alcohol-free After Shave Balm, which hydrates and nourishes your skin with aloe vera and other soothing elements.

More grooming goods after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Cute T-Shirts Alert!

You can never have to much shine or sparkle during the holidays, right girls?

Remember as a kid when getting clothes for a gift was totally lame. Oh, how you've grown up... Now, you or your friends can never have enough cute T-shirts. And since you buy everything else online, you might as well do some holiday shopping for some hot graphic T-shirts, right?

Here are five cool shirtmakers that deliver the goods.

MINORITEES

Founded a few years back by gay New Yorkers Collin Spencer and Austin Green, Minoritees T’s have been on the backs (and fronts) of celebs like Janet Jackson, Top Model’s Mr. Jay Emanuel, and you might have spotted them in a few episodes of Noah’s Arc, too.

They usually feature fun, jokey witticisms (often with a fun spin on racial stereotypes ) or just smart, design-y graphics. Wanna discount? Of course you do... Then enter the code “FROPIC” when making a purchase of $20 or more and you’ll get $5 off. Sweet!

More cool T-shirt shopping options after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Let the Music Play!

Yes, that's Shirley Jones bearing gifts... Or she's a Partridge in a pear tree, perhaps?

At the risk of sending you into a panic by saying this... “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!” I know, I know... it’s not even Thanksgiving quite yet, but it is Thanksgiving Week, so in addition to shopping around for a big roasty bird, fresh cranberries and tons of wine and hooch for the big feasting day, it’s time you also started thinking about your holiday gift-buying plans. (Oh, like you haven’t already...)

Starting today and running all this week, we’ll be offering up some good gift ideas here at NewNowNext, with it all culminating this Friday when the entire day’s worth of posts will be a slew of cool things to buy. This’ll correspond to a big promo stunt on Logo that’ll have me on-air (yikes!) with experts telling you cool things to buy in all kinds of categories, like foodie items, cool travel gear, “green” gifts, gadgets for you techie friends, hot design gifts, and so on!

Right now, I’m gonna start off by giving you a quick list of hot music picks to give this holiday season. You can get all (or most of these) at the Logo store, or just find them where you can... There’s bound to be something here for just about everybody!

Rufus Wainwright Does Judy at Carnegie Hall
Yes, our very own “gay messiah” has his blissfully barmy concert tribute to Judy Garland hitting record-sellers on December 4th. It’s a two-disc extravaganza full of this fabulously orchestrated renditions of all the standards Judy herself served up at her legendary gig way back when. The CD is full of Wainwright’s cool and daffy gay onstage banter, too. A mega-must for fans.

And you might also wanna snatch up the live DVD of Rufus’ “Judy” concert, out on December 4th, too. It’s got the subtle title of Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium. And it’s just that...

Many more musical gift goodies after the jump...