Back in September, the James New York opened in Soho. It's hard to make a serious racket in New York's over-saturated hospitality market, but with their rooftop bar Jimmy attracting a young, professional crowd, and the recently-opened David Burke Kitchen fast become a hub for foodies, the James is staking its claim as one of the city's premiere hotels.

District 36 opens this Saturday with a mission to become house-head heaven. The perceived impact of this opening is keeping some operators up late at night. Well, not really, they’re up late anyway. The question is, will there be an ensuing game of musical chairs, with some clubs losing business or closing because of this new entry? Or will the scene become more invigorated, with more people going out? House music is a religion, with cults and sub cults. House heads are lemmings, following their favorites anywhere and everywhere while disregarding other genres of music. It’s an international scene with circuit DJs getting paid six-figure fees and enjoying deity-like status. Sound systems designed by heroes as famous as rock stars in this community are constantly improved upon as technology allows and evolves. District 36, like most new places, claims to be bringing it to a new level - or an old level. These terms are not contradictory in this scene. The new technology may make it sound a bit better, and state of the art lights and visuals may enhance the experience, but the perceived purity of classic dance halls, with their mega, no-frills dance floors or comforts like seating, is often sought.

When Michaelangelo L’Acqua first entered the high stakes world of music-meets-high-fashion, he couldn’t have been more blissfully unaware. L’Acqua has spent a decade working with designers like Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, John Varvatos, Jil Sander, Chanel and Diane von Furstenberg on nearly 150 fashion shows and 200 commercials. L’Acqua is far from naïve about the industry, and as a seasoned vet in an ever-thinning circle, he’s diving into his new position as the W Hotels’ first ever Global Music Director with unbridled enthusiasm and bohemian sensibilities. L’Acqua has been busy producing the W’s 8th CD, crafting a digital mark for the brand and drumming up more than a few live performances. More on L’Acqua’s W plans, history in the industry and memories of the “velvet mafia” after the jump.

It's a little surprising, isn't it, that Hollywood hasn't raced to get a Jesse Owens biopic greenlit yet. You'd think with the rags-to riches-to redemption biopic craze and the inspirational anything-is-possible sports movie obsession that Owens, an authentic American hero, would be ripe. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens defused Adolf Hitler's weird "master race" thing by winning four gold medals in front of the Führer himself. Back home, his hero's welcome was stunted by much of the same racial prejudice he was met with overseas. This movie will be everything to all people. Revelatory historical lesson, Nazi thriller, inspirational sports pic, and the feel-good movie of the year! So what's holding it up? Truth be told, actor Anthony Mackie, who stars as Tupac Shakur in the upcoming Notorious B.I.G. biopic Notorious, has been slated to play the track star for a couple of years, and last week I had the chance to ask him about it.