Wilco has always been a band more than willing to change things up to fit whatever wild musical direction they felt like pursuing. From the sunny pop harmonies of Summerteeth, to their oscillating experimentalist rock on A Ghost is Born, to the big middle finger to the music industry that was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Jeff Tweedy and company have not been content to sit on their laurels. That’s why it was a little disheartening to hear their 2007 work Sky Blue Sky, a record rightly criticized for its fairly tame material and, dare I say it, a boring Wilco record. That isn’t to say Wilco is at their best when they’re experimenting or throwing all songwriting conventions to the wind; indeed, Summerteeth more than proved this band had the chops to make bright ‘70s pop their own, and opener “Wilco (The Song)” only supports them further. As Tweedy asks “are times getting tough / are the roads you travel rough” over a crunching backbeat and guitarist Nels Cline’s distorted shrill, it’s even more obvious than after Sky Blue Sky that Tweedy has left his millennial demons behind him. When the chorus of “Wilco, Wilco, Wilco will love you, baby” hits, it fires off the album in the best kind of pop direction, one bursting with vibrancy and the kind of energy the band seemed to lack on their last effort.

I loved the fact that despite depressions, recessions and beyond, designers are able to come up with incredible ideas. Despite the fact that groups like LVMH (owner of Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dior, etc.) are not reporting losses, houses like Lacroix have taken serious blows and are in the verge of bankruptcy. However, in these difficult times, I am thrilled for some of the creations I’ll tell you about for Fall 2009– where imagination, and looking back to inspire the future, are some of the highlights.

Although France celebrates Bastille Day tomorrow (July 14th), the French in Los Angeles celebrated their version of the holiday in Elysian Park, near Dodger Stadium this past weekend. POP FIX reporters Erin Darling and Vanessa Bezic braved the heat, the crowds and the drunks in order to experience Bastille Day in all of it’s French glory! Wine tasting, waiter racing, crepe eating, oyster slurping and fire juggling were some of the highlights of the day, and we got it all on tape…well, most of it! Check it out, here!

Ladies (and cross-dressing men), we all know that there’s nothing better than finding that truly fabulous pair of shoes, on sale, that do all the right things to your rear view, without making you feel like you’re about to pay for this at the cash register and at the chiropractors office. Ouch…That would almost be too much for ask for, wouldn’t it? It would. That’s why I’m not guaranteeing they’ll be comfortable. But they will be hot, and at a discounted price. It’s almost the total package! But that’s what you get while shopping online, you can’t exactly sample the merchandise. But before you hit the sales yourself, take some hints from a pro who has been there, done that…

After the more than three hour memorial, I can attest that at least for today Michael Jackson will be remembered as the King of Pop and not for his past trials and negative publicity. It’s sad to think that Jackson perhaps died on a sour note with a tarnished reputation after a series of child molestation charges. As “Tito” Jackson stated in Jackson’s memorial book, “I watched the light in Michael’s eyes fade as he faced trials and tribulations for being misunderstood.”

Exclusive photos and videos from outside and inside of The Staples Center, the location of Michael Jackson’s memorial service.

For THE POP FIX’S coverage of Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service, follow us on Twitter @THEPOPFIX and follow our contributor, Vanessa Bezic @vanesbez, as she tweets her way through the memorial service live from The Staples Center where thousands have arrived to pay tribute to the King of Pop.

So many emotions come to me as I roll picture after picture of the collections shown last week. I don’t know what to hate and what to love and in what proportion. The major designers showed their Spring and Summer 2010 collections for men, just a few days after Resort 2010 for women portrayed safe and sound images, for people to invest in pieces that could be worn everywhere, anytime, anyplace. There are two things I can say on men’s fashion for next year: you absolutely need to hit the gym if you want the translucent and tight tops to fit appropriately; and the horizon still seems blurry when it comes to high-fashion making an effort to transcend rather than to sell.