“Skins” may be the hype right now, but MTV is moving further into the controversial world of sex and youth.

The network has reportedly tapped advice columnist Dan Savage for a pilot on the real, non-fictionalized sex lives of teenagers. The pilot will follow Savage as he tours college campuses doling out wisdom on sex and relationships of all types.

The Seattle-based Savage is the author of the nationally syndicated column “Savage Love,” and one of the founders of the “It Gets Better Project,” a viral hit for spreading messages of hope and tolerance in response to gay teenage suicides.

Stephen Colbert recently interviewed Savage, who gave the TV host some very descriptive sex advice.

HBO’s “Gasland,” a film about the natural gas extraction process, has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Filmmaker Josh Fox visited Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas and several other states to interview land owners, environmentalists and energy advocates about “fracking,” or hydraulic fracturing, whereby wells are dug to capture natural gas.

The movie claims fracking is unsafe, and has produced dangerous side effects, particularly in local water supplies. Check out the trailer to see one man able to light his kitchen sink on fire–presumably from methane fumes coming from his water faucet.

The natural gas industry is none too happy, and have discredited the film’s claims. “While it’s unfortunate there isn’t an Oscar category for propaganda, this nomination is fitting, as the Oscars are aimed at praising pure entertainment among Hollywood’s elite,” said Lee Fuller, executive director of Energy In Depth.

What’s your opinion? Check out what Class Actress told us about the film and working with Fox.

New York’s Lower East Side is so spiritually, intellectually and aesthetically malnourished, the notion of a legitimately cool and cheap bar, club or art gallery setting up shop seems as likely as Mayor Bloomberg throwing a cupcake and soda party for fat kids on welfare.

But everyone seems to want to keep the old school, now kind of sad and sputtering lil bars and clubs that could in business.

Mars Bar and Max Fish are two of the inevitable stops on the “New York City used to be more than a playground for suburbanites!” nostalgia tour. Landlords at both venues have cited sky-rocketing rents as reasons for shuttering and moving their spaces, respectively.

Max Fish will stay put at 178 Ludlow for a year, until its owners can figure out a new place to hang their hook. Inevitably perhaps, it won’t be the same. Because, really, part of a dive bar’s charm is the oozy, polluted terroir from which it springs–plant it somewhere else, and it’s unlikely to thrive.

Shepard Fairey, himself a walking legend about whom many have mixed feelings regarding his degree of doneness, was a regular at Max Fish back in the day (he worked as a weekend host and had his first show at The Alleged Gallery next door).

Check out a conversation between Fairey and Charlie Rose on the pitfalls and beauty of mainstream transcendence, street culture, selling out, and yes, hope–despite it all.

Russell Simmons has picked Lelia Broussard for his “Hip-Pop Challenge,” in which he temporarily controls the MySpace homepage, showcasing his favorite up-and-coming hip-hop and pop artists. Vote for Broussard here.

You may know the singer/songwriter from her cover of Beyonce’s “All The Single Ladies,” which has garnered close to two million hits on YouTube. Broussard begins a month-long residency at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles next month, and will also be part of their SXSW showcase in March.

Hear what Broussard told us about becoming a star, and why it’s about more than talent. Or is it?

America’s most beloved punk rock bakers on the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” whipped up a sugary, buttercream-laced creation for the uber-indie alterna rock idols Pavement on a recent episode.

Duff and his team set to work creating a cake to celebrate Pavement’s new album–Quarantine the Past–a best-of compilation with 23 remastered songs featuring pre-Matador cuts, a few of their favorite lesser-known album tracks, almost all of their singles, and yes, “Cut Your Hair.”

They ended up with a giant edible equine sculpture, intricately painted in 20-plus hours with a whimsical, psychedelic, sprite-like pattern by the adorable Elena. The Aces presented the cake at Central Park’s Summer Stage, just as the band was about to go on. Check out the adorable, rocked-out hijinks over at Eater.com.

Musicians are moonlighting as composers more than ever these days, including Jonny Greenwood, Dan Deacon and Trent Reznor, who just took home a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

Greenwood’s soundtrack for the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s “Norweigan Wood” is due in March, while Dan Deacon just hit the big time and is scoring Francis Ford Coppola’s “Twixt Now and Sunrise” starring Val Kilmer.

We’ve met plenty of musicians inspired by or working as composers, including The xx and Ed Harcourt. Check out our homepage for more soundtrack-inspired interviews.

Kaki King begins a solo acoustic U.S. tour in February that starts off at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and loops the country through March. The guitarist and vocalist is on the road in support of her latest full-length, Junior, which SPIN saw as the King turning “rage into riffage.” Full route and ticket information are on her website.

She may be performing acoustic, but the last time we saw Ms. King she told us about her metal conversion. One can only hold out for so long!