music musings, music suggestion, song of the day

sotd: RichGirl – He Ain’t Wit Me Now (Tho)

by  •  • 2 Comments

I was trying to think of something to post about when it hit me; I haven’t done a SOTD in quite a while. Today I was listening to Amerie’s newest album, In Love and War (there are some really great tracks on there!), and it reminded me of the very poorly marketed RichGirl, and their AMAZING track, He Ain’t Wit Me Now (Tho). I can’t believe that it has been almost 6 months since I featured this track on the 5SF. Well, there is one thing that is for sure; it hasn’t diminished in its greatness in the slightest. This song is massive, and I still cannot believe that it wasn’t a hit for them.

I have to say, after giving this song some serious attention in the past six months, I am still wondering; where is their album? There is such singing and performing talent in these ladies (as evidenced by the typically un-embeddable video), that it really is a travesty that this song didn’t take them to number one. Regardless of the record company politics that are most likely at play here, this song is a true gem, and one that has been on every playlist that I have made since first adding this song to my ipod in May. At least for me, this is one of the BEST songs of the year by far!! What do you think? Give it a listen:
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_529_richgirl-heaintwitmenow.mp3]

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion, show the love, you tube

5SF: november 13

by  •  • 7 Comments

First up today, let’s take a look at a truly inspiring story from what I can only describe as a true example of what our nation’s youth should aspire to be like. That kid has some courage. I wish there were more like him; maybe someday he will be the majority, and we can all share in equal civil rights in this country. Here’s hoping! Thanks Will! You rock!

Now, I have some AMAZING songs for you today. One of them, I have literally been clamoring FOR WEEKS to get to post about! Without further adieu, here we go!

Will Young – Hopes and Fears
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1113_willyoung-hopesandfears.mp3]
It’s time for some well placed gushing ladies and gents! This song is completely, utterly, and fantastically amazing. This is the new single from Will’s upcoming release, The Hits, and it is definitely one of his best songs ever; how fitting that it would be recorded for his first greatest hits compilation. Will nearly took the top spot in my best of CD countdown last year, and my love for everything Will Young certainly hasn’t diminished in the slightest. So I guess you can imagine my excitement when I heard that he would be releasing new material this year; even if it was only going to be a little bit of new stuff for a greatest hits compilation. Well, one listen of his new single, and it seems my excitement was well placed. From Will’s consistently beautiful vocals, to the absolutely amazing arrangement, to the clever video (what time would have more Hopes and Fears attached to it than being pregnant?! Brilliant!), this song is the whole package. After the first listen, I knew that I loved this song, and I am more than excited to feature it this week. This song has been on major repeat for me, and I just cannot get enough of it; it is amazing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I certainly do!!

Lady GaGa – Bad Romance
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1113_ladygaga-badromance.mp3]
I was torn about posting a Lady GaGa song this week (since by now, everyone and their mother is sure to have heard it), but given the video’s release this week, and how good this track is, I couldn’t ignore it. When I started talking about her, it didn’t seem like many people cared, but slowly, everyone seemed to come into the Haus of GaGa. A little over a year later, and she is a bona fide pop sensation that seems to somehow be picking up even MORE steam. As I hinted at above, this week, the internet has been all a flutter because of the release of her AMAZING video for Bad Romance, the new single off of her (not a reissue after all!) new, upcoming album, The Fame Monster. Lady GaGa took me by storm when I first heard Just Dance, and I am glad to see that she is still working her ass off in bringing the true quality goods of pop music to the table. Not only does she nail it with her innovative take on pop, but she kills it with fashion and the video as well (I would personally like to shake Mr. Alexander McQueen’s hand for those ridiculously AMAZING shoes in the video too; dude, you are a genius of fashion. Those shoes at 3:30 make me want to be a lady JUST so I can wear them. Amazing). Lady GaGa is a pop phenomenon, and if you weren’t paying attention by now, I have to ask, “what is wrong with you?”; the Haus of GaGa has certainly set up permanent residence, and pop music is all the better for it.

JLS – Everybody In Love
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1113_jls-everybodyinlove.mp3]
It should come as no surprise to my regular readers of the 5SF that I love British pop music, and after hearing this song in BBC Radio 1, I was reminded of just why I love it so much. This song is incredibly catchy, and the chorus will be stuck in your head for hours after hearing it. I only heard of JLS a few weeks ago; apparently, I missed out on their first single, Beat Again, when it was released a few months back. However, with the release of this new single (which is an official UK number one!) that coincided with the release of their self-titled debut last week, it seems that I couldn’t ignore them any longer. While the jury is still out on the rest of the album, this song is getting constant play on my ipod. This song reminds me A LOT of the great pop ballad-type anthems made popular by the Backstreet Boys back in their hay-day (I’m thinking of perhaps their biggest song, I Want It That Way). JLS may have come in second on last year’s X-Factor, but by the sound of things, they are doing quite well for themselves post-X-factor in 2009.

Biffy Clyro – The Captain
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1113_biffyclyro-thecaptain.mp3]
This has been a good year for finding rock bands from the UK (Band of Skulls, Glasvegas and, White Lies to name a few). When I first heard this song, I thought it was Snow Patrol, because the lead singer’s vocals in this song have a very similar sound to the lead singer of Snow Patrol. To my surprise, it was actually Biffy Clyro (who’s lead singer is Scottish), who I have heard of, but I had actually never heard anything by before. My interest was peaked, because I have had some experience with Biffy Clyro, because the lead singer is a part of a side project called Marmaduke Duke; whom I posted about in a previous 5SF back in April, after falling in love with their AMAZING single Rubber Lover. While I unfortunately didn’t fall for Marmaduke Duke’s album as much as I did for Rubber Lover, I have found a new found interest in Biffy Clyro with this song, and subsequently, their new release Only Revolutions (which is quite good throughout!). This is a great, very catchy single, and I am glad that it got me into a band that I doubt I would have ever paid attention to, had it not been for this great song.

The Swell Season – Paper Cup
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1113_theswellseason-papercup.mp3]
To say that I was excited for the release of the new album by The Swell Season would be quite an understatement. However, and somewhat unfortunately, the hype must have gotten to me, because I have had a difficult time really getting into it since it was released a few weeks ago. That being said, this song was an instant stand out, mostly because of the beautiful arrangement, and the intricacy with which they weave the melody throughout the chorus. The gentle guitar picking, and the beautiful deep bass, all overlain with the distorted keyboard, comes together to create something truly gorgeous. Add to that the sweet and sensitive vocals of Glen Handsard, and what’s not to love? Nothing, I tell you. This is definitely one of the best tracks off their new album; and perhaps shining some attention on it this week will motivate me to keep trying to get into the rest of Strict Joy (which is good, but I think I hyped it up so high that there was no way I wouldn’t be let down at least a little).

Well, there’s your 5 song Friday for this week; what did you think? As always, let me know not only what you thought of this week’s selection, but also what you are listening to. If there is something that I am missing out on that is a must hear, please, do share!

civil rights, politics, that is so gay, tragic, well?, wtf?!

more hate from the catholic church

by  •  • 4 Comments

Check out this latest act of stupidity drowned in hate, from the Catholic Church: (h/t to my friend W. Scott for letting me know about this)

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

“If the city requires this, we can’t do it,” Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. “The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that’s really a problem.”

They might as well have released a statement that said specifically, “We, the Catholic Church, hate the idea of gay people getting married so much, that we will turn our backs on the charity we provide to people that desperately need it. If you, the state that gives us some of the money that allows us to do that charity force us to follow your rules, we won’t provide those services anymore. Our hatred is so strong, that we are willing to publicly paint ourselves as haters just to prove how much we feel and want to perpetuate that hate. Hate, hate, hate; that is what we are all about. Erm, I don’t know how to end… I guess, Love, the Catholic Church.”

Now, the Catholic Church has a strong track record of doling out their own specifically interesting breed of hatred, so this isn’t really a surprise to me. However, it is highlighting the fact that if you didn’t think they could go lower, oh boy, you were wrong; there is no telling how low the Catholic Church will go in the name of hatred over what they decide is wrong. I am sure that Jesus would love the idea of turning your back on the needy just to prove a point, Catholic Church. Y’all truly are a “city on a hill”.

Finally, I do have to say, directly to the Catholic Church in DC; if you are so upset with being told to treat people equally, why not give up your tax exempt status, and stop receiving city funds? Additionally, the statement released accused this measure of ignoring religious freedom, which it doesn’t do; what it does, is it highlights the importance of following the covenant laid forth in the constitution, that there be a separation of church and state, and as such, one can practice which ever religion they want. If you don’t want the government making decisions, and “controlling” your religion, then stop accepting money from them and expecting differential treatment; you can’t have it both ways.

civil rights, hotness, mixed media, politics, that is so gay

Tom Ford on gay marriage

by  •  • 3 Comments

This morning, I read this interview with Tom Ford, and I really liked some of the things he had to say; especially what he said about the gay marriage issue in this country. Tom Ford is my number one celebrity crush, so of course, any time I have a sliver of a good reason to do a post about him, I will. In fact, thinking about that, I don’t post about him nearly enough!

In the article, when he was asked if he would marry his partner of over 20 years, after being together for so long, Ford responded with:

Yes, when it becomes a federal law. Right now it doesn’t do any good in the states. A few weeks ago Richard had to go into the hospital for something, and I had to carry around all these legal documents saying I could make medical decisions for him. It was insane. The fact that we are not married in the federal sense means that if I were to die, he’d have to pay all these taxes on my estate and receive but a fraction of it and he’d have to alter his life —whereas if we were married, he wouldn’t have to face that burden. That’s disgusting. It’s wrong. But that said, I think I am in favor of terming what I’m talking about as a civil partnership. We all get so caught up with this word marriage. For me, the word marriage is something that a religion should decide. Just give me all the same rights. A civil partnership is what I’d like for everyone—heterosexual as well as homosexual. Call it what you like—it’s the rights that are important. Getting hung up with the semantics derails the cause we’re all fighting for.

It really resonated with me, because that is exactly the way that people should view it. If the word marriage makes it such a sticky and religious issue, take “marriage” out of it. Give us the rights, you can keep the religious mumbo jumbo; we don’t want that part of it anyway. Additionally, the government shouldn’t back religious practices anyway, so if this will get us equal rights, I am all for it.

I for one, am sick and tired of someone holding up a book and determining what rights I get to have because of what that book may or may not have told them to believe as the truth; the same book that also told them to love thy neighbor, and not pass judgment. Wrapping civil rights up in religious institutions is not only wrong, it is unconstitutional. When will our government take a stand, and stand up for us?

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: november 6

by  •  • 2 Comments

Making a triumphant return to its regularly scheduled day, the 5 Song Friday is back with some great new music for you this week. Let’s just dive right in, shall we?

Chase & Status – End Credits
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_116_chaseandstatus-endcredits.mp3]
Holy mother of drum & bass, Batman!! Seriously, if you are a fan of drum & bass, this may be your new anthem. The track is immensely beautiful in its execution. I haven’t followed drum & bass since I was in high school, so I was quite surprised when I heard a drum & bass song on the radio; although it was BBC Radio 1, which kind of makes sense (they play a lot of stuff that “mainstream radio” wouldn’t touch). Since hearing it, I have been clamoring to get this track so I could feature it on a 5SF; this song is HUGE. I especially love the elegant melody, beautiful vocal, sharp snare, and full bass; you really need to do yourself a favor and listen to it with a really good set of speakers, because the bass really commands the true grandness of this song. I had personally never heard of Chase & Status before hearing this, but I am all ears now; especially if they keep making music this brilliant.

The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_116_theavettbrothers-iandloveandyou.mp3]
I heard some buzz about these guys, and after noticing they were fellow beard enthusiasts, I looked (and listened) a little more at what they had to offer. After hearing this track, I have to say that I am glad that I gave their music a listen. This song is an excellent example of how simplicity and beauty in the arrangement, coupled with strong imagery and beautiful vocals can make for truly amazing music. I especially love the sincerity of the line that is the namesake of the song, Three words that became hard to say/I and love and you, and the way in which the singer delivers it. If for no other reason than that line, I LOVE this song; sometimes, an attention to detail is all it takes for me to fall head over heels with something, and that has certainly happened in this case.

Matt Alber – Walk With Me
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_116_mattalber-walkwithme.mp3]
What can I say; I’m a sucker for a beautiful man with a beautiful voice. I have posted a few songs from Matt Alber’s debut, Monarch, in the past, and just this week, I stumbled back onto his album, and I couldn’t resist posting about him again. The tonal quality of his voice literally makes me weak in the knees, and the delicate way in which he weaves in and out of those harmonies is magical. I have my hopes that there will be a new album from Matt very soon. As I said in the past, his debut was kind of a conflict for me, because there are some AMAZING songs on it, but there are more than a couple filler tracks that really drug it down. That being said, when you go back and listen to the stand out numbers, those tracks show a level of talent and an beacon of extremely great promise from this out gay artist. When he nails it, he does so beautifully and effortlessly; and boy does he nail it with this song.

Melee – Can’t Hold On
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/melee-cantholdon.mp3]
Here’s another blast from the not-so-distant past; Melee’s amazing debut album, Devils and Angels made my top ten of 2007, coming in firmly at number 7. I recently stumbled back onto this great track from their debut while my ipod was on shuffle, which got me wondering what these guys are up to these days. A little searching on the internets, and I was able to track down their twitter; which seems to be about the only place they are currently active on the net (at least they are still doing stuff, and haven’t unceremoniously broken up/moved on!!). This song still maintains the freshness it did the first time I heard it, and it was nice to pay some attention to these fellas again; it has been too long, and I need some more Melee in my life. Here’s hoping a new album comes our way in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, soak up the amazingness of this gem.

The Refreshments – Banditos
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_116_therefreshments-banditos.mp3]
This is the song that almost got away. You may recall, that quite some time ago, I had a revival of 90’s songs that I loved back in the day, and I never managed to rediscover all of them due to how much time had passed, and the fading of distant memories. I remember loving this song imensely when I was in high school, and I could vaguely remember that there was a pin up girl on the cover, but I could never remember the name or any of the words of the song. That drove me crazy. I had all but given up finding this elusive track, when this past week, James and I were out to dinner, and it started playing in the restaurant. I couldn’t believe it! Suddenly, it all came rushing back, and I downloaded this great song as soon as I got home. I couldn’t resist posting this today, because re-finding this song was just too perfect not to share. I just love how random life can be sometimes!

What did you think of the Friday five this week? Anything you want to see featured here that you are listening to, but I seem to keep missing? Please, let me know! Have a great weekend, and keep the music playing!!

civil rights, is it just me?, politics, that is so gay, tragic, venting, well?, wtf?!

Maine votes against gay marriage: some thoughts

by  •  • 8 Comments

Yesterday, Maine’s vote sent a(nother) clear message to me: gay people do not matter to the majority of Americans. I am sure that many will argue that this is not the position of most Americans, but the message is too clear to ignore. Our civil rights are constantly up for debate, and constantly, we have them taken away. I cannot interpret that as anything other than a message that we do not matter; this society does not see fit to grant us the same rights and liberties as the rest of Americans.

It’s interesting, because this same society gladly takes our tax money, our contributions to society, and expects us to serve our country, but people continue to pass laws that reflect whether or not they feel “comfortable” with the “idea” of us getting married? Um, how does that work? That’s not just “unfair”, it’s un-American.

Isn’t the constitution supposed to grant freedom; not take it away? Additionally, isn’t the constitution supposed to protect us from the government making decisions about whether or not to strip us of our civil rights? Where are the values and principles that represent the underlying foundation of this nation? They are glaringly absent when you look at any vote for or against anyone’s civil rights. This bears repeating: voting for or against anyone’s rights goes against the very foundation of this country. We are all supposed to be free and equal. By putting this up for a vote, more than half of the people in Maine have gone against the foundation of our nation, and have made it clear that they feel as if it is okay to make the decision against gay people being equal.

Again, how does this make sense?

Every time we vote for or against the civil rights of any group of people in this country, especially minorities, we are sending a clear message that their rights do not matter. No one should ever have to campaign to have the popular vote determine whether or not they can have the same rights as everyone else. It’s just plain wrong.

Shame on 53% of Maine voters for believing that their opinion matters more than the rights of gays and lesbians living in Maine. Since this isn’t the first, and it will not be the last time that our rights are in the hands of those that wish to discriminate, I also say shame on any American who thinks that their opinion matters more than someone’s civil rights.

One final thing. In looking for the results of the vote this morning, I came across this article, and I have to comment on the quote from Jeff Flint:

Voters have a pretty good grasp about what they think marriage should be. It’s not that they’re discriminatory or bigoted. They just draw the line at what they think marriage should be.

Um, what? I’m sorry, but I will never allow anyone who says bullshit like this to have a free pass. If you are against gay marriage, you are against it because of discrimination; that is what you voted on. You voted specifically in order to discriminate against gay people. Jeff, just because you are able to some how twist your illogical thoughts into what you consider rational doesn’t not get you off the hook. You represent a discriminatory body of Americans that have “values” and beliefs that are most certainly based on bigotry. You can’t take away someone’s rights and say that you did it for “personal reasons” or “personal beliefs”, and then in the same breath say, “but I have nothing against them”. Perhaps he should actually look up the word discrimination, because I don’t think he understands the concept.

Perhaps he, and others like him, should keep their opinions to themselves, and stop using them to determine whether or not someone else should or should not have equal rights. Feel free to define marriage however you want; just don’t decide how I, or anyone else, has access to my civil rights.

concerts, flickr, hotness, music musings, photography

Mat Kearney at Center Stage, October 16, 2009

by  •  • 0 Comments

Well, this is a definitely a few weeks overdue, but I have had good excuses: I have definitely been busy. But enough about that; let’s get to my Mat Kearney concert experience.

Overall, the concert was great. Mat sounds amazing live, and totally delivers in concert. He probably played all of his songs from his first album, as well as his new album (which is amazing, btw). I couldn’t have wished for a better performance.
Mat Kearney @ Center Stage, ATL 10/16/09
I got a lot of great pictures of Mat, and even a few good ones of his crazy hot guitar player that was to the left of him; in fact, all of the backing band members were cute and bearded (which was definitely an added bonus). You can check out the whole set on flickr.

One cool thing that happened during his set, was when he was singing a song, and started to get down off of the stage to lean over and touch people’s hands: surprisingly, instead of just shaking hands and what not, he jumped off the stage into the crowd and ran right past us!! You could tell that no one was expecting it, because instead of rushing up to him, people just ran away from him. It was kind of funny, actually, because you would have expected the opposite. I managed to get a very paparazzi shot of the moment he was closest to me. Neat stuff indeed. I think it added to the whole concert, because he was clearly having fun because of the crowd. I did think that he was a bit cocky with expecting everyone to know the words to all of his songs, because near the end of the show, he pretty much just held up the microphone to the crowd for like 15 minutes. While that was a little annoying, it didn’t distract from how good the rest of the show was.

Since it was at a standing room only venue (Center Stage), I just knew that I would encounter some of those “we are entitled to walk to the front and stand in front of you because we are better people just because we are” people, and low and behold, about an hour into the show, they tried to push their way up in front of us. The best, though, was that they ended up in front of the people in front of me, and they were very vocal about their disapproval; they left after like 2 songs. I just don’t understand why people have that sense of entitlement. If you want to stand in the front, do like we did; get there early, and wait it out. If not, don’t complain when someone doesn’t want you to come up in front of them and stand there; we put in the time, so we deserve to be up front… you don’t. /rant

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SS: october 31

by  •  • 0 Comments

So here’s the deal: I was extremely busy all week trying to get my school work finished so I could enjoy this weekend without worrying about how to fit all of that work in with my Pride/Halloween plans. I managed to finish everything yesterday, but the 5SF got cut because of it. However, there are NO rules against doing it a day late! So here’s the first, and hopefully last 5SS; 5SF’s will go back to their regularly scheduled day after this week! Now, let’s get to the music!

The Saturdays – Here Standing
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_thesaturdays-herestanding.mp3]
I know that I was gushing about how Lose Control was the best song on the new album by the Saturdays, and while it is AMAZING, I think I might have been wrong. THIS is the best song their new album. It is amazing. It evokes the same feeling of another amazing track, No Air, and has me breathless after each listen. I still cannot get over how amazing their sophomore album is; it is even better that their debut (which was stellar, btw). The Saturdays have made some brilliant pop, and this is sitting pretty atop the rest right now; this song is epic, and totally beautiful. I am PRAYING that they release this as a single, because there is no way that it wouldn’t be number one. Seriously, this song is EPIC. BRILLIANT. AMAZING. LOTS OF WORDS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. This record is amazing, and I can’t seem to say it enough.

Kaci Battaglia – Crazy Possessive
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_kacibattaglia-crazypossessive.mp3]
WARNING: This song says fuck in it like 65 times; you have been warned. I opted not to go for the radio-friendly version, because I love the tenacity with which she screams fuck in each threatening line of the chorus. This song is a total guilty pleasure, one that uses an arrangement that borrows heavily from Soft Cell’s Tainted Love; but it is almost as if she borrowed the arrangement from Rihanna’s SOS, which borrowed its arrangement from Soft Cell. Interesting. The result is a great back beat with a fierce song about fucking up a bitch who comes after your man. Don’t fuck with Kaci; she’ll cut a bitch!

Ke$ha – TiK ToK
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_kesha-tiktok.mp3]
GUILTY PLEASURE ALERT: I resisted the shit out of this song. No way was I going to concede and like someone who thought it was cute to spell her name with a dollar sign in it. However, far too many of you suggested this song to me to ignore it any longer; and what better time to post it during Pride weekend. This song is a true banger, and I am sure that it will be loved by gay boys all over; including this one. Yes ladies and gents, I give in. I love this ghetto fabulous track by Miss Kesha… I’m sorry, I mean Ke$ha. Ugh, I still don’t like that, though. Also, what the hell is up with the line, Now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger/But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger? Someone needs to let this little cutie know that she can do better than guys that look like tired old Mick. I’m just saying; Ke$ha, don’t sell yourself short, doll.

Cascada – Evacuate the Dancefloor
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_cascada-evacuatethedancefloor.mp3]
LOOK! IT’S THE GAYEST VERSION OF JUST DANCE SINCE JUST DANCE! Seriously, I tried really hard not to like this complete rip on Lady GaGa’s amazing first single, Just Dance, but I just couldn’t resist. Cascada has danced her way into my heart again, and I just can’t resist any longer. Yes, this song is pretty much a spot on remake of Just Dance; it follows the exact same formula that Lady GaGa perfected with Just Dance. However, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery? If that’s the case, Cascada LOVES her some Lady GaGa, and she made this little homage so we could all get out on the floor and keep the dance party going. I have been playing this one for a few months now, probably way more often than I should, and I thought it was perfect for a Pride 5SF, so here it is. You win again, Cascada! Gays rejoice! Dance music for the masses!!

Lisa Scott-Lee – Electric
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_1031_lisascott-lee-electric.mp3]
Oh how much I love Lisa Scott-Lee; let me count the ways… a song consisting of nothing but hyper sexual double entendres, the fact that she was in the amazing pop super group Steps, and THIS… oh Lisa. This song should have been a massive hit when it was released back in 2005, but probably due to the stink that was still left on everyone’s mind about the break up of Steps, it tanked. She probably shouldn’t have promised to quit the music business if it failed, but she did, and well, it did. Regardless of the stink that surrounded this song, I have always loved it, and wanted to feature it this week; especially since I have been paying more deserved attention since reviving it during the British pop explosion I did a few weeks back. I have say, I do think it’s interesting (as D’Luv pointed out last year) that this song got cloned and turned out to be a moderate hit for Ms. Jackson, which I guess speaks to cyclical nature of the music biz. I hope the Lisa Scott-Lee reemerges someday and gives another brilliant pop gem like this one. I know of at least a couple other gay boys that would be rejoicing right along with me.

Well, I want to apologize for getting this to you a day late, but it’s better late than never. I couldn’t go another week without giving you something to listen to. I hope that everyone has a happy Halloween, and a very happy Pride weekend if you are in Atlanta. Let me know what you thought of this week’s selections, and as always, tell me what you are listening to as well! Take care!

civil rights, hmm interesting, is it just me?, music musings, near and dear, politics, show the love, that is so gay, venting, wtf?!, you tube

a (queer) monday menagerie

by  •  • 4 Comments

– Pride in Atlanta is this weekend, and I am kind of excited about being able to celebrate Pride weekend without the heat of June, and hopefully, without the torrential downpours that usually came along with it. Anyone going besides me?

– This blog post about the (possibly diminished) potentiality of Adam Lambert’s success in the American conservative driven music market is a great read. When a queer artist doesn’t make it in the US music market, it’s difficult not to tie that to the fact that they are gay; especially when they can only be described as stellar (like him or not, Adam can really sing). If you look at artists like Will Young, Scissor Sisters, Mika, Westlife, and other queer artists that are hugely famous overseas that never get radio play here in the states, it gets even harder to not draw those same conclusions. While it was pretty clear that Adam lost American Idol because he was gay, as middle America was probably risking burning their houses down from all the rotary dialing in order to prevent that queer from beating the little straight guy, I hope that his sexuality doesn’t ruin his music career before it even starts. The boy is extremely talented, and I hope that he finds the success he deserves. Even more so, I wish American’s had more brains than they do drive to stamp out things they don’t understand, or things they equate to different, and therefore wrong.

– This makes me want to puke. Seriously? Censoring a children’s book because a character has two moms? What the fuck is offensive about SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE? Seriously, people that believe that this type of scenario is in any way offensive or “harming to them” needs to walk over and tell me in person so I can slap in the face like the fools they are. Seriously people, gay people and gay families are normal. Deal with it. If you want to “shelter” your child and your family from it, kindly pick up and go live in a shack in the woods where you won’t bother the rest of society, okay? (h/t to the the amazing jacksonpearce)

– Kind of related to the children’s book mentioned above, Towleroad reported about a gay family that made a video, acting out a book that is also getting a lot of negative attention because two princes get married and live happily ever after. This book is being slandered to spread hate in the Yes on One anti-gay marriage campaign in Maine. Here’s their video:

Not only was this video incredibly adorable, but they have made many more, using their family as a beautiful example of what is normal about gay families. I want to personally applaud those guys for what they are doing. Gay families are normal families, and the people behind these horrible campaigns like Prop 8, and now Prop 1 in Maine, should really take a look and see who’s lives they are messing with. The hypocrisy behind anyone saying they are anti-gay marriage because of “family values”, “morality”, and “protection of marriage” when everything they are doing against gay marriage is in spite of those very things, drives me insane. When will people learn to just butt out of our lives, and stop seeing who we are as offensive to them; especially when it has NO IMPACT on them in any way?

all about me, civil rights, happenings, listen up!, politics, that is so gay

no 5SF this week, but some great news

by  •  • 0 Comments

As you may notice, there is no five song Friday occupying its regular slot this week; I have had a really bad week (from being sick to the hot water heater woes to school work overload), so I am taking a break. I need to write up my concert experience from Mat Kearney last Friday at the Center Stage (it was amazing), and edit like a million pictures I took at the show too, but I just don’t have any energy. Being sick is not something I do well, and hopefully, I will be back to full strength soon enough.

Hopefully, my weekend will be better than my week was.

With that being said, there is some great news that may signal a good weekend ahead: The Senate approved the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes bill on Thursday. While it bothers me somewhat that there were 29 who voted against it, I am more than happy this important legislation passed through the senate, and is on its way to becoming the real deal when Obama hopefully signs it into law. For those naysayers, I hope that you understand that the reason why it is important, is because these safe guards are already afforded to everyone else EXCEPT gay people. This is a real step in the direction towards gay people having equal civil rights, and it should be celebrated. Here’s to civil rights and equality for all… including gay people!!