Imperial Teen delivers on the promise of the title of the band’s new studio album Now We Are Timeless (Merge), its first in seven years and its sixth overall. The aptly named second track, “We Do What We Do Best,” almost says it all when it comes to the ten tracks on the album. There are synthesizers, danceable beats, a variety of vocal harmonies, and a blend of humorous and serious messages. The current running through the irresistible opener “I Think That’s Everything” is au courant. “Walkaway” arrives on a sexy dance-pop strut, while “Parade” marches boldly forward, and “Somebody […]
More Than 50 Shades
The road to Bravo’s Project Runway hasn’t been as glamorous as you might think for fan favorite contestant Sebastian Grey. He gave up a career in Colombia and arrived in the US, where he worked as a housekeeper in a hotel. Something good did come of that – it’s where he met his husband Matthew. Additionally, he applied to compete on “Project Runway,” where his sewing skills, solid work ethic, and talent landed him a spot in the final four. Fort Lauderdale resident Grey was kind enough to answer a few questions in advance of the Season 17 finale. Gregg […]
Team Player
The importance of queercore band Team Dresch cannot be overstated. The all-female Portland band, known for its quest for inclusivity, as well as acceptance of every gender and sexuality, debuted around the same time as the similarly feminist-minded Riot Grrrl scene that was also exploding in the Pacific Northwest. Along with contemporaries such as Sleater-Kinney, Tribe 8, Bikini Kill, and Heavens to Betsy, Team Dresch also offered listeners an alternative to the testosterone-fueled sound of the straight male-dominated grunge sound. To commemorate the anniversary of the release of Team Dresch’s highly regarded albums Personal Best and Captain My Captain, both […]
Maybe Stars in His Eyes
Queer singer/songwriter Bobby Jo Valentine is that rare out artist who isn’t shy about his faith. Raised in the church, Valentine has found a way to make those two sometimes conflicting aspects of his life work in harmony. For instance, the live performance schedule on his website (in July at the time of this interview) includes dates at both Pride festivals and churches. Talk about versatility! One thing’s for sure, chances are good that you will hear Valentine singing songs from his luminous new album Maybe Stars (BobbyJoValentine.com). Gregg Shapiro: Bobby Jo, when did you begin playing guitar and how […]
Girl Talk
Singer / songwriter Garrison Starr, a Grammy-nominee for her songwriting work on Margaret Cho’s American Myth album, is back in a big way. Girl I Used to Be, Starr’s highly-anticipated new album, is scheduled for release later this year. Working once again with producer Neilson Hubbard, Starr recorded the album in Nashville over the course of five days. Before the album is released, Starr is heading out on tour with fellow Tennessean Lolo on the “Tennessee Queens” tour during the summer months. I had the pleasure of catching up with her shortly before the tour began. Gregg Shapiro: In order […]
Hell, Yes
Since the late 1990s, queer singer / songwriter Erin McKeown has been making a name for herself as a distinguished performer with a rich and pure distinctive vocal style. McKeown expanded her creative horizons with the stage musical Miss You Like Hell, a collaboration with Quiara Alegría Hudes, for which she wrote the music and lyrics. As you can hear on Miss You Like Hell: Original Cast Recording (Ghostlight), the play is about the reunion between troubled mother and undocumented immigrant Beatriz (Daphne Rubin-Vega), who is facing the prospect of deportation, and her teenaged daughter Olivia (Gizel Jiménez) and the […]
You’ll Love Lucy
The breathtaking Historian (Matador) by out singer / songwriter Lucy Dacus was present near the top of several “best albums of 2018” lists, and rightfully so. You’d never guess listening to Historian that it is only Dacus’s second album. In her early 20s, Dacus is one of those wise beyond her years artists whose songs are sure to strike a chord with listeners from all walks of life. Her talents weren’t limited to her own album, as she collaborated with queer singer / songwriter Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, forming the trio Boygenius and releasing an acclaimed six-song eponymous EP […]
Health & Happiness
We may only be a few months into the new year, but it’s safe to say that Health (FatCat) by gay singer/songwriter C Duncan will find a place on my 2019 best-of list at the end of the year. At turns gorgeous (the title track, “Care” and “He Came from the Sun”), undeniably danceable (“Pulses & Rain,” “Impossible”), irresistibly retro (“Stuck Here with You” and “Somebody Else’s Home”) and sometimes all three at once (“Talk Talk Talk” and “Holiday Home”), Health is music that is good for you. I spoke with Duncan about the album shortly before its March 2019 […]
Bob Mould Wants to Sunshine Rock
For fans of gay indie rock legend Bob Mould, whose solo albums have borne titles such as Black Sheets of Rain and Beauty & Ruin, the name of his latest, Sunshine Rock (Merge), might come as something of a surprise. But it’s a completely fitting moniker, especially since the sun rises in the names of four of the record’s songs. Sonically, the album is also more radiant, a deliberate shift on the part of the man also known for his previous bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar. But fear not, there is still plenty of loud, crackling guitar on Sunshine Rock. […]
They Will Rock You
First things first, for all of those concerned about the way that Freddie Mercury’s homosexuality is depicted in the Bryan Singer’s Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, you can relax. From the minute you first see Mercury, played brilliantly by Rami Malek (complete with prosthetic teeth), there is no doubt that the king of Queen was, in fact, a queen. Yes, his relationship with “fiancée” Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton) gets a fair amount of screen time. But, so do his same-sex attractions, from being cruised by a trucker outside of a men’s room to his relationships with manager Paul (Allen Leech) and […]