He's still as dirty and sexy as always. Tacky, Trashy, and totally fuckable. Love him.
Enjoy two older tracks below.
Disgusting footage out of Minneapolis from their Gay Pride fest as two men walking from the event are harassed by a group of Somali Kids. I have to share my own experience here, for a few years I worked at a coffee shop that had an unexpectedly become the new hangout of a large group of Somali and Ethiopian men who met daily to discuss politics, finances, the weather, and practice English. They were an awesome group of men who ranged in age from early 20's to late 60's . But there was another side to some of the guys as well. My husband was in and out of the shop a lot and we got dirty looks from several guys. One man refused to let me serve him coffee due to my hebrew star tattoos being visible and called me "a dirty Jew". I heard that from another guy as well ... every time I walked past him he muttered at me until one of the cool guys told him to shut up he wasn't in Somalia anymore and things were different here. I've had this happen with other new immigrant groups in Portland as well. We have a large Eastern European (Russian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian mostly) and the churches they attend spout a torrent of racist and homophobic hate-speech ad nauseam. It angers me that when forced from their homeland due to violence and intolerance so many immigrants come to the United States and try to recreate their own village mentality and then enforce it on others, often through intolerance and violence -I say this as the product of immigrants.
I really am disturbed though by these kids , who in all probability are native born here in the States shouting things like "I hate Gay People" "Gay is not the way" and "Black Power" seemingly incapable of understanding that all gay people are not caucasian.
Kim Gordon hands-down is one of my biggest and earliest influences as an artist, a musician, a feminist and all around human being. I had secret teenage dreams she and Thurston Moore would tell me I was their long lost child and whisk me away (sorry mom- I grew out of it) Check out what the "elder stateswoman of alternarock" has to say about men, women, her life and rock and roll survival to the Times UK:
Kim Gordon, 56, is the singer and guitarist in Sonic Youth, who have just released their 16th album, The Eternal. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband and bandmate, Thurston Moore, and their daughter, Coco, 14
- I went to quite an extreme progressive school and left not understanding about competition or grades.
- I wasn’t exactly a hedonist when I was younger, but I rebelled early and got it out of my system. It was things like hiking to Malibu and getting stoned. I had an older brother who was a bad example.
- My mother was a seamstress. I abhorred sewing, but she always bought my clothes in thrift stores and adapted them, hence my eclectic dressing.
- The band has been together for 28 years. We have survived by becoming more aware of what bickering is — that’s what being a band is: bickering. You have to get over it.
- I don’t feel old. Most people don’t think of themselves as the age they are. It’s different when you don’t work nine to five. Asking when I’ll retire is like saying, “When are you turning your brain off?”
- The idea of women empowering themselves by becoming sexual objects is backward. It seemed brilliant at one point, but it had really bad ramifications. Things lose their context so quickly.
- It’s intense being with your husband all the time. I try not to think about it too much on tour — it’s not a good time to analyse. It can be hard to recognise why someone is acting bad.
- Rock’n’roll? To me, the idea of being a junkie is so passé. [Thurston and I] are into creative things — they strengthen us.
- It’s harder to eat so much now I’m older — I’m a little heavier than I should be. But I don’t stress out about it. Touring is so strenuous, it’s like a spa tour.
(via TIMES.UK)
... The Eternal, Sonic Youth's latest record is one of the best records of the year amazing raucous rock record from start to finish they keep getting better and better! Check out my review here!
Some people may know, others do not, but it's been a very challenging year for me so far. Filled with great pains, and some amazing joys. In the last 6 months : We have been embroiled in a criminal court case, and now victorious from that a civil action against those who falsely arrested and tormented my husband Taylor; had a long time friend and (former) collaborator go completely bat-shit crazy, try to kill herself, get better, relapse and carve up her face and body with a kitchen knife before attacking me and calling the cops on her mother and I for trying to get her help; my band released a new record; my mother had a minor heart attack and 6 days later her ex husband (my father) passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle and crashed into a tree; I'm applying to graduate school at the same university I have spent my savings suing ; My family lost a close friend who was like family- a 40 year old to cancer (you are missed Celeste!)I rescued an adorable abused kitten and my mother adopted him and nursed him back to health; I got legally RDPed (registered Domestic Partnered to my longtime love-3 years after we exchanged rings- our 6 year anniversary is in the fall); fond new inspiration and focus for my career while found exciting new avenues opening up for me as I began to get artistic recognition... and it's just fucking JUNE... So dear 2009, enough already. Today I awoke to my mother calling to tell me my uncle was injured in a freak accident that lead to a jet ski exploding and his being taken via Lifeflight chopper to a burn center hours away...
Okay I get it we are cursed can we have a do over?
This is my new favorite waste of time!! My husband has bubblegum-goth tendencies and my band recently was galled goth-pop so I guess these are supposedly my people(?)
Oh Anderson, you gloriously hot silver fox did you really just say this? Did I hear you right? Check out this bizarre anecdote during to Campbell Brown during Anderson Cooper 360's coverage of the death of Michael Jackson.
"When I was 10, for some odd reason, I went to Studio 54 with Michael Jackson and a bunch of people and I had no idea who he was and I saw him dance and I was like, Oh, that guy is a really good dancer. Why I was at Studio 54 is a whole other story... Child welfare authorities probably want to talk to my mom."
After the cult classic Donnie Darko made a star of it's writer-director anticipation was high for his follow up, the under-appreciated David Lynch-homage sci-fi epic Southland Tales. Now comes his third feature The Box. Cameron Diaz must have the best agent ever and a deal with the devil to keep getting in edgy fair like this after her 8 million bad rom-coms. James Marsden keeps making it impossible not to love him and Frank Langella looks fucking terrifying in this. A deceptively simple premise gets a complete neo-surrealist make-over : A couple get a box with a button. You have 24 hours to decide- Push the button someone you don't know dies, and you get a million dollars....
oh but pesky morals and intrigue ensue Take a look inside THE BOX!
I want to be Grace Jones when I grow up! the 60ish Grace (who's new album Hurricane is AMAZING!!!!! as I've stated here before.) Check out Grace freakin' Hula hooping all the way through a recent performance of here classic Slave to the Rhythm.
So by now many people have seen the terrifying video of The Manifested Glory Ministries Church of Bridgeport, Connecticut performing on a 16 year old boy (whom when accused of child abuse the church claimed was 18, until the boy confirmed he was in fact just 16). I tried to find the full video but it keeps getting yanked down so i found their local news coverage that shows a clip of it and it sickens me to my core. Take a look.
This is a perfect example of willful ignorance and bigotry masquerading as religion and everything that is wrong with America, making us no better than the nations across the globe we revile for their human rights violations.
“Rip it from his throat! Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer! Come out of his belly...It's in the belly - push.”I'm Jewish, but I'm pretty damn certain that Jesus taught love and compassion and these so-called Christians have none. This isnot misguided love and concern-this is torture and manipulation.
According to CNN.com Michael is now in a coma. How many of us feel sorry for Janet?
Entertainer Michael Jackson was taken to a hospital on Thursday in cardiac arrest, sources briefed on the situation told CNN. Fire Capt. Steve Ruda told CNN a 911 call came in from a west Los Angeles residence at 12:21 p.m.
Quote from CNN.com
Still waiting for more details.
The L.A.Times are still saying he is dead.
Michael Jackson is dead [Updated]
2:06 PM | June 25, 2009
[Updated at 3:15 p.m.: Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.]
This story taken from TMZ.com directly. More to come from us. Ok, new reports say that he is in a coma. Crap, not dead. Yet.According to TMZ.COM Michael Jackson is DEAD!
Michael Jackson Dies
We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.
Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.
A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived.
Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.
We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911.
La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.
Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
Story developing...
Nomi Ruiz, the trans singer of Hercules and Love Affair along with Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley (also of Herculeas and Love Affair) have formed a side project Jessica 6 , named after the female lead in the over sexed stylish sci-fi classic Logan's Run
There is nothing sexy about fast food. Seriously. Yet that has not stopped Burger King and Quiznos among others (Carl's Junior I'm looking at you-well actually I'm not because your adverts are repulsive) from making increasingly sexually implicit adverts that range from groan to gag inducing.
The sexually suggestive , slightly bossy bottom sandwich oven actually says "Put it in me Scott" to the hottie in clip below. I don't want the "toasty torpedo" but Scott could stop by sometime.
Angry, contentious and articulately insightful as ever Camille Paglia serves up some fresh controversy on everything from Heather has Two Mommies, Obama and why lesbian relationships might not be as realistic long term as those for gay men.
So apparently some people do in fact know the power of gay-dollars and marketing. Check out this sexy gay-themed advert for the upcoming Vampire-con , a fantasy Vampire convention in Hollywood in August. If only this is what the attendees looked like. I, being a life long dyed in the wool comic book nerd, as well as having written the graphic novel Godless, have been to many a comic book convention- it's rarely this hot.
Often times in the summer crush of release dates a film gets overlooked or lost in the shuffle. Drag Me to Hell the return to horror from director Sam Rami after a YEARS long absence from the genre directing the Spiderman films is one such example. It opened opposite Star Trek for god's sake. So I finally got around to seeing it at Taylor's suggestion. We called up our equally horror loving friend Arisa and went to see if this could make me forgive him for Spiderman 3 . WOW , did it ever.
The story itself is simple enough Christine (a well cast Allison Lohman-replacing Ellen Page who dropped out of the project post oscar nom for Juno-poor move Ellen), a well meaning southern girl living in California with a professor of psychology boyfriend (Justin Long) with a rising position as a loan officer at her bank. When she makes the call to deny a mortgage extension to a soon to be foreclosed old gypsy woman (against her better judgment I might add) the woman curses her . After three days of demonic torment , a vicious and destructive demon will come and Drag her to Hell( get it?). What ensues is a frantic 3 day fright fest of LOUD noises, nightmarish gross out gags and more icky laughs than you can imagine. Vomiting bugs, exploding bloody noses, and a bad ass throw down involving a possessed goat ensue. The film is timely in it's critic of mortgages and the banking system and funny and scary in equal measures. It's also the most fun schlocky film of its kind since Grindhouse opened two years ago. It's charming to see a horror film that remembers to not take itself so damn seriously and its a comedy that is actually funny. the trailer is terrifying but I promise the film is a blast!
Tim Burton is set to unleash his distinct vision of Alice in Wonderland/ Alice's adventures through the looking glass which i have to admit I'm pretty damn excited to see. It's a mixture of Live action (check out the cast here), CGI animation and 3D technology . It looks absolutely astounding. Check out these beautiful and typical Burton-esque character photos below. And yes yes, His Wife Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp (the god father to their kids) are in this . Get over it. When you are working on a film you want someone on set you know and love.
Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter Helena Bonham Carter - The Queen of Hearts
Anne Hathaway- the White Queen Matt Lucas- Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
Ok um.. where to start here. Well the negative. I fucking hate nearly every second of this video, but that's not really Colton's fault. The text-ugh-the ripped off super-hero make-up from that Will Young Video-whatever Hate it... I do sorta adore him, a sweet guy a totally hot muscle daddy, a porn star turned pop star turned semi-legit actor, he can actually sing quite well. I just wish He could get decent agent that would tweak his marketing a little cause it's a little one note. Yes Yes he used to be a porn star. We know, but if you are going to move on, move on. I actually think with a good producer and a better PR team he could sell really well.
Ok as for covering R.E.M. fantastic break-up classic as a Gay disco romp- questionable... but I didn't hate it. I actually though wow, this kinda works. Good for you Colton.
But serious KEEP YOUR FUCKING CLOTHES ON... I can't believe I'm saying that , I'm usually not one to encourage that in a man but seriously. If you want to be taken seriously as anything more than a circuit party music, keep your damn pants on okay?
It's too little too late- after that disastrously offensive Justice department brief on DOMA the Obama administration backtracked a millimeter and threw us a ceremonial bone. Gee I-can't- believe-it's-not-full-rights-and-benefits, if you will, benefits minus all the ones that really matter like pension and health care. I have had it with HRC's political ass kissing and celeb stance. Joe Solmonese makes 225K a year to stand up for gay rights and instead just rolls over and takes it with a smile. He's nothing but a fence straddling media whore. Our News anchors below are more articulate and more righteously (and rightly!) angry about the abuse to the gay community than the PAID leader of the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN! Done! over you.
I'm not donating to HRC again while Solmonese is the head, I've got soo little funds that if I'm going to give i want them to do some actual good and if I'm throwing money away to get fucked over by those we pay to help us I might as well buy lube.
People, do not allow this to continue. Voice your opinions. Write your congress person, our president, our LGBT community leaders, become a leader yourself. It's time to take to the streets and demand action, to take action, to cause ACTION! We deserve our rights, RIGHT NOW.
(It's my hubby! Taylor Vineyard and unidentified Pride Puppy)
Hey Portland folks (and all our other readers world wide) check out local Stumptown photographer-for-hire Rosemary Ragusa's gay themed blog Mon Amour Photography Love is Love to see some choice pics from Portland's unseasonably early Gay Pride.
(Taylor Vineyard, Me!, Brooke last name withheld to add air of mystery and Matthew Kern )
I make no bones about Dan Savage being a major hero of mine (and a total heartthrob having met him a few times now) but this is brilliant on another level. This actually makes far more sense than the March for Equality, which admittedly I want to attend.
As a Obama supporter I am furious at the Obama White House over the DOMA Brief and it's repugnant homophobic language. I am fed up with my friends who are gay serving YEARS of their lives in silence for the military, a calling they love, living in fear that if someone discovers their partner, or even if they attempt to date they can be tossed out, pensions lost , and in increasingly frequency asked to repay the money spent on their training. SHAME on America. I'm tired of peoples reactions being , well the economy is bad and he's better than McCAin/Palin. That thinking is is a fool's errand. Think of all the money "gay" marriage (I prefer the term marriage equality these days) would put into the economy, both locally and nationally. Dresses, tuxedos, cakes, flowers, music, invitations, registry, hall rentals, vacations, airline tickets, cruise packages, hotel stays, catering, gifts gifts gifts! Hell I'm a registered domestic partner and quite frankly that is NOT good enough. Every time we leave the state of Oregon where we live we run the risk of being denied access to each other if god forbid we end up in an accident in a hospital, We are forced to fill out federal forms stating single while wearing our wedding rings. So I say it's time we stand up. I say we follow dan's plan or as I've alternately put forth EVERY LGBTQ community member and ally STOP PAYING your State and Federal Taxes. That should get their attention. Sure it's a bluff but if there was a MASS absence of Queer Dollars next April TRUST me some one would take notice. in the mean time check out our Danny boy's brilliant plan.
Read Dan's full plan here!
But here's a excerpt:
Here's the idea: one gay or lesbian couple—a couple currently denied their rights under DOMA—shows up at the entrance to the White House grounds. A different couple every day. They ask to speak to the president about DOMA. They're refused. They sit down. They refuse to leave. They're arrested, carried away by the police. Couples would be recruited from all over the country, demonstrating that gay marriage isn't just an issue in liberal California or godless New England, and the media in each couple's home city and state would be notified in advance of their arrest. The occasional famous couple—Rosie and Kelli? Ellen and Portia?—would participate to pull in celeb media. But most of the couples who come to D.C. to get arrested would be average folks. The couples would need support, legal and logistical, and we would need someone to organize media outreach and maintain a website. The website would include a photo and profile of each couple that comes to D.C. to get arrested, collect all the press, and be used to recruit couples willing to travel to D.C. and get arrested.
The action would be small scale—it would be human scale—and it would go on and on and on. It would demonstrate better than another gay march just how seriously we take this issue: we take it seriously that we're willing to travel to D.C. and get arrested. It wouldn't be a one-day event that the White House could ignore or bluff its way through with some lame statement about its "commitment" to ending DOMA. The couples would keep coming. Every day an arrest. Drip, drip, drip. Members of the White House press corps would see couples getting arrested every day on their way to work. Gibbs would be forced to address DOMA on a near-daily basis. The president would be asked about the issue again and again.
(Via the Stranger)
Civilization, a video mural created by artist Marco Brambilla was recently installed in the elevator bay of the New York City Standard Hotel, depicting your journey from hell to heaven as the floors go by. Made of more than 400 spliced together film clips the work is gorgeous and off-putting at the same time, both campy and serious, ( kind of like most hotel stays for me). Check it out below!
Brambilla, a Milan born Canadian raised US resident has an amazing body of work and is an inspiration to video art and the use of recycled imagery. One of my favorite pieces is this meditation on the representation of sexuality on film Destricted (2006)
Soon, but not soon enough! Torchwood:Children of Earth premiers on BBC America on July 20th and on DVD here in the states on July 28th and like any good kid raised on Doctor Who we here at Digging to China are on edge! OOOH how we've missed Captain Jack Gwen and Ianto, though we seriously misss Owen and Toshiko. I have to say this year's odd scheduling of 4 two hour Doctor Who movies and one 5 hour Torchwood really irked me when I firs heard , after all its our last time with the absolutely brilliant David Tennant as the Doctor but all word seems to say that this is all wonderful dark and sinister, setting up a brilliant full new series next year.
Doogie Howser, RENT, Harold and Kumar, The New Shoe Fairy, Barny from How I Met Your Mother, The Tony Awards:
Ok now that That's over. HAppy Birthday NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!!!!!!!!!!! Today our little homo heartthrob turns 36!
Longtime partners David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris
Check out this freaking great Out take of Allyson Hannigan, Jason Segal and NPH, which sadly was cut-as the scene ends when cast mate Josh Radnor leaves the room.
And on Sesame Street
And in our dreams tonight:
Here's the rad new Yeah Yeah Yeahs' video for their new single Heads Will Roll from their stellar new album It's Blitz!. Taylor absolutely loves Karen O's dress (he asked me to add that). Thanks to Em over at Gaycondo for the tip!
I took some flack for not writing about Chastity Bono's transition from female to male. I didn't because soooo many media outlets covered it and well I sorta just shrugged my shoulders, It was Pride Weekend here in Portland , I'm broke and not really feeling it... but then Sarah (who's becoming a contributor to Digging to China soon!) and I had a brilliant cross country discussion about the name CHAZ!!! Straight up- we hate it. It's her childhood nickname, fine, but kinda an easy out as far as mens names go. It'd be like Sarah's hella awesome daughter changing her name to GOOSE (which we all call her) Though I did have the idea if she did then her little brother could become Maverick and we could have them re-enact out favorite scenes from Top Gun at the Holidays but Sarah said no as Sarah Palin ruined the word Maverick for everyone. Which is kinda true. I just heard her harpy voice in my head every time I typed it. Maverick. Ugh.
I digress. We had a friend who was transitioning and was really partial to changing his name to DYSSICK (pronounced DIsaac or Dies-ick) um NO (love you Dylan) . I think if you have a friend out there dear readers and they are transitioning from one gender to another, tell them you love them and support them, and then give them a baby name book. And ask for veto power. Its where they need you most.
America's sweetheart Michael Phelps has grown pornstache, not really news worthy but he always looks good from the neck down. Nice to see he's bounced back from smoking pot scandals and even worse Carrie Prejean (God we hate her here.)
FINALLY! The long delayed follow up to THIS HOUSE IS NOT A HOME is (nearly) ready to arrive! Inheritance is a schlocky trashy fun horror comedy homage to the early days of cable television and direct to VHS exploitation films. The film stars Max Schuette and Crystal MacTaggart as a young couple who get more than they bargain for when a distant relative dies and leaves the young love birds a shocking inheritance: Mock, a minor demon (a brilliant performance by Matthew Kern beneath tons of prosthetic make-up by Taylor Vineyard.)
The film took a while to complete in post for a WIDE variety of reasons : budget restrains, visual effects, score and clearance rights, a stalker, distractions (*) and so on. But I'm rather proud of this odd and charming film and look forward to sharing it with all of you soon.
Also of note the film sports a stellar soundtrack featuring Dusty Springfield, The Raveonettes, Eartha Kitt, A is for Accident, Baby Dee and My Bloody Valentine!!!!
*- My band, A is for Accident released Selfish on Le Garçon Sale Records and are now recording THE GOOD PRINCE due out this fall!! Woohoo!
Troll 2 is my response to THE ROOM, Which is indescribable. THE worst film I have ever seen, ever. AMAZING. Brett at Movie Madness in Portland OR sent our intrepid bon vivant Matthew Kern home with it as a companion piece to Riding the Bus with my Sister (directed by ACADEMY AWARD WINNER ANGELICA FUCKING HUSTON!)
Why Troll 2? See below!
What the fuck is The Room? I don't know but having seen it I need to own it! FUCKING AWFUL AMAZING GOLLY GEE WIZ BOFO WOW! Speechless.
"I don't want to talk about it."
I adore Jeffery and Cole, hell even my MOM loves them, and now you can too (!) With Jeffery and Cole Casserole their new comedy show on LOGO! Check out their wacky hijinks which sort look exactly like their web show but on your oooooh TELEVISION! (which I hope by now you have purchased your digital converter for-if not shame on you ...opps shit- I still haven't)
Enough is enough from the hate mongers. Enough misinformation, enough lies enough bullshit. I've fucking had it. It's not professional nor pretty but there you have it. I'm done.
You see some years ago I had this sick and twisted kink, I loved to watch the 700 club. I was amazed by the ballsy yet asinine way they explained the worlds issues and twisted them into there theocratic exclusionary world view of terror and isolationism. I am soo done with Pat Robertson who said this:"I am not at all persuaded that so-called homosexuals are homosexuals because of biological problems. There may be a very few, but there are so many that have been made homosexuals because of a coach or a guidance counselor or some other male figure who has abused them and they think there's something wrong with their sexuality. So you need to get deep into why he is what he is, instead of just saying, 'Well, he's a homosexual so how do I handle him, and how do I be Christian?' Well, I think you ought to tell him, 'Listen, son, you know, here's what the Bible says about this, and it's called an abomination before God, so I've got to tell you the truth because I love you'...I mean, if somebody's on their way to hell, they'll -- I mean, you've got to love them to rescue them."I was never molested. (psst Hugh Jackman you're more than welcome to molest me anytime however!) and I'm a happily fairly well adjusted homosexual and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also am a practicing Jew, I believe in God , I pray daily, so hey Pat, shame on you. Your version of "Christianity" has no Christ in it. No compassion. No love. Just blow-hards and douchbaggery.
Sam Briar IS HOME ! He spent the weekend at the vet nursing broken hips and two broken legs (in five places combined) but is on the mend. My mom reports he has taken to racing through the house climbing chairs and leaping on to the kitchen counter , much to her chagrin.
He's supposed to be resting but is behaving like a normal rambunctious kitten and his surrogate mom Annie , a 10 month old mini schnauzer is equally wild and in love with her new "baby" while our 12 year old black cat Boscar (the names along story-but its a she) is fairly annoyed by the kitten so all in all things seem normal at home. He's expected to make a surprisingly full recovery.
Also my mom is on the mend. Mom if you are reading this REST! no SALT! and rest!
Also Thanks for saving the kitty!
much Love!
A is for Accident, my music project is currently recording a new album The Good Prince due out this fall. I decided to add a cover for the first time, Jacques Brel's classic Ne Me Quitte Pas (made legendary by Nina Simone) radically reworked into the style of A is for Accident. By no means can I hold a candle to the great torch singers but I think this version fits nicely within the frame work of The Good Prince which has a narrative arch much like a musical. In fact there is some discussion of making a stage/film version of the album as a musical.
The Good Prince is a fairly big departure from Selfish, for one- Selfish was recorded in fits and starts (it's one time title) over four years and culled from more than 50 songs where The Good Prince was envisioned as a concept album based on literature, fairy tales and myths that tied together tell one story. For another we're rapidly recording and hope to have the album out in the fall, which is very exciting and stressful as we're just getting started promoting Selfish which was released on April 10, 2009
Ne Me Quitte Pas - A is for Accident
Ne Me Quitte Pas - A is for Accident
In all my hubbub posting singles and videos from the new double disc Patrick Wolf album I forgot to actually review it. so here we go.
The Bachelor is the first installment of a two album set (The Conqueror coming in early 2010) and finds Patrick in a fighting form, all the songs railing against the current state of the world, at loneliness and all the dramas of modern life, voicing insecurities and foibles while countered with encouragement from Tilda Swinton's (yes THE Tilda Swinton) spoken work accompaniment as "the Voice of Hope" . Its a cohesive, brilliant and beautiful album that is much more edgy and electronic than the majestic The Magic Position and angrier and more akin to his debut Lycanthropy which The Bachelor 's cover art nods to with his stance and the positioning of the text. Guest muscians besides the brilliantly utilized Tilda include former Atari Teenage Riot main man Alec Empire, avant-electro pioneer Matthew Herbert and folk singer Eliza Carthy. This is one of the must have records this year as will The Conqueror be next year. Patrick fell in love with a boy named Will while making the record originally titled Battle and a plethora of new songs of love and hope sprang forth as the relationship grew. (side-note Patrick and Will were arrested and beaten by police for kissing at a Madonna concert this past September) He decided that pre-Will songs became the angrier edgier The Bachelor while songs about Will and their growing love affair would make up The Conqueror.
Oh sad sad sad. Danny Noriega (who?-exactly) a former castoff of American Idol from a while back has released one of the most amazing/embarrassing singles I have ever heard, 24/7, but didn't stop there, no, it has an equally wretched text speak video to accompany the inane song that makes Madonna's I love New York seem well written lyrically in comparison. The comments on Youtube are mostly "What's wrong with gay people?"
What indeed.
I always have a hard-on for a new Placebo album, and they never disappoint. Trashy catchy loud euro rock for late nights of debauchery. After parting ways with long time (second) drummer the band has returned with their sixth album Battle for the Sun, their follow up to 2006's hands down masterpiece Meds and WOW what a return. Battle for the Sun is blasting loud rock record with Brian Molko's voice cutting through the din with his trade mark razor sharp dirty lyrics and sex-pot Stefan Olsdal and new American drummer Steve Forrest. It's sorta like Depeche Mode with out the synths, dark gloomy and loud- but surprisingly this album is the flip side to Meds one of hope and living where the former was of spinning wheels and dying days. Sure they are kinda immature prolonged adolescent gay goths but sometimes that's what you want to hear. They make the best make-up/Break-up music out there.
- "Kitty Litter" - 3:47
- "Ashtray Heart" - 3:32
- "Battle for the Sun" - 5:33
- "For What It's Worth" - 2:47
- "Devil in the Details" - 4:28
- "Bright Lights" - 3:23
- "Speak in Tongues" - 4:06
- "The Never-Ending Why" - 3:23
- "Julien" - 4:43
- "Happy You're Gone" - 3:50
- "Breathe Underwater" - 3:44
- "Come Undone" - 4:36
- "Kings of Medicine" - 4:15
- "Unisex" - 4:04
- "The Movie On Your Eyelids" - 3:53
Sonic Youth return to their indie roots (now on an indie label for the first time in decades) with The Eternal a black metal influenced rock set which slices through the meandering soundscapes of the excellent Sonic Nurse and builds on the amazing return to form of Rather Ripped making The Eternal easily their best record since 1995's masterpiece Washing Machine. In fact it feels plucked from those seminal 1988-1995 years Sister to Washing Machine when Sonic Youth were the last word in cool. This time out the band has added former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold (who's presence on the latest Free Kitten album was sorely missed) for their 16th album (now on Matador) and the band sounds completely re-energized. As with the past few releases it's kinda Kim Gordon's show. Her songs tend to be the most raucous and direct, but this time the boys set out to prove they are no slouches either. This really is THE guitar record of the year-hands down. Songs about the late Gregory Corso and Bobby Pyn (Darby Crash of the seminal queer punk band the Germs) add a sense of nostalgia and the cover art is by legendary guitarist and writer John Fahey (How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life) Check out two great live performances from Later with Jools Holland below! This is gonna be on heavy rotation here at the home of Digging To China all summer long.
01 "Sacred Trickster"
02 "Anti-Orgasm"
03 "Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)"
04 "Antenna"
05 "What We Know"
06 "Calming The Snake"
07 "Poison Arrow"
08 "Malibu Gas Station"
09 "Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn"
10 "No Way"
11 "Walkin Blue"
12 "Massage The History"
02 "Anti-Orgasm"
03 "Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)"
04 "Antenna"
05 "What We Know"
06 "Calming The Snake"
07 "Poison Arrow"
08 "Malibu Gas Station"
09 "Thunderclap For Bobby Pyn"
10 "No Way"
11 "Walkin Blue"
12 "Massage The History"
Oh my god I love Mark Paul Gosselaar being such a good sport to revisit his famed cultish role of Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell .
To the shocks of tens (well that one girl below at least), Adam Lambert has come out in the new issue of Rolling Stone. It's pretty funny and unnecessary but he manages to be professional, real, and still have time to take a swipe at that bloated sour grape Clay Aiken, who famously threw a temper tantrum about Lambert. I suppose Clay's only claim to fame was the gay Idol so Adam stole his "thunder" . Well whatever. The major issues seems to be looking at Adam you can't help but think he totally gets laid (and has a smoking hot boyfriend Drake Lebry) as opposed to Clay who looks like a middle aged lesbian aunt who you'd do your damnedest not to picture naked... ever. "I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay. I've been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man. I've been at clubs drunk making out with somebody in the corner...Right after the finale, I almost started talking about it to the reporters, but I thought, ‘I’m going to wait for Rolling Stone, that will be cooler. I didn’t want the Clay Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context. I’m proud of my sexuality. I embrace it. It’s just another part of me....[Ultimately], I’m trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader."He also gave a nice shout out /compliment to Kris Allen when asked about being the roommate with the married, straight and kinda cute Idol winner."They put me with the cute guy. Distracting! He's the one guy I found attractive in the whole group on the show: nice, nonchalant, pretty and totally my type — except that he has a wife. I mean he's open-minded and liberal, but he's definitely 100% straight."
I'm sure this deranged gal is absolutely heartbroken now, given how passionate and well founded her stoned rant on Youtube was. Check out the brilliance below.
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