Loud and Queer

There’s no doubt about it. AVICII, aka Tim Bergling, is most definitely “The One.” The two-time Grammy Award-nominated A-list DJ and producer recently revealed his brand new single with Dutch house legend Nicky Romero, “I Could Be The One”.

On Christmas Eve, AVICII vs NICKY ROMERO released the official music video, and the exuberant message of personal freedom has already amassed nearly 8.5 million YouTube/VEVO views.  This alchemic collaboration between two of dance music’s finest has had fans salivating since the instrumental was first previewed  in February 2012. Pairing Avicii’s infectious melodic talents with Romero’s big, high-energy sound, the result is a bold progressive house anthem from two rising stars. ‘I Could Be The One’ looks set to be one of the dance-pop crossover phenomenon’s biggest success stories as it has already infiltrated key Top 40 stations and is #1 on Beatport home page leading up to the wide release.

Earlier this month, Avicii launched his “Avicii x You” collaborative project, encouraging fans and producers globally to craft and send beats and sounds that will comprise his next track. In just one week, he received over 5000 sound submissions, from 2600 artists from more than 100 countries around the world.  This is quickly becoming the world’s largest artist collaboration project, being featured in CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MTV.com, and countless other sites and blogs. The artist and all other royalty participants in the final track have agreed to donate their royalties to the charity foundation, House For Hunger founded in 2011 by AVICII and Ash Pournouri to fight the constantly growing hunger problem worldwide.   Avicii’s 2011 House for Hunger Tour benefitted Feeding America to the tune of $1 million.

Last year proved to be remarkable for AVICII. He headlined Ultra Music Festival, Coachella, and Austin City Limits. He jumped to #3 on the DJ Mag Top 100 Vote, was ranked #3 DJ on Forbes DJ List, and reached #2 Musician on Forbes Most Powerful Artists Under 30. “Levels” became one of the most-played tracks in the world and netted him a second Grammy nom. His headline tour sold out in hours, and he was the first electronic artist to play Radio City.

Nicky Romero’s 2012 was a year emblematic of a world’s top-tier DJ. Aside from “Wild One Two” – the anthemic collaboration with David Guetta and Sia under the newly established record label Jack Back – Nicky has released countless other dance floor juggernauts such as “Toulouse”, “Generation 303”, “Camorra” and of course “Nicktim”. Unlike like many other producers, each of Romero’s releases reasserts the claim that he is here to stay. Having frequented the festival circuit with headline gigs at the likes of UMF Miami, Energy in Holland, Electric Zoo in New York, and Belgium’s Tomorrowland – not forgetting his residency at the Marquee club in Las Vegas – this has been one hell of a year for the now star-studded Dutch artist.

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What did you do today? Did you lie on your couch, nursing an awful hang-over from yesterday’s Sunday Funday? Or, did you honor the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering or performing a day of service?  Which?

Or, did you watch the GAYEST show on Earth? Cause gurrrllllll, President Barack Obama had the biggest, gayest inauguration EVER!

First off, he was the t first president to include the LGBTQ community in his inaugural address.Can you believe that?

Calling equality “the star that… guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall,” Obama hammered away his dedication to LGBTQ rights:

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.  Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

Zounds! That is going to really get the conservative christians up into a complete tizzy!

The day’s faggotry  also included  performances by Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson!  Now, my grandfather is CONVINCED that Beyonce is Obama’s sister, and I am convinced that Clarkson is a lesbian. Who is the small-mind there?  To completely turn this into a Pride Day, members of the Gay and Lesbian Band Association will be marching in the Inaugural Parade!  Yee-ha!

There are few artists in the pop music landscape who have managed to stand the test of time while remaining completely unique and relevant. I mean, when is the last time you listened to Rick Astley?

Swing Out Sister has captivated audiences for over two decades with their potent elixir of fresh cinematic sound-scapes, sophisticated, intimate and jazz/Latin tinged pop and surprise-filled arrangements that pay homage to the great soul tradition.

“Sheer stubbornness – and the joy of creating music has kept us going,” shares Corinne Drewery. “Sometimes you have to step back and look at things from another perspective, but there is nothing like the thrill of creating something that can touch people. Music that moved us gave us the inspiration to write songs in the first place- hopefully we can inspire others to do the same.” 

The dynamic duo of stunning singer/songwriter Corinne Drewery and keyboardist/composer Andy Connell celebrate their 25th anniversary, popping the cork on new wine from vintage bottles via an intimate new collection of “versions” they’ve entitled Private View. This deluxe collection is a special long-box collector’s item with a CD, DVD and extensive booklet with previously unseen photos, an essay and commentary by Corinne Drewery. The CD features totally re-imagined versions of classics and lesser known gems, while the DVD features a live concert shot at Billboard Live in Tokyo and rare behind the scenes footage that give an up close and personal look at the creative genius of Swing Out Sister. Highlights include a stellar recreation of their blockbuster hit “Breakout,” which brilliantly segues into the 1970 Jackson 5 chart-topping classic “I’ll Be There,” the first ever official US release of “Who’s Been Sleeping,” and an enchanting performance of their hit “Stone Soul Picnic,” which is not featured on the CD.
 
Swing Out Sister – Stoned Soul Picnic (LIVE)

Swing Out Sister, which reluctantly took their name from a Universal Pictures big band musical from 1945, has been around long enough to have their music done by others. Hip-hop band The Roots (of “The Jimmy Fallon Show” fame) replayed a section of “Breakout” in their 2002 song “Quills” (a concert favorite). And in 2012 Earth Wind & Fire keyboard wizard Larry Dunn and his singer wife Luisa purposefully recorded “Twilight World” on their CD, N 2 The Journey. It’s been quite a full circle journey for Corinne & Andy, too and thankfully shows no signs of stopping. Theirs is the music of blissful daydreams and spontaneous adventures, navel-gazing ruminations and freewheeling romances…with the stone soul spirit of Laura Nyro wafting through it all.

Corinne concludes, “We have some very loyal fans around the world, I think they know that whatever they hear from us comes from the heart. Unless we are moved by the music we make, we won’t put it out for anyone else to hear. Facebook and the internet have brought us closer to those who listen to our music. They keep in touch with each other online from around the world and meet up at our shows.”

MIKA (show some freaking respect and ALWAYS capitalize every lettter!) has debuted his new single “Popular Song”, featuring Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande on iTunes and other digital retailers through Republic Records. Buy it you cheap whore! The single arrives hot on the heels of Mika’s recent sold-out U.S. tour in support of his new album, The Origin of Love, which followed up the multi-platinum worldwide smash, The Boy Who Knew Too Much.

The song offers a fresh twist on “Popular” from the Broadway hit “Wicked“, which every damn queen or queer has on their iPod.

“Popular Song” remains an inspiring pop anthem that encourages the bullied and unpopular to rise above – ’cause that is the kind of shit the kids want to hear, right Lady Gaga?  MIKA tapped the charismatic and charming actress/singer Ariana Grande for the song, which showcases a powerful interplay between the two. Thank God he tapped Grande… Who the heck wants to listen to either of those old crones Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth? Sure – most the free world would like to hear Menzel and Chenoweh any time and any place, but they were probably busy on Glee!

But this little chick isn’t just some nobody. Grande’s successful co-starring role on the hit show, Victorious, recently led to her own spin-off for Nickelodeon, Sam & Cat. Grande’s presence extends far beyond her television notoriety. She’s also a highly talented and accredited singer, who’s debut album—due out 2013 via Republic Records—  has her poised to become a major player in popular music.

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If you don’t already know Ryan James Yezak, then i is time to meet him.

This cutie was recently named as one of Instinct’s (November 2012) “2012 Leading Men,” for his wildly popular video “California Gays“ (a takeoff on Katy Perry’s “California Gurls”) But it isn’t all fluff with this YouTube cinematographer.  He is also known for  his “The Gay Rights Movement,” a 7-minute clip “tracing the origins, setbacks and strides of the gay struggle in the United States.”

Now, the 25-year-old Texas native filmmaker is geared up for his latest project – perhaps his most comprehensive and demanding – his documentary, Second Class Citizens.  He has  already raised $150,000 from a crowdfunding source for the flick, and is excited to begin. As he travels across the country, Yezak has already interviewed what he calls “expert opinions” such as “ousted lesbian scout leader Jennifer Tyrrell in Ohio, Zach Wahls in Iowa and James Dale in New Jersey” (2000′s Boy Scouts of America v Dale Supreme Court of New Jersey case).

What motivates him to assume such a project? “Once I saw the bigger picture of the discrimination and I started to understand the root of it-which I’m still getting to understand with the film-it began to consume my mind. It’s like you know this is happening and it’s wrong . . . and I wanted to do anything that I possibly could, and that came in the form of a documentary.”

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Super-sexy Adam Levine is like the current “IT” boy.  The Maroon 5 helmsman is not only incredibly visible on the smash-hit The Voice, he is also part of this season’s spooky asylum ensemble on American Horror Story.

Sadly, the hunky performer isn’t one of us gays.  But, he is currently counted among one of the queer community’s strongest allies on the pop cultural scene.

Levine is very vocal about his opinions concerning marriage equality for LGBTQ people. Featured in the current issue of Out in Jersey (October/November), Levine was interviewed by Chris Azzopardi. Levine, who has a gay brother, said that if he were president that his first act would be to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

“People have their personal preferences as to what they want to do with their own lives, and they have every right to do that-just like a gay couple [has] their right to do that. It’s just not anyone’s business expect the people involved. That’s all I would say: ‘What makes you better than these people?’”

He continued: “People have a million justifications and reasons why they don’t want (gay marriage) allowed, but it doesn’t check out. Whenever I hear people’s reasoning behind it, I think to myself: First of all, marriage isn’t all successful anyway. Look at the divorce rate and the all the things that go wrong with marriage. Whether it’s gay or straight, there are issues with it. Clearly people have a hard time staying together, and that’s just a sad truth about marriage in our society. People should be allowed to succeed or fail at marriage as they so desire.”
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“Visual musician” and super-gay Travis Wall graces the cover of Metrosource LA (October/November 2012). Who?

Well, this adorable multi-talented performer, choreographer and actor began his professional entertainment career as a toddler, studying dance at his mother’s studio, Denise Wall’s Dance Energy, where boys were almost absent from the classes.

“I had no other guys . . . besides me and my brother, so I always tried to find male inspiration.”

He turned to classic Hollywood films like “Singin’ in the Rain“ and “Dirty Dancing.”

“Patrick Swayze: masculinity and movement-that taught me to be masculine in dancing,” explained Wall, “That’s how men are supposed to dance.” While he was busy dancing, he took up acting, appearing at the age of nine, in television advertising campaigns for “Dr. Pepper.” Can you imagine? He was a Pepper!

Besides shilling for a soda conglomerate… Wall burst into the American consciousness when he appeared (and almost won) the second season of So You think You Can Dance in 2006. This little dancing-machine became part of TV history when he danced in the Emmy-winning routine, ‘The Bench’ by choreographer Mia Michaels, the story of which centers around a woman declaring her love for a man who turns out to be gay.  (Oh that Mia….Think she lived that?)Fun fact: In 2007, Wall’s adoptive brother Danny Tidwell was a runner-up of the third season of SYTYCD. He, too, had trained with their mother Denise , who also trained Jaimie Goodwin, a Season 3 contestant.

Now this twink has got his own reality-tv show, “All the Right Moves,” on Oxygen! It’s an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the putting together of Wall’s own company, Shaping Sound. “They’re catching all the right moments,” Wall observed of the filming. Tune in, it’s super-gay!

The rainbow world has lost another legend.

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Various outlets are reporting Sahara Davenport, one of the more illustrious girls on Season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race—and partner to fellow Drag Raceentrant Manila Luzon—has passed away at age 28.

Born and raised in Dallas and attended Southern Methodist University, Antoine Ashley (real name) earned a BFA in dance. After moving to New York, he landed appearances in One Life to Live, Judge Karen and the video for  “Gettin’ Over.”  As Sahara Davenport, he released two singles: “Pump with Me” (2010) and “Go Off” (2011).

“Logo is profoundly saddened by the passing of Antoine Ashley who fans around the world knew and loved as Sahara Davenport,” the Logo network posted Tuesday on its Facebook page. “He was an amazing artist and entertainer who’ll be deeply missed by his Logo family. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, especially his boyfriend Karl, in their time of need.”

“Karl” refers to Karl Westerberg, AKA Manila Luzon who also competed on the same show – coming in runner-up on Season 3. Luzon is also in the cast of the much anticipated “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars,” premiering Oct. 22.

The cast of Drag Race turned to social media to vent their feelings with their fans and friends:

“Shocked & heartbroken over @SaharaDavenport,” RuPaul tweeted on Tuesday. “Never occurred to me that we’d ever lose one of my girls. I see them as immortal.”

 “A beautiful angel has been added to Heaven. Rest in peace my sweet friend,” tweeted Jujubee.

 “A sad day…. I am so blessed to have had dinner (two bottles of wine) with Manila Luzon last week… I love you lady… I cannot sleep….my heart goes out to all my Drag race family… mostly though, to my beautiful sister Manila”  tweeted last season’s winner, Sharon Needles.

“We will miss you, Sahara Davenport.”   winner Bebe Zehara wrote.

“I love him so much. ” – was the only comment on Facebook and Twitter from Luzon.

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GUESS WHO”S FAVORITE BAND IS BACK!

No Doubt’s brand new video for Push And Shove’s Major Lazer-produced title track has just premiered earlier this week, coinciding with the highly anticipated album release. The energetic black-and-white clip for “Push And Shove” was directed by Sophie Muller, who also worked with the band on the equally infectious “Settle Down.”

I adore that this band is still rocking.  And I honestly look at this picture and say, “You haven’t been photo-shopped at all! What skin cream are you using, kids? Jesus!”

Click HERE to watch the “Push And Shove” music video directed by Sophie Muller, premiering exclusively on VEVO.

Push And Shove, the band’s first full length album in 11 years, is out today and available on iTunes in both standard and deluxe editions. Stay tuned to NoDoubt.com for updates and expect more to come during Push And Shove release week!  Also, get all busy with the on the FacePlace, and tweet up a storm with them too!