LGBTQ news and entertainment
In advance of their release “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” this coming Tuesday, Babyface and Toni Braxton are set to perform at “A Hollywood Christmas At The Grove”, Sunday November 17th at 7:30 p.m. PST.
Merry merry, folks.
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| OutMusic Award winner Matt Zarley |
Matt Zarley, out singer/songwriter and 2012 OutMusic Award winner for Best Album and Best Single is gearing up for his next project and he’s asking friends and fans to be involved. The woofy singer is launching a Kickstarter project in hopes of raising funds to take his next project to the next level.
From Zarley’s Kickstarter page:
I have always wanted to do an album that was purely romantic. The original concept of this album was inspired by a true love that I had experienced. I now believe in “love at first sight”, cuz I lived it. When I first started to work on this, my relationship unexpectedly ended…leaving me heartbroken and confused. Since then, I’ve uncovered truths about myself and lessons were learned. What started as a sweet valentine to the one I loved, was now becoming alot more dimensional. Though this is inspired though my own personal experience, it’s a universal story…told through an optimistic lens.
This is by far the most ambitious project I’ve conceived. With ambition, comes alot of costs. 100% of the proceeds from your pledges will go to the costs of producers, directors, editors, musicians, cinematographers, editors, publicity, and marketing. No amount is too small. If we’re fortunate enough to surpass the goal amount, the remainder of the proceeds will still go to the funding of this project. The more raised, the better the videos look…and maybe I’ll be able to do an additional song or two.
To read more and/or contribute, visit the Kickstarter project page by clicking here.
And check out his music on iTunes here
Over 1.2 million views in a day.
After four years from the music scene, British pop star Lily Allen is back with a new single “Hard Out Here” that visually skewers the Britneys, Mileys and Robin Thickes of the world who put outlandish expectations on females and basically takes on the double standards so prevalent in the entertainment universe.
Colton Haynes, of the CW’s ARROW and MTV’s TEEN WOLF, sings a cover of Dan + Shay’s “19 You + Me” with the New Heights.
And then there’s Colton’s current ARROW promo pic… yeah.
The new Celine Dion album “Loved Me Back To Life” comes out this Tuesday, but you can stream it right here. Take a listen.
Available on Amazon and all digital outlets Tuesday.
Matt Alber releases his newest track “Tightrope.”
Nice chill vibe to the track, and the four “Matt Albers” are fun.
Now available on iTunes proceeds benefit Larkin Street Youth Services.
One of the things I love about Matt’s music is he never boxes himself into one style of music. From “End of the World” to his gorgeous cover of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” to “Velvet Goldmine” – he’s always finding new ground to cover.
Check out the new song below.
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| Out singer/songwriter Steve Grand |
Michael Musto interviews “All-American Boy” Steve Grand for OUT, where he talks on being kind of “weird” in high school, his famous first music video and more. Here’s just a bit:
Did conversion therapy scar you for life?
I want to make it clear that it’s been misrepresented that I went through what most people know as conversion therapy. I saw a Christian therapist who, among many other beliefs, believed I’d be happier in a straight life. He didn’t shame me for being gay. Most of the focus, we weren’t even talking about my sexuality. But certainly his belief that I’d be living a happier life as a heterosexual was indeed harmful. In no way, shape, or form—I can’t even believe I have to clarify this—do I condone ex-gay therapy. I think it’s a horrible practice. There’s no scientific basis for it. A person’s sexuality is a part of who they are. And I certainly suffered for not having my sexuality affirmed.
Can you be a happy gay within the church?
We need to learn to applaud the gradual changes. The church has been around for thousands of years. Like it or not, they’re gonna be here for a long time. One of the great ways to make a change is showing we’re just like everyone else and we love the same and we’re just as diverse as the straight community. By having more visibility within the church, that can only be a good thing. I certainly don’t support the church’s stance on gay issues as they are right now. They have a long way to go. But I think there’s a great power to being present—to having openly gay people in church and having the congregation witness and embrace. I got up in front of a congregation and said I was gay and I believed there was nothing wrong with that, and I was applauded for that. There’s a quiet majority that’s growing that wants to say, “Hey, these are our brothers and sisters too. Make sure we’re sending the message that all are welcome.”
Read the whole exchange with the hunky singer at OUT.com
Ending the work week listening to Spencer Day’s fantastic CD THE MYSTERY OF YOU.
If you listen, you’re hooked. Great album throughout. And the whole song cycle tells a great story of a romance gone bad.
Check out the film noir/James Bond vibe of the title track. Love this guy. And a great musician.
Getting more “leaks” of more new Lady Gaga.
Snippet of Lady Gaga’s “Venus”, from her forthcoming album ARTPOP available November 11.
Boy George, in an interview with the Huffington Post on performers being judged on their perceived sexuality as opposed to their talent:
“I prefer to live in a world where you are judged on talent and sexuality is completely secondary,” he revealed. “There have been many successful openly gay artists — George Michael, Neil Tenant, Marc Almond — but the bravest was always Jimmy Somerville. I’m doubtful if we will ever live in a world where sexuality won’t be an issue for at least a small minority. Homophobia and racism are part of the human condition.”
Boy George released his new album “This Is What I Do” in it’s entirety as a streaming audio post on YouTube today. Take a listen – still has a great voice.
And his own style.