Wrabel (image via Instagram) The much-anticipated debut full-length album from Wrabel, ‘these words are all for you’, will be released on September 24 via Big Gay Records/Nettwerk, ushering into the world the next chapter from one of modern music’s most celebrated, versatile, powerhouse songwriters and rising artists. The collection, 11 years in the making, showcases the artist’s masterful writing and acclaimed straight-from-the-heart vocal performances. Whether it’s on tracks like the Billboard-applauded “good”, the beautifully orchestrated “wish you well,” the achingly reminiscent and sonically vast “london,” the hauntingly sparse “don’t pick up the phone” or the new single “nothing but the love,” ‘these words are all for you’ showcases what has made Wrabel a go-to for heart-shattering slice-of-life songwriting about finding love, losing it, and discovering oneself throughout the journey.
Dancer Layne Paradis Willis whirls and twirls in the music video for “nothing but the love” directed by Michael Thomas. “Michael Thomas was such a pleasure to work with on this video.,” says the singer about creating the video. “And Layne Willis, my goodness. I feel so lucky to have gotten to witness your incredible talent up close.” “This song is so close to my heart. The only song I wrote by myself on the record. With Michael’s direction and Layne’s emotive movement, we wanted to show that someone or something is showing me how to express myself, showing me the flow of expression. To mirror the love I am so grateful to have found.” Wrabel has announced a short, intimate run of live dates, nothing but the piano tour, which includes a stop at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge and an album release show at LA’s The Regent Theater this late summer/early fall. Wrabel will also perform this Sunday, June 6, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of the OutLoud: Raising Voices festival. Follow Wrabel on Instagram here. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPoChVKtsot/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Rufus Wainwright sings ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ (screen capture) Rufus Wainwright shares this intimate take on the classic tune, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” in advance of his upcoming virtual concert event: Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios. Wainwright revisits his groundbreaking 2007 tribute to Judy Garland, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, performed in its entirety, live from Los Angeles’ famed Capitol Studios. Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will see Wainwright backed by a four-piece band in front of a micro-audience comprised of 2x Academy Award-winning actress Renée Zellweger, winner of last year’s “Best Actress” Oscar for her spectacular performance as Garland in 2019’s Judy. In addition, Wainwright will be joined musically by the award-winning star of stage and screen Kristin Chenoweth in person at Capitol Studios and his sister Martha Wainwright from Montreal. The event will premiere Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 PM (AEDT/EST/CET), celebrating what would have been Garland’s 99th birthday. Tickets forRufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios are available now exclusively via Veeps priced at $30 (advance)/$35 (day of show). Check out Wainwright’s delicately nuanced performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” below.
On his relationship with the iconic Judy Garland song:
“I was about 5 years old when I started singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” My mom would occasionally wake me up in the middle of the night and make me sing the song to guests to end the party. They would feel so bad that the kid was still up that late at night and leave.
“Much later, she accompanied me on the piano at Carnegie Hall, the Palladium, the Olympia, and the Hollywood Bowl during the ‘Rufus does Judy’ shows in 2006 and 2007.
“After she passed away, I am only doing the beginning lines of the song a cappella without any piano accompaniment as an honor and memory to her and the hole she has left behind.
“It has a deeply personal meaning to me to sing this song. I think my mom and I singing that song together was also her finally acknowledging my homosexuality with which she struggled for a long time. I am sure that similarly to my experience this song means a lot to LGBTQ folks young and old and their struggles with coming out and living a proud queer life.”
Kristin Chenoweth and Rufus Wainwright (photo: Sean James)
Out singer/songwriter Matt Palmer in “Do It All Again”Matt Palmer kicks off this round-up with his new single, “Do It All Again,” from his new EP The Good Parts.” The infectious pop/R&B up-tempo “Do It All Again” is brimming with a kind of euphoria that keeps leading us back to romance no matter how things ended before. “When I started working on ‘The Good Parts,’ I was going through a break-up and planned on it being 100% a break-up record, but it really evolved into something else as things evolved in my personal life,” says Palmer of the EP. “Musically, I love that there are smoother, bass-heavy songs like “I Don’t Want It,” more mid-tempo, synth-based tracks like “Do It All Again” and a couple of ballads but it never feels too disjointed,” adds the artist. “I hope it’s a good soundtrack for us as we figure out what life is like post-lockdown.” Hit play below to check out “Do It All Again” and you can follow Matt Palmer on Instagram here.
Cory Stewart has fans hearing double as he dropped his latest single, ‘Perfect World,’ on Friday, a new dance-pop single interpreted in two distinct ways, defined as the Red Pill Edition and the Blue Pill Edition. ‘Perfect World’ was conceptualized by Stewart and Slow Dance in mid-2020 after Stewart expressed his desire to “auto-tune the world” to his co-collaborators. The song quickly materialized in the hands of Jacob and Alex (of Slow Dance), with lyrics eventually being finessed by the pair and Stewart in follow-up Zoom sessions. The result is the hyper-pop, slick and sexy Red Pill Edition, which takes no prisoners on its ascension to the world’s soon-to-be-opened dance floors. With lockdown time on his hands, he also collaborated with UK-based producer Edward Russell on the nostalgia-inducing, 80s-meets-00’s Blue Pill Edition of ‘Perfect World.’ Check out the Red Pill Edition below and follow Cory Stewart on Instagram here.
Miami-based out artist Michael Lazar shares his debut single, “Capsule,” from his upcoming album 51/49 due out this fall. Written during the pandemic when the world was locked down, “Capsule” describes the feeling of being trapped, censored, or somehow silenced, both literally and figuratively. The electro-pop track blends unique, layered harmonies with rolling rhythms and chord structures that results in a subtle sonic sense of urgency. For Lazar, the song “speaks to that feeling we’ve all had when you’re shouting to be heard but no one seems to be listening.” Consisting of 15 songs written, recorded, and produced by Lazar, he describes the upcoming album as a culmination of the artist’s 18-year journey through tragedy and loss to self-discovery and finding love. Hit play below and you can follow Lazar on Instagram here.
Melissa Etheridge in the music video for “One Way Out” Out singer/songwriter, activist and Grammy Award winner Melissa Etheridge has released her new single and music video, “One Way Out”, a powerful rock anthem which sees the singer return to the studio almost a decade ago with her original band. “One Way Out” is the first single off her upcoming album of the same name coming this fall. The song is part of a collection of music written by Etheridge in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s that never made the cut….until now. “I’m so excited to bring these songs to my fans,” says Etheridge. “Years later I am still moved and can’t wait to share these tracks live.” The legendary rocker’s vocal and musical powers are at their peak, and the music video deftly captures the crackle and energy of creativity in the studio. Melissa Etheridge in the music video for “One Way Out” “One Way Out” is one of nine tracks that will be featured on the full length album – One Way Out – to be released on September 17, 2021 via BMG. Fans will get to hear “One Way Out”LIVE when Melissa performs from the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Downtown LA for her “One Way Out….Of The Garage” concert special. The concert will stream LIVE on May 29 so consider this event part single release party and part Birthday celebration!
John Duff in his new music video ‘I Hate L.A.’ Out singer/songwriter John Duff releases his fun and infectious new single, ‘I Hate L.A.’ which riffs on all the things about Los Angeles the artist loathes. Duff’s negative outlook isn’t so much about the City of Angels itself but “what Los Angeles represents ideologically.” “It’s about the product being sold – all in all, it’s about lack mentality,” adds the woofy artist. “I wanted to create something out of my negativity that sounded anthemic and proud.” A scene from ‘I Hate L.A.’ Setting out to glamorize his view of the city, Duff and his director Brad Hammer worked to include layers of symbolism in each scene. Whether its laying on Astroturf, dressed as a rhinestone cowboy, puffing on cigarettes while surrounded by healing crystals, or standing next to a $130,000 G-wagon filled to the gills with plastic bottles from fancy juice places, wearing an “I Voted” sticker, Duff wants the viewer GET the hypocrisy he sees in LA. The painted face scene is a nod to the city’s beauty influencers, an industry that ranks low in Duff’s estimation: “I think marketing ‘facial improvement’ to children is kind of gross.” Follow John Duff on Instagram here and on Facebook here. Check out the clever music video below. You can find my previous coverage of Duff’s music here.
Actor/singer Demi Lovato (screen capture) Some news items you might have missed: • Christian Post: A licensed therapist is suing Washington state over its 2018 law banning so-called ‘conversion therapy’ for minors. The therapist is being represented by virulently anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom. • NBC Out: Actor and singer Demi Lovato came out as nonbinary today and said they would be changing their pronouns to they/them. “Today is a day I’m so happy to share more of my life with you all,” Lovato wrote in a social media post in announcing the news. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPD6wPqHH20/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link • Washington Post: The European Union on Wednesday agreed to open its borders to vaccinated Americans and others, after more than a year in which travel into the bloc has been severely restricted, a spokesman said Wednesday. • Out Music: LGBTQ-led band Hemisphere has been nominated for ‘Best World Music Album’ by the prestigious San Diego Music Awards for their album American Dreams. The album is meant to emphasize and promote the spirit of ‘Unity’, ‘Diversity’, and ‘Equality’. Hemisphere members Rob Shinno and Don Bowman have been publicly out since 1994.
• CBS News: Fox News Media filed a motion to dismiss a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed against it by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims about the 2020 presidential election amplified by some of its hosts. The motion laughingly says Fox’s “responsible journalists covered both sides” of the controversy and that the network’s opinion hosts provided commentary which “a reasonable viewer” would consider as little more than “hyperbole.” • Twitter: Rep. Tim Ryan was DONE with Republican House members who voted against a bipartisan commission to investigate the January invasion of the U.S. Capitol building. The measure passed by a vote of 252-175, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the plan. Note – Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN), brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, voted against the bill even though the rioters on January 6 called for hanging his brother.
The new single and music video revisits Goss’s popular ‘Nerdy Bear’ release from last summer but reinterprets the tune from the bear perspective.
The original track was a pop track with sultry R&B vibes, but the new release (by LA-based producer Markaholic) raises the BPMs and features Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese.
Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’
Franzese, one of the gay community’s ultimate ‘nerdy bears,’ says the idea to remix the song was his.
“When Tom’s original came out last summer, I was like ‘OMG, it’s about time we got an anthem of guys pursuing us in song,” says Franzese. “We should do a remix of this track where the bear responds that he’s down to party—and I should rap on it!’”
And that’s exactly what happens as Franzese drops some rhymes that weave sexual connotations with 80s arcade game references.
“If you like whips and chains, we can do the Double Dragon,” referencing the martial arts game. He continues with “I’ll follow you down your Oregon trail and hitch on to your wagon.”
Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’
Along the way, the music video touches on the cherries in Pac-Man, shapes from Tetris and the mushrooms in Mario Brothers.
Like Tetris when I’m finished, I dream of your shape for hoursBeat your big boss baby, your Gannon, your bowserGive your boy a mushroom and I’ll grow like I’m supposed toLove a Harry pothead, winggarda leviosoGrab a joystick, come get closa, scoot-a cross da-sofa,Chew and chomp these cherries Pac Man, don’t worry, I won’t ghost ya
The idea behind the music video is to convey the confidence Franzese and others in the gay bear community have built by not only accepting their girth, but embracing it. “It’s fun to find unique ways to amplify body positivity and happiness,” says Franzese.
Plus, Goss brings a few smiles of his own in the video, throwing down his own brand of stripper moves. It’s all big fun with some big beats.
Tom Goss in ‘Nerdy Bears: The Markaholic Remix’ Franzese has collaborated with Goss before having played the singer’s husband in a series of videos from Goss’s album, Territories. “It’s always fun to work with Danny, and at this point it seems like we’re just making up opportunities to work together,” Goss laughs. Tom Goss was 22 and in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest, when he realized his strong attraction for plus-sized men, known as “bears” in the gay community, and nerdy ones to boot. “‘Nerdy Bear’ is authentic to my experience and relays my unique perspective that beauty doesn’t fit a standard mold,” he says.
In this week’s headlines: • Catholic priests in Germany defy the Vatican and bless same-sex unions • GLAAD looks at social media safety for LGBTQ users • A 20-year-old gay man was beheaded by his own family in a brutal ‘honor killing’ in Iran • The gay panic defense is banned in two more states…and counting • Skittles defers to the true “rainbow” for Pride Month • New music from out singer/songwriter Milahroy ‘Daylight’ (Link to music video) All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Out recording artist Sylas Dean (photo: Brett Stanley) Queer hyper pop artist Sylas Dean drops his debut EP American Dreeming, where he explores longing, love and heartbreak with a vintage glam rock influence. The lead single for the synth-pop collection, “Shine,” is a glossy, summer-ready romp with an irresistible beat and muscular vocals. Armed with a shimmering dance-driven sound and an eye for dreamy imagery, Dean looks and sounds ready to roll. Follow him on Instagram here.
Miami-based out artist Michael Lazar shares his debut single, 
