Tag: out musicians

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Music Video: An Ode To Best Intentions And The Facade Of Perfection ‘Cool’

Milahroy in ‘Cool’ (all images via artist)
Woofy out singer/songwriter Milahroy premieres his latest music video, “Cool,” complete with danger, drama, and sexy, furry goodness. Milahroy describes the introspective pop/rock track (featuring theLMNOP & rapper KTLYN) as “a West Coast-inspired ode to our best intentions and the facade of perfection because no one lies better than we do to ourselves.” The indie artist thoughtfully explains the song exists “somewhere between hubris and doubt.” The track is a pop music earworm that lands right at the sonic corner of ‘current’ and ‘now’ with pensive lyrics in search of our hero’s questioning psyche.

Tangled up in my excuses, Trippin on my shadow Gettin used to feeling useless, Shadows grow when light’s low

In advance of the new release, I chatted with the talented artist about the new single, confronting doubts and inner demons, and remembering to let life happen. https://youtu.be/88LqHm46kiU?si=CUODdoCcSL1hXjE6

The Randy Report: Congratulations on the new single and music video, “Cool.” Dark, edgy, and mysterious – you had me at go. What was the inspiration behind the song?

Milahroy: Thank you! I used to beat myself up a lot, mentally. It wasn’t a healthy coping mechanism and I’ve been trying to be more gentle with myself. This song captures the backlash of working on and with yourself. Sometimes, you betray yourself and it hurts. It’s a trip & will probably last a lifetime but I take pride in coming this far.

“COOL” embodies one confronting their doubts and inner demons.

TRR: In translating the track to video, where did the concept come from? What do you want folks to take away from the musical journey?

Milahroy: A new friend of mine, Patrick McPheron (Interior State), who directed the video, really helped capture the vibe of this tune and where I wanted it to go visually. The concept reflects the inspiration of this track: being held hostage by one’s own insecurities and doubts.

I want folks to understand we all fall victim to lying to ourselves and for what? The facade of perfection? With today’s standards of how we “should be”, we start to lose focus on who we want to be or even simply who we truly are.

TRR: In August, you released “D.F.O” which rocks a very different vibe. It’s totally catchy and sounds like the Monkees made a hit record with the B-52s in the year 2020. In other words, it’s awesome. Tell me about it.

Milahroy: Thank you so much for the compliment. I’m a huge fan of those artists. “Love Shack” is one of my favorite tunes off my summer playlist. so I love that reference!

“D.F.O.,” short for Don’t Freak Out (it’s been wild to hear what people think it stands for), is a song I wrote with Jessie Shapiro & Rob Shore (theLMNOP). Creating problems is a common theme I’ve seen in myself and friends, this song is a good wave of joy taking you out and reminding you sometimes you just need to let life happen and trust the universe.

https://youtu.be/AqZe9oqlYIA?si=_dlHZq-njaoxBA6h TRR: In 2018, you released an EP titled ‘Thoughts in Sound’ under the artist name RØY – what does the shift to Milahroy mean for you? Change in sound? Change in perspective?

Milahroy: Ah! Yes! 2020 has really warped my sense of time so two years ago feels like a lifetime away.

I was thinking of a new name to represent this new image and new shift in my life and while a friend and I were walking down Hollywood Blvd., I had a spark of inspiration.. and Milahroy came to fruition.

Milahroy is my birth name flipped on its head. The first half is my Muslim surname spelled in reverse which butts up against my first name. This all represents my internal reflection on my family’s spiritual history, my own personal truth and the internal changes I’ve had to make in order to accept them both into my heart with love and honesty.

The shift feels massive – it created this identity for me. It’s almost as if I was able to take the reins of this alter ego that’s still myself, leaving a small town to pursue my dreams. It was like a new part of my self was born. I sometimes want to be a diva and introduce myself as Myla! Ha!

TRR: What do you do outside of music that contributes to your creativity?

Milahroy: I don’t think there’s an easy way to answer this question, everything contributes to my creativity including all of my travels across the country, the people and friends I interact with on a daily basis, the beautiful imagery I see around me every day to the dark corners of my inner and outer world but on a personal level I’m a very introspective person so I’ve been practicing having gratitude for the little things in life. A lot of my practice has to do with sitting in stillness, journaling, and doing my best to live in the present moment. Allowing for me to really channel my thoughts & emotions into my music.

TRR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Milahroy: Great question.. when moving to LA the best advice I’ve received was to stay persistent and to get comfortable hearing “no.” It’s so easy to get distracted in this big city, so reminding myself to stay focused and to remember where I came from has really helped me. If you were to tell me 10 years ago I would be moving to LA to pursue music, I would’ve laughed and whipped my Bieber Fever locks in your face. Lol.

TRR: What’s next?

Milahroy: A similar-sounding EP, then another completely different sounding EP, and followed by a studio album. I’m sitting on a lot of beautiful music with different characters and plots, different emotions, ideas, and themes. I’m just trying to hear and feel what works and I’m beginning to realize I’m the kind of artist who wants to connect with people and have the people take the time to process and reflect on themselves with these sounds.

Check out Milahroy’s official website here, find him on Instagram here, and stream his music on Spotify here.  

 

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News Round-Up: November 10, 2020

Screen capture of CNN White House correspondent Boris Sanchez

Screen capture of CNN White House correspondent Boris Sanchez
CNN White House correspondent Boris Sanchez (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Mainstream Media Crush: I can’t believe I’ve never noted how enjoyable CNN’s Boris Sanchez (above) makes watching the news. That is all. #EyeCandy • Pink News: Last week, I reported how openly gay Mayor Dean Trantalis of Fort Lauderdale was verbally accosted at his polling station by a group of Trump supporters calling him homophobic slurs.  Just thought I’d report he sailed to reelection with 58 percent of the vote. • Out Music: Check out the latest music video from out recording artist mxmtoon, “ok on your own,” featuring pop star Carly Rae Jepsen. The mid-tempo track explores the fallout of a breakup with the realization that sometimes it’s better to be “on your own” when a romance comes to an end. “I need some time to myself so I can comprehend/ I’m not so scared to admit I could use a friend.”

• USA Today: Nine legal experts say Trump’s lawsuit challenging election results in Pennsylvania is dead on arrival for a number of reasons: Courts are wary of invalidating legally cast ballots, and voting by mail, used in many states, is both common and constitutional. • Statista: Following Pfizer’s announcement that its vaccine candidate was found to be 90 percent effective against COVID-19 in phase 3 trials, shares of travel industry stocks like hotels and airlines went soaring across the globe. Interestingly, the news also sent some shares tumbling for such “pandemic winners” as Zoom Video Communications, Peloton, and Netflix.

(graphic via Statista)
• Gothamist: Governor Phil Murphy is requiring indoor bars and restaurants in New Jersey to close by 10 p.m., one of several restrictions that he announced today to address a spike in COVID-19 cases. “There is more than anecdotal evidence that as the night wears on, probably for reasons that are obvious, people let their hair down,” Murphy said, while also sharing that the state’s positivity rate is at 7.52%. • MSNBC: President-elect Joe Biden threw some 12th level shade Donald Trump’s way when asked about Trump refusing to concede the presidential race. “At the end of the day, you know, it’s all going to come to fruition on January 20.”

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News Round-Up: November 9, 2020

(image via Andrew Christian)
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Underwear company Andrew Christian recently has apologized for marketing a harness (above) emblazoned with the word “slave” using a POC to model them. “As you accurately noted in your article our ‘Master’ and ‘Slave’ harnesses and underwear only reference the ‘Master’ and ‘Slave’ terminology of the BDSM culture and has nothing to do with anything else.  We sincerely apologize if anyone finds the image of the model offensive and we will replace it immediately.” • Out Music: Colton Ford releases his first new music in years with the single, “Stronger.” The inspirational ballad features upbeat lyrics that share Ford’s own positive self speak: “We have to stay conscious of what we are telling ourselves, as that impacts and influences everything we experience in this life.” You can stream the full track here.

• NBC News: Georgia plans a recount of votes in its presidential race, but in the past 50 years, few recounts have led to changes in the winners. And in the handful of still-uncalled battleground states, there hasn’t been a flip following a recount in at least the last two decades. • Statista: As the presidential election results unfolded before the American people last week, the stock market saw the writing on the wall. The S&P 500 closed the week up 7.3 percent on Friday marking the best election week rally since 1928. The Nasdaq and Dow Jones saw similar gains.

(graphic via Statista)
• The Independent: Donald Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, has become the latest Trump administration official to test positive for Covid-19. Carson attended the election night party at the White House on Tuesday where few in attendance wore masks to prevent the spread of the virus. • Mediaite: Fox News cut away from the White House press secretary this afternoon after she alleged that the Democratic party was “welcoming fraud and you are welcoming illegal voting.” Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto cut in saying, “Unless she has more details to back that up, I can’t in good countenance continue showing this.”  

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Out Music: Apollo Flowerchild ‘Bloody Hands’

Apollo Flowerchild in ‘Bloody Hands’ (screen capture)
Black trans singer/songwriter Apollo Flowerchild releases their haunting new single, “Bloody Hands,” on the trailblazing new label Trans Trenderz which focuses exclusively on supporting Black Trans music makers, a subsection of creatives who have been tragically underserved within the music industry. The track, produced by Blxck Cxsper, is the first by a Trans Trenderz artist to have been recorded at Studio G Brooklyn by seven-time Grammy-nominated producer, Joel Hamilton, who mixed the track. Flowerchild’s earthy baritone is set amid a hypnotic sonic soundscape. And the song’s brooding, pensive lyrics offer a window into the artist’s personal eloquence and grace.

I’m regretting every choice Destroying all the things that I hold dear And a dark cloud hovers near

More than a record label, Trans Trenderz is a Black Trans-owned organization aiming to help Trans artists achieve mainstream success while feeling empowered and respected for who they are. On top of releasing music that is entirely produced by Trans people, they are leading several initiatives to help strengthen the transgender musical community: • The Ghostly Beats Project where they mobilize allies to provide Black Trans musicians the resources they need to produce and monetize their music • The Trans Trenderz Music Awards to highlight and bring recognition to the hard-working Trans creatives in all corners of the music industry • Workshops & Public Speaking, to educate and empower

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Out Music: Tegan And Sara ‘Make You Mine This Season’

Check out the new single from out pop duo Tegan and Sara, “Make You Mine This Season,” featured on the upcoming soundtrack for the Hulu Original romantic comedy, Happiest Season. According to the film’s official synopsis, “A young woman plans to propose marriage to her girlfriend while attending her family’s annual holiday party. At the party, she realizes her girlfriend hasn’t come out to her conservative parents yet.” The TV movie, which stars Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen, debuts exclusively in the U.S. on Hulu on November 25th. Tegan and Sara’s euphoric, upbeat synthpop track sounds like a perfect fit for a queer holiday rom-com.

You’re the only girl I’ve got on my list I’ll write your name, I know it’s foolish But I chase the feeling ‘cus you keep me dreaming That I could make you mine this season

“For all types of families, music matters more during the holidays than any other time of year,” says soundtrack producer Justin Tranter. “To be given the honor to help create a holiday soundtrack that everyone can enjoy but celebrates LGBTQ talent is an actual dream come true for me! There are LGBTQ artists and/or songwriters on every original song.”

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News Round-Up: November 2, 2020

Mike Taveira (photo: David-Simon Dayan)
Some news items you might have missed: • CNBC: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case concerning the rights of LGBTQ Americans on Wednesday morning in a dispute that advocates are warning could pierce holes in the nation’s anti-discrimination laws. Arguments, which will take place just a day after the presidential election, will mark the first major fight to come before Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was sworn in a week ago. • Instinct Magazine: Taiwan held one of the few Pride Parades this year as nearly 130,000 people gathered to march, dance, and visit a Rainbow Market of 100 LGBTQ-owned or supportive businesses/organizations. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, other countries have gone without Pride events this year, but Taiwan has not had a reported diagnosis of COVID-19 since April. In total, the country has had only 554 recorded cases and only seven deaths nationwide. • Out Music: Out recording artist Mike Taveira (top image) offers his new single, “Karma.” An uber-catchy pop-bop groove, Taveira calls the track “the breakup anthem for anyone who feels like their ex has yet received the karma they deserve.” “I do believe in karma and I do believe she is coming,” says Taveira. “She just likes to wait for the perfect timing and I was impatient, which led to the song.”

• The Advocate: Parliament House, the iconic Orlando nightclub that has been serving central Florida’s LGBTQ+ population for 45 years, is closing, though the owners say it’s not a permanent closure. In a Facebook post, they tried to get the money for much-needed renovations, but they sadly couldn’t reach their goal. • The Signorile Report: Michelangelo takes a look at what it will take for a President Joe Biden to get The Equality Act passed in his first 100 days as promised. • KIT212: I’m catching up on Kenneth’s weekly round-up of LGBTQ publications like DNA Magazine’s 250th issue featuring cover model Julian Gabriel (below).

(image via DNA Magazine)

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News Round-Up: October 30, 2020

Kyle Rittenhouse (image via Twitter)
Some news items you might have missed: • Journal-Sentinel: An Illinois judge on Friday denied Kyle Rittenhouse’s (above) request for release and ordered him extradited to Wisconsin, where he faces serious charges in Kenosha County for killing two people and wounding a third during unrest in Kenosha in August. • Reuters: The U.S. State Department has (finally) backed down from legal battles over the citizenship of gay couples’ children who were born to surrogates overseas. The cases involved a family whose daughter had been born to a surrogate in Canada and a family whose daughter was born to a surrogate in England. The gay couples had sued the State Department, claiming that their sexuality had led to the rejection of their children’s applications for passports. • Out Music: Ben Hazlewood’s “The Way You Do” is a loping, easy listen that reflects the deep emotional ties we share with those we love. Hazlewood wrote the song for his nan and expresses that “love isn’t limited to romance,” but also for those you care about deeply including family and friends. Raised on artists like Jim Morrison, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, and Janis Joplin, Hazlewood delivers powerful, plaintive vocals amid an emotional guitar-driven soundscape. I like. Follow Hazlewood on Instagram here.

• Bloomberg News: Through Thursday, over 9 million Texans had cast ballots in early voting – that’s more than the 8.97 million votes cast in total in 2016, a record high at the time. Neither party knows who will benefit most from the surge, but it has put the reliably Republican state in play as a full-out battleground in the campaign’s final days. • Yahoo News: Joe Biden would hammer Donald Trump in the US presidential election if it were Europeans heading to the ballot box. Among 5 countries surveyed  — Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain — the Germans were the most enthusiastic Biden supporters, with 66% saying they would back the Democrat if allowed to vote. Only 8% of Germans said they would vote for Trump. Trump’s best score was in Italy, where 15% would make their mark for the GOP candidate. • Twitter: On the campaign trail in Wisconsin tonight, Donald Trump perpetuated the myth that we somehow lost the ability to say ‘Merry Christmas’ at some point – and HE brought it back!?! Trump also told his sheep followers that there will be ‘no electricity’ if Joe Biden wins the presidency…?

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Out Music: Riotron ‘Dark Highway’

Riotron’s Jeff Fettes
Just in time for Halloween, out recording artist Riotron returns with “Dark Highway,” an evocative slice of retrowave pop, this time coupled with a fun, spooky and cinematically lush video directed by Gianennio Salucci. “’Dark Highway’ is a metaphor for all bad decisions we make,” says Riotron’s Jeff Fettes. “You’re going too fast, you’re out of control but you don’t stop. And then suddenly you can’t stop.” “For the video, I wanted to pay tribute to some of my favorite 80’s videos. There’s horror, sci-fi, and even some hand-drawn animation.”

The brainchild of singer/songwriter Jeff Fettes, Riotron is an electro-pop project from Winnipeg, Canada that combines elements of 80s synthwave, EDM and even some jazz into a unique sound. The name is derived from the hit song ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran and the 1982 fantasy sci-fi film Tron. The track totally has an ominous 1980s-era Phil Collins ‘In The Air Tonight’ vibe with heavy drum pads and an excellent guitar solo. And the video’s mix of darkness, animated alternate universes, and twists in the storytelling (a la ‘Thriller’) complete the throwback fun. Hit the play button and enjoy.

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New Music: Icona Pop, Sofi Tukker, Tafari Anthony, Lauv, Conan Gray

Icona Pop and Sofi Tukker in ‘Spa’
The chart-topping duo Icona Pop are back with the official music video for “Spa,” their musical collaboration with electronic duo Sofi-Tukker. The quirky, retro-inspired video is the perfect pairing for the new wave-ish, techno-pop bop. Speaking about the collaboration, Icona Pop’s Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo explain, “This song is weird in the very best way and we hope that people can have a rave spa at home while listening to it.” Sofi Tukker adds, “We hope people can feel the joy and giddiness and ridiculousness that we all felt while making it. Even though we miss the club now more than ever, there’s also never been such an important time for self-care. Put some cuces on your eyes.”

Tafari Anthony
Queer pop artist Tafari Anthony releases his latest single, “No Good.” The soulful electro-pop track features soaring vocals by Anthony as he explores how some relationships are just no good for us, yet we somehow still end up pursuing them for whatever reason. “It is so much easier than you’d think to get trapped in this cycle of a bad relationship,” Anthony recently told American Songwriter. “I’ve heard too often from people that when a relationship is going well they feel like it’s missing something and that something is the drama.” https://youtu.be/R733A-aJ41g

Conan Gray and Lauv in ‘Fake’ (screen capture)
Lauv joins forces with Conan Gray for the breezy mid-tempo “Fake,” which skewers vapid, phony social media personalities that seem to prize the number of followers over actual connections. Amid a series of escalating fake photoshoots, the colorful music video features the duo engaging in staged pillow fights and dancing through super-saturated, bigger-than-life soundstage sets before being returned to reality.

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Out Music: Kyle Motsinger Warns Of A Dark, Dystopian World In ‘The Upside Down’

New York City-based singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger
Out singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger has dropped a dark new music video in time for Halloween and the Election! The track is titled “The Upside Down” and is the latest single from his new album, Any Way I Want It To! “When the world shut down due to a deadly pandemic I was left unemployed but inspired,” says Motsinger. “I wanted to create and document what we were going through. I said to a friend that I felt like we were living in the Upside Down from the hit show, “Stranger Things.” The Upside Down is a shadowy alternative of our world on “Stranger Things” that is full of monsters. In our real-life version, says Motsinger, we’ve “had to deal with an incompetent and selfish president and a deadly virus that has gone on to kill over 220,000 (so far) in the United States alone.”
Kyle Motsinger in ‘The Upside Down’
The 80s-inspired, synth-heavy track conjures up an atmosphere of dark, dystopian dread:

This is life in the upside down Humanity enslaved by greedy orange clown Hang your Christmas lights I’m calling from the other side Something bad is coming and I have no place to hide I’m lost, lost in the upside down

Motsinger shot and edited the video all on his own due to time constraints on his usual cinematographer (and a lack of a budget without a Stimulus package being passed by Congress). BUT – the woofy ginger adds, “I think it proves that you can make magic happen if you have a little creativity and some colored lights!” The new track and album are available on iTunes here and you can stream via Spotify here. Hit the play button below, and check out my previous coverage of Kyle Mostsinger’s music on The Randy Report here.