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Monthly Archives: May 2017
New Music: Steps, The Cranberries, Blondie, Ásgeir, Feist
New Music: Steps, The Cranberries, Blondie, Ásgeir, Feist
This week in New Music: Steps do perfect 90s pop on Tears on the Dancefloor, The Cranberries demonstrate just why they were – and remain – a class act on Something Else, Blondie enlist Sia and more on album number 11 Pollinator, Ásgeir goes electronic for album number two and Feist goes confessional indie rock on Pleasure.
Steps – Tears on the Dancefloor
The Steps fanbase is heading for its 30s (perhaps late 30s at a push) so a new album makes sense and quite honestly it’s glorious pop nonsense with some major missteps (sorry).
On Tears on the Dancefloor, Steps know their audience and mine its collective kid-consciousness for all its worth on a collection of mostly perfect, sugary, Eurovision-friendly anthems.
“Story of a Heart,” “Neon Blue” and “Firefly” are perfect 90s pop. “Happy” is a majestic anthem. “Glitter and Gold” is so cheesy it could have come off Kylie Minogue’s 1990 album Rhythm of Love.
Nostalgia rarely sounds this good.
The Cranberries – Something Else
Recorded in the University of Limerick in their hometown, The Cranberries – commercially one of the most successful Irish bands of all time – have issued Something Else, a collection of orchestrated old tracks with three new ones.
Most of the rerecorded songs on the album add another level to Dolores O’Riordan’s still stunning voice and the quartet at their sweet pop best. The reimagined version of “Free to Decide” musically at least actually reflects the unpleasant themes of the song all the better.
“Zombie” just doesn’t really work because it should always be edgy and angry.
Of the three new songs, “Why?” is the standout.
Something Else will be essential to fans. A good dose of marketing could well introduce The Cranberries to an entirely new audience.
Blondie – Pollinator
As a band with a history of working together for more than 40 years on and off, Blondie possibly felt the need to do something different on album number 11 Pollinator.
The titles gives it away – Debbie Harry and co. have enlisted the help of a vast array of songwriters for Pollinator, presumably as an attempt to extend their own sound.
It’s mostly successful.
Working with the likes of Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) and Sia has bore results. Although at times perhaps trying too hard to keep up with the kids, fans will lap it up.
Ásgeir – “Afterglow”
Singer songwriter Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson’s debut album In the Silence (originally Dýrð í dauðaþögn) is apparently the best selling Icelandic album of all time.
Given Ásgeir’s falsetto vocal tricks, comparisons with Sigur Ros’s Jonsi are obvious but you would be best to follow the likes of Bon Iver and Sweden’s The Tallest Man on Earth – aka Kristian Matsson – for pointers.
Like Bon Iver, for album number two it appears that Ásgeir may also be shedding the singer songwriter box for a glitchy, electronic sound akin to James Blake and Halls.
Have a listen to lead single “Afterglow” below.
Feist – Pleasure
For her latest album Pleasure, Feist goes for a solid, pared-back indie rock style that will draw comparisons with the likes of PJ Harvey and Haley Bonar.
The Bonar comparison is less relevant as the South Dakota singer tends towards the more playful while Feist goes for confessional rock that often reminds the listener of Harvey at her early caustic best (for example the storming “Any Party”).
Feist also has her quiet moments on the likes of “I Wish I Didn’t Miss You” but the noisy bits are the standouts.
The post New Music: Steps, The Cranberries, Blondie, Ásgeir, Feist appeared first on Towleroad.
On the Tras Palabras podcast, Carolina González interviews her friend, and transgender rights advocate Arianna Lint
On the Tras Palabras podcast, Carolina González interviews her friend, and transgender rights advocate Arianna Lint
Carolina Gonzalez
Spanish-language audiences have fewer media options for accurate content that covers issues that impact LGBTQ people. Luckily, Spanish-language podcast creators have stepped up to create compelling audio stories. One such podcast is Tras Palabras a new culture podcast that seeks to go beyond words and labels (hence its title, “tras” meaning to go beyond or behind; “palabras” meaning words) giving listeners a chance to get to know the people behind the one or two words that are used to describe them.
Carolina González is a storyteller with a keen ear for testimonies that help advance social justice. When she arrived in Miami from Venezuela she had already had the privilege of studying at the same university where Tamara Adrián, noted lawyer, politician and advocate for transgender women like herself taught. Gonzalez, a cisgender straight woman, learned from Adrián that Venezuela, like many countries, did not allow transgender people to update their identity documents with the gender marker and name that aligned with their identity.
In Miami, González realized the United States too had a patchwork of practices and protections for transgender people. As she worked with reporters and producers in her role as Communications Officer for the ACLU, she realized that just like in her home country, many reporters had a lack of familiarity with the correct terminology related to covering LGBTQ issues. She also saw that media professionals often lacked the information to accurately disccus news items that impacted transgender people, often confusing gender identity with sexual orientation for example, or failing to use the right pronouns and name when referring to transgender interviewees or subjects.
Arianna Lint is an advocate for HIV+ people, transgender people and immigrants. A lawyer in Peru, she came to the United States to transition, leaving behind a career in order to be true to 
herself. Although she had an accepting family, Lint had a hard time working in Peru because she faced homophobia (before her transition.) When she came to Florida, Lint found that in addition to transphobia many of the women and men she advocated for also faced xenophobia and discrimination due to their immigrant status. She chose to tell her story both as an example to the people she met who were fighting against multiple injustices and to help media do a better job when they explored decisions that affected LGBTQ immigrants and in that way impact policy decisions.
González and Lint are good friends, so it was natural for them to turn to each other to accomplish their complimentary goals. Lint knew she could trust González to tell her story respectfully, something that she could not always count on when working with media in the past. The two found working on the podcast insightful. The resulting interview is one of the first (and most popular) episodes of this new independent effort.
For González, each episode is a powerful return on her initial sacrifice when she bought the equipment, researched the medium, and sought out a skeleton crew that could help her with editing and mixing the episodes. She hopes her approach will ensure that audiences will hear from people often not heard on other airwaves. Not all her podcasts will feature LGBTQ interviewees but as an ally, as an immigrant and because of her experiences in media, she is determined that her podcasts include experiences from people who are often misunderstood.
For Lint, each time she shares her story with others, she knows that it might help her continue her grassroots efforts to help women like her. She enjoyed listening to a 45 minute version of her life enhanced by the inspiring music and commentary that González added. Lint knows that not all her experiences with media are easy or enjoyable, but she is committed to continue speaking out in order to make the world better for the transgender people who come after her.
May 3, 2017
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LGBTQ Groups Oppose Trump’s Executive Order That Would Give Anti LGBTQ People a #LicenseToDiscrimina
LGBTQ Groups Oppose Trump’s Executive Order That Would Give Anti LGBTQ People a #LicenseToDiscrimina
#LicenseToDiscrimina“>
Gay Senior: Mississippi Funeral Home Refused to Bury My Husband
Gay Senior: Mississippi Funeral Home Refused to Bury My Husband
An 82-year-old man is taking action against a funeral home that allegedly said it did not “deal with their kind.”
Amanda Lepore 99
The reviews of Ivanka Trump’s book are in, and they’re brutal
Brad Pitt, Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Sarandon, Rex Tillerson, Healthcare, Celine Dion: HOT LINKS
Brad Pitt, Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Sarandon, Rex Tillerson, Healthcare, Celine Dion: HOT LINKS
TRUMPCARE. House Republicans ready to try again: “Feeling close to having enough support to pass its embattled health care bill, the party has revved up its whip operation in the hope of getting a vote on the amended plan this week. Republican leaders are working to get 216 Republicans to vote in favor of it. Only 22 Republicans can vote no in order for the bill to pass. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is coming back to Washington after having foot surgery to provide Republicans with a much needed “yes” vote, an aide told NBC News.”
TOTAL SCAM. Republican last-ditch amendment on healthcare: “The new amendment, which is being championed by GOP Rep. Fred Upton — who made a huge splash by opposing the bill yesterday — would essentially add $8 billion of funding in addition to the so-called “high risk pools,” which are supposed to function as a safety net for people with pre-existing conditions who lose coverage as a result of the GOP bill. The Republican plan would gut protections for people with pre-existing ailments, because it would allow states to waive the prohibition on insurers from jacking up premiums for them — a prohibition that’s called “community rating” — which could lead to soaring costs and many of them getting priced out of the market entirely.”
HILLARY CLINTON. How the media twists her statements.
REX TILLERSON. NYT slams Secretary of State: “Barring a course change, the State Department is expected to limp along without most of its senior staff until well into 2018. That could be more than a year from now. Even citizens who are deeply jaded about the government must realize that with the world in turmoil, it’s dangerous for one of the departments most responsible for managing the chaos to be treading water.”
NATO AMBASSADOR. Rex Tillerson reportedly blocked gay former Bush communications director Richard Grenell from the job: “Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) was reportedly a compromise pick, her bid boosted by her time representing Tillerson’s home state.”
CELINE DION. Brought a shoe phone to the Met Gala because of course she did.
CHIEF OF STAFF. Roger Stone claims Sean Hannity made an “insane effort” to be Trump’s Chief of Staff.
Sean Hannity and his lackey Bill Shine blocked me from Fox because I blocked Sean’s insane effort to become @realDonaldTrump WH COS
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) May 3, 2017
Roger, with all due respect, I NEVER EVER ASKED to be considered for any WH job, nor would I ever have accepted, nor is that my skill set. t.co/P1yczkqL8a
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) May 3, 2017
ANDREW CUNANAN. Here’s Darren Criss as Versace’s killer.
TRUMPIAN. Susan Sarandon calls Debra Messing “Trumpian” and misinformed.
VIRAL PHOTO. Girl Scout stands up to neo-Nazi: “People from all walks of life, and #Scouts among them, came to the streets during an extreme right march yesterday, to express their support for values of diversity, peace and understanding. Creating a better world!”
MONITORS. Facebook to hire 3,000 employees to detect and remove violent videos. Zuckerberg: “Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen people hurting themselves and others on Facebook — either live or in video posted later. It’s heartbreaking, and I’ve been reflecting on how we can do better for our community. If we’re going to build a safe community, we need to respond quickly. We’re working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action sooner — whether that’s responding quickly when someone needs help or taking a post down.”
BRAD PITT. Gets the Ryan McGinley treatment in GQ Style.
AND THE VIDEO:
HULU. Streaming platform launches Live TV service for $40. “Those channels will include ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and local affiliates, along with ESPN, CNN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, FX, USA Network and many more. Hulu also announced that it’s signed a deal with Scripps Networks Interactive to bring their channels — including HGTV, Travel Channel and Food Network — into the live TV service.”
HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Matty.
The post Brad Pitt, Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Sarandon, Rex Tillerson, Healthcare, Celine Dion: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.
Brad Pitt, Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Sarandon, Rex Tillerson, Healthcare, Celine Dion: HOT LINKS
GLAAD calls on Nashville’s music industry to speak out on discriminatory legislation awaiting Governor’s decision
GLAAD calls on Nashville’s music industry to speak out on discriminatory legislation awaiting Governor’s decision
Stokes to Haslam: “You can avoid becoming the next North Carolina”
NASHVILLE – Today, GLAAD joined Tennessee Equality Project and other local LGBTQ groups and civil rights organizations in Nashville to call on Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to veto HB 1111/SB 1085, an anti-LGBTQ bill which would require all words in the Tennessee state code to be defined as their so-called “natural meaning” – ushering in an era that would delegitimize of LGBTQ couples and trans people in the state of Tennessee. If signed into law, HB 1111/SB 1085 could invalidate LGBTQ families in everyday life and deny legal documents that would affirm a transgender person’s true identity.
In addition to being wrong, dangerous, and discriminatory, this “LGBTQ Erasure Bill” could have a negative impact on Tennessee’s economy and Nashville’s music industry. Just yesterday, The Music Business Association spoke out and asked for Governor Haslam to veto what would be a dangerous bill for the LGBTQ community.
Backlash from the music industry could have devastating effects to Tennessee’s’ economy. According to Nielson, LGBTQ fans spend an average of $248 per year on music. That’s 48% more than non-LGBTQ fans. In addition, LGBTQ fans spend 55% more on concerts, three times as much on digital albums, two times as much on digital tracks, and 88 percent more on paid streaming.
“If Governor Haslam doesn’t veto House Bill 1111/Senate Bill 1054, the backlash could be devastating to the state of Tennessee,” said Zeke Stokes, GLAAD Vice President of Programs. “The music and entertainment industry is the heartbeat of Tennessee’s economy with the LGBTQ community among the industry’s most influential consumers. The Tennessee Legislature has already attacked this massive fan base that keeps their own state economy alive and thriving when they passed this hateful bill, but Gov. Haslam as the opportunity to change course with his veto. If he does not, Gov. Haslam only needs to look to the hundreds of millions lost by North Carolina in the wake of HB2 to see what is at stake for Tennessee.”
Photo Credit: Lacy Atkins/The Tennessean
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: TENNESSEE’S REMAINING #SLATEOFHATE
SB30/HB33 – Requires words “father,” “mother,” “husband,” and “wife” be “based on the biological distinctions between men and women,” thereby targeting LGBTQ parents and couples.
- Especially impacting LGBTQ families, a child’s parent, if not the biological parent, might not be recognized as such by law
- Transgender people’s gender identity may not be recognized by law
SB1085/HB1111 – States any “undefined” words be given their so-called “natural and ordinary meaning,” opening non-traditional/LGBTQ couples and families up to discrimination.
- Affects every undefined word in the Tennessee code
- May interfere with the marriages of same-sex couples and LGBTQ families
- Transgender people’s gender identity may not be recognized by law
SB1153/HB1406 – Claims children conceived through artificial insemination are not “legitimate” children of their parents by repealing statue that protects them.
- Targets LGBTQ couples, single parents, and their children
- Allows the government to refuse to recognize LGBTQ families and only list one parent
- Creates roadblocks for LGBTQ parents trying to adopt their own children
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May 3, 2017
Issues:
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Chechen Authorities Tell Families: Kill Your Gay Sons or We Will
Chechen Authorities Tell Families: Kill Your Gay Sons or We Will
Survivors of the gay camps in Chechnya tell of a mounting death toll and a terrible choice.
www.advocate.com/world/2017/5/03/chechen-authorities-tell-families-kill-your-gay-sons-or-we-will
