SotW: I Want to Hold Your Hand by Glee Monday, Oct 11 2010 

music and queer culture and song of the week and television and What I'm Watching thisgaudygildedstage 6:33 pm

Since today is National Coming Out Day, I especially wanted to blog about last week’s episode of Glee, which is one of my favorite shows. Chris Colfer was particularly wonderful in this episode, in which Kurt’s father has a heart attack and is left in a coma. While his father is in the hospital, Kurt sings The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in Glee Club:

This song is very affecting in this episode, but what I like most about it is its potential as a queer song. This song is all about longing and wanting to love another person in this really simple way: to hold their hand.

Ultimately, I think that’s what all gay rights issues are really about: we want to hold the hand of our beloved openly and fearlessly, to be able to acknowledge who we are and who we love and share our lives with. This song sums that up for me, especially with a gay actor singing it.

Colfer’s version of the song is so simply beautiful. After hearing it for the first time, I told PJ that someday, when we’re allowed to marry legally and have a ceremony, I want this version of the song to be sung at our wedding. I think it would be beautiful.

So, I’ve downloaded it from iTunes, and I’m dreaming of the day when I’ll get married to the man I love. I can’t wait.

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SotW: Ice Cream Truck by Cazwell Thursday, Sep 30 2010 

music and queer culture and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 6:41 pm

Cazwell’s “Ice Cream Truck” has been on YouTube for a couple of months now. It was definitely the queer song of the summer!

In general, I enjoy Cazwell’s provocatively queer sexual imagery. This video is less lyrically sexually explicit and a little more explicit in its imagery than some of his past videos/singles. But I think it’s catchy and fun! It’s also definitely easy on the eyes.

I also love this remix–makes me want to dance!

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SotW: More Than This by Shane Mack Sunday, Sep 19 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 9:36 pm

Recently, I saw that TLA Video was having a sale on gay-themed movies, so I decided to take the opportunity to purchase two of my recent favorite gay independent films: Shelter and Socket. I watched Shelter this past Thursday and confirmed how much I like it. I also fell in love with a song on the soundtrack, Shane Mack‘s “More Than This.” Here’s a clip from the movie featuring the song:

I subsequently purchased all four of Mack’s songs on the soundtrack. Each of the songs is great, but this one seems to be sticking with me the most. I didn’t (and still don’t) know much about Mack. He’s apparently working in Nashville and Los Angeles at the moment.

I think what appeals most to be about this song is the refrain:

If this is all, if this is all we ever were
At least I loved enough to hurt
Enough to hurt

Something about that sentiment appeals to me. It’s kind of a nice way of thinking about emotional pain, I suppose — if it hurts then it must have meant something. I like it as a way of recovering the time you spent in pain — it wasn’t a total waste. Maybe you learned something by going through the hurt, but it also means that you loved enough for it to have mattered to you. I like that idea.

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SotW: Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons Wednesday, Sep 1 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 7:11 am

My favorite song of the summer has been Mumford & Sons‘ “Little Lion Man.” It’s played frequently on Alt Nation in XM radio, and it’s become my favorite sing along!

Mumford & Sons is a London-based band that formed a few years ago. They’re associated with another of my favorites, Laura Marling. Their album, Sign No More, was released in February. I downloaded it from iTunes based on this track but haven’t had time to listen to it yet.

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SotW: Felicia by The Constellations Friday, Jul 23 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 8:18 pm

“Felicia” by The Constellations is another song I’ve heard a lot recently on Alt Nation on XM radio. I love it! Here’s a live version:

I love “dirty” songs like this in general, but what I love most about this track is the groove. It just makes you want to dance. (And for a change I don’t think the lead singer is hot, at least not here!)

I also love the female back-up singers. I like that the female voice is represented — it makes the song seem less sexist and more equitable!

Here’ a link to the official video (the singer is much cuter here — love the glasses!). I think it’s a fun and really sexy video.

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SotW: Yeah Yeah Yeah by New Politics Saturday, Jul 17 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 10:57 pm

In preparation for a drive to Richmond, Virginia, for a memorial service today (we left yesterday, spent the night, and returned him this afternoon), We re-subscribed to XM Radio. During the drive we listened to Alt Nation a lot, which has introduced me to a few new songs that I love, including New Politics‘ “Yeah Yeah Yeah”:

This song is infectious! New Politics is a band from Denmark but are now living in New York. And, not surprisingly, I think the lead singer, David Boyd, is hot! I’ve just purchased their album on iTunes.

Here’s another video of New Politics singing Yeah Yeah Yeah for the SXSW 2010 Showcasing Artist:

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SotW: Crossfire by Brandon Flowers Friday, Jul 9 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 6:06 pm

The Killers is (are?) one of my favorite bands, and I’m totally in love with Brandon Flowers (regardless of his heterosexuality and Mormonism). So, I was extremely excited to learn recently that he’s putting out a solo album. I was even more excited to hear his first single, “Crossfire.” And the video is smokin’ hot:

I love the way this video casts Flowers in the damsel-in-distress role and Charlize Theron as his rescuer. He’s so cute when he gives her his little small, and I’m surprised by how hot I think he looks with a bloody lip and a black eye! I also love the way she puts her arm around him at the end. The gender politics of this video are so interestingly feminist — maybe his Mormon heterosexuality isn’t so bad after all! (He’s seems gay-friendly in his interview with The Advocate and he’s on record as “not opposing” gay rights.)

I look forward to the new album, which is due out in mid-September.

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Tell Me You Love Me by Leela James Wednesday, May 26 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 8:53 pm

I saw Leela James‘s new album, My Soul, on iTunes and immediately felt that it was just the kind of album I would love. So, I surfed over to YouTube and watched the first of her videos to come up, “Tell Me You Love Me”:

I liked what I heard, so I sampled the tracks on the album and decided to download it. So far, I love it! This is exactly the kind of music I love, neo-soul. James reminds me a little of early Tina Turner crossed with Anthony Hamilton. Listening to her also reminded me that I want to download Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings’s new album too.

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Satisfied by Woody Pines Wednesday, May 19 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 5:49 pm

After seeing Woody Pines live over the weekend, I decided to make one of their songs, “Satisfied,” my song of the week. It’s a great little song about being happy where you are. Here’s a live version I found on YouTube:

I’m looking forward to the band’s return to Athens next weekend (May 28). PJ and I are going to go (they’re playing at Casa Cantina) as are a couple of our friends. It should be a lot of fun.

“Satisfied” is off the new, 2009 album, Counting Alligators, which is great. I can’t find the lyrics for this song, so I’ve added another video of the band after the break.

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Pick U Up by Adam Lambert Wednesday, Apr 28 2010 

music and song of the week thisgaudygildedstage 12:51 pm

Adam Lambert’s “Pick U Up” has been in my head for the past two weeks. I love it! It sounds a quite a bit like All-American Rejects, although it was co-written by Rivers Cuomo.

It’s a great song, and Lambert’s voice is amazing, especially toward the end with the big note at the end of the line, “I need someone to be my lover.”

This is the third of Lambert’s tracks on For Your Entertainment that I’ve made my song of the week. It’s the kind of album that I like more and more the more I listen to it. It also reminds me just how personality-free this season’s American Idol is. People might have complained last year that Adam was too over the top, but I think everyone would have to admit that he brought a lot of drama to the season. No one’s doing that this year.

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