Kitchen Radio Launches!

So the AMAZING Lady P (Jenn Pennington) and I have tried our hands at a new lil’ radio show that you can check out on now on SoundCloud. 

We met years ago in Seattle and quickly bonded over our love for music – before rekindling our friendship back in NYC. In honor of Pride month, our first show focuses on the role music played in our coming out experiences and how it helped shape our identities and informed our relationships. And who doesn’t like a thoughtful discussion on what constitute a gay anthem! I promise a fun trip down a musical memory lane, along with some new tracks you’ve hopefully never heard before.

We recorded it on a Saturday afternoon in Jenn’s West Village kitchen (right before Pride weekend) over a bottle of rose — doesn’t get gayer than that folks!

The show’s a work in progress but expect more episodes in the future. We’d love to hear what you think. 

You can listen to the show here.

And check out the first episode accompanying Spotify playlist! (of course)

why wouldn’t you call this song Shake Your Body Down? No wonder I could never find it

I had no idea this was a stock aitken waterman production….or that the group was made up of a couple of moonlighting British radio personalities. Or that it was actually a cover of of song from a NYC-based disco band, Odyssey, that hit #1 in the UK in 1980.

This was the JAM back when I was a schooler visiting dance clubs I really had not business being at….and I LOVED this track. And was never able to track it down.  And yeah, so maybe I heard this out this weekend and maybe Youtube just gave me the answer to a question I hadn’t asked in 20 years….

Pat & Mick – “Use It Up, Wear It Out”

And here’s the original in case you’re interested. Who knew?

11/11/11

Well if this isn’t just the perfect song for 11/11/11.

  I forget how incredible Want One was. It’s really Rufus’ towering achievement and probably one of my favorite albums of all time. His later work was somehow never as grand or gorgeous or heartbreaking as this one . And I could do without his later forays into baroque classical territory, not mentioning the Judy Garland redux. But apparently a new album is in the work with Mark Ronson. So fingers are crossed.

 

Erasure Breaks It All Down

After experiencing the highs of an Erasure concert a few weeks ago – which literally put me in a good mood for days – I just got around to buying their new album Tomorrow’s World (it’s cheap on amazonmp3.com, jus’ sayin’) and am happily embraced in their very Erasure-esque sounds.

  Things change. But it seems Erasure stays the same. And I’m absolutely fine with that. (Grainy bbery pic attached).

  I think this is my favorite track….a fun/ happy and very Erasure sounding remix (I’d place it in the I Say I Say I Say era) of “When I Start To (Break It All Down)”.

  Erasure – “When I Start To Break It All Down)” Steve Smart and WestFunk Remix

 

A little 90s Drag

Because today’s sort of dreary. And because it’s Friday. And because I forgot how much I loved this.

  Elton John & RuPaul – “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

Gaga’s Born This Way

I was hoping Gaga’s new song would be a cover of this 70s disco tune, the world’s gayest song.

Carl Bean – “Born This Way”

Instead it turns out to basically be a cover of Madonna’s 80s anthem “Express Yourself.” Which I’m also totally fine with. According to Perez, it’s already #1 on iTunes. So go pick it up now. Or listen to it on VEVO here.

I Need A Man

How amazing is this song? Happy New Year!

Katie Kissoon – "I Need A Man In My Life"

The Magic Flute

Apologies for the hiatus! Holidays/travel/ya’ll know the drill…..

So after returning from Christmas in Arizona with only the slightest of travel inconveniences (my apologies to the people sleeping in the Continental service line), my first order of business was seeing The Magic Flute at The Metropolitan Opera. This was the shortened, holiday production and was being presented in just the way I like my operas: abridged and directed by Julie Taymor.

I’m pretty much an opera novice, and the only operas I’ve seen are all by Mozart and all happen to be featured in Amadeus. I was obsessed with Amadeus in 4th grade and played the soundtrack constantly. There’s nothing like hitting the outdoors for Field Day and blasting Mozart’s Death Requiem on your walkman headphones to endear you to the elementary masses. This ‘music by way of film’ obsession would blossom further the following year when my new infatuations became the Stand By Me soundtrack and, especially, The Color Purple.

Anyway, I digress. The production was fantastic. The English translation is a little hokey but the show zipped along and, even after all these years, I still remembered the snippets featured in the movie, including the Queen of the Night’s big aria, and the Papageno/Papagena duet.

From Amadeus:

Here’s a clip of the Taymor version we saw. Hungarian Erika Miklosa is on vocal duties:

A YouTube rabbit hole led me to all sorts of clips of vocalists tackling The Queen of the Night along with all sorts of productions (on a giant aerobed, on harnasses, etc.). And people take their favorites very seriously. Do you prefer Miklosa or Diana Damrau or Natalie Dessay? Let’s hope I don’t suddenly get into opera – that’s a recipe for disaster for a music obsessive.

The Magic Flute

Apologies for the hiatus! Holidays/travel/ya’ll know the drill…..

So after returning from Christmas in Arizona with only the slightest of travel inconveniences (my apologies to the people sleeping in the Continental service line), my first order of business was seeing The Magic Flute at The Metropolitan Opera. This was the shortened, holiday production and was being presented in just the way I like my operas: abridged and directed by Julie Taymor.

I’m pretty much an opera novice, and the only operas I’ve seen are all by Mozart and all happen to be featured in Amadeus. I was obsessed with Amadeus in 4th grade and played the soundtrack constantly. There’s nothing like hitting the outdoors for Field Day and blasting Mozart’s Death Requiem on your walkman headphones to endear you to the elementary masses. This ‘music by way of film’ obsession would blossom further the following year when my new infatuations became the Stand By Me soundtrack and, especially, The Color Purple.

Anyway, I digress. The production was fantastic. The English translation is a little hokey but the show zipped along and, even after all these years, I still remembered the snippets featured in the movie, including the Queen of the Night’s big aria, and the Papageno/Papagena duet.

From Amadeus:

Here’s a clip of the Taymor version we saw. Hungarian Erika Miklosa is on vocal duties:

A YouTube rabbit hole led me to all sorts of clips of vocalists tackling The Queen of the Night along with all sorts of productions (on a giant aerobed, on harnasses, etc.). And people take their favorites very seriously. Do you prefer Miklosa or Diana Damrau or Natalie Dessay? Let’s hope I don’t suddenly get into opera – that’s a recipe for disaster for a music obsessive.

Liza at Rosebar

Had Mom in town recently which meant we were running around the city like fools and there was no time for posting. But I’m back now and wanted to share this nifty little experience from Monday night. I was lucky enough to catch Liza Minnelli at the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rosebar. It was a very small room and we were perched dead center to see the legend at work. What a trip.She has a new album, Confessions, that’s out now on Decca and this was the intimate NYC launch event. (Oprah was the significantly less intimate launch event last week).

Her voice may be a bit raggedy and syntax a bit strange but she’s a gifted storyteller, heavy on the eye contact and acted things perfectly, even if the notes aren’t quite there. She has that uncanny ability to make you feel like you’re the only person in the room.

Tony Danza, Sandra Bernhard, Mary Louise Parker, Michelle Lee (?) and Alan Cumming (of course) were all in the audience. Kind of a magical experience.

 

Down in front, Alan! (that’s him in white).

Charlie and I enjoying the show.

The Lady herself at work.

Let’s turn our clock back a bit to yesteryear (1990 I think). Here’s a performance Liza did promoting her Pet Shop Boys produced album, Results. This is actually my favorite track. Look at her go!

Liza Minnelli – “Love Pains”

And this one too! She even starts disrobing at the end!