The Gayest New Music You'll Hear This Week

Pet Shop Boys

As obsessed with film scores as I am, I am very surprised by my recent rash of new music posts. 

Uncle P came of musical age in the 80's when I discovered so many musicians; bands; performance artists and singers from every era and genre. For the most part, the music with I most connect the beginning of my musical awakening is the often bizarre dance music to which my college friends and I spent many a Thursdays (with Jon Stewart tending bar) dancing at 90 Cent Dance Night Thursday at the notorious City Gardens in Trenton, NJ.  90 Cents to get in and 90 Cents for a watered down well drink. We'd get a pitcher of Kamikazes to start the night and then move on to the cheap stuff, dancing so much that we never really got all that drunk. One of the era's few surviving groups, Pet Shop Boys have a new single out called "Vocal." The song and the video (via) are everything I have always loved about the eccentric gay (not a couple) duo. Enjoy:

Then there's the heavily 80's influenced George Alley and his latest single, "Smoke." Alley channels The Smiths, The Cure and Pet Shop Boys, while infusing his own sense of weirdness (via). Alley is entertaining, but an acquired taste:

Next, Autoheart takes a stab at Russian homophobia with their single, "Moscow" (also via):

And finally, a dance track from self-described "small town Wisconsin boy" Garek, coming out (in every sense) with his debut single "Save the Queen"(also via):

While none of the videos posted tonight are NSFW, the "(via)" links to their source sites may be very NSFW.

There seems to be a wonderful musical explosion among openly gay singer/songwriters and LGBT-Friendly bands. I'm so excited to live in a time when no one needs to hide anymore.

More, anon.
Prospero

Bringing Back the Bite

I know that 2009 has 28 days left, but here's the first movie I want to see in 2010: Daybreakers. If you haven't heard, it takes place in a near-future where vampires have taken over the world and the supply of human blood is on the verge of extinction. As vampire scientists race to find an artificial blood substitute, the last vestiges of humanity struggle to survive.

Meanwhile, a cure for vampirism is discovered and the world must choose between a normal, human lifespan, or an eternity of starvation. No teen angst; no sparkling; no greasy flat-faced creeps elevated to obsession status by 13 year-old girls and 35 year-old cougettes (yes I just made up a new word - use it, but credit me, bitches). No hunky, tattooed werewolves; no romantic guilt. In fact, there is not one single mopey, mumbling Emo child in the whole damned picture - thank the gods!

Written and directed by Aussie brothers Michael and Peter Spierig (Undead), the movie stars Sam Neill (Jurassic Park); Willem Dafoe (Antichrist; Spider-Man; Wild at Heart) and Ethan Hawke* (Gattaca; Dead Poets Society).

As I've said before, I blame Anne Rice for the whole Romantic Vampire phenomena, but am thankful for films like this, Let the Right One In and 30 Days of Night for reminding us of what monstrous beings vampires are.

Hell, I was sold when I heard the Pet Shop Boys' cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up that Hill." I just hope a January release doesn't mean it sucks (and not in the good way). The good folks at i09 have more here.

By the way, my Favorite Movies of 2009, my Favorite Movies of the Decade and my 2009 Movie Preview are all coming soon.

*And here's my snark for the day - I have it on the personal authority of someone who has met him, Ethan is not the most regular bather... ew!

More, anon.
Prospero