Jailer :: Asa

I'm rather surprised at how awesome some of the music is at Starbucks. Every once in a while, I catch myself jamming out to their playlist. And then the barista fucks up my shit when they ask for my order--"welcome to Starbucks, how can I help you today?" I mean, you can help me by letting me finish out my last step ball change, for real...

But in seriousness, I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago when Starbucks gave me Asa's "Jailer" as a promotional gift (yay recession!) The song has a really good political message, but it doesn't make me want to sob in the way that Tracy Chapman does.

Check out her live performance below or the offical music video:



Lyrics:
Am in chains you’re in chains too I wear uniforms, you wear uniforms too Am a prisoner, you’re a prisoner too Mr Jailer

I have fears you have fear too I will die, you sef go die too Life is beautiful don’t you think so too Mr Jailer

Am talking to you jailer Stop calling me a prisoner Let he who is without sin- Be the first to cast the stone Mr Jailer

You suppress all my strategy You oppress every part of me What you don’t know, you’re a victim too Mr Jailer

You don’t care about my point of view If I die another will work for you So you threat me like a modern slave Mr Jailer

You don’t care about my point of view If I die another will work for you So you threat me like a modern slave Mr Jailer

If you walking in a market place Don’t throw stones Even if you do you just might hit One of your own Life is not about your policies All the time So you better rearrange your Philosophies and be good to your fellow man jailer

I hear my baby say I wan be president I wan chop money From my government What he don’t know Be say Mr Jailer

Jonté :: Bitch You Betta

AND GENDERFUCKING?

A friend sent me this song, and I immediately knew I had to blog about it. He needs no introduction, however. You know Jonté through his choreography in Beyonce's Freakum Dress.

The only accurate description I can give Jonté is fierce. There's all sorts of gender-transgressive work being done here in both dance and dress. His HX magazine interview in late March 09 described him and his choreography as unapologetically fem. Nigel Lythgoe, famed for his homophobic, transphobic, and sexist comments as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, would explode if he ever saw Jonté's artistry.

Now after watching the music video 28 times, I realize there's nothing particularly spectacular about the song, or his vocal skills. Full disclosure: I haven't heard his other songs, but the excerpt of Candy Sweets on his Myspace page sounds promising.

What I love about it is the shameless genderfucking throughout the video. The only time he presents as male is in the 16 seconds at 1:00 through 1:16. That clip shows male dancers, wearing "dude clothes," moving in what is traditionally recognized as masculine dance. But even those precious 16 seconds is queered in the way he says:

back up cuz i'm black and i'll give your ass an attack bitch, you try and come on crack your face can make you look wack cuz you really up to that i am really cute in that i am in high heels you're in flats

I mean, yes, he really did just say, "I'm in high heels, you're in flats." And come on, he's in bright blue skinny jeans! My favorite example of his gender-transgressions is at 1:56, where he's donned a pink, nearly bottomless, 1-piece, thing (I don't even know how to describe it!), doing the infamous Beyonce booty-bounce, talking about how he's going to "make your pussy pop." At 1:56, he has two women in flower-print bathing suits drumming on Jonté's crotch, heralding an orgasmic (CGI) explosion.

What's interesting is that Jonte has appropriated this hyperbolically feminine gender expression, which is no barrier to his song and dance servicing the sexual needs of his female partners. To me, it reads as a clever critique of representations of girl-on-girl love. That despite the theatrics, costumes, and the flying cats, the final thing the clip cuts to is the orgasmic CGI explosion--marking sex as the focal point for your attention, not the caricatures of femininity and lesbian sexuality.

To some degree, however, I have to also believe that not all is queered. Jonté, in fact, protects part of his hetero or homo normative identity at 1:00 - 1:16 by presenting (in both dance and dress) masculinely. When he says, "back up cuz i'm black, and i'll give your ass an attack." I mean, butt sex? or is it vagina sex? With a nebulous audience, Jonté can enjoy an unidentifiable sexual identity, which demonstrates the limits to which he participates as a genderfucker. Secondly, his appropriation of feminine gender expressions can be read as an affront to female identities. But more importantly, in the pussy-pop clip, Jonté is still a male bodied individual providing sexual pleasure (i.e., "i'm gon' make yo pussy tickle") as opposed to approaching sex as a mutual experience.

And I've not even thought about how "bitch" is used in the song, or how Jonté is racialized in the video. Nonetheless, the song is fun even past its layers.

Pretty Wings :: Maxwell

It's true, I'm a recent Maxwell convert, thanks in no small part to my dear colleague and friend, Paula-Raye. My god, this man just has the sweetest voice.

After an 8 year break, Maxwell dropped "Pretty Wings" in late April 2009 in preparation for his July 4th album release: BLACKsummer'snight (pre-Order here).

The song "sings"--if you will--for itself, telling the story of the purest form of innocent love in spite of life's reality. It's refreshing against today's pop, auto-tuned contrivances a la T-Pain. And even more so, the lyrics carry a narrative in the way only a neo-soul artist can tell. Maxwell reminds me of the time when talent mattered. Not to mention the fact that the music video was so well-done.

The man has me hooked. Hope you enjoy it!



Lyrics:
Time will bring the real end of our trial
One day there'll be no remnants
No trace no residual feelings within ya
one day you won't remember me

Your face will be the reason I smile
But I will not see what I can not have forever
I'll always love ya I hope u feel the same

Oh you played me dirty your game was so bad
You toyed with my affliction had to fill out my prescription
Found the remedy I had to set u free

Away from me
To see clearly the way that love can be
When you are not with me
I had to leave, I have to live
I had to lead, I had to live

Chorus
If I cant have you let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around
pretty wings your pretty wings
your pretty wings your pretty wings around

I came wrong You were right
Transformed your love into a lie
Baby believe me I'm sorry I told you lies
I turned day into night
Sleepless, I died a thousand times
I should've chose you
Better nights Better times Better Days
I miss you more and more

Repeat Chorus

Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings

Do Me Wrong :: Roll Deep feat. Janee

I'm not one to look into the cultural histories of music. If a song has an interesting beat, or intriguing lyrics, then I'm in--which is why this song caught my attention. It's electronic backdrop mixed in with hip-hop/rap vocals was hot, but it also made me wonder. It turns out that Roll Deep is the poster child of what seems like the latest evolution in music: grime.

Grime is a UK based form of music that grew out of house and trance. Like house and trance, grime relies on electronic sounds, and synths. Unlike house an trance, however, grime has a lower and slower bass line and is popularly produced by London's hip-hop and rap scene.

Now what's striking is the re-appropriation of culture happening here. Kenyon Farrow writes that house music originated in underground scenes of urban black Americans in the '70's. But through the 90's, Russell Simmons, and the other godfathers of modern day hip-hop stripped house of the soul that it was so characterized with, and replaced that with the now popular sounds of rap: intensified beats, bass, and rhymes. That sound was picked up in Europe, which was then restripped and refitted with a crooning female vocalist, and electronic beats and synths, which is what we hear in today's U.S. gay clubs--a space often less visited by our black gay brothers and sisters.



Grime appears to be yet another fold within this history of music. Black rap and hip-hop artists seem to be reclaiming house music to create yet another vein of artistic innovation. Even more interesting is the way this sort of cross-pollination of culture and ideas has spanned across so many identities: from poor urban African Americans, to middle class gay white men, to Western Europeans--identities that have not always socially or politically aligned with each other. It's just so interesting that we can find pleasure in the luxury of music across groups of different people--people who often times hate each other. Well, I suppose that's a different post.

Anyway. I hope you enjoy the song!

When Love Takes Over :: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland

I first came across this song on Concrete Loop a few days ago, and immediately new that gay men will be tripping over their own fabulosity to dance to this song. The product of a trans-Atlantic collaboration between the U.S. not-quite-diva Kelly Rowland, and the creative genius of French DJ David Guetta, the song relies on the same tired beats, rhythms, and synth foundations that have made techno nearly indistinguishable from within the genre.



But the song is in ascendance. Any song that croons over the complications of love laid on a bed of danceable beats is a win for gay men, partly because this is the narrative of the western [ho]mo: that no love is greater than their own dance party. Well, that's true for me at least.

Watch out--this song will spread like wildfire. Enjoy!


Lyrics:
Its complicated, it always is

That’s just the way it goes
Feels like the way it is so long for this
I wonder if it shows
And under water now i can breath
It never felt so good
Cause i can feel it coming over me
I wouldn’t stop it if i could

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight

Give me a reason I gotta know
Do you feel it too?
Cant you see me here on overload
And this time I blame you
Hmm looking out for you to hold my hand
It feels like I could fall
Now love me right, like I know you can
We could lose it all

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
Cause something’s here tonight

(tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight ....)

I'll be loving all the time, it's true
Cause I want to make it right with you

When love takes over, when love takes over
When love takes over, when love takes over ...
Over, over, over ....

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight

Galaxies :: Laura Veirs

I stumbled upon Laura Veirs a while back when I got "lost" on youtube. Galaxies is my quintessential "sad song." Everyone has one, right? I'll be listening to Laura come that dreaded day: 2.14.2009. Yipeee!

At any rate, Laura Veirs is a Seattle based indie folk artist. If I weren't so tired, I'd probably pretend to be more of a blogger and write something. But I am tired.

Have a listen!

LAURA VEIRS - GALAXIES
Uploaded by huntylch

When you sing
When you sing
Stars fill up my eyes

Galaxies...
Pour down my cheeks
Galaxies…
They flood the street
Galaxies...

When we dance
When we dance
Eels and sea grass float on by

I’m ten thousand leagues...
Beneath the sea
I'm ten thousand leagues…
Beneath the green
Ten thousand leagues...

When we kiss
When we kiss
Bears and boulders vibrate through the air

Gravity...
Is dead you see
No gravity…
All I need...
Is beating red
No gravity…

No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)

Everywhere :: Common

Going against highlighting local musicians, I'm blogging about "Everywhere" on Common's newest album, Universal Mind Control.


I first fell in love with Common after hearing his song "Be (Intro)". It's one of those songs that I like to come home to after a stressful day dealing with what Staceyann Chin describes as "that bell hooksian urge to kill motherfuckers who say stupid shit to me." It's unbelievable how much Common can say about race, gender, and justice in a two and a half minute album introduction. And (despite some of the controversy surrounding one of his songs on interracial relationships) that's what I like most about Common--he believes music is a vehicle for change, and he lives it.

Common has been a vegetarian in support of animal rights. He has stood up against anti-gay lyrics after receiving criticism from some in the LGBT community. He was a notable supporter of Barack Obama in the "Yes We Can" ad campaign. And (a shameless plug for my organization), Common has worked with Campus Progress to speak about the intersection of hip-hop and the progressive youth movement at Clarion University's Hip-Hop Symposium. (oh, and he's sexy as hell).

Born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., Common was a celebrated underground rapper in the South Side of Chicago. He studied at Southern University of Baton Rouge, LA and Florida A&M University before breaking into the mainstream for his album, Be. (See details on his wiki page.)

With that said, it's a bit unfortunate that Universal Mind Control lost some of the activist flair that brought Common fame from his underground followers. "Everywhere" features Martina Topley-Bird, a British singer with Independiente Records in the same vein as Bjork. But I love "Everywhere" -- it has this indie pop feel with a hip-hop twist.

Enjoy!
-Vincent

p.s., who else thought his cameo in Wanted with Angelina Jolie was a little awkward?



Lyrics:

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

A shaman since before my birth
And I came down to rock the Earth.
My mission condition:
I give you, you listen.
I'm syncing in time in parallel.
In binary, no 3rd return.
I'm planning intention.
With all the redemption.

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

Common:
No pop, no pop, no pop, no pop.
We gon' do this thang till the sky just drop.
Lock in to ya mind away we rock,
In a rocket is the 87th astronaut.
Top of the soul, dove and I got in a hole.
At the moment they were sayin
"It was outa control"
Strap in to your mind
Why eyes see some recline
Youll see in time your season to shine.
When the stadium is dark
MCs are defined.
Get ready, on your mark, put your feet on the line.
The race is on to space beyond
You gon' get there by doin what you want
Sometimes the most famous feel all alone.
So we drift to a place that we call our home.
I was known as being spaced and outta my dome.
now I know, its all Ive known.

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

Imperfect :: Jen Wood

I love watching movies, especially after a night like last night! Happy 2009! I spent the day recovering on my couch, watching old movies including one of my personal favorites, "But I'm A Cheerleader" circa 1999. This time watching it, I was particularly struck by the films theme song, "Glass Vase Cello Case" by Tattle Tale. So I went exploring for the song online and found Jen Wood, one half of the Tattle Tale duo, and local Seattleite. Upon further exploration of her music, I feel like I've found a gem in Jen Wood!

So, in the spirit of celebrating local music, LISTEN TO JEN WOOD! Musically, I think she's somewhere between Brandi Carlile and Maria Taylor. Jen has Maria's calm vocal styling, but sings about love and life in the same honesty as Brandi. (And yes, we know each other on a first-name basis).





Here's one of my favorite songs: Imperfect, released on her second album "No More Wading."

Enjoy!
-Vincent

p.s., She's makin my gaydar go off. thoughts?



Lyrics:

I love my words
that have spilled into song
all of my words
that have come out wrong
I often lose my grace and spit it aloud
I often lose my face and put my foot in my mouth
sometimes it seems easier to leave everything unsaid
but it only gets worse if it stays in your head
and I look back and listen to the words that I've said
and yeah, I must admit I disagree with some of them

So don't peer over my shoulder as if I'm hiding a flaw
I never said I was perfect
so, why don't you back off?
so, don't peer over my shoulder as if I'm hiding a flaw
I never said I was perfect
so, why don't you back off?