Levi Kreis • Love Revolution: The Remixes

Top: Handsome men Levi Kreis, left, and QBoy, right.

Levi Kreis has released a set of remixes for one of the hot songs off his latest album, 'Imagine Paradise'. On the album, Levi collaborates with British Rapper QBoy, ending up with an energetic and sexy song. And if having Levi and QBoy together isn't sexy enough for anyone, you know what ups the ante here? Levi has released an eight-track Remix collection that is now available. I've heard it, and it is wonderful. It is perfect for your workout playlist, kicking off your weekend, or just to satisfy your aural needs. And, if you buy it between now and November 4, 2013, 100% of the money will go to Positively Living, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based charity.

Positively Living is a not-for-profit service agency that provides housing and care for persons that are homeless and suffering from HIV/AIDS, mental illness, addiction, or physical disability. Life has not been great for LGBT residents of Tennessee, who has seen some of the most hurtful anti-gay legislation, at a time when many states are making the dream of equality a reality. Levi was raised in Eastern Tennessee, and knew the hardships of growing up in an environment of bullying, religious persecution, and attempts at ex-gay therapy. After fighting that and addiction issue, Levi found his way to sobriety and a new life, one that included being an out and proud gay man making music, and winning a Tony Award for his first show on Broadway. Now Levi has the opportunity to offer back to the community, to offer a hand to the LGBT adults and youth, he is stepping up to the plate. All the money for purchases of 'Love Revolution: The Remixes' from BandCamp will be going to Positively Living. While you ponder that act of altruism, give a listen to one of the tracks from the collection, "Love Revolution (Golishevsky Remix)".

'Love Revolution: The Remixes' is available on BandCamp. If you click on "Buy Now", you can name the amount of money that will be given to Positively Living. So between now and November 4th, you have the opportunity to get some great music, and make the lives of some folks just a little bit better. That sounds like a win-win to me! For more about Levi Kreis, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. To learn about QBoy, visit his official website, 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. I am sure both would appreciate hearing from you, so feel free to do so!

Well Strung • Mozart Meets Kelly Clarkson

Individual pictures, clockwise:Edmund Bagnell, Chris Marchant, Trevor Wadleigh, and Daniel Shelvin.

Well-Strung is a classically-trained string quartet making music and redefining just what a 'boy band' sounds like. Edmund Bagnell, first violinist, Chris Marchant, 2nd violinist, Daniel Shelvin, cellist, and Trevor Wadleigh, violaist, came together to make music that spans the world of Classical and Pop. And they also look damn good in tight black t-shirts and jeans. And they all just happen to be gay men, playing music they love. In their latest music video, released yesterday, Well-Strung put together an unlikely mash-up of Mozart and Kelly Clarkson with their usual style and flair. For this video, they feature Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (First Movement)" with Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone".

While this particular mash-up doesn't appear on their most recent release, 'The Singing String Quartet', the Mozart piece does. The album is quite delightful, combining great songs from both the worlds of Pop and Classical music. You can purchase the album on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. They have just released this as a single, and you can find it on iTunes and CD Baby. To learn more about Well-Strung, visit their official website. You can also "follow" them on Twitter, or "like" them on Facebook.

National Coming Out Day

To celebrate National Coming Out Day, I will include a couple of videos from some artists who were out and proud long before it would any publicist thought it was OK or wise. There are several I won't get to post here, but these are four I find particularly big for myself. Sylvester was bold, brassy and bodacious. He hid behind nothing and no one. While I was going through my own struggles, he was singing loud and proud. Here he is singing his 1978 hit, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).



Bronski Beat were unabashedly gay, singing songs that were gay-themed when the world would have preferred not to listen. But they did, for who could ignore the amazing voice of Jimmy Somerville? The first time I heard them, they were a revelation. They were a band of gay men, singing about gay things. Listen now as they tell the tale of far too many LGBT Youth in Smalltown Boy.



kd lang had a look that few other women had ever tried. She also has a voice few other could touch. I am sure she oerheard many a people making comments about her, but none could say a thing about her talent. Such a gift. Listen as she sings her hit, Constant Craving.



Erasure is made up of the glorious Andy Bell and the talented Vince Clarke. Together them made some rapturous electronica. Bell never shied away from his gayness, and Clarke was nothing other than an amazing str8 ally. Listen to their beautiful A Little Respect.



These talented performers came out in a time there was no day to celebrate such things. Their honesty and bravery gave me hope things would get better.