New Release from Simulover

Alex Lauterstein & SIRPAUL

Over the weekend, I received the most intriguing email, and as I continue to recover from a illness that leaves me in coughing fits, it still couldn't keep my interest from being aroused, and some nice memories to return. And are there any memories that are sweeter than some summer memories of hot music and gorgeous men? When I got the email about a new release from Simulover, a project, a collaboration from Electronica masterminds SIRPAUL and DJ Alex Lauterstein, I instantly remembered being at a show last summer at the Triad Theatre in Manhattan, and the first time seeing DJ Lauterstein and literally catching my breathe, so impressed by his beauty. The stark nature of the dark stage and DJ Alex with his V-neck t-shirt only heightened to contrast. Soon he was joined on the stage by Electro-Pop sensation SIRPAUL, who put in a performance that will remain in my heart for years to come.

The email mentioned Simulover, and as I have been following SIRPAUL's messages for some time, I was aware the project was in the works. Well, it is beyond that point, as we can now get a taste online that will not only whet your appetite for the release in March, as you can hear with this amazing appetizer.



And because the duo know how much interest has been piqued, you can get an exclusive download of the teaser here. The eponymous album is due out on March 15th, but I did manage to secure an advance copy, and am loving the sexy, sultry sounds. Simulover sees to be offering their own form of Electronica, owing more to cool jazz than to fervent disco. Songs like Someone Else featuring Devlinelle or Lightyears, have a certain cool vibe, which builds to the point of feeling like you have just held a lover's hand fro the first time. Songs like Into Deeper remind me of the collaboration between Robert Fripp and Andy Summners, a driving drumbeat advancing the synth groove live. So Alive brings in another vocalist, Cherylyn, sweetening the pot for this sultry tune. There are other times, like during the single Unbroken, when the excitement hits a new level, like when your lover's hand slips away, touching the small of your back, his fingertips following up the spine. Yes, the tingle is certainly there, along with the need to focus on remembering to breathe from time to time. Here you can check out the clip for Unbroken.



Lauterstein is a native of Uraguay, although he has spent the great part of the last 15 years in New York City, playing his talents in the top clubs as DJ. SIRPAUL is a sexy Italian-American whose music has been making me happy for a couple of years, showing no signs of of abating. You can check out Simulover on FaceBook here, and on MySpace here.

Turkish Eyecandy - Tarkan Akustik

Eyes can be so bewitching, it is scary. Tarkan is like that for me. His eyes, they just hypnotize me, draw me in and make me go all silly putty. In a video for the song "Kuzu Kuzu", which apparently translates into "Like A Lamb" - not that knowing this helps with anything here at all - and the song was released in 2001, and shortly thereafter was an acoustic version, which you can find here.



Tarkan's easy sensuality in the video is rather remarkable. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he is just stunning to look at. But here is a Turkish man who, min many ways, spent much of the 90s redefining masculinity in Turkey, which, as an ancient Middle Eastern country, had the definition in place for a few centuries. But Tarkan helped to redefine it, to modernize the concept of a man for a country that has often had a tough time holding a discussion. Just for your own amusement, I thought I would also run a clip from the original release of the song "Kuzu Kuzu". Enjoy.

Friday Night Party Mix

From Top: Annie Lennox, Culture Club, Seal, Stephen Gately, George Michael, Boy George.

Perhaps it is time for another British Invasion, this time via the web, and by this blog in particular. Over the course of a couple of decades, there are a few Brits who managed to be among those who's music could get me outta my chair and shakin' the hips, even if I was home alone listening. Take, for instance, the most recent song from this particular grouping, Stephen Gately's Stay from 2001. I was a big fan of Gately's, and still listen to his music.



The 80s would certainly not be the same without the music and sheer force of personality of the great Boy George and Culture Club. The gender-bending tour-de-force took the world by storm, and there were certainly tons of great music to be heard in all the clubs I went to. Here is the 1984 single, Karma Chameleon.



The 80s, the 90s, and even some of the 2000s might not have been the same if it weren't for talented singer/songwriter George Michael. The man went from a chart-topping group of WHAM! to a solo turn that is still going strong. Here he is from a 1991 show singing I'm Your Man.



At the 1995 Grammy Award ceremony, Annie Lennox & Seal offered up a tribute to the great Marvin Gaye when they did an amazing duet on one of his greatest songs, What's Going On?



In 1992, Annie Lennox had an MTV Unplugged show, back in the day what the 'M' in MTV stood for music. There used to be some really great stuff on it, like here cover of the iconic song, River Deep, Mountain High.



Be it the 80s, the 90s or 2000s, fun music that makes you wanna dance is worth buying. so check them out, and shake you groove thing, kids!

Mae West As Only Mae Can

While just checking out Facebook, I came across a clip posted by the amazing Harvey Fierstein, of the outlandish Mae West, singing opera. Well, I just knew this was something that I had to share, and here is it. From the 1935 film Goin' To Town, here is Mae singing classic French opera.



Now, if you ask me, Mae was about as close to a female drag queen as there has been, till maybe Dolly Parton came along. Mae was larger than life, both in physical appearance, and in her personality. She could say things few others could get away with saying, and found a party far more interesting than any church social could be. When it came to an outfit, Mae never met a sparkle she didn't like. Men liked to be entertained by her, but ultimately, they tended to head back to the mousy-haired girl he was running from in the first place...



Here is a clip with Cary Grant, from the 1933 film She Done Him Wrong. It is classic Mae, from the subject to the delivery. There was very little about Mae that was subtle, something that remained true about her until the end of her career.

New Video - TimPermanent - Asymmetrical

Just a couple of weeks ago, I talked about a great new artist I found, TimPermanent, and his new release, Marker. I really like it still, so you can only imagine how excited I was to find a new video released today, Asymmetrical. The video, with the beginning all clean and animated, very much in keeping with the electronic feel of the song, sounding very 80s, very Yazoo, very Vince Clarke, very early Depeche Mode. Soon we see the artist himself, TimPermanent, giving some screen time, at the mercy of the clock and it's hands, as they sweep the picture throughout the video, giving us varying textures, colors, and layers, at times there are multiple Tim's...



After the review I ran, I did receive a rather nice message from TimPermanent, which I really appreciated. He seemed surprised I would have known so much about his music, well, I'd like to think that not only do I know about it, many of the readers here do as well. And we have a hankering to learn more, so be sure to watch the video.




For more about TimPermanent, check out his official website here. You can find him on FaceBook here. If you are looking to check out his music on iTunes, find it here, and at CD Baby here, and on Amazon.Com, try here. And as long as I am hearing about it, you can always check back on this blog.

Mike Rickard Works Up A Sweat

This Atlanta-based artist is not one I am very familiar with, although my Facebook friend, Ricky Morgan, suggested I check Mike Rickard out, so I did. I discovered the video for Sweat, and enjoyed it enough to think I needed to share it with you all.



I can give a couple of cursory facts about Mike, like he is a handsome southern man, out, proud and making music. For more about Mike Rickard, check out his official website here. You can find the song Sweat on iTunes here.

Christopher Dallman - Gimme More Video

I might still be on the sidelines, a cold keeping me away from the computer, but I can't let it stop me from sharing the wonderful new video from Christopher Dallman with everyone. Gimme More, from the Sad Britney EP, is a sexy recapitulation of a familiar song, the new twist adding much to the mix. So check it out!

Gimme More from DEREK WOODS on Vimeo.

You can buy the song on iTunes here. You can also check out his official website here. While there, don't forget to check out the 'Store' tab and sample some great music!

Say "Hello" to Yovanni

Recently, I got an email message from a young man asking if I would take a look at his video. Yovanni was very sweet in the note, so I figured I would take the chance, and check it out. The song is called Hello, and the video was directed by Anthony Dones. Now, I had no idea what to expect, but I can tell you I wasn't expecting to find a video as finished and polished as this was. Stylistically, I would call the video Latin SciFi, kind of a "Miami Trek, the Rock Musical." After watching a gorgeous space traveler, played by Yovanna Lisette, start up her intergalactic iPod, the song rips open with some cool guitar with a strong soul bass line. Soon Cuban-born Yovanni is kicking in some fine vocals, bridging the gap between rock front-man and dance diva. He really heats up the chorus! I think of the song as the place where Rock meets up with Soul and their friend, Dance. Rather than try to explain more, watch it yourself.



Now I knew nothing about this young man, save he could write and email, so I was interested when I noticed there was another video posted, The Making of the 'Hello' Music Video. So I watched that, getting a few insights into the process.



With my curiosity piqued, I did a bit more searching, and found this interview Yovanni had with a New York area television reporter, and found he can tell his own story much better than I could, so I thought I would post it was well.



Yovanni seems like a great guy, and certainly has the talent to succeed. I'd be interested to hear more music from him. To find out more about Yovanni, you can find his official website here. If you are digging the song, you can find it on Amazon.Com here, or on iTunes here. Both are under $5, and are collections of remixes of the song, or you can purchase the song itself.

You Can Buy Tom Goss' Package

The Washington DC-based singer/songwriter has completed work on his new album, Turn It Around, and has made it available for pre-purchase in a variety of different packages, from a digital download, to a vacation with Tom and his husband, Mike, and many a variation in between. I, of course, had to order right away, going for the autographed album as well as an 8 x 10 autographed photograph, which also comes with a digital download as soon as it is available! To check out what is available, and to pre-order your copy, go here.

Tom is a blog favorite, and with nothing yet available for the new album, I thought I would run a video of why my fascination with Tom began - a live performance of his incredible song, Rise. When I heard him sing it when he was opening for Eric Himan, it was pretty much all over for me. Lyrically, the song is just amazing.



You can check it out, and pre-order a package which includes a digital download, the package I ordered, or a all that and a DVD with his videos all iPod ready. There is also a package that includes a cool new t-shirt. You can even go for a house concert, where Tom will play at your house, and entertain your friends. You can also order a limited edition CD with all the songs inspired by his love for Mike, whom he recently married. Or would you be interested in a role in an upcoming video? Or maybe, just maybe, you would like to go on a vacation with Tom and Mike? Well, if you click here, it is all available...



Tom is also starting to put dates together for his Spring tour, and make tickets available. So far, their are dates for Washington, DC, Baltimore and Boston at the end of March, but more will be coming. You can check out the information, and order tickets, here. I'm trying to organize my peeps to see when we are going to see him live, cause I know several members of my family can't wait to see him again.

To check out more of his music and his videos, visit Tom's official website here.

Billy Bragg Fix

Hey, I just wanted to hear a little Billy this morning, so I just decided to go for it. I have had a such a crush on Billy since, well, the 80s, when my sister Kim turned me on to him. She was enraptured with the boy singing Greetings To A New Brunette, from the 1986 album Talking To The Taxman About Poetry. Soon, we went to see him a couple of times performing live, and I've been smitten ever since. It doesn't hurt he is very political, very outspoken, and, well, cute as can be. His songs can be very personal, but also very public. He did a tour raising money for AIDS groups in the 80s, along with Michelle Shocked. He believed in equality for all, something many in the straight community took a while to catch up with. Check out his song Sexuality, from the 1991 album Don't Try This At Home.



I still believe his 1988 release, Worker's Playtime, to be just utterly brilliant. As he was so good at doing, Billy blended together the personal and political, mixing Pop with Rock and sometimes Soul. And while he might take issues very personally, he never took himself too seriously, always willing to poke fun at himself. Even in his great song, Waiting For The Great Leap Forward, he manages to mock his own singing while delivering a powerful message.



Later, I discovered Billy started out as a punk rocker, wanting to fight the status quo, yet found a home as a singer/songwriter in the folk world. Another of my favorites from Worker's Playtime is Must I Paint You A Picture. It is one of Billy's pmore personal songs, and I just love it. This is a fan video recorded recently, Billy looking a bit older than in the other videos, which are from 20 years ago.



For more about Billy Bragg, check out his official website here. I think I might need to go listen to Worker's Playtime again. For the longest time, one of my prized possessions was a t-shirt from that support tour, and it finally fell apart. I think I might have to find one of those again...

New Music - Brandon Anderson

Over time, I've been lucky enough to make some good friends via this blog, some of whom represent some very talented artists I might not have been able to get to hear otherwise. One such person is Markus Payne, who represents some artists I really love, Tom Goss and Stewart Lewis, as well as new-found favorite, Dudley Saunders. Just recently, he brought another new artist to my attention, Brandon Anderson. Like the others, Brandon is an LGBT artist making music with no corporate support. So I was more than happy to give a listen to Anderson's new EP, Space.



Brandon Anderson is a handsome man who makes his home in New York City, where he has been playing the top clubs, like The Bitter End, Caffe Vivaldi, Googies Lounge above the Living Room. Originally, he hails from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Oddly enough, he is the second singer/songwriter from there, as I think Tom Goss also called Kenosha home. Anderson's sound ranges from Pop with a bit of rock, to strong folk. His sound reminds me of Ben Folds, with a touch of Joni Mitchell thrown in to mix it up a bit. He is working on a full album due out later this year.



The EP is a five-track offering, opening and closing with different version of the title track, Space. The first is the studio version, and features guest vocals from Rachel Epp. The song is a searching, highly personal song with a beautiful melody. Lyrically, is is a haunting song, talking about loneliness. Check it out here.




The second cut is Lakeside, another piano-driven song that gives a feeling of reminiscing, of loves lost and reaching out to find it once more. On Space, Anderson is responsible for all the songs, and instrumentation as well as the vocals, save Epp's guest shot. Lakeside features a beautifully layered chorus where Anderson sings along with himself, to a gorgeous effect. This is followed by the rather sparse opening on Give And Take. The song is a story of a relationship, and how the scales don't always balance equally. The fourth cut i This One's For You, The first song to deviate from the piano-based collection. With guitar accompaniment, the song has a strong acoustic folk feel, a coffeehouse love song. You can listen to it here.




The final offering on the EP is a live version of the title song. It is a much simpler arrangement, giving a more intimate feeling to the song. For more about Brandon Anderson, check his official website here. You can listen to more music, as well as check out some performance videos. If you like what you hear, you can purchase the Space EP on iTunes here, for just under $5.

Get Tudored on BBC America

L to R: Hans Matheson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, David Alpay, James Frain, & a supine Henry Cavill.

Originally broadcast on Showtime, with the inherent freedom cable allows, The Tudors was a sexy costume soft-core adventure, with beautiful people willing and eager to disrobe at the any given moment, including the men. BBC America has picked it up, and will be running the series hosted by Being Human's Lenora Crichlow. If you are looking for historically accurate depictions, this is not the show for you. If you are looking the Tudor soap opera with hot guys, many of whom can really act, this show is a winner.


Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII.

The show had four seasons to cover the six marriages of Henry VIII, with 2 divorces, 2 executions, one 'natural' death, and one left a widow. Historically, Henry was a big bear of a man, with many accounts mentioning his handsome appearance. He is played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, a stunningly handsome and fit man. However, when it comes to my favorite characters and hot guys from the show, there were plenty from which to choose. And I also loved the music from the show, including the main theme written by Trevor Morris.



Surprisingly, the show featured two separate story lines that included 2 LGBT couples, both involving married gentlemen. In the first season, we were introduced to William Compton, a close friend to the King, and a married man. He hits on Thomas Tallis, a court musician and composer. Both are loosely based on real people, although their relationship has no basis in history.



Kris Holden Reid above, Joe Van Moyland below.

Compton is played by the sexy Kris Holden-Reid, who also played gay in A Touch Of Pink. Joe Van Moyland portrayed Tallis with a sensitivity that was striking. There was a charm and elegance to their relationship I rather enjoyed, and would have liked to see more of. Although he was in service to the Crown long after King Henry VIII's reign, Tallis disappeared after the first season. Following Compton's death, Tallis married a young woman at court and was no longer featured in the story. But here is a sample of their scenes.



Early on in Season 2, it seems George Boleyn, brother of the second Queen, Anne Boleyn, was quite the womanizer, giving the viewers a chance to view his sexy bottom. We are also introduced to Mark Smeaton, a handsome singer, musician and dancer in the court of Queen Anne. Smeaton was portrayed as a gay man, even joking about wanting to ride a French stallion. George was played by sexy Irishman Padraic Delaney, and Smeaton by the gorgeous David Alpay.



Padraic Delaney above, David Alpay below.

Once again, there is no real historical fact that would imply these two men actually did had any real ties, save for the fact they were both put to death for Treason, accused of sleeping with the Queen when Henry VIII was looking to end the marriage. The fact that George was a married man, a womanizer, and brother to the Queen, and Smeaton was a court musician, and tortured into a confession, and that both men were beheaded, are fairly documented. But if the writers are going to take artistic license, at least they are doing with with characters played by really attractive men. Check them out below.



These men were far from the only guys worth watching. Perhaps one of my favorites was Henry Cavill, who played Charles Brandon, a longtime friend and confidant of the king. Cavill is almost too hot for words, and, thankfully, acted rather well. Cavill spent much of the first season in varying degrees of stripped. Talented eye-candy, always a bonus!



When Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn arrived in court, the following theme music played. Also written by Trevor Morris, I thought it worked well in the show, and also paid homage to the period, while sounding very contemporary.



So if you didn't get Showtime, or would like to revisit the dramatic series, tune in BBC America tonight at 10PM to see the members of the Tudor family and their friends getting it on in all sorts of places and positions. Check the show out on the web here, the official home on BBC America.