Matt Zarley • Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

"Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" is an interesting new holiday standard, written by Celine Dion, Peter Zizzo, and Ric Wake for the 2000 release by Dion. It should come as no surprise the recording became a seasonal hit. It was also recorded that same year by Avalon, a Christian group who did a great job with it. Four years later, it was recorded by Clay Aiken for his great holiday collection, proving the song was not just a momentary thing. Fast forward 10 years later, and among the many who have recorded the song, we can add Matt Zarley's name to the list. Handsome and talented, Matt turns it out for a great Christmas single you must add to your holiday playlist. This is Zarley with "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day".

For a limited time, Matt has graciously offered "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" as a FREE DOWNLOAD! I know it instantly went into a heavy rotation on my iPod! For more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

RightOutTV Music & Video Awards 2014 • Alex Woburn & Matt Zarley

The winners of the 2014 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards were announced recently, proving what great music is being made by LGBT artists. Well, that was obvious when I saw the list of nominees, coming from all around the world. RightOutTV was founded by Marlee Walchuk and Tully Callender, devoted to the promotion of LGBT artists and their music all across the globe. The submissions are from many genre, from Rock to Country to Electronica. Once again this year, I was proud to be asked to be a judge, hearing some more great music and discovering a few new artists. But enough with all that. It is time to showcase some very deserving artists. Today I am featuring Alex Woburn (above, left) and Matt Zarley, (above, right).

The first category I bring to you today is 'Best Pop Song'. This was certainly a fun grouping, with many amazing submissions, and five outstanding nominees. The list included Andrew Suvalsky's "Helplessly", Kevin Wood's "Edge of Greatness", Craymo's "Be Myself, and Matt Zarley's "Somebody 4 Everybody". This year, the award went to Alex Woburn and his fantastic song, "Sop Playing the Film". The London-based artist has a fun Pop sound with just the right amount of edge. In June of this year, Alex released the song as a single. So, without further ado, this is Alex Woburn with the 'Best Pop Song', "Stop Playing the Film".

You can purchase "Stop Playing the Film" from iTunes. To learn more about Alex Woburn, visit his official Facebook page. You can also 'subscribe' to his offical YouTube channel, where you can find several great examples of his music.

Next up, we have yet another strong group of songs submitted for the 'Best Electronic/Dance Song', a big category for the awards. The song is a beautiful and honest song about love and life, and was named 'Best Electronic/Dance Song', with strong competition from Sponge Finger's "You're a Bitch", "American Thumpdalina" by Jay Blahnik, Michael V. Doane's "Looking for Love", and "Falling Away" by Kevin Wood. And I must say, Matt is no stranger to winning awards, having taken home several over the past few years. It should come as no surprise to my regular readers, as Matt Zarley and his music has been featured on this blog on several occasions, and for good reason. The Los Angeles-based Zarley makes infectious Pop that is both yummy and addictive. And speaking of yummy, have you seen pictures or videos of this hottie? I know, right?! This is Matt Zarley with the official music video for "Somebody 4 Everybody".

You can purchase the single "Somebody 4 Everybody" from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Marlee and Tully developed RightOutTV to help LGBT artists with promotion, as a way of giving back to the community. The couple are also a musical duo, making up Sugarbeach. They were kind enough to ask me to participate in the awards for the last few years as a judge. To learn more about RightOutTV, visit the RightOutTV website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook.

Matt Zarley & Jeb Havens • F**kin' Perfect

In anticipation of his new release, singer/songwriter Matt Zarley has been putting out cover songs, to amuse us while w e wait. Together with friend and work buddy Jeb Havens, the pair take on a familia song when they sing "Fu**ken' Perfect", the song best known as the anthem from Pink! The song was a big hit in 2010, and was written by Pink, Max Martin, and Shellback. The song can be found on the album 'Greatest Hits...So Far!'

After having to take a break, and recompose themselves, Zarley and Havens both sound ready and even meant to be singing the song. They both identify with the song, taking the them of self-acceptance to a new level. The song is bold and vibrant, and both Matt and Jeb are up to the task. This is Matt Zarley and JEb HAvens singing "F**ken' Perfect", the big hit from Pink.

If you enjoyed the song, you can download it fro FREE from Matt's Soundcloud page. There you can find this and 8 other songs, all a part of Matt's 'Covered' series. All of his covers are ready for you to download. To learn more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. For more about Jeb Havens, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.

Matt Zarley • Somebody 4 Everybody

Matt Zarley has a new music video out, and it features his latest single, "Somebody 4 Everybody" featuring Mark Picchiotti. The song, written by Zarley, Mark Picchiotti, & Dan Parisi, is a joyous celebration of love, proving the old adage, 'God makes'em, He'll match'em." The video was directed by John Ganun & Robbie Bottoms, in charge of making sure love matches happen for all concerned. It seems everyone from the contestants to the hots to the stage manager are going to get lucky tonight! And it is easy to understand why, as all are lovely to look at, and fun to watch. This is Matt Zarley with the music video for "Somebody 4 Everybody".

You can find the "Somebody 4 Everybody" Remixes from iTunes. If you would like to learn even more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Matt's earlier music, all remain in steady rotation in my playlists.

Matt Zarley • Still Time To Be Hopeful

I just wanted to offer up a little reminder that you have until Wednesday afternoon, December 18, 2013, to be a part of the romance with Matt Zarley. Just one look at a picture of the handsome and talented actor and you can see how easy it would be to feel the romance, and be quite hopeful about it. 'Hopeful Romance' is the name of the upcoming project from Zarley, the new album he is looking to release in the coming year. And I am not the only one offering up reminders, for Matt has released a couple of pictures to remind people out it.

And, by 'it', I mean his Kickstarter page, set up to help Matt raise some of the money needed to album, and the accompanying music videos. The videos are helpful in promoting the music, as anyone who reads this blog regularly must know. Another given is the fact that Zarley is a natural on camera, as he has been wonderful to watch in previous music videos, like one of my favorites, for the song "Trust Me".

"Trust Me" was written by Matt, Mark Picchiotti, and Joe Hurt. The track appears on his last album, 'Change Begins With Me'. The video was directed and edited by Benjamin Pollack, and choreographed by Benjamin Allen. And while Matt does sexy and flirty so very well, he also can deliver the goods when it comes to heartfelt and sweet. The song was written by Matt and Andy Zulla, and produced by Grammy winner, Zulla. This video was directed by Randal Kirk II. This is the music video for "Perfect", also off the latest album.

It didn't take shirtless shots to get me to be a part of Matt's campaign. It is all about the music, and damn, does he do that so well. I will admit I have the Matt Zarley discography in my collection, including his wonderful Christmas song, "One More Christmas With You". So I became a supporter, and would encourage you to do the same. With only a few days remaining to make a pledge, you can give as little or as much as you'd like. For $15, you can get a download of the album before it is available to the public.

If you would like to learn even more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. But most importantly, you can find Matt Zarley on Kickstarter. Check him out, I'm sure he'd love to hear from you on any of the above!

Matt Zarley & Jeb Havens • Let Me Let Go

Jeb Havens, left, and Matt Zarley, right.

The other day, Singer/songwriter Matt Zarley posted a video of him singing a new song slated to appear on his 'Hopeful Romantic' album, with co-writer Jeb Havens. First I gotta say it, damn, there is a whole bunch of sexy going on in that video. I mean, damn, they are both handsome men. Then, I must point out that these men might be even more talented musically than they are gifted genetically, and that is saying something. But they give a trial run for "Let Me Go", a song still in the process of a musical birth. If this is any indication of what is coming on 'Hopeful Romantic', I an even more excited than before! This is Jeb and Matt singing "Let Me Go".

I loved it, and think the voices of these two men work incredibly well together. I have been a fan of both men individually, and when they team up, the excitement goes up exponentially. And this also gives me the opportunity to remind everyone that there are less than two weeks left to invest in your aural pleasure with a pledge for Matt Zarley's 'Hopeful Romantic' on Kickstarter. There are plenty of perks from which to choose, from a digital download to a role in three music videos to be shot in February of 2013. To find out more about the project, click on Kickstarter, or on the widget below. To see my original post on the subject, click here.

Matt Zarley is a Hopeful Romantic

I've used many adjectives to describe Matt Zarley on this blog, from handsome to sexy to talented, and many more in between. But it seems as though I have a to amend my list to include 'hopeful romantic'. No, we haven't started dating... (Unless you want to, Matt, I am single... DM me!) I know because I watched a video Matt made for his new Kickstarter page, trying to raise funds to make a new album, entitled 'Hopeless Romantic'. This is Matt speaking from the heart about the new project.

Zarley comes with an impressive resume, having several hit Broadway shows on it, as well as winning two RightOutTV Music & Video Awards in 2012, for Best Song So Far and Best Video (Pro). The awards were for two different songs off his excellent album, 'Change Begins With Me'. The video award was for the music video for "W T F", a song off the album. The video was directed by Randall Kirk II, and features a cast of hot men. Just a slight word of warning, explicit language is used, so if you are in an office situation, turn the volume up!

While his bold and bright voice seems like a natural for upbeat songs with remixes made for the clubs, Zarley is a man of many colors. One of those colors is most definitely red, for he can sing so beautifully from the heart. The title cut from the album, "Change Begins With Me". The song, written by Zarley, Andy Zulla, and Chris Curtis, is a sensational song, and it is sung to perfection by Matt. This is the official music video for "Change Begins With Me".

And while we are getting to know Matt a bit better, I cannot miss his holiday single from 2012, "One More Christmas With You". You can also just click on the word Kickstarter! Matt co-wrote the tune with Shoshana Bean, whose album 'Superhero' was a big success, and she took over the role of Elphaba from Idina Menzel in Broadway's 'Wicked', and Aron Forbes of X-Factor fame. The song has the feel of a current Pop song, with a hint of the holiday on top to make it special. This is the lyric video for Matt Zarley's "One More Christmas With You".

If you are impressed by his music and that very special voice, you can click on the wigdet below, and invest in your aural future. You can give as little as $5, and get a digital download of the album before it is officially released, to, well, whatever you you'd like to give. There are plenty of options for giving, all with great and wild rewards on your investment. For $1,500, you can be listed as Associate Producer in the liner notes for the album. Other rewards include digital downloads of all of Zarley's music, karaoke versions of his music, and shout outs on Facebook and Twitter from the handsome man himself!

If you would like to learn even more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook and 'follow' him on Twitter. Matt's album, 'Change Begins With Me,' is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Matt Zarley • "Perfect" Music Video

Matt Zarley, the handsome singer/songwriter whose music is starting to command attention everywhere, has released a new single off the album 'Change Begins With Me'. At the recent OUTMusic Awards held in Las Vegan in December, Zarley scored big, winning 'Single of the Year' for "Change Begins With Me" as well as 'Album of the Year', for the album of the same name. With the engine primed for a new single, The time seemed right to get one for the fans. The soulful ballad "Perfect" is just the right ticket, and the new video is cute, nostalgic, and a bit sexy. But then again, it would be tough to shoot a video with Zarley and not have the sexy element, as Matt has an abundance of charm, looks, and enthusiasm to win over even the most jaded soul. But it is his heartfelt performance that really sells the song.

For more about Matt, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter. I am sure he'd love to say "hi" on any of the social media. To purchase the album 'Change Begins With Me', you can find it on iTunes and Amazon.

Matt Zarley • One More Christmas With You

I recently featured handsome singer/songwriter Matt Zarley for his double wins in the OutRightTV Awards. This afternoon, I am featuring Matt winging his brand new Christmas song, "One More Christmas With You". Zarley co-wrote the song with Shoshana Bean and Aron Forbes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

You can purchase Matt Zarley's "One More Christmas With You" from iTunes and Amazon.

RightOutTV Awards 2012 • Matt Zarley

Tonight I begin my series on the winners of the 2012 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards with the winner for the Best Video (Pro) category that couldn't be more time appropriate. I would like to say I was a judge for the competition, and saw a bunch of music and artists whose music I might not have heard before, but am certainly interested in hearing more of it. The artist is Matt Zarley, and the handsome singer/songwriter won two awards for two different songs off his latest album, 'Change Begins With Me.' But I will focus first on the video for "Trust Me," loosely inspired by some of the more salacious political news of the past few years, although adapted for the very special something only Zarley can bring to the table. So here is the RightOutTV Award winner for Best Video (Pro), Matt Zarley's "Trust Me."

As I had mentioned before, Matt picked up a second award in the competition. Matt scooped  up the award for Best Song So Far. The category is giving the artists a chance to feature some music that might not have been released in the past year, but still something the artist holds dear. The award went to "Change Begins With Me," the soaring and introspective ballad. It scored well with the judges, and it is easy to see why. The category certainly applies to the winner, a song so loved by Matt he made it the title cut on the album.

Matt is one of two artists to claim two awards this year. To learn more about Matt Zarley, visit his official website. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter. Matt's album, 'Change Begins With Me,' is available on iTunes and Amazon. And to check out the great assortment of LGBTI music, visit RightOutTV on the official website. You can also visit them on Facebook and on Twitter.

2012 RightOutTV Award Nominees Announced

The RightOutTV entertainment industry judges have determined which LGBT Artists will vie for the 2012 RightOutTV Awards. The Awards’ global reach includes artists from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, the U.S., Australia, Portugal and Austria.

“Making choices between one great talent and another could not have been easy,” says Marlee Walchuk, co-producer the awards. “The judges have had a difficult job so far and as you can see from the nominees list, it is only going to get harder.”

Co-producer Tully Callender adds "I am so proud of the caliber of original music artists in our community, and one of the joys for me is discovering artists from around the world whom I can’t wait to add to my personal music library.”

Judging for round two begins Friday and the winners will be announced on October 29, 2012. Deadline for voting in the only award category determined by a vote of the public, the Fan Fave, is October 17, 2012. One vote per person is allowed in Fan Fave voting online here.

BEST POP / ROCK / ADULT CONTEMPORARY VIDEO
Jeffery Straker - Gone
Matt Fishel - The First Time
Derek Bishop - Take Him Away
Blinded By Stardust - Changes
Matt Zarley - Trust Me

BEST ELECTRONIC / DANCE / HIP HOP / R&B VIDEO
Saturn - Oblivion
Blinded by Stardust - Can't We Just Dance Instead (feat. Biuna)
Nhojj - My Brother
Young Kaii - Fantasy Girl
Lovari - Keep It Movin' (feat. Loco Ninja)

BEST FOLK / COUNTRY / JAZZ VIDEO
Kat Devlin - Dear Emmi
Steven Gallavin - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Suzanne Nuttall - I See Wild Horses
Charles K Brown - For My Best Friend
Jeffery Straker - Birchbark Canoe

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LIVE VIDEO
Jen Foster - Taking Bob Dylan
Anna Gutmanis - People (Got To Get It Together)
Rachael Sage - Everything
Rev. Yolanda - Rev Yolanda's Old Time Gospel Hour - Finale
Tom Goss with Potomac Fever - You Don't Question Love

BEST "LIVING ROOM" PERFORMANCE
Norine Braun - 99%
Derek Bishop - Thinking About You
Nhojj - He & Him
Martin Swinger - God Loves
Grrlz will be Boiz - Don't Tell Her

BEST VIDEO DIY (Do It Yourself)
Blinded By Stardust - Changes
Charles K. Brown - Stanley
StormMiguel Florez - I've Been to Manhattan
Kat Devlin - Dear Emmi
Brett Every - What A Beautiful Day
Sonasfly - Carousel
Corday - Weekend Warrior

BEST VIDEO (PRO)
Steven Gallavin - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Matt Zarley - Trust Me
MAOR - Long Way Home
Matt Fishel - The First Time
Kelly and the Kellygirls - Nightsweats

BEST VIDEO SO FAR
Jen Foster - Closer to Nowhere
Kelly and the Kellygirls - Catherine Deneuve and the Deus ex Machina
Matt Fishel - Football Song
Matt Zarley - WTF
Darren Ockert - Celebrity du Jour
Jess McAvoy - Bring the House Down

BEST POP / ROCK / ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONG
Tom Goss - It's All Over
Corday - My Evil Twin
Jen Foster - You Stayed
Darren Ockert - The Rain from London
Matt Fishel - Behind Closed Doors

BEST ELECTRONIC / DANCE / HIP HOP / R&B SONG
Melange Lavonne - One of a Kind (Teen Suicide)
Lunatic-FLO - Gurl U So Fly
Baron - RadioHeart
Matt Zarley - Trust Me
Darren Ockert - This Modern Life (1984)

BEST FOLK / COUNTRY / JAZZ SONG
Summer Osborne - Be Still
Kat Devlin - 4 o'clock light
Emily Nyman - Time for the Marching to End
Lucas Kane Hall - 1985
Ezra Axelrod - American Motel

BEST SONG SO FAR
Matt Fishel - Football Song
Matt Zarley - Change Begins With Me
Jen Foster - I Didn't Just Kiss Her
Nash Satterfield - Down Yonder
Anna Gutmanis - I Am Who I Am

SONG OF THE YEAR
Matt Fishel - Behind Closed Doors
Kat Devlin - Dear Emmi
Kevin Wong - Baby Grand
Ezra Axelrod - American Motel
Darren Ockert - The Rain from London

In a personal note, it was an honor for me to participate in the competition as a judge, and I look forward to final judging. I am also very proud to say several of the nominated artists have appeared on this blog previously.

Election 2012 • Matt Zarley • Trust Me

With the 2012 elections in the midst of dogfights between ridiculous candidates eager to serve some, but not all of the people, it is a breath of fresh air to see the candidacy of Matt Zarley, singer and sexy man. He's running on a platform of transparent clothing and protecting love for all who partake, not just the chosen few. And he seems to want to bear witness to equal rights for all! Check this out.



You can find Trust Me on Matt Zarley's latest album, Change Begins With Me. You can purchase it from iTunes and Amazon. For more about Matt, visit his official website.

Even More Great Music from 2011

Clockwise: Toby Madigan, Chad D, EvOn, and Matt Zarley.

I am closing out the year by revisiting the great music released in it, for there has been some great music out there, especially by LGBT artists. Of course, that might not be what you hear on the radio, but if you put your ear to the ground, you might be surprised by both the quality and quantity you can discover.

I first discovered Toby Madigan when I saw the video for Chatroom Romance, and was immediately thrilled by the combination of humor and intelligence in it. So I went out and purchased the first album, and really liked it. Soon, it was time for a second release, and Symphony of Sweat was soon part of my music library. I love Toby's style, and find his songwriting to be quite good. Of course, his stunning good looks don't hurt, either. Watch as Toby sings Arrested from his latest album.



You can find Symphony of Sweat on his online store. There you can also find his first album, Left Brain/Right Brain.

Philly's own Chad D is a young rapper with a dream, and he is making his dreams come true. Part of that dream includes equality for all, something the gay man understands far too well. In his music, which is a combination of Hip-Hop and old school rapping, he tells you not what you wanna hear, but what people need to hear. Watch the video for Ask & Tell off the album The Human Link.



You can find The Human Link on iTunes and Amazon.

Well, when I first saw a picture of Matt Zarley, I have to admit my jaw dropped just a little. He is most certainly a sexy man, but those good looks did not overshadow what I quickly discovered were big talents. He can sing just about anything, and has the voice to do it well. Watch the video he made for WTF off his latest album, Change Begins With Me.



You can find Change Begins With Me on iTunes and Amazon.

EvOn calls herself The Music Bully, and I see why. The British lesbian is laying down some great music, and putting some amazing freestyle over it, taking it to the audience and the music. I am so glad I happened across her on the internet, for I am loving her music. Check out the video she made for Listen Up, a new song from earlier this year.



Check out EvOn on Bandcamp here, where you can download The Stolen Mixtape for FREE. It includes Listen Up.