Visit Derek Nicoletto for the Holidays

I was watching LOGO one evening a few years ago, and on came this incredible video for a great song, and I instantly had to have it. Sure, it didn't hurt that the boys in it were all gorgeous, but the song distracted me from the pretty boys, which is far from the norm. The band was Telling On Trixie, with lead singer Derek Nicoletto wailing on the track. Brad Small, Andrew Frawley, Matt Aronoff and Tommy Kessler where laying down a mean sound behind him. I did a bit of research, and soon had their debut album on my iPod, and loving every song. But the one that captured me was Orion's Light.



After a second album, Ugly, Broke & Sober, the boys in the band went their separate ways. I was heart-broken, but continued to stalk, uhm, I mean follow Derek. He went on to Derek & the Darling, and is now embarking on a solo career. He is working on his first solo album, and I couldn't be more excited!

Taking a break from the busy schedule of being a single daddy for Asher, working on the new material, and just living in New York City, Derek was kind enough to answer a few of my questions. Like what holiday music does he like to listen to? "I prefer choral and orchestral versions of Christmas songs," he answered. "The St. Olaf Choir has a CD that we play year-round because it's so fantastic." Well, I had to go check it out, and you can watch a bit of the St. Olaf Choir below.



So I was wondering what might be his favorite holiday song to perform? "I've never recorded one myself," he replied. "My stepfather is a pianist and I love singing Silent Night with him on the keys when I'm home in Indiana for the holidays." Too bad I couldn't find a clip of that, bet it would be fantastic!

So I asked Derek about his thoughts for 2011. "My hope is that life tosses me fewer dramatic events next year. This year has been a rollercoaster year in every aspect of my life," he explained. "The new year will be productive and creative, but I really hope to have the chance to breathe and sit with some much needed stillness and peace." Sounds like a good plan to me, Derek. To help with that, I will return to the St. Olaf Choir and the song featured in the video, Light Everlasting.



Once again, took the opportunity to see what one of my favorite artists was listening to on his iPod, and find out what his favorite song from 2010 was. "Pink's Glitter in the Air, Derek answered without hesitation.

With 2010 covered, what is Derek looking forward to musically in 2011? "I'm looking forward to Adele's newest, 21. I'd love to hear more from Passion Pit," he added. "Personally, I'll be releasing Kind Ghosts, my first ever solo album." So am I, Derek, so am I!

While not really a holiday song at all, I thought I would post a copy of another video of a Telling On Trixie song, Late So Tired. There are two reasons I am doing it. One, because it features Derek and his son, which seems just right for the holiday season. And two, cause I love the song.



If you would like to know more about the project, or maybe want to pre-order your copy, you can check it out here. There you can see about helping out an independent artist make some great music, and be in on the ground level. You can also find him on his official website here.

Happy Birthday Derek Nicoletto!

Tomorrow is not only Thanksgiving, it is also the birthday of one of my delightful musical crushes. It started when I heard his voice singing lead for Telling On Trixie, and I saw the video for Orion's Light and the next thing I knew, I was searching the internet learn about them. As anyone who reads this blog can tell, I love all kinds of music, but I loves me some rock. TOT made some cool rock. The music was hot, and Derek's vocals just elevated the sound to a different level.



When I discovered Derek was an out and proud frontman, I was doubly delighted. In my younger years, I discovered rock crowds are not the most welcoming crowds, so this was big for me. I jumped on board with TOT, and wrote to Derek, to express my appreciation. He was very sweet in his reply. I've never looked back. I was wad when I got the tweet that TOT broke up, but stayed in touch with Derek. I was thrilled when he started a new project, Derek & the Darling. I was near giddy when I saw the first video, shot by the amazing Julian Rad, for Hustler With A Rescue Plan.

DATD Hustler with a Rescue Plan Music Video from Julian Rad on Vimeo.

Alas, that group soon came to an end, but once again, I stayed in touch. And I have gotten so excited when I heard Derek was planning to go back in the studio to start a solo project. OK, so maybe near-giddy is a better explanation. To try to speed up the process a bit, Derek is looking to raise some funding for studio time, and started a Kickstater page. You can find it here. It is easier to let Derek explain it all to you.



Like other similar projects, it is not about just donating money, but also getting back on your investment. You can give what you can afford, and in return, you can get a return, be it an autographed copy of the album, invites to the release party, included in the liner notes, or a private house concert. The list is on the Kind Ghosts page here or by clicking on the Kickstarter widget belo.



I've said it before, and I'll continue to say it. If you like good music, music that really talks to you, that nourishes your soul, you should support it. I try as much as I can, even more so in these tough economic times. I don't listen to the radio much any more - if I hear another tween/tween wannabe warbling I just might scream. I find the music I want to hear, and support those artists. I try to go to as many shows as I can, buy their music, buy their t-shirts, whatever. If I can help them make more music, it means I will have something to listen to, and I won't be forced to hear the shrill garbage the studios put out. Sure, it isn't all bad, but most of it is. For every Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, there are amazing artists like Derek, Eric Himan, Levi Kreis, Tom Goss, Christopher Dallman, Aiden James, Casey Stratton, Andy Moore, and so many more. These are the artists who really need our support, and who have mine.

New Music - Telling On Trixie - Ugly, Broke & Sober

When I first saw the video for Orion's Light on LOGO, I thought it was a cool song, nice video, but got a little annoyed that MTV was in the process of making LOGO an outlet for MTV videos, and not supporting LGBT acts enough. But, dammit, I liked the song and then heard Halfway Back To Sane, a rockin' song that really grabbed me. So, I begrudgingly bought the CD, and started to look into them. The band could rock it out, and the soaring and textured vocals of the lead singer were fantastic. The sound bounded back and forth between the anthemic 80s stadium rock to power ballads. I was digging them. I have long loved good rock music [Led Zeppelin still rules], but grew tired of being looked at as the wimpy gay dude who lost his bearings on the way to the Gloria Gaynor concert.



It was then the light shone down on me. I was reading articles and interviews, and found out that lead singer Derek Nicoletto was yet another out gay man, playing with a bunch of hot str8 boys. He spoke about the birth of the child he and his partner and how that effected things. It was a revelation for me, and I was excited. I turned all fan grrrlie on him, and wrote a gushing note of appreciation, and he was kind enough to reply and not ask that I be prevented from attending any future shows. And guess what, that is Jack Mackenroth in the Orion's Light video! And those str8 boys are not only cool, they are effing hot!



While figuring out how to put out a second CD, the unsigned band put together the website, bandwithaplan.com, focused on raising money and keeping fans in the loop about what is to come. And if you gave money, your name was listed in the liner notes for the new CD. Yes, I gave money. If we don't support the music we like, how do we expect to hear more of it?



So the 2nd CD, Ugly, Broke & Sober, came out, and has some amazing music. A.N.F.O. is a flat out rocker, the driving beat and lyrics that include 'I didn't mean to slap that queen, I didn't mean to kiss my ex, I didn't mean to push that fratboy or the driver of the taxi. Hand me a hammer, babe, give me some good ammo, hand me a hammer baby, ANFO.'



The CD also has a great cover of the Belinda Carlyle tune, Mad About You - yes, I had the Belinda CD - and the guitar-driven Eden (Take A Bite). The first single out was Crash Me Up, a light and frothy pop tune. The video was made with the help of fans, who sent in tape of themselves playing with a red ball, and put together by the band.



Both the first CD, Telling On Trixie, and Ugly, Broke & Sober are great fun, well worth buying if you like rock. You can find out more about Telling on Trixie at their website.