NEW MUSIC: Tracey Thorn, Dave Gahan & Soulsavers, Gun Outfit, Here We Go Magic

This week in new music: a 34-track solo Tracey Thorn retrospective, Dave Gahan comes over all gospel on his second collaboration with Soulsavers, Gun Outfit go on an indie rock road trip through bluegrass country and Here We Go Magic channel John Cale and – apparently – Brian Eno on album number four.

Tracey Thorn – Solo: Songs and Collaborations 1982-2015

With sporadic solo work – 1982’s A Distant Shore was promptly followed by Out of the Woods in 2007 – and legendary output with the sadly defunct Everything But The Girl, Tracey Thorn (above) has forged for herself a position as one of England’s best songwriters and performers in a career that has spanned 35 years.

This collection of 34 tracks includes songs from her entire solo career including the stunning 2012 Christmas album Tinsel and Lights, her work with Massive Attack, the Style Council and Hot Chip, as well as a selection of her always perfectly chosen covers (most recently Kate Bush b-side “Under the Ivy”).

An essential collection for fans obviously, but also a perfect introduction to a “half wallflower, half freedom fighter,” as described by husband and fellow EBTG Ben Watt.

Dave Gahan & Soulsavers – Angels & Ghosts

With a career spanning more than thirty years – all the more impressive given their expected demise following the departure of Vince Clarke in 1981 – Depeche Mode have become if nothing else a dependable voice in electronic(ish) music.

Lead vocalist Dave Gahan has in that time been happy enough to give voice to other people’s songs with some forays into solo work (2003’s Paper Monsters and 2007’s Hourglass).

His latest effort and his second with Soulsavers marks a change of direction for Gahan and a welcome one at that.

On paper Dave Gahan doing something verging on gospel rock – complete with choirs sent from heaven – may seem at best ridiculous but in reality Angels & Ghosts is an excellent collaboration perfect for him to tear through with gusto.

Gun Outfit – Dream All Over

On album number four, massively underrated Los Angeles-based indie rock act Gun Outfit have perhaps reached pay dirt with a collection of songs that could well put you in mind of Yo La Tengo on a road trip through Alabama.

If the very idea of Tom Petty via touches of bluegrass and echoing sitar makes you ill, Dream All Over might be a stretch too far into the outreaches of indie but repeated listening is recommended to appreciate the delicacy of a collection that takes in references to the Velvet Underground, The American Analog Set and many more.

Here We Go Magic – Be Small

On album number four – and their first since 2012 Nigel Goodrich collaboration A Different Trip – Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic has been pared back to core duo Luke Temple and Michael Bloch for a collection of self-produced tracks “inspired by Brian Eno and John Cale’s Wrong Way Up and Robert Wyatt’s Shleep.”

Not being familiar with either, I can’t comment on that. However, if it’s John Cale they want to emulate it’s possible they were listening to 2003’s Hobosapiens.

Despite their protestations of a new approach, in reality Be Small skips over A Different Trip, hearkening back to their earlier work on The January EP and Pigeons.

It’s a relentlessly bubbly affair with “overtly major and optimistic” songs best heard in lead track “Falling.”

The post NEW MUSIC: Tracey Thorn, Dave Gahan & Soulsavers, Gun Outfit, Here We Go Magic appeared first on Towleroad.

Michael Fitzgerald

NEW MUSIC: Tracey Thorn, Dave Gahan & Soulsavers, Gun Outfit, Here We Go Magic

Gay Adult Film Written By Late Actor Sir John Gielgud Creates Row In U.K.

A pornographic gay film based on an original screenplay by the late actor Sir John Gielgud has wrapped production, but it still faces tremendous opposition from his estate.

Set in a men’s clothing store where an orgy takes place, Trouser Bar stars Nigel Havers and Julian Clary as passerby who spy the proceedings fondly.

Gielgud, one of the most celebrated stage actors of his time, but best-known for his Oscar-winning work as Dudley Moore’s butler in the film comedy Arthur and for his turn in the TV drama Brideshead Revisited, wrote the screenplay in secret in 1976 and intended for Peter de Rome, who’s considered the grandfather of gay pornography.

De Rome never used the script, but it fell into the hands of David McGillivray, who recently produced a documentary about the pornographer.

Now, McGillivray has turned the script into a feature, much to the chagrin of The Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust.

“Earlier this year, the trustees decided not give their permission for it to be produced because they didn’t think it was appropriate,” trust member Ian Bradshaw told the Daily Mail. “They didn’t have to go into detail because they own the copyright.”

The film has entered the editing stage, and McGillivray staunchly defends his decision.

“Pornography is still a stigma in this country, but Sir John loved porn and, in his letters, he talks about visiting gay cinemas,” he says. “I was shocked when the trust didn’t give me permission. We stuck to Sir John’s script very tightly when we made the film a couple of weeks ago. He was very specific about the clothes he wanted the actors to wear.”

“They have come down heavily on me,” McGillivray says. “They are using intellectual copyright as an excuse.”

In an interesting side note, Gielgud starred in a pornographic film himself. In 1979, the veteran thespian appeared clothed in Caligula, the super-controversial epic about ancient Rome that was penned by Gore Vidal and spiced up with graphic sex scenes. Gielgud’s biographer Sheridan Morley later referred to it as the actor’s “most embarrassing professional appearance.”

Jeremy Kinser

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A guy at my school organized an LGBT club and hung up posters for it. Another guy thought it would be funny to take pictures while ripping them down and to post it to Twitter. This was the best response.
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[link] [1 comment]

A guy at my school organized an LGBT club and hung up posters for it. Another guy thought it would be funny to take pictures while ripping them down and to post it to Twitter. This was the best response.
by inlgbt

RNC Chair Reince Priebus Blasts CNBC, Moderators After GOP Debate: WATCH

RNC Chair Reince Priebus was furious at CNBC after last night’s debate, accusing the network of providing a “hostile” environment for the candidates.

“I was pretty disappointed in the moderators, I’m disappointed at CNBC. I thought maybe they would bring forward a pretty fair forum tonight, but it was one gotcha question, one personal low blow after the other. It’s almost like they tried to design a Rubik’s Cube for every question, to try to take the worst element I think of what the moderators and what the media bring to the table, and all I can tell you is that while I’m proud of our candidates for pretty much sticking together, I’m very disappointed with the moderators and I’m very disappointed with CNBC.”

Watch:

Priebus also tweeted:

CNBC should be ashamed of how this debate was handled. #GOPDebate

— Reince Priebus (@Reince) October 29, 2015

And the RNC released this statement:

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement at the conclusion of the CNBC Republican Primary Debate:

“While I was proud of our candidates and the way they handled tonight’s debate, the performance by the CNBC moderators was extremely disappointing and did a disservice to their network, our candidates, and voters. Our diverse field of talented and exceptionally qualified candidates did their best to share ideas for how to reinvigorate the economy and put Americans back to work despite deeply unfortunate questioning from CNBC,” said Chairman Priebus.

“One of the great things about our party is that we are able to have a dynamic exchange about which solutions will secure a prosperous future, and I will fight to ensure future debates allow for a more robust exchange. CNBC should be ashamed of how this debate was handled.”

What did you think about the debate?

The post RNC Chair Reince Priebus Blasts CNBC, Moderators After GOP Debate: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

RNC Chair Reince Priebus Blasts CNBC, Moderators After GOP Debate: WATCH

Why Drug Scandals Like Martin Shkreli's Will Keep Happening

After the Internet’s swift condemnation of Turing Pharmaceuticals’ decision to ratchet up the price of the lifesaving toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill, Turing CEO Martin Shkreli eventually recanted and announced that he would be lowering the price — although he has yet to say when or by how much. Now Imprimis Pharmaceuticals has stepped up to make alternative treatment available for $1, providing intense relief to individuals at risk of toxoplasmosis, which disproportionately affects people living with HIV and AIDS.

When the scandal first broke, I was afraid that the story would subside and get swallowed by the 24-hour Internet outrage cycle, but thankfully the conversation has continued, with many calling for systemic reform. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have put forth plans to prevent patients from going bankrupt, but no real progress has been made to limit abuse by the pharmaceutical companies themselves. Now I am afraid that Imprimis Pharmaceuticals’ noble decision to offer a pro bono alternative to Daraprim is going to distract from the very real need for consumer protections.

Imprimis CEO Mark L. Baum has acknowledged that “this is not the first time a sole supply generic drug — especially one that has been approved for use as long as Daraprim — has had its price increased suddenly and to a level that may make it unaffordable,” going on to assert that “some drug prices are simply out of control.” While I commend both his actions and his statements, I have to point out that the solution here is not drug companies banding together to pick up the slack where they see moral failings in their industry, and very few of the glowing articles I have read this week have made the point that we need to continue pushing our politicians for reform.

If a company can arbitrarily increase the cost of lif-saving medications upward of 5,000 percent overnight, we have to consider what this means for patients, even if the medication in question doesn’t effect us personally. To cure hepatitis C can still cost a person more than $100,000 — approximately $1,000 a pill for some treatments. Not only are drugs considerably more expensive in the U.S. than they are in other countries, the cost is disproportionately laid on consumers — and good luck to you if you can’t afford the right kind of insurance or, worse, can’t afford insurance at all. Our elected officials could do something about this situation — but they’re under tremendous pressure not to.

The truth is, politicians are as afraid of pharmaceutical companies as they are of the NRA. The drug lobby is powerful, and millions of dollars exchange hands every year to protect their interests over the interests of the American people. I don’t have all the solutions, but I do know that these issues are not going to be addressed if we leave it up to the private sector. For me, it all goes back to campaign finance reform — if we can take giant corporations’ millions out of politics, maybe our elected officials can be convinced to value people over profits again. In the meantime we all need to raise our voices and do our best to make sure this issue doesn’t fade away. 

KIT WILLIAMSON is an actor, filmmaker, and activist living in New York City. He best known for playing the role of Ed Gifford on Mad Men and creating the LGBT series EastSiders, which recently premiered its second season exclusively on Vimeo On Demand. 
Kit Williamson

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/29/why-drug-scandals-martin-shkrelis-will-keep-happening

came out to my parents yesterday

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came out to my parents yesterday
by inlgbt

The Real Reason Gays Go Gaga for Halloween

Give me your fearsome ghouls and your flaming gays, your slutty zombies and your zany queens, for it is time for Halloween.

Halloween isn’t just a holiday for LGBT people; it’s an institution, but why? Sure, there are the obvious parallels. A gay person grew up wearing masks, and to many of us, every day was Halloween until we opened those closet doors. We are highly trained at hiding our true selves, so the celebration of costume and disguise is a natural marriage for us. But for today’s generation, where “gay” is hardly the terrifying pronunciation that it once was, this explanation doesn’t hold much weight.

I guess you could make the connection of queers delighting in the chance to express themselves in ways that society usually deems lewd and inappropriate. This holiday is one that praises all the frights and fetishes that we are told to cover up. But then again, that is what Gay Pride is all about. The gay community is a requiem for sexual liberation, so for many, Halloween is just another Saturday night at the club.

No, Halloween is the national gay holiday for the fact being LGBT is an extension of expressing who you want to be, regardless of who is scared of it. Regardless how liberal the community you live in may be, the global reality is that being gay is still considered a perversion, a subversion, and even an abomination. Some of us may rarely have to address this reality, living in progressive hubs where gay is practically the norm. But others know all too well what a healthy group of people in the U.S. thinks about your “lifestyle.”

Living in Dallas, even I forget just how odd I am to some people simply because I am gay. And for a minute here and there, I might even convince myself that my life, my relationship, and my sex are now just the boring norm. But just a few miles outside of my bubble, and the sometimes-painful realization that I am an “other” swiftly reminds me of my alternative position in society. And this is a good thing …

Being gay isn’t a fetish. But for many, it is a fantasy. For gay people, the fear of exploring your fantasies, which, in turn, become reality, can almost be second nature. So when Halloween comes around, people on the LGBT spectrum aren’t afraid to revel in their proclivities, whether they are ghoulish, garish, or slutty as hell, because in the eyes of the judgmental peanut gallery, we represent those things every day.

At some point in a gay person’s life, you realize that you will always be a freak to some. Trying to change yourself is impossible, so eventually you relish in your freakdom and wait as the onlookers creep closer to your side of the line.

Halloween is one time of year when everyone is allowed to be whoever he or she wants to be. But for gay people, it isn’t as much of a stretch.

So throw on those hooker heels and paint those faces a fright, because soon, very soon, it will be Halloween night …

TYLER CURRY is an activist and the author of A Peacock Among Pigeons, a new children’s book that celebrates diversity. Get your copy at www.apeacockamongpigeons.com.

Photos courtesy of Miguel Angel Reyes. See more at his Facebook page.

Tyler Curry

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/29/real-reason-gays-go-gaga-halloween

Resolved Question: How can Uncle Ben Carson be considered so smart when he says such stupid things?

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151028214626AAJO2rl

Another Debate And More Proof That The Republican Party Is A Mess

At this point, the Republican presidential race has violated all the laws of electoral physics. Candidates who would seem eminently qualified for office have poll numbers that look like a toddler’s age, and candidates who seem eminently qualified for psychotropic medications are in the lead.

Last night’s debate only confirmed yet again that just when you thought the party had hit bottom, the candidates take a shovel and start digging deeper.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About The Republican Debate Without Actually Having To Watch

For a debate that was supposed to be about economics, the topics ranged far afield. That provided Ben Carson the opportunity to prove yet again he was a homophobe while denying that he was.

“I believe that our Constitution protects everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other aspect. I also believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. And there is no reason that you can’t be perfectly fair to the gay community,” Carson said in a flight of illogic. “They shouldn’t automatically assume that because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman that you are a homophobe.”

Of course, Carson didn’t try to resolve the contradiction between being fair and denying basic rights. That’s because he’s the real victim. “This is how they frighten people and get people to shut up,” Carson said. “You know, that’s what the PC culture is all about, and it’s destroying this nation.”

You have to be Carson’s age to even talk about a PC culture, let alone imagine that it’s real.

The debate was disastrous for other reasons as well. The moderators were by any standard just awful. The candidates appealing to the tinfoil hat brigade (looking at you, Donald) were subdued. In fact, if anything as a group the outsiders solidified their standing.

In particularly, Ted Cruz was among the candidates who came off the best, which should be a wake up call to everyone worried about the creepiest Senator being the GOP nominee. Cruz has been running a below-the-radar campaign. But it’s also a smart one. He’s prepared to scoop up all the voters when the kiddie candidates like Trump and Carson implode.

Meanwhile, the man who was supposed to be the frontrunner, Jeb Bush, is vanishing before our eyes. He had almost no time during the debate and he did not use the time he had to cover himself in glory. Following on the news that he was cutting back on his campaign spending, Bush’s debate performance is going to cement the perception that his presidential hopes are in a death spiral.  

Making predictions in this campaign environment is foolhardy. Who could have predicted that anyone would take Donald Trump seriously and that someone with Jeb Bush’s credentials would be in the single digits?

The only thing that’s clear is that the Republican party is a mess that only promises to get messier.

JohnGallagher

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