The state of queer music

[phage]

I have never made it a point to seek out explicitly queer music because I didn’t want to become one of those self-marginalized people for whom everything must be by, for and about gays. I’m familiar with Rufus Wainwright but don’t really like his music. (I don’t need a catchy hook in every song, but the man has got to learn to pick up the pace and put a melody in there once in a while!)

 

A friend of mine recently pointed me towards a singer named Mark Weigle. Although he is a little too ‘folk’ for my taste, I was surprised at the impact of hearing a male voice singing love songs about ‘him’ and other topics that reflect my life and things I have known. He has some very poignant ballads and some other stuff that is almost country. Not bad.

 

I would like to check out some other artists with a more alternative, pop or dance bent. Anyone have any recommendations?

[OneFinger]

Perhaps one of the best groups I've ever heard perform "queer music" is Romanovsky & Phillips. They made 5 or 6 Cd's under the "Fresh Fruit" label and I've got them all. Have seen them in concert 3 or 4 times and wish they were still together.

 

One of their best songs was entitled "Living With AIDS" and told about finding out that a friend had AIDS. What a powerful song!!

 

Here's a link to an internet site with their music.

 

http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=605442

[Guest Lust4Life]

I would like to suggest the Tom Robinson Band. Tom's height of popularity came at the onset of the new wave movement during the late seventies. His first U.S. release, "Power In the Darkness," contained the British hit, "Glad To Be Gay."

 

Glad To Be Gay

 

The British Police are the best in the world

I don't believe one of these stories I've heard

'Bout them raiding our pubs for no reason at all

Lining the customers up by the wall

Picking out people and knocking them down

Resisting arrest as they're kicked on the ground

Searching their houses and calling them queer

I don't believe that sort of thing happens here

 

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

 

Pictures of naked young women are fun

In Titbits and Playboy, page three of The Sun

There's no nudes in Gay News our last magazine

But they still find excuses to call it obscene

Read how disgusting we are in the press

The News of The World and the Sunday Express

Molesters of children, corruptors of youth

It's there in the paper, it must be the truth

 

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

 

Don't try to kid us that if you're discreet

You're perfectly safe as you walk down the street

You don't have to mince or make bitchy remarks

To get beaten unconscious and left in the dark

I had a friend who was gentle and short

Got lonely one evening and went for a walk

Queerbashers caught him and kicked in his teeth

He was only hospitalised for a week

 

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

 

So sit back and watch as they close all our clubs

Arrest us for meeting and raid all our pubs

Make sure your boyfriend's at least 21

So only your friends and your brothers get done

Lie to your workmates, lie to your folks

Put down the queens and tell anti-queer jokes

Gay Lib's ridiculous, join their laughter

'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?'

 

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

 

I would like to suggest a visit to his extensive web site: http://www.tomrobinson.com

 

Additionally, for those in NYC he will be performing tomorrow night with a full band. This is one of his first live group appearances in decades. I don't belive any Gay man would feel letdown after attending one of his shows.

 

If your taste are more power pop (think of a Gay Green Day) I suggest Pansy Division. There site is at: http://www.pansydivision.com With CD titles like "Deflowered, "Pileup," and "Undressed" a good time is guaranteed for all.

[Bilbo]

The a capella group Kinsey Sicks is a lot of fun. I only have one of their CDs, but I do get a real kick out of it. Since I like them, I had been assuming they were a bit passe, but they were on the cover of one of our local gay newspapers only about a month and a half ago, and were the guest entertainers at this year's International Puppy competition.