From J-pop, to Mexican psychedelia to Arabian punk and garage, there is so much music that is so good mostly because it is sung in another language. For instance, all the music they play at my favorite sushi bar is always the same, it’s a Japanese mix that includes a cover of Blondie’s “Maria.” I like the song as it is, but when sung in Japanese, it turns into something else completely, something relevant even. ANYWAY, imagine my surprise to get an email from Le Sorelle MArinetti, an Italian group of drag queens that sing cabaret-style three part harmonies, not unlike the Andrews Sisters. AND they do the old time-y outfits too. In Italian. The songs are killer, buy them on itunes.
Archive for May, 2008
Steven Johnson Photography
May 29, 2008
*photo by Steven Johnson
Seems like forever ago when Steven Johnson came over and snapped some really professional photographs of Ruth and I. He’s a big fan of the show and wanted to help get our “website” up. I haven’t yet figured out what to do with the portraits, but he has included one of the best ones at his redesigned website. Head over to http://www.stevenjohnsonphotography.com and check out his eclectic work with people and food. The above shot shows how much fun we had.
–Stinky Pinky
Berlin Monument For Gay Holocaust Victims
May 28, 2008
As it gets bigger and has more ads, Towleroad’s challenge is to keep its content relevant. This post about the unveiling of Berlin’s monument for gay victims of Nazi persecution was something that really grabbed me. The ceremony was presided over by openly gay Mayor Klaus Wowereit, and if you look at the big, grey box, it seems like an appropriate commemoration. The monument stands 3.6 meters high and 1.9 meters wide, and has a small window. Looking into it, you see a 1.5 minute video loop of two men kissing, directed by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg. Its simplicity strengthens its message, where a kiss takes on great meaning when context and history are considered.
–Stinky Pinky
Playlist–5/27/08
May 27, 2008Cut Copy–Far Away
The Presets–A New Sky
The Mae Shi–I Get (Almost) Everything I Want
Yea Big + Kid Static–Eatchyo Samwich
Portishead–Machine Gun
Sugar Cubes–Lucky Night
Atlas Sound–Recent Bedroom
Matmos–Mister Mouth
Crystal Castles–Magic Spells
Beach House–Wedding Bell
Nico–The Fairest Of The Seasons
Muscles–One Inch Badge Pin
Tracy + Plastics–This is Dog-City
CocoRosie–Rainbow Warriors
Cyndi Lauper–Rocking Chair
the B-52′s–Mesopotamia (1990 Remix)
Hercules and Love Affair–Hercules Theme
Of Montreal–So Begins Our Alabee
Dino Felipe–Slutt Petal
The Hidden Cameras–I Believe In The Good of Life
Punk77!
May 26, 2008
- * Jayne County
I recently picked up a Near Mint copy of the New York Dolls Ep on Kamera Records, and I didn’t even know how rare it was until I got home and did some research. As it turns out, another score from this innocent purchase was that I stumbled upon www.punk77.co.uk, a really nice looking site that has TONS of information about rare bands and performers from punk’s peak:
Punk77! is a history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79: Featuring an A-Z of punk bands from Adam and The Ants to The Sex Pistols to X Ray Spex, fanzines, punk girls, rare record sleeves, audio clips, fashion, punk rock lyrics, interviews and loads of pictures.
Besides having a strong list of women in punk, it also has this piece written by Jayne County, a history making punk transwoman who is still kicking it today. The story is about the early days of NYC’s Roxy Club and the beginning of it all, written casually and fabulously.
–Stinky Pinky
QZAP–Queer Zine Archive Project
May 26, 2008
It’s a great idea to try and archive all the queer zines floating out there. Zines were one of the first ways that alterna-gays found each other. From Punk Planet to J.D.’s to Holy Titclamps, it’s not hard to see why Milwaukee’s QZAP, the Queer Zine Archive Project, would attempt to streamline the search for these valuable documents. At this point, new zines (now called ‘blogs’) are just a search engine away, but the history lies in our paper counterparts. I visited Olympia, Washngton a couple of years ago, and there is a bookstore called Last Word which houses a zine library called the Olympia Zine Library. One of the most thorough I have ever seen, it’s queer section was still pretty small. QZAP an online, exclusively queer version of that library, . Poking around it, they’ve got quite a lot already and probably could use some help getting more documented. If you have any queer zines laying around and care to share, or have helpful hints, email them.
–Stinky Pinky
Jacob Meehan
May 23, 2008
Audience 3, 2008
Chicago photographer Jacob Meehan has just put his website up, and his small portfolio is quite the charmer. Not afraid to use blur and pixelation, some of his work has voyeurism in check–getting your attention but not allowing you to see the fine lines. For his M4M series (NSFW), he spent some time advertising in the men’s section of craigslist, offering his photography services for sexual want ads. The casually naked portraits are not unlike Wolfgang Tillmans, but have a titillating sterility that makes you feel like you answered one of the postings.
Meehan will be at IML’s Leather Market, booth #928, taking portraits of market goers.
Video Room, Bathhouse 2007
–Stinky Pinky
IML Is This Weekend!!
May 22, 2008
*A photo I took with my phone last year, this pup was being a very good boy.
Oh man, this is my favorite weekend of the year. International Mr. Leather is every Memorial Day weekend and the Leather Market is SO FUN! Here is an excerpt from the article I wrote for edgechicago.com:
Among the infinite amount of vendor tables and porn stars, you’ll probably see a shy corporate suit, a man in a dog mask on all fours, a woman trying on a corset, and that little Asian slave in the fishnet miniskirt and shackles that goes every year. All in the same corner.
One of my best stories from the market involves a hooded sub, who had been chained to a vendor display. He was shirtless, and aside from his impressive nipples, he wasn’t standing out too much. People would walk by and give a friendly wink or wave, and he just stood there, his master somewhere out of site. Finally, with unnerving confidence, a man comes up to him, a sharp twist and tap later, the man starts punching the sub’s chest with full force. As people stopped to watch, the hooded man’s crotch bulge got bigger and bigger. Just as suddenly as that brazen display of sexuality started, it was over, and everyone went back to their shopping.
The Leather Market is open to the public from Friday to Monday for a suggested donation of $4.00, all benefitting the Leather Archives and Museum. It is located at this year’s sponsoring hotel, the Hyatt Regency at 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601. 312-565-1234.
–Stinky Pinky
Scandal is Brewing at Chicago’s Center on Halsted
May 22, 2008
Look at these cuties from the COH website. Photo by Israel Wright
Years ago, when Chicago was still the only major city without a community center for LGBT people in need, the Center on Halsted seemed like a big duh. We need one, and as soon as possible so we don’t keep up this embarrassment, please. Fast forward to 2008, and people are using it. The problem is that Chicago is geographically segregated, and queers of color are trekking all the way to the mostly white Boystown to get services they need; now the affluent area where COH is located is having trouble adjusting. I had heard rumblings within the COH staff and volunteers that the older queers were not happy with how loud the youth could be. Now, this highly alarming post by Laura Washington is screaming racism. Accusing the youth of turning tricks, this presumptive assumption of law breaking is stupid, mostly because johns and prosties have been in the neighborhood since, well shit, they started that neighborhood. Just because suddenly, there are black and latino kids hanging out, the conservative elders are getting upset possible alley sex. Fuck that. We built this center for all of us, not just the white kids in the neighborhood.
