02/07/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Jason Mraz, the well known pop-rock singer/songwriter, best known for his hits “The Remedy” and “I’m Yours” has come out as a straight ally. Jason Mraz posted on his facebook page:

Jason Mraz’s Notes

As a straight man I really have nothing to gain by standing up for equal rights for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual, and/or my Transgender friends. Except for the fact that I have many friends who are still subjected to hurtful comments by a society that hasn’t yet embraced fully the nature of… nature.Supporting a limiting system of rules for specific people to follow is prejudice. It’s the Antithesis of Christ Consciousness and (like smoking) it’s Soooo last century.

Allowing love to freely flourish will only enhance the life experience – For All.

Imagine telling cyclists to stay off the road. “These roads are for cars only! Those who dare to pedal on the shoulder will most likely get hit! Drivers will not expect to see you. It will not be the drivers’ fault if you get hurt.”

Yet, by sharing the road, the same rules get to apply to all of us. And surprisingly, we all get somewhere.

No one has to sit at the back of the bus.

A Marriage is a powerful commitment by any two people who are committed to each other’s lives being great. The God that is present in ceremony is looking itself in the eye in the form of the two worthy participants. Their commitment is the divine expression “love loving itself.” Any interference from the outside world be like a bear coming out of the woods and mauling the two lovebirds in front of the entire wedding party, the family and invited guests. Interference is messy and downright rude.

Hosting closed minded thoughts or making lewd comments about the intimate affairs of someone else does not make life great. In fact, it clogs up the judicial system, diminishes entire communities, and turns the clock backwards to our ultimate realization that we are all One – living in harmony with the Earth, with the cosmos, and with great things unseen. Thinking that others are a ‘particular way’ rather than reinventing them as new everyday makes you separate and disconnected from the really easy, peaceful solution.

Life is too short. The age of interfering with someone’s natural rights (and natural born gifts) are over.

Love is too powerful to resist. I think the whole world would be better if we just got out of our own way. It would certainly be sexier.

I understand many people who stumble onto this blog are already dialed in and ready to transform the world. Much of my community is too. But there are some who still don’t care one way or the other about the ways of being in the world. Thereby, it’s up to us to share our positive outlook on our favorite issues.

To learn more about how you can be a part of the Epic Movement for Equal Rights. Visit The Human Rights Campaign at http://www.hrc.org/ and support the True Colors Fund.

This Year I Resolve to Join the Conversation on Equality. I will Stand Up and be outspoken about Same Sex Marriage and Let Freedom Sing.

Jason Mraz is using his celebrity power for a good cause. The LGBT movement could use the support of more celebrity men who are secure enough in their sexuality and their fame to voice their support.

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02/06/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Nina Sky, the pop singing duo of twin sisters Natalie and Nicole Albino, had a hit song in 2004 with “Move Ya Body.” While none of their subsequent singles has been as successful, they are still around on the music scene. Natalie and Nicole are Puerto Ricans who grew up in Astoria, Queens. Rumors have been circulating on the internet for years that one of the duo is a lesbian.

Sources say that Nicole is the sister in question. Chueca is a Columbian run LBQ bar/nightclub in Queens. It is largely frequented by Latina lesbians and it’s rumored that Nicole was regularly seen at the bar when she was younger, and will still show up every once in awhile. Sources say that she is very low key and doesn’t throw around her fame or her repuation.    

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2/1/10- by Paula Brooks

Album of the Year
Taylor Swift, Fearless
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Beyonce, Halo
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Jason Mraz, Make It Mine
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Run This Town
Best Rock Album
Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown
Record of the Year
Kings of Leon, Use Somebody
Best New Artist
Zac Brown Band
Song Of The Year
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Beyonce
Best Pop Vocal Album
The E.N.D., The Black Eyed Peas
Best Rock Song
Use Somebody, Kings of Leon
Best Dance Recording
Poker Face, Lady Gaga
Best Electronic Dance album
The Fame, Lady Gaga
Best Remixed Recording
When Love Takes Over, DJ David Guetta

Best Reggae Album DID NOT go to accused drug dealer and gay basher extraordinaire Buju Banton… That Grammy went to Stephen Marley for Mind Control.

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1/31/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Amy Winehouse, the troubled UK singer best known for her drug fueled eccentric behavior and hospitalizations, has been outed as bisexual. There has been speculation about Winehouse’s sexuality in the past, as she has tattoos of sexy pin up girls on her arms and has emanated a ‘tough-girl’ persona. A friend of Winehouse is blabbing about Winehouse’s romantic preferences to British Tabloids. The friend is claiming that she is speaking with Winehouse’s full permission. She says that during a conversation about Winehouse’s ex-husband dating a transsexual who is also an Amy Winehouse impersonator; Winehouse stated:

So what? I like girls as well. I have had relationships with other women but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love Blake [Fielder-Civil]. There is something about being with a woman that is very satisfying. I don’t care what people think about me being bi – I do what feels good.

The friend, also gave a statement of her own, saying:

There is nothing restrained about Amy’s sexuality. She doesn’t hold back and says what she feels. She often talks about other women. Her favourite [sic] is Cheryl [Cole, member of the British band ‘Girls Aloud’], who she really fancies. Most women can appreciate another woman’s beauty but Amy definitely takes that to the next level.

It is difficult to know whether or not these statements are true. Even if Winehouse is bisexual, her public entrance into the LGBT community would probably not do much in terms of perpetuating a positive image for bisexuals. At this point in her career, Winehouse is more well known for her disgusting exploits and nasty drug habit than for her singing abilities. Hopefully this is a rumor that will quickly be denied by Winehouse, because the LBQ community doesn’t need this kind of celebrity as a spokesperson.

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CLUB SKIRTS PRESENTS THE DINAH® CELEBRATES ITS 20TH MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY  WITH A MUSIC LEGEND: SALT-N-PEPA Headlining Saturday Night’s “Hollywood Party” At the Palm Springs Convention Center .
by Melanie Nathan,  : -  

Palm Springs, CA - Mariah Hanson, founder of Club Skirts Presents The Dinah®, has just announced another HUGE headliner for the 2010 highly anticipated Dinah weekend held March 31 through April 4 (www.TheDinah)  in the sunny Oasis.  Joining the stellar line-up is the legendary Grammy Award-winning American hip-hop trio Salt-N-Pepa who will rock the house during Saturday night’s “Hollywood Party” at the Palm Springs Convention Center. 

As the first all female rap crew, Salt-N-Pepa historically changed the face of the music scene. The groundbreaking cult band has broken many records in the music industry and is, to this day, credited as being one of the first rap artists to cross over into pop mainstream, laying the groundwork for a number of other female artists in the likes of TLC, Destiny’s Child and Beyonce. 
Selling over 15 million albums and singles worldwide, Salt-N-Pepa became the first female rap Grammy winners; the first female rap act to go gold or platinum; and the first female rap act to have a multi-platinum album.

“Much like The Dinah has over the years changed the face of lesbian event production, Salt-N-Pepa have changed the face of women in music. We herald them as the perfect headliner for our signature event,” says Hanson.   

Blending the old with the new, Hanson is commemorating The Dinah’s milestone 20th Anniversary by delivering a never-been-seen before star-studded entertainment program – a sure crowd-pleaser and show stopper event! 

After all who else but Hanson can bring together on the same stage, under one roof for one weekend ONLY, the hottest, sexiest and most talented music divas of yesterday and today – from Ke$ha, the current # 1 Billboard charting artist in the country (who stole Lady Gaga’s “most downloaded song on iTunes” record), Paradiso Girls, Lolene to music legend Salt-N-Pepa? 

This year club Skirts Presents The Dinah® is not just breaking grounds, it is making history!   www.TheDinah.com

Note:       K$sha was announced as anothe scoop  Headliner at http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24549 some weeks ago and now this adds to the extraordinary line-up for the weekedn long series of lesbian entertainment and  events.
Pictures Courtesy The Dinah/ 1. Salt-N-Pepa and 2. Mariah Hanson on stage with Katy Perry at The Dinah.

By Melanie Nathan, nathan@privatecourts.com
www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

@oblogdeeoblogda

 Airing Dec. 9 at 10 p.m. EST on ABC, “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009

Today, Barbara Walters tells the Ladies of the View that this year’s group of most fascinating people is edgier, more current and less obvious than usual.  That sounds refreshing and perhaps a worthy watch.

Her most ‘edgy’ fascinators would apparently be Adam Lambert and the very Lady Gaga, who responded to Barbara Walters direct questions about her sexuality.  When asked, she admits she “likes” women, but has only ever fallen in love with men.  Walters on this morning’s VIEW, showed the clip where she honed in for the kill; with an “have you ever slept with a woman?”    Lady G looked as if she had been clonked on the head – and nailed an actual smile (nervously) and gasped “Barbara…”  Answer cut and the teaser was over.  Interviewed wearing a paradoxical black Chanel Suite – a must watch.

Written by Melanie Nathan

 THE LGBT RECORDING ACADEMY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOGO/MTV NETWORK
PRESENTS THE 2009 OUTMUSIC AWARDS  -NEW YORK CITY’S LEGENDARY WEBSTER HALL TUESDAY, DEC. 8, 2009                 

 POLITICAL HUMORIST KATE CLINTON AND NOAH’S ARC’S RODNEY CHESTER WILL HOST THIS NIGHT OF RECOGNITION OF LGBT MUSICAL EXCELLENCE  

New York, NY (November 18, 2009) – The OUTMusic LGBT Recording Academy and its Board of Directors today announced that the 2009 OUTMusic Awards will take center stage at New York City’s legendary Grand Ballroom of Webster Hall on Tuesday, December 8th at 8 p.m. The 2009 OUTMusic Awards will be hosted by Kate Clinton and Rodney Chester. This year’s milestone celebration will recognize and celebrate musical excellence while featuring performances from some of the hottest names in LGBT music. Nominations for the 2009 OutMusic Awards can be viewed at www.outmusic.com/awards.html.  

“We have cultivated new partnerships with some amazing organizations that know of our struggle,” said Diedra Meredith, OUTMusic executive director. It is my hope to create an equivalent presence in the music industry for these amazing artists and performers through the OUTMusic Awards. I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment to arrive! Our community is tenaciously strong, it’s been a long tough road, but with the OUTMusic Awards, we will make history during a time when LGBT Equal Rights is gaining momentum! This is our entry into the fight for LGBT Equal Rights.”  

This special night of celebration for LGBT recording artists will be filled with celebrity presenters to honor openly gay recording artists for their achievements and courage to be OUT and proud through their free expression of music. Throughout the night, special presentations will be made to Kevin Aviance, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and Toshi Reagon with the Heritage Award. Also, the late Willie Ninja will be named OUTMusic Icon for his worldwide, inspirational, innovative and trendsetting contribution to the artistry of Vogue, fashion and performance. OUTMusic will also honor founders Dan Martin and Michael Biello with the Visionary Award.

The 2009 OUTMusic Awards Pre-Show will be hosted by Julie Goldman of LOGO’s Big Gay Sketch Show and DeMarco Majors of LOGO’s “Shirts and Skins.” DJ Shane Phoenix and the Rickster of Q Nation FM’s hit radio show “Q’s In The Biz” will broadcast LIVE from the Red Carpet and can be seen on www.qsinthebiz.com. DJ Stacy will broadcast LIVE from the Red Carpet on Girlscenenyc.com her popular show “Listen 2 Me” presented by JAMBOX.

For this year’s awards, OUTMusic has partnered with LOGO/MTV Networks to create three new, special award categories for those artists who have befriended the LGBT community and are seen as tastemakers by the LGBT community. The three award categories included NEXT GAY ICON, FIERCELY FASHIONABLE and KEEP BRINGIN SEXY BACK. The winner will be determined by the number of votes received by fans of the artists. To vote for your favorite artist in each category, please log onto www.logoonline.com.    

The evening will be filled with some of the best recording artists in the LGBT entertainment industry including a spectacular opening performance by Christine Martucci, whose song “There You Are” has been chosen as the theme song for the 2009 OMA. Also, performances by Jason Walker, Toshi Reagon, R&B crooner Nhojj, Rachael Sage, Jasper James, Levi Kreis, Deepa Soul and Kevin Aviance. Also, a Gay Hip-Hop Evolution segment will feature Tori Fixx, J.R., Soce The Elemental Wizard,Mack Mistress and Da Fresh Geex. 

Tickets for the 2009 OMAs can be pre-purchased for $25.00. Special Group discounts of 10 or more are available. Please visit www.outmusic.com to purchase tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door for $40.00.

OUTMusic is the premier 501c3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to honoring, supporting and advocating on behalf of under represented openly (LGBT) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Recording Artist & Performers. The organization was founded by life partners Dan Martin and Michael Biello over 18 years ago to provide a safe and supportive environment for LGBT recording artists & performers.

The organization is a network of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered musicians and supporters. Performers, composers, lyricists, producers, recording artists, activists, promoters, press/media and even non-musicians who believe in the importance of Queer Music History have joined Outmusic over the years.

The mission of OUTmusic is to ensure that underrepresented OUT artists/entertainers have equal and inclusive presence in the mainstream entertainment industry; an industry that has fostered the silent “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. This policy has perpetuated the stigma of homophobia & discrimination in the entertainment industry, the military and the work place. OUTmusic works to put an end to homophobia in the entertainment industry and the world we live in. They educate, advocate and raise awareness with the goal of bridging the gap between the mainstream and LGBT entertainment industries.   

Anyone can become a member of Outmusic, as they welcome fans as well as artists. If you support the idea that LGBT artists should have an organization that works to raise awareness of their music. 

Please go to OUTmusic Awards Website  (here) and see how you can support this extraordinarily important organizations.  These musicians and artists help provide critical visibility that our community must engage in our quest for Civil Rights.

OUTSTANDING ROCK SONG 2009 NOMINEES
(*) Stewed Tomatoes (*) Leather Daddy
Athena Reich Love is Love
Jen Urban & the Box Let’s Ride
Josh Zuckerman Got Love?
Phil Putnam I’m No Prize

OUTSTANDING POP SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Athena Reich Love is Love
Billie Myers I Hope You’re Happy Now
Ellen Rosner Ready, Steady, GO
Heiskell Sick Of Nothing
Rachael Sage Too Many Women (from the FAME Soundtrack)

OUTSTANDING HIP HOP/RAP SONG 2009 NOMINEES
baron. Feel Like Fashion
Jasper James ROCKET
Mack Mistress Make it Bounce
Soce, The Elemental Wizard Grossed Out
Tori Fixx I’m the Same

OUTSTANDING R & B/SOUL SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Kalup Linzy presents Asshole
Nhojj Love
Robert Anton Bigger Than Me

OUTSTANDING ELECTRO/DANCE SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Ari Gold Where The Music Takes You
Brian Kent Breathe Life
Christian Andreason Running Back to You – HITPLAY Mix
Jason Walker Can’t Stop (Joey Negro Remix)
Lori Michaels Meet Me At The Partay

OUTSTANDING FOLK/COUNTRY SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Blair Hansen & Vicci Martinez Break Away – (HANNAH FREE Soundtrack)
Crooked Willow Fall Away (Reprised)
Julie Clark Growin’ Up
Nick Granato Who I Am
Rachael Sage Hunger In John

OUTSTANDING JAZZ SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Avi Wisnia No Scrubs
Lucy Smith You Pause – (HANNAH FREE Soundtrack)
Rachael Sage Site-Seeing
Steven Franz Skins & Shirts

OUTSTANDING INSTRUMENTAL/SOUNDTRACK SONG 2009 NOMINEES
HANNAH FREE, Starring Sharon Gless Goodby Rachel
HANNAH FREE, Starring Sharon Gless On the Lake
HANNAH FREE, Starring Sharon Gless Meadow Waltz
Jon Gilbert Leavitt Lullaby Valkyrie (Lullaby (Walkure)
Jon Gilbert Leavitt Love Theme from “Heels”

OUTSTANDING CHORAL SONG 2009 NOMINEES
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Make Your Own Kind Of Music / New World Coming
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus We Looked To The Future
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus U.S.S. Metaphor Highlights
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus ensemble: The Lollipop Guild UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus with Joan Baez Swingin’ With The Saints

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUAL SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Christian Andreason I Belong to You
Deepa Soul Stand Together
Levi Kreis Stained Glass Window
Sir Ivan Kumbaya

OUTSTANDING THEATRE/CABARET/COMEDY SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Brian Wilbur Grundstrom Pepe! The Mail Order Monkey Musical – Bridge Club
D. C. Anderson What’s Happened Since
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus My Gallant Crew
Terese Genecco The Man I Love
Vontanner A Shangri-las Girl

OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL SONG 2009 NOMINEES
Caera Suantrai (Seothin Seotho)
Isle of Klezbos/Metropolitan Klezmer Miracle Medley: Hasidic Nign/Poor Man’s Tune
Lee Adam Wilshier Last Of The Secret Agents
SONiA of disappear fear shorashim
Sugarbeach Mama I Love Her

OUTSTANDING PRODUCER 2009 NOMINEES
Jon Gilbert Leavitt Pride 2009
Rachael Sage Vertigo
Scott Free Equal
Soce, The Elemental Wizard Slippin Away
Tori Fixx CoExist (DJNB’s Club Video Mix)

OUTSTANDING SONGWRITER 2009 NOMINEES
Athena Reich Love is Love
Dudley Saunders Love Song for Jeffrey Dahmer

Posted by Melanie Nathan:
Keep your eyes open for my Gals
TOMBOY FRESH, California.

Predictions from an  Activist    = Predictions from Melanie Nathan -  Triple MMM reveals my predictions…. lets see 2009 American Music Awards Nominations .

  POP/ROCK – Favorite Male Artist
 Eminem; Michael Jackson MMM,  T.I.

POP/ROCK – Favorite Female Artist
Beyonce 
Lady Gaga  MMM
Taylor Swift 

ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Kings of Leon
 Taylor Swift
 Lady Gaga  
Eminem
Michael Jackson   MMM

POP/ROCK – Favorite Band, Duo or Group
The Black Eyed Peas MMM
Kings of Leon
Nickelback

POP/ROCK – Favorite Album
Fame – Lady Gaga 
Number Ones – Michael Jackson MMM
Fearless – Taylor Swift

COUNTRY – Favorite Female Artist       
 Reba McEntire   23rd nomination wow   
 Taylor Swift MMM
 Carrie Underwood

COUNTRY – Favorite Band, Duo or Group
 Rascal Flatts
Sugarland MMM
Zac Brown Band

COUNTRY – Favorite Album
Unstoppable – Rascal Flatts 
Fearless – Taylor Swift  MMM
Foundation – Zac Brown Band

RAP/HIP-HOP – Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
 Jay-Z MMM
 T.I.

RAP/HIP-HOP – Favorite Album
Relapse – Eminem MMM
Blueprint 3 – Jay-Z
Paper Trail – T.I.

SOUL/R&B – Favorite Male Artist
Jamie Foxx
Michael Jackson MMM
Maxwell

SOUL/R&B – Favorite Female Artist
Beyonce MMM
Keyshia Cole
 Keri Hilson

SOUL/R&B – Favorite Album
I Am…Sasha Fierce – Beyonce MMM
The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
Number Ones – Michael Jackson

SOUNDTRACKS – Favorite Album
Hannah Montana: The Movie  MMM
Hannah Montana 3
 Twilight Soundtrack

ADULT CONTEMPORARY – Favorite Artist
 Daughtry
 Jason Mraz
 Taylor Swift  MMM

LATIN – Favorite Artist
Aventura
Luis Fonsi MMM
Wisin Y Yandel

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL – Favorite Artist
Jeremy Camp
 Brandon Heath
 Mary Mary MMM

You cannot go platinum a gazillion times and get away with this one. However seems popular darling and singing sensation may well get her pass, at least from those who do not have a clue. But for this lesbian Jewish woman, there is no pass.  While the blogs ablaze with comments senseless, I wonder how no-one gets the “JH” on the T Shirt. This is a coincidence!  She never meant it as JH= “Jew Hater.”  She does not mean it , nope she is just too pretty to mean it, her voice is too good for her to mean it…even though she has her arm around a swastika bearing little Nazi.  Well seems no one has thought of  JH=“Jew Hunter.” Either way I demand an explanation and a heartfelt apology, unless of course she really does mean it! Then she can own it and kiss her career goodbye.

I saw a very sweet and much publicized interview with gay-ol-Ellen D. and Ms. Swift, just today.   Ellen perfect timing- kindly ask your celebrity friend if she aspires to Nazi ideals because if she does, that puts you Ms. DeGeneres in the  next available Gas chamber.    If its a joke – I am not sure its one any lesbian could appreciate, given so many were victims of Nazi genocide   …..

One  Blogger said:  http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/10/taylor-swift-poses-with-jew-hating-swastika-lover/  “But we really hope she doesn’t feel the same way about Nazis. The 19-year old singer was photographed at Katy Perry’s birthday party last week, with her arm some hateful loser wearing a Swastika-covered t-shirt. We’re gonna give Swift a pass here and assume she had no idea the guy to her left was donning the symbol of such hate, evil and genocide. But she might wanna be careful about who she poses alongside of in the future.” Say What?   A Pose too ….   

Blogged by MELANIE NATHAN, CEO of Private Courts, Inc. Consulting, mediation & private advocacy ; motivated by injustice, I blog about family law/mediation, politics, news and LGBT equality and anything that ‘tickles my fancy.’ Otherwise blogging as O-blog-dee-o-blog-da. Websites and blogs include: http://www.privatecourts.com; http://www.divorcemediators.us; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com.

   by Melanie Nathan

Melanie Nathan, CEO of  Private Courts Inc.  An Advocacy and Conflict Resolution Firm. www.privatecourts.com and www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com  and www.divorcemediattors.com  Contact  nathan@privatecourts.com

9/13/09-by Paula Brooks
An award-winning gospel singing artist, producer and minister, Anthony Charles Williams II, better known by his fans as Tonex, has confirmed rumors about his sexuality and admitted that he is attracted to men during a recent interview on World Nets Lexi Show.

In 2007 William created another stir in the gospel music scene when he released a song called the “Naked Truth” were he was apparently admitted his sexuality and to being molested by a preacher when he was six years old.

Williams who is currently working with Janet Jackson on an upcoming CD, refused to blame his same-sex attraction because he was childhood victim of molestation and instead corrected the interviewer as she tried to portray Williams’s homosexuality in that light.

“It wasn’t a struggle. And then people like to blame the struggle on molestation. No. Just say you were attracted to men and be honest and quit blaming it on that experience”, says William’s.

Williams also slammed  black churches for their hypocrisy and mistreatment of Gay and Lesbians in the interview.

Williams said, “The church has completely faggotized everybody who’s gay, sends them to hell over the pulpit and the church literally screams hooray and are happy about that. And yet, we celebrate the pastor who has a clean record and a clean look, but yet he is still doing the same thing that the same gender loving people are doing. I believe that there’s holy ghost- filled fire baptized gay people.”

9/13/09-by Paula Brooks
Several record companies have sued daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres for using copyrighted music without their permission.

The suit filed in a federal court in Nashville last week on behalf of Arista Music, Atlantic Recording Corp., Capitol Records, Motown Record Company, Sony Music Entertainment, Virgin Records America and Warner Bros. Records, claims DeGeneres and her producers violated their copyrights by playing more than 1,000 songs without permission during the “dance over” segments of the show.

The suit says the daytime talk show has used the copyrighted music without permission since its inception, including “recordings by virtually every major current artist of popular music” and says the show routinely used some of the most popular songs of the day, which the record labels don’t license for daytime television at any price.

The lawsuit also called the segment and the music played by the show’s own disc jockey “signature elements of the show.”

Court papers also state that when representatives of the recording companies asked the defendants why they hadn’t obtained licenses to use the songs, the defendants said they didn’t “roll that way.”

“As sophisticated consumers of music, Defendants knew full well that, regardless of the way they rolled, under the Copyright Act, and under state law for the pre-1972 recordings, they needed a license to use the sound recordings lawfully,” the suit states.

A statement issued last week by Scott Rowe, spokesman for the DeGeneres ’s Telepictures Productions, said that the company has been working with the record labels for months to resolve the issue and remains willing to resolve it on “amicable and reasonable terms.”

The record company suit does not specify the dollar amount it seeks in damages… yet.

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I love Tegan & Sara, I’ve been a fan for over 5 years and I’ve seen them perform several times. I really, really love them! I’m not obsessed or anything, although I know I sometimes seem like a stalker. I just admire and respect them. Their music is amazing, they’re talented, they’re awesome, they’re funny & cute, and they rock! How could you not like them? They’re guaranteed to be in my friends and family’s music library. My nieces and I could have a family sing-a-long to Tegan & Sara songs.

Speaking of songs, on August 18th, Stereogum.com had an exclusive premiere of the Tiësto and Tegan & Sara collaboration track “Feel It In My Bones”. DJ Tiësto remixed “Back In Your Head” and was a major success in the clubs. Last June at the Bonnaroo Festival, Tegan & Sara joined Tiësto on stage during his set and sang vocals for the remix. I’m uncertain but maybe shortly after that performance there was talk of the artists collaborating on a song because, in a recent vlog, Tegan and Sara said that they wrote the song a year ago and have been dancing to it ever since.

I enjoy the song very much and I love how they’re exploring different genres; Feel It In My Bones is streaming at myspace.com/tiesto. It’s a dance feel good track that I’m sure will get played at clubs throughout the world. This song is featured on Kaleidoscope, the fourth studio album by Tiësto, along side with his other collaborations with artists such as Emily Haines, Calvin Harris and Nelly Furtado, to be released 10/6/2009.

Another important date is October 27, 2009; Tegan and Sara’s sixth studio album Sainthood is released. The album’s title is taken from a lyric from the song “Came So Far For Beauty” by Leonard Cohen. I’m really looking forward to this album because it’s the first time that Tegan & Sara co-wrote some songs together and I’m interested in the album’s new sound. “It’s a really great sounding record. The songs are so different and it’s obvious even to me that we have changed, grown and challenged ourselves a lot with this one.” – Per Tegan’s blog (teganandsara.com).

Earlier this week, Sara posted the album artwork & track listing on their website along with a couple of tour dates, Los Angeles, Oct 25 at The Orpheum Theater and New York, Oct 30 & 31 at Town Hall, in support of the new album. All shows are currently on sale through ticketmaster.com. It seems like these girls are just non-stop music making muses. Tegan & Sara truly are a dynamic duo.

“United We Love” is a song written (by Sean Chapin) days after the passage of Prop 8 in California in November 2008 to show that LGBT people understand the meaning of love. This is a 2009 re-mix of the song.

The lyrics to the song are recited at the end of the “United We Love” speech promoting the National Equality March on Washington D.C. October 10-11, 2009, for LGBT civil rights.

Ever since I was a kid, I would save my allowance to buy music. My first album was a 45′ of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Lately, my music budget hasn’t been much, what the way the economy is going, who has a ‘music budget?’ And its a bit of a disappointment to an avid music lover like myself, because music is so much more accessible than it was even ten years ago. Luckily, there are some outlets for the money challenged, other than illegal downloads, itunes, and amazon. Though I do have to say that, amazon has a motherload of music – sometimes you can even purchase cds that are out of print! True they may be used, but I haven’t had an issue yet. I like Amazon over itunes for the ability to shop around a bit.. or if you just want mp3’s you can do that as well. Also its usually cheaper to buy the mp3 version of an album and you save by not having that pesky shipping charge.

While your up on Amazon, I do suggest checking out St. Vincent’s, Actor. St. Vincent is the moniker for singer Annie Clark. She was a member of The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. Actor is well worth coughing up the dough for. Apparently, she had another album prior, but its not getting the street cred that Actor is getting. Its somewhere between pop and rock. Some songs are good for sitting back and chilling out, while others I want to bounce around to. She’s currently doing a few tour dates with Andrew Bird, which is pretty sweet.

Another place to check out some some rocking talent is Cashmusic.org. I may be a bit bias in my opinion as it was started by singer, Kristin Hersh who is one of my favorite musicians. She also, happens to be from my home state, Rhode Island. What’s really cool about this site, is you choose how much you wish to pay for the music you download! Kristin Hersh has been uploading a song a month and thus far there has been four. Her entire last album, Speedbath, was available by download, true it took awhile as it was a song a month and then there were a few months where there was nothing… but it was well worth the wait. There’s also been quite a few artists getting in on Cashmusic such as, Deerhoof, Xiu-Xiu, Donita Sparks (ex-L7 singer) and Kristin Hersh’s band, 50FootWave. If you like punk, you’ll enjoy 50FootWave. You can preview their album, Power + Light as a streaming audio.

Another cool site for the latest music you haven’t even heard of yet, is Stereogum (its how I heard about St. Vincent.) If you sign up for their weekly newsletter you’ll get an MP3 every Wednesday delivered to your email. Right now, Stereogum is proclaiming, with good reason, that the band Blue Roses is “the band to watch.” Not to be confused with Hello, Blue Roses like I initially did, Blue Roses is the performing name of Yorkshire singer-songwriter Laura Groves. Her music is so dreamy and beautiful I know exactly why there is such a buzz over at Stereogum about her music! You can also download two songs from her on their site and there’s some video clips as well.

Another way of getting music cheap is what my friends and I do: we make cd’s to exchange with each other – much in the same way people used to make each other mixed tapes back in the 80’s. Everyone I know has itunes – I lack an ipod, but do love making playlists for myself or my friends. Its a fun way to check out music so your friends can get in on your geek out action of that obscure band that only you have heard of. So now there’s no need to bitch and moan over your lack of money and new music anymore!

Sonic Youth’s latest, most anticipated cd, “The Eternal” will be available (finally!) on June 9th. This is their sixteenth album. Fans have been able to pre-order a copy through their record label, Matador Records. If one pre-ordered, they were able to get bonus MP3’s prior to the release date.

Back in April, the music site, Stereogum posted a video of Sonic Youth performing at a show in Chili, where they previewed their new song,“Calming the Snake.” It was the first song I actually got to hear from the cd and I was psyched. To add to the hype that was already building back in April, fans got a free download of the first track,”Sacred Trixter,” and you needn’t pre-order to get it! The Mp3 for “Sacred Trixter” is available on half a dozen different sites including: Stereogum, and Sonic Youth’s site. Every time I hear it, it just gets better. Sung by Kim Gordon, it sounds great when your cruising down the highway with the windows down and the sun beating on your windshield. Sonic Youth is one of my “wake up” bands, something to jump-start my day on the way to work, in the loudest way possible.

I got a chance to preview “The Eternal” in its entirety on ilike. It sounds amazing, I think I may like this one better than their last cd, “Rather Ripped.” I couldn’t get into “Rather Ripped” like I can with their other cds. I’ve listened to the preview for “The Eternal” several times already, I can’t seem to get enough of it! Also, on ilike, if you open the music player there’s a video for the song, “Antenna.” Its one of their more mellow tunes, which means there’s none of that infamous Sonic Youth feedback, and at no point during the video do they trash their equipment, though Kim Gordon’s bass looks like its been through hell and back.

Even after 28 years, Sonic Youth still knows how to rock out. One of the fans on ilike compared it to older Sonic Youth albums, specifically “Washing Machine” and “Bad Moon Rising.” I don’t see the comparison. However, the song, “Massage the History” does remind me of an older Sonic Youth song. All and all, I think “The Eternal” stands on its own as separate part of Sonic Youth history.

In an interview with Out Magazine, Wendy & Lisa, the duo most known as part of Prince and The Revolution, came out as a lesbian couple.

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman sat down with Out Magazine writer Barry Walters and after just a few questions revealed that they have been married since before the duo rose to fame with Prince and The Revolution.

Here are just a few of the questions and answers from that interview:

Why did the two of you decide to keep working together after you left the Revolution?
Wendy: We were married and I was her biggest fan. Everything that she played broke my heart and still does and I wanna own it and covet it and make it mine.
Lisa: [Laughs at that] Yeah, we’re chained together. We’re shackled. No, I love Wendy. We’ve known each other our entire lives practically. Once she was finally hired into Prince’s band, it was like a dream for me. I had fallen in love with Wendy, my childhood friend, and suddenly we were looking at each other differently, but I had to leave on the road all the time. It was always just torture. Finally Prince met Wendy and there was some trouble with the other guitar player [Dez Dickerson], and providence moved in such a way that Wendy ended up on the road with us.

Was the image you projected in Purple Rain a function of who the two of you were together? Or did it come from Prince, or the director?
Wendy: I don’t think the director had anything to do with it. I think Prince saw us as the couple that we were and used that relationship to add more mystery to him. And I think Lisa and I were willing to go there because at that time we felt mysterious. We were young and it was the thing, so we went with it, not knowing what the result of that would mean or imply later in life. We didn’t think about it in those terms. We just thought, Wow, this is cool!

Before we continue, I have to ask: Have you come out before? Is this it?
Wendy: We’ve never done a “Let’s come out” interview. We’ve never been in the closet, but we never said, “Let’s get an interview with The Advocate. Let’s get an interview with Out.” I didn’t want to be a lesbian musician. I felt really uncomfortable with that role. I was already fighting, being a guitar player in a man’s world and to have that on top of it — Lisa and I were so very married at the time, it just didn’t seem like something I could handle.
Lisa: With Prince and the Revolution, I think that it was just taken for granted that we were supposed to be the gay reps in the band. [Laughs] The blacks, the whites, the gays. And people would say, “Gee, do you think this lesbian thing is going to work for them?” [Everyone laughs] So, after the band kind of split up, the record labels would be like, “You need to be wearing fur coats and sitting on motorcycles and long fingernails . . .”
Wendy: It was just horseshit.
Lisa: “And why don’t you wear that lingerie like you used to?”
Wendy: Which I never did.
Lisa: I did.
Wendy: But you wore it in a very different way.
Lisa: Yeah, it was more punk, like a fuck-you thing, not, “I’m a sexy girl.”

Were the record companies aware that you were lesbians and in a relationship together?
Wendy: They’d never talk to us about it. I think everybody knew, but nobody said to us, “But you’re a lesbian couple. We could work the Lilith Fair angle. We could work the Olivia Records angle.” No one used that kind of language with us.
Lisa: We were so hung up on the fact that these people wanted us to be Prince. It didn’t matter what our sexuality was. After we would leave the record company offices, I remember one of our managers mentioning that the art department people would comment on the way Wendy and I would talk to each other. LIke I would say, “Yes, dear,” and they would be all like whisper-whisper after we would leave the room. “They’re gay, aren’t they? They’re like an old married couple.” At that point, we had already been a couple for 10 years. It was very normal for us and very precious.
Wendy: I saw a lot of other women coming out at the time and I didn’t want that on my plate. I wanted my life with Lisa to be so much more private and so much more conventional than that.
Lisa: You know, Wendy, I don’t know if you’ll mind me saying this, but we did slightly differ on our consciousness about it. We would do interviews together and people would ask us questions like, “What is it like living in LA?” And I’d start talking about living in a house together and literally get a kick from Wendy under the table like, “You’re going too far.”
Wendy: Lisa, at the time we were talking to bullshit magazines. I just didn’t want the judgment from people who didn’t know about us or the struggle it takes for gays to fucking live a normal life.
Lisa: I know, but I felt that you had to teach by example instead of making some statement.
Wendy: I disagreed at the time. You can hear it still. Lisa and I are so much on the same page as older women, but at the time it was like, “Fuck that!” I’m not gonna go there. I want more control of this. I just simply do. I lead the way for Lisa and I to be closeted.

You were dealing with this during the Reagan years when the AIDS crisis was exploding and the progressive attitude regarding gays started reversing. It must’ve been hard to contend with that while the music industry pushed you to be the next Mary Jane Girls.
Wendy and Lisa, nearly in unison: That’s exactly what they wanted.
Wendy: We couldn’t have been more opposite of that. We were just geeky musicians. We still are. We did a record 10, 11 years ago with Trevor Horn that was never released. We were hoping that we would have the next fucking Grace Jones “Slave to the Rhythm” extravaganza. We thought, “This is going to be genius! We’re going to be musician freaks and experiment.” And he, honest to god, wanted us to be the Spice Girls. My heart was broken.
Lisa: Not only that, but he was so homophobic. I hate to say it, but he wouldn’t even let us eat off of his silverware on Friday because he was Jewish. It turned into this nightmare. He and his wife, oh God, I don’t want to talk disparagingly about anybody, but it made us very uncomfortable.
Wendy: Our homosexuality became quite an issue for them.

You can read the entire interview with Wendy & Lisa in Out Magazine here.

Rascal Flatts is an American country rock band composed of three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, vocals).

Last month Rascal Flatts released the first single to their new album in iTunes called “Love Who You Love”. The group is saying it was written as a reminder to show affection to the people closest to you.

However, some are also saying this song as a message of acceptance toward the gay community and the band is telling their fan that’s OK, too.

“We actually have some gay people that work with us, and we have a lot of friends that are gay, too, and I know that this song has inspired them,” said singer Gary LeVox said on CMT last month. “I know that coming out was tough on their parents and on them and the whole entire family. For a long time, some of them didn’t get to hear ‘I love you’ from their dads or be accepted in that way. It’s helped alot of our friends.”

“That’s what’s cool about our music,” says guitarist Joe Don Rooney. “You can interpret (it like) that. If you get that — it’s perfect. If you are someone who’s gay or someone who’s straight, you still feel something from the song, and that’s what we want.”

“We don’t judge anybody’s lives,” says bassist Jay DeMarcus.

The groups album, Unstoppable comes out in stores today, April 7th.

You can listen to “Love Who You Love” using this widget from their MySpace page below:

Their first two albums, 2000’s Rascal Flatts and 2002’s Melt, have been certified 2× Multi-Platinum and 3× Multi-Platinum, respectively, in the United States, while 2004’s Feels Like Today and 2006’s Me and My Gang have received 5× Multi-Platinum and 4× Multi-Platinum certifications respectively. 2007’s Still Feels Good, their most recent album, is certified 2× Multi-Platinum.

They have also released twenty-three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including nine Number Ones.

A cover of Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway”, from the soundtrack to the 2006 film Cars, also entered the country music charts from unsolicited airplay. Their longest-lasting Number One is “Bless the Broken Road” (late 2004-early 2005) at five weeks, while their biggest crossover single is “What Hurts the Most”, which topped both the country and Adult Contemporary charts in 2006, and was a Top Ten pop hit.

For more on Rascal Flatts, where you can find them and their music, visit their website at www.RascalFlatts.com.

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.

Dolly Parton has long been a gay icon.

In 2005 she caught the wrath of the “Christian Right“ when she joined Mandy Moore, the Dixie Chicks, Yoko Ono, Christina Aguilera, Emmylou Harris, Pink and Carole King in making a CD called “Love Rocks”, to raise money for the Gay and Lesbian advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign.

In a 2006 interview she told People Magazine… “Having a big gay following, I get hate mail and threats,” Dolly also said in that interview, “Some people are blind or ignorant, and you can’t be that prejudiced and hateful and go through this world and still be happy. It’s all right to be who you are.”

For years now I have been reading that Dolly Parton has an on going lesbian relationship with her personal assistant, Judy Ogle.

These rumors stem for the fact that Ms. Parton and Ms. Ogle, who have been best friends since the third grade and are pretty much seen everywhere together, while her husband of 42 years, Carl Dean, a retired construction man who ran an asphalt-paving business in Nashville, has always shunned publicity and rarely accompanies her to any events, preferring instead to stay home when the country diva is on the road.

Late last month, in an effort to clear this up, she told Larry King: “I am not gay. I have been accused of that. But I have been happily married for 42 years to the same man. And he’s not the least bit, you know, threatened by the fact that I may be gay.”

“And he’s not the least bit, you know, threatened by the fact that I may be gay”?

Ok… Seems that interview only served to confuse more people.

Last week the 63 year old Dolly took another shot at it when an interviewer for AARP magazine asked the country music legend one more time if she and Ms. Ogle are actually lesbian lovers. To which Dolly answered…

“We’re absolutely, totally honest, open, and comfortable with each other…. We’ve been accused of being lovers. We do love each other, but we’ve never been like that.”

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rascal Flatts Encourage Gay Fans to “Love Who You Love” (cmt.com)
• Dolly Parton Loves the Gays, Insists She’s Not One of Them (queerty.com)

20 years later, the Indigo Girls still manage to win our hearts with their duo melodic acoustic guitars and angelic harmonizing.

After 10 major-label studio albums (nine on Epic Records and one, 2006’s Despite Our Differences, on  Records), Amy Ray and Emily Saliers release Poseidon and the Bitter Bug independently on their new label IG Recordings, distributed through Vanguard Records.

This is their first studio album in 3 years. Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, bring released on March 24, 2009, will also have a 2-CD Deluxe Edition that includes full band studio sessions and acoustic sessions with bonus track “Salty South.” Indeed a treat for us fans; not only do we get to hear a new album of 10 songs (five by each girl), we get an alternative ear for the clear acoustics of the girls and their guitars.

Their album’s title was made up by producer Mitchell Froom as a joke but the girls like it because it combined lyrics from two different songs. Track 6  “Second Time Around” (Ray), “I’ve been bitten by the bitter bug,”and Track 9 “Fleet of Hope” (Saliers), “you’re washed up when Poseidon has its day.” Track 6 and 9, is it just me or is there a subliminal message there?

This album is written in the tradition of IG’s acoustic folk songs along with various styles of music meshed up in there.   “Digging For Your Dream” is R&B influenced and “Sugar Tounge” has a Spanish feel to it. The powerpop sounds of “Driver Education” and acoustic rocks of “Ghost of the Gang” stick in my head. They really did save the best for last, ”True Romantic” is destined to be a classic rock ballad.

A great collaboration of songs makes this album, in its entirely, a pleasure to hear. Thank you girls,

Poseidon and the Bitter Bug is a revival and I am a born again fan.

Girl Afraid, taken from a Smiths song, is in love with Flickr and obsessed with You Tube.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Indigo Girls to Release New Album on New Label (idiomag.com)

Country Super Star Martina McBride has raised a few eyebrows this week in Nashville and on the Country Music scene after she had a sit down with Out Magazine and in her first major gay press interview, the singer discussed tolerance within the country music community, her new album, Shine, and her hopes for a gay country superstar.

In the interview Martina said while she think it is a marvelous idea, she’s not so sure it is an idea the country music audience is particularly ready for.

McBride told Out Magazine that the idea of a gay country star might be a hard sell, saying that country music audiences are known for being very conservative and very Middle America, very Bible belt people. Martina says she would be fine with it but isn’t sure if the industry is ready to embrace the idea.

McBride told Out that she grew up in a Kansas town of 180 people and had never encountered a gay person before moving to Nashville, where LGBT’s were more prevalent in society. However, McBride said she has grown comfortable with the concept at that point and now teaches her three daughters they should all be tolerant and embrace the strengths, differences, uniqueness and beauty of others.

She also said that since the time she has been in Nashville, she has become introduced to gay people and our culture, she discovered that her song, “From The Ashes,” has inspired many of her fans in their coming-out process.

Martina said that if her music empowers people to do whatever they need in life, then her music is doing what it is supposed to do.

Ms. McBride has recorded a total of nine studio albums, one Greatest Hits compilation, one live album, a Christmas compilation, as well as two additional compilation albums. Seven of her studio albums and two of her compilations have received an RIAA certification of “Gold” or higher.

Worldwide, she has sold over 16 million albums. In addition, Martina has won the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year four times (tied with Reba McEntire for the most wins), and the Academy of Country Music’s Top Female Vocalist award three times.

Martina McBride also works with a variety of charities. She is currently the spokeswoman for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, as well as the National Network to End Domestic Violence and National Spokeswoman for the Tulsa Domestic Violence and Intervention Services.

Martina’s new album, Shine, arrives in stores on Tuesday March 24^th and you can read her full interview with Out by clicking HERE.

The new video for Their Cell has been released and it is amazing!

It was directed beautifully by Jim Mendiola with Paño artwork by Shizu Saldamando.

A Blackheart Christmas is now available digitally on iTunes and is here just in the nick of time for the holidays. Girl in a Coma recorded “Blue Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” for this album.

Download the whole CD and get songs by Joan Jett, The Dollyrots, The Vacancies, and The Cute Lepers.

Girl in a Coma is playing 3 shows in Southern California next week.

This does happen to be the most wonderful time of the year.

Long Beach: 12/4/2008 @ 9PM at Alex’s Bar $5 (map)

Los Angeles: 12/5/2008 @ 8PM at The Knitting Factory $10 adv/$12 dos (map)
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

San Diego: 12/6/2008 @ 9PM at Bar Pink *FREE SHOW* (map)

Girl Afraid, taken from a Smiths song, is in love with Flickr and obsessed with You Tube.

Talk about loving yourself.

In her latest music video, Sober, Pink gives narcissism and self love new definition, as Pink gets it on….

With herself….

In these sultry scenes, Pink don fishnets and a black bra as she gets acquainted with a double of herself using the magic of camera trickery and digital editing to present this steamy interaction between Pink and Pink.

Long-time Ally to the community, the one and only Madonna, had a huge concert in LA last night. Shocking to me is how she got both Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake to play the same show. If she can accomplish this, I believe we can defeat prop 8. She see’s Obama’s victory as a bit more inspiring:

“During the concert, Madonna also took the opportunity to offer a bit of political insight, in light of the controversy surrounding California’s Proposition 8, the state’s ban on gay marriage which was passed this week.

“If we can elect an African-American as president, we can support gay marriage! Defeat Prop 8! We will not give up!” she told the audience.” from MSNBC.COM

See? It’s just like a prayer! Okay, I’m gonna go flog myself for saying that. The point is: don’t give up! Madonna won’t!

Jenime is an artist living in the SF bay area. You can watch her musings and ravings any time by visiting her channel on YouTube.

Melange Lavonne is a Lesbian Hip Hop/Christian Rap Artist. Yes, you’ve heard correctly. There’s a constant argument about Christianity and Homosexuality. Stubborn Christians will see this as a walking contradiction, when actually these Christians are the ones that are the walking contradictions. They’re quick to judge, hate and discriminate and seem to ignore these biblical and common human courtesy guidelines when they’re stomping their feet and pointing their fingers at gays.

The #1 verse that gets thrown at our face is Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” What about, “Love Thy Neighbor?” Why do they always forget to mention that when they’re condemning us?

I urge the H8ters that have been posting vicious comments on the blog to view the music video for Gay Bash because these hate comments are a form of gay bashing.

All readers should take a gander at Melange Lavonne’s MySpace page because she has some powerful songs, Gay Parenting and Gay Marriage, and with the election coming up, they couldn’t be more appropriate.

Girl Afraid, taken from a Smiths song, is in love with Flickr and obsessed with You Tube.

The internet just got a shot of amazing from MTV.

I know, its hard to believe, but Mtv has gone and done something right! Even in the beta phase MTVMUSIC.COM still rocks my socks off. EVERY MUSIC VIDEO mtv has, their whole library, is going up on line, on demand, all the time. I love it when the interweb gets something right!

Why aren’t you checking it out yet?

It’s got lightning fast streaming, a sleak hulu-reminiscent interface, and social networking seems destined. Go look already. I’ll be your friend and everything. I can recommend like 80 awesome videos that you must see. Viva la music video revolution!

Jenime is an artist living in the SF bay area. You can watch her musings and ravings any time by visiting her channel on YouTube.

Last week, Tegan & Sara and Girl in a Coma rocked four nights at The Music Box. Both bands, with lesbian members, have a huge gay following and I was looking forward to going to a queer friendly show. When I arrived at the first show, I was excited to see that there was a NO On Prop 8 booth set up.

There was a crowd of people surrounding the booth, even during the performance. I saw people getting information, signing up for the phone banks, and getting posters & bumper stickers. I saw numerous people wearing “NO On Prop 8” stickers, including celesbian Liz Feldman.

This was a great strategy for promoting the campaign. I’ve never been to concert with such a positive promotion. They really did a good job on getting the word out, especially for the people that were uncertain about the proposition. I previously talked with some friends and they thought that Yes on 8 was for gay marriage.

Tegan and Sara are from Canada, where it is legal for same-sex marriage, and I think it’s amazing how supportive they are to make sure that we, Californians, keep our constitutional right to get married to whomever we want. I was able to attend 3, out of the 4, shows and the girls made sure to mention “No On Prop 8” each time.

AFTER THE CONCERT Phanie D from Girl in a Coma, signing a fan’s “NO On Prop 8” poster.

Girl Afraid, taken from a Smiths song, is in love with Flickr and obsessed with You Tube.

Our very own Girl Afraid was in Long Beach on Wednesday with the indie group Von Iva, who urges California to Vote NO on Prop 8:

VON IVA

Jillian Iva, Bex, and Kelly Harris, better known as the San Francisco-based trio Von Iva, has had many musical tags thrust upon them. Electro pop punk. Soul rock dance. Synth rawk. Fashion-forward dance punk queens. Alt-pop. Gay icons. Dirty disco. The new purveyors of soul. A bombastic live band. Punk soul. A booty-shaking mix of soul, disco, and dirty raw rock and roll. Genre-crossing. Skuzzy and sultry. A saucy little affair.

And, you know what? All of those descriptions ring true for these fearless femmes. It is Von Iva’s special mix of musical madness that has landed the group, which formed in 2004, such opportunities as these: Playing the band that Zooey Deschanel fronts in her new film with Jim Carrey, Yes Man , out December 2008; writing the theme song for Curl Girls on the Logo television channel aimed at the gay and lesbian market; and getting their song, “Birds of Prey,” in the 2008 Jerry O’Connell/Heather Graham movie Baby on Board, “Same Sad Song” in Showtime’s The L Word in 2006, the video for “Not Hot to Trot” in select Dell computers in 2006, and “LALA” in heavy rotation at Forever 21 stores nationwide. And, of course, earning coveted opening slots for such a diverse group of lineups as the Go-Go’s, Lady Sovereign, the Walkmen, the Gossip, !!!, the Raveonettes, Imperia l Teen, Girl in a Coma, Noisepop, The Warped Tour and more.

“Every time someone asks, ‘What do you sound like?’ I still trip up,” admits lead singer Jillian, whose great grandmother (Iva) – a snake charmer in a carnival – inspired the band’s name. “But, that’s a good thing. Being able to cross all genres by playing with everyone from the Go-Go’s to !!! really defines who we are.”

Adds drummer Kelly Harris (a.k.a. Lay Lay): “There’s this outside culture that can either totally inspire you and push you into their direction or you can choose to totally ignore it and hole up and do your own thing. We chose the latter. It’s good that it’s hard to compare us to others. That was intended. We want to keep people on their toes.”

Their distinctive blend of electro-pop-rock executed by synths, drums, and gritty soulful vocals (no bass or guitar in this group, though an early incarnation featured 7 Year Bitch’s Elizabeth Davis on bass) is beautifully showcased on their new EP, Girls on Film (Oct. 28, self-released), which features some tracks from their 2007 CD Our Own Island on Ruby Tower Records, (i.e., “LALA,” “Birds of Prey,” and “Guise”) and some new songs (i.e., “Living For It,” “Emerald Eyes,” and “Electricity.”) The group’s first release was a self-titled EP on Cochon Records in 2004, which included the aforementioned “Same Sad Song” and “Not Hot to Trot.”

Seeing where each of the band members comes from musically explains how they got to the sound that is uniquely Von Iva. Jillian grew up listening to her parents’ Motown records and was fascinated at a young age by the “glitz and glamour” of the Supremes and Donna Summer , Tina Turner’s “amazing stage presence and her sexy-but-badass persona,” as well as Bauhaus, Joy Division, Siouxsie Sioux, and even Guns N’ Roses. Bex, meanwhile, “fucking loves” Kylie Minogue and the Darkness in equal doses, while still being inspired by 1970s rock, vintage gear, and, of course, Joy Division. Kelly grew up on Sly and the Family Stone, Donna Summer , and all the “disco rhythmic funky stuff” she could get her hands on with some ’80s Giorgio Moroder coolness mixed in. And, yes, Joy Division.

But, as infectious as Von Iva’s recordings are, it’s the trio’s live shows that have created the buzz and lured everyone from rock chicks who need new strong female role models to raise their fists for to fashionistas who thrive on sass and attitude to gay men who fawn over Jillian to club kids who like to dance their asses off. This spectrum of appeal extends to impressing musicians with whom they’ve shared the stage, including veteran drummer Gina Schock of the Go-Go’s: “I like Von Iva because they are great musicians and they write good songs that rock. They are also fantastic live and put on a really entertaining show.”

“Our performance and energy is what we’re about,” says Kelly, who notes that the group plays everything live as true to their records (“No weird overdubs live!”) “You never know what’s going to happen at one of our shows. We’ll do an extended jam you haven’t heard before on one of your favorite songs. Jillian really loves to crawl around on things and get on top of the speaker cabs or my kick drum. Bex’s keyboards are played through amp s instead of the P.A. and she’s distorting them into this ground-shaking sound. Girls and boys hop up onstage with us.”

Adds Bex, “Jillian is a total gay icon. She is one of those people I can see drag queens impersonating. That is part of our appeal. She is sexual, she doesn’t give a fuck, and she takes command of the stage and the audience.”

Von Iva will soon be taking command of the big screen when they appear in Yes Man , the new Jim Carrey/Zooey Deschanel Warner Bros. comedy, out Dec. 19. As a result of an intensive two-week writing and rehearsal session to fully manifest the fictional Munchausen by Proxy, the group performs original songs, “Uh Huh” and “Sweet Ballad,” with Zooey and Jillian trading off on vocals in a few scenes in the movie. Von Iva also wrote the song “Yes Man” specifically for the film and it will run over the end credits .

It’s a true DIY success story of how Von Iva wound up in a major motion picture without even having a major record deal. Yes Man music supervisor Jonathan Karp was stocking up on music at Amoeba Records in L.A. one day – as he often does – and was struck by the CD cover for Von Iva’s Our Own Island , which was created in the group’s true DIY form with Becky and Kelly designing the cover. He picked up the CD, liked what he heard, and the rest, as they say, is movie history.

“When I saw the cover to Von Iva’s CD Our Own Island, I was immediately drawn to their look, and instinctively knew they might be the right band for Yes Man,” says Jonathan Karp, whose previous music supervision credits include most of Judd Apatow’s most famous films, including Knocked Up , Superbad , The 40 Year Old Virgin , and others. “When I popped in the CD for a listen, it was the perfect mix of uniqueness, great songs, and attitude that we were looking for.”

Von Iva will be on the Yes Man soundtrack as well, and is touring through the fall and winter while eyeing spring 2009 to release a new full-length CD.

Von Iva’s electro-pop-rock-disco-soul sound is awaking the masses and shaking some asses and they have only just begun.

You can read more about Von Iva on their MySpace page here, or visit their main website VonIva.com.

Girl Afraid, taken from a Smiths song, is in love with Flickr and obsessed with You Tube.

LOGO Online is featuring the new music video by R&B singer-songwriter Beyonce Knowles on their website.

Seeing Beyonce’s picture on the LOGO homepage was a bit disorienting because she is straight, but the seeming reason for her appearance there is that her new video is called “If I Were A Boy”.The video shows the singer as a police officer, taking an aggressive role in her straight relationship to prove a point in double standards for men and women. Frankly, as a lesbian I was not impressed. The whole topic of the song, video storyline, and even the title reminded me of a much catchier song with a much hotter video that us lesbians could appreciate.

Ciara is an R&B singer who released the song “Like A Boy” in 2006.

The video shows the singer letting her boyfriend know that sometimes she wishes she could switch roles and be the “boy” in the relationship. Ciara then proceeds to present a femme and butch version of herself. The outfits Ciara and her dancers wear in the video seem to be inspired from a sexy lesbian clothing line and true dyke fashion. (They’re even wearing lesbian shoes and butch hats.) Beyonce gives us more of the same ’sexy straight girl with lip gloss’ in her video, and seems to be a video aimed more at pissing off Jay-Z then appealing to lesbians. Ciara’s video definately works at appealing to this lesbian!

In any case, judge for yourself. Here are both of the videos for you to watch and tell me, does Beyonce’s video appeal to you as a lesbian, or not so much? Do you like Ciara’s video better?

Here is the Beyonce video “If I Were a Boy”:

And here is Ciara’s video “Like a Boy”:

Comment below, and tell me what you think…

Julie Phineas is a work at home mom of 2 who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her by visiting her page on MySpace.