Queerlicue*noun, kwir~li~kyoo
1. like a curlicue, but with a queer flourish
2. something amusingly odd, strikingly unconventional or accidentally fabulous
* Yeah, I made up that word.
Examples...
De Staat. They're Dutch alternative rockers who make cool, vigorous music...
De Staat
... and memorable, quirky videos -- like this one for "Witch Doctor." It appears to be inspired by the whirling/spinning dance meditation of Sufism, the mystical Islamic belief system. And it's rather amazing. (I will not, however, attempt to make sense of the lyrics.)
Well-Strung. This NYC-based string quartet has considerable fun fusing classical and pop music.
Well-Strung, left to right: Edmund Bagnell, Christopher Marchant, Trevor Wadleigh & Daniel Shevlin
They've fiddled around with everything from Kelly Clarkson to Frozen's "Let It Go," but surely no one was expecting them to reach all the way back to 1979 for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" -- a country crossover hit recorded by The Charlie Daniels Band. Since it's release, Mr. Daniels has become more infamous for his racist and homophobic rants than his music, so it's a kick to see an all-gay band make a mashup of his song and Bach's "Double Violin Concerto."
You can find Well-Strung's music on iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. Hard Ton. The Italian duo of DJ Wawashi and Max create some damn fine acid house disco.
Hard Ton: DJ Wawashi (left) and Max Real names: Mauro Copeta and Massimo Bastasi
Great music would be enough, but these guys also enjoy making amusingly arty, over-the-top videos that feature plus-sized Max in all his uninhibited glory. And makeup. And costumes. Example: "Make Me Dance." What the guys had to say about it: "For this new video we wanted to add disturbing and obsessive elements to a hyper-candy-pop imaginary world, in order to create an acid hallucination, halfway between Mark Ryden's paintings and Alejandro Jodorowsky's celluloid visions, so that the hysterical mood of the track could be emphasized as much as possible."
Most of Hard Ton's music is available on iTunes. The rest of their videos are on their YouTube channel, here. And I'll just let Max have the final word:
What happens when queer musicians dare to cover songs made famous by divas?
Adele. The Londoner has six Grammys and an Oscar (for the Bond theme "Skyfall"). Her sophomore album, 21, broke the record for the longest run at number 1 by a female artist in Billboard chart history -- she topped Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack from 1992. She breaks records, she's popular, she's critically-acclaimed and she doesn't give a fuck what you think about her weight. Quite a diverse assortment of artists have publicly admired her, too -- from Madonna, Patti LaBelle and Stevie Nicks (A duet, please!) to Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.
Adele
There's an argument to be made that the singer's biggest hit, "Someone Like You," is a future standard. It's just piano, voice and perfectly modulated woefulness. If you're not one of the half a billion people who've already watched the video on YouTube, have a look...
"Someone Like You" is the kind of song that's destined to be covered. It will be over-orchestrated and over-sung for decades to come. Occasionally someone will get it right, like Paul Middleton, a cubby ginger Londoner who channels the melancholy with restraint and dances with his own stoicism. It's a remarkably good fit for this newcomer. Have a look/listen...
Find out more about Paul on his website. Check out his YouTube page. His music is available on his website, iTunes and CD Baby. And here are a few photos of handsome Mr. Middleton...
1. like a curlicue, but with a queer flourish
2. something amusingly odd, strikingly unconventional or accidentally fabulous
* Yeah, I made up that word.
Examples...
Teletubbies Meet Die Antwoord. Las Vegas-based video editor Robert Jones makes mashup videos that are inventive and occasionally demented. He's taken the Teletubbies -- beloved by toddlers everywhere -- and put them together with South African rap-ravers Die Antwoord, a duo that's known for it's vaguely creepy lyrics and (sometimes deeply) unsettling videos. There's something admirably off and compellingabout them.
Die Antwoord: Ninja (left) and Yolandi Visser
Now watch how Jones edits the Teletubbies to make it appear as if they're responsible for "I Fink U Freeky," Die Antwoord's 2012 hit. It's an insanely good match.
If you want to see Die Antwoord's original video for "I Fink U Freeky," go here. It's super-stylized and super creepy. Like rats and snakes and scary teeth creepy. And not safe for work. I warned you. Or you can check out the rest of Robert Jones' video mashups on his YouTube channel.
Levonia Jenkins. That's the drag persona created by Greg Scarnici, a NYC-based comedic artist, musician and author (I Hope My Mother Doesn't Read This). This is Greg...
Greg Scarnici
And this is Levonia Jenkins...
Scarnici's transformation into Levonia Jenkins is a smartly executed masculine/feminine mashup of kitschy glamour and good humor. And he's written a terrific little workplace anthem entitled "Werk and Serve and Face."
There's more from Greg (and Levonia) on his YouTube channel.
DaddyB. This Madrid-based fella describes himself as a "big, hairy, out, gay bear dance and pop artist."
DaddyB. Yeah, I could gnaw on that for a while.
His first single simultaneously educates anyone unfamiliar with the gay bear subculture and functions as a personal ad. DaddyB proudly proclaims, "I want a bear," to a retro '90s house beat. And mercifully, he has a sense of humor about his desire, because a straightforward take on this subject could have been deadly. Director Alvaro Pastor brings the right amount of whimsical exaggeration to the video, which also features irresistibly goofy choreography by DaddyB -- who's flanked by a pair of sexy bearded cubs. Warning: There's some explicit language and provocative devouring of Cornish game hens.
Want more Queerlicue? Follow the links for volumes #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5.
What happens when queer musicians dare to cover songs made famous by divas?
If you're not familiar with the infectious, effervescent music of '70s Swedish supergroup ABBA, then I'm going to assume you just arrived here from another planet. Welcome, visitor! ABBA consisted of two men and two women -- Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida -- but the ladies contributed lead vocals to almost every one of their hits.
Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad & Agnetha Faltskog
My favorite ABBA song is "S.O.S." I'm not alone in my admiration: Pete Townsend, The Who guitarist, has said it's one of the best pop songs ever written, and John Lennon declared it a favorite, too. The arrangement is pure genius, beginning with a subdued D-minor key, shifting tempo and easing into major key electric rock. There's the right amount of emotional nuance in Agnetha's lead vocal; Frida's voice augments the chorus perfectly. ABBA was also at the forefront of the music video revolution. Watch their charming, low-budget little masterpiece...
Now, The Young Professionals, a popular Israeli electro pop band fronted by Johnny Goldstein and Ivri Lider, have reimagined "S.O.S." in an energetically alternative way.
The Young Professionals: Ivri Lider (left) & Johnny Goldstein
The assertive guitar work and drumming neatly amplifies the original's rock inclinations. Lider's vocal work is free of histrionics, but there's a hint of vulnerability around the edges. Watch and listen...
You can find this version of "S.O.S." on their latest -- and excellent -- album, Remixes & Covers.
For the record, the absolute worst version of "S.O.S" can be found in the film version of Mamma Mia. It's staged as a kind of clunky duet between Meryl Streep, who can sing, and Pierce Brosnan, who cannot. Brosnan's performance of the song is not simply lamentable, it's abominable and excruciating. It is, in fact, one of the worst things ever. Let me help you understand how bad it is:
The Top 5 Worst Things Ever, ranked...
1. The Holocaust
2. What we did to Native Americans and African Americans
3. Bubonic Plague -- "The Black Death" of the 14th Century
4. 9/11
5. Pierce Brosnan mangling "S.O.S." in the film version of Mamma Mia
1. like a curlicue, but with a queer flourish
2. something amusingly odd, strikingly unconventional or accidentally fabulous
* Yeah, I made up that word.
Examples...
Galantis. Among the many things I am grateful for in this life, Swedish pop music is right up there in the Top Ten. I can listen to ABBA or Robyn anytime. I'm currently crushing hard on Galantis, two electronic dance music masters -- Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Linus "Style of Eye" Eklow -- that united to produce an album together. The result, Pharmacy, is a throbbing, energetic breakout hit. For more, their website is here.
Galantis: Christian Karlsson (left) & Linus Eklow
If you're going to record an unapologetically nonsensical retro-disco song like "Peanut Butter Jelly," you better give it an amazing video. Like this:
DJ Rozroz. According to the description on his YouTube channel, he's a "filmmaker, editor, musician currently concentrating on making mashups to ease the late night blues." In other words, he takes two wildly disparate songs and turns them into one. He's done it over 90 times since 2013. My favorite? His mashup of Michael Jackson's "Bad" with "Mr. Sandman," the enduring tune recorded by The Chordettes in 1954.
The Chordettes, one of the most popular all-female vocal groups of the 1950s and early '60s
The mashup -- "Mr. Bad Sandman" -- is brilliant on it's own, but the accompanying video is equally sublime.
Traffic Signs & Jake the Rapper. They're actually German electronic producer Steve Bug and Bronx-born-but-Berlin-based rapper Jacob Dove Basker.
Jacob Dove Basker AKA Jake the Rapper
Collaborating for the first time, they've produced "Cookie Jar," an absurdly infectious electronic dance treat entirely suitable for a trippy, surreal video treatment. That's provided by multidisciplinary art and film director team Ben&Julia. I could describe this, but words would not do it justice. All you need to know is that Jake the Rapper dances while inviting you to "put your hand in the cookie jar." And there's 3D belly animation.
You can find this version of "Cookie Jar," as well as several sweet remixes, on iTunes.
1. like a curlicue, but with a queer flourish
2. something amusingly odd, strikingly unconventional or accidentally fabulous
* Yeah, I made up that word.
Examples for this special beards and barbers edition...
Stubble & 'Stache. I have a beard. Lots of men have beards these days -- it's a facial hair renaissance out there! Beard grooming is big business and there are hundreds of small companies devoted to helping us keep our beards looking and feeling good. I've tried a bunch of beard oils, balms and conditioners over the past few years and I'm particularly fond of products from Stubble & 'Stache. The founder is veteran special operations Marine Nicholas Karnaze.
Stubble & 'Stache founder Nicholas Karnaze, what some might call a lumbersexual
Karnaze wanted an offbeat pitch video to introduce his original product. When I saw this, I laughed -- and it motivated me to give his face moisturizer and beard conditioner a try.
Stubble & 'Stache donates a portion of profits to charities supporting wounded veterans and their families, with particular interest in organizations combating post-traumatic stress and depression. For an interview and some backstory about Karnaze, go here.
The Gay Beards. Here's the description from their YouTube channel: Two best friends from this cozy nest called Portland, Oregon. We tend to think the world needs more love & laughter. Okay. And my description: Two startlingly handsome hairballs who like to decorate their beards.
Like this, for example:
The Gay Beards , Jonathan (right) & Brian
So, if you've ever thought, "I wish there was some kind of tutorial video that would show me how to give myself a flower beard," here you go...
Wanna see lots more beard bedazzling? Head on over to their Instagram page here.
The Naked Barber. "Add some kink to your cut." That's the maxim of Richard Savvy, AKA The Naked Barber.
Richard Savvy, The Naked Barber (photo via his tumblr blog)
Savvy kicked his men's grooming and barbering career up a notch by stripping naked for haircuts, head shaving, body clipping and waxing -- and his clients can get naked, too. His website promises that "Richard can satisfy all your fetish grooming needs in his fully-equipped private studio located in Surrey Hills, Sydney." That's Australia, in case you're making notes for a bucket list. Straight, gay, bisexual and couples are all welcome. In the video below, Mr. Savvy spells out his philosophy and provides one of his special services, the sling shave, More specifically, a scrotum shave in a sling. It's arousing, not pornographic, but so not safe for work.
Want more? You can follow The Naked Barber's exploits on tumblr. Heads up: lots of explicit stuff.
Want more Queerlicue? Follow the links... #3, #2 and #1
1. like a curlicue, but with a queer flourish
2. something amusingly odd, strikingly unconventional or accidentally fabulous
* Yeah, I made up that word.
Examples...
Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox.
Scott Bradlee (Photo: Braverijah Gregg)
He's a pianist/composer/arranger who came up with an idea to give contemporary pop tunes a vintage treatment. He collaborates with different musicians, records the results and uploads regularly to his popular YouTube channel. The Postmodern Jukebox Facebook page declares: "We take pop music back in time." And Bradlee has a knack for selecting unexpected songs. For instance, Celine Dion's Titanic movie theme "My Heart Will Go On." You've heard it a million times, but not the way Bradlee arranges it and Broadway's fabulous Mykal Kilgore sings it.
All Postmodern Jukebox's music -- including their latest release Swipe Right for Vintage -- is available at Amazon and on iTunes. For more info and tour dates, you can visit their website here.
Shut Up and Dance. One of 2015's biggest hits is Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance."
Walk the Moon Left to right: Eli Maiman, Kevin Ray, Nicholas Petricca & Sean Waugaman
The band's video is retro-cute and lively, but it's been officially upstaged by a fan from the Netherlands who put together a stunning compilation video for the song. The results are a marriage of irresistible power pop and memorable movie dance moments. It's joyful stuff. Curmudgeons beware.
Everyone's Upstairs Neighbor. Have you ever lived in an apartment with a noisy upstairs neighbor that made you ask: "What the exact living fuck are they doing up there?" The folks at Above Average -- an Internet-based comedy network -- have come up with one possible explanation. Meet Julia and David, whose philosophy is: "Their ceiling is our stage."
David (the awfully woofy Dan Chamberlain), Julia (Molly Lloyd) and their hapless neighbor (Laura Wilcox).
