A weekend Love Affair

Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)

All this week on Radio 2, the utterly wonderful Scissor Sister Ana Matronic has been covering the flagship evening music show for its regular host Jo Wiley - and, given the celebratory tone of the Beeb's "Gay Britannia" season, she has given centre stage to LGBT artists and "gay icons" on every show.

Last night, she played an old favourite from 2008 - a song that I freaked over at the time - and I whooped to hear it again! Heaven knows, we need something classy to get our weekend party celebrations started...

...so, raise your glasses to Hercules and Love Affair - and Thank Disco It's Friday!



As a child, I knew
That the stars could only get brighter
That we would get closer
Get closer
Leaving this darkness
Behind

Indeed.

Have a great weekend, dear reader!

Antony melts down

From the Southbank Centre:

"We are very excited to announce that musician/visual artist Antony is this year's Meltdown director.

Since 1993, some of the world's most distinguished musicians including Nick Cave, John Peel, Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, David Bowie and, most recently, Ray Davies, have directed Meltdown, hand-picking their ideal festival by inviting their favourite artists to play, perform and exhibit their work at Southbank Centre.

Meltdown 2012 sees Antony create a line-up of twelve days of music, debate and performance that reflects his interests, influences and passions.

Having begun his career in the New York underground scene, Antony emerged with Antony and the Johnsons in 1998 and shot to prominence with the Mercury Prize-winning album I am a Bird Now. Since then critical acclaim has followed each of his projects including the albums The Crying Light and Swanlights. His performances have ranged from collaborations with symphony orchestras and performance artists.

Antony has collaborated with a wide-ranging group of artists and musicians including Björk, Yoko Ono, Devendra Banhart, Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, CocoRosie and Lou Reed."

I am full of optimism for a change about the Meltdown with Antony Hegarty in charge! For the past few years, there has been so little worth seeing we just haven't bothered. In fact the last one we went to was Patti Smith's in 2005 (ironically featuring Antony)!

What surprises might we get from such an eclectic curator this year? Bjork? Yoko? Marc Almond?

We'll have to wait and see - the full list doesn't get published till summer. Meanwhile, here are some samples of the lovely Mr Hegarty's work:

Antony and the Johnsons - Epilepsy is Dancing

Marc Almond and Antony - River of Sorrow

And my personal favourite, with Hercules and Love Affair:

Hercules and Love Affair - Blind

Antony's Meltdown takes place from 1st-12th August 2012 (just in time for my birthday!)

Meltdown Festival at the Southbank

Pop-a-matic

Another week, another selection of newer music for us to enjoy...

Let us open today's selection with (The Very Miss) Dusty O, London club-slut extraordinaire - here with some combo called BoiSoundsMusic and a video featuring all the drama queens of the late-night gay scene in tow! It was evidently recorded with Gay Pride in mind (she hosted the main stage in Trafalgar Square), being called Wat2Do (Come Out!), and all:

Dusty O with BoiSoundsMusic - Wat2Do (Come Out!)

In complete contrast, the weirdly-named Penguin Prison has a distinctly 80s vibe going on with his new single Fair Warning. It's very catchy!

Penguin Prison - Fair Warning

The marvellous Hercules and Love Affair's new single Painted Eyes is also a catchy little number, with a typically arty video. However it just reminds me sooo much of their classic Blind and it is a shame to have to make a comparison, as without Antony Hegarty it lacks something...

Hercules and Love Affair - Painted Eyes

Speaking about art-house babies, how do you fancy sampling a bit of the gorgeous new boy on the scene Raff, and his Soul Electric?

Raff - Soul Electric

Getting a bit more clubby for a moment, here's the London electro-poppers Untouched with Hypnotised:

Untouched - Hypnotised (Club Junkies Remix Radio Edit)

Saving (possibly) the best for last, here's a most fab discovery - Greedy Eyes by Eastman featuring Neve. I love this!!

Eastman featuring Neve - Greedy Eyes

As always, enjoy!

Music, music, music...

It's time for another pick of the newer music that I have stumbled across on my sojourn across the interwebs...

Opening this particular mish-mash, we bid a very welcome back to one of my fave bands of the early 80s, the quirky and superb Blancmange:

Blancmange - Drive Me

A little noisy stuff is in order next methinks, courtesy of Panic! At The Disco:

Panic! At The Disco - The Ballad Of Mona Lisa

Here at Dolores Delargo Towers we have always had a thing about buccaneers. And now, thanks to the delightful Mike over at Pop Trash Addicts, we are alerted to an apparent "internet sensation" - Cosmo Jarvis and his Gay Pirates!

Next up the return of that faboo quirky cult dance act Hercules and Love affair with their latest mix...



And now, a pairing made in gay heaven! The magnificent Billie Ray Martin and that massive Italian superstar Hard Ton:

Billie Ray Martin and Hard Ton - Fantasy Girl

But to finish, I have to add a heap of campness that - to coin a phrase - is "gayer than Liberace and Elton John in a pink Mini"! For none other than the gorgeous Dana International has re-joined the Eurovision throng, singing Israel's official entry this year...

Dana International - Ding Dong

[Thanks, John-John]

Now that I’m older, the stars should lie upon my face

One of my favourite discoveries of the moment is the new single by Hercules & Love Affair, an uber-hip creation of Brooklyn DJ Andy Butler. With vocals by the very cool Antony of the Johnsons and a throbbing disco beat, this has it all - surely a huge hit in the making....

Hercules & Love Affair - Blind

Hercules & Love Affair on MySpace

As a child, I knew
That the stars could only get brighter
That we would get closer
Get closer
Leaving this darkness
Behind

Now that I’m older
The stars should lie upon my face
And when I find myself alone
I feel like I
I am blind

I wish the stars could shine now
For they are closer
They are near
But they will not present my present

I wish the light could shine now
For it is closer
It is near
But it will not present my present
It makes my past and future painfully clear

To see you now
To hear you now
I can look outside myself
And I must examine my breath and look inside
Because I feel blind