Album Review - Adamantine Heart

Kieran Strange is pretty freakin' rad. There is no denying that. She is totally loyal and personable to her fans and an all around friendly person. All of these things make a good person, but do they make a good artist? Allow me to prove that it is possible to have -- and be -- it all. Allow me to introduce you to Kieran Strange and her new sound: "Adamantine Heart".

Drag Race News - India Ferrah Quits Drag

Among the clutter of non-chronological posts that has become the new Facebook news feed, I started to notice a few people commenting about how India Ferrah had some sad news for us. After a confusing reference from Ms. Manila Luzon (which made it sound like she was transitioning genders), I have come to find out that India Ferrah will not be appearing in drag after June.

This really took me by surprise. I won't lie, I don't keep up with India a whole lot, but she was one of my favorites from Drag Race season three. I love her style (dubbed "old school" by the new crop of queens) and she was one of the truly genuine feeling queens out of the whole bunch.

On her Facebook page, she has written a letter to her family, friends, and fans about her decision and her reasoning behind it. In the letter she describes how she has been so deeply involved in the world of drag for the past twelve years and has worn herself out. Also in the letter, she talks about her dislike of the new styles of drag and the attitudes they bring along with them. She calls out some of the major flaws with the Drag Race franchise, making for one controversial exit, but I wouldn't expect less.

I am an adamant believer that your position on the RPDR charts has next to no connection to your level of fierceness. Many queens have been sent home far before their time (The Princess, Lashauwn Beyond, Pandora Boxx, Sahara Davenport, Mimi Imfurst, and Venus D-Lite to name a few) and India was certainly one of them.

I have nothing but good wishes for India -- err -- Shane in the future. He makes one cute boy.

If you want to see her one last time in drag, she is fulfilling her already established performance dates. Be sure and go see her and give her all the positive energy and love you can. Her schedule is as follows:
April 4th Richmond,IN at the IU East College Show.
April 7th Cincinnati,OH at Adonis the Nightclub.
April 8th Dayton,OH at Club Masque for the OHIO AAG Pageant.
April 14th Denver,CO with Shannel from Season 1 of RPDR
April 20th and 21st Birmingham,AL for the Alabama AAG Pageant
May 12th Old Street Saloon in Monroe,OH
May 25th and 26th Talbott Street in Indianapolis,IN
Final Performance June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th at the National All American Goddess Pageant Dayton, OH

Album Review - The Night The Sun Came Up

I'm not sure why, but I love Dev. She may be abrasive, crazy, and a little out of her mind, but that is exactly why she is so amazing. Against all my previous feelings towards her, I bought her new album, and now you all get to see me eat my own words because this album is simply amazing.

Ru Paul's Drag Race - Frock The Vote

So I'm depressed. Willam is gone. I don't wan't to review RPDR any more ever. But my friend tried to cheer me up by reviewing this episode with me. By the way, she has never seen a single episode of Drag Race nor seen a drag queen before. I guess this could be interesting. Sarah is excited about this.

Note: Due to me already being WAY late with this, no screen caps this week. Next week will be back to normal. Enjoy !

Song of the Week - Lover Who Rocks You

Prepare for a ton of name dropping. This song is by my buddy Jipsta, who teamed up with amazing mix master John Rizzo and crazy talented singer Reina. Not only that, but Jipsta has employed some of the top remix artists such as DJ Ranny, Jared Jones, Manny Lehman, and more. Impressed yet? You should be.

The king of gay circuit club rap has returned! About time, too. He has been teasing us all with this song for months and months. The original edit of the song is a true circuit track made to get you dancing out on the floor and singing along. Believe me, the lyrics will get stuck in your head. Reina sounds great on the song, and I really wish she was present in the song more.

Along with the original edit are a huge list of remixes. All of them shine in their own ways, but anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge lover of dance music, so the Jared Jones mix wins hands down. The best part has to be the over the top electro-stutter by Reina at the end of the track.

And as a disclaimer, yes, Jipsta is an awesome guy and I do consider him a friend, but I was a fan of his music before I ever spoke with him. So no bitching at me, OK?

Buy the track and support the artists!

Young London Release New Cover

We all know I love Young London. They were my first ever interview. They are amazing people. They make amazing music. What isn't to love about Matt and Sarah? I am willing to go as far to say that if you don't like Young London we can't be friends. Ok, I'm kidding. But seriously. Video Killed The Radio Star.

My biggest pet peeve is when people try and change the song too much. When people listen to covers, they want to hear a group's spin on the song, but for the most part they want to be able to sing along and hear familiar lyrics and beats. Thankfully YL is good at making catchy pop music, so "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the perfect choice for a cover for this duo.

The back track is updated and the vocals are a bit different, but over all this song will be quite familiar to anybody who lived through the 80s or is just a mega fan of that era's music. The two actually sound perfect in the song. The male-female dynamic from the original is an obvious inclusion, and they both fit their parts of the song quite well.  Their electro-pop stutter (ala Ke$ha) is quite prominent, but doesn't clash with the song at all.



I know what a lot of you are thinking. "Oh, that Geodude will say that Young Britain group is awesome even if they pooped on a plate and served it to you cold." BUT NO! "Video Killed The Radio Star" is one of my all time favorite songs. Like ever. I actually didn't want to listen to their version at first because I was afraid I'd have to send them angry Tweets about my dislike of the song. Luckily, they rocked it. Also my name is GaoSalad and they are Young London. This is all.

By the way, as of now, the track is available for free from their SoundCloud (listed above). Take advantage of that.

Did you know that the music video for "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the first ever music video to air on MTV?

Album Review - CTRL

Dean Ford's debut CTRL is a collection of electronic rock tracks that make for a great entry into the music scene. With dark vocals that summon thoughts of Adam Lambert such as "Face The Crowd" and "Follow My Lead" to wailing into the microphone with all his heart like Frankmusik, Dean is making his mark by taking the best components of what we have on the pop scene and combining them into one hot, albeit brief, experience.

MYPHNH(BS) - Scarlette Fever

A little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll, and a little bit... dance pop? Yet another singer from the good ol' UK has risen to the surface making an impact on the music world. Her name is Scarlette Fever. Haven't heard of her? Well then, let me introduce you to her so you can get in on the next big thing. Welcome to Music You Probably Have Never Heard (But Should).

I wasn't sure what to think about this lady upon first finding her. She isn't exactly one genre or another. He debut album "Medication Time" had some amazing sleeper hits on them, as well as a few scattered gems.

She recently released a music video for her song "Hour of Sunshine" and I have to say that I am totally digging it. It has a Reba McEntire vibe to it, making you want to clap and sing along. I may try and hide it, but I was born and raised in the south, so whether I like it or not, country music is in my veins. I'll deny it up and down, though!

The album version of "Hour of Sunshine" has a totally different vibe to it than the single, having a tinge of electronic and pop pushed into it, making it feel completely different. It is amazing  what a slight change in backtrack can do to the feel of an entire song. Either way, "You're my favorite waste of my time" is one of my favorite lines. Like ever.

Recently, Scarlette announced the release of a new live EP entited "The Great Expectations". Included are the new single "Hour of Sunshine" as well as "Cheatin' Man" and "Good Day". The EP will be released worldwide on April 8th. Until then, you can buy her debut album "Medication Time" and get yourself amped for the versions of the tracks.

RuPaul's Drag Race - Frenemies

I kind of don't want to talk about this episode, so pardon me if my jokes fall flat this week. It's getting down to the wire, and the girls I truly want to see win are about to start packing their bags. This is probably the most controversial episode to date (even more so than sending Pandora Boxx home). I just don't know how to react, really.

Song of the Week - U Make Me Wanna

I'm baaaaack! After a weekend getaway, your favorite blogger is back. Yes, me. GaoSalad is back on the scene and ready to deliver you this painfully obvious Song of the Week. "U Wanna" know what it is? It's Kimberly Cole, obvi.

The full version of the song I couldn't stop gushing over a couple weeks ago is finally here! This pure dance track is an orgasm for the ears (can I get away with saying that?) and I find myself singing along to it subconsciously far too often for my own well being. The love arrow has gone all the way through her heart and now this lady is ready to, well, you know.

Eddie Amador makes one amazing dance beat. I've said it once, and I'll say it hundreds of times more, these two need to make a full album together. Garza has a rather amusing part of the track, even if he repeats himself a lot. It drills that "Pick me up and throw me down" into your head.With a hook that is crazy catchy and a chorus of various vocal "oohs" "na's" and "fa la la's", this song will have you dancing, and wondering just how dirty the song really is.

Buy this song. Like now. If you don't, we can't be friends.
Ok we can, but don't tell Kimberly.

Exlusive Interview - Jada

Jada is a four piece girl group straight out of Bostson. These girls have been on the edge of fame for years, and are ready to break through onto the major pop music scene, armed and ready with a brand new EP entitled "Supersonique". Recently, the group and I were able to chat about who they are, both as a group and as individuals, and about the adventure that is Jada.

RuPaul's Drag Race - Dragazines

Before I start to break it down for you all this week, I would like to stand up on my soap box for a moment and complain to you all. Yes, I know this episode was leaked prior to it's premier. I think that it was a crap thing to do. Period. I did not watch the episode before it was put on Logo's website, and I hope you had enough respect for Ru, as well as the rest of the Logo family, to not support the piracy. Now that the elephant is out of the room, let's move on.

Logo Announces Drag Race All Star Season

You knew it was coming. We all did. The world can't get enough of the Drag Race contestants, and what better way to get more of them than an All Stars season. What? Drag U? Like anybody watches that show.

To be honest, when I heard the news about this, I was enraged. The way it was originally presented made it look like this would be replacing the fifth season of the show. I found this both annoying and odd seeing as they just announced they were casting for the next season. Don't worry, though. RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars is a spin off, not the fifth season of the initial show.

After the initial confusion was cleared up, I actually started to get excited about it (even if only six episodes were ordered). I love the queens from the previous season, and after speaking with many of them, I know just how amazing they are. Many of them did not get the time the deserved, and even more of them didn't get portrayed as who they truly are. Second chances exist, and it just so happens in the reality TV world, it's called "All Stars" instead.

No cast has been announced yet, but you do have a say in who gets on it. On the show's new fanpage, Logo is running a poll to see who fans want to see on the show. The top voted queen will be contacted and offered the opportunity. Of course, Ms. Pandora Boxx is topping the list. She was the show's breakout star. I, on the other hand, am pleading for you to vote for my friend The Princess. She was sent home far too early, and she really does deserve her chance to shine.

Regardless of who you vote for, just keep at it. This is a huge chance for all of the previous contestants and they need your support! VOTE!

Song of the Week - Silent Hill

Yeah. I'm a gamer nerd. Got a problem with that? It's not often that my love of gaming and music collide. I'm a lyrics type of guy. All these instrumentals, yeah they are pretty and fit nicely to the game, but I want something I can sing along to. Silent Hill is good at providing this.

Oh, Silent Hill, how you haunted me as a child and amused the crap out of me as an adult. This is one of the franchises I grew up with, and you bet I know all the lyrics to "You're Not Here." Jonathan Davis, on the other hand, I'm not such a big fan of. He is the lead singer of a metal band called Korn. It's not that I hate them or anything, I just never have been into rock. Let's just say the closest I've come to liking a Korn song has been when Evanescense covered their track "Thoughtless."

This song, the theme for the newest installment in the series Silent Hill Downpour, is actually far better than I thought it would be. It's vibe is dark and creepy, and it's lyrics are haunting. It works well both as a soundtrack piece and a standalone song, which is actually rather difficult to do for any artist. This certainly isn't a track to make you get up and dance, but it definitely has you pumped for the game and what is to come from Jonathan as a solo artist.

And yes, I'm buying this game.

Speaking of buying, buy the track for yourself on iTunes!

Drag Race 4 Cast Off Roundup Part Two

It's been six weeks since this crazy adventure has started, and we have seen many girls go. Every three or so girls, I am going to go back and recap their first and final impressions they made from the show. This series takes my review of the initial season four cast announcement interviews and compares them to how they were on the actual show.

This post covers weeks four through six. For weeks one through three, click here.


First up is Madame Laqueer:

"Madam Laqueer is another oddly named queen and our second Puertorican queen -- and better yet she's the first big Latin queen in the history of the show! I have to say I was really digging her makeup. This bitch was channeling Pizzaz with that lightning bolt eye -- or maybe Ke$ha. Either way, she's got style, and I can't wait to see more of her."

While MLQ did look good in the promo, the show was a whole different story. She was presented as the girl who complained - a lot. She just didn't shine at all on the show, and in the episode she was sent away on, she backed herself into a corner. And girl, when Michelle tells you to stop wearing green you better listen!

How about some lil Ms. Kenya Michaels?

"Kenya Michaels isn't Chad's sister, but she is definitely fierce. She is the first of this seasons Puertorican queens, and I am instantly in love. She has a great personality and is probably only second to Alexis in English ability so far from the Latin queens in the show. I really hope she is the first Latin Diva to take the crown. I have to say I wouldn't be disappointed."

Back to back, the ladies of PR were sent home. Tragic! This girl had so much style, spunk, and craziness that I was devastated when she was sent packing. I really did think she would make it to the end, but she was really one of the first to go. As pointless as it was, I did enjoy her very shady letter she wrote that was revealed in the sixth episode of Untucked. She definitely was holding back. Wish she hadn't.

Finally, who I'm sure you've been waiting for, Milan.

"Nicole Paige Brooks Milan. Ok, so that may have been a bad joke, but I can't help but just think of Ms. Brooks. She just gives off that vibe. I'm sure she is nice, but she looks very plain, at least for this promo. I really hope she pulls it out and werks it during the show or she may be sent home early."

Ok. So maybe I shouldn't have made that Nicole joke, but it seemed funny at the time. This girl was all over the place. Often times presented as a hot mess, anyone who has read any of my recaps knows I was not a fan of her. BUT THEN I looked up some of her stuff outside the show. She is actually quite talented. I don't know why she went for these crazy characters instead of some of the amazing glamor she is known for in NYC.

In my last roundup, I said I would be happy to see Dida go. Thankfully she hasn't and has had time to prove herself (to me at least.) The judges don't seem to be digging her as of late, so I'm actually sending out positive vibes for her this time. Stay in the game, girl.

Newness from Dragonette!

FINALLY! Dragonette is an amazing group out of Canada and one of my biggest obsessions from the late 2000s. They have been all but dormant since their 2009 release "Fixin To Thrill", and when I received an email from their newsletter, I was pumped. Dragonette is back, my friends.

In honor of International Women's Day (which I forgot to make a post about! What a horrid person I can be!),  Dragonette has released a new track called "The Right Woman" for "Proud to be Woman Vol. 3," a compilation put together by Diane von Furstenberg. It has that same electronic dance-rock vibe that you are used to if you have ever heard anything by this group. In case you haven't, or if you just wanna jam to an amazing girl power track, take a listen below.




Also included in the email was a tidbit about them releasing a new single! "Let It Go" will be released soon, so they say, along with sneak peeks exclusive to those following them on Twitter (@Dragonette). Come on guys! I can't be the only one loosing my mind over this news.

One last bit of info at the bottom reads:

"In conjunction with these releases, and in the lead-up to the release of Dragonette's 3rd album (which is almost done!), Dan, Tina, and Joel are hitting the road to play a combination of new tracks and old favorites, stopping at SXSW and Coachella along the way, and popping in to the Juno Awards, where they'll perform "Hello" and see if their nomination turns into their first win! "

Support the official release of "The Right Woman" by buying it on iTunes. God, I love Canada.

Kimberly Cole Makes U Wanna...

Well first of all, she obviously makes you wanna dance! This diva has been teasing the world for weeks about her new single, and the preview is finally here! Always late to the party, I am here to give you a listen just in case you haven't payed attention to anything the past few days.

I am in love with this Cole/Amador/Garza love triangle happening here. The three of them make some sweet music together, and I hope to see a full album of these three working it out. I mean, I can't be the only one hyped that "Arrow Through My Heart" was not a one time deal.

This song is a little less dubstep and a lot more intense. Heavy on the vocal effects and slapping you in the face with it's sheer awesomeness, Kimberly Cole is offering up another smash to treat your ears. While maybe not anything outstanding lyrically, the song offers up a lot of fun to get you up and dancing. The song is laced with sexual innuendos, leaving you wondering just how derty this girl is.

The preview comes in at just under two minutes, offering up two of the verses and two shots of it's annoying yet oh-so addictive "Na na na/Fa la la" chorus. It could be a risky move to give out roughly half of your new single for free, but it might just pay off. This preview gives you just enough to leave you hungering for more.

Be sure and check out the previews of the sickening remixes for the track too on Soundcloud! The full song comes out next Tuesday, March 13 on iTunes and Amazon!

Ru Paul's Drag Race - Float Your Boat

I guess when they were taping the show last year they didn't know the groundhog would see his shadow and push Spring back a bit, so this Spring Break themed episode comes awkwardly early, but then again, when has Ru ever done anything normal? What I thought was going to be a throw away episode (judging by the promos) turned out to be one of the best yet.

Song of the Week - Slapper (Ayye)

Seriously. I know you guys are probably saying "Did you make a post about how awful this song was a few days ago" and my response is shut up I can do what I want. Honestly, I said that I wanted to wait for the full version to make my verdict, and I have. It's actually pretty good.

Just look at that cover art! Gawgeous! Anyway, the song itself is, indeed, a mixed bag so to speak. It is quite unlike anything I've ever heard from Nadia, as well as anything I've heard produced by Space Cowboy (with whom I have the most unhealthy obsession with). That being said, if you overlook just how unlike her it is, the song is actually quite catchy. The hook will get stuck in your head even if I have no idea what the crazy woman is saying in it. I just kind of mumble something resembling "madam" over and over.

I have to say that the song does not lie. This beat is a slapper. If you don't watch it, it might slap you in the face. My favorite part has to be the "Oh, Oh, Oh. Nadia Oh" portion. These little tidbits paired with the hilarious lyrics that I obviously am good at (very slightly) misquoting. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it utters my favorite line to ever grace a song -- "Space Cowboy just play that track." If only it were longer than two and a half minutes.

I think Ayye is my favorite new word of 2012. Suck it.

Buy the song. Now.

Dev And The Music Video Overload

Over the past year I have come to love Dev. She didn't impress me initially, but as I listened to her more, and more... and more, I found I just couldn't deny it any more. Dev is pretty awesome, and since she works with The Cataracs, she automatically gets a free pass at being sickening.

Lately, miss thang has been releasing a lot of videos back to back. Between the four that she has dished out since November of 2011 to the few that she's guest starred in with The Cataracs, this girl is getting a lot of face time. Not only that, but all of them have at least 100,000 views on Vevo, the last two having over a million a piece. Talk about werking! Watch with me, my friends.

Cherri Bomb Announce Debut Album

I love Cherri Bomb. I just do. I know that I mostly talk about pop music here, but there is just something about rocker chicks that is irresistible... Even to a gay man. I have been loving them ever since their first independent music video for Spin hit the net -- and they keep getting better.




Yeah. It is only seventeen seconds long. BUT THAT ISNT THE POINT! The point is that they finally have announced a full album, and I am going to obsess over it. The video itself looks to be a short clip of their upcoming video for the lead single that shares it's name with the album title. In some kind of post plane crash, the only survivors are the four girls and they are gonna rock out regardless of their situation.

The girls have been doing a lot of touring lately, so this came as a complete surprise to me. I guess they had been sitting on top of this album for a while and are deciding to release it at the height of their new found success? Who can tell for sure but their production team. Anyway, we will have to find out just exactly what songs made the cut on May 15th when "This Is The End Of Control" releases worldwide.

A New Direction For Kieran Strange

I'm sure you all remember how much I love Kieran Strange. She released an EP called "Hot Damn Mess" which was more or less a time machine to the 90's glory days of rock. Always responding to fans and keeping it a bit quirky, it's easy to see how she has amassed so many fans. Keeping all this in mind, it might come as a shock to many that Ms. Strange is changing things up a bit.




Sound different? Well it should. It seems that she has gone a little less rock and a little more pop. This isn't exactly a bad thing and the reactions from her fans both on Facebook and Youtube have been overwhelmingly positive. The new sound sounds much more electronic than her music has been in the past. I, for one, am in love.

It's not clear just how much rock she plans to keep including. This is one 25 second clip out of a full EP, and there are bound to be multiple styles of songs to showcase her range. Kieran is an extremely personable artist, so hopefully I can catch her for a moment to get the full scoop on what we can expect. Unfortunately for now all we can do is wait.

The good news is we don't have to wait long! The EP is due out March 31st. Now, what do I gotta do to get her to come down to the US for a few concerts?