Top Five: TOTU's Biggest Controversies

 It's the last day for 2012, and I plan on going out the only way I know how -- by highlighting all the crazy madness that goes on around this joint. Over the past twelve months tons of whacky shenanigans have gone down, ranging from stories involving some ultimate shade to haters doing what they do best. Now let's start off with the best, the better, and the worst of the year.

5. Blood On The Dancefloor Battles Rumors

For starters, this October goth-glam group Blood on the Dance Floor experienced a bit of prejudice when it came to some items from their past. In a removed post from Buzznet whom were given the exclusive premier of their new video to, they bashed the band and lead singer Dahvie's past.

Universal Conquest Awards: The 2012 Winners

The time has finally come! The polls have been down for a couple of days, but getting anything done over the Christmas holidays is nearly impossible. Finally, after a bit of help from a friend and resourcefulness on my own end,  the UCAs have come to a close. The winners are below, but first, I would like to take the time to be a little sentimental and sappy.

This year, I exceeded my goals not only once, but twice. Last year, I only received around 150 votes. This goes to show you how far things have come over the past year. This time around, my goal was to have at least two hundred votes for Song of the Year -- and I doubled it. Thanks to you, the readers and the artists who Facebook, tweeted, and called up their relatives (yes, it happened), the song of the year category alone got over 400 votes, and if you were to tally up all the votes from all the categories, TOTU scored over 1,000 votes. I cannot express how grateful I am for  your continued support and love.

Now for the winners -- some of them may surprise you.

Ke$ha Goes Under Fire For Song Lyrics

I'm not usually one for drama (stop laughing, I'm not joking here!), but when it involves my bitch Ke$ha, you know I gotta put my two cents in. It seems there has been a bit of controversy surrounding her lately, and this time it isn't exactly in her favor. As an "Animal" -- both in the sense that I am a human being and a Ke-dollarsign-ha fan -- I feel my opinion is valid. Also did I mention I love talking about her?

Despite the song coming out long before the recent tragic events of the recent school shooting in Connecticut, the media is still blasting Ke$ha's lyrics in her hit single "Die Young." Things are getting so out of control to the point to where radio stations are pulling the song from rotation, as well as denying any requests for it. But why? The answer lies in some of the lyrics being misinterpreted.

The lyrics "Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young" actually contribute to the theme of the song, which is living life to the fullest and not having any regrets. It is a bit of an unfortunate series of events that this tragedy happened so close to the release (other bands have songs with similar lyrics, such as Aqua, but are not being harped due to the age of the material).

To add to the mayhem, Kesha apparently tweeted on the subject, which has since been deleted, and said that she was forced to sing the lyrics. Although she didn't specify who forced her, it was clear that she did have a heavy influence in writing the words to this track, as she had boasted in many interviews beforehand about how proud she was of the outcome of the track. To clear things up, she has released an official statement on her Facebook Fanpage.

"After such a tragic event I was feeling a lot of emotion and sadness when I said I was forced to sing some of the lyrics to Die Young. Forced is not the right word. I did have some concerns about the phrase "die young" in the chorus when we were writing the lyrics especially because so many of my fans are young and that's one reason why I wrote so many versions of this song. But the point of the song is the importance of living every day to the fullest and staying young at heart, and these are things I truly believe."

It's obvious to anyone that actually takes the time to read anything anywhere that this was not intentional. The real question is if she should have her song pulled from the stations. There are issues with sensitivity to the families of the victims, and she doesn't seem to want to step on anybody's toes, but if the fans want to hear the song, where should the line be drawn? 

I personally am divided on the situation. On one side, I think the song is an extremely positive message that was simply misunderstood due to it's bold use of the almost taboo word "die". On the other hand, I can see how it could be offensive, especially since the children who were victimized certainly were not able to live life to the fullest due to being taken at such a young age. I guess it is best to put this behind us all, let the families mourn in private, and move on to the next Ke$ha song. 

What do you guys think?

April Kae Releases Debut Video

Remember how I couldn't get over how talented Ms. April Kae was? Well she's not stopping any time soon. With her second single fresh out of the gate, she's decided to go ahead and drop the video for her first one, "The Writings On The Wall", and it definitely proves something -- she's just as gorgeous as she is talented. Check it.




The fact that this video hasn't blown up astounds me. This video may not be groundbreaking, but it is a solid track, and it is on par with similar artists such as Colbie Caillet. The video is incredibly well produced for an indie artist, and further prove that she is not fooling around with a career in music.

The best part of the video, in my humble opinion, are those of her driving around in her Jeep. They show off a bit of her fun side, while the rest of the video is pretty serious. It could have probably done without the green screen bits that stick out pretty bad due to their extreme difference from the rest of the light and beautiful video.

As I said before, this video needs a few more (thousand) views to it, so I decided to do my part. Check it out. Let me know what you think. I'll definitely be keeping up with April! You can buy the song on iTunes, too.

Giulietta Releases Video For "Z.O.M.B.I.E."

It's here, guys. It's finally here. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this? I've been bugging Ms. Giulietta for months that she should do a video for my favorite track from her "911: Code Pink" album, "Z.O.M.B.I.E." and she has finally delivered. Are you ready for this?



The video is pretty basic, actually. The past few videos she has put out have been much more low key than the over the top looks and actions from the earlier videos off this album. Instead, much like "@2AM", this video is much less extravagant and much more "current Giulietta" -- a hard ass chick who isn't one to be messed with.

Although I do really like the fancy-smancey look of the older videos, there is one thing that this piece has over the others, as well as a lot of videos I've noticed lately, is that the guest rapper is actually present in the video. As a matter of fact, Mick Stillz was the director of the video. It's nice to see an artist follow through with their collaboration for once.

The video features several different versions of Giulietta at various stages of "zombification" singing along to the song. Eventually, Mick shows up, only to be drug away and infected with the same disease. His rap part, in the context of the video, felt a bit awkward and out of place, but it was a bit too late to change things by the time they started planning and filming. 

The song is up for free download on her official SoundCloud page.

Top Ten: GaoSalad's Favorite Albums Ever (Part Two)

So last Sunday I dropped the bomb on you (baby) by telling you some of my rather shocking favorite albums of all time. Some of them I know aren't the greatest, but I just can't help myself. Pop music is an addiction -- but not all of these bad boys are of the pop variety. Prepare for the shock and awe of my Top Five(ish) albums EVER! Well for now. It will probably change next week. Or maybe I had a brain fart. Anyway, commence the listing!

05. The Sounds - Dying To Say This To You

See! I told you that it wouldn't be all pop! The Sounds are basically my generation's Blondie, only without the massive fame and street cred. Their lead singer, Maja, was featured in that Snakes On A Plane Song that Cobra Starship did before they turned to crap, and from there I stumbled upon this album. As a matter of fact, all of their albums are really well done. The first two, this being one of them, were more rock focused, while the last two have really mellowed out. The only reason I chose this album, as well as placed it so high on the list, is due to me knowing every word to every song on this CD. Yes, people, I have my nostalgia goggles on right now. Bite me.

Adam Barta Releases New Song With Jersey Shore's Angelina

Yup. You heard right. Remember that so-called feud a while back? Well that is a thing of the past. In actuality, while they may have disagreed on the topic of gay marriage, Adam is more than just a "gay guy" and Angelina is more that just a "bitch." They are indeed friends and had been planning on a project together for quite some time now. And finally, it has come to fruition. Get into "Serendipity."

Yup. Adam is at it again. Fresh off the heels of an Octomom frenzy -- doing both a song with her ("Sexy Party") and a tribute song to her ("I Need A Doctor") -- Adam has once again called upon one of his celebrity friends to release a song with. This time it is the most notorious bitch to reality television since Omarosa, that girl from The Apprentice that everyone hated. "What is the result with a reality star singing?" you may ask me. The answer is not a complete disaster.

I'm not saying that I expected the song to be a train wreck. I don't think either of them would have let something slip out, let alone be up for purchase, that was too rancid to hear. What I meant was that when people think of reality TV stars releasing music, they often think of certain Real Housewives or Farrah from Teen Mom. The leap from being on TV to having talent is a bit too far for many. Even Angelina fell short with her first attempt "I'm Hot", but this time her voice sounds better and her ego is much more deflated.

For this attempt Angelina sounds far more confident in her voice, and over all the track sounds far more polished. As for Adam, this is another step in the right direction as far as becoming more polished. As much as I love "I Need A Doctor," I fully admit that it wasn't the most perfect thing to come out of pop music in the past. Majik Boys did a great job of providing a sugary beat to match the sweet lyrics that both singers serve up.

Is "Serendipity" going to change the face of pop music? Probably not. Will it change your opinion of Angelina? Maybe. Will it spice up your music library? Hell yes it will! As a matter of fact, the track is up for purchase on iTunes. Getchu some.

Colette Carr Drops Her F16 Video

Colette has been pretty good at coming through with her promises. It may have taken her a while to get "Skitszo" off the ground, but it still happened. And now we are seeing the other things she promised come to life, such as the new music videos that we've been so patiently waiting for. This time we finally get to see "F16" realized, and it's pretty awesome.




This video shows us a much softer side to Colette, which isn't too surprising given that the song is about a more sensitive topic than we usually hear. The main portions of the song, those being sang on the plane, show cCarr as a much more mature, yet vulnerable looking version of herself when compared to other videos she's put out like "Primo" and "Like I Got A Gun." I have to say this look really does her well, even if it does clash with the rapped verses a bit.

The best parts of the video, however, are when she is standing in the post-apocalyptic wasteland with the helmet and goggles. This look is probably the most "Colette" look for the video, even with her much more flexible style she's had recently.

The video doesn't have a lot of story line to it, but not many videos outside of fifteen minute pointless Gaga videos do any more. This video is the perfect realization of what the song is about -- a girl who has been burned one too many times by the same guy. This video certainly has me excited for what's next from this ever-budding artist.

You can grab the track on her debut EP "Skitszo Part One" on iTunes. Just one more month until part two is released!

Sorry I Missed It - Luciana And Betty White "I'm Still Hot"

Sometimes I can be so oblivious to the most amazing things ever. Sure, I knew about the song at the time it came out last year, but I didn't have enough time to check it out. I figured it was just another trashy pop track featuring another aged TV star. Then it hit me -- Betty White isn't some aged TV star. Betty White is still hot, and she will never be any less so.




To be honest, I'd never heard of Luciana before. She is British, and apparently has had some minor hits over seas. I guess it's forgivable that I wasn't familiar with her. As a matter of fact, I don't think anybody was. Everyone was tuning in to see Betty White (and her obviously Not-Her stunt double that does break dancing in a white wig). Not tryna hate, but it's true.

That's not to say the she has no credit in the video and song. Luciana sounds good, and she looks even better. She's serving us some Holly Valentine level sexiness, which can be hard to accomplish. The song probably serves as her comeback, letting the world know that she isn't some washed up singer, either, and she's "still hot". She must be pretty hot if she's managed to wrangle Deadmau5 and Benny Benassi for her new EP.

I love that Betty White had a great sense of humor in the video. From the beginning where she upstages Luciana with her superior beat to Golden Girls references to the over abundance of cheesecake, this video is all about Betty. And this video -- this very video -- is why I thank the stars every day that the internet exists. It's like... and everything burrito.

You can buy the song on iTunes, but you probably have already seeing as I'm the last person on the planet to see this one!

Merry X-Mas From Dragonette (In Text Form)

We all know how much I love Dragonette. I can hardly shut up about them, but I never expected to see them release a Christmas song. Thankfully, it barely resembles the usual overly fake joyful "Christmas Spirit" that most other artists releasing X-Mas themed tracks is. This track may sound like it fits in with the season, but when you listen to the lyrics, you may be in for a bit of a shock.




That's right. This song is one of the first songs billed exclusively as a Christmas track to drop the F-Bomb. Leave it to Dragonette to pull this out of their asses. And you question why I love them so? The song is all about getting a generic "Merry X-Mas" text from an ex that she went through a rough break up with and having to deal with all the crappy memories it brings back. It is certainly relatable.

All in all the song makes for an amusing holiday track. It beckons on fonder years when groups like Aqua released almost parody sounding X-Mas songs, making me finally able to stomach this cursed holiday for once. I think I may actually use the response she uses in the song to everyone that wishes me a "merry X-Mas" -- "Thanks a lot; F**k you."

You can snag a copy of the song on iTunes to celebrate your holiday in style!

And today I learned that even Canadians celebrate Christmas. What a world!

Top Ten: GaoSalad's Favorite Albums Ever (Part One)

The time has come for a list so amazing and massive that it not only must surpass the standard countdown of five, but must also be split into two parts! This post is the first piece of a two part special to kick off the return of the ever popular "Top Five" articles that have been among the most fun and most popular recurring articles on the site! I did my best to think of what I find to be the best albums of all time, and it really did take a lot of thinking. Some of these may catch you off guard, and others you may see coming from a mile away.

Actually, in all honesty I kind of hate doing "Top Five Favorite" posts, because I always feel like I'm forgetting something glaringly obvious. I took about a week to brainstorm and compile this list, so I'm hoping that it reflects me accurately. Some of the picks may be seen through nostalgia goggles, but others are far too fresh for that. The dates range from earlier this year to two decades before I was born. There's no limits and no ass kissing this time -- it's just simply GaoSalad's Top Ten Favorite Albums Ever (Part One)!

10. Scissor Sisters - Magic Hour

How could a LGBT themed music site make a list of top albums and not include the one that spawned the biggest gay anthem of the decade? "Let's Have A Kiki" has become a massive hit for the band in the gay community, and it has placed the group back at the top where they belong. I didn't  choose the album for this song -- at least not entirely. The entire album is amazing from start to finish. I admit it did take a while to grow on me, but once I realized the full brilliance of the piece, it became a permanent part of my musical library. Every single track on the album is relatable for myself, from heatbreak, to longing, to wanting to break free from restrictions. Why so low on the list? Well you'll just have to keep scrolling to see the awesomeness that is the rest of my favorites.

(The 9-6 under the cut!)

Kieran Strange Wishes You A Merry (Undead) Christmas

Call me Scooge, but I hate Christmas. It is probably my least favorite holiday. Not because I hate getting presents or spending time with those I care about, but because it makes artists thinks they can be lazy. Year after year I see different artists release the same old, tired, rehashed X-Mas songs. Every once in a long ass time, however, an artist comes along and releases a holiday track that doesn't suck. Thank God for Kieran Strange.




The video starts off with a well deserved content advisory, letting the kiddies know exactly what they are in for. Kieran doesn't joke around when it comes to zombies. It's srs bidness. The song is actually very amusing, taking a Nightmare Before Christmas approach to the holiday season. Gone is your traditional "Santa Claus is coming to town" and in its place is a zombie freaking apocalypse.

The video is what brings the whole project together. In between cuts of her and her band playing a live set in a small venue are zombies descending upon her, causing her to have to pick up anything she can find to fight back. Initially she grabs a shot gun, but when that runs out of bullets, she has to go for more practical things -- like candy canes.

This is why I love Kieran. She has that fun attitude towards all of her projects, and nothing is ever too serious. She always comes out, guns blazing (sometimes literally) sporting some crazy pink hair and ready to take things on. "Merry Undead Christmas" is no exception to this rule, as the entire video puts a fun spin on X-mas. I mean, how can you go wrong with a zombie Santa?

The song is also up on BandCamp, if you are in love with the track as much as I am. Screw tradition, this year I'm goin' zombie hunting this season!

Punk Band The Antics Release Debut EP

It's a little known fact that I am a huge fan of punk music. I don't really get to a chance to talk about it, well because punk music seems to be a dying trend. Sure there are some hybrid groups out there, but nobody really had captured the feel of punk music like the good old days -- until I came across The Antics. I've found a new love in The Antics' "Running Faster".

The New Jersey band has made their debut EP, which by the way has enough tracks to technically be a full album, and are now ready to finally release their three years of work onto the world. The entire album calls back to an earlier era of rock music, when punk was king, and bands like The Runaways, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols were everywhere. Thankfully someone the genre is not completely dead, and with groups like The Antics and Cherri Bomb, I'm able to blog about another one of my passions.

Each of the songs on the album has it's own flavor and context, keeping things running smoothly. The only real downside is that most of the tracks come in at under three minutes (most averaging around 2:30), meaning that the experience goes by pretty quickly. This includes the albums most notable track, the lead in song "Touch The Sky".

What really makes me connect with the group is the distinct production on the vocals. While not exactly "low quality" sounding, they do have that retro-tinge to them, making them sound like they were recorded, or at least altered to sound like they were recorded in a live or more acoustic setting. They don't sound polished, but that is the point. It was the style of rock back in the day, and it's refreshing to hear someone actually do a throwback to the old styles, straying from the traditional over-produced rock of today's likings.

The band's activities can be tracked through their ever growing Facebook fanpage. Their debut EP "Running Faster" is available on iTunes.

Interview: Wendy Ho Brings The Ho-lidays To St. Louis

Her name is Wendy Ho and she's a ho. This comedienne is known far and wide for her classy tracks such as "Yes I'm A Ho", "Bitch I Stole Yo Purse" and "Poop Noodle" (my personal favorite), and now she's coming to a town near you! Well, that is, if you live in the greater St. Louis area. She will be making a live appearance at Just John in St. Louis's "The Grove" December 7th starting at 9:00 PM. Lucky for me I'm an attention hog and got her to answer a few questions for me. And for the first time ever, I got some fan questions sent in, with some pretty hilarious results!

Drag Race Five Meet The Queens - GaoSalad Edition

It's that time of year again, hunties. Time for us to watch the casting interviews for the new queens for RuPaul's Drag Race and read them from top to bottom. I am a little late to the game this year, but I wanted to be sure I knew exactly what I wanted. Sometimes I get bitchy, other times I get reminiscent, but I promise that there will be no more Shangela-in-a-box jokes. Wait, I can't make that promise. Anyway, check out my opinions on the fourteen queens for season five!

Alaska
Ok, I'm not trying to throw shade (I know this bitch is pretty popular) but does anybody else find it really suspicious that she's tried out for Drag Race year after year and failed each time, yet her boyfriend becomes an icon and suddenly she's loved by thousands? Hmmm. Anyway, as for the interview, Alaska comes off sounding batshit insane talking about being an alien. She didn't look near as busted as some of the queens last season, but she's a bit too cray cray for my liking. Who knows, maybe she will surprise me.

Alyssa Edwards
The one everyone is calling a Theresa look alike from Real Housewives of Jersey Shore, and I can see why, Alyssa impresses with her looks from the get-go. Let's hope she's a whole lot less crazy than Theresa. This girl may look like a Jersey girl, but she's straight out of Texas. She spends most of her time talking about her family, making her interview a bit boring to most people. Hey, at least she looks fierce doing so.

Coco Montrese
This one reminds me of Dida a lot -- not the Dida I initially hated, but the Dida I came to love over the course of season four. This girl is serving some fish on a platter. She was very intense without being over the top while talking about herself, which made me really like her. She mentions liking to sing, which means we can expect a single from her coming out asap. She has a catchphrase "Oh no, its a compliment." apparently, and she likes to go bald. Bitch, lemme see that wigless look!

Detox
We all know her as Willam's friend, but who really is Detox? Her makeup is atrocious in this, and her dress is not flattering to her what so ever. She also is a bit over the top crazy, which is starting to concern me here. She also says she's high fashion, which I haven't seen as of yet. She is very self centered, which could end her up being one of my favorites, but I am not feeling this interview what so ever.

Honey Mahogany
Finally a queen from San Fran! It's about damn time. Too bad the first wasn't Mama Pollo. She looks gorgeous and has some amazing hair in this look. She says her name comes from the makeup she wore when she first started, which is kind of amusing. She talks about how different the SF queens are from the rest of the world, which is true, but she seems pretty unique. She even gives us a taste of her singing voice -- to which she's already announced her debut single. Damn and the show ain't even started yet!

Lineysha Sparx
Our first Puerto Rican queen of the season! These bitches always look fierce, but as shown last season, Ru isn't giving any of them free passes. Her English is pretty bad -- like Yara level bad. The entire interview was hard to understand, but I'm not sure if it was her English, or if I was distracted by how amazing she looked. She better go far in this competition, because she looks fierce and I can't wait to see more of her looks.

Penny Tration
This girl won the fan pick for the show, otherwise I'm not sure she would have made the cut. It looks like they were going for pur fish this season, and that is far from what she is serving us. Her makeup looks bad, her hair looks bad, and I'm just not feeling it. She claims to be the big funny one, but I wasn't laughing. It's a shame.

Ivy Winters
This was one of my top picks based on the photos released prior to the interviews. She's not too camp and not to fish looking, and t hat colorful dress is giving me everything. Her laugh is a bit annoying. I am really feeling her, but I'm not sure how far she will go in the competition, especially with some of the bigger names in the show already. She does have being a costume designer going for her though, that is if they go back to the season three sewing madness challenges.

Jade Jolie
This queen is named Jade Jolie (no relation). Her name is from Mortal Kombat. Let me do a double take. From afar she looks cute, but up close, she doesn't look as polished. Her voice sounds like she may be related to Tatiana, which is not a good thing. She talks A LOT, which got on my nerves by the end of the two minute interview. Not sure if I can stand to see her for a full hour.

Jinkx Monsoon
She may not look super polished like the rest of these fishy bitches, but she is truly funny -- like Pandora Boxx level funny. She's also got some Tammie level crazy going on, too, but not insane. I love the character she has put on, and if she goes home first all hell will break loose. Can we get a camp queen to the end for once? She could be the one to take it there. Get ready bitches, cause it's Monsoon Season!

Roxxxy Andrews
That bitch has a lot of x's in her name. She has some of the biggest hair I've ever seen! She makes it quite clear she doesn't do porn, which is questionable to say the least. She has a good sense of humor, and has a good flare for accessories. I definitely want to see more of her.

Monica Beverly Hillz
I know a queen named Beverly Hillz already, so this girl is going to need to impress to get on my good side -- to which she doesn't. She looks busted, and has the worst piercing combo I've ever seen. Her dress is bad and her hair is bad. This one is probably my least favorite queen for this season, especially since she is calling other queens busted. That being said, given the results of last season, having the most busted girls stay so long, I expect her to go far.

Serena Chacha
Gotta give love to a gal who accepted my friend request on Facebook! Holla! In the face she reminds me of Ongina. I'm not digging the hair, but I love the androgyny of her outfit, and the fact that shes one of the few queens not wearing a breast plate. She seems very personable, and the small outtake towards the end where she asks if she was doing the interview right was hysterical. Definitely one of my top picks!

Vivienne Pinay
My favorite queen based on the pictures was the last to get an interview (they are alphabetical, at least). I always fall in love with the Asian queens. She seems like one of the most polished girls this seasons, and she comes across as a very nice person. She says she's not been doing drag long, but this girl ain't no Shangela. She also confesses that she is very inspired by Juju, which is pretty obvious, too. 

New Videos for Raja and Pandora Boxx

It wouldn't be me if I weren't late to the party on something. In yet another attempt to push back my ever-late story on the Drag Race Season Five girls, I'm bringing you some new-news, and some not-so-new-news. First up we have RPDR Season Three winner Raja, finally releasing the music video for her latest single "Sublime" -- and just as I was giving up hope that it would ever turn up.




The video has a very Gaga-esque intro, making the already four minute long song into an eight minute venture. The entire beginning sequence is a set up to give the viewer the idea that Raja is coming home at the crack of dawn after a very long night of drag and partying. I'm told the video is very relatable for those who have performed in drag. Once the music kicks in, Drag Raja confronts Regular Raja in a series of overlapping half-see through shots that makes the video a bit of a headache to watch.

While I like "Sublime" much more as a song over her first single "Diamond Crowned Queen", the video just isn't as charming. I guess I wasn't the target audience for this one, but I really didn't like the editing that went on. Her looks, both 'half baked' and 'full drag' were quite well executed, as I don't think Raja has ever been anything less than perfect in her life.

Next up we have Pandora Boxx with the video for her single "I Wanna Have Some Fun" featuring TimPermanent.




This one is a bit of a mixed bag. I love that the video captures Pandora's humor perfectly. It is a step up from the video for "Cooter" (but maybe a step down from "Nice Car!"), but I just can't get into this song. It's not funny enough to be a true Pandora song. Yes, I know it's a cover, but it just felt like filler while we waited for "Nice Car!" to come out -- and since it's already out, video and all, I don't see the need for this video, really. Also, can someone teach that boy TimPermanent to lip sync? He was barely moving his lips!

On a side note, Shawn from the Drag Race pit crew is becoming quite the video ho. Him being in this video also brings to light the question of just how long she's had this video on deck waiting to go. Shawn is missing his stomach tattoos that were present during the filming of Drag Race All Stars. Estimating that the show was filmed this past summer (as the voting for the cast was done in March), that means that this video would have to have been done for literally half a year. Either that or my math is off.

Shawn's still hot.