Site News: Two New Series Reviews Coming This Month

As Skin Wars comes to a close, I've been looking for another TV series to do weekly reviews for. When I looked at upcoming shows, I fell in love with two. So instead of choosing just one, I decided to do both. That means that on both Wednesdays and Thursdays you'll be getting reviews of two of the hottest new shows. That's right. They're both season ones. And they are both amazing looking.

First up: Work Out New York

Premiering Tuesday August 18 is Work Out New York. It's a spin off of Bravo's long gone Work Out series that took place in California. This time they are focusing on professional personal trainers in New York and the drama that happens between their incredibly buff set of friends. The mega teaser looks amazing. I can see myself being in love with this show from the first episode, and that's why I'll be reviewing it. If you don't like it then obviously you are on the wrong site because I firmly believe my readers all love hot buff shirtless dudes. Plus it will keep us held over until Bravo decides to finally let us see the new season of Vanderpunp Rules.

And our second show is -- Steampunk'd

Steampunk'd is the sister show to Skin Wars, as shown when Skin Wars had a steampunk challenge with the sole purpose of introducing the show. I have been interested in this show ever since the small 15 second teasers started popping up on GSN. This could be the most original reality competition I've ever seen and even though I don't know a whole lot about Steampunk, I will be reviewing this one, too.

It's going to be a busy rest of the summer. I suspect that both shows will be relatively short, but with two shows happening at the same time, I'll definitely have my hands full. But alas, I love reality TV, and this year I made a commitment to bring you more. We've had three shows so far, and even more coming. Get ready!

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 7 [Review]

Is it that time of the week again? Man, how time moves so fast. I am now incredibly nervous each week because now we are down to just a few contestants, all of which was incredibly talented. I don't want to see anybody go home, but somebody has to win, and with the season coming to a close very soon, it will be interesting to see who fails and who succeeds. This week will push everyone to their limits and once again, we will have to say goodbye to someone we've gotten to know and love.

Initial Thoughts: Face Off Season 9

Face Off is in a class of it's own. While there are shows similar to it out there, no other reality show catches that same feel. Although it didn't win my poll on what to review, and it won't fit in between the new shows I have planned to review, I didn't want to pass it over completely. I have a few first thoughts on the competition, and may even check in occasionally to put in my two cents. Who knows!?

First off let me say they did a much better job at casting this year. Not only are the people better looking for the vast most part (cmon it's TV. They're supposed to be!), but they are also far more interesting. I'm not going to lie, once Adam, the last cute/interesting person from last year went home, I stopped watching. This year I really feel like everybody is pretty fun and interesting, meaning that we are going to be sad from week to week as someone goes home, but also that we will be relatively satisfied with the final outcome.

I don't feel confident enough to say who I am placing on my team just yet, but I do have some initial reactions to some of the various contestants. I really like Missy. She's not afraid to be weird, which is awesome. Sydney is the hottest man on TV right now. I was also very inspired by Scott (who has lost over 100 pounds) and Meg (who is battling Hodgkin lymphoma). Another notable person is Nora, who I non-judgmentally as possible believe her to be lesbian or bi, which increases the visibility of the LGBT community on television. Always a great thing.

There's a good mix of schooled and self taught artists this year, and it will be interesting to see how big a deal this will be in the long run. Is it possible to be a self taught professional? The team of self-taught only had the most trouble out of everyone.Then again, so of the vets were very stressed over the challenge. They did have to put two people together into one alien animal, so it was pretty much a late-season challenge they gave them right off the bat. Ouch.

Most of the main stage looks were a bust, I feel. There was far more "meh" than "Woah!". Only a couple of teams really stood out. That being said, the ones that did well did very well. In the end nobody went home, making this more or less a waste of an episode. Save the non-elimination episode for when your best people mess up once. Oh well. Looks like we will get to know these people even more next week.

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 6 [Review]

It's that time again! The season has really picked up and we down to the best of the best already! It looks like there have been a few sleeper hits, and a few people who didn't live up to their hype. Anything can happen in reality television, and given the show's history of shocking eliminations and even more shocking winners, I'm sure we're all in for a surprise every week.

RuPaul (Finally) Wins Out And Gets Drag Race All Stars 2

I'm pretty sure you're only going to read the header here and watch the video real quick, so what I type here isn't all that important, but I'mma do it anyway. So deal with it. You read right, though. RuPaul finally won that long battle with, well, whoever it was, and is now about to start filming on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season two!

So this doesn't really tell us much at all, but thankfully, others have read deeper into it. Apparently the new season will be a Spring/Summer show, following almost immediately after Drag Race season eight airs. Seeing as Drag Race has become a late winter show (premiering anywhere between January and April), the premier slot is pretty wide open. We will have to wait and see when they are going to premier the next season to have a better idea.

We also have no idea who is going to be on this season. Many people are speculating that only queens who weren't on season one will be here, while others see season one as a crap-chute and are thinking of this as an overhaul and clean slate. Even if they were only pulling from the non All Stars season one queens, we still have some amazing gems like Willam, Detox, Trixie Matel, Ginger Minj, and many others. While the ratio of queens per season may be a bit off (they have so few from season one to chose from), we certainly will be seeing some favorites return.

I'll be sure to post more info on the topic as it becomes available.

XELLE Confirms New EP + Debuts New Single

It's been too long, Rony and JC. I need you two in my life. Over the past few years these ladies have been slaying New York and spreading their love across dozens of Pride festivals around the country. And now they are finally giving us what we've been begging for: New music. We get a taste today, and the rest is just around the corner.

Darkroom is a five song EP coming from the powerhouse pop duo XELLE, made up of two beautifully busty ladies JC and Rony, who have been making a name for themselves over the past few years. This EP will be their first full release as a duo since the departure of drag queen Mimi Imfurst, and contains three previously unreleased tracks "Juicy"(which comes free with preorders), "Mr. Right Now", and "Darkroom", as well as two previous singles "Sweat" and "Red Flag".

As for the new single "Juicy", it is way more bubbly and upbeat than what I was expecting. It is a very cute song that feels a far departure from the sexually charged "Sweat" and the politically driven "Red Flag". It still has those tongue-in-cheek statements that we've come to know from them, but it feels like it's coming from a much more innocent place, like "I Want Candy" for those of us who were 90s babies.

The video seems to have hit a bit of a snag in the plans, as they said it would be up by now. I guess technical errors happen all the time, so we will update when the video is out.

For now, you can preorder the EP on iTunes and when you do, you get "Juicy" instantly! Do it now!

Marina And The Diamonds Releases Video For "Blue"

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. I am in love with Froot by Marina And The Diamonds. She has made the perfect album this time around. I could find little at fault with it, and it seems like that trend is continuing. She's now putting out her second single from the album, "Blue", and the video is ready to go.

This video is rather peculiar. Not in a bad way, but in a very Marina way. There's not much as far of a plot, per say, but it's not like other pop videos of various shots of the person singing. It has a vibe, one that is hard to describe. Again, the best way to really describe it is to say it's just Marina.


The setting takes place in an abandoned local fair.  The camera changes venues between her at a food stand (continuing the Froot motif), a carnival ride, and even her as a psychic doing palm readings. Now that I think about it, until the end of the video she's actually completely alone, fitting in with the song's theme of only being with someone so she's not lonely.

At the end of the video we get to see Marina do some pretty fun choreography, being the closest thing to a regular pop video that we've gotten so far. She's got a very different way of going about everything she's done up to this point, including her take on videos. She may have ditched her "Primadonna" character from her early days, but she's not lost that spark that makes her unique.

CHVRCHES Announces New Album For September

CHVRCHES is certainly one of those sleeper hit bands. They have been everywhere and nowhere at the same time, making them a product of our internet age. I have been a huge fan of theirs since they released "The Mother We Share", and I'm glad to see they are keeping it up. They're back with a new song, and an album that is about to blow your mind.

If you haven't heard any music from CHVRCHES, now is the time. This single is the perfect example of what they have to bring to the table. It really feels like something you would hear from 80s New Wave bands, but at the same time it feels so much more modern than one can explain. This group has perfected the sound they want, and it's so unlike anything out there today that regardless of the song, you can always tell it's them. "Leave A Trace" is only the first offering the group has to bring us, and it's left me hungry for more.

The full album, Every Open Eye, is set to come out September 25. I know that is a long time to wait, but hopefully we will get more of a complete idea what the album is going to be like in the coming months. If "Leave A Trace" is anything like the rest of what's on this album, we have a great thing to look forward to. I personally hope they continue to explore the more experimental path they took with the track "Science/Visions" from their previous album.

While we aren't left with much info other than a tracklisting, there is still hope. For those who live in the NYC area, they are doing a live show at Music Hall Of Williamsberg on July 23 where they will probably play some new tracks to get everyone amped.

For the rest of us, you can preorder the album on iTunesCh. When you do, you'll get "Leave A Trace" for free!

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 5 [Review]

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week. I'll work on that. And to kick it all off, I have my latest review of GSN's smash hit reality TV show Skin Wars! This was an episode I'd been waiting to see for a very long time, and if you are a fan of horror movies, especially the Saw movie franchise. If you aren't getting it just yet then check things out below.

Ari Gold's New Album "Soundtrack To Freedom" Is Up For Preorder!

It looks like Ari Gold is back in the mix of it. We've already told you that he has been working under a new name, Gold Nation, and that his debut single "Sex Like A Porn Star" came out not long ago. Now he's ready to drop an awesome album on us, but you'll have to wait just a bit longer.

First off let it be known that during his hiatus, he obviously didn't stop working on the body. It's as hot as it's ever been! But we're here to talk about music, right? So let's get onto that.

The Artist Formerly Known As Sir Ari Gold is about to drop a fantastic album on us, and I, for one, cannot wait for this one. If "Sex Like A Pornstar" was anything like the rest of the album, then we have some very exciting tracks ahead of us. With names like "Take Your Shirt Off" and "Personal Apocalypse" it looks like he had a pretty good time piecing this together.

Soundtrack To Freedom is a bit different from what you've heard from Ari in the past. It is from a more musical aspect, giving less focus on lyrics and singing and more attention to the production values. This work has a more club feel to it, and is worked as a conceptual album, meaning that all the songs will work cohesively, feeling like a complete work when listened through.

We have just a little less than a month to wait, with Soundtrack To Freedom coming out August 7. Preorder it now on iTunes, brought to you by the wonderful and diverse JRED Music.

Skin Wars Season 2 Episode 4 [Review]

After GSN devilishly decided to take a week off, we finally have our favorite reality competition show back on the airwaves. And if you think that's a dig at RuPaul's Drag Race you better set your butt down and watch before you judge. It looks like Ru has brought in some help this week in the form of the ultra-fabulous. What happens when two of the best reality competition shows cross paths? Let's find out!

Chelsea Korka Returns As C.G.K. With Debut Single "First Kiss"

It has been oh-so-long since I've heard anything from my most favorite Not Pussycatdoll. She's been working hard in the studio on her debut album, and has finally allowed for us to hear the first fruit of her labors. Check out "First Kiss" by the lovely and recently re-branded C.G.K.

Chelsea Korka is a beautiful and talented woman. She has been working on her debut album Being Human for as long as I can remember. She even gave us a fun clip of one of the tracks from the album titled "Romeo", but this track "First Kiss" is incredibly different from what we've heard in the past. Gone is her more mainstream sound, and now we have this -- of which I'm not even sure what we have.

We barely get to hear Chelsea sing in this one, and with a run time of only 2:20, it comes up feeling a bit short. It honestly sounds more like an intro to an album instead of a full fledged single. It contains an interesting mix of R&B sounds and electronic/dubstep. It's a strange mashup that somehow works for her. It also has a very odd sounding modified trumpet, honestly being the weirdest track I've heard to come out from this year.

The only indication of this being related to the previously announced album Being Human are a couple of hashtags, leaving one to wonder what the rest of this project will shape up to be. For now, you can grab the single on iTunes.

Phi Phi O'Hara Takes Music Where No Drag Queen Has Before -- As Jaremi Carey

Like it or not, Phi Phi O'Hara has always been someone to look out for. Forget her slightly slanted stunt on RuPaul's Drag Race. I'm talking about the fashion icon she's become, the cosplay queen she's evolved into, and the musician inside she's letting loose. Phi Phi is a queen to look out for, but in case you aren't already overloaded with impressed-ness, get ready to meet Jaremi Carey. That's Phi Phi's "boy side", and he's just as damned talented.

Jaremi is just as awesome a singer as Phi Phi. Who would have ever thought? Anyway, it's been a while since we've seen anything out of Jaremi. He has told us before that he planned on releasing two separate works, one as his boy identity and one as Phi Phi, but the road to recording seems to have been a long road for him. His first single (As Phi Phi) was produced by Zach Adam, but this is done with Mirrortone Studios, leaving one to speculate that whatever happened on this plane might be the setback we're looking for.

Song wise, "Take Control" does feel a bit dated. It feels more like a track you would have heard back in 2009 when dance music was king. Now with all the indie bands and more mellow pop tracks flooding the radio and net, this song stands out a bit, and not in the best way. I can say, however, that Jaremi has an extremely talented vocalist, and that keeps this track afloat in the best way possible.

The point is that Jaremi has developed into an incredibly lovable person over the past few years. His cosplay alone should get you into him (You seen him be Rita Repulsa!?). The song, although it doesn't feel recent, is still a fun jam and could turn into a great club banger with the right remix. Pick it up for yourself on iTunes and get rockin'!

Violet Chachki Is A Brawler In Her New Video "Vanguard"

Violet Chachki, the winner of this year's RuPaul's Drag Race, may be controversial in her win on the show, but I can honestly say she's the undeniable winner of drag music for 2015. She slayed with her first music video "Bette", and now she's ready to knock you out with her drop down, drag out fight "Vanguard".

First of all I wasn't too big a fan of the track. It's a bit middle of the road and not as stunning as her first single. As usual, however, Violet is not out to disappoint her fans, as she's made one of the best music videos to spawn from Drag Race in recent memory. It may be a bit controversial, but when hasn't Violet been the center of controversy?

What I mean by that is that you can either take this video as something very positive, or very troubling. The plot goes as such: Violet, in full drag, goes into a fast food restaurant to use the bathroom. Being biologically male, she enters the men's bathroom, does her business, and exits. After she exits she is spotted by a group of thugs. After taking a bit of a beating she fights back, and to the surprise of many, the other patrons stepped in and helped her kick the crap out of the jerks.

Now you can either take it as a good thing, being that a whole restaurant full of people stood up for a drag queen who have been at odds with even the LGBT community many times, or you can take it as a bad thing that she is suggesting we resort to violence to solve bullying. I personally am not sure which side of the issue I stand on, but I really like the conversation this video is starting. It also stays true to her gender fluidity, showing her both naked as a woman (with a breast plate) and naked as a man (without the breast plate). In a sense, what I am saying is that regardless of what Violet intended the video to be, it has opened up a great discussion within our community.

"Vanguard" doesn't exactly make for a great song, but it is a fantastic video. It has the pristine shine you would expect from a top drag performer, and all the attitude that Violet gave us all season long. If anything, this solidifies her as the winner of season seven, and sets a new standard of music for future winners of Drag Race to live up to.