Sorry I Missed It: Cherri Bomb Is Now Hey Violet

Remember how much I loved the all girl punk group Cherri Bomb? They were amazing, and their debut album was one of the best first attempts from a new group I had ever heard. Well they kind of disappeared. Well, I thought they did. Turns out they've been around all along, but with a new name. It's about time I caught up with the new incarnation of Cherri Bomb called Hey Violet.

I know, I know. It's a bit of a change from what you heard on their debut album as Cherri Bomb, but the name seems to be symbolic of the change. A few years back, one of the founding members, Julia, made a departure from the band. She was replaced with a guy named Casey who had been good friends with most of the band since they were kids, making him a perfect fit. While I am a huge fan of all girl rock groups (see my obsession with The Runaways), Casey seems to be meshing great with the band, so I don't have too many complaints.

As for the sound change, I'm not as excited. They've gone from pure punk to a fusion of punk and pop. It works, but it's not what I'm used to hearing from them. I guess if I had heard this incarnation first, I would be completely in love. There is nothing wrong with it, but since I heard "Cherri Bomb" first, it kind of put me off a little. Objectively, they are still very talented young adults who know how to rock it out, and the (albeit slight) genre change won't deter me from enjoying them.

As of right now they have one EP out, and a full album on the way. They also have an array of fun videos on Youtube allowing their fans to get to know them either all over again or for the first time. It looks like these guys are destined to be stars, and even with the reset of a name change, they aren't backing down. Just check out their awesome cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" and tell me that they aren't the raddest group you've listened to.

You can pick up their debut EP on iTunes now!

Sorry I Missed It - Kelly Mantle's "Eliminated" Video

I'll be totally honest with you. When the season was originally airing, I had no idea how big of a deal Kelly Mantle was. I thought she was far, FAR from the worst that season had to offer, but the odds weren't in her favor. Apparently she was a fan favorite before the show started, and it caused a big shock when she went home. Shows how detached I am from the RPDR community. Anyway, earlier this year she released a video and song about her experience -- and it's pretty good!

The entire song is about how Kelly was eliminated on day one. She starts in quick going through all the judges, reading them from top to bottom with Santino getting the most shade. So much happens in the four minutes that this video takes, including a lot of name drops (Kevin Bacon) and her Downton Abbey dress (more bacon!). The beat is hot and the quality is above par as far as RPDR tracks go.

I was really surprised to see Wendy Ho's name attached to the song. Bitches know I love me some Wendy. She serves as the hook ho here, and rightfully so because it's in her name. The rapping is done by Bownce. This is my first experience with him, but he did a very good job, and his rap actually fit within the context of the song, adding to the track instead of taking away or distracting. Tammie Brown pops up in the video, standing in for Wendy who tragically is not present during the video shoot.

This song was really cute and I wish I had noticed it back when. When contestants release stuff during the show, I often don't see them due to the extreme coverage of the show itself, but now that I've had the time to step back and look around, I can see that I missed one of the best songs to pop up from season six (No shade Adore!). It's fun. It's light. It's relevant.

"Don't you know who I think I am?"

That right there is my new catchphrase.

Be sure and check out the song on iTunes.

Sorry I Missed It - Sonali Releases "Wake Up" EP

In the entire history of all the "Sorry I Missed It"s, this is probably one of the biggest. I have known about this artist for a while now, spanning from her viral YouTube video of Diamonds by Rihanna that got her famous in the first place, but it seems like I have such bad timing with her. But no more! I hereby pledge to spread the word that her EP has been released... Well it was back in February.

This EP is like a breath of fresh air. In a world that is filled to max capacity with artists popping up and sounding exactly the same, it is rare to see someone that feels so genuine. Is the sound new? No. Is it something we don't have enough of in today's musical world? Certainly. This singer-songwriter style has fallen back in popularity in the past ten years, and it's about time we bring it back.

Of the entire batch, I really like "Who We Are", as it really catches that feeling from days past; a song about something other than partying, and it does it with a nice mid-tempo acoustic guitar vibe. There are other elements sprinkled throughout, such as the banjo's that fill in gaps for "Wake Up", and the fantastic drums featured in "Find Your Way". All of these elements come together to make one complete thought, and I'm sure that is what she was going for.

I can't explain why I love Sonali so much. She seems to have a different take on how music should be, and I think in a world with artists like Lorde rising to the top of the charts, that this might just be what makes her a star. She looks great. She sounds great. And she's pro-LGBT (seriously, watch the "Who We Are" video below). I really like the direction she's going in.

She has been pushing "Wake Up" as the new single recently, and she's done a live video along with it, proving that she can sing well live, and play guitar too. Did I mention how adorable she is?

Anyway, check out her new EP on iTunes. Check out the incredibly touching and beautiful video for "Who We Are" below.

Sorry I Missed It - Wendy Ho "Public Place"

I'd like to say that I don't cover parody songs often, but when it comes to drag queens, it's sort of unavoidable. Thankfully, most of the time they are good. The case is no different when it comes to faux-queen/comedy genius Wendy Ho. Although she is best known for her original tracks, anyone in comedy knows that parodies are huge and often hilarious. For this round, she's chosen pop megastar Rihanna to prod at. Maybe prod isn't the right word.

Wendy Ho, you are always hilarious to me. I had originally heard this track back in December of 2012 when she graced my lovely city with her presence. Back then, the song wasn't completely finished, so it was vastly different from the version that is currently up on iTunes. The version I heard was much closer musically to the original track "We Found Love". Instead of the pulsating electro beats, she's opted to go for a more acoustic sound and more flowing vocals.

The subject matter of the song, as are most of Wendy Ho's songs, is NSFW (I mean c'mon. Her last name is Ho, after all). How do I phrase this as politically correct as possible? Well, she apparently wants to give you a blowjob in every public bathroom in the city. No, really. The track is all about her quest to give oral in public. Too bad she's not a dude. They can just hit up the nearest park for that kinda thing.

What I like best about this song, other than it giving me the most laughs I've had out of a song since Pandora Boxx released "Cooter", is that Wendy is really singing here -- and singing well. A lot of the time she only raps, giving us just a taste of her vocals during a select few choruses. Here, we get a full track of some of her best vocals to date. And here is where I was going to make a joke about Rihanna having after effects on her voice to sound better, but I don't need any more hate mail, ya dig?

You can grab the track on iTunes, and be sure to check out a special version of her performing the track in her home studio below.

Sorry I Missed It - Courtney Janae "Accelerate"

It's been a while since I've done a "Sorry I Missed It" segment. Not really because I've been staying on top of things, more because I keep forgetting this segment even exists. Luckily for Courtney, I was reminded, so now I can go back and highlight this amazing track and video. Wanna check it out? Well here it is.



Fist off, I love this song. The track was brought to my attention a while back, and it has been a steady playlist regular since. It's beat is slower and pulsating, but it doesn't feel like a ballad or a slow song of any sort. Instead, the steadily pounding beat gives it a hard driving force that I haven't heard pulled off well since Queen's "We Will Rock You".

This song is actually one of the four songs from her EP, Uncovered, which came out in the last quarter of 2012. The video is from around the same time, making this an almost year long miss. The song may actually be familiar to some, as it was featured on the wildly popular Oxygen Channel Show Bad Girls Club, known for featuring tons of talented indie artists and getting may new vocalists exposure.

The video itself is another story. It's a tribute to the classic scifi movie Mad Max Beyond The Thunderdome. Visually the video looks amazing. Unfortunately due to the fact that it's going on ideas that have been done over and over since the 80s, it feels very dated and cheesy. I love the scenes of her and her gang driving down the highway on motorcycles, but the scenes with them fighting in the biker bar were a bit too much. I can say that the video is incredibly well done and polished looking, making her stand out much further than artists of her caliber.

You can pick up "Accelerate" on her EP Uncovered on iTunes.

Sorry I Missed It - Naked Highway's New Video

Sometimes my musical adventures are like a domino effect. It starts with one artist, who leads me to another artist, who leads me to another. Thus is the case of the group Naked Highway. From RuPaul (technically) to Manila Luzon to Jared Jones -- and now Naked Highway. The adventure continues. Now, let's check out their latest video, shall we?



Speaking of Jared Jones, this video is set to the remix version he did for their song "Cause This". I really like the song itself. It sounds a lot like a Depeche Mode song, or maybe even a Blakq Audio song (who, in turn, sound like Depeche Mode). It has a dance beat with very flat and digitalized vocals. The title is also a bit misleading in that they don't repeat it one hundred times like most other pop tracks do.

As for the video, I have to say it's probably the least gay video you'll have seen on this site in a long time. No really. It's still all about the sex, but instead of man on man action, you have man on woman action. Strange coming from me, isn't it? Intertwined with the sex appeal are a lot of shots of the two singers faded over one another. I'm not a fan of this editing choice, but it fits.

This particular video is made up of shots from the original video for it which came out back in March. A few of the original shots were removed, which was probably due to the fact that the original video was over a minute longer than the remix version. The song flows a bit more smoothly in the remixed version as well, keeping it short and sweet.

The Jared Jones mix, along with a ton of other awesome mixes for this track, are up on iTunes.

Sorry I Missed It - BearForce1 Lead Goes Solo As Circuit21

It's been a while since I've done a segment for "Sorry I Missed It", but with all due respect, I have been doing my best, more so than ever, to stay on top of my game. This one, as a matter of fact, is in some weird limbo between something I missed and something that isn't even out yet. Don't understand? Well I guess I'll have to explain, won't I. For now, check out Circuit21's debut single "Love In The Shadows".



The singer look familiar? Well that's because he was in the uber popular YouTube sensation Bear Force One. Sure, their song was silly and they didn't do too much to further gay culture, but they did educate a lot of people on what bears are, right? Well the lead singer has gone solo under the name Circuit21 and is here to serve you 80s pop. Straight up.

What I mean by that is the track is actually a cover. It's a classic 80s track by E.G. Daily. This version is a much more amped up and techno-fied version, but the core lyrics and vibe are certainly there. To his credit, he picked a great song for his voice, even if it isn't a song I would expect from a member of their group. I can say that I like that he's taking a more serious approach to music this go around, and I hope it works out for him in the long run.

The video, however, has left me feeling a bit mixed up. It is good, don't get me wrong. It has a lot of great effects, and has a great sort of juxtaposition to real vibe of the song (though the lyrics balance it out a tad), but I can't help but think I've seen this before. I feel like I've seen all of this in a move called Repo: The Genetic Opera. The cyberpunk vibe, the electronic eyes, and the hologram projecting the singer are all things I've seen before, and I can't help but think it is track that could have had a much different and more original video.

What I meant earlier about it kind of being new, too, is that the song itself hasn't been released yet. The video uses a special remix of the track by Cahill, and the real version will be available July 28. It is also worth mentioning that his debut solo album "Eventually" is set to release towards the end of the year.

Sorry I Missed It - Shockolady "Hello"

It's been a while since I have done a "Sorry I Missed It" segment, mostly because I feel that with the slow start to the year, I've been pretty on top of my spectrum of artists. Fortunately, when I do miss something awesome, people are never shy to let me know. That's exactly how I found out about Shockolady.



In case you aren't familiar with her, Shockolady is a rising star over in the UK. How big is she? Well she supported The Steps on their reunion tour. If you don't know who The Steps are, we can't be friends. No, really.

This video, released in early January, is a very interesting piece. As a whole, it is very fashion forward, and might remind people of an early Gaga video, only amped up to eleven. A lot of the video actually reminds me of the new adaption of Tron, having lots of technological and reflective based outfits.

"Hello" is a very upbeat and fun track. It brings to mind XELLE's hot song "Hologram" with it's catchy hook of "Hella hella hella -- Hello". The verses, sang in a very hushed voice, cause a unique comparison and make the chorus pop even more. On the down side, it makes the lyrics as well as the meaning of the song harder to comprehend.

That hook makes it so worth it, though.

The single is not out as of now in the US, so enjoy the video over and over so she can crank those numbers up!

Sorry I Missed It - Bentley Jones "Upgrade 1.0"

Yet again, this is an example of something that I knew good and well was coming, but when it came time for the release, things just got lost in the mix. This gem came out back in October, and was the long awaited major label debut from UK gone Japanese artist Bentley Jones. "Upgrade 1.0" might sound like a re-packaged album for his debut, but it is "So Much More" than that.

Honestly I don't know how I could have missed posting about this. My original plan was to review it as soon as it came out, but I guess time got the better of me. With the title, I expected this to be a lot of older material re-recorded or remastered for the new album, but it was actually a full new album sans two old tracks that have had major upgrades. The album spans fifteen songs (or more if you got to it early), and each of them are worth a listen.

The album retains that J-Pop vibe that Bentely has taken on recently, while retaining his harder edge he has grown to have since his days as "that Sonic music guy." It goes from slower power ballad songs such as "Touchscreen" to more intense pop tracks such as "Boys And Girls". This album was obviously tailored for Japanese audiences, as it uses a lot of Japanese words and phrases, much like his "Entourage" EP, but the majority of the album is sang in English.

Not all of the tracks are new, of course. "Down In Toyko" got a major update for this album. Originally from his "Finally Free" album, this upgraded version make the original look like an unpolished demo. So many more effects have been added in and additional backing instrumentals are pushed to the foreground. "Joyful" on the other hand, seems to be brought down by it's "Winter" upgrade. The song was from his most recent EP, which was pretty much on par quality wise with this album, so not a lot has changed other than making it sound a bit more full.

The album has a couple of featured artists, such as his long time collaborator and friend Curtis Young, and fellow English speaking J-Pop artist May J. There is also a track featuring an artist named Shun which is credited as "featuring Shun and Bentley Jones" for some odd reason. Other than that the album is all Bentley, showing that he doesn't need big names or tons of help to make a name for himself.

Originally there was an extended version available on US iTunes (which has since disappeared) that featured the previous singles such as "Oh-Wei-Oh" and "Bad Boi" as bonus tracks. Currently all that is available now on iTunes is the standard version with the original fifteen tracks. You can grab it here.

2012's Biggest Misses: Young London's New Music

It seems like I overlooked far too much this past year -- especially if I'm forgetting to talk about Young London. They were my first big interview, and they have remained supportive of my endevours, so it's about time I return the favor. They've released a couple of singles over this past year, and it's about time I talk about them!

Young London released their debut album at the beginning of 2011, and spent most of the year promoting it, doing tours and music videos. In 2012, they started fresh working on new material. I was able to catch their cover of "Video Killed The Radio Star", but I missed the other two singles that had been released over the course of the year.

"Call My Name (Tonight)" is a very Matt-heavy song, which isn't surprising as he usually fills in the roll of lead singer. Sarah does have a verse to herself, giving her side of the story, showing that both the people in the story want the same thing, but don't seem to be communicating this to each other. The track is very electropoppy, sounding a lot like their first album.

On the other hand, "Broken" is a much more low key song. It still has that distinctive YL sound to it, but it has a much longer build up, and a very choppy, unconventional flow to it. Matt takes the backseat to Sarah much more in this track.

The two tracks are set to be on their sophomore effort, which is still up in the air as far as release dates go. I'll have to hop on that and get the scoop from them, as I'm pretty sure they still like me (hopefully moreso now that I've mentioned their new singles). I'll have to get back to you guys on that one!

Check out their iTunes store and grab their new singles as well as their first album if you haven't checked it out yet!

2012's Biggest Misses: Maya von Doll "Is This Love"

I don't usually cover British acts, sans a few very obvious people I stan for, but when someone reaches out to me -- and they've got quality music -- I feel the need to help them all I can. And hey, she even admitted to being a fan of Nadia Oh, and anybody who likes that bitch is OK by me! Let's talk about Maya von Doll and her new video and single, "Is This Love".

I have to say one of my favorite things about British acts is when you can hear their accent shine through to their singing. Often times some of the UK artists sound American when they sing, but others, like The Dolly Rockers, sound very distinctly British, which is so adorable. Maybe that's not the right word, as the song is pretty serious despite it's upbeat electro-pop sound.

The plot of the track is all about a failed love, with a girl being addicted to someone who does nothing but hurt her. Unlike any other songs of the same nature, this offers a different point of view. This one is told from the point of view of a girl who hasn't experienced much love in her life, and she is starting to question of love and pain are the same thing.

I have mixed feelings about the beat to the song. It is coming at the tail end of the dub-step-pop-song phenomenon. It seems that fad is finally being put to rest, and for good reason. The thing is, it doesn't come off as cheap as a lot of others who did the same thing. I find myself conflicted between being sick of this mid-track breakdown and being completely in love with the work as a whole. The beats were produced by duo Robs and Duke.

As for the rest of the song, it sounds very upbeat, with a tinge of darkness that is sprinkled in by the lyrics. The video is surprisingly literal to what the song is all about. It goes on to show that the pain she is feeling is being caused by her man cheating on her with not one but three girls. The video adds a lot of sexiness to the vibe, giving it a much more three-dimensional feel. I also would like to note that the video is very well done, which is not surprising given her work for Girls Aloud and involvement in the Sohodolls. She actually has an extensive resume in writing, but this is a very solid attempt to branch out and make a name for herself.

This is the second single off of her upcoming EP entitled "Fresh From The Fight" due out sometime in 2013.

2012's Biggest Misses: Hyper Crush Releases (Several) Videos

You'd think as hot as I find Preston from the group Hyper Crush that I would keep up with them better. The truth is I do, but I usually can't find a whole lot to say about them that isn't just about how incredibly sexy they all are. Seeing as it's a new year, I guess I should start it all off right, right? Well I missed these three videos, and it's abut damn time I talked about 'em!




"Bad Boyz" was one of my favorite tracks from the band's newest album "Night Wave." This video does it great justice in that it is completely batshit crazy. I mean this video makes next to no sense. It starts with Holly coming out of the computer in order to make Donny into a man, and from there it all spins out of control in the best way possible. They continuously lag across the screen (leaving copies of themselves overlapping each other as they do so), they dress up as ninjas, and there's even a tiger or two. It's completely green screened, which was something a lot of the fans seemed to hate. Others said they just don't "get" it, but really, I don't think there is anything to get. It's just the trio being crazy, business as usual.




This one is much more coherent than the previous video. Donny gets busted for smuggling a new drug called "Chead", and cops Holly and Preston interrogate him. My question is why couldn't I be frisked by Preston in a cop costume? The rest of the video consists of the two cops torturing Donny to try and get info out of him spliced with flashbacks of the club where he had used the drug. All I really have to say about this song is that it took one of my least favorite tracks from the album and made it truly enjoyable. Preston totally stole the show, and now all I can think about is his porn stache. Dear lord help me.




I am sad to say, but this is probably my least favorite Hyper Crush video to date. I mean, they look good, and the production is great, but it just didn't feel right. The only way I can describe the video is if Hyper Crush invaded the set of Animal House. At least my megacrush looks stunning. But when does he not?

It's obvious to anyone with a brain and an eye or two that Hyper Crush has come a long way since they left their record label. If anything, since leaving Universal Motown to found Night Wave Records, they have gotten far better. They've honed their sound and found a core audience. They have also found the right production team to make some visually impressive videos, with "Werk Me" being one of the best videos released this decade.

2012's Biggest Misses: Jipsta On Ranny's Debut EP

Man I am a horrible friend. Jipsta, a constant supporter of mine and good friend, has released another new song. Usually I'm on top of his new music, but this one slipped right past my radar. Again, I've missed something everyone expected me to talk about. Please allow me to rectify this situation by talking to you about Ranny having Jipsta's new track on his debut EP. Lemme talk about "Moombah Zoombah".

 

All biased aside, I have to say that Jipsta has come a long way over the past two years. His debut album was a long journey, and at times it really did show. This song, along with the other single that was by both Ranny and Jipsta "Lover Who Rocks You" both sound astronomically more polished and on point. Not to say I didn't love his debut!

The song, as the name suggest, sounds a bit more tribal and raw than what is heard on the radio. As always, Ranny has produced an addictive beat for Jipsta to flow to. Speaking of which, JP's raps on this track not only run smoothly and sound just as good, if not better, than rap you would hear on the radio these days.

Ok maybe I'm biased just a little, but he is good!

The rest of Ranny's debut EP, "Party Crasher" has a lot of familiar faces. Not only does it have Jipsta's other newest single featuring Reina, it also has the song he released a while back with Drag Race star Jessica Wild, "You Like It Wild" and the track with Drag Race Allstar Nina Flowers "Loca -- both of which were pretty big hits considering the names they were paired off with.

You can buy "Moomba Zoomba", as well as the full "Party Crasher" EP on iTunes. Give it a listen.

2012's Biggest Misses: The Drag Coffee Table Book

Dear lord I am behind on the times. I had no idea that there were so many drag queens outside of those fifty or so from Drag Race. (Did you get the joke? Hah). Thankfully there are many different outlets for talented queens to get their names out. My buddy over at BookTheFilm.Com has taken it upon himself to publish a compilation of glamorous photos that would be perfect as a conversation piece for anybody's coffee table -- so long as they aren't a judgmental prude.

Well let me take back what I said earlier. This book does feature some of the Drag Race girls. As a matter off fact, many of the girls, such as Tammie Brown, Nina Flowers, Ongina, and Roxxxy Andrews appear in this book. There are also a lot of independantly famous queens such as Hedda Lettuce, Lady Bunny, and my fave Ms. Sherry Vine.

Photo by Anna Patin

The photos in the book may look familiar to some, and that is because they wrangled famous photographer Jose A Guzma+n Colon, who has taken photos of pretty much every gal that has been on Drag Race (and even snapped a picture of my dear friend Pollo Del Mar), as well as famed photographer Mike Ruiz, who is known for his extensive reality TV resume -- oh and his breathtaking photography.

Photos by Jose A Guzman Colon

 What I find amazing about this book is that the focus is not just on female illusionists in the United States. Many of the queens in the book are from other places including both Canada and Mexico, giving the viewer a broader idea of the scope the drag world has. Sure we know that Puerto Rico has some fierce queens, but what about Quebec? Or Mexico City? Yup, they got 'em, too.

Photo by Jose A Guzman Colon

These few pictures I've posted are only a taste of what the book has in store for everyone. I have to say when I was first pitched the idea of the book, it didn't seem to appealing. I mean you can find pictures on the internet, right? But this is much more than a collection of pictures. It's an amalgamation of art, design, beauty, drag, and fashion.

The book is available for the US for the reasonable price of fourty bucks. Try beating that at your local Barns&Noble. It's also available internationally. Just hop on over to BookTheFilm and order your copy today!

2012's Biggest Misses: Willam's Other Releases

Where to begin with this one. It's not exactly that I accidentally missed all the other stuff Willam has put out over the course of 2012... it's just that she releases so much freaking music all the time! This lady never stays still for too long, and for only being a household name since January of last year, she already has a resume longer than some people who've been going at it for years.

Willam Belli songs can be categorized in two ways: Original songs that are pretty good and hilarious amazing parodies. So let me think here for a moment. I covered Chow Down and Let's Have A Kai Kai, both parodies, as well as Trouble, both the original and Jared Jones mix. That leaves us with four or so songs and a few videos. Let's just cover the highlights shall we?

Let's start with "Love You Like A Big Schlong". This is probably the single most hilarious parody in the history of all history. No, seriously. The song is an ode to the infamous disqualification on Drag Race, as she was taking congigal visits from her boyfriend in her hotel room. Apparently getting the D is more important to Willam than winning. I mean she's obviously the biggest star from the show this season. Sharon who?

She released a few more original songs over the course of 2012, too. "She Doesn't Know" added a flavor of rock to her growing resume. It is also probably the most vocally impressive of the lot, but at the same time it is the least polished sounding. Maybe I know the person who wrote it, maybe I don't. I should probably say more nice things about this.

Also, "Stand By Your Man" is bad. Like... bad bad.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Willam makes better parodies than original songs -- in my opinion. "Trouble" was fun, but short. So far all of her parodies have been not only funny, but legitimately good songs. "Love You Like A Big Schlong" is still one of my favorite songs of the year. "Chow Down" was a massive hit, and "Let's Have A Kai Kai" is the top parody of the world's biggest gay anthem. Still, though, seven(ish) singles (not just songs or album tracks, but singles) in a year is a very impressive feat. She certainly knows how to jump on the money train while it's still in business.

Also I feel the need to express how much I love the LYLABS video. Not only does it have the hottie pit-crew member Shawn in it, but there really are a lot of huge friggen schlongs throughout. It's pretty NSFW, so if your boss it hovering over you shoulder, about to get onto you for not doing your job and instead reading the world's greatest blog, you probably shouldn't give him a reason to question your sexuality at the same time.



Bye.

2012's Biggest Misses: Liz Primo

Another day, another miss. Sometimes I get shown a video that I fall in love with, but due to circumstances I just don't get around to featuring. This is the woe that is Liz Primo. I've been meaning to talk about her, and show off her videos for a while now, but I kept forgetting, but no longer!



Though she's been around a bit longer than just 2012, this is definitely the year where she's started making her mark. She has released two killer videos this year, "The Devil In Me" (posted above) and "Wind Me Up" which I'll put at the end of the list.

To sum Liz up is a hard thing to do. Her music is phenomenal. As Ive stated many, many times, I absolutely love indie pop. It's something I can't get enough of -- especially when it's polished and professional. That is exactly what Liz Primo is offering with both of her singles. "The Devil In Me" was my first experience with her and I definitely was hungry for more.

The other song that she produced this year, "Wind Me Up" is far more sexual and a touch more professional looking as far as video quality goes. But her newest song, "Beautiful Whore", that has yet to see a video release takes the lead as far as best song form her. As a matter of fact, had I known of it's existence, would have probably been my pick for song of the year. No joke. The song is part of a double A-side single with the song "Operation Get You Back" which is another excellent example of pop music as well as an impressive and risky venture for an indie pop artist.

All of her 2012 works sans the video for "Wind Me Up" are part of a new album that has yet to be titled (as far as I can tell). I will be looking forward to see if a full album comes of this, or even if a video for "Beautiful Whore". Seeing as my info and knowledge of Liz is very small, I have no idea what is in store. This looks to be another venture worth taking, and another artist I need to get to know for the sake of information!



Sexy back-up dancer alert!

2012's Biggest Misses: Sk8 And Her New Video

As much as I take pride in finding quality artist before anyone else, sometimes I completely miss the boat, and by the time I've found them, the ship has already been out of port for months. Thankfully I'm good at inventing reasons to talk about old stuff you probably missed too, much like "2012's Biggest Misses". And with that, please allow me to introduce singer Sk8.




Sadly until just recently I had never heard of Sk8. A friend answered my call for quality talent that I had missed over the past year, and I was immediately taken by her. She is cute yet distinctive looking and has a great voice. There is just something about the indie scene in New York that is so appealing, and this lady is no different.

Her latest single, "One Love", has had a video come out recently that has definitely made a lasting impression on me. Not only is it full of Kwanza Jones level hot backup dancers, but it is also full of energy and looks very professional. My only complaint with the work at all would be the segments that look like they were shot in a poorly lit condo in front of the window, and those are used few and far between.

If the video looks impressive, and it does, it's because it was produced by renowned New York photographer Montana Vasquez, whom I have been a closet fan of for a while now. He produces amazing work, such as this video, and has been working with my new fave Tokyo Black on some projects as of late. We certainly can't wait to see what comes of that, but for now, back to Sk8!

Sk8 has already placed on the Billboard Top 20, and this song is proof that she has it in her. While "One Love" has yet to chart (it's still pretty new, to be fair), the song definitely has what it takes. It's got light and airy vocals compiled on top of bomping beats that make everyone wanna dance. The song carries a message about how strong of an influence just one love can be in a persons life.

Also, no shade, but does anyone else think she looks like Priscilla from Not Another Teen Movie in some of those closeups?

Grab the track on iTunes and remember 2013 the way you should have remembered 2012!

2012's Biggest Misses: Punk Bunny's New Album

I cannot lie. I have been a fan -- like a legitimate fan -- of Punk Bunny's since I was sixteen. I'm... notably older these days, so you can rest assured I've loved them for a long time. Unfortunately over the course of this past year, I overlooked them as they released a new album. Today I make amends for this by featuring it on my site.

Warning: Punk Bunny is EXTREMELY NSFW.

First of all let me go on record (again) saying that Punk Bunny's lead singer Gil is on of the hottest men in the world. His raunchy appearance and IDGAF attitude give him the presence of being the male version of Ke$ha, only maybe a tad bit more extreme. Don't believe me? Check out their video for "I Wanna F**k".




Did you see it? Did you feel it? This song was their lead single off of the new album "Hung, Proud, And Sloppy", which fits in completely with their previous music. All of Punk Bunny's music has been cheap sounding techno-garbage with over offensive lyrics layered on top. From a musical standpoint they are terrible, but there is something about them that I just can't give up (it's Gil, and his sexiness).

The new album has spawned such hits as "Watch It Grow", "PNP", and their newest song to get a video "Suck It". Each of the songs runs around three and a half minutes, proving that he knows exactly when things go from being funny to annoying and cuts them short before they get obnoxious. The songs that do go on longer still retain much of their humor even in the further portions of the song.

So why even listen to them? They are crude, rude, and kind of gross. I can't say why you should, or who their target audience even is, but they do have a bit of a cult following of people who support them religiously. This means they are doing something right. Perhaps it's because it is refreshing to hear someone be so brutally frank and over the top with sex. Maybe it's just because they go where traditional radio play music would never dare to go. The result: Something you know you should instantly find terrible but are somehow drawn to it.

That or you just find their singer hot. Your call.

Don't watch this video if you are easily offended... by anything.



Preview and grab the album on iTunes if you dare!

2012's Biggest Misses: Honey Mahogany Sings

So here's the deal, for the first full week of 2013, I am going to be going posting like crazy to showcase a ton of artists that I missed over the past year. Lots of amazing things happened, and being just one person, there was no way I could keep up with it all. Therefore, these first seven days of the new year, I'm bringing you the biggest "no duh!" moments I missed over the past year!

First up, we have Ms. Honey Mahogany, one of the upcoming queens from Ru Paul's Drag Race season five. She wasted no time at all getting her music out there, and I think such a bold action deserves a bit of applause, doncha think?

Pretty much from the day she was announced as being a contestant on RPDR5 she announced her debut single "It's Honey." Suspicious? Yes. Smart? Also yes. Now that the show is in it's fifth season, the number of queens that have been on the show are becoming a bit overwhelming, and with the show at the risk of becoming like America's Next Top Model with the winners being forgotten a month after the show ends, it is probably for the best that she cash in as soon as possible.

The song has me on the fence, and my true opinion on it depends on the truth behind it. If it is a serious attempt at writing, I would have to shake my head. However if it is what it appears to be, which is a parody that is poking fun at her name and bringing on the camp, it is amazing. Confused yet?

Well, you see, the song from a musical standpoint is not something you'd hear on the radio or top 40 playlists. It has a lot of disco to it, and the singing gets very sexual very quick. I'm not talking Kanye West "I'm going to threaten you into sex" sexual, but more like Raja "listen to me moan for three minutes" sexual. It's awkward, yet at the same time a bit genius.

The more I listen to it, the more I'm sure the song is poking fun at herself, but one can't be too sure. I guess I'll just have to wait until she makes some sort of statement about it. Perhaps I can even get her to comment for TOTU. Only time will tell. This one was a narrow miss, as the song came out mid December, but I promise more is to come! Stay with me, people!

Grab the track on iTunes and let me know what you think of it. Parody or just weird?

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!