The 2012 UCAs - You Betta Vote!

It is that time again. December (although it is still a few hours away) is the official month for the Universal Conquest Awards. Every year TOTU honors the people that have been featured all year long by choosing the best of the best for various awards. This year we have expanded the voting to every category, meaning you, the reader, are in 100% control of the outcome. Who is your favorite? Click the link at the top of the page (or just here) and pick your favorites!

The official categories and nominees are as listed below. Who are your favorites?

Album of the Year
Express Non-Stop - Alphabeat
Spin Me Ever After - Side FX
Magic Hour - Scissor Sisters
Night Wave - Hyper Crush
911: Code Pink - Giulietta


EP of the Year
The SOPA Opera EP - Vincent Did It (Frankmusik)
Queens - XELLE
Pleiades - Quigley
Adamantine Heart - Kieran Strange
Supersonique - Jada


Best Drag Song
How Embarrassing - Pollo Del Mar
Bext XXXcessory - Manila Luzon
Sublime - Raja
Chow Down - Willam, Detox, and Vicky Vox
Love Pinata - Tammie Brown

Best Debut
Holly Elle - Infinitude
Tokyo Black - Steal The Night
Pob - Greatest Hits Volume One
Belmont Lights - Telegraphs
Di'zain - Play The Game

Best Lyric
"I'm a gladiator in a thong." - Kwanza Jones [Supercharged]
"Nice car - Shame about your penis!" Pandora Boxx [Nice Car! (Shame About Your Penis)]
"Tag me!" Kat Graham [Put Your Graffiti On Me]
"This record hotter than ten bitches in a hot tub" Nadia Oh [Slapper (Ayye)
"This city can't live without me." Dragonette [Live In This City]

Video Review - Kwanza Jones "Supercharged"

It has been soooo long since I've done a video review. Lately, there either haven't been videos that have really caught my eye with their visuals or story, or I have been incredibly lazy and just announced when the videos come out. It's your choice depending on how well you think of me, ya know? Anyway, a video finally has come forth that I really love, and I think it's about time to bring back my old style of reviewing music videos -- lots of pictures with cheap ass jokes! Check out Supercharged!

RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race Recap - The Grand Finale

Thank Jesus this ride is finally over. Can we get to season five already? I'm ready for me some new bitches. These girls do make an impression, though. Believe me. Let's take a moment and find out who wins this!

Spoiler alert!

Song of the Week - This Too Will Pass

Yes, children. It's time for Mason Black to arrive on the scene again. Mason has been around just about as long as TOTU has (Ok, maybe a little longer), and he's been a constant supporter of mine, and vice versa, since. His new single is out, and you bet your ass I'm choosing it as Song of the Week -- even if it is country!

Now, don't go and think that I'm only picking this song because Mason is a friend of mine. Sure, I probably wouldn't have found the song had I not known him, but that doesn't discredit the track in any way. The song is still very "Mason", in that it is raw and real, two things that have drawn me to everything he's written so far. The style a song is sang or written in should hold no barrings on the emotional impact it truly has.

The song is a smooth mix of country and blue grass styles of music, leaving Black a chance to let his real country accent shine through. The lyrics chronicle the very personal challenges he has faced in his life. The song has a positive message to it, however, because as the title states, bad times don't last forever, and "this too will pass."

You can grab the track on iTunes.

Brit Pop Singer Pob Releases Free EP

It's been a while since I've heard anything out of Pob. He has been working diligently on his new material, and he finally resurfaced earlier this week to let his fans have it -- and he's giving it out for free. Let's take a quick look at Pob's debut EP "Greatest Hits: Volume One".

This time around Pob has perfected his sound, and is ready to go full force. The EP may only be three tracks long, but it is more than enough for Pob to prove his worth. No more is he the boy band clean cut boy you thought you knew. He has gone the way of Justin Timberlake and shed his musical past to make way for a darker, dirty-pop sound.

When I first saw this EP, I was expecting it to be much lighter than it was. I was delightfully surprised to find that it fleshed out the darker side of pop music, along the same vein as  Simon Curtis. Even his cover of Beyonce's "Best Thing I Never Had" felt much more sinister than it's more soulful source material. The best of the three is the one bringing up the rear. "Scavengers", a collaboration between Pob and a Manchester based band called Kleino, focuses more on a hard techno/borderline dubstep beat. It is the most polished of the three, and will hopefully be his next single.

I've been following Pob for a while now, and I have got to say it's been great seeing him grow as an artist. This EP is a big step up from "Shout It Out Loud" and "I'm The One." He's been working on music for a while now, and titling something "Volume One" usually (but hilariously enough not always) means there is certainly going to be a "Volume Two", meaning that he has even more delicious pop music up his sleeve. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

For now you can get his EP for free on BandCamp. Or if you are feeling generous, or aren't a completely awful person, you can donate any amount of money you wish.

MYPHNH(BS) - Tokyo Black "Steal The Night"

Black Friday is always a killer. Moreso this year than any before, I was completely exhausted when I got home. Instead of updating my blog, I got on Facebook like the lazy bitch I am at heart. Upon hovering about, I found myself another "black" that was much more appealing (damn that sounds racist, doesn't it?) -- much more dancey that this Black Friday I'd suffered through. And her name is Tokyo Black. This is Music You Probably Have Never Heard (But Should).




Let me just say that both this video and song are everything to me right now. I have no idea how I hadn't known about her sooner, and why she hasn't exploded everywhere. The song is very much a dance-pop track, tinged with that extremely New York sound that comes packaged with many arits from the area (not that it's a bad thing!). I've had this song on repeat for a little over a day now, and I don't plan on letting up any time soon.

What is amazing about Tokyo herself is that she came out publicly as a transgendered woman. Being an avid member of the LGBT community, I know that often the "T" in "LGBT" is overlooked. The fact that she is putting out music, performing, and going harder than any other new artist I've seen in a long time all the while identifying herself as transgendered is brave and commendable. Let me also say that I was completely sold on the song, under the assumption that she was a drag queen, so this wasn't a gimmick for me.

The song's lyrics seem to be about Tokyo herself, as she was once homeless on the streets of New York, but has since climbed her way back up to the top and is now a respected recording artist in New England, and is expanding her music to conventions and other countries. I'm definitely excited to hear more from her. Tokyo Black's debut album was due out this year, but we all know in the world of independent recording, setbacks happen, so I will keep waiting patiently.

In the meantime, grab her debut single off of iTunes.

Electrovamp Post Hot Video For "Hands Up"

It's been a long time in the making, but my girls Kally and Tammy have finally put out the official video for their latest single Hands Up. As promised, Mr. Cahill has made a guest appearance, making the video feel that much more complete. Check out the new video below.




In the video, the dynamic sister duo shows up to kidnap Keenan from his boring class that is doing nothing but put him to sleep. And what do they do to entertain him? They party of course. What esle would a couple of hot young girls straight from the UK do?

Joking aside, it is so refreshing to see a group follow through on a featuring part. I know that funds are tight all around, but when a video doesn't have the featured artist in it, it turns out to be a bit of a let down. They not only had Keenan in the video, they put him front and center, making much of the video about him, and for that I applaud the girls. The video also proves that the two are back and really mean business this time.

Electrovamp are still working on their debut album. They've told me that they want it to be nothing less than perfect, so I guess the extensive amount of time it's taken is excusable. They've managed to keep me interested all these years, so what's a little while longer?

You can get your copy of the track on iTunes.