Song of the Month - Levi Kreis "Gonna Be Alright"

Imagine this: I was writing up a story on this artist, Levi Kreis, about his new single "Gonna Be Alright" when the media splashed with the news that DOMA had been stricken down. Homosexuals can now get married (where legal, obviously) and not have to call it something like "domestic partnership". This is for real. "Everything's going to be alright," I said. Awkwardly enough I was singing along to this track when I said that. Point is, this song fits so perfectly with this month, that I've dubbed it June's song!

This track isn't exactly new. It's actually from Levi's 2009 album, Where I Belong, but it has been redone to a point that it's nearly unrecognizable. The vocals have been updated, the beats are pulsing, and it has magically become a club banger. Another odd thing about this song is that there's no "real" version of it. By this I mean there are a lot of mixes, but no original version aside from the '09 one. For the time being, the "Jared Jones 2k13 Radio Mix" is being used for the basic analysis of the track.

What I love about this song is that it really is an anthem for LGBT Pride -- which is the month of June by the way -- and this combined with the recent triumphs in the US Supreme Court -- really make this song have a much more special meaning. It is a message of hope to the community (whether or not that was it's original intention) and it gives us what we all want: Something to shake our booties to. Someone back me up here!

With both the choosing of this song, as well as it's message that I hope to continue sharing, I wish everyone a Happy Pride! I have worked hard at TOTU to point out as many of the positive aspects of LGBT in today's music and television. I hope everyone, LGBT, straight, or otherwise, can see what positivity the homosexual community has to offer.

You can also grab the track on iTunes now!

Album Review - Naia Kete "Fire Breather"

Does the name Naia Kete ring a bell? Well it should. She was in the national spotlight, albeit for a shorter time than she should have been, on the critically acclaimed television reality competition The Voice. She has decided that being booted from the show wasn't going to dash her hopes at making music, and now that she's got a great team behind her, she's released her debut album. Get ready for the easy-listening-yet-oddly-addicting EP that is Fire Breather.

Reality TV Review: RHNJ Season Five Episode 4

Oh my lawd. Sometimes when I agree to review TV shows, I get started and a few weeks in I already wanna give up. This time it's mostly because NOBODY ON THIS SHOW IS SANE. Well maybe Kathy (except for when she's drunk). Then again, I guess that's what makes this show so fun. We get to watch people be complete hot messes which is what makes reality TV what it is. So without further ado: a giant mess.

(Note: Due to time restraints and limitations of media, dates for future reviews may fluctuate.)

Album Review - Frankmusik "Between"

I can't believe we have a new Frankmusik album out. After all the drama that happened over the past couple of years, it is a huge relief to not only have him back, but have him making a full album (as opposed to EPs and singles). Though his video and single release schedules have been hectic, this album was well thought out and released right on schedule. Welcome to Frankmusik's newest masterpiece Between.

(Note: This post was scheduled for June 23, but due to technical difficulties it was delayed. I apologize for this and hope to correct such issues in the future.)

Gay Rapper Cazwell And Rising Star Luciana Team Up

Cazwell is one of the best known gay rappers. Luciana has already made a name for herself in the gay community by enlisting Betty White as a partner in her debut track. What do you get when you take two rising stars of the LGBT flavor? You get a sexy track and video called "Guess What?"

I have to say this song was much better than I had expected. I've not payed a lot of attention to Cazwell thus far, and I might have skipped over this release had Luciana not been attached to it. I'm actually glad I checked it out, because it is pretty catchy. Cazwell is a great rapper, and has a lot of quirky gay tweaks to throw into his flows (such as bringing up Craigslist). Luciana is just fabulous no matter what she does.

The track is very fun and upbeat. I found there to be a couple of things that were odd about the track. Apparently Luciana feels the need to constantly remind people that she is both hot and from London. Also the fact that the song is called "Guess What" is a bit confusing, seeing as the main hook from her last track was "Guess what? I'm still hot."

As for the video, it makes for an interesting watch. The two are seen running amok in an abandoned flat in NYC, having fun. What makes it visually appealing is the use of pink colors throughout. The only awkward part is when Luciana is in the cat suit with her tail floating above her while she does some weird back arching thing. The best part for me was the cameo shoehorned in at the very end. Tammie Brown is the voice of the emergency broadcast system. Love that crazy lady!

You can view the video here on YouTube (embedding seems to be disabled?) and you can grab the track 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.

Album Review - Kim Smith "Nova"

Oh, Kim Smith. How you have popped up out of nowhere in the pop music world and have stolen my heart! Kim has been steadily releasing tracks for a while now, and it has all added up to an amazing album full of polished gems. Let's take a closer look at "Nova" by Kim Smith.