jacqueline mary + 2009 thankfully not 4ever

2009, i banish you.



helena,



courtney,



tavi,



daisies,



and virgin machine...

made it happen this year.
now go to your room.

The Best of 2009 According To...Team Asia

And then 2009, you've been excused. You can leave quietly and never rear your head again. Any year where Kris Allen wins American Idol is a year not worth even living. And how can you kill Ty Frasier and let Katie Holmes suffer? Even the gays don't want anything to do with Tom Cruise no more. In a nutshell: 2009 sucked. But there were a few highlights, in no particular order:

After the cut!

1. Paper Heart



Finally a movie for all the weirdos in love, falling in love, or out of love. I know it's like, a fake movie or whatever. Not a documentary. Even so, it's closer to any feeling I ever had than say, "The Proposal".

2. Washed Out


Washed Out - Belong

3. Third And Delaware



Anything where the topic is "90's fave and feminist icon Roseanne" or "90's fashion", I'm definitely hitching myself onboard.

4. Yacht


Yacht - I'm In Love With A Ripper

5. It's Complicated



Let me make this clear: Meryl Streep's house in the movie won this.

6. Maangchi



When you don't get the Food Network, you take to the world wide web.

7. Esther Pearl Watson


Finally, all the issues of "Unlovable" in a giant hot pink glittery hardcover!

8. Grizzly Bear


Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

9. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia



10. Ke$ha


Ke$ha - Tik Tok

Best (and by best I mean my favorites) of 2009

So a little while back I posted my favorites of the decade, but now I'm gonna give it a go on 2009. I think everyone would agree that 2009 sucked in a lot of different ways, but there were actually a few really great things so I'm gonna focus on those.

Here's my list (in no particular order)

Telepathe - Dance Mother

Although the album contained several songs we'd heard before I still listened to Dance Mother more than most other records this year, old songs and all.

the xx- XX

Quiet, dark, breathy boy/girl vocals, the perfect amount of reverb and lyrics that make you want to be a teen in love. I like this album so much that I'm already sad because their next one isn't gonna be as good.

The XX - Heart Skipped a Beat

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Can someone drop me off in the desert with psychedelics and this record? That's how the record was made and I feel like I should experience it that way. In the meantime, I'll turn the lights off and lay on my couch to listen.

Kristen Stewart
The Twilight movies suck (no pun intended) but I love Kristen Stewart's tortured teenage lesbian portrayal of Bella Swan. It's like she doesn't even really want Edward, she just wants something. If she could stop being stupid about Edward for like a second and go to college she would finally find out that the something is lesbianism. I'd like to believe that KStew's thesbionic choices are a reflection of her lesbionic desires in real life, but we'll probably have to wait like 50 years to find out for sure. In short, I'm tired of Lohan.

Pictureplane - Goth Star

I can't say I've given Pictureplane's whole Dark Rift album a fair shot at making my top faves list because I just want to listen to Goth Star. How could you not love a song that chops up and fuzzes out Stevie Nicks?

Pictureplane - Goth Star



MEN

Great dance jams + totally radical queer lyrics = one of the most exciting bands of 2009.

Kristen Wiig

Even though Kristen Wiig has been overextended as of late on SNL, she is CLEARLY the best part. I pretty much only watch Saturday Night Live to see what weirdness Kristen Wiig is bringing that week.

Gossip - Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix)

Heavy Cross is a good song. The Heavy Cross remix Fred Falke did is a GREAT song. It's everything a good remix should be. It resembles the original version but takes it in an unexpected direction. The song is a love song, but I never really felt the romance and sadness and hope and everything else Beth Ditto was singing about until I heard the remix.

Gossip - Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix)

YACHT - Psychic City
Maybe Psychic City won't go down in history as one of the greatest songs ever written. It might not even be on that many end of year lists, but I love it. It kind of feels like a modern version of "Genius of Love". It's fun, but not novelty and just generally interesting to listen to.

True Blood Season 2
Maybe I'm a total nerd, but True Blood is one of best shows I've seen in A WHILE. I started watching it this year (thanks internet!) and was immediately hooked. Since I watched it in a (more or less) marathon format, I'm really just choosing the show in general, but I can say that 2009's Season had some pretty wild stuff going on and I loved every minute of it. Can't wait for Season 3!

Jennifer's Body

Everyone is busy making their lists of favorite movies/music etc. of '09 and I'd like to throw my two cents in as well. Jennifer's Body was by far one of my favorite movies this year: smart, funny, blatantly feminist, and willing to explore female friendships and power in a unique & campy (while at the same time potently emotional) way. It's a tricky combination of horror and comedy; both Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfriend are fucking terrific in it (seriously, Miss Fox had a few moments that were intensely great; watch her face when she is being taken to her doom by a van full of smarmy rock dudes, it's tear-inducingly heartbreaking.)







It should be said that when I went to see this movie on opening night I ran into about a million other queers all there for the same thing. Do yourself a favor and rent or buy it (it comes out on dvd tomorrow: apparently the director's cut is even heavier with feminist musings.) This is a movie written and directed by women that is sharp, strange and hilarious so of course it tanked at the box office, but I am sure it will be a lesbian feminist cult classic. I am already obsessed with it which is why I wanted to share it with all of you. xo

The Nicky Click

About 10 months ago, when we first started this blog, I got a really nice message from the "queer-femme-parody-artist-comic-funny-sexy-feminist-over the top-kitsch-persona, whom transgresses gender roles" whirlwind known as Nicky Click just dropping us a line about how she liked what we were doing. It meant a lot to us to get a vote of confidence from someone who was out there making cool stuff for our small subculture within a subculture.

Since Nicky Click had been involved in the queer underground and making music electronically for a while, I decided to ask her a question on how she felt riot girl has influenced the queer electro scene for YoungCreature. Not only did she answer, she wrote an essay - literally! Her essay covers everything from her personal influences to her thoughts on queer women performers to her label Crunks Not Dead records putting out outsider music.

Besides reading the essay, you can check out her new video for "I'm On My Cell Phone" (which will be debuting on Logo soon) and a yet to be released remix of her song "Drop Uh Huh"!

After the cut!


The question- how and why is the current electro queer girl movement related and built up/influenced by other past women’s musical resistance movements?
 
I feel so passionate about this question, as I have personally benefited and learned from those women who put themselves out there as artists of all kinds, amongst hecklers and sexism. They have paved the way for nickyclick and so many others.I believe the need for these intentions and actions, girls taking it in their own hands is a true inspiration. They command and reverse the gaze, the idea of who can be center stage in a male dominated musical scene. They enter without invitation or need for approval, speaking and invoking passion and agony vocally, that other women can relate to, and see a reflection of themselves in. Their music provides free therapy when the feelings we have cant be put into words. We should never forget those trailblazers.

I had to go back in my head to recall all the female music genres that were in my world the last 16 years, and have influenced the nickyclick persona...not to say there aren’t tons more others enjoyed!

My  memory and or influences/heroes or stuff I have heard about:

It went from 1950’s Etta James and Bessy other woman with be (more than an mystery Ingrid book) and The Shirelles, The Supremes, and then 60’s Janis Joplin, Yoko Ono, Carly Simon. For the 70’s all I want to say is Abba and Tina Turner. There is a past and current lesbian folk scene with Phraanc, Melissa Ferrick, Indigo Girls,  kd lang, ani difranco, bitch and animal, and the Lilith fair, Michigan [Womyn's] fest. And yes, ESG! Yes! Dolly parton! Yes! Bonnie Raitt! Yes! Patti Smith! Yes! Da Brat! Yes! Stevie Nicks! Madonna! Punk girls like Wendy O, Nina Hagen, Laurie Anderson, Lene Lovich, and The Slits along with riot girls; like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Sleater Kinney, are my two biggest influences, with some musicals and top 40 hip hop mixed in. 

I also loved the cute twee scene with The Softies, Lois, Cub and Bis. I was also really into the queer core scene with bands like like Team Dresch, The Need, The Haggard, The Butchies and Tribe 8. Hole, Tribe 8 and PJ Harvey were my hardcore ladies bands. I got down with the outbreak females. MC’s like MC Lyte, Missy E, Lil Kim, Salt n Pepa. I was at some point into female singer/songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, Tracy Chapman, and Erykah Badu.

I am also becoming a late fan of the Techno scene; I love Mel C, Robyn, Tatu, Annie, DJ bam bam, Lady Miss Kier, Robots in Disguise. And other important female bands that pop into my mind are; The Gossip, Le Tigre, Tegan and Sara, Lady Sovereign, The Organ, MIA, Fannypack, Erase Errata, Santigold. Obviously I was highly empowered by the electro clash scene with Tracy and The Plastics, Chicks on Speed, Peaches, Uffie, Anna Oxygen, The Blow, Princess Superstar.

I am also intrigued by over the top pop ladies like Britney Spears, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and especially Lady Gaga ( all of whom I can count as influences in some way and am proud that the GaGa has officially come out as a queer feminist!)
 
So, Somehow in my mind this is what I knew off and listened too, what influenced ME, but I am “just a girl into girl music;” so obviously this is in no way “a complete history;” I am not a rolling stones writer or anything! LOL

So now in almost 2010, we have a current huge queer electro music scene with lots of female solo artists with no live instruments, completely being queer and stripping it down so the performance is your words and body. I feel like this scene has been boiling and developing for 6 years, and I would say ScreamClub were one of the pioneer bands of sparking this wave. Now nearly everywhere I look there are amazing lo-fi girls and queers making music with no concern of a “finished product” or having expensive equipment and lots of money. There is not as much as a weird look from the sound guy when I plug in my iPod band, as there was five years ago!
 
But, too me, no wave or voice could exist without the other.

How could we as women not be influenced by the image and feeling, the music and community that rose around those artists and waves of music? For sure riot grrrl is the most obvious influence to the electro girl scene right now. I believe it is an extension of their ideals/actions in many ways. Their reaction of anger within the male dominated music scene, and need to put their music out there publicly, is a huge example of this. Both waves were based around the organization of a community of girls who teach themselves and others. My personal experience within the current electro-queer-feminist music scene currently steams from riot girl ideals like an anger of not being visible or represented within the music scene as women. And once again a wave starts, created as not only a resistance, but owning it, growing through the creative process. I was lucky enough to learn and progress publicly, with support from the community, and often not……but a strong will to not confine myself and fight back male music standards.
 
On thing that is not different currently, is that because some of us are trying to be taken “seriously” as electro artists, and are written of as jokes or something to be written of as not deep. There is a double edged sword to lofi queer electro performance that I enjoy yet hate. One side is that some queers and women in the audience see lofi as an accessible form of expression for themselves. The other side is that is seems so accessible that everyone thinks they can do it…….hence, the tokenizing from male live instrument standards of what music and performance art should be. Very often, just because we don’t use live instruments, we still conquered drum machines, beat programming programs, audio recording programs, and mastering. Yes, the beauty is that the end result is definitely less produced and feels more personal and heartfelt. I see using a trashy old karaoke machine as a way to fuck the idea that you need to learn live instruments, and you can really start from anywhere just from anything. I used a tape recording device to do my first scrap recordings and then on a karaoke machine my girlfriend gave me. As with Riot grrrl, electro queer girls in communities nationwide started helping each other, sharing skills, not judging, collaborating, sharing ripped of software.

I started creating with no intention of performing, but as in a new way of creative expression. I always believed in Miranda July’s idea of using whatever you have to be creative. WHATEVER. Just start and break it out. I use my music as a way to express and process my emotions  about life and how that relates to being a queer femme and feminist, by challenging ideas of parody and humor along with politics, satire, and kitsch.

I was tucked under the wings of Scream Club, an already international star duo of electro queer pop. Cindy Wonderful encouraged me and gave me boot legged computer programs and helped me in an empowering way to build what I felt with NickyClick; opposite to my internalized ideals of what may be perceived as rational songwriting and performance. In Olympia, WA 2005, Scream Club and Giles O’Dell formed Crunks Not Dead Records, for outsider music of any kind. I soon became involved, and the first full length album out on the label was my first album “You’re Already a Member.” Now coming into 2010 we are an established collective and international electro queer feminist label!

Same as riot girl in the way that I and many other gals were not encouraged to take music classes in school, I was intimidated because the classes had always been filled with boys, this felt ostracizing. Meanwhile, I was always obsessed with females who made music, inspired. All the bands I listed above were my soundtracks, but I never considered the option of creating my own soundtrack.

Everyone I dated was a musician, but I never tried. Ugh the girlfriend in the audience watching her flame, I wanted to switch places and be on the stage. Then I moved to the West Coast, and boom I was surrounding by a new resurgence of girls making amazing art with no apologies. And they weren’t competitive, just welcoming and open to sharing skills.  In the sense of breaking down the idea that you don’t need to have some standard of stupid professionalism to keep you quiet, is definitely a riot girl themed concept. This time it is more about a girl going out on her own and doing it away from producers help, and joining together internationally as a community (thank god to the internet for that aspect of finding each other)

The end result has been for me personally a dream come true. For some reason, I have this need to publicly share my story, and it makes me feel great that I have people out there who feel connected, inspired and validated by my music. And of course, the visual gaze of an audience seeing a girl shake it on stage to an ipod confronts all sorts of sexist music world parameters. And yes, encourages others to try it; and perhaps question why they have been oppressed by internalized ideas of how music should be performed.

My motto is to love and believe in what I create, no matter who gets it or not, being totally serious about my creative concept and message live means that those who are in the audience will at least look, maybe not be able to look away, maybe it opens their mind, or at least they are in some way intrigued and opened up too music and DIY aesthetic.  Perhaps these non-preaching to the choir, as awful as they can be audiences, are my current goal, to command attention and be one woman doing that.

That is what NickyClick (which has been been loved and hated, always ever changing) means to me, but The Click is influenced by all women’s music genres whom I have been lucky enough to discover. I love it when the freaks have people who get them and vice versa!

Thanks for being an inspirations, ladies, feminists, and queers.

Thanks also to my musical muse, Mr.Owl, who continues to provoke my mind with thoughts and new ways of thinking. He is no chopped liver.


Video by Peter Pizzi

Nicky Click vs. Timezone Lafontaine - Drop Uh Huh

The Best of 2009 According To...

Our dear friends Sgt. Sass!!! They've been around for a couple years delivering queer raps to Philly and the east coast (I'm so jealous) and it's quite a weird story of how I came to know of them. Back when I was a little boy growing up in Massachusetts, we would use a little online blogging tool called LiveJournal. Maybe you've heard of it? Anyways, one day I was randomly posting something about how terrible my life was (Which really, it wasn't all that bad. But you know how teenagers think EVERYTHING is important), and I received a lovely message from DT about something (Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre, Bikini Kill, etc. I dunno what it was, but it was probably one of those 3 topics). From that point on, an internet friendship developed from a love of punk rock, riot grrrl, being weird gays, and being eastie buddies. I even met up with him in Philly cause I got family over there. That day I bought cigarettes without getting carded (I had just turned 18) and I picked up The Kills' first EP. It was a great day. Then I had to board the stupid ass train back to Boston. Ugh. A few years later, DT was like "Oh hey, I'm working on a queer rap group" and I was like, THE WORLD IS YOURS. I think the first song I heard was "I'll Take Your Man", and I knew at that point shit was gonna blow up big. Anyways, I continually wish the best for DT, Sgt. Sass, and KD (Who I haven't met yet, but I'm absolutely sure that the situation with fix itself in the near future). 2010 is the year of weirdo gays. No longer will we have to be the minority in a sea of dudes sporting faux hawks and I dunno, what are the dudes sporting these days? Is it still Abercrombie? WE SHALL OVERCOME. A huge thanks to Sgt. Sass for partaking. You can find any information about tours, jams, etc. at their MYSPACE PAGGGEEE.

After the cut!

KD of Sgt. Sass
Top 10 list in random order:
1. Michael Jackson
2. Everything Lady Gaga did
3. "Relapse" by Emimem
4."The End" by Black Eyed Peas
5. J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek". That's sexy!
6. The alleged bitch slapping of Perez Hilton
7. The Obamas
8. Auto Tune discussions
9. The MoMa for having some kick ass gallery this year. I heart art.
10. TMZ

DT of Sgt. Sass
Top 10 list in random order:
1. The XX
2. Lee Daniel's "Precious"
3. The HEALTH show at the First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia
4. Philadelphia Fashion Week
5. Lady Gaga's MTV Video Music Awards performance of "Paparazzi"
6. Nicki Minaj
7. "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. Aries Noise (formerly LEIF) performance at PREGAME, Philadelphia
9. The making and the final product of the "Demonstrate" video
10. Channelling Warhol and Basquiat

Sgt. Sass - I'll Take Your Man (JAPATTACK! Remix)

Sgt. Sass - Faggot Snappin' (JAPATTACK Body Remix)

The Runaways movie trailer

A few days back the trailer for the upcoming Runaways movie starring our girl KStew was released. As you will see when you watch the trailer there's a scene where Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett gives somebody "sex eyes" in a club or something. I sincerely hope that the sex eyes aren't directed at some dude because we all KNOW Joan Jett is a huge lez...and KStew probably is too, so it just wouldn't be believable. That being said, I'm not so sure Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie is believable either, so I'm sure the sex eyes ARE directed toward some rocker dude.

Watch the trailer below and speculate for yourself! Also - Check out the Joan Jett produced DemiRep from Bikini Kill, The Runaways' Cherry Bomb and Bratmobile's cover version.

Bikini Kill - DemiRep

The Runaways - Cherry Bomb

Bratmobile - Cherry Bomb

Sissy Nobby "Lay Me Down" Remixes

Mixpak Records just released a remix EP of Sissy Nobby's song "Lay Me Down". The EP includes the DJ Sega mix that's been floating around for a minute, as well as mixes from L-Vis 1990, A1 Bassline, Renaissance Man, Kanji Kinetic and Bitch Ass Darius.

Mixpak is doing something kind of weird by releasing the remix album before the actual single, so if you were totally confused like I was about remixes for a song you've never heard before, it's cool they did it on purpose. BUT... If you are anxious for the original don't worry, Mixpak says it will get "a proper release" (including vinyl) in early 2010. Either way, with or without the original, the tracks I've heard so far from this EP are at two different ends of the remix spectrum so I'm excited to hear where the other producers go with their mixes.

Anyways, check out the awesome video L-Vis 1990 made for his mix and the DJ Sega remix below!

Sissy Nobby - Lay Me Down (DJ Sega Rmx)

Jessica 6 - Fun Girl Video

Jessica 6 have released a video for their amazing "nu-disco" jam "Fun Girl". If you are not familiar with Jessica 6, the band is Nomi, Morgan and Andrew (formerly of Hercules and Love Affair) and from everything I've seen and heard in their short existence as a band, they rule. If "Fun Girl" is any indication of what's to come, they are gonna be HUGE in 2010!

You can pick up the 7" single of Fun Girl w/ Not Anymore now at Turntable Lab and enjoy the video and Keinemusik remix of Fun Girl below!

Video via Stereogum

Jessica 6 - Fun Girl (Keinemusik Remix)

The Best/Worst of 2000-2009 - Tae Young Version

Don't attempt this after eating a buttload of kimchi and watching South Park. Lord, I tried. I had to wait until the morning after to even think about it. Kimchi is like crack. It's gross, you never think you'd ever do it, and then when you do it's like, don't even try to deny it cause YOU'RE LIVING IN ADDICTION.

Anyways, 2009 was a great and horrible year. But 2000-2009 was the weirdest decade ever. Some killer jams came out, a bunch of movies I finally got around to seeing have become close to my heart, and Lady Gaga ruined my hope for humanity. Especially since the UK has existed for years and we haven't paid attention to the crap that comes from there with the same intensity (Same Difference, S Club all-of-them, Spice Girl solo careers, STEPS). A lot of people passed (OMG, Brittany Murphy anyone? TY? TY!!!), queers are gettin hated on by their government (What else is new), and we have a president who is really testing my patience. All in all, 2009 is like all other years. Rocky, tumultuous, boring, and I'm glad it's over. Here's the top 10 list of things that kept my head up high since 1999:

After the cut!


1. Jennifer Lopez falling at the American Music Awards, which by the way, why hasn't this award show been cancelled yet?



Jennifer Lopez is human. She falls down. She gets back up. How inspiring for the rest of us and our boring lives.

2. Lou Reed makes an iPhone application for the elderly with visual impairments

3. Grizzly Bear had a huge year. I love me some Grizzly Bear. "Veckatimest" was simply my favorite album in a LONG LONG TIME. I was hangry for some music. And then they topped it with a little dreamy ditty off the gay-as-fuck Twilight New Moon soundtrack and all my private parts went a little loopy. How in the world did movie producers even talk these bands into supplying jams for scenes with werewolves and vampires and stupid skinny girls?



4.
Yeah whatever, it's from like, 2006 or something stupid, but I just watched "The Room" the other week and all I can think about is who the fuck does that Lisa bitch think she is? She's not hot and she needs to start treating people nicer. MOM, I'm looking at you for guidance.

5. Third and Delaware is the greatest blog ever invented. I feel like the internet is over now that I've found the perfect combination of beautiful prose, chicken shirts, and Joan Collins.

6. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia finally hit their stride with this:


I don't know about other cat lovers, but I shit my pants when I saw what we were all thinking of doing on the TV.

7. Jann Terri has been ROBBED. Her time of success has COME:



8. Official Summer '09 Jam goes to Major Lazer's "Keep It Goin' Louder" featuring Ricky Blaze and Nina Sky. I know you remember that "Move Ya Body" song. This is 1397818097412 times better.

9. The re-emergence of Grace Jones.


We needed a bad ass bitch to come back and show us what music is. Take note, pop bitches.

10. KPOP brought me up this year and ruined it all at the same time.



Please please let 2010 be the year of breaking cycles. I can't become obsessed with something so cute and dumb ever again.

11. Hercules & Love Affair's "Blind" is bangin.

12. Family Guy


13. 'NSYNC



14. CATBUS

Please please let 2010 be the year of breaking cycles. I can't become obsessed with something so cute and dumb ever again.

The Worst:
1. Lady Gaga taking over everything.
2. Lux Interior (of The Cramps) dying
3. 500 Days Of Summer was the worst movie ever. And I was angry about it for weeks after viewing.
4. Fucking Kpop.
5. Ben Affleck

The Best of 2009 is coming later this week.

Sia's You've Changed Video

Add another phase to the year long journey of "You've Changed" - The video. As we posted a little while back, Sia recorded a poppy rework of the Lauren Flax song she lent her vocals to. The clip is like a handmade version of a school video yearbook and is totally cute and fun.

Check out the video and the Alexander Technique & Larry Tee Blogula Remix of the first incarnation. Also, for more remixes jump over here and catch them all!

Lauren Flax f. Sia - You've Changed (Alexander Technique & Larry Tee Blogula rmx)

Best of Y2K-Y2K09

I've been thinking a lot lately about our upcoming Best of 2009 lists and the things that have blown my mind this year. While focusing on the present I TOTALLY forgot that this is the end of the decade and that REALLY blew my mind...like way more than anything that happened in 2009. How did we end up here? I have such vivid memories of Y2K and all my friends who were afraid to go out on NYE. I feel so old!

Anyways, this decade I guess I became an adult for reals, but besides that, I found music that pretty much changed my whole life. Here are my favorite records from the last decade!

After the cut!

2000
The Need - The Need Is Dead
One of my favorite records ever! I still love The Need and wish for a reunion every day.

The Need - Circuit Side

2001
Tracy + The Plastics - Muscler's Guide to Videonics
Queer and arty, blippy and bloppy. Just like I like 'em.

Tracy + The Plastics - City

2002

Le Tigre - Remix

There are highs and lows on this remix record, but any record that includes the DFA remix of Deceptacon wins for that alone. BUT, this record also kind of made dance music an option for a lot of queer musicians who would have maybe never considered the genre as a viable way to get their point across.

Le Tigre - Deceptacon (DFA Remix)

2003

Anna Oxygen - All Your Faded Things

It's a psychedelic journey disguised as an arty concept record on it's way to a first date with a dance party. NOTE: Mildly scary on mushrooms.

Anna Oxygen - Aviva

2004

MIA & Diplo - Piracy Funds Terrorism, Volume 1

As good as MIA's "Arular" turned out to be, this Diplo produced mixtape is even better. I'm pretty sure every mixtape created after this one is jealous.

MIA - Amazon (Diplo Mix)

2005

Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again

Don't hold it against them that "How Long" was in that terrible movie "I Know Who Killed Me" starring my SECOND favorite young Hollywood lesbo (#1 is all you KStew) because Out Hud were actually a really great band and this record has so many great songs.

Out Hud - One Life To Leave


2006
The Knife - Silent Shout
I wish I could pick this record like over and over again because I feel like just having it listed once doesn't convey how amazing it is! LOVE LOVE LOVE this album.

The Knife - We Share Our Mother's Health


2007
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Ok, so I'm really not wild about "North American Scum" (I like it but don't love it) but pretty much every other song on this album rules. James Murphy made an album that is funny, weird, pretty, kind of emotional and just generally genius.

LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous


2008
Hercules and Love Affair
I really liked this record when it came out. It was very likable with Antony, Nomi and Kim Ann's vocals, the amazing basslines, Andrew Butler's references to the best parts of disco and late 80's/early 90's house...but when I saw H&LA live last year it changed everything. I no longer liked the record, I LOVED it. This band was so amazing live it made me appreciate the greatness of this record even more.

Hercules and Love Affair - You Belong


2009
TBA
Check back in the next week or so for our Best of 2009 lists!

She's Dead

Inspired by the dark...here's the first in a series of Young Creature collaborative film and video projects. Check out the film and the songs featured in it below!

Boys Noize - Kontact Me

Diamanda Galas - The Litanies of Satan

Alt Rap Bitches

Now as you know, my freaky ass love me some rap bitches. What I love even more than rap bitches are ALT-RAP BITCHES. Bitches who actually flaunt what they got without a lame ass major label (I can honestly say I have no love for record labels from prior experience. DIY, kids). Has anyone ever hung out at the VFW with Foxy Brown? NO. The only one brave enough to do that is Kid Sister in a panda bear sweater mini dress (Girl looked faboosh that night). Does Lil' Kim post Craigslist ads for her rap services? No, she's too busy gettin' crunk in the F4M and lord knows what other sections. Jean Grae keeps it classy and posts for 16 bars lyrically. And does Trina unintentionally show a slip of the nip? No, she brandishes those puppies for all the world to see and doesn't give a fuck. Uffie slaps on some neon dress and calls it a malfunction. LOVE.

But as of late, our alt-rap bitches have been taking breathers. Jean Grae released an unauthorized album put out by Blue Sky Black Death (Which is amazing, and they better PAY HOMEGIRL). Uffie is gearing up to release her first full length LP in 2010 after getting preggers and touring for-ev-er. And Kid sister finally released an album this year full of party rap. Unfortunately half the tracks we already knew. What is going on with my alt-rap bitches? STEP IT UPPPPPPPP.

2010 will be the year. If I have to make drunk white girl rap my goddamn self, so be it. Gay dudes love party music, and where there is a will, there is a way. Ke$ha, you don't count sadly, as working with Benny Blanco (who coproduces with Dr. Luke) does not constitute underground even though I love me some jewfro producer and he did work with Spank Rock. And he's hot. So hot. What's a Korean-American Jew to do?

Smack it:

Kid Sister - Life On TV

Jean Grae - Threats (ft. Chen Lo)

Uffie - MC's Can Kiss (Radio Rip)

VINTAGGGGEEEEE:

ESG - Erase You