OPINION

Is Casual too Casual?

All around me, people are having sex: It can be great and not so great. Sex with an ex or Rex, a complete stranger, can be good and plenty. If “sexaholics” are the new “shopaholics,” then casual sex is the new black. Is casual sex something to try on or should it be left hanging in the sale section?

Some people cannot live without sex. Some need to take their potential trysts from point A to the park bench. However, who should suffer at the handcuffed hands of these shameless sex addicts? Which leads to my ultimate question: in the age of un-innocence, should we buy into things that we can’t return?

However, something should be said about the number of people hooking up at an alarming rate. With the age range being from grade school to the retirement home. It effects us more than you think. The guy I dated told me about a past sexual encounter, starring the surprising tight grandma. I gagged–literally.

“She was recently divorced, and my friend’s grandma was always nice to me,” he said. “So, I said fuck it lets do it. Shit, it was the best ass i ever had.”

I can’t. Could you imagine? That sounds like a gift that repeats. I wonder why he is now dating men. I guess I have to compete with grandma for the best ass in the city.

However, the lure of a casual encounter can be so enticing that all logic is thrown out of your bedroom window. Within a snap I could be on app. Usually that time would have been best spent taking a nap. A warm body next to mine is preferred after midnight. Why the sudden craving? It’s certainly better than Warm Bodies, that tragic movie about a Vampire and a human falling in love. Don’t get me started. The premise alone makes me want to grab an apple martini and run for the hills.

Casual sex is like a cheap champagne. A mixture of manufactured emotions and bottled up urges popped and released after shaking it too much. The next morning you wonder who’s in your bed and more importantly when are they leaving. So, you quickly tell them that you have to go to work and that he needs to go; or in the words of Sweet Brown, he needs to run for his life without no shoes on or nothing Jesus.

Thoughts turn to a situation I had when I asked a guy to leave; he had the nerve to ask me for money for his metro card. Oh no he didn’t. I knew I should have invested my time in a better bottle of champagne. In therapy, they would have called this a break-through.

When the time arrives, have a couple try-on sessions, get a second opinion, and make sure they have a generous return policy. No one wants buyer’s remorse.

It’s easy to avoid being tempted by Mistresses

by Michael Tyminski

Mistresses: Mondays at 10p.m. Eastern on ABC

When reviewing shows, I often look not only in terms of the show itself, but at the identity of the network (or in context of the specific evening of a network if it’s one of the big four). I often do so because as much as a show’s quality and ratings will determine it’s first-run lifespan, how a given show fits within that networks brand identity will in turn often affect it’s ratings. For example, a show like Happy Endings was excellent, but it also stuck out like a sore thumb amid ABC’s proclivity for soapy prime-time dramas, family oriented comedies, and Dancing with the Stars. Their newest show Mistresses, however, seems to fit firmly within this identity.

Mistresses follows the story of four lifelong female friends and their personal and professional struggles. Savannah Davis (Alyssa Milano) is an ambitious lawyer who also wants a child, only to be stifled by her husband’s fertility issues. Her sister Josslyn (Jess McCallan), meanwhile is a real-estate agent whom is more interested in hooking up than any sort of long term relationship. Together with their close friends: the recently widowed April (Rochelle Aytes) and unethical therapist Karen (Yunjin Kim), they navigate the complex web of deception they’ve created.

We open with Savannah running into her husband in a hotel bar and demanding he pop back on his ring only to lead to a bunch of random shots of torrid major network broadcastable sex intertwined with a bunch of shots mocking the sudsiness that comes from romance movie cliches. Savi and Josslyn then have a snippy conversation about Savannah’s fertility issues. She then runs into Karen at a funeral for one of her clients (whom she had an improper relationship with). Our four principal leads then rendezvous at April’s house where they catch up during a birthday party for her daughter.

After the party, Karen receives a call from her clients’ son Sam, asking to talk to her, before seeing he is at the front door. Savannah and Harry find out that the medical issues were related to Harry’s sperm. Karen arrives to work only to find that Sam has made an appointment and is confronting his issues about his father’s affair. Meanwhile, a mysterious and handsome stranger enters to ask out April and buy throw pillows. Savannah meanwhile has a disagreement with Harry after visiting him at work, and gets recruited by April to babysit, while receiving bawdy texts from Dominic.

All of these proceedings are brought to a screeching halt with the arrival of a distraught Karen. Karen took the opportunity to finally open up to her friends about her illicit secret, only to be advised to continue lying. When ultimately confronted, she continues to live the lie, solely for what she feels is Sam’s sake. Meanwhile, Savannah takes in Josslyn before ending up in a full blown argument with Harry.

We return to check in on all of our plot lines. April finds out what happened to her mystery date and that her ex-husband had been sleeping around. Josslyn struggles to move a seaside house to an uncertain couple. Karen is panicking about a potential malpractice suit involving her former client and is shredding documents. Last but not least, a distraught Savannah gives into temptation and does something she never thought she’d do.

As one could probably see above, the show juggles a number of plot lines and manages to do so pretty deftly considering that our principle four ladies are kept fairly separate. Where Mistresses truly thrives though is in its’ lighter moments, where it provides the right amount of snark to elicit the occasional chuckle (particularly with Joss, who gets the lion’s share of catty lines).

The show however, struggles with the drama and particularly with the tears. Over the span of an hour, a lead character breaks out into hysterics 7 times. None of them look the slightest bit believable. This is made worse when you consider that the game changing last ten minutes of the show have characters taking seemingly irrational actions in relation to the characters we meet in the first 50 minutes (Savannah deciding to hook up with a coworker, Karen coldly shredding documents, April learning about her husband’s love affair and Joss managing to not make a snarky comment).

Another issue the show struggles with are the often very one-note characters. While this is particularly prevalent with the male characters whom are generally background, it seems even more egregious when you consider that the main characters are as flat. For example, if I were asked to describe April’s character to a potential watcher, the only words that would come out are “mother” and “widow”. Considering that the writers are clearly wanting for us to root for Savannah throughout the show (she doesn’t really possess a negative trait until about 55 minutes in), this is a huge problem because it doesn’t allow for the sort of organic plot development that is necessary to create serialized drama.

The Final Verdict: Mistresses is the sort of show that could have been so much more if it had taken the “Sex And The City-lite” track it seems to take over the first few minutes over the awkward drama-laden train wreck that occurs over the course of the episode. While it tends to generally act like a pedestrian prime-time soap, it’s final act leans heavily on a suspension of disbelief but ultimately fails due to a seeming lack of internal logic (the natural response to obvious workplace sexual harassment is not to sleep with the harasser a couple of days later when stuck late at work). This lack of build to what should be major plot points ultimately makes it very difficult to emotionally invest in characters whose actions become morally questionable in a hurry. I’d recommend skipping this one unless you really need something to fill an hour on a Monday night.

Brad & Dylan’s “Cutest Couple” moment- historic.

by Ryan Shea

A picture can literally mean a thousand words, and in this case can be shared over 100,000 times. A simple posting by a girl named Chelsea on her Tumblr page had that amount of shares in less than 24 hours. You heard right, 24 hours. The photo itself had a simple caption that read this-

“Two of my best friends won Cutest Couple of our senior class. First time in my school history a same sex couple has even been able to run for this category, not to mention winning it. So proud of them, and my school.”

Who was the most surprised out of all of this? Brad and Dylan themselves. In a email written to The Huffington Post, they had this to say regarding the issue-

This whole thing has been a bit surreal for us because we have been raised to believe that love is love. We never realized that our happiness and openness would inspire so many individuals. The support we have received from our family, friends, and even strangers has led us to believe that our affection for each other is normal … When we started dating a year [ago], the thought of a photo of us traveling throughout the world would be a bit frightening, but now we are proud to be part of the LGBT community.

I wrote in the title of this article that it is historic for many different reasons. One- regardless of what kind of high school and environment you have come from this is a huge shocker that they were even nominated for it, and two that they won. What makes it amazing is how mature that particular high school was in choosing two people who just from the photo alone seem very in love yet their classmates viewed as just that and didn’t delve into homophobia or this being some gross prank that the senior guys pull for their own pathetic humor.

This may be a bit different but it has the same context. When we did Homecoming King and Queen, the girl that won was usually the one that everyone expected to win and the guy that one was the “joke vote”. I saw it happen pretty much every year and it made me disgusted that this form of bullying happened to something that was supposed to be nice and good for the man and woman that won it. When I was a junior, there was an openly gay senior that was up for King and to many people’s surprise he won. The football team looked devastated as the one they picked out to be thrown into the masses lost and for the first time in our school’s history a gay man actually won. I made sure I screamed loud and proud to silence the haters and what made it even better was that he won authentically and didn’t stuff the ballot box like the others did in years past.

This rings true for Dylan and Brad. I wish them nothing but happiness with each other and their own personal success. If this is how the youth of this country are seeing people past all the homophobia that is out, then we have a good shot that this generation will be a great one. Keep hope alive.

Album Review: Majical Cloudz – Impersonator

by Rio Toro

Majical Clouds: Impersonator

Similar Artists: Sigur Ros, James Blake

Genre: Loop Based Music, Ethereal Vocals

Label: Matador

It’s funny that there has been near unanimous praise for Montreal based group Majical Cloudz’ live act, because earlier this year, when I saw them opening for Autre Ne Veut at an intimate Brooklyn venue, almost no one was paying attention. It’s sad too, because Majical Cloudz are doing something really different with the live experience. Upon arriving on stage, frontman Devon Welsh asked the audience to sit on the floor, and then he proceeded to walk amongst the audience while performing. Unfortunately, only about an eighth of the audience followed his order. The duo were clearly going for grand and original, but due to the audiences reluctance, the performance ended up being awkward over anything else. I wouldn’t normally mention something like this in a review, but it goes along with the fact that Majical Clouds make music that requires attention to enjoy.

I have to admit, I almost completely forgot about the group after that night. Then, a few weeks ago I began hearing about their 2nd LP Impersonator, and how Devon Welsh’s vocal performance was being considered one of the finest of the year. It’s true, for a vocalist who isn’t even classically trained, Welsh has a spot on baritone that proves unusually commanding and affecting. What’s more impressive is how he carries these songs almost entirely by himself. While he never goes entirely a capella, the music is composed of very minimal keyboard loops, and it even borders on being ambient at times. However, this simpleness helps to intensify the music, as our mind becomes focused on the subtleties, such as Welsh’s epic vocal changes, and the slight nuances in Matthew Otto’s keyboard programming. Most songs are only made out of four or five elements, and they each develop at a glacial pace. While at first you might think this album would be more entertaining if there was more of a beat drop, we eventually realize the build-up is the release, and although it is restrained, it proves to be as cathartic as any piece of music you’re likely to here this year.

The individual songs here are harder to make a statement about, because the album emits such a natural flow. Each song carries many of the same lyrical themes, and it is occasionally hard to distinguish when one ends and another begins. Although there certainly isn’t much in the way of variety, the conciseness actually benefits the album as it feels like a thorough exploration within a distinct sound. While lead single “Bug’s Don’t Buzz” was easy enough to ignore on its own, within the course of the album its effect is magnified, because the album eases us into its own mood of tranquility.

While these guys are part of a post Arcade-Fire Montreal indie scene that includes Grimes and Doldrums, Majical Cloudz isn’t nearly as “cool”, or even as fun, as either of those acts. In fact, many are going to dismiss this band for those exact reasons. While this certainly isn’t music you could listen to all the time – and you should under no circumstances play it at a party, this is a complete listening experience, and if you are in the right mood it can also be a perfect one.

Track Listing:

1.) Impersonator

2.) This Is Magic

3.) Childhood’s End*

4.) I Do Sing For You*

5.) Mister*

6.) Turns Turns Turns*

7.) Silver Rings

8.) Illusion

9.) Bug’s Don’t Buzz*

10.) Notebook

* – Album Highlight

Gay men make girls look like Mother Theresa. Yup.

by Ryan Shea

I feel we owe it to ourselves to all fess up and say- Yup, I’ve been a bitch to that guy or groups of guys. We all have been. Now more than ever there is a strong vibe in our community that gay men start out like the nice Cady Heron in “Mean Girls” but end up being the vicious, backstabbing bitch that she becomes in the movie (sort of like Lindsay Lohan in real life. Ahhh, how art imitates). Yet, a lot of men tend to stay in the second zone without ever learning the life lessons which ultimately makes Cady likable in the end, especially breaking her plastic crown and sharing it with the rest of the crowd. When it did become so socially acceptable for gay men to treat each other with such disdain and rudeness yet millions of us are screaming to the straight world that we want to be accepted? We can’t accept each other. It’s beyond ridiculous. Here are some reasons behind this philosophy.

You get the point. Credit to Paper Blog.

One- I was bullied growing up, so now it’s time to take revenge. I consider myself a fortunate gay man in the sense that growing up I was never bullied, called names like “fag” and “homo” in a serious matter and physically and/or emotionally abused like many other gay men and women were growing up. This could’ve been in and outside of the school, but this is something that they take with them the rest of their lives. This can incorporate itself in the gay community completely when you reach a certain age, find a group of guys to hang with, and become that group of mean girls we all hated back when we were growing up. In essence, you were becoming that guy or girl that bullied you and exacting it upon other people. Sure, it can make sense to you and some other people but really what are you getting out of it? In the grown world, these people never went after you, the ones that did it growing up did it for their own insecure reasons. Don’t turn that around and think that two wrongs make a right, cuz really they never do.

Body Issues... one of the many things men gossip about. — Body Issues… one of the many things gay men gossip about.

Jealousy. Bitterness. Resentment. Oh, he cheated on me. We had bad sex. I woofed at him on Scruff and he didn’t say thanks. I took him out to dinner once and he never got back ton me. Four of zillion reasons why we talk shit behind others backs. The best ones to me are when men talk about other men they have NEVER freaking met and act like they know them as well as their own family or best friends do. It’s human nature, I get it. We all talk about someone behind their backs. The reasons for men of a certain age to do it in this community once again come off as childish and immature. I had incident a couple of months ago where someone I knew from brief chats years ago decided to take it upon himself and ruin a couple of friendships of mine. Luckily, the two in question that he tried talking to were mature enough to understand the shit he was trying to pull, and didn’t let it phase them or our friendship. It makes me giggle though that people can be that insecure where something that was merely nothing three years back can still influence someone of a certain age to act like a 12 year old girl in order to prove a point. It gets to be a bit silly.

Kudos if you know what he's saying here. Credit to WordPress. — Kudos if you know what he’s saying here. Credit to WordPress.

Maybe it’s just society that has led us to this conclusion. Is it just me or has Hollywood and the media in general embraced the bitchy gay guy? No, I am not mentioning if they are butch or queeny, that has nothing to do with it. I mean just purely mean and rude in every which sense of the way. From Jack MacFarland on “Will and Grace” to Anthony Marentino on “Sex and the City”, it sort of seems like there is a bit of typecasting which can lead to real life experience. Several reality seem to pitch the same concept, in particular “Big Brother” which I am a huge fan of. Every season (except for season 5) there is the bitchy gay guy. Really it just makes us look bad especially in the heterosexual world where they already have a preconceived notion about it. Yet as stated before, it can really lead to real life experiences in how we treat one another.

Listen, the moral here isn’t for us to hold hands, go to a yoga class and be super nice to each other because that would really make us look like a bunch of assholes. I just think that this treatment of each other can lead to serious problems within gay men such as depression, body issues and a ton of other things that can ultimately hurt who they are in the long run. Just think about what you are saying the next time you go to gossip. That’s all.

Album Review: Dean Blunt – The Redeemer

by Rio Toro

Dean Blunt: The Redeemer

Similar Artists: James Ferraro, Hype Williams

Genre: not club/dance, electronic

Label: Hippos in Tanks

Throughout his career, Dean Blunt has specialized in crafting albums that offer musical experiences that lie far from the norm – yet are rooted in genres that are somewhat familiar and nostalgic. From being one half of Hype Williams to his plentiful amount of solo albums (one such being The Narcissist II, which draws a fine line between being a gem and a trash heap) DB has remained an enigmatic figure of the highest caliber. He has also presented himself as the ultimate prankster, as his methods often send fans scurrying on endless internet chases that end up being ultimately worthless as an insight to his work. This guy really doesn’t want us to know the deeper meaning behind his music – and as it turns out we really shouldn’t be concerned with such things. Even without the anonymity and hidden meanings (and with or without his partner in crime Inga Copeland) DB’s work has proved to be captivating in its own right. God knows this isn’t your everyman’s music, so if Blunt wants to go on creating an unknowable presence out of everything surrounding his music, than so be it.

Last year, when the confounding Black is Beautiful was released on Hyperdub, many saw it as a sort of breakthrough for the artist. However, if anything, the music presented on that release was even more confusing than what came before – and the brief interviews Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland gave didn’t help to clear up much of anything either. These last few releases from DB have shown him working at the height of his powers, where each song sounds like it’s own unique interpretation of a forgotten pop song, only reinterpreted through an experimental, even alien lens. It would be too easy, however, to describe this music with a term as simple as abstract, for it is deserving of much more analysis than that.

As it turns out, against all odds, The Redeemer is DB’s most accessible and human release to date – but not necessarily for the reasons you would expect. Keep in mind, there are still plenty of muddy textures, samples of breaking glass, and a whole lot of moaning and groaning from Dean himself – but the compositions here are often a perfect blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. The broadened orchestration complements DB’s damaged, always expressive vocals, which is impressive in its own right. On tracks such as “Flaxen”, which is carried by an elegiac harp, delicate piano and minimal horns, DB shows off his skills at arranging a multitude of complex sounds into one. Most surprising of the standouts however, is by far “Imperial Gold”, which is a finger-picked folk song featuring the assured and beautiful vocals of Joanne Robertson. There are also several orchestral vignettes that tie together the bigger pieces of the story. Each of the 19 tracks build upon an expanding instrumental palette to where the album comes off as something that is almost colorful.

It certainly carries more of an overarching theme than anything in his discography as well – with its themes of lost love it even begs to be called relatable at times. The album is riddled with answering machine messages, recurring characters, and ominous vocal samples that relate to a central plot. This is already being called DB’s breakup record, and he certainly does sound quite brokenhearted – especially on the piano piece “Brutal” where he comes off as a lonely drunk chronicling his sorrows at the local bar. Still, this is an artist who has never been honest before, so why is he suddenly starting now? Whether you read The Redeemer as a joke or an honest account is entirely up to you. Right now, however, we should just enjoy listening to it, because the sounds here should be able to hold us for some time.

Track Listing:

1.) Dread

2.)Y3

3.) Papi

4.) MMIX

5.) All Dogs Go To Heaven*

6.) Imperial Gold*

7.) Predator

8.) Brutal*

9.) Par

10.) I Run New York

11.) The Pedigree

12.) Demon

13.) Flaxen*

14.) V

15.) The Redeemer

16.) Seven Seals of Affirmation*

17.) Walls of Jericho

18.) Make it Official

19.) Need 2 Let You Go*

* – Album Highlight

Brooklyn DA Tries To Be Jack Of All Trades, Masters None

by Michael Tyminski

Brooklyn DA: Tuesdays at 10pm Eastern on CBS

It’s not every day you hear about a new TV show being stuck in some real political wrangling. However, CBS’s latest Tuesday night reality offering ended up being the victim of such a case with its’ new show Brooklyn DA which only finally was cleared to air earlier today when a political rival tried to get it delayed until after a political primary amid concerns that the show would basically turn into a multi-million dollar campaign ad for his opponent (district attorneys are elected by the general public in New York State).

Brooklyn DA follows the attorneys office of Charles Hynes, the real life lawyer in the titular role and his assistants as they piece together cases for real-life crimes. The six part series also looks into the professional and personal lives of many of the special assistants whom work in the office as they struggle to piece together high profile cases.

We open with Lawrence Oh, who’s in a local deli where he’s picking up food on the way to work. Mr. Oh is investigating a theft of three pieces of fine art and is looking to set up a sting for his proposed suspect. We then meet Kathryn Collins, an assistant DA who deals with human trafficking and is looking to put a pimp behind bars. Ken Taub handles our episodes third case: the murder of a Brooklyn police officer in the line of duty.

For a documentary, it’s an incredibly slickly shot show, with large amounts of stylish graphical packages (especially in transitions), inventive editing juxtapositions, and a staggeringly high number of camera angles. These are particularly notable in the places where they couldn’t actually send cameras, such as when they couldn’t bring cameras into the courtroom for the plaintiff’s testimony, leading to a composite shot of our plaintiff and Kathleen, while cross examination gave us a composite of the plaintiff and the defendant’s attorney.

One thing I was somewhat surprised about was that the show did not ever really delve deeply into the lives of its’ featured attorneys (whether or not the featured attorneys appear on every show is yet to be known, CBS was fairly mum about the exact details of the show). We get a couple of short segments of Lawrence talking about his love for food and that he’s forced to eat in the office (one of these segments involves him doing so) and a very brief mention of Catherine’s husband.

However, for all of the technical wizardry, I question the degree to which the producers drag the victims of these crimes through. While it can at least somewhat justified to have the family of the fallen police officer talk a little about their father, I felt completely uncomfortable about the fact that the victim of a sexual assault (and to a lesser degree human trafficking) was very heavily featured with no pixelation or voice alteration or name alteration. While in this instance the offender might be a small-time criminal, it seems very odd that you would open up a victim for potential retaliation on prime time national TV. This is even worse when you consider that the show is produced under the guise of the news department, whom typically have used some or all of these protection methods for years.

As for the other ethical question? Simply put, while the show seems pretty clearly within the law (Hynes doesn’t appear in the first episode, but a fairly controversial surrogate is prominent), I can also understand why the opposition would have their gripes. The fact of the matter is, politicians have sued for less and anything other than a perfectly neutral and unbiased portrayal could potentially swing an election with a megaphone that large. What makes this worse is that while the timing seems least important from a network TV perspective, it’s salient a little too close to the primary (the series will end in July, the primary in question is in September) for anyone to claim that this show won’t potentially swing a pivotal local election in the form of airtime that would run in value about the same as a full campaign for a high-end U.S. Senate election. Luckily, we’re one episode in with one big mistake and a second one illustrated in the preview for our second show so hopefully Brooklyn DA stays a fairly evenhanded portrayal.

The Final Verdict: Brooklyn DA tries to have the slickness of a drama while operating under the guise of reality. What we get instead is a show that seems pretty devoid of both, with a whole slew of other ethical questions as the cherry to this non-sundae. In a lot of ways, you get the vibe that CBS was looking for a less expensive reality analogue to it’s crime drama heavy Tuesday lineup. Skip this and toss on a rerun of Law and Order if you’re looking for some courtroom drama.

Chatty Talk with Elise

by Elise Pentz

Happy Tuesday, ya’ll! Let’s get started with the romantic news I’m dying to share with everyone!

Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul wed longtime love Lauren Parsekian at Alimigo’s Ranch in Malibu on Sunday and goodness, could they look more romantic?? Just look at this picture, swoon!

: Cobra Starship’s Gabe Saporta married designer beauty Erin Fetherson at the St. Nicholas Abbey plantation in Barbados, where he also popped the question New Years Eve. What a lovely way to begin the rest of your lives together? I can’t wait for the first pictures of their wedding to be released! Though if you can’t wait, here’s a picture of the gorgeous duo.. Looking remarkable, per usual!

credit: glamour.com

The Way We Wore

by Walter Reed

Over the past few weeks, Manhattan has been overwhelmed with gay bashings, culminating to murder near the Grey’s Papaya on West 8th street and Sixth Ave in the West Village. It’s shocking to hear that these hate crimes are being committed in our gayest neighborhoods. These casual criminals were as bad as the knock-offs on Canal street, getting caught within minutes of committing their crimes. In a status quo that set us back two decades, will it be safe for gays to don there most daring fashion choices?

Marc Carson, who was murdered in the West Village, was identified as being gay because he wore shorts and boots. He was targeted based on what he wore. This news was disturbing, since I liked to strut in the shortest shorts of the season. Such violence was expected in the Himalayas of Brooklyn. There are parts of Brooklyn like East New York or Flatbush where one wouldn’t dare wear pom pom shorts past happy hour for fear of being attacked. Yet this was happening in the movie making, celebrity filled Manhattan. Why the sudden change in a post Sandy world?

Religion and fashion went together like strangers giving out candy. I came to the city that never sleeps to practice my fashion choices in peace. What we wore, shaped and defined our lives. It was as essential as breakfast in the morning. I had no intentions to revert back to the political stylings of the nation’s conservatively dressed Capitol–where I was born and raised. A gay man’s right to shoes should be protected as well as skirts, kilts, and dresses–oh my!

It’s neither always sunny on Independence Day nor is it always snowing on Christmas. However, that didn’t deter me from wanting to see the fireworks while remaining completely dry. It also did not keep me from wishing for a White Christmas ever winter. We don’t live in a perfect world. The shenanigans of these shady thugs can’t force us back into the closet. Besides our wardrobes didn’t fit in the narrow cages that imprisoned their minds.

Is there is a way for us all to co-exist in an environment as diverse as the concrete jungle? There is no such thing as a life without conflict. However, we do have our gay-borhoods. So if one isn’t pro gay then stay out our neighborhoods and take that homophobia elsewhere. We have to try as people to be better than we were the day before. I embraced my freedom to wear black as often as possible. Skirts and dresses were my preference to layer over leather pants and skinny jeans, not my sexual orientation. I have the right to define my humanity, through the way I choose to dress in any city, borough or district.

Album Review: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

by Rio Toro

Daft Punk: Random Access Memories

Similar Artists: Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers

Genre: Disco, House, Pop, Dance

Label: Columbia

With Random Access Memories, Guy-Manuel and Thomas Bangalter have created an album that is so meticulously detailed and expensively produced that it is essentially critic proof. At 320 kps, RAM is simply one of the best sounding records of our time, and it makes all other factors such as songwriting and originality seem far less important than they should be. It is not an exaggeration to say this is the new go to album when testing out the quality of a new set of speakers/headphones. Still, while critical reception has been, for the most part, very positive, this has to do with it being undeniably solid and pleasing to the senses rather than it being groundbreaking.

On first listen, it is easy to be disappointed – I for one was expecting something much more progressive. After the resounding amount of hype surrounding this release, it is slightly disheartening that 2/3rds of the record is made up of slow jams. As a whole, this is a record that is neither as fun as Homework, nor as revolutionary as Discovery. Instead, RAM stands on its own within the group’s discography, and in its own way, it ends up being just as impressive as the duo’s previous landmarks.

Obviously, this is a record that looks to the past for inspiration, and here we get to see the duo wear their long time influences on their sleeves in spectacular fashion. Many of the duo’s long time influences even take part in songwriting credits and vocal duties. The concept of the album is about living in the sounds of the past to arrive at a new destination that encapsulates the spirit and energy of a time long gone. This is most present in the Todd Edwards sung title track “Fragments of Time”, where he repeatedly sings /I’ll just keep playing back, these fragments of time, everywhere I go, these moments will shine/ during the chorus. Unfortunately, that song ends with a Peter Frampton like vocoder guitar solo that is one of the few instances where the sound comes off as being nearly pastiche. Most of the time, the album plays true to this theme of reinventing the past while still sounding modern and fresh.

The list of collaborators that took part in the construction of RAM is sprawling, and representative of an array of genres spanning multiple decades. A whole lot of talent, such as Nile Rodgers’ disco infused guitar work and Paul Williams’ emotive, almost broadway vocals, is showcased throughout the hour plus running time. Some of the most interesting collaborations come with newer artist’s such an Noah Lennox and Julian Casablancas lending their gifts to the sounds of 70’s and 80’s house music. While a look at the production credits would leave one to believe the album would be a clusterfuck of auto-tuned vocals and incongruous harmonies, it is to the producers credit that the opposite is true. In fact, the pairings are often so smooth and nuanced that the results seem far too natural and human for a group as robotic and mechanized as Daft Punk.

While Daft Punk has always been cheesy in their own delightful way, here they have taken more than a few steps into adulthood. After all, these are two grown men who are pushing their mid 40’s; so it is no wonder why they have thrown out many of their less mature charades. However, some of the cheesiness that fueled their earlier work still has a lingering presence – it is during these moments where the album occasionally falters, as we feel they aren’t in on the joke of how silly some of this music is. One such instance that calls to mind is the album’s miraculous and spectacle worthy “Touch”, which is almost ruined when Paul Williams sing’s /Touch sweet touch, you’ve given me too much to feel, sweet touch, you’ve almost convinced me i’m real/ in a disastrous cry of self pity that proves way too broadway for this reviewer.

Above all else, this is an album in the truest sense of the word. It is meant to be listened to in unison, and after it sinks in, you could easily live with this music for weeks on end. Best represented by Giorgio’s voiceover on “Giorgio by Moroder”, RAM is an album about disco rather than a disco album – not unlike how DJ Sprinkles fantastic “Midtown 120 Blues” was an album about the classic deep house scene. Daft Punk have perhaps created the most expensive music history lesson of all time. Although the effect it will have on the future of music is uncertain, as of now it is an absolute essential to any music lovers catalogue.

Track Listing:

1.) Give Life Back To Music

2.) The Game of Love

3.) Giorgio by Moroder*

4.) Within

5.) Instant Crush

6.) Lose Yourself to Dance

7.) Touch*

8.) Get Lucky*

9.) Beyond

10.) Motherboard

11.) Fragments of Time

12.) Doin’ in Right*

13.) Contact*

* – Album highlight

OPINION

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