MasculineCurves

boy gone wild...

It baffles me as to why a guy brave enough to cover Madonna and post it on YouTube would “hetero-nize” the lyrics and attempt to come off as straight. But this is too damn hot, nonetheless (and he takes off his shirt!).

 

the other dream girls...

Okay, so here’s a “little gem” I found on YouTube. An Expose reunion. Who woulda thunk? Complete with a “dreamgirl-like” opening. There were never just three Expose chicks.... it was always four. Does anyone remember when Kelly Moneymaker stepped in when Gioia fell ill? Well,if you do then you were paying way too much attention during the 80s (actually, not because Moneymaker didn’t join the group until 1992). Another little known fact about Moneymaker is that in real life she is married to actor Peter Reckell, better known as Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives. And I know this because I spend way too much time looking up random stuff on IMDB. 

This clip was filmed at L.A. Pride 2009. I guess some California suburb was short four soccer moms that day.

Making His Move

 Nehemiah Akbar's Make My Move video (directed by John Gress) has just dropped and its calypso-pop beat has become my new earworm. Though something about the vocal production puts me in the mind of a a sound that might be heard on a Janet album. Support it and buy on iTunes

she's a bad girl, anyway...

If you see me walking down the street with my iPhone earbuds attached to the sides of my face and my head bopping then you might be interested to know that my current ear worm is the second release (and soon to be number one hit) from Madonna’s upcoming MDNA album Girl Gone Wild. This song is fun! It’s as simple as that. No, really, it is as simple as that. Somehow, it puts me in the mind of a throwback to her 1992 hit Deeper and Deeper (showing my age). I can’t wait for the official video of Girl Gone Wild to come out. Visually it calls for disco balls and feather boas... don’t ya think?

Well, since the official video isn’t out yet, I thought you might enjoy this crazy-mad video mashup of all of Madonna’s best bad girl moments I found over at Boy Culture.

you can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness...

A friend brought this song to my attention a few weeks ago and now I see it is making the way through the blogosphere. I was reminded of it the other day when I heard it pumping through the speakers of my neighborhood coffee shop. Somebody that I Used to Know by Goyte is such a “soundtrack-of-my-life” kinda song. It summarizes the bitter-sweet moment when you come to the realization that someone who was once the most important being in your life has simply become “someone that you used to know.”

In my mind, this song plays in the background every time I scroll through the contacts in my address book. Amazingly, I still can’t bring myself to hit the delete button on that ONE person despite the fact that he is now merely someone that I used to know...

I told myself that you were right for me,
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know

 

Reinventing the Super Bowl

So let’s talk about something that’s racing through the pulse of the gay blogosphere at this very moment. Today is the day we’ve all been looking forward to. This is the day that Madonna WINS the Super Bowl. Oh, I’m sorry. Was that reductive? Yep, I looked it up and I’m still not certain what reductive means or the context in which to use it. However the best definition I could find on Google is “Tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form.”

That aside, in just a few short hours Madge will take the stage and perform live before what will be perhaps her largest audience ever. Thus, reclaiming the thrown as the reigning Queen of Pop (Lady Who?). So what do you think of her new single Give Me All Your Luvin’?

When I first heard the bouncy little tune I thought it sounded a bit reminiscent of an early 80s Go Gos/Toni Basil mashup. Of course, this is a genre that Madonna helped define - lord Kabbalah only knows she was there! Upon second listen I started to sing along. And now, after a weekend of hearing Give Me All Your Luvin’ all over the place it’s running through my head like an ear worm. Thank God it got that Selena Gomez song off my mind.

It’s interesting that Interscope Records has invested so heavily in promoting this single. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that KISS FM stations are playing the tune every hour on the hour? No, this isn’t by mistake. The program managers haven’t decided to cut Rihanna’s airtime in favor of a 54-year-old mother of four who has yet to lose her blonde ambition.  It’s obviously some sort of media buy Interscope did with Clear Channel (does Clear Channel own KISS? I have to fact check that one) and perhaps the most ingenious example of good old-fashioned payolla I’ve seen in my lifetime. This heavy airplay is necessary because mainstream audiences expect to hear something familiar when an artist as iconic as Madonna plays an event this major. Papa Don’t Preach and Like A Prayer don’t pair well with nachos and chili cheese sauce, so there goes the set list. Fans need to be able to walk into that stadium knowing the lyrics and bopping their heads to Give Me All Your Luvin’ in order for this performance to work. As for Madonna’s gaybie fans? Well, she could start voguing to Oh, Canada on the fifty yard line and we’d call it reinvention. (Then we’d all grab our passports and head north. Hhhmm.... not such a bad idea come to think of it, ay?)

Now how about that music video? I like it! Finally, Madonna’s gotten back to doing videos with a theme. Video releases from her last two albums have been quite disappointing to say the least. I mean, watching her mug for the camera in front of a white screen song after song is hardly entertaining let alone inventive. For Give Me All Your Luvin’ she’s cleverly played out a football cheerleader theme (again, giving me some Toni Basil), and it’s refreshing to see her reprise her “Marilyn” persona. But most of all, Madonna looks absolutely unbelievable. If she sold her soul to look like this at age 54 then even the devil wouldn’t recognize her (haha... get it? Hard Candy album reference here). If that’s what yoga and macrobiotic diets do for a body, then Touch-to-the-Down and sign me up!

falling for you...

I've been following this Aussie YouTuber for the past year now, and I'm really fallin' for his beats. Perhaps because his shyt is so distinctively 80s influenced.

all the world loves a clown...

Clearly I’m not a vocalist, but I imagine Take a Bow can’t be easy to sing given the demanding range the song requires (and Madonna was only able to do it with Babyface backing her up). But Mikey Busto’s cover is probably one of the best vocal covers I’ve heard on YouTube in a long time. His falsetto is amazing. Busto, a former Canadian Idol finalist, is also quite the YouTube commedian. His Filipino Skin Tutorial bit is ROTFLMAO.

Blonde Venus Ambition

When I googled images for "Marlene Dietrich" in search of a pic to use for a potential upcoming blog post I came across this publicity still from the 1932 flim Blonde Venus. Upon first glance I knew I had seen this look referenced in popular culture before, but where?...

This is interesting in that Madonna is the pop culture queen and her video for Deeper and Deeper is actually an homage to the father of pop culture, Andy Warhol (this is blantantly obvious to Warhol fans). So now I'm scratching my head trying to figure out the Warhol tie to Dietrich.

Amy Winehouse 1983-2011

RIP Amy Winehouse. We all knew this day would come, but we loved you regardless. Your music was the soundtrack of your life.

Playing in the background: Back to Black - Back to Black

Oh, please stay, Joey...

YouTube singing sensation (and hottie) Joseph Vincent is popular for his covers, but this original is pretty damn good too. He makes such adorable faces when he sings, don’t you think? Be sure to watch all the way through to the end as this seemingly upbeat boy meets girl story takes a unexpected crushing twist in the last few seconds. You can help support Joseph Vincent’s work by downloading via iTunes. 

Adele: 21

I love, love, love this album. The highlights are Rolling in the Deep and, of course, Adele's cover of The Cure's Lovesong. 

Enrique Iglesias with Usher

Not to dog on my boy Usher and my favorite crush object Enrique, but am I the only one who finds this video extremely *yawn* and completely unsexy despite being oversexed? Check out the vid after the jump.

I'm not aware of too many things (flashback friday)

I'm sitting in a coffee shop as I post this blog and Edie Brickell's 1988 hit What I am just came on the air. Flash back to 1988 and I was 13 years old. I remember sitting in my middle school sixth period art class and our teacher would let us listen to the radio while we worked on our projects. It seemed this song was constantly playing that spring semester. Back then, I wasn't aware of too many things. I knew what I knew if you know what I mean.

Flashback Friday: Boys, Boys, Boys

Now that summer is officially underway what better way to kick-off “Flashback Fridays” (a new blog feature celebrating my quirky adoration of 80s/90s pop music) than with this little diddy from Italian pop queen Sabrina? This is probably the gayest video a straight man would ever want to watch. And for some reason, not even I can take my eyes off the center of the screen.

 

Like a Reinvention...

Okay, so I know it appears as though as a blogger I should have posted about this the moment this video came out, but give me a break. It's only been out two or so weeks, and it seems as though the singles from this new album are releasing in rapid fire. But speaking of GaGa's Madonnaisms I couldn't help but to notice the hot blatino-ish dude playing Jesus here. Somehow this casting doesn't seem nearly as controversial as it did 22 years ago simply due to the fact that Madonna already went there and did that. Or perhaps it's because unlike Leon Robinson, this modern day rendition is light, bright, and damn near white. Anyways, this is one of my favorite GaGa vids. I love its gothic darkness, bad ass motorcycles, and the gay Jesus/Judas kiss.

Rolling in the Deep...

Okay, so I may be a little late on this one, but it's my latest iTunes download and my new favorite song.

Why did Billy Joe McAllister jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge?

We may never know why the title character in Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 song “Ode to Billy Joe” jumped off that bridge, but the 1976 film inspired by the song speculates it may have been a sin against nature that influenced his fate. Set in a 1950s bible-thumping farm town in the Mississippi Delta, Ode to Billy Joe (Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Conner) takes a look at what life may have been like for a young man who is the object of affection for an entire community. With his rosy cheeks and ocean blue eyes Billy Joe McAllister (Benson) must confront conflicting doubts over his love for his girlfriend, Bobbi Lee (O’Conner), and other desires that may be racing through his mind. His tragic ending shocks a community where church on Sunday wasn’t only a way of life, it was law. Did Billy Joe really stand a chance here? Or was he coerced into an alcohol induced night of unforgivable mistakes? And just what was it that Pastor Taylor claimed he saw Billy Joe and Bobbi Lee doing up there on Choktaw Ridge? 

Ode to Billy Joe is a remarkable piece of cinema that was timely despite being ahead of its time. Though don’t expect any steamy sex scenes or nudity. The best we’re going to get is a few shots of a young Robby Benson in a torn plaid shirt. Keep in mind this story is set in the 1950s and the manner in which director Max Baer handles the film’s only gay scene is a bit brief, leaving quite a bit up to the imagination. In fact, it leaves everything up to the imagination, but it’s this ambiguity makes this story work. Considerable credit is also due to screenwriter Herman Raucher for piecing together an intriguing story from the haunting lyrics of a three-minute song. So the next time you find yourself at home on a Saturday night with nothing to do, I highly recommend streaming Ode to Billy Joe from your Netflix queue. It’s well worth the bandwith. Oh, and if the director’s name Max Baer sounds familiar, that’s because he’s better known for his portrayal of the character Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies. 

As a single Ode to Billy Joe was wildly successful having hit the Country, Pop, and R&B (then known as the “black” chart) charts in 1967/68. Since then it’s been covered by everyone from The Supremes to Sinead O’Connor, but has never sounded as haunting and heartfelt as it did with Gentry strumming and swooning behind the mic. 

Hard Candy

Tuesday, April 29th marks the much anticipated U.S. release of Madonna's newest album Hard Candy, and I don't think I've been this excited about an album release since....well....uh....since the 1989 release of Like A Prayer. (I mean with all that controversy over the religious overtones, black Jesus, burning crosses and the Pepsi commercial debacle... how could I not be a curious little 14 year-old-gay-school boy?).

I know I've come off a bit strong in this commentary, and I'll probably receive a few nasty-grams (for blasting Janet the way I did). But hey - whether it be Patti, Cher, Mariah, Bette, Diana, or even Janet -

Video of the Day: Each Time You Break My Heart

 

I've said it once and I'll say it a million times.  I am an 80s pop music freak. So if you don't like the sound of the 80s, don't press play,  because this is undeniably 80s!  I lifted this video from  Boy Culture author Matthew Rettenmund's blog where he recently posted an interesting article about the background of this song. Recorded in 1986, Each Time You Break My Heart was one of Madonna's first efforts behind the scene as a producer (did I mention I'm a Madonna freak as well?).  Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray the song was performed by British model Nick Kamen. In his blog post, Rettenmund notes the similarity of the chord structure of the song to Madonna's hit Causing a Commotion, but I believe I hear a little Pet Shop Boys influence in the lead vocals. The video is slightly homo-erotic, and I'm not certain what the kid is supposed to add to the story, but yes, it is the same kid (Felix Howard) who appeared in Madonna's Open Your Heart video.