Once upon a time, there was a new entertainment franchise called Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Now, this little TV show was a little bit of a risk, because drag as reality TV concept hadn’t yet quite taken off: too subversive to be mainstream and too niche to be ‘normal ‘. The money wasn’t quite thereContinue reading “How Sharon Needles Transformed Drag Race”
Category Archives: Pop culture
Album Review: Geneva Jacuzzi – Triple Fire
LA musician and performance/visual artist Geneva Jacuzzi has a lot of heat around her…pun intended. It’s clear that she’s ambitious and talented, her synth pop sound coming over like she chewed up and spat out the entire eighties decade. So there’s a Warholian flavour to brand new album Triple Fire . Opener ‘Laps Of Luxury’Continue reading “Album Review: Geneva Jacuzzi – Triple Fire”
Film Review: Josie and The Pussycats (2001)
Before Barbie and the Lego movie franchise, there was Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s Josie and The Pussycats, a sleek little subversion of tween fandom, spending power and the evils of capitalism The lowdown: Du Jour are a “wicked” US boy band, pitched somewhere between N’Sync and Backstreet Boys. Every kid in America loves them,Continue reading “Film Review: Josie and The Pussycats (2001)”
The Swift Factor
As Taylor Swift continues on her all-conquering Eras tour, I was pondering her unique appeal. Personally, her insipid pop/country music leaves me cold. It’s cheery, radio friendly and catchy enough, but then as someone who’s more about alternative music, I’m not her demographic. She’s quite simply a global phenomenon. Her fans, the Swifties, are aContinue reading “The Swift Factor”
How Jennifer Coolidge Became A Queer Icon
Jennifer, Oh Jenny!There was always more to her than just a MILF. Jennifer Coolidge, the sixty two year old icon of the silver screen, became one of Time magazine’s recipients of “100 most influential people” last year, which is proof of her longevity as a comic actor, but also a Hollywood legend who still getsContinue reading “How Jennifer Coolidge Became A Queer Icon”
Festivals Are For Poshos, Part 2.0
I’ve just returned from the Edinburgh Festival, and it was the usual melee of lunacy, irritation and genuine beauty. On an average year, I’d cover thirty shows, but given my recent surgery, I managed a paltry five. The problem is this: despite the Free Fringe, there’s not any way for newcomers to get a chanceContinue reading “Festivals Are For Poshos, Part 2.0”
Lost In Music: Geneva Jacuzzi- Art Is Dangerous
Featuring cameos in the video from legendary artists of many disciplines- from Ron Athey to Drab Majesty- the new single from Geneva Jacuzzi is part manifesto,part cheeky deconstruction of art and its function in contemporary society. It’s sexy, smart and danceable. Based in Los Angeles, her work is multi-disciplinary, fusing music, visual art and performanceContinue reading “Lost In Music: Geneva Jacuzzi- Art Is Dangerous”
Album Review: Marcel Wave- Something Looming
This is a hell of a debut. Featuring members of Sauna Youth and CoId Pumas, Marcel Wave are a promising lot. Singer Maike Hale- Jones delivers witty, gobby vignettes on the state of Britain, flanked by Oliver Fisher and his bruising guitar, and organ from Lindsay Corstorphine. It’s in the grand tradition of UK post-punkContinue reading “Album Review: Marcel Wave- Something Looming”
Overlooked Classics: Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band-Safe As Milk
Running the gamut of genres- from Delta blues to experimental psych- the magnificent debut album from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band is all about the inimitable singer songwriter and musical fruitloop, aka Don Van Vliet, finding his feet after an attempt at popularity with the swampy hit, the cover of Bo Diddley’s Diddy WahContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band-Safe As Milk”
Congratulations Switzerland!
Amid a political storm (Palestinian supporters were vocal in their protests outside the venue) and controversy (Netherlands artist Joost Klein was disqualified after allegedly “inappropriate behaviour” towards a camerawoman) Nemo, Switzerland ‘s entry, won with a great song and heartfelt, energetic performance. The Code, which tackles Nemo’s non -binary identity, won public and cross-continental votesContinue reading “Congratulations Switzerland!”
Hit The North 