I’ve sat on giving my review of the new Charli XCX album, mostly because I love it so much and not knowing what to write, but also I’ll start listening to it and just have to finish.  We all know where she samples from, know the vibe she’s emitting, but I think Charli XCX is in the right place at the right time.  I say this in a way as the state of how “we” are right now, what we “want” and what we “lack” and how she can fill it.  Charli fills a void of sorrow and hopes, with a sharp energy that lunges at you, stabs you to get to your feet and start freakin’ running.  It is moody, dark, dirty, vulgar, sexy, and emotional.  I look back at my days of being overly emotional, dramatic, and chaotic, and this music fits PERFECTLY with who I am.  So, who should listen to this?  Former Emo’s, Goth’s, those who love the 90s, dreamers, and darkwavers.

Hailing from an epicenter of this form of sound, Charli XCX brings her crass British slang, whit, and humor along with the ride as well.  I was initially drawn to Charli when a friend posted “Nuclear Seasons” on his facebook wall.  I was like “Who is this!!!”, and instantly sold.  As I watched more of her videos and listened to more of her sound, I knew she was British, a type of musician who always seems to catch my fancy, especially the ones who know how to really experiment, and of course belt it out!

So we of course know now that she has a style, “retro 90s”, harsh lines, broken graphics, and technology from the decade.  With some of her sounds bringing familiarity to movies from that decade, we listen, and envision opening and closing credits, epic kisses, sex scenes, and the moments of truth, the freeze frame!  Does this mean that she’s only relatable to those who were alive to live these experiences?  NO WAY!  I think what got me stuck was her mix tape which took samples from Cruel Intensions, Kill Bill, and American Beauty.  

So now we got an amazing mix, feeding the fuel of her first major labeled album (she previously had a MySpace album entitled 14, which to this day she bashes as something that’s not really her).  True Romance, includes all these amazing mix tapes songs, in their entirety, mastered, and arranged in a manner that keeps you locked in for the ride.   After I got the deluxe album (worth it for the remixes), I needed to see her in concert.  She played at SXSW this year, swooned the crowed, and was given a U.S. tour.  I crossed my fingers for her tour to hit Boston and BAM!  It did!  Mark your calendars for May 25th, at Great Scott.  Tickets are on sale and can be found here.  Get them before they sell out!

I’m going to leave you with the lyrics to one of my fav tracks on the album “So Far Away”.  Sweet, simple, vulgar, and sexy.  F&G will have some special copies of this album for those hardcore Charli XCX fans, so find me, confess your love, and we can geek out on how much we love her.  Groupies, forever!

“So Far Away”

Track Listing
01 Nuclear Seasons
02 You (Ha Ha Ha)
03 Take My Hand
04 Stay Away
05 Set Me Free
06 Grins
07 So Far Away
08 Cloud Aura
09 What I Like
10 Black Roses
11 You’re the One
12 How Can I
13 Lock You Up
(Deluxe Edition Includes)
14. You (Ha Ha Ha) (BURNS’ Violet Cloud Version)
15. You’re the One (Odd Future’s the Internet Remix) (ft Mike G)
16. You (Ha Ha Ha) (Goldroom Remix)
17. Stay Away (T. Williams Remix)
18. You’re the One (Blood Orange Remix)
19. You (Ha Ha Ha) (MS MR Remix)
20. Nuclear Seasons (Balam Acab Remix)
21. You’re the One (Climbers Remix)
22. Stay Away (Salem’s Angel Remix)
23. Nuclear Seasons (Hackman Remix)
24. You’re the One (Loadstar Remix)
25. You’re the One (St. Lucia Remix)

Stay Away (Live)

U.S. Headlining Tour

May 10 House of Blues San Diego    San Diego, CA
May 11 Shrine Expo Hall    Los Angeles, CA
May 12 Lavo    Las Vegas, NV Tickets RSVP
May 13 Club Sound    Salt Lake City, UT
May 14 The Gothic Theatre    Englewood, CO
May 16 The Granada    Lawrence, KS
May 17 The Pageant    St Louis, MO
May 19 Skyway Theatre    Minneapolis, MN
May 20 The Riviera    Chicago, IL
May 22 Saint Andrews    Hall Detroit, MI
May 23 Echo Beach    Toronto, Canada
May 24 Métropolis    Montreal, Canada
May 25 Great Scott    Allston, MA
May 28 Mr. Smalls Theatre    Millvale, PA
May 29 Rumsey Playfield, Central Park    New York, NY
May 31 Glasslands Gallery    Brooklyn, NY
Jun 01 Union Transfer    Philadelphia, PA
Jun 03 U Street Music Hall    Washington, DC
Jun 04 The Norva    Norfolk, VA
Jun 06 The Social    Orlando, FL
Jun 08 The Garret at Grand Central    Miami, FL
Jun 10 Visulite Theatre    Charlotte, NC
Jun 12 Deluxe at Old National Centre    Indianapolis, IN
Jun 13 Great Stage Park    Manchester, TN
Jun 14 Bonnaroo Festival    Manchester, TN
Jun 15 Bonnaroo Festival    Manchester, TN
Jun 16 Bonnaroo Festival    Manchester, TN

Hometown: Adams, MA
Profession: Multimedia Management
Hobbies: Writing, Photography, Cheesecake
Favorite Album: “At Last!” – Etta James
Favorite Song: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – Whitney Houston
Favorite Artist: Sia Furler

F&G: How does it feel being a cover model for F&G? Have you ever modeled before?
Jeffrey: I can be a little timid. This was an opportunity to sort of force myself to come out of my shell. I’ll only say this once. I’ve. Never. Modeled. Before. If you find nudies on the internet, they’re fakes and you should contact my lawyer with the web address. In college, I needed to make some extra cash, so I did do the unthinkable, I sold my pancreas on the black market which is how I became a diabetic, but I have never modeled.

F&G: You enjoy carrying around a big red balloon? How do you think it aided with the look you were going for? How do you think the other cublings will view you?
Jeffrey: I’ve taken to carrying a red balloon since the shoot, yes. I’ve also added a propeller hat and knee high socks to really seal the deal. As far as the other cublings are concerned, I won’t beat around the bush; they’re jacking my style left and right, adding their own swagger to it. I did see a cub and one toddler with yellow balloons yesterday and whoever said yellow balloons were the new red balloons was seriously disturbed.

F&G: We think that the big red balloon made you just so adorable we could just eat you up! Would you say that’s an attribute you like to have?
Jeffrey: I do endorse people thinking I’m adorable. If I knew that all I needed was a big red balloon, I would have bought one when I came out of the closet a decade ago. Hopefully, it’s not just the balloon. I tried carrying cute puppies, but they steal the spotlight. The big red balloon disarms without completely distracting from my chubby cheeks and furry bod.

F&G: What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Jeffrey: Cheeky, introspective, and, I suppose, a bit fanciful.

F&G: Tell us a little secret about yourself that someone might not know!
Jeffrey: Well, actually, here’s something I’ve been sitting on for a while now. It has been a bit troublesome and even destroyed a few casual friendships. I’ve been careful about who I come out to with this but… I don’t like Julianne Moore. Aside from her fluke performances in The Hours and A Single Man, she’s a basic bitch.

F&G: What is your current look that you are going for? We know you are growing out your beard, is there someone famous you are looking at for inspiration?
Jeffrey: I’m a Libra so I’m always balancing… accessories. My look usually has some fem or camp qualities to combat the scruff. That whole thing about taking off one element of your outfit before leaving the house has always eluded me. I think I look great in thick glasses, scarves, bracelets, necklaces, bowties, chaps, suspenders, stirrups, and even better when I’m wearing them all at once. I am very pumped about growing out my beard. Someone suggested I go for the William Fitzsimmons look and I suppose subconsciously I am working towards that, but with bright colors and floral prints.

F&G: How does music fit into your every day life?
Jeffrey: If I’m not listening to music, I’m not in a good place. Like most Bostonians, I feel naked without my ear buds or headset.

F&G: What songs are blowing up your play lists these past few months?
Jeffrey: One of this month’s releases, Charli XCX, has really gotten my booty bouncing. I’m into her tracks “What I Like” and “Grins.” I’ve also been feeling Tove Lo, who you (Sean) introduced me to. I’m always listening to soul divas. Aretha, Etta, and Amy are my comfort food. I’ve recently added Emeli Sande to that lineup.

F&G: How did you find out about F&G?
Jeffrey: You sold me on it with the promise of hot dudes and bartenders who don’t skimp on the sauce.

F&G: What about F&G makes you keep coming back for more?
Jeffrey: You held up your end of the bargain. I get a good buzz and meet some stand-up gentlemen. Obviously, the clientele and the music are a huge part of the experience. It’s definitely a more casual environment than your traditional, segregated “gay night” at a club. It’s nice to know most of the guys probably just threw on some clothes and gave themselves a quick spritz before coming rather than the sort of ritualistic preparation that a club might require.

(Poster Design by Jerald Kohrs)

This month we are celebrating all things Nordic.  With spring starting up, we want to close this year’s winter on a good note!  F&G has always had many favorite artists from the Nordic region (Robyn, ABBA, Ace of Base, The Knife, Royksopp, Bjork, Lykke Li, amongst some to be named!).  Now we get to celebrate our evening full of our favorite sounds from the region!  Bring your requests, enjoy some lovely Viking ensamble, and dance the night away!

We also have two great artists to promote this evening as well!  We got the great Gold Fields and The Strokes new albums!
Bringing together Queers, Music, and Art together for everyone
…
Host Sean Johnson invites you to dance, drink, and have a great time with DJ Brent Covington & DJ Taffy spinning Indie Rock/…
… Pop/Dance, Post-Punk, ’80s, Britpop, Underground, New Wave, Electro, & Euro Hits.

A night at the Alley for Art Fags, Hipsters, Geeks, the Music Obsessed and all. Exploring the alternative side of the Boston Gay Nightlife scene with a new twist for a new generation. Enjoy Visual Entertainment (Music videos, Artist Works), Snacks and Cheap Drinks.

Bring your friends and spread the word.

21+
10pm – 2am
$$No Cover$

(taken from Astralwerks)

The debut self-titled EP from Australian quintet Gold Fields bursts forth from the speakers with a freshness that cannot be denied. The band’s first single “Treehouse” opens the setwith a glossy slice of pop etched with tribal drums. With a rush and a push of propulsive percussion and tribal textures, “Moves” provokes dance-inducing enthusiasm, even as its evolving lyrical hook lures the ear into a Trans-Pacific game of telephone. Percolating with pops and claps, the syncopated rhythms and shifting dynamics of “The Woods” evoke the otherworldly ambience of venturing deep into the wilderness, slivers of light contrasting with singer Mark Fuller’s shadowy incantations of “I wish we knew how to play safe.” Compare those three cuts with “Holy No,” a sinewy, slow-motion funk groove that creeps along on cat feet of wah-wah guitar and sinister keyboards. While all four selections are audibly the work of the same band, each boasts a distinctive character—just as Gold Fields intended. “From the beginning, we made it a big point to make every song sound different,” says guitarist Vin Andanar. “We didn’t want to be pigeonholed as part of any scene or specific sound.” Instead, they concentrated on creating original music that met their own high standards and was fun to play. That’s not as easy as it might seem. Not when your band is comprised of five avid music lovers with individual tastes. That disparity accounts for Gold Fields’ eclectic sound, but also sets up challenges when developing new ideas. “We’re not going to release a song until everybody in the band is happy with it.”Luckily, Gold Fields is pretty harmonious lot, the result of friendships that predate the band’s formation in early 2010. Growing up in Ballarat, a Victorian era boomtown about an hour’s drive west of Melbourne, the five lads attended school together starting around age 12. While that camaraderie is the glue that bonds Gold Fields, this was no leisurely idyll or excuse to hang out. From the outset they were dead serious about reaching a wider audience.Rather than claw their way up through the club scene, the quintet concentrated on writing and recording the best original material they could. Once they’d fashioned a six-song demo, they sought out professionals to help refine their sound and steer their career. After meticulous research, and a bit of well-intentioned deception on Mark’s part, they secured representation with Australian management group Archangelsky. Producer Scott Horscroft (The Presets, Sleepy Jackson, Silverchair) polished up their home recordings, giving birth to the ebullient debut single “Treehouse” plus the material showcased on this EP. With support from alternative radio tastemakers Triple J, Gold Fields was soon playing dates at the Falls Festival, Field Day, Groovin The Moo and Parklife, as well as support slots for Crystal Castles, Datarock, and Pnau. They’ve also gone down a storm at intimate venues in Los Angeles and London, where the band supported SBTRKT and The Naked and Famous. Wherever they are, the band members push themselves to give audiences their money’s worth… and then some. “We really like to have fun on stage and get into the show,” says Vin. Rather than painstakingly reproducing their recordings, they use the studio versions as jumping off points for new arrangements, in hopes that fans will come see them live just to hear what happens next. In late summer of 2011, Gold Fields spent six weeks in Los Angeles working with producer Mickey Petralia (Beck, Ladytron, Peaches). Upon returning home, they retreated to a remote manor on a farm and continued writing more songs, which they subsequently recorded with Horscroft. The resulting debut full-length is slated for international release later in 2012. But please, don’t wait till then to check out Gold Fields. At the rate this fivepiece is evolving, you might never catch up to them if you don’t start now.

(taken from Strokes Website)

Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon and the street-smart attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the Strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype — particularly from the U.K. music press, whose adulation for the group rivaled their fervor for Oasis in the early ’90s. Barely in their twenties by the time their debut album, Is This It, arrived in 2001, singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti’s success wasn’t quite of the overnight variety, but it still arrived pretty swiftly.

Casablancas (the son of Elite Model Agency Group kingpin John Casablancas), Moretti (who began playing drums at age five), and Valensi started playing together in 1998 while they attended the Dwight School, a private prep school in Manhattan. Soon thereafter they met Fraiture, who attended the Upper East Side’s Lycee Français, and added him to their ranks. Hammond (the son of singer/songwriter Albert Hammond, whose songs include “It Never Rains in Southern California,” “When I Need You,” and “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before”) came from Los Angeles to attend film school at NYU and was invited into the band by Casablancas; the two met at L’Institut le Rosey in Switzerland when they were kids.

Casablancas officially christened the quintet the Strokes in 1999, and the group spent most of that year writing and rehearsing material in New York City’s Music Building. They made their live debut that fall at the Spiral, and word of mouth about the Strokes’ incendiary live show propelled them to gigs at venues like Under the Acme and Lower East Side clubs such as Arlene Grocery, Baby Jupiter, and Luna. The Strokes’ December 2000 dates at the Mercury Lounge and the Bowery Ballroom not only gained them a manager (Ryan Gentles, who booked them at those clubs), but also helped Strokes mania reach critical mass in New York. Rough Trade released the group’s three-song demo as The Modern Age EP in January 2001, which sparked a bidding war from which RCA emerged as the victors.

Meanwhile, the Strokes’ acclaim reached the U.K. and grew to massive proportions over the course of the year. NME quickly became their champions, profiling them several times that spring and summer as the Strokes’ live act and singles like Hard to Explain (which debuted at number 16 in the U.K. charts) won them a rabid British following. That spring, the band also completed its first U.S. tour as the opening act for the Doves and proceeded to play dates with Guided by Voices and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead in the U.S. and the U.K. The group’s popularity continued to snowball in the U.K., with a side-stage slot at the NME Carling Weekender changed to a main-stage performance for fear of people trampling each other to see the band.

In late summer of that year, Rough Trade released Is This It with an album cover featuring a sexy, Helmut Newton-esque photo of a woman’s nude behind and hip with a leather-gloved hand resting on it; the U.K. chains Woolworth’s and HMV objected to its controversial nature. The U.S. version of Is This It was released in October and featured a few changes from the U.K. edition. The Strokes opted for an abstract pattern on the cover and removed the song “New York City Cops,” feeling the song was inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attacks that struck New York prior to the album’s release; the planned B-side, “When It Started,” took its place. The group closed out the fall with an extended tour of the U.S., culminating with a Halloween gig at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

The remainder of 2001 and 2002 saw the group’s profile continue to rise. Is This It and the Strokes were lauded in many ways, ranging from This Isn’t It, an EP of instrumental versions of some of the album’s songs performed by a mystery band called the Diff’rent Strokes (Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker was rumored to be a member) to 2001 NME Carling Awards for Best New Act, Band of the Year, and Album of the Year. The band toured extensively throughout 2002, including a series of dates that summer in New York and Detroit with the White Stripes, summer festivals at Reading and Leeds, and a string of gigs supporting Weezer, some of which were canceled due to a leg injury Casablancas suffered. During these shows, their fall tour, and their dates opening for the Rolling Stones, the Strokes debuted some new songs, including “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” “You Talk Way Too Much,” and “The Way It Is.”

By March 2003, the band was ready to start recording its new album, but instead of working with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael as previously reported, the Strokes began recording with Nigel Godrich of Radiohead and Beck fame. That May, however, the Strokes’ sessions with Godrich came to an end, and they returned to Raphael to finish the album. The single “12:51″ introduced the more meticulous, new wave-inspired sound of Room on Fire, which arrived in fall 2003. Just before the album’s release, the Strokes hit the road once again, taking Kings of Leon with them. Early in 2006, they returned with the even poppier and more polished First Impressions of Earth.

The band took a hiatus after the tour for that album, with each member working on other projects. Albert Hammond, Jr. was the first to venture into the solo fray with Yours to Keep, which was released in late 2006 in the U.K. and in early 2007 in the U.S.; he followed it with 2008′s Como Te Llama? Fabrizio Moretti played with the indie pop band Little Joy, whose self-titled album arrived in late 2008. Nikolai Fraiture embarked on the folky solo project Nickel Eye, and released the debut Time of the Assassins in early 2009. Although the Strokes headed back into the studio that same year, progress was slow as Julian Casablancas briefly shifted his attention to a solo album, Phrazes for the Young, which arrived that fall. After playing a headlining slot at Lollapalooza in 2010, the Strokes returned to the studio with renewed focus, eventually emerging with 2011′s Angles. Given the gap between their two previous albums, it was something of a surprise when the band returned in early 2013 with Comedown Machine, a more streamlined, subdued affair that reunited the Strokes with Angles producer Gus Oberg.