beauty in a wicked world.

Listen to this wonderful cover of my favorite pop diva. It blows my mind how an indie artist can take the most mainstream of tunes and transform it into something  much more exotic and unique. I'm already a fan of ceo/Tough Alliance, so this is just icing on the cake. Enjoy!

We've all gotten used to the "name your price" concept that many artists have adopted. I still remember when Radiohead pioneered that idea with In Rainbows, and many couldn't believe an artist of that stature would do such a thing. 

As a token of their appreciation for their loyal fans, Yeasayer has decided to offer live recordings from a performance at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on their website. Naturally, you can download it for free, but if you can contribute any amount of money, I would. Artists like this deserve it. Check out the official website!  

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Enjoy your time spent with loved ones, whether it be your family, friends, or even your beloved canine. Forget that "diet" of yours (believe me, I'm hitting the gym like a train next week). Eat, drink, and be merry! Holla!

This show was the most pleasant musical surprise I've had in quite awhile. Not that I was shocked by how beautiful it was but purely the fact that it was actually happening. As gaymixes burst through my ear canals at Fox Hollow during their newly founded Sunday Funday tradition, my friend and I started to chat with one of the bartenders towards the end of the event. As he was hastily readying the bar area for closing time, he mentioned to us that he was moving fast so as to make it to Fitzgerald's to see Jay Brannan. In my mind, my mouth dropped; Jay Brannan is performing in Houston? Tonight? I have to be there. It had been pre-decided. I've been longing to see him live. He is an openly gay, Texas-born, singer/songwriter/actor based in New York City. If you don't know who he is, do yourself a favor and watch the movie Shortbus (one of my top favorites) and enjoy the soundtrack afterwards. Just an FYI, the film is not for the faint at heart when it comes to sexuality. Don't say I didn't warn you.

After scarfing down a nutritious Wendy's power snack, we headed straight to the venue and arrived just in the nick of time. Although not a packed house, Brannan drew a nice, good-sized, diverse mix of people. For the most part, the audience treated the show as they should have: with respect. I absolutely detest assholes audience members who feel the need to drunkenly banter during quiet, intimate performances. Moving on....a shot of Jameson later, Brannan could be found sitting center stage under the spot light. Some music fans feel that solo acoustic shows become monotonous halfway through the setlist, but I completely disagree with that statement. Brannan has a clever, witty way of twisting his lyrics together. Some tunes make your heart smile wide, while others can draw a tear from your eye. I encountered both reactions but probably more of the latter...If you haven't realized this by now, I'm not afraid of my emotions like some people :P

Brannnan is also very good at interspersing short anecdotes and interacting with the audience. He is one of those few artists that can show off his beautiful, genuine personality without even trying. It just shines through. That made the show even more special to me. His hour (plus) set included songs such as "Goddamned", "Soda Shop", "Half Boyfriend" (afterwards, he responded with, "Who needs a boyfriend when you have TSA sticking their hands in your pants?"), and "Housewife". He also performed a Christmas song for you pessimists out there, "Christmas Really Sucks". The older I get, I can't help but become a bit jaded by the holiday season. Alcohol helps a lot though (currently drinking a glass of wine). You know what I mean.

Although I'm still not in love with the physical set up of Fitzgerald's, the performance was wonderful and charming. The only thing missing was my nonexistent "special someone". Can someone tell me where to find one of those? It is easier to find a leprechaun. The people of Mobile can attest to that. Even if you  knew, you probably wouldn't tell me because you would keep him for yourself [I know I would].

This is an absolutely beautiful live version of this song. Grab a tissue. You will need it. It was filmed during the annual "Primal Symphony" Charity Concert benefitting the Seattle Children's Hospital.

Check out the new music video for the track "Derezzed" from the Tron Soundtrack. For non-gamers and those who have never seen the original Tron movie, here is a quick summary of what it means to be derezzed (according to Urban Dictionary):

This will make more sense once you watch the video. Stop stalling and just click the play button.

As most of my friends and family know, I've been training for this race for several months. After putting up with the constant dehydration, perspiration, soreness, pseudo-dieting, and long weekend runs, it was time for my hard work to prove itself. A few weeks ago, I strained my left quadricep and soon become unsure as to how I would pull this off. Regardless, I knew I had to cross that damn finish line.

My running partner (meaning, I sort of dragged him into this) and I made our way to Dallas on Saturday. The only thought going through my mind was, "Let's just get this race over with so I can enjoy a cocktail." It was difficult to fathom running 13.1 miles alongside 20,000 other registrants. Not only that, the weather forecast predicted temperatures to be in the mid-30s. Yes, I'm from Texas. Yes, I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to winter weather. The two go hand in hand.

[Sunday, 5:00 am] Neither of us had any desire to move from under our blankets. Without even touching the window, I could sense the outside temperature, and it sent a shiver down my spine. After a few minutes of mental debating, we finally began to get ready. With a healthy breakfast in our stomachs, we bundled up and headed to Fair Park. The directions suggested that we arrive by 6:30 am. Easy enough, right? Wrong. As we approached the multiple exits we could take, each one was at a complete standstill. I know this was the first year the race started at Fair Park, but they really need to attend to the traffic issue. It was pretty much a huge clusterfuck. Thank Gawd we were smart enough to find a "secret" alternate route.

Finally, I was in the midst of the runners, waiting to cross the starting line. Despite being cold, I was in my own world with my iPod flowing into my ears. My adrenaline was pumping, and I was ready to embark on this athletic experience. The race itself was actually...fun and enjoyable. Shocking, I know. Who would ever think running 13.1 miles is fun? It was scenic, the weather was gorgeous, and as corny as it may sound, having strangers cheer for you was more than endearing. Some of the posters were pretty clever ("Hurry up because I have to poop", "Run faster because the zombies are behind you", etc.) There were a few moments when I felt like my legs were going to give out, but I knew I had to push through the pain. The miles seamlessly flowed by...8, 9, 10...

At mile 11, it hit me. I could literally taste the beer at the finish line (yes, alcohol was still a small motivator). Because the race finished in the area it began, I knew exactly where I was. As I picked up speed, my adrenaline increased ten-fold. With all my might, I was going to sprint across that finish line with my hands in the air, and I did just that. Official time: 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 3 seconds....not too shabby, if I say so myself. I can't lie to you, there was a lot of emotion that went into crossing the finish line.

As soon as I received my medal and finisher t-shirt, I naturally gravitated straight to the beer tent. When the attendant asked me, "One beer or two?" I didn't even stutter. Of course, I needed two. My friend and I enjoyed a Whataburger celebration meal and ended up sleeping the entire drive back to Houston. Oh, and my legs and feet were on fire. Seriously, on fire. At least my toe nails didn't fall off because that ain't cute.

The training and race, collectively, was an amazing experience, and I can't help be proud of myself. A lot of passion and emotion goes into something like this. There are several reasons why I did it, but the bottom line is that I did it for myself. Not many people can, or ever will, say they've accomplished something like this. Now, I'm looking forward to running a full marathon in 2011. I guess you could say I've caught the "running bug".

All I know is, my body is gonna be lookin' tight with all this running. That is what's really important, right? Just kidding. Well, sort of.