LEGENDARY LADIES WHO ROCK

Marianne Faithfull first came to our attention with her 1964 hit recording of "As Tears Go By", composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. She later began a high-profile romance with Jagger and became one of the symbols of the Swinging London scene. But she fell on hard times due to a deep descent in to drug addiction. Faithfull managed to survive and returned to music in 1979 but her sweet melodic voice had changed to a raspy croak yet that made her singing even more intriguing and dynamic.

After performing with a number of punk bands and traveling Europe, Courtney Love returned home to the States after deciding she wanted to act. But music would call her back and in 1989, she formed the rock band, Hole in Los Angeles. With their second album, "Live Through This", Love and her band became very successful, selling million of albums. She became romantically involved with Kurt Cobain, front man of the band, Nirvana who Love married in 1992 and they had a daughter, Frances Bean. But both were using heroin and the troubled Cobain sadly ended his life in 1994. Love was able to get clean and decided to once again pursue acting, appearing in the 1996 film, "The People vs. Larry Flynt" where she earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

And while it shouldn't be completely surprising, Faithfull and Love have been good friends for many years. The Los Angeles Times brought these two rock icons together to discuss their careers, poetry (Faithfull has released a new album, "She Walks In Beauty" that features her favorite 19th century poems) and survival skills with Faithfull nearly dying from complications of COVID-19 last year.

Click below to read the article:

Marianne Faithfull and Courtney Love talk romantic poetry, cheating death and the joys of sober sex

Another great band is Heart. Formed in the early 1970's and lead by the sisters, Ann (who was the lead vocalist) and Nancy Wilson (who played lead guitar and provided backing vocals), this was the rare rock group that had two women calling the shots. And they were incredibly successful with several best selling albums and singles and over thirty-five million records sold worldwide. Vulture interviewed Nancy Wilson, who has just released her very first solo album, "You and Me", and asked her what she thought were her band's best, underrated and balliest songs.

Click below to read the article:

The Greatest and Ballsiest of Heart, According to Nancy Wilson

And here are a couple of my all-time favorite songs from Heart performed live:

TRANSPARENTSOUL

It was a little over a decade ago when ten year old, Willow Smith had an unexpected international smash hit with the pop confection, "Whip My Hair".  And while it's certainly a fun song, I'm sure her being the daughter of the actors, Will and Jada Pickett Smith helped bring some additional attention that made the track really take off. After this burst of success, Willow wanted to be taken seriously as an artist, becoming more involved in the creation of her music. She experimented with different sounds, venturing in to neo-soul and experimental pop.

Now at the age of twenty, Willow is moving in to very different musical direction. Her latest single, "Transparentsoul" ventures in to the sounds of '90's pop-rock. Inspired in part by her mother's former nu-metal band, Wicked Wisdom, Willow has teamed up with Travis Barker of Blink-182 on a high-energy record that's about seeing right through fake people. This seems to be the first single off an upcoming new album so it will be interesting to see what the rest of the record will sound like. Here is the music video for the song with Willow decked out in punk attire, giving us full on rock & roll performance.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Rina Sawayama and her 2020 debut album, "Sawayama" was critically acclaimed yet this amazing record still didn't get nearly enough attention by the public that it deserved. But there was one famous fan who was paying close attention: Elton John proclaimed Rina's pop album was one of his favorites of the year. And that lead to a friendship between the two British performers and now a musical collaboration. The veteran artist teamed-up with the thirty year old vocalist for a cover of a track off her album, "Chosen Family". This stripped down version details the importance of having the support of people who may not be related to you but are just as close as any biological family member, something of great significance particularly to queer people.



Here are a few new songs I'm enjoying right now I would like to share:

Indie rocker, Liz Phair decided to create her own path to making music after returning to her family home in Chicago after failing in an attempt to enter the business in San Francisco. Beginning with her 1993 debut, "Exile in Guyville", Fair became a critical darling and a fixture of the modern rock scene. And while Phair has been busy touring and working on projects, she had not released any new music in almost eleven years. That is about to change with the announcement of her upcoming seventh studio album, "Soberish", due out in June, and the first single, "Spanish Doors". The album was inspired by music of the singer's youth which included the sounds of 1980's new wave and art rock. "Spanish Doors" looks at when someone's perfect life comes apart, leaving them unsure of who they are anymore. 

2021 OSCAR NOMINEES FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG

This year's Oscar nominees for Best Original Song features another group of strong contenders with any one of them being a good choice for the award. The Netflix musical-comedy of the annual Eurovision Song contest, "The Story of Fire Saga" has their only nomination with the pop-power ballad, "Húsavík (My Hometown)" which actress, Rachel McAdams lip syncs in the film to the vocals of Swedish pop singer, Molly Sandén. "Hear My Voice", from "The Trial of the Chicago 7", was written by composer, Daniel Pemberton and rising British soul singer, Celeste who also performs the tune. Actor Leslie Odom, Jr. does double duty; playing soul legend, Sam Cooke in the film, "One Night in Miami..." and co-writing (with Sam Ashworth) and performing the nominated song, "Speak Now". R&B vocalist, H.E.R. delivers a powerful anthem, "Fight For You" for the bio-drama, "Judas and the Black Messiah" which involves the tragic betrayal of Black Panther chairman, Fred Hampton by an FBI informant. And there is "Io Si (Seen)" from the feature film "The Life Ahead" which is highlighted by the return of screen legend, Sophia Loren. This ballad was co-written by Italian pop star, Laura Pausini (who also performs the song) and Diane Warren, making this her twelfth Oscar nomination yet she still hasn't taken home the prize.

My prediction is that the award will go to the sentimental favorite, Diane Warren for her well-admired work over her lengthy career. But who knows? Here are the five nominated songs to hear and judge for yourself:

"Fight for You" from "Judas and the Black Messiah" (Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas)



"Hear My Voice" from "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite)



"Húsavík" from "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" (Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson)



"Io Si (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead" (Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini)



"Speak Now" from "One Night in Miami..." (Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth)

DMX (1970 - 2021)

DMX, the New York-based rapper who found fame and success in the '90's, has sadly passed away on April 9th from complications of a heart attack, possibly triggered from a drug overdose days before. It had been well documented of the artist's struggle with substance abuse and involvement with criminal activity throughout much of his career. But DMX was a bold and thrilling voice in hip-hop who used his complicated life experiences as inspiration for his evocative music.

He was born Earl Simmons in Mount Vernon, New York and raised in nearby Younkers. He had a difficult and painful childhood. With his father abandoning the family shortly after his birth, Simmons would suffer from physical and emotional abuse from his mother as a child. It got so bad that he preferred to live on the streets than deal with his life at home. His mother sent him to a boy's home as a teenager and this was when Simmons began his interest in hip-hop and creating music. He came up his future name, "DMX" from the type of drum machine he used at the home.

After spending time in and out of prison for petty theft as a young man, DMX decided to seriously focus on music. He began producing and selling his own mixtapes which helped him build a local fan base around New York. This lead to DMX getting the opportunity to made a few guest appearances on records by established artists like Mase and LL Cool J. All of this buzz helped get him signed to Def Jam Records and with his debut album, "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" in 1998, DMX became an immediate sensation. The album went to number one on the Billboard 200 Album chart and sold over four million copies with his second album, "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood", released later that year, repeating this success.

DMX's third album, "... And Then There Was X" in 1999 would become the best-selling release of his career (at five million copies) with the single, "Party Up (Up in Here)", reaching the top-ten on the US R&B chart and would be nominated for Grammys for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance. During this time, Hollywood came calling with DMX making his acting debut in music-video director, Hype Williams' first feature film, "Belly" in 1998. He would go on to appear in the movies, "Romeo Must Die", "Exit Wounds" and "Cradle 2 The Grave" along with several television series and reality programs.

But also during his rise in popularity, DMX's difficulties from his troubled past would begin to resurface, creating problems for him with the law. He would face multiple arrests for various charges including animal cruelty, reckless driving, outstanding child support, tax fraud, robbery and drug possession. This would largely distract him from making his art but he still would manage to occasionally produce music. DMX's last release was back in 2015 with "Redemption of the Beast" but he would disavow the album due to disagreements with the record label. 

In 2019, it was revealed that DMX was refocused on his career, having resigned with his former label, Def Jam and working on new music. With the pandemic certainly delaying his plans, it is not only the tragic loss of a gifted talent but also the potential possibilities for his future.

MONTERO (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME)

Lil Nas X had been teasing a song called "Call Me By Your Name" since last summer, playing snippets on TikTok videos. The complete song, now called "Montero" (which is Nas X's first name), has finally been released but that's not what has gotten people buzzing.

It is the music video for the song that has stirred up plenty of controversy with it's provocative use of Biblical symbolism. This has raised the ire of several right-wing commentators, claiming that the homoerotic imagery will cause harm to their precious children. But the openly queer, twenty-one year old artist has pushed back, stating he's not catering to kids and what's presented in this video won't hurt anybody.

As for the video (directed by Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino), we first see Lil Nas X (playing all the characters) in a futuristic Garden of Eden cavorting with a male serpent before moving on to a him being imprisoned, dressed in a modern, French neoclassical style, and then executed. Next we see Nas X ascending to heaven before grabbing a stripper pole (with an obvious nod to FKA Twigs' video for "Cellophane") and dropping to the depths of Hell. Nas X confronts Satan, giving him a lusty lap dance, with the video ending with a new Lord of the Underworld. It's been a little while since a pop artist has gotten under the skin of religious groups, especially an out-and-proud gay performer. But Lil Nas X has stated he mainly hopes his video will inspire other queer artists to express themselves, openly and honestly. And I agree wholeheartedly that is absolutely important. 

PEACHES

I've had a strange journey with Justin Bieber. When he first appeared back in 2009, a sweet-faced teen with a halo of perfectly coiffed hair and his style of bubble-gum soul, I can't say I ever listened to one of his early songs to completion. And as the Canadian-born singer became a international sensation, whipping legions of teenage girls in to a frenzy, I really didn't pay him much attention nor took him very seriously.

Like many teen idols before him, Bieber found great success yet struggled with his crushing fame. He suffered with depression and anxiety while having several run-ins with the law involving DUIs, vandalism and assault. Bieber managed to get it together, eventually settling down to get married and refocusing on his faith. And well aware that these idols of fickle teenage girls can have a short shelf-life, the performer wanted to evolve, searching for who he really wanted to be as an artist.

In 2015, Bieber unexpectedly teamed-up EDM musicians, Skrillex and Diplo with "Where Are Ü Now" earning him a worldwide club hit, newfound respect as a musician and a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in the process. This was also when I started to pay a little attention to Bieber. With his fourth studio album, "Purpose" released later in the year, I actually really liked the singles from the record, "What Do You Mean?", "Sorry" and "Love Yourself". Had I become a Belieber? Not quite but I no longer rush to turn off his music if it comes on the radio.

Bieber has just released his latest album, "Justice" which features more hits I enjoyed, "Holy", a song about faith and loyalty that features Chance the Rapper, the emotional ballad, "Lonely" where he become vulnerable, revealing his struggles with his fame at a young age and the pop anthem, "Anyone". But the song I'm really digging is the recent release, "Peaches", a slinky, r&b number with him trading verses with fellow Canadian, Daniel Caesar and Giveon. This lane is clearly where Bieber feels most at ease but he is trying on many hats on the album, creating wide ranging musical styles with some working better for him than others.