July 18, 2018 :: The Music Issue

CO LO R A D O'S LG B TQ M AGA ZINE | F R E E

Starley

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Doomstress

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Frankie Simone

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Rick Danger

CONTENTS JULY 18, 2018 VOL42 NO7

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GETTING EMOTIONAL: A LOOK BACK AT THE POP PUNK ALBUMS THAT SHAPED ME 10 WHERE’S THE DIVERSITY, DENVER? 12 MOVEMENTS SLAY THE FINAL WARPED TOUR 14 DOOMSTRESS SHREDS THE GENDER BINARY & MELTS OUR FACES WITH HEAVY RIFFS 18 JESSIE STANDAFER LOVES WOMEN AND CANNABIS 22

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GRANDOOZY TO SHAKE THE CITY THIS SUMMER 24 STARLEY BELTS QUEER ACCEPTANCE WITH "LOVE IS LOVE” 27 FRANKIE SIMONE, A QUEER COLLABORATION 32 TRIPPIN’ ON THE TUNES: RICK DANGER’S TOP 22 DANCE RECORDS

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The Musical is Political

By Addison Herron-Wheeler

S

econd-wave feminists embraced the slogan “the personal is political,” meaning that things like abortion, healthcare, and the right to show skin if one wants aren’t just personal space issues; they are politicized by of the standards society puts on the female body.

Much in the same way, in 2018, the musical is political.

The actions and ethos of musicians are being called into questions right alongside their riff-writing skills or how well they can carry a tune.

Some argue that this is a bad thing, that by doing this we are putting the kibosh on musicians’ creativity. Many think that a good song is a good song, regardless of who wrote the song and what they are like in life. They want to be able to separate the art from the musician.

But the fact remains, what we do matters, and impacts how people see our creative works. In the age of #MeToo, and in a divided country with a president who many don’t think is fit to serve, almost anything can be a 6 \\ J U L Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

political statement. Those frustrated with the current political climate, or with a lack of human rights for immigrants, people of color, and queer people, are looking to musicians, artists, and others in the public eye to make a statement—and calling out those who aren’t bold enough to do so themselves.

It’s a recurring theme in a lot of underground genres like hip-hop, punk, and metal. Hip hop is known to have artists who routinely objectify women in their songs, and now female artists and other more forward-thinking folks are starting to say that isn’t OK. It also has some homophobia in its history, and many within the scene are working hard to erase that.

Genres like punk and metal are known for relying on a certain shock appeal to go along with the music. Whether it is through aggressive sound or subject matter in lyrics, the idea is often to get a rise out of people or make music that is “dangerous” and not easily defined. But activists within

the genre are standing up to say hate speech and violence against women isn’t necessary in 2018, and people are working hard to call out those who are known to be racist, sexist, or violent.

Be free to be

YOU!

Even mainstream pop isn’t exempt from this phenomenon. Right alongside the #MeToo movement taking place in the world of Hollywood, Kesha was bold enough to call out her producer for sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. And those who find fault with someone in the pop world, like the people who were offended by Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” video, or Katy Perry’s comments about Barack Obama, are speaking up.

This has even been seen in the drag world, as people are starting to call out celebrity queen and musician RuPaul for behavior on her reality show. Many are upset that Ru isn’t inclusive of trans people in her dialogue, and feel that despite being black herself, she paints black queens as “angry black women” when they are on the air.

No one should be surprised that our pop culture falls under such harsh scrutiny. After all, it’s more than just mindless entertainment we consume to fill the hours between work and sleep. Queens live and breathe RuPaul and everything she touches; hip hop artists emulate the rhymes of their favorite stars, and fans of metal and punk live and die by their genres. Our pop culture, and our music, is reflective of what is going on in our lives at the time. Listen to “American Idiot”

by Green Day, and those who lived through the Bush Jr. era are immediately transported back in time. Put on any protest song from the 60s, and you can practically hear the riots in the streets over Civil Rights and the Vietnam War.

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So, for those who think music shouldn’t have to answer to these social norms, that it should be “dangerous,” who think we should give Ru a pass because she’s the queen supreme, ask yourselves: isn’t it actually more dangerous, more queer, more punk, more badass, to engage in a dialogue about current problems, and to take a stand?

This issue is dedicated to the musicians who do take a stand on social issues, who are queer, who are allies, who have a lot to say with their music.

We talked to them about what they’re working on and their recent albums and tours, but we also talked to them about their political beliefs, and how they fit into the LGBTQ community. We hope you discover some new artists to listen to and some new tunes to hum, but we also hope you learn a little something about the ideas they engage with.

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Getting Emotional:

A Look Back at the Pop Punk Albums that Shaped Me

By Sid Pasquino

E

ven though it’s 2018, I am going to wind back the turntables to the early 2000s, when emo music was thriving. I have chosen five

Photo by Brian Degenfelder 8 \\ J U L Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

albums that I felt crafted my taste in music, as well as a few albums that came out this year that I feel are worth checking out.

I was raised by an old-school emo. My father has loved Fall Out Boy ever since their debut EP, and we played our copy of From Under The Cork Tree until the CD case fell apart. Singing along at the top of my lungs to “Dance, Dance” and “XO” while riding down I-25 at 50 mph was definitely a highlight of my middle school experience.

Fall Out Boy is one of the bands that beautifully crafted pop punk into what it is today, with Patrick Stump’s heartwrenching vocals that had every emo kid singing along to the upbeat tunes and melodramatic lyrics. This album shaped my music taste today.

Blink-182 was the first real concert I ever attended. I was in third grade, and even though Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge were drunk, playing less than well, everyone in the venue was hyped out of their minds.

We all screamed the lyrics to “Dysentery Gary” in unison, while kids crowd surfed and ripped off their shirts.

It was the first time in my life I had experienced that kind of energy from a crowd, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

I went home and listened to Enema of the State on repeat

on my CD player, memorizing every word, determined to fulfill the emo that was ingrained deep in my DNA. I got into My Chemical Romance when “The Black Parade” was playing every fifteen minutes on the rock radio stations. The older I got, and the deeper I fell into my teenage depression, the more I began to love and appreciate the music they made. When I was in ninth grade, I discovered their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. Gerard Way expresses his raw emotion about trauma and heartbreak through unrefined vocals, heavy bass, and intensely depressing lyrics.

Even though every track on this album is absolute gold, there are a few songs that take the cake. “Headfirst for Halos,” “Our Lady of Sorrows,” and “Cubicles” are the core of the album. A brief look at the lyrics from “Headfirst for Halos” makes it apparent why any depressed teenager would connect deeply with this album: "And I think I'll blow my brains against the ceiling, And as the fragments of my skull begin to fall, Fall on your tongue like pixie dust, just think happy thoughts."

This record holds a special place in my heart, and still is my go-to when I fall into a depressive episode.

For some reason The Pixies never had much radio play in America besides “Where is My Mind?” and “Here Comes Your Man,” despite being extremely influential in early grunge rock. Even Kurt Cobain admitted that the band strongly influenced Nirvana’s hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” As a teenager, “Surfer Rosa” was constantly on repeat while I was brooding in my room.

Despite the numerous songs on that album that I hold an emotional connection to, “Cactus” and “Where is My Mind?” will always be my top jams. The beautifully haunting vocals and grimy instrumental sound makes The Pixies a band you can dance to, but also cry with when you need to.

Transgender Dysphoria Blues is an album by Against Me! which talks about lead singer Laura Jane Grace’s experience as a trans woman in punk rock. I discovered this album in 11th grade, after coming out as a trans man to many of my family and friends. The title track of the album talks about being judged for not passing as the gender you identify with.

As a very feminine and non-conforming trans man, I am misgendered and disregarded often. Grace puts the pain of gender dysphoria to music, wearing her heart on her sleeve. This is still the song I put on when I’m tired after a long day of people telling me who I am.

So what am I listening to now? This year Princess Nokia dropped the record A Girl Cried Red, the emo album we all needed in middle school.

Nokia mixes flow and rhythm with soft, harmonious vocals, portraying soothing affirmations and relatable emotions. “Look Up Kid” is by far the best song on the album, sending a message of love and understanding to her audience.

Even though this strays from my typical type of music, Princess Nokia is a part of the post-emo revival that is starting in hip-hop, but differs from others who are less talented. This resurrection of emo is exciting, and I look forward to more works from Princess Nokia.

I have been a fan of The Wonder Years for a while now, but the only reason I actually listened to Sister Cities was— surprise—my father. I also was lucky enough to see them live when they toured this album playing with my favorite band, Tiger’s Jaw. This album is so revolutionary for them because it is moving away from the more punk side of pop punk, and shows that their music is evolving.

“The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me” is my favorite song on the record; the lyrics about dealing with depression, loss, and loneliness manage to end on an uplifting note of hope. This album helped me get through a pretty rough breakup, and even though it only came out a few months ago, it already feels like a pop punk classic.

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Where’s the Diversity, Denver?

By Susie Salcé

D

enver is a pretty open-minded place, and that applies to music, too. So why is it that every time I enter a queer bar or club to dance, I am immediately disappointed by the music choice?

When I lived in New York, I could hear all types of music genres through the window in my bedroom before I even climbed out of bed in the morning. It was something I grew to love, and it helped shape my love of music. On any given day, when I finally got out of bed, I would leave my project building, turn by the Taino Towers on 122nd Street and 2nd Avenue, and hear Young M.A, a queer artist, blasting through the speakers of someone’s car right before I entered a bodega, welcomed by my favorite bodeguero jamming out to Romeo Santos.

Coming to a transplant city like Denver, where finding a Denver native is rare, I expected a similar culture. I was wrong.

And, my thing is, if I can hear queer musicians blasting through the speakers of a stranger's car in just one block of leaving my home in New York City, I don’t really understand why I only hear the anthems of white, gay men blasting in LGBTQ venues around Denver. Like, y’all, why we still pumping to “Toxic” by Britney Spears—that bop was released 15 years ago.

I have to venture into mostly hetero spaces to listen to something other than what is glorified by gay culture. There is a clear distinction between queer establishments and non-queer places, with queer bars playing more traditional pop tunes— Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” can be heard every, single weekend—

while the experimental stuff is relegated to “straight” clubs. But, let’s be honest, I love entering a queer establishment because I feel more included. The music should match that atmosphere.

We are being shown up by straight people, and I’m embarrassed.

We, as queer people, have been setting trends and culture for decades. We are original and creative, and our palette for music is so vast and unique. So why are we so focused on reliving the same music we’ve been dancing to since the early 2000s? I don’t care how good the remix is; there are better queer artists coming out with better jams. My opinion is not isolated.

“I love that people accept me for who I am, but at the same time, most of the music is white-centric,” said Marcus Mills, a black student at Metropolitan State University’s music business program. “This draws a certain demographic that isn’t always inclusive for people of color.”

Mills, a recent transplant from Florida, was excited to get into the queer music and nightlife scenes in Denver. Hitting many of the bars lead to meeting a lot of queer people, but didn’t quench his thirst for good music to dance to.

“There are a lot of other talented DJs in Denver that spin super awesome shit, and not just pop music,” Mills said. “That would turn a dancefloor into the most populated place in the club.”

Change is needed, and it has to be soon. We don’t have many DJs at these queer establishments who are POC and play cross-cultural music.

Some establishments try to make their clubs more inclusive by offering a dancer’s choice night of music. One of Denver’s most iconic queer clubs has only one hip hop night a month. That’s so sad, y’all. Like, for real.

When I step into a club I would love to hear artists who are breaking barriers for their style of music, such as Young M.A, Kehlani, Nitty Scott, Syd, 070 Shake, and Treee Safari—I could go on for days about up-and-coming queer musicians who are pushing boundaries and killing it within the musical realm.

Being a womxn* of color who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community, it is important that our community supports one another, including queer artists who don’t get enough credit and airtime for their music.

I love the queer scene here in Denver, but I’d like to see a bit more diversity in its musical offerings. *Susie identifies as a womxn, not a woman.

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Movements Slay the Final

Warped Tour

By Arianna Balderamma Photos courtesy of Movements

T

he sun’s rays slapped the skins of people gathered around Denver Warped Tour’s elaborate stages.

Thousands of people had braved the overwhelming heat to attend the final tour of this cult summer phenomenon.

By the time Movements’ set came around, evening had cooled down the arrows of sunlight, and clouds accompanied the dim sky. A giant, yellow banner with a fish in center, and the word “Movements” in red, hung above the band’s instruments on the stage.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the last full tour. It’s definitely the end of an era, and we’re sad to see it go, but it’s amazing to be able to say that we are part of the very last Warped,” George explained.

Once the band came out, everyone huddled closer. Without an introduction, Movements began to play. People began to jump around and reach to the clouds.

Hands were held high in hopes of a good time. They surpassed expectations.

“There’s something so beautiful about being able to create a work of art with something as simple as human language.

I love that poetry doesn’t have to be accompanied by anything. As I got older I became very enamored with slam poetry and spoken word collectives, and it was an aspect I always knew I wanted to put into our music,” he added.

Thriving in the punk scene, Movements craft a sound like no other. Hailing from Orange County, CA, Movements consist of Austin Cressy on bass, Ira George on guitar, Patrick Miranda on vocals, and Spencer York on drums.

The group was on tour overseas before hitting the summer stages on the Vans Warped Tour for its cross country tour.

Having played Warped Tour before, they feel like they owe a lot of their success to the famed summer show. Even though they are excited that they get to be a part of its final run, they are also a little sad that it’s coming to an end.

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The band’s sound stands out from other musicians. Their focus is on slow and heavy guitar meoldies and pounding drums accompanied by emotional singing. There are hints of spoken word throughout Movements’ music, too, as the band occasionally breaks the flow of their songs to insert lyrical poetry.

Feel Something, released this past year, focuses on a variety of mental health issues such as alzheimer's, anxiety, depression, and OCD. The reach of how far their music has stretched can be witnessed in Movements’ live shows. Their music embodies serious issues as a way to bring light to the darker sides of life. “‘Deadly Dull’ discusses the struggles of watching someone you love suffer from Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” George explained, regarding the topics the band

explained. “‘Full Circle’ is about my struggles with mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, and OCD. ‘Daylily’ is about overcoming the adversities of mental illness and being able to move forward from them in a positive way.”

The chords and lyrics in each song create a dialogue with each other. The slow guitars acknowledge the bad times in life, but also let the high points ring out. Discussing both ends of the symphony called life through their music, Movements spread a message.

They want “younger generations to know that it’s okay to talk about what you’re going through, and to know that no matter what, you are never alone.”

Not only is the music created to give voice to issues demanding discussion, the members themselves take solace in stringing together tunes. Music has served as an outlet of expression for the group.

“Creating music is therapy for me. If I didn’t have music as an outlet I would be miserable. It’s how I can talk about the things I don’t like to talk about in everyday life. Music has gotten me through the hardest times I’ve ever experienced.

I literally would not be here without it.”

Warped Tour may be sadly coming to an end after this summer, but Movements certainly are not. Check out Movements on future tours or listen to their new album on Spotify or Apple Music.

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s d e r h S s s e tr s m o o

By Addison Herron-Wheeler

D

the Gender Binary

& Melts Our Faces with Heavy Riffs

W

itchy women, spooky ladies, goddesses. These are terms that are used to describe women in metal, the equivalent of a “yaaaaassss kween" in heavy parlance.

But there are a few issues with using terms like these to define ladies who play heavy music.

First of all, they can be a bit patronizing, implying that any band with a female involved is a “female fronted” band, or a group that has to use women as

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a gimmick. They can also be a little cis-centered, as the woman in question is usually the cis standard of beauty, and trans-exclusionary feminists sometimes try and use witchy, womyncentered feminism as a way to keep trans folks out.

Doomstress is here to change all that.

Doomstress Alexis, the band’s vocalist, lives and breathes her music. Her bass is practically attached to her at the hip, and she sounds more natural belting

witchy lyrics than she does speaking.

It’s also hard to imagine her wearing anything other than the gorgeous, tight leather getups she dons onstage.

She is also trans, and as an out, trans woman, she wants to be a voice for women in metal, and for every trans person who has ever felt out of place, especially in a world like the metal scene. Doomstress also participates in movements like “We’re Just People,” a photo essay that showcases the lives of

Naturally, we had to have her take on things for our music issue. OUT FRONT sat down with Doomstress last time she was in town and chatted about metal, intersectional feminism, and trans inclusion over a couple of beers and a lot of heavy riffs.

Tell us about the work you’ve done

How did you first get involved in the doom metal scene? How did you get into the music and start playing?

different social subject matter and cover

I have an older brother that played; he actually ended up playing drums on a Doomstress record! As far as getting involved in doom, I went and auditioned with a band that my guitarist, Brandon, played in for a number of years, back in 2002, 2003; that was my introduction to the doom world.

trans bathroom bill, so he wanted to

What is the vision behind Doomstress?

Do you write all the music and lyrics?

trans folks to show how they live and what they do, and lives as an example to out and proud people everywhere.

Hailing from Texas, Doomstress tours the country with her band, singing and playing metal anthems and selling merch to the die-hard fans who come out to her shows. She has made a name for herself, not just with specifically queer fans, but throughout the entire metal community. And even though she knows that trans people still face a lot of barriers to their basic human rights, she continues to live boldly and play the music that moves her.

with the “We’re Just People” photo essay series. How did you get involved with it, and what is it all about?

The photographer who did that project works with all film, and he likes to do it in unique ways through photography.

In Texas at the time we were facing that make a statement about that and to show people everyday life, just candid living of what a trans person’s life is like, the fact that it’s nothing scary like what people put in your mind. So he put out a call looking for a subject, and a mutual friend asked if he knew me, introduced us, said I would be awesome for it.

I write all the lyrics and music for my other project as well, Project Armageddon. I’ve always been a songwriter. A lot of it’s just whatever hits me in different ways, my emotions, the world around us, something I read.

I take inspiration from everything, and let different inspirations play off of each other.

Doom has always had witchy roots and

Why does doom speak to you as a metal genre?

New Wave of British Heavy Metal,

There’s that building, that emotional appeal and darker appeal that I really like. At the time I got into it, I was dealing with a lot of issues surrounding my gender identity. I was going through depression and some dark times, and it helped me get through.

old-school-metal-related. I like to pull

female energy in a lot of ways. As a trans woman, do you feel that energy is welcoming, and do you connect with all that through your music?

Yes, absolutely. I like bringing that out in the music for sure. I have so many different influences, old style metal,the melodic harmony work that is more from it all to create my own energy.

Follow Doomstress online at doomstress. bandcamp.com to keep up with her latest releases, upcoming projects, and tour plans.

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Jessie

By Caitlin Galiz-Rowe

Photo courtesy of Jeana Lindo 1 8 \\ J U L Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

Standafer s e v o L

Women and Cannabis

W

hen it comes to the representation of queer women in media, we don’t get a whole lot of positivity. Queer women dying as a tragic plot point has become a huge trope in media, and music in general still hasn’t seen a ton of positive representation.

Jessie Standafer is looking to change that with her music. She’s all about bringing positivity and queer joy through her fun, pop bops.

Standafer has music in her blood—both her parents and grandparents are musicians, and she was raised on classical music and jazz. She started writing music about five years ago, and it became a transitional moment in her life as she grew more secure in her identity and coming out.

Despite her strict Christian upbringing, Standafer leaned into pop. The repetitiveness and catchy beats remind her of religious chanting, and she wanted to use them as a “modern-day mantra” to get positive and revolutionary ideas out there.

“Progress should be trendy. In a capitalist society, trendy works,” Standafer told OUT FRONT. “I want to get these messages stuck in people’s heads.”

We’re at an interesting moment in pop music when it comes to queer women in the industry. Artists like Halsey and Hayley Kiyoko are incredibly prominent, have come out as queer, and released openly queer music and videos in the past couple of years. According to Standafer, we’re, “at a crossroads where queerness is celebrated, but there’s still very real homophobia in the industry.”

She still has people complain because she’s “always talking about gay stuff.” She also experiences a lot of homophobia because she’s femme-presenting.

For queer pop musicians to continuing thriving and progressing in the industry, Standafer says they need to be careful and look out for each other, since the industry’s acceptance isn’t always as deep as it should be.

“There’s an idea with Halsey that now we ‘have our lesbian pop star, so we’re good,’ but how many straight pop stars are there?" she complained. As in many other forms of media, the music industry wants to lean towards a one-and-done approach when it comes to queer pop musicians. Standafer is adamantly against that.

“It’s about recognizing a global perspective. There’s power in tying things into a larger narrative, and it’s important to include other marginalized voices in these narratives,” she said.

Her debut EP, Rise Up, is all of these passions and ideas mashed up. The title track is a revolutionary anthem, while other songs, like “Get Down,” are more centered around queer joy and being out. As someone who doesn’t come from a supportive family, Standafer really wanted to have a song celebrating chosen family.

Lesbian culture, when represented, also tends to be angsty, so Standafer wanted to make something fun and flirty instead.

She got into activism because she has always had a tendency to look at the bigger picture. Standafer is always looking out for opportunities to help her grow. Once she started creating music, she wanted to incorporate it into her activism, so she decided to experiment and see if pop music could be revolutionary. Now, pop is Standafer’s weapon for change.

As dire as things have become in this political climate, finding queer music that still inspires hope is not only refreshing, but necessary. As Standafer said, “marginalized people need to lift each other up.” We don’t have much to celebrate now, but we do have our communities, our chosen families, and artists like Standafer who can represent us, and remind us of the good that’s still in the world.

Standafer considers herself to be a musical activist. She wants her music to be political and have a message, despite its fun aesthetic. Storytelling and using multiple perspectives is key for this.

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THE TRIANGLE: ONE OF DENVER'S NEWEST QUEER BARS

In the few short months since the Trinagle opened its doors, it has become a haven for those who crave classy cocktails and a high-end experience that still keeps things inclusive and queer. They celebrated their first Pride in style, and we were there to capture some of the magic.

Photos by Brian Degenfelder

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Starley Starley Belts Belts Queer Queer Acceptance Acceptance with Acceptancewith with

“Love “Love is is Love” Love”

By Corina Julig Photos by Tom Kherr 2 4 \\ J U L Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8

W

hen Australian musician Starley Hope, who goes by the stage name Starley, released her single “Call On Me” in 2016, little did she know how big it would get. The song reached Top 10 on the charts in dozens of countries, and became one of the most streamed songs of 2017.

But when she wrote it, she was about to give up on music. After moving to London to pursue a musical career, she’d had little mainstream success and moved back to Australia to live with her parents. She wrote “Call On Me” in her bedroom, and all of the sudden, she had a hit.

Then, her life took another turn. Raised by traditional Christian parents, she had only ever dated men. But in the midst of her rising fame, a more internal change was taking place: she gradually realized that she liked women, too, and wanted to be with one.

“I was traveling the world and I was touring a lot, but at the same time I fell in love with a woman, which was something I didn’t think could happen,” Starley told OUT FRONT. She met American TV host and DJ Hannah Rad during an interview.

They later became friends, and Starley gradually realized her romantic feelings for Rad. The two have been in a relationship now for more than a year, and they live together in L.A. Breaking the news to her parents that she was bisexual was challenging for Starley. She had always been close to them, and at first it was hard for them to understand her sexuality.

It would have been easier to keep such a challenging situation to herself, but Starley decided to share her story in song.

“I had some quite hard experiences with my family last year regarding the nature of my sexuality,” Starley said.

out, and I’ve been hearing it from quite a few people.”

The original version of the song was less personal, but Starley said after showing it to some of her friends, she realized she needed to share more to make it resonate.

“For me, writing is my therapy. It helps me comprehend things and get through life. So I put it in the song and shared it with the world.”

"Love is Love" chronicles her experience of coming out to her family and embracing her sexuality. Both bittersweet and triumphant, it details her family’s disappointment, along with her own determination to love herself for who she is.

“You asked me if it’s your fault for letting me play with trucks when I was younger, and then you went on to say, ‘how will I break the news to your mother?’” the song opens.

The lyrics center on her relationship with her father, whom Starley said took her coming out very hard.

“And you say you cried for three days straight daddy, and I don’t understand you, ‘cause loving her, it ain’t an illness; she makes me happy,” Starley sings.

The message of “Love Is Love” clearly didn’t resonate with Starley alone. It got more than 30,000 views on YouTube in just two weeks. But, even better than the popularity are the messages Starley said she’s received from fans.

“Some people have reached out to me and said “Love Is Love’ makes me feel like I’m not alone with what I’m going through with my family,’ and that is an awesome feeling,” Starley said. “Even if I just heard that from one person I would feel validated in putting that song

“It seemed it wasn’t hitting home all the way, and I realized it was because I was leaving out the parts of the story I felt uncomfortable sharing,” she said.

“I decided to re-write it and dig deeper.

That felt scary and liberating at the same time.”

While all this was going on, Australia legalized same-sex marriage via survey in late 2017, which Starley felt was “amazing” timing.

“I was still going through issues with my family at the time, and the fact that it was legalized in Australia made me and my girlfriend feel pretty great,” Starley said. “We went to Australia for Christmas and it made us feel more accepted.”

Starley was a headliner at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2018, an LGBTQ festival and parade held in Australia every February, and said that seeing how happy everyone was after the referendum and watching people getting married on parade floats was an incredible experience.

Despite all this success, she has a lot more on the horizon. Starley will be performing with Katy Perry as part of the Australia leg of Perry’s “Witness” tour, and is releasing her first full-length album later this year. She can’t wait to have a body of work to share with her fans, and has been working hard to get it ready.

In the meantime, she hopes people appreciate the message of “Love Is Love.”

“We’re all just here to love one another and that’s it; that’s all we have,” she said.

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By Veronica Holyfield

Photos by Ben Sellen

Frankie Simone,

A Queer Collaboration Q

ueer pop has been introduced to a new force to be reckoned with: Frankie Simone. Having just released her debut EP, Love//Warrior, she supports radical self-love and acceptance. Standing strong in herself, her art, and her convictions, her anthems are unapologetically LGBTQ-focused.

Having grown up in a household full of music and dance, it's no surprise that singer/ songwriter Simone chose this path. Shortly after meeting her wife,

professional dancer and choreographer Che Che Luna, the Portlandians are taking their risky and risque collaboration to rise up in the scene and tour the country.

“As a queer person,” Simone explained, “the inequality and pain I experienced from others, plus the shared stories from LGBTQ community members of hate and injustice they faced, really struck a chord with me.” Using that passion as a catapult towards focused change, Simone set out to make the most impact she could by writing music from the heart and sharing it, regardless of repercussions.

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“We had always wanted to collaborate, but we were a bit worried."

What if their creative visions clashed, or resentments and tension built within the relationship? Once they began, however, it was magic, and they can’t imagine going back.

“It took us two years to do anything really creative together,” Simone said, “but when we finally decided to go for it, we went for it, all the way. It ended up being life-changing in the most incredible way possible.”

While these imaginative flames continue to stoke the fire of creativity, critics can make or break that passion. Luckily for Simone and Luna, they have used even the harshest criticism from within their personal lives to turn it into something beautiful.

“A family member of ours told us to stop posting our ‘lesbian bullshit’ all over the internet,” explained Simone. “I looked at Che Che and said, ‘I’m gonna put that in a fucking song.’

That was a huge inspiration for 'War Paint.' [That song] is all about reclaiming those hurtful, hate-filled things people have said and transforming our pain into power.”

Apart from the inevitable criticism, Simone said that being an out, queer artist has mostly been a positive rather than negative experience for her career thus far. She and Luna even co-wrote a song entitled “Queer” to own that for themselves and the community they are a part of.

“I needed to do something with this fire energy I was experiencing,” she said. Feeling called to do this for herself as much as her community, Simone began to write and record music with Graham Barton, a friend in Portland, and things began to take off quickly from there.

“It wasn’t our intention to create my debut EP,” she confessed.

“But we were onto something, and I honestly discovered my life's purpose through this work. In all of the music and art I create, I want to have zero inhibitions in being my most authentic self.”

“I had been wanting to write a queer anthem, something that was bold and loud and really crystal clear in its message,” Simone said. “Che and I have an incredibly deep connection, and with that we get into deep discussions about our creative expression, so she fully channeled the first version of 'queer' and gifted it to me to take it and run with it. It was everything I had been wanting to scream out to the world. I immediately went into the studio and started to develop the song with my engineer, and what we came up with is the song you hear today. It’s an extra-special song that I feel not only reflects my passion for justice, but also my deep connection with my wife.”

Simone credits all the strong women in her life, including her mom, as the reason for her clear career path in music.

While the project is named after her, Simone attributes much of her success to her wife and creative partner. Since 2014, Simone and Luna have co-created a bold and unique fusion of music and dance that is unlike any other collaboration in the pop world.

“I really do think being immersed in music that was primarily fronted by female divas early on planted a seed deep within me,” she explained. “These women were all so strong, so powerful, so commanding of space... they all had something important to say and people listened; I loved that.”

Acting as each other’s muses, Simone writes music and lyrics while Luna choreographs and dances to create a full piece of performance art.

Though not immune to moments of doubt, Simone has built a foundation of belief in herself and those around her to continue down the path of musical and relational empowerment. Her hope is that fans can find solace, support, encouragement, and validation through her art. While she knows not everyone will understand or believe in her, she’s more than OK with carving out her own road, with her muse by her side.

“She inspires me so much,” Simone explained of Luna. “I wrote the song 'Blow My Mind' simply because she blows my mind! She is such a talented, strong, badass woman, and I'm so proud to be her partner. Che Che and I are so incredibly connected, so naturally every song on the EP has something to do with her.”

While this process of collaboration now comes so naturally for the duo, Simone explained that it took some time before they took the plunge into working together.

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“Of course, there will always be haters and people that are insecure of themselves,” she acknowledged. “Or those in so much pain that they don't know what else to do but tear others down with hurtful words. To them, I send love, and hope they get the help, support, and the love they so badly need.”

Trippin’on the Tunes:

Rick Danger’s Top 22 Dance Records

By Rick Kitzman

W

hen I was young, about a hundred years ago, Rick Danger was my nom-de-deejay. I spun at a few local clubs, mostly at the Ballpark, a now-defunct bathhouse. I deejayed at Studio 54 in New York City on New Year’s Eve in 1984 (a fact that still amazes me).

Since the fifties, when my sister gave me her collection that included Elvis 45s, records have always been a passion and a part of my life.

My addiction peaked when I subscribed to four DJ-only services: Disconet, Hot Tracks, Razormaid, and Rhythm Stick. Eventually, 2,200 records gathered dust on groaning shelves. I calculated the vinyl elephant in the room weighed 1,320 pounds, well over half a ton of musical memories and feelings.

Two years ago I sold my collection to a vintage vinyl store. That sad day felt like I’d betrayed the friends who had supplied the succor I desperately required during the plague years. But the relief was palpable. Their physical weight vanished, lightening most, but not all, of the psychological weight of their heavy history. I’d hung up my headphones decades ago, selling my two Technics 1200 turntables and Numark mixing board to good homes.

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Today, I make my own remixes, using Virtual DJ, software from Atomix Productions. For example, culling bits and pieces of five versions of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, I created my Frankenstein on Steroids Ultimate Remix. And I’ve converted party cassettes from the Ballpark and New York’s The Saint (Black Parties 83 and 84) to mp3 files.

Gay dance history has been digitized and preserved. But there was nothing like the visceral experience of slapping a couple records on the turntables, cross-fading, finger-f*cking the platters to slow or speed up the rotations, achieving an ecstatic mix for your audience, building a perfect moment in party time.

Creating lists is very subjective. The top criteria? Did the song bring indescribable joy to me, my dancing buddies, my audience?

If I share dance tunes that brought me wondrous delight, one might bring you wondrous delight. I hope to call attention to obscure, ignored gems within a variety of genres, also very subjective, debate and cross-over inevitable. Most are available for a listen at YouTube. I reduced my list (in alphabetical order) from 1,000 to 22.

DISCO CLASSICS: FOUR-BY-FOUR POP MUSIC FOR THE DANCE FLOOR

BALEARIC BEAT: GENTLE, EARLY MORNING STYLE, ORIGINATING IN THE BALEARIC ISLAND OF IBIZA

“Dancin’ the Night Away” – Voggue, 1981, 12." And we did! The joy of this tune was meant for dancing under stars.

“Dancing Therapy” – International Music System, 1984. Crosses into Italo-disco/Euro hip-hop territory; my theme song for the plague years always made me smile.

“Hot Leather” – Passengers, 1979, 12” or Disconet. Hard-driving, butchest disco tune ever, well, except for the Skatt Brothers’ “Walk the Night.”

“Is There More to Life Than Dancing?” – Nöel, 1979. The mysterious L.A diva’s answer? No. From the album Dancing is Dangerous.

“Our Love is Insane” – Desmond Child and Rouge, 1978, Special Disco Mix. Beautiful, brilliantly constructed, lush strings, varied segments: it’s perfect.

“Rain” – Goombay Dance Band, 1980, 12." Ballpark standard.

A call to the boys for frolicking in the pool with the two-story waterfall... Those were the days...

“Trippin’ on the Moon” – Cerrone, 12." As the title implies, synth opening chords signal a voyage beyond Earth. Superb production.

“The Visitors” – ABBA, 1981, Best of Hot Tracks, Vol. 1, “They’re Back” edit by Glenn Cattanach. This specific version has the 64-beat, extended synth intro, break, and outro. Atypically dark ABBA; don’t expect to hear it in Mama Mia 2.

FUNK/SOUL: ELECTRONIC MIX OF JAZZ AND R&B “Can You Feel It” – The Jacksons, 1980, three Disconet issues.

Michael’s exhilarating voice and soaring horn breaks make you feel it: heaven-bound happiness.

“Groove Me” – Fern Kinney, 1979. She coos “hey sugar dumplin’,” then seduces with her sleazy title’s appeal. I finally traced this unknown track on a 30-year-old cassette (even the Shazam app didn’t recognize it). Eureka!

“Midnight Music” – Martin Stevens, 1979. “When your world is falling all around” this track will pick you up. Unusually trippy for funk/soul.

POP-ROCK: HARD-EDGED BUT DANCE FLOOR-READY “A Girl in Trouble” – Romeo Void, 1984, 12” dance mix.

Heartbreaking vocal new wave/punk Debora Iyall compliments and wailing sax solos.

“Sentinel” – Neutron 9000, 1990. At YouTube, visit John Peel’s Steve Proctor mix, and float away; other versions suck.

“Summer Breeze” – Baiser, 1983, 12." Sweet and romantic, with sensuous calypso percussion.

HOLY GRAILS: VINYL DIAMONDS FOR THE CONNOISSEUR COLLECTOR “The Letter” – David Cassidy, 1985, b-side of The Last Kiss (Extended Version) 12." Not the Box Tops’ 67 hit; other versions are crappy.

David’s urgent vocal and the song’s luscious chorus create an overlooked gem begging for a professional remix; mine is one of my best. RIP David.

“I’m Not in Love” – George Monroe, 1986. If you find the Rhythm Stick house/synth version, you’ve hit the jackpot. It keeps the of this 10cc tune from 1975 intact and contemporary.

“Skindeep” – The Stranglers, 1984, Hot Tracks 4/2 remix. New Wave synth-rock restructured and beefed up. Couldn’t find this remix on YouTube or E-bay.

Listening to these tunes still transports me to a time and place, long vanished, with good friends long gone. The ineffable joy of dancing with a few, hundreds, or thousands of men–as close to supernal experiences as I’ve ever come–made life magical.

Researching details, I found two valuable websites. The database of RemixServies.com begins in 1977, when Disconet started the first DJ-only subscription, and includes the discography of seventy services up to the present: a one-stop library! Discogs.com is an easy-to-search site where you can also buy and sell.

So my fellow vinylphiles–and if there isn’t such a word, there should be–my treasured tunes might still be at Recollect Records, 13th and Delaware. Ask for owner Austin Matthews. Tell him Rick Danger sent you.

“White China”– Ultravox, 1984, Razormaid remix. One of the service’s best, a transcendent reconstruction of a so-so track.

HOUSE/TRANCE: HYPNOTIC, ELECTRONIC, TRIPPY “Break 4 Love” – Pet Shop Boys, 2001, Peter Rauhofer Collaboration Part 1, Friburn & Urik Tribal Mix. The other 37 remixes suck.

Intense and tribal; featured in Queer As Folk.

“Liebe auf der Ersten Blick (Love at First Sight)” – DAF, 1981, Razormaid or ‘88 12” remix by Joseph Watt. Has a carney feel; sick brass undertones elevate this German hard house cut to decadent heights.

“Lost Again” – Yello, 1983, Extended Dance Version. Haunting Haunting, and the sleazy, ripple synth still titillates.

“Lost Vagueness” – Utah Saints, 2000, Oliver Lieb Vocal Remix; also on Paul Oakenfold’s Travelling CD. Simple but spellbinding.

The last vinyl 12” I ever bought... sigh...

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On an average day in Colorado, 14 children and teens enter foster care.

You can help.

Colorado welcomes and encourages members of the LGBTQ+ community to become foster and adoptive parents.

Learn more at CO4Kids.org

Colorado Has a Shortage of Foster Parents:

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s states across the country pass laws that allow discrimination in foster care and adoption, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) is raising awareness that everyone, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community, are welcome and encouraged to foster and adopt throughout Colorado. Getting this message out is especially important, given the need for foster families in every community. Based on a CDHS analysis, the state needs 1,200 additional foster families by 2019.

“Sometimes, with very little notice, caseworkers have to scramble to find a family ready and able to care for a child or teen who is entering foster care while their parents address safety concerns and learn new skills,” Minna Castillo Cohen, director of the CDHS Office of Children, Youth and Families, said. “We need additional foster families so that caseworkers can choose among many possible families, so that each child or teen’s unique needs are met and they’re able to stay close to home.”

For an LGBTQ+ child or teen in foster care, having a stable, affirming foster family is especially important. National research shows that young people who identify as LGBTQ+ are overrepresented within foster care. LGBTQ-identified children and teens experience foster care for many of the same reasons as other young people in care, but they potentially have the added layer of trauma that comes with being rejected or mistreated because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

“Every child and teen deserves a nurturing, affirming family that provides them with a safe place to process their feelings of grief and loss, gives them the freedom to express who they are, and offers the support they need to become responsible, happy, and healthy adults,” Castillo Cohen said.

Last year, 10,040 children and teens lived in an out-of-home placement like a foster

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family, group home, or residential treatment center for their safety. Today in Colorado, there are approximately 4,868 children and teens in an out-of-home placement.

If it is not possible to ensure the safety and well-being of a child in their own home, a caseworker looks to family or friends willing to provide a temporary home while the parent or caregiver works to improve the situation at home. These families are known as “kinship families.” There are approximately 1,557 children and teens living with a kinship family, and there are approximately 2,190 children and teens living with a foster family.

An additional 809 children and teens are living in a congregate setting, such as a residential treatment center or a group home. Many of these 809 children and teens are ready to live with a foster family, where they are better able to heal from their past traumatic experiences, but no foster family is available to care for them.

Colorado does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. You can be married, single, divorced, or living with a partner or friend. You can be a first-time parent or an experienced parent.

You can own your home or condo or you can rent. All that matters is you’re ready to make a difference for a child or teen at a time in their life when they need you the most.

Learn more about how you can help a child in Colorado on CO4Kids.org/fosterpride.

Are They Too Young?

By Jennifer Shivey MA, LPC, RPT-S

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There are definitely benefits to “letting” transgender children socially transition at a young age. For one, kids just don’t care. It’s true! You want to go by a different name and wear a dress?

Ok - let’s go get a snack now. That’s usually pretty close to what I hear from young kids who have not been told otherwise. Preschoolers and elementary age children are typically pretty understanding when their friend tells them they are really a different gender. A lot of people think that we don’t need to talk to kids about this - but we do talk to them about diversity in other realms, right? Why would this be different? A child having support and knowledge about who they are from a young age is so incredibly empowering for them. They can connect with other transgender children so they don’t later feel isolated, and like they are the only ones in the world who feel this way. We have phenomenal resources here in Colorado in the way of support groups and medical/mental health professionals to make transitions easier. There are also very specific laws for schools about basic rights of LGBTQ+ youth. YouthSeen is an organization in our community that can help connect families to some of these resources.

Connecting with other families, knowledgeable professionals and reputable groups can make accessing this information much easier, as well as building a support network for parents who are supporting their child. No child should feel alone in their journey, but no parent should, either.

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Dueling with Depression:

Headbanging Blues

Photo and Column by Mike Yost

G

oing to a metal show is one of the most amazingly effective coping skills for my mental madness. I’m able to drown out the dark, at least for a few hours, with crushing riffs and a lot of headbanging.

I still don’t understand the appeal.

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What? Metal shows are amazing!

Concerts are anxiety-inducing nightmares of noise and smelly crowds.

Well, I’ll admit there is an element of apprehension about being stuffed into a small, enclosed space surrounded by headbanging strangers. But they’re

all there because they dig the same bands you do.

I get nervous just thinking about being encircled by all those perspiring bodies, hair flinging up into my eyes.

Statistically, some of those people don’t follow decent hygiene habits.

How in the world does being crammed into an auditorium—with only a few exits, under a wall of “crushing riffs,” surrounded by the smell of weed, beer, and body odor—how is THAT experience a coping mechanism for depression?

I’m not entirely sure, to be honest.

Well, at least you’re honest.

Part of it is that the music is so loud I can’t even think.

How is permanent hearing loss a good thing?

I’ve gotten completely lost in the metal at a live show, partly because I can’t think about thinking. All the people around me just fade away. I’m floating inside each song, just as free and weightless as if I was wading out in the open sea.

You float at metal shows?

Abso-f *cking-lutely! Floating in the midst of the thundering, controlled chaos that is a metal concert. Drifting inside the eye of a category-five hurricane.

But the bullsh*t “convenience” fees, the long lines, the obnoxious drunks.

You know, I don’t run into a lot of obnoxious drunks at metal shows.

Seems like a lot of money and time and mental energy just to escape depression for a few hours, depression that’s going to greedily claw its way back into your skull as soon as the lights go up.

Well, if you’re going to a metal show for that reason, you’re missing the point entirely.

What point?

I go to metal shows because it’s fun! The fact that it helps with my depression is incidental.

Incidental?

Icing on the cake.

I do love cake.

So what if it smells? It’s so much f *cking fun!

It’s an absolute deluge of worry and panic.

Look, I’ve been to metal shows that were truly cathartic, a purging of all the negative, hurtful crap in my life.

From an outside perspective, I must look pretty preposterous: vigorously hammering my head forward, eyes closed, hair flying everywhere, headbanging to metal as it saturates my ears and drowns my senses. But I’m able to fall into that experience as it unfolds. It’s meditative.

Headbanging is meditation?

Well, there’s this photo from a Yob concert that I think— Yob? What’s a Yob? Yob is a kick-ass metal band from Eugene, Oregon. There’s this blackand-white photo from one of their concerts. The band is headbanging on the stage in the background.

The crowd is headbanging in the foreground. Small venue. Dimly lit.

You can feel the energy of the music bleeding out of the picture.

What does that have to do with meditation?

There’s this guy in the right corner at the front of the stage. His head is slammed forward, the only guy with his arms raised above his head, fists clinched. I immediately thought, “There! Right fucking there. That guy gets it.”

Gets what?

He’s in that space, swimming in the song. He’s connecting to something unseen. He’s finding catharsis. From his perspective, there’s no one around for miles.

Because he’s floating.

When I’m in that same space, depression and anxiety are sidelined.

They’re reduced to mere spectators to this amazing spectacle of devastating tunes cracking my skull and crushing my bones into dust.

Metal shows sound painful. And the depression comes back. It always comes back.

But I’m not banging my head as a method to cope with depression. I’m there because . . .

Because it’s so much f *cking fun!

Hell yeah!

So, it’s not about some secret headbanging meditation method?

And it’s not really about headbanging, either. You can have the same experience at a Dolly Parton concert— live music as a medium to focus only on the immediate and float inside that space.

Smelly crowd or no smelly crowd.

You can float either way.

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