Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fly Life, this week's Swag Tuesday prize is Cheek To Cheek, the new all-duets album from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, which went on sale today nationwide at retailers and online.  The Cleveland Plain Dealer raves:

Lady Gaga rarely does anything subdued. So when she does, listeners should take note, even if it's just for the shock factor. Yet, the only thing shocking about "Cheek to Cheek," Gaga's collaborative album of jazz standards with Tony Bennett, is just how good it is. Gaga holds her own with the musical icon on an album that will likely be a contender for Album of the Year come Grammy night. "Cheek to Cheek" opens with "Anything Goes," a lighthearted tune from composer Cole Porter that's right in Bennett's wheelhouse. Gaga does her best Barbra Streisand impersonation, proving that her voice doesn't need an assist from wild costumes or electronic beats to come off as stunning. She further emphasizes that point on the piano ballad "Lush Life." Gaga goes solo on the tune with a powerful voice vocal performance. "Lush Life," along with the amazing "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," is enough to make you fall in love with Gaga the singer, rather than the stage performer. Not to be outdone, Bennett, who sounds youthful at age 88, delivers a fantastic vocal on the Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" and the string-heavy "Don't Wait Too Long." Both songs underscore a key component of "Cheek to Cheek," which is the flawless backing instrumentation.

We have five copies of Cheek To Cheek to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please leave an email address in the text. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

This week's Swag Tuesday prize is Forget The World, the debut album from Grammy-winning EDM artist Afrojack, which is now available for download and at physical retailers nationwide. Magnetic Mag has a review:

Afrojack’s debut album Forget the World may feel long overdue for the Dutch DJ seeing how he’s been in the game for four years now and is already one of the top 10 highest grossing DJs in the world. Oh… and a Grammy award winner. And he is one of only two DJs to have their handprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Accomplishments aside, it’s time to let the debut LP speak for itself. Afrojack definitely created an eclectic and well-rounded LP with Forget the World from the pop-hits that catapulted him to mainstream success to out-of-the-box collaborations with Sting, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa to name a few and, of course, the Afrojack big beat drops we’ve all grown to love. Once you press play with the opening track “Ten Feet Tall,” you’ll be taken on an audible journey with everything from vocal party anthems, chill back songs, instrumental tracks and even a power rock song.

We have three copies of Forget The World to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Unrepentant Geraldines, the new studio album from Tori Amos which is now available for download and at physical retailers nationwide. Paste Magazine has a great review:

Rather than lushly arranged, these songs are musically sparse, primarily featuring piano and voice, with flourishes of drum loops and synths serving as ambience rather than delivering melody. This is not unwelcome: Amos’ greatest appeal has always been that unnerving voice of hers, which can tear apart words and ideas with a sly smile. Even as she hits 50, that instrument has remained ageless. Despite the nods to “Strawberry Fields Forever” on opener “America,” Unrepentant Geraldines bridles and bristles against the constraints of pop music. Formally, she’s a tinkerer, often writing against the verse-chorus-verse format to favor stray stanzas. She’s a builder of sturdy bridges: The sudden burst of bright sounds and melody turns “America” inside out, not only contrasting the relative austerity of the arrangement but redirecting the song toward some other planet.

We have three copies of Unrepentant Geraldines to give away and one of them is autographed.  Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Dconstructed, an album of Disney tracks remixed by globally famous EDM acts including Armin Van Buuren's take on Idina Menzel's smash hit Let It Go.

Enter to win a copy of DCONSTRUCTED and a pair of Urbanears headphones! DCONSTRUCTED: A brand-new compilation of classic and current Disney music remixed by today's hottest international DJs/producers including Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade and more! Featuring fourteen tracks including "Let It Go" (Armin Van Buuren Remix). One lucky grand prize winner will receive a copy of DCONSTRUCTED plus a pair of Urbanears headphones! Two runners-up will receive a copy of DCONSTRUCTED.

We have three copies of Dconstructed and one set of Urbanears headphones to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight at Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fly Life, today's Swag Tuesday prize is the Cyndi Lauper deluxe box set She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration, which is now available online and at retailers nationwide.

She's So Unusual: A 30th Anniversary Celebration is the ultimate tribute to one of the greatest albums of all time and now includes: Ten previously unreleased songs over two audio discs, including 3 brand new remixes by NERVO, Bent Collective, and Yolanda Be Cool, live tracks, early demos and studio outtakes; a brand new essay from Jancee Dunn (co-author of Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir); rare and previously unseen photos by Annie Leibovitz; and the perfect accompaniment for the ultimate fashion icon a reusable sticker set, including vinyl cut outs of Lauper's cutting-edge outfits and accessories that can be arranged in different combinations on a 3D fold-out backdrop of the bedroom featured in her iconic Girls Just Want To Have Fun music video!

We have three copies of the deluxe box set to give away. Enter by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Welcome To The Age Of My Body, the new solo EP from openly gay Macklemore vocalist Mary Lambert, which is now available at iTunes and Amazon.

Enter to win the Welcome to the Age of My Body EP from Mary Lambert! Welcome to the Age of My Body the debut EP from the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Lambert. Featuring four tracks including the hit single "She Keeps Me Warm." The Welcome to the Age of My Body EP is available now!

We have five copies of the EP to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Universal Entertainment, today's Swag Tuesday prize is the Dallas Buyers Club video combo pack, which went on sale today online and at physical retailers nationwide.

Enter to win a Dallas Buyers Club Blu-ray™ combo pack! An all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award® winners Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto inspire in Dallas Buyers Club - the epic true story of one man’s fight for survival. Nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Actor Matthew McConaughey, Best Supporting Actor Jared Leto, and Best Original Screenplay. Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) sees his free-wheeling life overturned when he’s diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. Determined to survive, Woodroof decides to take matters in his own hands by tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. After his journey to find a cure leads him to an unlikely ally in Rayon (Jared Leto), he establishes a hugely successful “buyers’ club” and unites a band of outcasts in a struggle for dignity and acceptance that inspires in ways no one could have imagined. Also starring Jennifer Garner, Denis O’Hare and Steve Zahn. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Dallas Buyers Club is available NOW on Blu-ray™ combo pack (Blu-ray™, DVD and DIGITAL HD) from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

We have three Dallas Buyers Club video combo packs to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Universal Studios, this week's Swag Tuesday prize is the DVD of NBC's The Sound Of Music - Live!, which is available today online and at retailers nationwide.

The hills are alive again with the DVD release of the amazing LIVE broadcast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC, starring Grammy® winner Carrie Underwood, the multi-talented Stephen Moyer, and show-stopping Tony® ­Award winners Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christian Borle. Featuring some of the most famous songs ever written ("My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and more), the beloved family classic comes alive again. The amazing cast, legendary songs, majestic sets and breathtaking costumes made this special live performance of the original Broadway musical an unforgettable event for the whole family that you can now enjoy at home whenever you want! THE SOUND OF MUSIC – LIVE! is available now from Universal Studios Home Entertainment!

We have three copies of The Sound Of Music - Live! to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

Swag Tuesday II

Courtesy of Oxford University Press, our second Swag Tuesday prize this week is The AIDS Generation: Stories of Survival and Resilience by Dr. Perry Halkitis, which is now available online and at booksellers nationwide.

For young gay men who came of age in the United States in the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a formative experience in fear, hardship, and loss. Those who were diagnosed before 1996 suffered an exceptionally high rate of mortality, and the survivors -- both the infected individuals and those close to them -- today constitute a "bravest generation" in American history. The AIDS Generation: Stories of Survival and Resilience examines the strategies for survival and coping employed by these HIV-positive gay men, who together constitute the first generation of long-term survivors of the disease. Through interviews conducted by the author, it narrates the stories of gay men who have survived since the early days of the epidemic; documents and delineates the strategies and behaviors enacted by men of this generation to survive it; and examines the extent to which these approaches to survival inform and are informed by the broad body of literature on resilience and health. The stories and strategies detailed here, all used to combat the profound physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by those in the crosshairs of the AIDS epidemic, provide a gateway for understanding how individuals cope with chronic and life-threatening diseases. Halkitis takes readers on a journey of first-hand data collection (the interviews themselves), the popular culture representations of these phenomena, and his own experiences as one of the men of the AIDS generation.

We have three copies of The AIDS Generation to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to include an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

RELATED: This Thursday SAGE and GMHC will host Dr. Halkitis and activists Eric Bartley, Scott Jordan and Sean McKenna for roundtable discussion on the themes in his book. The event starts at 7PM at SAGE's office in Chelsea at 305 Seventh Avenue. Facebook event page here.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Weinstein Company, today's Swag Tuesday give away is a prize package for the film Philomena, which opens in New York City and Los Angeles on Friday and nationwide next week.

The Weinstein Company presents: Philomena, in theaters this THANKSGIVING. Based on the incredible true story. The highly acclaimed new comedy from director Stephen Frears. Starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock — something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of — and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into the son’s whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son. Philomena opens in New York and Los Angeles November 22 and expands to theaters nationwide November 27. Check your local listings for more information. The Philomena Prize Pack includes a pair of movie passes to see the film in New York any Mon-Thur beginning December 2 through the film's engagement, one copy of The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith, and three tea bags!

We have five Philomena prize packages to give away. If you are not in New York City, you may gift your movie tickets to a local. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to include an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Snow Globe, the new holiday album from Erasure which is on sale today online and at physical retailers nationwide.

Enter to win Snow Globe from Erasure! Snow Globe - the stunning holiday album from the beloved English duo, Erasure. Produced by Erasure, Gareth Jones and Richard X, Snow Globe is a collection of original compositions and seasonal classics. The first single, "Gaudete," is Erasure's take on the traditional Latin carol, which will be recognizable by many after Steeleye Span's version in the early 70s. Amazon review: Snow Globe is a combination of original Erasure songs and Christmas cover songs. Unlike the bells and whistles, glitter and tinsel sets that crowd the market come Christmas-time, Snow Globe is possessed of something more in the wistfully, strangely subdued celebratory mould of recent seasonal albums by Tracey Thorn and Kate Bush.

We have three copies of Snow Globe to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, this week's Swag Tuesday prize is The Movement, the new EP from Betty Who, the Australian popster who was signed by Sony Music when her Somebody Loves You single went globally viral after it was used in a gay marriage video proposal by a Utah man.

Enter to win The Movement EP from Betty Who! THE MOVEMENT, the new EP from rising pop star BETTY WHO. Featuring the hit single "Somebody Loves You." Available Now on iTunes.

We have five copies of The Movement to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday II

Courtesy of Fly Life, today's second Swag Tuesday prize is Love To Love You Donna, the new Donna Summer remix tribute album from Verve Records, which is available today at iTunes and at physical retailers nationwide.

LOVE TO LOVE YOU DONNA, is a brand new remix record celebrating the life and voice of five-time Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Donna Summer. A dozen highly sought after DJs and remixers have contributed a diverse and creative spin to some of the most beloved tracks in dance and pop music history. The first single is "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)," remixed by Chromeo & Oliver. It will be followed by legendary producer Giorgio Moroder's entirely re-imagined version of "Love to Love You Baby," the classic song he recorded with Donna, released in November of 1975. Love to Love You Donna was produced by Dahlia-Ambach Caplin, the architect of the five-volume Verve Remixed series, and Randall Poster, the legendary producer and music supervisor.

Other famed remixers that contributed to Love To Love You Donna include Frankie Knuckles (listen here), Holy Ghost!, Hot Chip, and Jacques Green. For today's giveaway we have three copies on CD and two on limited-edition vinyl. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time.

VIDEO: Remixer Afrojack spins his take on I Feel Love. Not one of those kids waving their hands so happily is as old as the original track. It's a good thing.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Prism, the new album by Katy Perry, which is on sale nationwide today at iTunes and at physical retailers.

Enter to win PRISM from Katy Perry! PRISM: the brand-new album from KATY PERRY. Featuring the #1 single "Roar," "Dark Horse" feat. Juicy J, and "Walking On Air." Following the triumphant success of the TEENAGE DREAM franchise (TEENAGE DREAM and TEENAGE DREAM: THE COMPLETE CONFECTION), which produced 8 pop singles, Katy Perry returns with a shimmering new album that includes her latest, #1 single, Roar, alongside such soon-to-be classics as "Unconditionally", "Legendary Lovers", "Birthday", "Walking On Air", "This Is How We Do", "International Smile" and "Double Rainbow." The deluxe edition features 3 additional songs not found on the standard album. The first 330,000 copies of the deluxe edition will be housed in a digipak with a seed paper insert.

We have three physical copies of Prism to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is The Diving Board, the new album by Elton John, which is available for download and physical purchase nationwide today.

The Diving Board the brand-new studio album from the legendary Elton John, produced by T Bone Burnett. Featuring twelve new songs including "Home Again." “This may be Elton’s greatest LP to date” – Uncut. “Elton has regained his sense of musical possibility and taken a brave graceful jump. * * * *“ - Rolling Stone. "The focus is on [Elton’s] voice and piano, the core of John’s finest work since his magical run of shows at L.A. storied Troubadour club." - USA Today. “Finely crafted and deeply moving….An inspiring bookend to Elton John & Tumbleweed Connection” – Robert Hillburn. Available Everywhere September 24

We have three copies of The Diving Board to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

NOTE: I agreed to promote the new album before Elton John announced that he will perform a concert in Moscow.  Many JMG readers strongly denounced that decision and I don't disagree, but I'm hoping that Elton will use that concert appearance to speak against Russia's anti-gay laws. He does have a famous track record for saying exactly what is on his mind.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is the album from Goldfrapp, Tales Of Us, which is on sale today online and at physical retailers.

Enter to win Tales of Us from Goldfrapp! Tales of Us - the stunningly beautiful sixth studio album from the iconic English duo, Goldfrapp. A sumptuous body of work, Tales Of Us has been two years in the crafting and is Goldfrapp’s most narrative, cinematic and intimate recording so far. Nothing in their accomplished back catalogue has hinted at the new lyrical breadth that the band have introduced to Tales Of Us. All the songs bar one are named in the first person with a cast list of evocative character sketches, the contrary love affairs, the suspense, hallucinations, fairy tales and modern folklores documented and the traces of redemption they find in song take the poetry of Goldfrapp’s delicately considered music somewhere brand new.

We have three copies of Tales Of Us to give away. Enter by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is MDNA: World Tour, the DVD chronicle of Madonna's latest concert tour.

Win Madonna's MDNA World Tour on DVD! Enter to win the highly anticipated and groundbreaking Madonna MDNA World Tour concert film! The two hour nonstop performance includes songs from Madonna's MDNA album such as "Girl Gone Wild" and "Gang Bang," as well as fan favorites including exhilarating versions of "Hung Up," "Express Yourself," "Vogue," "Open Your Heart," "Like A Prayer" and "Celebration." Presented by Live Nation Global Touring, the MDNA World Tour included 88 sold out shows in 29 countries. Available September 10 on DVD, Blu-ray, and as a digital album from Live Nation and Interscope Records.

MDNA: World Tour is available today online and at physical retailers nationwide. We have three copies to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is two tickets to see The Orion Experience, Off-Broadway's new interactive show that opens this Thursday at XL Nightclub in Midtown Manhattan.

THE ORION EXPERIENCE: Off-Broadway's New Interactive Dance Party! THE ORION EXPERIENCE is an interactive musical event in the style of ROCKY HORROR, BARBARELLA and CAPTAIN EO. In-flight amenities include live electro-pop music, wall-to-wall dancing, aerialists, and cocktails! Join the crew and dance the night away. Visit TheOrionExperience.com and use code TOETKG35 for a special $35 discounted ticket. BLASTING OFF AUGUST 1 - SEPTEMBER 1 AT XL NIGHTCLUB (512 W. 42nd St): Thursday 8pm, Saturday 9pm & Sunday 8pm.

We have five pairs of The Orion Experience tickets to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comments. Your winning tickets are good for any show from August 1st through September 1st. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is tickets to see the Pet Shop Boys and copies of their new album, Electric, which goes on sale today.

Enter to win tickets to see the Pet Shop Boys in concert PLUS a copy of their new album ELECTRIC!  Want to see the Pet Shop Boys live in concert? Joe My God has one pair of tickets to giveaway to see the iconic duo at the Beacon Theatre in New York on September 16. The lucky winner will also receive a copy of Pet Shop Boys new album Electric! Two runners-up will also win a copy of Electric.

Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address in the text of the entry. If you cannot be in Manhattan on the day of the show, your winning entry is transferable to your favorite Pet head. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Fantasy Records, today's Swag Tuesday prize is a special pink double vinyl copy of Sylvester's Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, which has been reissued nationwide today. Proceeds from this re-release benefit San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand, per Sylvester's will.  You can download the album on iTunes or purchase a physical CD copy at Amazon.

Twenty-five years after his untimely death, the iconic legacy of Sylvester, the “Queen of Disco,” will be resurrected with Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits, due out June 25th on Fantasy Records. This collection will celebrate the life and music of the artist who once danced his way into the hearts and minds of the disco and LGBT communities.

As a dear friend of Harvey Milk and an icon to the LGBT community, Sylvester has long held a special place in music and socio-political history. Sylvester was not only one of the first disco stars to stand openly gay, but bravely crossed beyond the boundaries of race, gender and sexuality to become a proud figure of the gay liberation movement.

“Sylvester James was an unlikely star: an androgynous, cross-dressing, openly gay, African American, falsetto-singing, unapologetically flaming man-diva influenced primarily by church women, black blues singers, drag queens, hippies and homos,” said liner notes writer Joshua Gamson. “Like very few before him, and quite a few after, Sylvester rode his marginality right into the mainstream.”

We have three copies of the pink vinyl version to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to include an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.