Porn Star Car Karaoke - I Kissed A Boy

Jesse Jackman and Dirk Caber with director and JMG reader Jasun Mark behind the wheel.

Shamir: Unplugged On NPR

For the latest installment of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, dance sensation Shamir performed three tracks from his critically-raved debut album. NPR's Bob Boilen writes:

When I first saw Shamir at NPR Music's SXSW showcase, the 20-year-old singer popped on stage with a Yo Gabba Gabba T-shirt and proceeded to light up the night with his disco-infused funk and joyful energy. Cut to this Tiny Desk Concert. Shamir Bailey is sitting alone on a stool with an acoustic guitar — hardly recognizable except perhaps for the green painted fingernails, until he began to sing. At that point, he put his fragile but confident countertenor to work in "Darker," from his debut album Ratchet, and I knew we were in for something special.

Last month I attended Shamir's riotous sold-out concert in Brooklyn, where young fanboys crowded the stage and sang along to every word. The tour returns to the US late next month and there will be another NYC date on November 16th.

Pop Star Cilla Black Dies At Age 72

Via the Telegraph:

Cilla Black has died at her Spanish home, local police have confirmed. The much-loved TV star and singer is believed to have died of natural causes after being found at her home in Marbella. The Liverpoon-born star enjoyed her first taste of fame at the city's Cavern Club, where she performed alongside acts including The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. She went on to release 14 albums but later established herself as a television personality, presenting hit shows including Surprise Surprise and Blind Date. In 1968, she became the first woman to have her own prime-time chat show on BBC One. In more recent years, despite suffering from arthritis and deafness, she remained in the public eye. Her rise to stardom was recently told in award-winning three-part drama, Cilla, starring Sheridan Smith.

During her pop career Black charted nearly two dozen Top 40 hits in the UK including two #1 singles - Anyone Who Had A Heart and You're My World - both of which were drag staples in the 70s.

New Order - Restless

Via Pop Matters:

“Restless” takes me back to Club Paradiso in Amsterdam, a church converted into a dance club. There is a reason why New Order never grow old or fade. Their sound has become archetypal of not only an era, but also of specific nighttime emotions. New Order has become synonymous with that eloquent longing that only comes at 3am after several glasses of champagne cognac and hours of dancing under the multicolored spotlights of a club. The world turns and we turn with it and in that dizzying waltz we grow reverent and speechless. “Restless” is the sound of sanctus bells calling the faithful to worship.

Other reviews at the link are less glowing.

Viral Video Of The Day

Spin recaps:

One thousand musicians banded together in Italy to perform the Foo Fighters’ “Learn to Fly” all at once in an attempt to woo the band to come play a show for them. Let’s repeat that — 1,000 musicians. A thousand. “The Foo Fighters are not in Romagna since 1997, it’s time to get them back, but we need a crazy idea,” the description on Rockin’ 1000’s website explains. “We have to organize something that kicks ass worldwide and can be seen by Dave Grohl: We will ask one thousand rockers to play one of their songs, all together and at the same time.”

4.1 million views since yesterday.

SAN FRANCISCO: Morrissey Files Sexual Assault Complaint Against Airport Security

“On leaving the US on 27 July I flew from San Francisco International Airport to London on flight BA 284. At 2:30 in the afternoon I went through the usual airport security procedure including the stand-up ‘scanner’, and all was well – no bleeps and nothing unusual. Before I could gather my belongings from the usual array of trays I was approached by an ‘airport security officer’ who stopped me, crouched before me and groped my penis and testicles. He quickly moved away as an older ‘airport security officer’ approached. The officer who sexually assaulted me was identified. Luckily I was accompanied by two members of British Airways Special Services, who were horrified at the sexual attack and suggested that I lodge a complaint. The British Airways Special Services employees assured me that a complaint was worthwhile, and so I filed the appropriate information.” - Morrissey, in a statement published today by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Sam Smith Vents On LGBT Rights

Belle & Sebastian - Perfect Couples

Stereogum recaps:

Belle & Sebastian have shared a video for an extended version of “Perfect Couples,” a track from their latest album, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance. There’s no real plot to speak of here — it’s more of a visualization featuring a neighborhood party that gradually gets more intricate and chaotic as more people join in. It crescendos with a group dance before being whittled down to its smaller components once again. The passive form of the video should be expected, since it was originally put together by production company The Forest Of Black to accompany the song on the band’s most recent tour.

It looks like they did this in one take except for a moment near the end. Belle & Sebastian's current world tour dips back into the US for several dates next month.

Janet Jackson - No Sleeep

TIME recaps:

It’s been five years since Janet Jackson’s last album and four since her last tour, but 2015 is unquestionably the year of the Janet comeback. She’s already announced a world tour and a new studio album—her eleventh—and Friday morning she debuted the first video for a song off that album. The video for “No Sleeep” (spelled with an extra “e,” perhaps to emulate Jackson’s crooning voice), a sultry slow jam about nights put to good use, features Jackson holed up in a cozy chalet on a rainy night. Teaming up with the uber-relevant J. Cole—a smart choice for a comeback single—Jackson conjures the laid-back, sexy vibes of early ’90s singles like “That’s the Way Love Goes.”

IAMX - Happiness

Diffuser reports:

In some circles, British musician Chris Corner is best known as a founding member of ’90s trip-hop outfit Sneaker Pimps. But in more modern circles, he’s known as IAMX – his electro-pop alter ego with five albums to his name since emerging about a decade ago and a sixth – Metanoia – on the way. Corner told us the song was actually something of an “afterthought” during the recording process. “‘Happiness’ was the last song to be recorded,” he said. “The album was pretty much complete but I felt something simple and fundamental was missing. The irony being that the afterthought became the first single.”

IAMX launches a US tour in early October. Sneaker Pimps' 6 Underground is one of my favorite tracks from the 90s.

Madonna: I'm The Picasso Of Pop

"I like to compare myself to other kinds of artists like Picasso. He kept painting and painting until the day he died. Why? Because I guess he felt inspired to do so. Life inspired him, so he had to keep expressing himself, and that’s how I feel. I don’t think there’s a time, a date, an expiration date for being creative. I think you go until you don’t have any more to say.” - Madonna, speaking to the Associated Press. Her next world tour launches in early September.

Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me

I believe she performed this last week at Freedom To Marry's "going out of business" gala.

Carpool Karaoke With Rod Stewart

The Young Professionals - S.O.S.

The Advocate recaps:

The video for the duo's rendition, which sounds a lot sexier and slinkier than the bouncy original, features vintage footage of the Swedish quartet and premieres exclusively today with The Advocate. The duo explains they they were originally asked to cover the song for an Abba tribute album. "Having the opportunity to choose the song from all these amazing songs and being able to create a new production for it and make it our own was great experience," they tell The Advocate via email, adding, "Of course if we discuss "LGBT" music, ABBA is the corner stone of the genre."

(Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

Stockholm To Host Eurovision 2016

Eurovision reports:

This morning, SVT revealed Stockholm as the Host City for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. The capital city's Globe Arena will stage the contest for the second time in its history. The Semi-Finals will be held on 10 and 12 May, the Grand Final on 14 May 2016. Information about ticket sales is expected later this year. The process of finding a Host City for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest began directly after Måns Zelmerlöw’s victory in Vienna just over a month ago. "Stockholm has delivered a thorough offer which guarantees that the event once again is taken to the next level, says Martin Österdahl, Executive Producer for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of SVT. Österdahl also lead the production of the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden.

Eurovision is attended annually by thousands of gay men and travel companies typically offer packages from major European cities. Start planning now because every hotel for miles usually sells out. (Tipped by JMG reader Luis)

Brendan Maclean - The Feeling Again

I first wrote about Maclean back in 2013 for the release of his quirky Australian hit Stupid, which made my top ten for that year. Today he's back with a lovely ballad.

First Ladies of Disco - Show Some Love

Martha Wash, Linda Clifford, and Evelyn "Champaign" King.

(Via JMG reader Jonathan)

Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money

Stereogum recaps:

Take a deep breath and savor the moment. We’re going to have a very short time before the parents’ groups of the world start loudly freaking the fuck out over Rihanna’s new video for “Bitch Better Have My Money,” so we need to appreciate every moment that that isn’t happening. Rihanna shared a preview of the video a few days ago, promising nudity and language and violence. She wasn’t kidding. The clip features Rihanna and a couple of friends kidnapping a rich lady and holding her for ransom, and it ends with a naked Rihanna, covered in blood, smoking weed while sitting in a trunk full of cash.

Beyonce Celebrates SCOTUS: #LoveWins

This afternoon Beyonce posted an Instagram clip with this message: "Never too late. #LoveWins. ❤️." At this writing the clip has 760K likes and over 40K comments.

Robyn - Love Is Free

Pitchfork raves:

Pop has been playing house again for a couple of years now, but few acts have tapped the genre's origins in sexual, social liberation as well as Robyn, Jägerstedt, and Falk do here. In brisk, unrelenting rotation, every element of the track gets a moment in the spotlight and dictates its own individual physical response: the shimmy of the forks Falk tinged against glasses in the studio; the way a ravey siren wriggles like someone doing the worm; the sinewy, thrusting bass. It's completely irresistible—the sound of summer 2015, if there's any justice—and vindicates the maxim Funkadelic laid down almost 50 years ago: free your mind, and your ass will follow.