Live Music Review: Frankmusik In St. Louis

Wonder where I've been lately? Well I spent my evening at a concert in St. Louis this past night. What was I doing? I was meeting Frankmusik, one of the greatest songwriters of my generation. He surprised me in many ways tonight, and I'll have to detail it all below. Are you ready to hear about one of the greatest intimate music showcases this city has seen?

Chvrches' Trippy "Gun" Video + Album Release Date

Oh, Chvrches. How I have missed you. Their music, sans one EP, has vanished from iTunes and Amazon, leaving me high and dry as far as their music is concerned. Luckily they are kind to their fans abroad (and not just here in the US, but in the rest of Europe as well) and the newest video "Gun" is available to watch nearly everywhere. Check it out, but be prepared -- it's crazy trippy.



What I really like about this video is that it's pure art. There's no storyline and there's no real flow. It just is a constant movement of colors, images, and people. They are often times green-screened into each other, one being the backdrop and the other being the foreground. It makes for an interesting watch, and is one of those videos where you can watch it several times in a row and always find something new in it's intricacy.

The really good thing this video has done for me is give these guys faces. Even on the band's Facebook page, they don't have many pictures of what they actually look like. That being said I guess I never put a lot of effort into it, but with them never appearing on their EP/Single covers, it seemed a bit refreshing and eye opening to see what the members look like... Even if they were often smeared or chopped up by digital effects.

Paired with this, they also announced both the title and release date for the debut album. "The Bones Of What You Believe" will be out September 23rd in the UK and September 24th in the US. That is a long ways to wait, but I'm sure it will be worth it. A certain other elctropop artist has released an album that should keep me plenty busy until then!

Alyssa Edwards Has Her Own Web Series

Ok, so calling it a "series" may be a stretch. The videos are only 30-45 seconds long and there are only a couple out so far, but they are damn funny! Why? Because it's Alyssa Edwards! Duh! She stole my heart during the last season of Drag Race, and seeing more of her is exactly what I need in my life. Check out an example below.



Each minisode is set up as a question for Alyssa to answer. The first part is her straightforward, more rehearsed answer. After, a "shhhhh" splash goes over the screen followed by some outtakes or more candid answers to the question. For example, she was asked to choose Lindsay Lohan or Amanda Bynes. She chooses Lindsay, only to reveal at the end she had no idea who Amanda Bynes was anyway.

I know we had a lot of comedy queens in the past, and I know that Alyssa isn't exactly one of them, but what makes her funny is that she isn't meaning to. She says some airhead things that could have been avoided if she'd stopped to think. The goldmine is that she doesn't have that filter and she will blurt out anything and everything -- and it's funny!

Unlike Willam's (now canceled) weekly installments, these episodes seem to be coming out whenever they feel like coming out. Who knows if we will even get more than what we have so far, but God we can hope. Alyssa, in my opinion, is one of the girls who got let go before her time. Was she a winner? Probably not. Was she deserving of all the negativity and the early send off? No.

I love you Alyssa! Keep up the laughs and you'll always have my heart.

Reality TV Review: RHNJ Season Five 1 + 2

I've been promising for over a year that I would get more into reality tv. Every time I plan to review a show, things happen and I am not able to do so. In an effort to show I'm not full of crap, I'm going to be reviewing every episode (to the best of my power, anyway) of Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey Season Five. Let it be known that this show stresses me out like no other. I know it's a TV show, and I know that not all of it is exactly "reality" but it does pull at my heart, and some of the people on the show really get to me. Without further ado, let's jump in. Im a couple weeks late, so this time you get a twofer! Enjoy, everybody!

(Warning: Spoilers. Also, this is for two episodes, so it's a loooong post.)

Side FX Is Back With Two New Tracks And A Video

It's been a hot minute since I've seen Side FX around the net. They released their latest album, "Spin Me Ever After" and have been on tour ever since promoting and touring. Recently, they released a dual A-Side single called "Still Spinning". I knew better  to hop on the train right away, because a little birdie told me they would have a video to go along with it. And today, this is what we found:



Can I take a moment to say that it is incredibly impressive that this video has gotten over 37,000 views in less than 24 hours. I knew that Side FX was a popular group, seeing as they've been on Billboard Top 40 multiple times, but I didn't know they had that kind of pull! Color me genuinely impressed.

The video consists of two songs, "Not Into You" and "A Little Bit In Love". The two songs are mixed together to form one continuous mix (although the video version has yet to pop up on iTunes). Both songs share a similar vibe, but are about completely different topics. The first, "Not Into You" is all about trying to let a guy down gently because he's not exactly her type. The second, "A Little Bit In Love" is her sort of coming to her senses and realizing that she is falling in love and it's something she can't help.

The video really helps get the message across. It features Kim (who looks STUNNING!) trying her best to lose a guy, only to realize at the midpoint where the song shifts that he is actually the man of her dreams. Both songs share a sense of reluctance, which is played up on screen. Can I also say that Kim has great taste in guys, as her male lead was not bad on the eyes at all.

Personally, even though I like "Not Into You", I think it works best as a total package. I was a little surprised to see that the video mix wasn't for sale anywhere. Perhaps it will be included in some kind of deluxe package, or posted to another site exclusively. Who knows? All I can say is that they've caught me by surprise yet again. What will they come up with next?

Grab "Not Into You" and "A Little Bit In Love" both on iTunes!

Raja's New Track Goes Zubi Zubi Zubi

Ok, Taking Over The Universe is BACK! June hiatus is over, and we are ready to bring you the latest in music and drag queens yet again! Well today, we have a story that covers both those fields. This one is about RuPaul's Drag Race season three winner Raja and her new song "Zubi Zubi Zubi" and no I don't get it either!

Oh, Raja. You always give us something different from what you've released before. "Diamond Crowned Queen" was a far throw from "Sublime" and now we have "Zubi Zubi Zubi", which is not only nothing like what we've heard from her before, but not anything like I've heard before period. This track brings together Indian influences with classic disco beats to make for an interesting ride. Sprinkle in a little electric guitar and you've got something only Raja could come up with.

The lyrics are a bit hard to understand. I listened to the song on a couple of occasions, and I still have little idea what it's actually about. The pre-chorus uses vocal effects that distort the lyrics, and the rest seems to be a strange collection of her thoughts. Also, is "Zubi" even a word?

What's great is that the Heathers seem to be falling in line. There's been rumor that they've been cooking something up together (though I've not got a straight answer from any of them yet), but this release is pretty interesting, especially since fellow Heather Manila Luzon released a similarly themed track called "One Night In Bangkok" last month. It may be a coincidence, but I'm going to keep my hopes up for a collaboration.

The track is up on iTunes!

It has also come to my attention that Raja's birthday is tomorrow (June 11), so from your long-time fan and TOTU lead blogger GaoSalad, I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAJA!

Interview: Dina Delicious Is Truly Outrageous

Yes, that is a Jem and the Holograms reference. Yes, I do understand that as a 21 year old male, I shouldn't even know what that show is, but get over it. No big deal. We are actually going to talk with Dina Delicious today. She's taking New York by storm in the nightlife and all over pride month. She got two hot singles and another to come. She is the definition of outrageous, and I can't get enough. Soon, you won't be able to, either.