Let's call what has gone before the "Soft Opening"

Hi, and thanks for your patience!

Why the long stretch between posts? The short answer is I really need to find a paying job. The slightly longer list includes a long-planned visit with Portland OR friends (I didn't pay for... Yet.), and several SNAFUs around the house that took full priority over everything else. (Feel free to email me for details. I could use the opportunities to network. And to vent.)

I intend to make a habit to post at least twice a week from here on in. Every Monday or ASAP each week I'll post about the best new albums streaming online this week. Plus I'll add at least one more post during the week about other finds.

My natural focus of late has been on music by Out Gay musicians -- who I sometimes refer to as "Out musicians" or "Outmusicians", whether they are members of the OUTmusic organization or not. This focus will shift now, to include the full spectrum of music that impresses me, whether they're Outmusicians or not. That must seem a strange thing to have to point out, but I find that most music reviewers in Gay papers, websites and other media tend to write about, to put it in the most cliched form but the most frequently cited form possible, "Music Gay People Like". Meaning: Divas, Dance and Club Music, Broadway Show Tunes, the "American Songbook", lip service paid to the (Euro-)Classical Music form, and the occasional smattering of Out musicians, usually big established stars like George Michael or k. d. lang.

My take is different. I have little inclination, no inherent attraction "because you're Gay", to like most of the above styles. (I say "most" because the American Songbook is so undeniably and consistently brilliant that it influences my love of music generally, whatever the genre.)

I have a deep passion to explore every genre of music -- including those I don't typically get a kick from, because I've learned that exceptions to my expectations create exceptional music.
And I want to share it all with you. Or, as much as I possibly can.

From now on, as I have been, I'll identify those Out Gay musicians I know of. It's ridiculous to have to mention that, but that's the society we live in: a world that both denigrates and denies opportunities still to all but a select few out musicians, and ghettoizes and special-cases those who do come out.

Blechh! I've been over the need to ghettoize from the start of my Out musician-seeking journey. When you read here that someone is Gay, I'm simply celebrating who they are, and often simply breaking the silence will do.

Meanwhile I've got coming up a batch of music from people who, so far as I know, don't identify as Gay, don't market to the Gay market (whatever the fuck that is), don't come up on my radar as anti-Gay, and make mighty good music. Same as anywhere else, people visiting websites for Gay folks should know about them -- and that is what I aim to do.

Here we go.
Full Start.