Felix Peikli performed at NYC-JC Guest Suites for the JB Talent Management and Humanity Pride Productions one-year anniversary party, hosted by Jarl Haugedal and Michael Billy, co-owners of the management companies.

Along with his humble personality, Felix resonates a sweet soothing sound with his clarinet that makes you want to close your eyes and dream of beautiful moments.  I look forward to seeing Felix amidst the ambiance of a jazz club, for which there is no substitute.

I captured a 30 second clip of Felix's performance, which can be seen below.

About Felix Peikli:
Born in Oslo, Norway April 2nd 1990, Felix Peikli was introduced to music through the local marching band at the age of eight.  Felix became a student at Foss Music Highschool in 2006 and in the same year he won/received a grant in ”the Grand Chance” on national television.  Felix moved to Boston in 2008 and he has had the opportunity to meet and play with, and play for, many great and talented individuals.  Felix has won several awards and has received worldwide recognition in the press, including The New York Times.  To read his full bio, click here.




Connect with Felix and see his upcoming tour schedule:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kingclarinet.music
Website: http://www.kingclarinet.com

ELEPHANT: Seek The Truth

Interview by: Edward Truth @EdwardTruth

As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 8 - Released Fall 2012

Coleman and Jackson Vrana, better known as the west coast rap duo Elephant, are rising stars in the queercore movement— raw, androgynous, spindly punks with loads of sex appeal and shameless lyrics who draw diverse inspiration and don't give a frack about what the world thinks of them.  Elephant's latest single, "The Let-Go", features Tampa's dirty rap crunk Yo!  Majesty, and sounds more mainstream "feel good" than you might expect from punk-twins-rap meets black-lesbian- Christian hip-hop. Get over it. Elephant's "Notorious H.I.V." is enough to make Larry Kramer cringe, and "Queer Nation" rumbles in a truck of a thousand expletives with writhing bodies to match. Now 26, the Vrana twins (fraternal not identical, as it's rumored) came out at age 14 in Oklahoma, a state whose mentality "screams south", as Coleman might put it. The duo loves to push buttons—a rebellious attitude learned from generations of ridicule and rejection; their great grandmother was a full blood Native American who lived to the age of 93. Elephant's first full length LP is slated for end of summer, then they go on tour. The dark complexity of the brothers Vrana is something Connextions is looking forward to getting into over time. For now, an introduction. 

Connextions Magazine: "The Let-Go" is fast-paced and feel good, like an anthem. But your music is typically dirtier, angrier. 

Coleman Vrana: More and more people tell me I need to be less angry. I don't understand it at all. The people writing us are just as angry if not angrier than I am. They tell me I need to focus on being more positive, that there's no real positive message. Like it's some sort of vitriol. How can you be a rapper without anger? It's impossible. The whole point of rap, well, not the whole point, but fighting back—that's the point. 

CM: What are a few of your musical inspirations? 

Jackson Vrana: I would say that Coleman and I really shared most of our influences as teenagers. Bands like The Cure and Placebo got us interested in pursuing a career in music. Nowadays I get inspired when I hear all kinds of things, like Fiona Apple's new album, the soundtrack to a horror movie, or an old Missy Elliott song. I think musicians eventually start to gather ideas from everywhere. 

CV: The Cure was engrained in our heads since we were little kids. Certain melodies resonate, it's hard to explain. Placebo, too. You can hear a similar vocal style, the nasaly thing we do. But it's mostly in the melodies we write.  It's hard to say. The first Cure album I listened to was Wild Mood Swings but Disintegration stuck with me the most. We would travel to see Placebo perform.  Jackson lived in London when we were 18. I learned to play guitar listening to Placebo tracks—even their old rough and raw stuff I like. And their sexual energy resonates with us, why we're less shy about writing about our sexuality.  I listen to both The Cure and Placebo to this day.

CM: Faggot.

CV: A lot of people take offense to us using the word. Some people find it empowering. With "The Let-Go," it's more based on religion. We didn't try to make it less abrasive on purpose, it just happened that way. The band we worked with, Yo! Majesty, is a Christian band, but we didn't even know about that until later.

CM: The Huffington Post asked you what your ideal version of a ‘queer nation’ might look like. You said that gay men would be seen as generally stronger and tougher than straight men, and that people would finally be able to live in or outside whatever box they desired. How is "living in a box" a good thing?

JV: We're just saying that a queer nation would be a place where teens don't fear coming out of the closet. People would know that whether they want to lead a more traditional, socially conservative lifestyle or not, being gay is always acceptable. 

CV: I'd like to imagine change happening in a way I can foresee it right now, maybe change happening in a way I can actually see. Same people, same society, same ideas changing in real time. So it wouldn't seem like such a distant idea. 

CM: How do young queer people become themselves without giving in to mainstream messages that are built around exploiting them rather than building them up as individuals? 

CV: I think queer people have a slight advantage with this, because they're told from an early age—sometimes at home, a lot at school, church, etc.—that being themselves is somehow wrong and to be avoided if they want an easier life. Deciding right then that you don't want to live as someone you're not is the first step toward individuality. Advising people to be themselves is telling them to do what makes them happy without feeling pressured by everyone around them. Most people probably give in to mainstream messages before they don't. You know, no one could have stopped us from becoming drug addicts when we were younger, as that's something you have to learn for yourself, too. I think there's probably some connection there. This idea of complete individualism is not something you can conquer when you're a teenager, but it's a good time to think about it. 

CM: You guys are West Coast? 

JV: L.A. is where I feel most at home. It's a relaxed place where everyone can find his or her cultural niche. My boyfriend, the dogs,
Coyote the pig and I have lived around Laurel Canyon for a long time now. Coleman tends to come and go from Portland. We have an awesome little circle of weird friends around here, and life is thankfully not very dull. 

CM: New York, L.A. L.A., New York. 

CV: One thing I noticed in New York is there's a huge amount of homophobia there. So many people bring their small town mentality with them from other places. I notice when we're on tour, it feels like there's almost as much homophobia in the north as there is in the south—even L.A. And WeHo is the least homophobic place. I mean, it's never perfect. I'm not expecting it to be
perfect. I would like for it to be but I'm still realistic. 

CM: So what's next? 

JV: Just finishing up the album, mastering, mixing, etc. And having it released late summer. Then will come a proper tour. Right now we're in major creative mode and it'll be exciting to start performing again. Playing live shows is such a different exercise in talent and creativity than working in a studio, and shifting focus in that direction for a while should be a fresh change. 

CV: And Portland. I've got a house there. I'll spend more time with my boyfriend. Maybe we'll do more shows in Portland. 

Find them on twitter:  @Elephantwave

Connextions Magazine had the pleasure of speaking with Rachael Sage during her 2012 tour, which celebrated the release of her 10th album.

With her energetic heart of gold, Rachael has become a wonderful role model, not only in the gay community, but in every community that has the longing to make a difference and spread positive vibes and harmonious music.

See the photos and read the exclusive in Connextions Magazine, Issue 7.

"Being really true to yourself and honest in your life is not a responsibility, but an opportunity." - Rachael Sage

Debut Album DON’T LOOK DOWN Due Spring 2013 from KIDinaKORNER/Interscope

13-time GRAMMY winning producer, songwriter and rapper Eminem has signed on as executive producer of the hightly anticipated debut album from five-time GRAMMY-nominated singer songwriter Skylar Grey, it was announced today. The first single, “C’mon Let Me Ride” featuring Eminem, which is produced by Alex Da Kid and mixed by both Eminem and Alex, will be released to all digital retailers on December 11. Grey’s debut album, now titled Don’t Look Down, is due out Spring 2013 from KIDinaKORNER/Interscope.  

“When I was working on Recovery I was introduced to Skylar by Alex Da Kid and I was blown away with her talent as both a songwriter and vocalist,” said Eminem.  “This album is really going to give her a chance to connect with the fans who probably know her music, but might not know her yet.  I think they will be as impressed as I am.”

"Putting out a debut album is a bit scary – I want it to be just right so I took some extra time to finish it. Eminem's increased involvement has been such a blessing; I'm getting guidance from an artist I really admire and trust,” said Grey. “Having written many new songs, the album has become a completely different animal, hence the title change. This new single with Em, in
particular, is very exciting. We have worked on so many serious songs together – it’s a nice change of pace to do something fun and sarcastic."

“Skylar is one of the first artists that I worked with in a meaningful way. I was immediately impressed with her vision, fearlessness, artistic talent and overall musicianship. I was determined to make her the first artist signed to KIDinaKORNER. KIDinaKORNER was founded on the principals of signing innovative artists that have the ability to blur our perceptions of genres. To me, Skylar
Grey represents the embodiment of this principal," said Alex.

The music video for “C’mon Let Me Ride” featuring Eminem was shot in Detroit last week and will also be released with the single on December 11. Currently, Grey can be heard on two tracks on Slaughterhouse’s Welcome to Our House on Shady Records/Interscope  –  the title track “Our House,” which also features Eminem, and “Rescue Me” – and on the song “Building a
Monster” on the soundtrack for the new Tim Burton animated film Frankenweenie. 

Grey is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is responsible for co-writing some of the most memorable songs to light up the Billboard Hot 100 and iTunes sales charts, totaling more than 25 million singles globally.  Grey co-wrote the biggest selling single of 2010: Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie,” which earned her two GRAMMY Award nominations for Best Song and Best Rap Song of the Year. She also co-wrote and appeared on Dr. Dre’s “I Need A Doctor,” which she performed alongside Dre and Eminem on the 2011 GRAMMY Awards telecast and for which she was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. This past January, Grey released The Buried Sessions of Skylar Grey, which featured special acoustic performances by Grey of three songs she wrote and produced:  the original demo of “Love the Way Part III” (the original “Love the way You Lie” made popular by Eminem and Rihanna), “Coming Home Part II” (originally performed by Diddy-Dirty Money) and “Words” (originally “Words I Never Said,” performed by Lupe Fiasco).

More from Skylar Grey:
www.Skylargreymusic.com 
www.Facebook.com/skylargrey 
www.Twitter.com/skylargrey
www.Youtube.com/skylargrey

Three years after their 2009 comeback album, the 1990's pop sensation music duo from Sweden is back in action! Roxette, the international act composed of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, brings us a new album with a new sound, but maintains that underlying familiar resemblance to the unique and unforgettable style that so many of us remember.  

I have fond memories that bring back a smile, as I remember singing “She’s Got The Look, Na na na na na”as loud as possible with all my girlfriends, in the car or at the bar.  The new album, titled Travelling, includes 15 tracks and is inspired by the band’s ongoing world tour.

Roxette’s world tour is in full swing with almost one million concert tickets sold since the tour kicked off a year ago. On top of that, another million Roxette records have been added to the already dizzying 70 million they’ve sold over the years.
 
In July and August, catch Roxette on tour in the UK, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, and Finland. By September, Roxette hits North America with tour dates in Canada and the USA, including California, Boston, and New York.

Get the latest scoop on Roxette by visiting: 
 
http://www.roxette.se
 
facebook.com/RealRoxette 
 
twitter: @partypleaser 
_________________________________________________________________________________________
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
Roxette is back with new album ‘Travelling’ and a taster: “It’s Possible!” 
U.S. tour dates announced for fall
 
Hollywood, California – April 10, 2012 - Three years after their 2009 comeback, Swedish pop phenomenon Roxette are hotter than they’ve been since their early ‘90s heyday. Roxette’s world tour is in full swing with almost one million concert tickets sold since the tour kicked off a year ago at the Tatneft Arena in Russian Kazan. On top of that, another million Roxette records have
been added to the already dizzying 70 million they’ve sold over the years.
 
So far the band has played more than 85 shows in more than 30 countries (and the trip continues—they don’t plan to rest until they’ve played 150 shows). But besides zigzagging between airports, arenas, hotels and meeting with fans from all over the world, the band also has found time to record their new album, Travelling, to be released digitally in the U.S. on June 5 by Capitol/EMI. 
 
The idea has been to tap into all the positive energy that has boosted the band during this dazzling trip, and channel it into new Roxette music. In short, an album that, just like 1992’s Tourism, captures the feeling of a band on a roll—constantly on the move, snatching inspiration as they go; recording in hotel rooms, studios, at soundchecks and in concert. 
 
The result is a fascinating musical postcard with 15 superb songs, most of which are new, some that are revisited classics and others being pearls that for various reasons haven’t seen the light of day before. A tight and inspired band has gathered around a batch of Gessle tunes, where the relentless hit-maker again and again proves that his sense of melody and ability to surprise is still
top-notch. 
 
“It’s Possible” is the first taster from Travelling - 2 minutes and 34 seconds of sunny pop music that shows one of Roxette’s many sides in 2012.  There’s more to come.  
 
Listen to  ”It’s Possible”:
http://soundcloud.com/emi-sweden/roxette-its-possible/s-HTDLj
 
Tracklist:

1. Me & You & Terry & Julie 
2. Lover Lover Lover (Album Version) 
3. Turn Of The Tide 
4. Touched By The Hand Of God
5. Easy Way Out 
6. It’s Possible (Version One)
7. Perfect Excuse 
8. Excuse Me, Sir, Do You Want Me To Check On Your Wife 
9. Angel Passing 
10. Stars (Soundcheck, Dubai, May 20, 2011) 
11. The Weight Of The World 
12. She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio) (Live in Rio de Janeiro, April 16, 2011)
13. See Me (New Version) 
14. It’s Possible (Version Two)
15. It Must Have Been Love (Night Of The Proms, Rotterdam 2011)

Exclusive Interview with Justin Utley.

CM: Justin Utley, pop icon? 
JU: In today's world of "pop" icons, it seems to me that any—not all—are media-made, and the artist is a complete production of a record label and investors, so what you're seeing and hearing isn't truly an artist, but a scripted, produced, media celebrity. When I think of pop icons I think of the influences of John Lennon, Michael Jackson, or David Bowie. They defined their music, their image, and for the most part, had complete control of their art. In that case, it would be fantastic to be considered a pop icon. So sign me up. 

CM: How has the big city been for your career? 
JU: When I first got to New York in 2006 I was told I shouldn't be "out" until I made it. I took that advice for a bit before I realized that it was putting me right back to where I was in my Utah days. That wasn't going to work for me or my music, since I’m writing from within. If I can't be honest with my audience or myself, then why am I doing this? 

CM: You’ve got sex appeal. Ever wish you didn’t? 
JU: I'm grateful to have what I got. I would hope that it adds to whatever my appeal is as an artist. In reality, sex appeal does help
tremendously in the entertainment business, though not necessarily a deal-breaker in some cases. I've never resented it, but as a teenager I did struggle with not feeling comfortable, at all, with how I looked. Girls would talk to me a lot, which left some guys pretty upset, to the point I got called some pretty ugly things behind closed doors. So, I suppose at that point in my life, I resented any "appeal" I had going on, since I was pretty self-conscious. It took a lot of time to become confident that I wasn't all that bad looking, relatively speaking. Coming out was probably a big help in finally becoming comfortable with myself on all levels. I'd have to say I really owe thanks to my parents for not putting me into child labor, and for giving me fluoride pills as a kid. Helps with the teeth. Mormons take big pride in their smiles. I think it's an Osmond thing. My mom's side of the family is from Sicily, so that helps
with the complexion a bit too. 

CM: You must not care a whole lot for Speaker Newt Gringrich.  
JU: I think Gingrich is a fantastic example of what a majority of politicians today have evolved into. 

CM: How was it growing up conservative in Utah? 
JU: I grew up in a suburb of Salt Lake City. Compared to the rest of the state, the city itself is fairly liberal. The further away from the city you get, the more socially conservative it becomes. Most of my neighbors were Mormon, which is pretty common there. So I'd see most of them at school, at church, the grocery store. In Utah, the church is also a big social driver and a culture as well, which can pose a problem for those not of the flock. My first religious conflict was when I'd bought a can of iced tea in junior high school
and brought it home. The next morning my dad woke me up and gave me a stern reminder that God didn't want me having iced tea. Or coffee, or alcohol, or tobacco, or heroin. It was all part of the health code, which I hadn't realized included corn syrup-enhanced Lipton. The health code also included a directive to eat "very little meat", which it seemed most everyone turned a blind eye to.
So I had a feeling from that point that something wasn't quite on point. I wasn't very good at settling for a warm and fuzzy glossed over answer, or the infamous "we don't know for sure but we'll find out in the next life, so just be obedient and don't worry about it" answer. There were a myriad of other questions I never really got a direct answer to. I was told to not look outside church-approved sources, since they were all false, and that evil forces were trying to discredit the truth. "Just follow in faith and everything will be
okay." 

CM: You made it through gay therapy. 
JU: Growing up I wasn't too clear on what homosexuality was. But having it compared to bestiality was enough for most of us kids in ignorance to get the drift. One thing made absolutely clear to me, was that homosexuality was lumped into a category with sexual perversions, and second only to murder on the sin-barometer. Prior to my Mormon mission, I was interviewed by a Stake
President—the bishop's boss— to get his stamp of approval and was told, and actually shown in a current official church guidebook, that masturbation was a homosexual act. I was also informed that it can lead to homosexuality since it doesn't involve the opposite sex and, again, was directed to something a Mormon prophet had said. Of course, nothing more horrifying to any kid than being told by your spiritual leader that masturbating puts you in cahoots with the perverts and can make you gay. It invokes an immediate internal negotiation with God that you would never masturbate again so long as you don't have to admit it to the Stake President or bishop. Since admitting to it meant certain spiritual death. Or at least embarrassment. When I realized I was gay I was on my mission. I saw porn for the first time, at a bishop's house on his Internet history that hadn't been cleared. When I got home from my mission, I was encouraged by a bishop to enroll in one-on-one counseling with a therapist, in a facility run by the church and bound by church social-science, in addition to a group therapy. I was told I had a "condition" and that it could be treated. I learned that my "same gender attraction" was caused by something traumatic that happened to me as a child that I just didn't remember, along with any parental neglect or smothering that may have occurred. I believed it, partly because at the time I wanted it to be true, and partly because being told by God's chosen leaders made it true. I started therapy immediately. At first I was elated to finally not feel so alone, that there were other people like me. And it made sense to me at the time.  Learned or conditioned "behavior" was what this "attraction problem" was about. Two years and many therapy sessions of self-convincing later, I realized that all of the convincing, praying, temple and church attendance wasn't fixing my "attraction problem". I did meet some wonderful people in the program along the way, but I wasn't any happier than before I started. It was actually the opposite. A church for an exalted afterlife promised only to married and devout Mormons seemed further and further from reality. I saw a lot of guys on medication, talks of suicide, and guys who'd been attending for years without any "progress". Meanwhile I met a guy from Denver online, so I decided to stop
therapy and try a different route. About six months into seeing each other, I got an email from his brother that he had died in his sleep. He overdosed. I was devastated. And I wasn't really out to anyone outside the confines of this therapy ordeal, so I went back to my bishop and was told that God allowed him to die because he didn't approve of one of His Latter-Day Saints being in a
homosexual relationship. At that moment I decided I'd had enough of the faith/fear talk. It wasn't going to work anymore. I had enough of it. I eventually left the church and sent the leadership an official resignation. A "self-excommunication" letter, as I call it. I now drink coffee and tea and I am completely and wholeheartedly happy doing so. Although I was always told happiness would never result from wickedness. 

CM: You won for Best Actor in a Musical at the 2009 Planet Connections New York Theater Festival. What’s your take on the Broadway show Book of Mormon? 
JU: It's fantastic. I recommend it to Mormons and non-Mormons alike. Interestingly enough, the references to some of the really peculiar beliefs mentioned, such as blacks being cursed, or the planet Kolob in "I Believe", are actual Mormon doctrines that aren't really discussed at all, outside church. I performed with Andrew Rannells, one of the leads in the show, at the recent "It Gets Better Holiday Concert" and talked about the reaction of church members versus the general public. There are some church members who
refuse to see it because they claim it presents false beliefs. But they eventually find they really don't know what the show is about. Keeping a closed book or closed mind makes for better comedy and shock value so, in my mind, why not be open to seeing it? Then again, it's this sort of thinking that got me into trouble with iced tea. 

CM: How do you describe your music style for someone who hasn't heard you before? 
JU: A little bit of Daughtry, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow mixed up with some Goo Goo Dolls, Rob Thomas, Dixie Chicks, and Jim Brickman. In short, alt country rock. 

CM: Of the songs you've written, do you have a favorite? Your favorite from the new album? 
JU: One of my all times faves is Shades of Gray tied with Goodbye Goodbye. As for my favorite from the new album, I would have to say State Of Loneliness and It Is What It Is are tied. At least for this month. 

CM: What's next? 
JU: Spending the next few months promoting the new album, filming begins on the Great Escape music video in February, and rehearsing for a full-band show in NYC this March. Then onto planning all the summer Pride gigs. Full plate again this year. I like it that way. 

Find Justin on twitter @JustinUtley

As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 6.

Be sure not to miss future issues of  Connextions Magazine!  CLICK HERE  to subscribe to the digital edition, order your print subscription; or purchase a copy of this issue.

To find the latest issue of Connextions Magazine in stores nationwide:  Click here

"Neva Eva Eva is the song I wanted to write but couldn’t," admits Faith Michaels from her home in Key West.  "While the lyrics for Fetish flowed easily from my heart to the paper, I had a really tough time finding my voice for the second single. I was literally paralyzed by the success of Fetish; fearful I couldn’t top it and that I might forever be thought of as a one trick pony." 

Luckily, the Miami-based Rhythm Rehab boys came to her rescue.  They approached Michaels after her weekly performance at Key West’s Aqua Night Club, and presented her with Neva Eva Eva.

"I knew right away that the song was the answer to my prayers," says Michaels. Its tantalizing club beats would allow her to wear  extravagant costumes, a must for the over-the-top performer. "We are all drag artists," she says. "Some of us are pretending to be people we are not. Others are hyper-glamorizing their outer selves to match the fabulousness they feel inside.  As long as we are queens, celebrating our personal greatness, and not drags, sucking joy from those around us, it’s all good," she laughs. 

You said in a previous interview that Neva Eva Eva is a song that reminds fans to not take your kindness as weakness. What did you mean by that?  When I released my first single, people would come up to me and congratulate me on my work. Someone asked me, in a rather snotty way: ‘why do you always say thank you and you’re welcome?’ I thought, ‘Why do you think you’re so above thank you and you’re welcome?’ Of course, I didn’t say it. I have manners.

Does today’s tough world demand that we be bold?
We should always be bold and stand up for what we believe in, but it's a fine line between being bold and acting like a bitch.

What is the main message in Neva Eva Eva?
We shouldn’t worry about what the neighbors think. You only get one life – live  it!

Would you say that you embody that message?
Well, I've got my tucker on, pads in, boobs in.  I'm a man in a dress. What do you think?

How do you define yourself – are you a female impersonator, tranny, or drag queen?
Female impersonator is the PC way of saying drag queen. I was doing a radio interview once and mentioned I was a drag queen. The interviewer said, ‘what, drag queen?! I thought you were a tranny!’ It's important that people know the difference because that defines us on how we live our everyday life. I live my life as a boy and work as a girl. I am a drag queen.

With the popularity of shows like RuPaul’s
Drag Race, do you struggle with people trying to put you in a box?
The world says I should be more like a boy. I've struggled my whole life with people trying to put me in a box. ‘You should do this; you shouldn't do that.’ Guess what? It's my life. If I wasn't living my life, my way, I wouldn't be lucky enough sitting here being interviewed by you right now.
 
Is the success of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race good or bad for the tran community?
I don't know the role it plays in the tranny community, but in the drag community, I feel it helps by leaps and bounds. It helps people understand what we do and why we do it. It's a show with wigs, costumes, music, comedy, and impersonations. We are performers and you don't have to be gay to love it.  Straight people love the show and thank God for them. It takes two of them to
make one of us.
 
How do you distinguish yourself from the ladies featured on the reality TV?
Well, I'm not on TV and I can't sew. I suppose that's how I distinguish myself from them.

Is Florida a safe place for the tran community?
Our motto in Key West is ‘One Human Family’. We accept people for who they are. Everyone with an open mind and heart are
welcomed.
 
Do you think the state will ever allow gay marriage?
I would like to think sooner or later it will happen. The state recently overturned the LGBT adoption ban.  That’s progress, isn’t it?
 
What got the ban overturned? 
Someone woke up and realized gay parents can raise a childjust as well as straight parents. Watch Judge Judy, more than half of those people should not be having kids.
 
As a community, is it important that we fight for change to happen?
We should always fight for what is fair and what we believe in.  If we don’t stand up for ourselves, no one else will.
 
What’s your message to people who try to steal our freedom and joy?
Miss thing, I suggest you try living your own life, cause mine is nice and nothing you do will change it!
 
www.faithmichaels.com

Written by Contributing Writer, Mark Gray.  As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 6.

Be sure not to miss future issues of  Connextions Magazine!  CLICK HERE to subscribe to the digital edition, FREE; order your print subscription; or purchase a copy of this issue.

To find the latest issue of Connextions Magazine in stores nationwide:  Click here

D Alexander’s “Touch Me” is an empowering club track about losing yourself and finding love on the dance floor. It is the follow-up to “Beautiful”, his debut track that launched the young out-artist’s career – however it’s very different from the electronic R&B sound of the first. “Touch Me” is a disco dance romp that allows D Alexander to be flirty and communicate his passion for life, love and lust.  “My inspiration for Touch Me was Saturday Night Fever,” reveals the young out-artist from his recording studio in South Beach.

“It’s a modern track about today’s dance floor but I wanted the hook to be vintage disco and have that vinyl record kind of feel.  The song’s underlying message is that though the dance floor changes in time, its essence remains the same.”  “The dance floor is a spiritual place,” he continues. “It frees us from ourselves and let’s us be someone else for the night. Whether it’s dressing up in something slutty or out of our norm, the dance floor is a fantasy world.  “And when someone touches you while dancing, whether its sexual or not, it can often lead to something pretty dirty,” he laughs. 

Growing up in Southern Florida, D Alexander attended a performing arts magnet school with a predominantly African-American population. As a result, his songs have been mostly urban. Recently, however, he has begun to incorporate Dance/Pop with basic 

R&B rhyming schemes into his songs, creating his own unique sound that he calls Urban Dance Pop.  “I have been listening to more European dance music. I’m drawn to its deep emotion: an intensity that is not often replicated in American music. When writing ‘Touch Me’, I aimed to write a song that had American hit potential yet was European dance club worthy.”

“I learned a lot from the release of ‘Beautiful’,” reflects D Alexander. “I have always excelled at being able to explain my song ideas to
producers. ‘Beautiful’ was the first time I had to explain my ideas to media and to my fans. I had to put myself out there and convince the world why they should listen to D. Alexander.”

There are still some things he won’t discuss, though. Like if he, himself, has experienced the passion on the dance floor he describes
in “Touch Me”.  To that, he simply answers, “I don’t kiss and tell.” Your new track includes vintage disco elements. Is that a nod to seventies dance floors?  My new track is most definitely a tribute to the late 70’s dance floor. When writing this track, I told my producer to incorporate vintage synthesizers to give listeners a decade confusion  accompanied with a modern twist. Think of Gaga being warped back to the  ‘70s in the middle of her “Just Dance” video. Trippy, huh?
What do the ‘70s mean to you?

The ‘70s paved the way for electronic/pop music to really hit the mainstream. Who were some of the ‘70s dance floor greats? In my opinion, the dance floor queen was and still is Donna Summer. Also, Sylvester’s "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". Enough said.

The ‘70s were the beginning of the gay rights movement and the gay dance floor. How has it evolved through the years? To be honest, one of the greatest things about the gay dance floor is that the key elements have not changed. What has changed is the
type of guy on that dance floor. The new generation of gay men are no longer hiding.

They are celebrating their identities by freeing themselves and dancing for change.  Unlike the ‘70s, we don’t have to keep our eyes peeled for cops trying to raid our clubs because of our illegal homosexual desires.  In our social media world, do gay guys still meet on the dance floor?  Hardly anyone initially meets at a club.  Most meet there after they have checked each other out on their preferred app. It’s bittersweet for me.  Thanks iPhone.

Do you remember your first time stepping into a gay club?  I was petrified! I was a chunky 18 year-old, walking into a room  full of greased up abs and half naked men. It was the first time I felt  like a girl in one of those dreams where she finds herself naked in front of  the entire school. It was also the moment where I decided what kind of guy I was going to be. The greased up abs isn’t really my scene, although it can be fun sometimes. Funny thing is, even now, I am still very shy when I walk into a club. As much as I love attention, it scares me to death.

What does the new generation want from their dance floors?  The new generation wants to have fun! We have come so far in the struggle for equality, we just want to throw our hands up and dance in celebration of our accomplishments. Lets take a shot to progress!  Is there a dress code?  Guys wear what represents them most. The dance floor is a place to be the person you never thought you could. Welcome to wonderland, Alice!

What’s your take on the trend of guys wearing six-inch pumps to clubs?  I don’t judge anyone. I think any expression of individuality is important. They claim not to be drag queens; that they do it to make a statement.  They are saying that they will not acknowledge a line that divides masculinity and femininity. Instead, they will blur that stupid line and be as much of a woman as they are a man. It is an awesome statement.

Are drugs still rampant on today’s dance floors?  Yes, and we need to cut that shit out already. Is it still ok to rip off your shirt on
the dance floor or is that just tacky? I want to say it’s tacky, but in reality, I don’t really care. It’s the dance floor. We’re all
there to have fun! There shouldn’t be rules.  Are you gunning to be the next male Disco queen?  (Laughs) I can’t say that. My sound has never been exclusively electro, R&B or pop. I like to think of my music as a harmonious unity of all three genres. Sometimes, you can even hear elements of rock in my songs. I think I am musically ADD.

Find D. Alexander on Facebook at facebook.com/dalexandermusic

Written by Contributing Writer, Michael Nelson.  As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 6.

Be sure not to miss future issues of Connextions Magazine!  CLICK HERE to subscribe to the digital edition, FREE; order your print
subscription; or purchase a copy of this issue.

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Strong Island Records introduces PEGGSTARR and her debut album "Look What My Mama Made," which released on November 29, 2011. 

DJ, Tattoo Artist & hip hop performer, Peggstarr, features artists such as Tone Kapone of Def Squad, BK & Swanny River, while she reveals her explosive personality and raw lyrics in this debut album. With titles such as "Do 4 Luv," "Crash The Party" & "Ruckus," her music add a sexy hip hop tone to a ‘Gaga/Pink’ style within the lyrics. 

PEGGSTARRS new album is available on iTunes, Napster & all online music stores, as well as hard copy CD via shop.strongisland.com 

Facebook.com/peggstarrsfanpage 
YouTube.com/PEGGSTARR 
Twitter: @PEGGSTARR
Gaymusicrevolution.com/PEGGSTARR

As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 5.

Be sure not to miss future issues of Connextions Magazine!  CLICK HERE to subscribe to the digital edition, FREE; order your print subscription; or purchase a copy of this issue.

To find the latest issue of Connextions Magazine in stores nationwide:  Click here