¡viva la graham!

the dubya bashing continues among the politically-inclined musical set - only this time it’s a trio of familiar faces speaking up through song.

the dixie chicks got a load of flack when they spoke out against the president a few years back. throughout the controversy, frontwoman natalie maines never backed down, even if it meant losing a few fans.

things have changed since then. free speech has seen a renaissance, and with the dixie chicks’ new single, “not ready to make nice,” the girls show they’re still adept at exercising that right.

the lyrics address the old controversy, after which country music radio stations basically boycotted the group, and they also allude to other significant issues. one line in particular, perhaps in a different context, could even be a reference to homophobia: “it’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger”

i’ve never been a huge fan of the ‘chicks, but this track is definitely a keeper (the beautifully shot video is also worth a look). it’ll be interesting to see if any of those old fans have seen the light, even if the group doesn’t really need them anymore.

related: pink says f the president

call me crazy, but i actually liked lenny kravitz back when he was sporting tighter pants and paisley. he’s gone through many incarnations since then, but one thing has remained the same - he looks damn good with his shirt off.

as his (dubious?) reward, i’m not only naming him this week’s hot rocker, i’m going to induct him into my hotness hall of fame - which, so far, only includes damon albarn (but don’t worry, we’re just getting started!).

besides the obvious reasons, i think lenny is made even more appealing because his tattoos are so fucking cool. there’s nothing worse than a stupid or cliche tattoo - but he is definitely rocking some original designs. i’m sure most of you agree, this man is very lickable.

good lord, i love parker posey. is there another actress who could be so comical and caustic on the red carpet? definitely not.

i hadn’t yet seen this ensemble, which parker wore to the hollywood premiere of indie flick adam & steve (she plays a supporting role). obviously, her outfit is all about the telephone handbag, which is awesome because it is so unfashionable. but her quirky sense of humor went over the heads of the numbskulls at us weekly, who basically called her a crazy bitch, saying she must be calling the fashion police. wow, isn’t that just so clever and original?

oscar-winning actress gwyneth paltrow confirmed speculation today that she is bat-shit crazy after giving birth to her second child this past weekend and naming him moses. gwyneth’s daughter, apple, is thrilled that she is no longer the only member of the family with a completely ridiculous name.

also, it turns out that little moses gets his name from a coldplay song! proud papa and infamous narcissist chris martin is most definitely the one to blame.

update: last night on the showbiz show, david spade told the best joke i’ve heard about chris, gwyneth and their new arrival. it went something like this: “moses and his mother are resting safely at home, and they are both doing fine - other than her burning bush.”

rue mcclanahan, the actress most of us know as blanche deveraux from golden girls, seems to have at least one thing in common with her alter-ego. they are both horny bitches!

in an interview last week, she said having lots of sex and lifting weights are great ways to fight the effects of aging. the saucy 72-year-old joked about how difficult that can be, adding, “it just depends on the availability of the material. dumbbells are easy to come by, but most of them are married.”

mcclanahan also mentioned that she’s working on her memoirs, which she plans to call my first five husbands (to be released next year). this one will definitely be juicy… and very very funny!

nearly fourteen years after my parents moved us from orange county, california, to nashville, tn, i’ve gotten over wanting to kill them for it. hell, now i even like nashvegas - but i still think it’s got a long way to go.

the powers that be here in town would beg to differ. they think we are such a burgeoning source of talent that they’ve decided to follow in hollywood’s footsteps by creating a music city walk of fame in the heart of the city. while i think the idea is kind of cool, i can’t help but cringe when i think about the names that will adorn our sidewalks.

yes, legends like dolly parton (woohoo!) and johnny cash (may he rest in peace) will almost definitely be honored here. once we run out of true talent, however, the city will likely head to the d-list for inspiration, bestowing stars (or guitars, perhaps?) to people like big & rich and kenny chesney. and that, my friends, is a damn shame.

i won’t lie to you. i’m not a fan of daniel powter, who currently sits atop the u.s. singles chart with a forgettable piece of pop drivel called “bad day.” this success occured thanks in part to american idol, which has used the track as the good-bye theme for whichever contestant was booted that week (so long, mandisa!)… but powter has also gotten a big push from vh1.

in recent segments on the “music” channel, powter talks about how every record label he talked to said he was “too old” for the business. i guess they were all just too nice (yeah, right!) to let him know that his hair wasn’t up to par. of course, the public has yet to actually see powter without that damn beanie or a cap.

i’m guessing he’s not just old - he’s balding - and his agent is making him wear a hat. and while that might be a sorry statement about society’s obsession with youth, in powter’s case i think it’s really funny. sorry if you think that’s mean; maybe i’m just having a bad day… cos i heard that horrible fucking song.

…there are some new boys in town - meet dangerous muse. they’re super-hot and their tunes are surprisingly well executed. and if the scissor sisters don’t watch out, they could just snatch the queer-band crowns off their heads.

if you regularly peruse any other gay/gay-friendly blogs, chances are you’ve already heard about the openly gay duo. i don’t usually like to rehash something that everyone else has already commented on, but for some reason i couldn’t pass this up. also, it’s quite impressive that the band has thus far only released a single (for a track titled “the rejection”) yet they scored the cover of the advocate’s april music issue. yes, these guys are ones to watch - and by the looks of them i’m sure we’ll all enjoy doing just that.

dangerous muse is currently in new york completing their forthcoming long player. stay tuned for their video debut…

how do you follow up an album called fatherfucker? if you’re peaches, you call it impeach my bush. while dissing dubya is definitely in vogue these days (and this time i’m actually part of the majority!), i highly doubt peaches will take the high road. remember, this is the woman who encouraged us to “fuck the pain away.”

bush is set to drop this summer - july to be exact - and while the first single has not yet been chosen, we can be sure that the album will include its’ fair share of queer-friendly raunch-anthems. don’t believe me? the tracklisting includes “two guys (for every girl),” “tent in your pants,” and “boys wanna be her.”

i. can’t. wait.

(via queerty)

if you haven’t yet heard of sufjan stevens, you need to be enlightened. not only is he one of the most lovely men in music (doesn’t he look like a younger, cuter version of clive owen?!?), he’s also one of the most talented. and that’s why i’ve decided to make him this week’s hot rocker.

last week, sufjan (pronounced soof-yan) was given the new pantheon award for his 2005 album, illinoise. i’m not sure how big a deal that is, but i know that he’s on the way up. oh yeah, and did i mention that he’s totally gorgeous?? grrrr.