Well, this weekend is the annual Pride celebration in Atlanta, and it also happens to be July 4th weekend; so a three-day Pride celebration is officially in full swing! We’ve got our pride flag hanging outside, and have made plans to party with our friends this weekend. Just because it’s a national holiday, however, doesn’t mean I have forgotten about the five songs for Friday!!! Today’s 5SF is going to be chock full of songs that are sure to be blaring from the speakers this weekend, as they are all super gay friendly, and mostly, banging dancefloor-ready tracks that definitely get me moving and make me want to shake my booty this weekend! Alright, here we go:
Lady GaGa – Boys Boys Boys
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_74_ladygaga-boysboysboys.mp3]
First up today is a leaked song by the AMAZING Lady GaGa. I have been going gaga over this lady since I instantly fell in love with her infectious HIT Just Dance, and I have anxiously been awaiting new stuff to satiate my appetite for all things Lady GaGa. Well, I found this little gem out there on the internets, and I have been loving every second of it. So far, Lady GaGa’s record is my most anticipated record of the year; this song shows me that she is a huge talent that is going to really deliver. I can’t wait for the The Fame! Until then, I am MAD about Boys Boys Boys!!! (And how appropriate, a song about loving boys on Pride weekend!)
Jessica Folker – To Be Able To Love (Jonathon Peters Remix)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_74_jessicafolcker-tobeabletolove.mp3]
This is a definite blast from the past for me. I was thinking that I wanted to search my dance-music dominated past, and come up with my favorite song, and I will tell you that it was hard. I have a HUGE collection of dance music, and there are so many that really get me moving. However, when I heard this remixed version of Jessica Folcker’s hit, I knew I had to choose this one to include this week. Perhaps I will add more dance songs in nostalgia in the future after rediscovering this amazing song. I can still remember how I came to know this song… my friend Matt (a DJ) used to make CDs for his friends. Well, he handed me a CD one night, and told me simply, that the first song would make me cum. It was Jessica Folcker’s To Be Able To Love, and I can tell you, that I squealed with delight when I heard it. This song is dance music at its best.
The Pussycat Dolls – When I Grow Up
Oh Pussycat Dolls, how I have continually underestimated you. Also, is it just me, or had anyone else wondered where the amazingness that Darkchild once possessed had gone? Feedback is an excellent track, but I forgot that it was by Darkchild, mainly because it lacks the call sign in Janet’s hit. Either way, he shows us that he definitely still has it with this amazingly catchy song from the hotter than fire Pussycat Dolls. There is no denying that these ladies are smoking hot, and at least one of them can sing the shit out of a song. I am glad that Nicole stuck with the girls to make a new record, because based on their last one, we can expect many more hits from PCD this year! I seriously cannot get enough of this song… it makes me want to dance all night long! (also, I can’t help but squeal like a little girl when they say they want to grow up and have boobies. LOL!)
Ne-Yo – Closer
If I didn’t know better, I would think that this song was geared directly towards the gay market; mainly because of the extreme dance-ability of this track. Additionally, I would probably put this more under the category of house, rather than R&B, but then again, I guess that isn’t what Ne-Yo was going for (which is probably why I never noticed it before recently). Either way, it is a dance floor ready track that definitely begs to be blasted from the stereo this Pride weekend. It is also awesome to see Ne-Yo dancing it up in the video, proving that Usher isn’t the only boy who has the moves!
Chris Brown – Forever
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_74_chrisbrown-forever.mp3]
This is another song that I wouldn’t have expected from an R&B artist, mainly because it seems like it would be made by an artist more geared to the gay community because of its insane dancability. Maybe these R&B lads are realizing that we like a dance beat too, and are bringing the gays the goods? Either way, it is another great danceable song that I have been enjoying for a little while, which only continues to grow on me. A note about this song/video too; why the fuck is embedding disabled on you tube, Universal Music?? Are you afraid that people are actually going to post the video and promote the song? WTF. FAIL.
Oh well… there’s your five songs, folks. I hope everyone has an amazing 4th of July, and a amazing Pride weekend!!! Happy Pride everybody!!
Whoa. This song is a huge, fantastic SURPRISE!!! It has all of the energy and spunk that I love in groups like Paramore; in fact, the blazing guitar riffs, and the high range of the singer borrow a lot from that sound that I love so much. With this song, this “little Irish girl” is showing us that acts like Kelly Clarkson may have to step up their game, because they are no longer alone in this music scene. If there is any justice in this world, this song is going to be HUGE!!!! I love it and I can’t wait to see what Lesley has in store for us next. I have seen some buzz about her on the internets (specifically over at arjan writes), and all of the buzz seems to be the same; this chick is hot! Here’s hoping her album comes out soon, and we get to see what she’s all about! I like what I’ve heard on her myspace, so if that is any indicator, I can tell you I am definitely looking forward to more from Ms. Roy.
I briefly mentioned Alanis’ new album, Flavors of Entanglement last week; however, it was before I was able to truly absorb the record. I was (kind of) surprised to find a really decent effort from Alanis, not because I didn’t think she had it in her, but because of how different and ever changing her music has been in the past. Listening to Flavors, she has reminded me of why I liked her so much in the past; she has some great songs in her catalog, and with this record, she only adds to that list. This, so far, is my favorite song on the record. I love the softness of the song, and how her voice is so beautiful on it. I also love the lyrics. I am glad that Alanis is back! (Although, did she really go anywhere?!?!)
I can’t believe I am FINALLY featuring this song (I’ve been meaning to, but it kept getting pushed off of the list)! After seeing Rachael open for Sara Bareilles a couple of months ago, I have been absolutely smitten with this track, which in my opinion, is her most beautiful, honest, and touching. While some of her other stuff is a bit heavier than I like, this song is so light and beautiful, that you can’t help but love it. Rachael has some new material out now on an EP, and has a new album coming out this year. I can’t wait to hear it, because I really loved her in concert, and I like this album as well. This is one of those acts that not a lot of people know about, and when you hear them, you wonder why, because the talent is so clearly obvious. 
Here’s the song I mentioned above, that comes from the group I couldn’t stand before today… before seeing those damn itunes commercials featuring Viva La Vida, I literally HATED Coldplay. Seriously. What is it about them that I hate? Perhaps the smugness of Chris Martin, and how it totally comes through in each of the songs that have FLOODED the airwaves for the past several years? (yeah, that’s it!) However, there is no denying that this song is pure genius. I will gladly consider myself a Coldplay fan for this song; it is catchy, brilliant, and begs to be played on repeat. Also, not really related to the song, but a note about one member of the band: Will Champion, the drummer, is smoking HOT. Seriously, I want to have lots of babies with him. Alright, I will stop drooling over Will, and drool over this song, because it too, is hot.
I don’t really like putting two songs by the same artist two weeks in a row (I like to keep things fresh, and mix things up a bit), but there are times when there are two really stand out tracks that just capture my attention, and beg to be shared. This is one of those times. I featured Cyndi’s club banger Into the Nightlife last week, but after giving the whole (pretty decent) record a listen, I stumbled on this fragile ballad near the end of the CD. I must say, that instantly, I got chills. This song is beautiful, gentle, and totally reminds me of some of her amazingly moving hits like True Colors. This song is quintessential Cyndi for me, and it is an amazing track that begs for much deserved attention. Cyndi, you clearly still have it honey, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.
Missy Higgins is one of those artists that most of you may not know about, but you really should. She is big in Australia where she is from, and has recently had a hit with Where I Stood (an emotionally driven amazing ballad that I featured a long time ago back when 5SF was just getting started). Since I got my ears pierced, I have been listening to radio on my computer a bit at work (when my ears hurt too much to continue using the torture devices also known as ear phones), and one site that I have been listening to is Pandora. The basic premise, is you enter an artist you love, and they play stuff that is similar. Well, this was one of the songs that they suggested to me, and it reminded me that I needed to get Missy’s first CD, because of how much I LOVE her most recent release, On a Clear Night. Well, after snagging her first album (that contains this track), I have realized how much I really do love this artist, and I just wanted to get some more out there about her. I am definitely impressed with both of her albums, and consider myself lucky to have found such an amazing artist for my music collection. This is a beautiful song, and is definitely indicative of what you can expect from the amazing Missy Higgins. Also, not to gush too much, but that violin riff is simply amazing. 
It is with sheer excitement that I type these next words: Weezer’s new self titled album, or as it will affectionately be referred to because of previous self titled albums, the Red Album, hits stores on Tuesday. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy, and this song is one of those songs that makes me wonder why so many “fans” gave up on Weezer after Pinkerton. If you aren’t familiar with Weezer’s history, Pinkerton was an amazingly candid and totally honest look into Rivers Coumo’s heart, and as such, it is one of the most beloved records by Weezer’s fans. However, maybe he felt that he said too much, and as such, has not shared as much depth, at that level, since (at least, many would agree that he hasn’t). Well, this song proves to me that Rivers is still the emotive boy that needs love and feels that love enough to put it into song; and proves that those “fans” shouldn’t have given up on this amazing band. I love Weezer, always have, and I am truly excited about the new album; and with tracks like this and the catchy as hell Pork and Beans, why not, right? Weezer is back for all those that thought they left, but those like me know that they never really went anywhere; they were just keeping the emotion in check.