Dougy's Picks: September 2019

The Dougy Style Club is a monthly column from Q Review guest writer Doug Evasick. Each month Doug gives us his picks for notable releases you need to check out and listen to. Dive in and discover some great new releases chosen to be part of the Dougy Style Club.

Twitter: @Dougystyle4

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A Great Big World - Kissing Boys in the Street
A Great Big World recently released this cover of Greg Holden's Kissing Boys in the Street, because lead singer Chad King said he connected with the song so deeply that he would cry every time he saw Greg Holden perform it live. Like Greg Holden, Josh King is also openly gay and you can feel his emotions and pain in every lyric he sings during this song, which details the difficult relationship between a father and a son due to the son's homosexuality. During the first verse the father is extremely condescending and cruel to his son:
 
"You're the last thing I wanted, the last thing I need
How am I gonna answer when my friends tell me
My son was kissing boys in the street?"
He tried to change me
Said I'm embarrassing my country
How could I do this to my family?
Do I wanna grow up being lonely?"
 
By the second verse the Father's heart has thawed a bit, but he still does not understand his son and why he is like this:
 
" Now that I'm older
My daddy's heart's a little warmer
But he still won't hug me like my brother
And he still won't kiss me like my mother
He'd say
"You're a part of this family, I made you myself
But the way that you act isn't good for your health
My son, stop kissing boys in the street."
 
Unfortunately, it takes his father being on his deathbed to finally accept his son, but it's a moment of healing and happiness that they have both wanted for so long:
 
" My daddy's dying
And he's finally realized I'm not lying
We sit in silence but we're smiling
Because for once we are not fighting
He said
"There was no way of knowing 'cause all I was taught
Is men only love women, but now I'm not sure
My son, keep kissing boys in the street."
 
If you're not moved by this song then you must be dead on the inside!

Badflower - Promise Me
Badflower has turned into the hottest rock band of 2019. They went from relative unknowns to a stadium filling act in such a short time due to a few reasons. One is despite rock's continued commercial decline, there is still an audience hungry for distortion laden rock that is not being catered to as much these days and Badflower is one of the few rock bands delivering right now. The other reason is due to lead singer Josh Katz, who has been open and honest about his mental health struggles on social media, in interviews and in the band's music itself. Josh's message is connecting with millions of people as he talks in length about self-care and self-love in much the same way Lizzo and many of the gay pop stars discuss it as well. This trend to be more open and honest about your own personal health and inner struggles shows a shift in what audiences now want from pop singers and rock stars. Audiences want musicians they can relate to and who reflect back their own struggles more than they want idealized and untouchable pop stars who come off more as a product than a person. Promise Me is the group's latest single and it deals with the struggles of not only growing up, but trying to remain close to those you love even though you are both changing as people. We all wish that we can remain close to those we love forever, but life has a funny way of causing people to drift apart and lose touch with one another even if we don't want to.  

Brendan Maclean - Goes Without Saying (Stereogamous Remix)
Brendan Maclean remix of Goes Without Saying is a low key but throbbing dance club number that is entrancing. In fact, I find the song's production hypnotic and otherworldly. The remix of Want Me To is one of those songs where you just kind of lose yourself for a while in the world this song is creating. As a listener I just want wallow inside this song for its entire run time much like I do with How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths. I also want to say that on top of his excellent music Brendan is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter right now. His posts are hilarious, but on point! His Tweets give me life!

Carlos Vara - Want Me To
Carlos Vara has been one the biggest and best discoveries I have made in 2019. Carlos is a passionate singer, who can blow the roof off with his powerful vocals. Carlos also sings about his own insecurities, mental health issues and the struggles that come from dating other gay men. Want Me To was written about an experience Carlos had when he first came out of the closet and was trying to date gay men. Apparently one guy on a dating app gave Carlos a compliment, which made Carlos fall head over heels for this guy. Unfortunately, this other guy wasn't good to Carlos, but Carlos kept putting up with him due to his naivety at the time. In the song Carlos sings about he'll bend over backwards and change who he is just to get this man's love and approval. It's a story that happens all too often, but it's a lesson everyone needs to learn at some point. It seems Carlos has learned his lesson and has channeled that experience into another top-notch song filled with great production peaks and vocal gymnastics from Carlos himself. 

Cory Stewart - Anyway
Cory Stewart has been another one of my favorite discoveries for 2019. I loved his previous singles from this year, Poison and Outta My Head, which I included on my previous Q Review articles. His latest single Anyway deals with the topic of gay marriage as well as getting over an ex-boyfriend. The song has alluringly atmospheric production from the start, but Anyway really takes off around the 1:30 mark when that snare drum enters and kicks everything up a whole notch. From that point forward Anyway keeps adding more and more layers of instruments that keeps you invested the entire time and makes you want to dance along. A great empowerment bop about moving on!

Death Cab for Cutie - To the Ground
Death Cab for Cutie ages like a fine wine, because in my opinion they just keep getting better as they get older. Their latest single To the Ground sees them in atmospheric territory again much like earlier songs I Will Possess Your Heart or Ghosts of Beverly Drive. Death Cab for Cutie are consummate pop craftsmen who know not only how to write a memorable song, but also know how to arrange and produce it perfectly as well. Little touches like the piano that enters just past the half way mark are what separate them from most of their emo peers. This song also gets a bit Shoegaze towards the end as well after the 4 minute mark as the band starts to ramp up the distortion of the song to dramatic effect. There's a reason Death Cab for Cutie has become an Indie/Alternative Rock institution for the past 2 decades and it appears they won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Highly Suspect - Upperdrugs
Before Badflower, Highly Suspect was the band who was bringing back sludgy distorted hard rock to radio and the mainstream. After a three year wait, the band has returned with 2 new singles and Upperdrugs is my favorite of the two, because it's the heavier of the two songs. Like Teenage Wrist, Highly Suspect is a band indebted to 90s Alternative & Grunge, but unlike the watered-down copycat Grunge bands of the '00s, Highly Suspect has learned all the right lessons from 90s Alternative. They have the power and muscle of Soundgarden, with a bluesy feel that reminds me a bit of Pearl Jam or Alice in Chains at times, with lyrics that are as direct and as emotionally naked as Nirvana. Lead singer Johnny Stevens is a powerful vocalist who can make every lyric sound like a matter of life or death, while guitarist Matt Kofos can make his guitar sound so heavy that it feels like he is peeling the skin off your face! Everything great about Highly Suspect is on display on Upperdrugs, which concludes with a rip-roaring guitar solo that makes you believe that rock still has a lot of gas left in its tank despite all signs pointing to the contrary.

ieuan - VIRTUAL REALITY
U.K. based, but California born, ieuan is one of the youngest performers to burst on to the gay pop stage recently but he's also clearly one the most exciting acts to emerge as well. VIRTUAL REALITY is a synthetic pop song about synthetic love in the digital age. ieuan finds this digital love so addictive that he's willing to leave the real world behind and maybe even his own humanity. As technology becomes more and more prevalent in our everyday lives this is something that is going to be more and more of an issue going forward. The song itself is catchy but dark and it has an edge that you just can't resist.

​Justin Ingalis - But, You Don't
I need to thank Q Review for bringing Justin Ingalis to my attention.  But You Don't deals with Justin being in love with a man who is incapable of real love, which causes Justin even more pain. Justin describes his love as a drug that he is addicted to even though he should know better since it's only damaging his own self-worth. The song itself is a club bop that takes off around the 1 minute once the beats drop. The song takes a sharp left into Hip-Hop territory around the 3 minute mark, which is how the song winds itself down at the end.  I'm definitely looking forward to what Justin does next.

Kelechi - Forever Tonight
This song has an 80s & 90s RnB pop vibe to it that I greatly appreciate. Forever Tonight is a straight-ahead love song with plenty of hooks to go around. Kelechi gives a great soulful performance and is able to make this love story between two men sound intimate and inviting for anyone who listens to it. We need more songs from Kelechi in the near future thank you!

Leo Kalyan - time can wait
Leo Kalyan is one of the most singular and inspiring voices we have in pop music right now. His mixture of western and eastern music styles that describe the complexities of his life as an openly gay man who lives in the U.K. but came from Pakistan remains unique and groundbreaking. Leo's latest single Time Can Wait is another utterly gorgeous song from him that feels transportive and uplifting at the same time. As I have said many times before, Leo is blazing his own path right now and hopefully he helps open up more doors to more unique voices in pop music in the near future.

Lucy Whittaker - Touch
Thanks to Q Review's excellent podcast, I was introduced to U.K. pop singer Lucy Whittaker last month. Lucy is a pop singer/songwriter who is openly gay and I'm glad I discovered her now because her latest single Touch is her best song yet! Touch is an absolute bop with great club production and sexy lyrics about hooking up on the dance floor. Touch will turn you on while also making you want to dance like a natural born diva at the same time.

Michael Medrano - Fluids
Michael Medrano has quickly become one of my favorite pop stars in this current crop of Queer Pop musicians. I eagerly anticipate each and every single he puts out and he never lets me down. Somehow, someway he just keeps topping himself every single time, which means Fluids is his best song yet. If Michael's last single, No More Tequila, was the bop of the summer, then Fluids is sure to be the Bop of the fall season. Here Michael sings about getting a little tipsy on the dance floor (There's that pesky tequila again) and wanting to make out with both girls and boys (but mostly boys). It's a song that feels hot, sweaty and sexy as hell and it's sure to get the party started whenever and wherever it's played. If you're not on the Michael Medrano bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? Gay bops don't get much better than this folks.

Miss Benny - That's My Man
Miss Benny is one of the best and most exciting acts to emerge this year and he keeps shooting straight to the front of the Gay Pop class with each single he has released in 2019. That's My Man is another absolute bop, which celebrates the love between two men that is romantic, beautiful and so needed! I wish I had songs like That's My Man growing up, because it's everything every little gay boy needs to hear. Miss Benny captures the thrill and rush of young love, but also the trust and comfort that comes from being with someone you truly love and you know will look out for you no matter what. Miss Benny has not only found his man, but his knight in shining armor and it melts my little gay heart! Meanwhile the video is peak Miss Benny as he serves different looks and poses throughout that prove he is a pop star with charisma to burn! Also look for the cameo from fellow gay pop star Bronze Avery shown hugging and kissing his own boyfriend. God bless Miss Benny!

Myylo - Skinny Boys
What can I say I love Myylo! I think he's one of the best singer/songwriters we have right now and Skinny Boys is another home run for an artist who just keeps knocking out bop after bop. Myylo says that Skinny Boys is an anthem for body positivity for boys in the gay community. Myylo said he wrote the song due to his own feelings of inadequacy due to being skinny and seeing nothing both six pack abs whenever he is scrolling through gay Instagram. In Skinny Boys, Myylo sings about how all the gay boys, no matter what their body looks like, are beautiful and deserving of love. It's a message we all need to be hearing more and more, especially in the gay community where it seems gays who have biceps and a six pack are lauded above and beyond everyone else for the sole reason that they are hot. Myylo continues to be one of the highlights of 2019 for me. I stan Myylo so much! 

Ride - Jump Jet
Ride's amazing comeback began 2 years ago when they released their first new album in 21 years and they have kept busy ever since churning out a stellar EP in 2018 and now dropping another album in 2019. Their latest album may not have songs that reach the heights of previous classics like Vapour Trail, Leave Them All Behind or Cali, but it may be their most consistent album since their 1990 debut Nowhere. The new album contains lots of hidden gems throughout and Jump Jet right now is the song catching my ear the most. Like previous Ride songs, Jump Jet is Shoegaze that is still driving and catchy, where hooks and vocal harmonies are still the top priority. You can tell Ride starts with melodies and hooks and then accessorizes the instruments and atmospheric production later. They are a band of equals who have realized recently that they bring out the best in each other, which is why they finally got back together 2 years ago. Ride has somehow rekindled the magic they once had during the early 90s and are making up for lost time by churning out as much top-notch material as they possible can. This comeback has elevated Ride to one of my favorite Alternative Rock bands ever now and not just one of my favorite Shoegaze bands.

Robokid - Take Me Down
Robokid's new single is a chaotic and dense club song that seems to recall mid 90s electronica and rave culture that was spearheaded by acts like The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers. It's a song that has a lot going on in the production so it may take a few listens for Take Me Down to really click. It also slows down towards the middle as well as Robokid seems to stuff most of his ideas at the start of the song. Take Me down is a short but complex song that fans of club music should find themselves returning to often.

Sakima - Pity Party
Sakima is an openly gay singer/songwriter/producer from the U.K. who makes songs that are heavy on atmosphere and heavy on the gay sex. In fact, when it comes to passion and sex with other men, Sakima doesn't hold back at all and I love him for that. His songs also have a way of sneaking up on you as they slowly but surely burrow their way into your brain and your heart. Pity Party is about how Sakima needs to stop thirsting over straight guys he can never have. The production on the song though is breathtaking and it reminds me of early 90s Trip-Hop and early 10s Chillwave. Pity Party is a song that seems to create it's own world that you can only travel to in your mind and I am all about those kinds of songs. I think it's safe to say that for me Pity Party is the best song Sakima has put out yet.

Simon Curtis - Rainbow
Simon Curtis's new music this year has been a welcome return since his last album in 2011. Rainbow is the most emotional song Simon has released thus far dealing with his struggles of growing up gay in a culture not built to accept him for who he is. Simon starts the song singing:
 
"I arrived in a world that made it clear that it didn't want me
Who would want me?
I cried and cried
And tried to find that someone else
Someone who would love me
But who would love me?"
 
This is something anyone who is queer can relate to immediately. It's a heartbreaking moment when you realize how different you are from everyone else and how you will not be accepted so easily as a result. Then there are the feelings of never finding someone else to love you for you, because you feel there is no one else like you or because you don't deserve love in the first place. Then comes to moment when you not only meet someone who loves you for you, but through that person you learn to love yourself as well.
 
"And you, you said that you do
So I, I said that I believe you
I believe you
Cause I'm a rainbow
Golden rainbow
I shine with all the colors of the light
I'm a rainbow
Golden rainbow
I keep shining on even if I die."
 
It's a beautiful anthem about Queer love and self-love that Simon sang recently at Proud 365, an event I am already considering legendary & iconic due to the fact that it was the first concert/festival lineup to feature only openly gay men (It was over 10 acts as well not just 2 or 3). It was also Simon's first time performing on stage in years and it seemed liked he felt back at home again performing live. We can only hope more music and more touring are coming from Simon in the near future.

​Tool - Fear Inoculum
The wait between Tool's last album and their new album was ridiculously long. Just to give some perspective, Tools first 4 albums and debut EP where all released within a 14 year space between 1992 and 2006 and it's been 14 years since they put out their last album 2006's 10,000 Days! For a while it felt like a new Tool album was as likely as Chinese Democracy by Guns 'N Roses. Of course, Tool brilliantly capitalized on all this pent-up anticipation by finally allowing their music to be streamed on the various music streaming platforms at the start of August, which put them back in the spotlight on both social media and on the rock charts. This sudden hysteria for all things Tool perfectly coincides with the group finally releasing their first new album in 14 years. It seems the lead single off every Tool album gets longer & longer and Fear Inoculum continues the trend by being over 10 minutes long! In fact, I think Fear Inoculum has become the first song ever to chart on billboard that is over 10 minutes long! Fear Inoculum reminds everyone why Tool is in a class all their own, because not only can they get away with a 10 minute lead single, but they have the talent and moxy to pull it off with aplomb! This is easily my favorite single by them since 2001's Schism and it proves nobody does what Tool does. Tool may have inspired a lot of bands, but they remain a unique experience and Fear Inoculum is a testament to that. The complex drumming, rhythms, guitar parts, and solos are all spellbinding and lead singer Maynard James Keenan remains one of the most exceptional and powerful vocalists in all of Alternative Rock. Welcome back Tool you were greatly missed!

White Reaper - Might be Right
I've been hearing this song a lot on all of the Modern Rock/Alternative Rock chart playlists on Spotify that I follow and listen to on a weekly basis. It starts with a carnival like organ before becoming a slicked-up pop/rock song that could have fit on 70s FM Rock Radio back in the day. Lots of good guitar work scattered throughout the song and there is a solid guitar solo too. For those who like meat & potatoes rock & roll or classic rock in general White Reaper is right up your alley.

Wrabel - Magic
Wrabel impressed me earlier this year when I discovered him through his song Love to Love U, which I think is one of the best pop songs of 2019 period. His latest single Magic is just as good. Magic features a memorably catchy piano riff that plays throughout the entire song and it's definitely an earworm. Wrabel is a great singer/songwriter who can sing with a lot of passion, but he can also let a song speak for itself which is what he does here with Magic. Magic is all about hooks and slicked up production and after just one listen it will get stuck in your head. I've got tickets to see Wrabel live when he comes to D.C. at the end of October and I'm really looking forward to it!

Yavin - Good Fun
Yavin is another recent discovery for me thanks to Q Review, Spotify and some of the folks I follow on Twitter all singing his praises. Yavin describes himself as a 23 year old with the face of a 14 year old and the voice of a 34 year old. Yavin has said his new music is about coming to terms with growing up and much like Badflower's Promise Me, it's also about how you and your friends start to drift apart as you get older. Unlike Promise Me though, Yavin actually embraces change and growing up saying he wouldn't trade these years for anything.  Yavin does have a very deep and soulful voice, which is very appealing, and Good Fun is definitely his best song yet. It will be interesting to see how Yavin grows as a singer and as a songwriter from here.