The number of today's posts will be abbreviated while I get my internet up and running.

And what's up with Tuesdays being the technology-fuck-up day?

Pork here.

What’s shaking, AKA Listeners?

You’ll read enough about Beyonce’s I Am Sasha Fierce in your newspaper and/or on just about any other site you’ll visit today, so I’m relieving myself of all Beyonce duties and focusing more on some releases that I’m actually excited about. After hearing 5 of its tracks, I Am Sasha Fierce leaves me not only unexcited, but also uninterested. Sorry, B.

Much more worthy of your eartime this week is Safe Trip Home by Dido. This is her third time around with a full length album and when I first read that she’d be working with Jon Brion, who is responsible for producing some of my all time favorite albums by Aimee Mann, Rufus Wainwright and Fiona Apple, I was surprised and elated. Upon hearing the results of their collaboration, I’m almost overwhelmed. In the span of just three albums Dido has managed to become a voice that can cut through the thickest of my mental preoccupations and reduce me to the most vulnerable of states. The subtle swells in Jon Brion’s production and multiple instrumentations are simply stunning when paired with Dido’s fragile-yet-firm vocals.

Both parties seem to be masters in restraint and demonstrate these strengths while painting some of the most beautiful scenes I've encountered this year. One listen to “It Comes And It Goes” and this should be apparent to even the most passive of listeners.

Slow and steady is how “Don’t Believe In Love” is delivered and that’s also how it hits. As a first single, it may lack the initial impact felt by “Here With Me” or “White Flag,” but upon repeated listens, it’s weight is slowly revealed . . . and felt. Once opened, Dido slips you some “Quiet Times” and proves yet again that she can slam you to the floor with the softest of blows. (Listen to it today in our Music Player.) Beauty through simplicity. This album has so much of both. It also has some “additional keyboards/ambience” by Brian Eno, so . . . you can guess what’s going on here.

Sometimes haunting. Sometimes embracing. Often both. In times like these, which seem to be the craziest, it’s music like this that’s necessary to heal you up a bit. It will soothe your soul in the same way that the madness riles it up.

A few weeks back I mentioned that Travis was my second favorite Scottish collective without taking a minute to mention who beats them out. No, it’s not Del Amitri (though I do enjoy them some). It’s not The Proclaimers. Nope, not Snow Patrol or Cocteau Twins (although brilliant as can be). Well, surprise, surprise! It’s none other than Belle and Sebastian. Nothing moved me more than If You’re Feeling Sinister in 1997 and I have been devoted ever since. I had only moved to New York City one month before being instructed by a friend of mine to immediately go to my nearest record store (at that point the HMV on 86th and Lexington) and buy this ground(and heart) breaking album. Er, cassette actually. Shut up. Let’s just say that I’ll never forget listening to it for the first time and desperately trying to keep up with where the music was taking my mind. Places I’d never been. Things I’d never seen. Friends I’d never met. Love I’d never felt. Let me be that friend to you now and urge you to own If You’re Feeling Sinister, which isn’t what’s even on today’s release schedule, but responsible for what would make me obsess about this particular release 11 years later. A collection of their BBC sessions is obviously what makes up The BBC Sessions (1996-2001) and hearing these performances laid out in such a way is more than a treat for fans like us who don’t get regular access to such amazing performances often. B-sides and rarities abound in these live takes that will leave you as numbed as their studio counterparts.

And then blah, blah, blah...something about David Cook.
:]

(Take a little time and enjoy . . . ) The List. All new releases for today, Tuesday November 18, 2008. After the jump!

Belle and Sebastian – The BBC Sessions (1996-2001)
Beyonce – I Am Sasha Fierce
The Black Keys – Live at the Crystal Ballroom (DVD)
Chris Botti – Live In Boston
Bring Me The Horizon – Suicide Season
The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers
David Cook – David Cook
De La Soul – De La Sous Is Dead
Dido – Safe Trip Home
The Doors – Live at The Matrix 1967
False Icons – God Complex (produced by Al Jourgensen)
Foo Fighters – Live at Wembley Stadium (DVD)
Sammy Hagar – Cosmic Universal Fashion
Il Divo – The Promise
Ricky Martin – 17
Paul McCartney – The Space Within Us (Blu-ray)
Mudvayne – The New Game
Nickelback – Dark Horse
Danny O’Keefe – In Time
Luciano Pavarotti – Life in Seven Arias (DVD)
Shontelle – Shontelligence
The Who – The Who at Kilburn 1977 (DVD)

and today’s the day for all you Madonna fans to prepare for 2009 by getting your official 2009 Madonna calendar. Now you know.

All New Music Releases - November 18th, 2008

Bil Browning over at Bilerico has written a post called "Three Things That Made Me Cry Today." Number One on his list is this:

Mexican Is The New Gay

. . . I was flirting with a guy online; he's latino. I asked him where he was from and he said, "I'm from Mexico. I hope that's okay." Okay? Okay!?

Apparently, if gay is the new black, Mexican is the new gay. Does this damned merry-go-round ever stop? Why would it not be okay what country he was from? France, Japan, Mexico or East Timor? I just can't imagine what it must be like to follow it up with, "I hope that's okay."

Maybe it's just seeing the whole "Blame The Blacks" meme whip through the queer community recently, but I'm feeling really sick about some of the overt racism that's floated through my world lately.

Mexican has been the new black for quite some time now. I honestly cannot tell you how many times I have heard nasty comments about Mexicans, directed at me, in the past year. Here are a few that come to mind:

"You better watch out, or you're going to look Mexican!"
"You know how those Mexicans breed."
"I went to California, and everywhere you looked it was fucking Mexicans, Mexicans, Mexicans!"
"You're Mexican? No, no, you mean you're Spanish."

And every time I hear one of these little gems, the first thing I think is, "What would my mother think of me if I didn't say something right now?" One of my friends said I was an angry half-Mexican. And you know what? He's right. It pisses me off that people who know better feel safe spouting bigotry to me, in front of me. Replace "Mexican" in the comments above with any other minority of your choice to see how violent it feels. "You better watch out or you're going to look black!" Or "You know how those Jews breed." Or "You're black? No, no, you mean you're white." I went to California and everywhere I looked it was faggots, faggots, faggots!" Yeah. It makes me feel queasy, too.

I went to breakfast on Sunday with a friend. While we were eating, a little Mexican boy and a little Mexican girl around 9 and 10, probably the children of the adults working there, kept refilling our coffee cups and water glasses. They were so cute, and they reminded me of two of my nephews and nieces. Each time they came back to our table, I kept wondering if they both dreamed of being President. You know what? I hope they do, but I doubt it. They hear from every conceivable arena that Mexicans are less than everyone else, that Mexicans are part of the American servant class.

I've written about this before, but with so much discussion surrounding gays and racism, I feel obligated to say something about this. How many times did I hear people on Fire Island make gagging sounds when the idea of sleeping with an Asian man came up in conversation? Or how about that Pines council member who told me, on a weekend that Kevin Aviance was performing, that it was "getting to be too . . . urban" and something had to be done?And then all this anti-Mormon talk. By gay people! It is a merry-go-round, and we do keep going round and round, but I can't help but think it's because we love the ride.

I'm having some pretty major internet issues. Getting them worked out. Will be posting as soon as it gets sorted out.

Wake Up With These!

The Rachel Maddow Show:
Okay, Arianna Huffington guest-hosted for Rachel Maddow last night. I think we can all agree that Arianna's performance is another reason to love Huck Maddow.

The New York Times:
NYT The Front Page 11/18
NYT The Science Times 11/18

NPR
Tell Me More
Stories: 1) Obama's New Rules Have Some Lobbyist Concerned 2) Public vs. Private Schooling: Is There A Wrong Answer? 3) Election Inspires Minority Leaders To Aim High 4) In Your Ear: Vernon Jordan 5) What Michelle Obama Is Giving Up

Audio player after the jump. Or click here to launch the player in a new window so you can listen while you browse. Or, head over to The Media Bar and listen there.

Music Video:
Beyonce and Beyonce and Justin Timberlake
"Single Ladies" (1:56)
This is the real video mixed with the SNL parody.

Watch them all after (you guessed it) the jump.

Movies:
First trailer for the new Star Trek. I was never really a Trekkie (except maybe Voyager), and yeah, it's kind of geeky of me, but it's JJ Abrams. Remember Lost? And how gay is that EW cover.

Get gay and geeky with me after the jump.

Politics:
Obama's First YouTube Fireside Chat. With all the Prop 8 information coming in, I didn't get a chance to watch this until last night! I thought maybe some of you missed it, too.

I feel like we're going to be referring to our President-elect as "Papa Obama" by the end of the year. "Papa," we'll ask, "what do you think should be done about GM?" Feels kind of natural.

Watch after the jump!

Television:
Now, I am one of nine people in the United States who know that Bonnie Hunt has a daytime TV talk show. So imagine how surprised I was when I saw that not only was Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton on the Bonnie Hunt Show, she was on the Bonnie Hunt Show doing a "Gypsy" tribute. (Honest to God, for the first 6 seconds I was convinced it was her!)(00:24)

Watch after the jump!

Daily Song:
Dido
"Quiet Times"
from Safe Trip Home

Listen after the jump!