To most casual music fans, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! is the face of hardcore and punk transness, the woman who came out and started it all. And while those accolades are well deserved, those less familiar with underground music often miss the story of Mina Caputo, a metal vocalist best known for her time with Life of Agony.   For those not familiar, Life of Agony are a seminal hardcore band from New York in the ’90s, one of the bands credited with starting the...

Country music sensation and feminist icon Dolly Parton has once again proved that she’s a queen while admitting she’s still learning. Earlier this week, the 76-year-old musician made headlines when she spoke out about the Black Lives Matter movement in an interview with Billboard. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” Parton stated on the recent global uprisings that followed the murders of George Floyd and other Black Americans. “Of course Black lives matter! Do we think our little white asses...

It’s been said that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. That the only certainty is uncertainty. And if 2020 has forced us to do anything, it’s to shake hands with the unknown. A loss of normalcy has culminated in collective grief. We may have never had control, but now we don’t even get to have the illusion of it. And since Covid shows no signs of slowing down, never has the phrase, radical acceptance, been more pertinent.  Much like how it sounds, radical...

An incredible rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter, Big Mama Thornton recorded multiple hits in the early ’50s that have been credited with helping to jumpstart the decade’s new music craze known as rock ‘n’ roll. Think you know how Big Mama came to define the era? Then take the quiz! 1. Born on December 11, 1926, in Ariton, AL, Big Mama’s given name was _____ Thornton.a. Norma Rae b. Willie Maec. Sandra Day d. Tammy Faye   2. Which instrument(s) did Big Mama play?a. Harmonica b. Drums c. Both...

After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 and amassing a worldwide following, sensational 27-year-old Israeli singer-songwriter Netta set to work transforming pop music as we know it. Her dance-worthy anthems, often layered with dizzying electronic vocal loops (which she creates live in performances), are brimming with positivity. And so was she when we caught up via Zoom to chat about everything from self-celebration to the power of gibberish.  What has life been like since Eurovision? I’m trying to hold on like when you’re on a rollercoaster—trying...

Meet Rina Sawayama, a Japanese-British triple threat: she can do it all as a singer, songwriter, and model. Not to mention, her self-titled record Sawayama was hailed by those at Metacritic and the like all the way to the revered Sir Elton John. Not too shabby at all. Looking back, she recalled a time when her record label, Dirty Hit, asked what she wanted to achieve with her forthcoming album, and she casually replied, "I want to win a Mercury Award." I've lived here 25 YEARS (most of...

A new wave of Black trans talent is breaking through the music industry. What started with a desire to provide free beats to Black trans people has developed into a historical music-industry collaboration. Record label, Trans Trenderz, has partnered with renowned New York recording studio, Studio G Brooklyn, to pair Black trans musicians with Grammy caliber industry professionals throughout the entire process of producing their projects. Not only will resources for artists be free of charge, all production decisions will be made by a team...

Strap in, fellow dykes. In the midst of quarantine, Taylor Swift came out of nowhere and said she was dropping an album only 16 hours after announcing it. Her eighth studio album, Folklore, is not only a collection of songs she poured her “whims, dreams, fears, and musings into,” but a sapphic masterpiece. Surprise ? Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my 8th studio album, folklore; an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. Pre-order at...

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWNTemple(Ribbon Music) On their fifth studio album, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down explore what it means to be whole. Hell-bent on owning her identity, Thao Nguyen looks within and opens up from every jarring angle. In turn, the San Francisco-based group arrives at its most personal and complex work. Gooey beats melt into bellowing riffs creating a lively sound, but in a trip-hop, heavy way. Temple is a direct embrace of the front-woman’s defining parts, particularly the ones...

In 2019, Taylor Swift dropped her long-awaited seventh studio album, Lover, and less than a year later, she just announced that she’s releasing her eighth studio album called folklore. On Twitter, Swift described the record as “an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into.” The album will be released at midnight tonight. Surprise ? Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my 8th studio album, folklore; an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of...