Gaga Tells The Senate

Love her, hate her, can't bear one more moment of her, whatever. You've got to give it to Lady Gaga, our modern-day hippie.

Like civil rights activists of yore--and, really, no one since--Gaga has taken LGBT civil liberties to heart and has become a true outspoken activist. She has protested in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and yesterday, she released this video on behalf of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.



Even if you don't like the woman's style or publicity antics, you've got to give it to her: She's consistent with her message and she's a more articulate and empassioned spokesperson that most. Imagine any other 25 year-old pop star (Britney? Ke$ha??) relaying such an elegant plea. You can't, can you? That's because there's only one Gaga.

Oprah Really Loves Gaga!

Shocker!

We know Oprah had Lady Gaga on her show, and most of what Oprah features on her show is what Oprah loves.

(Oprah loves Oprah! We know it; we love it. Most of the time.)

But Oprah makes a huge revelation in the 10th anniversary issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. In it, Oprah is interviewed by a handful of women fans, plus GAAAAAAYYYYYYLE KIIIIIIIIIIING! [Gayle is so important, she must be introduced in Oprah Voice.] Here's a bit of the interview:

Gayle: Who's your favorite musician on your iPod right now?

Oprah: Gaga.

Fan: If you could sing any karaoke song, would it be Lady Gaga?

Oprah: It would definitely be a Tina Turner song. Because if I can see myself as anybody, I can't be Gaga but I can be Tina.

First of all, with all due respect to The Mighty Oprah, it's impressive that someone of her age (56) can stomach the image of Lady Gaga, much less actually like her music, which--let's face it--even if you're older and appreciate Gaga's creative styling, her kind of electropop is unlikely to appeal to people of a certain age.

Big points to Oprah!

Moooore New Gaga: "So Happy I Could Die" (Instrumental) , "Dance In The Dark"

More New Gaga: "No Way" and "Second Time Around"

These are more conventional-sounding pop tracks, but solid. If her fashion icon pop star ever fizzles out, she's definitely got longevity as a songwriter. No question.

Listen To New Gaga Now: "Telephone" Feat. Beyonce

More Gaga awesomeness.

In addition to this and "Bad Romance," we've also heard "Alejandro" (love it!!) and "No Way" (jury's out) from the new Fame Monster album.

Even if you hate her unconventional image and antics, you've got to give Lady Gaga credit for musicality. Her music is '80s, '90s, '00s and beyond.

New Gaga iPhone Karaoke App: Record Your Music & Share With Others!

Lady Gaga has partnered with a company called iOKi to create a new exclusive iPhone app that will let you sing along with, record, and share your versions of her music with other people!

And, according to TechCrunch, it's actually a great app! (We'll believe it when we hear it.)

Using the app is pretty straightforward: you choose a song, and the app launches into its viewing mode, where the lyrics pop up on your iPhone screen just as they would on more tradional karaoke machines. Depending on your setup, you can have the backing music and vocals come from either your phone’s headphone jack or its built-in speaker (your vocals can go in through either your headphone’s built-in microphone or the phone mic). The interface is easy enough to figure out within a few seconds, though I think it looks a bit bland given the iPhone’s penchant for glossy things. Once you’ve recorded a song, the app will present you with a link that you can use to share your recording across the web.

The app launches in the iTunes and App Stores on November 23, the same day as the release of Gaga's much-anticipated Fame Monster album.

We love Gaga, but we are incredulous about one thing. At her recent concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., she asked the audience, "What is the one thing I hate more than anything in the world?"

The audience was dumbfounded.

Gaga roared: "MONEY!" And then she sang "Money, Honey."

For someone who allegedly hates money (she has said that she spent all of her money to pay for her Fame Ball tour), she she does a lot of cross-marketing. Surely she makes money off of her songwriting for Michael Bolton, Adam Lambert and others, not to mention Gaga-themed merchandise, TV appearances and now...a Gaga iPhone app? There's nothing wrong with making money, especially as a pop idol who worships pop, but we don't love the shades of hypocrisy we see in this behavior.

So Gaga, either stop saying you hate money and its corruptive power of illusion, or give me some, already. Lord knows you've got enough to spare by now!

Here's an iOKi tutorial video to ease your learning curve, because you KNOW you're gonna download it on Tuesday morning.

Adam Lambert Q&A: Gaga "Down to Earth"; Gene Simmons "A Dick"

Rolling Stone's new Q&A with Adam Lambert reveals a few more details about his forthcoming album, For Your Entertainment.

On the campy album artwork:

But that's what I was like when I was on Idol! When I did 'Ring of Fire,' that was pretty camp, so I don't understand why the cover is a surprise. People are forgetting me at my wildest--with platform boots and rhinestones around my eyes. Is the album cover that much of a departure?

On Gene Simmons sucking:

Gene Simmons spouted something, that he thought I'd ruined my career by coming out. He's obnoxious, and what a hypocrite--all he talks about is his sex life. He was being a dick--and he's not the greatest singer. I guess he's a good businessman, I'll give him that.

On his favorite songs:

Goldfrapp's Supernature was on heavy rotation for, like, a year. It's electronic, but it has an organic, psychedelic feel to it. When I heard they were working with Christina Aguilera, I was like, aww, she beat me to it.

On working with Gaga:

Even though she seems super-eccentric and out there, as a person, she's really down-to-earth--very New York. The song was a demo of hers from three or four years ago. At the end of the session, we had a drink--and then recorded more after some whiskey. The song captures us partying.

We haven't been totally blown away by his first couple of tracks--from the 2012 soundtrack and the title album track, "For Your Entertainment"--but we still love Adam Lambert for his vocal prowess, style, and oozy sexuality. And we are SO looking forward to the Gaga collab!

"Bad Romance" Video: Behind the Scenes with Lady Gaga

Do we love the "Bad Romance" video as much as everyone else seems to?

We're not so sure...but we do love Gaga's styling, especially the sea monkey-inspired crowned white outfits (vinyl versions of her gorgeous/grotesque red lace VMA outfit!).



Gaga's globe-trotting stylist, Nicola Formichetti, has really outdone himself--and anyone who has come along in at least ten years.

Between the two of them, they seriously make insanity look fun.

Gaga, Nicola: je veux ton amour et je veux ta revenge, je veux ton amour I DON'T WANNA BE FRIENDS!!!

New Gaga Song! Alejandro (Don't Call My Name)

Aside from "Brown Eyes" (which was actually good live), Gaga seems to have the rare talent for not writing a bad song...so far!

Can't wait for The Fame Monster.

Listen To New Lady GaGa + Michael Bolton Duet!

For real: Lady GaGa wrote this new single for Michael Bolton's new album, and she sings the backup vocals.

The music is all GaGa, but the ballad is totally fitting for Michael Bolton. Totally conventional. But good!

Lady GaGa: Sold-Out Concerts or Just Sold Out?

In the good old days--that is, back on February 5--Lady GaGa spread her rainbows of joy and happiness over this depressed land of ours. Behold what she told MTV about her tour, which she dubbed the "Fame Ball":

"But to me, the Ball is so important. I want so much to make every depression dollar that everyone spends on my show worth it. And, yeah, I'm paying a lot for it — out of my own pocket. But that's OK. I just don't care about money."

But good things can't be expected to last, can they? The hard-earned depression dollars that I and hundreds of other people from the D.C. area dropped got this out of it:


[That would be a big fat NOTHING.]

Because GaGa decided that she would reward her Washington fans by cutting and running at the first opportunity to showcase her art...on American Idol.

This is what GaGa meant in that MTV interview when she said all her efforts were going into making every single concert "the greatest, most life-changing experience."

So far, only our opinions of Ms. GaGa have changed. Let the backlash begin.

Now, I love Tori Amos. We all know this. I was thinking that Lady GaGa, kooky as she is, might turn out to be on Amos's creative level, if not her intellectual or musical one. But in order for me to pay attention any longer, I need a return on my investment. Having been to over a dozen Tori Amos concerts in under a dozen years, I know that Amos gives both her art and her fans the number one priority in her life when she is on the road. GaGa, less than a year into stardom, has already sacrificed at least one of those things. And people are noticing.

Gay D.C. fans came together about a month ago to form "GaGa Week," a sequence of GaGa-themed parties at clubs and bars around the city beginning last Friday and culminating in tomorrow night's concerts. GaGa Week's Facebook presence announced today that the pop starlet's concerts had been postponed, with the following notice:

Lady Gaga has now officially postponed two sold-out concert dates due to a performance on America’s prized display of musical mass commercialism, American Idol. American Idol, responsible for generating all of your favorite innovative iconic mega stars such as Fantasia, Clay Aiken, David Cook and Taylor Swift, has managed to woo Lady Gaga away from thousands of grassroots fans in New York and Washington, DC.

Tonight's event is still on with a slight change. Gaga Night at Duplex is being re-branded as ANTI-Gaga night and is taking this opportunity to showcase DC's best indie/pop/electro dj to give Gaga the f*ck you.

OK, so maybe GaGa's fans are fickle but, hey, we haven't known her for long and she has proven to be an untrustworthy partner in this whole pop music relationship thing.

GaGa sings about "the fame," but now maybe she'll feel the reality of what comes along with it: responsibility to the people who make you famous.

I hope GaGa will apologize and find some way to make this up to us. Let's say her record company forced her to do American Idol for the exposure. Let's say that, even though Tori Amos would have beheaded said record company executives. I could live with that. But so far, no explanation from Camp GaGa other than "concerts postponed until date to be revlealed later" and "Lady GaGa on American Idol TONIGHT!!!"

We do it for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame
Isn't it a shame, shame, baby, a shame, shame

Shame on you, GaGa.

GaGa Dumped Me For Paula And Simon!

Arrrgh!!!

What!

What!

What?!?!!? did I do to karma to get this kind of treatment?!

Just last night I posted about how EXCITED I am for the ONE. GOOD. THING. in the forecast for this entire sucky year: The Lady GaGa concert in two days in D.C.

Well. What does GaGa do but dump my ass for Lobotomy Abdul, Ditto Dawg Jackson and Look-at-Me Simon. Oh, and that new chick.

That's right. Lady GaGa canceled two back-to-back sold-out shows in Washington to sing one dumb single on American Idol. Smart career move? Probably.

But a pretty sucky way to treat fans if you ask me.

Never mind everyone else, D.C.'s gay fans formed a GaGa-oriented subculture and planned parties all over town every night from last Saturday leading up through this Thursday's anticipated concerts. So much for GaGa Week.

OK, so exposure to tens of millions of people is worth more than its price in gold. But keep in mind that most of those people are little kids and Middle American families that are going to be staring at their TVs unwittingly iterating Christina Aguilera's now-famous line about GaGa: "I don't even know if this...GaGa person is a man or a woman." Or in the more direct and less pretentious dialect spoken in American homes: Whut the hayull is that thing?

In next week's issue of New York--still my favorite magazine--GaGa asks: “What am I supposed to do [in L.A.], canoodle with celebrities at a nightclub, with a lemon-drop Midori in my hand? It’s not the same as being in a bar that smells like urine with all your really smart New York friends.”

No, Lady. You're supposed to sing for an unappreciative audience of millions (plus four judges whose collective attitudes add up to: The Focus Group is Never Wrong!) and leave the people who are really inspired by your pretense standing in the cold.

GaGa...Take Me Away!

So, yeah. Let's this to the point: this year so far has been a waking nightmare.

But. But!! There's hope, and it's coming this Thursday in the form of Lady GaGa! Soooo excited! Someone wonderful (and kinda cute, too) bought tix and I'm gonna see my new muse number two (after Tori, of course).

In honor of me putting all my hopes and dreams in one oddball 23 year old (happy birthday, Lady!), here's a pretty awesome video a few of her fans put together. Be sure to watch past the first minute or so...it gets better.



*By the way, a few people have sent me really thoughtful and kind e-mails over the past few weeks, and I really appreciate them. I don't really want to revisit all the bad things that have been going on, but rest assured I saved your messages and will get back to you eventually. It doesn't matter so much whether or not people keep coming back here, but knowing that there are good people in the world who will take a few minutes to send positive thoughts really does matter. Thank you.