[rating=4]
Released July 14, 2014
Slow Club’s Complete Surrender is nurturing, moving and relatable. It should be heard in the same context as some of pop’s most soulful biggest hitters.

“To make a record like this and to take strides that enables your sound to be both mainstream but wholly grounded in a lyrical sensibility that is essentially British in its self-deprecation and rejection of sentimentality is admirable and is what gives Slow Club their edge.”

July 30, 2014

In which the cartoonist look at the legacy of personal ads, leather and 1980s pop heroes. Polari Safari by David Shenton.

Support for the LGBT community.

Gay Switchboard Ireland turns 40 this year. Tony Cooney talks about how it has diversified to meet the needs of users, and mental health in the LGBT community.

“I think we can be as vicious as the rest of society. The LGBT community needs to have a good look at itself, to not forget what we have had to put up with.”

Queer laughs.

Laura Macdougall celebrates the great amount of queer content at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014, from comedy to drama and spoken word.

“This year I’m particularly excited that there are so many brilliant female comedians performing at the festival, and that so many of them are queer women. “

[rating=4]
Released July 21, 2014
Rather than the metallic synth-pop of her 2009 debut, La Roux has opted instead for a sweltering and more organic, sensual soundscape.

“La Roux is proving that although she is clearly serious about the potential aims of modern music, she is also having tremendous fun making it – without a doubt the definitive summer release of 2014.”

[rating=5]
Released April 28, 2014
The cinematic approach of A Winged Victory For The Sullen incorporates ambient, electronic and classical elements in this music for dance performance.

“A Winged Victory For The Sullen embody a willingness to diversify their writing style in giving themselves the challenge of writing music for dance performance. Similar to their debut album, the duo have created songs unbound by time, genre or even identity.”

July 24, 2014

In which the cartoonist bemoans the lack of cleverness on today’s ‘mucky’ postcards. Polari Safari by David Shenton. Polari Safari by David Shenton.

In A London Cafe.

Saint Etienne talk about their new photo book, the appeal of London, and performing for charity as the follow-up act to a bunch of clowns.

“I found it emotional, yeah, but in a really joyous way. It was just really, really great. We laughed at a lot of pictures. It made you kind of go back and look at the time – and it made you think, ‘You know, we did a lot’.”

Reality Go-Go.

Cory Krueckeberg talks about Getting Go: The Go Doc Project and the ways in which we look not for the real but the ideal in a culture dominated by social media.

“It’s crucial to maintain your own identity so when I say I want to bridge the gap between queer and mainstream cinema I want to gay stories with a gay point of view but make them something the mass audience will want to see and not just a gay audience.”

[rating=4]
Released June 2, 2014
Ronika’s Selectadisc is a mix of the old and new that is wonderfully realised and, when it’s at its strongest, still fresh sounding.

“Ronika will be around for some time it appears, her devotion to making and performing music seems inescapable and is irresistible. The UK dance scene – if such a thing still really exists – should welcome her with open arms.”