CQ Catch Up Roundup, Spring into Summer ’23
By Christopher Treacy
So much great music was submitted to us as the weather began warming up, and it seems criminal not to acknowledge it despite having missed the official release dates. Good tunes have no expiration date, right? In the spirit of making sure we help get the word out about artists working in the CQ sphere, we’re posting an extended Roundup with very little rhetoric. This way, we can get caught up to music being submitted to us in real time and no longer feel like we’ll never get through the backlog. All of these tracks are getting added to our Rainbow Opry playlist as well.
-CT
Corn Nut Creek – “Once Again”
This Australian-American duo takes a buoyant bluegrass approach to a tune about letting go of the past, facing your demons and reclaiming your true self.
Abby Dormer – “Sylvia”
A NYC songstress calls on notable female writers, artists, and makers that have written their way through grief and pain.
Jim Andralis – “S.I.S.O.Y.D.”
Andralis has outdone himself with this ode to a sexual faux pas that’s really just part of being human. Are we expected to not be human for each other? Shit happens.
Joey O’Neil – “Neighbour”
Featuring a video clip shot on 16mm film and directed by Laura-Lynn Petrick, O’Neil delivers a classic tale of queer yearning in the form of a geographic haunting. Taken from the forthcoming Phantom Vibes EP – all haunting-related stories told from various vantage points.
Sarah Gross – “State I’m In”
The folk-pop flourishes make this breezy anthem about not fitting the queer stereotypes a keeper (and no, not the ones imposed on us by the straight world – the ones we impose on each other – it’s an important distinction!). We also love a clumsy, queer game of tennis and Gross & Co. serve up a playful performance for the camera.
Laurel Hells Ramblers – “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”
From the hills of Appalachia! It’s a gothic mountain string band, throwing a new spin on a traditional hymn.
Normie Girlfriend – “As the Crow Flies”
An Intense and passionate new track from this talented trio of DC outliers – a dark, brooding, tale of lost love and revenge.
River Westin – “Blush”
The first new single from River Westin since his album The Honeymoon Suite dropped late last fall is a lusty dream-pop groove, putting a fresh queer spin on a vintage aesthetic… this seems to be his specialty. Nothing wrong with that!
Joel Brogon – “Underneath the Trees”
Sweet queer memories of discovery, merged with the encroaching consequences of judgment. Brogon keeps it simple tells it like it is. Don’t we all live this story in one way or another?
Laila – “I Like Girls”
We’re fully aware that the site isn’t called Pop Queer, but once in a while we’ll let something slip through the cracks if it fits in other ways. “I Like Girls” is pure confection, giving off strong Carly Rae Jepsen vibes from Jordanian-Canadian actress/singer Laila while also sporting some country-music-inspired transparency in terms of the writing style. The song minces no words. Also, chef’s kiss for the video’s bartending/kitchen/service industry motif… spatulas make great impromptu microphones!
Keith Andrews – “Dove Road”
The latest from Texas-based Keith Andrews is a stirring Americana take on an unsettling Bonnie & Clyde-related true story… Wanna know more? Google April 1, 1934.
Christopher Treacy has been writing about music and the music industry for 20 years. He’s contributed to The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, and Berklee College of Music’s quarterly journal, as well as myriad LGBTQ+ outlets including the Edge Media Network, Between the Lines/Pride Source, Bay Windows and In Newsweekly. He lives in Waitsfield, VT.
Got a great new song? Submit it to CQ!