Music and Movies

I went on a music-buying splurge on iTunes a couple of weekends ago when I saw that Rufus Wainwright's new album Release the Stars had come out.

Wow dude, he's got the voice of a god. Not a Jeff Buckley god, but a god nonetheless. His voice is so pure, and his songwriting style produces sweeping, cabaret-inspired tunes.

Only tangentially related, I also watched the documentary Paragraph 175 the other night, where a half-dozen homosexual survivors of Nazi concentration camps were interviewed about their experiences before, during, and after the war. Being part of this group whose history, when it's written, is almost always tragedy makes for an interesting understanding of the human race. Still, I'm thankful for efforts like Paragraph 175 (and The Pink Triangle by Richard Plant) to at least preserve this part of gay, and human, history.

Which brings us back to way-out Rufus Wainwright, with his crooner's voice and playful love songs to men. I'll take today over yesterday, thanks very much, while being grateful for the scholarship that exists.

(originally posted at Newshoggers)