June means many things to many people — the end of school, the beginning of spring, Father’s Day. Here at Flavorpill, we’re also celebrating LGBT Pride Month. It’s an intense moment for queer rights, from the frustratingly slow progress our federal government has made on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to the two-steps-forward-three-steps-back fight for same-sex marriage. And tough times call for great music. That’s why we’ve asked several of our favorite LGBT musicians to put together non-traditional pride playlists to soundtrack this year’s festivities. You know, so we don’t have to endure hour after hour of “I’m Coming Out.”
Our third mix comes from one of the 21st century’s greatest gay icons. Best known as a wildly popular comedian, Margaret Cho has also been an actress, burlesque star, bellydancer, filmmaker, clothing designer, and political activist. And on August 24, she will release Cho Dependent , a comedy music album featuring collaborations with everyone from Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco to Andrew Bird and Kevin Barnes. Cho’s playlist is a compilation of straight-up anthems with delightful feminist overtones.
1. “Last of the Famous International Playboys” — Morrissey What to listen to while getting ready for Pride ytaudio(CAh06OgIrn4) 2. “Empire State of Mind — Jay-Z Only for New York Pride ytaudio(0UjsXo9l6I8) 3. “Naked Eye” — Luscious Jackson One for the ladies ytaudio(jdYrjLvi90w) 4. “The Con” — Tegan and Sara Only like my favorite song in the whole world ytaudio(dgR2jyHP-ug) 5. “Oh L’amour” — Erasure Pretty much the most beautiful song ever ytaudio(2neraPzgyqc) 6. “True Colors” — Cyndi Lauper Kind of an anthem ytaudio(LPn0KFlbqX8) 7. “Vogue” — Madonna If “True Colors” is the “Star-Spangled Banner” of gay pride, then “Vogue” is “America the Beautiful.” ytaudio(GuJQSAiODqI) 8. “Criminal” — Fiona Apple Because we have all been bad, bad girls ytaudio(FFOzayDpWoI) 9. “Love and Affection” — Joan Armatrading Another one for the ladies ytaudio(tTIs-TBwcbk) 10. “Supersonic” — JJ Fad Just because ytaudio(J3nPLoODtGU) 11. “Seven Nation Army” — The White Stripes ‘Cuz I just love ‘em ytaudio(Mut_jxG1Uhc)
Photo by Lindsey Byrnes