Album Notes

LARRY FLICK says:

"Once upon a time, being an out-queer musician meant functioning in a niche that was so limited that it often felt like imprisonment.

It meant towing an activist line that left little room for emotional or cultural diversity. There were so few queer warriors willing to step onto the frontlines of music and declare their sexuality that every song that found the light of day carried an impossible albatross of responsibility. Each precious song had to somehow speak for all of us. And each song also had to speak to the masses in a way that was educational, enlightening, and maybe even soothing of irrational fears of us queer folk.

While the work of those brave, beautiful souls who broke musical ground for queers was essential and valiant, it often left our community with a musical legacy that was sometimes vitriolic and stoic. Even among our own people the
term "queer music" would sadly trigger shudders and sneers. Most of all, it didn¹t reveal all of the creative riches our corner of the world has to offer.

Somewhere along the way, all of that has changed. Queer music is no longer as easily defined as it once was. It¹s as brash and diverse and comforting and cutting-edge as the community of people who make it. Although no one can
pinpoint the day on which our music changed, smart minds can identify a crucial catalyst in the process: Outmusic.

For many years, Outmusic has served as a sanctuary for queer musicians. As an organization by and for our community¹s musical creative force, it has provided safe and nurturing environments for people to let their souls sing. This compilation is a tribute to the tireless work of those who comprise Outmusic. It gives us music that speaks to and for us not all in one song, but in a variety of tunes that come together as a vibrant tapestry of colors, colors that stand tall individually and mighty as a collection.

It¹s with a respectful tip of the hat that I introduce you to the work of Outmusic¹s shining lights of talent. As you move through each track, you¹ll taste the intensity of our community¹s young renegades and then bask in the warm of the ever-active pioneers whose early efforts allow us all to be exactly as we should be.

Out. Loud. Proud."