The 2012 Olympics That Might Have Been, NYC: VIDEO

Here's an Olympic bid video created by NYC2012, showing a proposed layout for the Games in New York City.

Enjoy, AFTER THE JUMP...

The OXD Mirror: New Music for 7.27.12

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / RU BHATT

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world. 

 

Friends - 'Friend Crush (Leo Zero Remix)'

Friends hails from Bushwick, Brooklyn and is appropriately fronted by two life-long friends, Samantha Urbani and Lesley Hann. They released their debut album, Manifest!, earlier this summer. The lead single is a fun rock-pop dance ditty that tells the story of a 'Friend Crush,' a feeling we've all likely had at some point in our lives. With this remix, British producer Leo Zero gives the track a very playful boogie-inducing disco wash.

 

Two Door Cinema Club - 'Sleep Alone'

Two Door Cinema Club hit the scene in 2010 and gained critical acclaim with their debut album, Tourist History. This Irish band (signed to French record label, Kitsuné Music) is back with their sophomore effort, Beacon, which was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jacknife Lee. Their lead single, 'Sleep Alone,' shows they have not strayed far from their original baseline hopping, indie-pop sound. The percussive track showcases lead singer Alex Trimble's unique voice as his melodies soar amongst incredibly fast guitars in a frenzy of pop music guaranteed to make you dance.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs  - 'Stronger (Miguel Campbell Remix)'

Orlando Higginbottom is a UK producer better known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (T-E-E-D).  After dropping a series of successful singles and EPs, and remixing big names such as Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry, T-E-E-D released his first album, Trouble in June. The Miguel Campbell remix of his second single, 'Stronger', smoothes out the original version's quirky pop rhythms, giving it a classic four-four disco beat with a much more chilled out and more palatable track.  Aside from anything he does musically, T-E-E-D also knows how to put together an interesting look with his outstanding headwear. 

MORE TRACKS, AFTER THE JUMP...

The XX - 'Angels (Bodhi Remix)'

When The xx announced they'll be releasing a sophomore album, Coexist, it seemed as though a collective sigh of relief was given by music bloggers around the world. Their self-titled debut album was arguably one of the best of 2009, and after producing a few tracks for big names like Rihanna and Drake, it seemed as though everyone was yearning for them to create more original music. A first listen of their lead single, 'Angels,' sounds very similar to their previous efforts with its intimate murky-pop feel. However, after about a minute, the beat comes in and brings the band to a place they haven't really been before: the dancefloor. Bodhi's remix, though unofficial, perfectly highlights this feeling and illuminates the fact that The xx are experimenting with their sound in a subtle manner, which is quite true to their fashion.

 

Tina Turner - 'What's Love Got to Do (Zimmer Rework)'

It might seem as the Balearic Disco / R&B wave of music never stops, but I felt moved enough by Zimmer's fantastic remix to include it on this week's Mirror. The French-Californian producer showcases Turner's soulful vocals against a warm, lazy, swaying beat that instantly refreshes the classic song. I originally heard this track on Zimmer's mixtape, Sage Paradis, which is available to download for free. If you're a fan of The OXD Mirror I highly recommend downloading, as it is my favorite poolside mix of the summer and it includes a few tracks I've posted before from artists like The Rapture & Moon Boots.

 

OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD) curates and recommends music events to the gay community in NYC—in an effort to move the focus of the nightlife scene beyond the promoter and venue and to the music itself. OXD's goal is to educate, entertain, engage and empower the gay audience to reclaim their ability to question and experience the unknown. The OXD Mirror will serve to showcase tunes that are definitely off-the-beaten-path but rightfully deserve the attention of the gay ear. It's music that will make you dance, dream, and most importantly, love.

This week's post was written and curated by Ru Bhatt. Check out more of his music picks on his podcast, The Ru-Mix.

For more information on OXD, check out our website and accompanying blog at www.occupythedisco.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @OccupyTheDisco.

An Homage to YouTube from The Kinsey Sicks: VIDEO

Drag a capella beautyshop quartet The Kinsey Sicks honors their favorite online pasttime with this take on The Police's "Every Breath You Take".

Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...

Bone Marrow Transplants Said to Eliminate HIV in Two Patients

HIV is undetectable in two men who underwent bone marrow transplants researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston announced Thursday, according to CBS News:

Both patients were being treated for cases of cancer. One of the patients underwent a bone marrow transplant two years ago at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston, the other had the procedure done four years ago at the same hospital. NBCNews.com reports that one of the patients is in his 50s and has been infected since the early 1980s towards the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and the other man, in his 20s, was infected at birth.

Both stayed on their antiretroviral medication regimens, the standard treatment of HIV, following the transplants.

The researchers discovered that overtime as the patients' cells were replaced by cells from the donor, evidence of HIV in the patients' blood tests disappeared. The researchers also said both patients have no signs of HIV in their DNA or RNA and levels of their disease-fighting antibodies have also decreased. The researchers think the medications helped allow these cells to be replaced.

Timothy Brown, aka The Berlin Patient, who announced this week that he's still HIV-free after undergoing a similar bone marrow transplant, released a statement:

“Words cannot begin to express my joy that two other men may have been cured of HIV.  This reinforces my determination and belief that we must fulfill my Foundation’s central mission of investing in cutting-edge therapies and treatments to advance AIDS cure research. As I have said many times before, I want everyone to be cured of this disease.  We can only hope that this case and today’s development represents the beginning of the end of this plague.“

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1175

NEAR DEATH AT SEA WORLD: A 2006 video, just released, and the latest example of why Orcas should be left in the wild.

HAPPY LITTLE CLOUD: The latest remix from PBS.

THE GROUND: SF Gay Men's Chorus performs at The Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness in Denver on its "Love Can Build A Bridge" Tour benefiting the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

GOOGLE FIBER: The next chapter of the internet. More here.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Derecho, Ryan McGinley, Modern Family, Alanis Morrissette

Hate group disguised as Heterosexual Awareness Month?

Kevin Zegers to play gay in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

VIDEO: Real-life Stretch Armstrong, minus the muscle.

Towleroad's Ari Ezra Waldman writes about HIV and the Affordable Care Act for BETA, a journal published by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation about HIV/AIDS medicine, health care, and society.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "In keeping with our special relationship, the president also made it clear that he has the utmost confidence in our close friend and ally, the United Kingdom, as they finalize preparations to host the London Olympics."

Alanis Morrissette's new song "Lens".

Is the Labor Department ignoring protections for transgender contractors? "Despite numerous requests for comment over the past three months, Labor officials have thus far refused to comment directly on the issue, including Labor Secretary Solis, who told BuzzFeed on Thursday that while she was familiar with the issue she could not comment because she has been traveling extensively."

Matt Bomer has been lusciously shirtless on White Collar.

Beyoncé would like you to "leave your footprint", whatever that means.

Best photo I've seen of yesterday's NYC 'derecho'.

A paper claims 82% of Ghanaians "abhor" homosexuality: "82% was arrived at by the tabulation of the percentages of the various religious groups in Ghana...Of the 24.65 million population of Ghana, 28.3% are of the Pentecostal/Charismatic religious affiliation. 18.4% are Protestants; 17.6%, Islam; 13.1%, Catholic; 11.4%, Other Christian; 5.3% did not belong to any religion and 5.2%, Traditionalist."

Is it a surprise that the anti-gay Salvation Army fired someone for being bisexual?

Two Pennsylvania couples denied driver's license name change: "The issues faced by Jeannine and Jason are all too common for lesbian and gay couples living in states that do not see their marriages as equal. The lack of recognition for Jeannine and Jason’s respective marriages quickly presented serious obstacles. Even though Jason was eventually able to change the name on his drivers’ license, he still wondered why he needed an appointment to do something that was technically legal under Pennsylvania law."

Jeremy Renner talks about pitching a Viagra tent on a plane.

Big Brother contestant Willie Hantz arrested days after being kicked out of BB house for violence.

Birds of Prey: Ryan McGinley shot the new Edun campaign.

Twitter explains yesterday's outage.

Modern Family cast members file suit over contracts: "The suit filed Tuesday by series stars Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell and argues that their contracts with 20th Century Fox Television violate a California law prohibiting personal service contracts from extending for more than seven years."

Eric Cantor defends Michele Bachmann's anti-Muslim witch hunt: "I think that her concern was about the security of the country. So that’s about all I know."

NYT to meet with GLAAD, members of the trans community, over ways to improve coverage: "The move follows a sensationalized and exploitative piece on the death of Lorena Escalera who had been the victim of a fire. Yesterday, another article ran focusing on trans youth culture of Christopher Street but did not include some of the deeper issues facing many trans women of color. In recent months, it has seemed like the paper's lack of sensitivity towards the trans community has hampered its ability to see beyond appearance and clothing to get at the human stories underneath."