Rainbow Ruckus 7/8: Allison Russell & Annie Lennox, Mal Blum, Ryan Cassata, and More!
This week's Rainbow Ruckus features superlovers, punk pride anthems, one-night stands, reuniting exes, and nervous breakdowns! (We get a little punk with it, to be honest.)
Every week, Rainbow Rodeo brings you the best new queer country music! Listen to this playlist on Spotify and Tidal! Thanks to Elliott for making a parallel list on Apple Music! Listen to the parallel list on Tidal. Missed a week? TA Inskeep is generously keeping an archive of all music featured on this Spotify playlist.
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- Those Fucking Snowflakes kick off the set with a killer punk song that'll send you straight to the mosh pit. "Straight Pride Month" is pointed jab after jab at the TERFs and homophobes that keep crawling out of the woodwork in the UK. (Thanks to Richard Marcus for the recommendation!)
- If you ask folks around the queer country community, they'll point to Allison Russell as one of their inspirations. Indeed, as the two of us spoke about in relation to Hadestown, Russell is drawn to creating spaces for rejuvenation. Enlisting the power of Annie Lennox, "Superlove" is a gently defiant and soul-expanding protest against the forces of hatred.
- I asked around on Reddit to learn about more queer country artists – and they delivered! Rennie Coleman has a beautiful voice, perfect for a tale of long distances and what must be done in the present on "Only Tonight"
- Mal Blum slings some steel guitar on this meditation of the bitter satisfaction of breaking up with someone and dealing with the fallout. "Must Get Lonely" is as much about getting even as it is about moving on.
- Ryan Cassata gets all those icky feelings out on "A Knack For Overthinking." Lucky for us, Cassata makes it a communal experience with a catchy hook and a sing-along chorus.
