1. COCOROSIE
CocoRosie (pictured) comprise of two sisters Bianca and
Sierra Casady who formed in 2003. Though born and raised in the
United States, the band formed in Paris. Their avant-garde music,
once referred to as "freak folk", blends together many elements of
music from blues to electronica. Bianca is not afraid to explore
sexuality in her work, declaring that "It's really not about being
gay or ungay, it's about being youself in a patriarchal,
heterocentric, heteronormative, monotheistic world". To hear more
from the eclectic duo CocoRosie visit their Facebook
page
2. MARY LAMBERT
The talented lesbian singer-song writer Mary Lambert sings the
beautiful chorus to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' song Same Love, a
track which was recently released in support of gay marriage. Her
voice has been compared to the soft and lyrically haunting sounds
of Bon Iver and Feist. Lambert has worked hard for her career in
music yet when she's not singing, Lambert is also an accomplished
spoken word artist, winning the Northwest Regional Slam in 2012.
She is since becoming one of the most talked about new artists in
her area. To hear more from this Seattle treasure, visit her website
3. THE CLIKS
The Cliks are a Canadian rock group fronted by open trans man
Lucas Silveira. They are making waves in the LBGTQ community by
being the first band with a transgender lead singer to be signed by
a major record label, however Silveria is careful not to market
their band as a solely transgender band. Often compared to the
likes of David Bowie and The White Stripes, their songs have
appeared on The L Word soundtrack as well as performing at many
Pride festivals. Their new album Black tie elevator will be
released in March, 2013. To find out more, visit their website
4. SIA
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, more popularly known as Sia, is an
Australian singer and vegetarian activist. With roots in the jazz
scene, Furler's haunting and dreamy pop sound make Sia one of my
favourite artists. Furler has sung with Christina Aguilera, Flo
Rider and David Guetta in the past, but my personal favourite
collaboration is when she contributed vocals for the Flight of the
Conchord's second album. In 2008, Furler discussed her bisexuality,
remarking "I don't care what gender you are, it's about people".
Exciting news comes from Tegan and Sara, who have tweeted that Sia
has been in the studio and contributed vocals to their forthcoming
2013 album Heartthrob. To see more photos, videos or songs by
Sia visit her website//set/
5. HOLLY MIRANDA
I first found out about Miranda when she was on Liz Feldman's
show This Just Out and I instantly fell in love. In Holly's solo
career she has toured on Tegan and Sara's US tour, and has also
supported the xx and Florence and the Machine. The Brooklyn based
musician identifies as a lesbian, but remarks "I don't want people
to not listen to my music because of that and I don't want people
to listen to my music because of that." Inspired musically by Jeff
Buckley or a modern day Cat Power, Holly Miranda is a soulful
artist to remember. To get the latest updates and tracks from Holly
Miranda, visit the official website
