Raised in Central Florida to be a good little Catholic girl, Bastian found out he was really a nice Jewish young man fairly early in life, but did not come out as trans* until 2005, when he was 23 and living in Kansas. Bastian is a writer and poet who dabbles in watercolor and oil painting, printmaking, and Native arts and crafts. He also plays trumpet, piano, baritone, bassoon, french horn, and sings…but does not practice as much as he should, aside from his trumpet in pep band.

Bastian Quinn Dubh-Ze’ev  attends a small Catholic university, where he is out on campus and frequently participates in PFLAG Coming Out Panels across Wichita. He will graduate in 2011 with a degree in English and Elementary Education. Bastian plans on eventually teaching Special Education using Expressive Arts Therapies (Music/Drama/Dance/Art) and would eventually like to open his own school.

Unpublished professionally, he regularly contributes and edits his school’s yearly literary magazine. Bastian loathes traditional terms for sexual orientation and gender identity. He self-identifies as “heteroflexible” or “qweird.” He and his adorkable ftM boyfriend, Elliot Holloway, live in Wichita with their cat, Smokey Elvis, and dog, Rufus Valentine. They are active members of the Wichita Two-Spirit Society and regularly attend shul at Temple Emanu El. When they have time, they hold weekly TransFamily dinners for their small community.

Check out the Official Website for Bastian Quinn Dubh-Ze-ev

Got a spiritual core which I like to keep in touch with, especially through music. Previously known as data-boy, better known these days as astottara, which I play all styles under – from jamming a guitar with sweet melodies, to electro chaos, to more poppy rap kind of stuff.

Never really been one to play much with others Started my life in a girl’s body but always played with the boys, learnt pretty much anything and everything musicwise from six, got into composition and songwriting, poetry, gay activism since I was 13 after coming out somewhat involuntarily. Use my music to muse, my main loves are kirtan (Hare Krishna style of getting wild musically) and 80s new wave, as well as emocore, hardcore, folk, country and also indie and industrial.

Always looking to collaborate with ideas – especially those combining a sociological and psychological awareness to spiritual awareness, which are usually unfortunately isolated ideals. In my spare time I do vegan catering, eat pizza cupcakes and sushi, produce music, ride bikes, renovate caravans or at least dream that I am, converse and play with my friends, read lots and dream about pirate ships.

Listen to Music by eRinn on the player below! eRinn has a variety of differnt styles of tracks below so if you don’t connect with one def check out a few others! eRinn is truly an incredibly diverse musician, check it out:

Through both music and film Actor Slash Model addresses issues of gender identity, gender performance and politics, a sex positive ideal, and the art making process.

As a duet music project, Actor Slash Model creates fun, quirky, entertaining music exploring gender and sex positivity as well as the most basic inspirations to all people: love, heartbreak, joy, pain, etc., set up in what they like to call an “Indie-Grass” musical style, often incorporating costumes and vaudvillian performative styles. The duet has toured the United States including performing in New York, Boston, Philadephia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Clevland, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Santa Fe, Los Angelels, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and of course, their hometown, Chicago, amongst other places.

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Watch Videos from Actor Slash Model

Links for Actor Slash Model:

Official Website
Actor Slash Model On Myspace
Facebook link for Riot Acts the Movie
Facebook link for Actor Slash Model
The Homoticons – the latest brain child of madsen minax (of actor slash model), jesse alexander (of cobalt and the hired guns) and elias krell (ex opera singer goes maverick accordionist) make up the homotional rollercoaster that is THE HOMOTICONS.

Threat Level – This is a quarterly screening series of both new and old short (maximum 30 minutes) queer film/video work.

Los Angeles

Metahuman aka Kalil Cohen began recording and interpreting the world around him at the age of 5, with meticulously detailed travel journals of family trips. With an insatiable drive to make sense of life through rhythm and rhyme, Metahuman soon began self-publishing his poetry, although his grandmother was his only customer for some time.  Many years later, Metahuman became known as a hip-hop lyricist, filmmaker, speaker and performance poet, a political dissident, radical transsexual activist, autobiographical confessionalist, outspoken social misfit, friend, lover, and teacher.  Metahuman is many things to many people, as he continues to make sense of the world through his art.

Metahuman is a die-hard hip-hop fan, mixing the intellectual roots of his politics with the visceral love of flow to create a unique sound that blends old-school rap metaphors with radical queer politics. With his feet rooted in the 1970’s wordplay of hip-hop godfather Gil Scott-Heron and a head full of 21st century house beats, Metahuman offers up thought-provoking rhymes laced with unforgettable dance rhythms. Metahuman is also a producer and filmmaker, founding the Trans/Giving Film Festival in 2009, the first transgender film festival in Los Angeles. With the arts collective Trans/Giving he produces performance, visual art, and film events in Los Angeles.  His award-winning short films, including “Queerer Than Thou”, have screened at over 30 film festivals worldwide including in London, Amsterdam, and Belgium, as well as at academic conferences and in college classrooms.

Metahuman combines advocacy with art by performing at colleges as well as in theaters and clubs.  In addition to performances, his residencies include lectures, workshops with youth (including middle school, high school, and college), administrators, and K-12 classroom teachers. His workshops and presentations help organizations and schools to become more educated about and inclusive of transgender people. His work as a presenter and facilitator has a particular focus on the intersections between gender identity and the many other identities that we each hold, including race, class, and sexuality. He has given workshops to graduate departments, high school Gay Straight Alliances, LGBT and Women’s Centers at colleges and universities, and at conferences throughout the United States including at Creating Change. In 2008 he received the Trans-Unity Pride “Pride Award” for his service and dedication to the transgender community.

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Links To Metahuman:

Official Website

Brooklyn, NY

Twilight of the Idle is the project of pianist, songwriter, and vocalist Ricky Itai Gal* accompanied on drums by Lindsay Haughton. Twilight of the Idle plays music that incorporates elements of rock, jazz, and cabaret, with spoken words, timing experimentation and a little bit of reggae-style keyboard. Ricky is a believer of the power of the pen, and uses music as a forum for political and social topics.

Ricky’s lyrics range from the subtle and upbeat “Be A Lady,” a fictitious account of being expelled from charm school, to unapologetically impassioned spoken word pieces. He blushingly admits that he grew up on showtunes, being a theater kid in New Jersey. He got a keyboard for his bat-mitzvah, and his love for music and performing channeled itself into composition. Ricky likes saying things like “his bat mitzvah”. He recorded his first album, a pop album, at age 15.

In 2005, when Ricky was a sophomore at SUNY Purchase, he formed Twilight of the Idle. At the time, they were a four-piece rock band influenced by Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, and the like, with a Vaudevillian twist. They performed on campus as well as NYC clubs like the Pyramid and the late CBGB’s 313.

Although cabaret is the unifying element of Twilight of the Idle’s music, Ricky’s more recent influences come from experimental jazz, reggae, and spoken word. All of these sides of him can be heard on Twilight of the Idle’s first album, “Modesty,” was released in February 2009 and is available on CD Baby and iTunes.

Twilight of the Idle is currently based in Brooklyn, NY, and perform locally and beyond. Ricky collaborated with renowned writer Jan Clausen, and wrote the music to her song “If Peace Breaks Out,” which will appear on his next album.

Outside of Twilight of the Idle, Ricky teaches music at youth programs and piano lessons privately. He enjoys biking, hiking, the beach, yoga, poetry readings, modern art, non-fiction books, and vegetables. He hopes to carve out a bigger space for transgender musicians, and inspire positive social change. *Ricky is also credited as Rickie Gal.

Links to Ricky Gal:

Twilight of the Idle on Myspace

Twilight of the Idle on Sonic Bids

London, UK

Breaking Communications – The name for the band came from a song we wrote called “breakdown in communication” as a sort of homage to the Led Zeppelin track “Communication Breakdown” (… see, “then it’s not just a clever name”)

Alexandra Tovey : (Vox, Guitars, Keyboards, Theremin, & “Sp. F.X.”) – also DJ’s in various dingy pubs in South London and likes going out to twinkly places with loud music, throwing herself around like a Dutch Elm in 1979, and getting off her head a little because “… i’m currently enjoying being the 16-year-old girl i wasn’t allowed to be when i really was 16 (at the height of acid house, old skool rave bunnies!)….” she uses multitudinous knackered machinery and instruments that are clinging on for dear mortality. however, there have been various cameos by friends under the moniker “Pylons On Mars”. – Most likely to say “… d’ya want a cup of Tea?”, – Least likely to say “… ooo, i fancy a bacon sarnie!”.

Random Dent : (Vox, Percussion, Harmonica, & “Sp. F.X.”) – grew up in the wilds of deepest, darkest, Essex, and being “not only the only gay in the village” left her family home and moved to London, had various crappy jobs, met a nice girl from South Wales, married, had three beautiful children, separated from the nice girl from South Wales. moved back to London, met another really nice girl from deepest Surrey, whom she is living with – (very happy thanks).  Met Ms. Tovey thru her music (“Twisted Touch”), and now can be found smiling maniacally at passengers on the 466 bus. – Most likely to say “… tea? … milk, no sugar please”, – Least likely to say “… chocolate? … no thanks.

Check Out this Video From Random Dent:
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More Music and info from Random Dent on Reverbnation!

- London, UK

Diana is a performing composer and musician playing Piano Violin & Guitar. She currently plays with the Rock/Roots band Elephant Shelf and also the Delta Ladies who mix roots acoustic music and electronica.

Diana composes in a variety of styles from pop to rock to Jazz and and classical music.Diana is also expert in multi-media recording and music production.

Links to Diana Stone:

Diana Stone’s Official Website

Diana Stone’s Glass Cage Music Site

Music Site for Delta Ladies

Music Site for Elephant Shelf

San Francisco, CA

Shawna Virago is celebrated as a transgender pioneer in music, filmmaking and activism. Miss Virago is a singer/songwriter whose music twists together roots rock and folk-punk, creating anthems for a new generation. A transsexual feminist icon for the Twenty First Century, Virago is a wordsmith in the troubadour tradition whose songs are slice-of-life windows into queer and transgender life. Her piercing observations about survival in a predatory world, sticking up for the underdog, queer love and gender outlaws are backed by the bittersweetness of her steady acoustic guitar.

Virago has a raging sweetness and raw humor that seduces the listener into joining the trans/gender revolution. Her performances are celebrated for their compelling mix of original songs, storytelling and stand-up. A longtime favorite in San Francisco’s underground transgender music scene, Virago is widely celebrated as a gifted lyricist and edgy provocateur. Her songs range from folk-punk to acoustic glam twang, with a dash of naughty queer Americana – with exceptional lyrics that range from sexy to sarcastic, polemic to political, haunting to heartfelt.

Virago’s lyrics dig deep at police brutality, the economic marginalization of transgender people and life lived on the sweet continuum of being trans. Virago is brimming with contradictions and complexities: once a punk rock boy, now a sexy blonde, she channels a DIY aesthetic as a guitar-slinging Candy Darling. The San Francisco Bay Times said, “if Keith Richards was a tranny that got together with Merle Haggard, Shawna Virago would be their love child.”

Links to Shawna Virago

Official Website

Shawna Virago on Myspace

Trannyfest site – Transgender & Transgenre film, video, culture

Current Schedule:

TRANNY FEST Transgender Film Festival

Date / Time:

Tranny Fest LIVE! (performance event): Thurs Nov 5, 8pm

Tranny Fest film program 1: Fri Nov 6, 8pm

Tranny Fest film program 2: Sat Nov 7, 8pm

Location: Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory 1519 Mission at 11th Street, San Francisco

Tickets: $12 at the door Tranny Fest transgender film festival returns this November with new screenings of local, national and international short films and videos. This year’s Festival features two nights of films and a live performance event.

Tranny Fest Director: Shawna Virago.

Portland, OR

Sunofcain, Adam Cain’s brainchild band started out in his apartment with a drum machine and a small PA. Adam’s music experience came from 10 years in the school band playing trumpet and mellophone while teaching himself the drums on his brother’s kit when he got home from school.

Later, in college at UNC-Wilmington, he learned to play the djembe and other hand drums. After a long hiatus from music, he became interested in creating music to back up his newly-learned vocal skills (he was a karaoke host for 2-1/2 years). In 2005, Adam bought a drum machine, a midi keyboard & some music programs, and began to write his own music. He wrote, performed, recorded and produced 4 complete songs with 4 other songs remaining to finally be recorded.

Adam’s music is a mixture of solid beats with dark vocals and lyrics. Accompanying him is Joe Fossececa, Adam’s former roommate who he met in early 2006. Playing the guitar and keys, Joe’s licks were imaginative and supportive of the various song’s vocal stylings. Adam spent 20-odd years growing up near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. After graduating from college, he moved to the West Coast to explore his sexuality and broaden his horizons. He fell in love with Portland and now calls it home.

Adam was always interested in lyrics and song-writing… most notably, Simon LeBon from Duran Duran – when in those days sometimes you had to listen to the song a million times to understand the lyrics… His love for lyrics followed through until he realized he could write his own music without knowing how to play piano or guitar. He wrote his lyrics in desperate hope that people would listen and learn from his life, his mistakes, his trials and tribulations, as Adam has lived a colorful life. As an example, the stress of his transition brought on a genetic case of bipolar disorder. The combination of coming out as FTM in the South and the symptoms of bipolar disorder landed Adam on the streets. There he remained for four long years battling his mental illness but afraid to seek treatment. Eventually, he realized the benefits of medical attention and in 2004, was able to get off the streets with the help of new medications. Currently, Adam is on hiatus from music and focusing on a new job which is what’s paying the bills these days. Wait tho’ – Adam wouldn’t call himself retired just yet… you never know when the mood’s going to hit!

Links to Adam Cain

More Music from Adam on Myspace

indie pop / alt rock

Lenny Zenith as a seminal New Orleans experimental power- pop / new-wave artist performing in New Orleans, LA throughout the 1980’s. Lenny Zenith started RZA just out of High school and quickly became a staple on the burgeoning New Orleans, punk-pop, new-wave scene, noted for their innovated shows w/ added performative elements. Lenny’s vocal style and writing were equally influenced by artists as diverse as Leigh ‘Little Queenie’ Harris, James Booker, Elvis Costello, and the Sex Pistols.

During the 1980’s RZA opened for artists as diverse as XTC, Ian Hunter, Ultravox, X , Michelle Shocked, Gun Club, Little Steven, Aztec Camera, Iggy Pop and ultimately U2 on the USS President. Lenny has continued to perform in NYC w/ Jenifer Convertible and Michigan with Minor Planets, he returned to New Orleans in April of 2008 for a very successful RZA reunion w/ many original members at Jimmy’s nightclub uptown.

Links To Lenny Zenith:

Lenny Zenith on Myspace

Minor Planets on Myspace

Jenifer Convertible on Myspace

Contact Lenny Zenith (email)

Quotes:

Los Angeles Weekly said: “Zenith comes across as the coolest crooner since Costello. At only 20, this classically trained pianist (and on-time Hollywood High School student, no less) is beginning to rejuvenate new Orleans rock & roll reputation.“

Austin Texas

Katy Koonce is the front person for the Austin Texas queer rock band Butch County. Koonce is a trans-identified psychotherapist in Austin and has played with TX gender warriors, Raunchy Reckless and the Amazons, who first passed from the spiritual realm into the physical world of Austin, TX in March of 1999. Since their momentous inception, this unique tribe of Xena-inspired rockers battled in the name of queer rock love above and beyond the Lone Star State.

Accompanied by a repertoire of slide imagery to assist in the narration of their travels and relying heavily on large dressing rooms and hoola-hoops; Raunchy and her Amazons lived and loved by the warrior code so dramatically established in their epic song: ‘WWXD?’ [That's What Would Xena Do? For you listeners at home.] Described as “a terrifying Xena two-part episode, or more aptly, a painfully twisted, season-long arc” (Kate X Messer- The Austin Chronicle), the Amazons leave every show cliffhanging with the promise and the request to keep the dream alive! BATTLE ON, AMAZONS!

Koonce performed as Capt’n Skallyfag and Koonce the Vulger Viking taking the front person position each show to perform the crowd favorite Manchest. After the Amazons went on ice Koonce begin writing and put together her first solo project called KOONCE and recorded the CD The New 45. After a blazing set at gaybigaygay in Austin in 2008 the band was reformed under the name Butch County and returned to tear it up at gaybigaygay in 2009 with special guest Christeen Vale. Butch County is a band that sounds like a love-child of old school ACDC and Janis Joplin. Rachael Shannon (Raunchy Reckless of Raunchy Reckless and the Amazons) says… “Absolutely infectious. When Katy Koonce takes to the stage, souls sigh with sweet relief to be joined in the magnificent inertia of the super-powered inspirational heartforce that Katy Koonce joyously bleeds onstage.

Check out this video of Butch County feat. Katy Koonce!

Katy brings it everytime, leaving no self-indulgent fantasy unfullfilled, and you love her for it! Whether heaving her manchest and flaunting her horns as Koonce the Vulgar Viking; sharing hearty laughter under a stubbled suscpicious grin and cockpiece as Captain Scallifag; or revelling in the fantabulous effervescent feminine wiles of Bette Midler in her Bette Midler routine, Katy mesmorizes her audiences and leaves a trail of hearts delighting in tales of her prowess and unpredictablity. All this and the vocal chords to match!!!

Katy loves her rock n roll and it loves her. In Katy lies a very special exhibition of how 21st century culture might like to manifest itself. She is a place and she is a time. Go there.” Kate X Messer of the Austin Chronicle says: “Katy Koonce should be required to come with the warning label: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Or else who knows how many wannabes’ll swallow jagged shard after jagged shard in desperate attempts to approximate that broken-glass tenor.”

Links to Katy Koonce:

Katy Koonce on Myspace

Watch another cool video here!

Athens Boys Choir is a Gender-Deviant, Multi-Media, Spoken-Word/Homo-hop Extravaganza. The name Athens Boys Choir can be a bit deceiving but you can’t blame a Transsexual Jew living in the Deep South for having a sense of humor about the whole ordeal.

He (Katz) has been on the road since 2003 performing for audiences that are becoming more diverse everyday. You don’t have to be a spoken-word enthusiast to enjoy the lyrical stylings of the Athens Boys Choir. Katz has the unusual skill of opening even the most skeptical minds to the world of performance poetry.

With Four CD’s released, Katz/The Athens Boys Choir has established himself as a force in the spoken-word/queer/pop culture/ homo-hop movement; you choose how it moves you.

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Check out this Awesome Athens Boys Choir Video!

Links to Athens Boys Choir:

Official Website

Myspace

Facebook

]]> http://trans-genre.net/content/athens-boys-choir/feed/ 1 http://trans-genre.net/content/chastine-patterson/ http://trans-genre.net/content/chastine-patterson/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:11:53 +0000 Lxadmin http://trans-genre.net/content/?p=850 Artist, Musician – Old Country

Chastine Crystal Patterson is an artist in wood and engraving, teaching art, as well as performing and writing music. She has been blessed for 63 years with bringing this alive with a strong passion for music, as well as the performing arts.

Chastine finally emerged, two years ago, the female that she always was within. Known as Chas by her soul mate, partner and friends, Chas shows unyielding passions for life and her music.

Being a part of the Tranny Roadshow in 2008, as a local performer, added one more delightful and fulfilling chapter to her life. Being both born and raised in Colorado, Chastine has performed and written much of her own music over the last several decades. Growing up on the old 50s & 60s country music, this is where she not only shines, but comes to life.

The original artist is by her side and deep within her soul, bringing forth the passion and excitement that lives within us all, while bringing her own flame to every one she performs.

Caden Sawyer started to write as soon as he could read. He discovered his passion to quench the large imagination he had developed to cope with having to move around a lot. He’s been to such places as North Carolina, Guam, California and the United Kingdom.

Though from Buffalo, his heart is in Lakenheath where he spent most of his growing teenage years. While in California he took on painting and photography at the age of 10 which helped him explore even more of his creative juices. He has never published his works, but he’s working on a novel that he hopes to get published.

In the Fall, Caden will be joining other artists as he delves into furthering his education as a photography major at The Academy of Art University.

Links To Caden Sawyer:

Art & Photography

Blog & Writings

Let’s Rock Together!

That’s right folks! We are at it again!

Announcing the Call for Submissions for the 2nd Trans-Genre Compilation CD! (set to release Jan. 2010)

What We’re Looking for:

• Musicians
• Bands
• Spoken Word
• Storytelling
• other Audio
• Artists
• Graphic Designers

…to showcase their amazing talent on the next Trans-Genre Compilation CD!

We’re Sending out the call now to give you all plenty of time to get your stuff together. Last Year we featured over 15 Artists, Musicians, Performers, & Speakers on the “Trans-Fusions CD. This Year it could be you…

Requirements:

• Must be a Registered Artist with Trans-Genre (not registered yet? Submit your profile here! )
• Work must be of original content and not infringe upon any legal or moral copyrights.
• Images (for the cover, inside booklet, back, and CD) in .jpg*, 300 dpi (prefered)
• audio in .mp3, .wav*

*other formats accepted with prior approval

You can Submit Directly through the Site with our Simple Submission Form Below, or by emailing A.J. Bryce at Trans-GenreSubmissions@live.com

*It is possible that all submissions may not make the final cut due to space limitations but we’ll try our best to include as many as possible!