Aural Fixation

A tornado blew around the Aural Fixation recording studio before we came, and, well, excuse the mess it made! Ok, that analogy can only go so far, but nonetheless, the memorable opener from Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” has endured since it’s 2012 release on Channel Orange.
At the time, a ground-breaking hip hop album documenting the lost loves of a 23 year old finding out who he is, Frank had us shook with the mainstream explosion of queerness in a traditionally not-very-queer music scene. Or, so it seems. Eight years later, Drew and Andy venture not too far down memory lane to assess how well this early-10s masterpiece has aged, and the current state-of-play in queer hip hop today.
This fortnight, we’re asking you to like or follow us on Facebook! Yes, some people in 2020 still actually use Facebook, and we’re expanding our presence in Mark Zuckerberg’s world. Our Spotify companion playlist is as intriguingly diverse as ever, and you can also follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, while the boys are on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare. Or email us god bless ya! It’s [email protected].

We begin our third collection of musings on queer musos with a deep dive into Andy’s second favourite of all time, Mother Björk. Defiantly impossible to compare to pretty much any other artist, queers the world over have clasped Bjork to their alternative bosoms since her 1993 first album Debut, but what exactly is it about her body of work, visual language and legacy that appeals so directly to so many queer fans?

Drew and Andy take her commercial and critical peak, 1997’s Homogenic, as a starting point for a journey attempting to answer those questions, inevitably coming across many more along the way. Are the rewards worth the listening experience’s challenges? How much yarn can a drag queen unravel from her breasts? Why is there an Iceland supermarket in Iceland?

This episode’s companion playlist features all the songs we discuss, and serves as a nifty introduction to Björk herself if that is what you seek. Let us know what you thought by emailing at [email protected], sliding into our DMs at @auralfixationpodcast, or even better, rating and subscribing on your podcast provider. Follow the boys at @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare.

Let us take you back to 2011. Egypt is in revolt. The people of London are rioting. Earthquakes are wreaking havoc in New Zealand and Japan. Amy Winehouse is dead, for christ sake. Life is bleak.
But wait – what’s that we can hear in the distance? It’s a girl with a sugary voice. And it sounds like she’s... imploring a boy to... pick up the phone and... give her a call? Oh happy day mama, it’s Carly Rae Jepsen! Come to remind us all that there *is* joy in the world, through the twinned arts of addictive melody and sassy flippance!
And so after that, 2011 felt better for a spell. But as quickly as she swooped in, Carly seemed to disappear, destined to be banished forever to the dusty catacombs of early teenies one-hit-wonderdom. Right?
Wrong. Flashforward to 2015 and Carly was back with E•MO•TION, a juggernaut of solid-platinum pop. Except this time – she was here, she was queer, and she weren’t goin’ nowheer.
From the blaring trumpets of 'Run Away With Me' reminding you of the one that got away, to the rhythm of 'Warm Blood' made to match your throbbing heartbeat, to the multi-layered intricacies of 'Boy Problems', it’s no wonder the album has been so revered by the queer community since its release. And rightly so. But, girl... did you know about E•MO•TION: Side B?
Don’t miss this episode's companion playlist on Spotify and please feel free to slide into our DMs on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast. Your hosts are @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare.

We came across some superb articles by likeminded individuals which inspired this episode. We strongly recommend you read this Stereogum article by James Rettig, "Carly Rae Jepsen's Queer Rennaissance" by Michael Waters and "The Enduring Appeal of Pop Stars Who “Flop”" by Chris Stedman.

On May 31 1998, Geri Halliwell shook the globe by announcing that she was leaving the Spice Girls, effective immediately. Caught in the tumult of one of the biggest scandals in pop history, Geri she did what any gay icon would – she packed a bag and headed straight for George Michael's gaff. It was there that she decided what the hell she was going to do next. The result was Schizophonic.
Lauded as a parallel universe third Spice Girls album, Geri's debut is a cacophony of frenetic but catchy bops, boasting three UK number ones. But on re-listen over two decades later, does it still lift us up? Or were we just in a bubble?
This episode the boys are joined by reformed groupie Malcolm McLean, author of Freak Like Me, a hilarious, nostalgic jaunt through teenage angst and 90s pop. Join us as we take you back to our sweet la vida and ask – where the fuck is Mi Chico Latino?
Want more from the boys? Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at [email protected]. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare and Drew on @with.all.drew.respect. And don't forget to check out this episode's playlist.
You can find out more about Freak Like Me on @freaklikemebook and order a copy at any good bookstore.
Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge both the Gadigal of the Eora Nation and the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the lands this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Icons are a dime a dozen here at Aural Fixation (that's what we do... it's what we live for) but heroes are a different kettle of sea-witch – and they don't get more queer-oic than Howard Ashman.
For better and for worse, the animated motion pictures produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios have profoundly shaped the media consumed by children since 1928. Like any entertainment behemoth, quality and fortune has ebbed and flowed, but it was the sheer and singular talent of one queer man that steered Disney’s legacy from their lowest trough to their highest peak.
Through a kaleidoscope of Broadway magic and animation mastery, Howard's indelible fingerprints on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin now reveal, in adulthood, tropes of the queer experience we can all understand. The ostracisation of the 'other'... turning that otherness into a superpower... and wanting to be part of that world.
To help us navigate Howard's legacy across mermaids, beasts and magic carpets, we're joined by Daniel Lammin, a theatre director, writer and producer of Ink + Paint, a joyous podcast deep-dive into Disney's animation history.
We also want to acknowledge Don Hahn, the producer of The Lion King and Hunchback of Notre Dame, who created the two documentaries that have revived the current interest in Howard and his work – Waking Sleeping Beauty (2010) and Howard (2018).
Visit our online home at auralfixationpodcast.com, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, or go old school and email us at [email protected]. You can follow Andy on @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, Drew on @with.all.drew.respect, and Daniel at @dlammin. And don't forget to make this episode's playlist part of your world.
Our big gay thanks to Anthony Garvin and the team at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney.
Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land this podcast episode was recorded on, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.