A new twist in the Prop 8 case, with a court date coming just days after a controversial new judge is expected to join the Supreme Court. New York launches its own attack on the Defense of Marriage Act, and polling brings mostly good news, and a little bad.

Pretty quiet week, nothing too exciting — except everyone in New York getting married! Plus hearings on DOMA repeal, with Al Franken calling out an anti-gay liar. Plus more news from Maryland to Washington state.

The Prop 8 trial is coming to Broadway — and then to theaters all over the country. The fallout from New York continues, with renewed efforts in Maryland and Colorado. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on DOMA’s repeal on Wednesday, the 20th, and meanwhile Canada makes us look bad celebrating the sixth anniversary of marriage equality.

It’s been a relatively quiet week: the anti-gay industry is planning to protest gay couples’ weddings, Senator Leahy will hold hearings on DOMA repeal, and Equal Rights Washington is gearing up to fight for marriage at the ballot box.

It’s been another super busy week so let’s get right to it: Rhode Island is getting civil unions but along with them come some dangerous anti-gay laws. Maine will collect signatures to overturn that state’s marriage ban, and seven couples have sued New Jersey to do the same there. The American Medical Association endorsed marriage equality, the National Organization for Marriage won’t be allowed to use secret donors in Minnesota, the Department of Justice sided against DOMA in one case and with DOMA in another. And as of this weekend, I’ve moved: goodbye San Francisco, and hello West Hollywood.

I’ve been doing some really cool work on marriage equality that’s kept me so busy, I didn’t even have time for a proper green screen this week. But try to ignore that, because a lot is happening right now.

We’re down to the last possible second for marriage in New York, there was a major victory in California, new challenges to the Defense of Marriage act, bad news in France, and good news in Lichtenstein.

Today’s the day for the hearing over whether a gay judge is allowed to hear a case about marriage. It’s also the anniversary of the ruling that ended the ban on interracial marriage. A Catholic adoption agency in Illinois is suing for the right to stop foster kids from going to adoptive LGBT parents. And you can’t get married in Wyoming, but you can get divorced.

Mark S. King’s story is pretty funny — until it punches you in the gut with a message about HIV and addiction. See more at My Fabulous Disease.

A new poll shows us neck-and-neck in Minnesota, with a vote on marriage still a year off. There’s just two weeks left to pass marriage in New York, but a Senate bill still hasn’t even been introduced yet. Illinois launched civil unions this week as Rhode Island debated doing the same. And a Michigan Republican can’t tell the difference between gay couples and child abusers.

This week’s all about Equality Maryland’s chaos, plus the looming deadline in New York, civil unions in Illinois, and that French politician who compared gay couples to bestiality.

The chaos at Equality Maryland has gotten so bad, the organization may have to shut down altogether. Time’s nearly run out to pass a marriage bill in New York. Catholic Charities is so unwilling to provide adoption services to gay couples that they simply abandoned 350 children to the state of Illinois this week. And it looks like the Prop 8 proponents just caught themselves in a li

It’s almost all bad news this week, with an anti-gay measure gaining ground in Minnesota, slow progress in New York, a resignation in North Carolina, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker staking out a position against LGBT hospital visitation.

Portland’s trippiest live band, YACHT, named their last album “See Mystery Lights” after an inexplicable spiritual experience they had in Marfa, Texas. It was steeped in in concepts of death, rebirth and universal consciousness. I’m not sure what happened to christen their upcoming (and much anticipated) release as Shangri-La, but it seems as close to paradise as The Kink’s like-titled exploration of British suburbia.

Judging by their new single,  ”Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire), ” Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evan’s internal landscape has gotten decidedly less sunny. The burning earth of “Dystopia” is a far cry from the friendly appliances of 2009′s “Psychic City.” Shangri-La will have its own “Utopia” track to balance it out, but until then you can take a listen to this one and dance like it’s the end of the world.

(Special thanks to Coffee and Bars‘ Wes Della Volla for camera and editing on this one.)

This week is all about New York, with an interview about the lobbying efforts, plus some behind-the-scenes about immigration.

Kitchen-sink indie pop band Go! Team is a TNG favorite for many reasons. Most have to do with frontwoman/rapper/human-energizer-bunny Ninja. A frenetic, compelling live performer akin to Gallagher having a PCP freakout and taking his hammer to a Meerkat den, Ninja’s ability to engage a crowd is staggering. Her charm and personality are staggering too, as displayed here, but what you don’t know is that the woman is toned to the point where she makes Madonna look like a used condom full of rice pudding. Seriously: If I could do a second interview that consisted entirely of me grating cheese on her abs, I’d do it.

That said, Ninja is an amazing woman who was nice enough to give us some of her time for this amazing interview. She gives me a dancing lesson, describes the “Benneton” multicultural aspects of her band, talks about being a female rapper in England and even gives me a grope at the end for good luck. Check it out!

And check out their new album Rolling Blackouts too. You won’t regret it.

Happy Monday as we unveil our 2nd of two interviews Queer-lead and all-around TNG approved rockers Of Montreal. This time we feature frontman and brainchild Kevin Barnes, who is about as queer as anyone married to a woman could be, and actually queerer than most guys you see at your average cocktail party. His albums are littered with gay sex, fluid theories of gender, Prince-worthy falsettoes and Georgie Fruit, Kevin’s “black shemale” alter-ego. In this interview, he discusses religion, sex, gender and so much more. If you’re not interested in checking out Of Montreal after watching this, you at least might find yourself inspired to have some really filthy sex.

OM is currently touring behind their new EP Controllersphere and recent LP False Priest. I recommend both of them highly.

French pop luminary Yelle (nee’ Julie Budet) is the vocalist of her like-named band. While she is the vocal point — providing the voice, look and amazing dance moves at their unforgettable live shows — she is also joined by band mates Grand Marnier and Tepr. Together they combine the best features of, say, Hot Chip and Robyn as carefully controlled beats and lights combine with a white-hot frontwoman to make one of the more thrilling live dance parties in my recent memory.

Though onstage she is nothign but bombast, Julie in person was deceptively sweet and lowkey. If only all interview subjects were as easy to speak with as she was I might find myself drinking less (though that’s a post for another day.) Check out this interview and I strongly suggest you listen to Yelle’s new album Safari Disco Club if you haven’t already.

(and special thanks to Wes Della Volla for editing and camerawork. Check out his excellent blog Coffee and Bars if you haven’t already.)

Queer-lead and all-around TNG approved rockers Of Montreal are as much about their visual aesthetic and their LSD live shows as they are their own music. In this, the first of two Of Montreal video interviews, David Barnes (Kevin’s brother) gave us a bit of his time to discuss where the Of Montreal visuals come from, what the American flag means to him and just exactly how they can perform in those costumes night after night.

Those interested in seeing more are heartily encouraged to pick up David’s new book of art, What’s Weird?

What really prompted a prominent law firm to give up its defense of DOMA, and lose a key lawyer in the process? The date’s been set for a showdown over the secret Prop 8 trial tapes, and over Judge Walker’s personal life. Rhode Island legislators give up on marriage in favor of civil unions, and New York keeps ratcheting up the pressure with a massive lobbying effort slated for next week.

This week’s episode features an analysis of King & Spalding’s decision to drop the DOMA defense, plus a fun montage of Maggie Gallagher jumping from one self-contradictory opinion to another on Judge Walker’s orientation.

With a new look, new name, and two great interviews — the first with Josh Vandiver, whose husband is facing deportation in just a few days, and the second with Marriage Equality New York’s Cathy Marino-Thomas.

Danish rockers The Raveonettes have long been a favorite of TNG’s. We’ve scored a full interview with Sharin and an Ask A Straight Guy with Sune, but never gotten them to do what they do best: Play music. Since their output has always been a fierce, midnight-tinged throwback to other eras (50′s girlgroups, The Cure’s synthful wistfullness, Jesus and Mary Chain fuzz) it’s rare to catch them in a quiet moment. But we did. This track – “Ignite,” off new album Raven in the Grave, just showcases Sharin Foo, Sune Rose Wagner and their incredible harmonies. It’s pretty special.

(And speaking of, special thanks to Wes Della Volla for his great camera work.)

Canadian synth-rockers Young Galaxy are not your normal indie band. For one, at the time of this interview their lineup is Stephen Ramsay, his 8-months pregnant wife Catherine McCandless and their drummer Andrea Stone, who I was informed minutes before the interview is a lesbian. Combine this with their showstopping new record Shapeshifting and its strong threads of spirituality, transformation and elementalism and you know you’re not at an Art Brut show.

Their live presence is enough to make me a life-long fan – McCandless sings like a divine reincarnation of Dolores O’Riordan, even without the baby bump to add an extra flare of “how does she make it looks so easy?” Ramsay, her husband, would bring out my “aww” reflex for married bands even without his musical chops. And Stone was, simply, awesome. The kind of queer woman who makes me wish I was a queer woman too, so I could marry her and have her drum me to bed every night. Simply put, this is a great band and I hope you like them as much as I do.

Leaked footage of the Prop 8 trial sparked a legal tug of war this week, with anti-gay groups renewing efforts to keep their work out of public view. Delaware’s on track to be the 8th state to offer marriage-ish protections, and activists gear up in New York.