Rhye – Open from Rhye on Vimeo.

Today the band released a milder music video for the single, but we’re still smitten with the first.

The duo went on to release “The Fall”, another sensual, sex-themed single with an accompanying music video last September. The super smooth first line (“make love to me, one more time before you go away”) combined with their sultry, Sade-like vocals and mixture of strings, looped piano and drum track is completely swoon-worthy.

Rhye’s debut album entitled Woman comes out March 4.

We already knew she was going to be the star of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but Beyoncé decided she wanted a little support onstage – in the form of a DESTINY’S CHILD REUNION. It’s the 90s all over again, but with better hair.

It’s not just a walk down memory lane either. The crew just dropped a new track, “Nuclear”, and an entire album called “Love Songs” will soon be available for our listening pleasure. How many times has “Survivor” or “Bootylicious” come on during shuffle and you’ve instantly felt better because, well, they’re ah-freakin-mazing? It’s okay, we could never keep count either.

She performed at the 2013 Inaugural Ceremony on January 21st. Watch it, I dare you not to get chills. Just a small favor for BFFs Michelle and Barry, of course.

How do you satisfy your fans’ desires to know intimate details of your personal life when you’re a celebrity? If you’re Beyoncé, with a simultaneously revealing and classy HBO documentary. A few quotes from the newest “Life Is But A Dream” trailer: “How do I stay soulful?”; “My goal was independence.”; “I cry, I get scared, I get nervous, I get scared, like everyone else.” WOMAN IS AMAZING, END OF STORY.
Premieres February 16th on HBO.

GQ recently crowned her the Sexiest Woman of the 21st Century. Nobody disagreed.

Oh, and back to the topic of new music, she’s dropping a new solo album as well, with help from Pharrell, Timbaland, and The-Dream. “Mostly R&B. I always have my Prince and rock/soul influences. There’s a bit of D’Angelo, some ’60s doo-wop. And Aretha and Diana Ross,” she says of the album’s direction. “Even the silliest little thing that you hear on the radio, it comes from something deeper. ‘Bootylicious’ was funny, but it came from people saying that I had gained weight and me being like, ‘I’m a southern woman, and this is how southern women are.’ My motivation is always to express something or to heal from something or to laugh and rejoice about something.”

Even Beyonce’s blog is cooler than yours. Take a peek at the newly-launched BeyHive, and you’ll find links to what’s standing out to her at the moment – art exhibitions, films, books, restaurants, fashion, works made by fans – from Brooklyn to Houston and everywhere in between.

What comes after a new album? Oh yeah, a WORLD TOUR.

And our favorite reason we love Beyoncé? Her amazing dedication to humanitarianism. Most recently she was a part of the Demand a Plan to End Gun Violence Campaign, which obviously had an impact – Obama recently revealed a list of 23 executive actions to address and begin repair of the issue. She uses her celebrity to be an active participant in helping the world around her, which is why she deserves to rule it most of all.

Blood Brother Trailer 2 from Blood Brother on Vimeo.

In 2008, Rocky Braat took an impromptu trip to India with the hope of finding some sense of purpose. The Pittsburg native became disenchanted with his life as a graphic designer at 25, and took time off to travel around the South Asian continent. But after a wrong way ticket landed him at an orphanage for HIV/AIDS positive children in Chennai, Braat realized he had found the purpose he was looking for and decided to move to India and dedicate his life to the children he fell in love with.

“Blood Brother” documents Braat’s journey back to India through the lens of Steve Hoover, his close friend and the director of the film. Hoover’s ability to tell a heavy story with such sincerity makes for a truly moving and beautiful piece of filmmaking.  “I only intended the film to tell a story, but it’s become a vehicle for aid and relief,” says Hoover. “I want to show (the audience) how an ordinary, unlikely person can make an incredible difference…practically, without having people notice or care.”

The film ended up being entirely funded through donations-the crew even used crowd-funding platform Kickstarter to raise $15,000 for travels expenses for the six-person crew. Braat’s living expenses in India come entirely from donations through his website and blog. The proceeds of the film will go towards HIV/AIDS charities and Braat’s upcoming project- to build a halfway house for the teens who must leave the orphanage at age 15 to live on their own.

It’s difficult not to fall in love with Rocky and the wonderfully brilliant children of Chennai. “Blood Brother” is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and reminds us that we do have an incredible power to make a difference under any circumstance. Love is really all it takes.

Red Hot is incredibly excited and honored to have worked with the Blood Brother team. Be sure to keep a look out for the film at Sundance 2013, and in theaters next year.

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Dark Was The Night Vinyl – We may be a little biased with this suggestion, but hey, a triple vinyl full of The National, Bon Iver, Dirty Projectors, + more? Give me, now, please, thank you.

Belvedere Vodka – While it may be the thought that counts, out-do all other guests at dinner parties by bringing a bottle of this instead of the traditional cheese platter. Bonus points: grab a few more ingredients and whip up a few (Red) Elderflower Cosmos or (Red) Cherry Collins cocktails. (Recipes here.) You’ll definitely getting invited back. 50% of proceeds goes to the Global Fund in partnership with (Red).

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe – Skip Barnes and Noble and head to this shop, where the mission is to “End the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.” Oh, and yeah, 10% off EVERYTHING the ENTIRE month of December.

Special (Red) Edition Beats by Dre Headphones - You wouldn’t see everyone and their mother wearing these around town if they weren’t THAT good. (They are.) $5 from every pair sold goes to the Global Fund in partnership with (Red).

MAC’s Viva Glam Collection – One word: mistletoe. Be prepared. What’s donated? Every cent of the selling price MAC Viva Glam lipstick and lipglass.

“Clocky” Alarm Clock – You have things to do, but first comes the hardest part – waking up. Once the alarm begins, “Clocky” rolls away to the farthest corner to of your room, and if you want it to shut up you have to go find it. Mildly annoying, majorly effective. 5% of proceeds goes to the Global Fund in partnership with (Red).

Special (Red) Edition Girl’s Skateboard – Because this is 2012, and Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” shouldn’t have all the fun. 50% of proceeds goes to the Global Fund in partnership with (Red).

Starbucks + Apple Gift Card – Best of both worlds. Give it / get it before the best part of Starbucks (HOLIDAY DRINKS!) are gone. 5% of proceeds goes to the Global Fund in partnership with (Red).

Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings 2013 Calendar - Perfect for Dirty Santa. Or your boss, depending on where you work. (Kidding.) Part of the Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS organization. Annually awards grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs of The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

Elizabeth Taylor, My Love Affair with Jewelry + Charlie’s auction catalogue for The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale – For the classy lady who already has everything else. All profits to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

House or Premium Seat Tickets – Make memories and give someone tickets to Broadway, Off-Broadway, select non-theatrical NY events, Equity national tours, and concerts. Profits go to same as above, in different amounts depending on seats purchased. Great seats, even better cause.

Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene by Tim Lawrence + Just Kids by Patti Smith - Both amazing, amazing literary works about two fantastic artists lost to AIDS, with insight from those closest to them. Direct proceeds actually don’t go to a cause, but there’s no way anyone can walk away after reading these thinking not working to end HIV/AIDS is acceptable.

If you didn’t know, now you do – December 1^st is World AIDS Day! Created in 1988, it’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, show their support for people living with the disease and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to it. This year’s theme is “Getting to zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths”. Special awareness and fundraising events such as walks and dinners are being thrown in communities everywhere and many medical centers will offer free HIV/STD screenings.

In honor of World AIDS Day, Huffington Post released this super relevant article about some of the main misconceptions surrounding the disease. You share Ryan Gosling pictures and kitten videos on Facebook / Twitter like it’s your job (unless that’s just me…) – if we get this circulating, maybe the misconceptions could turn into common knowledge! Play mythbuster and get the convo going with the following:

1. If I had HIV, I would know. Not the case, says Kimberley Hagen, assistant director for the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University in Atlanta. About 1.1 million people in the United States are HIV-positive, and as many as 1 in 5 don’t know it, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of them feel perfectly healthy. And those who have symptoms may confuse them with run-of-the-mill flu. Denial also plays a role, say experts. “There is a universal tendency with HIV,” says Hagen, to try to say, ” ‘This is something that will affect someone else and not me.’ And so you say that you can’t get it doing the things that you do—you can only get it doing the things that other people do. That may be the biggest myth.”

2. HIV and AIDS are the same. False: HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS. You could have HIV for years without having AIDS.

3. I don’t have to worry because I’m not in a high-risk group. While prostitutes, men who have sex with men, and needle sharers are considered at high risk by the CDC, the virus is an equal-opportunity bug. “Many people don’t perceive themselves to be at risk and so don’t understand why testing is important,” says Joel Gallant, associate director of the AIDS Service at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. One example: Heterosexuals account for a third of new HIV transmissions each year, the CDC reports, and a woman might not know her male partner has slept with men in the past or has shared needles with an infected user. Monogamous relationships don’t guarantee absolute safety unless you’ve both been tested and are HIV-negative. In rare instances, women who have sex with women can pass on the virus. And the number of people 50 and older living with HIV/AIDS is on the rise, partly due to newly diagnosed infections, says Paul Weidle, an epidemiologist with the CDC. There are no hallmark characteristics to watch out for, no physical attribute that will “set off an alarm in your head saying ‘this person has HIV,’ ” says Hagen.

4. We’re both HIV-positive. We don’t need to practice safe sex. Wrong, says Weidle. Superinfection—where someone gets infected with a different strain of the virus—is possible. This new strain could be drug-resistant and even stimulate the transition to full-blown AIDS. Not to mention that shunning condoms leaves the body open to other sexually transmitted diseases that an already weakened immune system can’t fight off. Birth control also doesn’t protect against HIV.

5. HIV transmission by someone on antiretroviral drugs is impossible. While the drugs can lower the amount of virus—the “viral load”—in the blood to an undetectable level, it could still register in semen or vaginal fluid and be passed on, says Gallant. Doctors usually test viral load every three to six months, and while chances are “pretty slim” that an undetectable level would suddenly rise, says Gallant, it is possible.

6. I’m sure my doctor has tested me and would have told me if the results were positive. Healthcare professionals will not test you without first talking about it, says Hagen. The CDC recommends at least one test for everyone between the ages of 13 and 64, and those considered high risk should be tested multiple times. Ask your primary-care physician or find a testing center by Zip code here.

7. I won’t get HIV through oral sex. Transmission is less common than through anal or vaginal sex, but it is still possible whether performing or receiving oral sex, says Weidle.

8. I can get HIV through casual contact or kissing. This belief has persisted from the dawn of the epidemic in the early 1980s. HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. You cannot get HIV by shaking hands or hugging, nor can you get it from a toilet seat, drinking fountain, or drinking glasses, says Weidle. HIV does not travel through air or food and cannot live long outside the body. Closed-mouth kissing is also safe, but Weidle notes there have been “extremely rare cases of HIV being transmitted via deep French kissing.” In these cases, bleeding gums or sores in the mouth were the conduits.

9. I’m HIV-positive but feel fine. I don’t need antiretroviral drugs. “That’s very old-fashioned thinking,” says Gallant. “Nowadays there’s really pretty good evidence that everybody with HIV, or just about everybody, would benefit from treatment in some way.” And the point of treatment is to prevent an infected person from getting sick.

10. HIV-positive mothers pass the virus on to their babies. While the CDC estimates that mothers who aren’t on antiretroviral treatment have a 25 percent chance of passing the infection on to a newborn, faithful drug therapy during the pregnancy can drop that to 2 percent or less. Women with HIV and AIDS can still have children.

11. I can’t get HIV through tattoos or body piercing. If a tattoo parlor or piercing place doesn’t sterilize its equipment properly, the virus could inadvertently be transmitted. Tools that cut the skin should be used only once and then either thrown away or sterilized, the CDC recommends, and a new needle should be used on each client. Before getting a tattoo or piercing, ask what steps the shop takes to prevent HIV and other infections, such as hepatitis B or C.

12. I’m too young to get HIV. Au contraire, young adults ages 13 to 24 account for more than a quarter of all new HIV infections, according to a CDC report published this month. About 60 percent of those infected either don’t know it or aren’t being treated, which means they may be transmitting the virus to others.

13. HIV isn’t that serious anymore. Many people think that since it doesn’t flash across the front pages as much it’s no longer a big deal, says Hagen. “It absolutely is. It’s still here, it’s still serious, and we don’t have a cure for it.”

14. Eliminating AIDS is a futile mission. Yes, the outlook sometimes appears grim. But a recent report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows a promising development: New HIV infections have dropped 50 percent across 25 countries, and worldwide, AIDS-related deaths fell by more than 25 percent between 2005 and 2011.

This Friday and Saturday, November 30 & December 1, the Red Hot concert series returns with Red Hot + Cuba, a performance featuring nine acts that represent the vibrant Havana music scene. The concert will take place at Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC as a part of BAM’s Next Wave Festival, a series of contemporary performances, artist talks, storytelling, visual art, and film that showcases work by emerging artists and innovative modern masters. For this show, Red Hot has invited Cuba’s most loved artists, including veterans and emerging talent, to celebrate the colorful and diverse culture and music of the island.

“In Cuba the pantheon of music is so large and eclectic,” says CuCu Diamantes. The Cuban-American songstress is co-director of the concert along with music director and producer Andres Levin. “We have songwriters, singers, great interpreters of the classics, big-band leaders who are also virtuoso instrumentalists, and also the rappers. The musicians we are bringing together represent different styles, but they all respect each other creatively, as artists,” she stated.

Levin, who has collaborated with many Red Hot projects including Red Hot + Riot and Red Hot + Rio, is excited to celebrate the island’s many talented musicians. “Few people know how rich and active the live music scene in Havana is,” he stated. “With all these musicians here, Havana will be very quiet!”

The concert will be Red Hot’s first Cuban music project, which has been a long time in the making. Red Hot producer Paul Heck noted, “We’ve been thinking and talking about how we could do a Cuban music-based Red Hot project for years, going back to the mid-90s. It’s hard to believe it’s actually going to happen!”

The concert will recognize World AIDS Day on December 1^st, and a portion of the proceeds from Red Hot + Cubawill benefit AIDS awareness and prevention in Cuba.

Featured performers are:
Alexander Abreu
José Luis Cortés (“El Tosco”)
CuCu Diamantes
Andres Levín
Kelvis Ochoa
Osdalgia
David Torrens
Roberto Carlos “Cucurucho” Rodriguez Valdés
Carlos Varela

Come dance the night away to rumba, timba, salsa, and neuva trova, and experience the colorful Havana nightlife in Brooklyn this Friday + Saturday! Tickets are on sale here.

Even if you don’t live on the East coast, chances are you heard of Hurricane Sandy. It did some major physical and emotional damage to a lot of people, and many think it played a big last-minute part in the election this month.

Though the news coverage of it is dying down, that doesn’t mean everything for those hit is back to normal. I went to volunteer in Far Rockaway, New York last Sunday, where many still do not have basic things we take for granted on a daily basist: things like food, water, and electricity. If you live close to an area that has been affected, please take the time out to help. I promise, in addition to the fact that you’re helping people’s lives, it’s also a great workout and there are probably puppies to play with. If you don’t have the time to go out and lend a physical hand, there are also many places to make quick easy donations to help with relief.

Here are a few of the ways to help out and gain some major karma points / hugs. Also, if you have volunteered or donated through any other organization and would like them added to the list, comment below!

1. Purchase items from the faux wedding registry Occupy Sandy on Amazon

2. Do good via our friends at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) – they’re collecting non-perishable food for City Harvest through November 30th

3. Visit the NYC Service website to sign up for a variety of one-time or on-going opportunities

4. Donate Blood

5. Pick up a few of these charitable threads advertising NYC’s newest neighborhood SoPo – South of Power

6. Go to www.redcross.org or text ‘REDCROSS‘ to 90999 to donate $10.

7. Contact Red Hook Initiative for volunteer opportunities in Brooklyn

8. Visit Kevin Powell’s blog for a list of how to help with relief and resources

9. Donate via Humans of New York + Tumblr fundraiser

10. Find volunteer opportunities on New York Cares

11. Check out this article to see which restaurants are donating proceeds by serving up specialty hurricane cocktails & pre-fixe menus

12. Follow NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg on Twitter (@MikeBloomberg)

Michael Weinstein, executive producer of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and primary component of the measure, has said that the current testing methods used by the industry have contributed to an epidemic of STDs. A recent study conducted by AHF found that undiagnosed STDs are more common in the porn business than the industry admits. The study found that roughly a third of the 168 adult film stars who participated in the research project were found to have a previously undiagnosed STD.

While industry leaders have maintained that performers are always empowered to use a condom if they prefer, some actors have stated that this isn’t always the case. “When I first started doing porn, I was told, ‘you can ask for condoms if you want,’ but after being in porn for a little while, it’s harder for a girl to ask for condoms,” actor Satine Phoenix said. “We have these grandiose ideas in porn that you have all these options but the reality is you don’t, because if you don’t do something, there’s another girl that will.”

In a recent Slate article about the measure, writer Amanda Hess conducted a “highly unscientific” survey in which she asked her male and female friends for their thoughts on the aesthetics of condom use in porn. She found that most people were ambivalent, and some even expressed the “sexiness” of safe sex. “Condoms make the porn look more like the kinds of sex I actually have—and that makes for hotter fantasies”, said one pal. Hess also found that those who rejected condoms in porn were quite energized by the issue, stating that condoms were “less sexy,” or “unwatchable, for sure”. Most of the people opposed to the use of condoms in porn were men.

Condom use in porn is already required under both state and city law, but Measure B would expand the existing city ordinance in LA to the broader county.

To hear a fellow Red Hotter’s opinion on the matter, check out this blog post from last summer.