“Simone is a High Priestess of Pop: the stage is her pulpit, and her message of love and acceptance is universal.” That is undeniably the boilerplate for the force of Frankie Simone. In the thick of a self-made mission to create music befitting every type of human being, the Puerto-Rico born musician’s quest for total music inclusivity in partly fueled by her and her wife’s move to the diversity-lite Portland and their time spent finding their niche of people, which they eventually found in the city’s vibrant arts culture. Simone’s music transcends typical songwriting; let’s not kid ourselves, she’s an anthem writer. Her 5-track LOVE//WARRIOR EP is pop with a purpose, a stalwart champion of love, acceptance, and not just carving out your own place, but thriving in it. Sonically following suit with the rest of the EP, “Queer” is a righteous anthem for the community (and a delicious choice for July 4th), and with a sound that could easily top the Billboard 200, her songs have the capacity to traverse every demographic, leaking a not-so-subtle message to the ears of those who may still need a bit of coaxing to the idea of LGBTQ acceptance.
“Queer” appears on LOVE//WARRIOR, out now via Infinite Compassion.
-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli
