The Pet Shop Boys must be feeling a bit nostalgic.

Priming audiences for Electric, their latest album, which drops in mid-July, PSB started off by going back in time and revisiting the hard-edged flourishes and synths of Hi-NRG in "Axis," released last month. 

Now it seems that -- visually speaking, at least -- the duo has fast forwarded into the halcyon days of the UK acid-house scene, with "Vocal," a love song to that time. Directed by Joost Vandebrug, the video uses archival footage from outdoor raves, parties and even the famed Hacienda, giving viewers a sense of nostalgia for a time and a place they may not have even experienced. 

Check it out below.

Annie Leibovitz is coming to Halifax.

Or at least, her work is.

According to CBC, selections of the photographer's work are becoming part of the gallery's permanent collection, thanks to philanthropists Al and Faye Mintz from Toronto. Leibovitz recently had to sell much of her work due to crippling debt. Part of the stipulation of the sale of these works was that they go to a small gallery. And so we Haligonians will soon have access to some of Leibovitz's best-known images.

Leibovitz started her career at Rolling Stone magazine during its 1970s heyday, but she became better known for her work with Vanity Fair, specifically photographing celebrities. She is responsible for such iconic images as John Lennon cradling Yoko Ono (taken hours before his death), a very pregnant and nude Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg bathing in milk. All of these images will be part of the collection.

Leibovitz is also known for having been Susan Sontag's long-time companion and lover. Sontag, who is best known for her essays, including "Notes on 'Camp,'" worked with Leibovitz on a book called Women.

(Note: this post has been updated at 12:15 AST)

It's the age-old question: Why do we exist?

If you're a gay man and wondering, Why am I gay?, comedian John McKeever may have an answer for you in his video Samesies.

I think I'll stick to "samesies" anyway, but if you're interested in this telling tale of how gays came to be, take a look.

And remember, "People Juice" is important.

After hinting at and finally releasing what is the hottest single this spring, "Get Lucky," the members of Daft Punk aren't about to let the hype end on their upcoming album.

A little over a month ago, videos entitled "Random Access Memories: The Collaborators" started popping up on YouTube. The first featured multi-instrumentalist/producer/songwriter Nile Rodgers. If Rodgers's name doesn't ring a bell, his songs might. This is the man behind Chic's "Le Freak" and David Bowie's "Let's Dance," to name a few. If you haven't watched the series, it's probably one of the smartest promotional tools put out in a long time, because although these videos are interviews with "The Collaborators," they are essentially a series of 10-minute commercials, enticing and exciting you about an album you have yet to hear.

Today, Daft Punk released a video showing what the new abum will look like, along with a teaser of the new track. The video looks like it came out of collaborator Paul Williams's movie Phantom of the Paradise, (a film that the duo have openly revered in interviews), and once again, whets our appetites for a new Daft Punk album.

After pulling off hilarious hits such as "Boy Is a Bottom" and "Chow Down at Chick-fil-A," recent RuPaul's Drag Race alum Detox Icunt and Willam Belli, along with their good friend Vicky Vox, have come up with another great parody of/homage to pop culture.

Entitled "Silicone," this love song to all things plastic surgery features Detox at the forefront, tongue planted firmly in a self-deprecating cheek. Take a peek.

And while we're on a musical tip, the recently crowned winner of this season's RuPaul's Drag Race, Ms Jinkx Monsoon (#teamjinkx), has recently paired up with Two Dudes in Love to create a track called "Schizophrenic."

I remember the first time I saw the Pet Shop Boys. It was after school, and my sister and I were sitting down to watch Video Hits, CBC's suppertime music video program. 

There was something about those opening notes on the synth and the construction of a record so completely digital. It was pop music for ears that wouldn't normally dig a record constituted from keyboards. I was too young to understand the significance of the lyrics, but there was something there. Something that resonated in me.

Almost 30 years later, the Pet Shop Boys are still putting out records and are still master craftsmen in the creation of pop songs. Their latest single, "Axis," sounds like a trip into the land of Moroder, circa "I Feel Love" while still bringing to mind the sounds of Patrick Cowley, a mastermind of Hi-NRG, one of the queerest forms of dance music. 

Meanwhile, the kids from Shit Robot have just put out a new single on DFA Records, featuring Sylvester-esque vocals provided by JENR (also known as Luke Jenner from The Rapture). Vocally, this track is a killer, and musically, the remixes -- especially the Larse Remix -- harken back to the blissful parties of the 1970s. Listen below.

There may be an explosion of talent shows out there on television, but that doesn't mean there is always a lot of talent to fill those very same airwaves.

Cue Ashley Tonga.

Tonga is from New Zealand, and this lovely queen decided to strut her stuff on The X Factor NZ. Although Ms Tonga almost loses her balance while dancing, she never loses her cool. And that's what makes for one fierce queen.

Proud Mary, indeed.

When she's not picking fights on Twitter with Perez Hilton or ASAP Rocky, Azealia Banks finds the time to put out interesting videos.

Her latest, Yung Rapunxel, is a dark ditty with NFSW language, tight edits and spooky visuals. Ms Banks even transforms her face so that all her mouths can open wide to let out her lyrical assault.

Personally, it reminds me of the Corinthian character from The Sandman.

In any case, check out the video below.

Sometimes you need a little something to get you going on Monday morning. 

Some people choose coffee; I choose music. A good beat makes the day better, but a great song makes it wonderful.

Cue Eli Escobar and Nomi Ruiz's "Somebody To Love Me."

Escobar is a New York DJ known for his skills at fostering great vibes at parties and his wizardry in creating stunning edits; his edit of Stevie Nicks's "Stand Back" is to die for. His recent EP, "Feel It" on Nurvous Records, features a collaboration with vocalist Nomi Ruiz, she of Hercules & Love Affair and Jessica 6 fame. This is not the first time that the two have worked together, but "Somebody to Love Me" is something special. Technically, it's a cover of a track that Mark Ronson recorded with Business International featuring Boy George, but Ruiz focuses on George's vocals in this track. As soon as she starts to sing, "I don't want to see you go, I need somebody to love me," you're hooked. 

And if that isn't enough for you this morning, may I suggest UK sensation Jessie Ware's latest single, "Imagine It Was Us." Ware is smart in her choice of producers and remixers, as evidenced by Joe Goddard's remix of "Night Light." This track produced by Julio Bashmore -- 2012's "Au Seve" was at the top of many 2012 year-end lists for dance music aficionadoes -- is just another sign that Ware is more than a contender; she is punching way above her class.

It was a sad day last November when Adam Goldman's web series The Outs posted what was then believed to be its last episode.

A still from Adam Goldman's The Outs.

Thankfully, through some kind of belated holiday miracle, The Outs has come back for one more episode, this time with a Hannukah special. I hope this is only the beginning of more.