Even as a teenager, the US trans musician Ryan Cassata wrote punk songs addressing his oppression at school, his father's grief at "no longer having a daughter," and his self-destructive escape into alcohol. Like few other DIY artists, Cassata succeeded in raising awareness about transgender issues: millions of YouTube views and streams speak for themselves. And the fact that Ryan Cassata is releasing his latest folk-punk collection, "Greetings from Echo Park" (whose title and cover artwork reference Bruce Springsteen's debut), on the enterprising independent label "Kill Rock Stars" also demonstrates that the 32-year-old refuses to be pigeonholed. Supporting him are the Neuwied-based NDW revivalists Nein, Danke and the gay electro-crooner Leopold from Berlin.