GrooveOut Shorts

by Thomas Blanton, Troy Carrington, Eric A.T. Dieckman, Blase DiStefano, Suzie Lynde, Andrea Rodricks, Lance Walker

Music from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

Various Artists

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s “Fab 5”—Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Felicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez—teach straights how to get their groove on. Highlights include an exclusive new Duran Duran song, “Sunrise.” This is better than their earlier reunion efforts, with an infectious, driving groove. There’s a remix of Elton John’s ’77 hit, “Are You Ready for Love.” Kylie Minogue’s tune, “Slow,” is funkadelically remixed by the Chemical Brothers, juxtaposing Minogue’s sensual voice with mind-piercing trills and delightfully odd sound effects. Get out those glowsticks—Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” is irrepressibly adorable and catchy. Another sonic novelty falls under the classification of the new “versus” mashup trend. The dance-art Fischerspooner melds with ’80s git-rock Billy Squier in the Billy Harris revamp of “Everybody Wants You to Emerge.” Although the track is a hoot, it’s also clubby and entrancing. OK Go and Liz Phair add the more rock-oriented elements with “You’re So Damn Hot” and “Extraordinary,” respectively. As a silly bonus, there’s track 14, “5 Gay Men.” While somebody haphazardly strums a guitar, Jai and Kyan improvise a little ditty: “Five gay men cleaning one house.... That’s all it takes, just one dirty straight man. And five gay men.” • Two versions are available, one with a limited edition bonus DVD and one with enhanced video. The DVD includes the video (and “making of” video) for the catchy theme song “All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)” and the video for Kylie Minogue’s “Slow.” The enhanced video CD contains the video for “All Things.” From Captiol Records ( www.capitolrec ords.com). More info: www.bravotv.com . —Eric A.T. Dieckman

Ani DiFranco

Educated Guess

Ani DiFranco has always been a do-it-yourself kind of girl, and she proves it with Educated Guess, her 20th album and first solo project in a decade. Not only did she write all the music and lyrics, sing both lead and backup, and play all the instrumentals, but she recorded and mixed the entire album herself on a vintage eight-track reel-to-reel. The result is her most honest and organic work to date. • Educated Guess has a cozy, intimate feel, as if she’d invited a group of friends over and started strumming her guitar while everyone was sipping cocktails in her living room. While the music itself is sensual and hypnotic, it is DiFranco’s confessional, cathartic lyrics that take center stage. From the self-effacing metaphors in the album’s title track to her unbleached ideal of patriotism described in the spoken-word piece “Grand Canyon,” DiFranco shows that she is not only an incredible musician, but a true poet as well. • The only thing missing from Educated Guess is the frenetic, aggressive, shoot-the-bastard break-up rock featured so prominently on her earlier solo albums. However, longtime fans will instantly recognize her trademark brand of musical genius, and those stumbling across her for the first time will be held captive by this rough-edged, down-home masterpiece. —Thomas Blanton

T-Pro & Angel C

Tribal Pleasures

At the forefront of every great movement there are great people directing those movements. The legendary gay Latino parties that have surfaced in past years in New York clubs such as Milk and Cuchifrito and Los Angeles habitats like Circus and Arena have had such leaders, and at the top of that heap on each coast have been openly gay artists T-Pro and Angel C. Working in tandem as “TAngel,” they have assembled and stitched together a collection of overly humid tracks in the café con leche domain, one disc mixed and one disc left untouched. Standouts by their own admission include Marco Polo Cerere, Kiwi Dreams, and a vocal set including India’s sultry “Seduce Me Now.” From Jellybean/Sony Discos ( www.jellybeanrecordings.com ). —Lance Walker

Ari Gold

Space Under Sun

You probably wouldn’t be too far off-base if you called Ari Gold the “poor man’s Justin Timberlake.” It might be a bit more accurate, however, to describe him as the “gay man’s Justin Timberlake.” This young Jewish boy from the Bronx grew up with a taste for R&B and has tethered that to his music in a most unorthodox manner. He seems to pull from the early ’90s school of R&B perfected by those such as Jodeci and Keith Sweat, but also marries that sound with a palette of melodies and arrangements that more so mirror the sound of modern boy bands. In the end, they are love songs about men by a man, and he makes it work regardless from where he’s borrowing. From Gold 18 ( www.arigold.com). —LW

Sarah McLachlan

Remixed

A techno context for her music isn’t that unusual. Sarah McLachlan’s music career has soared because she is an open-minded artist. Seven DJs—including William Orbit, Hybrid, and DJ Tiesto—work their magic on nine McLachlan originals. Her previous collaboration with electronica group Delerium topped dance charts worldwide. This is a collection of remixes featuring McLachlan’s music captured with beats and synthesizer chords, making it an ideal club trance/dance album. From Arista Records ( www.arista.com). More info: www.sarahmclachlan.com. —Andrea Rodricks

Ellen Demos

Osmosis

Ellen Demos’s debut recording Osmosis is a jazz vocal workout that will jar your senses and move your soul. Demos reaches far down into her being and convincingly uses her vocal talents to her advantage by making her voice the primary instrument on the album. While there are the usual suspects accompanying her, like the saxophone, guitar, and flute, she easily gets into the higher vocal registers and instantaneously reminds you of the late Ella Fitzgerald and her famous scatting routines. You can e-mail the gay-friendly singer at pqrxrecs@yahoo.com. —Suzie Lynde

Kelis

Tasty

The record begins with someone cramming their mouth full of potato chips and sucking on soda, moving on a couple of tracks later into Kelis’ radio hit “Milkshake.” The references are ironic considering that you know this lady goes nowhere near any of that stuff. She is cut like a supermodel and is as talented as a superproducer. Kelis Rogers is involved in the songwriting on nearly half of this record—a tall order considering that the other writers and producers appearing are those such as Dallas Austin, Pharrell Williams, and Raphael Saadiq. Her smokey, husky voice permeates their work like fine cream in black coffee, untouched by the spoon, untouched by the stir stick, weaving its way slowly through every verse, every line. She believes in her words and forces nothing, manufactures nothing. It is a purity that runs throughout the music, the words, and even the artwork. It is also appropriate that the appearance of Andre 3000 (Outkast) is on a track called “Millionaire,” seeing as everything the man touches of late is turning to gold. It is, without question, the best song on the record—a production which involves no filler and no corner of any song left untouched. Nothing meanders, nothing drops off of any cliffs—everything just finds its place, with just the right amount of breathing room just when you need it. From Star Trak ( www.startrak.com). —LW

Missy Elliott

This Is Not a Test

From the beginning, Missy Elliott has successfully tested the boundaries of rap music. Along with acclaimed hip-hop producer Tim “Timbaland” Mosely, the hip-hop queen delivers yet another fearless album showing no signs of creative exhaustion. With unbelievable beats and uninhibited vocals, Elliott tries a little of everything on This Is Not a Test. She marvels at the magic of her vibrator in “Toyz,” teams up with Nelly for an ode to full-figured Southern gals, and gives it up to classic ’80s rappers. There’s a reason rap enthusiasts breathlessly await her new albums. From Elektra Records ( www.elektra.com). More info: www.missy-elliott.com. —AR

Willa Ford featuring May

“A Toast to Men (F**k the Men)”

To paraphrase ultra-syndicated humorist Dave Berry on the subject of writing, the most important step a writer has to take is to fool his or her publisher into believing that what they have submitted to them has never before been published. Changing the title is a good start. Willa Ford did alter the title, and subsequently came up with what is very likely a catchier one, but the infectious hook that is buried underneath and around “A Toast to Men” is actually an old sorority chant. Take that as you may, but the fact remains that it was a preexisting melody that has now been transformed into a pop song. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, it’s not particularly brilliant, but it’s not exactly unheard of either. Ford makes up for it in some form or another in the fact that she produced the record herself, arranging all of the strings and singing all of the backup vocals. The results aren’t stellar, to say the least, but with a work ethic as such, she’s likely to press on, and eventually she’s going to run out of sorority chants, right? From Lava Records ( www.lavarecords.com). —LW

Various Artists

Windham Hill Chill 2

Windham Hill provides the perfect musical antidote for the stresses of modern life. The music on Windham Hill Chill 2 is designed to take the listener on a tour of the label’s eclectic musical history, evoking a sense of tranquility. The continuous “chill” mix features relaxing music without breaks between the tracks. Just a few of the artists featured on Chill 2: George Winston, Yanni, Lili Haydn, State of Grace, Will Ackerman, Liz Story, and Jim Brickman. From Windham Hill ( www.windham.com). —SL

Nigel Kennedy

Vivaldi

Nigel Kennedy created a musical sensation with his 1989 recording of The Four Seasons. If you own the original disc, you will be captivated by the intensity in this dynamic performance. Kennedy revisits The Four Seasons with a masterful approach giving greater significance to the orchestral accompaniment. Also included are two rarely performed violin concertos. These new recordings mark the beginning of the Vivaldi Project that Kennedy is undertaking in collaboration with the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. From EMI Classics ( www.emiclassics.com). More info: www.nigelkennedy.com. —AR

Amici Forever

The Opera Band

This is the debut album by Amici Forever, five classically trained opera singers previously known as Tenors and Divas. They experiment with classic contemporary music while presenting rearranged opera bringing an interesting nuance to even the most familiar arias. The full-bodied voices behind such classics as Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” and Handel’s “Zadok the Priest” are sure to enchant opera fans worldwide. The harmony in “Prayer in the Night” is engaging. Dubbed the saviors of the classical music industry, Amici Forever looks to have one of the most successful crossover releases of the year. From Victor ( www.victor-music.com). More info: www.aristaassociatedlabels.com/index.jsp or www.amiciforever.com. —AR

10,000 Maniacs

Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings of 10,000 Maniacs

10,000 Maniacs have cemented their reputation as one of the most successful bands in recent pop music history. Disc 1 features the band’s all-time greatest hits. The second disc is for die-hard fans, taking you through the various styles of music that made 10,000 Maniacs so compelling. This comprehensive double-disc package also features five previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of old favorites, rare cover songs, and extensive liner notes from vocalist Natalie Merchant. From Rhino ( www.rhino.com). More info: www.maniacs.com. —AR

Jim Nabors

More Songs of Inspiration

If you’re a fan of Jim Nabors’s voice, you’ll love these songs that were recorded by the singer in the ’60s and ’70s. The songs include “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Born Free,” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Ave Maria,” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” among others. The rumored-to-be-gay Nabors starred in the ’60s sitcom Gomer Pyle, USMC, but also recorded numerous albums. From Columbia/Legacy ( www.columbiarecords.com and www.legacyrecordings.com ). More info: www.sonymusic.com. — Blase DiStefano

Gwen Jennier

You’ve Got to Believe

More songs of inspiration, but, unlike Nabors (see above), these are recent songs written by the singer. Jennier wrote her first contemporary Christian song, “I’ve Seen the Light,” in 1995. Jennier’s deep respect and love for animals shines through in “I Need to Know” and “Wondrous Love Wondrous Nature.” The other eight original songs mirror her own life journey with lyrics that are inspiring and honest. From Angel Dog Music ( www.angeldogmusic.com). —SL

DVD

Hilary Stagg

In the Presence of Nature

In the Presence of Nature is an incomparable journey through America’s most pristine environments, its national parks and preserves. They include the dune-covered beaches of Cape Cod, the mystical swamps of the Everglades, the swirling clouds and sunlit forests of the Adirondacks, the sparkling lakes and clear mountain streams of Yosemite National Park, the amazing geysers of Yellowstone National Park, and the majestic river valleys of the Grand Canyon. This beautiful journey is matched by one of the world’s most inspiring musicians, Hilary Stagg. The soundtrack Dream Spiral is considered his most critically acclaimed work. The visuals coupled with the music enhance a meditative state of relaxation. Stagg, known for inventing the amplified harp, was prolific in creating a sound renowned for its healing qualities. His music is tranquil, comforting, and soothing. Available in DVD format only from Lobitos Creek Ranch. More info: www.lightyear.com. —SL

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