Various Artists

Queer As Folk—The Third Season, Music from the Showtime Original Series

If you want to experience Queer as Folk’s fictional club Babylon, albeit through your headphones or speakers, disc 1 offers heart-pounding, non-stop dance music from legendary DJ/producers like Peter Rauhofer and Junior Vasquez. The tracks are flawlessly mixed by Chris Cox. Disc 2 explores the music heard outside Babylon featuring a blend of alternative rock artists, electronic music producers, and the song “Rough Boys” by Pete Townshend, which led to rumors that this was his coming out. The CDs feature the hottest dance music and a blend of alternative rock. From Tommy Boy Entertainment (www.tommyboy.com). For more more info: www.enterbabylon.com or www.sho.com/queer. —Andrea Rodricks

Testosterone Kills

War All the Time

Songs from War All the Time include such lyrics as “Come out wherever you are/Go and get what’s yours,” “I’m not my fault,” “I like ’N Sync because they make me horny,” “There’s no denying we’re connected to one another,” and the always-popular “F--k you.” Testosterone Kills is one of the new generation of GLBT bands who don’t give a f--k what you think of them and who are obviously proud to be gay. That their music is great certainly helps. According to one critic, Testosterone’s talented twosome (Timothy Daly and Pablo Ratliff) “can save lives and rock your ass at the same time.” We wholeheartedly agree. Available June 3 from Fortified Records (www.antifolk.net). For more info: www.testosteronekills.com. —Blase DiStefano

deepnine

Flowers on the Dirt Road Home

Flowers on the Dirt Road Home is the culmination of a decade of hard work, musical study, and experimentation by the talented artist Brent Roberts, the voice and brains behind deepnine. The openly gay singer/songwriter describes the album as “thoughtful, new edge electronica.” The varied songs include “Final Hour,” a spoken word/instrumental piece that sweeps over you like the tide, that was inspired by the true story of a hospice volunteer who drove a dying patient several hours to see the ocean one last time. In the liner notes, Roberts thanks his partner Bradley and son Gabriel. From Collabitat Records. For more info: www.deepnine.com. —Troy Carrington

Lisa Stansfield

Biography

The first-ever greatest hits collection from Stansfield is a fabulous 17-track compilation of great old favorites such as the Barry White hit "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" to her breakout hit "All Around the World." Also appearing for the first time on her own album are other hits like "Those Were the Days of Our Lives" recorded live with George Michael and Queen during a tribute to Freddie Mercury and her rendition of Cole Porter's "Down in the Depths" lifted from the AIDS benefit album, Red, Hot and Blue. The diverse influences of the British female vocalist stand out in her soulful voice and danceable club remixes. From Arista/BMG Heritage. For more info: www.lisa-stansfield.co.uk, www.lisa-stansfield.com, or www.flylifemusic.com. —AR

Dead or Alive

Evolution

At first glance you might miss the spot on the cover that reads “The Hits,” but the disc speaks for itself once you start playing it. Folks might not think of Dead or Alive as having had an illustrious career of crafting pop songs, but this collection illustrates a much deeper catalog than one might think. “You Spin Me Round” is obviously going to be the song they are most remembered for, but as lead singer Pete Burns writes in the liner notes, “these are chosen by artistic integrity, not chart positions.” That obviously applies in the category of a band considered a one-hit wonder by all accounts, but “Brand New Lover” and “My Heart Goes Bang” are just as strong, and the flamboyant style in which Burns presents himself is sure to always draw attention. Available June 10 from Epic (www.epicrecords.com). For more info: www.sonymusic.co.uk or www.deadoralive.net. —Lance Walker

Goldfrapp

Black Cherry

After the somewhat unexpected success of their debut record Felt Mountain, the British trip-hop duo of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory were under pressure to create something just as strong, just as innovative, and just as successful. What they did was to blow off the idea of making another album that sounded like the first and go with a completely different approach to their songwriting. With most bands this only leads to disaster, but these two have managed to make it work. While the subdued melodies and tones of their first record were the attraction therein, Black Cherry speaks to the listener more from its flamboyance than anything else. They have crafted these songs from the angle of late ’70s glam-rock rather than modern trip-hop, with their brilliant production dressing each track in what feels like a concept record. The songs all seem to tie in together in the newfound angle from which they are created, an angle that doesn’t leave any gaps and only leaves us wanting more. From Mute (www.mute.com). For more info: www.goldfrapp.co.uk. —LW

Cast Recording

Everybody’s Getting’ into the Act

Everybody’s Getting’ into the Act, with music and lyrics by Bob Ost, is a canny and revealing musical vaudeville about games people play in life rather than being honest and sincere. The recording’s cast includes acclaimed Broadway performers Emily Skinner, Marc Kudisch, Rebecca Luker, Mary Testa, and Robert Cuccioli. FYI: Also featured is Bryan Batt, who has only three films to his credit, and they’re all gay: Jeffrey, Kiss Me Guido, and Hit and Runway. Also: Ost’s play A Glass of Water is part of the HOMOGenius Festival at Manhattan Theatersource. From Fynsworth Alley (www.fynsworthalley.com). —TC

Lime

Love Fury

Remember Lime? This long-awaited album is going to make DJs everywhere dig up collections of Lime classics. The music of the ’80s is back, and Love Fury maintains their electro-disco sound that came to be known as HiNRG while adding a fresh new twist. Lime was huge in the underground disco scene and has incorporated new arrangements on this CD from salsa to cha cha to sexy love ballads. Denis and Denyse LePage's contrasting vocals never sounded so fresh and electrifying. Love Fury is bound to go to the top of the dance charts. From Unidisc Music (www.unidisc.com). —AR

Various Artists

The Ultimate Diva Collection

Sixteen of the finest female jazz singers of all time, from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday to Astrud Gilberto and Natalie Cole, are captured in performances that were recorded as long ago as 1954 and as recently as 2001. The artists featured are ranked in the very top echelon of female jazz singers. This album is a collection of some of the most sensitive and accomplished vocal performances ever recorded. From Verve Music Group (www.ververecords.com). —AR

Ultra Naté

Brass in Pocket

It’s hard to argue Ultra Naté’s allure, at least in what the artists have done with the record cover, but the music might leave something to be desired. This disc is a collection of 10 different versions of The Pretenders’ seminal 1980 rock hit “Brass in Pocket.” The song itself holds up to the test of time in its brilliance in both well-rounded lyricism and interweaving melodies, but doesn’t allow much for remixing. At least the idea behind the song and the strength of its message are communicated through its flow and intensity, two factors which are somewhat lost in the translation. It should be mentioned, however, that Naté has an absolutely gorgeous voice, that which will leave even the least curious of listeners wanting to hear more—and more of her original material at that. From BluFire Records. —LW

Various Artists

The Players: Powered by Fender

Sling it on, flip the switch, and crank it up to 10. Fender guitars, basses, and amplifiers have become genuine American icons. This is the first album centered on the venerable Fender name, and it is a rousing salute to a tradition of quality and excellence. Rhino Records and Fender present a collection of 16 rock hits with each track featuring an artist who embodies the legendary sound of Fender guitars, including Sheryl Crow, Green Day, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Sugar Ray, to name but a few. From Rhino Records (www.rhino.com) and Fender Records (www.fender.com). For more info: www.fenderplayersclub.com. —AR

Jennifer Lopez

“I’m Glad” video

J-Lo has done it once again in her typically oversexed fashion, this time in a visual revisit of the ’80s pop hit “What a Feeling.” What has to be commended is the accuracy in which the director has recreated the sets and the look for the video. It is based entirely on the movie Flashdance, and the lighting and setups are so perfectly redone that it’s almost comical—like you’re watching a Weird Al Yankovic video. Lopez’s dance moves are unheralded as always, though carefully choreographed from scene to scene to encourage the straight boys to sit on the couch and whip it out (it also works for lesbians, but what are the gay boys supposed to do?). Taking a cue from her predecessor Jennifer Beals, Lopez knows where to make the money. “I’m Glad” is the recent single from her Epic album This Is Me … Then (www.epicrecords.com). —LW

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