GrooveOut Shorts

by Troy Carrington, Blase DiStefano, Andrea Rodricks, and Lance Walker

Pansy Division

Total Entertainment

I first saw Pansy Division when my band opened up for them years ago. I didn’t know much about them back then, and when they took the stage after we played, the first thing I noticed was the picture of a huge schlong on the bass player’s shirt. No, I still didn’t quite get it—and it was only near the end of their set, after having scanned the audience, that I figured it out. When my band opened up for them again the following year, I think the audience had to start wondering about us. • Pansy Division makes punk rock from the waist down. They’ve been on hiatus for five years but don’t seem to have lost a step at all in their pursuit of the perfect queer punk rock song. The distinction of being the first all-gay rock band has had no small part in the responsibility that they shoulder, and even having suffered countless comparisons to their peers over the span of their career, they still chip away at it. Song titles like "He whipped my ass in tennis (then I f--ked his ass in bed)" and "Alpine Skiing" might be full of innuendoes (or not), but "No Protection" should become the new gay anthem for safe sex—and lots of it. From Alternative Tentacles (www.alternativetentacles.com). —Lance Walker

Bitesize

Sophomore Slump

The music of this indie-pop rock band is upfront and often throws you off with unexpected lyrics by Julia Serano (formerly Tom Serano). Not surprisingly, they include a few of songs about transgendered people. The off-key vocals of Leslie and Serano engage the listener in a unique perspective on subject matter like sex toys and gender bending. Bitesize never fails to entertain with songs that tell stories that empower and celebrate differences. Sophomore Slump captures the frenzied energy of a punk band. Fronted by Julia Serano, a lesbian transsexual, Bitesize is a charming gender-queer rock band. From Bitesize/Packing Heat Music (www.bitesize.net). For more info: www.daniland.com or www.switchhitter.net. —Andrea Rodricks

Cher

Cher Live: The Farewell Tour

The colors of Cher’s Farewell Tour CD cover are pink, lavender, and purple—what else do you need to know? Oh, maybe that this single-disc version is also available on a two-CD set with The Very Best of Cher, which features her studio hits. Oh, and then there’s the Farewell Tour DVD. If that doesn’t soothe your Cher fix, there’s her tour, which makes an encore landing in Houston on September 26. Still not enough? There’s more Cher by clicking here. —Blase DiStefano

Original London Cast Recording

Sail Away

Sail Away features music and lyrics by Noel Coward and stars Elaine Stritch as a madcap cruise director who finds love on a cross-continental journey aboard a luxury liner. Stritch confirmed her status as a Broadway icon when her landmark one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty took New York by storm and won the 2002 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event. Her other Broadway credits include Pal Joey, Bus Stop, Company, Show Boat, and Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance. From Fynsworth Alley (www.fynsworthalley.com). —Troy Carrington

Various Artists

Remembering Patsy Cline

In celebration of what would have been Patsy Cline’s 71st birthday (September 8, 1932), MCA Nashville releases this all-star tribute. Twelve versatile singers, including k.d. lang, Natalie Cole, and Amy Grant, interpret the classic songs from Cline’s massively popular Greatest Hits, which is now nearing sales of 10 million copies and has been on the Billboard Country Catalog charts for 15 years. Available September 9 from MCA Nashville. —TC

Deborah Cox

Remixed

Deborah Cox has embraced dance music and recognizes her club-music fans by engaging remixers to rework her singles. Her soulful voice sounds as incredible on a house remix as it does when she sings R&B. Most of the remixes chosen for the compilation are by Hex Hector, whose remixes of "Things Just Ain't the Same" and "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" established Deborah as a clubland diva. This continuous-mix album features her Billboard dance hits as well as unreleased tracks. From J Records (www.jrecords.com). For more info: www.deborahcox.com or www.flylifemusic.com. —AR

Tamia

Still

After toughing it out through the ’90s as a backup singer and studio vocalist, Tamia has released her second full album of sexy-dripping slow songs. This time it is with the assistance of producers Babyface, Mario Winans, and Shep Crawford, who produced her hit “Stranger in My House.” Outside of the songs themselves, Tamia’s voice is like silk. It’s a silk chocolate curtain wearing itself over the stage and ruffling itself about when the song calls for it. Her backing tracks, composed of multiple layers of her own voice creating a criss-cross pattern of melodies superimposed over each other, are what really bring out her voice. If this record is a ride, she’s driving, but the backup vocals are riding shotgun. From Elektra (www.elektra.com). —LW

Various Artists

Verve/Remixed 2

The Verve Remixed project gives us another selection of vocal classics laid over tracks by some of the most talented producers in electronic music today. It features tunes by Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, all of whom were represented on the first CD. The Gotan Project, with their trademark bandoneon, gives Sarah Vaughan's "Whatever Lola Wants" a Parisian flair. Miguel "Petalpusher" Migs mixes Ella's incomparable vocals into house music. The beauty of the Verve Remixed project is that it invites new audiences to appreciate the classic sounds that influence many of today's dance music artists and producers. From Verve Records (www.vervemusicgroup.com). —AR

Kate McGarry

Show Me

Kate McGarry is old school. Listening to her croon and play piano reminds me of Vince Guaraldi’s score for the Peanuts Christmas Special. Maybe Guaraldi was playing in a lounge somewhere, and Kate McGarry crawled up onto his piano and started whispering softly in his ear. The crowd of onlookers quietly stirred their vodka tonics and puffed on their cigars, trying their best to ignore the steamy scene on top of the piano. Then McGarry bursts into full song, with Guaraldi’s flawless tickling of the ivories providing a wall of tonal warmth behind her, leaving room for her to belt it out or bring it down. Everyone in the room eventually gets up, conceding to the sexiness of the scene and therefore becoming a part of it. They finish the number and McGarry struts out of the room without so much as waving goodbye. No one even applauds—it’s just as if they’ve been given a gift. From Palmetto (www.palmetto-reecords.com). —LW

Nigel Kennedy/The Kroke Band

East Meets East

Britain’s bad boy of classical music offers a superb collection of music from Eastern Europe and North Africa with East Meets East. Nigel Kennedy's album is a continuation of the long tradition of classical music and musicians influenced by Romani music. With a passion for musical diversity, Nigel teams up with the Kroke Band from Poland to bring us an album of works influenced by Klezmer, Arabic, and gypsy music. From EMI Classics (www.emiclassics.com). —AR

Laura Turner

Soul Deep

Soul Deep is more than a showcase for a great voice. An accomplished songwriter, dancer, and poet, as well as classically trained singer, Laura Turner has crafted an unmistakable sound that artfully unites her operatic training with the smoldering sensuality and emotional immediacy of the best songwriting. Her musical explorations of love and longing are driven by hypnotic rhythms and a deep, sensual spirituality that will have fans of Sarah Brightman, Enya, Kate Bush, and Secret Garden clamoring for more. From Curb Records (www.curb.com). —TC

Siedah Garrett

Siedah

This lady has been around the world a dozen times over, and her record shows it. She first took to the road, ocean, and skies with Sergio Mendes some years back, singing her heart out in Portuguese and visiting places she surely never thought she’d get a chance to see. That experience led to her introduction to Quincy Jones, whom she consequently worked with, then on to working with Michael Jackson, for whom she co-wrote the hit “Man in the Mirror.” Beyond that she began working on her own material and eventually became a member of British soul-funk-pop sensations the Brand New Heavies. She has now returned home to Southern California and has stripped down her music quite a bit—opting for somewhat scarce production in the face of what she’s been involved with in the past. Now that she’s taken care of everyone else, she can pursue her own career, hopefully doing so hit-by-hit. From Omtown (www.omtown.com). —LW

ATB

Addicted to Music

German DJ/remixer/producer André Tanneberger, aka ATB, is a versatile musician. His self-produced album Addicted to Music is influenced by a wide range of music made up of dance and relaxed club tracks. Canadian vocalist Roberta Carter breathes life into the tracks with her amazing voice. You can also see ATB for the first time on DVD. Set for release in conjunction with his new album, this new DVD is a must-have for all ATB fans. In addition to all the videos, the DVD includes a feature on ATB’s U.S. tour, an interview, a photo gallery, full discography with lyrics, and a timeline of his career. Addicted to Music is one-part upbeat dance/techno tracks and one-part slower progressive trance tracks. From Radikal Records (www.radikal.com). For more info: www.atb-music.com. —AR

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