Fighting crowds, avoiding screaming kids and waiting in line have come to define holiday shopping. My mp3 player helps dull these frustrations and those ubiquitous Christmas carols. CDs make the perfect gifts, but finding the right one can be a chore, so we have compiled a list to assist in 'the most wonderful time of the year.'
Should you find yourself heading to a holiday party empty handed, pick up a copy of Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure 2005 for the host. Broadway stars take on seasonal favorites for this charitable compilation benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. As the seventh installment in the series, this double-disc set includes the casts of Sweet Charity, Wicked Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Spamalot.
Tara Angell's debut Come Down becomes a treat for the soft-spoken loyalist at the coffee shop who knows exactly what blend you prefer and how to mix it. Intimate with melancholy, Angell achieves brilliance with her head looking down.
Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor would make your friend, whom you insist is a closet case, come out with a confession of his own. By sampling ABBA and drawing inspiration from Euro-discos, this catchy album is a gay pride party without a confetti bomb. For added insurance throw in Andy Bell's solo debut Electric Blue. Armed with Bell's big voice and synthesizer beats, Electric Blue will knock down any closet door.
Your friend, who is the biggest Madonna fan you know, would thank his 'Lucky Star' if he got a copy of Juliet's solo debut Random Order. Like Madonna's Dancefloor, Random Order is produced by Stuart Price ( a.k.a. Jacques LuCont ) and would make a great companion on the stairmaster. Not leaving her rock influences behind, Juliet mixes grit and ballads with electronic masterpieces and dance floor fillers. With Random Order Juliet already racked up two number one club airplay hits with 'Avalon' and 'Ride the Pain.'
To remind your friend of his rebellious days when he sported a Mohawk and a snarl rivaling Billy Idol's, consider Bob Mould's Body of Song. The former Husker Du and Sugar front man returns in fine form on 'Body.' While his experimental endeavors have not been totally cast to the side, Mould favors his tight guitar based rock sound here.
Taking us on a trip down memory lane, Alanis Morissette rounds up her hits for The Collection. Your PFLAG-waving sister would love the classics on this enhanced disc like the breakthrough 'You Oughta Know,' the epic 'Uninvited' and the insightful '8 Easy Steps.' The set's single, a remake of Seal's 'Crazy,' merges dance beats and guitars with the Canadian's warble—keep an eye out for lesbian twist in the 'Crazy' video.
We all know somebody who is still waiting for the next Lauryn Hill album—it might be awhile yet. To tie this hopeful soul over, A Change is Gonna Come by Leyla James proves to be a wonderful distraction. The buzz-worthy debut boasts welcoming old school soul and the track 'Music,' which has a timeless sense to it. With a wild mane and doe eyes, Leyla comes forth with an authentic debut.
Sigur Ros's Takk ... and Conjure One's Extraordinary Ways could be the right fit for the one who is just off of center. The Icelandic quartet's Takk ... finds the group once again singing in their native tongue, leaving their fictionalized language Hopelandic behind. Delirium's Rhys Fulber's side project Conjure One does not stray too far from the formula used for its self-titled debut. The mysterious singer Jane either studied Poe closely or else she is the beloved 'Haunted' singer using a moniker on the songs 'Endless Dream,' 'One Word' and 'Extraordinary Way.'
For our favorite '80s enthusiasts, the Eurythmics, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush, New Order, Simply Red, Erasure and Depeche Mode all have new offerings on the shelves. Some artists have not been able to overcome the hurdles of time, but these greats remind us not only what have they done, but what they are still capable of with these outstanding albums. Erasure, Bush, New Order, and Depeche Mode heralded critical acclaim with their overdue new material. Using their 'True Colors,' Cyndi Lauper and Simply Red repaint their classics with new arrangements, whereas the Eurythmics hear their fans 'Sweet Dreams' with the new Ultimate Collection.
Since you braved the elements and the packed shops, you deserve to buy something for yourself. Ivy's latest, In the Clear, soars above the competition with its trademark blend of quirky alternative pop and electronic influences. On 'Nothing but Sky,' Ivy shatters the mold used to create a pop song, then boldly takes a baby step into the nightclubs with 'Keep Moving.' Another New York-based outfit with an independent sense of style worth trying is Stars and its debut Set Yourself on Fire. The feature single 'Ageless Beauty' has a memorable chorus chanting 'we will always be a light' and could be heard during Lifetime's commercials for the network's made-for-TV movies. Both Ivy and the Stars have a sound that will help you come down from the holiday turmoil.
For those fans of Babs, here's a collection of her TV specials. See review at the link.
