**Kellie Lin Knott at No Exit, (773) 743-3355, on May 6
**Kym Tuvim at No Exit, (773) 743-3355, on May 13
I recently had the opportunity to interview the amazing lesbian musical duo Bitch and Animal on the radio and I asked them if there was any chance of us hearing something by them on the Showtime series The L Word. After all, Queer As Folk has spawned three soundtracks, so why shouldn't The L Word have one? One can only hope that the people who decide what music to use on a series such as The L Word are exploring the rich and ripe world of independent lesbian music. From women's music pioneers such as Cris Williamson and Ferron to the current generation, including Bitch and Animal, the variety of music is almost boundless.
The erotic acoustic number 'Thursday In December,' by lesbian singer/songwriter Leah Zicari would sound just right in a romantic scene on The L Word. In fact, many of the songs on Pretty On Thursday (Goatgrrl), which feature a more commercial and polished sound from Zicari would fit in well on practically any TV show or movie soundtrack. 'Kiss That Boy,' a wonderful song about the 'many girls who once had a lot of pride/ are crossing over the other side,' musically addresses the phenomenon of lesbians switching teams. Other standout tracks include 'Tasted Like Ice Cream,' 'Run' and 'I Slept Through The Morning.'
Jen Foster has been getting a lot of media attention for her song 'She,' from her debut album Everybody's Girl (American Garage). In the song, which has also earned songwriting awards for the lesbian singer/songwriter, Foster sings 'I've heard it said so many times, 'Love is blind'/ So why are you staring?/ You say that love is all we need, well/ Does that apply to me?' She drives the point home in the chorus when she sings, 'She/ Means everything to me/ She/ Makes me feel nothing else matters/ Not even what the world thinks of me.' Throughout the album Foster displays a knack for well-crafted and infectious pop songs, including 'Used Black Cars,' 'In Between Poses,' 'Seize The Moment,' 'Sleeping' and the title track.
On her third studio album, When I Was Made (www.ediecarey.com), acclaimed singer /songwriter and New England native Edie Carey sounds like she was born and raised in Nashville. The audible country twang in her songs and even the country trill in her vocals may take her fans by surprise, but it shouldn't turn them away. Like Patty Griffin, another Yankee who has discovered her country roots, Carey has expanded her musical geography. Sure, the dominant instruments on 'With Our Hands' are a banjo and a dobro, but it's refreshing. Edie herself plays Nashville guitar on 'All The Way Down,' 'Compromise (Be A Poet About It),' and 'Under A Sky.' As with gay singer/songwriter Tom Andersen's recent album, these songs deserve to be heard on country radio stations, if there was a DJ out there brave enough to take the risk.
Kym Tuvim shares a few things in common with Edie Carey. First of all, like Carey, her album On The Mend (Cake) is also produced by The A Team (producers Evan Brubaker and Troy Glessner). Second, a banjo also has a place on her disc. A song cycle about healing, Tuvim never belabors the point, but as the album title suggests, exhibits a gift for processing pain and loss and moving to the next level. The title track, 'Hard,' 'I Will,' 'Listen,' 'Fly Away,' and 'Don't Give Up,' are some of the standouts.
Canadian-based Outmusic Award-nominated singer/songwriter Lorna Vallings has also just released her third studio album titled Confidential (Jabali). A multi-facted performer, Vallings sounds as perfectly at ease singing a jazz-inflected number such as 'You Are Paris' as she does on the rockers 'Outside The Window' and 'Borrow Me A Dog' and the ballad 'I Still Believe.' If word gets out, Vallings won't have to worry about being kept confidential for long.
From Minnesota to Massachusetts (and places in between), Kellie Lin Knott has been plying her trade in the acoustic folk singer/songwriter scene. On her album Comfort Food (www.kellielinknott.com) she touches on subjects associated with the genre including singing in subways ('Street Musician') and troubled kids ('In Africa'), but she does so in a distinctive way. The touching 'Salt & Sand' was my favorite track.
Kristi Stremel's name will probably be familiar to anyone acquainted with the current women's music scene. Stremel first came to our attention as a member of the band Frogpond, but has gone on to have a flourishing solo career. On her second solo disc Here Comes The Light (Slewfoot) she continues to churn out country rock style tunes, such as 'Shimmer And Glow' and 'Waiting For Somebody,' that sound like they would blow the roof off your average live music club. Stremel also has a dramatic side, which she displays on 'Move Me' and 'Circles.'
Anyone who quotes Janis Ian and poet Mary Oliver in their liner notes automatically scores points with me. Under The Gypsy Sky (White Boxer), the fourth disc by Jenn Adams contains those quotes. Adams sounds a bit like Janis Ian on her song 'Some Kind of Angel,' and also covers Gillian Welch ('Pass You By') in addition to performing the baker's dozen original tunes.
Almost all of the women in this column are guitar players. Mimi Fox takes that skill to the next level on her instrumental album She's The Woman (Favored Nations). One of only a handful of female jazz guitarists, the out Fox combines improvisational inspiration with attention to detail on the 10 songs heard here. Half of the disc consists of Fox originals, including the Latin-tinged 'Sosua,' the aptly named 'Buddy's Blues,' and the supremely romantic 'Raquel, Mi Amor.' Like the late legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, Fox covers Lennon and McCartney ('She's A Woman'), as well as Jimmy Van Heusen ('Darn That Dream') and Jimmy McHugh ('On The Sunny Side Of The Street'), among others.
Finally, gay men don't have a lock on DJ culture and Susan Morabito is proof. The renowned lesbian DJ's fancy handwork can be found on Party Groove: Blue Ball Volume 3 (Centaur).
