I ended last week's "Music Mix" column writing about Mark Weigle's duet with SONiA on the song "Other Houses" on his new CD All That Matters. Me, Too ( Disappear ) is SONiA's brilliant follow—up to her GLAMA—winning Almost Chocolate disc. Picking up where that album left off, the divine SONiA continues to write and record songs about politics of life ( "Opinion #33," "Good Morning ( This Is God ) ," "Grass For The Lamb," "Me, Too" ) and the politics of love ( "Bumblebee," "Lovesick," the retro "My Baby" ) . SONiA also expands her already expansive horizons with the Latin—tinged "Shake It" and the youthful "Turtle Flowers."
Chicago—based singer/songwriter Angie Mead contributed the track "Silence" to the Outlines newspaper Lesbian Community Cancer Project benefit CD High Risk. That song is also on her debut disc West of the Present ( Laughing Lizards ) , an impressive six—track EP that defies categorization. Comparisons to Tori Amos are inevitable ( especially on the aforementioned "Silence" ) , but there is more to Mead than that. On tracks such as "You Leave," "Six Days" and "Hush," Angie Mead is a welcome and powerful new voice on the Chicago music scene, as well as in the world of music in general.
Melissa Ferrick is back with a new CD called Freedom ( What Are Records? ) , which is a more stripped down and slightly darker effort than her previous release Everything I Need. While all of the songs on Ferrick's previous discs had an unflinching honesty about them, the songs on Freedom feel the most intensely personal. Ferrick did, in fact, go through the break—up of a romantic relationship, and the songs here reflect that. Beginning with the title track ( which opens with the line "Sadness finds its way onto/On any given day" ) , and continuing through such raw songs as "North Carolina," "Some Kind Of Nerve," "Blindside," "Little Love," "Then So It Is," and "This Is Love," Ferrick gives us a closer, if sometimes uncomfortable, look into who she is and what she makes of love.
Openly bisexual singer/songwriter Sheila Nicholls has put out a wonderful CD called Brief Strop ( Essexgirl/ Hollywood ) . The first three songs on the disc ( "Question"—which has a great opening line, "Elevator" and "Hannah" ) are piano and vocal numbers, although they are considerably different from the piano—and—vocal songs of Tori Amos. In fact, Nicholls' songs ( as well as her vocals ) are far more reminiscent of fellow British singer/songwriter Judie Tzuke. Occasionally, songs are augmented by an acoustic guitar ( "Eiderdown" ) or strings ( "Fallen For You" ) or percussion ( "Peanuts" and "Medusa" ) , but for the most part it is Nicholls' distinctive vocals and deft piano playing that brings these songs to vivid life.
Sheila Nicholls cites Ani DiFranco as an influence and an inspiration and you can also hear a bit of Ani in the songs of Ember Swift on her CD Permanent Marker ( Few'll Ignite ) . There's even a bit of Ben Folds Five, especially with Dana Baitz's piano work on the song "Quickly." Swift's vocals ( which can go from Broadway belter to Yoko Ono in no time at all ) and songs are a bit more edgy and risky than DiFranco's, which works in her favor, as there are people out there looking for something that will challenge them. Tracks such as "Freak" ( with its trombone ) , "Voodoo," the beautiful "Some Things Are...," "Ink," and "Make The Mood Light," are not the most commercial or accessible songs you've heard, but they are well worth your attention.
As with Joni Mitchell and George Michael's recent CDs of cover material, Ferron, another singer/songwriter beloved for her original tunes, has turned her musical gaze to songs written by other people. Inside Out ( I.M.A. ) is an amazing collection of songs from the 1960s and early 䚖s that, according to Ferron "lifted or broke" her "not—as—yet—known—to—be—gay heart."
Ferron aptly calls them "uncover" tunes as she transforms songs such as "Needles And Pins," "Walk Away Renee," "Different Drum," "Town Without Pity," "I Feel Fine," "My Girl," "Crazy Love," and "Save The Last Dance For Me," into queer heartbreakers and love songs by digging just below the surface. You would swear that Karen Carpenter was still alive, and a middle—aged diva, when you hear Ferron's stunning remake of " ( They Long To Be ) Close To You."
Women make up only one—fourth of the contributors to the various artists queer music compilation Outloud ( Colourfinder ) , but their presence is essential. Donna DeLory, a former back—up vocalist for Madonna, contributed the song "Please" from her Bliss CD, while Laura Wetzler sings to us in Hebrew and English on her song "B'Makom in a Place." Kathleen Manstream and Diana Jones are represented by the acoustic guitar and vocal tracks "Right Where I Belong" and "Jo & Libbey 1873," respectively.
When I wrote about Catie Curtis's debut disc Truth From Lies in 1996, at the time it was released ( on Guardian Records ) , I said "Catie Curtis's appeal lies not only in her entrancing voice, but also in her ability to write about topical subjects. One listen ... and she is practically guaranteed a huge gay and lesbian following." In light of her GLAMA—wins ( two years in a row, for both Truth From Lies and her 1997 self—titled follow—up ) , as well as her phenomenal 1999 album A Crash Course In Roses, Curtis has the potential to surpass many of her contemporaries. Wisely, her new label Rykodisc ( Guardian folded a few years ago ) , has reissued her first two discs, and Truth From Lies is an enhanced CD which includes the video for "Radical."
Another reissue that is generating a lot of buzz is the long—out—of—print self—titled 1973 debut disc by Lavender Country ( GCSS ) . This historical disc will be of value to those interested in both country music and gay culture. The quartet ( three men and one woman ) perform original songs ( most of which were written by Lavender Country's lead vocalist Patrick Haggerty ) proclaiming the joys of same—sex love ( "Gypsy John," "Georgie Pie," "To A Woman" ) and gay pride ( "Come Out Singin'," "Cryin' These Cocksucking Tears," "Straight White Patterns" ) , that are as powerful today as they were when they were first recorded almost 30 years ago.
The queercore punk spirit is alive and well in a couple of recent releases. Ama Me Fideliter ( Heybaby ) by Pal is a crashing and melodic eight—song disc with catchy songs that will have you search for someone ( or something ) to slam into. Tory Minovich's vocals are the necessary ingredient to keep listeners coming back to tracks such as "ex girlfriend," "New Year," "Smash it into Pieces," and "So Special."
Featuring... ( K ) by Internal/ External, a/k/a Paul E. Schuster, features Schuster's collaborations with artists from the Olympia, Wash., music scene, including many names that will be familiar to queer listeners. Artists such as Lois Maffeo ( of Lois ) , Carrie Brownstein ( of Sleater—Kinney ) , Rachel Carns ( of The Need ) , Kathleen Hanna ( of Julie Ruin, formerly of Bikini Kill ) , and others make this mostly electronic disc, which combines songs and spoken word, into an exotic and worthwhile aural adventure.
Speaking of Sleater—Kinney, the word is that the trio is now 100% hetero, whatever that means. Still, there's no denying their contribution to the riot grrrl scene ( queer and otherwise ) . As with their previous discs, All Hands On The Bad One ( Kill Rock Stars ) is the next logical step in their sound and shows the band becoming one of the great musical forces on the scene. There's plenty of what we've come to expect in tracks such as "The Ballad Of A Ladyman" ( a nod to Kaia, perhaps? ) , "Youth Decay," "You're No Rock n' Roll Fun," "The Professional," "Pompeii," and the unsettling "Male Model." A line such as "You can't get to heaven in your Sunday best/when the night before they were calling it your cocktail dress" ( from the title track ) finds the trio sharpening their already razor—like lyric writing skills as well.
The Moves, a female trio based in Northampton, Mass., has just released their self—titled debut disc on Mr. Lady ( home to LeTigre and The Butchies—hooray! ) . One thing that is clear from listening to this disc is that the riot grrrl sound that was so closely associated with the Pacific Northwest has expanded its territory and its reach. On tracks such as "Easter Present," "Incisor," "So Smooth," "Burgy Bullet," "Theme From Puppy," and "How To Write," The Moves sound as if they are the Western Massachusetts extension of a musical movement that started a couple thousand miles away.
The appropriately named Australian band Fruit, which consists of gay and straight members, has a live album called Shift ( Fruit Music ) . The album features songs from Fruit's two mid—䚪s studio discs. The songs are a little bit folk, a little bit pop, a little bit funk and a little bit jazz. One of them, "Body Breakdown" was written for a friend diagnosed as HIV positive.
In addition to there being more music CDs by lesbians and bisexual women being released, there also seems to be more CDs released by lesbian comedians. One of my favorite lesbian comedians, Elvira Kurt, has captured her hysterical live stand—up routine on the CD Kitten With A Wit ( Uproar ) .
She turns her outrageous"wit" on such diverse subjects as Minnesota, getting older, new—fangled devices, and playgrounds from her past, to name few. Those familiar with her work will be happy to know that she also includes her routine about her parents. It still makes me laugh and I've heard it several times.
Other Uproar Records lesbian comedy releases include Because I Said So by Maggie Cassella, Neurotic By Nature by Michele Balan, and Totally Nude by Robin Greenspan.
Hilareth: The Best Of Lesbian Humor, Vol. I compiles comedy albums by four lesbian comedians ( Suzanne Westenhoefer, Marga Gomez, Karen Williams, and Kate Clinton ) in one handy—dandy box set.
