Pictured RuPaul.
Leave it to car commercials to play the best music. Jaguar is licensing the hot drum driven song 'A Battle Without Honor or Humanity' by Tomoyasu Hotei in its latest run of plugs. This jam is on the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack and resembles the music Madonna used in between her scenes for her West End play Up for Grabs. That certainly is an instrumental version of Andreas Johnson's 'Glorious' used for the Volvo XC 90 ads. 'Glorious' put Andreas on the map and is from his 2001 album Liebling. The B-52s are recognizable in the Buick LaCrosse teaser commercials covering the Beatles song 'Paperback Writer.' The commercial will be airing in longer spots come November and then the tune might be available for downloading, per the band's Web site. Although they are in between recording contracts, the B-52s are currently working on a dance-rock oriented album. If you need more B-52s, check out Sinead O'Connor's cover of their song 'Ain't It a Shame' from her CD She Who Dwells and frontman Fred Schneider will be hosting a weekly program called Party Out of Bounds on the internet radio station Sirius Satellite Radio.
RuPaul has me going back to my roots. The multi-media superstar will be at Borders on Michigan Avenue promoting his brand new CD RuPaul Red Hot on Saturday, Oct. 30, then performing at Crobar on Halloween night. RuPaul has said that the recent political climate made it a perfect time for him to come out of hibernation with his message of love.
My doppelganger, former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, will also be the same Borders the same day as RuPaul, signing copies of his new autobiography Tommyland, due from Atria. I recall hearing that RuPaul is actually friends with Tommy Lee's curvaceous ex-wife Pamela Anderson. The former Playboy centerfold has been quoted saying more than once that she is a gay man trapped in a woman's body—must've been a decorator. Now only if Tommy Lee would give sailing lessons.
The Scissor Sisters just released a remix CD and the feature single, 'Filthy / Gorgeous,' will have a video that's just that, according to the Village Voice. Michael Musto reported that Hedwig mastermind John Cameron Mitchell is directing this clip with the help of 'tranny prostitutes at Edelweiss.' The Sister Scissors are scheduled to return to Chicago for another concert at the Vic Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 12. Additionally, the two new tracks that the Scissor Sisters worked with Kylie will appear on the Aussie's latest hits package, Ultimate Kylie, which is due out internationally in December and stateside come February.
Marc Almond, of Soft Cell, is featured doing a cover of the late Laura Branigan's '80s anthem 'Self-Control' on the band The Replicant's new EP 'Face Control'. Marc has a special way with covers, his rendition of 'Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go' is his claim to fame and he did a wonderful cover of 'I Feel Love / Johnny Remember Me' with Jimmy Sommerville.
Still can't get enough of the '80s? Well Duran Duran just released the CD Astronaut, part of the Duranies' new Sony multi-record contract. The catch is, the line-up is the same five members from the band's '80s hey day. 'A View to a Kill,' their James Bond hit, was the last song the original five members recorded together until now. Depeche Mode will be releasing a 3-disc remix collection later this month, featuring previous remixed gems, plus new white hot cuts, courtesy of who's who in club land including Club 69, Danny Teneglia, Goldfrapp and Timo Maas.
When Jody Watley released her album Midnight Lounge in 2003, it received great acclaim for her, but it is still a slipped disc, not garnering the attention it deserves. This collection is Jody at her finest, using her sexuality to ride the groove and beats, setting a romantic, down-tempo mood with feel-good vibes. Some may have forgotten that Jody started off as a Solid Gold dancer and was in the band Shalamar. She keeps those chirpy disco-inspired melodies and refrains intact on Midnight Lounge. This is the album Janet Jackson tried to make with her recent efforts All For You and Damita Jo. Jody even has the last laugh by wearing her trademark hoop earrings on Midnight Lounge's cover. While we might have to wait for her follow-up to Midnight Lounge or rumored jazz collection to drop, Watley currently has a single out now with the outfit Cyber-X, singing on the euro-trance song 'Waves of Love.'
