THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Of the female vocalists that have become household names over the years, Christina Aguilera can outsing most of them. Married last year and with a fresh new sound, the former Mickey Mouse Club star returns with Back to Basics, a double-disc set due on Tues., Aug. 15, on RCA. Aguilera draws inspiration from the 1940s era with her new glamorous image and her blues-hued R&B. On VH1.com, she adds, 'the whole vibe of that time period, it's just so special to me.' This Grammy Award winner hopes to tour intimate venues, stripping down her pop hits into a more cabaret feel. For a piece with InStyle magazine, Christina finally had the chance to meet her idol, Etta James. Other diva heavyweights like Janet Jackson, Beyonce and Jessica Simpson have new projects due out later this summer, but Aguilera does not need to be a 'fighter,' especially if she is making jazz-infused pop music like her summer jam Ain't No Other Man.

Diana Ross' cool jazz collection, Blue, was originally recorded and promptly shelved back in 1972. Blue was intended to accompany the successful Lady Sings the Blues project, one of Ross' career milestones. On this Motown release, Miss Ross sings with such a natural ease to her delivery that it's a shame Blue was filed away until now so that she could concentrate on her pop career instead of risking being labeled a jazz crooner. Ross recorded alternate versions of Smile and Little Girl Blue in the 1970s, but on Blue she favors a slightly different arrangement and mood. With four bonus tracks, including Easy Living and Solitude, Ross tackles classic ballads and toe-tappers alike, summoning the greats like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Cole Porter and the Gershwins.

Speaking of Nina Simone, her ghost seems to be everywhere these days—complete with her haunting voice. The legend's latest 21-track retrospective on BMG, The Very Best of Nina Simone, has hit the Top 10 on the UK pop album charts. DJs have gone through this activist's catalogue, making dance-friendly renditions of her works or just sampling Simone's husky growl. Groovefinder adds new beats to Ain't Got No, I've Got Life for a feel-good summer jam, as heard in Muller's TV commercials abroad. For its 2004 single I Want More ( Part 2 ) , Faithless sampled Simone's refrain from her longing ode Tell Me More and More and Then Some. Even Layo and Bushwacka reworked Simone's Rags and Old Iron into their club smash, Love Story. But the best Simone remixes come from the Verve Remixed series; this influential artist appears on all three installments multiple times. From Verve Remixed Volume 2, the Jaffa remix of Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair adds an irresistible groove to this standout cut. Rumors of a biopic on Simone have been circulating, with R&B singer Mary J. Blige being considered to portray the High Priestess of Soul. If this seems unlikely, just check out Blige's 1999 Mary album cover for a Simone-inspired pose or listen to her sophomore album, My Life.

Clearly Frank Black does not need any pixie dust. Fast Man Raider Man marks Black's 11th solo album in the last 13 years. Raider Man was recorded in part during the Pixies' wildly successful 2005 reunion tour. This 27-song double album features the guitarist from the Pixies singing heartfelt rock 'n roll at its finest. After the European leg of his tour, Black is slated to open for The Foo Fighters this fall, including a date at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre on Fri., Aug. 25. Once he is done touring, there is speculation that Black and the other members of the Pixies might record another album together. Black also contributed a cover of Sugar Daddy to a Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute album called Wig in a Box. Even with his version of Ewan MacColl's Dirty Old Town, Fast Man still has Black crowned as 'the teenager of the year,' but he is just slightly more grown-up now.