Gyuto Monks Tibetan Tantric Choir. Emma Bunton.__________
If you had a date with John Waters, most likely you would catch a movie—either by going to a drive-in or renting something by Rhys Meyer. For the Valentine's Day-themed A Date With John Waters, the director of the classics Hairspray and Pink Flamingos compiles an eclectic assortment of songs that is fitting to his film style.
Oddities re-define romance on Johnny Are You Queer by Josie Cotton; In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine with Iris DeMent; and the ultimate twisted love song, Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun by Waters regular Mink Stole. Even Tina Turner testifies that All I Can Do Is Cry as she watches her guy marrying a different woman. Elton Motello recounts 'he gives me head' once he realizes he falls for a closet case on the catchy number Jet Boy Jet Girl.
As with his holiday collection A John Waters Christmas, I found myself wondering where the Cry Baby director found these fitting tunes. If his outlandish choices do not cause you to laugh hysterically, then the liner notes detailing Waters' dream date certainly will.
Sometimes love has its own sense of justice, as heard on Lily Allen's breakout hit, Smile. Here, the British singer rejoices knowing that her ex is hitting hard times, similar to grief he put her through. The video shows Allen's boyfriend being mugged, getting his apartment broken into and finding his sacred records scratched while the 21 year-old coos 'When I see you cry/Yeah, it makes me smile' over a light reggae groove. Oh, young love. After having cemented her loyal fan base thanks to MySpace, Allen has garnered the most Brit Music Award nominations this year—a fantastic four in all, which is certainly not bad for her debut bow. Allen will be performing at The Metro on Feb. 8 and is slated to be one of the many draws at The Coachella Festival on April 29.
Is Baby Spice leaping from Spice World to The Valley of the Dolls? Based on her third solo outing, Life In Mono, Emma Bunton comes across as a transplant from the Burt Bacharach dynasty. One would figure that the title cut, her version of Mono's electronic masterpiece, would have some zest, since she now leads a life in mono sans the Spice Girls. But here it sounds like she is singing at a karaoke bar. Granted, this formula worked for No Doubt's remake of Talk Talk's It's My Life. Maybe, I am partial to the originals over these tepid covers. If nothing else, Bunton gives the short-lived duo a breath of new life. Bunton fares much better on the set's feature single—a lively rendition of Petula Clark's number one hit, Downtown.
She has sung timeless love songs, including Missing You and Endless Love. Now Diana Ross returns in a romantic mood with a collection from the heart simply titled I Love You. The icon incorporates the new title track among her takes on Bill Withers' Lovely Day, Marvin Gaye's I Want You and Bacharach's The Look of Love. Expect an upcoming world tour; also expect an appearance on this season of American Idol as she offers guidance to the hopefuls. On Feb. 19, tune into Inside the Actor's Studio on Bravo, as the singer and acting sensation will be the special guest. Also look for loyal fan RuPaul in the studio's audience. Last we heard, the busy Miss Ross still has not seen Dreamgirls.
You don't have to look like Richard Karn from Home Improvement or find Simon Cowell sexier than his co-host Ryan Seacrest to enjoy Bear Tracks 4. This Woobie Bear Music compilation offers witty material, ranging from folk ( Shucks The Homosexual Song ) to humorous cabaret ( My Penis Has A Mind Of Its Own ) to experimental ( Breathe; Axis ) —and it is all by bears! Switch 22 takes dance anthems like Dive In The Pool and Ssst ( Listen ) out of hibernation with Woof. Patrick Kelley chronicles the curses of drinking over appealing guitar riffs on the intoxicating I'm Drunk. Jinx Titanic's live favorite, Trade, works well here among an international assortment of artists. This 18-track CD is out now.
For an unique Valentine's Day experience, celebrate the Tibetan New Year with The Gyuto Monks Tibetan Tantric Choir at the Harris Theater on Feb. 17. For over three centuries, these monks have been chanting in their multitonal style. Grateful Dead's percussionist Mickey Hart, a fan of their vocal prowess, is working on introducing the monks stateside. Tickets are available exclusively through The Harris Theater box office and TicketWeb.
Also that weekend, The Flesh Hungry Dog Show is presenting a special I Love Rock 'n Roll concert at Jackhammer. Sharing the bill are the female-fronted hard-rock act Baby Kage, EaVil and Minneapolis's Tough Tough Skin. The all-queer punk festivities begin at 9 p.m. on Feb. 16 and the cover is $8.