Dylan Rice. Amiina. _____________
Some songs just hypnotize you. After many viewings on Logo, I have fallen under the spell of the Magic Tree by Kirsten Price. The video has Price rolling and cooing for the camera among clips from The L Word, since this groove-filled track appears on L Tunes: Music From And Inspired By The L Word. Here the Price is right, sounding like the lovechild of Sophie B. Hawkins and Joss Stone. The Dinah Shore weekend will only get hotter as Price is performing as part of The L Word-themed pool party on April 1. Magic Tree branches out and is also featured on the forthcoming Revolutions CD.
Dubbed as the first compilation of emerging LGBT artists, Revolutions contains some of the hottest queer musicians out there. The Gossip; God-des and She; Sarah Bittens; Jesse O; and Levi Kreis are just some of the talents on the set due out April 17 via Music With A Twist/Columbia Records.
Also on Revolutions is Dylan Rice with his song, The Lie. Rice and his band are scheduled to take to the stage on April 6 at the Hideout to promote this release. Currently, Rice is scoring and recording music for a short film called Potential. The premise is simple; a young pop starlet gets seduced by an industry veteran, who also happens to be a woman. Together the duo write what they hope will be a hit song. No word if Madonna, Missy Elliott or Linda Perry are linked to this project.
Does the title of Aerogramme's latest hint at the Scottish band's stance on its first U.S. tour in four years? Released on Sonic Unyon, My Heart Has A Wish That You Would Not Go has the Scots sounding a bit more epic and is regarded as the group's career-defining work. On board for these stateside dates are label mates A Northern Chorus and fellow Glaswegians The Twilight Sad. Expect a stop at Subterranean on April 9.
The Icelandic female quartet Amiina comes to the Lakeshore Theater on March 23. Following the same ethereal mold as fellow countrymen Sigur Ros, Amiina's sound stems from a variety of instruments, including a saw, autoharps, guitars, a laptop, a glockenspiel and, yes, even their voices. The final product comes across as if the foursome is capable of magically transforming fairy tales and children's imaginations into music. In December Amiina released its first EP, AnimaminA; it's now Kurr, a proper full-length debut that is available through the band's Web site.
Earth Wind & Fire's influence is as elemental as the supergroup's name; its legacy can be heard in contemporary R&B and hip-hop. These greats are being saluted on Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire. The pioneer's founder and leader, Maurice White, wisely matched up the artists with his band's material. All ten selections are newly recorded for this special release. As soon as I heard Angie Stone would be singing Be Ever Wonderful, I was singing my 'gratitude.' The other all-stars on this Stax release include Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi and Mint Condition. Chaka Khan proves she has not lost her funk on the opening Shining Star. On the other hand, Me'Shell NdegeOcello's brilliant psychedelic and Middle Eastern-hued interpretation of Fantasy is so unlike Black Box's 16-plus-year-old take on it, that the two come across as completely different songs. Interpretations is out now.
Patti Smith has seen a lot in recent months. First she was the headliner during CBGB's final concert and then she was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, the Because the Night singer shared the stage with fellow inductees R.E.M., covering the punk anthem I Wanna Be Your Dog. How could we forget this pair did the much overlooked song E-bow The Letter, from REM's 1995 outing New Adventures in Hi-Fi? Smith, who was born in Chicago, has a new album, Twelve, due out in April. Here, Smith is covering the Reagan-era anthem Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise. Don't worry, Smith also will give her spin on works by Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix.
Throaty singer songwriter Lucinda Williams ropes up much acclaim with her Top 20 album, West. First and foremost, Americana songwriting is her ultimate destination, but Williams remains political and even throws in her take on gay marriage. Proud to be a southerner, Williams tries to break stereotypes—not only with her stance on issues, but also her musical influences. She admits Thievery Corporation and Gotan Project are bands she has been listening to a lot of as of late and even works with Hal Willner ( Marianne Faithful, Lou Reed ) as a co-producer on her latest.
When asked about her thoughts on gay marriage, the Grammy winner simply says, 'I think it's great. I mean, who the hell cares? If people want to get married, that should be their prerogative. I'm a strong believer in individual freedom, as long it doesn't hurt other people. In this country, the people are supposed to be the government. It's not supposed to be the government over the people. That's how America was founded—'We the people.' It's your life; you should be able to do what you want with it. It's between you and God.' Williams is embarking on a tour to promote West with two shows at the Vic Theatre on April 13-14.
