Darren Hayes has a lot to sing about these days. This is rather apparent on the former Savage Garden vocalist's third solo outing, This Delicate Thing We've Made, a two-disc, 26-track set. Out on his own label, Powdered Sugar, the Truly Deeply Madly singer-songwriter branches out with more grown-up topics, such as divorce, coming out and losing a friend to AIDS-related complications. Delicate Thing is highlighted by the summer club hit Step Into The Light, where Hayes shows off his vocal range with the refrain 'I've never been in love before.' Having scored dance hits already on his own with Insatiable and Popular, expect Hayes to flourish with the aptly titled On the Verge Of Something Wonderful. The out singer is the spokesperson for The Trevor Project, a hotline aiding youth struggling with their sexuality.
Not ready to let go of summer? Then be sure to check out Bebel Gilberto's latest, Momento. Produced in part by Guy Sigsworth ( Madonna, Bjork, Frou Frou ) and the Brazilian Girls, Momento loses track of time with Gilberto's light, warm, breezy vocals as she croons in Portuguese and English. The cool electronic backdrop will not prevent body temperatures from rising, though. The beautiful Brazilian songbird will be making another stop in Chicago on Sept. 13 at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, with Forro In The Dark as her opening act.
One of the best new romantic remakes is There Is Always Something There To Remind Me by Naked Eyes. This British outfit captured the essence of the early '80s music scene with the personalization of this Burt Bacharach and Hal David standard. Now after a long hiatus, Naked Eyes' surviving member, Pete Byrne, returns, setting his sights on reworking his personal favorites on Fumbling with the Covers. Just do not expect to hear the familiar '80s synthesizers. Fumbling with the Covers favors the simplicity of the acoustic guitar, which makes this album stand out in the vast ocean of cover albums. Opting for new takes on peculiar choices like Elvis Costello's Man Out Of Time and The Beatles' Cry Baby Cry, Byrne even tackles Naked Eyes' standbys Promises, Promises; There Is Always There to Remind Me; and When The Lights Go Out.
Fitzgerald's is the perfect setting for Suzy Bogguss to showcase her new material. Scheduled to perform at the Berwyn hotspot on Sept. 16, this multi-platinum artist two-steps away from her familiar country sound on her latest album, Sweet Danger. On this Loyal Dutchess release, Bogguss is tempted by jazz and blues. Bogguss co-produced Sweet Danger with famed jazz and pop keyboardist Jason Miles ( Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Sting ) .
Also performing at Fitzgerald's SideBar is Jamie Anderson on Sept. 14, as presented by The Oak Park Area Gay and Lesbian Association ( OPALGA ) and the Oak Park Area Arts Council. The recently released Three Bridges compiles Anderson's most-requested material from her 20 years of touring. However, the prerequisite two new songs are included here, too. Just do not expect another coffeehouse tortured folk singer. Anderson's live shows leave the audience in fits of laughter; for proof, listen to I Wanna Be A Straight Guy or Menstrual Tango.
Playing at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, on Sept. 14 is Heavy Trash. Never missing a beat, these gritty guitar rockers pay homage to Americana six-string pioneers, a recipe for an ideal '70s soundtrack. Check out Pure Gold, Kissy Baby and Crazy Pritty Baby for timeless rock. It may seem recycled, but there is no garbage on Heavy Trash's latest Going Way Out With Heavy Trash.
Especially hand picked again by The Indigo Girls to guest on the influential duo's tour, Girlyman is making two stops in The Windy City without the Power Of Two singers. Girlyman will 'serve it up' at 3 p.m. at the Midnight Special Folk Festival on Sept. 9 as well as on Sept. 16 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport. The bluegrass-folk trio strays from Amy Ray's Daemon Records label and released its third album, Joyful Sign, itself.
Stepping into the spotlight on his own at Martyr's, 3855 N. Lincoln, on Sept. 7 is Jesse Harris. While Harris' name may not be instantly recognizable, he is best known for his work with Norah Jones and Bright Eyes. He even co-wrote Jones' Grammy-winning song Don't Know Why. His two most recent projects are his seventh solo album, Feel, and the soundtrack to the Ethan Hawke film The Hottest State, which features greats like Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Cat Power and Feist performing Harris songs. On top of this, Harris is also a producer for the upcoming Billie Holiday tribute compilation due out on Universal. Also on the bill at Martyr's is the buzz-worthy queer New York singer-songwriter Swati.
Blaqk Audio skips past spell check and makes an impressive entry at the top of Billboard's Electronic Albums Chart with its debut, CexCells. Slated to take to the stage at the Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee, on Sept. 18, Blaqk Audio blends the cold '80s electronic sounds of Depeche Mode, Ministry and even Human League with the sensation of more current bands like Evanescence and Shiny Toy Guns. There certainly are similarities to iconic gothic bands, since the CexCells is mixed by Dave Bascombe ( Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, Placebo, Suede ) and Blaqk Audio is the electronic side endeavor of AFI's Jade Puget and Davey Havok.
