Sarah McLachlan has a knack at lulling me to sleep with her dreamy melodies. Her latest, Laws of Illusion, opens with "Awakenings," whose guitars swear off any chance of slumber. On "Forgiveness," our newly separated heroine is not willing to let her former lover back into her heart. This is done in a beloved McLachlan fashion and is begging to be used in a movie trailer for a romantic tear-jerker.
Another standout is "Out of Tune," an ode to the one who makes everything alright in a chaotic world. "Bring on the Wonder" is progressive and modern, as if it was plucked from Imogen Heap's latest. "Don't Give up on Us" and "U Want Me 2" were first heard on the Canadian's 2008 retrospective.
This year, McLachlan is reviving Lilith Fair. Unfortunately, a series of dates has been cancelled already. Lilith Fair is coming to Chicagoland Saturday, July 17, with a stop at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland, Tinley Park. Some of the attractions on the bill are Heart, Mary J. Blige, La Roux, Kate Nash and, of course, McLachlan.
In conjunction with the tour's return, there is the companion compilation Lilith 2010. Granted it seems quite pop-oriented with the likes of Ke$ha, Rihanna and Kelly Clarkson. At least hipsters and rising artists like Tegan & Sara, Brandi Carlile and Kate Miller-Heidke offer indie credibility.
On her classic "Love and Affection," Joan Armatrading declares, "I'm not in love, but I am open to persuasion." On This Charming Life, The True Color Tours alumna is very much in love, as heard on the exceptional "Heading Back to New York City," "Virtual Reality" and the title track. This set is mostly up-tempo rock songs with guitar chords and drums sustaining the material, save the superb, somber closing track "Cry." Armatrading's world tour to promote This Charming Life comes to The House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, on Sunday, July 25.
On Saturday, July 17, Chicago singer-songwriter Dylan Rice is hosting a record release concert for his eagerly awaited sophomore bow Electric Grids & Concrete Towers at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln. Rice excels at taking his listeners on a journey with his storytelling and Morrissey-like delivery, as heard on the timeless "Emma Jane" and "Homewrecker's Lament." Electric Grids & Concrete Towers is out now on Deep Tissue Records.
Robyn continues to break the mold with her electro-pop and hip hop sound on her latest Body Talk Pt. 1. This will be the first of three albums Robyn plans to release in the next year.
Body Talk Pt. 1's lead single is the remarkable "Dancing on My Own," which has the same broken-hearted storyline over an irresistible beat as her comeback single "With Every Heart Beat."
The singer behind "Show Me Love" has a potential anthem with the electro goodie "Fembot." Here, she sings, "I've got some news for you, fembots have feelings too." It is a scrumptious Scandinavian pairing, as Royskopp contributes to "None of Dem," where Robyn pleas for better music from DJs and fellow pop acts. Robyn steps away from the pulsating beats with an acoustic version of her don't fall in love with me warning "Hang with Me" and the Swedish standard "Jag Vet en Dejlig Rosa" ( I Know a Lovely Rose ) . Robyn's stateside tour starts off here in Chicago at Pitchfork Music Festival on Friday, July 16. She will have select concert dates elsewhere with Kelis.
Maybe Peter Murphy's vampire connection is immortal. First his band Bauhaus performed "Bela Lugosi's Dead" during the opening of the 1983 vampire film The Hunger. Now, the goth rocker sinks his teeth into a cameo in the latest installment of the Twilight franchise. Here, he appears as a colonial vampire during a flashback scene told during the council meeting. Murphy is planning to release his latest solo effort Ninth this fall and The Dirty Dirt Tour kicks off at the end of this month overseas with more dates to be announced.
It is a time warp back to the early '90s as Lords of Acid and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult are taking to the stage at The Cubby Bear, 1059 W. Addison, on Saturday, July 24. Lords of Acid is best known for its sexually aggressive techno tracks like "I Sit on Acid" and "Crablouse." My favorite, "The Most Wonderful Girl," is featured in the film Sliver. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult does not escape fine cinema either, as the industrial outfit has two songs on the Showgirls soundtrack. Both acts have wild live shows, just be sure to wear lots of black.
At Pride Fest, the crowd was treated to a performance by Frenchie Davis. In 2008 Davis called out protesters during her set. ( This has become a sensation on YouTube. ) This year, the American Idol contestant belted out hits like "Million Dollar Bill," "When Love Takes Over" and "Halo" better than the original recording artists. She treated the sea of fans to an encore performance of "When Love Takes Over."
After Davis joined Inaya Day for "One Night Only" and "Nasty Girl," I caught up with her backstage. I had to ask if the beautiful diva feels the connection from the audience that we feel from her. Her face lit up with a smile. She also said to expect another single to drop shortly. Then she will be in a production of Cinderella in California as the fairy godmother. The vocal powerhouse juggles all of this while she is a student, studying vocal rehabilitation. Now that's what makes an idol.
