At this year's Alt Q Festival, Ellis captivated the audience with her contagious laugh. Alone on the stage, she opened with the mesmerizing "Blackbird," from 2008's Break the Spell. Her latest outing, Right on Time, features her humorous ode to java, "Coffee Song." The title track's chorus beautifully compliments Ellis's guitar-plucking. The Minnesota-based singer-songwriter returns with a concert at Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport, on Thursday, July 7, with female folk quartet Blame Sally also on the bill.
Good luck trying not to snap your fingers to the rhythm of Live at Enrico's by Josh Klipp and the Klipptones. Backed by a trio of instrumentalists, Klipp revisits to his jazz roots with a great assortment of classics. Pianist John R. Burr has a key role here, flirting with the San Francisco crooner on "The Way You Look Tonight" and "I've Got the World on a String." Whether tackling uptempo numbers like "I Won't Dance" or "Route 66" or the ballads "Bewildered," Klipp covers the material here seamlessly.
On his full-length solo debut, Won't Stop Now, Klipp hints to the desire to remake standards with "My Funny Valentine" and "Summertime." Can't get enough of Klipp? Check out his video to "Little Girl."
Acclaimed hit-maker Linda Perry is in a group again, with Tony Tornay in Deep Dark Robot. The duo's 8 Songs about a Girl is out now. Perry shrieks over crunchy rock 'n roll, as heard on "I'm Coming for You!" and "Won't You Be My Girl?" The pair's shining moments are the set's slower numbers. "You Mean Nothing to Me" is softly sung and "Speck" is a quiet piano based ballad. Perry even evokes Tom Waits on "Can't Getcha out of My Head," by singing "feeling like a junkie that's jonesin' for a broken heart." The CD 8 Songs about a Girl certainly follows love stricken emotions on a rollercoaster ride.
Swedish quintet The Sounds steps forth with its most electronic and pop effort yet with Something to Die For. The opener "It's So Easy" is slick while "Dance with the Devil" brings back some of the band's rock tendencies. On "Diana" lead singer Maya Ivarsson pleas for a woman to "stay with me tonight ... you always leave in the morning light." "Better off Dead" has a terrific, moody introduction, but it transforms into a catchy track. Fans of Blondie and sugary Scandinavian music should check out Something to Die For by The Sounds.
Need an alternative to Lady Gaga's Born This Way or Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite? Look no further than Make a Scene by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. I find it criminal that this raspy-voiced vixen has yet to find the due respect on this side of the Atlantic. Make a Scene has four stellar collaborations that have already been released, highlighted by "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" with Freemasons and "Not Giving up on Love" with Armin van Burren. "Off & On" was originally intended for Roisin Murphy, but Ellis-Bextor claims this electro goodie as her own here. "Revolution" has a shout-out to her signature hit "Murder on the Dancefloor." Available only via import shops, Make a Scene deserves chance either for a pride party playlist, long distance car trip or cardio routine.
This year's Pridefest boasts a familiar, crowd-pleasing mix of beloved local festival-circuit-touring cover bands like Sixteen Candles, Rock Candy and Wedding Banned intertwined with soul and dance divas Mya, Xelle, Crystal Waters, Inaya Day and Ultra Nate on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25. For a complete schedule, please visit http:// www.chicagoevents.com .
As I weed through multiple music press releases, it strikes me as odd that there is such a double standard when it comes to LGBT issues in the media. There are bands out there named The Queers, Gay Blades, Lesbian and Gayngs, which—as far as I know—have no queer identifying members. Even the most likely all-heterosexual British act Gay for Johnny Depp has a clever name, which was enough for me to shell out for an EP.
Having LGBT descriptors in the group's brand may serve as an attention getter, but it is unlikely you have heard of these bands otherwise. Sure, the LGBT market is a loyal one, but we have yet to see an out popstar win American Idol or top the charts stateside since Sir Elton John has claimed this feat with "Something about the Way You Look Tonight" backed with the reworking of "Candle in the Wind" in 1997.
When Adam Lambert came out, Gene Simmons told AOL that the American Idol runner-up should "shut the fuck up" and that "he's killed his career," because of the homophobia in the world.
Scissor Sisters is a festival headliner overseas. Yet in the band's native and puritanical America, the quartet tours in mid-sized venues, while respectably selling albums. However, Top 40 radio will not add this mostly gay group into heavy rotation.
So why would a blossoming act adorn a scarlet letter by having a queer-descriptor in its name? Maybe the bands want nothing more than to stir some curiosity, get a foot in the door or have a conversation starter, so much so that the intrigued will give their material a chance.
Whether or not we, as members of the LGBT community, find this flattering, let's hope there will be another out and proud chart-topper soon.
Soundtrack to summer: Recent albums by LGBT artists
—8 Songs about a Girl by Dark Deep Robot
—The Mean Days by 8 Inch Betsy
—As American As Ones and Zeroes by Friend Slash Lover
—Tonight the Angels by Haberdashery
—See the Light by Jessica 6
—Live at Enrico's by Josh Klipp and the Klipptones
—Sing It Loud by kd lang and the Siss Boom Bang
—Glamazon by RuPaul
—Something to Die For by The Sounds
—Marker by TimPermanent
