"Living on borrowed time..."
Mary Gauthier, Mara Levi, Daniel Cartier, Ani DiFranco, and many many more By A.C. Pomeroy, Leslie Claire, Andrea Rodricks, Jack Varsi, Tim Brookover, Lance Scott Walker, and Suzie Lynde
Mary Gauthier Mercy Now Mary Gauthier: "I know in my heart that I should be dead. Most of my friends are dead. The way I lived, I had no respect at all for my own life. So I'm living on borrowed time--and there's liberation in that." Realizing at 12 that she was gay, Mary Gauthier (pronounced "go-SHAY") left home at 15 rather than endure the conformity of her family's right-wing Louisiana existence. She has lived off the streets, sunk to the bottom, survived her addictions, and emerged from darkness. She won notice as a respect-ed restaurateur before writing her first song at 35; Mercy Now is her fourth album. Here is a masterful lyricist and outstanding songwriter in top form. Gauthier's rough, frank vocals only add to the moody, atmospheric quality of the album as a whole, and convey an unsparing truthfulness about her subject matter. Gauthier takes bleak topics and handles them so artfully that the listener can't help but be riveted. This is music meant to be listened to, not played as background noise. While many might not care to know about production values and musical arrangement, their superb quality make it easy to listen to. Finally, Gauthier is stunningly original in a genre that often isn't. From Lost Highway (www.losthighwayrecords.com). Info: www.marygauthier.com. -- A.C. Pomeroy
Mara Levi Life's a Ball With her debut album, Life's a Ball, out artist Mara Levi seeks to introduce a new music category she refers to as "smart pop." She aims for complex but accessible tunes, featuring her trademark harmonies and indie-pop sound. Often compared to Aimee Mann and Alanis Morissette, Levi showcases her voice in a bold, unaffected manner, foregoing much of the usual vocal effects processing. Her confident guitar work transcends its folk roots and stands up to the more rock-inspired tracks such as "Without Alarm," while the meditative "Makes No Difference" highlights arrangements with piano strings, and horns. The album's range from fast-paced rockers to pensive ballads illustrates Levi's musical diversity while never straying from her direct and genuine style. Info: www.maralevi.com. -- Leslie Claire
Daniel Cartier Revival Revival moves from the disco-fied, flirty funk of "Supafly" to the electro-tinged yearnings of love of "Everybody Wants to Be Loved by Somebody" to the folky angst of "All the Times I've Seen You Go By." The ballad "What's It Gonna Be?" is a tribute to Matthew Shepard, a haunting track which combines piano flourishes amid Cartier's distinctive vocals. The album's many moods blend into an engaging whole, with thoughtful, provocative lyrics that should strike a chord with anyone gay or gay-friendly. Cartier also contributed the heartfelt love song, "Be With Me Here," to FigJam Entertainment's "Marry Me" compilation, a double CD benefitting the ACLU Foundation's Lesbian & Gay Rights and AIDS projects. -- Troy Carrington
Ani DiFranco Knuckle Down Ani DiFranco's latest album, Knuckle Down, was recorded in collaboration with a host of musicians as opposed to her trademark independent productions. DiFranco invited songwriter Joe Henry to co-produce the album she calls "inspiring," due to the relationship between her and the other musicians. With a deep desire to keep her independence and artistic control, the openly bisexual DiFranco, equipped with her guitar and unforgettable voice, offers irresistible songs crafted as short stories. From Righteous Babe Records (www.righteousbabe.com).-- Andrea Rodricks
Joey Heatherton Joey Heatherton When I was offered the opportunity to contribute a few remarks on a recently issued CD compilation of the legendary Joey Heatherton's "greatest hits," I didn't hesitate for a moment in accepting the task. I mean, how hard could it be to dash off a few sarcastic remarks about a woman who starred in movies like My Blood Runs Cold (1965) and The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington (1977). Well, let's just say I shouldn't be so judgmental! Listening to 1972's The Joey Heatherton Album (tracks 1-10 of this new release), I was pleasantly surprised to discover that in her youth Heatherton actually had a very pleasant singing voice and her schmaltzy, over-produced renditions of Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry," and "Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows" would probably sound fabulous if you were trapped on the top floor of The Towering Inferno and Maureen McGovern was either unavailable or burnt to a crisp. However, if the '70s stuff doesn't grab you, make sure you stick around for bonus tracks 11-21. This group was exhumed from various 1960s sessions and you can hear most of the major influences of the era, including The Brill Building, Phil Spector, and Motown. The best selection from this group is undoubtedly "My Blood Runs Cold," presumably the title song from the 1965 film, which, incidentally, starred Heatherton and Troy Donahue. Heatherton's CD brings back two eras. The cover, I must warn you, brings back her uncovered boobs. From Hip-O Select (www.hip-oselect.com). -- Jack Varsi
Tina Turner All the Best Tina Turner has been a part of music history for four decades and has covered a lot of ground, musically. Her latest collection of greatest hits, All the Best, follows the extraordinary journey and recorded works of this iconic performer. The double CD anthology includes early tracks, '80s classics, and three new recordings, including "Cose Della Vita," a duet with Italian superstar Eros Ramazzotti, From EMI Records (www.emirecords.com). More info: Capitol Records (www.capitolrecords.com). --AR
Diahann Carroll The Magic of Diahann Carroll I feel a twinge of melancholy as I enjoy this re-release compilation of two Carroll albums from 1960. It's not that the CD isn't sensational. (It is.) Rather, as the tracks clicked off, I ruminated that given the brilliance of Carroll's vocalizing (based on this disc and a 1962 clip from her Tony-winning performance in the musical No Strings that I recently spotted on PBS) and her great beauty, she would have become a major star had her skin color fit the American notion of what a star looked like at the time. Fortunately, we have the music. The first half of Magic is a soulful studio session with the Andre Previn trio, and the second is a live recording from what must have been a sizzling cabaret act. While every track is a gem, Carroll's wicked reading of the usually perky standard "Goody Goody" is a current favorite. From DRG Records (www.drgrecords.com). -- Tim Brookover
Populuxe Deep in an American Evening If it weren't for the Thomas Hine book by the same title, you could imagine that a populuxe was some sort of jukebox that takes pop songs, churns them up, and spits them back out with different arrangements. That's because this SoCal band does a textbook job of sounding unique on nearly every one of these 10 tracks. It is rich, unpredictable pop at every turn--tight in all the right places and never overbearing, but they mostly get points from me because they played at the Balinese Room in my hometown of Galveston last year. From UE3 Records (www.populuxehq.com). -- Lance Scott Walker Editor's note: At press time, the gay-friendly Populuxe was scheduled to appear in Houston on Feb. 25 at Hard Rock Café, 713/227-1392. Other Texas cities include Austin (Feb. 23 at UT Towers and Feb. 24 at Hard Rock Café) and Beaumont (Feb. 26 at The Vortex). Call venues to confirm dates.
Madeleine Peyroux Careless Love Acoustic blues, country ballads, torch songs, and pop--Madeleine Peyroux covers vintage songs with respect for their origins as well as her own distinctive style. An American raised in France, the youthful Peyroux sings with a sophistication and technique beyond her years. Her vocals have often been compared to Billie Holiday's, but Peyroux makes the songs her own with her sultry, evocative alto and poignant delivery. The rich, retro arrangements will delight jazz and blues fans; the urbane quality of Peyroux's stirring technique ranks as an exciting discovery among all that is bland and insipid in so many current releases. From Rounder Records (www.rounder.com). Info: www.madeleinepeyroux.com. --LC
Emma Bunton Free Me Emma Bunton hopes to show America that Baby Spice has grown up. With Free Me, Bunton has returned to one of her favorite eras: the swinging '60s. The album displays such influences as singers Dusty Springfield and Petula Clark, songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Motown, and Brazilian pop singer Astrud Gilberto. The album features brassy, sophisticated pop as well as seductive, Brazilian-influenced numbers. Bunton has had tremendous success with Free Me, already selling more than 100,000 albums in the U.K. and which has produced four hit singles. "My mum and dad would play Motown records every morning. That passionate, raw feeling influenced every song on this album," she says. From 19 Recordings/UMVD. Info: www.emmabuntonofficial.com. -- Suzie Lynde
Barbara Cook From the Heart: The Best of Rogers and Hart Because she never made the leap to the screen, Barbara Cook is not as popularly known as other Broadway legends. But she was a major stage star of the '50s, creating roles in such landmark shows as Music Man and Candide, before becoming a cabaret standard. In the liner notes to this re-release of her 1959 album, Cook writes that these ballads reflect that her concern at that time was "with singing very 'purely.'" Indeed, the sweetness of her vocals cloys a bit, despite her obvious gifts. Aside to non-theater queens: Lyricist Lorenz Hart was gay and pined for composing partner Richard Rogers (it's a sad story). From DRG Records (www.drgrecords.com). More info: www.barbaracook.com. --TB
JoshuaGabriel JoshuaGabriel Original and adamant, JoshuaGabriel's sound is undiluted and raw as a bottle of Night Train stuffed in a paper bag. He rhymes and laments and rails against The Man, The System, and the phonies, over lo-fi guitar-picking, strumming, and riffing. In full band mode, he sounds like an über-urban version of G-Love, with the political outrage of Billy Bragg and the black humor of the Beastie Boys. His style, labeled not just indie rock and hip-hop, but also anti-folk, mixes political lyrics and protest songs with acoustic guitar. His old-school beat-boxing and distorted guitar riffs sound like Grand Master Flash jamming with Jimmy Page. Throughout, the album shocks and inspires with a timely political message and a refreshing artistic sensibility that never waivers or compromises. From 14B Records. Info: www.joshuagabriel.com. --TC
Various Artists Show Stoppers, Too! Frankly, every number on this padded collection from seven recent DRG Broadway cast recordings isn't a showstopper. All three Elaine Stritch belters from her one-woman hit--notably "I'm Still Here"--certainly qualify. Bea Arthur's foghorn voice sells four tracks from her solo act, including two bawdy tales--one, she explains, the favorite story of her friend, the late, great drag diva Charles Pierce. The terrifically entertaining "Freak/Ode to Attention Seekers" from Taboo makes me think that the Rosie O'Donnell-produced flop got a bum rap. From DRG Records (www.drgrecords). --TB
Broadway Cast Recording Wonderful Town In May, I reviewed the first recording of the revival of the Comden and Green/Leonard Bernstein show, which starred the divatastic Donna Murphy. After Murphy departed, Brooke Shields took over the role of Ruth Sherwood, the tougher half of the Sherwood sister duo from Ohio. Obviously hoping to capitalize on Shields' celebrity, DRG quickly released a second cast album. Shield isn't a razzle-dazzle star with a singular voice like Murphy, but she is surprisingly good. Jennifer Hope Wills, the new Ruth Sherwood in only her second Broadway show, is the revelation. She may be a star of tomorrow. From DRG Records (www.drgrecords.com). --TB
Martika Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika It's a sure bet that, for a long time, this late '80s pop star would probably get bummed when people pointed out that she used to be on the embarrassing children's TV dance show Kids Incorporated . But then she surpassed that in a way, forging a legitimate career for herself that hinged on her single "Toy Soldiers," which the high priest of homophobia, Eminem, has now "sampled." This, of course, means he bought the song and called it his own, paying up in lieu of actually writing something. What it really does, though, is to set the stage for a possible Martika revival, much like Dido experienced when Eminem paid her for "Thank You." It also means that Martika has now come full circle, and that everybody can once again point out that she was in Kids Incorporated! From Legacy (www.legacyrecordings.com). --LSW
Living Colour Live at CBGB This album was recorded at CBGB in 1989 to coincide with the band's original signing to Epic Records. At that time, Living Colour was on fire. Their 1988 debut "Vivid" had reached No. 6 on the charts and achieved platinum certification. Their monster Top-20 hit "Cult of Personality" was in heavy rotation at MTV and had garnered the first of the group's Grammy awards. In December of that year, they came "home" to New York City's famed CBGB, where they had honed their act just a few years before as a fledgling band. This album captures the raw power, skill, and fearlessness that catapulted Living Colour to fame and broke through rock stereotypes. From Epic/Legacy (www.livefromthevaults.com). --TC >
Ani Minasian Mercedes Emerging Plenty of people have used songwriting to stand up to those who have tried to break them down, but few have done so with the compassion and style that Ani Minasian does. The bluesy pop-rock of these three numbers is captivating, with tight, precise instrumentation, memorable rhythms, and most of all, Minasian's earthy vocals. Her lyrics touch on personal and social themes with a spiritual undertone. She's more concerned with maintaining her own focus than being signed to a label, and chooses to sing about only what matters to her. Reflecting her feminism and humanistic attitude, the songs express her strength and independence while keeping a fascinating, up-tempo beat. Info: www.aniwho.com. --SL
Phyllis Addison Seven Gifts These nine songs blend standard instrumentation and vocals with exotic sounds such as the didgeridou, the bansuri flute, the udu, and the sarod. The material for the album was inspired by Addison's teacher, Adi Da Samraj, after a series of events led her to the guru. Moved to sing about this experience, Addison wrote this otherworldly collection in tribute. Addison is a certi-fied NIA and yoga instructor, incorporating her music into routines for energy and movement, and this album would lend itself well to being used in this way. The multi-cultural percussion and vocal styles provide an enchanting change of pace from the usual fare. Info: www.phyllisaddison.com. --SL
The Eroica Trio The Best of The Eroica Trio The critical and commercial success of the Eroica Trio's albums made a "greatest hits" package inevitable. Popular selections from their six recordings have been specially programmed for this compilation. The Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio thrills audiences with their flawless technical virtuosity and irresistible enthusiasm. Whether playing the great standards of the piano trio repertoire or daring contemporary works, the three women who make up this celebrated ensemble electrify the con-cert stage with their performances of depth and precision. The tracks include selections from Albinoni, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Dvorak, Brahms, Rachmaninov, and more. From Angel Records/EMI Classics (www.angelrecords.com). Info: www.eroicatrio.com. --TC
Shivaree Who's Got Trouble? Gorgeous, melancholic, and full of surprises, here's a collection of melodic enchantment that shows Ambrosia Parsley to be one of the great musical storytellers. A city girl with an old-fashioned heart, Parsley's bewitching voice is a revelation as accompanied by longtime cohorts Duke McVinne (guitars) and Danny McGough (keyboards). Sounding at times like Mary Ford trysting with the Stranglers, Shivaree asks "Who's Got Trouble?," the question posed in the film Casablanca and the inspiration for the album's lead track. You might have caught Shivaree's atmospheric "Goodnight Moon" (from their 1999 album I Oughtta Give You a Shot in the Head for Making Me Live in This Dump) in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol. 2. From Zoë Records. Info: www.shivaree.com. --SL
Sequentia Lost Songs of a Rhineland Harper In 1993, Sequentia scored a surprise hit, in classical music terms, with Canticles of Ectasy, a recording of music by the medieval composer, writer, and theologian Hildegard von Bingen. Now the early-music ensemble has released this beautiful set of 10th- and 11th-century middle-European songs. Sequentia co-founder Benjamin Bagby discovered these works in the library of Cambridge University in a millennium-old collection of Latin and German songs. From BMG Classics (www.bmgclassics.com). --TB
Cardinal Trait You Already Know What type of music would you expect from a young band from the middle of Oklahoma? Downhome country? Foot-stomping rock 'n' roll? It's more a combination of the two. But though Cardinal Trait is blending two well-established musical styles, they manage to infuse the songs with their own personal style and create something all their own. With this debut album, Cardinal Trait blends pop, rock, and country, creating an album that is memorable and infectious. By bringing together their individual influences, everything from rap to metal to country, they produce a gritty roots rock album that's already getting positive attention. From Emanon Records (www.emanonrecords.com). Info: www.cardinaltrait.com. --TC
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Lyza Wilson Lyza Wilson Wilson's voice is the focal point of her self-titled debut album, a pop-rock confection very much in the current vogue. Her vocal stylings are often powerful, with the kind of ornamentation enjoying popularity of late. Sometimes reminiscent of Meredith Brooks or Natalie Merchant, and sometimes Christina Aguilera on dance numbers such as "I Like It," Wilson has surrounded herself with a tight band with plenty of guitars and rhythm. The tunes are melodic and appealing, and Wilson's warm, energetic style will please pop and dance fans. From 12:12 Records/Overdrive Productions. Info: www.lyzawilson.com. -SL
Michael Massimo Massimo Michael Massimo used a string of bad fortune as fuel for new songs, creating this self-titled five-song album. On these songs, Massimo and his band have drawn comparisons to melodic rock acts such as Live and the Goo Goo Dolls. "Anywhere But Here," a brutally honest song, uses Massimo's superb vocals as the centerpiece while blending acoustic and electric guitars with crisp and compelling rhythms. "Accident," a gritty and brooding rocker, shows a palette of influences from country to rock. Reminiscent of Pearl Jam in their intensity and power, the band pulls out all the stops for this commanding effort. From Skytide Music. Info: www.michaelmassimo.com. -SL
Sharon West Canvas of My Soul Sharon West's instrumental album, Canvas of My Soul , offers a blending of electronically produced songs that many New Age fans will enjoy. The album as a whole is meant "to evoke an internal dialog between the composer and the listener, and then to spur an even deeper dialog between the listener and the inner self." West says, "I have always been fascinated with 'the big questions' and originally started out to make a meditation CD, but then my music isn't really meditation music." The album, featuring electronically sampled sounds such as piano, glass choir, shakuhachi flute, pastoral guitar, and cello, seeks to offer an ambient and relaxing experience. From DustyDreams Productions (www.dustydreams.com ). --SL
