SOUND CHECK.SCISSOR scissor pertaining to scissors; like scissors in effect. scissor bite see scissor bite. scissor mouth a narrow space between the rami of the mandible so that the molar arcades do not meet. SISTERS: ``Scissor Sisters'' (Universal) - Three stars AM radio, take note: Just when you thought the world had moved on to '90s nostalgia, along comes this campy New York group whose witty '70s-style tunes and top-notch production makes for a noise so catchy it's been lingering at the top of the U.K. charts and in local dance clubs for weeks. Think prime-time Elton, Bowie, Bee Gees, Roxy Music, Giorgio Moroder's glam disco and a little Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH) was a UK dance-pop band that was popular in the mid 1980s. The Liverpool group was fronted by Holly Johnson (vocals), supported by Paul Rutherford (vocals, keyboards), Peter Gill (drums, percussion), Mark O'Toole (bass guitar) and Brian Nash for starters. But it's not just a fashion thing - the five Sisters have come up with some unusually good stuff on this self-titled debut. After two listens to the lively trio of dance-floor stompers Stompers were first created in 1980 by Schaper Toys. These toys were battery-powered vehicles that ran on a single AA battery and featured all-wheel drive. They were driven by a single motor that turned both axles. that open the disc, an unabashed grin begins to spread; pop music rarely feels this good anymore. Funky bass, falsetto falsetto (fôlsĕt`tō) [Ital.,=diminutive of false], high-pitched, unnatural tones above the normal register of the male voice, produced, according to some theories, by the vibration of only the edges of the larynx. vocals and wah-wah guitar power the groovers ``Laura,'' ``Take Your Mama'' and a sparse remake of Pink Floyd's rehab anthem, ``Comfortably Numb,'' that wouldn't be out of place on the ``Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. ``Scissor Sisters'' loses steam on a couple of tepid ballads, but what works delivers a jolt. - Fred Shuster VARIOUS: ``Happy Birthday Newport! 50 Swinging Years'' (Columbia/Legacy) - Three and one half stars It's hard to find with a three-disc collection that features the pantheon of jazz greats - Monk, Coltrane, Miles, Brubeck, Ellington and orchestra - at the peak of their powers. Still, aficionados will probably have a sense of deja vu listening to this collection's 27 cuts, since 26 of them have been previously released. Of course, you'd have to be a serious collector to have amassed all the material here, culled from the celebrated festival's distant past. (The majority of the songs were recorded between 1956 and 1963.) Call this a great one-stop purchase then. And the one unreleased track, Miles Davis' 1955 ``comeback'' performance with Thelonious Monk on `` 'Round Midnight,'' elevates this set to must-have status for anyone who considers this particular tune to be the pinnacle expression of late-night introspection. - Glenn Whipp MEAT PURVEYORS: ``Pain by Numbers'' (Bloodshot blood·shot adj. Red and inflamed as a result of locally congested blood vessels, as of the eyes. bloodshot Vox populi adjective ) - Four stars Sort of a Texas hill country meth lab answer to Fleetwood Mac (they even do an amphetamine/acoustic rendition of ``Monday Morning'' here), this band is all about the sorrows of women who drink too much and love too well. Lead singer Jo Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. gets both wicked wit and heart-palpitating anguish into her tales of befogged be·fog tr.v. be·fogged, be·fog·ging, be·fogs 1. To cover or obscure with or as if with fog. 2. To cause confusion in; muddle. Adj. 1. romance, made all the more blood-curdling by Cherilyn DiMond's razor-blade harmonizing. This is psycho banjo, maddened mandolin mandolin (măn'dəlĭn`, măn`dəlĭn'), musical instrument of the lute family, with a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum. , ferocious fiddle bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. impurity at its, well, purest. - Bob Strauss JULIA FORDHAM: ``That's Life'' (Vanguard) - Three stars Though equipped with a four-octave range, it's Fordham's warm, rich honeyed hon·eyed v. A past tense and a past participle of honey. adj. also hon·ied 1. Containing, full of, or sweetened with honey. 2. Ingratiating; sugary: honeyed words. tones that immediately grab you on the infectious rhythm and groove ``Sugar,'' the first cut on her latest CD (out on Tuesday). Being seduced by the English singer-songwriter's mellifluous mel·lif·lu·ous adj. 1. Flowing with sweetness or honey. 2. Smooth and sweet: "polite and cordial, with a mellifluous, well-educated voice" H.W. Crocker III. voice has been easy since the release of her first full album, the titillating tit·il·late v. tit·il·lat·ed, tit·il·lat·ing, tit·il·lates v.tr. 1. To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle. 2. To excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically. ``Porcelain.'' What's noticeable on this album and her previous one - the stellar ``Concrete Love'' - is that her songwriting has reached a consistently higher level. While there are no emotional knockout punches in this 10-song collection, like when she solemnly swears, ``I'd take a bullet for you,'' on ``Concrete's'' ``Love'' (and you feel it), tunes like ``Perfect Me,'' ``Downhill Sunday'' and ``Jump'' display wit and heart, both lyrically and musically, and benefit from Larry Klein's sparely elegant production. - Rob Lowman THE PIERCES: ``Light of the Moon'' (Universal South) - Three stars These two sisters, born to hippie parents in Birmingham, Ala., don't just share a love for ballet, they share a love for harmonizing, which is something they do very well on this set of bleeding-heart folk rockers. Allison and Catherine Pierce wrote all 11 tracks, some with the help of producer Brian Sperber, who has worked with Guided by Voices and Dinosaur Jr. The standouts include the ethereal opener ``The Space Song'' and ``A Way to Us,'' which sounds an awful lot like something Alanis Morissette might sing on a good day. But the real gem here is ``Louisa,'' a breakup song abounding with gorgeous harmonies and a melody you'll be singing for days. In stores Tuesday. - Sandra Barrera CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Scissor Sisters) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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