Unsigned on the dotted line: six great new CDs from unsigned queer performers that belong in your heavy rotation.It's autumn, when a young musician's thoughts turn toward polities and love. A slew of new releases from independent out artists offers plenty to mull over mull over Verb to study or ponder: he mulled over the arrangements [probably from muddle] Verb 1. long after the silly season Noun 1. silly season - a time usually late summer characterized by exaggerated news stories about frivolous matters for want of real news period, period of time, time period - an amount of time; "a time period of 30 years"; "hastened the period of time of his of politics and family holidays has gone. Stomping Back on Fire Brian Grillo The ex-Extra Fancy front man roars back with this long-awaited follow-up release. Grillo's voice, guitar, and songwriting take center stage on a lean, intense, and (mostly) stripped-down session. The playing is direct, and the words are biting on songs like the angry "Democracy" or the ode "Sustiva." Production goes from sleek to tinny tin·ny adj. tin·ni·er, tin·ni·est 1. Of, containing, or yielding tin. 2. Tasting or smelling of tin: tinny canned food. 3. , but those choices sound intentional--Grillo as vintage Dylan or Cash. Disarming disarming removal of the crown of the canine teeth in primates. Includes denervation of the pulp cavity. Ember Swift Quirky quirk n. 1. A peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy: "Every man had his own quirks and twists" Harriet Beecher Stowe. 2. women singer-songwriters have become a prime Canadian export. Give Swift's eighth release a few minutes, though, and you'll find it hard to turn off. She borrows phrases from the flood of patriotic speeches spilling over the airwaves and turns the meanings around. Acoustic punk is woven with unpredictable jazz rhythms under a bold, sexy, confident, and melodic voice. Even lo-fi drum machines sound exciting and new. Trouble Times Holcombe Waller Waller's third release kicks off with a fuzz of confused guitar, feedback, and then the whispered, "What are you doing?" He ponders politics and love over 13 songs, his gentle, flexible tenor floating above blended electronic and acoustic accompaniment. Standout tracks include "No Enemy," a plea to Condoleezza Rice to come clean; "Literally the End of the World," in which a frustrated Christ declares an early Armageddon; and the final upbeat "Hope is Everywhere." One Emma's Revolution Singer-guitarist Pat Humphries first found folk fame with the instant classic "Swimming to the Other Side." She collaborates here with singer-guitarist Sandy O., creating 13 straightforward, sincere, left-leaning tunes. Emma's Revolution manages to breathe new life into familiar but timely topics, from battle cries ("Bound for Freedom") and illegal immigrants ("If I Give Your Name") to refugees ("Refugee") and pollution ("Silent Spring"). Add points for unexpected arrangements. Where Joy Kills Sorrow Garrin Benfield Benfield has spent four years honing Honing could refer to
In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and Canada around the mid-1960s. songs. Benfield takes his guitar out to play on "Prelude," but he's got plenty of other tricks--a smooth voice, a knack for twisting a lyric, and strong support from longtime collaborator and keyboardist Michael Rodriguez. I Wanna wan·na Informal 1. Contraction of want to: You wanna go now? 2. Contraction of want a: You wanna slice of pie? Be a Republican The Kinsey Sicks These a capella drag mavens are best enjoyed live, but if your summer didn't include a gay ghetto getaway, this disc can help you keep up. The title song clues you in to their Betty Bowers--esque humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was . Other songs veer closer to campy Mad magazine send-ups. Live numbers are the best, such as Trixie's star turn on "I Will Always Love Booze." Having a hard time finding these independent releases at your local store? Find Web sites and online ordering information for all these CDs in the "Issue Links" section of Advocate.com. Davis is editor of UCLAlumni magazine. |
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