Music

R.E.M. – Photo: Courtesy

R.E.M.

Although he didn’t officially come out until 2001, anyone with functioning gaydar picked up on the fact that Michael Stipe of R.E.M. was one of us. Though there was nothing overtly gay in R.E.M.’s lyrics (if you could decipher what Stipe was saying on those first few discs), they had an otherworldly quality - sort of a galactic gothic, if you will. This is particularly true of the attractively packaged expanded double-disc reissue of 1985’s “Fables of The Reconstruction.” The set, which includes the CD booklet, a large poster and photo cards of the band, twanged a bit more than its predecessors on songs such as “Maps and Legends,” “Green Grow The Rushes” and “Wendell Gee.” The second disc features 14 of “The Athens Demos.”

Miss Li

Miss Li

The song “I Heard of a Girl” by Swedish pop singer Miss Li (a.k.a. Linda Carlsson), from her album “Dancing The Whole Way Home” (Minty Fresh/National), takes on more significance following the suicide of bullied 15-year-old student Phoebe Prince. The track opens the disc on a solemn note and it’s hard to shake. “Dirty Old Man” also tackles a serious subject, but presents it in a more upbeat setting. Throughout the disc, Miss Li gives listeners plenty to think about, but she does it so that you don’t feel like you’re being lectured. Miss Li isn’t all work and no fun, as you can hear on “Stuck In The Sand.”

Dragonette performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park on Aug. 7. Visit lollapalooza.com.

Dragonette

Led by Martina Sorbara, Dragonette isn’t afraid to toss in a banjo sound on a dance track such as “Gone Too Far,” from the trio’s “Fixin To Thrill” (Bandroom) disc. “Liar” is a truly delirious dance cut and the syncopated “Easy” is hard to resist. “Pick Up The Phone” has the ring of a dance anthem, and “Big Sunglasses” sounds like an homage to Lady Gaga.

Jeffree Star performs at 7:45 p.m. June 13 in the PUMP! Dance Pavilion at PrideFest.

Jeffree Star

Glam-drogynous Jeffree Star lives up to the title of his sophomore release “Beauty Killer” (Popsicle) right from the start with the wham-bam slam of “Get Away With Murder.” The blood continues to spill forth on “Louis Vuitton Body Bag,” with help from Matt Skiba. The title track, co-written by Sarah Hudson (cousin of Kate and Oliver), who also provides vocal assistance, gallops along at a killer pace, while “Love Rhymes With Fuck You” wants to be a soundtrack for the all-night experience. “Bitch, Please!” is a sexually explicit name-checker’s delight, where “Fame & Riches, Rehab Bitches” is a razor-sharp slap in the face featuring Breathe Carolina. The final track, “Queen of the Club Scene,” will have them lining up to claim the title.

Sugar & Gold

Sugar & Gold’s pump-and-hump “¡Aya!” remix EP teased listeners, giving them a taste of what this “freaky five-some” from San Francisco was capable of doing (i.e. “Slice Me Nice”). Like a left-coast version of Ssion, Sugar & Gold demonstrates a shameless fondness for the disco/dance pop of the ’80s, but delivers it with a sweet and shiny contemporary twist on their second full-length “Get Wet!” (Antenna Farm) disc. “Feels Like Fire” burns up the dance floor, while “Sneek Freq” funks it up. “It’s All Over You” bubbles over like a champagne orgasm and “Stay Soft” will have you working hard, dancing vertically or horizontally. “Bodyaches” is a pain worth enduring, as “Call Me (Softly)” keeps it on a minimal, although no less fierce, level.

Joan Armatrading performs at the Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood in Madison, July 28, 8 p.m. Call 608-241-2435.

Joan Armatrading

As her sizable GLBT following can attest, Joan Armatrading has been blending soul, folk and island-inflected music for nearly 40 years. Her latest, “This Charming Life”( 429), is a massive improvement over the misstep of her previous all-blues disc and serves as a reminder of the best aspects of her highly regarded mid-1970s to mid-1980s output. Utterly charming tracks include the title tune, “Two Tears,” “Goddess of Change,” “Cry” and “Love Love Love.”

Out singer/songwriter Todd Alsup performs June 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Pump! Dance Pavilion at PrideFest Milwaukee.

Is life a cabaret or isn’t it?

The gay male music scene is divided into a few different camps. Julian Yeo and Carlo Chapelle represent the cabaret/show tunes faction. Yeo’s “Deep Purple Dreams” (LML Music) adds a jazz hue to his interpretations of standards by Jobim (“How Insensitive”), Cole Porter (“Love For Sale,” “Anything Goes,” “Too Darn Hot”), Kurt Weil (“September Song”) and Irving Berlin (“Let Yourself Go”), among others. Chapelle’s “Shade of Blue” (LMGPOP) goes for a mood indigo with classics by Hoagy Carmichael (“Nearness of You”), Billie Holiday (“God Bless the Child”) and the Bergmans with Michel Legrand (“What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?”), to name a few.

Lady Gaga – Photo: Courtesy

“The Monster Ball” made its way to Milwaukee Sept. 2 courtesy of its merry mistress of ceremonies, the unstoppable Lady Gaga. And for all who attended the more than two-hour dance party, “the ball” had everything one could ask for: amazing production values, visuals that simply dazzled, state-of-the-art technology (read: excellent sound system) and  non-stop energy coupled with a creative vision spotlighting the Ball’s superstar attraction – Gaga herself.

Melissa Etheridge performs at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 11, at the Riverside Theater. Call 414-286-3663 or go to www.pabsttheater.org.

There are a lot of numbers involved in Melissa Etheridge’s career: one Academy Award; one Juno Award (Canada); one ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award; two Grammy Awards; 15 Grammy nominations; 11 studio albums; 14 million recordings sold in the United States and over 25 million worldwide.

Santana performs at Summerfest July 1.

Big Audio Dynamite

Duran² wasn’t the only 1980s band that worked the dance floor. Following the mid-1980s break-up of his groundbreaking band the Clash, co-founder Mick Jones wasted little time forming Big Audio Dynamite. The dance beats with which Jones and the Clash had been experimenting bloomed completely on 1985’s “This Is Big Audio Dynamite” (Columbia/Legacy). The double-disc reissue contains the original album, featuring such dance-oriented cuts as “Sony,” “The Bottom Line,” “Sudden Impact!” and “Stone Thames” (with its period AIDS-scare message).

Santana

The 1980s weren’t an especially good period for (Carlos) Santana, who was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1970s. But he remedied all of that in 1999 with the release of his comeback album “Supernatural” (Arista/Legacy). Still showcasing his mad guitar skills (check out opener “(Da Le) Yaleo”), “Supernatural” also broadly expanded the rock god’s reach by pairing him up with such hot musicians of the time as Dave Matthews (“Love of My Life”), Everlast (“Put Your Lights On”), Rob Thomas (“Smooth”) and Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo (“Do You Like The Way”). A second disc includes previously unreleased material, club and dance mixes and more.

Katie Todd performs at Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell, May 6. Call 414-276-7288.

Katie Todd and Shelley Miller

The busy queer music scene in Chicago is exemplified by Katie Todd and Shelley Miller. Both women can regularly be found performing live throughout the city. The gorgeous title track on “Mumbled Speech” (Level It), the latest disc by Katie Todd, is a perfect example of her near flawless pop ballad songwriting skills. She also shows admirable taste in cover material with her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s oft-recorded “Hallelujah.” Shelley Miller, sounding like Chicago’s answer to Chris Pureka and Mary Gauthier, returns with her solid and strong “When It’s All Gone, You Come Back,” on which she strikes the right balance between torch and twang.