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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Sep 10, 2011
Sick of Sarah performs at Shank Hall on Sept. 15. – Photo: Courtesy
The Kinsey Sicks
Dragapella superstars The Kinsey Sicks provide 3D glasses with their latest album “Each Hit & I” (kinseysicks.com). You can slip them on to find hidden messages in the album artwork. But you don’t need 3D glasses to listen to the humorous and often politically motivated messages in the 20 tracks. The CD’s opener – “Wake the F@#k Up America” – sets a tone that continues with “Decaf,” a hilarious parody of “Rehab,” “Obama Self,” based on “All By Myself,” and “Gonorrhea,” inspired by “Mamma Mia.”
Sick of Sarah
Armed with a new drummer, Sick of Sarah is back with its new full-length disc “2205” (from Adamant). The all-female quintet rocks out on “Kick Back,” “Overexposure,” “Kiss Me,” “One Night Stand” and “Autograph.” But these rockers are also perfectly comfortable slowing down the pace, as they do on “Simple Parts” and “Shattered.”
Dark Dark Dark
Like Sick of Sarah, Dark Dark Dark also hails from Minneapolis. But that’s where any similarities end. An organic chamber-folk/pop group, Dark Dark Dark boasts three – count ’em – out queer members, including lead vocalists Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount. “Wild Go,” the group’s latest album, is a marvel of musicianship and distinctive songcraft. Listen to the wondrous title track’s waltz or the heavy-lidded stare of “Daydreaming.” The low-key celebration of “Celebrate,” the intimacy of “Something For Myself” and the piano-and-strings sweep of “Say The Word” are also highlights.
Lez Zeppelin
The members of the all-female hard rock band Lez Zeppelin are non-committal about where they fall on the Kinsey Scale. But they’re included here on the strength of their name alone. It’s obvious where they stand when it comes to the legendary metal/blues outfit Led Zeppelin. On their first disc, they drew from the Zeppelin deck to deal songs from various stages of the group’s career. On “Lez Zeppelin I,” they play all nine songs from Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut. Robert Plant’s voice had female characteristics and provide a nice fit for Shannon Conley. By not changing the gender in the lyrics to the songs, they naturally up the queer factor.
Dearling Physique
One of the more experimental queer bands, Dearling Physique isn’t afraid to mix it up on “Deadeye Dealer” (dearlingphysique.com). The album opener weaves spoken word and synthesized beats into the song’s rock-oriented framework. That kind of artistic blending continues throughout, on songs such as “Monster,” “Your Condition” and “Discipline Your Hands.”
True Margrit and TheBobbleheads
The baker’s dozen cuts on “The Juggler’s Progress,” written by Margrit Eichler, are clever and catchy pop tunes that inspire toe-tapping and head bobbing. Eichler, who works the piano keys over like a queer Ben Folds, and her band-mates have created an irresistible collection of tunes, with highlights including “Syllable,” “Fly It Like a Flag” and “Casseroles and Thunderstorms.”
On their new five-song EP “M Class,” John Ashfield’s trio The Bobbleheads open with the darkly humorous “Rose, I’m Sorry,” before launching into the early-Beatles style pop of the title tune. On “Are You Coming Now?,” The Bobbleheads sound as though they are looking in new and exciting directions.
