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Written by Gregg Shapiro, Contributing writer
Jul 28, 2010
Dragonette performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park on Aug. 7. Visit lollapalooza.com.
Kelis
Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles vocalist Alice Glass alternates between disco diva status and punk banshee, sometimes in the same song, on the Canadian electro duo’s aptly named sophomore effort “II” (Fiction). You can get a taste of that in the suitably titled opening track “Fainting Spells,” which should come with its own smelling salts. “Doe Deer” and “I Am Made of Chalk” pack a similar punch. Seasoned club-goers who survive those cuts are in for a real treat for the remainder, including the heavenly disco of “Celestica,” the fat stomp of “Year of Silence” and the airy “Suffocation.”
Christina Aguilera
Coming just a few years after her triumphant and accomplished “Back To Basics” disc, Christina Aguilera’s “Bionic” (RCA) is a disappointment. “Identity Crisis” would have been a better name for the record. Combining the worst and most dated elements of Madonna’s early sex-pot period and those of her pre-fab Disney clone Britney, Aguilera gets lost in the process on songs such as “Not Myself Tonight” and the Nicki Minaj collaboration “Woohoo.” The album isn’t a total loss. Aguilera’s gorgeous reunion with Linda Perry (“Beautiful”) pays off, as does the resilient “Elastic Love” and all three of the Sia numbers.
Sia
Sia delivers her most dance-driven disc with “We Are Born” (Monkey Puzzle/Jive). “The Fight” (from which the album’s title is drawn) struts and pumps and gets the juices flowing. But it’s the ecstatic and irresistible “Clap Your Hands” (go ahead, try not to clap your hands or dance, I dare you) that sounds as though it’s destined to be the tea-dance tune of the summer. The retro “Stop Trying” and the thumping “You’ve Changed” prove that Sia is nothing if not versatile. Of course, there’s more to Sia: the soulful “Be Good To Me,” the bouncy pop of “The Co-dependent” and a respectable reading of Madonna’s “Oh Father.”
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.
Robyn
As tea-dance divas go, few can hold a candle to Swedish sensation Robyn. Her brilliant 2008 eponymous disc (and its preceding “Rakamonie” EP) put some distance between the Robyn of the 20th and the 21st centuries. The new “Body Talk Pt. 1” (Konichiwa/Cherry Tree/Interscope) continues in a similar vein. “Fembots” is everything that Aguilera’s “Bionic” track isn’t. “Dancing On My Own,” the best track, is that rare dance cut that stirs up emotions while whipping the listener into a dance-frenzy. “None of Dem” (featuring Röyksopp) is almost as good. The Euro reggae of “Dancehall Queen” is the only misstep.
Kylie Minogue
Longtime tea-dance goddess Kylie Minogue retains her status with her dynamic new “Aphrodite” (Atralwerks/Parlophone) disc. There’s no question about what’s on her mind, because the first word she sings on album opener “All The Lovers” is “dance,” and you have no choice but to obey. The exuberant “Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)” could be kissing cousins with Sia’s “Clap Your Hands.” But the big news is Kylie’s interesting choice in collaborators. “Too Much,” co-written by Minogue, Jake Shears and Calvin Harris, is just right for dancing, while the pop-oriented “Everything Is Beautiful,” co-written by Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley, is striking.
Kelis
One of the more surprising entries into tea-dance territory is from Kelis of “Milkshake” and “Caught Out There” fame. When Kelis chants “we control the dance floor” at the end of the intro from the new release “Flesh Tone” (will.i.am/Interscope), you know that a change is in the air. Turns out there was a full-fledged dance diva under her tough urban cookie exterior all along. Just listen to “22nd Century,” the explosive “4th of July (Fireworks),” the slamming “Acapella” and the motherhood anthem “Song For My Baby” as audible proof of this distinctly different side of Kelis.
