“Adagio” by Dr. Draw
I must admit that I didn’t think this one looked terribly promising, though judging a CD by its cover is just as wrong as doing so with a book. Adagio is an absolute gem, and I really mean that – my track ratings should be indication.
The songs on this CD are mostly instrumental, often dark and haunting, lead by a masterfully played violin. The music has an eerie depth to it, as if played in an empty concert hall or a valley tightly enclosed by mountains. Rain sets the tone for the album with a tragically beautiful melody and overlaid voice clips that tell a simple but sad story.
I got very excited when I heard Poleshko Pole…no, not because there was a “pole” involved! This is their rendition of a very famous melody that I recognize, though I unfortunately don’t know the name or composer of the original. I’ve also heard the melody in Marc Almond’s “So Long the Path”, but Dr. Draw makes gives it quicker tempo, set the beat of a marching drum.
Siberian Sonata creates an amazing atmosphere that made my skin crawl. It is cold, dark, and lonely, but has an element of urgency. I visualize someone traveling through an oppressively cold winter landscape at night.
Surprisingly, a number of tracks break the dark and depressing theme. 6AM Vegas is joyful, Nostalgia brings back fond feelings, and The Party is upbeat leading to a frenzied climax.
If I don’t stop now I might talk about every single song; each is so distinct and striking. If you have any inclination toward classical or theatrical music, this album is an absolute must-hear!
Track List:
1) Rain ?????
2) Poleshko Pole ?????
3) Siberian Sonata ?????
4) 6AM Vegas ?????
5) Night ?????
6) Nostalgia ?????
7) The Party ?????
8) La Main ?????
9) Dancing on Tables ?????
10) Head Cleaning ?????
11) Adagio ?????
12) The Last Race ?????

“Songs of Mass Destruction” by Annie Lennox
A youngin’ like me might not be familiar with the works of Annie Lennox if it weren’t for their frequent use in drag shows. For instance, “Walking on Broken Glass” is archetypical for me, but the containing album was released all the way back in 1992. After doing a little bit of research I realized she has released a number of albums since then, which I have been totally unaware of. However, Songs of Mass Destruction is a hard-hitter that is burning onto the charts with a new vigor!
My favorites on this album were the more upbeat tracks like “Love is Blind”, “Ghosts in My Machine” and “Coloured Bedspread”. The exception is “Dark Road”, which starts out slow and sentimental but bursts into a powerful bridge. “Coloured Bedspread” is very sexual, as Lennox sings about “all the things I do on my coloured bedspread.”
“Sing” was released as a single charity record for World AIDS Day last month. She teamed up with 23 of the world’s most acclaimed female superstar voices to raise money and awareness for the HIV/AIDS organization, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). It’s catchy but quite different from the other tracks with a sound of gospel.
This will make a fine addition to the gay man’s music collection, and I’m sure we will also see the songs on the stage pretty soon.
Track List:
1) Dark Road ?????
2) Love is Blind ?????
3) Smithereens ?????
4) Ghosts in My Machine ?????
5) Womankind ?????
6) Through the Glass Darkly ?????
7) Lost ?????
8) Coloured Bedspread ?????
9) Sing ?????
10) Big Sky ?????
11) Fingernail Moon ?????


“Sex Party” by Sex Party
This self-titled album is really not my cup of tea. The band classifies themselves as electro/indie, and has played gigs at The Soda in Calgary and New City in Edmonton, along with making it onto CJSW and being featured in Edmonton’s See and Vue Weekly papers.
Despite these credentials I found the music and cross-talk lyrics to sound cacophonous, the beats hyper and irregular and the electronic instruments just plain annoying. If I had to compare them to any other band I know, I would say they sound most like Le Tigre - particularly in “Deceptacon”.
Sadly I couldn’t listen to most of the tracks from beginning to end – the first few minutes were enough to turn me off. Call me a square but I have trouble appreciating music when there is little recognizable structure - though I can agree that it does make for an excuse to go ape-shit crazy on the dance floor!
I give the band extra points for their clever method of nesting their bonus track. It is preceded by 57 blank, 4-second tracks to push the last track up to number 69. On the other hand, this makes it a nightmare for anyone who wants to rip the music to their MP3 Player (and I point to myself). Naughty band, no track listing for you…sorry to say it would look pretty abysmal anyway.
If this style sounds like something you might like, definitely check out their myspace page for more info and some rather bizarre pictures.
Sex Party
http://www.myspace.com/sexxxparty