A-LISTS rage rhythms by tim parks
Photography by Ellen von Unwerth
Showtune Central
She’s so…versatile!
CYNDI LAUPER MEMPHIS BLUES
Cyndi Lauper has got the blues, and she’s got them so bad, that it’s good for music lovers. The “Girls Just Want to Have
Fun” singer has taken on a more somber tone with her latest project, Memphis Blues, which is her take on Blues-oriented material coming from the wellspring of the best. The album, which was recorded in Tennessee, features appearances by industry legends, such as B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Charles Musselwhite and Johnny Lang. The latter makes a vocal appearance on “Crossroads” and Lauper matches Lang lyric-by-lyric with just as much soul and conviction which drips with a guitar-laden melancholy that is saturated with rhythm. “Just Your Fool“has a Roseanne-theme song- esque harmonica intro, while Lauper’s brand of spunkiness serves the track very well. It should be of no surprise to fans of this talented lady that she wanted to shake things up for her new CD, as she delved into standards and practices with At Last in 2003, stripped-down territory for The Body Acoustic in 2004, and the nature of nightlife with
2008’s dance-floor extravaganza Bring Ya To The Brink. Memphis Blues will definitely
resonate with her fan base, and anyone born to sing the Blues, for that matter. Avail-
able 06/22/10.
MAME:
Original Broadway Cast Recording
Murder She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury headlined the 1966 Broadway adaptation of Patrick Dennis’ novel Auntie Mame, as Mame, the flamboyant persona who is left to care for her young nephew. However, she doesn’t have a care in the world, and wants her young ward to see that “life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” This original cast recording features Lans-
bury in her Tony Award-winning role and the late Bea Arthur as Vera Charles belting out “Bosom Buddies” and the holiday favorite, “We Need A Little Christmas.” A true classic.
Available Now.
Gray skies are gonna clear up
MACY GRAY’S THE SELLOUT
Macy Gray’s career has seen its fair share of highs with the
huge success of her first single “I Try“—for which she won a Grammy—to its lows, like being the second celebrity voted off Dancing with the Stars in 2009. Her fifth studio album, The Sellout, is being described as a nod to her quest to find her musical niche by embracing all of her previous attempts and combining them on one project. The lead single, “Beauty In The World,” finds the raspy-voiced singer in good form with the sing-song verses, hand claps and acoustic nature of the soulful tune. The rest of the disc encompasses varying genres with the rock-flavored “Kiss It,“ a blending of funk and pop on “Lately“ and the synthesized pop sound of “On and
On.“ Available 6/22/10.
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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2010
Mixing It Up
KASKADE DYNASTY
U.S. DJ/record producer Ryan Raddon is widely recognized
by his two turntables and a microphone pseudonym of Kaskade. He is back to get you into the groove with his sixth musical effort, Dynasty. The Billboard Dance Chart king finds himself in good company with Haley (who sounds similar to Janet Jackson) on “Don’t Stop Dancing,” which you’d be pretty hard-pressed not to do, once he starts throwing the beats down, which ramps up to an electronic crescendo yet, maintains a steady throb throughout. The CD also includes vocals by Becky Jean Williams, Mindy Gledhill, Polina and Dragonette. The latter is featured on the guitar-driven “Fire In Your New Shoes,” which seems to pay vocal homage to Miss- ing Persons and New Order sound-wise. Available Now.
CITY OF ANGELS:
Original Broadway Cast Recording
1989’s City of Angels wove together two simultaneous stories, in its retelling of a writer trying to adapt his novel into a screenplay, and the script itself acting as the secondary story in this musical tapestry, which blended comedy along with a detective drama. Released for the first time, The CD of the six-
time Tinsel Town-based Tony Award-winner (including a trophy for Best Musical), features the songs “I’m Nothing Without You” and “You Can Always Count On Me.” Available Now.
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