If you haven't seen the Oscar-nominated 2015 lesbian love story Carol yet, what are you waiting for? Not only does it have two of the best performances ever given by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, it also has a stunning and effective score written by Carter Burwell, who received an Oscar nom for it. Newly available as a two 10" LP set, Carol (Varese Sarabande) smartly divides the soundtrack. The first LP contains Burwell's stirring, gorgeous score, including the unforgettable "Opening" theme. The second LP includes the period songs heard in the film, including "Easy Living" by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra, "You Belong to Me" by Helen Foster & The Rovers, and "Smoke Rings" by Les Paul & Mary Ford. Additionally, three vinyl-only tracks not found on the CD or digital editions �" "Slow Poke" by Pee-Wee King, "A Garden in the Rain" by The Four Aces, and Patti Page's "Why Don't You Believe Me?" �" have been added to the soundtrack.
A longtime ally of the LGBT community, feminist icon and musician Kathleen Hanna is well-known for surrounding herself with talented queer people, beginning with some of the folks involved with the riot grrrl scene, followed by her groundbreaking all-female electro act LeTigre featuring out lesbian J.D. Samson. When Hanna revived her The Julie Ruin project with the marvelous Run Fast in 2013, it signaled Hanna's return to performance and the expansion into a full band, featuring out musician Kenny Mellman of Kiki & Herb renown. Hit Reset (Hardly Art), the second disc by The Julie Ruin, owes more to Hanna's days with punk band Bikini Kill than it does to LeTigre. Not that there aren't songs that inspire dancing ("I'm Done," the funky "Time Is Up"), but the mood is definitely darker on "Hello Trust No One" and "Let Me Go." "Calverton" might be the most heartbreaking song you've ever heard Hanna sing.
Gay actor-singer-Broadway star Jose Llana has some nerve. On his debut English-language album Altitude (Yellow Sound) he tackles part of The King and I medley "We Kiss in a Shadow"/"I Have Dreamed" made famous by Barbra Streisand. Llana has the chops to pull it off. Altitude blends contemporary pop (Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud," Billy Joel's "Lullaby Goodnight, My Angel") with Broadway tunes from shows in which Llana has appeared, David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim's Here Lies Love ("Child of the Philippines") and William Finn's 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ("Chip's Lament"), alongside stage classics "Marry Me a Little" (Company ) and "Lonely Town" (On the Town ).
Camille Bloom brings a lot to the table. She's got a powerful, emotive voice. She's a confident musician, comfortable with guitars and piano. She also writes songs that stay with the listener after the first spin. All of this is true of her new album Pieces of Me (camillebloom.com). Evocative opener "Lift Me Up" is followed by the torchy twang of "Turn Back to You," the gorgeous ballad "Everywhere But Here," the rocking of "I Refuse To" and the personal "In Another Life." Bloom closes the disc with a dance remix of "Lift Me Up."
Dedicated to his husband, Guatemalan artist Jorge Hernandez-Tevalan, who did the cover art, Bay Area legend Jim e Sparkle Pants is back with the album Drawing Me Into Your World (cdbaby.com). Best described as an acquired taste worth acquiring, Sparkle Pants is never predictable. The jazzy "Yellow Dog" is his collaboration with gay writer Trebor Healey, reading excerpts from his novels A Horse Named Sorrow and Faun. Also worthy are the subtle Latin rhythms of "The Earth as Their Lover" (dedicated to "eco-sexuals" Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens), the surreal funk of "Walking on a Frozen River," and the bizarre rap of "My Brain's Not Wired for These Times."
A Little Single (Yellow Sound), the five-song EP by Drew Brody and Lance Horne, might be the gayest thing you'll hear this summer. "The Grindr Song" is clever and catchy, destined to become a standard in cabarets. Brody and Horne bring things to an affecting close with the poignant ballad "Do You Think We Can Dance Now?"