This is evidently the second album by Steve Balderson, a director of films (including his upcoming release Firecracker, with a cast ranging from Dennis Hopper to Jane Wiedlin (now there's a range!), which evidently inspired this record).

If that is the case, it could be a very interesting film, because this CD sounds like the unholy child of Swans, Suicide, Residents and Love and Rockets. It is electronically oriented, but with churning, delayed guitars and a sort of intimate, whispery but ominous vocal style (that was the part that reminded me of Love and Rockets, in a good way...). It has moments of great beauty, but in a dark mode - this is NOT the record to put on to lull your children to sleep (if you don't intend to have to wake up and run to comfort them shortly...).

Another thought that occurred to me is, if David Lynch had sung his songs instead of handing them to Julee Cruise to do on her "Floating Into the Night" LP, it might have come out like this (it should be added that a female vocalist/actress named Amy Kelly contributes to two tracks here, including co-writing 'Ditty' (the radio song - this is very relative...), and does a very good Jarboe/Ms. Cruise impersonation...).

Disturbing, moody and shivery - I like (though I'm still rather glad I didn't play it after getting home on Hallowe'en, having picked it up at the Post Office that afternoon... :) ).

Neko Case, Canadian Amp LP (Lance Rock Records, 1223 College Drive, Nanaimo, British Columbia, CANADA, V9R 5Z5, www.lancerock.com, www.nekocase.com)

Everyone’s favourite American/Canadian country diva (born in the land to the South, a frequent invader of the territory to the North) returns with another helping of twangin’ treats, this time mostly recorded in the kitchen of her home, and largely engineered/produced by her as well (in fact, she even contributes guitar and piano to some tracks, though, sadly, not the drums she played in both Maow and cub – evidently, she cannot play them and sing simultaneously).

This release was originally intended as a tour-only CD, but she was eventually convinced to release it as a limited LP as well. Good thing, since she is not likely to play in my town again any time soon – her star is rising, though she will likely never be a Shania Twain.

Mellow, stripped-down material, ranging from a couple of originals to a Sook Yin Lee cover (she is a Canadian VJ/filmmaker/musician, most known for her band Bob’s Your Uncle, who had at least one release in the States) to songs by Neil Young, Hank Williams and even Lisa Marr (from cub). Her voice catches and soars and twangs with majesty…it is simply too tasty, which is hardly surprising, given that it WAS put to tape in the presence of food and all… J

Allen Ginsberg, New York Blues CD (Locust Music, P.O. Box 220426, Chicago, IL, 60622, www.locustmusic.com)

Marianne Faithfull once said to Allen: "Maybe you shouldn’t sing." Some would consider this a classic example of one cooking implement labelling another, but it did result in keen LPs like The Lion For Real (1987), in which Allen recited sonorously over free jazz racket.

Say what you will about Allen (poor choice in friends, such as William Sewer Burroughs; dubious causes, such as NAMBLA), he had a certain wit and, when he went to the lower end of his voice, a damn woofy baritone drone. J

This strange little document dates from the mid 70s, and consists of the poet alternately caterwauling and reciting over his wheezy little harmonium. You certainly are not going to put it on at a party, unless you want to clear it, or at least cause people to have very strange conversations, but it is an intriguing historical record of the obsessions and fantasies of one of America’s most fascinating faggots.

Calvin Johnson, What Was Me LP (K Records, P.O. Box 7154, Olympia, WA, 98507, USA, www.kpunk.com)

On the subject of sonorous, woofy baritone drones…Mr. Johnson veers far from the twangy pop/spy music of The Halo Benders and Beat Happening (and certainly avoids the beats of Dub Narcotic) on this, his first solo album.

Four songs are a capella, though two get backing from Mirah (sweet) and Beth Ditto (raw) as duet partners, and six are backed only by Calvin’s simple strumming guitar. Highlights include the unaccompanied "The Past Comes Back To Haunt Me" (when did that warble come in, Calvin? Damn, it’s sexy…) and the somewhat political "Palriga" (I think – I’m not quite clear what is going on).

On the average, it’s like a whole album of Jonathan Richman bitter/sweet love songs, which is, as I see it, a very good thing indeed…

Low, Trust 2-LP (Kranky Records, P.O. Box 578743, Chicago, IL 60657; band at P.O. Box 600, Duluth, Minnesota, 55405, USA, www.chairkickers.com)

Low specialize in a kind of gentle, pretty yet vaguely troubling/ominous sound dubbed ‘slowcore’ by some wit. The trio have done album after album of gently ticking drums (often ‘drum’, to be more precise), arpeggiated guitar and droning, humming bass, topped by the warm harmonies of Alan (vocals/guitar) and Mimi (vocals/drums).

They have hardly completely abandoned that this time, but there are some surprises among the spiritual yet challenging dirges now, possibly because they have moved on, after two albums with minimalist Steve Albini, to Tchad Blake, who really produces so you can notice it.

"That’s How You Sing Amazing Grace" has reverberating percussion (some of which was evidently a piano being banged on) and one of the very few shirt-playing credits ever in my experience (and, no, I can’t figure out what the sound is as opposed to any other on the record); "Canada" actually ROCKS!! HARD!!! (Alan evidently has a side project in a rough-edged mode) with POUNDING drums (Mimi OWNS a set of sticks!?) and ROARING guitar (complete with a fair alto approximation by the woman in question, who tends to sing higher than that).

I’m sure it’s full of religious references again, but I find the whole thing so encompassing and comforting and yet compelling that I don’t notice. In fact, I didn’t even mind that the guy from America, soft-rockers from heck, appears on two tracks here…and that’s saying something…

Skarlet O’Hara, ‘And I Quote’ CD (self-released, www.skarletohara.com , [email protected])

Marnie Pettie (vocals/guitar), Heather Kirby (guitar/vocals), Mary Plasterer (bass) and Jenny Casarella (drums), dyke outfit from Thornhill, Ontario, prove that you don’t need roaring guitars to rock, and you also don’t need to be King Crimson to use clever, jazzy rhythms.

Like Ember Swift and Ani Difranco (at her best), the ensemble does political yet personal songs that almost anyone of any sexual orientation could in theory relate to (though, as Edith Massey/Aunt Ida once said: ‘Queers are just better.’). "$50 Handshake" is a perfect embodiment of modern life’s irony in this time of downturn (you don’t want to be the corporate scumbag, but, damn it, the perks are just so hard not to lust for sometimes…), and "Selfish One" – well, hell, who HASN’T wanted "to be the selfish one in the relationship – call you up and make you feel like shit?" (OK, so I haven’t, but, then, I don’t have to WANT to be – I just AM… J ). As to "Thornhill" – though I ‘ve never bought the notion that suburbia or small towns are necessarily so much worse than big cities, I’m sure a lot of us could relate to that one as well…

Well produced and arranged, and sung with conviction, wit and believability. Now, if only they had included their cover of "Laid" by James, a highlight of their performance in Kingston lately – to hear it sung by a somewhat butch dyke just lays so many more levels of meaning on top of the ditty… J

Various Artists, Being Out Rocks CD (Centuar Entertainment Inc., 216 W. 18th St., New York, NY, 10011, USA, http://www.centaurmusic.com, released to benefit the Human Rights Campaign, http://www.hrc.org)

It's an eclectic collection of queer/queer-friendly artists, launched last month in time for National Coming Out Day in the US, which is October 11 (someone once told me that the Canadian equivalent is February 14, which would be SOOOOOOOOOOOO evil if it were true (can't find any confirmation of any declarations)...bear in mind that, when my nation's capital Ottawa was in a tizzy over Pride Day falling on Father's Day once, and many of my fellow fags thought it was offensive and SHOULD be changed, I was militating for making it that day EVERY year...but, then, I like Daddies... :) ).

Anyyyyway...other than the Butchies, there's nothing especially ferociously rocking on here, but it's still a good varied mix of material, from Sarah McLachlan (no, she's not, but Mr. McLachlan...hmmmm...) to Suede (the folk singer, not the glam band with one, or possibly two, queer members) to Harvey Fierstein (a singing voice that makes one LONG for Tom Waits..whoda thunk it? :) ).

There's even a fair amount of dancey stuff...but that's what skip buttons are for (sorry - but don't get me started on that one again...disco ain't the music of MY liberation...having said, this, Taylor Dayne has a very nice throaty voice, and Cyndi Lauper was the Goddess when I was 16 or so...just don't care for this material...).

All told, there's likely to be SOMETHING here your little fag/dyke/tranny/switch-hitter heart can beat faster for (you hets: get a transplant! :) ), and it's for a good cause...so go ahead and shell out.

LOUD!! I WANNA HEAR IT LOUD!!

Ani DiFranco, So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter 2-CD (Righteous Babe Records, P.O. Box 95, Ellicott Station, Buffalo, NY, 14205, USA, www.righteousbabe.com)

Ani stuns us again with her live performance (it was refreshing to read in the liner notes that she sees concerts as a way to, as it were, correct the crimes she has committed in the studio against some of her material, as, sadly, I'd agree sometimes...), backed by a super responsive band that includes horns and keyboards in a funky/folky/rocky stew of hyper-tastiness.

I'm not certain why, but some of her most recent material has struck me as bit listless and dispassionate on tape. That is not the case with the takes captured here in varying venues and arrangements.

It was also good to see her taking some risks and strong political statements again, such as with 'Self Evident', a definitely bold move in these 'roll up your sleeves and show me that ra-rah-America tattoo' times that suggests the whole naive 'I don't know why people don't like us' attitude that seemed to fill the air after September 11 is a sign of creeping denial. While 'the chickens coming home to roost' may be a bit harsh (attribute to Malcolm X or MC5...your call...), there is still much soul-searching and analysis required, which does not seem to be encouraged at this time.

And the winding, jazzy quality of Ani's voice that began to emerge with "Revelling/Reckoning" was not a fluke - its tone just gets purer and more expressive with each passing day.

It rocks...your world. Let it!

Gore Gore Girls, Up All Night LP (Get Hip Recordings, P.O. Box 666, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, 15317, USA, http://www.gethip.com ; band at P.O. Box 44434, Detroit, Michigan, 48244, USA, www.goregoregirls.com)

What would you expect from a band named after a sexploitation movie of the early 70s? Would you expect sound bites from histrionic horror films? You got it! Naughty girls with trashy attitudes? No problem. Fun Fun Fun? In spades!!!

It’s definitely garage pop punk, well played, loud and crude. "Astral Man" is perhaps the only song I can think of about either an incubus or a ghost lover. "Atlanta" sounds a bit B52ish, which shouldn’t be that surprising. Covers like "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby", "Standing on the Corner" and "Your Last Chance" sound like what the Shangri-Las would do if they played instruments and were REALLY bad girls (though with a wink).

There’s even a hidden bonus track that I cannot make out a single word of. Now THAT’S rock ‘n’ roll!!

Rotten Apples, Real-Tuff CD (Empty Records US, P.O. Box 12034, Seattle, Washington, 98102, USA, www.emptyRecords.com ; band at www.therottenapples.com)

Continuing on the bad girl theme – ten songs, 23 minutes, with a pop-punking-speedy attitude. The lead-off track "Love Career" does live up to the description of "Dusty Springfield meets Riot Grrrl" that drew me to this CD in the first place. Dejha has a somewhat kitteny purr/murmur very reminiscent of the late diva, until the rocking parts kick in (Ms. Springfield could rock, but her voice went lower when she did so, not higher and feverish).

Nothing too crucial, really – but a good slice of grrrl pop nevertheless.

Sleater Kinney, One Beat LP + 7" (Kill Rock Stars, 120 NE State Ave. #418, Olympia, WA, 98501, www.killrockstars.com)

Did it take September 11, 2001 to get the fire back in this band? Probably not – but it doubtless helped (that and a sabbatical). In any case, they are fierce and rocking (Corin has lost almost all of the Belinda Carlisle thing – when she warbles now, it’s more channeling Johnny Rotten).

The trademarks are still there – interwoven simultaneous vocals, Janet’s tasty but never obvious drumming, Carrie’s powerchords – but dual threads of blues and radical politics have emerged and returned respectively.

You can still find pop ("Oh"), but tracks like "Far Away", "Step Aside" and "Combat Rock" very much take on the monomaniacal drive towards mistrust, hatred and division, ironically, the ‘war’ on terrorism has introduced into the heart of the State.

"One Beat", indeed – there are several rhythms here, as there should be in any pluralistic world…try and understand that your drum kit might be different than mine…

Soft Cell, Monoculture 12" (Cooking Vinyl, P.O. Box 1845, London, W3 0ZA, England, www.cookingvinyl.com , [email protected]; band at www.marcalmond.co.uk)

Suicide meets Cabaret Voltaire on the A-side of this surprising yet welcome return from Marc Almond and Dave Ball. Throbbing, repetitive chords – soundbites – aggression and menace… The B-side is 11 minutes of sequencer driven music, and certainly more danceable, but no more welcoming – it is still pretty edgy for electro-pop.

But, then, bear in mind this is a band that HATES to be associated with "Tainted Love" . This political number (which fits in with the above album quite nicely in its theme of a cry for more tolerance of difference) will NOT be the next "Tainted Love", I assure you… J

Maureen Tucker, Moe Rocks Terrastock: Moe Tucker Live In Seattle 11/05/2000 CD (Captain Trip Records, 3-17-14 Minami-Koiwa, Edogawa-Ku, Tokyo, Japan, http://plaza14.mbn.or.jp/~captaintrip/ , [email protected] ; most easily obtained for $15 US from Moe Tucker herself at P.O. Box 2357, Douglas, GA 31534, www.spearedpeanut.com/tajmoehal, [email protected])

Diva! Diva! Maureen Tucker takes to the stage at Terrastock, late at night, and does a raw edgy set (complete with an onstage reunion with Doug Yule as duet partner/pianist on "I’m Sticking With You" and guitarist on "Crackin’ Up"). She proves, once again, that the spirit of rock and roll may very well have been hers within the Velvet Underground, with determination and a love for music overcoming or at least balancing any limitations of voice and guitar slamming (oh, I wish she would drum again…but that thud I hear in my mind may be a dead horse being bludgeoned, so let us move on…).

"B.A.D." – "Hey Mersh" – "Spam Again" – has anyone ever epitomized both the glories and stupidities of American working–class life so well and from a woman’s perspective to boot? I don’t think so…and "Bo Diddley"? It can go on for twenty minutes if need be!

Keen stuff – wish I had been there. Maybe a little lo-fi, but I don’t know what the source material was like – and sound quality isn’t nearly as important as attitude and intent, anyway.