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  WINDY CITY TIMES

Pop Making Sense
Special to the Online Edition of Windy City Times
by David Byrne with Tony Peregrin
2011-01-26

This article shared 4978 times since Wed Jan 26, 2011
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Friend Slash Lover makes an impressive debut with its EP As American As Ones And Zeroes. This six-song set has been nominated for best EP at rockwired.com's 2011 Radio Music Awards.

"Breakin' Up" and "Where Have I Been All My Life" possess the pondering expected from Pink Floyd with a touch of Roxy Music's vocal delivery in the choruses. "Disasteroid" and "I Brake for Guilty Consciences" have The Killers' blend of rock and wit.

The Los Angeles-based duo has its own YouTube channel. Here, openly gay frontman Josh Mintz straps a video camera to his head during his well-done solo acoustic renditions of the EP's title track and "Breakin' Up." Mintz also has a game plan for Friend Slash Lover's next five albums. Let the affair with Friend Slash Lover begin!

Also stirring a buzz in the indie rock scene is Lucinda Black Bear with its sophomore effort, Knives. The title track and "Percival" recall the quirky work from The Dresden Dolls, but these are more folk-oriented. "She's a Killer" is a ballad worthy of inclusion in True Grit or Cowboys & Aliens. A major release of frustration is provided courtesy of "Suffocation Blues." The simple guitar plucking over strings makes the melodic "Hand Bible" stand out. Lucinda Black Bear, a quartet from New York, consists of lead singer-songwriter and guitarist Christian Gibbs, percussionist Kristin Mueller, out cellist Chad Hammer and bassist Mike Cohen. Knives is available now.

On Friday, Jan. 28, emma's revolution will have a concert at Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge, Evanston. The 2006 outing roots, rock & revolution opens with the stunningly beautiful a capella number "Living Planet." Here, Sandy O. adds harmony to Pat Humphries' vocals, as they sing about the prospect of world peace and freedom. The saxophone and piano fantastically bring out an Americana groove on "Choir." Social injustice and hope for change fuel the album. emma's revolution has endless determination as heard on "Keep Moving Forward." "If I Give Your Name" won The John Lennon Songwriting contest. Our heroine here does not want to reveal her lover, fearing the consequences.

For advance tickets, please visit emmasrevolution.com/live/ .

When George Michael's Faith came out in 1987, it was an interesting time for the British singer. He was shedding his boy-band image by wearing tight blue jeans, cowboy boots, aviator sunglasses, a leather jacket with a strand of pearls draping off the shoulder and smoking cigarettes, while having stubble that trumped Don Johnson's. He would strike poses, "doing his best James Dean." But three years later in his video to "Freedom '90," the jukebox and leather jacket from the "Faith" clip were dramatically destroyed, as he once again wanted to recreate his persona and be taken seriously.

Faith boasts six top 5 hits, making it the soundtrack for 1987 and 1988. These beloved favorites have been covered by an assorted bunch, such as gay singer Jipsta ("I Want Your Sex"), soul outfit Divine ("One More Try"), Michael Buble ("Kissing a Fool") and Limp Bizkit ("Faith"). PM Dawn samples "Father Figure" on "Looking through Patient Eyes." "I Want Your Sex" is modernized ready, thanks to a brand new remix from The Freemasons.

Now, Faith has been reissued. The remastered 10-track album also includes a bonus disc with remixes to "Monkey" and "Hard Day," as well as covers of Stevie Wonder's "I Believe When I Fall in Love" and "Love's in Need of Love Today." A limited edition is also available, which also has a DVD, whereas a deluxe edition carries the album on vinyl as well.

In the limited edition's booklet, Michael is interviewed by Mark Goodier amid several rare photos of the handsome Brit. While reflecting on the Faith era, the pop star admits that he is unable to listen to "I Want Your Sex Part 1," since he can see how much it is influenced by Prince. Both artists are known for handling most—if not all—of the songwriting, instrument playing and production duties for their material.

The "Careless Whisper" crooner also reveals that he knew he was queer when recording Faith: "Within the period of recording Faith, I fell in love for the very first time. That's why that record was all about sex. I knew I was gay, gay, gay…"

The videos for "I Want Your Sex" and "Father Figure" have Michael in intense, sexual relationships—the former with make-up artist Kathy Jeung, then the latter with model Tania Coleridge. Allegedly, his affairs with these women were not limited to celluloid.

It is a cruel twist of fate that "Monkey" has our protagonist pleading for a friend to shake a drug habit. More recently, Michael had a string of legal troubles and been found unfit to drive. Similarly, "explore monogamy" is written on Jeung in lipstick in the steamy "I Want Your Sex" video. Michael and his partner, Kenny Goss, have an open relationship.

The DVD contains the six videos from this outstanding album, plus the uncensored video to "I Want Your Sex," the tour documentary Music, Money, Love, Faith and a 1987 interview with Jonathan Ross. The talk show focuses on Michael separating from Wham! and how he has matured in the spotlight—a theme that would resurface with 1990's Listen without Prejudice Volume 1 and 1996's Older. The tremendous Faith reissue is due out Feb. 1.


This article shared 4978 times since Wed Jan 26, 2011
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