Jennifer Hudson finally releases her solo debut. Lesbian pop rocker Catie Curtis drops ‘Sweet Life’ Sept. 9. ‘Dreamgirls’ star Beyonce slates a November release, and (Hudson courtesy jenniferhudsononline.com; Beyonce courtesy Sony/BMG; Catie Curtis photo by Tony Baker)
Legends of the fall Divas and indie rockers release new albums for autumn
By
SEP. 5, 2008
More from this author
MORE INFO:
Fall concerts headed to Atlanta
Gay music fans have plenty to pick from on local stages:
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 5
Aimee Mann at Variety Playhouse
www.varietyplayhouse.com
Sept. 10
Doria Roberts, other ‘Songwriting Stars’ at Eddie’s Attic, www.eddiesattic.com
Sept. 12
Halcyon at Bellissima
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
Sept. 13
Indigo Girls at Chastain Park Amphitheatre
www.classicchastain.com
Sept. 14
Laurie Anderson at Ferst Center for the Arts www.ferstcenter.org
Sept. 26
Mary Delaney at Bellissima
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
Sept. 27
Michelle Malone at Eddie’s Attic
www.eddiesattic.com
Sept. 30
Tegan & Sara at The Tabernacle
www.tabernacleatl.com
OCTOBER
Oct. 1
Maroon 5 and Counting Crows
at Lakewood Amphitheatre
www.ticketmaster.com
Oct. 5
Janet Jackson at Philips Arena
www.philipsarena.com
Joan Osbourne at Variety Playhouse
www.varietyplayhouse.com
Oct. 12
Mary J. Blige at Lakewood Amphitheatre www.ticketmaster.com
Oct. 15
Alanis Morisette at Cobb Energy Center
www.cobbenergycentre.com
Oct. 24
Dolly Parton at Chastain Park Amphitheatre www.classicchastain.com
A
slew
of
albums
of
gay
interest
came
out
this
spring,
leaving
the
fall
with
a
mere
smattering
of
noteworthy
releases.
Madonna,
Janet
Jackson,
Mariah
Carey
and
Kylie
Minogue
blessed
us
with
fabulous
efforts
earlier
in
the
year.
Bob
Mould,
Mark
Eitzel
and
Stephin
Merritt
did
the
same.
So
what’s
to
look
forward
to
for
fall?
Love
or
hate
‘em,
New
Kids
on
the
Block
are
back,
and
at
least
they’re
better
looking
and
more
fashionable
than
before.
“The
Block,”
the
quintet’s
first
release
since
1994,
dropped
Sept.
2
on
Interscope
Records.
The
group
wasn’t
shy
about
playing
old
hits
—
“Please
Don’t
Go
Girl”
sounds
great
post-puberty
—
during
their
inaugural
appearance
on
“The
Today
Show,”
showing
a
welcome
lack
of
reinvention.
“The
Block”
isn’t
much
different
from
songs
the
group
released
15
years
ago.
The
first
single,
“Summertime,”
seems
almost
a
pathetic
attempt
to
keep
their
teen
fan
base.
In
reality,
it’ll
be
the
20-
and
30-somethings
buying
this
record.
Those
looking
to
reminisce
will
probably
forgive
the
flaws
for
a
chance
to
relive
NKOTB
fandom.
Jessica
Simpson
releases
“Do
You
Know”
next
week.
This
is
her
second
record
since
her
divorce
from
Nick
Lachey,
and
the
first
in
her
crossover
to
country
music.
But
she
keeps
to
her
usual
pop
sentiments
and
just
adds
slide
guitar
and
cheesier
lyrics.
The
album
features
a
nice
duet
with
Dolly
Parton.
ON
SEPT.
9,
LOOK
FOR
THE
NINTH
studio
album
from
lesbian
singer/songwriter
Catie
Curtis.
Called
“Sweet
Life,”
it’s
on
Compass
Records.
Curtis,
who
describes
her
music
as
folk/pop,
says
the
album
is
upbeat
and
celebrates
resilience.
Her
music
has
been
included
in
movies
like
“500
Miles
to
Graceland”
and
on
the
TV
shows
“Desperate
Housewives,”
“Alias,”
“Dawson’s
Creek”
and
others.
She’s
a
past
winner
of
GLAAD’s
album
of
the
year
award.
Welsh
singer-songwriter
Jem,
née
Jemma
Griffiths,
made
mini-waves
with
her
first
album,
“Finally
Woken,”
after
radio
buzz
landed
her
recognition
for
her
demos.
A
few
of
her
tracks
have
been
featured
on
mainstream
TV
shows,
and
the
first
single
from
her
Sept.
16
new
album,
“Down
to
Earth,”
made
it
big
with
an
appearance
in
the
“Sex
and
the
City:
the
Movie.”
If
Jem
doesn’t
sound
mainstream
or
popular
enough,
never
fear
—
Sony
releases
the
Annie
Lennox
Collection
on
both
CD
and
DVD
on
Sept.
16
to
quench
those
who
thirst
for
a
more
established
diva.
The
compilation
of
12
hits
and
two
new
songs
will
be
the
first
“best
of”
release
for
the
iconic
former
singer
of
the
Eurythmics.
Jennifer
Hudson,
Oscar
winner
and
former
“American
Idol”
finalist,
finally
releases
her
self-titled
debut
on
Arista
Records
Sept.
30.
The
soulful
R&B
singer
showcases
her
pipes
in
an
empowered
performance
akin
to
her
role
in
“Dreamgirls.”
For
a
woman
who
cites
Whitney
Houston
as
an
influence,
Hudson
is
well
on
her
way
to
becoming
her
equal.
The
first
single,
“Spotlight,”
written
by
Ne-Yo,
could
be
Hudson’s
“I’m
Every
Woman.”
Other
contributors
on
the
album
—
Timbaland,
Robin
Thicke
and
Tricky
—
should
please
anticipating
fans.
IN
OCTOBER,
LOOK
FOR
INDIE
SINGER
and
Deerhunter
front
man,
openly
gay
Bradford
Cox,
moonlighting
on
his
solo
project,
Atlas
Sound.
He’s
a
multi-instrumentalist
from
Athens,
Ga.
With
his
four
other
bandmates,
he
releases
“Microcastles”
on
Oct.
28.
Influenced
by
David
Bowie,
Echo
and
the
Bunnymen
and
My
Bloody
Valentine,
Deerhunter
straddles
the
line
between
experimental
and
accessible
rock
and
roll.
Using
ambient
guitars
and
spooky
vocals,
the
band
channels
Radiohead’s
eeriness
and
the
pop-rock
of
Interpol.
November
brings
another
crop
of
releases,
including
a
new
album,
tentatively
titled
“Day
and
Age,”
from
Brandon
Flowers
and
the
Killers,
the
best
eyeliner-wearing
Mormon
in
rock,
and
—
finally
—
something
from
newlywed
Beyoncé.
According
to
Scratch
magazine,
Timbaland
will
produce
the
majority
of
the
Beyoncé
effort.
Hints
are
floating
that
the
album’s
concept
will
revolve
around
Beyoncé’s
upcoming
film,
“Cadillac
Records,”
in
which
she’ll
play
blues
singer
Etta
James.
Rumors
are
swirling
around
Kelly
Clarkson’s
fourth
release,
which
is
still
untitled
but
slated
to
drop
on
Nov.
18.
Clarkson
has
confirmed
she’s
working
with
Ryan
Tedder,
a
member
of
top
40-group
OneRepublic.
Tracy
Chapman
is
also
slated
to
release
a
new
album
this
year,
titled
“Our
Bright
Future.”
It
will
be
her
ninth
record.
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