I've been listening to the RED HOT + BLUE album a lot lately, resurrected by my friend's iPod! I had forgotten all about it and shall buy it asap! This was one of the first ever for-charity compilation albums, put together by the Red Hot non-profit charity organization that was established in 1989 by a group of New York artists in response to the Aids crisis, particularly as the disease was running rampant within the creative community of artists and musicians. Red Hot founder John Carlin had "an improbable dream: to create an AIDS charity album with pop stars singing Cole Porter songs." Red Hot + Blue was released in 1990. John said "That CD was inspired by naivete and sheer will." The album features amazing tracks by musical powerhouses such as Sinead O'Connor, David Byrne, Bono, Annie Lennox, Lisa Stansfied, Neneh Cherry, The Thompson Twins, Kd Lang, Tom Waits, Erasure and The Jungle Brothers and spawned music videos by esteemed Directors such as Johnathan Demme, Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. The album went on to sold 1 Million worldwide and becoming the template for future charity projects. And since then, Red Hot have created 20 more compilation albums, raising over $10 Million for HIV and Aids. The album is unfeasibly good! Buddies Debbie Harry & Iggy Pop's 'Well, did you evah!' is a particular favourite. I adore the video of Iggy and Debbie toomfooling around New York, particularly the opening scenes of them cruising purposefully through Soho like the King & Queen of New York - fabulous! Behold the coolness that is Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop.
Can't stop listening to Aussie born, LA based Brody Dalle's band Spinnerette's debut, self titled. I esp. love how she borrows her name from her fave actress Beatrice Dalle from the amazing movie 'Betty Blue' (which she did after divorcing her first husband, Tim Armstrong from Rancid).
Desperate, howling, blood sweat & tears ROCK - scorching vocals, crunching guitars and a bunch of angst chucked into mix. Dalle's guttural, angst-drenched vocals are a mixture of razor sharp at the core & velvet on top, ripping right through you to your heart.
Having had a baby in 2005 & finding love may have softened Brody, the vocals are far less abrasive & aggressive than her previous band The Distillers, her time in the band peppered with her volitile relationship & break up with Tim Armstrong. but still a good kick-arse rock album. She roars like a banshee, yet seems fragile underndeath.
This CD is best listened to while boxing/running/lifting weights. Perfect gym music! All Babes are Wolves (of course) and Ghetto Love are faves.
On the softer side, Impaler is a lovely, catchy little song she wrote with husband, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.