We all know Sir Elton John can throw a diva fit, but can he ever throw a party. The concert extravaganza for the Rocketman singer’s 60th birthday is out now on DVD. Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden boasts his hits (Daniel, The Bitch Is Back, Tiny Dancer) and cameos (such as Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg). The double-disc package includes the bash’s 33 songs plus a collection of hard-to-find tracks, proving Sir Elton is, in fact, rock-and-roll royalty. No word yet if Helen Mirren or Cate Blanchett will portray him in an upcoming biopic. Rumor has it that Madonna’s 2008 tour, similarly, will be dubbed Madonna at 50.
The Scissor Sisters’ live DVD, Hurrah! A Year of Ta-Dah, magically bottles the quintet’s life on the road. The 90-minute concert from London is accompanied by the four music videos from the top 40 album Ta-Dah. The positive vibe is undeniable during energetic hits Take Your Mama, Comfortably Numb and I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’. Even the power-pop punch of Everybody Wants The Same Thing reassures viewers of the Scissor Sisters’ likeability. Bombshell Ana Matronic definitely needs to expand her role as a tambourine-playing back-up singer. Singing lead only on Kiss You Off is not enough. Maybe the camp crew will take note as a third album is in the works.
One of last year’s best tours has been captured on the Rhino DVD Pet Shop Boys: Cubism In Concert. The show pulls favorites from the 2006 album Fundamental (Psychological, Minimal, Integral) and the duo’s classics (West End Girls, Left To My Own Devices, It’s A Sin). With a career spanning 25 years and over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Cubism Tour sadly comes across as a bittersweet unofficial farewell party for these witty electronic masterminds. The DVD’s bonus features are highlighted by the behind-the-scenes footage (filmed in Mexico) and audio commentary. As the sole instrumentalist nearly the entire performance, Chris Lowe stoically works away on the keyboard as Neil Tennant’s distinguishable voice delivers those trademark clever lyrics. Back-up singer Andy Love adds eye candy, whereas Sylvia Mason-James adds her flawless soulful vocals to the mix. Need more of The Pet Shop Boys? Check out Disco 4, a compilation of remixes the pair did for The Killers (Read My Mind), David Bowie (Hallo Spaceboy), Yoko Ono (Walking On Thin Ice) and Madonna (Sorry) in addition to a new mix of their very own Integral.
Coming across as the love child of Veruca Salt and Evanescence, newcomer Megan McCauley makes the Goth scene less of a boy’s club with her tasty debut, Better Than Blood. The set’s lead single, Tap That, easily could be the best cut Avril Lavigne wishes she recorded. (Remixes to Tap That, by Josh Harris and Morgan Page, are out now on iTunes.) Taking a page from the standard I Think It’s Going To Rain Today, the outspoken redhead lets her guard down on the piano-driven ballad Porcelain Doll. Per afterellen.com, Porcelain Doll is actually about McCauley’s first relationship with a girl. The Ohio native’s soundtrack contributions Reverie (Fantastic Four) and Wonder (Elektra) appear on Better Than Blood, too.
With dark themes to match his dark, handsome looks, Jet Kanashi makes an impressive debut with Enjoy The Sadness. Drawing influences from goth-pop icons like The Cure, Depeche Mode and Morrissey, look no further than the songs Darkest Place, A Reason To Hate Me or Demon Lover to score comparisons. Even the potentially feel-good track When Our Eyes Meet lurks in the shadows with lyrics ‘funny how I want to die.’ If Kanashi’s name does not ring a bell, the singer-songwriter is also a model, currently is posing in Playgirl and appeared on the cover of the February 2007 issue of Men Magazine. Enjoy The Sadness is out now through iTunes and cdbaby.
Chicago’s soulful rock band Eli Jones and the Bare Bones makes no bones about its debut, Make It Right. Here, Stefanie Berecz’s Joss Stone-like vocals are paired masterfully with Brendan O’Connell’s guitar playing. Berecz may be recognized for being a finalist on MTV’s Making The Band. After a sold-out show at the Hideout, the group has more Chicago dates lined up at Reggie’s Live, 2105 S. State, on Sat., Dec. 15, and at Martyr’s, 3855 N. Lincoln, on Sat., Jan. 5. Can’t wait that long? Make It Right is out now via cdbaby and iTunes.
Windy City’s very own Naomi Ashley will showcase her sophomore album Another Year Or So at a special record release party at Fitzgerald’s, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, on Thurs., Dec. 13. This folk-country artist garnered buzz with her 2001 EP Love And Other Crap and her full-length debut, Small Town Thing. Fellow singer-songwriter Lena Rush is due to open for Ashley.
As one of Chicago’s institutions, the independent record chain Dr. Wax is hosting a concert to raise money for the store to move. The event will take place on Sat., Dec. 22, at the DuSable Museum of African-American History, 740 E. 56th Place. Scheduled to perform at this benefit are Eric Roberson, Zo!, Lizz Fields, Yahzarah and Prime Meridian. For more information and tickets, please visit drwax.com.