Groove Line

TIDS & BITS
Following in the successful footsteps of LOGO-TV, the first national gay syndicated radio program, "PRIDE RADIO with Ryan & Caroline," will launch this Fall. The innovative call-in talk show, featuring celebrity news, culture, music, and fashion, will air in Chicago on WKSC-FM (103.5). ... Box Boy Rich and the folks at Crobar, fortified by their successful Space Disco party over Market Days weekend, will be back with another Sunday night effort during Columbus Day weekend (October 7) called "OPERATION:M.A.R.Y.". This time around it will be DJ Abel all by himself in the Main Floor DJ booth. ... The granddaddy of AIDS fundraising events, The White Party in Miami, has announced that legendary superstar DJ Warren Gluck (NYC) will be spinning @ Vizcaya Mansion on Saturday, November 24. This really is a fantastic event and Gluck is a perfect choice to provide the musical soundscape.

THE MAIN EVENT
It's rare for me these days to get REALLY excited about a mixed compilation dance CD effort of the high-energy club/circuit party nature. Many of the releases in the past couple years, while decent and worthy of being added to a party boy's collection, weren't necessarily must-have CDs. Well, I'm here to report that the new Tony Moran double CD set, THE EVENT (Moran Music / Dance Music Productions), is a dance music tour de force that gets my "Must-Have" seal of endorsement. Moran has magically touched in one way or another – via production, remixing, writing, and even singing – each and every track of this fast-paced highly produced big-room mix. The track selection and programming of THE EVENT is pitch perfect: a great balance of driving tribal beats, multi-layered synth sounds that both soar and stab, and fabulous vocal performances by the likes of Deborah Cox ("Everybody Dance"), Martha Wash ("Keep Your Body Workin'"), Kristine W ("Walk Away"), and Danielle Bollinger ("Surrender Me"). Somewhat reminiscent of the special non-stop energy of a White Party Palm Springs Closing Party or a Gay Days Arabian Nights After-Hours Party, Moran delivers a very special and inspired mix with THE EVENT, a CD that's truly worthy of "Must-Have" status.

NOTE: Tony Moran headlines the "NITRO: Valley of The Kings" at Circuit Nightclub on Saturday. September 29, 2007. The party starts at 10pm and is co-sponsored by ChicagoPride.com.

Shuffle. Press Play
M.I.A. is back in action with a brand new album called KALA (Interscope) and it should serve notice to all that the freshness and vitality of the music on her debut album was no fluke. The first single from KALA, "Boyz," has already climbed high up on the charts and should be rocking on your iPod in heavy rotation. … In need of a soulful funky track for your latest MP3 playlist? Look no further than "Alright" by neo-soultress Ledisi. This first single from her new album LOST & FOUND (Verve) gets a fantastic deep house treatment, the Soulflower Mix, by Matty Heilbronn. Additional strong mixes by Funky Junction & Antony Reale, Angel Manuel, and Dave Warrin make the maxi-single a top-notch release. ... I know it's popular to bash Britney Spears at the moment, but I must admit that the Ranny's Power Mix of "Gimme More" is actually quite good.

JES: By Herself
Dubbed the "Queen of Rocktronica," Jes is the woman sporting the beautifully familiar voice that's soared on trance tracks over the years by Tiësto, Gabriel & Dresden, and Motorcycle. She's now turned her attention to her solo career and is back on the scene with a 14 track long-player called DISCONNECT (Black Hole / Ultra Records). Jes wrote all the songs on the CD and presents a truly unique melding of rock and electronica. While tracks such as "Disconnect" and "Want My Love" deviate from Jes' trance roots with a stronger rock vibe, the first singles scheduled for release ("Heaven" and "Ghost") will surely appeal to the denizens of dance clubs the world over. Dance vocalists are often not given their due for a variety of reasons; DISCONNECT thankfully should ensure that Jes is given hers.

HOW FLEXIBLE IS HE?
So often when it comes to dance music, the most talked about vocalists are typically females, such as Suzanne Palmer, Kim English, Amber, and Barbara Tucker. Well, in 2006 Jason Walker changed the gender subject of conversation on the dance floor with his successful debut album THIS IS MY LIFE, which spawned three #1 Billboards hits. Not resting on last year's laurels, Walker is back with his follow-up effort, an 11-track album called FLEXIBLE (Junior Vasquez Music). It's a most appropriate title as Walker ably flexes his vocal muscles across a variety of dance sub-genres. This CD is chock-full of groovy gems, including the first single "I Can't Get You Off My Mind," and should guarantee that Walker remains in the consciousness of the dancing public.