speed of dark

Usually music like Rufus Wainwright's would be way too pop and not nearly gritty enough for my taste, but I do love me some Rufus. That voice! And if it's not enough that he has the pipes to rival classic artists like Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, he's a fantastic songwriter as well. Somehow he manages a tone that is intensely personal, light-hearted, and dramatic all at once.

Tuesday he was featured on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, just hours before a sold-out show at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, performing with a 7-piece band and talking about his new album Release the Stars which is due for release on May 15. This will be Wainwright's first self-produced album, and he feels that it is his best because he was able to realize his vision himself.

In planning it, he intended for it to be more stripped-down and dark than his previous albums. It didn't turn out that way because, he says, "just because I finally had the reins in my hands didn't turn me into a heterosexual." So the end result is a set of songs as lushly orchestrated as his previous CDs. On the broadcast, he played new songs "Release the Stars" and "Sanssouci" as well as "Going To a Town," which has been released as a single on iTunes. A recording of the set can be viewed or heard at KCRW's site. "Town" can also be streamed on Wainwright's official website along with an explanatory narrative. You can stream "Sanssouci" on his MySpace site.

In "Going To a Town," Rufus speaks openly for himself and others who do not fit the neo-conservative faction that has attempted to gain social and political supremacy in this country. "Tell me do you really think you go to hell for having loved?" he sings wearily, but then comes back strongly, "...I'm so tired of you, America. I got a life to live, I got a soul to feed, I got a dream to heed, and that's all I need." Damn straight, Rufus.

Going To a Town from Release the Stars (2007) (lyrics)

The Art Teacher from Waiting For a Want EP (2004)

Natasha --perhaps my favorite among many favorites, from Want One (2003)

Wainwright has a busy tour schedule from now until this fall, with appearances in both the U.S., the U.K., and Europe. On September 23, he is scheduled to perform a show of Judy Garland tunes with a full orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.

Official website | MySpace

Preorder the album to get extras: Amazon, iTunes

Speaking of internet radio stations, now is the time to support the one you listen to the most. If you haven't been paying attention, here is a clear and concise article by Newsweek that explains the situation. Visit Save Net Radio for help to contact your congresspersons regarding the bill to stop the unfair rate hikes that could strangle our favorite stations as well as small independent labels and artists See here for artists' rebuttal that this fee hike benefits them.