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This one is from planet out!
Pop Profile: Scissor Sisters
This New York-based band pulls from over four decades of pop-idol persuasion, including Fleetwood Mac, the Bee Gees, Elton John and any number of more recent chart-topping acts. Their sound, while seemingly familiar, is new and long overdue. Their melodies are full, and their confident lyrics cover everything from crystal addicts to the uniquely American conservative assault on drag queens and culture.
Currently they're on a fantastic, fun-filled worldwide tour playing up their first underground hit, a Bee Gees-style cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," transforming that overplayed rock standard into a (once again) listenable and meaningful song.
But they're good for more than just one cover, contrary to predictions by ignorant naysayers. This album is loaded with hooks, some so memorable you may only have to listen to the album once, and good pop beats for days. Plus, it's rich with spirited keyboard noise and versatile guitar that ranges from '70s homage to classic strumming to modern rock.
Singers Jake Shears and Ana Matronic play their born-to-sing-pop vocals well, with the confident sounds of bassist Baby Daddy, guitarist Del Marquis and drummer Paddy Boom. The first track, "Laura," is strong, starting simply with a basic piano beat, then quickly layering in instruments and vocals for a high-energy launch. "Take Your Mama," a song about coming out of the closet, is in every respect primed for big radio success. This track will land on personal playlists for years to come and will help DJs empty bar stools and fill dance floors.
After Scissor Sisters builds a large enough following to sell out thousands of seats, expect fans to whip out their lighters for "Mary," a slower song with soaring, melodramatic vocals about loyalty. And "Music Is the Victim," a punchy, danceable song with fast-fingered piano and grinding guitars, references several cities in the lyrics, making it perfect for touring. (They can, if they feel like it, call out the name of whatever town they're playing in that night.)
Scissor Sisters is fueled by each member's genuine enthusiasm, unpolluted by unnecessary irony or premature bitterness. Their sometimes-improvised costumes look pulled together from a couple big boxes of dress-up clothes: scarves, huge sunglasses, bandannas, berets, boas and stoles, silk shirts and purple velour jackets. They encourage their fans to dress up at shows. The more clothes, the more people, the more fun.
These veterans of the underground club circuit know how to entertain: Jake is an expert go-go dancer who exploits his skills to full effect in live shows, rivaling Mick Jagger's peculiar moves; Ana was the first woman ever to take the stage at San Francisco's infamous Trannyshack. They've done it for years in front of drag queens, artists and drunks. Now, together, like a band of flamboyant superheroes with musical powers, they're ready to join the battle against banality.
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