1. Antony and the Johnsons is beautiful, dark cabaret
sung with wavering emotion by a bald, pale
hermaphroditic person named Antony. His voice is
beyond gender--he summons recollections of Brel, Piaf,
Marc Almond and Simone. The songs are of love lost.
Pianos, cellos and violins swirling the background.

2 .Ronan Quays THE EBBING WINGS OF WISDOM is the
neo-medireview chant project of Rhett Brewer. Someone
recommended him to me as a male Lisa Gerrard. Its an
apt description--his tenor is multitracked and he
sings in some unidentifiable tongue. The
instrumentation is sparse and includes mandolin,
organs and acoustic guitars. Very beautiful, with
great titles 'Salt and Bitter Truth' and 'As the
Spinster Spins.'

--Craig