TOMORROW ON OUTQ: HEAR THE DRUM MACHINE GET WICKED

I never mentioned that last week I didn't go on OutQ, because host Larry Flick and co-host Keith Price were on vacation. They're back this week, and I'll be on tomorrow talking about... I guess "dance music" sort of explains it. I'm not the expert that Larry is in dance music, but that's what I want to talk about this week.

First, Massive Attack. Rumors have been going around that they are going to be putting out a new album in the fall. I know that the members of the group hate the term "trip-hop," but I think that they sort of founded the genre. Don't blame them for elevator music with beats - that's like blaming Van Halen for Winger and Warrant! Anyway, Massive Attack's first two albums -- Blue Lines and Protection -- are both great, you should check them out.

Black Eyed Peas are the object of so much hate, especially since Fergie joined the band. As I've mentioned before, I don't hate them: I liked them before she joined and I liked their first album with her (but not much that they've done since). It's weird that they aren't considered legitimate hip-hop: check out the song "Like That" (which also features Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo and John Legend), that's real hip-hop. Anyway, I don't like their new songs, but I think they are worth talking about - they actually sound more "dance" than hip-hop.

U2 just released a bunch of "Magnificent" remixes and I choose one to bring in. I'm not usually a big remixes fan, and I think sometimes U2 is trying to hard with all the dance remixes, but the one I choose (by Dave Aude) is not bad. "Magnificent" lends itself to remixing I think (although the original is better).

Passion Pit is a new indie/electronic band, I don't really like them. But they have such a huge "buzz," I also think it is worth talking about.

The Prodigy looked like they were going to be massive stars when the "electronica" thing was the "next big thing" in the '90s after grunge. Of course, it didn't happen, Prodigy had one huge album and that was kind of it. I like thier first two albums (their debut, Music For The Jilted Generation was great). I like their new song "The Warrior's Dance." I read that Dave Grohl plays drums on another song on their album.

Finally, Crystal Method was another band from the "electronica" era, and it looked like they were going to be big. They had some great songs, but no image, and it's hard to be stars with no image. I almost forgot about them. Their new album has some interesting collabs, including two with Peter Hook from Joy Division/New Order, Matisyahu and Meiko.