TOMORROW ON OUTQ: THE LADIES OF LILITH FAIR

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning I am a guest on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ's show The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick at 9 am ET. Each week I talk about new records, or new releases or archival material, or sometimes just a specific theme.

Tomorrow I'm talking about some of the artists who are on the Lilith Fair tour.  The tour has gotten some bad publicity lately, as some of the shows have been cancelled due to (of course) poor ticket sales.  Lots of tours are having problems this summer though. Back in the '90s, critics always seemed to have it in for the tour, I remember hearing that it was "too white."  I went to the tour all three years, and I'd seen Missy Elliott, Mya, Tracy Chapman and Morcheeba on the tour - that's just off the top of my mind. I think that critics just don't like Sarah McLachlan, who headlines the tour.  She's a bit too earnest for a lot of people, I can understand that. Also, she has a huge following, which she did on her own without being too commercial - but without help from the music press, which I think may rankle some writers. Anyway, Sarah has a new album, Laws Of Illusion. I wrote about the new single, "Loving You Is Easy" a while back, I dig the song. I like the album, I don't love it.  I guess with Sarah, I compare everything to Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and I haven't liked anything she's done as much as that album.

Next week Sheryl Crow releases her next album, 100 Miles From Memphis. I've always liked Sheryl Crow, but I haven't been super-into her last two albums.  I've heard one song from the new album, "Summer Day," which I think is incredible. She's really showing off her soul influences, as opposed to a modern country-adult contemporary sound.  At least on this song.  I actually just heard her cover of Citizen Cope's "Sideways" (featuring Cope on backing vocals) which was really great. I'm definitely looking forward to this album.

Heart has a new album, Red Velvet Car, coming out next month, but for now they have a new EP, WTF, and I'll be playing the title track. Heart are badass ladies and don't really get their due. I don't totally love this new song, but their catalog speaks for itself. Ann Wilson is an incredible rock and roll singer, and Nancy Wilson is a very underrated guitarist. I'm curious to hear the album.


We're also going to talk about a bunch of other artists on this summer's Lilith Fair festival: Corinne Bailey Rae, The Bangles, Court Yard Hounds, Janelle Monae, The Indigo Girls and Mary J Blige, among others.

HOW SARAH GOT HER GROOVE BACK

I'm a big fan of Sarah McLachlan, and man enough to admit it! I first hear her song "Hold On" on the No Alternative compilation in 1993 alongside  Smashing Pumpkins, The Beastie Boys, Uncle Tupelo, Soundgarden and Patti Smith. I hadn't heard of her, and was pretty knocked out. It didn't seem like she fit in, but the CD was on Arista, which was her label, and you know how Clive Davis is!

Anyway, I picked up her next album, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and was really really knocked out.  Every song worked.  She reminded me a bit of Tori Amos (and yes, Kate Bush) but really mostly Peter Gabriel.  I enjoy a lot of the music that she's done since then, but nothing has moved me as much as that album. I have always felt that her music has encompassed both joy and sorrow.  But never really fun.  Her new song, now available on iTunes, "Loving You Is Easy," changes that. It's got a bit more rhythm (and sounds like she has been listening to Aimee Mann, not usually an icon of fun). It's not a secret that Sarah divorced her ex-husband/ex-drummer a while ago, and there was a lot of sorrow on her next songs: "Don't Give Up On Us" and "U Want Me 2," both from her greatest hits album Closer (from 2008). But on this new song, she sounds like she's moved on, and feeling pretty sexy.  Good for you, Sarah. It is from her next album, Laws Of Illusion, which comes out June 15. So, to review: she's single, has a new album, and is about to headline the reactivated Lilith Fair tour, which a bunch of other ladies. I wonder if she'll be leaving a trail of male NPR loving groupies across America (and Canada). Just kidding, Sarah fans!

I've had the pleasure of interviewing her - she isn't really how you would think she'd be.  When the camera is off, she curses a lot! On her records, she comes off like a character in a book, or like Cate Blanchett's character in Lord Of The Rings, but in person she actually seems quite normal and level headed. She's also even better looking in person!

When Closer came out,  I filmed her performing in the SIRIUS studios.  It was just her, her tech, and I in a studio.  As a fan, it was pretty amazing to be in there, and I don't take for granted how much that opportunity would have meant to so many of her fans (who are much more hard core about Sarah than I am, admittedly). Here's one of the songs.

LILITH FAIR ADDS THE BANGLES, THE GO-GOS, LORETTA, NORAH, HEART, KELLY CLARKSON

I have always been a fan of Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair. I went all three years, and saw some great artists, including Sarah herself, Tracy Chapman, The Indigo Girls, Missy Elliot, Morcheeba, Sheryl Crow and The Pretenders, among others. As I've mentioned, this year's lineup includes Sarah, Sheryl and The Indigo Girls, as well as Emmylou Harris, Mary J. Blige and Miranda Lambert.  Now they've also announced The Bangles, The Go-Gos, Loretta Lynn, Norah Jones, Heart, Kelly Clarkson, The Courtyard Hounds (aka Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the The Dixie Chicks), Cat Power, Sia, The Gossip and Beth Orton, among others. Of course not every artist plays every city, but odds are that every show will have a great lineup.

LILITH FAIR NAMES SARAH, SHERYL, MARY J., EMMYLOU, MIRANDA AND MORE

I've written about how The Lilith Fair is going to return in the summer of 2010. Their official site announced some of the artists who will be participating in the tour (it has traditionally been Sarah McLachlan headlining, maybe one other act on the entire tour, and other artists on select dates but not the whole tour. Pretty diverse group: Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, The Indigo Girls, Jill Scott, Miranda Lambert and Tegan & Sara, to name a few.

LILITH FAIR TO RETURN IN 2010

Earlier this year, I wrote about how the long dormant Lilith Fair website posted a new message, "returning in 2010." Today, the site relaunched, with a list of cities that the tour will be hitting - no venues, dates, or artists, just cities. I went to all three Lilith Fairs and saw some great artists: Sarah McLachlan, of course, also Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, The Indigo Girls, The Pretenders, Morcheeba. I wonder who Sarah will get this time around?

LILITH FAIR TO RETURN IN 2010?

Terry McBride - who runs Netwerk Records and manages Sarah McLachlan (among others) - tweeted that Lilith Fair is returning in 2010. And the festival's website has a short message that says "returning in 2010" and links to a wikipedia article about the festival. Lilith got a lot of flack from snide critics, but I went all three years, and saw some great artists: Sarah, Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, The Indigo Girls, Morcheeba and The Pretenders, to name a few. Plus Joan Osbourne and Fiona Apple played. I hope the next incarnation will be as good.