saucy songstress lily allen, who definitely has her share of queer fans, lived it up with jake shears after the performance. several others were also in attendance, including sir ian mckellan and popstar sophie ellis bextor (below with babydaddy), the “murder on the dancefloor” diva – who we’re excited to hear is currently finishing up work on her next album.

new single “land of a thousand words” is out in the u.k. next week, which makes me wonder which track is next. my vote’s for “i can’t decide”!! can’t get enough of it.

[photos via towleroad]

the scissor sisters continue to gain stateside exposure in the most unconventional ways. they’ve already appeared on dancing with the stars, and now it has been announced that the band will make their soap opera debut on the most outrageous of daytime dramas, nbc’s passions. given the camp level of the band, this is a perfect match.

viewers will be treated with performances of “i don’t feel like dancing” and “land of a thousand words.” the best part, however, is that ana matronic (above, left) will act in a scene alongside that wacky witch lady,tabitha (above, right), which is probably the most brilliant idea i’ve heard all year…

the saucy singer admitted he has a thing for dave berry, a british television presenter who happens to be dating sugababe heidi range. although the ‘babes covered adina howard’s “freak like me” a while back, i doubt heidi would let jake have his wish (even if she could watch, and if dave was fucked up enough to give it a try, and if jake wasn’t in a loving, committed relationship… ok, that’s a lot of ifs!).

anyway, here’s a photo of the happy, photogenic couple. i can sort of see what jake might see in him… i bet the accent is the clincher.

besides jake shears’ gradual striptease (yes, please!), one of my favorite parts of the show was ana matronic’s comedy interludes. she told the audience that she had made her hair extra big that night, in honor of nashville. “it’s up to jesus,” she said, “like dolly parton.”

i’m super excited that ta-dah has been received so well (comparitavely) stateside. and i was happy to see that people were singing along to the new songs. all in all, it was an energetic, memorable performance – well done!!

as you might expect, i already have my favorites. so let’s get to it! here’s my track-by-track review:

• “i don’t feel like dancing” – currently atop the u.k. charts, this mid-tempo retro-disco track was a safe choice for the first single. that doesn’t mean i don’t love it, of course, especially because it’s so adept at getting my feet moving. it is also important to note that elton john plays piano on this track, in essence proving the band has been given the stamp of approval from one of their biggest inspirations.
• “she’s my man” – this one reminds me a bit of fleetwood mac, but only until the chorus kicks in. then the melody is pure scissor sisters… that and the gender ambiguity. i don’t know if this one’s quite single material, but i have a feeling that it’s going to grow on me.
• “i can’t decide” – i love this one, and not just for the great naughty lyric in the first verse (“fuck and kiss you both at the same time”)! it’s got an old-school country vibe to it, but it works well with the subject matter. “i can’t decide whether you should live or die,” shears sings before running through several options for comedic homicides. brilliant.

• “lights” – this song sounds like it’s straight out of saturday night fever (only with horns), at least until we hear shears’ distinctive vocals. the chorus feeds off his undeniable sex appeal: “when you cut the lights off think of me”… which is pretty much the fantasy every gay guy (and straight girl) i know. another choice dirty lyric: “i ain’t got nothin’ but your seed on my face / you put them babies to waste.” you do tease, mr. shears!

• “land of a thousand words” – five songs in, and we’ve got the first ballad. this one’s not terribly different from “mary,” off the first album, and unfortunately it pales in comparison. that’s not to say it isn’t well done; it just feels redundant.

• “intermission” – this vaudeville track splits the album into two parts. other than that, it’s not terribly noteworthy. it does, however, continue the sisters’ intriguing tradition of putting morose lyrics over a cheery instrumentation. case in point: “happy yesterday to all / we were born to die.”

• “kiss you off” – ana matronic takes the lead on this ’80s-inspired dance track. it sounds mean to say that her vocals are adequate, but they aren’t terribly impressive (her role thus far has been background vocals and, in concert, outrageously fab emcee). to its’ credit, the song moves along nicely. and though it isn’t saying much, it’s miles above anything fergie has ever done.

• “ooh” – with a killer bassline and a beat that won’t quit, “ooh” is this album’s “filthy/gorgeous,” though i daresay i like this one a bit more. pure decadence, and in the best possible way.

• “paul mccartney” – with three party tracks in a row, the second half of ta-dah starts to get monotonous. “mccartney” is fun enough – but it sounds too much like an extension of “ooh.”

• “the other side” – finally switching things up, this one’s more introspective than the anything thus far. the chorus is touching (“i’ll count our blessings / as i wait for you on the other side”), and i like the understated feel of this one. this is another that i think will become one of my favorites.

• “might tell you tonight” – everybody can relate to this song. it’s about a very tough decision – namely, the crucial one concerning when you should tell your lover just how much they mean to you. i think this song is gorgeous and romantic, especially toward the end when it gets very lush. *sigh*

• “everybody wants the same thing” – somehow, even with an anthemic chorus, this song is not that memorable. perhaps most disconcertingly, the song’s abrupt ending brings the album to a quick close.

and that’s all she wrote! ta-dah hits u.s. stores on sept. 26 (u.k., sept. 18). you can hear a stream of the album here.

apparently someone has metaphorically pissed on jake shears, as the scissor sisters’ singer recently claimed he could never work with madonna for fear of upsetting kylie minogue. smart move, i say, but many of you already know where my loyalties lie.

surely he’s upset the legions of manic madonnaphiles. “she’d never work with you anyway,” they’ll shriek. while they are probably right, i don’t think it really matters. jake’s style is much more suited to kylie’s tastes, anyway. here’s hoping her next album is packed with tunes in the vein of their previous hit collaboration, “i believe in you.”

this is not the main purpose of this post, however. today i received something startling in my inbox… a press release about a so-cal band called under the influence of giants. curious, i watched their new video, “mama’s room.”

all i have to say is that parody is the highest form of flattery, even if i’m not sure that’s what these dandy boys intended. seriously, check these guys out. the lead singer obviously wishes he was jake shears – and he’s even got a baby daddy look-a-like by his side! all they lack is a low-rent ana matronic. it’s shameless, really… and i don’t know who they think they are fooling.

until then, i guess these sweaty underwear shots of front man jake shears will have to do. i suppose it’s better than nothing, don’t you agree? ahhh, they definitely do the trick. i’ve already forgotten why i was so upset.

the band has been recording in their brand new studio, the aptly-named discoball, and they also had the opportunity to collaborate on a track called “i don’t feel like dancing” with one of their idols – elton john. lead vocalist jake shears calls the forthcoming as-yet-untitled album a mix of upbeat disco, sixties psychadelia and glam. aaah, i can’t wait!

in related news, courtney love has also been in the studio recording songs she wrote in rehab. it seems like ms. love is always working on something, yet very little of it ever gets released. however, this time could be different; it seems billy corgan has been helping her out this time around. stay tuned.