Those dismissing the self-titled Scissor Sisters as a product of New York's latest fad band are jumping to conclusions. Yes, there's a certain cabaret aspect to what they do, but that's not to dismiss them as frivolous nightclub entertainment. That's only half the story.

"Comfortably Numb" may have nodded to gay disco but this eclectic bunch of fashionistas have more interesting reference points tucked up their puff sleeves. If anything, the prevailing mood here is sunny AM rock, the kind of thing you might have tuned into in 70s New Jersey.

"Take Your Mamma Out", perhaps the first song about coming out to your mother in a gay club, and sung by Jake Shears like primetime Elton John, is a cracker.

So too "Tits on the Radio" slick barroom boogie that takes a venomous swipe at New York's increasing conservatism.

Best here, though, is the anthemic "It Can't Come Quickly Enough", a retro carve-up of Nik Kershaw and the Pet Shop Boys that's more powerful than it sounds.

DEAD CAN DANCE singer LISA GERRARD has released a new album 'Immortal Memory', her first for five years. The album is a collaboration with the award-winning Irish composer Patrick Cassidy, whom she met in Los Angeles while working on the soundtrack for 'Gladiator'.

After much deliberation Cassidy decided to join Gerrard in her Australian studio and together they worked on the extraordinary pieces of music that fill Immortal Memory. 

Having reaped the benefits of their differing approaches to writing, Gerrard and Cassidy have produced one of the most astonishing albums of 2004. The album leads the listener on a magical journey, which encompasses majestic sweeps of sound that wrap themselves around the phenomenal voice of Gerrard. Startlingly Gerrard sings in Gaelic and Aramaic, an interesting quirk that gives the whole experience an otherworldly quality.