Christina Aguilera: Back To Basics: Live & Down Under

$19.99

RCA

Before she became a new mom, talented pop diva Christina Aguilera was riding high on the success of her newest album, Back To Basics, and subsequent tour.

This two-disc DVD set features the concert and tunes such as “Ain’t No Other Man,” “Candyman,” “Come On Over,” “Beautiful,” “What A Girl Wants,” and “Dirrty” among others from her impressive roster of hits.

The second disc is comprised of interviews with the platinum blonde song bird, as well as chats with those who help her put on the show.

The concert DVD is being sold exclusively at Best Buy.

KIKI & HERB Live at the Knitting Factory

$24.95

Alive Mind Worldwide Release

Justin Bond & Kenny Mellman are known to their fans as KIKI & HERB, and for 16 years, the dynamic duo has entertained with their live performances. Their act combines incendiary elements of satire, scathing social and political monologues, and they even bring their own distinct way of tweaking traditional pop songs.

For the first time ever on DVD, these shows, hailed as “mind-popping, transcendent, and wondrous” by The New York Times, are available for audiences to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes. The DVD is a testament to KIKI & HERB’s staying power. It was released after a string of sold-out holiday concerts at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, and features seldom seen footage that chronicles their years together.

KIKI & HERB Live at the Knitting Factory features numbers such as “I’m Ugly (and I Don’t Know Why),” “Songs against Sex,” and “Moments of Pleasure,” which made them crowd-pleasing favorites when they toured with Scissor Sisters.

The DVD can be purchased at www.kikiandherb.com

This month’s double feature has an international gay flavor. The films are both imports. Surveillance 24/7 hails from Jolly Old England, and Eleven Men Out comes from Iceland.

Surveillance 24/7

$24.95

Wolfe Video

After his one-night stand turns up dead, Adam (Tom Harper), a gay British school teacher, becomes embroiled in a scandal that has ties to the Royal Family. His tryst leads to Adam’s every move being watched by countless closed circuit cameras that line the streets of London.

After his world is turned upside down, Adam takes matters into his own hands, attempting to find the killer, and is forced to fend for his own life.

This thriller, (which co-stars Pierce Brosnan’s son, Sean Brenden Brosnan) has been called “Exciting and energetic from the first frame” by Frameline, San Francisco LGBT Film Festival.

Eleven Men Out

$24.95

here! Films

Soccer star Ottar Thor (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson ) sends out a shockwave of mammoth proportions when he announces he’s gay. The fallout from his coming out also hits his family hard, including his ex-wife, teenage son and father, who happens to be the coach of his son’s soccer team.

When Ottar is ousted from his championship team due to his sexual revelation, his soccer prowess is picked up by an underdog team.

Soon enough, the squad begins to become comprised of other gay players, and they set out to prove that they have what it takes to be winners.

The Warmest Room in the House: How the Kitchen Became the Heart of the Twentieth Century American Home

Steven Gdula

$24.95

Bloomsbury USA

Author Steven Gdula captures the essence of why the kitchen has became such a crucial element in making a house a home. From trying times in American history, such as The Depression and World War II, Gdula goes into great detail on the advent of the kitchen and its fixtures, including the microwave and other gadgets.

There are even tidbits on food trends (Hamburger Helper with a side of fondue, anyone?) and those who advocate them, including famed cooking show personalities Julia Child and Rachel Ray.

Publisher’s Weekly has called Gdula’s book, “Well-researched and entertaining … Gdula successfully personifies the American kitchen.”

Janet Jackson

Discipline

$13.98

Island Records

For her tenth studio album, Miss Jackson proves she still has what it takes to get down and even be a little bit dirty, although that element isn’t as prevalent a theme as it has been on past projects.

The first single, “Feedback,” is a get-up-and-shake-your-stuff kind of tune.

There are some other standout dance tracks, including “Rock With U,” “2nite,” “LUV” and “Rollercoaster,” which are bolstered by ballads, such as “Can’t B Good,” and “Never Letchu Go.”

And, there is a little bit of Miss Jackson’s nasty side on the title track and on “The 1,” which features Missy Elliot.

k.d. lang

Watershed

$18.98

Nonesuch Records

Watershed, the first CD from k.d. lang containing new material since the 2000 release of Invincible Summer, finds the openly lesbian chanteuse wearing many different hats.

Not only has she written all of the songs on the CD, but she also serves as its producer and tackles a multitude of different instruments for the first time in her 25-year career.

Watershed also serves as an accumulation of varied musical styles – from jazz to country, to Brazilian beats – and her distinct vocal style.

Sheryl Crow

Detours

$13.98

A & M

Sheryl Crow has had a rocky personal life, which led her to record one of her most personal albums to date. Crow opens up lyrically about such life-changing events as her battle with breast cancer and adopting a child.

The album also includes Crow’s musical commentary on the war in Iraq, environmental concerns and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Detours also marks the first time Crow has worked with producer Bill Bottrell since Tuesday Night Music Club, her 1993 debut CD, which put her on the map.

The B-52’s

Funplex

Funplex is the first new B-52’s record in quite some time – 10 years to be precise. The band’s last new tunes were “Debbie” and “Hallucinating Pluto” on their greatest hits album, Time Capsule. This song feels like it was stuck in a time capsule – and that is a great thing!

The group is back in top form, in this fun and frisky guitar-heavy romp through the titular, “Funplex,” a place where you can simultaneously get your heart broken and munch on a side of nachos at The Taco Tiki Hut.

Who can resist the allure of The B-52’s signature knack for camping up lyrics? Case in point: front man Fred Schneider sings, “Faster pussycat, thrill, thrill! I’m at the mall on a diet pill!” That’s why The B-52’s are “the world’s greatest party band.”