Super sultry sounds: solo sirens who separate themselves from the pack.(Sound recording review)

When it comes to sexy music, opinions vary widely. Some people like hard-driving house music. Others prefer sensual, vocal jazz. Or maybe a sweet-talking singer-songwriter crooning straight from the heart. Me, well, my tastes are kind of eclectic--I can find the romance in all kinds of sounds. Sometimes it's in the voice. Sometimes it's the style of the music or the instruments--or the lyrics. Often, I find it's in some unexplainable uniqueness, something that sets a singer and her music apart from the pack. This month, Krystle Warren, Heidi Mortenson, Kristen Gass and Sia Furler have seduced my ears. Maybe they'll turn you on, too.

Diary, Krystle Warren and the Faculty (Velour): With phrasing that reminds me of India. Arie, but with a much deeper, smokier voice that sits somewhere between Nina Simone and Erykah Badu--particularly on this six-song EP's pop-friendly, lead-off track, "I've Seen Days"--Krystle Warren totally does it for me. The Kansas City, Mo.,-bred singer-songwriter uniquely melds jazz and folk in a way that's taken New York City by storm: Mark my words, she's going to be huge. This debut EP is just a teaser to get us going while Warren and her band, the Faculty, finish their full-length album, entitled Circles, to be released later this year. In the meantime, these six songs (plus a few more on her MySpace page) will have to do. From the languorous bass lines of the slow-burning, jazzy bump-n-grinder "The New Astrologer" to the funkier tropicalia interludes of the more up-tempo "A Song for Holly," the EP showcases Warren's diverse skills and instantly memorable vocals. Do yourself a favor and search YouTube for her videos--she's a hottie, too. (krystlewarren.com)

Band of Silhouettes, Kristen Gass (Brutal Harmony): This stunning six-song debut EP from the out-queer Juilliard School theater major will probably get labeled by critics as experimental folk-rock, but don't let that scare you--this is primo mood music. The Brooklyn transplant's unconventional approach, which she deems "freak folk," results in haunting melodies and lyricism, and showcases extraordinary musicianship, ranging from the poignant instrumental guitar piece "Ode (for James)," which opens the set, to the dramatic "Dog Days," which sounds like some of Ani DiFranco's darker, more intense fare. The DiFranco comparison continues with "Colorado," which reminds me of "Millennium Theater," with its sparse guitars and mostly whispered vocals. The rest of the EP continues in much the same vein, but, hey, if it works, why not? I look forward to hearing more from this up-and-coming performer. (kristengass.com)

Don't Lonely Me, Heidi Mortenson (Wired): Experimental electro-pop/punk might not sound sexy to some, but there's something about Heidi Mortenson's sultry voice that pulls me in past the blips and bleeps. It helps that the topic of much of this sophomore album from the occasionally mustachioed, Berlin-based DJ and Danish Music-Academy student is sex and relationships--with girls. The opening "Tiger"--peppered with growls, meows, cowbells and even a trumpeting elephant--is a tale of seduction and longing that floats along over a bossa nova drum machine rhythm. It might not sound compelling, but one listen to Mortenson's come-hither vocals and you can literally feel her desire. "Girl Since I Met You" is a sweet but occasionally dirty, nerdy crush song, which blips along over an electro beat that brings to mind the dyke electro-pop duo Scream Club (with whom Mortenson collaborates occasionally). Some cuts are a little harder and more experimental (e.g., "Coincidence"), but in general, it's a very lisrenable and danceable album that fans of Lesbians On Ecstasy and Chicks On Speed will appreciate. (nosnetrom.net)

Some People Have Real Problems, Sia (Monkey Puzzle): The Australian-born, Los Angeles-based singer Sia Furler ought to be up in the pantheon of contemporary white-girl soul singers like Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, but she's not quite there yet. Though she has garnered widespread acclaim for her work with the U.K. ...