Antony and the Johnsons

Intimate, emotional, otherworldly: The power of Antony Hegarty's rich voice and philosophical lyrics earned him the 2005 Mercury Prize for I Am A Bird Now. The long-awaited follow-up, The Crying Light, finds the minimalist bluesman exploring humanity's relationship to the world through melodramatic chamber-pop songs.

Much of Antony and the Johnsons' music has revolved around singer Antony Hegarty's efforts to come to terms with and explore his sexual identity. But his latest album, The Crying Light, shifts away from issues of gender.

Antony Hegarty, lead singer for Antony and the Johnsons, has a striking sound — "between male and female ... at once ethereal and earthy," one critic writes. The group's new CD is The Crying Light.

With lush, mournful songs, Antony and the Johnsons have grown from cabaret act to Carnegie Hall. Singer-songwriter Antony channels artists such as Boy George and Nina Simone, earning an enthusiastic critical and popular response.

Tonight and every night, hordes of keg-tapping sex-havers are congregating. Tonight and every night, you were not invited. What you and your poor, pockmarked soul need is a soundtrack — five songs to ensure that you and your stuffed animals will have a night to remember.

On this edition of All Songs Considered we've got an eclectic mix of live performances for you: Legendary crooner Tom Jones plays at the desk of host Bob Boilen, Leonard Cohen offers a rare and intimate concert from The Beacon Theatre in New York, and Antony and the Johnsons give an eerily beautiful performance from Washington, D.C. Also on the show: U2 returns with its best album in years, and a new Daniel Lanois-produced album from Rocco DeLuca and the Burden.

The New York-based band Beirut travels to Mexico for its latest album: a brassy, adventurous double EP called March of Zapotec. It won't be released until the end of February, but you can hear a sneak preview here with the song, "The Shrew." Also on this edition of All Songs Considered: an ambitious debut release from the seven-piece, Nashville-based ensemble Darla Farmer; a collaboration between David Byrne and the Dirty Projectors, as part of a new album to promote AIDS awareness; a moody, gorgeous new album from Mali's Rokia Traore; new music from the seemingly tortured Antony and the Johnsons; a solo release from AC Newman of the New Pornographers; and Norwegian punk-pop singer Ida Maria.

"Hope Mountain" finds singer Antony Hegarty offering up only a vague sketch of what lands somewhere between a fairy tale and a folk tale, with some whispers of deeper spiritual meaning at the end. But it may be his most wrenchingly gorgeous song yet.

It's been three years since Antony and the Johnsons released a CD. The band is back with a new EP featuring the strangely haunting voice of frontman Antony Hegarty. Hear "Shake That Devil" from Another World. Also on the show: a live recording of the Buena Vista Social Club performing at Carnegie Hall; old school soul from singer Raphael Saadiq; the vivid imagery of singer David Eugene Edwards and Woven Hand; songwriter Scott Garred, a music therapist by day and Super XX Man by night; and a wrecking ball of an album from the Athens, GA band Dead Confederate.

On this edition of All Songs Considered we've got an eclectic mix of live performances for you: Legendary crooner Tom Jones plays at the desk of host Bob Boilen, Leonard Cohen offers a rare and intimate concert from The Beacon Theatre in New York, and Antony and the Johnsons give an eerily beautiful performance from Washington, D.C. Also on the show: U2 returns with its best album in years, and a new Daniel Lanois-produced album from Rocco DeLuca and the Burden.

The New York-based band Beirut travels to Mexico for its latest album: a brassy, adventurous double EP called March of Zapotec. It won't be released until the end of February, but you can hear a sneak preview here with the song, "The Shrew." Also on this edition of All Songs Considered: an ambitious debut release from the seven-piece, Nashville-based ensemble Darla Farmer; a collaboration between David Byrne and the Dirty Projectors, as part of a new album to promote AIDS awareness; a moody, gorgeous new album from Mali's Rokia Traore; new music from the seemingly tortured Antony and the Johnsons; a solo release from AC Newman of the New Pornographers; and Norwegian punk-pop singer Ida Maria.

"Hope Mountain" finds singer Antony Hegarty offering up only a vague sketch of what lands somewhere between a fairy tale and a folk tale, with some whispers of deeper spiritual meaning at the end. But it may be his most wrenchingly gorgeous song yet.

It's been three years since Antony and the Johnsons released a CD. The band is back with a new EP featuring the strangely haunting voice of frontman Antony Hegarty. Hear "Shake That Devil" from Another World. Also on the show: a live recording of the Buena Vista Social Club performing at Carnegie Hall; old school soul from singer Raphael Saadiq; the vivid imagery of singer David Eugene Edwards and Woven Hand; songwriter Scott Garred, a music therapist by day and Super XX Man by night; and a wrecking ball of an album from the Athens, GA band Dead Confederate.

With lush, mournful songs, Antony and the Johnsons have grown from cabaret act to Carnegie Hall. Singer-songwriter Antony channels artists such as Boy George and Nina Simone, earning an enthusiastic critical and popular response.

The driving force behind Antony and the Johnsons is Antony Hegarty, who grew up deeply influenced by the musical presence of Boy George and Culture Club. Jerry Dannemiller has a review of the group's second CD, I Am a Bird Now.