Straight up gay

The US edition of PDA (Tomlab) by Hey Willpower rearranges the sequence of the tracks from the original 2006 disc, four of which appeared on the duo's self-titled 2005 debut EP. Confused? Don't be! Just slap this disc into your player and prepare yourself to move. A "dance now, talk about it later" philosophy propels Hey Willpower (Will Schwartz of Imperial Teen, and Tomo Yasuda of Tussle) and PDA. The pair wastes no time in clarifying their motivation in album opener "Double Fantasy II," when Schwartz sings, "I am OK with playing truth or dare, as long as you end up in your underwear." Get the message? With a beat that goes straight to your hips, it helps that this is music meant to strip to. The overt sexual innuendo continues on "Uh-Uh-Uh" and "Retail Heaven." Don't be surprised if you hear yourself sing along, "Hey, you got techno-pop in my peanut butter" when you hear "Silent Ring" at the after-after party. Rich in fun, funk and fancy footwork, "Hundredaire" is about letting go, no matter the cost. If Mariah is ever hard-up for fresh material for the latest phase of her career, she would be wise to consider "Not Trippin'." In the case of Hey Willpower's cover of Architecture in Helsinki's "Heart It Races," this is one of the rare occasions when a bonus track actually is a bonus.

In case you never thought there would come a time when a Verizon Wireless ad reference would be acceptable in a dance track, just listen to the "are you feeling me now?" catchphrase in "Ultramodern" by The Ones, the lead-off track from the trio's eponymous full-length debut (A Touch of Class/Peace Biscuit). It works, doesn't it? At the "ultra-modern disco" where "everybody you know" is dressed in "the latest fashion head to toe," you simply feel it and move to it. One thing's for certain when it comes to dance party specialists The Ones: if you didn't come to dance, then stay home. "I Feel Upside Down" turns you over with a subtle rocking edge, whereas "When We Get Together" takes a detour deep into the heart of vintage disco with a vocal that suggests Sylvester's influence. The Ones include their breakout single "Flawless" here, and it's a perfect fit.

You can hear the influence of both boy-band culture and the shallow talent-pool of American Idol on out, Israeli-born, faux-soul crooner Guy B's disc Within Me (guyb.biz). As creative influences go, neither ranks high on the longevity scale, nor do they give listeners a chance to get a sense of who Guy B really is. It's hard to be a trendsetter when you're riding the bandwagon. He gets points for addressing his sexual identity fairly soon out of the gate on "So What," but who or what he might be gets buried in the schlocky production. It's a case of thinking, "Wait, haven't I heard this before?" then realizing, "Yes, and I've heard it better." But listeners are rewarded for wading through the muck when they get to the two stellar remixes at disc's end. Manny Lehman works his charms on "Within Me," elevating it to its rightful place on the dance-floor. Scotty K's house remix transforms "So What" into the big deal it deserves to be. Meanwhile, Ari Gold better watch his butt. Shalom out!

Porn star turned pop star Colton Ford traverses some blue-eyed soul (or are those blue contact lenses?) on his full-length debut disc Tug of War (Outsider). Dance beats, subtle but provocative, dominate the disc. The muscular beat of "Bluntly Speaking," featuring Monique Bingham, is the disc's full-throttle dance work-out.

What are lesbians dancing to these days? If they're smart (and you know they are!), The Gossip and Lesbians On Ecstasy are probably at the top of the playlist. With luck, there's also room for Canadian duo Sugarbeach and their EP I Just Love Girls (myspace.com/sugarbeach). Electro cuts such as "Haven't You Had Enough" are destined for the dance floor, and extended mixes drive the point home. "She's With Me" adds a Latin influence to the definite dance energy.