It’s been years since the remix has been the sole domain of gay discos. Usurped by straight hip-hop producers and DJs, it’s a word that has, not surprisingly, been overused out of value.

Even non-hip-hop acts have taken to remixing things at an alarming rate, sometimes even complete albums. Bloc Party’s acclaimed 2005 debut album Silent Alarm received the remix treatment a few months after its release, with the disc reworked in its entirety by the likes of M83, Mogwai, Four Tet, Ladytron and others. Not that remixing is a signifier of sexuality, but it was a pleasant surprise to learn of Bloc Party front-man Kele Okereke’s recent coming out as a gay man. There were probably already a number of gay men who found themselves dancing with abandon to Bloc Party’s new wave dance punk hybrid, but now there’s even more reason to dance. A Weekend in the City, the new album by Bloc Party, unquestionably provides opportunities to express oneself through dancing; the long list of tracks includes “Song for Clay (Disappear Here),” “Hunting For Witches,” “Waiting For the 7.18” (which is reminiscent of Kitchens of Distinction, another band with a queer lead singer), “On,” “I Still Remember,” and the racially-motivated “Where Is Home?,” which could also apply to the GLBT community with the line, “In every headline we are reminded/this is not home for us.” Of course, all of this begs the question of whether there will also be a remix version of this disc.

Dudes don’t get much straighter than John Mayer. After all, what guy questioning his sexuality would be caught dead with a human blow-up doll like Jessica Simpson? That said, a Mayer track did show up on an Audra McDonald disc, which probably went a long way in introducing her legion of devoted gay fans to someone whom they might not have considered otherwise. Mayer’s latest disc, the Grammy-winning Continuum, could also attract gay fans via the rich and deep groove which dominates the album. Even if the longer way he’s been wearing his hair doesn’t flatter him, this brand of frat-boy funk that he’s wearing these days suits him fine. Mayer motivates us to move with opening track “Waiting on the World to Change,” which mixes a political message with an infectious flow. “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” is a rebirth of ’70s soulfulness, and “Belief” will have you believing in the power of dancing close together. “Vultures” sounds like the kind of funky white boy thing that Steely Dan perfected around the time that Mayer himself was born. One can only imagine what would happen to these tunes in the hands of the right remixer. Mayer’s hardcore fans will be relieved to know that he hasn’t completely abandoned the sound that first brought him to their attention, as the remaining songs attest.