By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing writer

There are plenty of things to be afraid of at Halloween time—people in Dick Cheney masks…Dick Cheney. But don’t fear strong women. As Annie Lennox has been reinforcing during her well received autumn concert tour, sisters are still doing it for themselves.

One sister who’s been doing it for herself for quite a while is Tori Amos. “American Doll Posse” (Epic), her latest disc, might have thrown some with its “concept”—that the songs were sung by a “posse” of women, including Isabel, Clyde, Pip, Santa and, of course, Tori. More of a distraction than anything, temporarily discarding the concept and taking at face value the songs, which are some of Amos’s most consistently raw, revelatory and rocking, may work best for all concerned. Making her most overtly political statement, Amos lashes out at Bush on “Yo George” and then follows it up with some of her most varied and exhilarating material—23 songs worth in all—the best of which includes “Big Wheel,” “Bouncing Off Clouds,” “Teenage Hustling,” “Digital Ghost,” “You Can Bring Your Dog,” “Mr. Bad Man,” “Secret Spells,” “Almost Rosey” and “Code Red,” the most old-school Amos track on the disc.

Vanessa Carlton was among the piano playing singer/songwriters who emerged in the wake of Amos’s success. She even earned herself some Grammy nominations for her 2002 debut disc. Five years later, following an unpleasant label ordeal, Carlton is back with her third album “Heroes & Thieves” (The Inc/Universal/Motown). In Amos’s style, Carlton speaks out and speaks her truth in opening track “Nolita Fairytale,” even making reference to having her (A&M) record deal taken away from her. But she isn’t looking for pity, in fact, she’s more interested in making everything pretty, something you can hear in “Spring Street,” “My Best,” “The One” (with guest vocals by Stevie Nicks), “Home,” “More Than This” and the title track.

You could say that Avril Lavigne is the antithesis of Carlton. Lavigne’s brand of corporate teen punk (it’s hard to imagine Carlton ever singing a song titled “Sk8er Boi”) has worked well for her, and like Carlton, she even received some Grammy nominations. “The Best Damn Thing” (RCA) is a fitting title for her third album because it’s the best damn album she’s released. Now a married woman (to Deryck Whibley of Sum 41) with a little more life experience under her belt, she sounds a little less pre-fab. Songs such as “Runaway,” “I Can Do Better,” “When You’re Gone,” “Keep Holding On” and the title track are a good fit for her at this stage of her young rock star life.

The first “American Idol” title and Grammy Awards are no guarantees of continued success. Kelly Clarkson is proof of that. Her third album, “My December”(RCA/19), a far darker and more personal effort than her first two discs, is a declaration of independence in more ways than one. With the disc, she essentially washes her hands of an ex-boyfriend in songs such as “Never Again,” “Don’t Waste Your Time,” “Judas,” “How I Feel” and “Can I Have A Kiss.” It is also an attempt to trade her “American Idol” image in for one with spikes instead of sparkles, as well as a move out from under the shadow of contentious label head Clive Davis. So who won? It looks like a draw. Clarkson made and released the record she wanted to, but to the surprise of many, it wasn’t embraced in the same way that her other discs were.

On her eponymous third full-length domestically released disc (Metro Blue), Keren Ann rocks harder than she did on the more acoustic “Not Going Anywhere” and the jazzy “Nolita.” That’s not to say that you’ll need earplugs, just that you should expect a more electrified sound, as on songs such as “It’s All A Lie,” “It Ain’t No Crime” and “Caspia.”

Two new discs by women who once fronted bands indicate that there is strength in going solo. Hard as it is to believe Siouxsie, of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Creatures fame, is only just now getting around to putting out her first solo disc. That’s almost 30 years after the first disc she recorded with the Banshees was released and a mere dozen years after their last studio album. Anything with Siouxsie’s distinctive vocals will probably sound like one of her other projects, and with the following she’s amassed over the years, that makes “Mantaray” (Decca/W14) a must. Things get off to a fine and feathered start with “Into A Swan,” followed by highlights such as “Here Comes that Day,” “Loveless,” “One Mile Below,” “They Follow You” and “Heaven and Alchemy.”

Also in possession of a pair of distinguishing pipes, Dolores O’Riordan, late of the Cranberries, asks the musical question “Are You Listening?” (Sanctuary). With songs such as “When We Were Young,” “Human Spirit,” “Apple of My Eye” (on which she sounds a lot like Sinead O’Connor), “Black Widow,” “Accept Things” and “Ecstasy,” O’Riordan is assured of an answer in the affirmative.

Kelly Clarkson performs on Nov. 1 at the Chicago Theater, 175 N. State. Tori Amos performs on Nov. 5 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway.