It's ladies' night at MB119!
Kim Barlow — Champ (Jericho Beach Music) :: Kim has a breathtaking gossamer voice that's entirely offbeat and wholly original, just like her wry wonky songs. Even better, she plays a mean banjo!
Julie Doiron — Woke Myself Up (Endearing) :: Fuzz guitar femininity merged with a delightfully double tracked voice that has the sparkling lilt of George Harrison and the breathy phrasing of Annette Peacock. I wonder if she needs a boyfriend.
Jen Elliott — 8 Days Down (City Canyons) :: Jen's bluesy ballsy voice reminds me of Rita Jean Bodine, but her crew takes cues from the Who — especially on the title track, which lifts its riff from Keith Moon's "Waspman." Sting! Sting!
Lilly Frost – Cine-Magique Starring Lilly Frost (Aporia) :: The Divine Miss F is the new Julee Cruise and her "Psychic Cat Fight" is the new "New York Telephone Conversation." And you thought cabaret rock died with Jobriath.
Romi Mayes — Sweet Somethin' Special (self- released) :: Looking for something special that's sassy 'n' smart? Then check out these electrified countrified cautionary tales told from a small town woman's view. Bonus points for rhyming "Cadillac" with "Kerouac."
Tamara Nile — At My Table (self-released) :: Tamara also plays a mean banjo and sings with the kind of erotically emotive earthy voice that Janis Joplin would drink herself silly over, if only she hadn't already done it a long time ago.
Jenny Whitely — Dear (Black Hen) :: Jenny doesn't play a banjo, but that doesn't stop her from writing a linoleum stompin' hoedown called 'Banjo Girl" that'll curl your crinoline. Bonus points for writing a salty sauce song tilted "When It Rains, I Pour."
SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK:
Jessie & Layla – Kinetic (Second Shimmy) :: Quite simply, Layla and Jessie Collins have recorded one of the greatest pop albums of this or any other year. The trippy backwards guitar that kicks off Kinetic will initially hook you, but it's the breathtakingly buoyant Beatles-meets-Monkees vibe which immediately follows that'll reel you in because this record is one extraordinary achievement.
NEXT WEEK: BLAND BAND NAMES