Peggy Sue/She Keeps Bees/The Barettas [13.06.10]
That’s it, I’m starting a girl band. Last night I had the pleasure of checking out , and supporting cast of and at Sneaky Dees. Each band was an absolute force, with their own brands of blues-rock, rockabilly, pop, and punk rock. I haven’t been so pleased with a show in a while, and each of them were so effortlessly energetic and mesmerizing. Suffice it to say, I’ve got an great affection (or perhaps sly envy?) for female vocalists. graced the stage first, a three-piece band from Hamilton with frontwoman Katie Bulley adopting the tenacity of a young Gwen Stefani, or Kim Gordan. They held their own, evoking early jazz and punk rock, in sweet dresses and fierce, noisy instrumentation.
Next up was , a boy/girl duo from Brooklyn whose minimalistic outfit worked gracefully in their favour. Frontwoman Jessica Larrabee floored me with her enigmatic stage presence- I immediately thought- Heartless Bastards, or Cat Power. She’s got sultry vocals that can destroy you- with a weathered rasp that suggests that she could likely beat you up. In between songs she shamelessly made reference to what MacDonalds breakfast had done to her body, should we all care to know- and self deprecatingly compared herself to a “fat Cat Power? fat PJ Harvey? She was in fact, a total babe with the kind of stringly long brown hair reminding you of her female vulnerability, despite the powerhouse vocals she packs. She was absolutely hyptonizing, with the backing of Andy LaPlant on drums, and simple clapping- her songs were something of a holy experience.
Next up was , hailing from the UK- the band is made up of Rosy Rex, Katy Klaw and Olly (their desperately adorable drummer) and as if their names didn’t suggest their eccentricity enough, their live performance was (nearly) flawless. With the exception of a final song blunder, care of the drummer’s entirely excusable mess up that only resulted in wild clapping and cheering. Peggy Sue’s new album ‘Phantoms and Other Fossils’ is reminiscent of the vocal stylings of CocoRosie, Regina Spektor, or Kate Nash. But beyond those comparisons, they truly hold their own live, with the sublime sounds of accordions and heavy percussion.
I don’t think I could say enough about just how impressed I was by all of these bands, and I’m so very encouraged by the explosion of female fronted bands that hardly sounds wimpy or mousey, they’re both powerful and stunning, and can really play- a triple threat. The boys can’t sing like these girls.
She Keeps Bees- The Ribbon
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version . You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
She Keeps Bees- Wear Red
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version . You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Peggy Sue- Watchman
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version . You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Girl bands rule. You absolutely MUST listen to the track 'Ribbons' by She Keeps Bees, it will floor you: