Category: Rock Babes (Page 5 of 15)

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 3: The Watson Twins

March 25, 2010 /

The Los Angeles-by-way-of Louisville twins’ Friday day party set at The Belmont focused almost entirely on their new album Talking To You, Talking To Me, which is a bit of a departure from their debut album Fire Songs. There’s less rock and a jazzier, torchier flavor. The dark-haired twins still sound fantastic together, although they harmonize less. This was apparently a conscious decision, as they note on their MySpace page how they chose to back each other instead of harmonize as much as they have in the past.

The new tunes weren’t really grabbing me for the most part in this sunny, mid-day setting, although I suspected this might be the case since I’ve had a hard time getting into the new album. Tunes like “Modern Man,” “Savin’ You” and “Devil in You” sounded pleasant enough, but didn’t really resonate on a particularly memorable level. “Midnight” opened up into a big jam led by the keyboardist however, where the Twins briefly left the stage while the band rocked out. Still, the performance felt nothing like the September 2008 set at The Fillmore in San Francisco that had blown me away. I felt that an evening headliner slot might fit the Twins better, so I still had them on my schedule for their 9:00 showcase on Saturday night.

The Watson Twins, SXSW 2010
Photo by Steve Hopson

Concerts, Rock Babes, South by Southwest

SXSW 2010 Quick Hits, Day 3: Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles

March 25, 2010 /

I hightailed it over to The Belmont on West 6th Street for a day party featuring the Watson Twins. But the party was running behind, so I was fortunate enough to hear another band that caught my ear from the moment I heard them across the street.

Sarah Borges was on stage rocking out a melodic and bluesy sound to a good crowd at the Belmont’s outdoor stage, an excellent intimate venue for such a party. Based in Boston, Borges looks a bit like comedian Sarah Silverman, but she’s got a dynamite voice. Borges does humor too though, noting that she was glad to know her bassist because he “looks like he’s holding.” Borges and the band veered from harder rocking tunes to bluesier Americana, and did both very well. She exuded a dynamic presence throughout the set that made it hard to take your eyes off her. The band closed their set with a great cover of Texan Doug Sahm’s “Walking the Streets Tonight,” with Borges projecting a charisma and talent making her one to watch going forward.

Sarah Borges, SXSW 2010
Photo by Steve Hopson

Blues, Concerts, Rock, Rock Babes, South by Southwest

Little Boots: Hands

February 24, 2010 /


RIYL: Annie, Kylie Minogue, The Ting Tings

You have to admire the tenacity of UK pop stars. They keep trying to crack the American market, even though most of them are met with the equivalent of a hair tousle and a cheek pinch. “Oh, you’re so cute. Keep on trying, you’ll get there.” Of course, most of them never get there, and of the few that do, many owe it to their ill-gotten celebrity status (Amy, meet drugs; Lily, meet topless photos) as much if not more than their music, but you have to think that if anyone is going to buck this trend, it’s Little Boots, the solo pseudonym for former Dead Disco member Victoria Hesketh. For starters, look at her.

Little_Boots_01

Yep, she’s gorgeous, and her debut album Hands is stuffed to the gills with perky dance song after perky dance song not unlike a certain Ms. Gaga, though there are varying degrees of quality. “New in Town” is one of those earworm-type songs that will own your soul, “Stuck on Repeat” playfully tweaks the “I Feel Love” keyboard line, and she winks knowingly to her synth-pop predecessors by tapping the Human League’s Phil Oakey for a duet on “Symmetry.” She’s not blessed with the strongest set of pipes, but then again, neither is Madonna, and her voice is at least as good as, say, Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Katie from the Ting Tings. And with a hook like the chorus to “Remedy,” vocal power is almost beside the point.

Still, the bias against UK pop in the States is a strong one – ask Robbie Williams. Hands should be a hit on both sides of the pond, but any music fan will tell you that there are lots of albums that should have been hits. Will Little Boots be one of them? Who the hell knows, but there is enough here to entertain the question. (Elektra 2010)

Little Boots MySpace page

Artists, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Pop, Rock Babes

Butterfly Boucher: Scary Fragile

June 19, 2009 /

The story of Nashville-by-way of Australia’s Butterfly Boucher is an all too common one these days. Her debut on A&M Records, Flutterby, was well-received by fans and she later had a song placed on a critical scene of “Grey’s Anatomy.” But A&M couldn’t figure out how to maximize her potential, and didn’t really try hard to do so, so Boucher was granted her freedom, which she embraced with the vigor of someone who wanders the desert to find an oasis. Her new album, Scary Fragile, on her own imprint, Situation Operation (she is managed by alt-pop powerhouse label Nettwerk Music), reflects the last few years of trying to make music for the right reasons. This woman can write songs really well, and it’s just mind-boggling that labels can give up on talent like her’s so quickly. Boucher sings in an endearing Australian accent and her voice is unique and easy to pinpoint – and she’s hip without being hipster, melodic without being predictable. The album kicks off with “I Found Out,” which is clearly an anthem of liberation that flat-out rocks. And on a mostly solid sophomore effort, the other standouts are “Gun For a Tongue,” which may remind you of Luscious Jackson; the summer rock feel of “Keeper” and the haunting beauty of “Bitter Song,” which is the same track used by “Grey’s Anatomy.” (LABEL: Situation Operation)

Butterfly Boucher MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Power Pop, Rock, Rock Babes

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