Emilie Autumn, "Opheliac" (The End)
Hyped on: Bringer of Song; The Lemur Blog; Attention Deficit Delirium
MySpace
Who: Perhaps best known as a member of Courtney Love’s backup band in the mid-2000s, Autumn has gained a loyal cult following the past few years for her own, eccentrically provocative solo work, as well as her collaborations with Billy Corgan, Dethklok and the metal band Otep.
What: The indie world’s answer to Lady Gaga? Autumn’s music and stage show are as theatrical as Gaga's; on record, she mixes Goth-y pathos, industrial mayhem and classical overtures with a sploosh of Amanda Palmer-ish dark humor (most notably on “Thank God I’m Pretty”). Live, her concerts are a whirlwind mix of burlesque dance, Victorian-era costumes (self-designed, of course), circus performance and, as she states, “a f---ing Broadway musical.”
Made for: Rasputina fans, freaky rock chicks, lovers of corsets, “Rocky Horror” fanatics and Marilyn Manson devotees who want more of a riot-grrrl-friendly angle.
X-Factor: Can’t get enough Emilie? Her semi-autobiographical coffee table book (“The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls”) comes out this month. Like her fashion sense? Buy all your favorite baroque designs (and fairy wings) from Autumn’s clothing company, WillowTech House…which was once, no joke, featured on the Home and Garden Channel. – KM
Vagina Panther, "Vagina Panther" (self-released)
Hyped on: Battery in Your Leg; stop sleeping, yo; Parasites & Sycophants
MySpace
Who: Three dudes backing an attitude-and-snarl-inclined frontwoman, Brooklyn’s Vagina Panther keep it simple and solid, sticking with blues-based, stoner-rock riffs and a seductive mix of singing and shouting. Though their debut is self-released, the disc’s producer has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Fall Out Boy and the Raveonettes.
What: A sort of female, art-damaged take on Queens of the Stone Age, Vagina Panther’s debut is a little bit punk, a little bit Pretenders, a whole lot of sludgy stoner riff-rock and some garage for good measure. Most reviewers rave about the instantly catchy lead single “Dave You Are Killing Me,” with its AC/DC chorus and PJ Harvey appeal, but that overlooks standout technical tracks like “Beast,” which sports a heavier vibe, tight guitar solo and intriguingly weird backing vocals. What this set might lack in diversity, it makes up in a palpable enthusiasm.
Made for: Indie kids taking their first forays into heavier stuff. Art school grads who wear their studio clothes to the bar and just wanna drink…and rock. Weekend headbangers.
X-Factor: Vagina Panther recorded this album in some of the last sessions to go down at NYC’s famed Looking Glass Studios, which was founded by composer Philip Glass and closed in early 2009 after some 17 years in operation. During its run, Looking Glass hosted big names like Beck, Björk, Coldplay, the Cure, Lou Reed and TV on the Radio. Will we add Vagina Panther to its hall of fame someday? – KND
Elliott Brood, "Mountain Meadows" (Bloodshot)
Hyped on: Meet Me in the Sandbox; The Mad Ones; Hyperbolium
MySpace
Who: This rootsy Toronto trio—singer/guitarist/banjo man Mark Sasso, multi-instrumentalist Casey Laforet and drummer Stephen Pitkin—have been building a sizable following north of the border since 2004, when they scored a cult hit with a jangly little tub thumper called “Oh, Alberta.” But they remained virtually unknown in the U.S. until earlier this year, when their second album, “Mountain Meadows,” finally got an American release.
What: “Mountain Meadows” is a concept album of sorts: It’s named after an infamous 1857 incident when a Mormon militia slaughtered a group of non-Mormon settlers and adopted the victims’ children into their own families. Instead of delving into the specifics of the massacre, however, Sasso and his bandmates have created a sepia-toned song cycle about the troubled adult lives of those child survivors. Despite the dark subject matter, the music is exuberant, mixing banjos and back-porch, hootenanny rhythms with lashing electric guitars and Sasso’s sandpaper howl of a voice. Even when they break out the ukuleles (especially on “The Valley Town,” an album highlight), Elliott Brood rock harder than any other so-called “roots” act this side of the Avett Brothers.
Made for: History buffs with Victorian/Civil War-era tattoos. Punk rockers just discovering the neo-folk scene. Decemberists fans who wish Colin Meloy was a little less nerdy.
X-Factor: According to the band’s Wikipedia page, Pitkin used to use an old Samsonsite suitcase in place of a kick drum, but finally had to switch to a conventional drum after trashing one too many suitcases during the Brood’s raucous live shows. – AH
