Hitting the Links

Stuff we like on the Web ...

We caught Waxahatchee (with Girlpool) at Sister Bar in Albuquerque on Friday night, as the Philadelphia scene came to us on the eve of our trip to Philly. Katie Crutchfield and her tight band blazed through an eye-opening 45-minute set, coming off poised and cocky. They added juice to new material, and Crutchfield had the swagger of a rock star on the rise. Meantime, the guitar duo Girlpool could have shown a bit more diversity in their song melodies, but they delivered smart lyrics with sharp harmonies. Both bands owe a debt to the Pixies and the Breeders. God bless the next-gen Daughters of Deal.

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Two nights later, near downtown Philadelphia, the retro power trio Ex Hex tore it up at Urban Transfer. Led by the sharp riffs and engaging vocals of Mary Timony, the D.C. band ripped through three songs in the first eight minutes and then took it up a few more notches. This was a revelation beyond their cheesy videos of studio cuts available online. Timony (ex of Helium and Wild Flag) is a nimble and muscular lead guitarist. For Timony's solos, bassist Betsy Wright would meet her at center stage, face to face (in sparkly mini-dresses), powering each other on, while drummer Laura Harris propelled the songs. Wright knocked out her own slamming solo during another song.

Their influences tend to have roots in '70s power pop. One song stole the "Baba O'Reilly" guitar riff. At other times I heard echoes of Sweet or Elastica. These are three impressive veteran musicians blasting irresistible pop songs. Here's a good profile from the Washington Post. Song sample below.

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It's been seven hours and 25 years since Sinead O'Connor released Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and hit the top of the charts for four weeks. Atlantic has an appreciation of the song and O'Connor's emotional wallop here. The classic tear-streaked video is included in the story and embedded below for your wallowing.

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On the  movie front, Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski holds a regular movie night for court staff, lawyers and the public at the courthouse. It started when he screened "12 Angry Men" for his young law clerks. The most recent screening was of "Tim's Vermeer," which we passed on. The LA Times has a fine feature story here.

BONUS TRACKS

"Nothing -- I said nothing -- can take away these blues":



Waxahatchee, two years ago at NPR's showcase at South by Southwest in Austin:



... and the the trippy opening track from the band's new album, "Ivy Tripp":




Here's Ex Hex live on KEXP in Seattle:



Finally, props to the shuttle driver from Philadelphia International spinning some old-school reggae-dub, including this gem from the Blenders: