Oh my but I’m giving the Willy lots of attention this week. I do enjoy reading them but my first allegiance, of course, is to the queer news and people they cover. And it just so happens that 2 of their 10 Best New Bands of 2007 are of the lavender bent.
The New BloodsNo. 5’s New Bloods didn’t really excite me the one time I saw them at Holocene opening for Swan Island. But then again, I was cranky, it was crowded, and the drink line was impossible, so it might not be their fault. Nevertheless, the lateness of our bike crew to their Gossip opening caused me to miss them at my second opportunity. My loss apparently. I’m definitely going to seek them out this time because not much (besides The Gossip actually) has excited me as much as the first time I heard Sleater-Kinney’s Call the Doctor.
No. 6/7’s LKN, however, has knocked me off my feet. Lauren K Newman is the quintessential rocker. She swings her long dark hair, grabs her naughty bits and wails on the guitar as hard as any macho 80s hair band. And yeah, she’s way better. I’m totally scared of her even though she’s 5’2″ and thin as a rail. She is the toughest, baddest rocker I’ve seen in years, forget the baddest female. I wouldn’t say that I’m normally a huge guitar solo fan but her skillful and soulful 5+ min soliloquy on In the Leap Year’s 10 minute “Sarah I Adore You” not only amazes me but touches my insides in a very intense and wonderfully creepy way. I mean it is about still loving the person you’re breaking up with but still I’m impressed that she can make her music so hard and yet so emotional at the same time. Oh yeah and did I mention she plays ALL the instruments on her recordings? Yeah, she’s a rock goddess.
I don’t think either of these bands will be at the Willamette Week’s Best New Band Showcase tonight at Berbati’s which is too bad, cuz I’d totally be there…
Lauren K Newman, rock goddess…