OMG! The Clientele is playing and I didn't know! Nooo... But with Peter Bjorn and John, who I'm not *as* crazy about (but absolutely no hate, for sure).

Dreamy hiss and nostalgic warblings. 60s psych-pop, 70s AM pop, weird shoegaze lulls... so pretty! The band is a total nostalgia trip, but in a strangely new way. And gorgeous songwriting and lyrics (listen to "Since K Got Over Me" and be in awe of the OMFGiness!).

Much love. For fans of bands such as: West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Slowdive, Chocolate Watchband, Cocteau Twins, Galaxy 500, The Church (their atmospheric side), etc... Pretty pretty!

The Church may be the best band in the entire world. Or maybe not. A moderately successful band that's managed to influence just about every band coming out of Australia today. They had a hit... can anyone name it? I guess they had a few more in Australia, but nothing major.

They're a musical anomally. Eternally outside of time and space, except when they want to be. I've loved them for years. Steve Kilbey would write the Dead Sea Scrolls if people hadn't already, I'm sure of that. One day he might claim to have done so in a past life. Just you see... The funny thing is, I'd believe him.

They have their moments... their pop moments, their "experimental" moments, their rock n roll moments... For a man who sings about ghosts and magicians and star crossed lover in ancient Perian myths over swirls of ambient sounds, Mr. Kilbey has a keen sense of rock n roll. At worst, an academic take on Marc Bolan and Jim Morrison... at best, hymns for a coming race. Always otherworldly, but always as intimate as a half-forgotten memory.

Everyone knows the "Starfish" album... "Under the Milky Way", "Destinations", the exquisite "Hotel Womb" (one of the best songs ever)... But "Seance", "Priest = Aura", "Hologram of Baal", "After Everything Now This"... the list goes on. Over 2 1/2 decades of music making under the pop idiom... managing to progress and evolve through all of it. Melodies copped from other worlds via a band that, if they keep it up, will one day actually turn into a ball of light (or at least convince their fans they have... not a hard task).

I had the fortunate/unfortunate luck of discovering Regina Spektor early... before "Soviet Kitsch" was *officially* released, before the "Us" video soldified the star that would be.

It's a weird thing... seeing her live. Short set, awkward posture, coy laugh, just her and a piano. A crowd of however many people the Warfield holds. She seemed so out of place... like her audience is already outgrowing her. But hark! A white light beaming down on stage, getting bigger and bigger, a small voice chiming "Hallelujah!", an audience mesmerized... And maybe she was always a star, and he audience is just finally growing into her.

All things said... she's one of the most idiosyncratic and brilliant songwriters since Jacques Brel, which may not be entirely accidental. She's just a small Russian girl, afterall... but her head always seems to deliberately be in the clouds... like if a normal word comes out of her mouth then she'll crumble. Weird for the sake of weird, but with a very poetic motive.

"Songs" is one of the best albums ever. That version of "Samson" has broken many hearts, I'm sure. "Reading Time with Pickle" and "Consequence of Sounds" are brilliant. "Lulliby" is beautiful.

"Soviet Kitsch" is the album that made her a hipster staple, and take that for what you wish. But the power of songs like "Carbon Monoxide" and "Ghost of Corporate Future", and the deliberately juvenile pomp of "Us", is astounding.

"Begin to Hope" is the real break-through... the pop star in the making, but with apocalyptic love songs and some of the most idiosyncratic character studies this side of Bob Dylan. "20 Years of Snow" is too much to not feel, and "On the Radio" should be listened to in moderation, lest all mankind fall in love with each other and die of the ensuing heart attack.

I love Regina Spektor. Here's hoping her audience grows into her before they grow out of her! And OMG she's SOOOOOOOO PRETTY!!!