Sorry I haven't updated this blog in aeons. It's because - eh, I got nothin'.
At any rate, it's time to start back up, so here goes...
I was tipped off to Jessie Baylin's song "Hurry Hurry" by a friend and I liked it right away. I saw she was playing at WCL, so I checked out a few songs online and decided to go. The show had a 7 p.m. start time, which to me is an added incentive. (More on that in a future post.)
I arrived just in time to catch the Watson Twins' set. The only thing I knew about them was that they had done a record with Jenny Lewis that really hadn't done much for me - but, hey, I'm game.
I'm glad I gave them another shot. With only a single acoustic guitar between them (and occasional keyboard accompaniment), they put on a very good show with beautiful vocal harmonies, entertaining stories, and, at one point, a song sung in the middle of the crowd with no electricity whatsoever. I especially liked the song they did after their cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" - wish I knew the name of it - where the harmonies had a gospel feel.
As good as the Watsons were, Jessie Baylin was even better. She's charismatic, confident, beautiful and talented, and she sang wonderfully despite technical problems with the vocal monitors. Her backing band (an electric guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer, plus the aforementioned Watson Twins) were tight, and the arrangements never overwhelmed the songs. The set included several tunes from Baylin's new LP "Little Spark", some other originals, and a torchy version of Sonic Youth's "Little Trouble Girl."
I picked up "Little Spark" after the show - Jessie was kind enough to sign it - and I've listened to it at least a dozen times since. Highly recommended to fans of 60's pop and soul - it's reminiscent of records from that era, but she adds her own spin to things. Go see her if she's in your town.
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