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NEW MUSIC
 Elisa
Dancing
Sugar
**
Name a famous Italian pop singer. Madonna doesn't count;
she's Italian-American. Trieste-born Elisa's no pop sensation,
but Dancing—for U.S./Canadian release only—might bolster
her cult. An ethereal songwriter, she's like Sarah McLachlan
minus the mystical feminine aura, or Fiona Apple without
show-tune drama. Whereas most artists get better when they
rev it up, Elisa's best on simmer. The slowest songs (“A
Little Over Zero,” “Rainbow”) are not just the best songs;
they're hypnotic. But at mid-tempo, the songs are blandly
similar. Just one request, please—no more covers of Leonard
Cohen's “Hallelujah.” Ever. It's turning into the new “Amazing
Grace.” —DAN LOUGHRY
Jennifer O'Connor
Here With Me
Matador
***
Jennifer O'Connor is a rare commodity in the business of
music: a straightforward, what-you-see-is-what-you-get singer-songwriter.
No gimmicks. No big-name guest stars. No over-hyped clothing
style. In other words, it limits her press. Which is a shame,
as her brand of folk-rock is exactly the kind of stuff that's
easy to like, and even more revealing and affecting the closer
you listen. Take “Valley Road 86,” a nearly whispered remembrance
of acquaintances past, or the heart-on-the-sleeve title track.
They could easily be maudlin or sappy in another musician's
hands, but O'Connor's honesty bleeds through, making every
song sound like it may have just been sung for you. —MIKEL WADEWITZ
Amy Ray
Didn't It Feel Kinder
Daemon Records
*1/2
Given that their influential fingerprints are all over this
album, I get the feeling that when Didn't It Feel Kinder
grows up it wants to be an album by Springsteen or Bonnie
Raitt. Those are some high targets to aim for, but even with
the best of intentions this album falls far short of the
mark. Despite a few memorable toe tappers such as “Bus Bus”—which
should have been the album opener in place of the droning
“Birds of A Feather,” and “Who Sold the Gun,” the colorless
production of the material fails to lift the end product
beyond merely likeable. The end result is a collection of
songs more akin to bland musical hors d'oeuvres, possibly
whetting the appetite but never truly satisfying it. —BOB WERNER
Stereolab
Chemical Chords
Duophonic UHF Disks/4AD
***
How is it that a band that began as equal parts droning '70s
krautrock, Marxist dance party lyrics sung in French, vintage
Moog blips, unexpected experimental left-turns, and a whipped
layer of youthful, Godard-like cooler-than-everything-ness
has subtly shifted into the kind of upbeat, string-punctuated
heir to the pretty lounge-pop of ‘60s happy-facers The Free
Design? That's a rhetorical question. And the answer doesn't
matter because this latest release from the band is as literately
bouncy, happy, fashionably nerdy, retro-mod, and perfectly
coiffed as anything you're likely to hear all summer. It's
the kind of thing I can play in the car for virtually anyone—my
noise-hating husband, my mom, puppies, the cool librarian
I know, nuns—and watch them pleasantly bob their head along,
even if they don't realize they're being hypnotized by a
deceptively simple, breezily complex trance. They haven't
changed their tune, it's just slowly evolved. And their punch
is so soft you won't know what hit you. —DAVE WHITE
CONCERT CALENDAR
Michael Feinstein
The Gershwin expert and Broadway powerhouse performs in the
City of Angels. Catalina Bar and Grill. Thurs., Aug. 20-24.
8 p.m. $45. www.ticketweb.com.
The Walkmen
The finest in New York's indie music scene fly into WeHo
to promote their latest album You & Me. The Troubadour.
Thurs., Aug. 21. 8 p.m. $20 ($17 adv.) www.ticketmaster.com.
Café Tacvba
The Mexico-based jazz quartet rock the Greek Theatre, so
be prepared for an evening you won't forget. Greek Theatre.
Fri., Aug. 22. 7:30 p.m. $35-65. www.ticketmaster.com.
Sondre Lerche
The Norwegian folk-pop legend brings his Nordic cool to Los
Angeles. The Troubadour. Sat., Aug. 23. 8 p.m. $20. www.ticketmaster.com.
Homo Must
Idina Menzel
The Tony Award-winner defies gravity on the West Coast for
one night following the release of I Stand. The Wiltern.
Fri., Aug. 15. 8 p.m. $45-55. www.ticketmaster.com.
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