Leading Ladies

My new favorite band is The Pierces. It's updated indie folk that could be the soundtrack to a present day sideshow act. Their country rendition is an homage to vaudeville and the dust bowl. They have the aesthetic of a melancholic girl-duo from a graphic novel, not that of pop group. Their sophomore album's cover art (done by one of the Pierces themselves) shares a similar resemblance to Emily the Strange. Their musical comparison to a sideshow act is fitting considering the sisters (Allison and Catherine) are part of a nomadic clan of hippies, a traveling family band raised on backwoods tunes. They are a new addition to the two-girl bands including The Ditty Bops (to whom they sound quite similar at times) and CocoRosie. "Boring" is a song that makes me laugh, mocking celebrities and their "never satisfied" attitude. Other songs are haunting and catchy, like the opener "Secret" and "Sticks and Stones". Both of the girls, trained ballerinas, have mastered their harmonies, particularly with the uber sexy "Lights On" and the pop-pleaser "Kill! Kill! Kill!".