CRACKTOWN and Friends continued By Elsie Creek

Start

Still, I have a copy of their latest album Cupboard Soup, on which CrackTown collaborate in a weird merging of styles for the track Spaceman's Walk. It's perfect for chilling out to, with a couple of more upbeat numbers, and the more you listen to it, the more addictive it becomes. I particularly like the song Invisible Distance of Love, which has some gorgeous male-female harmonising. I would recommend seeing cowfisH, for although they are not exactly earth-shattering, in a live situation their talent is obvious.

If they are taking requests, I'd recommend Skin Deep and Eyes Open Wide. Their greatest strength is their lead vocalist, who has an amazing voice. And if that's still not enough to interest all you guys out there, she's pretty cute too.

Kimya Dawson is one of the most refreshing artists outside of CrackTown that I have encountered in a long time. There's a vulnerability in her voice and lyrics which tugs at the heartstrings and captivates the audience. Though her recordings add depth to her music, the live experience is quite inexplicably cathartic.

Inexplicable because there's little variation in the chords or melodies, and she regularly breaks off mid-song when she forgets the next note or word, and yet the audience warms to her so much that it doesn't detract from her act. In fact, there's a cosy familiarity in the way she asks for help and suggestions from her enthralled fans.

Kimya began performing as a street poet in New York, and the poetry is evident in her songs. Family features heavily in her work, and she hints at periods of mental instability. Yet she tours internationally, wowing audiences with her combination of little-girl charm and true brilliance.

She is inspirational as a songwriter and artist, and a definite must-see. Having mainly listened to the album Knock-Knock Who?, the tracks I found most memorable are My Bike, Nobody's Hippie and The Sound of Ataris. www.kimyadawson.com

Ten Men are another acoustic duo who can sometimes be seen supporting CrackTown in the Lamp. While they are undoubtedly good, there is not a great deal I can say about them. Two young men, two guitars and a touch of harmonica. While one of the guys has been likened to an older version of Bart Simpson, the other is a definite contender for the Jesus Lookalike Crown.

The music is decent, if not extraordinary, and I have enjoyed both times I've seen them. They've a way to go yet if they are to achieve much success in their own right, but they're young, so time is on their side. Other artists supporting CrackTown in their CrackTown Carol were: The Harri Watts Band, an older duo of men, Derek Harrison and David Watts use violin and acoustic guitar prove that ..you don't have to say c*nt every other word to be cool! Songs include Coming Out and The Ciggy Song.

Johnny Zeusss (sic) is a Hull singer-songwriter with a political bent. Lyrics such as .. when I'm dead and gone, gonna keep some happy women livin' on .. may give some insight into his work, although he's still smiling. He has been compared to Neil Young in style, although I'm afraid that to me he was just another aging rocker with an acoustic. Yol. Well, Yol. He made an impact, that much is certain. It is more difficult to see just what the shell-shocked audience were thinking after his set of angry poetry had concluded. This man had a bone to pick, and he had people just where he wanted them.

Rants about pigeons, and Everything I Do Is Wrong were typical of his material, and he was keen for everyone to know that if they didn't like it they should f*ck off. But no-one walked out, and I must admit I enjoyed the performance. A frank talk with the artist afterwards left me with a much greater understanding of what he was trying to do - Death Metal Poetry: it could be the Next Big Thing.

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