The Pipettes @ the Casbah, 6-10-07

While most of the people at the Casbah last night would hesitate to admit it, The Pipettes have something in common with Jessica and Ashlee Simpson: they all sing songs, many of them sexy and coy, that were written for them by somebody else. And indie fans tend to be pretty wary of artists who don't write their own music like that. Plus, they've been accused of being imitators. Nobody thinks the Pipettes wear their polka dot dresses around the house any more than Ashlee Simpson is actually a punk rocker.

So why was the Casbah sold out Sunday night when most of the people there would rather watch the stars of American Idol cover Modest Mouse than go to a concert by one of the sisters Simpson? For one, the Pipettes seem like they can carry a tune and a conversation, too. But the big difference is that the Pipettes are imitating a musical style (60s girl groups), where as your American pop stars are trying to imitate past stars' public personas.



But you have to be in the mood for the campy throwback to enjoy the show. The Pipettes and their four-piece backing band are all solid singers and musicians, but an hour and a half of songs about boys, love and dancing grows a little thin after a while. Their singles got a good portion of the crowd moving, but overall it wasn't an overwhelming show. Nonetheless a pleasant way to end the weekend.



No Heisman photos, though. It just wouldn't have been gentlemanly to ask someone in that short of a skirt to strike that kind of pose.

Smoosh opened, and the teen sister duo is getting impressively better and better. They've always been a good band, not just good for their age, but their live set is showing real progress. Their keyboard-and-drum setup might not be varied enough yet to carry a headlining set, but songs like "La Pump" and "Find a Way" make their show worth checking out.