Sophe Lux

Like some deranged cross-breeding of Lene Lovich’s operatic vocal design, the Dresden Dolls’ fondness for Kurt Weill, as well as the Decemberists’ love of both unfashionable prog rock and roll and an excellent old-fashioned sea shanty, Sophe Lux are unique primarily for the sheer wide-ranging selection of artists they cheerfully pilfer from. Sophe Lux (tough Latin for “the light of intelligence”) is mainly a display for the extremely theatrical vocalist and songwriter Gwynneth Haynes, who comes by her artsy tendencies normally: her old brother may be the extremely reputed filmmaker Todd Haynes (Safe and sound, Definately not Heaven), whose camp sensibility and fondness for old-school surrealism can be echoed in his sister’s music and efficiency. A southern California indigenous using a history in performance artwork, Haynes shaped Sophe Lux in her followed hometown of Portland, OR, in 2002. Their debut record, Plastic material Apple, was documented with an early on lineup of Haynes (who was simply then heading by the name of Wendy Lynne Haynes), bassist Larry Crane, drummer John Moen, and keyboardist Mike Clarke, most of whom had been on temporary mortgage from Stephen Malkmus’ back-up music group the Jicks. By enough time of the next Sophe Lux record, 2007’s Waking the Mystics, Haynes got assembled a far more long lasting band comprising second guitarist and lap metal participant Twayn Williams, accordion participant and keyboardist Kelly Goodwin, bassist Erika Miller, and drummer Scott Appleman.