Rock Picks: Amanda Palmer, Metallica, War Tapes

Also, J.D. Souther, Von Iva, Juliette Commagere and others

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Music Critics Wednesday, Dec 10 2008

Also playing Wednesday:

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY at Cerritos Center; JAIL WEDDINGS, THE GROWLERS at the Echo; GILLI MOON, ZOE SCOTT, AMY RAASCH, CHRIS VALENTI at the Mint.

Juliette Commag�re tries to prevent the walls from closing in.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18

Juliette Commagère at the Troubadour

Lately I’ve been so knocked out hearing these great and gorgeous pop tunes created and performed by the lovely Juliette Commagère. You might know her as the Keytar-slinging, charismatic front woman for the adventurous indie-rock band Hello Stranger, which she formed with drummer Joaquin Cooder; or you might have heard her singing and playing on recent endeavors by Avenged Sevenfold and Puscifer. That varied batch of interests hints as to the unclichéd gifts of the multitalented Commagère, which are given a fuller flowering on her new solo album, Queens Die Proudly (Aeronaut Records). A vividly orchestrated pop-art project veering from the wistful and elegiac to the epic and otherwordly, Queens is like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual ’70s synth stylings. On her recent cross-country residency stints, Commagère has assembled local orchestras (via Craigslist!) of strings and horns, which brings a radiant gleam to her superb material. (John Payne)

Also playing Thursday:

METALLICA, THE SWORD at the Forum; SARAH BRIGHTMAN at Nokia Theatre; EMILY WELLS, ARDEN KAYWIN at the Hotel Café; OZOMATLI & CHALI 2NA at House of Blues; SEAN & SARA WATKINS at Largo; VIKKI LEE & THE PINECONES, ALBERT LEE, GLEN GLENN at Sam’s at the Regent; THE MORMONS, THE HEALTH CLUB at the Smell; PATRIA JACOBS at Taix.