Kimya Dawson

Kimya Dawson
@ The Grog Shop, Cleveland, April 11
by Andrew Clayman
Published in The Cleveland Scene (Village Voice), April 2008



The “honest to blog” references aren’t likely to go away anytime soon, but let it be said again for clarification— Kimya Dawson existed long before Juno. Much like The Shins and their Natalie Portman / Garden State affiliation, Dawson didn’t even record any new material for the film that shot her music into the public consciousness. Instead, her back catalog—both solo and with the Moldy Peaches— wound up custom-made for a crowd of quirky teen ironists who’d missed the boat the first time around.

Dawson, who sports big hair-dos and a little girl’s voice, has been quite the prolific solo artist, cranking out five albums in five year’s time. Her literate, low-budget approach fits the K Records mold quite well, but her newfound mainstream success could lead to some interesting creative crossroads in the years ahead. For now, she’s on the road with her husband, one-mand band Angelo Spencer. A reunion with Adam Green and the Moldy Peaches looks inevitable, too, but as of yet, unannounced.