Meeting Jesca Hoop before a recent opening-slot gig at the Showbox, we weren't entirely sure what to make of her. With her debut LP not out for two months and only a few songs available streaming on the net, we labored--mistakenly--under the impression that this waifish Jack Mormon who'd spent several years homesteading was really just another singer-songwriter strumming an acoustic guitar. And it's true--when she took the stage, she did open with set of......

The first time we saw The Polyphonic Spree was as the crazy band whose drummer had heart problems on Scrubs. A symphonic pop outfit formed in 2000 by the surviving members of Nineties power-pop outfit Tripping Daisy, the Polyphonic Spree was modeled after Seventies acts like the Electric Light Orchestra. Their new album The Fragile Army has been getting a lot of buzz with the first single "Running Away," which sounds like a mix......