Bat For Lashes

Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan is the latest in a lineage of female musicians that includes Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Björk. They all evince a kind of willful eccentricity that turns their songs from a straightforward conglomeration of words and chords into a kind of personal mythology. Onstage, Khan favors exotic headbands and flouncy dresses that make her look a bit like a refugee from The Neverending Story, but Bat for Lashes' debut album, Fur and Gold, has a dusty, intimate vibe that's built around harpsichord and piano. Khan's voice is equally at home on tender ballads like "Sad Eyes" as it is on standouts like "Prescilla," which begins with stomps and handclaps before ascending into a ghostly and driving chorus. "What's a Girl to Do" doesn't initially impress, but the video, which evokes David Lynch, Donnie Darko, and the video for Radiohead's "Karma Police," is, frankly, incredible, and more than enough to compel you to check the band out live. 18+.
Wed., Oct. 3, 7 p.m., 2007