  urlLink Casual Dots @ The Hemlock 04-06-04 Opener: Masmelo Masmelo: 2 cute Japanese girls in matching outfits. Very minimal. A post-White-Stripes Shonen Knife. Meaning, they're cute, but in the wake of the White Stripes blues-garage global conquest, there are smitchens of bluesy riffs in-between the cutesy verses. And by bluesy, I don't mean Howlin' Wolf black man blues, but Jack Whitey blues filtered through a Japanese-cute sieve. Gone is the grit and the dirt, the pain and the done-me-wrong woe. Present is a Hello Kitty attempt at soul.
I think if these girls keep at it for four years, they'll conquer the world. Their hearts are in the right places, but they've got to learn some skills and gain some conviction. Also, say their name out loud: Masmelo. That's right. Too cute! Casual Dots: They're on Kill Rock Stars. Stir together Kathi Wilcox from Bikini Kill and Christina from Slant 6. Add one drummer to the mix. What have you got? Solid Kill Rock Stars fare. I had a picture of Kathi Wilcox and Kathleen Hanna on the wall of my teenage bedroom and thought they were the epitome of cool in their miniskirts and ripped stockings.
Seeing Kathi play for the first time, I was disarmed by how normal she seemed. She smiled like a normal person; she talked like a normal person; she wore black tights and plain vans like a normal person. I expected a sneer and a cooler-than-you attitude, but instead she was cool because she'd grin and laugh at her mistakes.
Now THAT'S cool. They covered an Etta James tune and during their encore they played another old soul song. If Christina likes singing the soul, why doesn't she incorporate it into her own songs? I think this is the logical direction, Christina. Take heed! No other observations except her voice reminds me of Mel C. (Sporty Spice): same phrasing, same reedy tone. Who else can hear it? Hands? 
