Juliette Lickless

In most cases when a celebrity actor or actress chooses to move into the music field, it ends in disaster. Witness Russell Crowe and Billy Bob Thornton for recent examples. It's true. For each mildly successful John Tesh and Shaun Cassidy there are more than two dozen William Shatners, Steven Seagals and Don Johnsons. Bad voodoo. Just don't do it.

However, after watching the film Blueberry, known in the States unfortunately as Renegade, a friend turned me on to the singing talents of Juliette Lewis who sings momentarily in the flick. For me, I thought she was a one note (pun unintended) actress, but was impressed with her here. Hearing she had a couple albums out, I checked into them, and I was very surprised.

Juliette is a rocker, hardcore old school rocker, the likes of which we really haven't heard on the music scene since Queens of the Stone Age. Her three albums as Juliette & The Licks are awesome. Juliette's energy is frenetic and reminiscent of a young Mick Jagger, or Candy Slice come to life. Yeah, remember Gilda Radner's Patti Smith-esque punk rocker from the classic "Saturday Night Live?" This is her in the flesh.

So impressed with this energy I hunted down the tunage immediately and now look forward to many hours of rockin' enjoyment with my iPod Shuffle. The problem of course is that nothing lasts forever, especially if it's good. At the start of the new year Juliette announced a new band, the New Romantiques, a new tour, a new (and unsatisfying) sound, an album to drop in September and even a new website.

The good news is that she'll be returning to the States on this tour and be opening for old favorites The Pretenders and new favorite Cat Power. Maybe she'll do some of her old stuff. If so, guaranteed to be quite a show.




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