Army Girls

A sparse duo who make a great racket, Army Girls took over the cavernous Shop, underneath Parts & Labour for their CMW set, with the venue seeming like the perfect home for Carmen Elle's minimalist rock tunes. With Andy Smith on drums, the duo worked their way through tracks from last year's Close to the Bone EP. Elle's music is simplistic in its delivery, but the no-nonsense performance belies the power of her voice; unaffected, she sounds like early Land of Talk or Liz Phair before her pop makeover. But it's her prowess with a guitar that really comes across live, and when she does allow herself to rock out, it's a sight to be seen and heard. Teeming with hooks, Elle has clearly found her groove with Army Girls.