Lanie Lane will know just what to do May 10 at Mercury Lounge
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St., $10, 6:30
Tuesday, May 10
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
www.myspace.com/lanielanemusic
Australia’s latest musical export is singer-guitarist Lanie Lane, an emerging star in her homeland and a potential one here as well, if there’s any justice. Mixing the hoochie-cooch of Muddy Waters with the offbeat instrumentation of Tom Waits and the storytelling of Brecht/Weill and Tim Pan Alley, Lane sings in a high-pitched retro voice that sweetly makes its way through the gospel blues of “What Do I Do,” the simply d-d-d-divine “Lipstick,” the sexy-pouty “Betty Baby,” the ballad “Saturday Morning,” and the jazzy, scat-filled “Red Accordion.” She’s also been known to cover Waters’s own “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Discovered in a Triple J Unearthed search for the best new Australian music, Lane dresses the part as well; in fact, she recently kept a photo diary on the ModCloth blog of her preparations (style, clothing, makeup) for a Sydney gig. Currently putting the finishing touches on her debut album, Lane’s brief sojourn in the States began last week in L.A. and Chicago and concludes May 10 at Mercury Lounge with fomer Dropkick Murphys guitarist Marc Orrell opening up.