L.A. WEEKLY PICK OF THE WEEK :: RUBY FRIEDMAN ORCHESTRA - JAN. 12TH

With a name like the Ruby Friedman Orchestra, you might expect some retro swing or jazz chanteuse dusting off ancient standards in front of a fussy, fusty big band, but the actual dame in question isn't so easily tied to any one genre or era. In fact, her "orchestra" is really a group of rock veterans who've variously backed the disparate likes of Powerman 5000, Shakira, Glen Campbell and Avril Lavigne — none of whom sounds remotely similar to the titular Ms. Friedman. The singer, it turns out, is no shrinking violet, belting out glammy power ballads like "Shooting Stars" and "Hang Around" with a big voice and plenty of charisma. "That's why I let you hang around/Because you make me laugh . . . You cut the pain in half," Friedman declares with stirring romantic intensity. She and her hard-rocking band show considerable commercial potential, although at this stage the otherwise smart songwriting isn't nearly as wild and untamed as Friedman's voice. But give them time. On the ork's faithful yet savage transformation of the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," she sounds deliriously feverish as she bends her wraithlike cries into the fat dip and curve of Adam Zimmon's guitar licks. It's possibly the best version of one of the most intense songs by the most famous band in rock history — that's not easy to do, you know. ### By Falling James - LA Weekly

Catch Ruby and her Orchestra at The Hotel Cafe on Tuesday, January 12th!