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Photo by Melanie Sweet

Jackie Micaletti is one of those chicks who restores your faith in female-fronted rock. For one thing, the 28-year-old pixie-haired guitarist/vocalist for local alt-rock unit the Plutonics is not afraid to get loud. Her husky alto sounds best when she’s belting lyrics into the microphone and her signature style (somewhere between Fiona Apple‘s hushed confessions and Kathleen Hannah‘s riotous swagger) seems perfectly crafted to work audiences into a frenzy.

That’s to say nothing of her lyrics, which catapult between fast-paced and angsty and intimate and earthy. “They like to keep me in a plastic box, always with the lid on, sometimes not,” she belts angrily on the alt-rock power pop anthem “Breathing Holes;” then slows down and croons sweetly “you tear me apart and you fix me up with glue,” on the dreamy, ethereal “Once Divided.”

As vocalist, Micaletti is certainly the most visible members of the Plutonics, but the rest of the band are no slackers either. Guitarist Tommy Cole, drummer Scott Coble and bassist Dave Odell are all seasoned scene vets and can turn it up hardcore for a live show. Tightly-woven post-punk anthems expand and contract, from sparse, freakish Robert Smith-esque dirges to full, soulful, sonic creations.

Catch the band live this Saturday, August 30 at the Khyber. The show also serves as a release party for their debut album, Rid Your Garden, so be sure to bring a few extra bucks to scoop it up.

The Plutonics CD Release Party at the Khyber, Saturday, August 30
56 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
(215) 238-5888
www.thekhyber.com