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Palehound, Live In Concert

Finding a songwriting voice takes time — and then there's the process of pinpointing the best way to send that voice hurtling through speakers. Palehound's Ellen Kempner has long had the words: scathing and evocative, certain even when swimming in an ocean of doubt. And with every live show, she's finding surer and surer footing as the central force in a band that marries rock muscle to bedroom folk's wiry vulnerability.

At an NPR Music showcase recorded live at New York City's (Le) Poisson Rouge in the fall of 2015, Kempner opened with a quick confession — "I'm really nervous" — before channeling those nerves into raw, powerful songs, accompanied by bassist Davood Khoshtinat and drummer Jesse Weiss. That rawness can take several forms, from the kiss-off brutality of "Molly" to the gnarled slow burn of "Seekonk" and "Dry Food," the title track from Palehound's 2015 album. But it doesn't detract from songs that hit hard at any speed.

Set List

  • "Healthier Folk"
  • "Molly"
  • "Psycho Speak"
  • "Dry Food"
  • "Cinnamon"
  • "Drooler"
  • "Cushioned Caging"
  • "Seekonk"
  • "Pet Carrot"
  • Credits

    Director: Mito Habe-Evans; Producers: Saidah Blount, Mito Habe-Evans, Piotr Orlov; Videographers: Julia Reihs, Cameron Robert, A.J. Wilhelm; Audio Engineers: Jay Eigenmann, Josh Rogosin; Production Assistant: Cameron Robert; Host: Bob Boilen; Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann; Special Thanks: (Le) Poisson Rouge

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Stephen Thompson is a writer, editor and reviewer for NPR Music, where he speaks into any microphone that will have him and appears as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. Since 2010, Thompson has been a fixture on the NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which he created and developed with NPR correspondent Linda Holmes. In 2008, he and Bob Boilen created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk Concerts, in which musicians perform at Boilen's desk. (To be more specific, Thompson had the idea, which took seconds, while Boilen created the series, which took years. Thompson will insist upon equal billing until the day he dies.)