Sophe Lux

by Stewart MasonLike some deranged cross-breeding of Lene Lovich's operatic vocal style, the Dresden Dolls' fondness for Kurt Weill, and the Decemberists' love of both unfashionable prog rock and a good old-fashioned sea shanty, Sophe Lux are unique primarily for the sheer wide-ranging variety of artists they cheerfully pilfer from. Sophe Lux (rough Latin for "the light of wisdom") is primarily a showcase for the highly theatrical singer and songwriter Gwynneth Haynes, who comes by her artsy tendencies naturally: her older brother is the highly respected filmmaker Todd Haynes (Safe, Far from Heaven), whose camp sensibility and fondness for old-school surrealism is echoed in his sister's music and performance. A southern California native with a background in performance art, Haynes formed Sophe Lux in her adopted hometown of Portland, OR, in 2002. Their debut album, Plastic Apple, was recorded with an early lineup of Haynes (who was then going by the name of Wendy Lynne Haynes), bassist Larry Crane, drummer John Moen, and keyboardist Mike Clarke, all of whom were on temporary loan from Stephen Malkmus' backup band the Jicks. By the time of the second Sophe Lux album, 2007's Waking the Mystics, Haynes had assembled a more permanent band consisting of second guitarist and lap steel player Twayn Williams, accordion player and keyboardist Kelly Goodwin, bassist Erika Miller, and drummer Scott Appleman.