Aly Spaltro’s sultry voice carries through her new album, “Ripley Pine,” at times sounding like Neko Case or a young PJ Harvey. Spaltro, the gifted songwriter behind Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, wrote the album in Maine while working at a used DVD store, later recording it in her then-new Brooklyn apartment. Floating between folk, rock, and psych elements, the new record shows a diverse musical and emotional depth to the 23-year-old songwriter, through expert layering of melodies and metaphors. “Ripley Pine” will be released on February 19, followed by a show at the Knitting Factory on the 23rd. - Devon Antonetti

The first band to hit the Main Stage this year was Portland, ME standouts This Way. The vintage Americana group has been friends of KahBang for some time and never fail to bring the place alive. The revivalist, wandering lyrics and vocal delivery reminded us a bit of Willie Nelson, which is never a bad thing. Flushed out by great banjo playing and strong female vocals, the band set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Following This Way was another local favorite, The Mallett Brothers Band.  The Stetson-adorned, country-folk group were a nice mix between Old Crow Medicine Show and The Avett Brothers.  They had a total of 4 guitars on stage, and all of them, from acoustic to slide could play.

Late Cambrian played an impossibly catchy set over on the 2nd stage. Their music was power pop à la Mathew Sweet or Ozma. The energetic group could churn out a synthpop ditty as well as a disco-punk song one after another. They had a song called “Ryan Gosling,” and at one point, they played a snippet of “Blackbird,” which was pretty cool.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper finished off the 2nd stage with a bang. Backed by The Milkman’s Union, she performed one of the most blistering sets of the festival. Aly, a.k.a. Lady Lamb, makes manic, angular indie rock that perfectly compliments her powerful voice. She may have had a small, unassuming stature, but their sound was huge. She would chirp and then scream through her paranoid, asymmetrical tracks, leaving the listener to just sit back and admire. Her set was wayyyyy too short, but she finished it with an amazing rap that made mince meet of Missy. She has a new album that is already recorded and just waiting for a release date, so make sure to keep an eye out for that.

Check out a bunch more PHOTOS from KahBang right HERE. - Adam G.

Pieces from various places and parts of Aly Spaltro’s world exude throughout the colorful lyrics and retro tunes that make up her moniker, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (who placed at # 61 in our Best NYC emerging Artists of 2011 Poll. A southwest-meets-northeast history and a current Brooklyn base gives way to the whimsical language, imagery and tone of much of Spaltro’s music. She has engagedaudiences with her original approach to songwriting and sound, as well as offered an artistic outlet for fans to share their creativity through their visual artwork, a unique concept found in the indie music world. This artist/fan connection is evident in any Lady Lamb performance, as she thrives off of the energy and feedback she feels in performing for her loyal and loving fans. - Read Christina Morelli's interview with Aly Spaltro here.