Most people would agree that it’s fair to characterize Kimya Dawson, and her entire musical career, as a fairly galvanizing phenomenon. Between her (some think charmingly, some annoyingly) amateurish sound, frequent use of twelve year old caliber humor (some find her fart jokes refreshingly anti-serious, others think she’s just contributing to a lower level of discourse), and her fairly recent foray into the half-world of children’s songs that are frequently too mature for actual children (yet not even remotely aiming for mainstream adult audiences), Dawson has a love it or hate it style. She’s probably fine with that. In fact, that dichotomy of perception has helped Dawson’s recent resurgence through the widespread popularity of quirky teen romance Juno, and its soundtrack, for which Dawson provided seven songs (one with her erstwhile anti-folk outfit The Moldy Peaches). Through both its narrative arc and its musical backdrop, that movie is, as AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine so aptly puts it, all about “how the world-weary sarcasm of Gen-X rubs against the unapologetic quirkiness of Gen-Y.” Clearly, Dawson finds her inspiration further along the alphabutt. . .er, alphabetical rift of the generation gap. Whether or not you commiserate is likely a sign of your mental age. With Paleface, No One & the Somebodies, Turbosleaze. All ages.

Wed., Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m., 2009