Remember Duncan Sheik? I didn’t think I wanted to, given that he recorded “Barely Breathing,” one of the worst/most popular singles of the late ‘90s. Then came Spring Awakening, the Broadway sensation that earned Sheik Grammy and Tony Awards for his orchestral skills, not to mention a coveted slot authoring The New York Times’ Sunday “Playlist” on January 25. Here, he extolled the virtues of one Rachael Yamagata, a gorgeous, husky-voiced singer of a genre that can now simply be referred to as “Grey’s Anatomy Soundtrack.” Of Yamagata’s latest release, Elephants … Teeth Sinking Into Heart, Sheik said: “You know for a fact that there was not a single A&R or P.R. or marketing person that was in the process remotely, because there’s not a single up-tempo song on the whole album. They’re all completely self-indulgent, in the best possible sense of the word, indulging in the beauty of the sadness.” We’ve had Yamagata’s album in steady rotation for months now, and share Sheik’s sentiments word for word. Obviously, we still remember Duncan Sheik, and for good reason.

Tue., March 31, 8 p.m., 2009