Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs

9:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 1. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Nov 25, 2009 at 4:00 am

For all the merits of garage rock, it's not a genre known for its subtlety. Maybe that's why Holly Golightly no longer considers herself part of the scene. As a member of Thee Headcoatees and an associate of Billy Childish, Golightly made her name in the mid '90s with a string of quick-and-dirty garage stompers. These days, however, the British singer-songwriter has moved through nearly a century's worth of American song types; genres such as acoustic folk, pre-war blues, smoky vocal jazz and gritty power-pop have sprung up on her last few albums. Recently, Golightly joined forces with Texas singer and guitarist Lawyer Dave to form the Brokeoffs, and the pair's last record, Dirt Don't Hurt, embraces the tradition of old, weird Americana through an amalgam of furiously strummed guitars, found percussion and blustery harmonica.