The Wingdale Community Singers

Fri., June 24

Good thing there's this exciting new wave of Lit Rock, since somebody has to carry the torch since George Plimpton died. And nobody's set to cash in like Hannah Marcus, the long-underheard gal who's one-third of the Wingdale Community Singers-alongside novelist Rick Moody and veteran session man and solo artist David Grubbs.

"Yeah," agrees Marcus, "we're surfing the tide of literary rock until it gives out. I'm hoping to send my seven adopted children of all races to good schools all over the world."

Actually, that's fairly deadly parody as far as sarcasm goes. The Wingdale Community Singers also turns out to be an impressive and totally earnest collection of strong pop and rock tunes-balanced with some tempered freakouts. It's an especially impressive return for Marcus. She's avoided her strengths ever since following up her fine solo album Black Hole Heaven by teaming with Godspeed You Black Emperor (and Moody) for the atmospheric Desert Farmers.

"Well," says Marcus, "there's safety in numbers. You're really hanging yourself out to dry when you're a female singer/songwriter. I got this spectacularly-and very personal-kind of bitter-grad-student-type review for Black Hole Heaven that I memorized word for word, and can now recite. The writer's problem had very much to do with my being a female singer/songwriter. Also, it seemed to have a lot to do with the album cover-which I already hated, and I read the review even as I was restuffing every CD with the revised album art."

Marcus, and you, may safely assume the rock critic has a problem with strong women. "He was using the term 'female singer/songwriter' like it was equal to being a rapist of small orphans. But people seemed to love Desert Farmers. Black Hole Heaven was mostly straight-ahead songwriting. I'm not really into that kind of thing now."

Fortunately, the same can't be said for her bandmates. "Rick was a fan of Black Hole Heaven," Marcus notes. "He really likes things to be plain-spoken. Dave was traditionally more of a production guy. This is more like his own singer/songwriter thing."

Which again explains how the Wingdale Community Singers can skip being literary in favor of being emotive and melodic. "Rick was invited to an irritating event in Chicago," she explains, "where people will be reading their work while someone is doing audio/experimental music to provide contrast. I'm sure some of it will be delightful. Rick said, 'I want to bring my band,' and they were, like, 'Oh, no, that's not the kind of thing we want.' And he was, like, 'Forget it.'"

Marcus pauses: "Well, maybe he'll still do it. Rick and I already have another pretentious record ready to go. Actually, it's even less pretentious, if that's possible." Housing Works Used Book Café, 126 Crosby St. (betw. Houston & Prince Sts.), 212-334-3324; 7, free.