If someone asked me to name some bands or musicians that contain all the elements I’m looking for in my music, Scout Niblett would be somewhere near the top of my list. She’s a girl that’s not afraid to be gritty. She stands in direct contrast to a society that rewards those who conform to ideals of conventional beauty and the shitty music that comes along with it, bringing forth to us dirty and dark electric guitar-based, singer-songwriter music inspired by the likes of Cat Power and Kurt Cobain. And while that might seem like an outdated notion, it’s just a starting point for Niblett, and where she goes from there is all her own vision.

Her music is equally fucked up and pretty, quiet and loud, sheer face rockers meet sullen, moody odes, and she does it all without framing herself into the usually obvious trappings of depressive, self-righteous rock star shenanigans. This is her art.

Niblett’s latest release via Drag City, The Calcination of Scout Niblett, hit the street on January 21st, and it is likely her best yet, stripped down to raw rock-inspired emotion. You can hear samples of the album here, and get the full download of the title track here. But after the jump, you can listen to a full full tracks via YouTube.

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