Eleni Mandell

Two things to know about Eleni Mandell: (1) She’s a badass. (2) Her band is always badass, too. Though the Los Angeles singer-songwriter is all-too-frequently lumped in with the Jolie Holland cabaret set, Mandell is a fully modernized musical mistress with a repertoire seven albums deep. Showcasing sultry-rock numbers in the vein of P.J. Harvey and picturesque Lee Hazlewood pop, Mandell’s latest LP, Artificial Fire, is further proof of her easy way with a melody. Guitarist Jeremy Drake almost upstages Mandell’s unshakable voice on the title track, and it’s a good bet that he’ll also turn some heads as Mandell and company pay their annual dues to Davey’s Uptown.