Mary Timony

Mary Timony first became Queen Crimson with 1997’s Magic City, an album filled with swirling synthesizers, folk-faerie melodies and elaborate portraits of “Medieval People” and “Cosmic Rays.” Indie rockers tend to address such subjects ironically, but Timony’s teardrop eyes never wink. The uncompromising Timony is secure about her somewhat awkward stage presence and wispy voice. She doesn’t hide behind costumed characters as if she were leading a Renaissance festival. Instead, she’s an effortlessly elegant woman who happens to love dragons and unicorns. In her trio Helium, Timony sang about sex, vampires and violence without any bad-girl affectations, making the content even more compelling. On this year’s Ex Hex, her third release under her own name, Timony strips her songs down to their garage-rock, guitar-and-drums skeletons. The album’s raw aesthetic should ensure a jarring set list, with the new tracks crashing into her prog-rock fantasias.