My recommendations 2006:Paper Television by The Blow

The Blow: Paper Television
K Records 10/24/2006

Available on Emusic

Considering the unabashedly histrionic subject matter of Khaela Maricich's songs, one would expect to see her performing at your local independent coffee house with an acoustic guitar, like many of her colleagues at K Records. Her surprising choice of drum machine and synthesizer is, strangely, an even better match for such emotional lyrics. No one can credibly accuse her of overthinking the beats, but they are infectious nonetheless. Trying to figure out the gender of the protagonist's paramour in each song adds to the charm of Paper Television.