Not to toot my own horn, but when you get a review as good as this in a nationally distributed newspaper, you might as well tell people about it, right? This is the review as it was sent to me by the critic himself. Apparently, the version that appeared in the newspaper was slightly edited down. Sorry for that. This is my translation of the un-edited version:

"The Astonishing Vuk and Entertaining They Came From The Stars"

The fact that it was Midsummer Night, and that the artists were relatively unknown, led to a rather small crowd. What a pity, since as it turns out, the evening was unforgettable.

The climax of the evening occurred right at the beginning, as Emily "Vuk" Cheeger dumbfounded everyone with her trans-global avant-blues, performing with a second young woman who remained anonymous [Vuk's note: I introduced this lovely lady several times as Loupine - what a pity the journalist should forget!] Armed with two small harmoniums, drums and unusual vocal harmonies, this intense, yet charmingly relaxed duo performed unprecedented wonders in a territory somewhere between that of PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Anette Peacock, a church organist on acid and ancient Bulgarian folksongs.

The songs of [Vuk] (who is also a former member of Dirty Projectors), which have been performed in numerous different lineups, were consistently astounding combinations of experimentation in the spirit of the New York avant-garde, tribal dance and bloodcurdling blues. This young woman, who exuded a whimsical sense of humor, is one of the most impressive singers I have heard in a long time. She has a perfect handle on ancient tribal techniques - a snippet of a Robert Johnson song placed most other contemporary blues singers in an unflattering light - but the performance did not limit itself to a mere show of technical brilliance. The most stunning thing of all was the deep expression of joy and sorrow - the heart of the blues.

Check out [Vuk's] album "The Plains" as soon as it is released. If justice prevails, Vuk will be the next sensation of experimental and world music. In truth, she already is.

After this emotional tidal wave, They Came From The Stars (I Saw Them) was in a difficult position, but the good-humored Brits won everybody over by making the audience dance with their delightful cocktail of Space Jazz, Afro Funk, Disco and Krautrock. Naomi Auerfeld played solo alto saxophone and clarinet over a tight rhythm section while Horton Jupiter let loose all inhibitions with his singing, synthesizer, sampler and Theremin. The set list of this already 9-year-old band was taken from their new album, "We Are All In The Gutter But Some of Us Are Looking At..."

JUSSI NIEMI