Indie Achy Breaky

“I’m 15 centimeters tall” is the first line Caitlin Gutenberger sings on Two Sheds’ new self-titled EP. There’s something similarly modest about the Sacramento/San Francisco band Gutenberger shares with her husband Johnny (she plays guitar; he plays bass). Steeped in daydream-y folk and hushed indie aesthetics, her cooed vocals and exquisite lyrics come together in a pleasingly organic way. On the song “WTF,” she stretches out her “What the fuck” so luxuriously that you’re not completely sure she’s dropping the F-bomb at first. Released by the label arm of Filter magazine, the five-track EP marks a natural progression from 2006’s soon-to-be-reissued Strange Ammunition, showcasing a fleshed-out lineup that includes drummer Rusty Miller, frontman of the long-running alt-country band Jackpot. As with so many folk-inspired outfits, there’s a jag of sadness running through Two Sheds, and Gutenberger closes the EP as achingly as she began it: “It breaks my heart to be alive.”
Thu., Aug. 21, 8:30 p.m., 2008