Older, wiser and no longer moldy

Kimya Dawson, poster girl of the anti-folk movement and reluctant matriarch of the Olympia, Wash. indie scene, is not one to take herself too seriously. As one half of the celebrated ’90s lo-fi punk-ish duo The Moldy Peaches, Kimya built her reputation on coy songwriting, solid DIY recording ethics and incessant touring. She also has recently become famous for the songs she has in Juno, the Oscar-nominated film about teenage pregnancy.

This Saturday, Dawson is bringing the noise to the old Music Millennium for a free afternoon show, much to the delight of her dedicated fan base.

On the surface, it is pretty hard to tell what Kimya Dawson is all about. Most people know her for her tenure in The Moldy Peaches, during which she co-wrote gems like “NYC’s Like a Graveyard” and the indie classic “Who’s Got the Crack.” Basically sarcastic anthems inspired by the various shortcomings of life on the East Coast.

Youthful and often quite funny, this side of her was fueled by her co-conspirator Adam Green, and the songs they wrote together have an undeniable cult charm to them. But, as anyone that has followed her story is well aware, there are many different facets of Kimya Dawson, each one endearing in its own way. Those lucky enough to see her on Saturday will likely get to see her slightly more mature side, which in this case is actually a very good thing.

There is a profound sadness to some of Kimya’s solo music that would have felt really out of place on a manic Moldy Peaches record. Not the kind of the vague, melatonin-deprived angst that many Northwest bands have found a way to capitalize on, but more like the vibe of seeing something really beautiful that you know you will never see again.

This is due more to her whispery singing voice and minimal production than anything about her actual character, all signs point toward her being an extremely loving person. One of the most honest lyricists that I can name off of the top of my head, she sings about everyday life and the human experience in a way that never seems trite, regardless of the seriousness (or lack there-of) of the subject matter.

After a long time of paying her dues in dingy New York City hipster bars, Dawson opted to head out west and join the thriving underground music community of Olympia, Wash.-the home to Calvin Johnson’s K record label. It seems like she fits in really well with the people here in the Northwest. Like many proud Northwesterners, she makes and sells various arts and crafts at shows and an online store she calls “The Great Crap Factory.”

Unpretentious and generous, Kimya gracefully embodies the ideals of the anti-folk movement. Anti-folk is a small sub-genre of a much larger collective of people in the music industry that shun typical rock-star behavior and corporate “guidance” in their music. On her current tour, she is booked to play at the commune of Twin Oaks for a bunch of hippies in exchange for a new hammock, instead of money. An unconventional financial decision certainly, but it’s one that will most likely “net” her tangible comfort, and serves as a pretty good example of how the anti-folk cats go about their business.

So, she’s not materialistic, but she doesn’t shun success either. Kimya has uncharacteristically been stepping into the spotlight as of late. Her most recent published work appears on the critically acclaimed soundtrack to the movie Juno, featuring six of her original songs alongside tracks by Mott the Hoople, Cat Power, Buddy Holly and a killer Carpenters cover by Sonic Youth.

Overall, it is a pretty solid album that gives a little taste of what to expect from her earlier records, my personal favorite being 2004’s schizophrenically sweet Hidden Vagenda. Check out the songs “Lullaby for the Taken” and “It’s Been Raining” for some of Kimya’s darkest and best work.

Frank Black, the enigmatic singer of the Pixies, once famously called Kimya Dawson a “true road warrior,” because face it, the girl really does get around. Before she even found her calling as a Moldy Peach, she sang backup vocals for Third Eye Blind in San Francisco and even helped Ben Kweller on an album–though you should try not to hold that against her, she was young and didn’t know any better.

Recently giving birth to a baby girl named Panda, Kimya has not let motherhood slow her down. Though she may no longer be singing the “Crackhouse Blues,” she is every bit as badass as she’s always been. And I’m sure she would gladly tell you that to your face.

Kimya DawsonSaturday, February 2Music Millennium 3 p.m.Free!