In A Frail Daydream

Historically, Las Vegas has been stereotyped as the land of campy Wayne Newton disciples, but anyone who seriously investigates the Vegas music scene will find a lot of artists who defy that stereotype. Truth be told, Vegas has everything from country and R&B to hard bop and alternative rock — and many Vegas musicians resent the Wayne Newton stereotype (even though it does hold true in some cases). One promising alternative rock band that came out of Vegas in the late '90s was Penny's Pet Dragonfly, whose debut album, In a Frail Daydream, is as substantial as it is melodic. Smashing Pumpkins, Better Than Ezra, and Radiohead are among the alt-rockers who come to mind when ones listens to this 1999 CD, which tends to be moody, introspective, and melancholy, but is still fairly rockin'. There are also hints of Live in Dragonfly's writing, although In a Frail Daydream isn't as forceful as Live can be. While comparisons to others bands are all well and good, it's important to stress that Dragonfly has an attractive personality of its own. The band also has an interesting name — whether you find it cute, amusing, or clever, Penny's Pet Dragonfly is a name one tends to remember. But more important than the name is the music, and In a Frail Daydream makes it clear that Penny's Pet Dragonfly is a band of substance.