Choosing a best local band is like picking a favorite child, but, to borrow from one of this group's songs, tonight there is no sidestepping. So with a heavy but resolved heart, we dub fair Doris Henson the best band in the land right now. Watching this band mature has been less like witnessing a child grow up than like seeing the boy next-door venture into manhood, pick up a guitar and start driving the girls in the neighborhood crazy. DH's second and most recent album, Give Me All Your Money, recorded in KC by Duane Trower at Westend and released on Washington, D.C., label DeSoto, becomes more compelling with every listen. At first, we thought the lone trombone (played by Mike Walker) was a kooky idea, but it grew on us, as did everything else about the band -- except for the pummeling riffs and Matt Dunehoo's androgynous croon and songwriting genius, which were instantly appealing. After a tour in support of Billy Corgan that made us all proud, Ms. Henson is at work on her next project.
