Ebony Bones doesn’t have an album yet, but this young British rock singer and former soap actress is generating plenty of hype. For those cynical about Brit-generated buzz—the U.K. music press is notoriously sensationalistic—the question is whether the woman born Ebony Thomas is more than her profile: an Afro’d, carnival-dressed critic of “cheesy R n B, and boys in skinny jeans singing about suicidal girlfriends.” Bones takes fashion cues from Josephine Baker and Carmen Miranda, and her band’s songwriting chops suggest some staying power. Still, not every number has a catchy hook, and Bones’ lyrics aren’t quite as profound as she claims. At their best—“The Muzik” and “Guess We’ll Always Have NY”—Bones and her band meld Bow Wow Wow’s jump-rope chanting and percussion, M.I.A.’s global bounce, and the ingenuity of great postpunk. That might be because Bones tapped the source for production duties: Damned drummer Rat Scabies.

EBONY BONES PERFORMS WITH THE TONY CASTLES AT 9 P.M. AT DC9, 1940 9TH ST. NW. $8. (202) 483-5000.