CD Reviews

The Fireants - Indian Transvestite - (Firestarter Records)

by Jianda Johnson (http://www.soul.about.com)
Guest reviewer to FEMMUSIC
The Fireants, L.A.- based Alternapunks, venture into trippy mindscapes in Indian Transvestite (inspired by the ancient he/she Native Americans in the same tradition), painting lost little girls, boys, and all kinds in-between with four quick, hard, powerful vignettes.  If Raymond Carver, Wendy O. Williams and Jackson Pollack connected in The Great Beyond for an all-night jam session, they'd create something like this.  "Your heart beats but your head's not right," lead songstress Skie Bender belts along with guitarist Kevin Jacobs, in "Animal." Meanwhile, mental lament and power dynamics come into play: "What's left of you is unidentified," Bender drones ("Unidentified").  "You want power? Tie my hands up," she continues ("Going Numb"), shedding light on shadow-ridden relationships and courageous--albeit tortured--folks who just can't quite jibe with the rest of the world. "Stella" portrays a transvestite, a "true visionary" undergoing "androgynous shock treatment" of sorts in the world, ending in cackles and ancient tribal chants.  Music-wise, they form a surprisingly balanced tripod for the mind. Skie Bender veers off into feral, unexplored mental terrain, screaming, chanting, warbling all the way home, while her root-centered, throbbing bass-playing levels the field, meshing with drummer Kelly Busby's hard-driving, in-the-pocket percussion.  Kevin Jacobs' anti-guitar solos keep things minimalist, strange and somewhat estranged, combining imaginative, rhythmic fingering with atonal, haunting effects.  All in all, this band combines the best of experimental anti-Reaganite performance art and punk from the 1980s with Y2K dysphoria. Truly, it's timeless pathos. If you like hard-driving alternative or punk music, you'll appreciate this.

For more info., visit The Fireants' website (www.thefireants.com) which also features a poetry/art-photo book of the same name ("Indian Transvestite") sold separately from the release.

Dar Williams - The Green World - Razor and Tie Records 2000

By Alex Teitz

             The release of The Green World brings Dar Williams one rung closer to the acoustic folk stardom few have reached. Three years since the release of The End of The Summer, Williams returns with a band composed of Steuart Smith on guitar, keyboard, and other instruments, Rob Hyman on keyboards, Graham Maby on bass, and Steve Holley on drums. Williams leads this band with an assortment of ballads and catchy acoustic folk.

            The Green World's songs move through a variety of themes. "And A God Descended" talks about religious cults with deftly striking lyrics. "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono" is an almost pop like song reinforcing identity for both Yoko Ono and Williams. "I Had No Right" forces the listener into Viet Nam era civil disobedience and the contradictions within it. "We Learned The Sea" speaks of an old (eight years old) sea captain describing the wisdom and value of the stars and the sea. Williams' songs are filled with rich metaphor and simile that add flesh to simple frames.

            Williams' evolution as an artist continues in The Green World. The final track "Another Mystery" explores the growing distance of being a music lover and fan to being a successful artist. Williams is at that point. The Green World  explores more areas with guitar and keyboards, and subtly changes Williams' style. Although these new songs appeal to a broader market, some of Williams' die hard fans will be put off by it.

            In an effort to spread the word about The Green World  Razor and Tie is offering an internet only, limited edition. This edition includes a bonus track of "O Canada Girls" as well as 44 page booklet of liner notes by Williams, and exclusive photos all in a cloth-covered book. The limited edition is only available at Razor and Tie's website (http://www.razorandtie.com) for $25.

Edie Carey - Call Me Home -LaDida Music/Accidental Poet Prod. 2000

            Edie Carey's Call Me Home  uses a variety of talented musicians, and profound music and lyrics to enthrall the listener. Carey is joined by Shawn Pelton on drums, and T-Bone Wolk on bass.           Carey's voice is open and inviting while her lyrics stand firmly, defiantly against criticism. Among the most powerful songs on the CD is "Violently" a ballad about manipulating love. "Black Wool Dress" an acoustic ballad that takes the listener through a range of emotions with a grieving mother. The haunting background vocals on this song stay long after it is done. On "Nothing Else" Carey is joined by Red House Recording artist Cliff Eberhardt. The title track, "Call Me Home" is a passionate song about professing love.

             Call Me Home  is Carey's sophomore CD. Her skill as a songwriter is proven constantly through this piece. Edie Carey is a name to watch within the folk acoustic world. For more information visit http://www.ediecarey.com          

Worm Trouble – The Poison Kitchen  (Slug Records 2000)

By Alex Teitz

            Worm Trouble is a band that translates images and emotions into a vibrant reality. Their sophomore CD, The Poison Kitchen, adds a range and depth that wasn’t able to be explored in their first release. Worm Trouble is a three piece band consisting of Michael Trenhaile on vocals and guitar, Kathryn Ellinger on bass and vocals, and Greg Johnson on drums.

            The Poison Kitchen contains many songs with bizarre themes couched in catchy lyrics and music. One example of this is “City of Sin” which tells of a Biblical city’s fall and ends on a surprisingly good note. “Riots” describes a chaotic scene of mayhem in clear lyrics and emotion. Both “Amsterdam” and “The Ladder” are slower ballads that still thrive on the reality of Worm Trouble’s sound. Pay careful attention to Ellinger’s intros on “Thunder Rises” and “Eye of the Damned” and Trenhaile’s guitar intro of “The Ladder.”

            Worm Trouble has found their place with The Poison Kitchen. It is not in alternative, goth, or rock but in a blend of all three that leave the listener craving more.

One Handed Molly - Truth  - (2000 Rolling Ball Productions)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

             This is a band that’ll make you raise one eyebrow.  You can’t pin point any real category for One Handed Molly.  The best you can do is attempt to pick out their kindred spirits in the land of sound, but OHM’s variety makes it rather tricky.

OHM’s sophomore album, Truth, brings to mind Velocity Girl during their Copacetic years.  A commendable thing, really, since no new band has been able to make such sweet rock. 

Singer Sadie James is great at shifting pitch and harnessing a melodic tone that is an aspiring mix of the Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan and Velocity Girl’s Sarah Shannon.  James teeters between mystical gypsy and frantic banshee.  Sort of like a nice little girl who gets her highs from spinning in circles until she collapses. Musically, Truth can get a bit monotonous on a few tracks.  But then OHM will throw you a curve ball and experiment with a variety of styles.

            The memorable songs have little in common.  “Take Anything” has a great rambling chorus that’ll get you swaying.  “Voices” plays with ska in its bounciness and hi-hat cymbals.  “Happy” sounds like James is singing over a suped-up music box.  The opening riffs of “Optimism” are Black Sabbath-ish – slow, a bit fuzzy, and ominous.  Ironic title, eh?  “Untitled,” the strongest in arrangement, is gently haunting, like a rock-n-roll jack-in-the-box.

Truth is a strange album.  But One Handed Molly is harmless and definitely worth a listen.  www.onehandedmolly.com

Siúcra - A Place I Know – (1999 ESL Records)

The sound of chatter and clinking glasses gradually subsides as the flute and guitar whirl into action, and the female vocalist cuts through the pub’s smoky air.  Siúcra’s debut CD, A Place I Know, opens with a cover of Ewan MacColl’s “Sweet Thames Flow Softly.”  Lead singer Beth Leachman, whose voice is slightly reminiscent of Kate Rusby, sounds so natural in MacColl’s setting that it initially is difficult to believe that this up-and-coming Celtic trio didn’t hone its skills and pay its debts in noisy pubs in Ireland and the United Kingdom; instead, it hails from Boulder, Colorado.

Working with Leachman, who also plays bodhran, are the husband and wife team of Matthew and Shannon Heaton.  Classically trained musicians, the Heatons add guitar and bodhran (Matthew) and flute and whistle (Shannon), making the flute-driven Siúcra a rare find. (While flutes and whistles are a dynamic part of Celtic bands, they sometimes seem to take a backseat to the more often featured fiddles.)

But don’t imagine a quaint trio spouting sweet, leisurely music, despite the fact that Siúcra indeed means sweet in Gaelic.  Matthew’s quick-moving, intense fingers over his acoustic guitar and Leachman’s voice and bodhran start the CD.  Shannon’s whistle soon joins them. Although Leachman’s  voice is sweet and truly authentic sounding (her voice resonates from the old-style school of Irish singing -- “Leaving for Liverpool” in particular shows off these rich tones), it certainly isn’t quaint. (The a capella “Muldoon, the Solid Man” demonstrates its substance and vigor quite clearly.)  The whistle jumps into the lead for the closing reel added to MacColl’s song.  Shannon’s flute introduces the second track, the traditional “I’m Thinking, Ever Thinking,” but then she rests during the first verse and allows the voice and guitar to dominate the verses while the flute, with Shannon’s impressive vibrato,takes over in between.

That vibrato continues to hold sway on instrumental tracks such as “Down the Brown/Reel of Rio/Trip to Herve’s” and “The Small Girl/Frog in Galway,” taking over lines that other traditional Celtic bands might save for fiddles.  Using a flute might seem to give Siúcra a soft touch, but it’s a brief illusion. The flute works here and makes Siúcra as vibrant and hard-edged as any fiddle-based band.

Sarah Harmer - You Were Here – (Cold Snap Music 2000)

            Sarah Harmer is that kind of casual girl-next-store singer-songwriter. She’s the one who’s been around for years, but you probably haven’t really noticed her because she’s just so darned friendly sounding and reliable.  This Kingston, Ontario-based artist (formerly of Weeping Tile) recently released You Were Here, her first full-length solo CD.

“Around This Corner,” the opening track, lures in the listener with its jazz sound  and an upbeat surprise -- the clarinet certainly was unexpected, but it stands out nicely against the distinct drum and bass beats. “Basement Apartment” starts with a warm giggle, and while Harmer’s voice initially sounds a little tentative, she works her way to an incredibly inviting chorus.  Although “The Hideout” is the official single, “Basement Apartment” definitely has AAA radio potential. It also shows off Harmer’s voice.  There’s a very slight Sarah McLachlan

twinge at first hear, but she’s not derivative by any means.  Harmer can sound almost wispy and throaty at moments, but her voice is strong and can stretch -- there’s no little-girl wispiness here.

That said, “The Hideout” is a fine song in itself.  It merely suffers initially by following “Basement Apartment” on the CD. However, its almost abrupt opening (no musical introduction) of “Look at that rain” makes it conversational in tone as Harmer honestly examines the end of a relationship and the need to get away and be happy.  It’s a very direct and honest address to the audience.

“Lodestar,” on the other hand, which features, as Harmer puts it, “some words by D.H. Lawrence,” is perhaps less of a single but more of a contemplative poetic piece.  It gives Harmer a chance to demonstrate her ability to crescendo to a strong chorus from a gentle verse sung against strings and muted horns.

            Following the contemplative state of “Lodestar,” Harmer’s cover of Dave Hodge’s “Weakened State” (the only song among this lot that Harmer didn’t compose) is perhaps a bit of a shock, for it’s a rocker.  Even it in, however, there’s a moment where the more classical strings stand out against the electric guitar.  Even there, Harmer’s contemplative nature shows.

            Harmer can write and perform choruses that stamp the songs on her listeners’ minds -- “Basement Apartment,” “The Hideout,” and “Don’t Get Your Back Up” are particular examples from this release.  She also can handle slow, relaxing, bluesy numbers such as “Open Window (The Wedding Song).” She’s definitely reliable and friendly sounding, but don’t dismiss her as the artist next door.  Instead view her as honest, fresh, thoughtful, and downright compelling.    www.sarahharmer.com

Jo Morrison, The Three Musics  (1998, Triharpskel Productions)

It always seems good to break stereotypes.  Over the years, stereotypes of harpists have abounded. Generally, the “typical” performer is woman sitting behind a huge concert harp on the orchestra’s edge.  She seems too angelic to be human, yet she seriously strokes the strings from one end of the harp to the other as she transforms messages from a god or goddess into music.  Trite, eh?

Fortunately, harpists such as Loreena McKennitt, Dee Carstensen, Sue Richards, and Fiona Davidson, among others, working within folk and/or rock music fields, have dispelled that generalization.  Folk musician and Celtic harpist Jo Morrison now joins those ranks with The Three Musics, her debut release.

Morrison states that traditionally there were three musics available to Celtic harpists:  mirth, sorrow, and sleep. On this CD, she strives to demonstrate and even intermingle all three via very traditional sounding pieces (including two O’Carolan tunes), her own composition, and dance tunes that embody more contemporary musical energy that might be anticipated.

“They Stole My Wife That Night” is such a piece.  Bobby Read’s light yet jazzy clarinet is not the instrument usually associated with a harpist playing a traditional strathspey. Morrison admits that she is not sure if this song was meant to represent mirth or sorrow, and Read’s clarinet echoes that ambivalence.  It’s a curious choice that works and allows the listener to determine the mood on his or her own.

Morrison’s “covers” of Turlough O’Carolan, an 18th-century Irish harper whose tunes probably are almost obligatory for any Celtic harpist, aren’t typical either.  Again, her choice of accompaniment helps them stand out. (Indeed, out of 16 tracks, Morrison plays solo only on three, with Sue Richards joining her -- dueling harps, perhaps? -- on a fourth exclusively harp selection.)  Rick Schmidt’s cello gently lulls in the background at the start of “Clergy Lamentation,” then it flourishes to share the melody with the harp.  Fred Lieder’s cello and Walt Michael’s hammered dulcimer help the harp create imagery on “Fanny Poer.”

Several tracks are educational as they demonstrate the different musical possibilities available to Celtic musicians.  For example, Morrison pairs two marches, “Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque” and “The March of the King of Laois”  to demonstrate the contrasts between two marches.  The former is Scottish and light and airy; the latter is Irish and slower with a more contemplative tone.

The CD’s title and closing track, composed by Morrison specifically for the album, is meant to integrate mirth, sorrow, and sleep.  Cathy Alles’ flute, later joined by Schmidt’s cello, helps Morrison create an almost Elizabethan-sounding ambience to start, which later evolves into a more traditional-sounding dance tune, and concludes with a peaceful harp solo that brings on the feeling of solace rather than sleep.

Throughout the entire album, Morrison weaves traditional and more contemporary sounds to create an atmosphere that brings to mind both modern coffeeshops and halls of ancient kings.  Trite?  No.  Beautiful?Yes.

Sleater-Kinney - All Hands on the Bad One (kill rock stars 2000)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

They are the saviors of rock. 

They know how to rock. Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss are painfully smarter than the competition and they know it.  All Hands on the Bad One is another chapter in the Sleater-Kinney textbook. The Bad One is sassier, classier, and rougher than anything they’ve written in the past.  After the first listen, you may not like it as much as you thought you would.  But swallow it down, that jagged little pill.

The Bad One is a much more political album, and Sleater-Kinney could give a shit if you’re a member of their party.  After living through a year of misogynist music, Fred Durst, Detroit rappers, and Woodstock rapers, is it any wonder that Sleater-Kinney lashed out?  This band is a different brand of girl-power - one that doesn’t victimize women or pretty them up.  Rather, this brand exalts women’s innate ass-kicking potential.  It’s the brand that popular culture forgot exists.

Tucker’s unbridled wailing strikes out with a caustic aftertaste that wasn’t as harsh on their last CD, The Hot Rock.  The guitars are less intricate; there’s little head-on collision this time around.  Brownstein and Tucker are playing on the same stylistic plane, making the harmonies a bit less fierce.  The power of the Bad One lies elsewhere.  The bite comes from the overlapping and energy shifting on the vocals.  Brownstein sings with clean precision, while Tucker’s yelping soars and Weiss acts as the shadow.

Some of the better songs include the head-banging “Ironclad,” the party-pooper salute, “You’re No Rock N Roll Fun,” the ear-ripping “Youth Decay,” and the funny, scorned-lover tune, “Milkshake and Honey.”  To hear Sleater-Kinney working together at their best, try the title track, which contains the album’s most inventive musical arrangement.

To sum up the Bad One’s presiding emotional charisma, listen to the killer track, “Male Model.”  A fed-up Tucker sings “he talks to me in my sleep.  Does he write my songs for me?  Should I try to play just like him?  You always measure me by him.  I’m so sick of tests.  Go ahead and FLUNK MY ASS!!  Cuz you don’t own the situation honey, you don’t own the stage.  We’re here to join the conversation, we’re here to raise the stakes.”

One -  One (Altyr Records 1999)

One is a CD begging to be taken to it's fullest limit, and falling short every time. One is Gloria Hylton on lead vocals. She is backed up by George Seymouron electric and acoustic guitars and keyboard. Mike Keeley is on drums, and Lynne Davis is on bass. Although the other band members are there, Hylton and Seymour take up the CD.

One's songs are about relationships and philosophy. "Sins of Heredity" is a ballad filled with challenging lyrics about family and choices. "Lost (a.k.a. L.A. Appropriate)" is the best song on the CD featuring Hylton accepella. The rest of the lyrics are predictable and matched with music that feels twenty years out of date.

One is not without talent, but this debut work does nothing to showcase it. It screams for passion in songs like "Villian" about betrayal. "T.ime V.acuums S.uck" also pleads for metaphors to bring forth the image dancing in the mind. The pleas go unanswered.

Hylton is one FEMMUSIC will watch. These songs need to be played out and put through the paces of audiences. When refined they could hold the promise for much more to come. For more information visit http://www.altyr.com 

Princess Superstar – CEO (1997 A Big Rich Major Label – now Corrupt Conglomerate)

            Princess Superstar is a quick witted, and creative NY rap & hip-hop group. Led by Concetta Kirschner, the princess herself, the band uses a variety of styles that break the mold on what hip-hop is. The rest of the band includes Ski Love Ski on bass, DJ Science Center on turntables and guitar, and Mike Linn on drums.

            CEO is a theme CD if there ever was one. Beginning with a short track about a “Receptionist’s Fantasy” the listener hits the glass ceiling and breaks it. Notable tracks include “I’m in Love With the Music Business” a sugary Broadway number that satires the industry, to “Cold Tea, LLC” about a bad band trip to Boston. The title track “CEO” is the driving force on the CD. In it Kirschner tells the listener that she is in charge.

            Princess Superstar is not a subtle band. They are face to face with the listener’s ears from beginning to end. If Princess Superstar delivers half of the energy and outrageousness on stage as they do in the studio than the world of hip-hop should watch out. The rules have changed, and there is a new CEO who will take over.

            For more information visit http://www.princesssuperstar.com or http://www.corruptconglomerate.com

Tapping the Vein – Undone (Independent)

            Tapping the Vein is dark and melodic and vibrantly original. This Pennsylvania band is at one second using guitar chords like daggers, to using keyboard tracks that yearn for an orchestra. Tapping the Vein is Heather Thompson on vocals, Eric Fisher on drums, Joe Rolland on bass, and Mark Burkert on guitar.

            Undone is Tapping the Vein’s six song CD. Notable songs include “Beautiful” which is a view of vanity, and “Crushing” with repetitive vocals that dig into the soul. “Undone” is filled with keyboard, violin and guitar tracks that submerge the listener. Throughout the CD, Thompson’s vocals change from aggressive to passionate to dispondent. Her voice guides the listener.

            Tapping the Vein will not appeal to all. Although there are elements of goth, the band itself should fit for any alternative fan. For more information see http://www.tappingthevein.com

Jabberbox – Jabberbox (Crab Apple Records/Independent)

            Jabberbox is a powerhouse rock band from California. The band is led by the vocal talents of Wendy Gray. The band also includes Chris Buessem on guitar, Craig Frank on drums, Mike Harold on bass, and Thomas Caffy on keyboards.

            Jabberbox’s CD captures a range and holds it. The main single is “Part of the Disease”, a song about revenge filled with soaring vocals and a gripping guitar solo. “Superman” is a song about personal growth with an addictive chorus. Besides quick paced rock songs, Jabberbox is also filled with captivating acoustic pieces. The best of these is “Little Hands”, a love song that insinuates more and is done purely acoustic with guitar and keyboards.

            Wendy Gray’s songwriting prowess propels the CD. Gray emotes and evokes with her voice. Her songs speak of bad relationships in stark detail, and the pain, sorrow, and vengeance that follows. In songs like “Dig” and “Don’t Ignore Me” Gray’s anger and pain become as real to the listener as they are to the singer.

            Jabberbox is still a developing band. This debut CD is strong, and should be looked at as a sign of bigger and better things to come. Suggestion. Get it now before Jabberbox develops further. If not, you may regret it.

            For more information visit http://www.jabberbox.com

The Nields – If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now (Zoe Records 2000)

            The Nields return with their second album on Zoe Records. If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now is a similar theme album to Play. The theme of If You Live Here is the characters that make up a town. The Nields consist of Katryna Nields on lead vocals, Nerissa Nields on acoustic and electric guitar, David Nields on electric guitar, David Chalfant on bass, and David Hower on drums.

            The Nields experiment more in If You Lived Here. This is most evident in the string arrangement that makes up “Maybe It’s Love” and the piano arrangement of “One Hundred Names.” In addition the CD is filled with trumpets, clarinets, and other brass that add a distinctive character to the Nields signature sound. This sound is made by the soaring harmonies of Nerissa and Katryna Nields.

             There are many songs that stick out on If You Lived Here. “Jeremy Newborn Street”, and “May Day Café” use the happy, pop-folk characteric of The Nields. “One Hundred Names” is an awe inspiring piece about unconditional love. “This Town Is Wrong” is a piece about moving on. Throughout the CD the listener also meets different characters including Jack, Angela, and Caroline. Pay attention to the cover song, and the poem.

            If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now is an energy filled, creative album. Coming to the mythical town the listener will find no reason to leave. If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now is in stores March 21, 2000. Look for The Nields interview in FEMMUSIC in April, 2000.

Cindy Bullens – Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth (Artemis Records 1999)

            Cindy Bullens’ CD is a stark and powerful piece about tragedy. The tragedy in question is the death of her daughter, Jessie. Jessie died of cancer, and over two years ten songs came out to deal with the loss. Joining Bullens are an assortment of talented musicians. George Marinelli plays electric guitar, David Santos plays bass, and David Kemper on drums. Bullens is also joined by everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Bryan Adams.

            Bullens vocals are sincere and strong. Her lyrics are painfully honest. Among the best songs on the CD are “The Lights of Paris” about being overwhelmed with loss even in the city of lights, and “Boxing with God” about the struggle about surviving day to day. The most powerful song on the CD is “As Long As You Love (Scarlet Wings)” which has Bullens talking to her daughter. This song is highlighted by the fact that it includes Bullens surviving daughter, Reid, on vocals. The CD ends with “Better Than I’ve Ever Been” which pushes for hope for both Bullens and the listener.

            Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth is a daring project. It is powerful, and almost too much so. Bullens shares a deep part of her soul in this CD. Although the journey is hard, the listener is invited in.

            For more information read FEMMUSIC’s interview with Cindy Bullens or visit http://www.cindybullens.com 

Sheila Nicholls – Brief Strap (Hollywood Records 1999)

             Sheila Nicholls debut CD is a collection of major themes woven with keyboard and cello into works of art. Nicholls is joined on the CD by a varied and skilled group of professional musicians including James Harrah on guitar and bass, Cameron Stone and Hope Eaton on cello, and Luis Conte on percussion. Nicholls’ voice is clear and bold varying from a whisper to melodic, and passionate notes.

            Nicholls’ songs are filled with major themes. “Elevator” is a passionate fantasy of making love after an earthquake. “Peanuts” is an attack on the mass media marketing that ends in a flurry of sounds, and instruments. “War Isn’t Working” is an attack on the male domination of war, and how productive it really is. The final song “Pan” is a description of innocence.

            Nicholls’ debut CD is an acoustic piece filled with bold strokes, and faint lines that finesse detail in lyrics and music. Nicholls is an emerging force to watch in the future. For more information visit http://www.essexgirl.com or http://www.hollywoodrecords.com

Kittie - Spit (1999 Ng Records)

            By Jeanne Kalosieh

Please God, don’t let them sound like Korn. 

Please God, don’t let them be anarchist punks that think simply bitching about something means they’re aiding the revolution.

There is a God.

Kittie, the Canadian quartet of self-described “glam-goth, metal-glitter” girls (ages 15 to 17), is stomping through the marshy land known to the stupid as strictly male music.  True, the debut album, Spit, fits right into the whole “New Metal” trend, but Kittie is better.  Kittie is a breed of pure Death Metal, some slower drones, and cannibalistic lyrics.  The sound is reminiscent of the earlier days of Hole and Babes In Toyland, when cut-throat screaming and homicidal harmonies were the keys to being a dignified “girl” band.

The album will send your body into fits of uncontrollable thrashing.  More than that, Kittie is comprised of very intelligent go-girls. 

“There are times that I really don’t think that people get what we’re doing and understand where we’re coming from,” explains Morgan Lander (vocals/guitar) in the press release.  “We’re girls playing in a guys [sic] business.”  All hail, a dark storm is coming to rip you frustrated feminists from your foundation and take you to the top of the twister.  Say bye bye, Dorothy.

“Being the way people are, they’ll look at songs like ‘Spit,’ ‘Suck,’ and ‘Choke’ and perceive them to be about promiscuity and guys, but you have to dig deeper than that, and actually look into the lyrics to see where we’re coming from,” Lander continues.  Here’s hoping that Limp Bizkit et al. can read.

Merrie Amsterberg - Season of Rain  (1999 Zoë Records)

          By Ellen Rawson

This 1999 re-release of Boston singer-songwriter Merrie Amsterburg’s original 1996 CD contains two new tracks, “Patchwork” and an interesting cover of  The Police’s “Walking on the Moon.” It also rearranges the track line-up, replacing the contemplative “Island” with the radio-friendly “This Will Never Be My Year” at the start.  That opening song establishes Amsterburg as among the many thoughtful female artists who are compared to Tori Amos and/or Kate Bush, but Amsterburg’s voice truly is her own.  It has a slight “little girl” lilt in its pleasant nasality, but her subjects are not those that would concern young girls.  “This Will Never Be My Year” (“to be happy” is added in the chorus) is narrated by a woman stuck in an apparent dysfunctional and perhaps abusive relationship.  The bouncy melody (Amsterburg plays bouzouki and electric piano) disguises the otherwise serious tone and lines such as “my brain feels black and blue” and the almost-sarcastic knowing sound in “and if I go too far, well I’m sure you’ll let me know.”  This song surpasses “Island,” a much moodier and slower piece, as the lead-in to the rest of the disc.  (“Island,” appropriately enough, now closes the CD.)

The introspective and sometimes despondent lyrics (for example, “Say Goodbye” opens with “I was sleeping when I heard on the telephone/answering machine of your death) are intelligent and thought provoking, yet the music isn’t depressing -- the songs are more thoughtful than sad despite their content.  She talks of “(trying) to get lost in my routine” in “World of My Making,” but the light-sounding mandolin distracts the listener from the utter sadness the narrator experiences when her relationship ends.  The harmonium on “Waiting” adds a light beat to a song about worry and being tentative.

The fact that Amsterburg is a multi-instrumentalist creates intriguing musical choices.  She plays guitar, mandolin, Indian banjo, electric piano, piano, bouzouki, harmonium, and interestingly enough, on “Otherworld,” she tries her hand at trumpet.  It’s a stark song/poem (“who can limit love as candle flames/that blow away”); the faint taste of trumpet adds to its haunting feel.

Haunting is a good word to describe this album and artist.  The songs are eerily attractive; they are often dark, yet their pathos is cathartic.  It’s a CD that will remain with listeners after the closing track ends and certainly deserves repeated play. For more information visit http://www.qdivsion.com/merrie

Battershell - Sunshine In Popopia (1998 Ng Records)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

Sounds like an offshoot of Veruca Salt, but the snarled-toothed seether is absent.  Battershell is swishy alterna-pop - the kind that gets stuck in your head while in a nameless supermarket, pondering what brand of cat food to bring home for Fluffy.  Even the title hints at too much cuteness.  For those who need to know, Popopia is some kind of J.R.R. Tolkien meets Hello Kitty “non-mundania world of fantasy and frolic.”  Geographic landmarks include “Painted Pony Willows” and “Roaring Roo Falls.”  Okie dokey.

If you’re looking for something light-hearted and produced in the heart of Candy Land, Battershell is suitable.  Maybe there are some listeners out there that speak Battershell’s language.  Sample some lyrics from “Shower Song” - “Everything is so good for a while.  Everyday is freaky fly a kite for.  To me it’s just a treat to take a shower.  Uh-huh, uh-huh meow meow.  Fly my kite!”  Whew.  It’s probably safer to keep Popopia off your musical itinerary.  

Toshi Reagon - The Righteous Ones  (1999 Razor and Tie)

            By Ellen Rawson

http://www.razorandtie.com >

“I’m just looking for some real love,” intones Toshi Reagon at the start of “Real Love,” the opening track to her latest release, The Righteous Ones.  Sweet Honey in the Rock, including Reagon’s mother, Bernice Johnson Reagon, adds their vocal contributions to that number.  Their smooth backing vocals allows Reagon’s own voice to soar and let loose. Susan Tedeschi rightfully has been acclaimed for her recent offerings to the new blues-rock scene.  While Reagon’s voice often is softer than Tedeschi’s (although it does sometimes feature a gravelly purr), she gives Tedeschi and other new blues artists some worthy competition.

After the opening number, Reagon is on her own vocally, but that doesn’t mean she’s lacking anything.  Her voice adapts various styles well, from the give-and-take and sheer fun rhythm of the radio-friendly “Happy and Satisfied”  (listen for Reagon’s acoustic guitar and Catherine Russell’s mandolin) to the almost-Dylanesque sound on “Like it That Way” (with Adam Widoff’s electric guitar).  Reagon’s quick transitions to very different musical genres may be disconcerting to some listeners.  (Of course, she does offer her listeners thirty seconds of “Somespace” -- blank space -- between the slow bluesy “Darling” and the wild headbanging closing track, “I’m Just an Egg Don’t Mind Me.”)

A cynical take on Toshi Reagon  and *The Righteous Ones* is that she’s a talented singer-songwriter who needs to settle down and decide on one

musical style, but that perspective doesn’t need to be the case.  She’s simply difficult to pigeonhole.  Reagon can’t be stereotyped merely as a folk nor blues nor rock artist. Listening to this CD is a welcome reminder that there still are some remarkable performers who can work well within many genres and appeal to a number of different tastes.

Ani DiFranco To The Teeth (1999 Righteous Babe)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

Remember when Ani used to sing about empowering stories, standing up to the Man, and finding our voice in this ridiculous, yet precious, world?  Those days are sorely missed.  To The Teeth puts the listener in a time-out corner.  The songs force us reflect on all the crazy, unfathomable things that have become regular features on the nightly news.  Prior to this album, we never cried for those political songs that Ani wrote - we got determined to make change happen.  But Ani’s making it quite clear that, as the big 2000 approaches, we as a human race haven’t learned a God damn thing, and it is okay to cry for us, not out of pity, but out of disappointment.  When is it going to stop? 

The first thing the listener will notice on this album is the change in Ani’s voice.  On a whole, it has gone from a feisty, poetic firecracker to a tired, wise twinkle.  The harmonies won’t make you jump or tango, but they will make your heart skip a few beats thanks to a heightened sensuality.  The title track, about gun control and (presumably) the Columbine shootings, is a beautiful tear-jerker that brings the rage.  She calls us to “open fire” on Hollywood, TV networks, and the NRA.  But in the end, “If I hear one more time/ about a fool’s right/ to his tools of rage/ I’m gonna take all my friends/ and I’m gonna move to Canada/ and we’re gonna die of old age.”  If that doesn’t leave your jaw on the floor, you’re either a fool or a Canadian.  Perhaps the most powerful track is “Hello Birmingham,” recalling the murder of a doctor because he performed abortions.  Ani parallels this death with the murder of another doctor: Martin Luther King, Jr.  History repeated. 

But To The Teeth is a fun CD, too.  And yes, there are empowering lyrics, but the music isn’t as driven by her funky-punky roots as they are by jazz.  Maceo Parker makes appearances, Prince sings on “Providence,” and Corey Parker raps on “Swing.”  You’ll enjoy many catchy, almost ethereal, guitar chords and backing vocals that make To The Teeth come up stronger than that Up album.  Ani gets stirring and sweet on “Going Once,” “Soft Shoulder,” and “The Arrivals Gate,” but she sounds eerily like Alanis on “Freakshow,” a song about circus folk.

If you’ve been following Ani DiFranco throughout her career, then To The Teeth deserves to be part of your growing CD collection.  The folk singer is progressing, feeling out new styles, and experimenting.  Give credit where credit is due.

Leslie Nuchow, Tenderland  (1998, Slam Records)

By Ellen Rawson

http://www.slammusic.com

Leslie Nuchow was talented enough that Virginia Slims/Philip Morris wanted to feature her on WomanThing Music, their new company for unsigned female talent. Unfortunately, Nuchow learned that the only way to purchase their CDs was to buy two packs of cigarettes. Since she didn’t particularly wish to encourage young women to smoke, she abandoned that deal and created the Virginia Slam. It grew like hot fire. Artists as diverse as Heather Eatman, the Indigo Girls, and Susan McKeown joined Nuchow in concert for her anti-tobacco cause. Slam also is responsible for Tenderland, Nuchow’s debut CD.

Nuchow rips out rocking on “Bruise” and the incredible “Tenderland” (but don’t miss the latter’s acoustic version as the CD’s bonus track). She quiets down for a mellow guitar piece, “The Better Part of Me,” and while the song itself is nice, it feels as if it has too many high half-whispers. Her lower register just sounds more authentic and honest.

The juxtaposition of some of the tracks is questionable. “You Killed the Part of Me that Died,” although featuring electric guitar and a very subtle, yet direct Nuchow vocal, and “Something for the Pain” just seem to create too much of a quiet yet angry mood when heard one directly after the other.

The pace picks up again, though, with “Mirror, Mirror.” Nuchow is good at treating serious subjects in a way that her audience can relate to them. Her running piano opening echoes the moves made by the late gymnast to whom “Mirror, Mirror” is dedicated, and the melody neatly belies the song’s very serious content regarding body image. The strong vocals on “Savior and the Saved” take a confused search for identity and turn it into a confident acknowledgement of self.“

Apology” starts with a bit of a contemplative Janis Ian-like sound and a rather poetic opening line: “The moon’s just a sliver in the sun set sky.” The disc’s stand-out track, however, is “But Still.” Accompanied only by a piano, Nuchow’s vocals are gentle but persistent as she almost intones the chorus. This introspective piece is an instant grabber. Philip Morris lost a good act when the company made Nuchow an offer she definitely could refuse.

Kat Parsons - Framing Caroline  (1999 Waterdog Music)

             Listening to Kat Parsons one gets a feeling of wonder. Mainly where is Parsons going? Parsons has a gentle voice, but it is not overpowering. She is backed up by a good band including Tom Barrett and Rob Newhouse on electric guitars, Ralph Covert on acoustic guitar, Brian Cohen on bass, and Ron Barnes on drums and percussion.

            The CD begins with a song called "Masses" which is almost a plea on how to separate yourself from the masses. Parsons, sadly, doesn't seem to be able to do just that. Her style sits stuck between pop and acoustic singer. Her lyrics are thought out, but aim more for a simple beat than a complex story. The CD itself is filled with songs about betrayal and the other women. Among these are "Does She Cry", "Someone Else", and "Lie." Parsons also seems to affirm herself with "Trust" and "Framing Caroline." The strongest song on the CD is "Lie" with a dark undercurrent in the guitar, and a questioning of the motives in the song narration.

            Parsons has a confidence in the CD. FEMMUSIC would like to hear more of that in her voice. For now she sits with a CD that only be described as "vanilla." It lacks a taste of its own. For more information visit http://www.waterdogmusic.com

Julia Douglass - Fetish for the Underdog (1998 Stylus Records)

            Julia Douglass' CD sits with one, long after the last note has played. Douglass has a unique perspective on the world that her lyrics and vocals translate into visions of song. Douglass' is backed up by a strong group of musicians including Frank Vilardi on drums and percussion, Bob Packwood on piano, Kenny Brescia on guitar, Ken Richards on guitar and mandolin, Stan Serafin on trumphet, Jamie Candiloro on keyboard, guitar, and Ivan Bodley and Paul Nowinski on electric and double bass.

            Listening to Douglass one is reminded of Tori Amos. Her vocals have a hook to them, and her high notes touch the listener. It is Douglass' lyrics that capture the listener. From "Do You Think" about the the womens' liberation movement to "Jenny is a Sponge" about the desensitizing of America's youth the lyrics speak in a different voice. For example, in "Do You Think" the first chorus begins with "Do you think that burning your bra was really going to get you a piece of the pie?" Even better is the drug lab comparison in "Jenny is a Sponge." The other songs on the CD are just as strong and include "Beehive" about vanity, "I Can't Mother You,"  and "Firm Handshake."

            Julia Douglass is a refreshing, quirky performer. Douglass supports the underdog and the unspoken with Fetish for the Underdog. FEMMUSIC looks forward to more from Douglass in the future. For more information visit http://www.stylusrecords.com

Silverscene - The Pendulum Demos (1997 P-Noize Records)

            The Pendulum Demos is a rough CD from an interesting four piece band from Virginia. Led by Andrea Esperat on vocals and vox, with Glenn Mungcal on guitars, and vox, Penn Abenir on bass, and Vince Marcelo on drums. This band has a steady beat, and backs up each other. They are very rough.

            The first thing one notices in listening to this CD is the lack of mixing or mastering. The first few songs are instrument heavy with vocals blending into the background. Luckily this improves later in the CD. Esperat has gentle and subdued vocals that are both happy and melancholy at the same time. Most of the songs were written by Mungcal and follow a repetitive chorus. "I Wish You Hated Me" is about a relationship never meant to happen. "slow loris" is a love song with superb lyrics. "do you know" is about the state of being lonely. The songs have an energy and a speed all their own.

            Silverscene is a band one would like to see live. The Pendulum Demos hint at something BIG just behind the scenes. Perhaps a live CD in the future would bring that out. For more information visit http://www.silverscene.com

Kahimi Kari - K.K.K.K.K. (Le Grand Magistery 1999)

by Jeanne Kalosieh

            Kahimi Kari is "the reigning queen of Japanese pop music" and one of the most bizarre musicians I’ve ever heard.  I can’t stop listening to K.K.K.K.K.  Not that I think it’s genius, but Kari’s little-girl whisper is like being stroked by a feather.  She’s hypnotic, her music is funky, jazzy, and sounds like the best effort a Casio keyboard ever put out.  The CD ranges from sweeping melodic tunes to layered elevator music to bouncing pop jingles.  Kari sings in English and sometimes French, and her lyrics are silly fun.  Songs include "One Thousand Twentieth Century Chairs," "Clip Clap," "What Are You Wearing?" and "Orly Narita."  I recommend buying this album if you’re into wacky Asian-tinged pop music like Buffalo Daughter, Cibo Matto, and Pizzicato 5.  Kahimi Kari is sweet as spun sugar.  I want to sprinkle her on half a grapefruit and call it a day.

Erin Lee and Sammy Dee - Mile Marker  (1999, eLee Productions)

            Erin Lee and Sammy Dee's debut CD is filled with contradictions. This thirteen song CD is led by Erin Lee on vocals, Sammy Dee on guitar and dobro, David Foret on bass, Joey Conway on keyboard, Bradley Kopp on rhythm guitar, Al Chesis on harmonica, and Billy Hoke, Fritz VonValtier, and Sandy Ficca on drums. This CD is a blues CD filled with many songs about cheating, leaving and moving.

            All of the lyrics are well written, and the music stands out in it.  Sadly, Lee's vocals often times do not equal the intensity of what is written. Among the best examples of this is the song "Low Down Dirty Dog" about a cheating lover. Where Lee's vocals should be expressing anger, a tepid vocal response is sung. In "You Turned and Walked Away" her vocals do a better job saying what the words mean.

            Sammy Dee and the rest of the band are the backbone of this CD. Dee's guitar resonates in every song demonstrating that he is a seasoned professional. There are other great performances on the CD as well including Joey Conway on the song "Mile Marker", and Al Chesis on "Movin' On" and "You Turned and Walked Away." Pay attention for the special guest fiddle as well.

            Mile Marker is a strong first attempt by Erin Lee. She does have more ability than this CD demonstrates, and FEMMUSIC looks forward to it being used.

The Eurythmics - Peace (1999 Arista Records)

            Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart are back with a CD that calls from their heart. Lennox's vocals are powerful, and draw the listener in with every note. Stewart's guitar rhythms shape and guide the CD. From the first song to the last, every song broadcasts with full force marking the CD as an epic.

            The songs on Peace are diverse, and demonstrate both Lennox's and Stewart's beliefs in practice. The first song "17 Again" is almost a playful way of saying, "We're back!" Pay attention to Lennox's echo vocals, and Andy Wright's keyboards. "Beautiful Child" is a ballad, and one of the most dramatic pieces on the CD. It is a prayer from a mother to  a child that captures the essence of emotion. "Peace", the title track is a deterministic view of mankind and the future. What begins in that song continues in "Forever", and "Lifted" marking the end of the story. Throughout the CD Lennox's vocals are mixed, and echoed creating a storm of voices, and effects.

            Peace is a journey through a corrupt and dangerous world. Lennox and Stewart are your guides, and your hope. Peace, FEMMUSIC hopes, is just another beginning for many more epic CD's to come.  

Eddi Reader   Angels and Electricity  (1999 Compass Records)

 By Ellen Rawson 

    “Where are you now?” Eddi Reader asks of a long-ago summer love in the chorus of “Kiteflyer’s Hill,” the opening track to her latest release, Angels and Electricity. Finally released in the US more than a year after its European and Japanese debuts, this CD could be the one that finds this Glasgow-born artist air play on American AAA radio station.  

    Reader herself has gone from busking on Glasgow streets to being a member of the now-defunct Fairground Attractions to hitting the UK charts with her solo work.  If there is some justice in the musical world, she’ll hit the US charts also and not languish as yet another highly talented performer largely ignored by radio programmers.

    Other musicians, however, already respect Reader’s talents.  She’s toured with the Eurythmics and recently appeared with Jacqui McShee and Fairport Convention at the ‘99 Cropedy Folk Festival.Singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith even wrote “On a Whim,” a gentle song about being nagged by doubts about life and love juxtaposed with a light-hearted melody, specifically for Reader.   Her cover of former Fairground Attractions band mate Mark Nevin’s “Kiteflyer’s Hill” also succeeds on this disc.  Its winsome melody takes the adult listener to the days of bittersweet youthful summer love and back to contemporary days of wondering just what happened to that love -- to that possibility.

    While I could imagine “Kiteflyer’s Hill” on AAA radio, “Prayer Wheel,” the disc’s second track, also about lost love, is the one that truly cries for airplay.  Co-written by Reader and her long-time musical collaborator, Boo Hewerdine, it’s an upbeat rock-oriented tune with a lively chorus.  The album’s title comes from a verse here:

I can live with your life and dream of wires
Or I can live my life among the angels and electricity.

    The majority of songs are written by Reader and Hewerdine or by Hewerdine, who also co-produced the album with Reader, on his own. Their collaboration on “Barcelona Window” produces a lush other-wordly arrangement.  “California” brings in a slow and easy southwestern feel with a slide guitar as Reader sings of California dreaming in the late ‘90s and wraps her Scottish accent around the state’s name rather charmingly.

    Reader’s cover of Hewerdine’s “Bell, Book, and Candle” features a simple rhythm, with a strong bass in the background, but it’s her voice that gives the song its strength.  Reader’s voice indeed is rich and lush. Nurtured on singing Elvis Presley with her parents and later moving to traditional Scottish and English material (this release, unlike most of her solo work, does not include a traditional song) and pop/rock sounds, she uses her voice to make the emotional hits that most singers only yearn to find.   It’s the kind of voice that allows almost any song to sound good.  Of course, when she’s working with strong material, such as found on this CD, the music only becomes better as she enfolds her voice about the songs, whether it depicts the thoughtfulness of “Postcard,” the blurry edges of “Psychic Reader” (when she draws out and echoes the word “heart” to match the instrumentation), or the Americana feel of “Follow My Tears.” Some of the songs may be too slow-paced for listeners expecting a consistent rock feel.  However, if you take your time with them, you might come to savor Reader’s musical philosophy.

    “Clear,” the CD’s bonus track, perhaps sums up Reader’s personal take on life.  She sings:

Where we’re going, where we’ve been
When all that matters is in between 
It’s clear
we’re here.

Reader indeed is here.  Her chorus on “Prayer Wheel” admonishes her former lover not “to forget about me.”  With any luck, radio programmers won’t forget about her this time around either.

Everything But The Girl - Temperamental (Atlantic Records 1999)

             After a three year absence, Everything but the Girl returns with a new, and innovative album. Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn mix vocals, keyboards, percussion into an orchestration that depicts a city, and its night life. Thorn's vocals are constantly changing, and evolving in the tracks from high pitch, to a soft bassy angle. Watt, who wrote most of the songs, incorporates striking keyboards, bass, saxophone, and other instruments to make sounds and textures.

            The most notable tracks on the CD are "Low Tide of the Night" that describes an almost physical depression. "Hatfield 1980" that walks the listener through a city. "Lullaby of Clubland" is about a casual, if not desperate, relationship. "Temperamental" is an argument in song.

            Temperamental has a jazz, blues overtone to it. The lyrics are shaded in grey, and paint cityscapes into the listener's imagination. This is a bold, contemporary album.

For more information visit http://www.EBTG.com or Atlantic Records at http://www.atlantic-records.com

Drugstore Soul - Drugstore Soul (Self Produced 1998)         IG

            Drugstore Soul is a rock band with strong blues. The band consists of Maya Webb on lead vocals, Daniel Yetnikoff on guitar and background vocals, Mark Blades on bass, Glenn Pappas on drums, Jimi Zhivago on keyboards. The band is supplemented by J.T. Harris on harp, and Oliver Straus on tambourine. The first three songs on the CD are written by Yetnikoff. The last two are by Webb. There is a distinct change in style and tone between the songwriters.

            The CD begins with "Angeline" a song about wanting an escape.

Mid-way through is "Suffer" a dark blues song that mixes a cold world to a strong bond. "Chain On A Feather" is about a relationship with a long past to overcome. It is done mainly with acoustic guitar and harmonica fronting. "Into You" is about love, pure and simple. In it Webb's vocals take on hints of Bonnie Raitt.

            Drugstore Soul is a creative and resourceful emerging band. Webb's vocals and lyrics take a b-line into blues more so than Yetnikoff's. Webb's vocals alone are crisp, clear and professional. Yetnikoff's guitar is first rate, and the rest of the band is strong.

For more information visit http://www.drugstoresoul.com

Susan Tedeschi - Just Won’t Burn

by Stacy E. Lukasavitz

 “You say you haven’t been rocked in a long, long time....” From the very first line of the very first song of Just Won’t Burn, Susan Tedeschi sucks you into her world of hardcore, genuine, “mean,” blues. This is a rare find today in a world where “blues” is shamefully defined on the Top 40 charts as anyone with a harmonica and a bass. You won’t find cheesy pop Top 40 with Susan Tedeschi.

 “Rock Me Right,” the lead track on Tedeschi’s sophomore album, takes you into a world reminiscent of old style rock and soul, a world created by the likes of Etta James, defined by Janis Joplin, but had yet to be taken to its extreme. Until Susan Tedeschi, no one could even come close. From the crooning moans on “Little By Little,” to the throaty, Janis-type emotional intensity of “It Hurt So Bad,” Tedeschi reaches deep within her own soul and shares her inner pain with you until you can almost feel it yourself. The title track, “Just Won’t Burn,” is a quieter ballad than most on the album, yet it still drills right into your bones. Not only does she sing, but Tedeschi plays a mean lead guitar on most of the songs on this album, and even plays piano on the song, “Found Someone New.” To see her live is an experience to remember. When she took the second stage at Lilith Fair this year, every single person in a listening radius suddenly stopped and found themselves drawn to this young woman with a voice and a soul that could be reincarnate of the great blues women of the past. Tedeschi is a scarce breed these days, she is a performer that doesn’t just sing the blues TO you, she sings WITH you.

 For more into, go to http://www.pipeline.com/~stb/

Vyktoria Pratt Keating - This Guardian At Noon(Diaphanous) 1998   

by Alex Teitz

              This Guardian At Noon is a disc that combines different genres, different ideas into a musical picture of depth. Vyktoria's soaring vocals sweep a range being at one moment almost ethereal, to the next playful. Her acoustic guitar dances too. It moves like a living thing to the lyrics and harmony.

            The lyrics of This Guardian At Noon follow a path and focus on the "big picture." Where many other artists are writing songs about love and relationships, many of the songs on this CD look at the universe as a whole. Among the best are "Multitudous" about spiritual growth, and "Where You End I Begin" about the pure essence of love. Other notable songs include "Rainbow Black" about the polluting of the world, and "When I Dream" a humorous dream interpretation that will make both Sting & Freud laugh.

            This Guardian At Noon is a CD for people who like powerful music. Those seeking a three minute soundbite will be offended. Those seeing music as art will turn to this disc as an example. 

For more information visit http://www.mothersea.com/vpk

Dominique Gizelle - Deep Down  (IG)(Bangon Records) 1999    

              Dominique Gizelle is a multi-talented upcoming artist. On this CD she plays everything from acoustic and 12 string guitars to keyboard and percussion. Although some of this is pre-programmed material, it does not stop how enjoyable this CD is. Joining Gizelle is Paul Biondi on electric and bass guitars, and backing vocals. Gizelle sings with a voice full of soul. It is powerful, but not overstated. Her lyrics are clever using creative metaphors while speaking about love, blues, and life.

            Deep Down is filled with captivating songs. Among the best are "Luke" about a woman creating the perfect man, "Bluebird" about wanting to join singing bluebirds to overcome the blues. The song that was most appealing was "Bare Necessities" with a chorus including "I want a small boat like Ivana/Want to sell my hand-me-downs like Princess Di/Just a few shoes like Imelda....." Pay attention to "Paradise" a spectacular love song.

            Gizelle has already drawn much praise for this CD. FEMMUSIC is happy to add to it. Listen to Dominique Gizelle.For more information visit http://www.bangonrecords.com

Shannon Curfman - Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions  (Arista Records) 1999   

by Alex Teitz

             The word "legend" does not go far enough to describe Shannon Curfman. Her guitar playing can be compared with anyone of the greats: Raitt, Vaughn, Clapton. Her lyrics are strong and passionate. Her style is contagious and electric and jumps right off the disc. She's thirteen now, wait 'til she gets older.

            Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions is filled with only the best. The songs include "Few and Far Between" about betrayal by a lover, "That's How It Feels" a cynical song about knowing it's love by the amount of hurt, and "Real Bad Feeling" about the good and bad of love. These songs are sung with vocal style that is soulful and passionate and forces your ears to hear every word.

            Curfman is joined Kevin Bowe (guitar and mandolin), Ricky Peterson (keyboard), and Dave Anania (drums and percussion). In addition numerous others fill the CD including Johnny Lang.

            Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions is an amazing first CD by Curfman. FEMMUSIC looks forward to years of Curfman's material to come. She is what the face of emerging music will be for well into the twenty-first century.

 Kristen Hersh - SKY MOTEL

by Olivia Heller

      I don't know who pissed off Kristen Hersh but apparently she is over it. Her last two solo ventures were quite the couch trip but it seems now, her therapy sessions, if not completely done, have definitely taken a new tack.

     Track one, is reminiscent of a Bossa Nova beat. Something I have never heard from Kristen, or the Muses. Nice to know she still has tricks in her bag. Track five seems poppy and verging on radio friendly but still a keeper. Tracks seven and eight are brilliant. Both songs are three dimensional and multi-leveled. Husk is number eight on the CD. This tune sounds like familiar Hersh but has several starts and stops but never  really jumps off the edge which you expect it to. But that's Kristen, and that's O.K.

     For the most part this CD is much slower than the last two. Or perhaps it just seems that way due to the use of less jarring lyrics. This CD is different. It sways. The songs are a bit shorter. The lyrics are still pixilated however, which is why we love Kristen Hersh in the first place.      So run, don't walk, to your nearest independent music store and buy first, listen later, Kristen Hersh' Sky Motel.

Cameltoe - Cameltoe  (Independent) 1999 

 by Alex Teitz

             This San Francisco band's first CD is hard edged and blunt. One look at the cover tells you that all thoughts of tradiation rock are out the window. The band is composed of Carmela on bass, Lisa and Catherine on guitars, and Joe on drums.

            The CD is filled with many fun and disturbing songs. "Bad Thoughts" is about life's disturbances. "No" is a powerful song about the hearing or not hearing of the word. "Neighbor" is about a pepping tom. These songs are sung and screamed at the listener with no room to hide.

            Cameltoe is a "screw-the-rules" band. They won't play nice, but will play hard. Look for them.

Lauren Fincham - Show and Tell (Twelfth House Records) 1997    (IG)

by Alex Teitz

Lauren Fincham's Show and Tell is a journey of introspection, and dream. It is filled with Fincham's superb ability with both acoustic and twelve string guitars. Fincham is joined by a band consisting of Mike Pearson (bass), Stephanie Winters and Nancy Cohan (cello), Brian Homan (dobro), Craig Spirko (organ and keyboard), and David Jacks (drums). Many other artists help on other tracks.

Show and Tell is filled with imaginary from the first song. "Something in the AIr" begins the CD with a haunting opening that makes it feel as if the air is folding nearbye. From that point forward the path appears. "Trading Pieces" is about being alone. "Camels and Faith" is about the end of a relationship and showcases Fincham's 12-string ability. "Show and Tell" is about a bad relationship and the baggage of it. Pay attention to Nancy Cohan's cello on this piece.

Turn off the lights, and hear every word and note that Fincham conveys. Show and Tell will speak to you.

 For more information see FEMMUSIC's Starbucks Article.

Ila's Dress - Ignorance and Bad Manners (ilovestress records 1997)

Ila's Dress is a New York area rock band. They are headed by Pilley on lead vocals, fender, and acoustic piano, Jay Bianchi on bass, Al Korosy on guitars, Amy Duxbury on bassoons, and Frank Vilardi on drums and percussion. Ignorance and Bad Manners is a collection of songs about everything from love, revenge, growing older, and friendship. Pilley's melodic voice changes character with the song.

For more information on Ila's Dress e-mail them at ilasdress@aol.com

Luscious Jackson Electric Honey (Grand Royal Records)

www.lusciousjackson.com

Heather Nova -- "Siren"

Heather Nova is a blend of contrasts. Raised in the Caribbean, schooled in the U.S., and currently based in London, England, her music, too, contains a variety of flavors, from Celtic vocal stylings to percussive guitar to hard-driving folk-pop. This woman can alternately rock out or slip right into a gentle ballad. Without a doubt, she's talented, but her albums always seem to be a bit uneven. "Siren", her fourth release, is no different in that respect. It contains several brilliant tracks, some solid efforts, and a few that are a bit too precious for me to stomach.

To Nova's credit, she paints vivid lyrical images with only a few strokes, and encompasses a wide range of subjects in her songwriting, from springtime ("Winterblue") to abusive relationships ("I Survived") to the joy of coming home to a lover after being away ("London Rain"). From the brooding, stormy "Blood of Me" to the tender "Paper Cup" (the line "I'm always drawn to the darkest horse" could sum up the romantic history of just about anyone) listeners are taken on a dynamic journey of sound. Themes that seem to run through Nova's work are those of healing and renewal, and tracks like "What A Feeling" ("Life is only halfway in our hands/Years have passed while I was making plans ... What a feeling/The laughter that was dead is coming") convey this wisdom. Overall, a spirited effort from a gifted artist.

Beth Orton -- "Central Reservation"

I don't usually buy a CD five minutes after putting on a pair of listening booth headphones and test driving a release from an unfamiliar artist. Past disappointments have made me wary of believing hype from critics or record labels. However, Beth Orton is a welcome exception. Her "Central Reservation" just might be one of the most flawless albums of 1999. Warm, throaty vocals, intimate lyrics and lush arrangements give her second full length effort a striking intensity and fullness. Orton's haunting melodies and the use of mandolin, marimba and distorted guitar beneath her velvety, sometimes crackly vocals adds to the ethereal feel. From the wistful mandolin lilt of "Sweetest Decline", which paints a relaxed picture of watching a day unwind, to the break beat driven trance/folk of "Stars All Seem To Weep", a somber mediation on longing and loss, there isn't a bum track on this entire CD.

This is an album meant to be savored like a glass of good wine or a favorite meal. Orton's enigmatic songs have a way of sliding under the skin and staying there.

Bif Naked - I Bificus (Her Royal Majesty's Records/Atlantic Recording Corp. 1999)

By Alex Teitz, FEMMUSIC

For more information on Bif Naked visit http://www.BifNaked.com

Trish Murphy - Rubies on the Lawn (Doolittle Records) 1999

By Alex Teitz, FEMMUSIC

Rose Polenzani - Anybody (Daemon Records) 1999

Rose Polenzani, the Chicago singer-songwriter, emerges with a collection of her older works, Anybody. Polenzani's other CD Draggersville CD became a force last year in the folk world. Polenzani is a classic singer-songwriter with her acoustic guitar and her choirlike vocals.

Bree Sharp - A Cheap and Evil Girl (Trauma Records) 1999

Bree Sharp has made the headlines with her single, "David Duchovny" about a mad infatuation with the X-Files star. The single appears on the CD, A Cheap and Evil Girl. The CD is more than just that one song, but presents snapshots of an urban life.

The Donnas Get Skintight (Lookout Records)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

If 7-11 ever needs a jingle, it should call upon the Donnas. Visions of pseudo-beef logs rolling around on greasy curling iron-looking trays, nachos with cheese that looks like liquid yellow highlighter ooze, and of course, cherry cola Slurpees will dance in your head as you listen to Get Skintight, the band’s latest release. Retarded ex-boyfriends, run-ins with town police, and lame parents turning down the volume on your stereo are typical themes of their songs. Yeah, okay, we all know they sound like the Ramones, but the sparkling charm that they exude is undeniably "girl." Have a slumber party, jump on your bed, and blast Get Skintight. The Donnas kick such suburban ass, it hurts.

Vivian Slade - Vivian Slade (IG)

By Alex Teitz, FEMMUSIC

Vivian Slade's premiere CD is a marvel. The CD is filled with intelligent lyrics, a superb band, and Slade's powerful vocals. The CD uses different styles from jazz, and blues, to flamenco, and rock. Slade is accompanied by Steve Allen on lead electric guitar, Dow Tomlin on bass, Dennis Wage on on keyboard, Gary Lee Tussing on cello, Brain Fullen on drums and percussion, and many others.

The CD is filled with many amazing performances. Among them are "Fly" a leaving song hilighted by Tussing's cello, "I Don't Do It" a song about hope for inner growth done in jazz style hilighted with Phil Rodgers on saxaphone,Billy Grammer on harmonica and Sean McCurley on drums and percussion. In addition there's "Don't Know Why" a wonderful piece using the flamenco guitar of Mark Godwin.

If the band members were not enough, Slade is impressive alone. Her vocals and acoustic guitar hit you hard. Her lyrics focus on everything from hopelessness in "The Way to Go," to inner growth in "Move," to the darkness of the human soul in "Shocking," and an outer beauty in "Tonight." Slade is as comfortable singing in spoken word, to accepella, to the full band. Her vocals are not downplayed by the band members, but narrowed, and focused in a clear, direct way.

 Slade makes an immediate rapport with her CD that many should envy for live appearances. FEMMUSIC recommends this CD hands down.

For more information visit http://www.vivianslade.com

Frogpond - Safe Ride Home (C2 Records)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

Unlike their debut album, Count to Ten, the guitar work on Safe Ride Home stretches the band's musical horizons. Phillips lets her emotions flow free, giving way to more poignant, unplugged-ish songs such as "Home," "Empty Room" and "When I See You." But first and foremost, Frogpond is a rock band. And rock they do. Tracks like "World Crash," "I Did," "Fighter," and "22" let you sing along, whip your hair around, and play air guitar till your wrists snap off (and really, what more do you want out of life?).

http://www.frogpond.net

Lunachicks - Luxury Problem (Go, Kart Records)

By Jeanne Kalosieh

Amanda Garrigues - Spirit Act

By Alex Teitz, FEMMUSIC

Amanda Garrigues' Spirit Act is an accomplishment for independent spirits. Garrigues' performance on acoustic guitar is hilighted by David McMahon on bass, Eric Steinberg on electric guitar and Tom Hurst on drums. Garrigues' vocals and honest, and almost plaintive and guide the listener through the CD.

Spirit Act is a five song EP. The five songs are "Truth" about the end of a relationship. "Misunderstood" is about a mother's reassurance and seeking an ally in the world. "Your Country" is about loss. "Junkie" is about codepency and includes the lyrics, "I don't think I could be your mother" describing the wish to do more. The CD ends with "Fiddler and The Girls" that has Garrigues on guitar with no backup. This song is a reflection of life seen when waking too early.

Garrigues' songs and lyrics speak plainly to the listener. They do not hide, or extend in volumes of solos by the other performers. In the end Spirit Act becomes a synergy of strings, and drum beat.

For more information visit http://members.xoom.com/amanda29/

or e-mail Garrigues directly at ag222@yahoo.com

Emm Gryner - Public

    Emm Gryner is a multi-talented performer. On this CD she plays everything from bass, and acoustic piano to wurlitzer and Hammond organ. Her songs have a pop beat that hides gut wrenching lyrics.

    Many of the songs on the CD are about getting over relationships. One powerful song, "Death is a New Day" infers calling the other person dead to be able to move on. Other songs like "Wisdom Bus" and "This Mad" show just how angry, and misunderstood the end of a relationship leaves you. "The End" allows a prayer for healing.

    Public is a whole piece, not individual songs under a title. The lyrics speak honestly, and bluntly. Public is what Gryner's songs become.

 Annika Betley - See You Around, Lifeguard

    For more information go to http://www.indiegrrl.com to read about both Holly and the Indiegrrl Tour. Look for Indiegrrl to be featured in FEMMUSIC in a future issue.

http://www.dearmarsha.com

    Leora Salo can be reached at Lia@3sisters.com or at 3 Sisters Music 645 Oxford St., Suite C Houston, TX 77007 - also take a look at www.3Sisters.com

©  FEMMUSIC 1999-2009

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