|
MIEKA PAULEY :
By Alan Lewis Mieka Pauley, a Boston-based singer-songwriter, recorded an inspired five-song demo in the fall of 2003, and her managers made quick work of circulating the disc. It is much livelier than the typical "studio" demo. So the Vermont Guardian asked how Pauley achieved such a concert-like presence in the absence of an audience. "The reason you're getting the live feel from this album," she explained, "is because I actually recorded it live to two-track, meaning there was a mic on my voice and a mic on my guitar, and I played simultaneously, just like at a show. It's easier to get into the song like that, because that is how I play those songs every other day of the year." Whatever works. This eponymous disc, in its original form, was my pick for Best Demo of its year. "A great college radio station in Boston - Emerson's WERS 88.9 FM - did get the early version of the demo and plays some of the unreleased tracks," she said. "It surprised me when people requested those unreleased songs at shows, and finally I found out it was because WERS was spinning them." "My most recent EP, 'Out of Car Wrecks and Hurricanes,' is more of a studio effort, and has less of a live feel," she continued. "There's pros and cons to both ways. With this last EP, the live rawness may be gone, but I can listen to it and have less of those 'Oh, I wish I sang that differently' moments. It more perfectly captures all the ideas that were floating in my head, because I had the time and the technology to revisit all those moments." Boston's station with the best call letters, WBOS-FM, has been playing "Stronger," off Pauley's latest release, once or twice each day. "We believe that Mieka is a major talent and will break thru to the mainstream sooner than later," wrote the station's music director, David Ginsburg. "To that end, we very much want to be a part of this development." At one point, Pauley stopped and said, "I'm not really good at talking about myself." But when asked what was her latest really exciting listening experience, as a fan, she perked up. "My friend Noam Weinstein just put out a record, 'We're All Going There,'" she noted. "He's an AMAZING songwriter." True enough, and his latest release is his best yet. "It's weird because when I hang out with him, I have to suppress the super-fan side of me, or it would get awkward," she said of Weinstein. "But then when it's just me in my car listening to his stuff, I'm free to give in. He's brilliant. ... As a songwriter, the constant thought on all our minds is 'everything that can be written has already been written.' But every time I listen to one of Noam's songs, I think, 'Shit, Noam has found THE very last good idea for a song.'" Pauley may not like talking about herself, but she is fully in touch with the music fan within. Pauley says she loves Burlington and has played 135 Pearl St., Nectar's Restaurant, and the University of Vermont. She is at Higher Ground's Showcase Lounge Saturday, Oct. 7. This is a great time for intriguing bookings in intimate Vermont listening rooms. New Haven, CT, has a varied scene ranging from hands-over-ears noise-rockers to the singing/songwriting "Little Cowgirl," Lys Guillorn, with her delightfully offbeat perspective. Frank Critelli is from the melodic side of New Haven, and it shows on his latest disc, "Before You Break." Echoes of tuneful rockers such as The Beatles, "Wild Honey"-era Beach Boys, and even Buddy Holly are not hard to find on the new CD's original compositions and performances. A hidden track - a cover that Critelli gives his own special polish - must stay a secret for now, but any early-70s rocker should know it instantly. Critelli, who is at Brattleboro's Twilight Tea Lounge Sunday, Oct. 8, is no stranger to Vermont. "I used to play at the Common Ground on Elliot Street a bunch way back in the 20th Century," he recalled. "And I've always loved Brattleboro and McNeill's. I've also played Radio Bean up in Burlington." The western MA outfit, The Lonesome Brothers, is something like an alt-country territory band and a darned good one. The group is fronted by Ray Mason and Jim Armenti, for whom the 60s and 70s never went out of style. A clever writer once made reference to "the wit of Mason and the grit of Armenti" - a good start on putting the Lonesomes into words. Mason is a Silvertone picker and bassist whose lyrics reflect a novel view of life. A key Pioneer Valley scenemaker for many years, in the late 90s his peers honored him by recording a sparkling tribute album. On the Lonesomes' new "Mono" CD, Mason really shines on the ironically titled "Later Won't Help You Now," with its evident debt to The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian. Armenti, too, is an admired songwriter. His "Down by the Water" has traveled far, having been interpreted by varied artists including Cry Cry Cry. As a guitarist, he has his own angle, adding much to the Brothers' highly-recognizable sound. Armenti and Lonesome Brothers fans are going to love his "Hammer and Tongs" on "Mono." Lonesome producer Jim Weeks caught a lot of scenesters off guard with his work on Mason's solo album, and he has done the best job yet capturing his voice. In less capable hands, the Brothers' diverse talents could fly off in different directions, while Weeks' work gives "Mono" a unity that the title may imply and, as Mason might say, makes this an album instead of just a CD. These Brothers bring their Lonesome sound to Bradford's Middle Earth Music Hall Saturday, Oct. 7. This should be a fun time for Vermont music fans. |