A Curious Birthday

For those of you who don't know this, today is my birthday *pauses while waiting for the cheering and applauding to subside*. Well, I got a nice little birthday surprise from one of my MySpace friends: a very talented singer whose name is Curious (yes, that's her real name). She gave me a song. She told me to pick my favourite song of hers and she would email me the mp3. So I picked "Rain" ("Goodbye" is another of my faves, but I'm planning on buying the single for that one) and she sent it to me and I've been listening to it ever since. If you want to hear it, check out her profile player. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

C'est Jeanette

Another indie singer/songwriter worth checking out: Jeanette Lee. Jeanette and I actually went to high school together, but I swear I'm not biased or anything... her music is really good. She's a classically trained musician who has turned her focus to the melodic pop rock sounds that you might expect from the likes of Sarah McLachlan. And her lyrics are intelligent and sophisticated... if you don't want to take my word for it, just ask American Songwriter Magazine who awarded one of her songs Honorable Mention in their recent Lyric Contest.

You can listen to Jeanette's music on her website or her MySpace site. Or—now this is the really cool part—you can listen to her acoustic show at C'est What streamed live over the net on Thursday, June 14 at 10:00 p.m. E.S.T. Just head over to WhatsNext.ca and click on their Live Radio Feed.

Look for her new CD "After a Dark Horse Year" to be released later this year. Or, if you can't wait, go grab a copy of her self-titled debut CD. You won't be sorry.

Athena Reich

"Her vocals are pure and full of heart, and her songs have
unexpected melodic twists that move me to new emotional levels
very different from your average or even good pop singer.
Mostly, Athena's lyrics combine story telling with a surprising hook
that pushes past cynicism and irony and spins your
typical love song on its ear." ~ Cynthia Daniels
A couple of years ago, on my other blog, I wrote a post entitled Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition about this amazing new talent that I'd just experienced: Athena Reich. At the time, I described her as being a cross between Ani DiFranco, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson and Liza Minnelli. (Yes, just try to imagine that combination... it ain't easy.) What was so cool the next time I saw her was that she had these promo cards where she described her style as Cabaret Punk Pop. See, if I'd just added Sleater-Kinney to my list, I would have had all the bases covered!


Athena is currently working on her upcoming 5th CD, "Little Girl Dreams". Most of the songs are finished, and she's getting ready to go into the studio. She's particularly excited about this CD:

Read more...

After years of hard work, I feel I am finally connecting with key players in the industry. Cynthia Daniels (who is the Grammy & Emmy award winning producer/engineer of Chaka Khan, Sandra Bernhard, the Broadway musical "The Producers" and countless others) has fallen in love with my music and will be producing "Little Girl Dreams". I am in conversation with major labels, am being requested by numerous colleges and venues, and am signed to one of the top managers in North America, MGAM. I have been working hard at my craft by taking master classes with multi-platinum hit songwriter Lorraine Ferro in New York City and by paying my dues on rugged tours across North America. I am coming into my own as an artist, and have never had so much fun or felt so care-free about performing, or my life. "Little Girl Dreams", more than anything I have created in the past, has the real potential to radically catapult my career to a much higher level.

You can listen to demos of "Little Girl Dreams" on her website. To read the lyrics, go to her Music Page (which is listed in her Store drop down menu).

In an attempt to raise the money to finish the album (and lord knows these things aren't cheap), she's asked her fans to help out: by donating and getting a Thank You on the CD, by pre-ordering the CD (a signed copy, no less), plus there are T-shirts and posters and tickets, oh my! What you get depends on what level of support you choose. I opted for TRUE FAN ($30-50): Receive a signed copy of "Little Girl Dreams" upon release, special mention on the CD and website, if desired, and the glowing satisfaction of being a modern day patron of the arts. If you want to support this talented artist, you can do it through The Field, a very cool website that allows you to Sponsor Artists. Check out Athena's website for the details.

Melissa McClelland

My cousin recently went to see Jesse Cookin concert and apparently the opening act was Melissa McClelland. I first saw Melissa at the Ironwood in Calgary, a wonderfully intimate venue, and she enchanted me. Her powerful voice in that cute little package, the contradiction of her sweet melodies and her edgy lyrics... I bought Stranded in Suburbia right then and there. I haven't heard Thumbelina's One Night Stand, her new CD, yet but I just discovered that you can listen to the songs over on her website so I'm looking forward to the chance to check out the new material. In the meantime, I've uploaded "Good as Gold" to My Music Box and I'm going to move my old Melissa McClelland post over to this blog...

Originally posted 11.02.2004 on Limes with Orange

I've been getting a whole bunch of hits on my blog from people looking for lyrics to Melissa McClelland songs. I checked her website and found out that "Pretty Blue" has just hit the airwaves, so I'm thinking that may have something to do with it. Or the fact that she's been nominated for Female Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Video of the Year (for "Jaded") by the Hamilton Music Awards. And since her website doesn't provide lyrics and her CD, Stranded in Suburbia, is apparently too new to be included on most lyrics sites, I figured I would include lyrics to a few of her songs here. (You can listen to all of the songs in their entirety on the jukebox at the Orange Record Label site.)

Good As Gold (listen to sample)
[my favourite song on the CD and the inspiration to the working title of my novel: "Howling At The Moon"]

Who keeps track of things like that
Well, I do
You better keep me happy
Or I'll be howling at the moon

Read more...

It's all fun and games
Till I'm feeling blue
I discovered a continent in you
But now I've settled

So I'm hitting every party
Gonna find myself some fun
We'll take uppers in the morning
Light our cigarettes off the sun
When night falls we'll go cruising
And drink until we're numb
And I'll make you
Make you want me
Want me until I'm done

Here's your last attempt
At keeping me at bay
You're gonna chain me
To every word I say

Oh, my resolve is weak
I always crack
And I've been reading too much Nin
And you Kerouak

When you wake me in the morning
I'll be motionless and cold
You will bring to me some water
Yeah, you'll do what you're told
When I see you looking somber
I'll say babe you're as good as gold
But I can't see you again tonight
I've got a reputation to uphold

Then he whispered in my ear
'You're a sly bitch, you are'
So I drank away my headache
And I stumbled out of his car
Through the fogged up glass of the window
He made a clearing with his hand
And with his eyes he told me
'One day you'll understand'
~

Little Birds (listen to sample)
[my next favourite song on the CD]

Morning came with such a jolt
That I forgot my soul at home
This pick-me-up, stale coffee cup
Is filling up my insides though
And here I sit on subway stains
With blue pin stripe corporate charades
Outside I'm sure it's magical
But today I've got to get paid

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

What is summer without sunshine
Who likes dancing in a straight line
When all these colours fade into mine
Tell me, am I black and blue?

It's comforting to know the day begins
(and it will surely end)
Tucked between these filthy sheets
Where nightmares start
Where sweet dreams end
Caught in a kaleidoscope
Of timely orchestrated screams
Filling space with barren thought
Motionless antipathy

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

It's like fucking without kissing
Or never knowing what you're missing
And you're finally confessing
That you'll never stand a chance

Little birds over the south pacific sea
Falling from the sky in perfect symmetry
Well, there goes
each and every one of my dreams
Shattered images of who I'll never be

Seeing Venice through a TV
Or thinking beautiful means pretty
When all these colors blend completely
Tell me can you even see me?
~

Encinitas Rainstorm (listen to sample)
[and my next favourite]

Oh, you make my spring
And winter's such a mean old thing
When it's cold
And I freeze
While the birds and the bees
Chase the golden sun in the breeze

But now the birds are flying home
They've got stories from down in Mexico
Oh, I envy their wings
Cause I've flown in my dreams
And I've seen such beautiful things
From up above
But I have to admit without your love
I'd rather be where the sun don't shine
And it rains for days at a time

Cause he's my Encinitas Rainstorm
Ooh and he gets so fresh
When he sees me staring out my window
Longing to be undressed
And soaking wet
My hair's a mess
I'm out of breath

Thunder clapping
Raindrops splashing down
Oh, I'm so curious
And I'm so full of lust
And we're washin' away all this dust
We've collected
Cause honey I'm resurrected
And you wouldn't believe how it's flooded away
All of the grey

I'm falling... I'm astounded...
I'm dreamin'...
I'm drownin'
In all of your love
~

Jaded (listen to sample)
[I believe this was the first big hit but the second single off the CD, "White Lies (Stranded in Suburbia)" being the first single... if anyone is looking for the lyrics to that one, let me know]

These things I say
Come spinning out of my mouth
Like they've lost their way
And there's no doubt about it
You heard me.
I shouted.
I think you'd preferred it
That whenever you come clean
I say nothing at all.

So what
You'd left
Before I had a single chance to second-guess
These bittersweet diversions
And late night excursions
Secret perversions
Well, maybe I'm naive
Cause I can't believe this.

And now you fill my heart with doubt
You've turned me inside out
But I'm not jaded
And still with all this overkill
And bitterness instilled
My heart's left unfulfilled
But I'm not jaded

My life
Complete
With minor twists and turns
And just a small defeat
You know you really got me
You burned me
You shocked me
You threw me
You lost me
Well maybe I'm naive
But I'm catching on fast

And how could I have been so proud
You've turned me inside out
But I'm not jaded
And still with all this overkill
And bitterness instilled
My heart's left unfulfilled
But I'm not jaded

You came around
Your hands did all the talking
As you sat me down
For a bittersweet reminder
You heard me
I shouted
I'd never allow it
Cause maybe I'm naive
But I'm not fucking stupid
~

Pretty Blue (listen to sample)
[most recent single off the CD]

Pretty blue
On my way
Smoke a hundred cigarettes
Charm the gas station boy
Buy you a pack of Nicorette
I'm your missionary
Your guru
I'm your God
I've been saving you all along

Park the car
Rehearse my lines
Say the right things at the right times
Love you so
Miss you not
Gonna wait in the parking lot
Take a moment and gaze up
through the sunroof
And reach up through the say
To the stars
From the confines of this car
And I'm gone
Like a thief escaping in the dark
But I'm stumbling blindly
And I'm trapped in the night
Goodbye my pretty blue sky

Stole away
Almost night
Through plexiglass we fight
Count the stars
What a mess
This universe
This life
And I glide through the open window
So I can touch the sky
The stars
From the confines of this car
And I'm gone
Like a thief escaping in the dark
But I'm stumbling blindly
And I'm trapped in the night
Goodbye my pretty blue sky

The sky is falling
Scattered stars
Like pieces of my youth
These are my scars tearing
I've got to heal myself
Not you

Home sweet home
A week to go
Gonna get some sleep now
~

And a few additional Melissa links for anyone who's interested:
Soul Shine Magazine: Melissa McClelland — Do the Strand
SceneandHeard.ca: Stranded in Suburbia review
The GATE'S CD Reviews: Stranded in Suburbia
Ladybird Sideshow online — Melissa McClelland bio (Ladybird Sideshow is Melissa's side project with Erin Smith, Janine Stoll and Lisa Winn)