Big
Fish Little Fish Volume 1 - ARTIST BIOS
Go to INFO,
REVIEWS, LISTEN,
BUY
Big Fish Little Fish
coming
in January 2003 - the "where are they now"
article in Sweet Pickle Music news... watch for
it!
Antje
has performed her songs as both a
soloist and in different bands in many venues from
Chicago to Los Angeles to a tiny village in Greece.
Her upcoming album, "Simply Being Cleopatra"
(on Sweet Pickle Music) features 12 original tracks
that are reminiscent of what would happen if Edith
Piaf, Melanie, Suzanne Vega and Bonnie Raitt got
together for a weekend retreat to toast marshmallows
and write some songs. Read more about ANTJE
here at Sweet Pickle Music.
Ellen
Rosner is constantly polishing her songs
the same way a master diamond cutter turns rough
stones into gems. Paying her dues and biding her
time with stints fronting the rock band Redball
to solo acoustic gigs to hosting local songwriter's
showcases, Ellen's long-in-gestation solo debut,
"The Perfect Malcontent," (No Genre Records, 1999)
shows the hard work was worth it. www.ellenrosner.com
Dolly
Varden is a band from Chicago that features
evocative songwriting, soulful harmony vocals, and
an intriguing mix of musical influences. Featuring
the husband and wife songwriting team of Diane Christiansen
and Stephen Dawson (formerly of Stump The Host),
dolly varden's new album, "The Dumbest Magnets",
is the band's most focused effort yet. Dawson and
Christiansen's most unified and evocative body of
work to date, their album will be released in June,
2000, in the United States and Europe. www.dollyvarden.com
Alice
Peacock recorded her
first CD "Real Day" in March of '99 and
it has been getting rave reviews. Melding pop with
roots influences (e.g. Blues, Country, Folk, and
Jazz), Peacock strives to create music that is both
thoughtful, fun, and soothing to the soul. www.alicepeacock.com
Cathy
Braaten has performed with Lisa Loeb, Willy
Porter, Widespread Panic, Loudon Wainwright III,
Bo Diddley, Chicago, and Vic Chestnut. An urban-pop-rocker,
a wailer with a voice who celebrates the roots she
wears on her sleeve, a composer with three albums
and seven songwriting awards, a performer signed
to Channel 83 recordings, Cathy fronts a rock band
and is currently making music for a new CD. www.cathybraaten.com
The
Twigs are sisters, songwriters and singers
Linda and Laura Good, with Linda on piano, rhodes,
acoustic guitar, vocals and violin, and Laura on
electricguitar, vocals and cello. Smart lyrics,
ethereal vocal harmonies, cruncy guitars and dreamy
piano lines mix with retro grooves to produce a
sound uniquely their own. Their debut CD, "Bring
Me The Head of Eternity" (Whirl-i-gig Records)
has received wide critical and audience acclaim.
www.twigs.com
Karen
Anderson has
already left a handsome mark on the burgeoning Chicago
music scene with the release of two albums. The
artist's "Figure Out Me" and "Over
The Line", released on her own label Levitating
Cat, have drawn high praise from some of the area's
biggest music lovers. With spirited singing and
ardent lyrics, Anderson's music an amiable fusion
of songwriting and sound. www.rotonews.com/karenanderson
Astra
Kelly has a style she describes as acoustic
soul. She has self-released two CDs ("Stones,
Bones, and Boxes" and "Subtown Rituals")
and has been touring nationally to spread the word
and promote her original music. The sound is a merging
of many styles and influences, while the underlying
presence is of depth, osul, and what can be revealed
through the music, melody, and lyrics. www.astrakelly.com
Anne
O'Meara Heaton recently released live album,
"Anne O'Meara Heaton Live With Frank Marotta,
Jr.", sold 500 copies within the first week
of its release in New York City alone. This 15-song
CD, recorded at Schuba's Tavern in Chicago and The
Bitter End in NYC, is as bold and heartening as
Heaton's first album "Spoke From The Heart".
In her newer songs, Heaton builds upon the emotive,
spirit-filled, psychological themes of her debut,
adding humor and more detailed storytelling. www.anneheaton.com
Beki
Hemingway made her mark in the quirky punkabilly
band This Train, whose debut cd sold over 10,000
copies, and in 1997 she moved on to a solo career
and a well-received 6-song ep entitled "rinse.repeat.",
her first big attempt at songwriting. Fall 1999
saw the release of her first full-length solo project,
"Too Much Plenty", on Salt Lady Records.
www.bekihemingway.com
Summer
Chance has graced the stages of Chicago's
Uncommon Ground, the Heartland, and Schuba's with
her poignant and intimate songwriting. Her rich
vocals and urgent guitar style have quickly captured
attention. Summer is currently working on her upcoming
ep, the naked truth. www.summerchance.com
Nancy
Walker has performed in a variety of settings
from top-40 band to solo artist to duo to collaborative
member of the Chicago-trio Sons of the Never Wrong.
The work of Rosanne Cash and Christine McVie confirmed
for her that women's voices could be strong and
impacting. As founder of the performance series,
Female Songwriters You Wanna Hear, the idea of showcasing
and celebrating the work of women writers is one
that Nancy is familiar with. www.nancywalker.net
Patty
Ortega currently performs with a variety
of groups (including The Dick Judson Orchestra,
Las Guitarras de Espana, Chika, Antje, and Ralph
Rosario) in addition to writing and performing her
own music. She began her musical history at the
tender age of six with a winning performance of
"Dancing Machine" (the Jackson 5 hit) at a church
talent show. In her teens, Ortega was a member of
the Lyric Opera and Lincoln Park Choirs in addition
to studying clarinet. When she caught Sheryl Crow's
guitar pick at a 1995 concert, she took it as a
sign to start playing the guitar. www.mp3.com/pattyortega
Ripley
Caine completely left of center, comically
sarcastic, and a little fiery, ripley caine breaks
the mold of the stereotypical singer/songwriter.
this woman combines the rawness of alternative with
the softness of folk and the edginess of rock and
roll. Spring 2000 celebrates the release of her
5-song EP, Corvair. www.ripleycaine.com
Kelly
Kessler fuses
a range of influences - modal tunes she learned
in Kentucky, the aching honky tonk of the 50's,
a wry brand of rural humor, the Texas songwrtier
traditions she loves - and delivers a spare, current
reading of the age-old country themes. Kelly can
be heard on "Edges of the Postcard 2"
and with the Texas Rubies on "Working Girl
Blues", "the Texas Rubies Album",
and on "For a Life of Sin" (Bloodshot
Records). www.kellykessler.com
Joy
Eden Harrison was discovered, after a long
run of cabaret performances in Europe and singer/songwriter
stints in San Diego, by respected music figure Buddy
Blue who brought her to the attention of Bizarre/Planet
Records (Frank Zappa and Tom Waits). The label soon
released Joy's critically aclaimed debut CD, "Angel
Town", produced by Buddy Blue. "Angel Town" has
received radio airplay across a wide range of station
formats. Like Bjork, Beck, and Ricki Lee Jones,
Joy is forging an original genre-blending path into
the 21st century. www.joyedenharrison.com
