Mary Lou LordCountry of origin:U.S. Type of music generally:Contemporary folk, alternative rock, alternative pop, folk/rock Status:Most recent release, Backstreet Angels (2015) See also:Mary Lou Lord's site Comparisons:She reminded me a bit of Amy Rigby in attitude, and Lois (and I guess other K records folk) in sound. (neal) Covers/own material:Covers others' material, writes her own sometimes General comments:Former Boston subway singer who has a great, smoky voice. Most of her early work is solo-acoustic, and she's added more production and bandmates as she's aged and signed major label deals. I much prefer her solo stuff, with just her great vocals and guitar. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu) Comments about live performance:I don't remember if anyone has dropped Mary Lou Lord's name in Ecto yet, but she is a singer/songwriter, apparently from Boston who has been busking around the Puget Sound area for the past year. She played before a very attentive and appreciative audience, accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. In spite of extreme nervousness, she put on an excellent show, displaying a wonderful and distinct voice and guitar style. Her songwriting is already at a high level, in spite of plowing the over-cultivated ground of love. Mark her name as a definite prospect moving up the Ecto minor leagues very quickly. Keep your eyes (and ears :) ) open for her. (dbx@aa.net, 9/93) Recommended first album:Mary Lou Lord Recordings:
RealRelease info:1993—Deep Music (Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A)—DM 011 (cassette only) Availability:Sold at shows; now extremely rare and very difficult to find in its original form. Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Mary Lou Lord—vocals and acoustic guitar Produced by:Sanford Ponder Comments:Mary Lou's first ever recording, and what she sold at very early shows. Includes covers of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Bob Dylan's "Eternal Circle," John Cale's "Andalucia", and Led Zeppelin's "That's The Way," plus three originals, including the witty "Not Necessarily the Bubonic Plague". Very unpolished and raw, but entertaining in its earnestness. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu) Mary Lou Lord epRelease info:1995—Kill Rock Stars, 120 NE State, Ave. #418, Olympia, WA 98501, U.S.A., 360/357-9732 Availability:Easy to find or order online or from label Ecto priority:Must have Group members:Mary Lou Lord—vocals and guitar Guest artists:Juliana Hatfield sings backup on "Lights are Changing" Comments:This is a near-perfect recording, and a testament to the kind of artist that Mary Lou Lord could be. The first song ("Lights are Changing") is electric—the only non-solo song here—and it's one of the finest indie rock tracks I've ever heard. What a great rock song that is, especially the intro.... The last seven tracks are just Mary Lou and her guitar. She shows off her smoky, wispy voice better than ever on those tracks, particularly on the heart-breaking but witty "That Kind of Girl," the lovely "Helsinki", and her own "The Bridge". The standout here is the hilarious "His Indie World," which reads like a who's-who of indie music and is a catty delight. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu) Martian Saints epRelease info:1997—Kill Rocks Stars, 120 NE State, Ave. #418, Olympia, WA 98501, U.S.A., 360/357-9732) Availability:Fairly easy to order online or from label Ecto priority:Recommended Guest artists:Nick Saloman on "Martian Saints" and "Salem '76"; Elliot Smith on "I Figured You Out" Comments:Mary Lou offers five tracks ranging from superbly excellent to just decent. The definite highlight is a cover called something like "Cinderella Backstreet". It is one of the best Mary Lou songs I've ever heard, highlighting her wonderful voice and guitar playing in a gorgeous, and rather sad, song. A Pete Droge cover, "Sunspot Superman" is also a gem; it's funny and smart. Slightly less compelling is the title track, which features Mary Lou backed up by a band (she's so much less unique when it's not just her and her guitar). Still, the song's goofy attitude helps it along. Mary Lou only wrote one of the five songs, a rather ordinary song about the Salem Witch Trials. Again, here she's backed up by a band. Got No ShadowRelease info:1998—Sony/Work Group—OK67574 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Recommended Group members:Mary Lou Lord—vocals Guest artists:Stephen Silbert, Rob Schnapf—acoustic & electric guitars Produced by:Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf, Fred Maher Comments:It's hard for me not to be extremely cynical about this album. First of all, the cover. It features Mary Lou standing on a street corner playing guitar. That's okay. Then you look inside the liner notes and see she didn't even play at all on the instrument (and that's sad, considering her distinctive playing). This isn't that big of a deal, but it's a testament to what can happen to an artist when they sell out. Mary Lou Lord can be superb—witness her eponymous ep—but here too often she's lost in an overproduction that dulls her charms and accentuates her similarities to other artists. Part of Lord's charm was that she was so distinctive—her smoky voice over a hushed acoustic guitar really stood out. The albums make her sound like every other Shawn Colvin, Juliana Hatfield, and Jewel impersonator out there. Still, for a sellout, it still sounds pretty good. There are some truly beautiful moments here—"Shake Sugaree", "Two Boats", "She Had You", "Throng of Blowtown". But every time I think I'm going to forgive her, I hear the new version of "Lights are Changing" (which strips a great song of its individuality and overpowers Mary Lou's vocals) or the new version of "Some Jingle Jangle Morning" (which kills its frenetic vibe with an over-amplified approach). There are definitely bright spots on this album, and perhaps I should look at it only in its own context, but it's difficult to do so when I know that she can do so much more. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu) Baby BlueRelease info:2004—Rubric Records—rub56 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Mary Lou Lord—vocals, guitar Guest artists:Nick Saloman—guitar, bass, harp Produced by:NS with CA Comments:Baby Blue fits in neatly between Mary Lou Lord's early work and her debut full-length, Got No Shadow. That is to say it's more folk and folk/rock rather than the folk/pop/rock direction Got No Shadow took. It feels somewhat rawer and less produced than "Long Way From Tupelo" feels most like her former work, and unsurprisingly it's the one song that's completely her own. Overall a good album, but her quirky side is missed. (JoAnn Whetsell) Further info:Lord contributed an honorable version of Shawn Colvin's great "Poloroids" to the Safe & Sound compilation, and offers a fun version of "Sugar, Sugar" (with Semisonic) on the Saturday Morning Cartoon Greatest Hits compilation. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu) Thanks to Mark Miazga and JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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