Ann Klein

http://www.annkleinmusic.com - http://www.annkleinmusic.com

http://www.annkleinmusic.com - http://www.annkleinmusic.com

New York’s Ann Klein is one of those singer/songwriters whose résumé—stints as a guitarist for Natalie Imbruglia, PM Dawn, Ani DiFranco and others—gives her license to howl. And for her fifth album, a half-studio/half-live affair, Klein proves her dues-paying was worth it. The lusty twang of “Truth & the Bluff� contrasts with the atmospheric serenity of “My Old Shoes� (Klein’s pal Eric Ambel guests on both), yet whether raving up or revving down, Klein’s confident delivery and musky, Joan Osborne-esque pipes consistently keep the material’s core emotions in focus. Over on the live disc the Klein trio, abetted by Ambel’s wife Mary Lee Kortes on backing vocals, lets its collective hair down, notably on “Fun for the Rich,� a slinky slice of psychedelic fusion in which Klein unleashes her inner Hendrix. Somebody call the Bonnaroo bookers: This gal’s as steamy as a hot July afternoon.
By Fred Mills

First printed in Mar/Apr 2007

- HARP MAGAZINE

Klein belongs on the girl slingers’ honor roll along with folks like blues/rocker, Carolyn Wonderland and world pop master, Erika Luckett. An artist who can handle ALL of her own guitar work. Someone who doesn’t need that extra player on stage. All she needs is her drummer and bass player, and she’s doing better than 95% of the players out there. Honestly. I can’t wait to see this player live. Her voice is reminiscent of Kate Bush. Almost too sweet to belong to such a crack player. And like Bush, she can write a great tune.

Ann Klein and Band are currently out there promoting a double CD that includes “the hope street sessions� and “live at the lakeside lounge.�

People this takes balls… to package a studio recording with a live one. It says this woman is extremely confident in her playing ability and she is not reliant on the tricks of the studio. It also says she knows her live performance is energetic and strong enough to sleep in the same package as a studio creation.

So, let’s start with “live…� The Ann Klein band is click track tight. Austrians Robert Kainar (drums) and Klaus Kircher (bass) are superior support for Klein’s guitar work. Certainly, they’re one of the primary reasons she can move so easily from rhythm to lead guitar within a live song performance. I can’t help but make the comparison to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. Seriously good band. I’d say any hard core live music fan needs to catch these guys live. This is good rock n roll. It has many flavors that that sometimes feel a little country, sometimes a little poppy, sometimes trippy and always like “just one beer before we go.�

What can I say about the “hope street sessions?� I can’t say the playing is better or tighter because the live CD is just as tight. However, producer Tim Hatfield (who also recorded “live at the lakeside lounge�) gives us a clean, well-recorded listen. The luxury here is that Klein can invite some side players into the mix, and it’s a lovely listen because of the extra layers. My only unsolved mystery is why this outfit isn’t better known throughout the U.S. As usual, c. claxton falls all over another power artist that seems to glide right past the greater listening public. Therefore, I really encourage you to put Ann Klein on your “to do� list.

Christy Claxton - Stave Magazine

ANN KLEIN TAKES A NEW INDIE ROUTE
BILLBOARD, By Larry Flick

New York Artist’s Deal With Pub. Co. Hacate Sidesteps Label

New York – With her sophomore recording, “For The Love Of Love,” Ann Klein is aiming to prove that an artist no longer needs a major label to reach a mass audience.

Instead, the unsigned New Yorker has inked a deal with the New York- based Hacate Entertainment Group, an administrative publishing company that finances CDs for some of its writers and even assists in securing distribution in the U.S. and abroad.

“Our objective is not to function like a record company: Rather, we try to provide a link between artists and the rest of the world – and that can include a wide range of things,” says president Sarah-Chanderia, who adds that the artists own the masters of their recordings. Hacate reserves licensing rights. “This creates a comfortable partnership between us and the artist. Ultimately, we want an artist like Ann to have the final say over her music.

Klein views her agreement with Hacate as a “fine way to get my music out there at a time when the industry is so up and down. Yes, there are minor budget constraints, but I’m also enjoying the freedom that this situation provides.”

Hacate has secured a deal with the Durham, N.C.-based Lady Slipper Music Distribution to have Klein’s “For The Love of Love” in stateside stores Tuesday (13). The company is still in negotiation with several U.K. and European distributors.

Hacate is also getting actively involved in the marketing of the project. Sarah-Chanderia says the company has already done an extensive press and college radio mailing and will soon begin a campaign to place Klein tunes on TV and film sound-tracks.

“Her music is a natural for this area,” she adds. “It has such rich texture and visual lyrics. Hopefully, all of this will add up to breaking Ann out as the major artist she deserves to be. We just need to be consistent and persistent in our efforts.

Some indie-level retaillers applaud Hacate’s grass-roots approach to breaking Klein. “If it can happen for Ani DiFranco, it can certainly happen for Ann Klein,” says Marlon Creaton, manager of Record Kitchen, a shop in San Francisco. “She seems to have similar energy. Still, the market is so crowded with rock-oriented female artists right now. The challenge will be convincing kids that they should take a chance on another in a long line of relative unknowns.”

Klein is up to that challenge. “I think the material on this album stands out,” she says. “It’s accessible without being overly derivative. I’m extremely proud of how the album came out.”

Over the past few years, Klein has developed an ardent cult following for a sound that is, by turns, reminiscent of “Easter”-era Patti Smith and early R.E.M. “For The Love Of Love” shows Klein eschewing the noisy, guitar-focused sound of her 1997 self-made debut, “Driving You Insane” (Billboard, Nov. 16, 1996), in favor of a more traditionally song-oriented and often introspective stance.

“I still love exploring all of the sounds and emotions you can get from the guitar; but I want this album to more lyrical,” Klein says.

Klein is looking forward to getting back on the road to support “For The Love Of Love.” A fixture on the New York club scene, the self-managed and self-booked artist says she is “never happier” than when she’s onstage.

“I’ve gotten a chance to get a taste of what it’s like to play to both large and small audiences,” she says, noting that she toured extensively behind “Driving You Insane.” She darted from club dates to playing a series of open-air festivals in Austria, Germany and Italy. “Being onstage is truly addictive.”

When she’s not gigging in support of her own material, Klein will occasionally play guitar with several other acts, including Joan Osborne and P.M. Dawn.

The artist plans to spend the remainder of the summer playing club gigs throughout the U.S.
 
- Billboard

The vigorousness of guitarist/singer/songwriter Ann Klein's rock is matched only by her career developments. Her album "Driving You Insane," released last September on her p prod music lable, has gone into a second pressing and has been picked up by Ladyslipper Distribution. In addition, the former guitar sub for Joan Osborne has signed with a new publicist and a booking agent (Billboard, Nov. 16, 1996).
New York dates at such venues as Meow Mix are a regular occurrence, and Klein plans to be even more active in the entire Northeast region, as well as expanding her calendar of dates across the country. Now that her career is heating up in the U.S., Klein is generating a following in Europe too. A recent three week European tour included shows in Austria, Germany and Italy.

With a sound that deftly blends '70s blues rock and '90s alternative rock, Klein has received radio play on stations across the country, including Poughkeepsie, N.Y. alt rock station WDST and public radio's syndicated show "The World Cafe."

In keeping with Klein's versatility, she will be the guitarist for a ballet production of Maurice Sendak's renowned book "Where The Wild Things Are," which begins runs in February 1998. The kind of gig is ideal for an artist of Klein's calibre, who thrives on an array of opportunities.

Toward that end, though she did not get the job, she says she enjoyed auditioning to be guitarist with the "Saturday Night Live" band. And of her stint with Osborne, she says, "I learned more from that experience than from [all] the others I've had in the music business combined."

About her own music, Klein says, "You have to be different, buty you have to be palatable, and it's really hard to find that equilibrium within pop's limitations, but that's what I strive for." - BILLBOARD, OCTOBER 25, 1997 THE SURPRISING SOUNDS OF NEW YORK CITY:

ANN KLEIN TAKES A NEW INDIE ROUTE
BILLBOARD, By Larry Flick

New York Artist’s Deal With Pub. Co. Hacate Sidesteps Label

New York – With her sophomore recording, “For The Love Of Love,” Ann Klein is aiming to prove that an artist no longer needs a major label to reach a mass audience.

Instead, the unsigned New Yorker has inked a deal with the New York- based Hacate Entertainment Group, an administrative publishing company that finances CDs for some of its writers and even assists in securing distribution in the U.S. and abroad.

“Our objective is not to function like a record company: Rather, we try to provide a link between artists and the rest of the world – and that can include a wide range of things,” says president Sarah-Chanderia, who adds that the artists own the masters of their recordings. Hacate reserves licensing rights. “This creates a comfortable partnership between us and the artist. Ultimately, we want an artist like Ann to have the final say over her music.

Klein views her agreement with Hacate as a “fine way to get my music out there at a time when the industry is so up and down. Yes, there are minor budget constraints, but I’m also enjoying the freedom that this situation provides.”

Hacate has secured a deal with the Durham, N.C.-based Lady Slipper Music Distribution to have Klein’s “For The Love of Love” in stateside stores Tuesday (13). The company is still in negotiation with several U.K. and European distributors.

Hacate is also getting actively involved in the marketing of the project. Sarah-Chanderia says the company has already done an extensive press and college radio mailing and will soon begin a campaign to place Klein tunes on TV and film sound-tracks.

“Her music is a natural for this area,” she adds. “It has such rich texture and visual lyrics. Hopefully, all of this will add up to breaking Ann out as the major artist she deserves to be. We just need to be consistent and persistent in our efforts.

Some indie-level retaillers applaud Hacate’s grass-roots approach to breaking Klein. “If it can happen for Ani DiFranco, it can certainly happen for Ann Klein,” says Marlon Creaton, manager of Record Kitchen, a shop in San Francisco. “She seems to have similar energy. Still, the market is so crowded with rock-oriented female artists right now. The challenge will be convincing kids that they should take a chance on another in a long line of relative unknowns.”

Klein is up to that challenge. “I think the material on this album stands out,” she says. “It’s accessible without being overly derivative. I’m extremely proud of how the album came out.”

Over the past few years, Klein has developed an ardent cult following for a sound that is, by turns, reminiscent of “Easter”-era Patti Smith and early R.E.M. “For The Love Of Love” shows Klein eschewing the noisy, guitar-focused sound of her 1997 self-made debut, “Driving You Insane” (Billboard, Nov. 16, 1996), in favor of a more traditionally song-oriented and often introspective stance.

“I still love exploring all of the sounds and emotions you can get from the guitar; but I want this album to more lyrical,” Klein says.

Klein is looking forward to getting back on the road to support “For The Love Of Love.” A fixture on the New York club scene, the self-managed and self-booked artist says she is “never happier” than when she’s onstage.

“I’ve gotten a chance to get a taste of what it’s like to play to both large and small audiences,” she says, noting that she toured extensively behind “Driving You Insane.” She darted from club dates to playing a series of open-air festivals in Austria, Germany and Italy. “Being onstage is truly addictive.”

When she’s not gigging in support of her own material, Klein will occasionally play guitar with several other acts, including Joan Osborne and P.M. Dawn.

The artist plans to spend the remainder of the summer playing club gigs throughout the U.S.
 
- Billboard

By Terri Horak
NEW YORK - Ann Klein has developed a career as a dynamo guitarist/singer/ songwriter, and she is especially well known in her home base of New York. But it was an early stint as a substitute in someone else's band that helped light the way for this rising artist.
Klein filled in on the road for Joan Osborne's guitar player for much of 1993. With the September release of "Driving You Insane", Klein's first solo album, she had a chance to apply some of the knowledge she acquired on that tour.

"I learned more from that experience than from others I've had in the music business combined. It gave me ammunition to feel more comfortable being a solo performer," Klein says.

While she gained valuable insight into promotion - Osborne was just beginning to be recognized by radio and major labels at the time Klein toured with her - Klein says that what she learned most from Osborne was how to lead a band.

"She always had a stock of musicians she could call to do gigs. If she got a date, she took it, and wouldn't worry if someone couldn't make it. I used to be very insecure (about that)," she says.

But more important, Klein says, "it made me realize that every note didn't have to be perfect. Every player plays things differently, and it got me to realize that you just have to know that the overall thing is good, and if you have good musicians behind you, you're going to be fine."

While Klein has played with other artists and recorded an album several years ago with New York-based all-women band BloodSugar, she has come into her own with "Driving You Insane."

Loaded and layered with Klein's inventive guitar playing, "Driving You Insane" was co-produced by Klein and Phillip Levine and issued on their p prod music label. Levine also produced BloodSugar's album "In And Out."

"It was so much fun doing ("Driving You Insane") The songs came out easily - we had all the basics and guitars done in three days. It seemed like the album wrote itself," she says.

Imagine an intersection where the main street is early?s blues rock and the cross-street is 90s alternative rock - that's where "Driving You Insane" resides. But Klein says she made a point to maintain a mainstream accessibility.

"You have to be different, but you have to be palatable, and it's really hard to find that equilibrium within pop's limitations, but that's what I strive for," Klein says.

The album's balance between hard rock and blues rock has provided dual promotional opportunities, and the set has won acceptance at alternative and college stations.

Nic Harcourt, music director at commercial alternative station WDST Poughkeepsie, N.Y., has been playing cuts from "Driving You Insane" on his weekly independent artist showcase "Indie Flux." Klein has also been the featured guest on the station's live on-air program, "Live Lunch."

She's real talented, and we're obviously very supportive of her," Harcourt says, adding that Klein's radio play coupled with her live performances at local clubs have generated a small following for her in the area.

The live dates and airplay have driven sales. "Driving You Insane" is in stock at select New York Tower Records, Sam Goody, and Disco Rama stores, according to Klein's manager, Jonas Goldstein. Though a distributor has yet to pick up the record, Goldstein is working on getting it into stores in each of the markets in which Klein is receiving airplay, including Boise, Idaho, and Oneonta, N.Y. He is also aiming to secure space in larger Northeast markets.

Klein is booked with her band to tape a segment of public radio's syndicated "World Cafe," tentatively set to air in December.

Says show producer Bruce Warren, "(Her) kind of rock is a little more aggressive than what we normally do, but she's an incredible talent and an astounding guitarist, and I want to showcase that."

Assistance in preparing this story was provided by Ed Christman.
- BILLBOARD

28.02.2005

Die Bar-Geschichte

wird keine. "Ann Klein ist mein schlechtester Gast", knurrt Rudi Pemberger hinter der Theke seiner Rockhousebar. Dabei wäre die Idee so gut gewesen ...

Ann Klein lebt in New York. Dort macht sie Rockmusik. "Aber die Art, wie ich Gitarre spiele, ist Blues", meint sie und fragt Rudi, ob er eine Tasse Tee habe. "Sag ich ja", meint Rudi. "Wenn Du wissen willst, was ein Manhattan ist, dann musst Du schon mich fragen."

Der Zufall

hat Klein zur Österreichliebhaberin gemacht. "Etwa zwei Monate im Jahr lebe ich hier", sagt sie. Zufällig hätten sich vor Jahren persönliche Kontakte ergeben: "Die Leute hier sind ausgesprochen lieb", meint sie. Ann Klein ist harmoniesüchtig. Deshalb spricht sie auch nicht gerne über Politik: "Ich bin hundertprozentig gegen die amerikanische Regierung", meint sie kurz. Sie hätte sogar Verständnis für den Antiamerikanismus in "good old Europe". Umso mehr freue sie sich darüber, dass die Europäer die Amerikaner trotzdem noch mögen. "Man darf Politik nicht mit Freundschaft vermischen", meint sie. Sie spricht lieber über ihre Musik und dass die meisten der Songs ihres neuen Albums ("My own Backyard") in Österreich entstanden sind.

"Rotwein-Nacken" Voriges Jahr im Burgenland etwa: "Mann, da war ich einsam", erinnert sie sich. "Burgenland ist für Österreich wohl das, was für einen New Yorker Arizona ist. Nur dass in Arizona Rednecks sitzen und im Burgenland "Redwine-Necks." Sie fing die Stimmung mit ihrem Song "Hank Williams" ein. "Du weißt schon: I am so lonley, I could cry." Dabei kommt der Song durchaus fröhlich rüber.

Klein spielt am liebsten in kleinen Clubs. Hallen mag sie nicht. Ihre Musik ist intim. Sie arbeitet mit einfühlsamen Texten und eingängigen Melodien, die nicht selten an eine gut aufgelegte Norah Jones erinnern. "Rock und Blues ist in den USA derzeit überhaupt nicht in Mode", sagt sie, "aber genau deshalb ist die Szene so gut." "Warum?" "Weil kein Mainstream mehr dahinter steckt. Jeder Blues- und Rockmusiker macht gerade die Musik, die ehrlich aus ihm rauskommt. Das können Hip-Hopper schon lange nicht mehr von sich behaupten." Für das Foto bastelt Rudi Pemberger noch einen Manhattan. "Ihr seid immer so höflich", meint sie. "Stimmt schon", meint Pemberger, "deshalb sind wir auch keine Antialkoholiker." "Sorry?" "Ein bisserl Alkohol kann auch locker machen."
- SALZBURGER NACHRICHTEN

By Terri Horak
NEW YORK - Ann Klein has developed a career as a dynamo guitarist/singer/ songwriter, and she is especially well known in her home base of New York. But it was an early stint as a substitute in someone else's band that helped light the way for this rising artist.
Klein filled in on the road for Joan Osborne's guitar player for much of 1993. With the September release of "Driving You Insane", Klein's first solo album, she had a chance to apply some of the knowledge she acquired on that tour.

"I learned more from that experience than from others I've had in the music business combined. It gave me ammunition to feel more comfortable being a solo performer," Klein says.

While she gained valuable insight into promotion - Osborne was just beginning to be recognized by radio and major labels at the time Klein toured with her - Klein says that what she learned most from Osborne was how to lead a band.

"She always had a stock of musicians she could call to do gigs. If she got a date, she took it, and wouldn't worry if someone couldn't make it. I used to be very insecure (about that)," she says.

But more important, Klein says, "it made me realize that every note didn't have to be perfect. Every player plays things differently, and it got me to realize that you just have to know that the overall thing is good, and if you have good musicians behind you, you're going to be fine."

While Klein has played with other artists and recorded an album several years ago with New York-based all-women band BloodSugar, she has come into her own with "Driving You Insane."

Loaded and layered with Klein's inventive guitar playing, "Driving You Insane" was co-produced by Klein and Phillip Levine and issued on their p prod music label. Levine also produced BloodSugar's album "In And Out."

"It was so much fun doing ("Driving You Insane") The songs came out easily - we had all the basics and guitars done in three days. It seemed like the album wrote itself," she says.

Imagine an intersection where the main street is early?s blues rock and the cross-street is 90s alternative rock - that's where "Driving You Insane" resides. But Klein says she made a point to maintain a mainstream accessibility.

"You have to be different, but you have to be palatable, and it's really hard to find that equilibrium within pop's limitations, but that's what I strive for," Klein says.

The album's balance between hard rock and blues rock has provided dual promotional opportunities, and the set has won acceptance at alternative and college stations.

Nic Harcourt, music director at commercial alternative station WDST Poughkeepsie, N.Y., has been playing cuts from "Driving You Insane" on his weekly independent artist showcase "Indie Flux." Klein has also been the featured guest on the station's live on-air program, "Live Lunch."

She's real talented, and we're obviously very supportive of her," Harcourt says, adding that Klein's radio play coupled with her live performances at local clubs have generated a small following for her in the area.

The live dates and airplay have driven sales. "Driving You Insane" is in stock at select New York Tower Records, Sam Goody, and Disco Rama stores, according to Klein's manager, Jonas Goldstein. Though a distributor has yet to pick up the record, Goldstein is working on getting it into stores in each of the markets in which Klein is receiving airplay, including Boise, Idaho, and Oneonta, N.Y. He is also aiming to secure space in larger Northeast markets.

Klein is booked with her band to tape a segment of public radio's syndicated "World Cafe," tentatively set to air in December.

Says show producer Bruce Warren, "(Her) kind of rock is a little more aggressive than what we normally do, but she's an incredible talent and an astounding guitarist, and I want to showcase that."

Assistance in preparing this story was provided by Ed Christman.
- BILLBOARD

Die New Yorker Gitarristin und Sängerin Ann Klein fühlt sich in Salzburg rundum wohl. Auf ihrer Homepage beschreibt sie das Rockhouse als "The coolest club on planet europe". Ihr Album "Waiting for the snow" hat sie bei ATS Records aufgenommen und dann wäre da noch ihre langjährige Rhythmusbegleitung in Person von Klaus Kircher und Robert Kainar, beide Mitglieder der Jazz-Formation K3. "Salzburger sind herzliche Menschen. Es ist toll mit ihnen zusammenzuarbeiten". Das hört man gerne, auch wenn man sich nicht unbedingt angesprochen fühlt. Das minimalistische Trio-Format bietet Klein, die sich auch als Begleiterin von Joan Osborne oder Ani DiFranco einen Namen gemacht hat, beste Entfaltungsmöglichkeiten. Ihr virtuoses Gitarrenspiel, gepaart mit der energetischen und druckvollen Rhythmussektion, sorgt für einen individuell geprägten East-Coast-Sound erster Güte. "Auf der Bühne bin ich ganz verändert. Das Publikum gibt mir sehr viel Energie. Das ist ein tolles Gefühl", so die vielseitige Künstlerin, die über den instrumentalen Anspruch hinaus auch allerhand zu sagen hat. "Ihre Texte sind nicht bloßes Beiwerk zur anspruchsvollen Gitarrenbetätigung, da kommt eins zum anderen und beide werden eins". (Tiroler Tageszeitung). Ann ist wieder mit neuer CD unterwegs, man darf gespannt sein!
(Rockhouse Magazine, 2-2005) - Rockhouse Magazine

Die New Yorker Gitarristin und Sängerin Ann Klein fühlt sich in Salzburg rundum wohl. Auf ihrer Homepage beschreibt sie das Rockhouse als "The coolest club on planet europe". Ihr Album "Waiting for the snow" hat sie bei ATS Records aufgenommen und dann wäre da noch ihre langjährige Rhythmusbegleitung in Person von Klaus Kircher und Robert Kainar, beide Mitglieder der Jazz-Formation K3. "Salzburger sind herzliche Menschen. Es ist toll mit ihnen zusammenzuarbeiten". Das hört man gerne, auch wenn man sich nicht unbedingt angesprochen fühlt. Das minimalistische Trio-Format bietet Klein, die sich auch als Begleiterin von Joan Osborne oder Ani DiFranco einen Namen gemacht hat, beste Entfaltungsmöglichkeiten. Ihr virtuoses Gitarrenspiel, gepaart mit der energetischen und druckvollen Rhythmussektion, sorgt für einen individuell geprägten East-Coast-Sound erster Güte. "Auf der Bühne bin ich ganz verändert. Das Publikum gibt mir sehr viel Energie. Das ist ein tolles Gefühl", so die vielseitige Künstlerin, die über den instrumentalen Anspruch hinaus auch allerhand zu sagen hat. "Ihre Texte sind nicht bloßes Beiwerk zur anspruchsvollen Gitarrenbetätigung, da kommt eins zum anderen und beide werden eins". (Tiroler Tageszeitung). Ann ist wieder mit neuer CD unterwegs, man darf gespannt sein!
(Rockhouse Magazine, 2-2005) - Rockhouse Magazine

Ann Klein is a guitarist that we have written above a couple of times before. As a testament to her capabilities, Klein has performed with Joe Gallant's Illuminati and has played lead guitar for Joan Osborne. Her latest effort, For the Love of Love, offers further evidence of her considerable talent. Musically, it is hard to pigeonhole Klein, but that's mostly a plus. Her music is a hybrid of sounds--classic rock and pop, alternative, progressive and blues influences find their way into her intelligent, slightly off-kilter songs. Her guitar playing is inventive and free of clichés, and her song writing is surprisingly original. Although not a great vocalist, she is a commanding singer.

Most of the songs don't jump out at you, but rather envelop you with repeated plays. The sultry, sexy tones of "My Gun" would be hailed as a classic if the song was by Chrissie Hynde, and that's not to mention the splendid slide guitar embellishments. "Man-Bait" opens the album and shows Klein's sense for both cutting lyrics and visceral guitar. She gets eerie textures and tones, and doesn't apply the rule "the more notes the better." Other standouts are the gritty, bluesy "Disconnected" and the "Man-Bait Reprise," which is actually eight minutes of the most adventurous guitar work you are likely to hear this year. In a perfect world, Klein would be a big star, but I'm sure this talented artist will settle for less. Be the first one on your block! - RELIX

Ann Klein is a guitarist that we have written above a couple of times before. As a testament to her capabilities, Klein has performed with Joe Gallant's Illuminati and has played lead guitar for Joan Osborne. Her latest effort, For the Love of Love, offers further evidence of her considerable talent. Musically, it is hard to pigeonhole Klein, but that's mostly a plus. Her music is a hybrid of sounds--classic rock and pop, alternative, progressive and blues influences find their way into her intelligent, slightly off-kilter songs. Her guitar playing is inventive and free of clichés, and her song writing is surprisingly original. Although not a great vocalist, she is a commanding singer.

Most of the songs don't jump out at you, but rather envelop you with repeated plays. The sultry, sexy tones of "My Gun" would be hailed as a classic if the song was by Chrissie Hynde, and that's not to mention the splendid slide guitar embellishments. "Man-Bait" opens the album and shows Klein's sense for both cutting lyrics and visceral guitar. She gets eerie textures and tones, and doesn't apply the rule "the more notes the better." Other standouts are the gritty, bluesy "Disconnected" and the "Man-Bait Reprise," which is actually eight minutes of the most adventurous guitar work you are likely to hear this year. In a perfect world, Klein would be a big star, but I'm sure this talented artist will settle for less. Be the first one on your block! - RELIX