kristi rae

Kristi Rae's authenticity shines right through. She makes wonderful music.

Songs are now airing on Radio Stars 2 and Mellow Hours on Church of Girl Radio. Our review will be published soon. - www.churchofgirl.com

October 2006:

Kristi Rae offers acoustic folk, fronted by her tender and innocent voice. Melodies are simple yet effective. Reminiscent of the musical stylings of a more folk-driven Cat Power and a more acoustic Poe. - www.indiepro.com

a Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

There is something familiar about Kristi Rae's voice, but I can't seem to place it. At times I am reminded of Dar Williams. But that might be because these songs, like Dar's, are story songs for the most part. The vocals and lyrics play more of a roll than the guitar playing. That's not to say the guitar playing isn't good, it is. It just knows when to stay in the background is all.

Kristi Rae sometimes uses that effect where her voice is either amplified oddly or there are layers of vocals singing in unison. It's an interesting technique and gives a bit of an eerier quality to the songs in which it's used. ('No Sun Today' is a good example).

'The Ballad of Cherokee Bill' has a sweet sound that feels very cheery.

'All the Paths' is a standout perhaps because of its minor keys and slighting haunting sound. This might be my favorite, at least today. It's simple, yet complicated. Very nice.

I noticed that Tim and Terri Dittmar (of Annabella) play on this record and Tim helped produce, engineer and mix it. Sweet!

In fact this whole record has got a sort of sweet sensibility to it. Even though the songs aren't always happy.

- November 2006

First off, a tidbit of information that may be useful to the reader: Kristi Rae is indeed female; it isn't some clever name for an all-male band or anything. So all of you folks out there that are now rolling your eyes and thinking "OMG, not another chick band" to yourselves can move along and find something more testosterone-filled. I think that female singers and female bands get a bad rap, and in the case of Kristi Rae, it's definitely unwarranted. Various Means of Transportation maybe a bit rough around the edges, but it's ethereal and stirring at the same time, like some of the landscapes in her home state of Texas.

Kristi's voice and supporting guitar make me think of time spent in front of campfires or afternoons lazing about underneath lush green trees; a beautiful soundtrack from happier times. It's ironic, really, considering that the general theme of this CD is the living of a life that hasn't been easy, a bumpy road that most people would never want to drive down. It gives you a certain innate sense of self, a quality that most people can't put their finger on but find themselves quite drawn to at the same time.

Instead of relying on a loud rhythm section or screaming, piercing vocals, Various Means of Transportation conveys the message of growth and strength through its words, through the underlying conviction in her vocals, and through its simplicity. It's hard to single out one song above any other, since the entire thing seems to stand as one piece. I'd liken it to trying to pick out just one chapter in your favorite book. It's meant to be taken as a whole -- one vision from start to finish -- and that's really the only way to experience it properly. Definitely folksy but never preachy or gimmicky, Kristi Rae sounds most like Poe (but acoustic and stripped down) to me, and that's definitely a good thing. (JR) - www.spacecityrock.com

Kristi Rae is a singer-songwriter from Austin who makes deceptively unassuming, very quiet, mostly acoustic-guitar driven music. I came across her page on MySpace a while back, and have been hooked since. Her self-released cd, Various Means of Transportation is a fitting, seamless backdrop to a good old sad-session in a big fat chair with a cup of your favorite hot or cold beverage. Visit her MySpace den for more album highlights. - Rambis Manor