Leslie Nuss

SUPERHERO SONGWRITER: Leslie Nuss clearly enjoys playing with the imagery of a sensitive tunesmith who is larger than life--thus the title of her current full-length effort, Action Hero Superstar.
It's a fun, wonderfully original concept that we're surprised hasn't already been developed by other artists. It makes perfect sense, since listeners tend to reach to music for answers and insight. Why not cast artists as emotional superheros?
The material that fills "Action Superhero" introduces the listener to a wide spectrum of sounds and emotions, whether it be pain, joy, or even sensuality. It's all in there. And it's all delivered with an earnest hand.
Nuss proudly wears her musical influences on her sleeve. Listen closely and you'll detect elements of the Pixies and Led Zeppelin, as well as the more obvious influences of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. Her songs likewise cover a spectrum from erotic ("No Ordinary Lover") to pure pop ("Time Capsule") to a starstruck tribute to Radiohead front man Thom Yorke ("Concert Boy"). More than anything, Nuss writes "songs that stick in people's heads," as she puts it.
The artist--transplanted to New York from what she describes as a "very, very small town in Illinois"--also says she strives to write songs to shake people up. "Walk around the streets [of New York] and look at the people and look at the expressions on their faces. It seems like something in them has died. I'm about living...really living and doing what you really want to do."
Do you need any more enticement to investigate this refreshing young artist? We didn't think so. For more information on local club dates and to purchase Action Superhero, visit Nuss' Web site (leslienuss.com) or call 212-XXX-XXXX. --Larry Flick - Billboard

Leslie Nuss could have taken the easy route with her sophomore recording and filled Action Hero Superstar with happy pop ditties guaranteed Top 40 radio rotation. Instead, this winsome New Yorker elected for an unpretentious and quiet display of her talent. Moving from fluid, dreamlike soundscapes ("Stars Came Down") to sassy, punk rock guitar flourishes ("Scarlet Letter"), Leslie Nuss makes her stance as an intuitive artist whose craft is reflective and self-aware. "Time Capsule," a tale about rebounding from a failed romance, has the defining mark of a Natalie Merchant composition, and "Dynamite," bathed in the airy gentleness of strings and soft percussion, is all about desire. Both tracks sonically embrace the peculiar nature of feminine passion: subtle, underlying, and deep. Vocally, Ms. Nuss can keen to heights matching Delores O'Riordan, and her guitar playing is top-notch. But as a songwriter, Ms. Nuss is every bit a unique craftswoman, imbuing her work with a careful touch and a meaningful grace. ~ Roxanne Blanford - All Music Guide

Nuss' story is as follows: Promising singer/songwriter out of NYC makes a pleasant record while supporting her fashion-designing career. Said singer/songwriter falls victim to a gan initiation beating at random in a movie theater and uses the settlement money to finance her next record. Action Hero Superstar is the result and it's a damn fine album. On it, Nuss tackles some heavy issues, such as life's fleeting nature, death, love desperation and longing. The listener can hear Nuss working with her demons as the record plays, and it doesn't come off as a self-indulgent exercise. Because of the attack she survived, her musical direction has been defined and Superstar is her therapy. "Life's too short for promises / So much better when you give." These are the words of an artist emerging from the larval stage and examining the world around her with new eyes. On the insert of the CD, there is a close-up of the staples in her head. It's a stark reminder of fater and our powerlessness. Nuss has entrusted us with her most basic fears and revelations. It's the least we can do to listen. --Adam Lawrence
- Tablet, Seattle WA