Music
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Lisa Alice is a San Francisco based vegan singer/songwriter who is walking the walk on 'Plans in Pencil,' her new 5 song CD on Ridiculum Records. Mostly the songs consist of artfully sparse guitar and Lisa's voice meandering over the top, relaying tales of woe most of us can probably relate to. The guitars, at times, come barreling down to drive home a point, and at other times are barely nudging the songs forward, letting the quiet spaces convey the emotion. 'Plans in Pencil' is not predictable, sing-a-long, ring-tone ready drivel, instead, it's a thoughtful, passionate bunch of songs that get better upon repeated listens. - Josh Hooten - Issue Eight
Perky, driven folk-pop from a recent spark on San Francisco’s local scene. The songs on That Thing In Your Hand are cheerful and pop-inflicted, but don’t let that drive you away. This is what the tough kids listen to on their day off. A metaphor in the first song name-drops the flux capacitor from Back to the Future. If that’s not transcending girl-rock boundaries, I don’t know what is. It’s fun to listen to, mostly acoustic guitar, breathy vocals, and drum loops—Sunday brunch music with bite. “Mother Time” is a driving, bouncing road-trip song. “Birthday” is smart and sentimental, dripping with nostalgia and irony at once. Lisa Alice just won a bunch of big local music awards, and listening to the record, you hear why. It’s not about the medium, it’s just quality music. - Matthue Roth
Lisa Alice is in that small group of artists who are stupendous solo. No need to hide behind a band, Lisa's solo work pulls, pushes, pulls, shoves, tugs and, yes, somehow holds us close the entire time--like any good melodramatic relationship, Lisa's bipolar performances leave you wanting more. - Kelly Nathanson
Lisa Alice....is quirkier than your standard girl with guitar. She's also better....Lisa Alice seems unable to help radiating. Her percussive approach to the guitar and her poetic approach to songwriting make for great music with a curious edge. - Heather Fielding
Lisa Alice is in that small group of artists who are stupendous solo. No need to hide behind a band, Lisa's solo work pulls, pushes, pulls, shoves, tugs and, yes, somehow holds us close the entire time--like any good melodramatic relationship, Lisa's bipolar performances leave you wanting more. - Kelly Nathanson
Lisa Alice weaves the sweetest of acoustic gal pop very much in the vein of the dreamy wistful side of K Records--think the Softies, Gaze or Mary Lou Lord. However, on songs like "You Win" her vocal delivery also brings to mind more recent female indie singer/songwriters like Tegan & Sara, Madigan or Emm Gryner who themselves possess degrees of the confidence and raw determination of the DiFranco kind. Very down to earth. - San Francisco
Lisa Alice weaves the sweetest of acoustic gal pop very much in the vein of the dreamy wistful side of K Records--think the Softies, Gaze or Mary Lou Lord. However, on songs like "You Win" her vocal delivery also brings to mind more recent female indie singer/songwriters like Tegan & Sara, Madigan or Emm Gryner who themselves possess degrees of the confidence and raw determination of the DiFranco kind. Very down to earth. - San Francisco
Discography
2005 - EP - Plans in Pencil
2003 - CD - That Thing In Your Hand
2000 - EP - Pygmalionic (SOLD OUT)
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Bio
Alice's music "will suck you in like one of those vacuum cleaners you see on a commercial that picks up metal balls. This may be an odd analogy for such a sweet voice....but if the shoe fits�" evolvingartist.com, 2005
*AWARDS* Lisa has won songwriting accolades (Billboard), production prizes (the Recording Academy), artist recognition (Lilith Fair), and listener awards (Garageband).
*NATIONAL* Lisa has played premier venues such as the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, CA, has toured across the US, and has showcased at festivals including Atlantis Music Conference and Midwest Music Summit.
*TOP 5* Lisa's 'That Thing In Your Hand' CD-release party made the San Francisco Bay Guardian's 'The Mix' list of the week's top 5 events (Vol. 37, No. 18).
*SOLD OUT* Lisa Alice completely SOLD OUT of her 2000 release 'Pygmalionic'. Her follow-up release 'That Thing In Your Hand' includes the award-winning song 'Push Girl'. Lisa adds to these successes with her 2005 release 'Plans in Pencil'.
"Lisa Alice is in that small group of artists who are stupendous solo" - Kelly Nathanson, Portland Girls, 2003
l i s a a l i c e L i S A A L i C E l i s a a l i c e
After years of writing for the page and winning poetry awards, Lisa picked up the guitar and wrote a song for her philosophy class, earning an A and placing her on a songwriter path.
Lisa began her solo career in 1998 and that same year, with those earliest of songs submitted on cassette, earned a semifinal spot in the Lilith Fair Talent Search - and the following year, a finalist spot.
Lisa spent much of '98 and '99 in her Mission apartment playing with the super acoustics created by hardwood floors and no furniture. Lisa was prolific during this furniture-free era, playing San Francisco cafes and clubs and recording hundreds of songlets that remain unreleased.
After all that playing around, Lisa released her debut EP 'Pygmalionic' in 2000, went to New York and played Manhattan clubs in support of her debut. After living in a shoebox and accidentally shutting off the power in her entire Chelsea building a couple times (oops!), Lisa moved back to San Francisco where Cancer & Leo hover above a chilly city.
Lisa has lived in Manhattan, St. Louis, and Chicagoland, and she returned to California to hone her skills as a songwriter, a singer, a guitar player (and the fair weather doesn't hurt either). Upon moving back to California, continuing her songcraft and growing as a performer, Lisa SOLD OUT her 2000 release 'Pygmalionic.'
A classically trained pianist, Lisa didn't find the guitar until college. Lisa sang lead and wrote songs for her college band Lisa Hooks Up, a collaborative project with friends Ben Winters, playwright, and Marc Deckter, animator. After college and the midwest, Lisa moved to San Francisco and played solo for a few years before teaming up with bassist and cellist Jeannie Cruz and drummer Patrick Koppula, of Garageband, who all together comprised the band Sparks Lisa. These days, Lisa is performing both solo and as a duo with Berklee alum Kenni.
Lisa has been influenced by songwriting greats Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Carole King; poets Walt Whitman, Sharon Olds and Carl Phillips; the fingerwork of Bach and the drama of Beethoven; the musical Annie; fabulous band and energy extravaganza Poi Dog Pondering; solo artists Neil Diamond and Liz Phair; duos Simon & Garfunkel and Indigo Girls; girl bands The Murmurs and Dixie Chicks; and the rhythms and dance of hip-hop.
Lisa Alice has successfully shared bills with clowns, folkies, punks, djs, blue-grassers, preachers, paintings, hip-hoppers, magicians, films, rockers, dancers, singer/songwriters. Lisa somehow makes any pairing work like fries with ketchup.
For more info, please contact:
Ridiculum Records
760 Market Street, Suite 315
San Francisco, CA 94102
mail at ridiculumrecords.com
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