Stewart wrote:

<<So far, absolutely the best album I've heard all year.  Only problem is
that the version of "Inner Peace" that starts her self-released debut from
last year has it all over the remake here, which is too fast by half.
Other than that, genius.  Besides the Randy Newman, Rickie Lee Jones and
Elvis Costello comparisons, I'd throw in Laura Nyro and Stephin Merritt as
well.  I'm not sure I hear Zappa except in some of the sarcasm of a few songs.
>>

I didn't know she had another release, although I know she demo'd all the 
songs on her current album and played all the instruments herself with help from 
a drummer. Is this what you have? Got to get my hands on it if so. As far as 
the Zappa reference, they seem to share a similar lyrical wit, but not so much 
musically. "Clonie" sounds like a song Zappa could've written. I'm also a big 
Laura Nyro fan, but I don't hear much of a similarity. I do hear a bit of k.d. 
lang though. All in all, the best debut release I've heard since Rufus 
Wainwright's first one 6 years ago.

Rick G.

At 02:59 PM 4/12/2004 EDT, Rickipop@aol.com wrote:
><<One pop artist from today that you might not know of but who you must hear
>is:>>
>
>Nellie McKay 'Get Away From Me' (Columbia) - This album continues to blow my 
>mind with every listen. She's a genius songwriter in the style of Randy 
>Newman, Frank Zappa, Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello, etc. and she's only
19 years 
>old. Wise beyond her years, she has a few '40s style torchy numbers in the 
>Peggy Lee/Doris Day fashion, also a bit of hip hop and Alanis/Fiona type
angst-y 
>songs as well, but with much better lyrics. She has an intellectual wit 
>umatched by any artist today. It's produced and engineered by Geoff
Emerick, so it 
>has a little Beatle magic too. Check it out.