Pulse of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
March 28, 2001

'Round the Dial by Tom Hallett

Ah, the first taste of Spring! Dirty, melting snow, piles of garbage, that over-turned shopping cart across the street I'd forgotten about suddenly poking one rusty wheel out of its temporary, frozen grave. Think I'll close the shades, put on some good local music, and wait for May. I was thinking about it the other day, and it seems to me that a lot of the music I love at the beginning of any given year ends up on the back burner by the time winter and year-end lists come around. To make sure that doesn't happen in '01, I'm going to document the cream of what I've been listening to lately for you, faithful readers. For the next several weeks, 'Round the Dial will concentrate on reviewing some great Twin Cities CDs that you oughtta know about.

Katy Tessman - Fall (Rhythmelodic Records)

I first heard local singer/songwriter Katy Tessman back in the late '90s when she was fronting Minneapolis folk/rock combo Joe's Elevator. The album Up & Down wasn't bad, but didn't quite give me the shivers. Tessman, though blessed with a powerful set of pipes (her vocal range spans from "Free Man in Paris"-era Joni Mitchell to a lighter chip offa early Carole King) was obviously straining to be heard in that line-up. The songs had potential, but were like aural finger sandwiches - little bites that never quite filled you up and left you craving more.

Well, all that's changed with the release of Tessman's debut solo album, Fall. Constant live solo and band gigging and a backing crew of highly talented musicians have combined to create a striking batch of romantic, funny, smart, challenging and energetic tracks. This isn't your average jumble of dusty, traditional mumbo-jumbo, folks. Tessman's lyrics may lie atop a bed of folk purity, but the politics are of the heart and soul, the band soars and swoops in and out of her lines with an uncanny ease and the tunes stick with you long after a listen. At least three of these cuts are as strong as anything currently on the radio from comparable national acts, but the whole album is a strong first effort and highly recommended for fans of intelligent folk/pop with more charm than smarm.

Katy opens for the Amy Holland Band Wednesday, March 28, at the 400 Bar. She'll be joined by excellent local axeman Paul "Hears a Who" Horton on electric guitar. Check out the CD on her website at www.rhythmelodic.com. Cool stuff!

Photography by Jon Duder.