l Amy Ray Goes Stag REVIEWED BY DAVID HiNz AMYRAY STAG The photograph of Amy Ray featured on the cover of her recently—released album Stag is credited to the performer her- self. This photographic self- portrait is a fitting metaphor for the first solo recording by the rougher, tougher half .of the well-seasoned duo Indigo Girls. ‘ Not only does Stag feature Ray’s own gutsy lyrics and gui- tar: it was produced by Ray herself and released on her own independent label, Daemon Records. After assuming myr- iad voices with remarkable success on the latest Indigo Girls album Come On Now Social, Ray demonstrates a profound eagerness to speak for herself again—a task she takes up with confidence and an honesty that is sometimes painful. Rather than transcend the well-known Indigo Girls aes- thetic, Ray’s musical style unleashes an edgy intensity that has become increasingly apparent on the duo’s more recent albums. . Although her opening track “Johnny Rottentail” could pass for an Appalachian folk anthem, Ray quickly settles into a beat that is propelled by percussion, bass, and a heavy dose of electric guitar. This instrumentation, coupled with Ray’s decision to adopt the more primitive studio technol- ogy of the Indigo Girls’ early recordings, __helps her to achieve a raw, slightly unpol- ished sound that is characteris- tic of many independent-label releases. This effect is empha- sized by her collaboration with The Butchies and The Rock*A*Teens, independent- label bands who, along with Joan Jett, back her up on a number of tracks. The gutsy, hard-driving style of up-tempo cuts like "‘Lucystoners” and “Mtns of Glory” demonstrates clearly that Ray has not been oblivious to recent trends on the altema- tive rock and punk music scene. Nonetheless, it is her down-tempo tracks like “Laramie” and “Lazyboy” that give the album its tour de force. Rather than settle into the acoustic singer-song- writer style of earlier Indigo Girls’ ballads, Ray’s down- tempo style highlights her maturell}7i'icism and low, raspy voice without sacrificing the album’s edgy, percussive momentum. As such, Ray’s ballads assume their place alongside her more up-tempo tracks to produce a stylistic integration that has sometimes been lack- ing on Indigo Girls albums. Ray’s lyrics are often enig- matic and always challenging. When, on the album’s most straight-forward cut “Black Heart Today,” Ray offers up the bitter supplication “take this meanness out of me,” she carries forward the time-hon- ored Indigo Girls’ tradition of bare-your-soul honesty that has made the duo’s lyrics so com- pelling. And Indigo Girls fans who are expecting a dose of biting social commentary will not come away disappointed. Ray is at her best, in fact, when searching out an expla- nation for our myriad social ills—be they violence, sexism, or homophobia. On a track called “Laramie,” Ray recalls the brutal murder g, PHOENIX RISING " spirited jewelry * gifts * 9a"e"V open 7 days 34-slate streetllmontpelien Vl 05602 302-229-0522 of gay student Matthew Shepherd with the following lines: “Poor man do the biddin’ for the rich man. Those red necks just doin’ what the class of other’s thinkin’. And toler- ance, it ain’t acceptance. I know you wanted it to be.” This is not to imply, howev- er, that Ray’s lyrics do not break new ground. In fact, a majority of the tracks on her album explore‘ the related themes of gender and sexuali- ty—issues that, for whatever reason, have never featured prominently on Indigo Girls’ albums. On Ray’s hardest- driving cut “Hey Castrator,” for example, she explores the difficulties of coming ‘to terms with her own sexuality as an adolescent. And on the track “Measure of Me,” Ray hints at the self-loathing from which many gay and lesbian youth still suffer: “The boy, he thinks‘ I’m damaged goods. I know he does and I guess he should The lion lays down with the lamb. But I can’t do it, so I ain’t worth a damn.” Clearly, Ray’s collection of tracks offers up its share of tor- ment,_ Taken ,as ,a_ whole, how.- »g, . ever, Ray’s album is neither sullen nor defeatist. A confi- dent track like “Lucystoners,” for example, provides a healthy counterpoint to “Measure of Me.” The cut’s oft-repeated line “Lucystoners don’t need boners” pretty much speaks for itself. And the track “Late Bloom” sounds a decidedly optimistic note. To the adversi- ty of the past and of the moment, she responds with confidence: “I know we grow when it’s over.” Fans of the Indigo Girls need not worry about the duo’s JUNE 15th ’ Aboard "The Adirondack" King Street Fen'y Dock 7:30 - 10:30 pm Performances by: Katherine Quinn and Greg Douglass Dancing after Dark with: Top Hat Entertainment Tickets: $20 FRIDAY SUNSET ciéulstr M ' june 2001’ impending demise, as I did when learning of Ray’s first solo release: although Stag unleashes an intensity that might initially catch listeners off guard, the album will fit nicely into any Indigo Girls collection. Admittedly, Ray pushes the Indigo Girls’ aes- thetic to the breaking point; but she does so with one eye on-— and one arm around——Emily Saliers, the duo’s kinder, gen- tler half. After all, it is only when listening to Stag that fans can finally discover where that enigmatic Indigo Girls title Come On Now Social originat- ed. And who is that woman Ray on the ‘_"-album’s cover photo, anyway? : ; ~r_ { 2 /. c Vera’ 0 Events PW?‘ Activities Advocacy Education Networking Buyer's CO-Op Vermont People With AIDS Coalition P.O. Box 11 Montpelier, VT 05601-0011 in Vermont 800-698-8792 or 802-229-5754 great senseot hninorandgood c/o Tickle Nle lvoriesl Theatre on a Shoestring is seeking a talented, hands-on kind of guy/gal to tickle the nodes for our tall production of “They're Playing 0nr Song.” liegnireinents: 5+ tears at ntaiio _ nreiened, able to sight read, total experience a plus, available I twoortlireenightsaweektorrehearsalsheginninginiingiistas well as production nights at 0ctoher 4-6, reliable, hlied with a $500 or more for services rendered Sendaresnine and audio lane at yonrtalenl hglune 30 to: Pianist PO Box 1012 linrlington,VT 05402-1012 work ethics, and willing to pocket TOAS PRIDE WEEKEND CELEBRATION PO Box 237 Burlington, VT 05402 vtvgsa@hotmail.com www.vgsa.com SUNDAY Jonazznw Pride Picnic Saint John's Club 9 Central Ave., Burlington 1:00 - 6:00 pm Relax on the beach Volleyball / Croquet Shuffleboard / Pool Table Barbecue including: Hamburgers / Veggie burgers Potato Salad / Garden Salad $5.00 Donation