My week has not been fine
There's no rules for how to write my life
Stick to facts go back to practice
still all this distraction
~ Duality Cupcake, Denise Hudson

Singer-songwriter Denise Hudson is based in Austin, Texas. Don't let the Texas put any LeAnn Rimes ideas in your head though, Tori Amos road is more the right direction to head while trying to figure out Denise's unique style. 

I met Denise through an online songwriting contest called SpinTunes and was quickly charmed by her moody-rich piano work, quirky lyrics and arresting vocals.  Smokey, growly, wispy and sweet by turns, Denise's voice is definitely one that fascinates.  I'm not the only intrigued one either, she's in high demand for collaborations with many of the other musicians involved in the contests she has participated in recently!

Join me this Tuesday from 9-10am Central to get to know Denise, and to get your weekly dose of songs by female singer-songwriters!  Denise will be calling at about 9:30. Read more about Denise at LyricalVenus.com.

Juliana Finch was raised in the South, in an Italian-American family, listening to Irish music. Her songwriting style reflects that bizarre cocktail. She has most recently been compared to Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Natalie Merchant, which flatters her and never fails to make her want to keep it up. Juliana is a professional eavesdropper, a perpetual student, and an amateur chef. Some of her favorite things include scarves, breakfast, handmade stuff, pugs and the color red.

I live to laugh & love a lot
and I ain't never what I'm not
What you got is pretty much what you see
That's pretty much me
~ That's Pretty Much Me, Kassie Miller

Going from the lyrics on her self-titled debut, Nashville-based Kassie Miller seems like the kind of gal you'd be happy to have as a neighbor.  She's pretty and talented, but down to earth and honest at the same time, so it's plenty easy to relate to her.

As it says in her bio, "Kassie Miller is a mix of a little bit of country and a little bit of soul." And also, "Her raspy voice, reminiscent of Tanya Tucker, combined with her lively southern-country personality on stage create an artist that will capture you heart, leaving you wanting more."

Join me Tuesday, August 3rd form 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters.  Kassie will be calling in at 9:30.

I ride on the wings
of the evening wind
and move like a hopeful prayer
~ Fields, Feathe

While students at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Alyssa Rieper, Johanne Swanson, and Adelyn Strei decided they wanted to join musical forces.  The result was a band called Feathe. Featuring guitar, accordion and light rhythms layered with delicate harmonies, their mellow and sweet folk-pop would fit nicely in a playlist with the likes of Iron & Wine, Neko Case, The Starlings and The Decemberists.

This is the kind of music you can have as a soundtrack to so many things - an art day in your room, a sunny long-distance drive, tea with friends to name a few.  No matter what, it's going to bring a little smile to your face and to your heart.

Feathe is coming to The Beauty Shop for a show on July 31st with She Swings, She Sways and X-Ray Mary!

Join me Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters!  Feathe will be calling in at 9am.

Hello seventeen, come back in your sleep
Hey, I'm a silhouette you lost
~ Feel the Fire, Jennie Hunter

Classically trained in piano, LA-based singer-songwriter Jennie Hunter has international connections. Her debut album, Feel the Fire, was recorded in Chile with Producer Claudio Valenzuela.

If you jumped to any conclusions after seeing the words "classically trained" and "Chile" in that first paragraph, you probably jumped too soon. With songs ranging from rock to electronica to pop, Jennie's classical training really only shows in that she never misses a note. You won't really find any Latin rhythms, but every part of the songs, whether sung or played, is drenched with that passion Latinos are famous for expressing. What you get is lush, rich, piano-driven landscapes, the emotional details painted with a delicate voice.

Tune in Tuesday, July 20th to get to know Jennie a little better. Music from 9-9:30am Central, Jennie will be calling in at 9:30.

In the desert by myself
I can find the goodness in you again
~ Bardo, Sheila Nicholls

It's always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after they've been with a label and decide to go independent.  It's also always interesting to hear what sort of music an artist comes out with after having a child.  

I admit to not knowing Sheila Nicholls' music before either of these events that happened in her life, but I do know I like what I hear now! Ranging from acoustic to alternative to trip hop, Sheila's style is grooving and twinkling by turns, her versatile voice sliding easily up the scale and dropping into a gritty growl. With song after multi-textured and rich song, Sheila is one of those artists so easy to put on repeat!

Tune in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of Lyrical Venus!  Sheila will be calling around 9:30.

My only way out is in, no one loves me enough
to let my heart be as big as it really is
~ My Only Way Out is In, Anne Heaton

Anne Heaton and Rose Polenzani are two internationally touring, award-winning, Boston-based singer-songwriters and friends who are hitting the road together this summer for a swing through the Eastern and Midwestern US.

I waver, waver like the body, body of a Queen Anne's Lace in the wind. ~ Queen Anne's Lace, Rose Polenzani

The two of them have also joined forces with Antje Duvekot, Meg Hutchinson, and Natalia Zuckerman, for an exciting side-project dubbed Winterbloom.  This acoustic super-group recently won the local talent search competition for Lilith Fair in Boston.

Anne & Rose will be stopping in Fairfield, IA for a house concert on July 13th.  Get to know them a little better before they come by tuning in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for the Lyrical Venus Radio Hour!  The interview will be followed by more music.

First time I met you
Felt that I'd known you for a lifetime
~ Magic, Emily Zuzik

It seems like Emily Zuzik can do pretty much anything! Currently based in New York, she is a singer, songwriter, journalist, voiceover artist and fit model. Her songs have appeared in TV and movies.  She has written with artists such as Moby, Wes Hutchinson, UK dj duo REFIX, Tim Lefebvre, Art Hays, Tom Glynn and Marwood.

Lay down your pirate flags I'm secretly glad
to have washed up beside you
~ Pirate Song, Rosie Burgess Band

Running a grassroots independent record label, touring internationally, recording a new album and working on two musical projects might seem a lot to some, but to Australian Rosie Burgess, being busily up to her ears in the music scene comes as naturally as breathing.

Tune in to Lyrical Venus on Tuesday, June 29th from 9-10 am Central to get to know both of these super-talented women a little bit better! Emily will be calling at 9am, Rosie at 9:30am.

I'm sleeping with a microphone
I'm sleeping but I'm not alone
I don't hear you anymore
I won't wait for you to call
~ I Am A Storm, Snow and Voices

There’s a picture on their website of L.A. duo Snow and Voices (Lauri Kranz and Jebin Bruni) lying in a patch of sunlight on a shaggy rug. Between the relaxed attitude, the fact that Anything That Moves is their third full-length album and their just coming off a month-long Saturday residency at Hotel Cafe, I have a feeling that the sense of ease created by their music has more to do with their incredible skills and putting in the time to make good music than actually having a mellow attitude toward life. Which they may have as well, but I’m just saying, sometimes really talented people have this way of making things look easy that are not.

Join me Tuesday, June 22nd from 9-10am Central for music by female singer-songwriters and an interview with Lauri Kranz from Snow and Voices.  Lauri will be calling at 9am. Read more about them and hear a sample track on LyricalVenus.com

Baby I love you at the strangest moments

Heaven above you just shrugs its shoulders

Ain't no rhyme no reason interfering

With what I'm feeling

~ Little Wrecking Ball, Tori Sparks

It might be hard to guess that Tori Sparks calls Nashville home these days, seeing as she's rarely there.  Constantly on the road, her latest full-length album, The Scorpion in the Story, is a tour diary of sorts, each song written in a different city and capturing the story of someone Tori met while passing through.

Tori's sultry voice weaves together each track of the album into a coherent tapestry of blues, folk, rock, and Americana.  The variety of styles perhaps speaks to Tori's independent spirit, an important component to her success in building her own record company and to booking shows, making music charts and gaining fans across the country and Europe.

Tune in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly dose of music by female singer-songwriters and for the interview with Tori!  She'll be calling in around 9:30 or so.