Experience the realm of cabaret artist Maureen Andary as she explores themes of modernity, love, longing, and self-medication. Her debut album, Nostalgia, is a steamy plate of 1930s style sounds peppered with modern-day imagery, concepts, and punchlines.

12 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Jazzy folk, POP: Beatles-pop

Details:
DC's the center of a new music scene born out of the coffeehouse movement and Queen of the scene is Maureen Andary. Her debut album, "Nostalgia,"--a cd of harmony-soaked jazz melodies and wistful folk--was released on June 14th, 2008.

The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities awarded Maureen an Emerging Artist grant to produce "Nostalgia." A Washington native, she has been playing at local coffeehouses since she moved back to DC in 2006. Her gigs expanded to include a guest appearance at Blues Alley, the Living Room in New York City, Artomatic, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Tidal Basin Stage, and most recently, performing at the Washington Folk Festival in the Songwriter's Cabaret.

She plays the ukulele and guitar to audiences of all ages and her fans sing to the words of her more popular songs "Rx," "Nostalgia," and "Florida." Her amazing combination of wit and talent charms the audience as she sings about anti-depressants, wistful memories, and a visit to South Beach where colorful characters and situations are encountered.

"I adore the Ranier Maria Rilke quote "Go to the limits of your longing," from his book of poems "The Hours." In "Nostalgia," I explore themes of longing, love, addiction, and memories." Ms. Andary has a double degree in poetry and politics from NYU--a background that continues to influence her songwriting.

"Articulating emotional experience and storytelling are very central to my work. I believe in the power of imagery and literary structure. To me, lyrics and lyrical structure are the ice cream and music is the delicious hot fudge and nuts and whipped cream that is layered around the ice cream," she explains.

The effect on her audiences is palpable. "I was there when Rage Against Machine was still playing small DC clubs. There was a kind of electricity in the air. It's the same thing when Maureen Andary plays," said Justin Benedict, a longtime dabbler in the DC music scene. "You can feel it."

Handing out miniature castanets, drums, and kazoos to the
audience at one Modern Times Coffeehouse event, Maureen invites the audience to join in the performance. Going to a Maureen Andary performance is an experience, not just a passive observation.

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