Exploring the edgier, noir side of acoustic driven rock, a somewhat folky but also edgy and rockinâ amalgam of compelling styles rich in lyrical tales of existential, political and emotional groove dwellings.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (50:32) !
Related styles: ROCK: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, ROCK: Adult Contemporary

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Exploring the edgier, noir side of acoustic driven rock, Marie Blackâs rich lyrical tales of existential, political and emotional groove dwellings have taken fans on exciting, thought provoking journeys far beyond the confines of San Francisco and Austin (her former hometowns) and Portland, Oregon, where sheâs built an enthusiastic following these past few years. Writing songs about love, loss, rape, despotism, healing, strength and hope, the multi-talented singer/songwriterâwhose latest album Water Me, is emerging this summer--has transported them from a starry desert night to a moonless night in the Tenderloin, where sheâs invited the curious to get in touch with their innermost longings.

The title of Water Me comes from an idea that famed psychologist James Hillman once called the âAcorn Theory,â whereby a seed is planted in your heart and when itâs allowed to grow, you become a whole, authentic person. Blackâs been on that journey since her days writing recording and performing in the Bay Area, when she released her first recording Saints under the name Marie Swan. While Saints received wide critical acclaim and airplay throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, the new 12 track collection (which concludes with an instrumental coda of the powerfully hypnotic title track) is a more intense and rocking musical experience that moves away somewhat from her youthful musings about love and chronicles her blossoming as a more social and reflective (and thus more universal) songwriter.

âThere are several themes running through these tracks,â says Black, who studied voice for five years with Raz Kennedy of Bobby McFerrinâs Voicestra. âMany are about simply being true to yourself and others like âStepping Up The Vinesâ and âAmphibianâ are about not allowing yourself to be suckered into following the wrong paths. Overall, Water Me is about finding the strength for getting through many of lifeâs challenging times and keeping on with a positive attitude.â

An explosive and compelling live performer, Blackâs vocal expression has left thousands of fans with that perfect mix of being on the edge of their seats while fighting back tears. SF Weekly once wrote, âHer sultry voice, smooth and sweet as honey, is a perfect foil for her bittersweet songs.â When she lived and performed in Austin, Texas Beat made note of her âraw, powerful dynamic, silky smooth vocals.â Steel guitarist Lloyd Mains spoke for a lot of folks when he simply observed, âSheâs the real thing.â

That integrity has led her to become a mainstay at a wide variety of Portland venues over the past few years, including The Green Room, The White Eagle, The Red Room, Danteâs Inferno, KJâs, The Bitter End and Nine Muses Acoustic Tavern. Following the release of Water Me, she has gigs scheduled at The Thirsty Lion, The Hawthorne Theatre and The Gotham Tavern. Sheâs also played several Women Who Rock shows and a solstice fair and even an art gallery. Earlier in her career, she was a guest singer at Bobby McFerrinâs Chant for World Peace, on the New Yearâs Eve preceding the impending first Iraq War. She also won several prominent songwriting contests, including Bay Area Music Referral for âRude Boy,â which featured Alex Weir of The Brothers Johnson and the Jonathan Demme/Talking Heads film âStop Making Senseâ on guitar. When she lived in Austin, Black was a celebrated performer at numerous of the cityâs clubs and also participated in many Women in Austin music showcases.

For listeners new to the dynamic and eclectic Black experience, the opening track âDrop Of Loveâ is a solid primer on the musical and lyrical goods she brings to the table. The somewhat folky but also edgy and rockinâ song is the perfect amalgam of her compelling mix of styles, and the hopeful narrative is about finding a loving support system in your life that helps you survive and move forward. Black gets deeply personal at times--âAmphibianâ is about the destructive abuse of power in religion, which she knows well because she was shunned from her religiously zealous family at age 16. âHollywood Sageâ foils a dark irony between lyrical sarcasm and a deceptively cheery melody; itâs a semi-autobiographical account of having been an 18 year old girl from the cornfields of Pennsylvania who bussed it to L.A., where she found herself in a sleazy peripheral subculture of wannabes and dark stars. âPortland Rainâ tackles political and personal experiences of deception, while âStray Animalsâ is a playful look at the way Black seems to attract off the beaten path people who have good hearts underneath their somewhat counterculture leanings.

âAs a songwriter who loves performing,â she says, âI find it exciting to have these unique concepts in my head and then participate in the process as they evolve and take shape as songs. Itâs a pretty awesome thing. While I love playing acoustic shows when itâs appropriate for the setting, I most enjoy the powerful energy and fuller expression of playing with my full, rocking band. Because I play both rock and folk, Iâm somewhat of a musical mutt, but no matter the style of the song, I am dedicated to putting out music with strong emotions that can reach as many people as possible. Making those connections is what this is really all about.â