The daughter of singer-songwriter Greg Brown, she's a fine musician in her own right. Her dusky and languid tunes initially won comparisons to Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmons. But Pieta Brown (pronounced Pee-etta) has a grittier approach on her latest, In the Cool, recalling Lucinda Williams' rawer material. (Not entirely surprising: Her producer-guitarist-boyfriend Bo Ramsey was Williams' guitarist.) Brown offered her monomanias while contemplating lunch.
5. My tunes. "I've been listening to a lot of records lately (Neil Young, Shannon McNally, Sam Prekop) and getting ready to make another record myself. My dad is also making a record right now, so music's on my mind.
4. Conflict. It's not just in Iraq, but all over this country wars are going on, inside and out.
3. Standard cranks. I've been so inside the music — that's where my brain is. I've been thinking about old folk songs like "Froggy Went A-Courting" and "This Land Is Your Land."
2. Ever heard of MySpace? I moved back to Iowa from Tucson. Before that I lived in Brooklyn and NYC and all over the place. [She grew up in Birmingham, Ala.] So I've been thinking about my friends — I haven't been out on the road lately, so I haven't seen them. Most of the friends I had here before I left are gone.
1. The love of a good guitarist. It's almost Valentine's Day, and, yeah, I've found my soulmate. Most artists feel some isolation at least some of the time. When it works you can get those great moments, but having your soulmate around helps those other times.
Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1800.
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