THE SCOLDEES

It was a long night of acts before "The Scoldees" graced the stage - most notably was the never ending one-man-and-a-guitar act, and then a flamboyant band that consisted of four scantily clad buxom "angels" and their leader, a dirty (in body and spirit) "preacher." After enduring endless acts of perverted crooning and shaking, let's just say I was ready to bolt. But, "The Scoldees" walked on stage looking normal and I knew I was in for some good music - not just a good "show."

The live Scoldees are made up of lead singer Nancy Sirianni and her three man band - Jack Hoffmann on guitar and vocals, John Michel on drums, and Ted Rydzewski on bass. Despite her slender frame, Nancy commands the stage the second she walks on, and when she opens her mouth to sing it's obvious where her real strength lies. A little Alanis creeps into her voice when she belts it out, and her quieter croons are reminiscent to Beth Orton's folksy yet sultry sound.

They started out with "Silly Girl," the first track off their album "My Pathetic Life." A strong song, it's a good one to start with on an album and at a show. Nancy immediately proves that her voice is worth a thousand silver lame costumes. She sings with understated but genuine feeling: "But your face is the best place that I go/ Your face is like an angel in the snow/ Always an oasis." I hear Alanis' slightly sarcastic drawl in her words, "Did my waking or my sleeping or my breathing or anything about me ever affect you/ I am such a silly girl."

The third song of their set, "I Go Crazy," is one of their strongest. The rhythm and catchy lyrics go well together as they do in the more low key "Masks," which Jack sings. For the most part, however, the strength of "The Scoldees" is in the music itself. Unfortunately, the at times lesser lyrics undermine the music. An example of this is in their title track, "My Pathetic Life." I have to admit, I have a problem with their album's name. With such a self-deprecating title, you need lyrics that redeem that phrase and it doesn't always work out that way.

After hearing such lyrics as: "I can't get to work on time/ Even though I set my clock for 7:05/ I call in late, but then I just stare into my coffee making circles with my spoon/ Why can't I get life right/ Why do I always ask why?" After seeing them on stage, they are anything but pathetic. You almost want to ask why they would admit to their pathetic-ness, because "Can't believe I'm making music out of my pathetic life" rings too true at moments.

During the show I was definitely partial to Nancy's songs as opposed to Jack's - yet my preference seems to even out when listening to the album. His voice is beautiful, but somehow Nancy's is more flexible. She can be playful, serious, sad and happy, changing from one moment to the next.

Bottom line, the show at The Bitter End was full of potential. Their voices and their music ran together seamlessly, although their lyrics did not always match up. I left with Nancy's voice whispering in my ear, with the upbeat and always genuine music ringing. It's really worth it to check out the album, once you get past the title.