The Walnut Room

Brittany Shane

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Bay Area-based songwriter Brittany Shane will hit the road for a five-month U.S. Tour to promote her new CD, “Have Heart Live Young” (Painted Lady Records). The Wisconsin-born and raised songstress has been on a spell of writing and playing over the past decade or so, and the fruits of her labor are obviously starting to pay off. Brittany’s sonic offspring, having won the good graces of a laundry list of top notch music makers, including Grammy-nominated mix engineer, Joe Chiccarelli, producer Zack Smith (founding member of the ‘80s group Scandal), Shane, offers the sort of timeless songwriting on par with Brit cult group the Sundays, the Bangles, Beth Orton or Mazzy Star.

Perhaps it’s her down-to-earth Midwestern charm and the fine sense of humor conveyed in her songs that make you wish you could step through your speakers and into a bar, where she’ll be waiting with a beer. Sure, she makes pure pop for now people, but the tunes reach out in all different directions: “One Station” has a melody that doesn’t leave your head long after its 3 ½ minutes are up; “Over Your Shoulder,” conjures a sensuous urgency we’ve heard more recently from bands like Metric; and the title track, “Have Heart Live Young,” is a foot-tapper on par with the Bangles, circa “Different Light,” shimmering backing vocals n’ all. But it’s Brittany’s every-girl that comes shining through in the end. We get the impression that punk rock kids, soccer moms and convicted felons can embrace the stuff with equal devotion, and we say that in a good way, of course. That is why Shane has been able to share stages over the years with such a varied array of artists (the Breeders, Indigo Girls, Stevie Nicks, Aimee Mann, Heart, to name a few), without seeming like there’s been a mistake in the billing.

That is also why six of the songs on the Have Heart Live Young provide much of the score to the multi-award winning indie film, The Village Barbershop, starring John Ratzenberger, (Cliff Clavin from Cheers) and Shelly Cole. The film, called “warm, humorous and ingratiating” by Variety, was released nationally in cinemas in March 2009 by Monterey Media. The presence of Shane’s music, featured prominently throughout the film, bridges a metaphorical gap between the two lead characters, and in addition to being a fine score, is also an appropriate speaker for the struggles and triumphs of both main characters.

Look out for Brittany Shane’s Have Heart Live Young CD and tour this year. You can expect her to be waiting for you at your local bar… with a warm smile and a cold one ready.