I found a new city the night that I found you

Ever wandered into a lullaby that sails to the moon, then to the bottom of the ocean in a single breath? I hadn’t either…then I heard Lisa Bozikovic’s soulful voice and realized that slow melodies possess their own charm. I had the pleasure of witnessing this feminist solo artist from Toronto perform at the launch party of Shameless Magazine’s spring issue. In a vest and sneakers, with short spunky hair, Lisa stood on a stage before a crowd of do-it-yourself feminists (and her grandmother, who she announced was in its midst), and played her keyboards like they were a reverberating extension of her fingers.

One especially moving song was “Take + Take”, which poured out of her in a crooning gush of emotion that kept your eyes glued to the sound. The passion in her voice resembled the kind of realization one comes to after an intense breakup, where oceans are parted, ties are mended and bitter truths revealed. She moved between an old school instrument which she admitted to using because of the different sound it produced, and a newer set of red melodic keys, much like an owner moving from pet to pet, scratching behind its ears. Always on the brink of laughter with a flirtatious smile, Lisa took her audience on a journey through deep chasms of memories, disappointments and loves.

One deep and murky song entitled, Winter Load, makes me want to curl up into a sea of comforters, drink some cocoa and watch a storm of marshmellows rain down on the fleecy landscape. Her voice takes on a storytelling quality, as if she’s pouring out tales that your grandmother told you once, and you only half remember. Stories from all ends of the earth, that issue up out of the ground like a slow motion volcano. Her voice floats up and then dips down with the first rays of sun breaking out over an expanse of arctic tundra, fluffy and fragile, a crunchy set of new notes over the snow.

Her distinct vocal style, which she describes as a mix of folk and emotronic certainly can reach some dark places, accompanied by a synthesizer, but it also breaks through into a lighter place. There is a classical, layered element to her pieces, like a warm shepherds pie of guitar cords, birdlike crooning, horns, banjo’s and electronic sounds. You can find her on MySpace, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=162421652, where her upcoming performances are listed. Although she has yet to be discovered by big music honcho’s with suitcases and fancy suits, this gutsy lady has many performances under her belt and is still recording and collaborating.

She currently has a self entitled EP, which I bought immediately after hearing her live…and was surprised to see that the c.d. case was stitched with blue string, and covered in some kind of funky retro comic strip. You can buy her creative creations at Soundscapes in Toronto, at 572 College St. Apparently she made them using images snipped from 1962 encyclopedias she chanced upon on her porch, so you’ll learn something new…like what a lathe is (Wikipedia informed me it’s a machine that can drill, cut and sand an object that spins…at least I’ll never forget it)

All in all, Lisa’s aquamarine colored lagoon of a voice and the cozy intimacy of her words makes every song into a secret session with a friend under a sleeping bag. Its time for lights out but you keep on chattering, spinning yarns that glow like embers, swept off into the shadow of a willow tree, branches swaying in time with a melody as old as a cave’s echo. Then, just as you’re about to drift off into a slumber of low, serene melodies you hear your best friend whisper, “No we shouldn’t have to be so smooth, cuz I like being awkward with you.”