Radio And Records: Meet Singer/Songwriter Marion Loguidice

What happens when you mesh a bit of folk, an ooze of blues, a dash of funk and fortify it with the melodic sing-along essence of a universal been-there-lived-it singer/songwriter? Cool cats, meet Marion Loguidice.

Imagine Sarah McLachlan meets Carole King greets Kate Bush with the added heat of rocker Beth Hart and you get a glimpse of the versatility bursting from New York-based Loguidice’s third full-length release Tales from the Topside World on NYC indie label Breaking Records. She notes, "Tales reflects the dark, light and sacred parts of myself. It’s a long river from the heart to the head."

Lead track "Daybreak," written & produced by Loguidice with renowned songwriter and producer Eve Nelson, is the obvious breakthrough track, with a rapid-fire lyric in which she sings amid a deliriously catchy uptempo chug-along melody, "I’ve been looking up and down from Timbuk2 to Chinatown, trying to find some kind of solid ground/To rest my trembling life upon."

Among other highlights: the midtempo lusciously harmonic, thematically lamenting "We Were Flying"; teasing call to arms "Lit By Light" ("You are a safe place, although its getting late/You think I ignore ya, but the truth is I adore ya"); fragile piano-driven ballad "It’s Been Such A Long Time"; and lovesick ballad "Burn With Me Tonight" ("If I kiss you now, is it such a sin/Cause this fire inside is gonna burn me alive, burn with me tonight").

Loguidice has plentiful lofty kudos. The late, great Arif Mardin said, "A voice like her lyrics: deep, heartfelt and captivating. Marion is beautifully emotional and poetic, a first-rate singer." Likewise, Cyndi Lauper, who contributed vocals to "Mary" from previous CD God’s House, noted, "Her melodies are hauntingly lyrical, her stories street-wise, passionate and truthful."

In addition to performances at Austin's annual SXSW Music Festival, Loguidice regularly sells out New York’s storied Joe’s Pub, and has opened for Loudon Wainwright III.

Next up: She returns to Joe’s Pub May 4, 2012. Count on a reminder from The Smoking Nun. You can bet I’ll be there. And hey: A free download of “We Were Flying” is here. *