Zippy "I Miss Elaine Already" McDuff, Metro pulse May 21-28, 1998 vol. 8 #20 What you've got here is your basic woman-with -acoustic -guitar set-up -- equal parts folk, pop, and rock. But what sets the enigmatically named T. Strickland apart from all those other Indigo wannabes is that she does it pretty darn well. The 10 songs on this local release actually have memorable hooks and stand apart from each other (check out "Lie to Me," "Just Say," and the downbeat closer "Not Here with Me"), mostly avoiding the droning sameness that plagues the genre. As a songwriter, she's concerned with being in love, staying in love, and wondering what went wrong with love; not new ground exactly, but she sidesteps the "fire, desire" clichs in favor of simple straight talk. Her singing is confident, husky, and sincere, and she's no more guilty of occasional over-emoting than, say, Melissa Etheridge. The production is impressively professional, smooth but not slick, and the extra instrumentation on some tracks -- violin, cello, sax -- lends tasteful texture. Strickland has built up a following on the bar-and-coffee-house circuit from here to Chapel Hill, NC. Ripley, 98.7 the X "T. Strickland: (n) A string bustin', good timin', singin' along and harmonizin' type of top shelf tuneage." Shannon Stanfield, Knoxville News-Sentinel "Gutsy" Gary O'Neal WERO 93.3FM "Tasty..." About the Artist Her lyrics are intense. Her guitars reel from the dynamic and percussive manipulation. Whether full of wisdom, humor, anger, sweet sentiment, or plain unbridled lust, she provokes your thoughts. T. Strickland picks apart human nature and examines human emotion. It sounds scientific, but there is nothing complicated about the irresistible foot-tapping chair-dancing energy that leaves you feeling like you've just made love all night. Her voice is a voluptuous blend of pure, clean delivery and raw, gutsy texture. Always strong and clear, T's music reflects a journey to the edge of acoustic music -- aching blues, driving rock, and tender ballads meld together to create the songs you catch yourself singing in the shower days later. Originally from Washington, NC, T began her career in music while living in Chapel Hill. Absorbing the diversity of the college music scene, she became a regular presence at coffee shops and clubs throughout North Carolina, first as the voice of Katrina's fair, and later fronting Pataka Blue. Hitting Knoxville, Tennessee in the early '90s she and her band were regular performers on the Cumberland Strip, either rocking the crowds on their own or opening for the likes of Danielle Howle and the Tantrums and Michelle Malone. Currently based in Denver, Colorado, T. is busy building a new fan base and gathering material for her next album. Product Description Acoustic Rock/Folk-Pop singer/songwriter original music. With equal parts folk, pop, and rock, Strickland is a powerful new voice gaining attention in the realm of so-called women's music. The 10 tracks on "nothing here to sell" provide a myriad of texture infused with a language that speaks to men, women, young, and old alike. Often described as "Amy Ray meets Melissa Etheridge", T's music contains passion that anyone can understand.