Threesome

Michelle Shocked's latest artistic explosion is a trilogy of albums recorded simultaneously during a sustained burst of overdriven creativity in December 04 and January 05, each one hewing to a particular stylistic concept - sort of (let's allow the girl some poetic license here). Just as audaciously, Michelle is releasing the three albums simultaneously.

All three of Michelle's new albums are also available in this uniquely packaged and specially priced triple CD package!

'Don't Ask Don't Tell', is a breakup epic in the grand tradition of Richard and Linda Thompson's 'Shoot Out the Lights', Bob Dylan's 'Blood on the Tracks' and Marvin Gaye's 'Here, My Dear'. Like those enduring classics, 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' is the product of real-life experience - songs as psychologically withering as "Elaborate Sabotage", "Hardly Gonna Miss Him", "Evacuation Route", and "Fools Like Us" simply can't be conjured up out of thin air.

Throughout 'Don't Ask Don't Tell', Shocked gets simpatico support from producer / bassist Dusty Wakeman and his ace Mad Dog Studio house band: guitarist Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), keyboardist Skip Edwards and drummer Dave Raven. Additionally, Rich Armstrong steps up for some exquisite muted trumpet accents that are the very quintessence of heartbreak.

'Got No Strings' is a very different album from 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'. A playfully animated work in which Michelle Shocked re-imagines songs from Disney films - from standards like "When You Wish Upon a Star" to memory-joggers like "Baby Mine" and "Bare Necessities" - as western swing numbers. It works a treat, and is a return to the stylistic orientation of 'Captain Swing'.

'Mexican Standoff' finds Michelle Shocked abutting five Latin tinged originals - an exploration of her own Spanish heritage, against an equal number of original Texas blues shuffles.

With basic production by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin on the Spanglish tracks and Mark Howard on the blues numbers, producer/ bassist Dusty Wakeman is once again at the helm.

Among the contributing musicians is drummer Pete Thomas (of Elvis Costello's band).