Jenn Lindsay is unbelievable. Her biography notes refer to being raised by wolves on the moors in England. OK, so this is an attention getter -- she then admits to San Diego origins. I still think she is unbelievable -- in the best possible way. Here is a young lady playing guitar and bass, a one-time New York receptionist who can write and deliver modern folk music with the best. In reviewing an earlier CD, Gotta Lotta, I noted that if New York lost that receptionist, music would gain a star. I hope I did not precipitate something if her boss read it because her new CD is called Fired. She notes that it is a themed album about losing your job, hating your job and being bored with your job. Sadly, if economic trends continue, Lindsay's songs for the jobless, brave and indignant may get a wider audience than she would like. In just six tracks she grabs our attention and makes us consider what our existence is all about. Why are we defined by the job we do? The CD opens with "Paper," a tale of the end of a job that will resonate with anyone who has been there. "Shoo Fly Shoo" is a heartfelt song about working and what it can really mean in terms of your life. She gives us folk rapping on "Tick Tock." My favourite track is "You Not Me," a sad song that is sung in an upbeat manner belying the reality of how difficult it can be to make living. This is the track that could be featured on mainstream radio and make Lindsay the success she deserves. She is irreverent and self-deprecating, which may keep her from ever being a star. How many top stars would write, "wet soaks through my pants to my hundred thousand dollar brain"? This is a short CD but says more about modern life -- not just in New York -- than many lush production 20-track offerings. You can access the lyrics online, but you need to hear that voice to get the feeling behind the words. It may be difficult to buy, but try. It will encourage Lindsay to keep at this job, at least. - Rambles

The Scoop: It’s a strange, ironic, hierarchical and oft-horrible thing, this indie music business. The cold truth of being an indie music reviewer is that about 95 times out of 100 the package from Matador or Merge or Barsuk or Saddle Creek is going to be better (on every level) than that hand-written package from the 87th dude this month who dropped you an e-mail about getting his stuff reviewed. Folks like Jenn Lindsay, then, provide reason (and reminder) to keep returning the e-mails and giving honest listens to every damned disc that comes in the mail. Because you never know. A true DIY renegade, Lindsay’s Fired! is one of 2003’s least commercial albums; a six-song album (EP?) that is a concept album about mundane jobs and unemployment. Fired! revolves around the sort of strummy, uber-aware folk that people talk about fondly but rarely request from the radio station. Included is the hip-hop Mother Goose of “Tick Tock,” an experiment that even cheeky self-awareness can’t save from the skip button. The rest of the album is a success; simple melodically but lifted by Lindsay’s compassionately incisive lyrics and her vaguely Joni-esque voice. She is a credit to the NYC music scene. Unfortunately, the Big Apple—forever brimming with the jobless and the indignant—will give Ms. Lindsay fodder for songs as long as she cares to keep her sympathetic eyes open. Highlight Tracks: “Paper” and “A-List”

Something good has to come out of the current economic downturn, right? Well, hereˆs one: anti-folk singer-songwriter Jenn Lindsayˆs new EP, Fired!, a concept record about not fitting in with the white-collar world, despite many desperate attempts. These are anthems for every bored receptionist out there, every artist struggling to survive on temp work. Because, as Lindsay knows, getting fired can be just as bad as getting dumped by a lover. (Phillips)

Props to this fun-loving folkster who uses props of her own, including lyrical trapdoors, harmonica-guitar shenanigans, and maracas on her buzzing, well-produced new album that’s, at best, well intentioned. She’s sharing the stage with this guitarist-dude Casey Holford, a similarly “well-intentioned” vocalist with tales of botched romance and real-time dreams. Also: Phoebe Kreutz, Toby Goodshank, The Babyskins, Kimya Dawson, Casey Holford. (King)