THALIA ZEDEK

By Nolan Gawron

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With her husky howl and devastating delivery, Thalia Zedek sounds as though she's carried the burden of Boston on her back for decades. And, in many ways, she has. From her time in Uzi and Live Skull to her decade-long tenure in the '90s as the leader of Come (Matador Records) and five extra solo releases, Thalia's beautifully strange, cigarette-scarred, low-register bellow has always provided a perfect voice for the bare underbelly of Boston.

"I think when Come first started it was definitely a very painful time in my life and it was reflected in the songs," Zedek says. "I still tend to write about intense feelings, but I don't think things get worse as time passes. The more you go through; the easier it is to keep things in perspective."

While the turn of the century saw the end of Come, it also triggered the beginning of Zedek's solo career. Liars and Prayers (Thrill Jockey) signals her official return to a full-time full band. "I felt like we went as far as we could go as a three piece," she says. "It's good to sit back for a bit and let other people take over." After acquiring former Victory at Sea keyboardist Mel Lederman and ex-Come bassist Winston Braman, her solo project is now a fleshed-out five-piece known simply as the Thalia Zedek Band. "Everyone in the band has a unique style. I write the chords and the words, but they're the ones that make the sound.""

Like so many of Boston's indie legends, Zedek is still underrated at home, while receiving accolades elsewhere. Besides contributing to (and having a song covered on) Thrill Jockey's 10th anniversary collection of 45's, Zedek was recognized by prestigious UK music mag The Wire as performing one of the 60 greatest live shows of all time. "That's just insane," she says. "Writers were writing in about Nina Simone and Charles Mingus and then there was me."

"I remember that show. It was in Adelaide, Australia in this tiny, tiny bar. We were late to the show because we took the scenic route. We only had time to figure out where the beers were before we played."

[Thalia Zedek next plays in Boston on Fri., 5.23 at the Middle East Upstairs. A nine-date US tour kicks off Fri. 6.13 at Union Pool in Brooklyn with local legends Major Stars. myspace.com/thaliazedek]