The Other Women (Mint (Canadian import), 2000)

The Corn Sisters is a lo-fi, corn-fed duo, consisting of Neko Case on drums and Carolyn Mark, that comes together when both experience an eye in the hurricane of their regular gigs (Case with Her Boyfriends, Mark with the Room-mates). Until now, the Corn Sisters have existed primarily as a live act, opening the occasional show and tearing it up at CMJ in New York.

The Sisters' recorded debut offers a thin and vulnerable recording of one of their coffeehouse shows at Hattie's Hat in Seattle a couple of years ago. The material is an effective mix of originals (Mark's "Corn on the Cob" and "Matin-ed," Case's "High on Cruel") and obscure faves (Loretta Lynn's "Fist City," Lucinda Williams' "Howlin' at Midnight," Nick Lowe's "Endless Grey Ribbon"), plus some crowd pleasers ("Don't Let Me Cross Over," "Long Black Veil").

If you like your tunes polished up and produced to a high gloss finish, the Corn Sisters are likely not for you. If you've got lots of energy for a couple of hyper talented women who play the hell out whatever songs strike them at the moment, (Box 3613, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 3Y6, E-Mail: mint@mintrecs.com)