No Power Steering

Struggles with loss, combating cynicism, and the questions raised when transitioning into adult-hood are major themes of the CD No Power Steering. The songs deal with the various choices one faces, including ultimately taking responsibility for one's own life. In the song "Growing Down," Geltman asks, "Are you grabbing that horse up by the reins or watching the race from the grandstand?" Rather than attempt resolution, Laurie says, "most of the songs put the person squarely in the thick of it, as opposed to coming out on top."

Released in 1997 on her own label (RBP) to critical acclaim and re-realeased nationally by Eastern Front Records in 1998, No Power Steering revolved around the core band of Woody Giessmann (drums), Brian Karp (bass), Daniel Kellar (violin) and Geltman on electric guitar and vocals. Guests included Jim Gambino (Swinging Steaks) on organ and piano, A&M recording artist Patty Griffin on backing vocals and Rich Gilbert (Zulu's, Uncle Tupelo, Frank Black) on pedal steel.

The CD garnered extensive airplay with over 230 adds and close to 40 stations in heavy rotation in markets as diverse as Berkeley, San Antonio, Cleveland and Anchorage. No Power Steering was nominated for Debut Album Of The Year and for Outstanding Song/Songwriter for "Growing Down" in the 1998 Kahlua Boston Music Awards.

Boston Herald Review:
"Drenched in ringing guitars, Hammond B3 organ and violin, Boston-based Laurie Geltman's debut CD is a roots-rock winner. The ex-Vasco Da Gama singer deploys elements of rock, folk, country and punk with panache on 'No Power Steering,' tying them all together with well-honed hooks and a voice that's tender and corrosive by turns. And Geltman proves herself to be a first-rate guitarist and lyricist as well. Backed by former members of Letters to Cleo and the Del Fuegos, Geltman has made an album that should catapult her from well-kept local secret to national talent. 'No Power Steering' shows it's a well-earned promotion."

Geltman is a tried-and-true rock’n’roller…she’s comfortable playing full-tilt rock as well as introspective acoustic ballads. She's the whole package: good hooks, lovely melodies, smart lyrics, and a subtle vocal style."
-Billboard

"...A style that mixes equal parts grit and revelation. Listeners will hang on her words, but they'll also move to her music."
-San Antonio Express-News

"No Power Steering is a jewel in what sometimes seems to be a sea of contemporary music banality."
-Northeast Performer

"Top-flight guitarist...probing lyrics...Geltman has a confident, engaging and radio-ready voice...this is a talent to be reckoned with."
-The Boston Tab

"...Powerful guitar work...Geltman's impassioned rootsy rock works well with her insightful lyrics, which deftly spin the tales of real-world characters."
-San Jose Metro Newspapers

"Startling perception as a songwriter...A stunning debut CD.
-The Union Leader

"Geltman has a versatile and matured command of the songwriting process. (She) naturally accomodates each song's disposition with her pliable voice....With a fertile roots-rock foundation always near or at the fore, her songs at times sound folky, country-ish, even punk-ish ("I Got Somethin' On You"), while her close, personal attachments to the songs' subjects is always evident.
-CMJ

"Laurie has got what it takes to make it."
-The Album Network

"...This disc is testament to the fact that Laurie Geltman is destined for bigger and better things. There's an honesty and maturity to these songs that you don't often encounter in today's music. Laurie is that rare breed who can sing, play and write songs that stick with you and make you think..."
-The Noise

"A powerhouse performer capable of easing into an earthy ballad or belting out a fiery rocker, Laurie is a reflective writer who draws you in with her vivid images of life ...Her songs, guitar, & vocals get you moving & keep you thinking - this CD does 'It' for us!"
-"CrossTracks", WCUW, Worcester

"Unlike many writers who work in a roots/folkish vein, she shows a consistent knack for pop hooks."
-The Boston Phoenix

"There are some nifty lyrical moments that snag your attention like a shirt on a barbed-wire fence."
-Songwriter's Monthly

"Her songs are all-knowing tales of life's naked underbelly as it's not quite dragging on the ground...not quite scraping bottom, but almost. No Power Steering is so honest, you can take Geltman's word for it."
-North Shore Magazine

"While possessing the strong song writing instincts of a folk artist, Geltman is without a doubt a rock and roller..."
-Blink, Nashville's Music Magazine

"No Power Steering is the work of a sophisticated composer. The melodic landscape is panoramic, and Geltman’s timeless music is filled with nuance and texture."
-New England Music Scrapbook

"[No Power Steering] is a strong, richly textured and stylistically varied debut."
-The Lowell Sun

HEAR TRACKS

You can BUY THE CD online, in stores, or directly from Rosebloom Productions:

ON LINE:

IN STORES:

Newbury Comics stores throughout New England
Mr. Paperback stores throughout Maine; in stock in Lewiston; by request at all stores
Tower Records stores, in stock at the Harvard Square store in Cambridge, MA, and by request nationwide
Contact Goldenrod Music to get Laurie Geltman's CD into a Tower Records near you.

FROM ROSEBLOOM PRODUCTIONS:

Send a check or money order for $18* to:

Rosebloom Productions
PO BOX 347
Boston, MA 02134

* Includes shipping & handling