Another fascinating musician on the scene

Her music is called "chamber rock," and she was classically trained on the cello. What a combination! Introducing ... Rasputina!

Born and raised in Kansas, Melora Creager comes from a musical family and received classical training. At 18 she moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. While majoring in photography she began playing her cello in rock bands and became involved with drag performers. She formed "The Fingerlakes Trio," a falsely geeky classical group that performed covers of disco hits, before joining NYC's Ultra Vivid Scene who recorded three albums for cult British label, 4AD. It was her first exposure to the professional rock world — UVS opened for label mates like The Pixies, Belly and Throwing Muses. Following a tour with Nirvana as a cellist on their In Utero tour she desired to do a project of her own, and she created Rasputina.

She also sells music folios and frangrances she makes herself - called "Tears of a Clown" and "Melora's Rancid Brain Oil" from her Merch Shoppe, and recommends her favorite corset shop. Although we began with strict rules of historical underwear and the color white only, we have since expanded to looser definitions. Most pieces are from flea markets and antique dealers. Vintage corsets are extremely small, and you don't often find them anyway. Our best corsets are made for us. Then they fit very well, and are comfortable. Melora's favorite is by Isabella (www.corsetmaker.com).

And the best part? Her music! You know how when you're surveying a scene of too much complexity? A painting with so much going on that you don't know where to look? That's what this music is like. It's rather wonderful. (At last! A recommendation from the taller bearded young giant that I actually want on my own play list! He heard it first on KBOO ... to which he listens, being philosophically, morally, artistically, and really really verbally opposed to commercial radio.)