December 2- 8, 2004

musicpicks

Mia Johnson

Folk/pop

A full decade after moving to Philly from Michigan, folk rocker Mia Johnson is hoping to cement her status as one of the city's more durable talents with her first full-length CD, Driver.

The twentysomething Johnson, who came here for a college internship, has busied herself with a series of quirky day jobs—ranging from taxi driver to typesetter—to fund her passion for mini-tours, local gigs and studio time.

Driver's songs were mostly penned during Johnson's graveyard cabbie shifts, features her full four-member band and guest appearances by other local musicians, including Stargazer Lily's Steph Hayes and G. Love, who plays harmonica on the playful "Sexy." The CD blends alterna-pop, roots and even traces of world music into a catchy, energetic mix.

"I don't really have a refined vocal sound, but I express a lot of emotion," Johnson says of her Alanis-meets-Ani vocals. "People seem to connect with my singing, especially when I'm onstage."

Thu., Dec. 2, 8:30 p.m., $8, with Laura Shay, McGowan and Ellen Lerner, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-09770.

—Nicole Pensiero