Biography

Christine Lavin emerged out of the crowded New York City songwriter scene of the 80s with a style that distinguished her from her peers First her songs were overwhelmingly concerned with contemporary romantic mores that scary uncertain world of relationships commitments and biological clocks Second while her takes on this subject could sometimes be sentimental or even maudlin more often they were humorous If You Need Space Go to Utah was the first track on her second recording a 1983 EP called Husbands and Wives Her first album 1982s Absolutely Live was out of print until 2000 when it was reissued on CD In 1984 Lavin self-released her first full-length studio album Future Fossils which included both her serious and comic numbers notably Damaged Goods what people start to feel like after enough failed relationships and Dont Ever Call Your Sweetheart by His Name how difficult it is to remember peoples names after enough failed relationships In 1986 she signed to Rounders Philo label which issued Beau Woes and Other Problems of Modern Life Another Womans Man a 1987 reissue of Husbands and Wives Good Thing He Cant Read My Mind 1988 Attainable Love 1990 Compass 1991 and Live at the Cactus Cafe What Was I Thinking 1993 She moved to Shanachie Records in 1995 releasing Please Dont Make Me Too Happy and Shining My Flashlight on the Moon 1997 Then she set up her own record company named after her website christinelavincom and released One Wild Night in Concert 1998 and Getting in Touch with My Inner Bitch 2000 herself that year Rounder also released the Bellevue Years collection In 2002 Lavin moved yet again releasing I Was in Love with a Difficult Man on Redwings Blind Pig label A year later she signed with Appleseed to issue the holiday effort Runaway Christmas Tree The concert album Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best followed just in time for Mothers Day in spring 2004 Lavin has also made a particular point of promoting the work of her contemporaries notably on such collections as When October Goes and with 1991s Buy Me Bring Me Take Me Dont Mess My Hair she launched the part-time group Four Bitchin Babes In 2005 Folkzinger her 17th solo album and third for Appleseed Records was released and in 2006 she compiled and commissioned songs about food for the compilation One Meat Ball on which Lavin sang the recipe for French toast bread pudding on a track of the same name William Ruhlmann All Music Guide