Kathy Mar is one of the world's best-loved performers of science-fiction and fantasy folk ("filk") music.

A professional folk artist originally from Denver, Kathy been invited to perform at clubs, bookstores, on the radio, conventions world-wide, and even as an invited artist for NASA Ames Research Center's first public open house.

Now in its second printing, My Favorite Sings collects together her most-requested performances of folk and filk songs, loosely centered on themes of fantasy and spirituality.

Kathy's powerful singing is supported by Kristoph Klover's multi-layered arrangements, featuring mandolin, cello, harp, flute, recorder, dumbek, and violin. Backup artists include Margaret Davis, Cat Taylor, Mark Ungar, and Kris Yenney.

On-line Reviews: Aphelion Webzine

1. Flowering Green — Feminism meets fantasy and the village heartthrob gets what’s coming to him.

2. The 20th Century is Almost Over — Steve Goodman wrote this in the seventies. Although the chorus is now obsolete, much of the rest still has something to say to us.

3. Santa Monica Pier — Christine Lavin has managed to evoke California in all its crazy glory in just over four minutes.

4. Everybody’s Moon — "Time and things belong to no one, but it’s everybody’s moon!" The lyric says it all.

5. Merlin — A very spooky take on a traditionally heroic character. Just who is the bad guy here?

6. Shapeshifter — Inspired by Patricia McKillip’s Riddlemaster of Hed series, this is an image-rich song by a fine new songwriter/singer from Utah.

7. No Such Thing — If we let the endangered species die out, how will we explain it to our children?

8. New Life — Long before X-files Nate Bucklin was asking how we would respond to first contact.

9. Rise Up — It’s your first night as a vampire and you waken to this rich and beautiful serenade.

10. Song of the Ripper — Exquisite poetry and insidious horror by the author of many excellent songs about dinosaurs, bureaucracy, and The Loch Ness Monster.

11. Dirty Movie — "You don’t recognize the actor’s face but they’ve all got talent in just the right place."

12. Daughters and Sons — A teaching song for a better world.

13. Child’s Song — That moment of joy and sorrow when we first spread our wings and leave the nest.

14. Water, Fire and Smoke — A deeply spiritual meditation with a fine dijeridu performance that magically came together in just one take.

15. Word of God — A perfect answer to creationism: "Humans wrote the Bible--God wrote the rocks!" "The profoundest act of worship is to try to understand."

16. A Healing in this Night — Exquisite harpwork by Margaret Davis brings this song about the healing power of song alive. A fine piece of writing to comfort those in mourning or in pain. "There are songs that sing us all."


Add me to Prometheus's electronic newsletter.