Two-Headed Dog

Two-Headed Dog

Better Than One (Halt Music)

If you lived in New Orleans in the late Eighties, you might have heard of Two-Headed Dog. It was a side project for Lisa Mednick and Alison Young, the keyboard-player/singer-songwriter and lead singer respectively for one of NOLA's hottest and unfortunately never signed bands of the time, the Song Dogs. Taking their name from a Roky Erickson tune, Songdogs showcased Young's vocal chops and gave Mednick the opportunity to put her own voice behind her lyrics. Better Than One sounds remarkably clean considering it was compiled from an Eighties demo cassette. It offers a glimpse into the beginnings of Mednick's honest, literate approach to songwriting, featuring early versions of "Harper's Ferry," "With a Dollar in Your Hand," and "Open the Window," songs that subsequently appeared on the longtime local's solo albums. But being demos, the production is limited and exceptionally dry, making repeat listening more of a chore than it should be. The fully fleshed "Face in the Crowd" stands out as it was cut with the Song Dogs; the combination of slide guitar, violin, and Mednick and Young's harmonies hunger for equal time. Ultimately, Better Than One is a curious artifact for those wanting to relive better Crescent City days.