Boston is famous for baked beans, the Celtics, and some of 
the best pop/rock bands to ever invade college radio airwaves.  
The latest addition to Beantown's burgeoning guitar pop/rock 
scene is Letters To Cleo, who recently released their debut LP 
Aurora Gory Alice  on local indie Cherrydisc Records.
"There is definitely a resurgence in the popularity of pop 
bands," says Hanley of the current Boston scene.  "There is a 
definite backlash right now against garage and grunge.  People 
are just getting sick of it, and sick of being told that it is the 
only 'cool'  thing.  And people are starting to pay attention to 
pop again, which is good for us."
Vocalist Kay Hanley and guitarist Greg McKenna formed the 
band-also guitarist Michael Eisenstien, drummer Stacy Jones 
and new bassist Scott Reibling-in 1990 after serving a brief 
tenure with a Boston-area ska band.  Hanley reluctantly admits 
to the band's early ska roots, but stresses that since then "the 
band has caught the rock n' roll bug."
Rock 'n' Pop is a better description of the 10 melodically 
rich, guitar driven songs on Aurora Gory Alice.  From the 
opening notes of the obvious tribute song "Big Star" to the 
closing acoustic strumming of "Step Back" Letters To Cleo offer 
the listener a delightful assortment of aural ear candy that few 
can refuse.  Hanley's powerful vocals and emotionally laced 
lyrics are the constant, which at times separate the band from 
their Boston brethren while simultaneously joining them in the 
rich pop tradition that is the Beantown music scene.  Hanley 
delves deep into her heart to deliver edgy, thought-provoking 
narratives of self-identity and relationships (thankfully not in 
the all-too-familiar Boston school-girl vocal stylings).
"There have been comparisons to Juliana Hatfield and the 
Lemonheads," explains Eisenstien of the new album.  "Even 
though I don't think that it sounds like that stuff, if someone 
likes that stuff, then they'll definitely like it.
"I like to think that hopefully, we don't sound like anybody 
else," continues Hanley.  Obviously people are going to draw 
their own conclusions, but I don't think that it is that derivative 
of anything.  I think that it is just good tunes and everybody's 
mothers' favorite band (laughs)."
Maybe not everybody's mothers' favorite band, but at least 
they are one of the favorites of veteran indie producer Mike 
Deneen (Aimee Mann and Gigolo Aunts).  The band recorded the 
Cherrydisc album with Deneen last Summer at Bostor's Q-
Division.
"He has a really good way of just knowing what is right, and 
his ears are just fantastic," Eisenstien offers of producer 
Deneen.  "He makes recommendations, you know? And most of 
the time they are right on the money.  You can just trust 
anything that he says, and it is just a great atmosphere to be in 
in the studio."
Deneen isn't the band's lone industry fan, however.  
Recently, Letters To Cleo hooked up with perennial popsters, 
The Posies, who sat in with the band on Chris Bell's "I Am The 
Cosmos" during a recent Boston appearance.
"(We ran into The Posies) by chance, just hanging out in a 
bar," offers Elsenstion.  "We just sort of ran into them in the 
bathroom pretty much."
"Yeah kind of," continues Hanley.  "Then we went over to 
their show at the Avalon and proceeded to swill a few beers 
together.  It's kind of a long story, but basically we hooked up 
with them and then we went back to our rehearsal space and 
jammed and partied with them all night."
	Lately,  Letters To Cleo  have  been  showcasing  
throughout the Northeast in support of the new album.  Past 
mini-tours have seen the band travel Midwest, and throughout 
the Southern half of the country
	When questioned as to how unfamiliar audiences react 
toward the band, Hanley responds: "When you are on the road, 
you really don't give a shit.  If we played in front of four people 
in Boston, we'd have bombed, but in New Jersey, you know that 
is going to happen."
"We pretty much know that everywhere we go, nobody 
knows who we are ," cuts in Eisenstien.  "So hopefully you'll go 
there and there will be a couple of people there and they'll like 
it "
As for the future, Hanley offers: "I would just love to be on 
the road and write tunes for a living, and quit my day job.  I 
would love to draw a salary from doing this. I don't expect any 
great, huge success for us, I don't expect anything like that, but 
I would love to be able to do this for a living, and just travel and 
play with musicians and hang."