The debut CD from Arlington, Virginia's Meghan Hayes melds folk, rock, alt-country, and melodic pop into a musical crossbreed she calls Snow on the Waves. Since releasing the CD in late 2000, she has played throughout the east coast with artists ranging from Amy Correia (Capitol) to Freedy Johnston (Elektra). The Washington Post is calling it "a smart collection of rock/pop/folk tunes," and urging its listeners to "keep an eye (and a couple of ears) on this one." Hayes' knowing lyrics and voice are the poetic strokes over the record's lilting grooves, propulsive rhythms, and haunting dirges. Her songs are punctuated with electric guitars, piano, organ, dobro, violins, cellos, slide guitars, bass, and drums. In addition to writing, singing, and playing acoustic guitar on the twelve tracks, Hayes produced the record with Virginia native Dave McKittrick. An eclectic group of musicians contributed to the record, including Mary Chapin Carpenter alums John Jennings and Rico Petruccelli. Other DC notables include fiddler and Grammy nominee Mike Stein, Phaser guitarist Paul Wood, Kenny Haddaway, Tommy Lepson (of Lazy Boys fame), and members of the Air Force Band. Three former members of Villa Rosie, along with McKittrick, make up Hayes' live backing ensemble - The Cranky Heartburn Band. "I grew up listening to Dylan, Springsteen, Ry Cooder, Emmy Lou Harris, the usual," says Hayes, "but I have a real soft spot for bands like Belle and Sebastian, the Smiths, and Radiohead, who have pushed the envelope a bit further. I think that, logically, my song-writing reflects my taste in music, and since that taste pretty much runs the gamut, I needed a group of musicians diverse enough to flesh out a sound that was a little genre-bending, without losing the true heart of the record." Hayes has played throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, from sold-out weekend shows at The Tin Angel in Philadelphia to overflow crowds at DC's Metro Cafe and Virginia's famed Iota. Recently, DC-area radio station WHFS and Philadelphia-area WXPN have been playing singles from the CD. Ms. Hayes is currently supporting Snow on the Waves with a tour. For more information about Meghan Hayes, or to book Meghan Hayes and Her Cranky Heartburn Band, call 703-536-0822, check out the website at www.meghanhayes.com, or email meghan@meghanhayes.com.