"You can see the mascara trickling down her cheeks when you listen to 'The Amelia Earhart Waltz.' I try to write songs that make movies."

New York-based recording artist Heather Eatman's debut album on Oh Boy Records Mascara Falls is overflowing with cinematic stories. Her sad, misshapen, and often drunken damsels in distress lurch out at the listener with a vivid reality that is poignant and surprising - - particularly in the context of the largely lyric-lite alternative rock scene. She has distinguished herself by flying in the face of the sensitive, confessional singer/songwriter prototype. Her songs contain a great deal of black humor and are delivered with all the exaggeration of good theater.

Even more surprising is that her collection of teetering misfits is propped up with equally memorable rock melodies. It is rare to find a songwriter who can pack an equal wallop into both music and lyrics - but it is only this kind of artist that has a prayer to achieve the permanence enjoyed by the Tom Waits and Elvis Costellos of this world.

Heather was "discovered" purely by chance on snowy night in February of 1994. Tom Lewis, A&R rep for the Grammy winning indie Oh Boy label was in the audience for Heather's show at New York's CB's Gallery. Drawn in by her unique voice, both literally and as a songwriter, Tom brought her to the attention of the Nashville based label. A few weeks later, Al Bunetta, co-owner of Oh Boy, flew up to see Heather's show. By May, she was signed to the label and began work on Mascara Falls, her debut album, which was released in September 1995.

Oh Boy brought in producer/engineer Roger Moutenot, a recent New York to Nashville transplant, to produce the record. Moutenot's credits include work with Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Yo La Tengo, and They Might Be Giants. The combination of Moutenot's and Eatman's backgrounds and sensibilities have prompted many to remark that "Mascara Falls" is a New York album recorded in Nashville.

Born in Jacksonville, Texas, Heather never felt at home until she came to the island of Manhattan. As a teenager in a small town, she was a loner - - considered a weirdo for her eccentric look. Her hair was slicked back and she wore vintage sharkskin suits. "I looked like Mia Farrow trying to pass for Frank Sinatra," she says. "I took some abuse, but I've always thrived on being different, unexpected. My friends in high school were Tom Waits, Keith Richards, and Lou Reed. Those guys, along with William S. Burroughs and Carson McCullers, inspired me to make my own music."

In 1986, Heather got a scholarship to study illustration at Parsons School of Design in New York City. (Her remarkable artistic ability is reflected in the illustration that graces the cover of Mascara Falls.) She packed up her guitar and moved into the Sloane House YMCA located in scenic Hell's Kitchen. By the light of its garish red neon sign, she began writing songs inhabited by the beautifully damaged characters of the city's seedy underbelly.

During school, she developed a cult following by organizing and playing coffeehouses. After graduating with her B.F.A. in 1990, she moved on to performing in downtown New York Clubs, beginning with The Spiral Club on Avenue A. She went on to play The Knitting Factory, Cornelia Street Cafe, Tramps, and many others. As it often only does in movies, four years of consistent gigging finally paid off.

So welcome to Mascara Falls. It's happy hour - - no cover, no minimum. Relax and enjoy the feeble air conditioning, the sagging dance floor, the broken t.v. The martinis are heaven, the lighting is kind --and there's always plenty of free parking.