Geri X

Yeah, we know, Geri X has received ample ink in Creative Loafing -- especially lately. And, yes, she's currently living in Wisconsin playing cities like Milwaukee, Madison and Beloit. But St. Petersburg is still her home -- at least part-time -- and she did spend the past year or so here as the leading lady of the local coffeehouse circuit.

Geri X earned her dedicated fanbase with detailed tales delivered in an impassioned whisper across sparse acoustic guitar plucking -- and occasional backing from her bassist/boyfriend Greg Roteik. The prolific 22-year-old has written hundreds of songs and released several CDs, including her latest, Can't Make You Happy, which came out on the local indie imprint Mekka Records.

"I write every day," Geri X says. "I could probably release a CD every week. I write a bulk amount of material and then at a certain point I just pick and choose certain ones that are more fun for me to play -- the ones I get more into. I record those and put them on CD."

The Bulgarian-born artist with the intricate tattoo running down her left shoulder writes frankly about past experiences. She covers the rather touchy subject matter with a poet's eye for specifics. The intimacy of the material endears Geri X to listeners, especially the many women who follow her from show to show. For the artist, it's a cathartic endeavor. "It's a form of therapy," Geri X says. "[But] it can be very frustrating sometimes."

Enthusiasts nationwide pepper Geri X's MySpace page with glowing comments. The singer attributes her widespread popularity to the persistence of her fans. "I love how they share my CD with people," she says. "They'll come to a show and buy five copies and say how they're mailing it to places like L.A. I'm so thankful that people want to share my music with their friends."

So, what does the future hold for Geri X?

"I've gotten offers from major record labels but what they had to offer didn't make sense to me -- so, they kind of turned me off," she says. "Right now, all I really want to do is tour. I want to be on the road. I want to play shows. That's the only way I can reach people."

Latest release: Can't Make You Happy

Key track: "Hot Head"

Upcoming gig: May 12, WMNF's Tropical Heatwave, Ybor City

More info: myspace.com/gerix

Music Issue 2007: Chicks Rock

Tampa Bay's top 10 women musicians — plus 100 must-have CDs by women artists