She's easily one of the most well-liked artists on the Bay area music scene. Ask Natty Moss-Bond about her popularity among her peers and she shoos you off at first, but when prodded, adds, "I want everyone in the world to like me, not just those in the music scene. I would hope that at some point in my life I could say something nice to everyone. I try not to be an asshole, but some days it's really hard not to be. It's important to me to make people feel that they're not the only ones struggling. It's really hard being a girl in this business, hard to be a musician in general."

That's pretty much Natty in a nutshell. Self-deprecating. Funny. Generous. Caring. A unifier. Need a singer for a benefit? She's sure to show up in her flowing black garb. Need a backup vocalist in the studio? Let's do it. Need someone to help organize or rally support for a local music event? You can count on Natty.

Oh, and she can sing. It's a powerful voice, brash, at times brassy, soulful and full of verve. Natty doesn't grade herself that high in the vocal department, though. "I think I'm adequate," she says without a trace of false modesty, and then explains her shortcomings: not steady enough, needs to work on her range.

Although a veteran of the Bay area rock scene since the mid-'80s, she still sees herself as a work in progress. "I learn a lot from other singers, from books; I'm taking yoga now and I'm learning a lot about my body and how to control it," she explains. "It's taught me about control of my voice. I like my voice sometimes, but for me [singing] is more like exorcising demons. I'm a method singer. I pull a lot of things from my psyche and my gut."

Natty was a key player in Tampa Bay's golden era of post-punk, when original bands like Deloris Telescope, The Headlights, Real Camera and Mad For Electra could work steadily and draw more than respectable crowds. Her band was Multi-Color House, which she formed with her (now ex-) husband Sam Bond. Back then, the group could play four nights a week and split $2,200 between the four of them. "That was pretty damn good money in the '80s," Natty says, adding that those days are long, long gone.

Multi-Color House lasted until the mid-'90s. Natty has since been a member of Ronny Elliott & the Nationals, The Voodoo Idols and her current band, Sparky's Nightmare. She's recorded on more sessions than she can keep track of.

But when it comes to the music biz locally, she still doesn't get much respect. Natty doesn't want to come off like a complainer, but facts are facts: "I can tell you about dozens of times where I've gone to clubs and said, 'Hey, this is my band, here's my CD, can we play here?' Nothing. Five minutes later, Sam could go up to the club owner and set up the gig. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm the worst salesperson in the world."

Doubtful.

Regular Gig: Ladies' Night at Dave's Aqua Lounge on Thursdays,

Latest Release: Ronny Elliott: Live

Key Track: "Walk to the End of the World"

Upcoming gig: April 21 @ Ronny Elliott's 60th birthday bash, Skipper's Smokehouse

More info: Nattymossbond.com

Music Issue 2007: Chicks Rock

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