Sounds like Janis, writes like Alanis.

That's the easy way to label Halley DeVestern, an up and coming singer from Brooklyn. But a listen to her debut CD, "Sugar Free," offers convincing evidence that she's far more than the sum of those clichés.

In fact, DeVestern has one of those full-bodied voices that you rarely hear on the radio anymore. None of that waifish pop for her - she likes to cut loose.

"There's not enough women out there who actually sing, at least not in rock," says DeVestern, who makes her local debut at the Nines Saturday. "That's one reason a lot of women get compared to Janis Joplin - she was the epitome of the female rock singer. There's just not many people to look up to, really."

DeVestern also draws comparisons to Joplin for another reason - she actually toured with Joplin's old band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, last fall. "I'm still in touch with them, but I'm not sure they have a permanent singer now," she says. "It was a dream-like month. These are guys I've been listening to since I was born and there they were in the flesh, playing my songs as well as their songs."

Many of DeVestern's songs have in-your-face lyrics. "Animal" contains the memorable line, "My imagination runs like dirty water/You'd never know that I was somebody's baby daughter," while "I'll Light Myself On Fire" and "Scary" also probe emotional turmoil.

"I always try to say what's on my mind and truthful and important to me, and a lot of times it ends up being angry," DeVestern says. "I guess I've got a lot of stuff bottled up. But I've been married a long time, so it's kind of like I'm channeling someone else's relationship. I get ideas from other people or newspapers, or just make up characters in my head."