Poised to begin her first solo tour in more than three years -- and fresh from Lilith Fair -- Liz Phair is uncharacteristically happy. The über-angry-young-woman singer/songwriter, who once lamented the one-night stand in "Fuck and Run", has landed a good man, given birth to a baby boy, and conquered her notorious stage fright. "Not being a natural performer, it mystified me," says Phair. "I'd watch people play and either want to date them or be them, but I never thought of myself up there." Phair attributes her vocal and personal maturity to motherhood. Sound familiar? "I love Madonna's latest album," Phair says. "I chalk it up as one for the mommies." Her own new release, whitechocolatespaceegg (Matador), reflects her current preoccupation: "Suddenly the question of modernity seems really important because of the stupid millenial transistion," she says. "We've got a year and a half to pretend everything's going to be different." For Phair, the time is now. -- LAURA J. VOGEL