You Oughta Know : Feist

How many Feists are there? The pale-skinned Canadian has been part of the acclaimed indie collective Broken Social Scene, a back-up dancer (stage name: B*tch Lap Lap) for foul-mouthed electroshocker Peaches, and a throat-scorching wailer in Calgary punk clubs. But it wasn't until THE REMINDER, that the singer found herself. While she's hardly the first artist to set tales of love and loss to music, she sure does distinguish herself by blending poetic depth with pop catchiness (both the Bee Gees and Nina Simone are on her covers list). With a voice that gamely shifts from brash to fragile, and adventurous production that transforms certain songs into sensory experiences (those are real birds caught twittering on "The Park"), the songwriter makes music that reve... More»

How many Feists are there? The pale-skinned Canadian has been part of the acclaimed indie collective Broken Social Scene, a back-up dancer (stage name: B*tch Lap Lap) for foul-mouthed electroshocker Peaches, and a throat-scorching wailer in Calgary punk clubs. But it wasn't until THE REMINDER, that the singer found herself. While she's hardly the first artist to set tales of love and loss to music, she sure does distinguish herself by blending poetic depth with pop catchiness (both the Bee Gees and Nina Simone are on her covers list). With a voice that gamely shifts from brash to fragile, and adventurous production that transforms certain songs into sensory experiences (those are real birds caught twittering on "The Park"), the songwriter makes music that revels in dynamics. For every tune that's as twinkling as "1 2 3 4" there's another as dreamy as "How My Heart Behaves." The disarmingly genuine vibe of each approach suggests that after years of performing with others, Feist's finally giving people what they want: herself.«Less