(holy crap this is my longest post ever, sorry. just click the links if you don't want to bother).
Yeah, I too tend to gravitate towards female singer/songwriters.
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple is my favorite artist.
I started listening to her in 2005 when her latest album, Extraordinary Machine, leaked in its bootleg form.
I had never really paid any attention to her, just knew that she had a hit with her song
Criminal in the late 90s and had a notorious reputation.
So I thought she was just another of the recycled, formulaic, eye candy pop princesses that we have been subjected to in our generation.
Boy was I wrong.
I really can't remember why or how I heard the song Extraordinary Machine. I probably saw an article about her album controversy online. Basically the album was finished around 2003 but supposedly Sony didn't like it so it got shelved. The bootleg leaked in 2005, people started a "Free Fiona" campaign and the rest is history.
So anyways, I wish I could remember; it's one of those things where if I could go back and pinpoint it, I'd be able to say "aha! that's how it all started."
Well I do remember seeing her perform the song live on the
Today Show shortly after I heard it online. I didn't expect this from someone who I had the preconceived notion of being a female pop singer. The song had a lilting, jazz-drenched vibe.
I fell in love with the odd, quirky rhythm, the melody, unique phrasing and that smokey, dark amber voice.
Then I listened to the lyrics. I realized these are not the lyrics of a good looking girl who some corporation was using to make big bucks. These lyrics were actually written by herself, not by a team of writers and producers.
I downloaded the bootleg Extraordinary Machine and fell in love with it. Jon Brion produced it and he is a genius. The two of them together is magic. There is such great production, orchestration and interesting arrangements on her albums. (The studio release is not nearly as good, but mainly aesthetically, the lyrics are the same just the production is more "hip" and cleaned up by another producer, IMO the Jon Brion version is far, far superior.) Definitely not your pop singer next door.
But she's still catchy as hell.
Paper Bag
What I love about Fiona, as I mentioned, is her penchant for unsual melodies, rhythms, and arrangements. What really sets her apart I think is her unique phrasing; where she starts and stops her lyrics and rhymes, her songs are pure poetry.
And that smokey voice!
So I worked my way backwards and got her second album, When The Pawn. I would say something but this review on Metacritic says
exactly what I feel:
"People think Apple came into her own with Extraordinary Machine, but When the Pawn... is her masterpiece. As a piano frontwoman, she took the risk of not making the piano dominate in what came out to be a very percussion intensive album. The arrangements are lush and fully realized. Where a simple electric guitar would suffice, the songs use strings and horns to create very meaty soundscapes. The lyrics are simply astounding: it's amazing how she doesn't let the confines of rhythm and rhyme interfere with perfect lyrical expression. And that voice: words can't describe. Apple provides a wide range of vocal performances, from lovingly tender to genuinely pissed off to frightenly venerable. This album only gets better with each listen."
I absolutely fell in love with When The Pawn and it is my most listened to on my iPod. (The drumming particularly stands out on a genre not known for cutting edge drumming or anything.)
I really like Fiona because she takes her craft seriously and writes really great songs. You can tell she has principles because I read that basically she was willing to just shelve the last album and walk away from her music career (she was writing a resume) since her album was not being released the way she wanted. She has said something like she will never compromise her music to appease higher-ups desires of a "hit single."
I saw her live this summer with Nickel Creek and I will say she's great live and you can tell she brings it 100%. (I know some people will think she's a little emo or bitchy or whatever, but she is what she is. She doesn't really do the happy thing a lot. I think she gets over the madness through these songs. Her songs are good for a certain mood.)
Great song, probably my favorite off the first album. Written by an 18 year old, pretty good I think and great production.
Criminal bluegrass style, from the show I saw!
Fast As You Can acoustic (could be my favorite Fiona song of all time on any given day)
I Know acoustic. One of the most heartaching songs I've ever heard.
I love this
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BmSg5vMFj7o