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The style known as "anti-folk," as realized by practitioners like Ani DiFranco and Billy Bragg, is derived from a punk aesthetic, and thus tends to be spare and confrontational. But while Regina Spektor's music is anti-folk in the way it subverts the traditional coffeehouse vibe, it's less interested in rebellion and more concerned with the joy of eccentricity, melody and surprise. Begin To Hope is full of surprises, and like her promising major label debut Soviet Kitsch, it displays an easy facility with song structure that enables her to go in different--sometimes wildly off-the-wall--directions without sounding scattered. Classically trained on the piano, she's been compared to Tori Amos, but her music isn't as delicate or precious. Fiona Apple comes up as well, but just because neither fits in the usual female singer/songwriter cookie cutter mold doesn't mean they sound the same. Her voice is actually the primary attraction, cracking and loopy on would-be lullabies like "On The Radio" and "Field Below," then punchy and cute on "Hotel Room." But the music, if understated in the mix next to her vocals, makes an impression as well, breaking in with twisty piano arpeggios ("20 Years of Snow") and occasional touches of electronica. It's a consistently intelligent and daring record, yet remains enormously listenable--a neat trick for anti-folk, or any other genre of music for that matter. -Matthew Cooke
Imagine a female singer-songwriter- pianist for The Strokes generation. Imagine Regina Spektor,who has not only opened for The Strokes but whose major label debut album, Soviet Kitsch, was co-produced by one of that band's producers (Gordon Raphael).Imagine a driven, complex and endearing new artist with a sense of pop melody and clever songwriting,and with charisma to spare. Imagine no more.
Regina Spektor's last album, 2004's Soviet Kitsch, garnered praise from Time, Rolling Stone, Spin, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and many others. But this Russian-born, Bronx-bred singer-songwriter-pianist, who emerged from the NYC café circuit, continues to expand her vision. On Begin To Hope, produced by David Kahne (The Strokes, Sublime, Sugar Ray), she broadens here palette with electric guitar, drum machines and seductive electronic loops, finding new canvases for her provocative vocal style. Hope for pop has arrived with Regina Spektor.
Mary Ann Meets The Gravediggers And Other Short Stories is a 2-disc CD/DVD (PAL/Region 0) album set comprising a 12-track CD album compiling the highlights of the entire recording-output thus far from one of the most enticingly eclectic & classically confounding artistes to still reside amidst her mid-twenties; drawing together songs from her long out-of-print debut album 11:11, tracks from the follow-up Songs and highlights from her magical breakthrough Soviet Kitsch and including the single 'Us'. Also includes a bonus DVD featuring the 'Survival Guide To Soviet Kitsch' and the music video for 'Us'. *Please note you will need an All Code DVD player to view. Sire. 2006.
Imagine a female singer-songwriter pianist for The Strokes generation. Imagine Regina Spektor, who has not only opened for The Strokes but whose major label debut album, Soviet Kitsch, was co-produced by one of that band's producers. Imagine a driven, complex and endearing new artist with a sense of pop melody and clever songwriting, and with charisma to spare. Imagine no more.
Part One of Two. 2007 CD single pulled from the quirky Russian/American singer/songwriter's Begin To Hope album. Features 'Fidelity' coupled with the non-album 'Music Box'. Warner.
Imagine a female singer-songwriter- pianist for The Strokes generation. Imagine Regina Spektor,who has not only opened for The Strokes but whose major label debut album, Soviet Kitsch, was co-produced by one of that band's producers (Gordon Raphael).Imagine a driven, complex and endearing new artist with a sense of pop melody and clever songwriting,and with charisma to spare. Imagine no more.
First CD single taken from her highly anticipated 2006 album, Begin To Hope. Features 'On The Radio' coupled with 'Düsseldorf'. WB.
Part Two of Two. Enhanced 2007 CD single pulled from the quirky Russian/American singer/songwriter's Begin To Hope album. Features two versions of 'Fidelity' (Main Version and Enhanced Video) plus the non-album tracks 'December' and 'Music Box'. Warner.
1 We Began With A Woman
2 The Arrow
3 A Boy Comes By
4 Sitting On The Bank
5 Thick And Thorny
6 I Saw Two Hands
7 When The Fire Was Slow
8 He Stood In The Rain
9 Set Loose Upon The Water
10 Water Woman
11 The First Sign
12 Chained
13 After The Village