Cat Power

Cat Power ( born January 21, 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia; civil Charlyn Marie Marshall), also known as Chan Marshall, is an American songwriter who is associated with the alternative country genre. She performs solo or with accompanying musicians on changing her stage name.

Biography

Marshall grew up as a child of separated hippie parents in the southern United States. Her father was a musician, however, disapproved of the musical ambitions of his daughter. Marshall dropped out of high school without a degree. Her band Cat Power she first invented in Atlanta, with Glen Thrasher and Mark Moore. Then she moved to New York City. When they played in 1994 in the opening act for Liz Phair, she met Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar know. This encouraged her to record, and played on her first two albums, Dear Sir (1995) and Myra Lee ( 1996). In 1996, she got a contract with Matador, where her third album, What Would the Community Think appeared, among other information, the single and the video for the cult hit "Nude As The News" can be found.

The 1998 album Moon Pix was taken in Australia. Then are, inter alia, Mick Turner and Jim White of the Dirty hear Three as a sideman. With this album and the single Cross Bones Style she cemented her cult status among critics and fans. In these years, Marshall has toured more or less constant around the world where they mostly played in smaller, but often sold out clubs. On the tour to Moon Pix her went so out of their own songs and published them in 2000, the album The Covers Record with selected cover songs and own only one piece. The recordings were from different sessions of the previous two years. Create your own material she published only in 2003 on You Are Free. Guest musicians were here among other Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl and Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three. As an inspiration for the album Marshall gave to the film Good Will Hunting ( 1997) by Gus Van Sant.

2004 appeared the DVD Speaking for Trees. It contains almost two hours of footage showing the Marshall in a forest making music. The accompanying audio CD contains among others the 18- minute song " Willie Deadwilder " on which the artist M. Ward will be accompanied on the guitar. On 22 June 2005 Marshall joined in London at the Meltdown Festival curated by Patti Smith.

The album The Greatest was released on 20 January 2006. Unlike the title suggests, these are not a " best of" but a new studio album. Chan Marshall has gone for the recordings to Memphis and, among others, the Al Green's guitarist Teenie Hodges involved in the production of the recordings. The album is - unlike his predecessor often barren - very generous instrumented. In addition to piano and guitar come in many songs brass, saxophone, orchestra or Country instruments used.

2006 Marshall announced that she was repeatedly in clinical treatment due to their alcohol use and mental health problems. This was also the reason for the cancellation of the planned publication of "The Greatest" U.S. tour. However, in the same year she returned with several festival appearances on American stages back, and in the spring of 2007, she toured Western Europe.

In the years 2006/2007, she worked with at the Wong Kar-Wai film " My Blueberry Nights". It provided music for the soundtrack ( the song Living Proof and The Greatest from the eponymous album ) and acted as an actress.

The album was published in 2008 Jukebox contains with Metal Heart and Song to Bobby Chan Marshall two compositions; the other eleven songs are original and interesting cover versions of songs such as New York ( known by Frank Sinatra ), I Believe in You (Bob Dylan ), Blue ( Joni Mitchell) and Ramblin ' Woman ( Hank Williams).

Style

The Music of Marshall is minimalist, with sparse guitar and piano music accompanies himself, often supported by a violin, drums or other instruments. Her singing in the tradition of folk, blues and country of the southern states is ethereal, appears caught up and fragile.

It cultivates in the presentation of their songs, especially live, the image of fragility ( which they vehemently in interviews but objects ) and mental grimacing. Nevertheless, it illustrates their admiration of other musicians ( such as her idol Mary J. Blige ), and other music genres ( eg, the Soul and R & B) with strong individual expression. She also sings often very personal songs in the midst of the audience. Some concerts include more phases improvising music.

Collaborations with other musicians

2004 Marshall was heard on the album White People of Handsome boy Modeling School, as she worked with Howe Gelb of Giant Sand with his side project The Band of Blacky Ranchette together. Furthermore, it can be seen in the The Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks. In the movie V for Vendetta is also to hear this on the soundtrack of the film with the song " I found a reason". In addition, a part of her song "Werewolf " from the album You Are Free to the soundtrack of the film Broken Embraces by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.

Discography

Albums

• Dear Sir (1995, Plain Records)
• Myra Lee (1996, Smells Like Records )
• What Would the Community Think (1996, Matador Records)
• Moon Pix (1998, Matador Records)
• The Covers Record (2000, Matador Records)
• You Are Free (2003, Matador Records)
• The Greatest (2006, Matador / Indigo )
• Jukebox (2008, Matador Records)
• Sun (2012, Matador Records)

EPs

• New and Old Songs (2002, Matador Records)
• An Album Club Exclusive (2006, Matador Records)
• Live Session (2006, Matador Records)
• Dark End of the Street (2008, Matador Records)

Singles

• Headlights (1994, The Making of Americans )
• Nude as the News (1996, Matador )
• Undercover (2000, Undercover Inc.)
• He Was (2002, Matador )
• Free (2003, Matador )
• The Greatest (2006, Matador )
• Could We (2006, Matador )
• Lived in Bars (2006, Matador )
• Living Proof (2006, Matador )
• New York (2008, Matador )
• Song to Bobby (2008, Matador )

• Speaking for Trees (2004)

Filmography

• My Blueberry Nights (2007)