Cat Power

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Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power (born Charlyn Marie Marshall, January 21, 1972), is an American singer/songwriter known for her minimalist (yet often pastoral) music, for her sparse guitar and piano playing, and for her ethereal, Southern-styled vocals. She is often, but not always, accompanied by backing musicians on record and in concert.

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Biography

The daughter of divorced parents, Chan (pronounced "Shawn") Marshall was born in Georgia. After dropping out of high school, she started performing under the name Cat Power while in Atlanta, backed by musicians Glen Thrasher, Mark Moore, and others. She soon moved to New York City where, while opening for Liz Phair in 1994, she met Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar, who encouraged her to record, and played on her first two albums, 1995's Dear Sir and 1996's Myra Lee. In 1996 she was signed to Matador Records, and released her third album, What Would the Community Think, which spawned a rare single and music video, "Nude as the News".

In 1998 came Moon Pix, which was recorded in Australia and featured backing musicians Mick Turner and Jim White of the Dirty Three. The album was well-received by critics, and songs such as the luminous "Colors and the Kids", along with the video for the song "Cross Bones Style", helped increase Marshall's profile in the indie rock scene. During the subsequent tours, however, she grew tired of her own material, and two years later released The Covers Record, a collection of cover songs recorded at various sessions in 1998 and 1999.A selection of covers that didn't make it on to the album were recorded at Peel Acres, home of the highly influential and legendary British DJ John Peel. The session was broadcast on his BBC Radio 1 show and featured Marshall's own interpretations of Bob Dylan's "Hard Times in New York Town" amongst others.

In 2003 she resumed releasing original material with You Are Free, a diverse and critically applauded album which featured guest musicians such as Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, and the Dirty Three's Warren Ellis.

The year 2004 saw the release of the critically polarizing DVD Speaking for Trees, which featured a single, nearly 2-hour static shot of Marshall performing in a woodland, and was accompanied by an audio CD containing the 18-minute song "Willie Deadwilder", featuring M. Ward on guitar. 2005 found Marshall out on the road again, touring the world and playing sold-out solo shows, including an Australian tour supporting Nick Cave. The shows largely consisted of material for her next album. On June 22 she performed in London, this time as part of that years Meltdown Festival, this year curated by hippy pioneer Patti Smith. Her latest record, The Greatest, was released in January, 2006.

Marshall announced the cancellation of her upcoming 2006 United States Tour, citing "health-related issues". A few days later, Matador announced the cancellation of her two shows in London and Paris.

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Trivia

  • Cat Power has garnered notoriety for her live shows, which often feature a chaotic lack of polish and structure. Songs are frequently cut short for no apparent reason, or "tail off" into what sounds like an extended period of guitar tuning. Some listeners are alienated by this apparent lack of direction, while others have been enchanted by the free-form nature of the performances.
  • Marshall's father, Charlie, was a blues musician and itinerant pianist.
  • She is notable both as a songwriter and as an innovative interperator of other artists' songs. Her cover versions often ignore the melodies and lyrical hooks of the originals, as evidenced by her renditions of Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," or alter the mood of the song altogether, as with her recording of Oasis' "Wonderwall". The music is similarly stripped down, often to little more than an electric guitar with a clean tone and her voice.
  • Interviews reveal her to be more than the self-loathing depressive loner stereotype of the indie/alternative musician. In fact she is quite the opposite and has often revealed herself to be outgoing and, as one British magazine put it, "a person all about people". She often gives abstract, cryptic answers to straightforward questions but at the same time comes across as very sincere and unpretentious. She is also very aware of her limitations, once commenting that "I know people want the rock but I can't give it to them" and that she wished she could make music more like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
  • Marshall has done advertisements for Gap clothing and Cingular.
  • She has supported numerous charitable causes, including "The Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian Parents' Circle" and PETA, and appeared at the "Fuck Cancer Benefit".
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Discography

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Albums

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Singles

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Videos

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External links

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Official sites

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Data

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