Artist Profile: Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor was born in Moscow in 1980 but moved to the Bronx in New York as a nine year old. Coming from a family featuring a violinist father and a music professor mother, Spektor was predestined to be musically inclined. Her classical training in the piano began at age six, and she began writing her own songs as a teenager. She released her debut album, 11:11, in 2001, followed a year later by the aptly named Songs. It was Soviet Kitsch's release, in 2004, that finally broke Ms. Spektor in the (semi-)public eye.

My first introduction to songwriter, singer, and pianist Regina Spektor was through an iTunes Exclusive song by The Strokes, "Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men", where she and Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas shared the vocal booth at the same time Regina and The Strokes were sharing a stage, touring the United States together in 2003. The intro to "Modern Girls..." is one of my favorites, and I remember being extremely put off when Ms. Spektor's high-pitched vocals kicked in, and I took to changing the song as soon as her voice started slicing through the guitar line. Obviously, this was not the best first impression, and since then I've been extremely hesitant to give Regina Spektor a chance. 2004's Soviet Kitsch received its due of critical acclaim, yet I maintained my stance that her voice was impossible to get through and I couldn't possibly enjoy her music, and didn't even listen to the album. Well, it turns out I was completely missing out.

Soviet Kitsch happens to feature one of the better folk/pop songs featuring a backdrop of strings that I've heard in recent memory, the outstanding "Us". The first Regina Spektor song I listened to in full, it completely opened my eyes (ears?) to her outstanding voice, and since then I've been pretty excited for her upcoming release, Begin To Hope. In 2005, she released an EP called Live at Bull Moose, and in early 2006 came a compilation-of-sorts called Mary Ann Meets the Gravediggers and Other Short Stories, which collected songs from her previous three full-lengths, focusing on those featuring the fictional character Mary Ann. On June 13 of this year, however, Ms. Spektor will drop the official follow-up full-length to Soviet Kitsch, Begin To Hope.

Four songs from Begin To Hope have been released on iTunes already as exclusive singles: "Fidelity", "Better", "On The Radio", and "Summer In The City". "Fidelity" is the early-frontrunner for my favorite, as it is the most reminiscent of "Us". "Better" is more of a straightforward rock song (and the albums lead single), the difference being the emphasis put on the range and beauty of Regina's voice. "On The Radio" is the apparent favorite of the iTunes crowd, as it is the leading download of Regina Spektor songs, and it again prioritizes Spektor's vocals, though from a less rocking and more storytelling standpoint. Finally, "Summer in the City" is a gorgeous ballad whose only drawback is it's relative emotional detachment; Spektor is at her best when you truly believe in the suffering or ecstasy she is experiencing, and despite her fantastic voice, "Summer in the City" lacks that in a way that "Us" and "Fidelity" do not. All the aforementioned songs can be downloaded below, as well as a remix mc DJ (the man behind the beat-tastic Sufjan remix album, Illin' Noise) made for "Us".

MP3: The Strokes, Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men (feat. Regina Spektor)
MP3: Regina Spektor, Us [highly recommended]
MP3: Regina Spektor, Fidelity [highly recommended]
MP3: Regina Spektor, Better
MP3: Regina Spektor, On The Radio
MP3: Regina Spektor, Summer In The City
BONUS MP3: Regina Spektor, Us (mc DJ Remix)

[Postscript: Derek is having a great deal of trouble with his internet since relocating temporarily to New York City. The situation is being worked on and we promise to do our best to keep the music coming.]