Regina Spektor

The first time I heard Regina Spektor, I was listening to Pandora. The song On the Radio came on and I was at first unsure of what to make of the lyrics. She does talk about driving hearses through screaming crowds. But then I was fascinated. Even with the sometimes gothic themes, the upbeat melody, odd lyrics, and sweet voice made me fall in love with the song. I went home and bought it that day. And listened to it over and over and over until I'm sure Jeff was sick of it.

The next day I set up a Regina Spektor Pandora station. And found myself in love with every song of hers that they played. The Russian born artist writes some of the most interesting lyrics I've ever heard but it's her voice that really pulls me in. The first time we watched Prince Caspian (the second Chronicles of Narnia film) and her song played at the end, I knew her voice right away. It is such a beautiful voice. It's delicate and pure. And more than anything, it is unique. I bought The Call shortly after.

But I still can't get away from the lyrics. I wish I had written the words to The Calculation. They are offbeat in the best possible way. The song and video for Fidelity makes me laugh and smile every time I see it. It's an odd video (not as strange as Nine Crimes by Damien Rice but close), but I love the ending. A feel good video. I just recently watched the video for Better, a song I've loved since I first heard it, and was just as enchanted with the video.

It's not often that I find a songwriter who produces song after song that I love. Most of the time I find one or two songs from other artists that are just okay. I haven't heard a single Regina Spektor song that I haven't adored. Now I'm just waiting for her to come to town so I can see her live. Until then I'll have to make due with my always growing iTunes collection of her work and the videos she puts up on YouTube. Take a listen. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[All video links are to the official videos with the exception of The Calculation.]