Billie Myers, born in England, came to the world of popular music in 1997 with her debut release Growing, Pains. Her vocal style is a combination of pop, jazz and world music. There has always been a defined line, though invisible, between pop lyrics and poetry; Billie originally began writing poetry as a child, and in doing so has successfully... [+] Read More

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With his breakthrough American hit "Save Tonight," alternative singer/songwriter Eagle-Eye Cherry became the latest member of his family to stir the music world: his father was avant-garde jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, and his sister was alternative rap pioneer Neneh Cherry. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1971, Cherry was christened Eagle-Eye (yes,... [+] Read More

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Singer/songwriter Fiona Apple gained a recording contract in 1995 as one in a crop of mid-'90s female artists, but her confessional writing and throaty vocals made the teenager sound like much more than just the latest flavor. Born in 1977 in New York to singer Diana McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart, Apple began playing the piano at the age of... [+] Read More

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Jann Arden was born Jann Arden Richards in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Two of her biggest musical influences during her childhood were John Denver and Karen Carpenter. Arden didn't have abundant dreams of stardom back then, but she did love music and began writing her own songs when she was only 13. At 17 she recorded a debut single, "Never Love a... [+] Read More

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First rising to fame at the helm of the popular folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant subsequently enjoyed even greater success as a solo performer as her plaintive vocals and literate, socially conscious songs established her among the preeminent female performers in contemporary pop. Born October 26, 1963 in Jamestown, NY, Merchant... [+] Read More

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The epitomy of the quieter, coffee-table side of singer/songwriter electronica and trip-hop, Olive was formed by producers Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth (former members of, respectively, Simply Red and Nightmares on Wax) with vocalist Ruth-Ann Boyle. Kellett connected with Boyle while playing keyboards for a live incarnation of the Durutti... [+] Read More

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Portishead may not have invented trip-hop, but they were among the first to popularize it, particularly in America. Taking their cue from the slow, elastic beats that dominated Massive Attack's Blue Lines and adding elements of cool jazz, acid house, and soundtrack music, Portishead created an atmospheric, alluringly dark sound. The group wasn't... [+] Read More

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Since her debut in 1988, Sarah McLachlan's atmospheric folk-pop has gained a devoted following of fans not only in Canada, where she has established star status, but also in the U.S. and U.K. Each album has shown her growing both as a musician and songwriter, continually redefining herself and emerging as a major voice in the growing adult... [+] Read More

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After the breakup of Trip Shakespeare, Minneapolis natives Dan Wilson and John Munson joined up with drummer Jacob Slichter to form Semisonic in 1995. An initial EP, Pleasure, was released that year and the studio full-length Great Divide in 1996 on MCA. It was their sophomore effort, Feeling Strangely Fine, that was Semisonic's major... [+] Read More

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Sneaker Pimps are a trip-hop trio formed in Reading, England, in 1995, following the success of Portishead's Dummy and Tricky's Maxinquaye. Borrowing heavily from Portishead and Massive Attack, Sneaker Pimps pursued a trancelike but edgy sound, highlighted by Kelli Dayton's soulful vocals. While Dayton was the focal point, Chris Corner (guitar)... [+] Read More

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