Artist Cat Power

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Cat Power

A delicate, acoustic-oriented anti-folk troubadour with a tumultuous childhood, a history of self-medication, and tons of street cred, Cat Power (a.k.a. Chan Marshall) is something like a female Elliott Smith. While this comparison connotes a heavy downside for fans (like Smith’s, Marshall’s live shows tend to be hit-or-miss depending upon whether her insecurities get the best of her), it denotes a huge upside: More than a decade after her debut, Marshall released the best music of her career, 2006’s The Greatest—not a collection of hits, but certainly indicative of the quality. She’s since gotten sober and is helping to raise her boyfriend’s child, and plans for a new record, due out sometime next year, include Marshall performing every part herself.

Updated 08/16/2011