Indie Artist Feist Big Hit with Ipod Commercial Fans

Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist has achieved a new kind of fame as the result of her catchy song now used on the Ipod Nano commercials. I too was fascinated by the commercial from the first time I saw it. I watch it in a sort of daze, kaleidoscope colors flashing before my eyes as I listen to the evocative tune. And I don't even own an Ipod! (OK, I'm half proud to admit that and half ashamed of it.) Regardless, apparently I am not the only person who has been intrigued enough by the choice of song to go hunting for more information.

I often commute to Denton, Texas which is home to the University of North Texas -- a school well known for helping to produce artists and bands such as the Norah Jones, Midlake, and Bryce Isbell. In a meeting with some colleagues who are heavily into the music scene, I asked about the voice singing "1,2,3,4 tell me that you love me more" on the Nano commercial. The table fell silent and they stared at me in wonder. Finally, someone muttered that I had also once asked who "Radiohead" was and they all nodded sadly as though agreeing that I was probably mentally incapacitated. They told me that the song had been released ages ago (which turned out to mean a few months) and that the artist was Feist. They patiently reminded me how to navigate to the My Space site where they assured me I would learn more. Sometimes they underestimate me -- I already knew how to get to My Space, so there.

With a little research I learned that Feist has performed as a solo artist and in the Canadian band Broken Social Scene. A page that is listed as the official site has only a deliberately over-exposed photograph (presumably of Leslie Feist) and an image of a hand-scrawled note that explains why the site has gone offline. The note states that it is because "of my analogue mind and the fact(s) that I couldn't recognize myself in it" among other interesting comments. She goes on to say that the band will "keep basic facts on MYSPACE (benign /neutral) and try to breathe life into the robot." And, indeed, I was able to locate more info including concert dates and television appearances on the latter site.

Feist was born in 1976 in Nova Scotia and started in music at the age of 15 when she founded a punk band. The band won a Battle of the Bands competition which help launch Feist's career. Her debut solo album was released in 1999, though she recorded the more well known album, Let it Die, in Paris during 2002 and 2003. The album was a combination of indie rock and jazz and it gained international acclaim. Though Feist appeared in a variety of venues after the release and she recorded some lesser known works, some worried that the Let it Die album would end up being a one-of-a-kind treat that would never be followed up. Then, out of the blue, Feist recorded The Reminder by working in a rented home outside of Paris. It is rumored that the entire album was recorded in less than a week. It was on this album released in May of 2007 that the "1234" song first came out.

Feist's musical style could be described as casual and polished all at the same time. Listening to her best songs is like sampling a new gourmet dish where new flavors tantalize with subtlety. It is hard to pin down one thing that catches your ear in a Feist tune, but you'll notice a little bossa nova here and there, some samba, and overall that ethereal voice. The "1234" single was featured in recent HBO promos, but the use of the song in the simple Ipod commercial may be one of those genius moves that helps Feist become well known even to listeners of adult contemporary.