PHOTOS OF REGINA SPEKTOR BY KURT SWANSON
E-MAIL: kurtswanson@juno.com

A veteran of New York's anti-folk scene, Regina Spektor makes quirky, highly eclectic, but always personal music. Born and raised in Moscow until age 9, Spektor listened to her father's bootleg tapes of Western pop and rock as a young child and also learned to play piano. She and her family moved from Russia to the Bronx, where she was immersed in American culture (at the time, hers was the first Russian family in the borough in 20 years). Eventually, Spektor and her family became part of a community that balanced her Russian Jewish roots with her new home's culture. She continued to practice piano anywhere she could, including at her synagogue, until her family got a piano of their own. Spektor further developed her classical piano training by attending the SUNY Purchase Music Conservatory. During her studies, she was exposed to blues and jazz artists, including Billie Holiday, for the first time; these sounds made such an impact on Spektor that they became a big part of her self-released 2001 debut album, 11:11. At the same time, she was also playing gigs anywhere she could in the city, in venues ranging from basements to parties to comedy clubs. With her frequent performances and another self-released album, 2002's Songs, Spektor developed a following that included Alan Bezozi, They Might Be Giants' drummer; he introduced Spektor to the Strokes' producer, Gordon Raphael. Raphael and Bezozi worked with Spektor on her third album, Soviet Kitsch, in New York and London (where she collaborated with the band Kill Kenada). Soviet Kitsch was initially self-released like her other work, but it eventually found a wider release with Sire Records. Tours with the Strokes, Kings of Leon, Mates of State, and the Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson further raised Spektor's profile. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

REGINA SPEKTOR at THE METRO CHICAGO 6/2005

REGINA SPEKTOR WEBSITE http://www.reginaspektor.com

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