{"id":2113,"date":"2015-03-04T15:16:42","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T21:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=2113"},"modified":"2015-06-10T15:04:11","modified_gmt":"2015-06-10T20:04:11","slug":"local-artist-liz-phair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=2113","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Artist : Liz Phair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth Clark “Liz” Phair<\/b>\u00a0(born April 17, 1967) is an American\u00a0singer-songwriter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0guitarist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She began her career in the early 1990s by self-releasing audio cassettes under the name\u00a0Girly Sound<\/a>, before signing with the\u00a0independent record label<\/a>\u00a0Matador Records<\/a>. Her 1993 debut studio album\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/a><\/i>\u00a0was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/a><\/i>\u00a0as one of\u00a0the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time<\/a>. Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair’s fourth album,\u00a0Liz Phair<\/a><\/i>, was released on\u00a0Capitol Records<\/a>\u00a0and her music began to move in a more\u00a0pop rock<\/a>-oriented direction. Phair has sold nearly three million records worldwide. Her latest album,Funstyle<\/a><\/i>, was released on July 3, 2010.<\/p>\n

Phair was born in\u00a0New Haven, Connecticut<\/a>, but raised in\u00a0Winnetka, Illinois<\/a>, by upper middle-class adoptive parents, Nancy, a historian, and John Phair.[1]<\/a><\/sup>[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Her father was an AIDS researcher and head of infectious diseases at Northwestern Memorial Hospital; her mother, a docent who worked at the\u00a0Art Institute of Chicago<\/a>.[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She graduated from\u00a0New Trier High School<\/a>\u00a0in 1985. During high school, Phair was involved in student government, yearbook, and thecross country<\/a>\u00a0team, and took\u00a0AP Studio Art<\/a>\u00a0her senior year, among many other advanced-level classes.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She attended\u00a0Oberlin College<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Oberlin<\/a>,\u00a0Ohio<\/a>, and majored in art history.<\/p>\n

Phair’s entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist\u00a0Chris Brokaw<\/a>, a member of the band\u00a0Come<\/a>. Brokaw was dating one of Phair’s friends, and stayed at their loft in Soma one weekend. After an unsuccessful attempt to get musical traction in\u00a0San Francisco<\/a>, Phair returned to\u00a0Chicago<\/a>, where she began writing songs and recording homemade tapes under the name\u00a0Girly Sound<\/a>.[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She became part of the alternative music scene in Chicago and became friends with\u00a0Material Issue<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Urge Overkill<\/a>, two of Chicago’s upstart bands to go national in the early 1990s, as well as\u00a0Brad Wood<\/a>\u00a0and John Henderson, head of Feel Good All Over, an independent label in Chicago.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0(A later attempt at re-recording the Girly Sound tapes failed after arguments between Henderson and Phair.)<\/p>\n

After asking Wood who the “coolest” indie label was, Phair called up Gerard Cosloy, co-president of\u00a0Matador Records<\/a>, in 1992 and she asked him if he would put out her record. Coincidentally, Cosloy had just read a review of Girly Sound in\u00a0Chemical Imbalance<\/i>\u00a0that very day and told Phair to send him a tape. Phair sent him a tape of six Girly Sound songs. Cosloy recalls: “The songs were amazing. It was a fairly primitive recording, especially compared to the resulting album. The songs were really smart, really funny, and really harrowing, sometimes all at the same time. . . . I liked it a lot and played it for everybody else. We usually don’t sign people we haven’t met, or heard other records by, or seen as performers. But I had a hunch, and I called her back and said O.K.”<\/p>\n

Cosloy offered a $3,000 advance, and Phair began working on a single, which turned into the eighteen songs of\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

Exile in Guyville<\/i>\u00a0was produced by Phair and Brad Wood, and released in 1993.[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The album received uniformly excellent reviews. The album received significant critical acclaim for its very blunt, honest lyrics and for the music itself, a hybrid of\u00a0indie rock<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0pop<\/a>. The album established Phair’s penchant for exploring sexually explicit lyrics such as in the song “Flower<\/a>“: “I want to be your\u00a0blow job<\/a>\u00a0queen\/…I’ll fuck you and your minions too.” By contrast, her trademark low,\u00a0vibrato<\/a>-less monotone voice\u00a0[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0gave many of her songs a slightly detached, almost deadpan character.<\/p>\n

The release of Phair’s second album received substantial media attention and an advertising blitz.\u00a0Whip-Smart<\/a><\/i>debuted at #27 in 1994 and “Supernova”, the first single, became a Top Ten modern rock hit, and the video was frequently featured on\u00a0MTV<\/a>. Phair also landed the cover of\u00a0Rolling Stone Magazine<\/a><\/i>\u00a0with the headline “A Rock Star is Born.” Nonetheless, the album received mixed reviews,[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0and although it was certifiedGold<\/a>\u00a0(shipments of at least 500,000 units), it ultimately did not sell as well as expected, as it was hoped the album would introduce Phair to a wider, more mainstream audience.[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0Following\u00a0Whip-Smart<\/i>, Phair released\u00a0Juvenilia<\/a><\/i>, a collection of some early Girly Sound tracks and several B-sides, including her cover of the 1980s song by\u00a0The Vapors<\/a>, “Turning Japanese<\/a>“.<\/p>\n

In 1994, Phair made several live television and radio appearances in an effort to promote\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/a><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Whip-Smart<\/a><\/i>, including\u00a0David Letterman<\/a>\u00a0performing “Never Said<\/a>” and “Supernova” and\u00a0Jay Leno<\/a>\u00a0performing an acoustic version of “Whip-Smart”. She even performed “Alice Springs” live on\u00a0Good Morning America<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

She also appeared on the MTV alternative rock show\u00a0120 Minutes<\/a><\/i>\u00a0performing “Never Said”, “6’1”, “Cinco de Mayo” and “Supernova” live at various times during 1994 and early 1995.<\/p>\n

In 1995, Phair married film editor Jim Staskauskas, who had worked on her videos. They had a son James Nicholas Staskauskas on December 21, 1996.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Phair and Staskauskas divorced in 2001.<\/p>\n

Phair’s third album, entitled\u00a0Whitechocolatespaceegg<\/a><\/i>, was finally released in 1998 after some delays, which included a disagreement about content; at one point, the label rejected the album as submitted, and asked Phair to write a few additional radio-friendly songs for the set.[8]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The album displayed a more mature Phair, and reflected some of the ways marriage and motherhood affected her. While the single “Polyester Bride” received some airplay, and the album received many positive reviews, it was no more successful commercially than her previous records. To promote the record Phair joined\u00a0Lilith Fair<\/a>. Phair performed on the main stage along with acts like\u00a0Sarah McLachlan<\/a>,\u00a0Emmylou Harris<\/a>,\u00a0Sheryl Crow<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Missy Elliott<\/a>. She also opened for\u00a0Alanis Morissette<\/a>\u00a0on her 1999 Junkie Tour.<\/p>\n

She portrayed the role of Brynn Allen, opposite her good friend\u00a0Robin Tunney<\/a>, in the film\u00a0Cherish<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

In 2003, her\u00a0self-titled fourth album<\/a>\u00a0was released on her new label,\u00a0Capitol Records<\/a>. Phair had not released an album in several years; she had been working on her record, as well as making guest appearances on other tracks (she lent backing vocals to the\u00a0Sheryl Crow<\/a>\u00a0hit “Soak Up the Sun<\/a>“).<\/p>\n

Initially, Phair worked on several album tracks with songwriter\u00a0Michael Penn<\/a>\u00a0as the producer. When she submitted the finished Penn-produced album to Capitol, the label gave it a lukewarm reception and was unwilling to release it as submitted. Having already exhausted her recording budget, label president Andy Slater offered Phair more money to record only if Phair agreed to work with the production team known as\u00a0The Matrix<\/a>\u00a0(best known as songwriters for\u00a0Britney Spears<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Avril Lavigne<\/a>) to come up with some singles for the album. Phair’s collaboration with the Matrix resulted in only four songs, but much of the media attention focused solely on the Matrix-produced tracks, which were a departure from her earlier work.[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0The album received many negative reviews, especially from the independent music press, who accused Phair of “selling out<\/a>” by making the record very pop-oriented.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Liz Phair<\/i>\u00a0provoked a strong backlash from critics and disappointed fans of her earlier work. Many decried her for “selling out”, and she became a “pi\u00f1ata for critics.”[11]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The New York Times<\/a><\/i>‘\u00a0Meghan O’Rourke<\/a>‘s review, titled “Liz Phair’s Exile in\u00a0Avril<\/a>-ville”, said that Phair “gushes like a teenager” and had “committed an embarrassing form of career suicide.”[12]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The debut single “Why Can’t I?<\/a>“, co-written by The Matrix, did reach the\u00a0Top 40<\/a>\u00a0charts in North America, and its follow-up, “Extraordinary,” was also somewhat successful: it appeared on the soundtrack to the 2004 movie\u00a0Raising Helen<\/a><\/i>\u00a0and was the promotional theme for the 2004 Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament; in March 2007, the song began appearing in\u00a0Gatorade<\/a>\u00a0television advertisements. Phair continued to flirt with sexually explicit themes, however, as was most evident in a track called “H.W.C.”, standing for “Hot White Cum”. Phair also offered backing vocals on\u00a0Jimmy Eat World<\/a>‘s “Work<\/a>” track on their\u00a0Futures<\/a><\/i>\u00a0album.<\/p>\n

Somebody’s Miracle<\/a><\/i>, Phair’s fifth album (and final album with Capitol Records), was released on October 4, 2005. The album returned to a more traditional rock sound, mixing the mood of Phair’s earlier work with a more mellow sound.[13]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The album received mixed reviews and was not a chart success.<\/p>\n

Phair signed with\u00a0ATO Records<\/a>\u00a0in early 2008 and re-released\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/a><\/i>\u00a0on June 24, 2008.[14]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/i>\u00a0was reissued on CD, vinyl, and in digital format. The special reissue package includes three never-before-released songs from the original recording sessions: “Ant in Alaska,” “Say You,” and an untitled instrumental. Phair has also completed a new documentary DVD, “Guyville Redux.”\u00a0[15]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0This DVD features an introduction by Dave Matthews, founder\/co-owner of ATO Records, and describes the making of the album, in the male-dominated, Chicago independent music scene of the early 1990s (which included\u00a0Urge Overkill<\/a>,Material Issue<\/a>, and\u00a0Smashing Pumpkins<\/a>), associated with the\u00a0Wicker Park<\/a>\u00a0neighborhood where many of these bands often performed.<\/p>\n

“Exile in Guyville<\/i>\u00a0is miles more complex than the porn-star manifesto it was often considered,” said\u00a0Alan Light<\/a>\u00a0(former editor-in-chief of\u00a0Spin<\/i>,\u00a0Vibe<\/i>, and\u00a0Tracks<\/i>) in an essay written for the reissue. “Phair spoke for the uncertainties facing a new generation of women, struggling to find a balance between sexual confidence and romance, between independence and isolation. . . .\u00a0Exile in Guyville<\/i>\u00a0sat at the center of a culture in transition.”[16]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In May 2009, Phair released a new song “Faith and Tenderness,” sold exclusively at Banana Republic.<\/p>\n

In recent years Phair has broadened her career by serving as a composer for television dramas. Beginning with the theme song for\u00a0NBC<\/a>‘s\u00a0The Weber Show<\/a><\/i>\u00a0she has also worked on the CBS show\u00a0Swingtown<\/a><\/i>, the CW reboot of\u00a090210<\/a><\/i>, for which she won the 2009 ASCAP award for Top Television Composer, the USA Network show\u00a0In Plain Sight<\/a><\/i>\u00a0and most recently the CW’s\u00a0The 100<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

Phair said in an interview that she is writing a book and working on a new album.[17]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0On July 3, 2010, her official website announced a surprise link to download her new album\u00a0Funstyle<\/a><\/i>. It contains 11 songs, many of which are experimental or at least unorthodox, compared to most of her earlier songs. The song “Bollywood” was available to stream from the site for a limited time, before Phair took it down.<\/p>\n

A note from Phair to her fans posted on her official website explained why the songs were problematic:<\/p>\n

How To Like It.<\/p>\n

You were never supposed to hear these songs. These songs lost me my management, my record deal and a lot of nights of sleep.<\/p>\n

Yes, I rapped one of them. Im as surprised as you are. But here is the thing you need to know about these songs and the ones coming next: These are all me. Love them, or hate them, but dont mistake them for anything other than an entirely personal, un-tethered-from-the-machine, free for all view of the world, refracted through my own crazy lens.<\/p>\n

This is my journey. Ill keep sending you postcards.<\/p>\n

-Liz<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Phair revealed in an interview with the\u00a0Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/i>\u00a0that the falling out with her record label, ATO, occurred after a change in management. She explained, “The people who were still there didn\u2019t like, or didn\u2019t know what to do with, the music I was making, so we just stalled out and I asked to leave.”[18]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Phair went on tour to promote the album, playing many songs from\u00a0Guyville<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Whip-Smart<\/i>, along with songs from the rest of her repertoire. The Funstyle Tour ran from October 2010 to March 2011. The tour’s last show took place at the\u00a0SXSW<\/a>\u00a0festival in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n

In 2012, she co-wrote and performed the song “Dotted Line” with\u00a0A. R. Rahman<\/a>\u00a0for the film\u00a0People Like Us<\/a><\/i>. “The song ‘Dotted Line’ I wrote with A. R. Rahman for Alex Kurtzman’s film ‘Welcome To People’,” she said in an interview. “Both amazing. ‘Welcome To People’ is a truly powerful film. Very proud of being part of it.”[19]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Phair also reviews books, including\u00a0Keith Richards<\/a>‘\u00a0Life<\/i>.[20]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Phair writes the original music for the television series\u00a0The 100<\/a><\/i>\u00a0on\u00a0The CW<\/a>\u00a0network, along with\u00a0Evan Frankfort<\/a>\u00a0and Marc Dauer.<\/p>\n

(source wikipedia)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth Clark “Liz” Phair\u00a0(born April 17, 1967) is an American\u00a0singer-songwriter\u00a0and\u00a0guitarist. She began her career in the early 1990s by self-releasing audio cassettes under the name\u00a0Girly Sound, before signing with the\u00a0independent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-loop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}