Rachael Yamagata is one of those singers who I thought was bigger than she really was. I loved her major label debut "Happenstance" and, while it took me a few listens to connect to her second album, "Elephants..." has a number of great songs. But while I thought she had crossed over, apparently she hadn't as she is no longer on the major label and is now self-publishing her latest album (which she helped finance via the site Pledge Music, where you can still pick up her album for 10 bucks. SUPPORT INDIE MUSIC.) Anyway, Yamagata's voice is amazing and she's got a kind of brusque beauty that I would have made her the total package but it seems like this is another case of a talent inexplicably not finding an audience. (One of my other favorite bands, The Futureheads, also didn't take to the major label business, although they seemed to want out more than the label necessarily wanted to get rid of them.)

Anyway, do yourselves a favor and pick up Yamagata's albums. I haven't listened to all of the new one so I'll post up three of my favorite songs from each of her albums. The first is from her latest album, followed by a live version of a more uptempo song from "Elephants..." and finally my favorite song of all off of "Happenstance". That one, called "Under My Skin" is a staple of SoulHonky mix CD's. (Although "Letter Read" is a close second when it comes to fave songs/mix staples.)