Aimee Mann

Building on the exposure she earned from the movie Magnolia, Aimee Mann self-released this one and had the satisfaction of watching it become a substantial seller, hitting No. 1 on the indie charts. Not bad for a concept LP built around characters stuck in a downward spiral of addiction. Yep, it's a downer, but Mann's knack for classic pop melodies eases the pain.

Aimee Mann has been on a roll for the past couple of years. After writing some of the best
songs of her career for the Magnolia soundtrack in 1999, she immediately followed up with
Bachelor No. 2, a set of seductively melodic, confessional folk rock and pop that matched
Magnolia's cool intimacy. Finally, this long-overlooked singer-songwriter was getting the
attention she deserved. Which makes the ho-hum Lost in Space that much more... More >

I've never understood this ice queen thing myself. What's the big thrill--getting to see them bite their lip when they come? All I know is this poster girl for the DIY fallacy is still the ultimate NPR middlebrow, addressing disillusioned love songs to the biz the way Christians address illusioned ones to the Lord Jesus. For her fans, the news is that she's invested her profits in studio musicians. Takes talent to make that more boring than solo acoustic, no? (Grade - C+)