Liz Phair

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New Haven CT, United States (1993 – present)

Liz Phair (born Elizabeth Clark Phair on April 17, 1967 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. She was a cornerstone in the underground early ’90s indie rock movement for her songcraft and DIY ethics. Her sound developed at the turn of the century into something more akin to pop or adult contemporary.

Phair’s entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw was visiting her San Francisco loft-mate Nora Maccoby when he heard Phair’s songs, and encouraged her to record them.

After moving back to Chicago, Phair began writing songs and recording homemade tapes under the name Girly Sound, and supported herself by selling her drawings on the streets of Chicago. She soon became a part of the alternative music scene in Chicago and became friends with Material Issue and Urge Overkill, two of Chicago’s upstart bands to go national in the early 1990s, as well as Brad Wood and John Henderson, head of Feel Good All Over, an independent label in Chicago. (A later attempt at re-recording the Girly Sound tapes failed after arguments between Henderson and Phair.)

After asking Wood who the “coolest” indie label was, Phair called up Gerard Cosloy, co-president of Matador Records, in 1992 and asked him if he would put out her record. Coincidentally, Cosloy had just read a review of Girly Sound in Chemical Imbalance that 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.
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  • Exile in Guyville
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  • Liz Phair
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  • Whip-Smart
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  • Whitechocolatespaceegg
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  • tonnyaranha

    What did you guys thought about Liz's 'And He Slayed Her' music video? I'm totally impressed, it's awesome!

    Saturday morning

  • JamesJupiter

    http://perezhilton.com/2012-05-21-exclusive-premiere-liz-phair-and-he-slayed-her-music-video#.T7t8tL9ihaF -- love it!

    Tuesday morning

  • ranisn

    starting to know her, im really really reaaaaally liking Somebody's Miracle

    14 days ago

  • liquiddatura

    Avril was an easy put-down. No one ever claimed the same change in music for Tracy Chapman or Joan Osborne or Suzanne Vega made them "avril." Liz's lyrics were always sophomoric and lite (part of their charm; she made dirty songs sound quaint) and her guitar was always jangly. So she stopped making meandering piano intros that were incessant on Guyville. I will say it was a drop from there; Somebody's Miracle just didn't know what to do with itself and while Funstyle was an improvement, it came off as indulgent and a bit too self-aware. But the album "Liz Phair" is pretty great and "w.c.s.e." is pretty great too.

    14 days ago

  • PurplePostRock

    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII never said nothing ❤ ;)

    26 days ago

  • CaptnTightpants

    I am in love with Liz...don't tell my wife

    last month

  • Negative1to10

    Another thing I don't understand is the Avril Lavigne comparisons. They sounded very different.

    last month

  • yourcrowbar

    @Whip-Smart: I'm listening to it right now. It's still great! It has aged much better than her Avril Lavigne album.

    last month
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