Best of 2011

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PJ Harvey

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Yeovil, United Kingdom (1991 – present)

Polly Jean Harvey, born October 9, 1969 in Yeovil, United Kingdom and raised in nearby Corscombe (Dorset), is an English . She has recorded as a solo artist under the name PJ Harvey, but she began her career as part of a trio (with drummer Rob Ellis and bassist Steve Vaughan), also named PJ Harvey, in 1991

Early material released by the trio on Dry, 4 Track Demos and Rid Of Me was praised by critics for its raw, guitar-driven sound and sharp-witted, melancholic lyrics. After the trio broke up, Harvey released To Bring You My Love, a blues-heavy album that expanded the range of her sound through the incorporation of strings, organs, and electronic sound effects. Her stage show became more theatrical, with Harvey performing in ballgowns, pink catsuits, wigs and garish, vampish make-up. Never one to rest, she followed this album with the softer, more experimental Is This Desire? and then Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, which combined her more guitar-driven work with cleaner, lusher arrangements. Stories won her the 2001 Mercury Prize.

In 2004 she released Uh Huh Her, a return to her earlier, rawer sound. Uh Huh Her was met with a somewhat mixed response; while some critics welcomed Harvey’s re-exploration of her previous styles, others felt that the album was something of a rehash. Around the same time, she produced and co-wrote half of Marianne Faithfull’s album Before the Poison, which received much critical praise.
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Popular tags: female vocalists, alternative, rock, singer-songwriter, indie  See more

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  • cjkisaragi wrote:
    yesterday evening
    :-(

    Leave cjkisaragi a shout

  • PulledToBits wrote:
    yesterday evening
    " For me it's as if it was written in the attic by a Victorian recluse. I think there's a sense of abandon about the songs, even lyrically. The image of the woman who would write the album is very specific, and It's actually as if that woman is not actually PJ Harvey herself. As if she is possessed by the spirit of the tormented woman who lived this life years ago. I really love this album so much because it holds a very unique ambiance." Totally Agreed!!!!

    Leave PulledToBits a shout

  • Deardeadfriend wrote:
    yesterday evening
    v Because she never even learned how to play the piano.

    Leave Deardeadfriend a shout

  • BarneyJWY wrote:
    yesterday evening
    Her piano skills weren't all that impressive tbh. Most songs had the same notes and structure. Still a good PJ album, but it didn't impress me. LES may be overrated, but at least the hipsters have a reason to bandwagon. It really is a great album. It deserves more praise and hype than Adele's 21.

    Leave BarneyJWY a shout

  • Mladen1988 wrote:
    yesterday evening
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzwG3r9_L9o <3

    Leave Mladen1988 a shout

  • rainy-dog wrote:
    yesterday afternoon
    you be stupid

    Leave rainy-dog a shout

  • SpiritOfYetaxa wrote:
    yesterday afternoon
    White Chalk is like an exaggerated Tori Amos, from the 19th Century

    Leave SpiritOfYetaxa a shout

  • SpiritOfYetaxa wrote:
    yesterday afternoon
    Let England Shake has a Bjorkiness about it

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  • TonupTiger wrote:
    yesterday morning
    K. I m ready for the next album.

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  • futhamucka wrote:
    yesterday morning
    I don't know about equally good. "Uh Huh Her" and "White Chalk" were good, but not great.

    Leave futhamucka a shout

  • Batabid wrote:
    yesterday morning
    I am in awe of the fact that people would think "White Chalk" sounds anything like Björk. it sounds nothing, and I mean nothing, like her. Perhaps the icy embellishments on "grow grow grow" could slightly bring "Vespertine" to mind, but other than that, zero. Nothing like Tori Amos either. Or Kate Bush. To me it sounds more like an era than another person (the only other person that came to mind was Dimanda Galás who's influence seeps through vocally in "The Mountain").. For me it's as if it was written in the attic by a Victorian recluse. I think there's a sense of abandon about the songs, even lyrically. The image of the woman who would write the album is very specific, and It's actually as if that woman is not actually PJ Harvey herself. As if she is possessed by the spirit of the tormented woman who lived this life years ago. I really love this album so much because it holds a very unique ambiance.

    Leave Batabid a shout

  • Qb89 wrote:
    Monday evening
    All her albums seem to be equally great and each one is different D:

    Leave Qb89 a shout

  • Mozzerella10 wrote:
    Monday evening
    what was the hyping up of Let England shake all about? it's no that good.

    Leave Mozzerella10 a shout

  • BarneyJWY wrote:
    Monday evening
    Let England Shake, Uh Huh Her, and Is This Desire are myfavorites. White Chalk actually sounded "generic" to me. I heard it before with Bjork, Kate, Tori, and Charlotte. It's a good album, but I can't help seeing it as lite-Bjork.

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  • tallinspace wrote:
    Monday evening
    white chalk is my fav , mainly cuz i'm a sucker for piano based albums

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  • MorticiaVouk wrote:
    Monday evening
    haha, i didn't like white chalk at first...then i saw comments like "omg, fantastic album, her best bla bla.." and so i've questioned myself: damn, it's polly i had to love it! then i saw her live for the first time on white chalk tour and it was magic!

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  • sunheadbowed wrote:
    Monday afternoon
    lol @ Is This Desire being 'experimental'.

    Leave sunheadbowed a shout

  • Bonelesss wrote:
    Monday afternoon
    i didn't like her last record at the first listen, but now i know: it's fucking great. stunning atmosphere.

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  • lakebolt wrote:
    Monday afternoon
    Each album by PJ Harvey is a universe of its own~

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  • Peleiades wrote:
    Monday afternoon
    also Stories is really lovely. like rainy-dog said, sometimes it's exasperating to see kids going on about LES like it's the only thing she's ever done, the same thing happened when Stories came out, only it seemed worse! but we do all want her to have more fans, so we get over it! :p

    Leave Peleiades a shout

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PJ Harvey Confirms Additional UK Shows For September

30 May 2011 | from blog.myspace.com/pjharvey

........In addition to performing at The Electric Picnic in Ireland and Bestival in The Isle Of Wight, PJ Harvey has confirmed another two UK dates for September. Performances are slated for Gl...

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