Natural talent not buried too far underground

By Molly Gore

Video has already killed the unattractive pop star, or at least kept him or her from becoming too mainstream. Now that most popular superstars are beautiful, the only thing left to kill off the true vocalist is the voice modification machine.

Whatever happened to the success of the beautiful voice? The appeal of the natural talent?

Today, unmodified voices are scarce in the world of mainstream music, and even in its peripheral circles. Taking a natural voice and pushing it through a digital pitch-correcting system or adding stylistic vocal devices might as well confirm that anyone really can be a pop star.

Despite the growing fad, there are quite a few talented vocalists and writers left alive.

You don't have to dig far underground to find these gems. Many have already broken into the bigger music scene, and some are on their way. If they haven't, they are worth a listen anyway. Most are easy to listen to, but remain enough outside the mainstream to keep from sounding stale. Have a listen:

* Feist

You might recognize this Nova Scotia native from the band Broken Social Scene, but probably not. She's not exactly new to the music scene, but in the last two years, she has slowly become a music phenomenon, notably catalyzed by Apple's use of her single "1234" in their iPod Nano commercial.

The sounds of Feist range from electro-pop ballads to softer, more organic acoustic love songs. Her work is delightfully quirky and poetic, but what remains the most stunning are her vocals. Plus, she used to be roommates with Peaches -- we trust her taste, right? Download: "My Moon My Man" and "Mushaboom."

* Mika

This boy can sing. In an era when near-talentless electronic pop often tops the charts, it's refreshing to hear a hit from Mika, trained at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle and London's Royal Academy of Music. He first performed at the Royal Opera House in England before deciding to devote his talents to writing and performing '70s- and '80s-esque pop and dance music.

The result so far is a handful of irresistibly catchy tunes that make you strut, dance and sing along when you are walking with your iPod. Download: "Grace Kelly," "Relax (Take it Easy)" and the Elton John-like "Stuck in the Middle."

* DeVotchka

Known more for the soundtrack of "Little Miss Sunshine" than anything else, the self-described "eastern bloc indie rock band" combines the traditional sounds of European folk music with bits of punk, mariachi, southwestern and other styles blended with their very own brand of indie rock.

With unbelievably varied instrumentation -- from glockenspiel to accordion to tenor triangle to bouzouki -- Devotchka's sound is far from ordinary.

Even if you think it might be more mainstream, the despairing tenor vocals overlaid with minor riffs and a tinge of Russian folksong is surprisingly attractive after one listen. Download: album "How It Ends."

* Sia

Her breathy and stunning vocals took the indie music world by storm this year, two full years after the release of her album "Colour the Small One" in the U.K. It's a shame a Starbucks promotion and the "Six Feet Under" finale had to be the medium of her emergence. Sia is a breath of fresh oddity, and unapologetically so.

Listening to Sia is like taking a trip through an artist's abstract stream-of-consciousness in the midst of an inspiring moment or a deeply tragic one. Her songs are never self-indulgent or self-congratulatory. Listen after a long day, and be soothed and uplifted. Download: "Breathe Me" and "Pictures."

* Yael Naim

I hate to propose someone as an atypical underground gem when he or she has just been featured on a commercial for MacBook Air.

Such is the story of Yael Naim, but if you've heard the commercial, you'll find it hard not to swing your arms and smile at strangers.

There is less diversity in her writing than Feist and Sia, but her sound is calm, comforting and oddly bleak in subject with the exception (and disguise) of her popular single, "New Soul." Her music echoes and produces a sense of contentedness and perpetual curiosity. Download: "New Soul."

* Patrick Wolf

Another classically trained pop artist, Wolf is only 21 years old and still writes with all the color, imagination and fantasy of his adolescence. His songs are full, over-charismatic lyrics and playful melodies usually backed by strong percussion.

Though melodramatic at times, his lyrics are keenly heightened by choppy and staccato rhythms and unexpected melodic twists. The mix produces two albums of danceable tunes that also have something to say and remain just enough left of the center. Download: "The Magic Position."

Most of these artists are no longer underground and either have emerged or are in the process of emerging onto the major music scene. Don't be deterred by popularity; none of them are quite there anyway (except perhaps Feist).

Check back in a year to see how they have evolved. Their potential will not peak due to a good producer or music video choreographer. It will be a personal growth for each, and well worth documenting.

Contact Molly Gore at (408) 551-1918 or mgore@scu.edu.