Alan Vega Birthday Tribute

Cat Power could be said to have music in her veins, her father Charlie Marshall was a blues musician and pianist. However due to her parents divorcing and her stepfather having a job that demanded a lot of travel, Charlyn attended ten schools throughout the Southern United States. She was not allowed to purchase records as a child, yet she was permitted to listen to her step father's collection which including Otis Redding and The Rolling Stones.

At the age of 20, Marshall escaped the unpredictability of her family to start a new life in New York and pursue her love of music. Introduced to the free-jazz and experimental scene by Glen Thrasher, Charlyn channeled her inspirations into simultaneously recording her first two albums under the name Cat Power. The singer has however later stated that she classes 1996 release 'Myra Lee' as her official debut, its predecessor 'Dear Sir' is more of an EP due to its short length. Her lack of commercial success never phased Charlyn during the early years, in an early interview she stated: "I never saw recording as an objective because I never sold any records when I started touring and playing shows, I thought, ‘I can play this show and make the same amount of money I would by working two or three jobs'".

Despite then signing to Matador Records and releasing her third album, a year later Cat Power decided to retire from the industry and retire to Portland, Oregon. However after suffering a hypnogogic nightmare in 1998 whilst living alone, she found this to be the main inspiration for her fourth release 'Moon Pix'. In the early 2000's, Marshall developed a heavy drinking problem which affected her live performance, the New Yorker scathingly stating "It is foolhardy to describe a Cat Power event as a concert". Her relationship with model Dan Curry broke down at the height of her addiction, and she claims he is 'the ex-love of her life'.

After taking some time away from the industry, Marshall re-emerged in 2003 and toured the world with her fifth album and this became the grounds for her most successful release 'The Greatest' which made Charlyn Marshall the first woman ever to win the Shortlist Music Prize. Her next original release came in 2012 in the form of 'Sun', which is her most commercially successful album to date yet is also hailed for it's passionate combination of power pop and electro. Now a hugely respected and celebrated artist, Cat Power has put her troubled past behind and amazes crowds worldwide.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, US, Malin was surrounded by the burgeoning punk and hardcore scene, fronting the hardcore act, Heart Attack, in his teens before moving to D Generation in 1990. The band quickly became one of New York's popular acts on the punk scene, standing out with their glam-punk appearance and sound. They released three successful albums before disbanding in 1999, having toured across the US and Europe and becoming household names.

Malin moved from these punk origins towards a new sound influenced by his love for Neil Young, Tom Waits, Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen, impressing Ryan Adams in the process. Adams offered to produce Malin's debut, with the pair recording his 2001 debut album, "The FIne Art of Self Destruction" in only six days. The single, "Queen of the Underworld" was a success in the UK, with Malin having to wait two years before his album saw release in the US.

His follow-up, "The Heat," arrived in 2004, after which Malin embarked on extensive touring in both the UK and the US. His next record, "Glitter in the Gutter" saw guest appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Jakob Dylan, released in March 2007 on Adeline Records. A live recorded album, "Mercury Retrogade," followed in 2008, capturing the intensity of a live performance.

The same year, Malin recorded a collection of imaginative covers with "On Your Sleeve," tackling songs by the Bad Brains, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, amongst others. Expanding his sound through the creation of his band, St. Mark's Social, Malin brought forth a new record in 2010, titled "Love It To Life." Since the release, Malin reunited with members from D Generation in 2011, embarking on a number of tour dates, reigniting passion in the band.