The Allure of Jenny Lewis
Me: I love Jenny Lewis.
Mom: Don’t you have a boyfriend, right now?
Me: Yeah, but, well I’m in love with Jenny Lewis.
Mom: Who?
I could scream it from the rooftops. Unfortunately, those listening, like my mother, would have probably not heard of this enigmatic singer/songwriter. Once a child actress, Lewis has emerged and developed as the lead singer of the band, Rilo Kiley. Within the last couple years she has explored her own voice—pairing up with the soul singers, the Watson twins. Her first solo album Rabbit Fur Coat, has been housed in the CD player of my car for the last three months. Her voice is sweet, but not too saccharine. Her melodies have done everything from mix Southern blues, with gospel, and folk with indie rock. Her lyrics, are simple yet biting: “I’m in love with illusions, so saw me in half / I’m in love with tricks so pull another rabbit out of your hat.”
But, what is it exactly about Jenny Lewis that makes women love her? A fair share of women I have conversed with have admitted that she is their one and only “girl crush”. I believe that Jenny Lewis is the archetypal free-spirited woman; she is smart and talented enough to write her own music, and doesn’t seem to give a damn about what other people think. She looks like a fashion icon with her short mod dresses and her signature red hair. There is no reason to be jealous of Jenny Lewis because we all secretly want to be her. I want to emulate that confident, quirky, versatile woman. She has a past and marches to her own drum, a drum that happens to coincide with the music she writes. Check out one of Rilo Kiley’s earlier videos…
Comments
this is an amazing article,
i don’t think anyone could have described her better!
she’s my all time favorite singer!
Comment by Paul — January 14, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
I’m going to Itunes to check her out.
Comment by ellen — January 14, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
omg finally someone who is worth fucking writing about! I loved the piece on her, kudos :)
Comment by Gia Carmen — January 14, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
nice job! I actually happened upon her several weeks ago, not sure where, but I think it was from a link from Wonkette.com (indeed it was! a song called “Rise up with Fists”). I liked her a lot and downloaded a few songs. Good luck with your new adventure!
Comment by Lonnie — January 14, 2009 @ 5:05 pm
Aww great job Elena :) very well written. I’ll have to check her out, she sounds amazing!
Comment by Abby from RI — January 14, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Yes, Jenny is amazing, and this is a great article, but what exactly does the 7/10 rating have to do with anything?
Comment by Richaod from Melbourne, Australia — January 15, 2009 @ 10:50 pm
The 7 out of 10 rating is just a rating of the overall album “rabbit fur coat”. I should have given it an 8 out of 10.
Comment by Elena Mertus — January 16, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
Always looking for something to add to my iPod so my workouts don’t get overwhelmingly boring. Can’t say that I’m in love with Jenny, like the author, but got my interest—nice sound, down to earth, unassuming style. Dave T.
Comment by David P Tapscott from home — January 22, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
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