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July 25, 2008

Feist Feels It All On Good Morning America

thumbnail icon: Feist Feels It All On Good Morning America

Leslie Feist seems so innocent. But just look at that face. Don't be fooled by the sweet and gentle voice behind the only album you and your partner can agree on during bedroom time. She is a diabolical marketing genius, with a targeted demographic assault that has systematically dominated every niche in the market. (Play along with me here.) Last week we saw her lock up the kid vote, and this morning she ceded the under 20 demo to Miley Cyrus (who performed on Today), and taught the housewives of America how to rock out in Bryant Park for Good Morning America. It's nice that she didn't perform "1234," even though GMA anchor Robin Roberts drops hints by mentioning it's on repeat in her brain at all times, and thank god for that; I think we can all agree that after an indie rock choir and an Elmo harmony, that song has gone as far as it needs to. This morning she brought the still worthy "I Feel It All" and her take on "Sea Lion Woman" to national television. The Reminder: Some songs might be played, but she's still great.

"Sea Lion"

"Feel It All"

Up next: "The Park," live in studio during the Murder She Wrote marathon on the Hallmark Channel. (Not really, but I think I just won So You Want To Be Feist's Manager.)

Posted at 3:34 PM by amrit in
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19 Comments

I love the lyric change she does now with "Now I know I wanna stop the war."

Posted by: Alex at 07/25/08 4:13 PM | Reply
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I used to feel so cool saying that I listened to Feist, cause everyone would be like "who?" But now when I say that, people say, "Oh yeah, my mom loves that counting song." Not that this detracts from her loveliness, but come on, where's the indie-rock-street-cred in mini-vans and 40-year old soccer moms?

Posted by: Robert at 07/25/08 4:42 PM | Reply
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Yes the unfortunate side affect of an indie artists breaking out is that everybody and they're momma knows that one song. You gotta get excited when the underground goes a little mainstream though, at least for the artists. Of course their music is never as hungry as when they were before they hit the big time.

Posted by: Kimberlee Morrison in reply to Robert's comment at 07/25/08 5:10 PM | Reply
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Hey Robert,

Maybe you shouldn't worry so much about what other people think.
If an artist is solid, she's solid regardless of who and how many people listen to her.
Feist's credibility comes from her music and lifestyle, not from who listens to her.
If the type of fan matters at all, it probably works the exact opposite way.
I think her credibility increases every time a poseur like you leaves the fanbase.

Hopefully, one day you'll get the chance to feel "cool" again

Posted by: FrostBiteBoy in reply to Robert's comment at 07/25/08 5:21 PM | Reply
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hey frostbiteboy could you please describe feist's lifestyle to me so i can understand where her credibility really comes from

Posted by: bagheera in reply to FrostBiteBoy's comment at 07/25/08 5:38 PM | Reply
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where does yours come from?

Posted by: eric in reply to bagheera's comment at 07/25/08 7:18 PM | Reply
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Music is one of those things where you can either love it, or you can love feeling like you own it.

Certainly there is something cool about seeing a really good band in a small club and feeling that intimacy. Or that feeling when you first hear a new band and you get to tell your friends. Even though I am over thirty now, I still get to see some new bands. Sure it is a little funny to go from hearing Feist with Broken Social Scene, to hearing her solo music getting played in Target, or at the doctor's office. But it is part of the natural order of things.

I still remember the first time I heard U2's album War. I'd never heard anything so big, emotional and bombastic, and beautiful, but now you can hear U2 anywhere, anytime. Does that mean they suck, or they lost their indie cred? To most people that is definitive yes. Or does it just mean that things have changed?...

There is really no such thing as independent. Even small artists have to make a living. So do you like music, or do you like the idea that you discovered it or own it?

So maybe if you love music you won't care if you hear it on Good Morning America, or if you are the first one to tell all your friends to check out a new artist.

Posted by: keith in reply to Robert's comment at 07/28/08 11:00 AM | Reply
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Nothing wrong with 40 year old soccer moms!

Posted by: Anon at 07/25/08 5:35 PM | Reply
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I have never understood this — what does it matter? Who cares who else listens to the music you like? Is it like an "in-crowd" kind of thing? I remember being called names for listening to U2 and REM 'cause nobody had listened to them. (GASP!! Yes, I'm THAT old, but being that old has its benefits — like seeing My Bloody Valentine open for The Pixies in London back around the time most of the people who read this were born.) The next thing I know, frathead morons and, yes, soccer moms were listening to them. My response? WHO. CARES. Doesn't make the music less great. Just gets rid of the shallow people.

Posted by: Terrence McClusky at 07/25/08 6:07 PM | Reply
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indie cred is bullshit
can we all just get over it now?

Posted by: foundmyrosebud01 profile link at 07/25/08 7:18 PM | Reply
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Feist is such a fox! And so talented. Be still my heart.
Haha, how cheesy/annoying is the Good Morning America lady!
"How about Feist and 'I Feel It AAALLL' " gag.

Posted by: parker young profile link at 07/25/08 7:31 PM | Reply
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ecch...fuckin feist.

Posted by: normf at 07/26/08 8:32 AM | Reply
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Masks down.
Dull, puritan music by an ambitious woman.
Boring!

Posted by: Stina at 07/26/08 4:48 PM | Reply
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Wait. Dull, puritan music? Ecch..fuckin feist? What does that even mean? Even without the "ambitious woman" comment you mark yourself as an assbag. What are you talking about? A woman with some talent and a ton o' good music is trying to push herself into the mainstream to make a living? What a crapbag she must be, to push her goodly wares unto us, the completely untalented and judgmental public? Fuck you. Try making a living as an artist for a few months and then let us know what strength of indie-integrity you cling to, hipster-douchenozzle. Feist is pushing her wares through Sesame St and the mainstream media. Huzzah for her. She is keeping the dream alive through sheer force of will. Fuck unto all of you for making her seem like the bad guy for doing it. You wouldn't have half the ability to do it if you wanted to. Being bitter and talentless is no match for being talented and crafty, shitheads.

Posted by: PeeperPooper profile link in reply to Stina's comment at 07/28/08 12:35 AM | Reply
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actually she did play 1234 as her closing song, for some reason there is no web archive of it.

Posted by: Emily at 07/27/08 11:01 PM | Reply
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I sit around and bitch that morons everywhere listen to Nickelback and Miley Cyrus and Clay Aiken and Three Days Grace and some shit that is brainless and substance-free, so I'm happy that someone like Feist actually can find some success. Yeah, OK, soccer moms will like her. Uh, so what? It doesn't mean that because this group of people likes her that it alters that way her music sounds. Or that it alters her. I refuse to bitch when a talented musician such as Feist does well because it rips the heart out of my argument when I complain that garbage tops the charts. If you complain when someone good makes it, then what's the basis of your argument really? That you're so self-important that only you can like a particular artist, and once your neighbor does you're off the wagon? That's so ridiculous. Do you even like music because it sounds good? Or because it makes you feel important. I am thrilled for Feist and I'll see her every time she plays my town.

Posted by: Brian at 07/28/08 8:48 AM | Reply
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she is becoming the julia allison of indie rock.

Posted by: elmer at 07/28/08 6:17 PM | Reply
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in a good way.

Posted by: elmer at 07/28/08 6:22 PM | Reply
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This is an indie blog, no?

Posted by: Steve at 07/30/08 3:47 PM | Reply
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