Chan Manning, the artist that also goes under the moniker Cat Power, has a silent staying power that is undeniable. As a musician, Cat Power is of elegant simplicity. Her songs and her messages are quite straightforward. Her voice is of, and in itself entirely, unique and unforgettable.

Hailing from Georgia, Cat Power has had a formidable career spanning over 13 years with eight studio recordings. As an independent artist signed to Matador, she has developed a strong and fiercely dedicated fan base over the years, contributing much to her success.

Many may not know Cat Power is the amazing voice in the Debeers diamond commercial singing a snippet of Cat Stevens' "How Can I Tell You." Her voice can be nothing more than a soft earthy murmur at times or a whisper that comes and goes ever so softly without much ado only to sneak back and haunt the mind later, demanding your attention.

Jukebox, Cat Power's most recent release, is a collection of various cover songs made famous by artists like Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Hank Williams Sr., and Bob Dylan, to name a few, with the addition of two original recordings. Her covers here are not only covers, but unique Blues re-interpretations and clever song re-arrangements that make sense lyrically and bring new dimensions to the originals.

The original tracks off of "Jukebox" are "Metal Heart" and "Song For Bobby," the latter of which intriguingly incorporates Dylanesque phrasings.

Among other projects, Cat Power also has another cover track, "Sea of Love," featured on the soundtrack for the successful film "Juno".

-More on Cat Power here

By Claudine Paul
Starpulse contributing writer