My Backup Girl!

Now if me and Lisa don't work out, I have my real muse, the woman who I've had a crush on for many years. Her violin has soothed me to sleep many nights. Her name is Petra Haden, and she's the most kickass violinist ever!

She used to play with that dog. and recorded with The Rentals many times. She also has four solo albums, two of them colaborations (Miss Murgatoid and Bill Frissel respectively), one a complete cover album (Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out) and then one complete a capella album (Imaginaryland).

I first heard Petra when I bought Return Of The Rentals and I heard this really sweet, yet very spunky violin player. Her voice melted my heart. Who was this siren?

I ended up buying all the that dog. records I could get my hands on (currently 2 out of 3, they're impossible to find, along with her first two solo albums). She's guested on so many albums now, with such artists as Green Day, Beck and Spain (which her brother Josh was in). She's now in The Decemberists, one of my favorite live bands. I actually got into them because of her, but that's another story. One that is very heart breaking.

But recently, I was shown one of her newest (at least, new to us) covers. "God Only Knows" is probably one of my top three favorite Beach Boy songs and I just had to share it with you guys, along with a couple of other perfect songs by her.

God Only Knows
Yellow (Coldplay cover)
Red

For those of you who's favorite movie is Chasing Amy (like me), then "Red" should be a particular find.