Imogen Heap

As I'm always on the lookout for new and different artists that I haven't heard before, so when my teacher spoke of Imogen Heap I figured I'd check her out. While I had Heard of her, I'd never really actually sat and listened to her, and those two things are very different.
Listening to her 1998 release, "I Megaphone", I realized several things. I realized I like her, but also that she follows a long line of similar sounding female artists. She combines the Tori Amos-style piano and vocal techniques, seen especially on songs like "Candlelight", with the attitude and lyrical qualities of Ani Difranco, as heard on "Getting Scared". She's likewise been compared to Kate Bush and Patti Smith, but an evident British sound, such as that of PJ Harvey, is somewhat evident as well. However she brings her own blend to the mix with a bit more punk and dance influence, especially in "Getting Scared" and "Rake It In". She strikes me as an artist I would hear on the L Word and want to download. Thankfully though, she is one of the few women out there now claiming it in the name of rock and not in the name of "I'm-wearing-next-to-nothing-please-look-at-my-breasts" pop stars of recent. It is refreshing to see the torch passed to someone who could carry it very far. She has been involved in a collaboration project with Guy Sigsworth, called Frou Frou. She's also recently been featured on the television show "The OC", and has a new album coming out this May.
http://www.imogenheap.co.uk/