Artist bio

Former leader of '80s one-hit-wonders Til Tuesday, Aimee Mann has evolved into a singularly crafty songwriter, and waded through years of label limbo to find success on her own terms, touring and smithing albums at a self-described pace.

Her first solo album Whatever coughed up a couple well-received singles, but a major stylistic leap marked 1995's I'm With Stupid, which should have had an arrow on the cover art pointing to her old record label, Imago, which delayed the release of the album numerous times after folding (losing momentum gained by "That's Just What You Are" being included on the "Melrose Place" soundtrack), despite the obvious quality of the elegant rock-pop compositions contained within.

Its follow-up was delayed numerous times as well, Mann eventually buying it back from her label Reprise and releasing it herself, via her Web site and Superego Records imprint. This coincided with pal Paul Thomas Anderson being so inspired by some of her new music that he wrote a movie, "Magnolia," populated with characters drawn from Mann's songs. Said songs in turn populated the soundtrack, and earned Mann an Oscar nomination.

The album, Bachelor No. 2, ended up being her biggest seller, and taking Mann's career to unexpected new heights. The addiction-themed Lost In Space followed in 2002, Mann continuing to ply her trade the best way she knows how, with sweetly crooned and delicately balanced tales of regret and depression told as by a masterful poet.

Albums by this artist

Bachelor No. 2 (2000)

'Magnolia' Original Soundtrack (1999)

Concerts

March 13, 2000
Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis

Aimee Mann (and others)

'Magnolia' Original Soundtrack

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

Aimee Mann 'Magnolia' Original Soundtrack Reprise, 1999 RiYL: Suzanne Vega, Simon & Garfunkel's The Graduate, Liz Phair

Director Paul Thomas Anderson's liner notes for the soundtrack to his film "Magnolia" explain that the movie was written as an adaptation of Aimee Mann songs.

"Like one would adapt a book for the screen, I had the concept of adapting Aimee's songs into a screenplay," he says.

The resulting motion picture is not only based on Mann's songs, it features them prominently and uses the songs to propel the narrative. While you don't need to have seen the movie to enjoy this album, the two complement each other in such a symbiotic way that it helps to experience both. Anderson explains that one of the film's characters was written from the creative starting point of the opening line of "Deathly," and that the movie's different stories were written branching off that character.

"One could do the math," Anderson says, "and realize that all stories come from Aimee's brain, not mine."

So whether you're a fan of Mann's work or the movie, this soundtrack is worth experiencing. The record features a couple older, obscure Mann songs, a few slated to appear on her third album Bachelor No. 2, a cover, and some original tunes indigenous to "Magnolia."

Standout tracks include the jaunty "Driving Sideways," "Wise Up," and an instrumental version of "Nothing Is Good Enough" (the original version of which appears on Bachelor No. 2). The eloquent "Wise Up" has a crucial role in the movie -- all the film's main characters sing parts of the song in one key sequence.

This record serves as a good reminder that Mann is one of today's more insightful and creative singer-songwriters. Her second solo album, I'm With Stupid, came out in 1995, but Mann was unfortunately out of the spotlight for the latter half of the '90s. Still, she proves with this soundtrack that she still has some great songs in her.

Also included, somewhat unneccesarily, are two Supertramp songs and a Gabrielle song which are featured as background music in the film. The album closes with an instrumental theme by Jon Brion, who plays on and lends production help to a lot of Mann's songs.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.