Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Tracy Shedd's fragile, wistful, confessional, and stubbornly dreamy songs, part folk and part minimal alternative pop, have made her the queen of slowcore. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, the daughter of a country singer, she grew up surrounded by music, studying classical piano, playing trumpet in her high-school marching band, and developing an early interest in jazz before discovering guitar, punk rock, and the alternative indie world. She released her first album, Blue, in 2001, following it with Red in 2003 and Louder Than You Can Hear in 2004, all of which earned her critical praise for her eccentric personal style and hushed vocals, which were often purposely half buried in the mix. With 2008's Cigarettes & Smoke Machines, though, she brought her vocals out front, and without changing her approach or style, it gave her songs and melodies a brighter clarity, a path she followed again for 2013's Arizona. ~ Steve Leggett