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Spotlight

Haley Bonar

Who? Out of the same Twin Cities that birthed Prince, the Replacements, and Husker Du, Haley Bonar delivers (alternative) country from the city. Lure The Fox is the follow-up to her debut, 2003’s The Size of Planets, and is her first release on the Afternoon Records label.

What’s the Deal? She might call St. Paul home now, but Bonar is originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, and her rural pedigree shines through in her lyrics. Her sad songs about people who done wrong come from the dust of remote places. Lure The Fox is populated with tired parents, black dresses, and distant regrets, and Bonar’s voice pulls it altogether, somehow coming across as simultaneously urgent and resigned. Every time she lulls you into a finger-picked haze of sound, her vocals rise above the gloom to make you pay attention, even if it is only to that very gloom. This is music for watching dead leaves fall to the ground.

Fun Fact: She may have a shiny new record deal and a guest spot on the new Andrew Bird album, but Haley keeps it real. She spent part of last summer working in a coffee shop. Note: Miss Bonar is no fan of people who “get pissed off if you don’t put 2 ice cubes in their decaf americano with room for cream,” so support your local barista by not being obnoxious, okay? JEFFREY PARKER

Now Hear This: Haley Bonar – “Captain Captain” DOWNLOAD MP3

Talk: Does listening to Haley Bonar make you wish you were from a one-stoplight town? COMMENT

On the Web: haleybonar.com