Indie rockin’ actresses
Zooey Deschanel
Fans have been clamoring for Zooey Deschanel to record an album since she wowed audiences with her slyly cool take on the holiday standard Baby, Its Cold Outside in the 2003 film Elf.
Finally in 2008 there was an official Deschanel album. The actress collaborated with indie singer-songwriter M. Ward for their She & Him project, due March 18 from indie label Merge Records.
The two were first heard on a duet of When I Get to the Border, a Linda and Richard Thompson cover. Ward often sings as if hes from another era, his booming voice resulting in a timeless echo over his piano work, and Deschanels vocals complement him well, gracing the song with an almost enchanted calmness.
When I Get to the Border appeared in indie film The Go-Getter, which also stars Jena Malone (see slide No. 9). And for still more Deschanel, check out the album Nighttiming by Jason Schwartzmans Coconut Records, available via most digital download retailers. (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
Parker Posey
Dubbed Queen of the Indies by Time magazine, Parkey Poseys cult following has been largely confined to the film world, where she’s starred in a string of independent films including the recent Broken English, as well as generation-defining cult flicks such as Dazed and Confused.
But shes also dabbled in music, and were not talking about her role in Josie and the Pussycats (underrated movie, trust us). She sang in Christopher Guests A Mighty Wind, the role for which she reportedly learned to play the mandolin, and her vocals also appear on a 2003 Ryan Adams album, Rock N Roll. At the time, Posey was dating the alt-country artist, who began his solo career on indie Bloodshot Records.
That same year, Posey showed off her mandolin skills on Welcome to the Monkey House by the Dandy Warhols. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)
Christina Ricci
It may have been Hollywood blockbuster The Addams Family that catapulted Christina Ricci to stardom, but she soon let the world know she had slightly more adventurous tastes. Ricci dabbled outside the mainstream with a string of indie-minded films, including Buffalo 66, The Opposite of Sex, Pecker, Prozac Nation and Pumpkin.
So its no surprise that she made her recording debut with Beck, an artist who also walks the line between the indie and mainstream worlds. Ricci didnt exactly sing on the relaxed, electro-folk of Hell Yes, where she played the role of a Japanese waitress. But she did provide the vocal hook with the coolly polite refrain of please enjoy. (Andreas Rentz / Getty Images)
Michele Greene
Nominated for an Emmy in 1989 for her role as Abigail Perkins on NBC’s L.A. Law, Michele Greene began more intensely exploring her career as a singer-songwriter as the series was winding down its run. She released her first album Ojo de Tiburon on acclaimed folk independent Appleseed Records (Pete Seeger, Al Stewart).
She released her second album, Luna Roja, on her own last summer. Both are bilingual efforts, and Luna Roja saw Greene delving more deeply into political and social issues affecting the Latin American community. She also offers a cover of Bruce Springsteens Across the Border.
Greene recently published her first young adult novel, Chasing the Jaguar, and continues to act, appearing in such shows as The Unit and Nip/Tuck. (Genaro Molina / LAT)
Jenny Lewis
Although Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis has long since abandoned acting, no list of this ilk would be complete without her. That being said, her work in Rilo Kiley, as well as her smashing 2006 solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, has rendered her acting past a mere afterthought.
But alas, it exists. Lewis appeared alongside Fred Savage in The Wizard and with Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills. Her last role was 2001s Dons Plum, a film featuring Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio, and one that was not given a proper U.S. release.
In 2007, Rilo Kiley released its fourth album Under the Blacklight, and the second under major label Warner Bros. It sees the bands effortless pop evolving into a more groove-driven sound, with greater guitar atmospheres and more space for Lewis to stretch out her conversationally approachable vocals.
Read more about Rilo Kiley here. (Ricardo DeAratanha / LAT)
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver has just released Seastories, her second well-received effort on independently-owned Zoe/Rounder Records. The album sees the Englishwoman delving into traditional Americana, even enlisting the help of actress-friendly rock star Ryan Adams (see slide No. 5).
Drivers music ambitions actually pre-date her acting career. The star of such films as Grosse Pointe Blank and The Phantom of the Opera was in a band before her breakout role in 1995s Circle of Friends. The act lacked a proper name, Driver recently told Relix Magazine, but it did carry the nickname Puff, Rocks and Brown.
In a recent interview with The Times, Driver was asked about the stigma attached with actors dipping into music careers. It’s a really strange and fairly unilateral impoverished response,” she says. “I never understand why people aren’t allowed to do more than one thing.” (John Sciulli / WireImage.com)
