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Broadcast live Fridays from the stage at World Cafe Live

Scarcely over 30 years old, Rachael Yamagata is a vibrant and emotional songstress. She honed her skills as a vocalist for the funk band Bumpus, touring extensively and recorded three albums. As she shifted into a solo career in 2001, her rich vocals – tinged with jazz influences – landed her a record deal with Arista. With the 2004 release of her first full album, Happenstance , Yamagata distinguished herself from a coalescing crowd of contemporary pop artists.

Her newest album Chesapeake only heightens Yamagata's reputation as one of today's most gifted singer-songwriters. With a smoky voice that rises above elegant keyboard melodies, the album is a lush landscape of bluesy-pop rhythms. In anticipation of the album's release, Yamagata joined forces with her brother, director Josh Ruben, to produce a video for the single "Even If I Don't." You can watch the video on The Key. The product was a whimsical yet heartbreaking tapestry of lost love.

Yamagata was an XPN Artist To Watch in 2004, and her album Happenstance reached no. 11 that year on the XPN Year In Review Countdown. In addition to XPN's Live Friday Free At Noon, you can catch Rachael at World Cafe Live in Philly on October 31.

Click here to stream/download the just-released "Starlight," a first taste of the new record.