No. 59 Ida Maria

Ida Maria is a pop-punk rocker from Norway. She has an interesting voice, with hints of Janis Joplin and Bjork, but it also has a definite uniqueness to it. I guess I would describe her as a punky version of Lily Allen.

Her songs are definitely catchy. Songs "Oh My God" and "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked," both of which appear on her only album, "Fortress Round My Heart," will certainly be stuck in your head no matter how badly you want them out -- only after a couple listens. But her songs, for the most part, aren't cheesy-catchy. They're interesting and pretty energetic. The slower songs on her album are fairly uninteresting; Ida Maria thrives on her energy and attitude.

I could see people having a good time seeing her live. Her music isn't really my bag, however, so I probably won't be checking her out at Lolla this year.

Interesting fact about Ida Maria: she has synaesthesia, which makes her see colors when she hears tones or sounds (according to Spin magazine). Sounds like that would make being a musician a lot of fun...

Ida Maria's Myspace

Official site