Piano-pop songstress Fiona Apple caught in big label riot

It's been almost two years since Fiona Apple completed her third album, "Extraordinary Machine," but there's little chance you've even heard of it. The piano-pop songstress was made famous by heroin chic videos on MTV, as well as her songs like "Shadow Boxer" and "Criminal." "Tidal," the album containing those hits, earned her a Grammy, but she hasn't released new material since 1999's "When the Pawn."

At least not officially. In the last five years, Fiona's style has been taken over by a new generation of teenage divas on the ivory keys (Vanessa Carlton, Norah Jones, etc.). Apple's label, Sony-owned Epic, deemed the album unworthy of the promotional expense and whatever else record execs talk about in their Armani suits.

As it became clear that Sony/Epic had no intentions of releasing the album, reworked singles or not, the album seemed doomed to rot in storage. But the story doesn't end. Despite the hegemonic oppression that mass media can have on creativity, it also provides venues for its freedom.

Things have a way of "appearing" on the internet. Through a web of newsgroups, IRC rooms, message boards, file-sharing programs and fansites, something that "didn't exist" a few weeks ago can quickly become manifest in the procession of thousands of people. Sometime in 2004, two songs from the album, the title track and "Better Version of Me," were leaked onto the web. That led to radio play, which was followed by an unofficial release of sorts. However it happened, the entire album is now available online.

With "Extraordinary Machine," Apple has finally balanced the evenness of "Tidal" with the creativity and lyrical freshness of "When the Pawn." Most of the songs feature layered instrumentation, often using strings, along with horns, elaborate percussion or varied sounds. The album has depth, like a twenty-something Billie Holiday inspired by Tom Waits. Apple's voice is as crisp and warm as ever when she croons out lyrics like "I make a fuss about a little thing. / Rhyme is losing to riddling."

Apple's forced hiatus may have just lengthened her half-life. "Machine" is just the thing to fill in the gaps left by an increasingly disappointing Tori Amos, while providing a more straightforward version of acts like Dresden Dolls and Regina Spektor. At the same time, Apple has developed her maturity and artistry, which always surpassed that of other current piano sirens.

"Extraordinary Machine" is just the type of album that could be extremely successful: It's well crafted and has the potential to appeal to mainstream audiences and pickier tastes. However, due to the big-name association, it also has the potential to flop and be disregarded as a fading star's attempt to remain relevant. In the wake of the success of other artists formerly fumbled by big labels (Wilco, Spoon), Sony may be attempting to play both sides of their own game. In other words, they may simply be producing hype that money can't buy.

Look at the evidence. The album was only fully leaked to the internet after it found some success on the airwaves. The website FreeFiona.com spearheaded a worldwide letter-writing campaign and a protest that drew about fifty people outside of Sony's headquarters. That may not sound like much, but I doubt many would be willing to go to New York just to beg to pay fifteen bucks for a CD. So while the corporation builds media attention for a risky album, they also foster faith in an endangered commodity: music on hard media. Regardless of the album's eventual fate, its story is likely to overshadow its songs.

Jarret Green is a featured writer for the Capaha Arrow and OFF! Magazine.