"Zoe Boekbinder opens her mouth, and the voice that comes out is ageless, beautiful, heartbreaking and wise. Zoe looks so young, and so innocent. I think she kidnapped a marvellous singer from long ago Paris, and stole her voice. It's the only explanation."

"When Zoe Boekbinder, on tour supporting her new album Artichoke Perfume, took to the stage the entire evening was transported to a whole new level as if by some sort of magical beanstalk. With songs that exhibited playful storytellings containing twists like the barbs of roses, one couldn't help but catch themselves leaning forward as if trying to catch a better glimpse of the stories unfolding in their mind."

"Zoe sounds a little like Jolie Holland dancing on Billie Holiday's gramophone player in Tom Waits's New Orleans hotel room."

"If I hadn't had the chance to meet her in person I would have thought she was years older than she is. She sings with confidence, authority and a wisdom that seems informed by years of regret."

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Press Bio

Zoe is a speakeasy lounge singer performing at Fraggle Rock. She is “geek-glam”, music for people who wear sequins to the library. In 2005, Zoe formed a band called Vermillion Lies with her sister, Kim Boekbinder. This twisted folk cabaret duo traveled the world charming audiences with their comedic songs. They headlined venues like The Great American Music Hall (SF) and Circo de Braga (Portugal). Zoe has played with bands like The Dresden Dolls, The Ditty Bops, and Kaki King. Since 2007 she has been touring and recording solo. Zoe’s 2009 album Artichoke Perfume is an intoxicating blend of old timey and jazz inflected arrangements and her quirky/surreal songs.

Zoe Boekbinder's newest album (2011) is a heart rending and tousled collage of auxiliary percussion, haunted horns, musical saws, and strings. Her voice flutters with delicate precision, and her frequently macabre and surreal lyrics hint at the haunted circus that she claims to come from. The album recounts a long trail of heartbreaks and disappointments with a coroner's eye for detail. Each song emerges as a sneakily alluring specimen neatly stuck onto a foam board with a pin. Shenandoah Davis' eclectic production stunningly brings all of Zoe's strange and beautiful idiosyncrasies front and center.