Leslie Feist, who uses only her last name as a solo performer, is formally of the alternative band, Broken Social Scene, and therefore her Grammy nomination for "Best New Artist" is a little bit laughable. She's up for four Grammy Awards at the Sunday ceremony, in fact. She is almost 32 and has been singing on stages for half her life. Feist grew up in Calgary with parents who were both artists.

Her debut solo album, The Reminder, is an absolutely lovely, free-spirited experience that showcases her delicate voice and pop sensibility. Her video for the single "1234," which became a hit after being featured in an iPod nano commercial, is colorful and carefree. She dances around with a host of extras in a large warehouse."The videos are there to make the songs visible, to manifest something audible in a visible way," she has said. "For me, what better way to do that for a song that's really child-like and joyful than to dance around in a blue-sparkled pantsuit?"

The Reminder was recorded nearly two years ago in a house outside of Paris. Although there was a recording studio in the basement, the musicians wired things to work upstairs, opening windows to let spring breezes drift in. That airiness became a vital aspect of the record, as the music reflects a sense of space that allows for a multitude of instruments to veer in and out. "I felt like a golden peace," she said. "I was free of any responsibility for whether it was a success or not, because it was already a success in my mind. I had attained freedom before I even tossed the dice to see what the world would think."