Cat Power’s Chan Marshall is like fine wine. Not so much that she gets better with age (which is certainly true – each consecutive Cat Power album has garnered her more and more critical praise). Instead, I argue that the older her material gets, the better it sounds.

I think working backwards through her catalog has lead me to this conclusion. The dark, moody music of Moon Pix, Myra Lee, What Would the Community Think, and Dear Sir is truly mesmerizing.

Interesting story: A few weeks ago, California got hammered by a monster storm. It brought 11 feet of snow to parts of the Sierra and packed winds in excess of 75 mph. One thing I really miss about the Midwest is lightning and thunder, which Pacific storms don’t frequently produce. The last time I’ve heard thunder in California was back in 2001.

As I sat that morning in my apartment marveling at the storm, I listened to Moon Pix, a great rainy day album. The song “Say” (posted below) even features a recording of rain and thunder.

What happened next was hard to believe. As I sat listening to “Say” the heavens above slowly split open with a bellowing crack of thunder. It had nearly the same tone and length as the recording in the song. At first I thought it was the song, but I soon realized it was out of place. Needless to say, it was a great way to start the day.

So in honor of that amazing coincidence, and her forthcoming album Jukebox, out January 22, I’ve decided to feature Cat Power in this month’s Artist Spotlight. The six tracks posted below sample Myra Lee and Moon Pix and are all somber, bluesy, electric gems. Enjoy with a glass of wine?

• Cat Power – Top Expert
• Cat Power – Ice Water
• Cat Power – Still In Love
• Cat Power – Rockets
• Cat Power – Say
• Cat Power – Metal Heart