Picastro

An elusive and cryptic presence, Picastro front-woman Liz Hysen was said to have grown up in a deaf household, herself congenitally deaf and fluent in sign language before any spoken tongue, and she swiftly earned attention through her band’s richly textured soundscapes paired with her deeply expressive singing. The group first conquered their hometown of Toronto, supplying the scene with fresh indie-rock legitimacy, before their distinctive blend of electric guitars, cellos, and spectral voices began attracting listeners beyond Canadian borders and drew the attention of Pehr, the premier experimental-rock imprint based in Los Angeles, which promptly signed the quartet. Issued in 2001, the debut album Red Your Blues invited parallels with acts ranging from Godspeed You Black Emperor! to Cat Power, received positive critical notices, and placed several tracks on major-network television shows. Before the year closed, Hysen was reportedly at work on a collection of gypsy songs alongside the avant-garde rock outfit Cerberus Shoal.