Katherine Hoffert loves Zee Avi at Noise Pop Festival

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: February 25th, 2010 | 7:00am

It’s not every day that San Francisco gets a visit from a YouTube Malaysian sensation. Discovered by Patrick Keeler of the Raconteurs, this 23-year-old from a tiny town on the island of Borneo sings 1920s American jazz-inspired tunes with a pure honesty, simplicity, and timeless voice that’s garnered comparisons to Nina Simone.

The story goes: Zee Avi (born Izyan Alirahman) posted a video of her song “Poppy,” a beautiful lament for a relationship lost to heroin addiction, online and sought feedback from her friend. On his request, Avi kept the video post and it wasn’t long before her inbox was full of label offers. Now signed to Brushfire Records, Avi, who resides in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has recorded and released her self-titled debut album, and toured the U.S. with Pete Yorn. Don’t miss your chance to see this captivating old soul while she’s in town!

Zee Avi performs at 8:00 p.m. at the Rickshaw Stop

Katherine Hoffert is a contributing writer for Venus Zine