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Merrill Beth Nisker (Born 1966 in Toronto, Ontario), better known as Peaches, is an electronic musician whose songs are noted for their use of explicit & sexual lyrics.
HistoryBefore she became Peaches, Nisker was an elementary school music and drama teacher. She plays her own instruments for her songs, programs her own electronic beats, and produces her own albums.
She released her first album, Fancypants Hoodlum, under the name Merrill Nisker in 1995, and subsequently developed the style and persona that would take her to international fame as Peaches. In Toronto, before rising to fame, she was a roommate of fellow recording artist Feist.[ mont = July ]
Her songs have been featured in movies such as Mean Girls, Waiting..., Jackass Number Two, My Little Eye, and Lost in Translation. Her music has also been featured on television shows such as Showtime's The L Word and Ugly Betty or South Park (episode of the 13th season called 'Butters' Bottom Bitch'), and has been used for the promotion of Dirt. Peaches performed guest vocals on Pink's album Try This, on the song "Oh My God," and on the Chicks on Speed album 99 Cents, on the song "We Don't Play Guitars."
For her third album, 2006's Impeach My Bush, Peaches enlisted guest musicians Joan Jett, Greg Kurstin, Josh Homme, Samantha Maloney, Beth Ditto, Feist, Dave Catching, Brian O'Connor and Radio Sloan to perform on several of the tracks.
Peaches and the Herms performing in 2006
. Left to right: JD Samson, Samantha Maloney, Peaches, and Radio Sloan.
The Herms (short for hermaphrodites) were formed in spring 2006 as Peaches' live backing band. They played at small and large venues alike with sex and sex related themes as the "shock factor" for the audience
Peaches played live at the Parklife Festival in Australia, in the fall of 2008, with her now current German live band Sweet Machine.
Her fourth album I Feel Cream, was released on May 4, 2009 in Europe and May 5 in North America. The first single from the project is a double A-side of "Talk to Me" and "More".. Peaches enlisted some of her contemporaries to co-produce a number of tracks including Simian Mobile Disco, Soulwax, Digitalism and Shapemod. Long time friend and collaborator Gonzales co-wrote some of the songs on I Feel Cream.
Peaches has been noted for her stage costumes and flamboyant sense of style. Peaches' looks are often both nostalgic and futuristic; aggresive and glamorous; and push the limits of gender identity. Peaches and her band wear costumes from a variety of designers but most notably she works closely with stylist/designer Vaughan Alexander, celebrity hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu, and a young American fashion designer by the name of John Renaud.
Notable themesOriginal research
Gender identity is one theme of Peaches' music, often playing with traditional notions of gender roles representation. Her lyrics and live shows consciously blur the distinction between male and female; for example, she appears on the cover of her album Fatherfucker with a full beard. When asked if she had chosen the title for shock value, she commented:
She disputes accusations of "penis envy," preferring the term "hermaphrodite envy,
since "there is so much male and female in us all."
DiscographyAlbums- Fancypants Hoodlum (1995, as Merrill Nisker)
- The Teaches of Peaches (2000)
- Fatherfucker (2003)
- Impeach My Bush (2006) #168 US, #98 CAN
- I Feel Cream (2009) #160 US
Singles/EPs- S/T (Teenage USA Recordings) (2000)
- "Lovertits" (2000)
- "Set It Off" (2001, 2002) #36 UK
- "Rockshow" (featuring Iggy Pop) (2003)
- "Operate" (2003)
- "Kick It" (featuring Iggy Pop) (2004) #39 UK
- "Shake Yer Dix" (2006) (Download single)
- "Downtown" (2006) #50 UK
- "Boys Wanna Be Her" (2006)
- "Wild Thing" (remix) (2007)
- "Talk to Me" / "More" (2009)
- "Lose You" (2009)
- "I Feel Cream" (2009)
Remixes- Luis Jacob ("Without Persons-The Pathfinder")
- Daft Punk ("Technologic")
- Le Tigre ("TKO")
- Basement Jaxx ("Get Me Off")
- The Bird and the Bee ("Fucking Boyfriend")
- The B-52's ("Funplex")
- Tone Loc ("Wild Thing")
- Queens of the Stone Age ("Broken Box")
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Cheated Hearts")
- Bonde Do Role ("Marina Gasolina")
- Gibby Haynes ("Red Neck Sex")
- Yoko Ono ("Kiss Kiss Kiss")
- Pink Grease ("Peaches")
- Ladyhawke ("Paris Is Burning")
Collaborations- Contributed to the UNICEF benefit song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" in 2005.
- Duet with Gonzales called "Red Leather".
- Duet with Gonzales called "The Joy of Thinking".
- Duet with Mignon called "Casanova"
- Contributed vocals to "Boys and Girls" and "Everybody Party" on Taylor Savvy's 2002 album Ladies and Gentleman. Frequent Peaches collaborators Gonzales and Mignon also contributed vocals to the album.
- Duet with Pink called "Oh My God".
- Played guitar and sang on the Chicks on Speed song "We Don't Play Guitars".
- Contributed lyrics and vocals for "Drugs and Glamour", for Removal's single "9 of 10"
- Collaborated with Karen O on a song titled "Backass" on the Jackass Number Two soundtrack.
- Collaborated with Louie Austen on his song titled "Grab My Shaft."
- Collaborated with Iggy Pop and her side project Feedom on the track ("Motor Inn") on his 2003 album Skull Ring
- Collaborated with fellow Canadian Mocky.
- Duet with Snax, a cover of the Prince-penned Apollonia 6 track "Oo She She Wa Wa" on his album From the Rocking Chair to the Stage.
- Collaborated with Garbage at 2005's AmsterJam for a mash up of "Fuck the Pain Away" with Garbage's "Push It" as well as collaborated on "I Don't Give a.."
- Toured with Marilyn Manson in 2003 and sang the song "Rock N Roll Nigger" with him.
- Collaborated with Tommie Sunshine on his single "Dance Among the Ruins".
- Performed vocals on Bloc Party remix of ("Helicopter") (remix by Weird Science).
- Iggy Pop covered her song ("Rock Show") on his album Skull Ring).
- Collaborated with Stink Mitt on a song called "Fan Etiquette" for the bonus EP for the Japanese release of Impeach My Bush
- Collaborated on "Fine As Fuck" by Scream Club, off their 2006 album, "Life of a Heartbreaker". This song also appear as a collaboration track with french artist Electrosexual, on the 12-inch vinyl picture disc "Fine As Fuck" EP.
Soundtracks- The song "Fuck the Pain Away" was used in a scene in the film Lost in Translation in which Bob and Charlotte, the two
Covers and samples- Peaches covered Berlin's "Sex (I'm A)" as an extra track on the Teaches of Peaches bonus disc
- Peaches and the band Electric Six are friends, and have each covered one of the other's songs; Peaches covered "Gay Bar" and Electric Six covered "Rock Show".
- Peaches sampled Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" for the song "I Don't Give a..."
- Peaches did a parody of Alanis Morissette's version of the Black Eyed Peas' My Humps called "My Humps, My Dumps" Yo Majesty and Inara George also appear in the video.
- Peaches covered Iggy Pop's song "Search and Destroy" on the War Child: Heroes benefit album.
- Peaches covered Prince's "Irresistible Bitch".
Copyright Citations
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