I saw Feist live opening up for the Kings of Convenience a long time ago. She was solo on stage, looping her guitar and rocking out PJ Harvey/Patty Smith style. I thought her first album was really good and she wowed me by owning the stage all alone. I remember being interested in hearing her 2nd album. I heard her on some NPR show talking about how she lived upstairs from the recording studio and would just go down stairs and cut some tracks in her pajamas. Pretty much sounded like an album recorded in pajamas. I've liked a few tracks from her here and there but I think she didn't live up my hopes.
haha. Gonzales is one of my friends exes. Pretty talented and funny guy. Feist is also tight with Peaches and Mocky I first came to know her when I lived around the corner from a place called The Rivoli in Toronto which was a Thai restaurant/poolhall/hip bar and a performance space. Kids in the Hall, Broken Social Scene, the above mentioned and lots of others were regulars. Super eclectic mix. The Broadway hit The Drowsy Chaperone even opened there. Really great place. Also down the street from the studio and apartment you mentioned. At the beginnings some nights there were only like 30 people there. So undoubtedly have an emotional connection to the place and a lot of the acts since that was when I first moved to the big city and got my first real job. I only like about half of her stuff but really liked Metals.