Syd Straw is an American rock singer and songwriter. She began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then joined the Golden Palominos (also including Michael Stipe, Matthew Sweet, and Anton Fier). She released her first album, Surprise, in 1989; it featured contributions by Stipe, Fier, Richard Thompson, Peter Blegvad, and a number of other well-known musicians. A second album, War and Peace, appeared in 1996. Recorded with a relatively obscure Midwest rock group called the Skeletons, it chronicled a brief and unhappy romance. Her long-awaited third full length, entitled Pink Velour, saw digital release in June, 2008, rewarding fans' patience with some of her most reflective songwriting to date, tempered with her trademark lyrical whimsy. A frequent backup singer and contributor to duets with other musicians, Straw has also maintained an intermittent acting career, appearing on the television shows The Adventures of Pete & Pete and Tales of the City.