Music
Press
"I proceeded to be blown away by the depth and excellence of his tunes; his sharp, witty lyrics; his voice - which alternately reminded me of Jeff Tweedy and David Lowery; and his hysterical storytelling and rants." - Seattle Weekly
"...a complete and satisfying listen." - Time Out New York
"As fiercely idiosyncratic and iconclastic as Joseph Arthur, Poltz sings songs with a satirical double-edge that can make you laugh and cry at the same time." - L.A. Times
"...a master of darkly comic songwriting." - San Diego CityBeat
"The recently released 'Travling' offers smartly executed folk rock that sounds like Wilco produced by George Martin." - Cleveland Scene
"...clever, witty and incisive..."
- Pioneer Press
"This disc presents a fascinating artist; one that most of us would love to travel with and get to know better. - Popmatters
Discography
Tales From the Tavern
Traveling
Unraveling
Chinese Vacation
One Left Shoe
Answering Machine
Photos
Bio
He trick-or-treated at Liberaces house, planned a two-day stay in Amsterdam that ended a month later with him escaping the city under the cover of darkness, and was Bob Hopes favorite altar boy. Alone, these anecdotes go well with a fistful of peanuts at a cocktail party. But on top of all this, he also co-wrote the longest-running song on the Billboard Top 100 (Jewels You Were Meant for Me), had a debut solo album that earned three and a half stars in Rolling Stone, and was awarded the title of San Diegos Most Influential Artist of the Decade at the San Diego Music Awards. What you end up with is one of the most engaging, twisted, and prolific songwriters of our time Steve Poltz. Poltz has cultivated his reminiscences into a heartbreakingly gorgeous collection of songs for his new album, Traveling.
If youve been anywhere near a television in the past two months, odds are excellent that youve heard the voice of Poltz, whose song You Remind Me (Who I Am) is prominently featured in a Jeep television commercial. (The Internet has been flooded with viewers Googling as much information as they can get on the voice behind this contagiously upbeat tune.) And he has released a series of solo albums that have garnered him worldwide notice, with songs prominently featured in movies such as Notting Hill and television shows too. Hes the only artist to have written songs recorded by Jewel and Mojo Nixon . . . and Squeezes Glen Tillbrook too.
But Poltz is not just another golden-voiced honey dripper, belting out ballads for tender make-out moments. This is the same Steve Poltz who pioneered punk-folk music as the front man for The Rugburns, the San Diego-based band whose repertoire boasts a thunderous collection of fist-pumping anthems about cannibalism, football, and the peaks and valleys of the Epicurean life. Poltz even released an album called Answering Machine, consisting entirely of 45-second songs that he recorded for his outgoing answering machine message. Fans all over the world have ordered copies faster than they can be printed, and Neil Young himself has remarked that he counts this among his favorite albums.
Poltz has collaborated with an impressive list of renowned musicians through the years, such as Jewel, David Lowery (Cracker), Victoria Williams, and Van Dyke Parks. He was also tapped as the bandleader for The Hugh Thompson Show, a popular talk show that is a centerpiece of the new online AT&T Tech Channel.
With the new CD Traveling, the artist has drifted from the manic, irreverent form that has marked previous efforts and instead created a soundscape of sweet, delicate songs that carry emotions so raw that listeners will relate on an immediate and personal level. As only he can do, Steve manages to balance sparse yet catchy arrangements with subject matter that unflinchingly examines the universal themes of lost love, a lifetime of travel, and the wisdom born from these experiences. This album is the perfect companion to a rainy weekend morning or a warm summer evening, with its soothing blend of guitar, strings, and Steves patently warm and smoky voice.
Haters Union couches anguished, confessional lyrics within an achingly pretty melody, with vocals so rich and so deep that the song takes on a vivid intensity, as if you are immersed in a late night conversation with an old friend. Rains is infectiously punchy, even as Steve describes the hopeless feeling of trying to escape the memory of a lost lover while staring out on a rainy day. Brief History of My Life, a massive favorite at live shows, showcases his considerable prowess as both a storyteller and a songwriter, as he takes the listener through a sometimes melancholic, sometimes hilarious walk through his early years, all the way through to the present day. Finally, Street Fighters Face is an explosive rocker that cuts across all politics and nails the sense of both pride and despair felt by the narrator, a young marine coming to grips with the realities of war.
Traveling is ultimately an album of hope, with melodies that are exquisite in their simplicity. Recorded through 2007, the album additionally features the renowned string quartet Tosca, whose arrangements create a distinct aural tapestry behind Steves fluid acoustic patterns.
In addition to the 11 songs on Traveling, Poltz recorded 11 additional tracks that will be included on a separate album called Unraveling, which will be available exclusively at his live shows.
This album is more a part of my life than any record before it, says Poltz. Its actually a brief history of my life from an end of a relationship to a new beginning. Writing and getting it made was a long process three and a half years and 100 songs to be exact, which I edited down to 22 and then to 11. In making this record, I slept on the floor of the studio. Its all I thought about. And finally, out came what I believe is a little gem of an album.
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