Todd Stadtman

Todd Stadtman classes his work as "futurist bubblegum", but it seems that he may have oversimplified and underestimated himself. Certainly, Todd takes a unique, electronic slant on the traditional pop song, but his Tom Petty-esque vocals and weaving of different layers of sound make it dangerously listenable. "Jezebel Jones" is a catchy love song with twangy guitars and lots of electronic distortion, and "Back To Yourself" is also a happy, quirky highlight. There are darker moments, like "I Am Mr. Green", and also a couple of disappointing tracks - "I'm Good" features squeaky, distorted voices over a farting keyboard which never fails to abrade. However, with the exception of these less impressive moments, "Only I Can Save You" creeps up on you, and before you know it, you're head-bobbing and toe-tapping with a smile on your face. - SK

- Is This Music? Magazine

San Francisco-based Stadtman was last heard in the lush pop duo ZIkzak, but here he hooks up with soundtrack artist Dan Wool for this quirky, minimalist electro-pop LP. Stadtman avoids the repetition often associated with programmed electronic music, infusing each light-hearted tune with varied arrangements and sonics. His warm singing evokes other proficient tunesmiths such as Robyn Hitchcock, Edwyn Collins, and Jazz Butcher's Pat Fish, while on the lyrical side, he's always trying to mend some fractured relationship. The LP gains strength as it progresses, but there are likable gems strewn throughout, whether the jaunty "The Clock in My Heart", the helium-voiced silliness of "I'm Good", or the breezy, horn-flecked standout "Talking Through My Mouth" (just try to get this one out of your head - it's impossible!)


- Mark Suppanz
- The Big Takeover

Zikzak is a band in the same sense as Beck or P.J. Harvey, which is to say that they’re really not. While the Los Angeles-based collective uses guitarists and keyboard players to buff their tunes to a high-pop gloss, Zikzak essentially is a vehicle for the voice and songs of bassist Todd Stadtman. That makes it a simple matter for Stadtman to put his songs across in venues that wouldn’t normally accommodate a full mikes-and-monitors unit.
He’ll do just that at 6 p.m. Saturday, with and acoustic in-store performance at Paul’s Compact Discs, 4526 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. The mini-tour concludes Monday with another acoustic set at Café Au Lait, 1224 E. Carson St., South Side.
Stadtman croons post-modern, Prada-issue pop songs in a voice that recalls a young Bryan Ferry. He’ll be premiering songs from Zikzak’s upcoming release, "Anxotica”, as well as their debut CD, “See You There.”
- William Loeffler
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[Translated from the original Spanish]
In San Francisco there lives, hidden from the high lights, a genius of timeless pop who deserves much more praise than he has received. His name is Todd Stadtman. He recorded his debut album with Alex Cox's regular composers (a fact that doesn't exactly help one to register in the so-called real world) and he lives in other times; let's say he makes 80s British pop (The Smiths, They Might Be Giants, The Wedding Present) as if it had just been invented. And let's say that, despite his anonymity, he sings as passionately as Shane McGowan. Let's say that he writes his lyrics under the influence... of Elvis Costello.
Let's listen.
Juan Manuel Freire
- aB Magazine

***
On See You There, Zikzak offers its unique style of pop songs. Todd Stadtman is the undeniable vocal leader of the group, leading on vocals on all but one song. David Rubinstein is the instrumental leader, performing all of the guitar and keyboard work. The duo's graceful and classically structured songs might be what Frank Sinatra might have sounded like if he had come of age in the 1990s. The piano and Stadtman's vocals on "Halfway Down" are prime examples of the group's artistry and seamless execution of the songs. As the disc continues, Stadtman's voice becomes even more impressive, composed, and emotional, in the vein of Morrissey. Rubinstein checks in on vocals on "You Choose," singing in his own raw and emotional voice. Stadtman takes back the vocal reins on "Everybody Look Into the Sun," a song of varying tempos. The music becomes more frantic as the disc nears an end, on the mesmerizing "You Say That Love Is Everything," which leads to the serene ballad "My Brilliant Angel"." Stadtman and Rubinstein take out all of their musical ammunition on "Everything There Is to Have," a perfect album closer. See You There was recorded at Grubby Studios in North Carolina, as well as Tsh Studios in Los Angeles. Bitter Records released the album in 1999. — Stephen Cramer
- All Music Guide

by Irving
Clever, melodramatic lyrics. Sing-along choruses. Bouncy beats. Smooth vocals. Who could ask for anything more? San Francisco duo Zikzak has crafted a pretty great pop album, along the lines of a more upbeat Elvis Costello or a less electronic Erasure. Well, that might be stretching it, but you get the idea. Go ahead and listen to "You Strike Me Down" and see if you can go more than a minute before you start dancing around in your socks, pretending you're Molly Ringwald. I dare you. "Shatterproof" comes darn close to setting up Zikzak for the "American Morrissey" title. "Everybody Look into the Sun" is a wonderful weird mix of dark, inspirational, beatles-lounge-pop. In addition to a fine chorus, "Anna Li" has some of the best lyrics on the CD. A couple of samples:

She can be a toothless hag or murderess
Cos my heart is as spacious/As hers is glacial

Ha! Good stuff. Not every tune on See You There is totally successful -- "You Choose" suffers a bit from David Rubinstein's peculiar vocal style (Todd Stadtman sings on all other tracks), and "You Say That Love Is Everything" strays dangerously close to the wrong side of the Queen equation. But these are mere quibbles (and besides, the strangeness of Rubinstein's voice has grown on me. Queen hasn't). This is great pop music: lush, weird, pretty and sad. Check it out.
- Splendid Ezine

Comprised of David Rubinstein (guitars, keyboards) and Todd Stadtman (vocals, bass guitar) - both veterans of the San Francisco scene - Zikzak is into anthemic, high drama pop. And when they feel like it, they can really lay down some infectious tunes. "You Strike Me Down", the opener on their debut See You There, is a case in point. Stadtman starts the song with a soft croon, slowly working his way into the jangle and burst corners of this should-be hit. What’s more, this number, like others on the CD, channels some very interesting pop spirits. One canít help but think they’re hearing a re-working of Men at Work. Occasionally Gene peeks through, adding an over-the-top element. At other times Stadtman’s voice so evokes David Gedge’s that you’d swear they were jonzin for a Wedding Present fix. Their self-avowed heroes include an incongruous lot: Frank Sinatra, The Sex Pistols, and Elvis Costello. However, Zikzak has a pretty consistent sound. Perhaps the only thing they hold in common with the aforementioned is their love of drama-driven tunes with sharp narratives. Zikzak has obviously been at this long enough to gauge how to write consistent songs even while drawing from dissimilar sources.

Bitter-sweet lyrics, brief songs, and verse-chorus-verse are their staples. It works really well, but it would be nice to see them push the envelope a little more. And while there are some fantastic numbers on See You There (along with the intro, those that come to mind are "Halfway Down," "Anna Li", and "Everything there is to have") the guitar, drums, bass driven standard leaves something to be desired. (Wish their quiet piano would come to the fore.) There’s nothing wrong with this kind of ensemble, but Zikzak have so much song writing potential that they should take it to another level by brining in some more challenging instrumentation. The long-forgotten Judy Bats were as well adept at song-smithing, but their inability to mix it up and break new ground left them wading in through the obscure backwaters of southern college alt-pop. Oh, that Zikzak doesn’t suffer a similar fate.

This aside, Zikzakís freshman effort is very encouraging. And it’s an infrequent joy to find a band of this stature lurking on the edges of obscurity. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of them in the future.

- Randall Stephens
- Tidal Wave Magazine

These days, it seems like "pop music" has become a bad word to anyone but the under-14 set. With all the Backstreets and the Britneys out there it's hard to find a good, mature pop album, but I know I've found one: Zikzak's "See you there".

Zikzak shows a delightful range of talent, from hook-laden hits like the slowly-building "Everybody Look into the Sun" and the sardonic, tongue-in-cheek "Anna Li" to the heartfelt, earnest pleading of "You say that Love is Everything". Even more impressive is the fact that Zikzak is a duo: Todd Stadtman sings lead and plays the bass, and David Rubenstein joins him with the guitars, programming and keyboards. Despite this minimal personnel, Zikzak's sound is rich and full. And the songwriting (primarily done by Stadtman) shows intelligence and experience much deeper than that of pop songs we're used to hearing on the radio. The pair list such influences as Elvis Costello (obviously) and the Sex Pistols, but nevertheless have their own unique sound. And they've produced one of the best pure-pop albums I've heard in a long time.

My only complaint would be the lack of sufficient liner notes. With music like this it's nice to be able to flip to a song's lyrics, and unfortunately Zikzak provides none in the CD case. However, all of the song lyrics (and some additional information) is provided on the band's website, so all is not lost. This album definitely deserves and rewards extra listening. Little touches like the calliope ending to "You say Love is Everything" to the entire French version of "Everybody Look into the Sun" after the end of "Everything there is to have" make this a great disc to listen to and enjoy over and over again. Few pop albums out now can make that boast, and "See you there" has left them all far behind.

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EDITOR'S PICK
Todd is one of those guys that you'd expect either at Berklee College of Music or the local insane asylum. He'd certainly fit in either with his eclectic style of indie pop. You can hear the influences swirling about in the vein of They Might Be Giants with a certain appreciable nod in the direction of Elvis Costello and his mainstream approachable pop. Cloaked in the bubblegum wrapper of Stadtman's pop is an unique genius that's as eclectic as Japanese culture where this album no doubt would explode from Tokyo's plushest stereos.

- J-Sin

- Smother.net