X-Patriate (Alan J. Lipman)

“Pennsylvania Avenue” from X-Patriate: Alan J. Lipman: Song From New Release CD by Doctor/Lawyer, CNN/BBC Commentator Tops iTunes Popularity

“Pennsylvania Avenue” is the bold new ‘state-of-the-nation’ narrative from Alan J. Lipman, aka X-Patriate. 2008 has seen this song reach top popularity status on iTunes. It is taken from the remarkable new album “Greetings From Lafayette Park”, newly released on OneSuch Records.

This record, with its echoes of Springsteen, Dylan and The Beatles, has been making waves all over the world – first in Italy and France, and now in Japan and the US too, word-of-mouth has drawn over a quarter of a million viewers to X-Patriate’s MySpace page. And with other album tracks “Dirty Little Secret” and “Dirty Life” also achieving top popularity on iTunes, it seems that Lipman has something to say that people want to hear.

Lipman writes all of the music and lyrics, plays all of the instruments, and sings every word on the record. He also has a unique background. He has been writing music since the age of 8, but he is also a doctor with a private practice in the heart of Georgetown, in Washington DC, has served as a professor at Georgetown University, is a graduate of Georgetown law, a published author (represented by the country’s leading non-fiction agency, as cited in the “New Yorker”, Dupree-Miller), and a commentator for CNN, the BBC, NBC News, the Washington Post, L.A. Times, and Agence France Presse, among other media. He has lectured throughout the world, served on White House initiated campaigns and as advisor to nations and the State Department, and, in his clinical work, has worked at the most elite institutions such as Yale University School of Medicine, The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown, as well as with the most bereft souls on the streets of Washington. Lipman’s work has ranged from the most powerful politicians, journalists, attorneys, and other leading hearts and minds in Washington DC, to those struggling to keep heart and mind, body and soul together–as well the many minds and souls in between, who daily walk the streets of the city and the nation. He is certainly not your typical musician!

Yet through everything else, each year, Lipman has been writing lyrics and music, singing, playing all the instruments, and recording. He now records his music in a studio that he has built located just a few steps away from the Capitol and the White House - in the very heart of the nation. “Greetings From Lafayette Park” has now delivered this music from the heart of the nation into the world.

“Greetings” has been lauded far and wide for its musical diversity and lyrical depth. International publications such as “Whip art”-Italy’s National Art Publication based in Rome, and Nighttime Magazine are amongst the new devotees of this extraordinary album, with feature stories and in-depth interviews of Lipman. Even the cover shows the levels of thoughtfulness and invention Lipman has brought to the project. Combining the famous “Abbey Road” cover with an ironic nod to Springsteen’s “Greetings from Asbury Park”, and the apples and oranges presented to us by DC brilliantly captures the musical diversity, emotional depth and lyric complexity of the songs within.

Greetings From Lafayette Park

The epic “Pennsylvania Avenue” uses DC as Springsteen used Asbury Park, with the inner emotions, darkness, passions, power, and hope of the many different groups in DC used as a prism to reflect the power, passion, dreams, and often undiscovered darkness of humanity. The powerful political message has since seen the track included in a very popular Obama IMix on iTunes.

The haunting “Dirty Little Secret”–also having reached top popularity on iTunes–evokes Dylan in its lyrical sharpness, while Lipman’s deep, warm, powerful vocal performance has been compared to Nick Cave. The cool, knowing “Dirty Life” with a driving backbeat, reminds the listener of Lennon’s irony and his direct biting insight. Lipman also shows full out orchestral power in the beautiful ballads “The Cost” and “I’d Rather Close My Eyes” , and the multiple string sections and extraordinary close of “A Physical Thing” is like a modern take on “All You Need is Love,” rising to a powerful crescendo that includes carillon, wedding bells, stereo sweeping subway chimes, telephone–and barking dogs!

These 16 songs represent extraordinary musical artistry, with lyrics of rare insight, intellect, and depth, and with layers of meaning that invite – even demand – multiple listens.

With almost no prior publicity, every song on the album has already reached top popularity on iTunes in France and Italy. It has received over a quarter of a million views on MySpace, where countless listeners have left unsolicited rave reviews about Lipman’s deep voice and powerful and moving songs. European press have hailed Lipman as a new star and his music has received airplay across the continent. The album has since been acquired for sale by Rhapsody, Amazon, Emusic, Target, as well as all other iTunes International Sites.

“Greetings” is a powerful work by an artist with a unique ability to look into the hearts and minds of those at the center of the nation. He has brought his experiences to the music as a reflection of the diverse desires, passions, hopes, darkness and dreams of this world. - Amazon.com