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| Steve Poltz Recounts His Journeys On 'Traveling ' by conqueroo With thousands of songs behind him and a lifetime of road miles beneath his feet, Steve Poltz has finally sat down to look back and make sense of it all. The only tunesmith ever to write songs with both Mojo Nixon and Jewel is back with Traveling, a new album that once again defies category and blurs musical boundaries. The new CD is due for release on January 22, 2008 on the Thirty Tigers label, distributed by RED Distribution. With Traveling, Poltz deviates from the manic, irreverent form that marked his prior efforts and instead creates a soundscape of such raw emotions that listeners will relate on an immediate and personal level. The achingly pretty "Haters' Union" couches anguished, confessional lyrics within beautiful string-tinged melodies. "Rains" is contagiously punchy, even as it describes the hopeless feelings 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, is vintage Poltz. The song showcases his prowess as a storyteller as he takes the listener for a melancholic yet hilarious biographical spin. Finally, "Street Fighter's Face" is an explosive rocker that nails the dual emotions of pride and despair felt by a young marine in Iraq coming to grips with the reality of war. Traveling is ultimately an album of hope, with melodies that are exquisite in their simplicity. Recorded throughout 2007, the album additionally features backing from the renowned string quartet Tosca. In addition to the 11 songs on Traveling, Steve recorded 11 additional tracks that will be included on a separate album called Unraveling, which will be sold exclusively at his shows later in 2008. The eclectic Poltz has released a series of solo albums that have garnered him worldwide acclaim, and has had his songs featured in movies like "Notting Hill" and many television shows. He was frontman of the San Diego-based folk-punk band the Rugburns, who proffered fist-pumping anthems about football and cannibalism. With Jewel, he co-wrote the longest charting single in the history of the Billboard chart. He has worked with Victoria Williams and Cracker. His album Answering Machine consisted of 45-second songs he had recorded for his outgoing message. Not only does it continue to sell faster than it can be printed up, but Neil Young has gone on record as enjoying it. You'll also hear his music on a Jeep commercial and the AT&T Tech Channel's "Hugh Thompson Show", on which he is band leader and foil. The coming year will see more traveling - a full itinerary of club dates and house concerts and his perennial SXSW stint. "This album is more a part of my life than any record before it", says Poltz. "It's 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. It's all I thought about. And finally, out came what I believe is a little gem of an album." write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |