boyinthebubble

Oakland's Boy in the Bubble began in 2004 as a project of singer, guitarist and songwriter Josh Seidenfeld, who got the nickname from his boss after calling in sick one too many times (often to recover from late shows). With the addition of bassist Jack Passion (World Beard Champion - really!), drummer Gina Montel (that rare, precious musician: the female drummer everyone's always falling in love with), and resident genius Satish Pillai (an AIDS researcher by day) on keys, the band has grown ...

Oakland's Boy in the Bubble began in 2004 as a project of singer, guitarist and songwriter Josh Seidenfeld, who got the nickname from his boss after calling in sick one too many times (often to recover from late shows). With the addition of bassist Jack Passion (World Beard Champion - really!), drummer Gina Montel (that rare, precious musician: the female drummer everyone's always falling in love with), and resident genius Satish Pillai (an AIDS researcher by day) on keys, the band has grown a memorable stage show. Musically, the band's a little like if Bowie were from the South, reflecting Seidenfeld's Texas roots and love of British pop. With this lineup, BITB has blossomed into one of the San Francisco area’s most promising and talked-about bands, frequenting classic Bay Area clubs such as the Bottom of the Hill, the Make Out Room, and the Hotel Utah. The band also tours the West Coast and has played two successive years at SXSW. Seidenfeld grows the group’s fan base by touring solo around the country to play intimate acoustic shows. BITB’s 2007 debut, "Songs From the City on the Sun", garnered nationwide critical praise and play on radio shows such as Nic Harcourt’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on KCRW. The band is currently collaborating with LA buzz band Oliver Future and producer Adam Lazus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yo La Tengo, Juliana Hatfield) on a new release, tentatively titled "The King", in early 2009. For press and a little more info, go to http://www.boyinthebubble.org/files/BITB_BIO_2008.pdf and http://www.myspace.com/boyinthebubble"Boy in the Bubble play an arresting game of musical hopscotch…Alternating between soft and sighing, loud and sloppy, [singer Josh Seidenfeld] knows exactly where he's going—and he's intent on taking us with him. Call Songs From the City on the Sun indie-rock at a burlesque show. Call it David Bowie on the verge of a meltdown. Call it what you like, but don't miss this Sun set."– Performing Songwriter"Kings of the Bay Area, Boy In The Bubble manages to maintain an edgy rock sound in their light folk songs. Lead singer Josh Seidenfeld belts out deep lyrics over a heavy bass drum and rhythmic acoustic guitar. Although "Handy" is the band's single, I've had "Take Me Home" on repeat all day."– FreeIndie.comBoy in the Bubble's distillation of glam, vintage pop, and '70s adult-oriented rock delivers much more than one could rightly ask of the group, plus songs that speak loudly for themselves.– East Bay Express"This is fearless indie rock that will rough you up, and then get all tender-like to ask forgiveness"– Flavorpill"Very fun and infectious rock music with strong glam elements"– The Bay Bridged"Boy In The Bubble might be the cure for what ails the Bay Area music scene. "– Rosi Reyes, KPFAABOUT "SONGS FROM THE CITY ON THE SUN"Boy in the Bubble's debut, "Songs From the City on the Sun," floats through musical moods with an uncanny ease. From lush pop ("Handy") to violent urgency ("17 Irises") to old-fashioned storytelling ("Uncharted Waters") to pensive tenderness ("I Can't Remember"), the songs cover a lot of territory. But somehow the record isn't scattered. Songwriter and singer Josh Seidenfeld's voice unifies the collection with a confidence and insistence on melody too often lacking in indie rock.Seidenfeld's vocal and songwriting confidence is hard-won. Growing up as a bookish Jewish kid in South Texas has a way of making a body know who he is and what he wants. His life since then has given him something to write about. After fleeing Texas, he collected stories and perspectives in an eyebrow-raising range of lives: building acoustic guitars for Keith Richards, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell; park rangering in the Southwest; sweating through Columbia University; and years of work in the intense (and often heartbreaking) world of progressive politics. But try as he might, he could not escape the call of guitar, pen, paper, and sweaty rock and roll. "Songs From the City on the Sun" is the result."The Boy in the Bubble" sums up his approach to songwriting with a shrug: "I love stories, words, and melodies. Those things move armies. So I try to tell stories with this music, and work hard to use melodies and words that bring them to life. But also, who doesn't love to shake their ass?"