Mike “The Feel” Schaub, 12 Cent, Little Man T

Artist: Mike “The Feel” Schaub
Song: “The Greatest Wife in Texas” (from the CD One Man Wilding)
Heard By: Rebecca Moos, Mission Hills

His voice sort of reminds me of Nick Drake. His voice wasn’t showy — he was playing to his strengths, so it was kind of understated and subtle. [The music is] kind of folksy with almost surf guitar — really fast acoustic guitar. But it was pretty. Very ballad-y. I couldn’t understand the words well, but it was a love-conflict situation. There was one part near the end where there’s a breakdown, and he gets kind of bluesy. I didn’t care for that part. Production-wise, it was a little bit lo-fi, but that didn’t bother me at all. It’s the certain kind of music I like when I’m driving long distances. There’s something organic about it.

Artist: 12 Cent
Song: “Motorcycles” (from CD For the Win!)
Heard By: Chris Parker, North Park

Generally speaking, I’d say I actually liked it. That in itself surprises me because I would classify it as “punk,” and that’s not something that I’m a huge fan of. It’s not Bad Brains in 1983 or something that’s just way beyond me, but it actually reminds me of something that’s more commercial, like Bad Religion. It comes in at under a minute — like, 48 seconds — but the music’s tight, the vocals are clear. On that particular song, they have a poignant message. He said, “The stuff you want is not always the stuff you get and the stuff you’ve got sometimes you’d rather forget.” Personally, I would buy that album.

Artist: Little Man T

Song: “Fearful Momentum” (from the CD Mon Autre Moiti)

Heard By: Brendan Berg, North Park

It was a very dramatic reverie, reminiscent of an Ástor Piazzolla tango. The accordion playing was in the background. It’s got an Argentina flavor, but that transposes to Berlin or New York…it’s pretty cosmopolitan, I think. It’s really “soundtrack” stuff. It was all instrumental. In terms of commercial radio, it has potential for recording and touring. I think it has more potential for advertising than it does for selling records. You got to hand it to them for pursuing that flavor. That’s the kind of band where you want to be out on the town and wander in where they’re playing.