Album Notes

Amid the continually changing musical landscape of American music, there has been one constant: the presence of the "singer/songwriter" - an artist who can tell a poignant story through his music with a distinct point of view. Little Dog Records' artist Cisco carries on this great American tradition with his new album 7740 Valmont Street. Cisco proves himself to be one of those rare artists who can interweave vivid, emotional "pictures" with distinctly melodic songs.

7740 Valmont Street demonstrates an impressive artistic progression in Cisco's music. Deeply personal, Cisco's songs range from insightful studies of the human condition ("Lost, Broke or Sold") to pieces of clever prose ("Miss America") to meaningful slices of his own life ("7740 Valmont Street"). His lyric poetry is showcased in songs that combine a variety of musical influences reflective of Cisco's life and travels.

Raised in California's San Joaquin Valley, Cisco listened to popular music on the radio and was also exposed to a cross section of "roots" genres including country, bluegrass, and blues. His most powerful influence, however, came from the great singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, who could touch your soul with their words while making you hum along to the beautiful melodies.

Upon moving to Los Angeles, Cisco attended a Dwight Yoakam concert but found himself focusing more on guitarist Pete Anderson . Following the show, he introduced himself to Anderson and gave him a cassette of his songs - thus beginning an ongoing friendship between Cisco and the Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist.

Jump ahead to 1997 -- Cisco was doing a show at Jack's Sugar Shack in Hollywood, CA. Mike Ness (of Social Distortion fame) caught the show and was impressed with Cisco's performance and insightful songwriting. This led to a collaboration between the two, with Ness producing Cisco's first album, Wishing You Well >From The Pink Motel . The album, released by indie label Propellant Transmissions, received much critical acclaim and brought Cisco to the attention of the songwriting community. Cisco decided to move to Nashville and entrench himself in the city's vital songwriting scene. He soon came to realize that his personal style of songwriting was not a perfect fit with Nashville's established tunesmiths, so he returned to Southern California.

Back in Los Angeles, Cisco reconnected with Pete Anderson and the two soon started writing songs together. Among these songs, they co-wrote Alright, I'm Wrong , which was cut as a duet between Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens and featured on Yoakam 's album, Last Chance For A Thousand Years . In 2002, Alright, I'm Wrong was nominated for CMA's (Country Music Association) Vocal Event of the Year Category . The track, which showcased the "King of Conjunto Accordion," Flaco Jimenez , also later appeared on on Flaco's album, Sleepytown (Back Porch/Virgin Records).

As Pete and Cisco continued to collaborate, it became apparent that they should make a record together, melding Cisco's exquisite songwriting talents with Anderson's skills for arranging and producing. The result is Cisco's long-anticipated second release, 7740 Valmont Street. Already garnering early raves from critics, Greg Yost of Harp Magazine had this to say, "Cisco is an amazing talent and 7740 Valmont Street is a music fan's dream - great musicians, superb songs and a passionate voice." And Tony Peyser from The Santa Monica Mirror writes, "...it's a postcard from a musical vagabond whose wandering days are still vivid in his mind. You can smell the cigarette smoke and see the dust and dreams floating by."


For all of those who appreciate poetry from the streets and songs from the heart, a trip to 7740 Valmont Street is a must.