Great songs are difficult to find in the mainstream these days. You have to dig deeply or walk curbside on the Pop Chart Highway to find both strong songwriting and creative musicianship. With New York City-based singer songwriter Bobby Fingeroth, however, serving the song takes center stage.
That and much more is evident on Bobby's ambitious debut album, Dilettante, a "moving ten-song collection" of tunes that come alive with lyrics of substance, compelling vocals and captivating musical arrangements. Amplifier Magazine praised the disc, writing, "Although his voice brings to mind contemporary artists like Live's Ed Kowalczyk, Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas or Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows, what is so distinct about Fingeroth's compositions is that the subjects seem, in spite of the odds against them, to be filled with hope. A main part of that is due to the fact that the songs leave room for that optimism. Set against an easy, rootsy pop backdrop, the songs here are catchy and unafraid to branch out and try new things..."
Splendidezine.com added, "It's quite amazing, really, that an unsigned, unknown artist from NYC could put together a project so immaculately produced, performed and arranged that it could easily have been the result of hundreds of thousands of major label dollars." Time Out New York complimented Bobby's "reedy voice" and his songs' "sentimental, earthy lyrics."
Songs from Dilettante have gotten airplay on over 70 radio stations around the US and Canada, including major markets: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City and Tampa. Philadelphia's prestigious WXPN featured a selection of Bobby's songs on its Locals Show. From mid-May through September, 2005 Dilettante maintained a presence in the top 40 of the album playlist on WVIA-FM 89.9 (one of the top stations in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA market), reaching as high as #15, ahead of recent releases by Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams and Jack Johnson.
Bobby is especially excited to announce a partnership with Starbucks-owned Hear Music, which provides in-store music as well as the unique CD compilations for sale in Starbucks stores. Hear Music's two "brick and mortar" retail locations, in Santa Monica and Berkeley, CA let music lovers explore, listen to and purchase over 10,000 CDs, discover emerging artists and burn a custom mix to CD. Dilettante is now for sale at both of these locations, and all tracks from the album are available for purchase at Hear Music Media Bars (digital download stations) found at 45 Starbucks locations in Seattle, WA and Austin, TX.
Bobby has performed his unique brand of edgy contemplative rock for enthusiastic audiences at popular NYC venues like The Mercury Lounge, Fez and Arlene's Grocery (where he has drawn over 100 people on more than one occasion). He has also appeared at Club Passim (Cambridge, MA), Dream Away Lodge (Becket, MA), Grape Street Philadelphia, Borders (Erie, PA) and Eclectic Etcetera's Coffeehouse (Edinboro, PA). Moreover, Bobby has been hired to play at events for various colleges (University of Pennsylvania-his alma mater, Columbia University), corporations (Citigroup) and charities (The New York Junior League).
Recently, Bobby's song "White Picket Fence" was included on independent label SBS Records' ninth sampler CD. Past SBS samplers have featured artists such as Amy Ray of Indigo Girls.
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