Eclectic alternapop, veering from postpunk/postwave rockers to jazzy ballads to acoustic-guitar-driven love songs, all performed by a dynamic, distinctive singer whose voice has been compared to Michael Stipe's and Elvis Costello's -- favorably, that is.
Anthony Rapp has been acting and singing professionally since he was nine years old.
He's best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-Prize winning landmark rock opera, Rent, going with the show from Off-Broadway to Broadway to Chicago, and finishing his run in London. He shared an OBIE Award with the rest of the original cast for his performance.
He has also appeared in numerous films, including Adventures in Babysitting, Dazed and Confused, Six Degrees of Separation, and the recent hit DreamWorks comedy Road Trip.
Now he has embarked on his music career, beginning with the release of his debut solo cd, Look Around.
About his musical influences, he says, "I grew up listening to '80s pop and new wave. Favorites from that period include The Cure, The Smiths, OMD, New Order, Crowded House, Talking Heads, Prince, Cyndi Lauper, and the B-52s. Then I grew up even more with Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, REM, Nirvana, U2, Radiohead, and Superchunk, among many others. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with the Beatles, and discovered the joys of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.
"It's a pretty eclectic mix of people, but what they all have in common to me is a strong commitment to truly singable, original melodies, and lyrics with lots of guts and heart.
"The music I'm making is influenced by all of those people, I think. So it's a little hard for me to pin it down. Some of it is a little noisy, some of it quiet, some jazzy, some sort of post-punk. I think all of it has a pop sensibility at its heart, though; hooks are very important to me.
I've taken to calling my music 'alternapop,' the closest label I could find that fits.
"I'm lucky enough to be working with co-songwriters and producers who share my broad tastes -- Joe Pisapia, John Keaney, and Michael Corbett. They found a fantastic gang of musicians to make our songs as full and authentic and alive as possible.
"I'm very excited about this new chapter in my artistic life, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how people respond to my music."
Anthony will be touring over the next several months to different regions of the country, appearing mostly at colleges and universities, playing original music and some choice cover tunes.
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