Jim Baron : iSOUND.COM™

Biography

Jim baron’s latest release, Chameleon, is a collective expression of strong angst punctuated by electric guitar blasts and sheer volume. It tracks a character lost somewhere between stoically refusing worldly change in the post-alternative American wilderness but anxiously awaiting change at his own pace, in his own way, and in his own inner world. CDBABEL.com described Jim as: "unabashed and sharp...he's got the spark of a rebel in him." Amplifier Magazine called Chameleon: “...a smorgasbord of sub-genres strung together by Baron’s love-struck melodies and wry wordplay”, elements of Jim Baron music from its beginnings.

In 1996 Jim released his first solo EP, Not For Nothing. It featured live studio takes of Jim on vocals and guitars, accompanied by keyboards and percussion. The sparse arrangements of Not For Nothing and its cohesively dark mood were notably punctuated by Jim's haunting vocals, his evocative lyrics and his intricate guitar playing. The Musicians' Exchange wrote: "Jim Baron is a singer-songwriter who has really come into his own." Not For Nothing garnered regional recognition for Jim in the Northeast as he soon became an established solo act with his unique blend of pop, rock and roots music.
In 1997 Jim began supplementing his income from live performances and CD sales by busking street corners and subways in New York, Boston and Montreal . Inspired by his personal experiences, he soon became a local musical icon for the satirical and sociopolitical material that he put forth on 1997's Now!, and he became a regular guest on New York's WBAI radio station. The title track from Now! displayed a new vibrantly upbeat feel, and songs like "Head" and "I Sing My Life Away" showed a humorous side of Jim's work. The inside connection noted Jim for "...a melodious, ruminating vocal range and a clear new evolved spirit".
In '98 Jim was a featured performer at Pennsylvania's annual Burn Fest music festival and was prominently included on a compilation CD of the event. Since then, Jim has played regularly both as a soloist and with backing musicians. Many of these new musicians helped shape the power pop edge of Chameleon. Amplifier Magazine wrote: “Baron has the goods to compete with any star on the contemporary singer-songwriter scene and then some.” And cuts from the new CD like “Stay” and "Why Don't You Go" have been enjoying radio airplay. Chameleon contains some of Jim's finest work to date, so grab a copy and play it loud!