Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Alex Ebert first came to public attention as the charismatic singer of indie-rock band Ima Robot. After some drastic life-changing experiences, he came up with the idea for this project, which seems to be part creative epiphany and part artistic therapy. Teaming up with singer/multi-instrumentalist Jade Castrinos and other friends to actualize his vision, Ebert wrote a collection of unconventional pop songs that sound like an odd combination of the Magnetic Fields and Bobby Goldsboro. Others might hear early solo Scott Walker or Ennio Morricone on a pop-song kick in Sharp's compositions, but it truly is difficult to say where in the history or cultural geography of music this act truly fits. One thing's certain: Sharpe and the Zeros follow no artistic compass but their own.