Kelley Stoltz

San Franciscan (by way of Detroit) Kelley Stoltz is one of those wunderkind four-trackers who can bounce recorded tracks on a Tascam better than Julius Erving can bounce a Spalding. In fact, it was Antique Glow, his collection of hook-laden indie pop demos drenched in lo-fi psychedelia that caught the attention of Mojo magazine and Sub Pop records. His songs are wayward pop compositions that mirror the cream of his own enormous record collection. He works as a record shop clerk in San Francisco, so it's no surprise that his songs reflect heavy vintage influences: sometimes he seems to conjure up the spirit of George Harrison's adoration for Bob Dylan; in other moments, Stoltz sounds like he could be tapping into Syd Barrett's riddled mind. He also mashes up the wry British wit of the Kinks with Beck Hanson's funked-out genre-scramble and, like many a young indie troubadour, he worships Brian Wilson. But these are influences and not imitations; at the core of all his inspiration is Stoltz's own eccentric vision. He bestows the listener with a familiarity of vintage songs, unpredictable arrangements and kinetic instrumental textures that are as innovative as they are original.