Artist description For Mike Doughty, the shift from fronting a quirky, innovative rock band to playing solo acoustic shows has led to some strange perceptions. "For the first year, everything I read about myself was, 'Isn't it weird that the guy from Soul Coughing is a folk singer?'" Doughty says. His music isn't quite folk, but rather what he terms "small rock," and it's found a growing audience. For the past two years, Doughty has been packing small theaters, playing new material from his upcoming album and selections from the Soul Coughing repertoire. The sonic simplicity of Doughty's solo material allows his introspective, emotionally powerful lyrics to shine through on songs like "The Only Answer," an up-tempo pop song which features the poignant refrain "My name to you is just another word"; "Sunkeneyed Girl," a sad song that describes a bullet-proof glass barrier in a fast food restaurant, meant to "Keep the wrong hands off the biscuit fortune"; and the crowd favorite "Busting Up A Starbux." "Smofe + Smang: Live in Minneapolis," released in July 2002, captures the essence of Doughty's intimate live performances and showcases his unique charm and comic edge. The disc presents Doughty interacting with the audience, telling stories, and joking about various elements of pop culture, while captivating the fans with his music. Highlights include the rhythmic "Grey Ghost," the yearning "Madeleine and Nine," and a crowd sing-along of the Soul Coughing favorite "Janine." "Smofe + Smang" is available only through Doughty's website, www.superspecialquestions.com. The site serves as a meeting place for Doughty's growing legion of fans, who interact daily on the message board there. Also available on the site is "Slanky," Doughty's book of original poetry, which was published in July 2002 by Soft Skull Press. Among Doughty's other recent projects were collaborations with house producer BT on the single "Never Gonna Come Back Down," and with pop act They Might Be Giants on two tracks for their album "Mink Car." Doughty also composed music and songs for director Joseph Pierson's forthcoming film "Evenhand," and is preparing to hit the studio in fall 2002 to record his solo debut. An experienced writer whose work has occasionally appeared in the New York Press, Doughty recently penned song-by-song remarks for the liner notes of the Rhino Records retrospective "Lust in Phaze: The Best Of Soul Coughing."

Music Style Small Rock

Similar Artists Soul Coughing, Ben Folds, Beck, Cake, Nick Drake

Artist History Frontman of Soul Coughing, 1992-2000; solo artist since 2000; collaborations with BT, They Might Be Giants; shared stages as a solo performer with John Mayer, Galactic, Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, others.

Instruments vocals, guitar, drum machine

Location New York, NY - USA

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