Street Vernacular

By day she's mild-mannered Brooklyn-based elementary-school music teacher Sharon Hagopian? but by night she's smart and sassy electro-pop indie star Cannonball Jane, maker of 2006's first truly great pop album, "Street Vernacular". Sounding more like the work of a group (sleeps-in-his-leather-jacket guitarist, banned-from-the-academy maverick flautist, recently-diagnosed-schizophrenic drummer, typewriter-sampling-avant-garde keyboardist etc) the reality is rather different. It's just hard to believe that there's not more than one of her! Recorded entirely at home, Sharon's studio set up of beatboxes, samplers, tambourines, guitars, turntables, piano, kid's keyboards and effects shines through on "Street Vernacular", creating a mind-bendingly brilliant mix, elegant and sweetly beguiling but still rough enough to handle something bigger than a moped. From the Saint Etienne tones and Carole King-esque piano riff of "Slumber Party" onwards, "Street Vernacular" combines such diverse influences as Run DMC, The Go! Team, The Aislers Set, Ladytron, My Bloody Valentine, The Shangri-Las, Solex, The Go-Gos, Luscious Jackson and Devo, while remaining fresh, exciting and innovative at all times. There's even a nod to Mozart and a Pac-man sample in "Brave New World"! Drum 'n' Bass style drum loops pop up to boost the tension and some of the keyboard sounds come straight from the wildest electronics of Aphex Twin's Rephlex label. On top of this is Sharon's singing, cunningly adapted and presented in different guises for each mini pop masterpiece on the album, from the punky go-go girl of "Hey! Hey! Alright!" to the 4AD balladeer of wistful closer "The Force of Gravity". "Street Vernacular" has been excitedly received by press and public alike since its release in America. Meanwhile, Sharon has taken the Cannonball Jane sound out on the road with support slots for Gravy Train!!!!, E.S.G. and ?ber-fans Le Tigre. Lookout for her bringing her energetic and fun live show to the UK in early spring. "It's just amazing. Stuff like that I really like." - Kathleen Hanna, Le Tigre. Fortuna POP!. 2006