Sleepyboy Moe

MySpace (listen to "Lucky Son," "Dreamy Windows"
Official site

Hometown: Oakland
Next local show: 11/28, The Stork Club
Recent release: The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, 2006

When it comes to homegrown East Bay music, Sleepyboy Moe is the real deal. Shaun Wargowsky, the man behind the name, moved to Oakland in 2005 and immediately became active in the local scene. The singer/bassist/guitarist began performing solo and with drummer Lindsay Cooper (of nicely named Oakland band Espionage a Trios) at small venues including Epic Arts in Berkeley. He recorded his debut CD, The Sleepyboy Moe Tapes, entirely in analog in Oakland and Berkeley. And his CD release party will take place Tuesday at The Stork Club in Oakland. (more >>)

As for the sound? It's been called sludge-folk, but that doesn't begin to convey the hiss, fuzz, and noise captured in songs like "Nice Try, Nice Guy." Most of the album sounds like a third-generation copy of a lo-fi cassette tape. Wargowsky's droning (yet enchanting) rhythms and possessed (almost feminine) vocals compliment the recording perfectly (or maybe it's the other way around), making this release more art than cheap reproduction of a live performance. You can find it at Aquarius Records in San Francisco (22nd and Valencia) and Amoeba Records in Berkeley (Telegraph and Haste), as well as online at CDBaby.com and iTunes.

CLEVELAND ROCKS:
-Before moving to Oakland, Wargowsky sang and played keyboards, bass, and guitar in a number of groups in the Akron/Kent/Cleveland area (Ohio, of course), where he attended school at Kent State University.
-These groups include the Stool Creak Circus (alternative rock), the Flavor Cat Hairparticles (ska, punk, Latin), and the Kent State African Ensemble (gospel choir).