iSound

Though still in its infancy, American Babies has already begun to prove itself. After scoring marquee spots in 2007 at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Philadelphia’s World Café Live and influential gatherings like Manchester, TN’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and Chicago’s Wicker Park Fest, the band stepped into the studio with veteran producer Jon Altschiller (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer). The result: their emotionally-charged self-tiled debut, American Babies. The album’s 11 original compositions vividly display the raw talent of singer/songwriter Tom Hamilton. While still only in his twenties, Hamilton’s lyrics channel the worldly knowledge of songwriting chameleons like Neil Young and Ryan Adams, with a hint of Gram Parsons thrown in for good measure. The collection is held together by elegant swings and swaggers of Joe Russo, an award-winning drummer with his feet firmly planted in both the jazz and rock worlds.