Argyle Johansen is the debut release from Brooklyn musician John F. Wentz's alter-ego/solo project. This project includes Sam Merrick (percussion), David Kross (bass) and Taylor Galassi (cello) and the end results are comparable to artists like Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. Similar to Johnson's music, you can quickly hear influences like Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles and Jeff Buckley on Argyle Johansen's self-titled debut,

The ten-song electro/acoustic disc is consistently mellow with a laid-back 70's West Coast vibe. The songs are narrative stories that paint a lyrical picture of a particular place or point in time and the disc's mellow vibe hides lyrics that can be sometimes dark and off-kilter. Argyle Johansen is already getting some national attention as the song "Sunny Day In Hell" was included in Showtime's Californication.

Argyle Johansen plays live with a full band and here are the band's upcoming shows:
July 26, 2009, 6:00PM, Spike Hill, Brooklyn, New York
August 4, 2009, 10:00PM, Local 269 (formerly Vasmay Lounge), New York
August 25, 2009, 8:00PM, Cross-Pollination @ Pianos [Upstairs]

Cross-Pollination has been going on for a few years now but I've only recently become aware of it:

The set-up of the Cross-Pollination event is as follows: Two of the best singer-songwriters in NYC each play a 40 minute solo set. This is followed by a three song collaborative set during which both artists share the stage. We've seen it all, mutual covers, songs written together especially for the occasion, EP's of the event, playing on each others songs, etc. Fans and artists alike have responded with nothing but praise as they marvel at these unique listening experiences in which artists step out of their comfort zone, and into new and exciting territory.

Argyle Johansen - "Pressure"


For more information, check out an interview with John F. Wentz on Breakthru Radio's blog and Argyle Johansen's MySpace profile.