King of the Hill

According to the man himself, dark-eyed singer/songwriter Blue had his name legally changed to his one-word moniker in preparation for his music career. Starting his record label (Sanity Check Musec) and recording career in 1990, Blue proudly burst onto the scene with Welcome to the Nineties. With a sound that mixed the gruff sentimentality of singer/songwriters like Tom Waits with the electric blues of eccentric bluesmen such as Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Blue garnered a fan base who appreciated his bizarre approach and fierce independence. Releasing albums almost yearly since that point, his work won him award nominations from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors, gave him a chance to work with other projects such as Metal Machine and Church of Chaos, and opened up the opportunity to write and direct short films as well. Blue mostly writes and records his own material, with the occasional work with collaborators on special recordings such as Rockabilly Rat. Stepping up his promotional efforts after more than ten years of independence, Something Borrowed Something was the first release to get noticeable national attention in the fall of 2002. ~ Bradley Torreano