Alex Goldfarb

Based in Minneapolis, Alex Goldfarb is cut from the same singer/songwriter cloth as Tim Buckley, Greg Brown, and Rickie Lee Jones. After causing a stir with the underground folk scene with a self-titled debut cassette, Goldfarb was signed by fellow singer/songwriter Forest Sun's indie label, Painted Sun, which issued Goldfarb's sophomore effort, Magnifying Glass, in June of 2000. Also produced by Sun, Magnifying Glass was recorded in a secluded section of Northern California, and proves to be a fine showcase for Goldfarb's deeply effective vocals, life-examining lyrics, and percussive guitar style, as the album features accompaniment by other instruments — mandolin, Rhodes piano, and percussion (all of which were manned by Sun). Goldfarb's live show is based on spontaneity (and often fueled by audience participation), as he performs solo and with others almost equally, on the stages of cabarets and night clubs in Minneapolis, as well as an appearance at the 2000 Winnipeg Folk Festival.