Patti Rothberg
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Alternative pop, with folk and blues
Status:
Most recent release, Ulterior Motives (2016)
See also:
Patti Rothberg's Official Site
Comparisons:
Musically, she reminds me a little of Jennifer Trynin, but bluesier and definitely a better singer. (trow@interbridge.com)In the title track of Between the 1 and the 9 she sound distinctly like Tracey Thorn (of Everything But the Girl) in her Marine Girls days. (mjmjminla@yahoo.com)
Covers/own material:
Writes her own stuff
General comments:
I've completely flipped over Between the 1 and the 9 by Patti Rothberg. Listening to her sing turns me into a big molten pile o'goo. She has a really lovely, sweet, pure voice. Musically, she reminds me a little of Jennifer Trynin, but a little bluesier & she's definitely a better singer. She doesn't bat .1000 on the songwriting, but there are still several excellent tracks, and the album shows tremendous potential in my opinion. If you like things on the slightly poppier edge of the ecto spectrum (Elastica, Aimee Mann, Liz Phair, etc.), by all means, check it out. (trow@interbridge.com)Rothberg was discovered playing in a subway terminal, and was hoisted into the mainstream while trying to catch the Alanis Morissette/Jewel wave of top-selling female vocalists. Rothberg's quite a bit different than the aforementioned pair, bringing lots of blues into her edgy pop. It's a shame she never had a hit—although the schizophrenic "Inside" got a little airplay—and is without a contract, because her debut showed a lot of promise and had some great moments. And her wonderfully raspy voice is great to listen to. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu)
Comments about live performance:
She put on a very entertaining, varied, rocking show. The music sounded a bit derivative, but catchy anyway. I kept picking out odd influences that don't necessarily sound appealing, but were fun anyway (like Aerosmith, and Johnny Thunders). (neal)
Recommended first album:
Between the 1 and the 9
Recordings:
- Between the 1 and the 9 (1996)
- Candelabra Cadabra (2001)
- Snow Is My Downfall EP (2002)
- Double Standards (2008)
- Overnight Sensation (2011)
- Black Widow (digital, 2013; CD, 2014)
- Ulterior Motives (2016)
Between the 1 and the 9
Release info:
1996—EMI
Availability:
Fairly wide availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Produced by:
Little Dave Greenberg
Comments:
I like her a lot, but I don't hear much similarity to Jewel, she doesn't compare in range or depth. But if you like "Inside", you'll probably like the rest of the CD. She does good pop, the songs are melodic and catchy. She has a unique quality to her voice that sometimes doesn't wear very well for me by the end of the CD, but it still has a spot on my "current favorites" shelf. (carnivore@bigfoot.com)"Looking for a Girl" is the 1st song that really impacts me on this album.... I have heard Rothberg described as the next Alanis Morissette—but in this song, she sounds distinctly like Tracey Thorn (of Everything But the Girl) in her Marine Girls days. (mjmjminla@yahoo.com)
She *does* have a sweet voice backed by a wonderful rockin', slightly bluesy sound. I've been enjoying this for many months now. My favorite songs are the achingly vulnerable "Looking for a Girl" and the not-so-hidden "bonus cut," the title track. Highly recommended! (trow@interbridge.com)
A little uneven, but the first half is as solid as any alternative pop you'll hear. Songs like "Looking for a Girl," "Inside", the bluesy "Flicker," and the impossibly fun and catchy "Treat Me Like Dirt" highlight the album. Rothberg shows a ton of promise, and her distinct voice sets her apart from many others. (miazgama@pilot.msu.edu)
Further info:
Contributed a neat cover of "Kung Fu Fighting" to the Surf Ninjas soundtrack.Patti Rothberg has a book, Extra Awesome (with Richard Carroll, 2015)
Thanks to Mark Miazga for work on this entry.
