Sometimes there's a man... I won't say "Hero," 'cause what's a hero? But sometimes there's a man... and I'm talkin' about the dude here. Sometimes there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there...

Brooklyn born John Biz is making some of the most urgent, personal music going these days. Raised on Staten Island (fronting punk bands by age 13), then absorbing the ocean vibes of Long Beach as a surrealist painter, Biz returned to Brooklyn in 2002. Inspired by Ween, Beach Boys, Neil Young, Wipers (and then some), Biz honed his vintage ethos to a barbed emotional point.

His new album Vida is his second collaboration with legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies). Marked by unashamed vocals, mind bending Ween-meets-Jimmy Page guitars and a 70's rock-perfecto rhythm section featuring Bonham-esqe drums and McCartney-meets-Entwistle style bass, Vida delivers analog sounds that bring back the golden era - loud engine, soft breeze- good living.

Biz's songs: magnetic ballads of life and love. Keeping with the spirit of the Bob Dylan performance mantra, Biz's raw, honest songs are folk derivatives pursuing an ever changing light - he loves to keep the audience as much on their toes as he is. Watching him, one gets the impression he is equal part listener and performer, adjusting each note as though he were leading us through a shifting maze. Each show is a unique artistic incarnation, pouring warm melodies into a fresh pool of musical persona. At the artist's discretion, any song could bestow an acoustic country ballad one night and a ferocious punk anthem the next. In defiance of the constant evolution of his live shows, John Biz embodies the unwavering focus of a whirlpool of imagination; swelling waves of listeners anew, challenging and compelling them in the same breath.

The man has bona fide gravity. If you plan on seeing John Biz live, get there early - you won't be alone.

I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowing he's out there, taking it easy for all of us sinners. Shoosh, I sure hope he makes the finals.