Ross Freedman began his songwriting career as a precocious eight-year-old with "The Martian Street", a tribute to the theme from "The Monkees" television show. Piano lessons—and an indifferent attitude toward practice—soon followed. Influenced by the showtunes and standards his parents would listen to and sing around the house, 70s AM radio and the New Wave and College/Alternative LPs his sister played, Ross's sound owes a debt to Joe Jackson, Neil Finn, Aimee Mann, Counting Crows and Ben Fol...