As the singer-songwriter genre continues to stumble down the path of homogeneity, Brent Palmer is a rare exception. What makes the casual listener, music enthusiast, even D'Arcy from Smashing Pumpkins appreciate Palmer's fresh approach? The answer is as complex and eclectic as the person himself. Brent credits a handful of contemporary songsmiths as influences, but the family tree traces back to masters like Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney. Palmer says, "I grew up listening to my parents' LPs and saying 'it’s not music unless it has a melody.' I felt songs must be tuneful and have a certain level of craft." Other discoveries helped shape Brent's musical foundation. Bands like Idaho, Echo and the Bunnymen and R.E.M. seemed to get Brent through the high school rejection years. There was even a guitar god period idolizing Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins and Jeff Beck. Solid-gold '80s country records like Alabama's Roll On and Ronnie Milsap's Inside were in heavy rotation on the family Zenith. Push it all through a grinder and what do you get? Musical Haggis? Hardly. More like a promising artist writing heart-melting tender songs, perfect for lovers' mix-tapes or choruses at the Apocalypse. Like a character in a Walker Percy novel, Palmer acts as an observer, retelling his encounters through sweet and sad refrains. One may find Brent singing about end times, hangovers and daggers then suddenly in the next verse, lust, longing and fist kisses. But where did it all begin for Palmer? Brent was born in Port Neches, Texas and was raised in Houston. There his parents gave him his first guitar at age nine and urged him to take classical lessons. Early schooling in theory gave way to other musical explorations, such as tinkering with a Tascam four track, playing bass in a high-school rock trio, and polishing his electric guitar chops to Aces High. After college graduation, Palmer plugged into vibrant music scene in Austin, Texas and saw his following grow as a solo artist. Solid regional touring led to a relatively slick and poppy 2002 release Boomerang Shoes. This promising 5 song EP showcased Palmer's keen insight into love, loss and the desire to escape that permanent cycle. The success of Shoes found Palmer's first single in daily rotation on Austin's rock alternative 107.7 KTND-FM. Later in 2004, Brent teamed up with Austin-based producer and guitarist Mitch Watkins to record five more original tunes. Stabilize again showcased Brent's unique style--blending driving guitars, plaintive vocals, and bittersweet lyrics into his own brand of folk pop. Recorded in Austin, TX, Stabilize continued to draw upon stark imagery and Brent's acerbic wit. A tour with Mindy Smith, stops at SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival soon followed. These days Palmer is hard at work, polishing his craft and adding to the rich catalogue of great songs. Brent continues to offer stories afresh and his earnest voice still warms the darkest of hearts. If he's lucky, even his own. (FROM http://www.brentpalmer.net/bio.php) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.