“Eef Barzelay may be the most underrated songwriter in the business today,” wrote NPR Music in 2010 with the release of Barzely’s Tiny Desk Concert, “with a sneakily firm grasp on poignancy and humor, and his live performances convey a kind of awkwardly fidgety fearlessness.”
Barzelay, frontman of Clem Snide, will be performing an Undertow Living Room Show at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 2nd at Revolution yoga studio on Victory Drive. From Anna Chandler’s preface to her interview with Barzelay in this week’s Connect:
Several years ago, the creative force behind beloved indie band Clem Snide teamed up with Undertow Music Collective and was sent off on a tour of house shows. These days, it’s his preferred method of connecting with fans.
It’s a fitting environment: Barzelay is an exquisite songwriter, his lyrics possessing equal parts tenderness and sly whimsy. The cozy hush of a living room is the perfect place to catch every careful word. […]
The Savannah stop on Barzelay’s living room tour is a little different as it’s being held at Revolution Yoga studio (shoes off, please!). We spoke with the singer-songwriter about film scoring, the fluidity of Clem Snide, and playing intimate shows for complete strangers.
From Joshua Peacock’s preview in this week’s Do Savannah:
Barzelay began releasing solo albums under his name in 2006. He recorded the music for the movie “Rocket Science” in 2007. After working with several record companies, SpinArt, Lakeshore Records and 429 Records, Barzelay began releasing his material via Bandcamp in 2011, skipping the industry machine and putting his work directly out to fans.
Which is where we find him these days, a solidified American songwriter, producing the music he wants and releasing it how he wants.
“I’ve managed to get my ducks in a row, for the most part,” Barzelay said. “Seems to be working. I am independent. I am a free agent.
“It’s kind of worked out for me in terms of the music business,” he continued. “I got into it in the late ’90s, right as the party was winding down. It was all starting to crumble. Then the internet came around and changed everything. But the internet also made it possible for me to actually do what I am doing. It kind of killed it in one sense, but it created a new thing at the same time.
According to the Undertow website, no tickets will be sold at the door on Friday evening, so click here to purchase advance tickets. Click here for the Facebook event invite.