Spiv

Chris Barber, a rock songwriter and performer, has operated under the dual alias and band name Spiv since 1997. He discovered the term during an unplanned dictionary search, a longstanding tradition for christening ensembles. Distinguishing himself from the veteran British trombonist, bandleader, and jazz personality of identical name may have influenced the decision, since the younger Barber favors rock over swing and the style itself has progressed well beyond the skiffle foundations linked to the elder musician. Barber applies the phrase "Brit-pop voodoo" to his own projects. The description suits an artist raised in Salt Lake City whose mother studied banjo under Jerry Garcia. His professional start came with punk rock groups at the moment that sound first surfaced in Utah, a local circuit later portrayed in the film SLC Punk. In 1990 he relocated to the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where a lively rock environment allowed bands including his own to open for acts such as Nirvana between 1990 and 1993. Riddlehouse preceded Spiv. The earlier group's second release, Rhubarb Dreams, spotlighted drummer Ginger Baker, whose son Kofi Baker also performed with Riddlehouse. The Olympia-based Pop Sweatshop label signed Spiv in 1999, noting that the name denotes a means of subsisting without employment—an appealing notion in college settings. Brother Jeremy Barber handles bass and electric violin within the lineup. Following several personnel adjustments, Spiv had issued five discs by the close of the 2000s.