Biography
The Rosenbergs attracted greater notice through their unyielding stance against standard music-industry deals than through the songs themselves. Their insistence on avoiding exploitative contracts never entirely eclipsed the tight, distinctive indie-pop style they developed. After five years navigating New York’s club scene and cycling through an ever-changing roster of drummers and guitarists, David Fagin and Evan Silverman finally stabilized the group by adding Joe Mahoney and Joe Darone. In 1999 the quartet issued its debut full-length studio album, Ameripop. The band financed its own British tour, then returned to the United States hoping for wider exposure. Around the same period the members declined an invitation to appear on Farmclub.com—the multi-platform venture combining website, cable television program, and record label that Jimmy Iovine oversaw—because the offered contract heavily favored the company. Their public refusal generated an immediate wave of favorable coverage that has continued to sustain their profile. Yet the four musicians offered more than a calculated image of independence; they had forged a sharp, melodic pop sound reminiscent of Cheap Trick at its peak. Fagin’s lyrics reframe familiar themes of romantic turmoil with fresh detail, while the group’s tight interplay demonstrated a genuine commitment to performance rather than mere posturing. Supported by Robert Fripp’s Discipline Global Mobile imprint, they delivered the meticulously crafted follow-up Mission: You in 2001, an album that silenced early doubts about whether the band amounted to a one-time publicity stunt. Department Store Girl appeared two years afterward.
Albums
