Biography
Nashville, Tennessee-based power pop outfit the Shazam revolves around guitarist, singer, and songwriter Hans Rotenberry, whose incisive, energetic, and frequently humorous British-rooted approach has cultivated a devoted audience among devoted pop enthusiasts. The band originated in 1997 after Rotenberry joined forces with bassist Mick Wilson and drummer Scott Ballew. Their self-titled debut arrived that year under the supervision of producer Brad Jones. The lineup grew to four members for the 1999 release Godspeed the Shazam upon the arrival of guitarist Jeremy Ashrock, while the song “Super Tuesday” drew notice in a New Yorker article surveying election-year tracks. Two subsequent efforts, 2000’s Rev9 and 2002’s Tomorrow the World, likewise produced by Jones, drew strong critical praise yet only modest commercial returns. A refreshed configuration appeared on 2009’s Meteor, reuniting Rotenberry, Ashrock, and Ballew with fresh bassist Mike Vargo; the sessions also reflected the group’s affinity for 1970s and ’80s classic rock through the participation of producer and engineer Mack (aka Reinhold Mack), whose prior credits include Queen, Billy Squire, and Black Sabbath. In 2010 Rotenberry collaborated with Brad Jones on the duo project Mountain Jack.
Albums
