Breaking: Harper Simon

Who: The 37-year-old son of Paul Simon, who's casting out under his own name for the first time with his fall debut (read the RS review). Simon says the process of becoming a solo artist was a "journey of discovery" and though he was hesitant to step into the spotlight, "I realized, 'If I don't do this I'm going to regret it.'"

Sounds Like: Simon's self-titled debut is a gorgeous collection of vintage-sounding country-folk tunes like the shuffling "Tennessee" and the dreamy psychedelic ballad "The Audit." Have a listen to his Elliott Smith-esque "Shooting Star."

Vital Stats:

• Simon was raised in New York by his dad after Paul and mom Peggy Harper split in 1975. He started to play guitar at 12 and later quit the Berklee College of Music and relocated to London, where he performed in a rock band called Menlo Park.

• Simon began work on his debut three years ago in Nashville, when he booked himself studio time with legendary producer Bob Johnston, who worked on classic '60s and '70s LPs by Bob Dyan and Johnny Cash.

• Pals like Sean Lennon, Adam Green and Petra Haden — and of course, his famous dad — popped into later sessions in New York and Los Angeles to lend their talents and support. Paul plays acoustic guitar and co-wrote three tunes.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

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