Daver

Chicago-based producer/musician Daver spent most of his time producing and engineering records for other artists (he famously produced a demo for one of Billy Corgan's pre-Smashing Pumpkins bands), but he's been able to release several fine one-man-band CDs in a sophisticated pop style that owes something to both XTC and Crowded House, but has a brasher edge.

Daver (he prefers to keep his last name to himself) first appeared on the Chicago post-punk scene circa 1985, opening his One Room Studios that year. Daver also self-released a 12" EP called Four Songs in 1985, following it two years later with the full-length That Poison. Daver then busied himself with production and engineering jobs for the next five years.

In the early '90s, Daver made plans to record two sets of three vinyl singles apiece. Budgetary and artistic considerations condensed the idea down to one set of five singles, released on Daver's own Modern Relic label between 1992 and 1995. These ten songs, along with seven others planned for the series, were released on Modern Relic's first CD, Two Years of Being Singles, in 1996. Daver then followed that up with his first proper album in 12 years, Pop Art, in 1999. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi