Ariel Pink (pronounced "r-real pink") grew up in LA and attended Beverly Hills High School (the same one in the Alicia Silverstone incest-based comedy classic, Clueless). He started writing songs around age 10 and says he has recorded 500+ songs since 1996; most have never been heard by fans.
His eccentric/melodic lo-fi recordings utilize some of the most unconventional instruments to date, namely his mouth and armpit, which he uses to create drum sounds. His music reminds me of 1970s and '80s-era pop rock idols like David Bowie, John Lennon, The Bee Gees, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno and Roxy Music.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2010.