Indie Rock From a Multi-Talented Guy

Multi-instrumentalists, musicians who play most or all of the instruments on a recording, are nothing new to the rock world. Todd Rundgren was doing it in the 1970s, as was Stevie Wonder. In the 1990s, Trent Reznor exploded into the alternative rock genre with the first album for his one-man band Nine Inch Nails.

But did you know Framingham had such an artist? Recording under the band name Loam, Chris Rousseau has been writing the songs, playing all of the instruments, and independently releasing albums as Loam since 2003. Originally drawing on such indie rock influences as Nirvana, REM, and the Breeders, Rosseaus's more recent work has moved more toward radio-friendly pop in the vein of The Cars and Tom Petty. Intelligently written songs, played with great musicianship and professionally recorded, Loam's work goes far beyond the hobbyist stage, with a quality that's easily competitive with major label releases.

Loam's CDs can be purchased on Amazon, iTunes, and CDBaby, and numerous samples for your listening pleasures are also available on the band's web site. www.loamband.com.