Usually it goes the other way: Start a band, build up a good following, and then piss off half of your fan base by starting your solo career. Rogue Valley frontman Chris Koza did that trajectory in reverse, however, releasing three well-received solo records before giving his band its own name and identity -- and its own major motion picture placement and crazy-ass ambitious project to pull off beautifully. So his fans certainly won't mind that he's releasing another record today under his own name, a week and a half ahead of the Nov. 9 release party at the Cedar Cultural Center.
Titled "In Real Time," the album was posted in its entirety earlier today via Bandcamp and is certainly worth a good listen. He recorded it with a more veteran cast of players, including Semisonic bassist John Munson, pedal-steel ace Joe Savage and percussionists Ken Chastain and Richard Medek, plus pianist/harmonizer Alicia Christenson (née Wiley) and elegance specialists the Laurel Strings Quartet.
Sample the whole record below, or click here to go straight to "Wishing Well," one of the standout tracks and a good example of how it carries a little more slick production and poppy hookery than the RV albums without sacrificing any of Koza's soft, bright-eyed songwriterly charms.
Click here for details on the Cedar concert with Reina del Cid.
