ARTIST

Fountains of Wayne

It's a bit like trying to figure out which came first: the chicken or the egg, but Fountains Of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger is also a member of superb popsters Ivy, of which the other important Fountains Of Wayne member Chris Collingwood is a special guest. But while Ivy took their time getting attention, Fountains Of Wayne received critical adulation from the get-go. Hailed as brilliant pop stylists in a number of prestigious publications (especially England's lavishly produced MOJO), Fountains Of Wayne are proof that pop, when made quickly, still has the power to transform the mundane. The singles "Radiation Vibe" and "Stacy's Mom" best exemplify their attack.

Formed in New York City (though if you wanted to find the "Fountains Of Wayne" sign they named themselves after, you'd have to travel Route 46 West in Wayne, New Jersey to find it), the duo agreed to write songs together for the fun of it, allegedly challenging one another with awful song titles.

Schlesinger continues to moonlight in Ivy and wrote "That Thing You Do" for the Tom Hanks-written/directed movie of the same name. He also runs Scratchie Records with D'Arcy and James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins. Bassist Danny Weinkauf completes the band. Guitarist Jody Porter, who sang backup on the album, and drummer Brian Young (ex-Posies) round out the live attack.

Collingwood, a Pennsylvania native, grew up in Boston, and since living in New York has made a name for himself participating in tribute concerts to Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson at New York City's ultra-chic Fez club. Whether or not Fountains Of Wayne is either Schlesinger or Collingwood's full-time gig will probably remain a mystery for much time to come.

Written by Rob O'Connor