"I'm totally geeky and I'm not edgy or cool," Jody Gnant said.
After the phenomenon where Kyle MacDonald, of Canada, traded a red paper clip for a house in 14 trades, Gnant (who was trade 10) ended up with a recording contract, which she traded for a year of free rent in her Phoenix condo.
Gnant flew to Canada with her band members - Adrian Goldenthal, Julian Goldenthal and Kris Hill - in September to do the initial recording of their CD. After months of work, it's almost time for the April 11 release.
Gnant named the album "Pivot" because she feels she went in a different direction with this album than she has in the past. She says the change in her style can be attributed to moving to downtown Phoenix, meeting Alice Cooper, and seeing Eminem flip everyone off at the MTV music awards.
Gnant moved to downtown Phoenix from Scottsdale after a U.S. Census Bureau search revealed to her that the 85004 zip code was described as "Bohemians, singles and couples."
Meanwhile, her introduction to Cooper was influential because of his act. When Gnant met him, she was surprised to find he was the sort of person who was kind, and would tell jokes in line at a Chinese Buffet. When she saw him perform a few days later, she was shocked to see him behave like a jerk and dump blood on people. Gnant said that's when she realized your music doesn't necessarily have to express all of your personality, and you can "put on a show."
The last deciding factor in how to pick a persona came when she saw Eminiem go up to receive an award, informing the crowd that if they didn't like his music, they could (insert expletives here).
Gnant sighted this as when she realized she didn't have to do something that had been done before, but could instead invent her own style and not care what other people thought. That's how "Bohemian Geek Soul" was born.
The music is quirky, with Gnant singing off-key in some places because she likes the effect it has.
Even after being trained by vocal coach Seth Riggs - who has coached many famous singers including Michael Jackson and Whoopee Goldberg - Gnant doesn't always follow the rules. She changes tempo and style mid-song in a way that some might find unconventional, but which she feels will help convey the thoughts and impressions she is trying to get across.
The songs are about everything from doing laundry to going to clubs, and capture everyday events in a way that makes them seem significant. While there's definitely a jazzy feel to them, it's an up-tempo jazz, completely unlike Kenny G. Gnant's voice ranges from highs to lows effortlessly, but retains its own quality and style, which is loud and powerful.
Goldenthal, an ASU alumnus with a psychology degree, said they had a lot of fun recording the CD, and they're excited with the final product.
"We cover a lot of ground as far as style goes," Goldenthal said. An Arizona native like his brother Julian, the bassist feels that the band has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.
In addition to the CD, they produced a video that was shot partly at the Phoenix bar Amsterdam and partly at Encanto Park. The video is shown on 1,008 screens nationwide before movies begin.
Goldenthal added his brother, Julian, and the drummer, Hill, are also proud ASU graduates, although he laughed when he said he ended up doing music full time instead of psychology.
A lot a criticism has been centered on the fact that trading a year's worth of rent in a condo for a record deal does not mean you have talent.
While this argument holds some water, Gnant and her band are not an example of this. The way they got the contract might have been unconventional, but their talent and commitment to music are exactly what a band needs to succeed.
To hear the music, you can check out the two finished songs on MySpace at www.myspace.com/jodygnant.
Reach the reporter at:jenifer.delemont@asu.edu.
