If you haven't heard of Don McCloskey yet, get ready to make room in your cd player for something new. One of the most truly unique and talented young songwriters I've come across in a long time, Don blends a fusion of folk, funk, hip-hop, rock and a little bit of country, on what has to be one of the best independent releases of 2004. His debut effort on "Bombs over Bristol" is a breath of fresh air in a music industry dominated by homogeneity and manufactured acts.

The tracks from Bombs will at various points remind you of Beck, Bob Dylan, G Love, or even Citizen Cope. But, make no mistake, Don has a unique sound and vibe all his own. Whether reflecting on a close friend's death in the ballad "Mr. Novocaine" or flowing about midget prostitutes as his alter-ego - "Big D" - the Bucks County, PA native and now Brooklyn transplant, will dazzle you with his lyrical mastery and infectious grooves. After hearing Don's cd at a buddy's house, I was immediately hooked and recently caught up with Don to talk about his music, career and influences.

In addition to his affable nature, Don's clearly a bright guy who effortlessly weaves references from poetry, world events and every day experiences into narrative stories that draw on all of his interests and influences. The range of musical genres on Bombs is impressive. Don says his influences change from day to day, minute to minute and says he can find musical inspiration in just about anything that makes a noise - Muzak, fax machines, animals, or even street noise.

Lyrically, Don draws inspiration from poets, authors, mc's, great songwriters and everything around him - news papers, advertisements, junk mail- whatever. Don's enormous vocabulary is on full display in his songs, so I wasn't surprised to learn that he reads three books at a time. Of course, Don quipped that he usually never finish any of them. One of his current reads is a book of musical quotations his grandmother got him for Christmas and so far his favorite quote from the book is from Louie Armstrong. He said, "All music is folk music. I never heard no horse sing a song."

In addition to drawing on a wide range of influences and genres, another impressive aspect of Don's talent is his ability to play several instruments. Don says he's most comfortable as a rhythm guitarist, but noodles on a bunch of other instruments. When recorindg Bombs, he and Mike Plevy, who co-produced and engineered the disc, would switch back and forth trying to find cool parts for the guitars, bass lines, drum fills, synths, percussion, piano licks and so on. When they wanted something from a particular instrument they felt was out of their range, they would call up friends who played that instument to get the sounds they were looking for. From the final mix, you'd never guess that Mike and Don were just learning how to record.

He's won the admiration of fans, critics and fellow muscians alike and won two 2004 Philly Music Awards for "Best Male Entertainer" and "Best Acoustic Act." He's also placed songs in a few independent films including "Island" (2000 New York Film Festival) and "Long Short Story" (2002) starring Michael Williams from "The Blair Witch Project."

Even though Don's recording is fantastic, he's renowned for his lives shows. Don regularly sells out 200+ seat venues in Philadelphia, LA and New York. Don also set the attendance record for any independent artists' single night draw at Philly's Grape Street Pub. Recently, Don had a string of sold out shows at the famous Knitting Factory and Sidewalk Cafe in Manhattan, home to the "Anti-Folk Movement" and best known for housing Beck and Moldy Peaches along their way to mainstream recognition.

Judging by the huge crowds and accolades he's getting, our friend Don is himself on the way to larger recognition. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Bombs and come along for the ride.