Although offbeat subject matter wrapped in an easy to digest pop shell makes
comparisons to They Might Be Giants or early Barenaked Ladies fairly
obvious, if a bit too easy, there's a lot more to Jim's Big Ego than that.
First of all, there's Jim Infantino, the Boston-based trio's
singer/guitarist/songwriter, whose lyrical talents fully justify his
self-described "larger than average" ego. Then there's the business model,
which is an object lesson for a good many indie acts.



Jim's Big Ego is one of those bands that has fully embraced the file-sharing
culture, to the point of releasing this disc under a Creative Commons
License, an alternative to traditional copyright that encourages sharing the
music on a not for profit basis. The trade out for the band is exposure that
has made them regulars on the northeast US club circuit and favorites on a
campus circuit that has expanded to encompass dozens of college dates
nationally.



Of course, all the sharing in the world isn't going to accomplish anything
if the music being shared isn't good in the first place, and this is real
good music. Smart, often funny, sometimes poignant music that's worth
looking up on mp3.com, and equally worth buying, whether from the usual
suspects or the band's own site at bigego.com. Don't take my word for it,
though. It's easy to find and free to hear. Of course, if you order a copy
of "They're Everywhere" you get the bonus of cover art by DC Comics legend
Carmine Infantino (relationship to Jim undefined but probable) and the
satisfaction of investing in the next release, which can't come too soon.



•- Shaun Dale