Patti Rothberg, Sad Bastards of Brooklyn

Patti Rothberg’s recording career goes back to 1996, with her debut on EMI Records, 'Between the 1 and the 9', which refers to the time she spent performing in New York City's 14th Street subway station. The title track relates some of her experiences, when EMI executive discovered Patti performing there. Seemingly overnight, Patti Rothberg achieved the kind of worldwide success one could only dream of. Critically acclaimed, Between the 1 and the 9 was an instant hit, and remains a timeless classic. The success of Between the 1 and the 9 had Patti touring quite non-stop from 1996 through 1997, and into 1998. She toured the USA supporting the Wallflowers, Chris Isaak, Midnight Oil, and Garbage, and she toured Europe supporting the Black Crowes. Patti and her band performed on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
While Patti promoted the record on the road, the song "Inside" reached #25 on Billboard in America, while in Europe, the song "Treat Me Like Dirt" went all the way to #1. A cover of "Kung Fu Fighting" was featured in the 1997 release of Beverly Hills Ninja, and her song "Forgive Me" was featured in the 1998 film The Misadventures of Margaret.

Taking some time from the road, Patti followed her success with the release of Candelabra Cadabra (Cropduster 2002) and Double Standards (Megaforce 2008). This was an intense writing period for Patti, and she found herself working with vocalist Andre Blacksugar, contributing songs and vocals to his Black Sugar Transmission record titled Use It, released in 2009.

Overnight Sensation is the title of Patti’s 2011 release, reuniting her for the first time with Between the 1 and the 9 producer, Dave Greenberg, the product of their reunion yielding a pop powerhouse. It was Rothberg's beautifully emotive voice, and brilliant songwriting, coupled with Greenberg's melodic pop sensibility and production, that were the backbone of this magical recording, reminiscent of the undeniably infectious melodies and intelligent lyrics that first put Patti on the charts in 1996.

Rothberg's 2014 CD release, her fifth studio album 'Black Widow', explores moody and melodic, piano based acoustic pop, and signature guitar rock, marking a first time collaboration with producer, Lyle Puente, generating this unique, seamless brand of music.

Additionally, new recordings are in the works and slated for release later this year.
She has just written her first book, a photo/painting essay extravaganza.
www.pattirothberg.com


Sad Bastards of Brooklyn are an acoustic side project of Charlene McPherson and Mo Goldner of the New York City band Spanking Charlene. They perform cover versions of the saddest songs ever by artists such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Patsy Cline, The Replacements, etc.
The project started in 2010 when Spanking Charlene was in the studio working with producer Steven Van Zandt. During breaks in the sessions Charlene and Mo would sit and pass the time by playing quiet ballads. It was in the middle of playing the Sam Cooke song "That's where it's at" that Van Zandt asked if we ever performed that song live. We answered that we did, even though we didn't. We then hatched the idea to take this acoustic thing on the road and Sad Bastards of Brooklyn was born. Our upcoming debut release "Sad Bastards of Brooklyn Volume 1" was recorded live in one two hour session at Cowboy Technical Services in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and was produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel.
"The Sad Bastards of Brooklyn prove that New York City’s largest borough has more to offer than just hipster beards and horn-rimmed glasses.
By opting for sincerity over irony and pathos over snarkiness, the team of Charlene McPherson and Mo Goldner have given us a slice of the Brooklyn they used to live in. A place that can kick your ass and demoralize you, but which can steel your resolve.
By day, these two get their songwriting ya-ya’s out with Spanking Charlene, the garage-rock band they’ve fronted since [YEAR]. But for this special project, they’ve harvested the sad ol’ songs of their favorite scribes, ranging from Bob Dylan and Alex Chilton to Elton John and Johnny Thunders.
The songs aren’t about any particular place, but they’re certainly not from the land of cronuts and frappucinos. The Brooklyn that McPherson and Goldner inhabited is the one that’s left them sadder-but-wiser, and unafraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. And that’s what they bring to bear on this disc.
Ultimately, it’s McPherson’s silky vocals and Goldner’s gentle touch on acoustic guitar that make this collection a gem. When McPherson sings lines like “You can’t put your arms around a memory,” or “Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” you can’t help but feel her pain".

Bill German, author of Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)