Patti Rothberg
Gritty, guitar-driven alternative rock with a busker's soul. Raw storytelling and nineties edge for late-night city commutes and restless urban wandering.
Gritty, guitar-driven alternative rock with a busker's soul. Raw storytelling and nineties edge for late-night city commutes and restless urban wandering.
Patti Rothberg sounds like the pulse of New York City in the mid-nineties, captured through a lens of distorted guitars and raspy, lived-in vocals. Her music carries the weight of someone who spent years busking on subway platforms, translating that immediate, survivalist energy into polished but punchy alternative rock. It is melodic enough for the radio but possesses a jagged undercurrent that feels distinctly independent.
What sets Rothberg apart is her technical prowess as a multi-instrumentalist. On her most celebrated work, she handled nearly all the guitar and bass duties herself, resulting in a cohesive, singular vision where the rhythm section feels perfectly locked into the vocal phrasing. There is a specific 'between-ness' to her sound: between folk and grunge, between the street and the studio, and between cynicism and hope.
Start with 'Between the 1 and the 9'. The title itself is a love letter to the NYC subway, and the tracks within offer a masterclass in the kind of smart, guitar-forward songwriting that defined the post-grunge era. It is the perfect companion for anyone who finds beauty in the grit of the city.
Patricia Lynne "Patti" Rothberg (born May 4, 1972) is a singer-songwriter and painter. Born in New York City, Rothberg grew up in Scarsdale, New York. Rothberg played all the guitar and bass parts on her debut album, Between the 1 and the 9, which was released on April 2, 1996. The first single, "Inside", reached number 25 on the Billboard magazine Alternative chart. With her band Rothberg toured extensively supporting Chris Isaak, The Wallflowers, Garbage, Midnight Oil and Paul Westerberg; making appearances on high-profile TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night With David Letterman and Oprah. In February 1997, Rothberg toured Europe as support to The Black Crowes. During this time, two of Rothberg's songs appeared in film: a cover of "Kung Fu Fighting" in Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) and "Inside" in The Misadventures of Margaret (1998). Rothberg's third album, Double Standards, was released by indie label Megaforce on May 13, 2008. The release show was at the Blender Theater in New York City on May 22, 2008.
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, hand played, analog warmth (production style)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, hand played, analog warmth (production style)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); restless, confident, bittersweet (moods)
Shares studio polished, hand played, analog warmth (production style); alternative rock, indie rock (subgenres)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); restless, wistful, confident (moods)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, analog warmth (production style)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); raspy, intense, deadpan (vocal style)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); defiant, restless, confident (moods)
Shares alternative rock, indie rock, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, hand played, analog warmth (production style)
Shares power pop, hand played, indie rock, alternative rock (subgenre)
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →
