Tim Fite sounds like a musical collage artist working with a pair of rusty scissors and a very expensive sampler. His music is a dense, fascinating thicket of acoustic guitar strums, crackling vinyl loops, and found sounds that shouldn't work together but somehow form a cohesive, catchy whole. It is the sound of a Brooklyn basement filled with vintage toys and political manifestos.
What truly sets him apart is his ability to pivot from a soulful, crooning folk ballad to a sharp-tongued hip-hop verse without losing his footing. He uses the language of consumerism and pop culture to critique the very things he is referencing, creating a listening experience that is simultaneously fun and deeply uncomfortable. His production feels tactile, as if you can hear the glue drying on the samples.
Start with 'Fair Ain't Fair' to hear his most polished version of this vision. It captures his knack for melody and his biting wit perfectly. If you prefer something more raw and blues-inflected, 'Gone Ain't Gone' offers a masterclass in how to modernize traditional American sounds through a digital lens.
Timothy Sullivan, also known as Tim Fite, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, living and working in Brooklyn. His past releases have incorporated elements of numerous genres, including indie, alternative, country and hip hop.
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