Product Description Sam Billen's new record Headphones & Cellphones is a departure from the quirky indie pop that his former band The Billions were known for. This new approach finds Sam without a band giving him the opportunity to write, record, and produce all of the songs on his own. The Billions were influenced by 90's bands like Built to Spill, the Flaming Lips, and Pavement. In Sam's solo music, The Postal Service and Sufjan Stevens have since found their way into the list of influences. Headphones & Cellphones finds him meshing those with classic sounds like Hall and Oats, Todd Rundgren, and Stevie Wonder, causing him to take a soulful, more mature, smooth, and electronic texture to the endearing pop songs he has always written. Review ...Billen's use of synthesizers, drum machines, piano and acoustic guitar, in addition to his gift for writing hooks, makes for unique and sometimes playful compositions. There's a subtle beauty to Billen's voice and melodies that helps the songs on Headphones & Cellphones come off as heartfelt and relatable, and while the instrumental arrangements are complex, they rarely feel crowded or overblown... --Pitch Weekly...Think Christopher Cross meets J.Lo meets Death Cab for Cutie. This brand of indie pop by the former Billions frontman could be compared to that of the Postal Service, as Billen does a good job of mixing soft, sweet melodies with dancy, electro backbeats. But he goes in a slightly different direction, adding a sprinkle of R&B to his mellow pop, a la Hall & Oates... --Ink MagazineWoke up one morning to find some of Sams tracks in my e-mail and I haven t been able to stop listening since... --singyoursongintheshower(dot)wordpress(dot)com
