Nineteen-Year-Old Matt Jaffe Conjures New Wave, Power Pop On EP

Matt Jaffe is only nineteen years old but his musical inspirations and songwriting chops defy his age and demeanor. Initially discovered at a San Francisco open mic night by Jerry Harrison (keyboardist/guitarist of Talking Heads), Jaffe went on to coax the Bay Area power pop scene legend Matthew King Kaufman -- Beserkley Records founder (Jonathan Richman, Greg Kihn) -- out of semi-retirement to produce his new 'Blast Off' EP, recorded with Jaffe's band The Distractions and set for an April 21st release.

Jaffe draws his song and sound cues from 70s New Wave, power pop, and punk greats, from The Clash and X to Elvis Costello. "Costello has been an enormous influence on my songwriting and my attitude towards music," Jaffe says. Here is the pop art-inspired video for EP cut and earworm track "Put Your Finger In the Socket":

The dynamic combination of his virtuosity, youthful charm, and his impressive musical inspirations creates an artist that Paper Magazine calls "the Elvis Costello / Tyler Oakley lovechild we've been waiting for."

The 'Blast Off' EP is a taste of what's to come later in 2015 from Matt Jaffe & The Distractions including a full-length LP and a run of shows this summer with The Damnwells including stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego.

Both the poppy "Put Your Finger In the Socket" and the title track boast addictive hooks and advanced songwriting chops, while the charming yet humorous "Stoned On Easter" paints a mildly satirical narrative that weaves together the Easter holiday and the pop cultural significance of 4-20. Songs like "Write a Song" show off Jaffe's rapid-fire songwriting and youthful yet convincing wail. "I Wanna Be Cruel" (the closest song to a ballad on the EP) was named a finalist in the 2013 UnSigned Only Songwriting Competition.

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