Ivan Klipstein

Ivan Klipstein is a prolific and ambitious 25-year-old singer/songwriter hailing from the seemingly unlikely burg of Madison, Wisc. There's nothing that could be considered unlikely on Klipstein's albums, as the artist employs a kitchen-sink approach, avoiding pigeonholing by surfing in and out of genres with a masterful touch. On Lifestyle!, Klipstein shows that even though he uses a variety of sounds and styles, he does it all creatively. In the hands of a lesser collagist, Lifestyle! could be a jumbled mess. Instead, Klipstein moves from lush Pop to slinky Soul to folksy Hip Hop with the grace of a man who has lived a lifetime listening to each with an equal passion. While on album Klipstein uses a full-band approach (with lots of loops and samples), in concert, it's just the singer and an electric guitar, which simply adds another layer to this intriguing performer's fearless artistic philosophy.