Most famous for the hit theme song "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" as a member of the group Rockapella, Sean Altman will soon bring his catchy voice to Lone Pine Tavern.
Celebrated for his part on the popular children's television program, Altman, who will perform at Dartmouth on August 22, describes his music as contemporary rock and cites the Beatles and the Beach Boys as his greatest musical influences. The 1960s rock influences are indeed evident in Altman's most recent album, "Altmania."
But, while "Altmania" is stuffed with beats that are clearly reminiscent of the punchy, upbeat tunes of the Beetles, they are often juxtaposed with harsh, blunt lyrics.
The sixth track, titled "More in Hate With You," speaks violently of animosity toward past lovers, with lyrics such as, "I could just as well kiss you as run you through / 'cause I'm still in love but more in hate with you."
Altman denied that the songs are "hateful." Instead, he described them as "painful" in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"I like to call it angst-filled pop confection A lot of the songs are painful songs about lost loves," Altman said.
Altman accedes that his lyrics and upbeat rhythms are often incongruous.
"The melodies I wrote were happy sounding, but the lyrics are often sad, bitter, sarcastic," he said.
While much of Altman's music is inspired by a broken heart, he also sings about angst stemming from his career as a musician.
The lyrics of "Too Old and Too Ugly" give a playful but sad account of the struggle of the aging musician. He sings, "And I'm too damn old to be a rockstar / and too damn ugly to be your man."
Altman explained that "Too Old and Too Ugly" is inspired by his experiences in show business. He said that the manager of the Rockapellas told the group about his meeting with a record company, where the representative described the Rockapellas as "too old and too ugly."
He described the record company's criticism with a tongue-in-cheek attitude. "Being 'too old and too ugly' is every 30-something-year-old musician's problem, because the business is geared to the youth and beauty however, I do remember thinking this will make a good song," he said.
Altman's music is geared toward college students. He said that his music naturally appeals to college students because, "people that are in their late 30s are already set in their ways about music, but college students are forming their own musical tastes. They pay more attention to lyrics, and are more open to independent music."
As a result, Altman has performed at many college shows in the past few years.
"College shows are always my favorite. They seem to get to me. Even though I'm older, I haven't matured much since I was 18," Altman said.
August 22 will not mark the first time Altman has performed at Dartmouth. His most recent performance was in August of 2002. Now, after a two-year absence of Altman-style angst, Lone Pine audiences can again shed tears later this month.
