San Francisco-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Michael Zapruder first gained attention as a member of Patty Spiglanin's band the Naked Barbies, which self-released three albums (Dancing with Vacuums [1994], Tarnished [1996], and Living Independently [1998]) before reconfiguring and renaming themselves the Vagabond Lovers for the 2000 album When I Was You, released by Monarch Records. By then, Zapruder had embarked on a solo project, writing, recording, and posting on the Internet one song a week for the entire year 1999 (www.52songs.org). On September 17, 2002, Zapruder released his debut solo album, This Is a Beautiful Town, on Explorable Oriole. He then formed an orchestra dubbed Michael Zapruder's Rain of Frogs from existing San Francisco bands, the principals including Nate Query of the Decemberists, Jonathan Segel of Camper Van Beethoven, Scott Pinkmountain of Pink Mountain, Scott Solter of Tiny Telephone, and Jon Bernson of Ray's Vast Basement. Zapruder's second album, New Ways of Letting Go was credited to Michael Zapruder's Rain of Frogs when it was released on August 15, 2006, by Howells Transmitter. ~ William Ruhlmann