The multi-instrumentalist (his first love was trombone) abandoned the academic world midway through his tenure for a life on the road with eclectic Philly rock act Townhall, a relationship that lasted five years. In 2006 Stanford gathered his songs, left his job at a laundromat, and moved to Los Angeles, where within weeks of arriving he landed a record deal with Epic. The soulful singer relocated to Smash/Mercury Records the following year, moved back to his native Philadelphia, and released his debut album, Big Drop, in June 2008. ~ James Christopher Monger