Taking the musical high road is never easy, especially when working in a market that eats cover songs for fuel. But Lancaster-based singer-songwriter A.J. is up to the challenge.

A.J. is the region's monarch of "altercana," the gray area between the alternative and Americana genres. In comparison to the recent influx of roots rock bands in the alt-country vein of Son Volt and The Badlees, A.J. maintains a unique sound by indulging in a plethora of ear-candy hooks and tight, pop-song structures without abandoning the production values that define the genre.

A.J. first cut his teeth as lead singer of former Lancaster scenesters Element/ Motherphunk in the 1990s. Following Element's demise about three years ago, A.J. grabbed a guitar and blended influences ranging from Bob Mould to XTC. The result: his debut album, Altercana.

Released in October 2001, Altercana is a well-recorded showcase of songwriting, highlighted by delightfully raw vocals reminiscent of Marah or Pete Yorn. Musically, it would be fair to draw comparisons to the likes of Counting Crows or Wilco. "They're very alternative-sounding songs," he says. "When I play acoustic, I think they come off a little more edgy, and then it's kind of got an Americana sensibility to it."

A.J. recognizes that while singer-songwriters are an artistic commodity in bigger cities, local acoustic performers are often damned to playing cover songs to a happy hour crowd. Determined to avoid that fate, A.J. is careful in the marketing of his live show. "I don't think I have a standard kind of acoustic show. I think it's got a little more intensity than the average, coffee shop style," he explains. "I put everything into it when I play. That's also the nature of the medium itself. You either have to do that, or you're background music."

"Right now I'm still living pretty high on just releasing the album," he says when asked about future plans. "I'll just see what happens ... I'm not necessarily looking for a record deal with, like, Warner Brothers, you know? I'm not looking to be Madonna," he laughs.

"I'm just taking it one day at at time," he continues. "My immediate goal is for this record to do well enough that it allows me to make another one." So far, so good - the album has already gained airplay on radio stations from Maine to California.

For MP3s and more info on A.J., visit