Who is Scott Alexander? In my own quest to answer this question the obvious details emerged first: Scott Alexander, bedecked in the loud clothing (a clumsy tuxedo, a brightly colored flannel cap with the brim flipped up) so characteristic of those of us who had both the brains and the social woes in high school to understand the absurdity of fashion or that oh so elusive word "cool,' is a nerd. He was a nerd before Ben Gibbard proudly labeled himself one and he will be a nerd after the trend has passed. However, aside from his thick glasses and academic background studying bassoon at the Peabody Conservatory and ethnomusicology at UCLA, Scott Alexander is a savvy pop artist with a good shot at revolutionizing the industry’s performance aesthetic.

In an era of bleeding-heart trailer rock and business-minded hip-hop stars, Scott Alexander sidesteps the determined face of today’s music that seems to say, "I take myself really, really seriously,' by… not taking himself too seriously. In his 2007 release Makes Friends the songwriter’s wit comes through in his lyrics, delivered with a sound and attack reminiscent of Talking Heads front man David Byrne. By using straight forward, almost conversational lyrics, Alexander creates a casual style that ironically reaches far beyond the flashiest efforts artists employ to breathe new life into worn out chord progressions. As his baritone guitar moves through meandering harmonies in a song called F’ing Technology, he nonchalantly explains, "I don’t keep numbers in my head/ I use my cell phone now instead/ so my brain has extra space/ to imagine being face to face.' Suddenly, a bassoon takes over the melody with the precision of classical training, placing a musical period on his expression and heightening the matter-of-fact nature of his music.

Alexander’s professional training in music is manifest in this songwriting, where recycled ideas are abandoned for a more progressive approach. In fact, the relaxed nature of his music may be a symptom of his genius, a genuine boredom with the pop song form. Regardless, the appearance of ease and humor in Scott Alexander’s music is precisely what makes it so competitive. While other artists simply make what they do look hard by furrowing their brows, Scott Alexander sounds like he’s having fun – and that is something fans can get behind. We may never hear of him again, but if there is any justice in the world for us nerds, Scott Alexander will become an important figure in popular music.