by MacKenzie Wilson & Tim SendraSinger/songwriter Jim Noir was born in 1982 in Davyhulme, Manchester, the same city that gave birth to Morrissey 23 years before. His dreams of making music started early; he was fascinated with TV as a young boy, and by middle school he was performing in talent shows and singing in various karaoke competitions. His performance of 808 State's "In Yer Face" with his friend Batfinks was a defining moment for the young Noir. It was also more than enough for Noir to decide that making music would be his life. In 2003, he landed a recording contract with the U.K. indie imprint My Dad Recordings. Noir already had notebooks full of songs, and three EPs -- Eanie Meany, My Patch, and A Quiet Man -- quickly followed by 2004. His pop sensibility is classic, echoing '60s psychedelic pop, '70s soft rock, and indie pop with an undercurrent of cheesy electronics. Mancunian locals the Beep Seals -- Jack Cooper (vocals/guitar), Phil "Fingers" Anderson (keyboards/vocals), Milo Scaglioni (bass), and Ian Smith (drums) -- joined Noir for the recording of his debut album. Tower of Love was released early 2006 on My Dad in the U.K. A performance at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX, introduced Noir to American audiences that March. His profile was further boosted from the use of his songs "Tower of Love" and "Eanie Meany" (with its naggingly catchy refrain "If you don't give my football back/I'm gonna get my dad on you") in brilliant Adidas ads that ran non-stop during the 2006 World Cup. Barsuk Records signed Noir and released Tower of Love on August 8 in the U.S. In 2007, "My Patch" was used as the music for a Target department stores TV Christmas ad and early the next year Noir released a self-titled follow up album, also on Barsuk.