Nowadays, it has become more difficult for new bands to break onto the music scene. Original sound is not an important asset; it is a necessity for young musicians who want to make a name for themselves. For those searching for a fresh, new sound and a band to go with it, Saving Jane may be for them.

The innovative Ohio-based band Saving Jane shows promise as an up-and-coming group to listen for. Their single "Girl Next Door" has received significant airtime and led listeners to check out their debut album of the same name. Since the album's release in October of 2005, the band's reputation has grown, mostly by word of mouth.

It is to Saving Jane's advantage that their music carries a widespread appeal. Fans of this new group praise its music for not being too pop-ish, even people who usually go for the hard rock have given their approval. Although it may be considered pop rock, the sound is original, and at times its guitar has a more punk-rock feel, which helps to broaden their audience and appeal.

The band consists of guitarist/songwriter Pat Buzzard, singer/songwriter Marti Dodson drummer Dak Goodman, bassist Jeremy Martin, keyboardist Joe Cochran and lead guitarist Mike Unger. It is hard to believe that only a few years ago all of these musicians were strangers to each other.

Back in 2001, Marti Dodson was a student at Ohio State University but spent most of her time in the back rows, writing songs instead of taking notes. While hanging around a campfire, she heard Pat Buzzard play his guitar, and they soon made a musical connection that would inspire them to make music together.

When they finally decided to record some of the songs they were writing, they picked up Dak Goodman. It soon occurred to them to form a band, so they accomplished the difficult task of finding a name for themselves, which eventually came from a comic strip Marti had drawn. Martin, Cochran and Unger were then brought in to round out the group.

Considering the overwhelming amount of testosterone present in this band, the guys' music complements Marti's voice very nicely while not hindering their own artistic abilities. Their music is in no way girly, as the lyrics of the songs are meaningful, edgy, emotional, and will appeal to listeners from a variety of backgrounds, ages, races and sexes.

Since Marti provides the vocals for every song, it's tempting to try to compare her voice to another's, but listeners will find that this is difficult to do. Think less whiny than Alanis Morisette, more rock than Natlie Merchant and more talented than Ashlee Simpson.

Marti's passion for the music and lyrics is evident in every song she sings. There is cohesiveness to the 12 tracks but not to the point where any of the themes seem hackneyed. The songs express the feelings all men and women experience at one time or another including insecurities, relationships and being happy.

The variety in the songs also comes from the different presentations made by the instrumentalists. Their talents really transcend the term accompaniment, and their music is a collaboration that meets with much success. The group seems to always go for quality over quantity, as is evidenced in the absence of percussion, which makes a huge difference in the tone of a song. For example, the last song on the CD begins a cappella and the guitar only introduced later in the song.

Saving Jane's album release marked not only their growth as group of musicians, but also their initiation into the world outside Columbus, Ohio. They are currently touring, mostly the Midwest, but will work their way down south later this spring. Saving Jane will be performing this Sunday, Feb. 26, in Appleton, Wis.