My buddy Chandler Travis calls himself a "writer/songsinger" ~ that's the title of one of his albums ~ but I suppose that's not very helpful. It is amusing, though.

Chandler's no folkie; he plays electric guitar and leads a band featuring not only the usual bass and drums but also a full horn section. It wouldn't be correct or informative to describe his music as "rock," though, or even "pop"; the best label he's come up with "alternative dixieland," and the act is so humorous he could almost bill it as comedy rather than music. (He and his band have toured the US as George Carlin's opening act, and George is a longtime fan.)

Chandler has probably always faced the same problem Mike is describing: until you've seen and heard his work, there's no way to accurately (and enticingly) describe what to expect.