The LA Weekly says James "won't be one of folk-pop's best kept secrets for long." Delusions of Adequacy wrote, "This is the direction rock music needs to go in? James Combs has tapped into the same pulse that Low and The New Pornographers have." As if to put a fine point on it, "To Know You?" spent the first month of its life jumping up the airplay charts at tastemaker Santa Monica radio station KCRW.
Live shows have included slots on bills with legendary NY guitarist Tom Verlaine, Jack Black's Tenacious D, Kristin Hersh, and Ed Harcourt? not to mention upcoming LA artists like Inara George and Marjorie Fair. KCRW DJ Gary Calamar describes James as "one of LA's top songwriters".
James' tracks have appeared in a number of films and television shows, including HBO's "Entourage" and "Six Feet Under", Showtime's "Dexter", ABC's "Men In Trees" and in the upcoming 2008 Nanette Burstein documentary "American Teen" (Paramount Pictures.).