Author Archives: Alex

October is Perfect

October 6, 2010 – 7:53 pm

October is perfect. The changing colors, the cool, fresh air. This month inspires me so much, and it only seems perfect that we let our new release out in to the world this season. I don’t think we’ve ever worked this hard for something and we are really excited to share it with our friends and family.

We’ve got a lot of things planned for next week. First we have an interview with Independents Uncovered at WGMU. They’ll be talking with us and Mike Nestor from the Beechfields Record Label, about our new EP and how the Beechfields and it’s artists work.

Next, we are pleased to take part in one of Mobtown Studios‘ famous Microshows. The concept; take a local artist, familiar with the Baltimore music landscape and make them break their mold by stripping down their songs, deconstruct and reform them…in front of a live audience and record it to tape (or hard drive). The small house-like setting of Mobtown really gives the Microshows an intimate and truly unique experience. After all of the house shows we use to play, this performance should really feel like….uh, home?! Dan Cohan from the Water will be sitting in on percussion on a few songs, and Ruby Fulton & Andrew Histand from We Used to be Family will be lending their beautiful strings on a few songs. The Microshows are free, but there is limited space to please email Mobtown and let them know you’re coming.

If you can’t make it to the Microshow next Thursday, or want to see us in full force, then our release show at the beautiful 2640 Space in Charles Village is the show for you! The wonderful people at Red Emma’s really helped us out in organizing this event and let us use this incredible space. We’ve also got some amazing bands kicking off the night, including the newest addition to the Beechfields Family, the Silent Whys and our friends from New Jersey, Communipaw. Silent Whys are a fantastic folk duo, incorporating unique instruments like accordian, banjo, dulcimer and various others. Communipaw walk the line between solid indie-rockers and the coolest breed of alt/country; in short…they rock! We are really excited about this entire week, and have put every last bit of energy we have left into making these next performances some of our best. After all the preparation and planning that we have put into this, I would love watch our own performance. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works we can’t play and spectate at the same time, and to be honest that’s not what we love doing. We love playing our music, for our friends, for our family and for people we would like to call both. If you can make it out, we would love to share the fruits of our labor…of love!

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A Lazy Night in Baltimore

August 2, 2010 – 8:58 pm

With the passing of every season, I grow more and more of fond of this city I’ve only recently started to call my home. Oh Baltimore, you are so little but have so much to offer. Great fun, great food and great friends! This past 4th of July was one for the history books, a holiday I usually let pass me by ended up grabbing me and showing me something to really be proud of. I may not have watched some serious fireworks, but I definitely celebrated my state’s pride by having a serious crab feast!

After a dozen or so crabs, some refreshing beers and the sun setting, some friends and I decided it be cool to bring some guitars out, play some covers and a few originals. Little did we know our musical escapades were being committed to film. So enjoy this little video of some friends and I playing “Watch for Falling Rocks”. I know I’m happy to have such an incredible night documented.

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Oh, What a Night!

June 12, 2010 – 11:05 am

So we were asked pretty last minute to play a show last night at Joe Squared in Baltimore. We had just played there 2 weeks ago, and after our performance at the Windup Space last week, we weren’t expecting to bring much of a crowd playing three weeks straight. But we took the anyways, because there really is nothing better to do on a Friday night than hang with some of your closest friends, eat some of the city’s best pizza and play some fun tunes.

By the time we had set up and got sound running, it was 11:30pm, and the place was packed. We played 6 or 7 songs that we picked on the spot and started to call it a night. Then everyone kept asking us to play a couple more songs, and another, and another….and another.
One in the AM finally rolled around and we had literally run out of songs to play.

Afterwords, a few people who just happened to be hanging out, came and talked with us and told us how pleased they were to catch our set. It always seems miraculous when people you’ve never met or aren’t friends with listen to you play and tell you they liked it. It’s really the reason we love playing…pizza and beer are just added bonuses.

Just wanted to thank everyone from last night that stayed out late with us, listened to us play and inspired us to play more; you guys keep us going! Thank you.

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Over the Air

June 1, 2010 – 10:35 pm

We’ve got a big event coming up this weekend. On Saturday June 5th, us and 4 other amazing bands that we call our brothers of the Beechfields Record Label, will be performing at the Windup Space to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Our very own Patty Blanchard came up with the idea for this benefit, to help her meet her fundraising goal of $3,000. She has been training hard for marathons and other endurance events that help raise money for the Society, and she is hoping this show will make a huge dent.

To help promote the event (as well as the label), our local public radio station WYPR, invited label founder Mike Nestor, Dave Manchester from Kadman and myself to talk about the collective, the benefit and about what our own bands have been working on. Besides kind of making an ass out of myself (sarcasm over the air, doesn’t translate as well as in person!), Mike, Dave and I were asked to perform acoustic versions of our songs.

I wasn’t in town to tune into the segment, luckily you can stream it in its entirety online. I was surprised and pleased to find they aired the song I recorded at the end of the segment.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Also, make sure to check out the songs Mike and Dave recorded at WYPR:
WYPR ~ Maryland Morning Interview

All proceeds go towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, so please come out, and help support a great cause. Doors are at 7:30pm, admission is $7 and the lineup includes Kadman, The Seldon Plan, Infinite Honey, E. Joseph and the Phantom Hearts and yours truly! The night will also feature medical artwork by Frank Corl, who has drummed for many of the artists on the Beechfields’ roster.

If you can make it out Saturday night…awesome! If not, you can still help out by making a donation and help Patty’s Goal!

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Summertime, and the livin’s busy!

May 5, 2010 – 8:10 pm

So we are busting our asses as summer approaches. We are finishing up mixing our EP, and things are really coming together. We are also planning on how we want to package and release these songs for you guys. On top of all that, we have been planning a 4-day tour through the great state of Pennsylvania; visiting old friends, making new ones and just hoping to have a good time. So far here’s what were looking at as far as an itinerary:

Friday June 25th – Lancaster/Reading
Saturday June 26th – Pittsburgh
Sunday June 27th – Johnstown
Monday June 28th – Philadelphia

So we want to have these songs ready for the road, maybe a limited hand-made run of CD-R’s for tour, and then some serious silk screened records when we get back and do a release party for you all! So yeah, we’re busy!

Also, we’ve got a lot of shows already lined up for the summer, 2 this month, a Benefit with a bunch of Beechfields bands on June 5th, that Patty actually put together to help her raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

We’ve also been writing! New, fun, awesome songs! We’re having a lot of fun working on these songs and can’t wait to get a couple together to start working on another full length!

So come hang out with us this summer, if we’re coming to your town come have fun some fun with us and make it a memorable trip!

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Progress

March 10, 2010 – 12:05 pm

Never discourage anyone…who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
- Plato

We are getting there people. We wrapped up the last bit of recording for our EP a few weeks ago, and are heading back into Mobtown Studios to finish mixing. This has been a fun experience, and we’ve really had fun experimenting with arrangements and how we can stretch our sound. We are all looking forward to sharing our hard work with you as soon as we can.

Our plan for release is to do vinyl and a digital download, everyone knows CDs aren’t cool anymore. I think our songs might be a little too long for a 7 inch, and 10 inches aren’t as cost effective as a 12 inches. So we’d like to find some friends to split a 12 inch with us. So if you or anyone you know has a couple of songs they’re wrapping up, and would like to put out some vinyl with us, hit us up!

Hoping to have this out around May or June, stay posted.

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I’m Sorry Dani, Pt.2

December 21, 2009 – 12:00 pm

We were are all finally able to get together for some new band photos. Again our dear friend Danielle Yurchinkonis helped us out, and took some great photos. We had a lot of fun with this, we made some cookies, brought some beer, and some audio equipment to play with.

We’ve been working on some new recordings, new songs, new arrangements and we’ve had a new lineup for a while. Just seemed like the right time for a new family portrait. Check everything out on our Photos page, and if you’d like some hi-res versions, they are up on our Press page.

We’re also working on a super secret holiday surprise for all of you! So stay posted, stay warm and everybody have a safe and happy holiday!

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Slow & Steady Wins the Race…In the Studio

November 10, 2009 – 10:15 pm

We started recording back in the spring at Mobtown Studios in Baltimore. We had to take a break to get the funds together to finish paying for the sessions, but we were back to work last night laying down some guitar tracks! We’re working on 2…maybe 3 songs, and their really coming together, which is why it was kind of bummer to take such a long break.


But it was good to be back. A few more sessions, then some mixing & mastering and we should have a little EP, maybe a split if any friends are interested in working with us (wink, wink).


In the meantime, here are some photos from the sessions we’ve had so far. I might even try to take some video during our next session. So stay tuned!

Silver Fox...watch over me!

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Check Us Out

November 6, 2009 – 3:23 am

Literally…check us out, at the Library!!! I’m not sure who, but someone’s snuck in our CD into the Enoch Pratt Free Library. I can’t tell you if it’s in all of the Enoch Pratt Branches, or just the main one on Cathedral Street?

I can tell you that we’re not the only ones, we have plenty of other great local bands keeping us company; Wye Oak, Ponytail, The Seldon Plan, Among Wolves, Private Eleanor and many of our other Beechfields Brethren.

But check out the little page they’ve created on their website to promote having all this great local music.

Who knows, maybe we’ll take over the Library of Congress next!?!

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Exploring the Woods

October 12, 2009 – 9:57 pm

Not all of us could make the photo shoot yesterday. But that didn’t stop us from going out, exploring the woods and testing out some photo ideas. We had a good time wandering the woods, running through fields and just being outside in such beautiful place.

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