On all her previous records, Baltimore-based singer/songwriter ellen cherry’s principal instrument is guitar. And as the title implies, her new EP, Please Don’t Sell The Piano, represents a break from that tradition, as she explores black and white keys for the duration of the six songs. Having long since found a distinctive songwriting voice on her primary instrument, ellen cherry is taking a risk here, stepping out of her comfort zone.

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Ms. Fridrich is a duo from Washington, DC: Sarah on piano/vocals and Dan Marcellus on drums. I had the pleasure of producing their second record, You Call That Brave, here at Mobtown. Over a year in the making, it’s been quite the journey.

Inspired by Amanda Palmer, Tom Waits and Fiona Apple, Sarah pulls from everything: burlesque, indie rock, and pop. Her voice and songwriting are charismatic, heartfelt, and clever, and while her songs definitely lean towards pop elements (in all the best possible moments) there is a tinge of avant with delicate nods to Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson. Dan’s monstrous drum sound and slightly jazzy feel is a force to be reckoned with. He’s the perfect yang to Sarah’s yin.

You can buy You Call That Brave here.

Below are my two favorite songs:

The Bills

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Hearts Intact

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In November 2009, multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Kenton Dunson began renting rooms at various hotels in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. with the intention of utilizing them as recording retreats. This process created a 13-song record that is entitled “The Kenton Dunson Progressions”.

I mastered this record last month and had a great time working with Kenton. He’s a man with a plan and sticks to it. While at the same time, if things needed to be fixed, he stepped it up.

Kenton’s music is hard to explain. He definitely conjures up sounds from Stevie Wonder and Prince. But those are just what first comes to mind. His music speaks for itself.

The CD Release Show with his stellar backing band is June 3rd at the 8×10 and but sadly (however, not for Kenton) sold out. Here are two of my favorite tracks.

Breaks

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Madness

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Eric came in last week for a Microshow. His unique style represents a quest to blend disparate musical parts into a cohesive, digestible whole. Eric recently completed his first solo album, Great Falling Sky. Comprising 11 tracks, it is an ambitious freshman effort, featuring complex vocal harmonies, bizarre synths, lush acoustic guitars, and musings on a decade of war, terrorism, and partisan infighting. He takes a lot of the complexities of his record but strips it down here in a three piece. Justin Parrot on upright and Scott Schoem on keys join Eric.

Technical Stuff: Vox: U87, Acoustic Guitar: SM81, Upright Bass: C3, Keys: A-Designs Tube Pre DI

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Eureka Birds came by last week for their microshow and it was magical. They were as much a joy to listen to as they were to watch as they played with the musical possibilities in each moment. This is a band that obviously has fun with their music and it comes across in the dark playfulness of their tunes.

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