[b a n d s]

Harm

Membership: Andy Beckerman, Kyle Bittinger, Cindy Yogmas, John Lancia. A.k.a. Holistic Analog Rental Meat. Harm began as a casio-pop project in Feb 1998. The first album was recorded on a borrowed 4-track and concentrates on the Casio sk-1. Now, Harm has amassed 12+ small keyboards, most of them mid-1980's casios in the sk and mt series. Their new release, totaling over 90 minutes in length, concentrates more on the lush organ sounds of Casios early in the mt series.

Listen to Harm

The Shrouded Strangers

Mike Scutari and Aarn Carlson wrote and recorded an album in 18 hours. The lyrics conform loosely to a futristic storyline about the battle between imperialistic machines (led by Matt-Tron) and a group of struggling naturalists (the Whitmanites, who "choose to love").

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Sixth Grade Salvation

Aaron Carlson, Mike Scutari, Andy Willard decided they wanted to rock like they'd never rocked before. John Passmore was recruited to play bass. According to Doug Wallen, author of the Skyway zine: "Guided by Voices comparisons immediately sprang to mind...but these guys weren't a mere GBV rip-off band. They had a real catchy lo-fi bubblegum charm in the vein of the first Beulah record."

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The Bumblebees

Sweetness and honesty from Nicole Welch and Jess Fry. Various insects, local roads, quirky friends, and rock 'n' roll newspapers are all presented with purity and simplicity.

Listen to the Bumblebees

The Sub-Atomic Particles

Kyle's solo project. A couple people pionted out similarities between songs on the i am not afraid EP and songs by other people. Aaron says the chorus to "The Pin Oak" sounds like "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens. Andy played a Yo La Tengo instrumental for me that sounded kind of like "Fragments." I kind of rip off "Photographs" on the first song, but i gave myself permission for that one.

Review by Mike Scutari for a New Jersey zine: "You don't have to be a indie bedroom pop scholar to know that Kyle Bittinger is the man with the plan. The Subatomic Particles is but another name for one of his many side projects (like Trent Reznor!) and on his latest EP, Kyle combines his delicate songcraft with balanced, crisp production that make it his best record yet. Inevitable comparisons, I surmise, would be Neutral Milk Hotel and their Elephant 6 cronies. But let's think outside the box, ok? Brittle, folksy pop gems like 'I Know She's At The Movies' are interspersed with irresistable power pop anthems such as 'In The Wait,' which all dissolve into the lush, atmospheric beauty of '.....' Fight the good fight and get this album."

Listen to the Subatomic Particles

Kyle and Aaron

The first band on Frozen Foods. Rrrrr... was recorded just after Aaron bought his 4-track, and includes the old hits like "Leaves," "The Supermarket Song," and "The Dauphin Traffic Song." The second album, I Will Digest You! came two years later and catches the duo during the height of their short song obsession. The songwriting on Digest is vastly more developed, and ranges from the one minute anthem "Out of State," to the more experimental spoken word of "You Crowded It," to the Luna-inspired fuzz solos of "Morning Coffee."

The hey girlie EP features a more focused approach from the duo.

Listen to Kyle and Aaron

The Pony League

Aaron's solo project. Basically, he was locked in a hotel room for eight days by himself, being a patient in a Virginia flu study. Naturally, he brought his four track. From the slowed-down Calvin-like croonings on "The Pain Train" to the delicate "Bad, Wicked World" to the blazing, nostalgic "High School," this EP documents Aaron's slow dive into isolation-induced insanity.

Listen to the Pony League

Frozen Foods is a small, small cassette label. Address: 1641 Hicks Drive; Dauphin, PA 17018. Email Kyle Bittinger at klbst69@pitt.edu. Updated 4-4-00.