MewithoutYou
Encyclopedia
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by spoken-word vocals and free-ranging drums, bass, and guitar. On their third album, Brother, Sister
, the band incorporated more varied instrumentation including percussion instruments, accordion, and harp.
) in 2001 and shortly thereafter signed to Tooth & Nail Records
after a show at Cornerstone Festival
the same year. Around this time Taddeo had moved on, and Daniel Pishock was recruited to be the first official and permanent bass player of the band. The Operation disbanded soon afterward, and mewithoutYou's debut full-length album, [A→B] Life, was released in 2002. The band garnered more attention for their second release, 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes
, which was produced by Brad Wood
(Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate
). In December 2004 Pishock had made the decision to retire as the bassist to pursue a career in teaching and explore other musical ventures, and former Operation frontman, Greg Jehanian, was selected to replace him. In 2005, mewithoutYou won mtvU
's "Left Field" award for most original artist for their song "January 1979." Their third album, Brother, Sister
, again produced by Wood, was released on September 26, 2006. In late 2007, guitarist Christopher Kleinberg left the band, to pursue a degree in medicine. Pete Syoum filled in for guitar in the fall of 2007, but later Kleinberg returned to play with the band on their 2008 Summer tour since school was not in session. Kleinberg also played some shows on their, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright, tour in June 2009.
Aaron Weiss provides narration for the Forgive Durden
album entitled, "Razia's Shadow: A Musical" which was released October 28, 2008. He also provides vocals for Norma Jean
's "Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste" and Indie/Hip Hop project Bella Futuro's "70 X 7".
As of September 2008 the band has finished recording the follow-up to Brother, Sister
titled, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright. The title of the album is taken from parable 518 in the book 'The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh" by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
. In this he writes, "It's all false, It's all a dream, It's all crazy, It's all over, It's all right, Let's see what's next". The latest album is a departure from Weiss' trademark shouting and the band's raucous grooves. The mile-a-minute rants, thick with lyrical angst, are traded for simpler melodies with lyrics about anthropomorphic food and animals. Similarly, the band has scaled back their edgier post-hardcore sound, at times trading riffs for chords and guitars for pianos and harp. Even a classical composer was called into their Fishtown, Philadelphia studio for various arrangements on several tracks. The album was produced by Dan Smith (Danielson, Sufjan Stevens
) and Brian McTear and was mixed by Brad Wood.
They tour in a 42-foot 1976 MC8 Charter bus that runs on vegetable oil. Before July 2009 the side of the bus read "Altus Bulldogs." The bus has since been painted in a light beige and marked with paintings of flowers and vines by artist Salihah Moore.
MewithoutYou are currently writing for their fifth studio album, as stated by their drummer Rickie Mazzotta in a recent interview. They have booked studio time at the end of July and through August. They have recently added Brandon Beaver of Buried Beds to play second guitar as stated on their blog by Rickie Mazzotta.
On August 10, 2011, Chris Kleinberg and wife Nikki had a baby girl, Jubilee Kleinberg. Because of this, the August 13 show in Philadelphia, PA was one of the first local shows where Kleinberg did not join the band on stage since his departure in 2007.
Later in August Mazzotta stated in an interview that the band has parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records due to perceived restrictions placed on them by the label. They hinted at starting their own label as they prepared to release their fifth album. Other band members, however, have often expressed satisfaction with and gratitude and affection toward their old label, citing different reasons for ceasing to work with them: namely, having completed their contract, the declining relevance of record labels in the current music world, and simply the excitement to try something new.
In October 2011, Alternative Press announced that on a forthcoming tribute album to Nirvana's Nevermind
mewithoutYou contributes their cover of "In Bloom
".
Muslim household—their mother had converted from the Episcopal church, and their father from Judaism
.
| accessdate = 2008-09-04
}} Due to the Christian imagery in some of Aaron Weiss' lyrics, they have been categorized as a Christian band, although in interview, A. Weiss has stated he doesn't think they are a Christian band. Their lyrics reflect a personal relationship with God, and are not evangelistic
. Other lyrical themes explored include suffering and self-doubt.
Many lyrics are taken from the Sufi poet Rumi including the song "The Cure for Pain" from [A→B] Life and a line in the song "Seven Sisters" from Catch for Us the Foxes
.
In the song "Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt" from their album [A→B] Life, Aaron Weiss' lyrics are based on a poem from the metaphysical poet
John Donne
called "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
". John Donne wrote the poem to his wife to explain that there is no need for dreading their physical separation or distance because their spiritual love will always keep them together. The lines of the song "thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end where I begun" are directly from John Donne's poem where the conceit is revealed as a compass (Stanza 9, ll. 35-36). The title of the song itself is a Kurt Vonnegut quote.
The title of their second album Catch for Us the Foxes
is taken directly from Song of Songs
2:15: "Catch for us the foxes, / the little foxes / that ruin the vineyards, / our vineyards that are in bloom" (New International Version
). This passage is also used in the song "The Soviet": "Good God, please! Catch for us the foxes in the vineyard—the little foxes". See lyrical themes of Catch for Us the Foxes for the themes explored on the album.
The title of their third album, Brother, Sister
, is derived from St. Francis of Assisi
's "Canticle of the Sun
": "We praise You, Lord, […] especially for Brother Sun, […] We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars".
Their fourth album, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright explores many of the teachings of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
. The sufi teacher's story of "The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie" from My Love You My Children: 101 Stories for Children is told as well as his story about the "King Beetle" from The Divine Luminous Wisdom that Dispels Darkness. Other concepts from the teacher are explored in "Allah, Allah, Allah," about seeing God in every blade of grass and in "Fig with a Bellyache" dealing with sexual temptation from The Divine Luminous Wisdom and The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh. Guitarist Mike Weiss has been quoted as saying that the themes of the album reflect a time in vocalist Aaron Weiss' life where he is "sort of revisiting [religion] and holding himself up to those teachings that there's no one religion that's going to be the only way to God [...]," reveals Weiss. "If you really want to just try to follow a path to God, I don't believe you need anything beyond [Jesus Christ], but it's just the idea that you're fixed on the only way and that everybody else is just completely misguided [...] that is a sort of obtuse attitude that can hurt your own spirit."
In order of appearance:
All pedals are connected to the effects loop in Michael's Vox AC30.
Greg
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by spoken-word vocals and free-ranging drums, bass, and guitar. On their third album, Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister is the third full-length album by indie rock band mewithoutYou, released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It features guest vocal and instrumental appearances by several artists, including Jeremy Enigk , harpist Timbre, and members of Anathallo and the Psalters...
, the band incorporated more varied instrumentation including percussion instruments, accordion, and harp.
History
The band was originally conceived as a side project. The Weiss brothers and former guitarist Christopher Kleinberg were playing together in another band called The Operation with current bassist Greg Jehanian (who released one album and one EP, 2001's There Is Hope for a Tree Cut Down & 1999's Invisible Man EP, on Takehold Records), but Aaron wanted to start another band to experiment with new sounds. With the help of Ricky Mazzotta, Ray Taddeo, and his brother Mike, Aaron formed what is now formally known as mewithoutYou. At first the band was a four piece, with Aaron Weiss on both bass and vocals. However, in only a few months Chris Klienberg joined to play third guitar. The band released their first EP (I Never Said That I Was BraveI Never Said That I Was Brave (EP)
I Never Said That I Was Brave is an EP by Philadelphia-based post-hardcore band mewithoutYou, their first-ever recording. It was released on the small Kickstart Audio label in early 2001, and has since been out-of-print....
) in 2001 and shortly thereafter signed to Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
after a show at Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
the same year. Around this time Taddeo had moved on, and Daniel Pishock was recruited to be the first official and permanent bass player of the band. The Operation disbanded soon afterward, and mewithoutYou's debut full-length album, [A→B] Life, was released in 2002. The band garnered more attention for their second release, 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes is indie rock group mewithoutYou's second full-length album, released on October 15, 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records.Catch for Us the Foxes reached a peak position of number 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers on October 23, 2004...
, which was produced by Brad Wood
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is a record producer from Rockford, Illinois. He served as a drummer for the band Shrimp Boat. Brad records, mixes and produces records and is based in Los Angeles, California. He began his career in earnest in 1988 with the construction of Idful Music Corporation- a recording studio in...
(Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
). In December 2004 Pishock had made the decision to retire as the bassist to pursue a career in teaching and explore other musical ventures, and former Operation frontman, Greg Jehanian, was selected to replace him. In 2005, mewithoutYou won mtvU
MtvU
mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...
's "Left Field" award for most original artist for their song "January 1979." Their third album, Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister is the third full-length album by indie rock band mewithoutYou, released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It features guest vocal and instrumental appearances by several artists, including Jeremy Enigk , harpist Timbre, and members of Anathallo and the Psalters...
, again produced by Wood, was released on September 26, 2006. In late 2007, guitarist Christopher Kleinberg left the band, to pursue a degree in medicine. Pete Syoum filled in for guitar in the fall of 2007, but later Kleinberg returned to play with the band on their 2008 Summer tour since school was not in session. Kleinberg also played some shows on their, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright, tour in June 2009.
Aaron Weiss provides narration for the Forgive Durden
Forgive Durden
Forgive Durden is an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, who got their name from the novel Fight Club. They are signed to Fueled By Ramen...
album entitled, "Razia's Shadow: A Musical" which was released October 28, 2008. He also provides vocals for Norma Jean
Norma Jean (band)
Norma Jean is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997 and replacement of members throughout the years, the band's only original member is the guitarist, Chris Day...
's "Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste" and Indie/Hip Hop project Bella Futuro's "70 X 7".
As of September 2008 the band has finished recording the follow-up to Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister is the third full-length album by indie rock band mewithoutYou, released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It features guest vocal and instrumental appearances by several artists, including Jeremy Enigk , harpist Timbre, and members of Anathallo and the Psalters...
titled, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright. The title of the album is taken from parable 518 in the book 'The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh" by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a saintly Tamil-speaking teacher and Sufi mystic from the island of Sri Lanka who first came to the United States on October 11, 1971 and established the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia...
. In this he writes, "It's all false, It's all a dream, It's all crazy, It's all over, It's all right, Let's see what's next". The latest album is a departure from Weiss' trademark shouting and the band's raucous grooves. The mile-a-minute rants, thick with lyrical angst, are traded for simpler melodies with lyrics about anthropomorphic food and animals. Similarly, the band has scaled back their edgier post-hardcore sound, at times trading riffs for chords and guitars for pianos and harp. Even a classical composer was called into their Fishtown, Philadelphia studio for various arrangements on several tracks. The album was produced by Dan Smith (Danielson, Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
) and Brian McTear and was mixed by Brad Wood.
They tour in a 42-foot 1976 MC8 Charter bus that runs on vegetable oil. Before July 2009 the side of the bus read "Altus Bulldogs." The bus has since been painted in a light beige and marked with paintings of flowers and vines by artist Salihah Moore.
MewithoutYou are currently writing for their fifth studio album, as stated by their drummer Rickie Mazzotta in a recent interview. They have booked studio time at the end of July and through August. They have recently added Brandon Beaver of Buried Beds to play second guitar as stated on their blog by Rickie Mazzotta.
On August 10, 2011, Chris Kleinberg and wife Nikki had a baby girl, Jubilee Kleinberg. Because of this, the August 13 show in Philadelphia, PA was one of the first local shows where Kleinberg did not join the band on stage since his departure in 2007.
Later in August Mazzotta stated in an interview that the band has parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records due to perceived restrictions placed on them by the label. They hinted at starting their own label as they prepared to release their fifth album. Other band members, however, have often expressed satisfaction with and gratitude and affection toward their old label, citing different reasons for ceasing to work with them: namely, having completed their contract, the declining relevance of record labels in the current music world, and simply the excitement to try something new.
In October 2011, Alternative Press announced that on a forthcoming tribute album to Nirvana's Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
mewithoutYou contributes their cover of "In Bloom
In Bloom
"In Bloom" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Written by frontman Kurt Cobain, the song addresses people outside of the underground music community who did not understand the band's message....
".
Lyrical themes
The Weiss brothers are of Jewish descent and their songs use Jewish, Muslim and Christian imagery to explore spiritual themes. The Weiss brothers were raised in a SufiSufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
Muslim household—their mother had converted from the Episcopal church, and their father from Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
- "So my dad was raised Jewish and became Sufi, but he still identifies himself as a Jew. My mom was raised Episcopalian and she converted thoroughly to Sufi Islam."
- "It’s not like I’m offended if someone says we’re a Christian band. I just don’t think it’s true. I don’t think we live up to that calling, so I’d be reluctant to go saying that
| accessdate = 2008-09-04
}} Due to the Christian imagery in some of Aaron Weiss' lyrics, they have been categorized as a Christian band, although in interview, A. Weiss has stated he doesn't think they are a Christian band. Their lyrics reflect a personal relationship with God, and are not evangelistic
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
. Other lyrical themes explored include suffering and self-doubt.
Many lyrics are taken from the Sufi poet Rumi including the song "The Cure for Pain" from [A→B] Life and a line in the song "Seven Sisters" from Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes is indie rock group mewithoutYou's second full-length album, released on October 15, 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records.Catch for Us the Foxes reached a peak position of number 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers on October 23, 2004...
.
In the song "Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt" from their album [A→B] Life, Aaron Weiss' lyrics are based on a poem from the metaphysical poet
Metaphysical poets
The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, who shared an interest in metaphysical concerns and a common way of investigating them, and whose work was characterized by inventiveness of metaphor...
John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
called "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" is a metaphysical poem written by John Donne. According to Donne's biographer Izaak Walton, Donne composed it for his wife, Anne More, in 1611, when Donne was about to embark on a trip to France and Germany...
". John Donne wrote the poem to his wife to explain that there is no need for dreading their physical separation or distance because their spiritual love will always keep them together. The lines of the song "thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end where I begun" are directly from John Donne's poem where the conceit is revealed as a compass (Stanza 9, ll. 35-36). The title of the song itself is a Kurt Vonnegut quote.
The title of their second album Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes
Catch for Us the Foxes is indie rock group mewithoutYou's second full-length album, released on October 15, 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records.Catch for Us the Foxes reached a peak position of number 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers on October 23, 2004...
is taken directly from Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
2:15: "Catch for us the foxes, / the little foxes / that ruin the vineyards, / our vineyards that are in bloom" (New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
). This passage is also used in the song "The Soviet": "Good God, please! Catch for us the foxes in the vineyard—the little foxes". See lyrical themes of Catch for Us the Foxes for the themes explored on the album.
The title of their third album, Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister
Brother, Sister is the third full-length album by indie rock band mewithoutYou, released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It features guest vocal and instrumental appearances by several artists, including Jeremy Enigk , harpist Timbre, and members of Anathallo and the Psalters...
, is derived from St. Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
's "Canticle of the Sun
Canticle of the Sun
The Canticle of the Sun, also known as the Laudes Creaturarum , is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. It was written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian but has since been translated into many languages...
": "We praise You, Lord, […] especially for Brother Sun, […] We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars".
Their fourth album, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright explores many of the teachings of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen was a saintly Tamil-speaking teacher and Sufi mystic from the island of Sri Lanka who first came to the United States on October 11, 1971 and established the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia...
. The sufi teacher's story of "The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie" from My Love You My Children: 101 Stories for Children is told as well as his story about the "King Beetle" from The Divine Luminous Wisdom that Dispels Darkness. Other concepts from the teacher are explored in "Allah, Allah, Allah," about seeing God in every blade of grass and in "Fig with a Bellyache" dealing with sexual temptation from The Divine Luminous Wisdom and The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh. Guitarist Mike Weiss has been quoted as saying that the themes of the album reflect a time in vocalist Aaron Weiss' life where he is "sort of revisiting [religion] and holding himself up to those teachings that there's no one religion that's going to be the only way to God [...]," reveals Weiss. "If you really want to just try to follow a path to God, I don't believe you need anything beyond [Jesus Christ], but it's just the idea that you're fixed on the only way and that everybody else is just completely misguided [...] that is a sort of obtuse attitude that can hurt your own spirit."
Current
- Aaron Weiss – Lead vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, percussion - Michael Weiss – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Rickie Mazzotta – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Greg Jehanian – Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Former
- Christopher Kleinberg – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Daniel Pishock – Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, keyboards - Ray Taddeo – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Steven Smoker – BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Additional musicians
- Timbre Cierpke - harp
- Lauryn Peacock - piano
- Matt Chapin - trumpet
- Derek Paquette - trombone
- Kim Tice - accordion
Albums
- [A→B] Life, 2002 (Tooth & Nail RecordsTooth & Nail RecordsTooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
) - Catch for Us the FoxesCatch for Us the FoxesCatch for Us the Foxes is indie rock group mewithoutYou's second full-length album, released on October 15, 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records.Catch for Us the Foxes reached a peak position of number 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers on October 23, 2004...
, 2004 (Tooth & Nail Records) - Brother, SisterBrother, SisterBrother, Sister is the third full-length album by indie rock band mewithoutYou, released on September 26, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. It features guest vocal and instrumental appearances by several artists, including Jeremy Enigk , harpist Timbre, and members of Anathallo and the Psalters...
, 2006 (Tooth & Nail Records) - It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright, 2009 (Tooth & Nail Records)
EPs
- Blood Enough for Us AllBlood Enough for Us All-Track listing:...
EP, 2000 (self-released) - I Never Said That I Was Brave EP, 2001 (Kickstart Audio)
Vinyl
- Norma Jean / mewithoutYouNorma Jean / mewithoutYouThis is a split 7" record that contains songs from the albums Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child by Norma Jean and [A→B] Life by mewithoutYou. The songs performed by mewithoutYou are rough recordings, while the Norma Jean tracks differ immensely....
, 2002 (Solid State RecordsSolid State RecordsSolid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
/Tooth & Nail Records) - [A→B] Life, 2002 (Gilead Media)
- Catch for Us the Foxes, 2004 (Gilead Media)
- Brother, Sister, 2006 (Burnt Toast VinylBurnt Toast VinylBurnt Toast Vinyl is an independent record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:Burnt Toast Vinyl was founded by a Drexel University student who had initially been involved with concert promotion at the school...
) - Nice and Blue (Pt. Two)Nice and Blue (Pt. Two)mewithoutYou's Nice and Blue 7" vinyl was released in the UK on Strange Addiction Records on September 24, 2007. It features the song "Nice and Blue " from the mewithoutYou album "Brother, Sister", released worldwide in October, 2006. The B-Side is a demo of the song "In A Sweater Poorly Knit"...
, 2007 (Strange Addiction Records) - It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright, 2009 (Burnt Toast Vinyl)
Compilations
- Songs From The Penalty Box, Tooth & Nail Volume 6, 2009 "Every Thought a Thought of You"
- Come As You Are: A 20th Anniversary Tribute To Nirvana's Nevermind, 2011 "In Bloom" (Nirvana cover)
Electric guitars
- Gibson Custom Les Paul GoldtopGibson Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
(Michael) - Fender American Telecaster, SunburstFender TelecasterThe Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
(Michael) - Fender Standard Stratocaster, PinkFender StratocasterThe Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
(Michael) - Rickenbacker 360, Fireglo (Michael)
Effect pedals
MichaelIn order of appearance:
- Dunlop crybaby Jimi Hendrix model
- Line 6 DL4 Delay x2
- Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Analog Chorus
- Demeter TRM-1 TremulatorDemeter TRM-1 TremulatorThe Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator is a tremolo pedal which has been manufactured by Demeter Amplification since 1982. It was apparently designed at the request of guitarist Ry Cooder, who wanted a pedal that sounded exactly like a vintage Fender tremolo unit for use with any amp.-Controls:The Tremulator...
- Fulltone Fulldrive II MOSFET
- Boss RV-5 Reverb
- Rocktron HUSH Noise Reduction Pedal
All pedals are connected to the effects loop in Michael's Vox AC30.
Greg
- BOSS RC-2 Loop Station
- Maxon OD-9
- BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay
- BOSS CS-3 Compression/Sustainer
Percussion
- C & C Drums
- Meinl Byzance Heavy Hi-Hat Traditional 14"
- Meinl Byzance Medium Thin Crash Traditional 19"
- Meinl Byzance Medium Ride Traditional 21"
Videography
- "Bullet to Binary" from A→B Life directed by Shane Drake
- "January 1979" from Catch for Us the Foxes directed by Shane Drake
- "Disaster Tourism" from Catch for Us the Foxes directed by Casey McBride & Daniel Davison
- "Leaf" from Catch for Us the Foxes directed by Josh Bender (unfinished)
- "Paper Hanger" from Catch for Us the Foxes directed by Lex Halaby
- "Nice and Blue, Pt. 2" from Brother, Sister directed by Shane Drake
- "The Fox, the Crow, & the Cookie" from It's All Crazy! It's All False . . . directed by David Bell & Amy Carrigan