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Brendan B. Brown - Gerard Hoffmann

Kevin Garcia - Matt Milligan

Brendan B. Brown

Born: 10/11/73

I love Rush.

Fugazi is greatness too.

Tom Petty is my Mudcrutch. So is Willy Nelson. Ani DiFranco, she's mint.

I LOVE Phish.

I've been listening to a lot of vinyl lately. Dinosour Jr. and Joy Division and Billy Joel and The Joshua Tree and The White Stripes, boy that Icky Thump sure sounds better on a record player.

That Van Halen record 5150 is awesome too. There's a band called Quicksand that I love, and another called Helmet. Talking Heads...oooh.

Oh and I bought ALL of the AC/DC catalogue on vinyl. They were the 1st band I ever loved. I was Angus for Holloween when I was 12.

I still have my original Iron Maiden Powerslave record too. I'm gonna keep buying vinyls...they sound nice.

I am wondering a lot what is to become of the music industry lately. I think and hope that it will stop resembling an industry and start resembling a farmers market. No more middle men. No more people getting involved who bring nothing to the table. No more 200%...No more Doug Morris, fossilized baby boomers, holding on so tight you'd never know any other generation was ever even born. Jars of jam songs made with care at home and sold on the websternet....That I can do. Marketing plans, CD's and lawsuits replaced by access to music people like.

The new record is being recorded the old way on new stuff. We are performing the songs 2 track....no more multi tracking....just a live show in our studio recorded until we get the song right and then on to the next. It will take a while but it will be on DSD Audio...google that.

When we are done we will take great care to make sure that the MP3 versions and AAC versions are down sampled well...And if that isn't your cup o' tea then we will offer half speed vinyl masters for pre-order. They will be available in the Fall of 2008.

Much Love,
bbb

Gerard Hoffmann

Born: 5/15/97

You were pumping iron while I was pumping irony.

Kevin Garcia

Born: 4/26/78

Warp speed: my Mom told me I was drumming in the womb; I was born and raised in the burbs of Detroit, Michigan; I grew up building elaborate castles and action figure battle scenes, jumping off my tree fort, and dressing my sister up in karate outfits-arming her with a bow staff- and whupping her with my super awesome made up moves; I started drumming formally in the fourth grade and just kept playing.

I have been working as a freelance musician in New York since graduating Western Michigan University in 2001 with degrees in Music and Philosophy. I play the drums, hand percussion, piano, numerous electronic instruments, and sound creation/manipulation programs. I'm slowly working on tackling the guitar and bass too.

I joined Wheatus on my birthday in 2006 after a month-long audition process. I have a great time with these guys in the studio and on the road. We're always checking out new stuff together and laughing a lot. We have played some amazing shows and I'm looking forward to the new record and more touring!

Along with Wheatus, I also currently perform and record with Duncan Sheik, Clinton Curtis and The Swedes. In the past I have performed or recorded with MC Lars, Holly Brook, Micah Green, Aikostar, Vampire Suit, Desiring Machines, The New York Voices, Guernica, a Frank Zappa cover band, and many other talented musicians.

In addition to performing in bands, for the last twelve years I have been accompanying professional dance classes, and have written many compositions and sound scores for modern dance companies in the US, Europe, and Japan. I was the composing artist in residence at Barnard College in 2003.

Breaking it down: I love playing and writing music; I love my parents and sister who are always very supportive even when I get too busy to call; I love my best friends who are some of the greatest people I know on Earth; I love hanging out, hot weather, good food, playing lacrosse, watching football, skiing, and traveling. However, I do not love getting pink eye in the UK. Please wash your hands. Thanks.

Matthew Milligan

Born: 2/3/86

According to my Last.fm, I’ve listened to The Magnetic Fields 200 times so far this week. And it’s only Tuesday.

According to a tally I’ve been keeping, I’ve seen roughly 364 shows so far in my life. 31 of those where They Might Be Giants shows alone, who I still cannot seem to tire of seeing. I have in my possession tickets to go see Radiohead this August. I also have tickets to go see Wilco, King Crimson, Ween, Andrew WK, and, once again, They Might Be Giants, in the upcoming weeks and months.

Every inch of dresser, table top, and often floor space in my room is covered in CDs, vinyls, dorky music DVDs like a documentary about the Theremin or that Jandek documentary (which is amazing), mix tapes, and those dumb sampler CDs that most people get handed and throw out immediately. I can’t seem to part with any of it.

I’d trade my bass for my ukulele any day.

I feel like this is maybe starting to sound arrogant. Not my intention. I’m just trying to convey that music is the only thing worth my time. Don’t get me wrong... I have amazing friends and a wonderful, supportive family who I love spending time with. I also love roller coasters, long car trips, and late-night 7-eleven Slurpee runs. But almost every night before I go to bed, I sit in front of my computer or my record player and listen through at least one album. Often several. Whether it be something I’ve never heard before or something I’ve heard a thousand times, and whether it be Steve Reich or Justin Timberlake or Hella or Jay-Z, something about this listening process satisfies some deep, primitive need that I can’t really begin to describe or understand.

After all that listening, I pick up my ukulele for an hour and play a bunch of Magnetic Fields songs. Yeah. I really love The Magnetic Fields.

We’ve been talking a lot around here about how we are in one of the worst musical periods in history, from both artistic and business perspectives. This may be true, but in a way, I still feel like my generation is incredibly fortunate. We have direct, free access to music by virtually any artist that has ever existed, no matter how big or small. You can go on Last.fm and listen to all of Weezer’s Pinkerton for free. Same with Blink-182’s Enema of the State. And Primus’ Sailing the Seas of Cheese. That’s unbelievable. And you should. Those albums all changed my life. As music lovers and consumers we’re obligated to take advantage of these unprecedented opportunities. Go check out something you’ve never heard before and get excited about it. Who knows how long this freedom will last?

So anyway, I play bass in Wheatus. I really don’t like to think of myself as a bass player, though. I feel like my job description should be doing everything I can to make Wheatus songs sound as good as possible and Wheatus shows as entertaining as possible. The notes on my instrument are just a small part of a greater song... a greater good. That’s what we’re all about in this band. I love it. And I love every member of this band, past and present. And I’m privileged to be a part of this experience, this greater good, with them and with you. Bye bye.

Johanna Cranitch

Born: ?/?/??

Johanna was born and raised in Sydney Australia. The day she was born, her grandfather who was a jazz pianist, said, “this one is going to be a musician”.

To her mother’s surprise, her grandfather was right. She would wait for him to arrive each day, and sit next to him at the piano, marveling at the way his fingers moved. Piano tutorial however, proved too rigid and boring for this free spirited child.

During one of her many piano lessons in which she fought constantly with her tutor…he got fed up and sent her outside for the rest of the lesson to wait for her mother. She sat on the wall and sang. He heard this and was astonished.

From that day until she was 21, he arrived at her house each Monday to play for her and teach her classical hymns and the occasional jazz standard.

Johanna would collect the neighbors whenever she could to sit and watch her sing and dance in her living room. She would knock on doors and serenade anyone how answered.

She spent her early childhood years, singing in the Australian Opera’s children’s chorus performing in Opera’s and concerts.

Then College hit. She discovered Jazz music and fell in love. She graduated at the top of her class with a bachelor’s degree in music performance, and all this while, was juggling a thriving jazz singing career and a small band-booking agency. She would study by day, and then hit the jazz clubs and hotels where she was booked…. To sing her heart out at night with her band.

She sang backup for other singers, she recorded sessions for other writers, she performed in many high profile venues around Australia, but it never seemed to satisfy.

Unfortunately, Sydney just got too small. She had bigger fish to fry.

That feeling lead her to New York where she began a career as an audio engineer at one of the oldest recording studios in America, Nola Recording.

Whilst helping others to record their albums and make a name for themselves, she quietly wrote and wrote and recorded her demos at the studio. Through this time, she began to grow as an artist, as a writer and with her friend of many years, Vicente Archer; they formed a band and began to play the NY circuit.

Johanna continues to sing, to write and perform and who knows where this dream will take her next……..