Beach Moon/Peach Moon
Beach Moon/Peach Moon (you can say both, or either) is the quirky, lo-fi, (mostly) solo project of Robbie Prisco (aka Robbie Da Bobby, PHD).
Kite Without a String
Credits:
Robbie Prisco – Guitar + Vocals
Travis Giorgione – Drums + Glockenspiel (simultaneously)
Peter DeMaio – Guitar
David Hodgkinson – Bass
Jesse Asch – Guitar + Aux
Drums recorded by Tyler Taormina
Mastered by TJ Lipple
Thanks to Greg Brech, Mike Tietjen, Matt Wenzel, David Broyles, and Carlos Espinoza for letting me borrow gear to record with.
Artwork by James Ochs
Flee To The Sea
Flee To The Sea continues to reflect on my hitchhiking journey, and my regression over time living at home. It also reflects on my experiences with polyamory during 2013, and my post-existential-crisis love life in general (a lot of closed doors dressed as open doors).
The album was supposed to incorporate a more psychedelic feel, and bring the sound full circle from Wonderstading to the Killer Wails EP (which started to feel out of place to me). Instead, I wound up honing in on the sounds and ideas I tried to achieve in Wonderstanding, which I couldn’t seem to escape. I didn’t want to force anything that wasn’t coming naturally, and stopped fighting it. Realizing that the Killer Wails EP was falling further from my identity as Beach Moon, I decided to make Killer Wails its own band. The band still exists on LI, but I’m not longer involved (see the Killer Wails album for more info). I still hope to one day release an album that brings it full circle!
In making Flee To The Sea, I learned that as much as I love psychedelic music, I can’t write it (yet). I have a few psychedelic b-sides, including the original title track “Flee To The Sea.” Yep, that’s right… the title track didn’t even make it to the album! I just tacked the title onto an instrumental instead.
Credits:
Charlie Pape – musical saw on Philosophy at 23 at 24
Katie McShane – Cello on Monogamy
All electric guitar used during the making of this album were borrowed from Matt Wenzel and Peter Demaio.
Wonderstanding
Wonderstanding is layers of rambling/inarticulate psychobabble about philosophy and the sea, strewn over lo-fi folk guitar and audio loops. Tracks start quickly and end abruptly, crackle and cackle, moan and drone, and sometimes go a little out of tune.
It’s tales of my hitchhiking trip from summer through fall, recorded in my room after the fact during winter of 2011 to early spring 2012. Despite my experiences, lessons learned, and new ways of thinking, something about sitting in that old room, in front of old equipment, stirred old feelings and thoughts. I tried reading my journal to put myself back in certain places/times I really wanted to capture, but I couldn’t quite stop the influence of here and now, which in a way was the “then and there” from before I left. Wonderstanding is what transpired.
I made up the word “Wonderstand” during a conversation with James Ochs. After unlearning so much of what I thought I understood, I felt foolish for thinking I understood anything at all. “Wonderstanding” became my philosophy. To “Wonderstand” something is to have ideas about it, but know you will never fully understand it, to always ask questions… you know, to wonder about it! It’s a humbler form of understanding, and it’s the closest I’ll ever get to “knowing” anything at all.
Tags: Post-hitchhi-core, Pre-tentious, Lo-fi, Acousmatic, Twee-Noise, Neo-beat Superfolk
Half Awake Dream
Half Awake Dream is a collection of songs ranging from 2009-2011, with the exception of the songs “Years Old” and “Old Years” whose origins (though feverishly debated by most scholars) are estimated to be closer to 06-07. Half Awake Dream was a leisurely attempt to write an entire album subconsciously.
Each song was created using a method similar to the “stream-of-consciousness” narrative mode, both musically, and lyrically. Every take was a leap of faith, with hardly any (sometimes none at all) preconceived notions of what was going to happen. The words, songs, and sounds essentially shaped themselves. Even the vocal doubling was done this way, which is why a lot of the vocal lines don’t completely match up. Any intrusive sounds or mistakes were edited out. Each recording was a therapeutic process, a heartfelt representation of subconscious thoughts and buried feelings.
Both Half Awake Dream and Killer Wails were rushed to release the day before I left for a six month long hitchhiking journey. I never actually finished the albums as intended. At the time, I was having my first big existential crisis, and I wasn’t sure if I was coming back, so I just wanted to get them out there as soon as possible.
While I was hitchhiking, I was listening to this album (egotistical, I know). Whenever I made an inner breakthrough, became aware of a deep seeded personal problem, or made profound discoveries about myself, I realized my own stream-of-consciousness ramblings I had been recording at home were coinciding with what I thought were new realizations. This album proved that subconsciously, I already had the answers. It was a mind fuck, but it was nice to know that what felt like random empty lyrics seeping from my mouth in out-of-tune melodies were actually very important and meaningful things for me. I trust my ramblings a lot more now.
Most of the songs were forgotten shortly after being recorded, and therefore will most likely never be performed.
Credits: Paul “Smooth Pawly” Swenson – Cello on The Walk Home pt.3
Killer Wails
Killer Wails is lo-fi Surf EP, featuring the vocal styling of my good friend, Cait “Jim” Morrison. All music was recorded during the same time as Half Awake Dream, but didn’t fit the context of the album. All songs are about the same girl. All instruments used in the creation of this EP belonged to James Ochs.
Both Half Awake Dream and Killer Wails were rushed to release the day before I left for a six month long hitchhiking journey. I never actually finished the albums as intended. At the time, I was having my first big existential crisis, and I wasn’t sure if I was coming back, so I just wanted to get them out there as soon as possible.
There is currently a Killer Wails band on Long Island, but neither Cait nor myself are members anymore. I had been playing bass, but then I moved out to the West Coast permanently during my second big existential crisis (I got over March 2014). Currently, the album is being recorded by Peter Scoma (drums), with Peter Demaio and Matt Wenzel on guitar, Leah Pape and Lauren Diehlman on vocals. I tracked all of my basslines before I left. Leah moved out to the west coast the day before I did, and was never replaced. I was replaced by Nick Femister on Bass, but he moved over to guitar #3 and Keri Liebman took over bass. That’s the whole story, for now…
Somnolent Split
I recommend this album on those cold boring nights that aren’t terribly sad, just meloncholic about a li’l love interest that’s past and you sorta miss’m. When me and Robbie talked about doing this split, I had been recording in my room with one condenser mic duct taped to the desk to avoid it rolling. No songs in mind either, just recording and seeing what comes out.
Volume 9: Live from the Couch House (II) [5/14/16]
Live recordings from a show at Greg and Kenny’s old apartment in Flatbush.
Featuring from PRR: Beach Moon/Peach Moon and Michael Brandon
Secret Admirer
Practice Room Records presents Secret Admirer – a compilation of PRR artists covering each other.
I am seriously struggling to write about what this compilation means to me. 16 people volunteered to cover each other’s songs for no money, no real “exposure”, nothing beyond wanting to be apart of such a project. 11 of those people were given the artist they’d cover from out of a hat. All of the songs you’re hearing (with the exception of “New Year”) are songs that have been previously released on the PRR discography for free download on a website that one of those artists (Ken Korb) built from scratch. Each of these people gave their time and energy to reinterpret a song that a friend (or a friend of a friend) created. Some of them offered even more time to help mix and master each other’s tracks. All of them at least seem to have really enjoyed it (and I hope they love the final product as much as I do). Of all the compilations and albums released on PRR, this one takes the cake on what PRR truly means to me: community.
A small tangent: why do some people create and others don’t? Why do some people take the risk of exposing and expressing themselves while others with that same desire stay silent? Certainly there are the few that seem to have been born without an embarrassed bone in their body. For those of you who are so blessed to be amazing at what you do from the get-go and don’t feel that shame and nervousness and insecurity – you’re lucky, so go take advantage of that! But for the rest of us (is it safe to say most of us???) who are doomed to start at anything poorly and then excel only with time and practice – we need each other. We need someone to think that we’re better than we actually are so that we can keep going, keep practicing, keep doing.
Our growth, then, is a result of our mutual support. Our growth is a result of our growing up, listening to each other’s terrible, cringe and laugh-worthy music. Maybe we weren’t always the greatest critics in retrospect, but maybe that blindness that friendship causes is partly to blame for our feeling like rock stars in each other’s eyes. And now, so many years later, we have 16 people volunteering, wanting, to not only put out music together, but to play each other’s songs that we love. Am I still blinded or is this compilation truly amazing? I may never know, but I don’t think I really care because these people make me feel like a great artist and I hope everyone gets to feel that way.
At the end of the day, I’d insist that to some degree, this collective is a mystery. Some part of it must be luck and some part of it must be us. I can’t speak for everyone who contributed but I can publicly thank them (even if only a few people ever really read this). Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the fact that I get to call these brilliant people my friends, collaborators, and, if I can be so bold, mutual admirers. It’s been an honor to assemble these tracks, thanks to everyone for participating and thanks for making a community with me.
-greg
And a special thanks to Ken Korb for the incredible album art (for real fans: try to find all the art from PRR releases re-collaged here) as well as Jackson Wargo for volunteering to beautifully master this compilation and promising not to hide fart sounds in the mix.
Credits:
Cloud – Abunoriginal
Performed and engineered by Tyler Taormina. Mixed by Nolan Eley. “My ode to Cole.” Covering the original song “Aboriginal” off of the album “Dark Room” by Redstone Repeater.
Roberto – Blind, Blind, Blind
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Brendan. “With respect to the production styles of Bad At Baseball.” Covering the original song “Blind” off of the album “Go Ahead” by Michael Brandon.
Beach Moon/Peach Moon – Sapito Lipón/Cross Paths
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Robbie Prisco. Samples by Alone. Covering the original piece “Sapito Lipón” off of the album “Las Villas” by Alone.
Michael Brandon – Snowflake
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Michael Brandon. Covering the original song “Snowflake” off of the album “Watkins Glen” by Sonoak.
Trestin Eeling – Lifeboat
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Ken Korb. Covering the original piece “Age” off of the album “Lifeboat” by Plain Grays.
Raw Paws – I Loe Ou
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Cole Verderber. “I would just want to say, thank you to Kenny Korb for being an amazing musician and songwriter and for inspiring me through the years!” Covering the original song “I Loe Ou” off of the album “This is Paradise” by Trestin Eeling.
Samira Winter – New Year
Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Drums by Samira Winter. Bass, Guitar by David Yorr. Mixed by Samira Winter, David Yorr and Matt Hogan. Covering the original song “New Year” which is unreleased as of 2015 by Jason Lerman.
Snowball II – Desperation Club
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Jackson Wargo. Covering the original song “Desperation Club” off of the album “Comfort Songs” by Cloud.
Cherry Bomb – Haley House
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Nolan Eley. “Primacy Effect is my favorite band.” Covering the original song “Haley House” off of the album “The Done Days of Piano Row” by Primacy Effect.
Tapestry – Waiting for the Summer
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Casey Jacobs. Covering the original song “Waiting for the Summer” off of the album “Supreme Blue Dream” by Winter.
Safehouse – Allison Archer
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Dillon Vetere. Samples by Fjords. Covering the original piece “Allison Archer” off of the album “The Slow Death of Allison Archer” by Fjords.
Glass Frog – Brush It Off
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Konrad Kamm. Covering the original song “Brush it Off” off of the album “Killer Wails” by Beach Moon/Peach Moon.
Sonoak – Memory Swipe
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Greg Salwen. Covering the original piece “Memory Swipe” off of the album “Nighttime Noise” by Glass Frog.
Alone – Burial
Performed and mixed by Lorena Alvarado. Engineered by Tyler Taormina. Covering the original song “Burial Ground” off of the album “Branches” by Tapestry.
Jason Lerman – Fly Into the Mystery
Performed, mixed, and engineered by Jason Lerman. Covering the original song “Fly Into the Mystery” off of the album “Zen Summer” by Cloud.
David Shotwell – Skymother
Performed by David Shotwell. Mixed and engineered by Lucas Holstein. “Thanks to Practice Room Records for inviting me, and to Life On An Island Records for raising me. And thanks to Mom and Dad for the guitar.” Covering the original song “Skymother” off of the album “Every Starry Night” by Adam & Naive.
Easy (Spring Compilation #2)
Compilation of PRR artists and friends.
Puddles (Spring Compilation #1)
Compilation of PRR artists and friends.
2. Cloud – End of an Aura: Produced by Jon Davies & Lorena Alvarado
Guitar by Jon Davis
Bass/Vocals by Samira Winter
3. Tapestry – Salt Stains: Recorded by Cole Verderber
Drums by Joey Puelio
4. Sonoak – One Day, a Straight Path: Mixed by Kenny Korb
5. Trestin Eeling – Cute Pop Apocalypse: Whistling by Jess Katon
6. Adam & Naive – Not a Film: Engineered at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn
7. Plain Graze – Lost and Found: Mixed by Greg
10. Samira & Lorena – Six Years Later: Mixed by Nolan Eley
13. Ena Alvarado – Irene With All: Mixed by Kenny
Drums by Tyler
Second guitar by Greg
Bass by Konrad
Extra vocals by Lorena & Greg