About

The Catbirds are largely the vehicle of Peter Beyer, and all the blame can be directed to him. Who is Peter Beyer? He's a human animal, finding his fangs; like a cat, he is vicious and cuddly, tapping into the Eternal Meow, honing the primal will. Peter makes his home in Hampden, Baltimore, MD.

Right now, the Catbirds have an EP available for purchase (see the home page), and are working on the final stages of producing a full-length album called "Subanimal Sounds."

Accessories to the crime include the following gentlemen from The Midwest:

1. F. James Cooper ("Jim"). Mr. Cooper fronts a band called Detholz! in Chicago, IL. This outfit is an unrestrainable torrent of vulgarity without the cussing, a revivalist frenzy, a medicine show, a lab experiment, a carrier of HAZMATs. Jim is to blame for it all. The lads are all so technically brilliant it just makes one sick to watch. Mr. Cooper can do it all, but mainly he plays bass with the Catbirds.

2. Benyamin Artes-Miranda ("Benner"). More than a drummer, Ben plays in the realm of Concepts. If he wasn't so afraid of being "uncool," he would be taking midgets on arena tours - on ice. Instead he composes and posts music on his myspace page, tapestries that delight both the mathematical lobe and the cortex of Pathos. He has probably the best heart of any of my friends. With the Catbirds he plays drums and provides perspective.

3. Karl Doerfenmueller ("Karl"). Karl dresses up and works in the Loop (that is the funny name they have in Chicago for "Downtown", maybe because when you walk around one of the blocks, you essentially make a "loop"), and it's law or lawyers or something, so maybe I better be careful what I say here. Good to limit one's liability, don't you know. Karl is many things for the Catbirds, including but not limited to: voice, guitars (all the best bits), laptop and internet connections (it was from Karl I first heard of Firefox and learned it wasn't an 80s TV show with a helicopter in it). Karl is wise beyond his years.

4. Richard E. Franklin ("Rick"). Bearded and bilingual, Rick rolls in from Appalachia, doing it himself, flexing his formidable biceps. Rick brings the bottom of a whiskey bottle into the mix, with an eye toward the Deep South and that old time religion. He's the one on the slide guitar, and he barks out vocals with me on a track or two. I trust him.

5. Other criminals: Griffin Rodriguez is currently mixing the album. He has a great loft space just south of that afore-mentioned "Loop." Thanks Griff for all you've done / are doing. Jon Steinmeier played organ on a few cuts and pretty much produced most of the song "Subanimal Sounds." Thad Salter, my roommate from years ago, came down from Michigan to play guitar on "Looking Alive." A whole horde of unwashed delinquents got liquored up and sang on "Faith of our Fathers." Dave Crozier (from New Jersey) provided the invaluable service of helping me demo some of the songs at his home studio.

"I'm Peter Beyer, and I approve this message."