Speechwriters LLC
Encyclopedia
Speechwriters LLC is an American
acoustic pop group
from Claremont, California
. They began as a two-man coffeehouse
act but have expanded to bigger and better venues and a respectable following. The band is known for frequently being on tour, allowing the majority of their music to be shared http://www.fexum.com/swllc/ and permitting anyone to record their shows for personal use http://www.speechwritersllc.com/info/faq.html#song7.
and Lowensohn was working a day job down the road; Lowensohn had graduated from Pomona in 2000. Chellam's sister, a friend of Lowensohn from when they had studied abroad together in Paris
, suggested the two get together and play. Chellam and Lowensohn first played together on January 21, 2001, named the band the following day, and performed their first show on January 25, 2001.
The pair went through multiple rhythm
sections until literally stumbling upon drummer Matt Kolsky in February 2002, at which point they began touring the country as a trio. Matt eventually left, and the band continued to play for a while as a duo. Jack Mahaffy was signed on full time as bass
player in the summer of 2003. Nitzan Lumer, the new drummer, was found ten months later, on Craigslist
.
Their style is often compared to that of Dispatch
, Jason Mraz
and Jack Johnson
, and their sound a fusion of Nick Drake
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. Often, Chellam and Lownsohn harmonize with both their guitars and their voices, utilizing slide guitar
on a large number of their songs. The group varies between a solo (usually Lowensohn), a duo, a quartet and the less common trio.
At present, the band members are in various states of being, though Lowensohn assures they are not breaking up. The group most recently did the score for the documentary Monster Camp
. After his work on the Jim Webb
campaign, Chellam has decided to take a break from the band to "let some life happen"http://www.speechwritersllc.com/blog/2006/12/world.html and has gone to Vietnam http://www.speechwritersllc.com/megafauna/. Lowensohn and Mahaffy have started their own music project in Portland, Oregon
entitled Megafauna http://www.speechwritersllc.com/megafauna/ with a new drummer called Riley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
acoustic pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
from Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
. They began as a two-man coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
act but have expanded to bigger and better venues and a respectable following. The band is known for frequently being on tour, allowing the majority of their music to be shared http://www.fexum.com/swllc/ and permitting anyone to record their shows for personal use http://www.speechwritersllc.com/info/faq.html#song7.
Biography
Misha Chellam and Dave Lowensohn met while Chellam was attending Pomona CollegePomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
and Lowensohn was working a day job down the road; Lowensohn had graduated from Pomona in 2000. Chellam's sister, a friend of Lowensohn from when they had studied abroad together in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, suggested the two get together and play. Chellam and Lowensohn first played together on January 21, 2001, named the band the following day, and performed their first show on January 25, 2001.
The pair went through multiple rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
sections until literally stumbling upon drummer Matt Kolsky in February 2002, at which point they began touring the country as a trio. Matt eventually left, and the band continued to play for a while as a duo. Jack Mahaffy was signed on full time as bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player in the summer of 2003. Nitzan Lumer, the new drummer, was found ten months later, on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
.
Their style is often compared to that of Dispatch
Dispatch (band)
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
, Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
and Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (musician)
Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
, and their sound a fusion of Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. Often, Chellam and Lownsohn harmonize with both their guitars and their voices, utilizing slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on a large number of their songs. The group varies between a solo (usually Lowensohn), a duo, a quartet and the less common trio.
At present, the band members are in various states of being, though Lowensohn assures they are not breaking up. The group most recently did the score for the documentary Monster Camp
Monster Camp
Monster Camp is a feature-length documentary that chronicles a live action role-playing game organization. Monster Camp looks at the lives of the participants, and considers the pro and cons of escapism through fantastical outlets...
. After his work on the Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
campaign, Chellam has decided to take a break from the band to "let some life happen"http://www.speechwritersllc.com/blog/2006/12/world.html and has gone to Vietnam http://www.speechwritersllc.com/megafauna/. Lowensohn and Mahaffy have started their own music project in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
entitled Megafauna http://www.speechwritersllc.com/megafauna/ with a new drummer called Riley.
Line-up
- Dave Lowensohn: Vocals, Guitars
- Misha Chellam: Vocals, Guitars
- Nitzan Lumer: Drums
- Jack Mahaffy: Bass
Official Albums
- Clones EP (2002)
- Dave Lowensohn Dates Your DaughterDave Lowensohn Dates Your DaughterDave Lowensohn Dates Your Daughter is an intimate seven song EP recorded in late 2003 by one half of Speechwriters LLC . Most of the tracks were recorded in a sublet apartment, with microphones strung from the ceiling and queen sized mattresses keeping neighbors out of the mix.-Track listing:#...
(2004) - The Bull Moose After PartyThe Bull Moose After PartyThe Bull Moose After Party is an album released by Speechwriters LLC in 2004. The band teamed up with musician/producer Adam Richman to record a 12-track disc that included elements of lap steel guitar, keyboards, and intricate, layered vocal harmonies....
(2005) - We Are Selling This CD For Gas MoneyWe Are Selling This CD For Gas MoneyWe Are Selling This CD For Gas Money is an album released by Speechwriters LLC in 2005. All songs were recorded live by John Koch and Bobby Lee Guillen.-Track listing:# "Acetate"# "Still The Same"# "My Worst Day"# "XCOM"...
(2005) - Indifferent Cities EP (2009)
- Hollywood College (2011)
Unofficial Albums
- Year One Demos (2001)
- The Secret PanelThe Secret Panel (album)The Secret Panel is an album released by Speechwriters LLC in 2005. The album was recorded on a four-track, and as a result suffers from tape hiss.-Track listing:# "Maestro's Rocketship"# "Echolocation"# "Anodyne"# "Blood on the Frets"# "Photo 14"...
(2001) - Friday the 13th Sessions (2002)
- Satisfiction (2002)
- Mixtape 2003 (2003)
- Mixtape 2005 (2005)
- Speechboot 2006 (2006)
- Unfinished Sweaters (2007)
External links
- Official website
- Speechwriter's LLC Youtube Channel
- MySpace Page
- The SWLLC Digital Archive, an extensive collection of the band's music most of which is free to download.
- Speechwriters LLC collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Speechwriters LLC Lyrics and Guitar Tabs
- Monster Camp, a film scored by Speechwriters LLC