autobiography
Well, we’ve been a band since early 2005. We play pop music with a celebratory feel, except sometimes we write sad songs. We practice in a small very cold or very hot garage behind Robbie’s apartment in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. We have one release, Uh-Oh (Tense Forms/Rock Proper) that we recorded with Matt Dewine at Pieholden Suite Sounds.
Anika Balaconis — trumpet, organ, vocals. She also plays in Brother Truck.
Jason Eckerson — bass, vocals. He also performs with Brother Truck, Mar Caribe and the Prospects.
Joshua Dumas — guitar, vocals, words. His various projects live at Quiet Errors.
Robbie Hamilton — drums, vocals. He also plays with Where the Moon Came From.
Whitney Johnson — viola, vocals. She also plays with A Company.
This band began as a 48 hour recording project. Our past members include VJ Hyde and Steve Quantock.
You can contact us here. We have a myspace page. We have a Facebook page. We have an old website.
some reviews
The credits list more esoteric instruments than a Gypsy pawn shop, but the nicely understated production lets them all bleed together into a hazy shimmer that gives ‘The Hours’ and ‘The Cass Song’ a palpable sense of ennui. — Chicago Reader by J. Niimi
The Notes and Scratches’ raspy, writerly country pop sounds like early Tom Waits channelling Ben Gibbard. — 3 Hive by Sam Cannon
Raucous, glorious stuff. The melodies are sterling, and the arrangements about as messy as can be. Kinda like Nick Lowe producing a later OMD album…though probably a bit busier than even that. This album sounds completely alive. — Aiding & Abetting by Jon Worley
The album overall is warm and friendly and it gives the distinct impression of having been recorded with one mic in a big empty room…. just the thing for playing in the car on those winter nights riding home from the bar. — Pulse of the Twin Cities by Steve McPherson