Browse our Sound Files to download clips from The Inconsiderate Few and Doodis.

Between rehearsals and gigs, Shane McGraw spends a substantial portion of his time drumming for two bands. And that's on top of his day job.

"I didn't realize how much time it was really going to take," he says. "But it's worth it."

The Eighty Four resident is a member of the Inconsiderate Few, which took third place at the annual Graffiti Rock Challenge this winter. He also is in Doodis, fast becoming a favorite on Pittsburgh's jamband circuit.

He's drummed for the Inconsiderate Few for going on four years, with bandmates Jim Kopaz and John McElroy on guitars, and Erin Walker on bass. Last year, the band wrapped up "We Ruined It for Everyone," a CD compilation of recordings spanning several years, with some of the tunes dating back to the mid-'90s.

A couple of years ago, the Inconsiderate Few was rehearsing in a studio when Shane heard the band next door playing songs by Phish, one of his favorite groups. The guys in question turned out to be Doodis, and when they needed a drummer a while later, they invited Shane to come aboard.

Doodis still has two original members, guitarist Pete Mansmann (another Washington Countian) and bass player Jason Mitchell, joined by Shane and guitarist Jesse Cronce for the past two years.

The band promotes itself as "Seedless Psychedelic Jams," practioners of the genre pioneered by the likes of the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service, and revived in the '80s and '90s by groups such as Phish, moe. and The Breakfast (formerly Psychedelic Breakfast). As a matter of fact, Doodis opened for The Breakfast at a March show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh.

Keep an eye out for both of Shane's bands at various area venues this summer.

Browse our Sound Files to download clips from aBetter Yesterday.

aBetter Yesterday has drawn quite a bit of attention recently as a semifinalist in the Graffiti Rock Challenge and as a battle-of-the-bands winner at lead singer Greg Meyer's alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

The band's name has a definite retro tinge to it, and each member of the quartet cites influences that are familiar to anyone who's been listening to music for a while.

"My parents brought me up on Oldies," says Greg, including such favorites as the Temptations. But his songwriting and performing owes more to the more recently popularized Emo style, combining harder-edged rock with lyrics that roller-coaster ride of relationships.

The titles of the three songs on the band's demo disc - "Twists & Turns," "Until These Pictures Fade" and "Things We Cannot Do Alone" - give a pretty good clue about the typical emo subject matter. (Although band members say they're drifting a bit away from Emo, adding ska-influenced drumbeats and lyrics that reflect a bit more contentment.)

As a counterpoint to Greg's keyboards and acoustic guitar, Tom Esch's lead guitar is the most recently added instrument for aBetter Yesterday. Tom, who also has fronted his own band (PWYN), says his playing drew originally from "the early alternative school - Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, the Seattle scene." Later, he found influence in bands from back in the '60s, as did aBY bass player Chris Kilburg.

Chris also cites the alternative scene as an influence, as well as jazz players like saxophonist John Coltrane and groundbreaking fusion bassist Jaco Pastorius.

As for aBY's fourth member, drummer Josh Fields got in on the action early, as he was a friend of Greg's roommate.
"My main influence in my drumming is ska and punk music," Josh says, citing Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace in particular.

While aBY members can claim plenty of influence from musicians who were in their prime decades ago, their sound is right at home in the 21st century, drawing comparison with bands like Saves the Day and Good Charlotte with their catchy hooks and affecting lyrics.

Browse our Sound Files to download clips from Tom Breiding.


While going through some old tapes, Tom Breiding found a recording he made with fellow guitarist Kirk Engel working out a bluesy original called "Two Time Love."

Hearing the song again brought back some fond memories of their collaboration in Tom's band, American Son. But it certainly made for a bittersweet experience, as Kirk had passed away in the interim.

As a tribute to him, "Two Time Love" is seeing the light of day as part of a medley, with excerpts from the lo-fi recording bracketing a song Tom composed in memory of Kirk.

"I wrote 'Pretty Words' as soon as I came home from the funeral home," he said.

"Two Time Love (verses from the writing session)/Pretty Words/Two Time Love (bridge)" serves as the centerpiece for Breiding?Äôs seventh album, "Guitar and Pen, Vol. II."

The original "Guitar and Pen," recorded live in 1998 at Leaf & Bean in Peters Township, is just Tom with his axe, playing and singing his own compositions. "Vol. II" follows much the same pattern, except that he recorded most of the material himself in his home studio, also in Peters.

"Most of them are songs that never found their way into releases," he said. "I really liked some of them, but they didn't fit the format of what I was releasing at the time."

His last three releases - "Happy Hour in the Round Hotel," "American Son" and "Two Tone Chevrolet" - have been with full bands and tend to feature a harder-edged sound. Tom describes the tunes on "Vol. II" more as "songs from the heart, songs for songs' sake."

"I'm so busy with other things, I thought, these things are never going to be released unless I get something going soon."
Along with the Kirk Engel tribute, "Vol. II" also features some other special touches. Tom's son, Jack, makes a guest appearance on "The Magic of Christmas," wishing everyone a happy holiday. Now 9 and taking drum lessons, Jack also lends a percussion track to one of the tunes.

Tom also says in the liner notes that he wrote a song called "My Hometown" during the week of 9/11, a time when many songwriters were committing their feelings about the events to music.

Keep an eye out for Tom's appearances this summer, both solo and with American son. And look for Tom as a member of former Houserocker Bill Toms' band, Hard Rain.