Name: Branden Funkhouser

Bio:Southern Maryland is a desolate place with little more than chain restaurants and dive bars to offer its residents but somehow, the area's youth found ways to create their own culture and unique voice. Of the members of the "Great Art Migration" out of the area that has recently taken place, one of the strongest artistic visions ever to come out of Southern Maryland belongs to Branden Funkhouser. His attention to detail, passion for new ideas and a love of expression through a variety of mediums makes him a Baltimore artist to keep an eye on. Chris Richards of Washington DC's legendary Q and not U called the recordings that Funkhouser did for his cinematic indie-rock sextet Cutlery, "Reznor-esque" and "something no one is really doing out there at all". The Washington City Paper described his band's live sets as mixing skuzzy Big Muffed guitars, with protools which certainly accurate considering Funkhouser treats his recording set up more as an instrument than a means to simply get his music into people's hands and hearts. Recently, Funkhouser completed the film score for "White Lies/Black Sheep", the follow up to cult director James Spooner's classic D.I.Y. documentary "Afro-Punk". Currently he is producing the debut record from former My American Heart (Warcon Records) guitarist Matt VanGasbeck..

Comments:Desolate, minimalist, prolific, well thought out, sweeping, moody, hopeful - all of these terms describe both Funkhouser's style and the small Maryland town he left for the city. After all, you can take the boy out of Southern Maryland as they say.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/cutlery

Tags: brandon funkhouser, remix, thrushes