Pupa's Window
Pupa's Window is a lo-fi singer/songwriter pseudonym from Baltimore, Maryland.
Pupa's Window | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | lo-fi, Indie pop, Indie rock |
| Years active | 1994–2008 |
| Labels | The Beechfields Record Label, Seconal Records, OTP Records, Modern Hymnal Recordings |
| Associated acts | The Seldon Plan, Underlined Passages |
History
In 1994, singer/songwriter Michael Nestor formed Pupa's Window in Eldersburg, Maryland-mostly as a vehicle to document the recording process and produce lo-fi cassette recordings. In the early-to-mid 1990s, Pupa's Window recorded music at the advent of cassette-based, lo-fi indie pop. The project had some early success on college radio-typically charting in the CMJ New Music Report.[1][2] After 2002, Pupa's Window records began to become more orchestrated, and involve other musicians.[3][4] Shortly after joining The Beechfields Record Label in Baltimore, Maryland, Pupa's Window began to be regarded as one of the "best-kept indie-pop songwriter secrets" in Baltimore.[5] The band's music draws comparison to Lou Barlow, Bill Callahan and Elliott Smith and has been described as, "a stripped-down, folky type of indie-pop with a freak factor provided by plenty of echoey production, a few odd instruments and sounds, and tape-loop tinkering." [5][6] Between 1994-2008, Pupa's Window released over eighteen records on both cassette and compact disc, and collaborated with Baltimore-based artist Private Eleanor.[5] Concurrently with this project, from 1998 to 2001, Nestor played in a shoegaze band, called Lowell.[2][3] Work on both Pupa's Window and Lowell were instrumental in Nestor joining the alt-rock group The Seldon Plan.[7] Recording as Pupa's Window contributed to The Seldon Plan's role in the Baltimore indie and DIY movement that experienced a revitalization across the late 1990s through the mid 2000s.[8]
The lo-fi indie DIY ethos had a significant impact on Nestor and his work with Pupa's Window helped in his development of The Beechfields Record Label. In 2003, he founded The Beechfields.[9] Nestor notes in an interview with Baltimore City Paper, the goal was to maintain an artist-centered approach to releasing records based on Virginia label Simple Machines founded by Jenny Toomey.[3] In 2004, Baltimore musician Austin Stahl began working at The Beechfields with Nestor to develop the label's roster while playing percussion for Pupa's Window.[2][3] Asked about the potential for too much emphasis on an inward-looking and diary-esque approach within lo-fi indie pop in general and Pupa's Window specifically, Nestor has said, "I'm really afraid of the self-indulgent aspect of this music...what I try to remember, is to keep things in the service of the song, that if something isn't working for the song--the lyrics, a drum loop, whatever--to rethink it."[3]
References
- Citations
- Online Sources
- CMJ Staff (November 2, 1998), "CMJ New Music Report", CMJ, retrieved October 11, 2019
- Kaufmann, Zach (March 4, 2011), "We Built This City", Splice Today, retrieved October 11, 2019
- McCabe, Bret (May 19, 2004), "Playing With Themselves", Baltimore City Paper, archived from the original on August 9, 2009, retrieved October 11, 2019
- English, Steve (February 3, 2005), "Splendid Magazine", Splendid, archived from the original on March 30, 2005, retrieved October 11, 2019
- McCabe, Bret (March 10, 2004), "Know Your Product", Baltimore City Paper, archived from the original on August 14, 2011, retrieved October 11, 2019
- Whelan, Robbie (October 7, 2007), "Urbanite Music", The Urbanite, archived from the original on December 11, 2007, retrieved October 11, 2019
- Sessa, Sam (November 17, 2005), "The Seldon Plan", The Baltimore Sun, retrieved October 11, 2019
- Sessa, Sam (3 October 2013), "Baltimore Music Scene 101", WTMD, retrieved October 11, 2019
- Broadway World Staff (2017), "Baltimore's Indie Rock/Pop Duo Underlined Passages Release New Track 'Silverlake'", Broadway World, retrieved October 11, 2019