The Chris and Joylene Show / pupa's window

REVIEWS FOR A FAMILY PORTRAIT

"Dynamic songwriting and crafty arrangements set the majority of songs apart from their other storied brethren. Indie pop with sugar-sweet harmonies from the vocal department is but one building block for this gifted split album. Each band plays off of one another so well that it’s a saccharine delight of melody and indie intelligence. Pick it up for sure."
Smother.net | Read Full Review

"It’s easy to feel the common indie-folk threads that tie Among Wolves to two other bands on The Beechfields: The Chris and Joylene Show (recently re-dubbed The Honest Mistakes) and Pupa’s Window, a pseudonym for Michael Nestor, the University of Maryland School of Medicine neuroscience Ph.D. candidate who started the label. In late spring, the two groups released Family Portrait, a thirteen-track split album, which is as precious as its title. It represents what is becoming The Beechfields’ signature sound: a stripped-down, folky type of alt-country with a freak factor provided by plenty of echoey production, a few odd instruments and sounds, and tape-loop tinkering."
Robbie Whelan, The Baltimore Urbainte

"Not actually a compilation, but really a split release between a pair of Baltimore bands that was given its own title (man, those releases are always hard to file!). The first half of the disc belongs to the Chris And Joylene Show, who are reminiscent of Tsunami or Kristin Hersh... [Of Pupa's Window] I was instantly smitten with them (well, him). Using a full band sound with bass, drums and acoustic guitars (and the occasional keyboard), Michael writes catchy songs that fall somewhere between a mellower Fountains Of Wayne (yes, they're that catchy!) and Teenage Fanclub."
Indiepages.com

“Do you know how you look when you sleep my love? Breathing rhythm into my heart when you sleep my love.” Love poetry to go with the soft guitars, percussion and voices. The chorus of whipped cream adds other musical flavors to keep this exciting pop record listenable over and over." Eartaste.com

"Too clever by half and melodic to the point of being cloying, there's just something addictive about these songs. Very cool. A good split. These bands contrast well with each other, and the combined contributions make for a fun album."
Aiding & Abetting | Read Full Review

"Good record, [Pupa's Window sounds like] Seldon Plan plus Amanset"
Palebear.com

“Pupa’s Window has a melodic acoustic sound with a bit of synth. I would liken them to a nerdy Death Cab for Cutie. The songs are catchy...With 8 tracks represented on this release, I enjoyed just about all of them, especially “Grainy Film Summers”, “Whipped Cream” and “Penna State Line”. Anyway, if you pick up this CD...you will like what you hear."
The Chickenfish Speaks

"The bulk of A Family Portrait belongs to Pupa’s Window, a low-fi indie-pop string of love songs punctuated by Michael Nestor’s presence-filled voice. He shifts from an apt, if only slightly nasal, tenor to a lovely falsetto without a second thought, enlivening his eight compact tracks. Pupa’s Window mingles the sounds of Pedro the Lion and The World Inside (Jessie Sprinkle’s late-90’s acoustic project) with ooh’s and ahh’s, claps and infectious rhythms.

The songs themselves are so simple you nearly overlook the lyrics, getting lost in the sheer pleasure of listening to them. They trace love and life like many songs; nothing incredibly unexpected, but nothing unnecessary either. From the instantly sing-able chorus on “Whipped Cream”: “It’s like whipped cream and good things/You’re the sunrise in my best dreams”, wed to an easy rhythm guitar to the folksy drum and guitar pairing on “1983 was a Good Year,” Nestor’s found a virtue in simplicity on A Family Portrait; uncommon territory for much of today’s music.

I loved how Nestor backed himself up on vocals, and the fact that he played, or programmed, in the case of some drum tracks, the entire album himself makes his portion of A Family Portrait all the more impressive. Pupa’s Window left me smiling, tapping my feet, and wanting more."
Independent Clauses | Read Full Review

ALBUM INFO

A Family Portrait

BRL 3001 // CD // 2007
SOLD OUT/OUT OF PRINT
Purchase at iTunes

WEBSITE

For more info:
http://www.myspace.com/thechrisandjoyleneshow
http://www.myspace.com/pupaswindow