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Mind's I has been a fixture on the Western Pennsylvania regional music scene for over 13 years. Formed in the mid-1990's by singer-songwriter Tom Panei, bass player Scott Herbst, guitarist Greg Muiter, drummer Chris Compton, and harmonica player Willi Stolz, Mind's I quickly gained notoriety as a thoroughly entertaining "strum-pop" band with strong jazz overtones thanks in large measure to Muiter's formal training as a jazz guitarist while at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
The band released their debut CD in 1998 (Where The Secret Lies - AFM Records) to extremely positive reviews. This in turn landed them spots on the WDVE Morning Show, WXDX's "X Files" broadcast, and paved the way for a semi-finalist appearance at the legendary Graffiti Rock Challenge - the long-running kingmaker of all band competitions in Pittsburgh.
As with any group, sometimes the individuals therein decide that things aren't necessarily going in the direction they'd like - and lineup changes ensue. Shortly after the initial success of "Where The Secret Lies," drummer Chris Compton and harmonica player Willi Stolz left the band. Chris' replacement was found in the dynamic Jason Anthony, who remains with the band to this day.
1999 saw the release of an "interim" CD entitled "Fearless of Ever" on the band's own label. This was the first release featuring drumming by Jason - the track "In The Dark," which was also featured prominently in an independent paddling (kayaking) movie called "Silent Thunder: The Legend of Team C." The band also made another appearance at the Graffiti Rock Challenge in 1999 - this time making it to the final 4 (out of over 250 entrants... not bad!)
The new millennium brought a new sound to the band's music - a more edgy, electric-guitar oriented sound thanks in large measure to the production savvy of Buzzy Beck at Audio Loft Studios in Ambridge, PA - where the band tracked their third CD "Mighty Shoves and Tiny Pushes" (Onoma Records). The album again received favorable reviews, and again the band was invited to perform on the WDVE Morning Show. The band also expanded their touring to include headlining shows at the Atlantic City Beach Festival as well as appearances in the greater Chicago area. Additionally, the previously unreleased track "Cry" was included on the annual WXDX "X Files" local music compilation, and received considerable airplay on that station around the holidays in 2000. Things were certainly moving forward, and the sky seemed to be the limit.
Work was underway on the band's fourth album when Greg Muiter expressed his desire to retire from the band. The handful of songs that had been tracked to that point were completed and released on the CD entitled "Metamorphosis" (released 2002) alongside the song "Cry" and the collaboration between Mind's I and singer-songwriter Greg Riordan entitled "Flowing Like The Sea." Following Muiter's formal departure from the band, he was temporarily replaced by guitarist D.J. Paga, but after several months D.J. was replaced by longtime friend of the band Jamie Hook, who remains with the band to this day.
Scott Herbst was the next person to part ways with the band in late 2003, to be replaced by the ever-entertaining Chad Goldbach. Scott went on to record a CD with contemporary Christian band Clockwise Scarlett before eventually returning to Mind's I in early 2007 following Chad's departure.
In March 2008 the band began tracking new songs for their next CD. The sessions have been interesting, in that new Mind's I material with Jamie Hook is being presented alongside the few remaining Mind's I songs from Greg Muiter's tenure that were recorded to provide the band and the fans an opportunity to have studio recordings of some of the last songs the band performed while Greg was still occupying the post at stage right. The new CD, entitled "Train Wreck" will be release in August 2009.
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