Ross Island Bridge
Volume 1: The Process Is Now The Work

About:
On Ross Beach’s newest project, recorded under the nom de rock Ross Island Bridge, he employs a little help from his friends. For the album Volume 1: The Process Is Now the Work, Ross recruits lead singers from all over the Portland music community because, as he says, "It was a great way to combine my own musical projects with my love of Portland music in general."

While Ross Island Bridge is the name of an actual bridge over the Willamette River in Portland, the name can also refer to Ross bridging the gap between his solo works and his collaborations. On Volume 1: The Process Is Now the Work, Ross bridges yet another expanse – combining his fuzz pop roots and experimental sensibilities with more upbeat and danceable electronic sounds in the mode of New Order and Of Montreal.

The vocal contributors to the Ross Island Bridge album each interpreted the songs in their own styles, creating unique collaborations. The singers are noteworthy in their own right – they include Nick Jaina, Kaitlyn ni Donovan, Chris Robley, Anne Adams from Grey Anne and Sweater, Sean Brooks from Minmae, Levi Ethan Cecil from Heroes & Villains, Adrienne Hatkin from Autopilot is for Lovers, Ali Ippolito from Rainbow & the Kittens, Pat Kearns from Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Amanda Kelly from House or Badger, and Jon Ragel from Boy Eats Drum Machine.

Volume 1: The Process Is Now the Work by Ross Island Bridge comes out April 21st, 2009.


   Tracklist:
   01. What Should I Do (with Ali Ippolito)
   02. An Everything (with Chris Robley)
   03. We Met Too Soon (with Anne Adams)
   04. My First Mistake (with Amanda Kelly)
   05. The Way You Say Bye (with Patrick Kearns)
   06. Dreaming Of (with Kaitlyn ni Donovan)
   07. Am I Alone (with Nick Jaina)
   08. A Pensive Moment (with Jon Ragel)
   09. IFeelMyselfHoping (with Adrienne Hatkin)
   10. Sprung Fully Formed (with Levi Ethan Cecil)
   11. The Exploding (with S. Brooks)



Liner Notes:
All songs by Ross Beach / © 2009 Ross Beach Music (BMI)
All instruments by Ross, except drums on "sprung" by Levi Ethan Cecil
and hand claps on "first mistake" by Amanda Kelly
Recorded at Casa Hotstream West – Annex in Portland, Oregon
Mixing, Mastering and Post-Production by Mike Merriam in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Graphic Design/Layout by Krissy Gilhooly

Anne Adams performs as Grey Anne and in the band Sweater!
S. Brooks performs in Minmae.
Levi Ethan Cecil performs in Brothers Young, Heroes & Villains, and Leviethan.
Kaitlyn ni Donovan is a solo musician and soundtrack composer.
Adrienne Hatkin performs in Autopilot is for Lovers, Porches, and Wooden Indian Burial Ground.
Ali Ippolito performs in When The Broken Bow, Heroes & Villains, Marmits, and Rainbow & The Kittens
Nick Jaina performs in the Nick Jaina Band.
Pat Kearns performs in Blue Skies For Black Hearts.
Amanda Kelly performs in House of Badger.
Jon Ragel performs in Boy Eats Drum Machine.
Chris Robley performs in Chris Robley & the Fear of Heights and The Sort Ofs.


History:
Ross Beach is a songwriter and producer/engineer living in Portland, Oregon. He's a co-founder and former President of the Portland-based non-profit group PDX Pop Now!, and he was an early collaborator with the group of musicians later known as the Elephant 6 collective. He has recorded twelve albums.

Born in a New Orleans hospital that was since been converted into a psychiatric facility and is probably now a Katrina casualty, Ross began his musical career in Baton Rouge by participating in various choirs, jazz improv combos, and ultra lo-fi, DIY recording sessions with friends involving boom boxes with built-in microphones.

Among Ross' college friends in Ruston, Louisiana were Scott Spillane, John D'azzo and John Fernandes, who Ross joined in the indie-rock cover band, Smilin' Joe Fission, which later metamorphosed into The Gerbils (with Will Westbrook) and The Clay Bears (with Jeff Mangum). In 1994, Ross filled in as a member of Neutral Milk Hotel and, in 1996, he served as Jeff Mangum's replacement as drummer of the band Midget & Hairs. All told, Ross played with eleven separate bands in north Louisiana, memorizing a long stretch of Interstate 20 in the process.

After relocating to Portland, Ross helped to co-found PDX Pop Now!, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that puts on free, all-ages events of Portland music with the help of local sponsors. PDX Pop Now! also brings musicians and musical mentors into public schools to provide live music to kids who hadn't previously had the opportunity to experience it.

Ross continues to record and play live, and especially enjoys collaborating with friends. Hear what it sounds like now on Volume 1: The Process Is Now the Work.


Press Information Contact:
Becki Carr
248-990-2325
beckicarr@gmail.com


Lyrics:

What Should I Do

perhaps what I've perceived to need isn't what I really need
would that be hilarious or what?
and everything I knew about's completely wrong as it turns out
tell me something else that I don't know

and tell me what should I do. tell me what should I do
what should I do to put things on the mend?
and tell me what should I do. tell me what should I do
what should I do to come through in the end?

and are you offering a ride? 'cause I need one
are you offering to guide my concession?
throw me over the eastside esplanade
if there's a god, it's will be done
what should I do?

perhaps what I've perceived to need isn't what I really need
is that fucking hilarious or what?
and everything I knew about's completely wrong as it turns out
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, etcetera


An Everything

all I want is an everything just one everything
an everything is all I want. is all I want
all I need is an everything. just one everything
an everything is what I need. it's what I need.

they say there's not enough for everyone to have an everything
but they're wrong. they have to be wrong
and then they call me greedy 'cause I want a single everything
oh they can't be serious, can they?


We Met Too Soon

we met too soon. we met too soon
we met too soon, it's true

we met too soon. the world was new
we met too soon. our big debut
we met too soon. hearts pounding through
we met too soon, it's true

bring back your love to me
bring back your heart to me
bring back the old whimsy


My First Mistake

a fanciful flight that things would turn out right
who was I kidding really?
you confirmed my fears. you've been stacking the deck for years
why even fight? just do the bidding

for everybody's sake, I thought the system would never break
that was my first mistake

a hope come undone that for once you'd be human
maybe you were and the reptile brain is winning
thought you'd share your cup, but that was my fuck up
kindergarten taught us nothing


The Way You Say Bye

I love the way you say bye to me.
I love the way you say bye
everything about you is better than me
it's what I like about you. it's what I like.

I'd take a hike if I had someplace to move
distant locales the justice department would approve
but that option's been removed
it's what it is and that is that
shopping the bins and diving vats
it's the state I'm in it's where I'm at, yeah

I'd take a bike to the shoreline of the sea
then take a swim out to the edge of everything
to the cold uncaring breach
where the folding map in creased
I'm told that serpents there they be
just to behold the way you speak, yeah


Dreaming Of

we're dreaming of a life, just like everyone
what are we dreaming of? are we dreaming of everything?

here we are in our beds or in someone else's instead
our brains will entertain themselves anywhere we lay our heads


Am I Alone

am I alone? am I alone?

I have squandered some beauty like everybody has
but I have created beauty. that's just life and I wonder
am I alone?


A Pensive Moment

I've been known to have a pensive moment or two
haven't you? would you say that's not true?
And I…I feel we have so much to talk about
so very much to talk about

ten more kids just died fighting in the war for oil
children left behind. I could go on for hours
on for hours and hours
extemporize for hours and hours and hours
on for hours and hours, but you don't want that
we don't want that. nobody wants that


IFeelMyselfHoping

I…I feel myself hoping and that's no good. it's no good at all
and I…I feel myself trying and that's no good. it's no good at all
it's no good at all

I…I feel myself listening and that's no good. it's no good at all
and I…I feel myself thinking and that's no good. it's no good at all
it's no good at all

I…I feel myself wondering and that's no good. it's no good at all
and I…I feel myself feeling and that's no good. it's no good at all
it's no good at all

I…I feel myself hoping and that's no good. it's no good at all
and I…I feel myself trying and that's no good. it's no good at all
it's no good at all


Sprung Fully Formed

are you serious? I'm worried that you are
you should be more mysterious if you want to be the star
witness at the trial of whom the mighty pen belongs
we've just begun to notice. what took everyone so long?

are you furious? I'm worried that you're not
although they're slowly killing us to buy a bigger yacht
look at the world too closely and you'll find to your dismay
the more closely you examine it, the further it's way

you're not above the law, last time I checked the law
but I know you're working on that


The Exploding

sometimes the simple knowledge of the day of the week
is too much to bear and now this
sometimes the simple act of nodding off to sleep
is too much to bear and now this

when no more sound can be found, hard not to lose touch
folks hanging 'round in this town, we've been so much this year

sometimes the rotation of the earth in the void
is too much to bear and now this
a universe where matter's not created nor destroyed
is too much to bear and now this