Cynthia G. Mason Record Release

"Like Damien Jurado or Red House Painters, Mason mines delicate moments for emotional heft while stoking a haunted, dusky vibe. Potent stuff.” (Philadelphia Weekly)
Cynthia G. Mason’s haunting voice, razor-sharp insight, and delicate guitar work create a mood not unlike that of her hometown Philadelphia itself— a mix of melancholy and hope. Her unique songwriting and captivating live performances have earned her both local and national attention. Philebrity called her music's edgy darkness "like a hypnotic sesh watching old Super 8 movies of people you don’t know." Time Out New York compared her songs to Cat Power’s “oblique emotional poetics,” writing that "her graceful, understated songs frequently awed clubs full of noisy chatterers into silence."
After several solo self-releases on cassette beginning way back in the 90's, Cynthia released her eponymous album in 2000, which earned her a “Best of Philly: Creepiest Chamber Pop Songstress” award from the Philadelphia City Paper. She appeared on BC Camplight’s album Hide, Run Away (One Little Indian, 2005,) singing on several songs, including “Blood and Peanut Butter,” which was featured on Grey's Anatomy. The Believer Magazine included Cynthia’s quiet, stirring cover of Richard Buckner's "Surprise, AZ" in their music issue compilation. In 2007, the High Two label released Cynthia’s album Quitter's Claim, a collection of stark, intimate songs she recorded in her apartment and with longtime collaborator Larry D. Brown (Grey Reverend.)
In December 2014, Cynthia recorded a new album at Miner Street Recordings with producer Brian McTear (Sharon Van Etten, Dr. Dog.) Amy Morrissey engineered the record and Matt Schimelfenig mixed it. The five new songs feature Christopher Sean Powell (Man Man) on drums, Ramon Monras-Sender (Hoots and Hellmouth) on bass, and Peter English (Weathervane Music) on keyboards.
Cynthia will release the EP on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

Grey Reverend is the solo project of singer/songwriter/composer L.D. Brown. Based in Brooklyn, New York, L.D. Brown was born in Pennsylvania and raised on a variety of music genres. After developing an affinity for jazz and the emerging indie rock sounds of the '80′s, like My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr., he began studying music. Beginning with the saxophone, then later shifting his attention to the guitar under the instruction and guidance of his mentor, jazz guitar legend, Pat Martino, L.D. was soon playing guitar exclusively and performing in various jazz, rock, and blues outfits throughout Philadelphia. Though, after immersing himself in music theory and jazz improvisation, he began experiencing problems with his hands and was diagnosed with focal dystonia. While coping with the loss of dexterity in his hands, L.D. found himself drawn towards songwriting in the traditions of acoustic folk and blues musicians such as John Fahey, Bert Jansch, Joni Mitchell, and Mississippi John Hurt. The desire to write his own material combined with the knowledge of musicology prompted L.D. to craft subversive and unique chord structures for his songs within an accessible vernacular.

In 2006, L.D. left Philadelphia for New York City. Shortly after settling in Brooklyn, he began to meet and collaborate with different artists and songwriters in his neighborhood, all the while writing and refining his own material. That summer, Brown met and became friends with Jason Swinscoe, the founding member and leader of The Cinematic Orchestra. Swinscoe incorporated L.D. into his musical outfit and he began touring with TCO in support of the group's 2006 studio album Ma Fleur. Grey Reverend also began supporting the group for shows in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, Asia, North and South America. L.D. subsequently wrote his own version of the first single for Ma Fleur titled To Build a Home. It was released in 2007 as a single and limited edition 7″. Brown is still involved with TCO and has been a member for nearly 6 years.

In 2011 Grey Reverend released it's first international LP titled "Of The Days" via Ninja Tune/Motion Audio Records. L.D has toured the U.K and Europe in support of this album, and has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, in the U.S.

L.D. Brown performs Grey Reverend songs primarily as a soloist, using an unaffected acoustic guitar and voice to convey his music to an audience. The devilish detail within the songs creates flashes of allegory in which familiar sentiments simultaneously comfort and unnerve the senses. Compelling and positively ambiguous with reverence for the grey, undefined areas of style. " What L.D. delivers is simple yet powerful songs that are a mixture between acoustic folk, Jazz and Blues with hints of Indie rock ". e.g His songs are unconcerned with musical or social expectations. They sit completely outside of time and fashion, the simplicity and honesty of his voice enough to carry them. "A must listen to any assiduous music fan.