Featured on Sutros

Raised on candy and bacon bits in the pine peaks o' the west, Ed Masuga is the youngest of 10 children. His drifting family was never satisfied in any one place for too long, and Ed grew up wandering between shacks, motels, casinos, trailers, forests, and barroom kitchens. At two years old he saw his dad compete on the game show "Name That Tune," and though the appearance netted just a washing machine and a trip to Puerto Rico, Ed's future as a travelling musician had been fully inspired.

the roots of this band can be traced back to Moses Brown High School in Providence, Rhode Island circa 1994. we have recently reunited geographically in los angeles after a three year law school-related bi-coastal era. byron (guitar and vocals) and max (banjo, drums, casiotone) have been the stalwarts of this operation and over the past two years have folded in johnny utah (drums, vocals, guitar) and Richie Parmesan (bass, vocals) to round out a solid 4-man front. our music is sincere and simple. our albums tend to resonate with your parents, though we have been desperately trying to break this pattern by including long expanses of feedback. and our live show is a sweaty, desperate high-wire act aimed at winning your love and affection.

Streetnote is a showcase for music and poetry, as well as a forum that empowers street musicians to express themselves.

All of the music on the Streetnote label was recorded live in the streets.

Enjoy!

I do guitar versions of lowbrow American songs from before the recording era was really underway. The time period is roughly 1800 to 1900. I learn these tunes mainly from historical archives of sheet music, and I doublecheck against early recordings whenever I can.

I'm passionate about free culture. My recordings are usually shareable and remixable under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike license. I provide sheet music and tablature whenever I can.