BOX
FIVE is the brainchild of Mary Bichner, a 27-year-old
composer and performer hailing from the bustling metropolis
of Philadelphia, PA. Combining Mozart-inspired chord progressions
and bratty Brit-rock hooks into a musical succotash she likes
to call classipop, the eccentric yet loveable redhead
hopes to breathe new life into the calcified world of "radio-friendly"
contemporary music through her memorable melodies and solid
songwriting.
Also, she's kind of weird.
In addition to having the worst last name in the history
of humankind (it's pronounced BEECHner, but nobody ever gets
it right!), Mary also possesses perfect pitch (the ability to
recognize notes and chords by name simply by hearing them played),
and synesthesia (a bizzare neurological condition which causes
Mary to "see" splashes of specific colors when she
hears certain pitches sounded). Journalists
seem to be rather keen on calling Mary names, attested by the
fact that she has been labeled a "perfectly quirky girl",
a "musical prodigy", a "band nerd" (!!),
a "biological curiosity to be studied by science",
a "spunky redhead",
and a "keyboard playing, songwriting, mighty-morphin teenage
mutant polymodal synesthete" by various members of local
and international press. Fair enough -- so long as they don't
start to call her "carrot-top"! :p
Box Five has released two online EPs in its brief career -- the bouncy, colorful Exercises in Modern Pop [2005]; and the sparse, spooky fen [2006] -- both of which are streamable jukebox page. You can also purchase Best Of, a compilation featuring remastered highlights from the first two Box Five EPs plus a special remix of Snow Hymn, by clicking here. :D
Mlle. Bichner is currently working on material for a brand new Box Five album, and is also booking a number of lovely shows both in Philadelphia and beyond. Catch her if you can! <3
That's
the end, for now. :o)
