WELLS

Wells is the collaborative work of Miles R. Waltuck and Stephanie H. Shih, a team spread distantly (though sometimes nearer than not) across the East Coast. Since the summer of 2007 Wells has haltingly gathered together to record a song at a time, each in a single night. The melodies that emerge from the Waltuck family basement are sweet and fun, good for both falling asleep and waking up to. Increasingly, the pair passes itself off as musicians who actually know how to play the instruments they are playing, though listeners ought not be fooled.

Wells is also the recording project of Chicagoans Chris Howaniec and Zane Ranney, both members of now-defunct folk-rock band World's First Flying Machine. This Wells plays mid-to-downtempo rock, drawing from its influences in psych rock, slowcore, ambient and early-'90s emo. Chris Howaniec is the songwriter, arranger, vocalist and producer, playing all parts on their two EPs ("Wells" and "Feel Bad") except the drums, which Zane Ranney is infinitely better at.

Wells is also also the name of a former four-man group from Charlottesville, VA that disbanded in January 2006.