Two
Handed Engine started in early 2007 when guitarist Tim Moran
and bassist Joe Goodwill met and started jamming together
in Philadelphia. Moran brought his experience playing in Asheville,
NC’s roots-punk band No Radio, and Goodwill brought
a history of playing in western NY bar rock band Hector Manfield
and the Proles. Each member contributed original songs to
form a musical repertoire decedent of bands like Crazy Horse,
Dylan, The Replacements, Built to Spill, and Wilco. Tom Mlcoch
(former drummer for the Philly local favorite, The Sheep)
joined the band in the spring of ‘07, and filled out
their sound by adding the thunderous skills of his drum work.
The boys cut their teeth on folk and blues numbers as well
as originals, playing weekly at a condemned dog food warehouse/practice
space in the gritty Kensington neighborhood of north Philly.
Gigs
started rolling in, and Two Handed Engine quickly earned fans
with their energetic rock performances at fine Philly venues
like The Kieber, The Tin Angel, and Lickety Split. The power
trio considered adding more instruments, but finally decided
to keep the raw, sparse, and versatile sound of a three piece.
Through practice and playing live, they honed in on a sound
and created their own brand of big-hook bar rock and Nuggets-era
garage mixed with shifty Americana.
In
early 2008, Two Handed Engine decided it was time to make
an album, and put their DIY aesthetic to record. With the
help of Tim Moran’s long time friend, sound engineer,
and fellow Athens, Ohioan Bob Astrum, the boys started tracking
in Moran’s basement. Using Astrum’s Pro Tools
and patchwork of recording equipment, they laid down various
sessions of drums and bass and then filled in guitar and vocals
in the months in between these meetings. After Astrum’s
extensive mixing, a completed song deleted and redone from
scratch, and enough Yuengling to souse the entire eastern
seaboard, the band finally finish their first EP, Good Misdeeds.
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