The family Meridene.

What happens when you strip the vocals from a Meridene album and turn all the songs into dramatic piano ballads? Pure, sorrowful, karaoke magic! Keyboardist Paul Brandt (above, lower right) flipped the nine songs on “Something Like Blood,” upside-down and shook out all the pop-rock, guitars, drums and words. What he had left was “Something Like Wedding Music,” a nine-track piano solo of the entire album. It’s a legitimate rendition too, interesting and very well-played, probably because Brandt is a UWEC Jazz alum. “Anything can be a piano ballad,” Brandt says, “it’s just a matter of being able to play that style.” He says the entire recording process took about an hour and a half in the studio with Zach Hanson (Laarks, Gentle Guest). “These songs do lend themselves to it pretty well,” says Brandt of the interpretation, “mostly because (lead-singer) Trevor Ives’ melodies are so good on their own.” For Meridene fans, the Valentines Day surprise is the perfect backdrop for some intimate shower-time singing, drunken (or painfully sober) wailing and/or a nice long drive through the Chippewa Valley. Brandt says he will seriously consider performing a karaoke-style set, so start warming those chops up now. Listen below!

    Download Something Like Wedding Music
    courtesy of Amble Down Records.
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