BOX FIVE is the brainchild of Mary Bichner, a 23-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.

Formerly a permanent ensemble, Box Five is now a solo project which allows Mary to work with a variety of musicians on her diverse compositions.

Alone or with a group, however, there's no doubt that Mary is rather peculiar. 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 available for download on the jukebox page. There are a couple of demos and select live recordings waiting there for you, too.

In addition to her work with Box Five, Mary was also recently signed to the progressive classical music collective Arts in Motion, where she will serve as a composer and performer. Awesome! :D

Mary is constantly batting her eyelashes at independent labels, and is eagerly booking a number of B5 performances in the rather near future -- so, catch her if you can! ;o)

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Discography

==== EXERCISES IN MODERN POP ==== (Release date: January 1st, 2005)

Write it out

Nice Boy/ blow my cover

(No Title)

Microscopic

Running

Snow Hymn

All songs written by: Mary Bichner

Performed by:
Mary Bichner (vocals/piano)
Joe Bichner (guitar)
Brian Hopely (bass)
Doug Holton (drums)

Recorded by: David Ivory @ Dylanava Studios, November 2004

Album Artwork by: Vincent Giard

==== FEN ==== (Release date: April 3, 2006)

Aqua Toffana

Doctrines (solo version)

Ceasefire

On dying (for attention)

All songs written by: Mary Bichner

Performed by:
Mary Bichner (vocals/piano)
Joe Bichner (guitar)

Recorded by: Jeff Hiatt @ Turtle Studios, October 2005

Cover Photo by: Veronica Chojnacki

Album Artwork By: la rossa




http://www.boxfive.org

That's the end, for now. :o)

http://www.boxfive.org