In the late 90's Charm City Suicides emerged as one of the most celebrated and hardest working combos to come from Baltimore, Md.'s underground scene. While it would not be wholly innaccurate to describe their sound as hardcore, garage, or punk, their effort came together not in reverence for any specific tradition, but rather from a dedication to minimalism and an urgent need to express their most honest feelings about romance, food, nature, and physical fitness.

The music of Charm City Suicides defies placement in time, sounding neither retro nor modern, yet flirting with both. If comparisons are neccesary their music certainly has something to do with The Locust and Arab On Radar, The Shaggs and The Seeds, The Stooges and Black Flag. It also has alot to do with Baltimore, the politics of lust, and the changing of the seasons.

Charm City Suicides, above all, loved to bring their explosive and unpredictable live show to as many people as possible with an emphasis on all-ages and benefit shows. CCS shared the stage with bands ranging from Mastodon to The Convocation Of..., from Superchunk to Love Life, from Page 99 to Arab On Radar.

The Suicides had all known each other for about eight years and had all been playing in bands in the Baltimore, Md. area for about the same amount of time prior to forming CCS.

In the 5+ years of their existence the group played an incalculable number of shows within the mid-east coast area of the U.S.(Maryland, Pennsylvania, D.C., Virginia, NYC, and in New York state). Later they immortalized their self-described 'Basement Violence' approach to music and performance through a series of extremely raw home recordings, and two national tours. The first of these tours occurred in the summer of 2000 and lasted a month and half, while their second and last tour happened over a month long period during the summer of 2002. Between and before these two treks the band experienced sporadic line up changes which greatly halted progress in both their ability to record/write new material and maintain a consistent touring schedule.

Due to creative differences Charm City Suicides split up in November 2002 leaving in their wake a slew of outrageous live shows, powerful vinyl/c.d. recordings, and loyal fans and supporters through out the d.i.y. music community.

EPILOGUE

Though Charm City Suicides are gone for good memories of their unique Basement Violence spectacle endure, so consequently CCS lead singer Mike Apichella and CCS roadie Cory Davolos started the Baths Of Power label with the intent of keeping the band's output availible thru posthumously releasing and promoting records by CCS as well as releases from related groups within the Baltimore area d.i.y. scene, and the work of artists from outside this scene who have close ties to it.

Far from being "burnt out" by the years touring and performing with CCS, all the ex-members of Charm City Suicides (except for bassist and FOUNDING member Walker Stump-Coale) have formed new projects since the break up of CCS. All of them play in styles similar to, and/or influenced by their earlier Basement Violence material. These include Human Host featuring Mike Apichella, Ecomomist featuring (last CCS bassist) Brad Smith, both Double Dagger & Boyfriends and girlfriends featuring Brian Dubin (last CCS guitarist), Equus featuring Chris Johnson (2nd CCS drummer), The Dawning Fears featuring John Browning (1st CCS drummer/creator of the name 'Charm City Suicides'), The Miss featuring Damir Marusic (4th CCS drummer), and the rapping of Bow and Arrow(a.k.a. Mickey Freeland - 3rd CCS drummer).

CHARM CITY SUICIDES DISCOGRAPHY

'Green Blood' 7" e.p. on Baths Of Power - January 2000

'Blood Beat' compilation 7" e.p. on Blood Beat

featuring one CCS track - February 2000

'The Supersonic Sounds Of The Fuck You Movement'

compilation c.d. on CNP Records featuring one CCS

track

August 2001

'(self titled)' vinyl l.p. on Vermin Scum

October 2001

'(self titled)' c.d. on Youth Attack Records

(this is the c.d. version of the Vermin Scum release

and features vastly different art than the vinyl

version, but all the same music) August 2002

'II' c.d. on Baths Of Power - November 2002

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