"I Put My Tongue on the Window"
is available at CD Baby


From the collegetown of Ithaca, NY, Boy with a Fish is: Jeff Claus (guitar and vocals), Judy Hyman (electric violin and vocals), Rick Hansen (moog, organ, accordion), Jay Olsa (bass), and Ryan Cady (drums).

Their 2011 CD and vinyl release, I Put My Tongue on the Window, is on Left Ear Records, and is available at CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes, and more. Basic tracks were recorded by Grammy award-winning engineer, Will Russell, at Electric Wilburland, in Newfield, NY; overdubs were done in a bunch of livingrooms and home studios; and the album was mixed by 3-time Grammy winner Pat Dillett (David Byrne, Brian Eno, They Might Be Giants, Beth Orton, The National, Mary J. Blige...). The album was mastered by Greg Calbi (Sonic Youth, Coldplay, Band of Horses, Bon Iver, Ra Ra Riot, Interpol, Iron and Wine, Fleet Foxes, Shearwater, Lucinda Williams, John Mayer, Grizzly Bear, etc.). Additional musicians on the new release are: Erik Della Penna (guitar and lap steel -- of Natalie Merchant's band), Brian Wilson (percussion -- drummer in Jamie Lidell's band), Jason Shegogue (guitar and lap steel), Peter Glanville (guitar), Alex Shuhan (French horn), Ryan Zawel (trombone), and Paul Merrill (flugelhorn).

Claus, the main songwriter and singer in the band, grew up in a small town in rural Illinois, where it's flat as a table, and corn, soybeans and silos dominate the endless horizon. His mother bought him his first guitar from the only music store in town, paying for it in small monthly installmanets. Hyman, grew up in New York City and suburban New Jersey, and was steeped early in a rich combination of classical violin, urban soul, and R&B. She now also loves north African, middle eastern, and traditional American fiddle music. The two met in college in Philadelphia and are happy they've been married longer than they've been apart. They're founding members of the alt-folk-rock band, The Horse Flies, about whom Rolling Stone has written, "A band that's earned a buzz. They churn out swirling, addictive songs, blending tradition with invention."

Hansen and Olsa, members of The Horse Flies now, too, grew up in Johnson City, NY, played in bands together in high school, and, eventually, moved to Ithaca in the 90's. They're founding members of the alt-rock band, Plastic Nebraska. Cady grew up in Connecticut and went to college in Ithaca, joining the rich musical scene there before graduating then staying on.

The Horse Flies have recorded 8 albums, two on a major label. They've been featured on MTV, World Cafe, All Things Considered, eTown, Prairie Home Companion, and Mountain Stage, and they've been written about in Rolling Stone, Musician Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian (of London), and many other publications. They've also played many major festivals in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including New York City's Central Park Summerstage; Brooklyn Academy's New Music America; Berlin's New Music Festival; Vienna's Big Beat Festival; the WOMAD Festival, the National Folklife Festival at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC; Philadelphia Folk Festival; The Telluride Festival, and more.

Claus and Hyman have toured extensively with the Flies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and they've composed music for four feature films (starring such actors as Martin Sheen, Kris Kristofferson, Genevieve Bujold, Rip Torn, and Michael J. Fox) and a number of nationally broadcast television documentaries. Critics have referred to Talking Heads/David Byrne, Neil Young, Counting Crows, REM, and Freedy Johnston to describe Claus' songs and singing. His music has been used by Natalie Merchant, film director Oliver Stone in Any Given Sunday, Rock the Vote on MTV, and the band Fiery Furnaces. Claus has also been featured in an article in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, October, 2000.

Hyman has toured and recorded with Natalie Merchant, including her newest album, Leave Your Sleep. She toured the U.S. and England with Merchant, July through September, 2010 and has continued to perform with her in 2011 and 12. One of Claus' songs, "Sally Ann," is the opening track on Merchant's CD, The House Carpenter's Daughter, and Merchant and band (including Hyman) performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman while touring in support of that release. That song is also included on Merchant's Retrospective collection. In addition, Hyman is the subject of the cover article in the Fall 2004 issue of Fiddler Magazine, and is featured in Electronic Musician, June 2010, for her Emmy award-winning film composing.

Birds Fly Backwards, the band's previous release, was recorded before Cady joined the band. Drums and percussion on that CD are played by Ben Wittman, a longtime friend who has played with Laurie Anderson, Paul Simon, Paula Cole, Erasure, Don Byron, and many others. Additional musicians on that CD are: Erik Della Penna (guitar) and Elizabeth Steen (organ and Wurlitzer) formerly of Natalie Merchant's band; Robby Aceto (guitar) formerly of Tom Tom Club; and Billy Coté (guitar) formerly of Madder Rose and Saint Low. Birds Fly Backwards, has been played on over 275 radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia.