Jude/Ross is the sound of a rock'n'roll band playing 10 songs in 26 minutes. The album is independent in its realism and minimal approach, in contrast to the popular indie trends of irony and excess. From the lyric sheet to the instrumentation and arrangements, the songs were pared down to their bones, then dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. The band played together in a room and recorded to tape with few overdubs. The result is a warm, clean stereo mix--kept analog until the closing step of mastering. When Michael began Jude/Ross in 2005, it was simply an exercise in songwriting and recording in a little house in Houston. It is currently a four-piece rock'n'roll band in Austin, featuring Geoff Dupree on guitar, Drew Emmons on bass, and Kyle Ponder on drums. The recording band for this album would not be complete without our producer Randy Reynolds, our engineer Scott Oliphant, and the keys of Joel Mullins. "With the help of my friends, who end up doing most of the real work of turning these words and melody into a rock'n'roll song, I am trying to do something deceptively simple and modern--document time." --Michael Ross