REVIEWS OF “FEBRUARY” Smother.net By J-Sin The album was mostly written in the cold winter month of February, hence the title. Joshua Schramm is a folk rocker whose voice is commanding with a genuine twist. A multi-instrumentalist, Joshua recorded himself playing guitar, banjo, percussion, and keyboards. The vocal arrangements that he manages throughout the album are impeccable. He just moved to Seattle and I hope our readers from the Pacific Northwest make him feel at home because his music sure offers a nice reprieve from the cold of stagnant folk-pop music. Excellent and highly recommended! http://www.smother.net/reviews/modernrock.php3?ID=1343 Sacramento News and Review By Becca Costello Presumably Joshua Schramm titled his album February because that was the month in which he composed the majority of its songs--Schramm wrote and recorded nine of these tunes during this year’s February Album Writing Month. Speed-writing gimmicks aside, though, the music’s sedate, snowed-in feel embraces the title like a mitten hugs a cold, chapped hand. With quiet acoustic orchestration and thoughtful lyrics, February inspires the feeling one gets when staring at a gray late-winter sky and wondering why spring doesn’t just get here already. The subtle nature of these tracks lends itself to pensiveness, without ever turning morose. Schramm left Sacramento for Seattle this year, where he’s likely to find more of the sort of weather that complements his work. http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2005-12-01/mixmusic2.asp EarCandyMag.com by J.R. Oliver Mellow is as mellow does whatever the hell that means. Don’t ask. Anyway, Joshua Schramm is mellow but not boring by any means. An acoustic singer /songwriter in much the same vein as someone like Dave Matthews. Actually, he sounds like Elvis Costello and Dave Matthews stitched together in Tom Petty’s laboratory / studio. A folk rocker, and folk rockers are few and far between these days, with a great sense of how to command your attention without clubbing you over the head with loud beats or profane lyrics. He sort of sneaks up on you like a Pink Floyd song or middle age or your girlfriends cat. The next thing you know you’re caught up in the middle of it all. http://www.earcandymag.com/reviews41.htm Mobdog.com by Sherri Prunier ...quot; Mobdog Music “...What redeems the work most is Schramm’s vocal tone and range. In the track “Nothing from the Old House,” Josh starts to reveal a strength of timbre and a comforting deeper pitch to his voice evident again in a some later tracks (“Slowly Unwind” and “I'm Getting Older Too”) that he should visit more. However, he sounds so different between some songs that he becomes unrecognizable and at times could very well be mistaken for two different artists. Track 11, “Lines Drawn,” is by far a favorite and is a great showcase of Schramm’s potential. The following track, “I'm Getting Older Too” is also worth a listen. With further exploration of this kind of style and a little guidance in the right direction Joshua Schramm could unlock something powerful. “ http://wsu.mobdog.com/Column.aspx?cid=34 ABOUT JOSH: Joshua Schramm has been writing and playing original music since 1996. He started his musical career in Alaska playing in several local bands as a guitar player. He eventually broke out on his own as a singer-songwriter. He moved to Santa Cruz, CA for college and co-founded of the Santa Cruz band, Radioflyer. While in Santa Cruz he also released a self produced album called "Starting Over", which quickly sold all copies made. Josh moved to Sacramento, CA in the spring of 2000 where he immediately embedded himself in the music community, playing shows at local coffeehouses, bars and festivals. In addition to performing his own music, Josh was also a member of the Sacramento math rock group, "Nice Monster" (Grayscale Records), who were recently honored with a Best of Sacramento mention from the Sacramento News and Review. In May 2005 Josh released "February"; a collection of songs mostly written and recorded in February 2005 as part of February Album Writing Month (www.fawm.org). That Summer was also Josh’s first national tour from Vancouver, BC to Lewisville, NC. Josh can now be found in Seattle, WA playing at local coffeehouses and bars. Josh relocated to Seattle in August, 2005.