Life in Bed

Deriving their moniker from an accidental pairing of magnetic poetry fragments, the Pittsburgh, PA quartet Life in Bed came together in 2001, drawing its initial roster from former Manifold Splendour participants Sean Finn, Bill Merante, Craig Svitek, and David Horn. Horn departed shortly afterward, prior to the sessions for the band’s first full-length, and bassist Christopher James stepped in to complete the lineup. Issued by Polar Recordings in 2003, Two Point Perspective displayed melodramatic vocals alongside bombastic guitar textures that echoed the approaches of Dinosaur Jr., Archers of Loaf, and Guided by Voices. Their next outing arrived in 2005 as the five-track Exercises for Translation EP. Early 2006 brought another personnel shift when Craig Svitek exited and Steve McMillan, previously of Voice in the Wire, took his place. Christopher James likewise departed the following summer, immediately after the group wrapped recording on its third album, with Thomas Cipollone assuming bass duties. That album, Passed and Presents, surfaced in early 2008.