An independent, restless spirit, Caleb Stine has created his Working-Class American Music off the mainstream radar for over a decade. While logging miles on desert highways and grain-lined interstates in his dusty Honda Accord, he recorded albums in deserted beach towns (2001's Sound Castles) and Rocky Mountain cabins (2004's Tone), and developed the hard-hitting, authentic songwriting that has become his signature. In 2005, he formed the Alt-Country group Caleb Stine and The Brakemen, recorded their debut 'October 29th' in a single day at a Baltimore church, and quickly became a regional favorite.
"Stine, who is lanky and bearded, croons narratives—often without choruses—that wind seamlessly through cities and relationships." (The New Yorker) "His music and sincerity are so intertwined that it's difficult to imagine one without the other." (The Baltimore City Paper).
Performing with acts like John Doe, Cary Hudson (Blue Mountain), The Old 97's, and Jay Bennett (ex-Wilco), and getting air play on college radio across the country, Caleb Stine's appeal began reaching beyond the underground. The 2008 independent release of 'I'll Head West Again' marked the beginning of a new leg in the journey, and was featured on several best of lists for the year.
"Caleb is an engaging performer that works to make each person feel like he is singing just for them." His music "sounds so warm and inviting, you could swear you knew these songs by heart." (Melissa Goode, WTMD and 'b' Daily) "He possesses equal parts down-to-earth charisma, unpretentious confidence and genuine joy in music-making; this translates into a good performer/audience dynamic that has observers eating out of his hand. Live, it engenders the kind of cozy fraternity that has complete strangers arm-in-arm, commiserating or celebrating, raising glasses together by night's end."
(AURAL STATES)
Caleb continues to explore new musical terrain, most visibly in collaboration with Baltimore rapper Saleem Heggins. In December, the duo released the album Outgrown These Walls a mixture of folk and hip hop that has turned heads from both musical camps. With a solo album set for a Spring 2009 release, Caleb doesn't show signs of stopping any time soon.
