The Monumental City Music Story

I’ve been playing my songs in public since the 1980s, and although I’ve recorded them many times, both solo and with different bands, but I feel like those versions weren’t much more than demos. So in 2025, I resolved to get some better recordings. I feel like previous ones were sketches, but these though they may be may be lo-fi at times, are fully fleshed out. All the work here is written and produced by me. But there are two different recording projects: 1) Hug after Hug, 2) Bleach House 25. I also have included a lyric sheet page — MCM lyrics. More info about Hug after Hug and Bleach House 25 is on their individual pages.

When I went to register these recordings with ASCAP, I realized I needed a publisher, so I created Monumental City Music Publishing.

Monumental City is an old nickname for Baltimore, where I’ve lived since 2012. It’s known as the Monumental City, not because of its size, but because of its many monuments. (“Smalltimore” is another nickname for the city. ) And I’ve always enjoyed the paradox — that something “monumental” is also something small. Monuments are a form of public art, and some are grandiose, but others (like the roadside memorials to fallen cyclists) are quite modest. It’s a way of saying goodbye, while simultaneously showing the world that something of value existed — Is that a metaphor for Monumental City Music? Maybe, if so, it will be a long goodbye.

Thanks to all the talented musicians who helped make these recording possible, and thanks for listening, Edward Weiss

This site is dedicated to the memory of Timothy (TimDawg) Dowd. In addition to more important things, Tim found time to attend almost every Bleach House show. He was both a gentleman and a scholar, and he is missed.