Track listings, cover art and free sample tracks from all sixteen records by The Metroschifter. Listed newest to oldest.
All of our recordings are available for download directly from us.
One Cloud for the Brokenhearted
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 2012
This EP combines two songs released over a decade ago – “One Cloud in the Sky” (from a 1998 split CD with Shipping News) and “Theme from ‘Songs for the Brokenhearted'” (released on a compilation the following year).
These songs were written and recorded in the 1990s as matching pieces. When played simultaneously, the songs fit together exactly. The music and phrasing weaves in and out of sync, sometimes sounding like discordant cacophony and, in other moments, coming together in a harmonious swirl.
On this EP, the two songs are finally joined together: one song in the left speaker and the other in the right speaker. The drums are mixed in stereo up the middle.
Three songs:
One Cloud for the Brokenhearted, One Cloud in the Sky, Theme from Songs for the Brokenhearted
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Carbonistas
After just nine years of avoiding recording studios together, in 2009 we got off our asses and recorded eight new songs. The material should please Metroschifter fans who have enjoyed our pervious work in distorted, thunderous, sometimes mathematical music, laden with personal and emotional lyrics. Comes in minimal eco-friendly packaging.
“[Metroschifter] explore a maddening array of musical genres on their sixth full-length. … They jam samples and jarring breaks into some songs, most daringly on ‘America Is A Prison.’ No song in the band’s back catalog approximates the sheer audacity of it. … they’ve managed to create a confounding record that demands undivided attention.”
– Alternative Press
Eight songs:
Goodbye Narragansett, It’s All Fucked Up In Dixie, Murder, 06/06/1997 Der Tag An Dem Kater Jusa Aus Saarbrücken Vom Balkon Aus Der 5. Etage Sprang Um Auf Jagd Zu Gehen, America Is a Prison, Little Voice, Flick.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“It’s All Fucked Up In Dixie”
Whatever’s Wrong With Me Is Here To Stay:
The Basics from Fifteen Years
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 2009
A crash course in The Metroschifter. This retrospective compilation is a look back at fifteen years of our work and consists of twenty-one songs (over 85 minutes of music) hand-picked by the band. It’s all the essentials from our first album in 1994 through Carbonistas in 2009.
This is a digital-only release except for a handful of screen-printed CD-Rs we made for our 2009 tour in Europe.
Twenty-one songs:
Overlap, Marker, Drive, Scoop, Forward, Link, Whatever’s Wrong With Me Is Here To Stay, The Greatest Ballad of All Time, Love, $39.00, Equation, Is This All About Money?, Advil, The Name of a Street, Know Where You’re Going, Alphabetical, It Used To Be So Easy, Actress, My Old Kentucky Home, Murder, America Is A Prison
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher, Mario Rubalcaba, Mark Ritcher, Chad Castetter
USA and EU
Japan
Metroschifter Encapsulated
Doghouse Records 2000
In 2000, we put out a complete album that featured other bands playing new and unreleased songs we wrote. It’s a new Metroschifter album, but we didn’t play on it.
The bands you’ll hear are Burning Airlines, Cooler, Elliott, the Enkindels, the Get Up Kids, Ink & Dagger, Joan of Arc, Music Group, MT Rhoades & His Lonesome Woods Band, the Promise Ring, Refused, Kyle Crabtree & Jason Noble of Shipping News, and Rye Coalition.
Thirteen songs:
Downschifter, Impossible Outcomes, Dear Hilary, It’s Not The Way I Feel Anymore, Burn Lexington Burn, Under Pressure to Exist, Forensic Economics, Be, You Are So Unreal, Here In Your Mind, Isn’t Freedom a Poison, L 182, Actress.
Free sample tracks:
Burning Airlines “Dear Hilary”
MT Rhoades “Under Pressure to Exist” unreleased acoustic version
Encapsulated Demos
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 2000
This album contains the original demo versions that were sent to the bands who played on Encapsulated. Several songs that appear on Encapsulated Demos did not make it to the final release and can be heard only in this release from our own label.
Fourteen songs:
Machine Language, Forensic Economics, Impossible Outcomes, L-182, Under Pressure To Exist, Actress, Dear Hilary, Burn Lexington Burn, Down By The River, On The Road, Unrealistic, It’s Not The Way I Feel Anymore, Isn’t Freedom A Poison, Here In Your Mind, Julie Minuet II.
Personnel:
Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“Unrealistic (demo)”
Strawberries
Doghouse Records 1999
Metroschifter closed out the nineties with one last trip to the studio that resulted in this 20-minute favorite. It takes everything you love about Metroschifter and adds electronic sequenced beats, cleaner vocals, guitar solos, and piano to the mix. We consider this to be one of our best records. Find out if you agree!
Seven songs:
L 182, Persona, Actress, Continuity Piece, Forensic Economics, Opaque, My Old Kentucky Home (long version).
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“Forensic Economics”
“Zons” QuickTime / 12:06
short film with music from Strawberries and Encapsulated
Metroschifter Picture Disk
Redwood Records 1999
Three songs recorded at Red House Recording Studios in Eudora, Kansas, and pressed into a full color vinyl seven inch picture disk. Released by Redwood Records of Fullerton, California.
Three songs:
Impossible Outcomes, Under Pressure to Exist, Machine Language.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“Under Pressure to Exist”
Metroschifter & Shipping News split CD
Initial Records 1998
Three songs by each band. A total of 40 minutes of music. The first 900 units had machine-engraved aluminum covers engineered by Chris Reinstatler.
Three songs from each band:
METROSCHIFTER: It Used to Be So Easy, Now, One Cloud in the Sky.
SHIPPING NEWS: Nine Bodies Nine States, Books On Trains, Steerage.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“It Used To Be So Easy”
Download this record from us (Shipping News songs not included)
Metroschifter 4
Doghouse Records 1997
Our fourth full length is our longest and heaviest album. Guest appearances by members of the Rachel’s and the Loved.
Twelve songs:
Inner, Is This All About Money, Advil, The Name of a Street, Know Where You’re Going, Third Party, Black Wednesday, The Torsten Fratzke Story, Apple, Reverse Stick, Alphabetical, Nothing I Can Say.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher (Guests: Mark Ritcher, Jason Noble, Michael Weis, Christian Frederickson)
Free sample track:
“Is This All About Money?”
Let’s Get This Party Started
Initial Limited 1997
We home-made this cassette to sell at our shows during 1997. The songs are early demos, alternate versions and live tracks. It’s now available as a download from our site with extra material.
Nine songs:
650 Miles/Why Me (live 1996), Alphabetical (alternate mix 1997), Drive (1993 demo), Sweeper (1993 demo), Back-A (1993 demo), Marker (1994 demo), Advil (alternate mix 1997), Whatever’s Montage (used as an introduction at a 1997 show in Louisville).
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher (Guests: Mark Ritcher)
These songs are also included in Metroschifter 4 above
The Truth is Always the Right Answer
K Composite Media 1997
This limited edition 45 RPM record was pressed in Nashville on machinery that once pressed Elvis Presley singles. About 1,400 people pre-ordered a copy of the transparent vinyl record which came personalized in translucent packaging.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Chris Reinstatler, Scott Ritcher
Two songs:
Advil, Alphabetical.
Generation Rx
Doghouse Records 1996
This is our all-acoustic full length that many people call our “country album.” This record is a lot different than our other albums and people either love it or hate it. It’s very quiet, laid-back and has no drums. We love it.
Fifteen songs:
Welcome to Louisville, The Greatest Ballad of All Time, Why Me, Untitled Hymn for Kentuckiana, Nobody’s Favorite Crayon Is White, Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Funny How Time Slips Away, What Flavor?, The Middletown General Store, Dear Lord My God, Last Night While You Slept, It Just Means Good-bye, Old Chunk of Coal.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher
Free sample tracks:
“Why Me?” (video)
Songs are also included with Fort Saint Metroschifter below
Songs from the film Number One for a Second
Doghouse Records 1995
Two songs we recorded with Bob Weston at the same time as Fort Saint Metroschifter. One is an instrumental and the other is a cover written by Matt Ronay of the Telephone Man with Mandy Katz.
Two songs:
Smart Bomb, 650 Miles.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher, Mario Rubalcaba, Chad Castetter
Free sample:
“Number One for a Second” (video) / QuickTime / 0:30 / 2.9 MB
Trailer from a never-finished short film with Pat McClimans and Mickey Horowitz
Fort Saint Metroschifter
Doghouse Records 1995
Loud drums, rough vocals and swirling analog flanging steal the show on this one, recorded by Bob Weston. This is our most emotional record. Also includes the songs from the seven-inch singles “For the Love of Basic Cable” and “Number One for a Second.”
Eight songs:
Finder, Love, Branson, $39.00, Piddle Looper, Equation. EXTRA TRACKS (from Number One for a Second 7″): Smart Bomb, 650 Miles.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher, Mario Rubalcaba, Chad Castetter
Free sample tracks:
“Equation”
“Equation” (video)
Acoustic split with Falling Forward
Initial Records 1995
Two acoustic songs from each band. The idea for this record was born at a Slamdek pizza party in 1994 while assembling Metroschifter Capsule albums.
Two songs by each band:
FALLING FORWARD: Christensen Spring, Twenty-Nine Sixteen Magazine.
METROSCHIFTER: Myth, E.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher (Guest: Meagan Reelitz)
For the Love of Basic Cable
Foresight Records 1995
A two-song 7″ released by our friend Joe Beres. The song on side two is the #1 most requested song at our live shows. This was the first time somebody offered to pay for us to make a record.
Two songs:
Link, Whatever’s Wrong With Me Is Here to Stay.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher, Mario Rubalcaba, Chad Castetter
Free sample track:
“Whatever’s Wrong With Me Is Here to Stay”
The Metroschifter Capsule
Slamdek Record Co. 1994
Our first album was recorded as a side project in 1994 and we never expected it to last very long. To raise the funds needed for pressing the album, we pre-sold 400 copies of it which were personalized with the names of the people who ordered it. It was issued by Conversion Records in California the following year on LP, cassette, and CD.
Nine songs:
Overlap, Marker, Drive, Shit Harvester, Scoop, Square, I Heart FF, Flat, Forward.
Personnel:
Pat McClimans, Scott Ritcher, Mario Rubalcaba, Chad Castetter (Guests: The Rachel’s Band)
Free sample track:
“Marker”
(Extra tracks that were on the Conversion Records CD re-issue: E, Myth, I Don’t Like This Anymore, Nordberg, Moving Closer To the Source of Heat, Cooper.)
New Mexico Demos
Slamdek Record Co. 1994
This demo cassette was assembled with a multi-track recorder and a drum machine in a 200-year-old adobe in Abiquiu, New Mexico. It was issued in the spring of 1994 by Slamdek in Louisville. It was discontinued when the Metroschifter Capsule album came out that summer. The downloadable version has an extra song that was not on the original cassette, a cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Eight songs:
Overlap, Drive, Shit Harvester, Scoop, Square, Flat, Forward, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Personnel:
Scott Ritcher
Free sample track:
“Forward (demo)”
Scott Ritcher Discography
Track listings, cover art and free sample tracks from all four records by Scott Ritcher. Listed newest to oldest.
Download these releases directly from us.
The Kentuckian
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 2019
Six songs:
I Can Feel You Slipping Through My Fingers, In Love With Night, I Can’t Write a Song About It, Why, Keep ’em Coming, Pictures
Download this release from us or buy it on CD
Simple Orbits
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 2016
Three songs:
Like the Color of the Planet, Stavros, Måste Jag? (Do I Have To?)
Download this release from us or buy it on CD
Compact disc
Vinyl LP
Nashville Geographic
Doghouse Records 2001
Scott’s second solo album was recorded during the summer of 2001 in Rhode Island. It combines traditional acoustic Americana country with electronic beats for a sound that’s somewhere we haven’t been before. Pat joins in for some solos and backing vocals. The CD cover artwork is in 3D and includes a pair of red & blue glasses for viewing. The LP is available on the Hometown Caravan label from Germany.
Eight songs:
Totally Crazy, Skylab City, Never Let You Go, Why, I’ve Got It In My Hands, Endless Night, Too Dimensional, Everybody Can Sing.
Free sample tracks:
“Skylab City” (video)
“Endless Night” (video)
Scott Ritcher
I Can’t Believe It’s a Record Company 1999
Scott’s first solo record was recorded by Get Up Kids producer Ed Rose in Eudora, Kansas. Its songs are simple, with only one acoustic guitar and one vocal. Many Metroschifter songs and some covers are paired down to the basics.
Eleven songs:
Impossible Outcomes, Unrealistic, Isn’t Freedom a Poison, Baby One More Time, Dear Hilary, By My Side, 650 Miles, Moving Closer to the Source of Heat, L 182, Thirty-nine Dollars.
Free sample track:
“Baby One More Time“