Brendan O'Malley and Kent Schauble met at the Indiana University School of Music in 1995. Although they had been writing songs independently for several years, it wasn't until 2002 that they came together to produce their first joint effort, "Pharaoh." Soonafter, they began performing around New York City and Philadelphia as "O'Malley and Schauble" at venues such as the famous CB Gallery, The Duplex, The Triad Theatre, The C Note, The Five Spot and Club 318. In 2006, Brendan and Kent began preparation for their debut album with a concert at the Hard Rock Cafe Moscow in Moscow, Russia, where Brendan was living at the time. In early 2007, Brendan relocated to Kent's hometown of Philadelphia and the duo created "The Local Tourists." Their debut album, "Happy Birthday, Kyle," was released in December of 2007 on O'Malley and Schauble's own record label, East Drive Records. The album features the talents of percussionist Steve Wolf, bassist Jack Daley and pianist Jim Ryan as well as guest musicians Tara Harvey (oboe), Scott Wakefield (banjo) and Danny Yoo (violin). The album was produced in New York City at Monster Island Records by Mike Caffrey and mastered at Sterling Sound and Engine Room Audio. "Happy Birthday, Kyle" is available on iTunes and Amazon.com REVIEWS: The duo's debut album packs sweeping violin melodies, classical guitar, dynamic chord changes and folk-style lyrics into a pop-rock cornucopia that overflows with an indulgently diverse range of melodies and styles. "The Ballad of Lickey and Diamond" is an epic classic rock tale that unfolds like a children's bedtime story. A few songs later, we get the driving, chord-mashing "Six for a Parlay, Twelve for a Teaser," a piece that would be at home on Broadway. "Happy Birthday, Kyle" is a feast. Amy Dalness. Alibi (alibi.com). V. 17, no. 1. Jan. 3rd-9th, 2008.