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More from the cover
A look at honorable mentions, three former locals and a list of music released in 07
published February 6th 2008
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Dashburns/Sanderlings - Split EP
The Sanderlings’ tunes rip, especially on nonsensical rockers like “Reptoids,” which is like a modern day grunge-era tune healthily influenced by B.O.C.’s “Godzilla.” The Dashburns, on the other hand, have just about mastered the junkie punk street wise jam. Glazed with early-90’s Mudhoney/Pavement-style rock, the music is fuzzy, raw and purposefully drowning in its own mix ... and it sounds beautiful. Looking forward to full-lengths from both. www.myspace.com/sanderlings, www.myspace.com/thedashburns
The Dirty Damn Band - The Dirty Damn Band
The Dirty Damn Band is damn funny. The girl duo's brash, gender smashing pop - composed of just bass and drums - is witty, original and ballsy. Songs like "I Live at Home with My Mom," Spaghetti Sex," their Saved By The Bell shout out to "Jesse Spano" and, of course, their personal ballad, "DDB Anthem," testify their funny, crass humor and muted ability to make pop music out of jokes. I imagine that The Breeders' Deal sisters have a pile of b-sides lying around that sound just like this. www.myspace.com/dirtydamnband
Kentucky Chrome - Don't Hate Them Because They're Beautiful
Kentucky Chrome’s sound is as beautifully patched together as a rusted Chevy whose bumper is held on with duck tape. It ain’t all hillbilly mayhem here though, while songs like “Shortnin’ Bread” and “Rockhouse” are as southern and rockabilly as they come, “She’s About a Mover” is wonderfully well done late-‘50s, early-‘60s style, R&B influenced pop, that calls to mind the early Beatles trying to be Ray Charles. The tunes on this disc are refreshingly wistful, but touched by the band’s own brand of quirk and fun-loving, foot-stomping jams. I didn’t know God made honky tonk angels either, fellas. But I’m glad he did. www.myspace.com/kentuckychromeband
Rediscover - Call Me When You Get This
I don’t doubt that Rediscover has derived their sound from some influences, but I don’t have any idea who or what they are. This release sparked a lot of interest in Japan and turned Rediscover into an international success. These songs are club stompers and rock hall hits alike, whose frantic, digitized vocals and rousing electronics could work a Saturday night dance club, or a room full of indie hipsters into a sweaty frenzy. No easy task and a noteworthy accomplishment. www.myspace.com/rediscover
Dash The Assassin – What We Learn from Failure
Dash has released a thrashy rocker glossed with gorgeous vocals. The gut-pulling guitar work and heart-stirring vocals come together to create quality rock music that sounds clean, polished, professional and radio ready. What’s holding this band back from mainstream radioplay … I really don’t know. It’s easy see envision big things happening for these dudes. www.myspace.com/dashtheassassin
Jason Quick – Get Used
Quick’s disc is a raw and gritty, rugged and real. The whine in his voice holds an appropriate mixture of contemplative sorrow while the jangley twang of his guitar clearly has its ancestry in the Delta. Quick is a skilled player who can break it down with interesting, Delta-style pickings and slide work when needed, and string together versus with solos that are nothing but beautifully rugged and perfectly unrefined. www.myspace.com/quickjason
Nathan Cogan – Nathan Cogan
Cogan’s super melodic EP represents his skill as an emotional and moving singer-songwriter, with the ability to structure his songs and instrumentation in a way that keeps the music fresh and interesting. His voice is smooth and his vocal work beautiful, Cogan creates melodic, but rocking tracks that get right to heart of what makes a song good. www.myspace.com/nathancogan
Kyle White – Blue Holes in the Gray Sky
This cut proves White’s skill as a worthy singer/songwriter. The album title implies change and awakening and that’s what comes across in this collection of songs. White’s voice is haunting and her melodies moody, but it’s all delivered so powerfully its hard not to be affected by the music. There is an underlying darkness here that is intriguing. Powerful, country-tinged vocals, a pulsing back beat and a collection of dark chords structured in a way that turn the anger and emotions tied up in her songs into hopeful melodies make White's release a worthwhile listen. www.myspace.com/kylejwhite
The Polka Floyd Show – The Polka Floyd Show
This seven song disc captures just a piece of what the live show is like, a rollicking accordion adventure that makes the original music thump and groove with a polka back beat. Capped by Kenny Hass’s stellar guitar skills and eccentric vocal work, the band manages to turn out something, fun, funny and good from a marriage you’d never imagine would work (meaning polka and Pink Floyd, not his own to key player and wife, Penny). www.myspace.com/polkafloyd
John Swaile Vs. Lance Hulsey – RNMSMB
This odd little gem, available only on MySpace is a collaboration between Lance Hulsey (Los Caballeros, Kentucky Chrome) and Toledo poet John Swaile. It's a simple enough project, Swaile reads his sort-of-beat-style storytelling poems while Hulsey composes music that keeps the tales moving and interesting. It seems safe to assume it was inspired by similar records by beat giants like Kerouac, Burroughs, Bukowski and Ginsberg, but is rounded out by a Toledo-centric theme and Swaile's amusing tellings and observations. www.myspace.com/johnswailevslancehulsey
THREE USED-TO-BE LOCALS
JT & The Clouds - The City's Hot, Yeah The City's Hot
Blue-eyed soul meets Americana in JT & The Clouds' most coherent work to date. A slow and steady record, The City's Hot ... sees the former Toledo outfit putting its new home in Chicago to good use. The Windy City has inspired similar acts, such as Wilco and Chin Up Chin Up, which The Clouds seem to benefit from. However, the band clearly proves it has its own agenda and identity here, creating a series of songs that draw on world music tastes and unconventional song structures and arrangements, with surprising and delightful instrumentation. Most significant though, is perhaps this record's ability to appeal across not just genres, but generations. It's clean enough to catch the attention of longtime folkies, while arty enough to hold the attention of ambitious youngsters. www.jtandtheclouds.com
Elastic No-No Band - My Three Addictions
Former Toledoan Justin Remer pops back into town every now and again, usually sharing his quirky sense of humor either through his music or his movies. The Elastic No-No Band seems to be his most obsessive work, however. My Three Addictions is a collection of funny oddities presented in the form of acoustic ballad pop. Now hailing from the New York City anti-folk scene — admittedly, a genre I don't quite understand, but a coherent one with a solid fan base — Remer composes tunes a la a more subdued Tenacious D. Replace Black's vulgarity and eccentricities with a more tame nerdcore agenda and you might have an idea of what ENNB is doing. My Three Addictions is a concept album, broken up into three parts, tackling food, films and, of course, girls. All done with the Remer's tongue planted firmly in his cheek. www.elasticnonoband.com
Jimmy Leslie - Surfin' The Swamp
Leslie is a Toledo native who has been living in San Francisco for the past decade as a musician and a writer for both Guitar Player and Bass Player magazine. This past year, he released Surfin' the Swap, which is a genre-hoping display of his love of music. Midwestern blues roots seem to lay the groundwork for this record, but Leslie builds on the theme, combining sunny San Fran elements, from breezy pop to reggae grooves and everything in between. All in all, it's a smooth and soothing record doused heavily in the fat Fender sounds of Leslie's Stratocaster that is best served pool-side on a sunny summer day with refreshing frozen daiquiri. www.jimmyleslie.com
THE WHOLE SHEBANG
Shane Piasecki – You’re Here and I’m a Mess
Paper Airplane – MiddleMarch
Stonehouse – Stonehouse
The Heelees – 40 Weeks
Buck 69 - When She Whispers Your Name
Society’s Ugly Son – Society’s Ugly Son presents Chapter 1: Hell’s Hero
Vytas – Space Cadet
Highbinder - Moreneverthanever
Laura Sailor - Between Dreams and Sleep
Blue Sun - Rise Up
J. Hanson - Home (single)
The Suede Brothers - The Suede Brothers
Wolf Canyon - Left Holdin' The Flag
Anicca - Bombs Away
Resonant Soul - The Death of Amara Lee
Greg Hayes - Baby Blue Demons
Chris Arduser - Hapless
Tapestry - The Journey
Jolly Molly - The Twenty First
CL1 - Riot in the Glass City
Ray Fogg - Sorry if I was a Dick Last Night
On The Beach - Live in Concert
Turophile - 2007 Demo
Glass Bead Game - Archaeopteryx
Presto - Imagine That
Empire Drift - Empire Drift
