Music

Call them what you may -- music snobs, “audiophiles” (though this term is often misused in this sense), headphone jockeys. The point of the matter is, all of us probably have an overly enthusiastic music fan on our gift lists this holiday season. No longer will you be buying the music lovers in your life random CDs from the Best Buy recommendations rack. No, Speakeasy just won’t allow it.

Imagine a handful of men playing state-of-the-art rock ‘n’ roll instruments with an orchestra in the background and trained vocalists singing favorite Christmas songs. Throw in a laser light show and a fake snowfall, and you’ve got the phenomenon that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

This is the place, 35 Brown Ave. – as the flier says, “Brown Town.” The plain, awkwardly structured house, with its meager porch and poor paint job, would not shock, surprise or motivate any passerby to investigate its inside.

“Twilight,” the movie almost every teen girl has been waiting for, will not be released for another week or so. What is an avid fan to do until then? Listen to the soundtrack, of course!

Usually a guy would get slapped for working three projects at once. However, Sean Gardner gets away with this as he plays three bands at one time; with Winter Makes Sailors as his monogamous solo project.

What is better than supporting HIV/AIDS research? Perhaps supporting it while eating wings and jamming out to a wide variety of bands. This Friday you can do just that at the Rock for Red benefit at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Due to an increase of artists and noise friendly venues, the Athens noise scene has garnered a considerable amount of press from campus news outlets. This week, I will highlight several Athens artists who propel the scene towards greater notoriety.   

High school battles of the bands usually consist of jam bands, an obscure genre band, some “radio-friendly” bands and a handful of fillers. The difference between this and ACRN’s Battle of the Bands at the Smiling Skull was the venue.

Sitting on Union Street, hidden on the second floor of The Union Bar & Grill, is a gem. It is where spoken poetry and hip hop collide into one unique blend. This gem is known as The Hip Hop Shop.

She Bears: n., God’s weapon of choice. Applying this definition to local band She Bears leaves the question, just what will result from taking in a show? Lightning bolts and earthquakes perhaps? Speakeasy thinks this band is worth the risk.

It has been 10 years since Axl Rose’s rock opera group Guns N’ Roses began producing the album Chinese Democracy. However, Slash and crew, along with Scott Weiland, were able to produce two albums with Velvet Revolver.

There is no on-stage partisan preaching, no Lennon-esque anthems to define a generation of disenchanted young voters. Instead, there is a gleaming, glinting sheen of indie rock guitars topped with introspective, literary lyrics, sans the monolithic political doom.

For the third year in a row, Athens’ theatrical black metal band The Goodbye Goats will help celebrate Halloween by pushing the limits of good taste with its aggressive music and gross-out shock rock stage show.

In honor of Halloween, I decided to track down the most spine-chilling albums of all time and present them in all their grim glory. However, I needed to consult someone far wiser in the ways of the wicked:  Jimmy “the Goat” Kisor. 

Ohio University hosts students from all over the state, and a lot of them are music lovers. Here’s a guide to bands headed to the big cities during the remainder of fall.

 The term “singer/songwriter” is beleaguered with connotations. The modern minstrel is often thought to exclusively employ an acoustic guitar and pour his or her soul out onto a coffee shop floor, but these clichés do not apply to Owen Ashworth.

Skeletal Lamping, the latest release from Athens, GA-based indie pop group Of Montreal, is very much a love-or-hate type of album.

Autumn is here. Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping and getting out of bed for class can be challenging. But with this playlist of upbeat, cheerful tunes, getting up and alert may not be so bad after all.

Last week, I gave special attention to new releases from local noise and experimental musicians, many of who are quite prolific.  This week, I will review two new albums from bands that haven’t had a new release for a few years. 

It has only been one year since the last Ryan Adams and the Cardinals release, yet they are back at it with latest album Cardinology, due out Oct 28. The new release features songs ranging from background noise to classic bluesy tracks.

Sole constant and founder of indie-pop band Koufax, Rob Suchan, is a self-described nomad living the life of a roadie. He splits his time between two countries, meanwhile breaking the conventional modes of pop music by questioning the perils of society.

Hey readers, have you got the indie-label blues? Are you desperate for local music that isn’t one of the thousand side projects of Southeast Engine? Clean out your ears, open your mind and prepare yourself for the Notes from the Underground Midwest noise roundup.

Every album that gets released is a concoction, and innovative groups often throw a plethora of elements into the mix. While art-pop outfit Deerhoof’s Offend Maggie feels lukewarm in parts, the group’s attempt at an eclectic blending of components is ultimately satisfying. 

Aquabear Legion, a collective of regional, independent musicians and artists based in Appalachian Ohio, has done it again with the release of “Aquabear Legion Volume 3.”

It is my first month at Ohio University and already, amazingly talented artists such as Missy Higgins and Ben Folds have performed.

If Beethoven, King Crimson and The Doors all blended to create a wacky supergroup (and added brass solos), the sounding result might resemble Athens' own Five Deadly Venoms.

In the past week, the temperature in Athens has fluctuated from sweltering to near freezing, which has had an adverse and unpredictable effect on my disposition. In the constant search for music to compliment my mood, I have stumbled upon two new releases that captured the meteorological schizophrenia of autumn in Athens.

Revamped bar 19 South makes a cozy home for the Jazz Cream Assassins, a band that will make most question their previous conceptions of that crazy little thing called jazz and emerge from a show with a new definition and appreciation.

Summer is giving way to autumn, and like our agriculturalist forefathers, we too must reap the benefits of the growing season by looking at the choicest albums from the summer crop. Prepare to sample some strange, earthy fruit from the jiggling bosom of Mother Nature. 

Perhaps my upbringing and “teenage” years were irregular, but I have always thought that there is a distinct mood created by a summer night. Many of my fondest memories have been forged under a starlit backdrop with friends and music, and TV on the Radio’s Dear Science paints a visual picture reminiscent of those glorious times.  

The three members of local indie-folk band Russenorsk took Speakeasy through an inside look into the making of their upcoming sophomore release, Comforts, to be released late 2008 to early 2009. Tim Race (guitars, vocals), Jack Martin (cello, backing vocals) and Zach Inscho (percussion) wrote first-hand accounts during the album's recording at 3 Elliott Studio earlier this month.

The crowd at Zephuros’ August 23, 2008 CD release show at Donkey Coffee roared in unconditional acceptance of the singer-songwriter’s latest work of musical wonder, titled The Drowned Coast. The show would be his last and the album his local swan song.

If you’re a crazed Oh No They Didn’t! reader like me, then your familiarity alarm probably went off just by reading this review’s headline. Major Jonas Brother alert.

Truth be told, I live for free stuff. Someone could offer me a free bag of used plastic silverware, and I’d probably be decently pumped. So when the organizers of American Eagle’s (yes, the store) New American Music Union Festival in Pittsburgh offered me a free press passes, I jumped on that opportunity like a diabetic five-year-old on a Little Debbie snack.

Once modest in size, acoustic trio Jakob Freely has evolved into an electric five-piece band, with the group gracing Athens many times in both forms. An inside account of the band's transformation, however, shows that the band's members are still modest men.

I still find it hard to believe that all this actually happened. Dude Fest, an Indianapolis festival taking place June 20-22, 2008 featuring the loudest, fastest and heaviest bands around, could just be this unrealistic fantasy of the ideal concert swooshing around in my thought bubble.

The last two months of my life here in Athens have been difficult. Haunting me everywhere I go have been those infamous fliers of Andrew W.K, complete with copious amounts of blood running from his nose onto his white t-shirt.

Excitement is pulsating more prominently than ever on the Ohio University campus for this year’s ACRN-sponsored Lobsterfest. Headliner Andrew W.K. hits the stage on day three, wrapping up the highly anticipated three-day musical festival Saturday night.

Local booking agent Brian Ostrander recently informed Athens' residents of a pleasant piece of information: Lobsterfest, a weekend-long series of local shows and events, is now to include Columbus’ staple punk band, Defiance, Ohio this Friday at The Union.

What does three days of sensational live music plus a small-yet-enthusiastic college town plus a sizzling spring quarter weekend equal? Here at Ohio University, this could only amount to one thing: All Campus Radio Network’s annual Lobsterfest.

Both the national and the Ohio-based hip-hop communities suffered a loss May 25, 2008, with the passing of prolific Columbus-born rapper and producer Camu Tao, just one week shy of his 31st birthday. The rapper died in a Columbus hospital after a two-year battle with lung cancer.

For many students, spring in Athens consists of sun-tanning, porch parties and most notably, street fests. But this weekend, students can take part in a different kind of fest. The rustic charm of College Green meets music fest with the first-ever Lawnaroo concert.

Co-creator of Dance or Die and 2004 Ohio University graduate Dan Haug, more affectionately known as Ruckus Roboticus, is returning to his alma mater this weekend in a series of shows that premiere a live version of his new album.

In a basement adorned with iconic posters of great musical legends and brimming with amps, various guitars, microphones and drum sets, local band The Barefooted Bootleggers captures the quintessential reggae rock sound in its impressive songs.

Those who enter The Union this Wednesday night may reach for their ear plugs, as a brigade of ear-splitting grindcore and crust punk bands rips through its East coast tours and graces Athens with performances.

There exists a sense of community within Athens and surrounding areas that I’ve been hard-pressed to come by in other locales. I was overwhelmed by this feeling as I approached the Crossing at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, otherwise known as the site of this year’s fourth annual Nelsonville Art and Music Festival.

Put down the beer bong and head to the stage because the entertainment for this year’s 5Fest is more explosive than ever.

The Nelsonville Music Fest, the Hockhocking Festival and Hocking College join forces this May to bring together the best of the music and art worlds for the three-day Nelsonville Art and Music Festival.

Years ago, when I still thought “good music” included the likes of New Found Glory and Linkin Park, I was exposed to a band that would change my life forever. (No, this is not where I insert a quote from Natalie Portman’s character in “Garden State.”)

A great advertisement paired with a catchy song can keep a commercial (and the product) stuck in anyone’s head. For anyone who has been more intrigued with the commercial’s song than its product, here is a selection of familiar tunes.

Alternative instrumental trio The Balloon People began with modest bedroom recordings and two members in 2005. Since then, the band has endured multiple member swaps, but it has finally stabilized its sound and place in the Athens music scene.

Kids, grab your neon hi-top kicks and “stunna shades”– it’s a week of not one but two noteworthy album releases, each with enough funk and beat to power Kanye West’s entire “Glow in the Dark” tour.

After recently undergoing a name change from the School of Telecommunications, the newly-deemed School of Media Arts and Studies is welcoming a fresh beginning with an entire day of events surrounding the record industry.

If the words "grade school" evoke memories of sticky lunch tables, pencil erasers and that awful puke smell always lingering in the hallways, start re-framing those memories. Grade School is now earning high marks as a young band in Athens.

This Saturday, The Union hosts Athens' fourth annual For Real Fest, which comes equipped with several fantastic components: a healthy dose of punk rock, a vegan dinner and your friendly neighborhood blogger.

If the uglier the duckling means the more beautiful the swan, then Columbus-based band Black Swans must have had a rather ugly start. The band's music currently boasts the same unique beauty as the old folk tale's outcome.

For Real Fest seeks to incorporate attendees in the community while simultaneously supporting underground music genres. This Friday marks the festival’s fourth birthday, and bands from across the nation plan to celebrate at The Union, Athens’ premiere rock-and-roll bar.

Wait! Not so fast. Before you continue to judge The Kooks by their skinny jeans, comfortable-fit v-neck shirts, fedoras and unkempt locks as the stereotypical indie pop rock band… Actually, yes, go ahead and judge.

When a consortium of talented artists and a bevy of concert venues are found in a small college town, nationally renowned bands are bound to make appearances. Backed by Athens locals Space6oy and Death Beef, bizarre electro-dance-rock posse Mahjongg will play a set at 10 p.m. tonight at Casa Cantina.

The month of April brings about many special festivities cherished by old and young: celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, the beginning of baseball season, the reemergence of skimpy clothing. Above all else, April provides one day for pure rest, relaxation and indulgence: 4/20.

The bars and "clubs" (i.e., bars) of Athens are seeped in rock'n'roll -- a local aspect for which I have always been grateful. This weekend the local rock flavor of our town comes full circle with the 13th annual Blackout Fest at The Union. My cohorts and I will be live-blogging from the music festival all weekend.

The thirteenth year of weekend-long music explosion Blackout Fest concludes with an expansive set of 13 bands this Saturday at The Union, spanning an eclectic collection of genres, styles and personalities.

Serving as a safe haven for vinyl collectors everywhere, independent record stores are typically quirky, hole-in-the-wall venues, each proving to be unique in their atmospheres and music selections. Creating a distinct culture of their own, record stores are finally being celebrated.

The era that is known as the ’90s is frequently associated with Power Rangers, Ace of Base and L.A. Gear high-tops. Here in Athens, the name “Cactus Pears” may have just as easily been associated with that same era.

 

The magic that is Scott Winland’s Blackoutfest will continue Friday and Saturday for those who have sufficiently recovered from Thursday’s edition.

Blackout Booking head Scott Winland’s annual Blackout Fest has come a long way since its debut in 1995.

Videos may have killed the radio star, but in this generation, MP3s have killed the compact disc. Until now, the steady decline of the CD has been debatably accepted, but Wal-Mart’s new pricing plan has music fanatics singing to a different tune.

Fresh off a tour in support of Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, digi-indie musician John Vanderslice makes his third Athens appearance in a one-year span Saturday, April 12 at The Union alongside Nostra Nova and Joe Anderl.

Deal or No Deal 2, released April 8 by local favorite Jesty Beatz, is an album about more than getting the music industry to change-- it is about being the change. And, every so often, coins.

The Human Cannonball, Southeast Engine bassist Jesse Remnant’s first solo album, has projected smooth, indie hits throughout the Athens area. The Human Cannonball officially took off Friday, April 4, with a CD release show at Donkey Coffee and Espresso.

 

In a brilliant combination of John Mayer and Jack Johnson with a bit of a Jason Mraz twist, musician Brian-Marcel Edmond has rightfully caught the ears and captured the hearts of many local music lovers.

PitchforkMedia.com, the Internet’s most popular independent music publication, is an internationally acclaimed force with the ability to shake, rattle and roll the entire music industry as it marches around with an enormous gaggle of loyal fans in its wake.

Speakeasy had the opportunity to glimpse the inner workings of the Internet's most popular independent music publication, PitchforkMedia.com, through a conversation with Associate Publisher Chris Kaskie. For a Speakeasy profile of Pitchfork, click here.

Around this time of year in Athens, the combination of stress and winter restlessness can become too much to bear.

Athens tech-metal champions Dead Will Rise have dominated the local alternative music scene for years. This Friday the band plans to play at The Union as a farewell to one of its most important components – its vocalist.

 

Armed with the clank of a heavy chain and an unparalleled intensity, local folk rock band The Sad Bastards are making a name for themselves as they storm stages around Athens.

 

Insomniac Booking presents A Very Insomniac Weekend this weekend, featuring band after band. It is sure to satiate all students' appetites for the local and national music they have been craving.

October Fist, a genre-bending rock band of epic proportions, exploded into the Athens music scene this February. With freshly recorded songs and a new bassist to boot, the four-piece instrumental outfit is gaining momentum locally.

Driving 14 hours from Montreal in a tiny passenger van, five members of the indie-rock canon Arcade Fire could not be more enthralled to play two free shows in a 450-seat opera house in Nelsonville, Ohio.

Mountain Stage delivers a combination of distinctive and innovative artists this Monday night in Mem Aud. The show begins at 7 p.m. and will feature sets of music performed by moe., Ani DiFranco, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, George Stanford and Paul Kelly.

I was incredibly relieved when my Hello Kitty alarm clock went off this morning at 7:17 a.m. Staring at the metal grates of my roommate’s top bunk, all I could think about the whole time I pretended to be asleep was that I felt just like a young tyke on Christmas Eve. This, however, is better than any holiday – this is Arcade Fire.

The potency of any music scene is heavily dependent on the strength of its network of support systems. The Aquabear Legion, a collective of brilliant musicians hailing from Ohio, is hard at work fortifying the state’s musical backbone.

At the beginning of every year, labels announce when new albums will be released. While some albums have been talked about with the same fervor as the November election (Coldplay, anyone?), others creep just below the surface, waiting to be discovered.

“The Final Showdown" is a three-day, weekend-long benefit event from Thursday, Feb. 28, through Saturday, March 1, to raise money and awareness of The Wire, which is in danger of extinction.

Helping the homeless is always a good deed, but when the homeless is a DIY art and music space, it is also a good time. Help give The Wire a home at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 22 in Baker University Center Theater, with Essykma, Zephuros and Lunavelis.

Ohio University will observe the tradition of Black History Month by honoring legend Bob Marley on Feb. 22, 2008, with Bob Marley Day. Here is a look at the incredible legacy that has led to Marley’s celebration.

Indie-pop scene staples Casual Future have been cavorting around Athens for four years now, toting legions of quiet talent and an ever-changing lineup. This year finds them with a sparkling album behind them and a new one on the horizon.

The start of warm weather is an indicator not only for the approaching end of the school year, but also for the nearing of widely loved music festivals. Recently, the lineups for two popular festivals, Coachella and Bonnaroo, were released.

Presidential candidates have to answer some tough questions if they want to win votes. Do they have a plan for the economy? How will we get out of Iraq? And perhaps most important of all, what’s their theme song?

Kevin Devine is a singer, songwriter, political theorist, environmental advocate, national nomad and Brooklyn native looking for love. He will perform at 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb