Posts Tagged ‘MidPoint Music Festival’
MidPoint Day Three Review
September 27th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Third and Final Day of MidPoint 2009
The third and final day of the 2009 MidPoint Music Festival came much too quickly, while the first two days remain just a fuzzy memory of the past. For me personally, I was looking forward to the final night the most because it featured most of the bands I was looking forward to on any one day.
They Can’t Drive, But They Can Rock
I wasn’t planning on going down to Fountain Square for the teen boy rock band, The Trouble With Boys, but I figured that it would be an interesting sight to see. I’m honestly really glad that I caught their set, which featured original pop punk songs and covers of the Beastie Boys “(You Gotta) Fight For You Right (To Party)” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” The four members of the band are all in the twelve, thirteen and fourteen year old range, and would barely be taller than their guitars if you stood the two next to each other. They met four years ago, if you can believe that, at an Indiana Rockschool, which is a program much like what you see in the movie “School of Rock” that encourages young musicians. In this day and age of Guitar Hero, Rock Band and American Idol, it’s really nice to see that the parents of these youngsters are clearly raising their boys the right way, introducing them to bands of their generation like Neil Young and Joe Strummer.
Story of the Day
Perhaps the one thing that everyone was talking about early Saturday evening was the fiasco that took place at the Cadillac Ranch. Around 9 pm, owners of the bar decided to pull the remaining acts, which included three bands from New York (In Cadeo, Hugo and Finding Fiction) and the Mean Tambourines from Nashville. The first band, The Lighthouse and The Whaler, went on at 8 pm but were able to get through their entire set, before bar owners cited a 71% drop in sales and a dislike for the styles of bands slated to perform. They replaced the acts with a DJ at 9 pm. This was clearly a poor decision, so I can only hope that the festival will choose not to include this tasteless bar in the future and that these bands will want to return to the city in the future. Read the full disappointing story here.
Weird Is Good
The most interesting sets of the entire weekend came from London’s Micachu and the Shapes and French/Finnish trio, The Dø. Even after studying up on these bands by reading numerous articles and interviews on the internet and seeing their strange, amazing performances, I still can’t figure out what styles of music they play. Both bands were highly experimental; Micachu switched between a homemade acoustic guitar called a “chu” and the normal electric strat, while her two bandmates were armed with everything from cowbells, glass bottles and metal garbage can-like lids attached to the drumkit, to even more digital and high-tech instruments like synthesizers and laptops. Perhaps Micachu doesn’t fit perfectly into any one genre, they list themselves as experimental, electronic, indie and digital funk, but perhaps labels aren’t really that important. I guess as long as it’s good music, nothing else matters.
As for The Dø, and like most bands who played at the Contemporary Arts Center, the visual element of their show proved to be vital, with their black and white animated short films that may have been stories behind the songs. Much of Olivia Merilahti’s Bjork-like vocals appeared to be in English, although I couldn’t always digest what exactly she was saying. This band lists themselves as French indie folk pop, but then again they’re just another band you can’t really grasp until you experience them live.
For the most part, European music has always been quite different than American music; maybe it has something to do with the cultural differences, but even the crowds across the pond seem to be much larger than they are here in the states. It’s easy to see why the English and French get bands like Micachu and The Dø and it takes a little bit longer to reach fans here in the U.S., but thanks to festivals like MidPoint, they’re bringing interesting music from around the world to Cincinnati. Just because some music may seem weird to us Americans, doesn’t mean it’s at all bad. In fact, it can be quite good.
The Calm Before the Storm
I wasn’t about to leave my front row/stage left spot after Micachu and the Shapes finished their set, because the band I had been anxiously awaiting to see for months, Chairlift, would be taking the stage at 9:30 pm. I enjoy watching a band’s crew set up equipment in between sets, just to get a feel for some of the equipment that bands use. I’m not really sure what all of it is or exactly how it works, but it just feels pretty cool to be that close to see the things that make the sounds I’ve come to know and love. I was so close to the stage, that I could read Chairlift’s setlist when it was taped to the stage, but luckily, I knew the moment they started playing that they weren’t going by the setlist.
The band was joined by renouned composer, performer and producer, John Maus, who has worked with everyone from Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, to his own band The Janitors. Maus didn’t bring as much variety to the band as I had hoped, but it still served to be a nice addition, having an extra set of hands on the keys and synths, which certainly helped out lead frontwoman, Caroline Polachek, who often left her gear to dance around in circles onstage and play the tambourine.
It was my third time seeing Chairlift this year, and although it was certainly my most favorite show of MidPoint 2009, I went in already knowing exactly what to expect, so there wasn’t a whole lot that could surprise me.
I often reminisced of being back at Bonnaroo, the last place I saw them, as both venues were inside large, crowded white tents. Even the pouring rains that fell outside the tent brought a little bit of that Bonnaroo spirit. Fortunately, the only notecable difference between this show and their Bonnaroo performance, was that the putrid, nasty stench of thousands of showerless Bonnaroovians was missing. I wouldn’t wish that smell upon the noses of anyone at MidPoint.
The Lodge Bar
I wandered into a packed Lodge Bar shortly before 11 pm, to catch a couple of bands who have a classic indie rock sound but are able to make it sound original. While the Cadillac Ranch was obviously number one on everyone’s most-hated venue list, I have to say that I’d have to add the Lodge Bar to that list at number two. Clearly the management aren’t flat-out pricks like at the Cadillac Ranch, but the overall vibe and scene of this place leaves me feeling uncomfortable and out of place.
Walk into the Lodge Bar during MidPoint and you’ll immediately notice that the majority of the hipsters aren’t there for music, rather they’re there to mingle and watch the game. I’m not saying you can’t do that, but I feel both the Rosewood Thieves and Yourself and the Air were shorthanded by playing a not-so great bar turned music venue. Sure the place was packed and a decent crowd filled the area in front of the stage, but I just felt like the majority of the people in this bar had no idea about MidPoint and what was going on.
I guess that can be good on some levels for some people; go into a bar not expecting to see live, original music and maybe walk away with something you’re interested in, but as far as a weekend hangout, the Cadillac Ranch and Lodge Bar rank among my top two most-hated hipster spots.
MidPoint Day Two Review
September 26th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Running Behind Schedule
Day Two of the MidPoint Music Festival started much later for me than I had planned, and the entire night involved a lot of running back and forth between downtown Cincinnati and Newport, Kentucky to the Southgate House. Because I was running behind schedule, I had missed some bands on my must-see list, like the insane Lions Rampant show I had heard about that involved a staged attack and fake blood, followed by the Wildbirds at Grammer’s. 9 pm was drawing close as I found my parking spot at 5th and Race, so I decided it would be best if I bolted to the Blue Wisp on East 8th Street.
Music That Gets You Stoned
Locals mallory, would be the first band I would see tonight, and I can’t think of a better venue for them to be in than the Blue Wisp. The city’s finest Jazz club welcomes indie rock bands one weekend a year, which would be the weekend of MidPoint. Their music certainly sets the mood inside the club, with dark blue walls and curtains and the band’s tripped-out red glowing ball lights. The band has been a staple here on the local scene for much of this decade, despite an extended hiatus, and they’re back and better than ever with their first release in seven years slated to come out next month. With their highly-toxic sonic soundscapes bringing the worlds of darkness and beauty together, they bring a sense of what Explosions in the Sky may sound like if they had vocals. This band is the legal way to get high.
Grammer’s or the Southgate House
I left the Blue Wisp during mallory’s last song, in hopes of making it to Grammer’s to catch the most hyped up show of the evening in Cincinnati – the Heartless Bastards. After waving down a Scion Streetcar driver, I basically let him make my decision for me. He told me the place was already packed and there was a huge line extending well out onto Liberty Street. Come to find out, the Heartless Bastards had the biggest draw yet of the festival (which was expected), bringing in an estimated 1,000 people. So I had the driver drop me off on 5th Street and it was time I make my way over to the Southgate House.
Not So Much Folk
My timing couldn’t have been more perfect; I found the last parking spot in the side lot near the Southgate House and hurried upstairs for another local band, Frontier Folk Nebraska. I made my way to the front of the crowded parlour room just as they were about to begin. Don’t let the folk in the name fool you. I guess at times there may be a little bit of folk in their music; not so much the quiet side of it unless you’re seeing Michael Hensley and Travis Talbert play acoustically, but tonight you were getting the full package: good-ole’ fashioned, loud American rock and roll, drenched in reverb, feedback, pounding drums and the stellar solo work of Travis Talbert on both lead and slide guitar. One of my favorite discoveries in the local music scene this year, they released Pearls very early on in the year, and I stand by it that it may be the best local album of the year. They often remind me of what it may be like if Ryan Adams fronted My Morning Jacket playing electric Neil Young covers.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
After Frontier Folk, I made my way down to the ballroom because Charles Walker and the Dynamites were scheduled to take the stage at 11 pm. When I got down there, one of the finer blues bands in town, the Jon Justice Band, were still jamming away, so I thought that maybe I’d have time to run back over to Cincinnati, see a band, and make it back to the Southgate House to catch some of the Dynamites.
A Hurricane in the Baltic Sea
I made it back downtown in what appeared to be no time at all. I arrived at the Contemporary Arts Center just as locals johnnytwentythree were finishing up a loud, experimental set complete with a large blank movie screen behind them that hoisted their silhouettes. I checked the time on my phone and the schedule, and the one thing that has been clear about MidPoint 2009 thus far, is that everyone is running a little bit behind schedule.
I had more time to kill than I had hoped, but I was going to stick around for Maine’s the Baltic Sea, as it wouldn’t make sense to go back to the Southgate House already. I had never heard the music of these guys, so all I could really expect was the things that I have read about them, which was just enough to make me want to check them out. They reminded me kind of like mallory or Explosions in the Sky; the type of band that plays atmospheric and instrumental-heavy rock, switching from dark, ugly and loud to quiet, beautiful and mellow within the blink of an eye. This was a larger band too; four or five guitarists and a drummer who sounded like he was playing two drum sets. One of the guitarists also played keys, while another handled some type of instrument that played pre-recorded vocals of someone speaking. They had more pedals than I’ve ever seen; it seemed like each guitarist was switching back and forth between twenty or so pedals. The large movie screen behind the stage also played a vital part in their performance, going along with the music and showing some psychedelic visuals. I caught most of their set, but started to feel like I may regret it if I didn’t catch a little bit of Charles Walker and the Dynamites. So it was time to head back to Newport.
The Name Says It All
By the time I had arrived again at the side parking lot of the Southgate House, I feared the Dynamites had already finished because the lot was nearly empty. As I was walking up the side of the building, I could hear them jamming away in the ballroom. The second I got through the ballroom doors, my eyes lit up and a grin covered my face as the shaky dance moves and soul power of the legendary Charles Walker hit me like a freight train. With a name like the Dynamites and an album called Kaboom!, that is a perfect representation of how this band sounds and will make you feel. I’ve never been that into Soul, R&B and Funk, but after hearing this band, they can convert nearly any type of music fan.
The 60-something year old Walker has been performing for nearly half a century, but his voice and moves would have you believe he’s somewhere around thirty. The near two-hour set from Charles Walker and the Dynamites went well into the night, finally letting up somewhere around 1:30 pm. This band was by far the best band I’d seen at MidPoint yet, and I’d go as far to even say they were the best band to ever play the eight-year old festival. This show was like a dynamite explosion of powerful soul and good vibes. What the band did onstage, spread well throughout a funky, dancing crowd and blew the walls and roof off of the Southgate House. This was a show for the books. I believe when James Brown left this world in 2006, he passed the “Godfather of Soul” torch on to Charles Walker.
Aside from running back and forth, I’d say this was definitely a much better day than the first day. I caught some of my favorites in the local scene in mallory and Frontier Folk Nebraska, discovered a new interest in the Baltic Sea, and witnessed one of the best performances I’d seen all year long in the Dynamites. I’m not sure how, but today is looking even more promising. It’s sure as hell going to be hard to top that Dynamites performance last night, but I have a lot of faith in a band like Chairlift. Tonight I’ll be making my first trip to Grammer’s. Almost time to get ready and go.
MidPoint Day One Review
September 25th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
It’s Just Water, It’s Just Music
As Thursday afternoon rolled along in Cincinnati, Ohio, it appeared that the weather gods were not about to play nice with music fans by putting an end to the dreary weather. But the rain and sometimes-chilly winds didn’t stop the fans from coming out to celebrate the eighth annual MidPoint Music Festival’s Kickoff Party on Fountain Square. As Dan McCabe, MidPoint’s executive producer, kept putting it…”it’s just water, it’s just music.”
Singing In The Rain
New York’s Shayna Zaid and the Catch took the stage shortly after 5 pm, playing to an impressive crowd (despite the rain) of both young and older dedicated music fans. Zaid, a Malaysian-born singer and songwriter, formed the band in 2003, when she met guitarist Joel Dean at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The band’s mix of folk and pop served as a wondrous backdrop to the weather, with fans dancing in the rain to the mandolin and violin playing of Yan Izquierdo and the R&B vocal stylings of Zaid.
After Zaid and her band left the stage, a large group of choreographed dancers filled the area near the fountain, moving in sync to the sounds being played on the speakers. Their good vibes spread like the recent flu virus, which left the crowd excited that MidPoint 2009 was finally underway.
The rain seemed to slow down just a bit, as Nashville’s The Young Republic took the stage. Right from the get-go, this band full of former Berklee students was as tight as any band I’d ever seen, mixing slide guitar blues, country and folk into orchestrated indie-pop songs. Because of their cross-mixing styles, they were all over the place (which was a good thing), though it made it hard to pinpoint exactly who this band was. I talked to drummer Logan Linning after the show and he set me straight, noting they just like to play “American rock and roll music.” At times during their performance, the vocals of frontman Julian Saporiti seemed to remind me of a mix between Britt Daniel of Spoon and Will Sheff of Okkervil River, although the band was hardly like either. They may have won over some fans with their magnificent cover of The Beatles “Hey Bulldog”, however, as strong as they were, it wasn’t a necessity in their setlist.
Where To Go From Here
Downtown Cincinnati and Over the Rhine was flocking with herds of people in the early hours of Thursday evening. At 8 pm, nineteen clubs, restaurants, bars and other venues around town would begin showcasing the music of nearly ninety bands from around the globe. Fortunately, nearly all of these performances would take place indoors.
My brother and I decided on catching New York’s Aficionado at the Inner Peace Holistic Center, a day-to-day massage and waxing parlour turned music venue for the weekend. I didn’t think too highly of this place as a music venue, but then again it really doesn’t matter because all you really need is great music.
I’m not exactly sure just what I was expecting to get with this band; I had seen that they were described as a rock and roll circus, and while that seems to fit appropriately, I’m still finding it hard to pinpoint this band. Their influences cover the whole spectrum, ranging from rock and roll pop bands like The Beatles, to progressive rock bands like Yes and King Crimson, to psychedelic and choral symphonic bands like the Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree and alternative hardcore rock bands like Muse and At the Drive-In. I guess you could say that if you took little bits from each of those bands and mixed them together in a blender, the end result would resemble this band. My immediate thoughts led me to think of them as a punk version of the Arcade Fire, but looking back now I’m not sure how confident I feel about describing them in that manner. This nine-piece outfit that features a wide array of instruments like flutes and trumpets is definitely something you have to experience live. The live energy and spirit I felt with this band is something that all to often seems to be missing from too many bands today.
From there my brother and I went our seperate ways, but would meet up later that night. He took off to Arnold’s to catch a recently-reformed Stick Figure Drawings, featuring Max Fender and Sarah Davis of Alone at 3am, while I went on to the Segway Room to catch The Daredevil Christopher Wright.
The Daredevil Christopher Wright was pretty much a last minute decision for me, because over the previous months I had listed Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit right at the top of my must-see list and he was scheduled to take the stage shortly after the Daredevil. I’ve seen Jason several times with his former band the Drive-By Truckers and with his new band, so I opted for something completely unknown to me. The only thing I really knew about this band was that their debut album was produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and he is my greatest musical discovery this year, so I guess I’m putting a lot of faith in an artist I have a lot of respect for.
The Daredevil Christopher Wright is a trio from Wisconsin, like Vernon, and there was a definite Vernon-like influence in their sound. Not so much in the unique sound that Justin’s voice has, although the harmonies of this band’s vocals were also very mellow and somber at times, but just the experimentation and sometimes odd-signature timings the band used were Bon Iver-like. I don’t want to sound like I’m saying this band was a total rip-off of Bon Iver or Justin Vernon, clearly they weren’t, but this was definitely a band with their own unique sound that would appeal to Vernon fans. I should also mention that this band appeared to be one of the most well-received bands I saw the entire night. Applause and cheers after the show went much longer than any other band that played, and it seemed like at least half of the people in the Segway Room waited in line to get this band’s debut, In Deference to a Broken Back.
I could have possibly caught the ending of Jason Isbell at Grammer’s just a few blocks down from the Segway Room, but I was headed back downtown to catch part of the Lite Brite Test and The Seedy Seeds at the Contemporary Arts Center.
Contemporary Arts Center Offers Two Festivals In One
I’ll be honest and say that I’ve actually never attended the Lite Brite Test. I’m not so much of an independent film type of guy, although I feel like I’m a dedicated supporter of both music and arts. On a personal note, I’m trying to change some things in my life and become more balanced and rounded with a wider range of interests, so that is one of the one reasons why I wanted to bring to my life what Lite Brite has to offer. Needless to say, I didn’t really think that Lite Brite was set up as well as it could’ve been, but who knows, hopefully more people will support this over the next two nights.
Let’s Get Seedy!
So after seeing what Lite Brite had to offer, my brother and I made our way downstairs to the performance room of the Contemporary Arts Center for the Seedy Seeds. I was actually surprised at the turnout that this local electro, indie-pop band had, although I feel like I shouldn’t be. The Seedy Seeds have long been one of my more favorites of the local music scene, and it appears that they have come a long way since playing as a duo in one of the tiniest venues MidPoint 2007 had to offer.
Earlier this year, the Seedy Seeds expanded both their sound with the addition of drummer Brian Penick, as well as expanding their catalog with the release of the highly-adored and lovable album, Count the Days. I didn’t stick around for the Seeds entire show last night, but from what I saw (the old, the new, the cover of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You”), this show appeared to be one of the better-supported of any of the local shows I’ve seen in recent years. Glad to see and hear good things are coming the Seedy Seeds way, which has included a debut appearance at South by Southwest this past March and an upcoming performance next month at New York’s CMJ Music Marathon.
Accidents, Cancelations and Schedule Mishaps, Oh My!
I ducked out early of the stuffy, over-crowded room in the basement of the Contemporary Arts Center to catch Middle Distance Runner at the Blue Wisp. By the time I had made the trek a few blocks down there, I saw that the band was not onstage. I looked at the schedule in confusion because they clearly should’ve been onstage. I’m not exactly sure what happened; did they cancel or did someone else cancel and they played earlier than scheduled? Not really sure what happened but what can you do.
So I then walked back down to the Contemporary Arts Center in hopes of getting there by the time the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir would take the stage. I had been looking forward to seeing this band the most all day long. Come to find out they were involved in a serious van rollover on the highway in Indiana, coming from Chicago. Although I was a little let down, the important thing is to keep them in your thoughts and prayers and hope for a full, speedy recovery. Help out the band here.
After hearing about this sad news, I decided to head back over to the Blue Wisp for my favorite discovery of the day, The Young Republic. The first half of their set seemed to be a little different than what I caught earlier on Fountain Square, but by the second half of this extended set I had felt I had already known some of these songs and could sing along.
And that’s where my first day of MidPoint 2009 would come to an end. Time to get ready for day two!
MidPoint Day One Preview
September 24th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
MidPoint 2009 has nearly arrived and unfortunately it doesn’t appear the rain will be letting up anytime soon. Rain or no rain I’m still planning on attending the kickoff party on Fountain Square – that is unless it gets canceled. If things do go on as scheduled, I’m sure Dan McCabe of MidPoint and CityBeat will say a few words before things get started. Shayna Zaid and the Catch are scheduled to play on Fountain Square at 5 pm, followed by The Young Republic at 6:15 pm. From there, I’ve narrowed my choices down to ten bands:
1. Aficionado – 8 pm – Inner Peace Holistic Center
2. The Daredevil Christopher Wright – 9 pm – The Segway Room
3. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – 9:30 pm – Grammer’s
4. Ketch Harbour Wolves – 10 pm – Blue Wisp Jazz Club
5. Look Mexico – 10 pm – Know Theatre
6. Kuchi Guru – 10:30 pm – Courtyard Cafe
7. Middle Distance Runner – 11 pm – Blue Wisp Jazz Club
8. Mock Orange – 11 pm – Inner Peace Holistic Center
9. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir – 11:30 pm – Contemporary Arts Center
10. Brighton, MA – Midnight – Washington Platform
McCabe Brings MidPoint and Lite Brite Together
September 23rd, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Six years ago Dan McCabe founded the Lite Brite Test, a music and film festival that featured some of the best up-and-coming artist’s both locally and internationally, and everywhere in between. I don’t want to take too much away from the article that the Cincinnati Enquirer released yesterday, so you can check out the full article right here. I wanted to take a closer look at what exactly will be going down when MidPoint and Lite Brite come together for the first time at the Contemporary Arts Center this weekend.
The event officially kicks off on Thursday at 8 pm, with Brett Ingram’s Rocaterrania. The film explores the secret world of scientific illustrator and visionary artist, Renaldo Kuhler. To find out more about this film click here.
Next up is a twenty-minute piece from Don Hertzfeldt, entitled Everything Will Be OK. It’s a series of dark and troubling events that force a man named Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life – or lack there of. Read all about right here. The film will be shown again, as the closer on Saturday night.
At 9:45 pm, Jonathan Hodgson presents Forest Murmurs, an animated exploration into the dark side and sinister past of the mind of artist Epping Forest. Check it out here.
Any Girl Talk fans out there? If so, you won’t want to miss Brett Gaylor and Greg Gillis’ (he’s the one known as Girl Talk) RiP: A Remix Manifesto. The two serve as your digital tour guides in a probing investigation into how culture builds upon culture in the information age. Girl Talk won’t actually be performing but his mash-ups serve as the soundtrack. Learn more about it here.
The first of two films you’ll see from Thorsten Fleisch, called Wound Footage, happens at 11:30 pm. The film focuses on the physical decay of a filmstrip through his interpenetration of the photographic image. Check it out here. The film is also showing on Saturday night at 11:20 pm.
The last film of the night is the first of two from local filmmaker and musician Kendall Bruns at 11:45 pm. Questionable Taste takes a closer look at two nutritional entrepreneurs and their unusual approach to solving world hunger. Find more on Kendall Bruns here.
Friday begins with Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Big Man Japan at 8 pm. In this he looks to create a world where not only monsters are real, but the man sent to battle them has terrible domestic problems who is surrounded by a populace who would rather see him quit. Get more information right here.
When 10 pm rolls around, you’ll get the Best of the 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival. Films from Ian Lagarde (Signal Film), Joris Clerte & Anne Morin (C’est toujours la meme histoire), Mike Maryniuk & Matt Rankin (Cattle Call), Kara Nasdor-Jones (I Slept with the Cookie Monster), Bruce Bickford (The Comic that Frenches Your Mind), Andy & Carolyn London (A Letter to Colleen), David Seitz & Mike Wray (The Mixy Tapes), Bolos Quentes Design (Spong Ice), Run Wrake (The Control Master) and Dennis Tupicoff (Chainsaw).
At 11:15 pm, you’ll get the first of many from Felix Dufour-Laperriere. Variations Sur Marilou is an impressionistic portrait of a love affair, set to the music of Serge Gainsbourg. Learn more right here. The second showing of this film follows the Best of Rotterdam on Saturday night.
The second film from Thorsten Fleisch is entitled Energie!
Then it’s back to Felix Dufour-Laperriere, with Rosa Rosa (also showing on Saturday night), while the night caps off with the second film from Kendall Bruns, entitled Robot Love From Another World.
Saturday starts off at 8 pm with a winner at both the Boston International and Woods Hole film festivals: Taylor Toole’s Mow Crew. Read about it here.
The Best of the 2009 Rotterdam International Film Festival rolls in at 9:45 pm, featuring films from Kasumi Hiraoka (Red-Light District), Duncan Campbell (Bernadette), Reynold Reynolds (Six Apartments) and Sebastian Diaz Morales (Oracle).
10 Bands Under the Radar at MidPoint
September 21st, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Ruetschle, an indie rock quartet out of Dayton, Ohio, creates their own unique brand of melodic pop influenced by everything from Buddy Holly and The Beatles, to Guided By Voices and the Pixies
Chapel Hill’s Western Civ declares they’ve been influenced by “60’s and 70’s garage bands the nobody knows” and their most recent album was recorded under the direction of Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Superchunk, Pavement)
Inspired by everything from Yes and Meatloaf, to the Hold Steady and At the Drive-In, New York’s progressive, post-punk rockers, Aficionado, has at times featured as many as ten musicians, who create a trippy, psychedelic ride of theatrical vocals and lush arrangements
With a laidback vibe and a vintage feel, Michigan indie-folk rock band, Light In August, says that even your parents could dig them, with influences of Cat Stevens and Nick Drake, to My Bloody Valentine and Wilco
Cincinnati’s psychedelic, indie-rock band, Fists of Love, features former members of the Fairmount Girls and The High & Low and are currently working on their debut album
Another local rock band, Goose, is kind of like a supergroup featuring Jason and Jordan Arbenz, and Paul Cavins and Lance Stapleton, who say they’re “influenced as much by classic rock as by anything more recent”, which would include everything from the Stones, Beatles and James Brown, to Elliott Smith, the Flaming Lips and Black Crowes
Canada’s The Free Press describes their sound as “Guster and the Counting Crows in a fist fight with Crowded House and Springsteen with the E Street Band”
CityBeat’s Mike Breen describes The Atriums as “Band of Horses on cough syrup, The National going through some heavy shit, Built to Spill turning things down and going with the quiet flow”
Louisville’s The Trouble with Boys may be the youngest band to ever play MidPoint with the members being in the 12-14 year old range. They’ve played all over the country, and I’ll tell you that it’s nice to see kids playing and writing their own music, rather than most at their age who assume that by playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band you have what it takes to make it in music.
Coming from the music capital of the world, Austin, Texas, The Zest of Yore has a unique brand of psychedelic, indie-pop that has been influenced by nearly everyone from Guided By Voices, Prince, The Beatles, Ween and Peter Gabriel, to Steely Dan, Guns N Roses, Beethoven, Cream and Miles Davis
30 Bands I Want to See at MidPoint 2009
September 20th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Out-of-Town Picks
Like a lot of people, my first taste of Chairlift came about because of their hit song “Bruises” that was featured in an iPod commercial. But when they opened for Peter, Bjorn and John this past April at the Southgate House, I saw a band that was about more than writing catchy songs that could become radio-friendly hits. In the beginning they were inspired to create music for haunted houses, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that the synth playing and vocals of Caroline Polachek has a somewhat haunting, mystical feel.
Some several years ago, I discovered Jason Isbell when he was playing guitar in the Drive-By Truckers during Widespread Panic’s summer tour. As one of three key songwriter’s in the Truckers, it was easy to see that he was destined to succeed with his own name. Following his divorce of the Truckers bassist, Shonna Tucker, Isbell left the band in 2007 and has since put out two albums. The first album came just months after his departure, but it was the self-titled, follow-up album that really seemed to reach fans and critic’s with the formation of his backing band, the 400 Unit.
I decided to put the Heartless Bastards on the out-of-town list because they are now technically not a local band, even though I’ll always think of them as locals. This year has probably been the best in the band’s career which has seen a reincarnated lineup, the release of the highly, critically-acclaimed album The Mountain, tours with Wilco, The Decemberists and Jenny Lewis, as well as appearances at nearly every major music festival. Welcome Erika and company back home when they perform Friday night at Grammer’s.
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Extra Golden
The Young Republic
The Baltic Sea
The Lighthouse and The Whaler
Bowery Boy Blue
The Dø
Micachu and the Shapes
The Bloodsugars
The Wildbirds
God Made Me Funky
Local Picks
There’s a lot going on with nearly every band I’ve decided to put on my local list. Most of them have either released new albums within the past year or are currently working on projects that will soon be released. A couple of them, you could even say, are somewhat newly formed bands. Cincinnati is stacked with amazing talent, and coming up with these fifteen picks was not easy. I’ve seen all of these bands perform live, some more than others and it even feels like I’ve seen some of them about thirty or forty times. I’ve been a long supporter of the local music and arts scenes, and I can tell you that if I had to choose the best bands in the area, I could have easily added at least fifty or so more bands to this list. So I present to you fifteen local picks for MidPoint 2009.
Travis Talbert has been gracing the local music scene for years as one of the finer lead electric and slide guitar players in the area, formerly with Norust and now with Frontier Folk Nebraska. The band has seen its share of lineup changes over the years, but it appears they have found the right combination of people, which you can certainly feel on their latest album, Pearls. Frontman Michael Hensley seems to fall somewhere between a Neil Young or Ryan Adams, but this is a band that even fans of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses could get into. Look for Pearls to earn some nominations at the CEA’s later this year.
The formation of indie-popsters, Pomegranates, couldn’t have come at a better time. The four guys of the band (Joey Cook, Isaac Karns, Jacob Merritt and Josh Kufeldt – even their names make them sound like indie pop stars) formed the band in late 2006 when indie pop seemed to be at its highest peak ever. Signed to the highly respectable Lujo Records within a week of the release of their first EP, the Poms have since shared the stage with Jimmy Eat World, Peter, Bjorn and John and Islands, to name a few, as well as marking their first performance at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival this past March. Though there appears to be an overflow in the indie-pop world, the Poms stand out as one of the best in the midwest, with a sound that at times is reminiscent of both Modest Mouse and The Shins, although there’s enough there that they sound completely original. They’ve got the look and the sound, so nothing should stop them from being indie pop’s next big thing. I look forward to following the careers of these young gents.
Buffalo Killers
The Lions Rampant
The Seedy Seeds
The Sundresses
Ellery
Three of my favorite discoveries of the year in the local music scene include State Song, The Harlequins and mallory.
Featuring former members of local punk bands like The Invitational, The Dopamines and Black Tie Bombers, State Song is more post-punk-like, with their sometimes dark and heavy, ultra-dynamic brand of melodic pop-rock. They’ve been working hard all year long on their debut full-length album, which is looking like will be released very late this year or very early next year, at the earliest.
The address that The Harlequins use for their MySpace page includes the phrase “remember that band”, as in www.myspace.com/rememberthatband, which shouldn’t come off as presumptuous because after one listen of their recent, debut album, Baron von Headless, you will indeed remember this band and their mix of experimental, psychedelic pop rock. Michael Olivia and company were able to chalk up a nomination for “Best New Artist” at last year’s CEA’s even without a full-length under their belts.
mallory has been a staple in the local music scene for several years now, although it wasn’t until this past summer when I finally made it out to see them. They put a lot of focus on visuals aspects and instrumentation, which reminds me of bands like Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky and even Ampline. There’s huge, noisy walls of sound in their music, but they’re pretty damn good at hiding beautiful, intricate melodies in there as well. Mark your calenders for their CD Release Party on October 23 at the Southgate House.
Eat Sugar
The Minor Leagues
Matthew Shelton’s Picnic
Stick Figure Drawings
I’ve been listening to Ryan Adcock longer than any other local musician, so I always get excited about anything he’s involved in. Lately he’s been up to a new project called Flaregun with The Vinyltones Craig Dockery. The songs for their debut album, Ten Sundays, actually date back several years, where Ryan was writing music inspired by the ideas of various sermons at a local church. There’s always been a spiritual aspect to the songs Ryan writes, but Flaregun wouldn’t exactly consider themselves Christian rock. By using spirituality and God as the subject matter in music, one can often overcome hard times through faith and love, which has certainly helped me at times.
Weekly Concert Calender
September 20th, 2009
Posted in Weekly Concert Calender
Music in Cincinnati this week is all about the MidPoint Music Festival, but there’s plenty of events happening if that won’t give you your fix.
Sunday, September 20
(My Pick) Northside Tavern – Classical Revolution – 9 pm – Free
If you happened to attend last week’s Newbees show in the Southgate House lounge, then you witnessed one of the best groups of string players (six violinists and a cellist) called the Bee Strings. They kicked off the show last week with some pieces from Bach and Mozart, and later backed the Newbees for some original material and some covers that included the Beatles “Something” and the Swell Season’s “Falling Slowly”, which was played during soundcheck. The Classical Revolution features some of those same amazing string players.
(My Pick) Madison Theater – Buckethead, Wolff and Kan-Dee – 8 pm – $20
Monday, September 21
Southgate House – Open Mic hosted by Billy Catfish – 9 pm – Free – Ages 21+
Northside Tavern – Northside Jazz Ensemble – 10 pm – Free
Mad Hatter – Nascent Descent, Watchfire, Mail Order Miracle, The Elms and Logic – 8 pm – $5
Tuesday, September 22
(My Pick) Bogarts – Mutemath – 8 pm
Northside Tavern – For Algernon and Jason Ludwig – 10 pm – Free
Wednesday, September 23
(My Pick) Southgate House – The Newbees with Mike Fair & the Adventure Seekers – 9 pm – Free – Ages 21+
Northside Tavern – Giant Wow, Black Signal and 20th Century Tokyo Princess – 10 pm – Free
Mad Hatter – Koffin Kats, de Los Muertos, The Reanimated and Martin Luther and the Kings – 7:30 pm – $5
Thursday, September 24
MidPoint Music Festival – 23 venues in downtown, Over the Rhine and Newport, Kentucky
(My Alternate MidPoint Pick) Northside Tavern – Why? and Serengeti & Polyphonic – 10 pm – Free
Electro-indie-hip hop band Why? played an awesome show at MidPoint last year at the Aronoff, and they’re coming back to the ‘Nati during MidPoint, however they’re not playing the festival. But you can see them for free at the Tavern.
(My Alternate MidPoint Pick) Madison Theater – Katie Laur Tribute Show with the Comet Bluegrass Allstars, The Turkeys, Ma Crow, Magnolia Mountain featuring Scott Risner of Tupelo Honey, Brandt Smith and Brenda Wolferberger or Wild Carrot and the Roots and surprise guests – 8 pm – $10
Katie Laur has somewhat of a legendary-like status in the local music scene, and it’s about time they’ve put together a tribute show in honor of her featuring a number of excellent local bands. Tune in to WNKU around dinner time on Sunday evenings to hear Katie spinning some of her favorites.
Friday, September 25
MidPoint Music Festival – 23 venues in downtown, Over the Rhine and Newport, Kentucky
Northside Tavern – Pearlene and The Dexateens – 10 pm – Free
Mad Hatter – Pilot Around the Stars EP Release Party, Oh God the Terror, Small Time Crooks, Grandview, A Promise to Agony, All Out Best and Apollo & Ares – 6 pm – $8/$10
(My Alternate MidPoint Pick) Madison Theater – Delbert McClinton and G. Miles and the Hitmen – 8 pm – $30
Saturday, September 26
MidPoint Music Festival – 23 venues in downtown, Over the Rhine and Newport, Kentucky
(My Alternate MidPoint Pick) Northside Tavern – The Hiders and Kim Taylor – 10 pm – Free
Mad Hatter – Beneath the Sky, Arlis Perry, Whom Shall I Fear, Horseshoes & Handgrenades, Beyond Blight and Mortuus Intra – 6 pm – $8
(My Alternate MidPoint Pick) Madison Theater – The local hip-hop, jazz, jamband, Eclipse, is recreating the music of Pink Floyd - 9 pm – $10
MidPoint 2009 Artist: Giselle Grayson
September 17th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Giselle Grayson (Cincinnati/Los Angeles/Las Vegas/Atlanta)
Hip-Hop/Pop/R&B
This Texas-born but local singer has been performing pretty much her entire life, getting her start at the very young age of three, when most kids at that time are just learning to read and attending preschool. An Anderson High School graduate, Giselle went on to the University of Cincinnati, where she studied Opera and Musical Theater in the college’s Conservatory of Music School. Success has come very quickly for Giselle, as she’s shared the stage and worked with everyone from B.B. King, Willie Nelson and John Lee Hooker, to Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, T.I., Young Jeezy and Sean Paul.
Giselle wrote, arranged and produced her debut album, Fallen Angel, where her first single, “Get Nasty” has earned the #2 spot in MySpace’s Top Artist, a spot on VH1’s Top 20 Countdown and a nomination for Hip-Hop’s Best Female Vocalist. She is fated for international super stardom with her powerful lyrics and the strength and raw soul captured in her voice, which has drawn comparisons to singers like Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Keyshia Cole. Whether playing in front of twenty people or twenty-thousand, Giselle delivers a phenomenal performance every time. She has a poweful ability to express the emotions of her soul through her lyrics.
She is currently the Vice President of MBJ Entertainment and Scotty Boy Records, where she is also the Director of Artist Development.
Giselle Grayson is performing at MidPoint 2009 at the Havana Martini Club on Thursday, September 24 at midnight
Listen to her on MySpace
MidPoint 2009 Artist: The Dø
September 16th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
The Dø (France/Finland)
Folk/Indie/Pop
The first thing you should know about this band is how to pronounce their name. Just be seeing the word you may think it sounds like “doo” but rather it’s pronounced “dough”, as in the first note in the C major scale. Their band name is also derived from the first two letters (“d” and “o”) of the members names; Dan Levy and Olivia Bouyssou Merilahti.
Dan’s backstory is that he’s a French musician and composer of Jazz music and film, while Olivia of Finland notes that “English is my musical language, French is my academic language and Finnish is my intimate language.” They hooked up just a couple of years ago in 2007, while working on music for the film Empire of the Wolves, based on the novel by Jean-Christophe Grange.
Although the source of their main inspirations come from classical and Jazz music, they cross many genres including avant-garde noise, hip-hop, freak folk and rock and roll. You could say that Dan brings the jazzy, symphonic structure to the band, while Olivia brings the soft-sounding melodies.
Their first album, A Mouthful, came last year and they are one of the first French bands to hit the charts with songs only sung in English, alongside bands like Phoenix and Soko. The album is rather exciting, with all the sounds and styles they bring to each of the tracks, like drums and flutes, and Olivia’s voice has drawn comparisons to everyone from Gwen Stefani to Bjork to Duffy to The Ting Tings.
Check out The Dø at MidPoint 2009 at the Contemporary Arts Center’s Project Mill Showcase at 11:30 pm on Saturday, September 26.
Listen to ‘em on MySpace
