It's frightening to think that the local music scene, especially with its increasing team spirit and the improved quality of locally produced CDs, can get much better. But if you're going strictly on track record, things have steadily improved over the past few years, so local music fans should be in high anticipation of 2002.
Here's a look back at what happened on the local music front in 2001. Look for a round-up of 2001's best local CDs in next week's edition of CityBeat.
JANUARY
Pedro X, led by SS-20 guitarist Pedro Dux, releases its debut CD, 20-20-20.
Local singer/songwriter Kris Brown, who, by year's end, leaves Cincy for Austin, Texas, releases his latest album, Mongo Lassi.
Punk/Indie group Hemline calls it quits.
Local label Nice Guy Records releases the compilation Ohio and Beyond, which features local acts The Scrubs and No Good Heroes.
The Punk fest dubbed "Willisfest" takes place at Top Cat's, featuring Frantic Romantic, 16 Piece Bucket, Chapter 11, The Hypochondriacs and the Rebellious Band.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Milk, Seth Adler Project, Mood and Tess.
FEBRUARY
Local singer/songwriter Dave Scharold of the band Ladder 2600 releases his debut solo album, capriciously titled Greatest Hits Volume V.
Local Bluesman G. Miles and his group The Hitmen host a double-whammy CD release party at Lucille's in honor of his solo release, Soul Driftin'.
Cincy legends The Afghan Whigs, one of the city's biggest musical exports of the last 20 years, decide to call it quits.
The still-active local Blues great Big Joe Duskin turns 80.
Local Blues favorite Keith Little releases his CD, A Mother's Love, dedicated to his mother.
Blessid Union of Souls release their retrospective CD, The Singles, through V2 Records, an imprint of Virgin.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Boom Bip, 4 Ohms, Josh Seurkamp and The ARC Ensemble.
MARCH
Baksheesh, the new album by local "World Fusion" trio Mohenjo Daro, is released on Canadian label Tandem Records.
Local Jazz label J Curve Records launches its new Roots & Blues imprint with the release of Triple Stop, the latest from guitarist Scotty Anderson.
R&B/Jazz ensemble Lomax is chosen as one of five finalists in the Ohio Silver Cup Jazz Competition. They eventually place second overall in the competition.
Funk/Rock group the Fabulous Marvel B's release their self-titled debut CD.
Local group Kailip, featuring former members of Stich and Slant, debuts.
Over The Rhine moves on to Virgin imprint Backporch Records for their Films For Radio release.
The Greenhornes release their self-titled debut for popular Garage label Telstar Records.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Gravy 8, Len's Lounge, Jake Speed, Over The Rhine and Doug Perry.
APRIL
2000 winners in the 97Xposure local band competition, Homunculus, unleash their new CD Words.
Rockers the DC Project release The Fine Art of Escapism.
Jake Speed and The Freddies perform the songs of Woody Guthrie at Shake It Records.
Rock crew Circus of the Sun, who broke up in April 2000, reunite for a show at the Southgate House in Newport, despite the riot-induced curfew put on Cincinnati.
The April unpleasantness causes several concerts to get cancelled and slows down business for music venues in the Over-the-Rhine area.
97X hosts the annual Earth Day concert at Sawyer Point in downtown Cincinnati. The Vic Daniels Quartet, Roger Y and the Quick Replies, Homunculus and The Ass Ponys join national headliners The Cowboy Junkies.
Local group Sound Mind mark a change in sound with a name change to 1,000 Watt Revival.
Belinda Scroggins releases her debut solo album, Mystical Madness.
Rapper Kenny P releases his Getting' Paid CD through the local Diversity label.
Deltoro, featuring singer/songwriter David Enright and former Lazy drummer Megan Hass, play their first show.
Local label, Blue Jordan, hosts its annual spring concert in Sharon Woods, featuring Messerly and Ewing, Chris Collier, The Perkolaters, Janet Pressley, Ryan Adcock Band and Katie Reider.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Hip Shot Blueh, Homunculus, Animal Crackers and The Greenhornes.
MAY
The first concert put on by the local "Uprooted Music" production collective takes place at the Southgate House. The inaugural Uproot at the Southgate House features Len's Lounge, The Stapletons and Rip Rock and Raunch. The popular Songslingers Local 409 series in the parlour features Chuck Cleaver of the Ass Ponys, Jason Arbenz of Throneberry, Swarthy and Dave Purcell of Pike 27.
A "Songwriter's Summit," hosted by the local duo Messerly & Ewing, hits the York Street Café featuring an impressive lineup that includes Wild Carrot, Greg Weyman and Mike Walle (of Similar Nature), Jake Speed, Second Sister, Janet Pressley, Ashley Peacock, Kevin Nolan (of Saving Ray), Greg Mahan, Mike Landis, Gwendolyn Speaks, Jerry Gillespie, Chris Collier, Bob Burns (of Big In Iowa) and more.
Jammin' On Main 2001 is cancelled due the unnecessary trepidation following the April riots. Locals The Sweet Impala, Ray's Music Exchange, Opi Yum Yum, Animal Crackers, The Stapletons, Star Devils, Ruby Vileos, Homunculus and Ray's Music Exchange are featured on the companion CD.
Progressive Rock/Pop squad Acumen release their Diversity album.
The Bromwell-Diehl Band release its sophomore effort, Through My Eyes.
KGB (aka the Katie Gilday Band) debuts at the BarrelHouse.
Freekbass releases his latest Funk opus, Body Over Mind.
Local Punk band The Sarcastix hold its annual "Punk Prom" at the Norwood Legion Hall. The event was started to let younger fans who can't get into clubs and bars hear some good music and also as an alternative to the regular high school proms. Other bands on the bill included East Arcadia, The Effrays, Sponge Moneys and The Gazelles.
The band Admiral Walker puts together the huge, two-day Community Unity Festival at Top Cat's. The well-timed, multi-culti show features Swim, Lazy Rocket, New Basics Brass Band (from Columbus), Funktelligence (Michigan), Mood Bliss, Heavy Weather Buckra, Young Fellow, Catawampus Universe (Lexington), Samsara Music Company, Tropicoso, the Ryan Adcock Band, Ric Hickey and the Loose Wrecks, Ray's Music Exchange, Raregroove and Animal Crackers.
Newcomers Close the Door release a self-titled debut with a show at Bogart's.
Kelly Richey releases her more Rock-oriented album, Sending Me Angels.
Readymaid put out their 7-inch vinyl release, Jets to the Beginning.
Local Folk duo Wild Carrot sign a deal with Falling Mountain Music, an independent Acoustic music label from Virginia.
Pay the Girl, the band fronted by local singer/songwriter Jason Phelps, plays its first show.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Anonymous Bosch, Hoodwink, Only Everything, Laze and Brian Lovely.
JUNE
Several local musicians are selected to play in the stage band, The Angry Inch, in the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati's production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The musical features guitarist Bill Alletzhauser (of the Ass Ponys and Ruby Vileos), bassist Michael Horrigan (formerly of the Afghan Whigs and Throneberry and current Len's Lounger), guitarist Sam Womelsdorf (currently of Culture Queer and formerly of Throneberry) and keyboardist Andrew Smithson (music director of Showboat Majestic). John Curley, formerly of the Afghan Whigs, is the sound engineer and Paul Cavins (Len's Lounge) fills in for a few performances.
The 2001 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Carnival of Organized Sound and Light, featuring two floors of experimental music, ranging from Free Jazz and Avant Rock to Ambient Electronica and Noise Rock (and well beyond), takes over the Southgate House.
The Camp Buzz festival near Oxford returns, bigger and better than ever. The event features locals like Ray's Music Exchange, Freekbass, Admiral Walker, Heavy Weather, Samsara Music Company, 4 Track All-Stars and Black & Tan Carpet Band, plus numerous regional and national acts.
Ben Clarke, Ashley Peacock, Jody Stapleton, Chris Collier, Ryan Adcock, Newky Stapleton, Swarthy, Messerly & Ewing, Todd Lipscomb, Jake Speed and Greg Mahan pay tribute to Bob Dylan at the York Street Café.
Illegal Zucchini and Tornado Green host a dual CD release party at the Mad Frog.
The massive Uprooted festival at the Southgate House is a huge success, spotlighting local Roots artists including The Warsaw Falcons, The Stapletons, Pike 27, Greg Mahan, Messerly & Ewing, Jake Speed, The Ass Ponys, Ma Crow's Medicine Show, Len's Lounge and New Radio Cowboys.
Hard Rock act Drop Shadow celebrates the release of Blue with a show at Bogart's.
Rhino Records releases Glory B Da' Funk's On Me!, a career retrospective of local Funk legend Bootsy Collins. The two-disc set, compiled with Collins' assistance, features all of his hits as well as several rarities.
Dylan Speeg of the local band Buckra makes a conspicuous network television debut on The Jerry Springer Show where he was presented as part of a love triangle. Speeg tried to win his love back with a funny song, which not only didn't work but also had the audience chanting "Go to Jenny Jones! Go to Jenny Jones!"
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Ricky Nye, Sunset Dawn and Philosopher's Stone.
JULY
Local Punk band Deceiving Ralph are picked to play the Ernie Ball Band Challenge at the Warped Tour at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.
The annual Queen City Blues Festival returns to Sawyer Point, featuring local artists like Sonny Hill and the Nightshift, H-Bomb Ferguson, Brown Street Breakdown, Big Joe Duskin and Ricky Nye.
Local funkateer Freekbass is featured in Bass Player magazine.
Local Hip Hop artist BJ Digby (aka Holmskillit), who appeared on the latest Rawkus CD from local fave Hi-Tek, is featured on the first "Get Up Stand" release, a new 12-inch series also distributed through Rawkus.
Following a 13-year "hiatus," The Bears, a "supergroup" of sorts featuring local fellas Rob Fetters, Chris Arduser and Bob Nyswonger, bounce back with the new CD, Car Caught Fire.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Fairmount Girls, Paul Hogan, Scott Ritchie and Vegas In Space.
AUGUST
The Simpletons release their sophomore effort, Method for Passion.
Punk trio Pincushion celebrate the release of their CD, Do You Remember.
I, Hophead, from the The Hopheads, is released.
The Graveblankets' Where It Hurts CD gets props in Performing Songwriter magazine, which names it one of the top self-released discs in the July/August issue.
The local Northern Aggression label releases the compilation Bittersweet Relief, Volume I, a solid representation of the local D.I.Y. music scene. Featured on the disc are Bagg, Dave Purcell, Mojo Nixon, Len's Lounge, Dophesus, Chalk, Buckra, Jeff Conner, Elation and The Black Magic Rhythm All Stars
The Main Street Music and Arts Festival features local acts like Toast, Jackass, Phammilly Impulze, Roger Klug, Admiral Walker, True Believers, Tropicoso, Homunculus, Heavy Weather, Ricky Nye, David Rhodes Brown and George Cunningham, Keith Little and G Miles and the Hitmen.
The Katie Gilday Band (aka KGB) release their debut, Private I.
The local music scene loses a giant, as Jazz guitar great Cal Collins succumbs to liver problems.
The Shams release a fantastic Garage Rock effort, The Shams Take Off, which is put out by Orange Recordings.
Ricky Nye and his band, the Red Hots, record a show at the Mansion Hill Tavern for a planned live CD release.
The Rock/Funk/Hip Hop influenced Youngfellow put out their entertaining self-titled debut.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Tonefarmer, Big Joe Duskin, Alex Smith, Peggy Erin and Leap Skyward.
SEPTEMBER
The Stapletons, The Tigerlilies, The Gazelles, Post-Haste, Haleymill and others tackle the songs of The Kinks at a Southgate House benefit.
MC Crunch E.X. puts out his debut full-length Broken Anglish.
The Ohmstead music festival presented by local band 4 Ohms debuts in Hamilton. The event features drum circles, belly dancers, vending, camping and music from local bands The Black and Tan Carpet Band, Toast and Chitara Rhythm Section, along with 4 Ohms.
The Sept. 11 tragedy spurs numerous relief fund benefits and also a few concert cancellations, including shows by Alison Krauss and W.A.S.P.
Oxford-based Jam rockers Halias host a large outdoor concert on Saturday at Camp America near Oxford. Also on the bill is Guest from Columbus.
After four years, three albums and numerous shows on the local front, the Doug Perry Ensemble decides to call it quits.
The second Woodcrock festival takes place at The Void, featuring Punk acts The Rebellious Band, Chapter 11, Bye For Now, Dead Inside, Skankadelic Bakery, Suburban Massacre, KDKO, On Side Red, The Opposed and the return of Restraint.
Crosley puts out the EP release, Exploding Slacks.
Clabbergirl releases their much anticipated I Feel Pretty album.
Jake Speed, Messerly & Ewing, Pebbles Overflow, Dave Purcell & the Boys from County Hell, Lohio, Semi Automatic, Readymaid and Clabbergirl join forces at the Mad Frog to raise money for 9/11 relief.
Chastised morgue photographer Thomas Condon agrees to turn a planned benefit for his defense fund into a 9/11 benefit. The show features The Ass Ponys, Readymaid and Merwyn Group at Mr. Pitiful's.
The artists performing at this year's Harvest Moon Fest, an annual event that normally raises money for the homeless, decide that the money raised will go instead to the Red Cross. The organizers also donate the money raised by sales of the companion Voices of Harvest Moon CD to the new cause. Participants in the benefit include Janet Pressley, The Perkolaters, Swarthy, Tracy Walker, Virgoblique, Gwendolyn Speaks, Ryan Adcock, Kris Brown and Pike 27.
Local Rock quintet Eightfeet release its debut album, About You.
Celtic act Silver Arm performs at the annual Celtic fest and release its latest CD, Never Despair.
A tribute concert in honor of Folk legend Woody Guthrie features Sarah Hardy, Papa Joe, Ryan Adcock, Ric Hickey, Dave Purcell, Jeff Robeson, Todd Lipscomb and organizer Jake Speed.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Toast, Clabbergirl and Thistle.
OCTOBER
David Wolfenberger, who kept a busy schedule in 2001 playing with Victoria Williams and Mark Olson's rag-tag Roots troupe, the Original Harmony Creekdippers, and touring and traveling around Italy, puts out his stunning sophomore solo album, The World of the Satifsy'n Place.
After 37 years at the Clifton YMCA, the Leo Coffeehouse Acoustic and Folk music series relocates to Old Saint George, a former Catholic church in Clifton.
Acoustic artists Chris Collier, Ashley Peacock, Ryan Adcock and Greg Mahan launch their Four Corners of Folk tour, which takes them to New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and various other spots.
Roots Rock greats The Stapletons release Spirit of '76.
Everyone Is a Target from local Punk quartet Saturday Supercade is released.
Crazy Chester's EP, Ashes Everywhere, comes out.
Garage Rock locals The Cybermen (which spawned The Mortals) reunite.
Buckra, Clabbergirl, Greg Mahan, The Marvel B's, Pocket Furys and Annette Shepherd are the finalists in the 97Xposure local band competition. Clabbergirl is the ultimate winner.
Local groups 16 Piece Bucket and The Hypochondriacs host up a dual CD release party at Sudsy Malone's.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Jason Wells, Obalaye Macharia and Mary Ellen Tanner.
NOVEMBER
The first annual Cincinnati Music Week (as officially
proclaimed by Mayor Charlie Luken) kicks off, featuring the
nominated artists from the 2001
Cincinnati Entertainment Awards.
Local Deary Me Records releases Black Box Broken by Post Punk greats Chalk.
Melodic rockers Saving Ray release a self-titled CD.
The New Radio Cowboys, the pure Country project headed up by Roots/Bluegrass fave Ed Cunningham, puts out Blue Skies and Sunny.
Pass the Mic, a locally-based Web site (passthemic.com) that caters to a worldwide audience of independent Hip Hop artists and fans, celebrates its first anniversary at Oakley's 20th Century Theater.
After an eight-year "hiatus," instrumentalists Umclunk reform to record a soundtrack to San Francisco filmmaker Dan Wu's project, Untitled Hitman Film.
Mark Weierman of The Ditch Lilies, a Folk duo, releases his debut solo CD, Owe the Devil.
The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards
rock the Old Saint George church in Clifton. The show features
Chuck Cleaver, Rob Fetters, Saturday Supercade,
Hedwig and the Angry Inch and many others.
Hard Rock foursome 8C8 put out its debut album Melbourne.
Local N'awlins-style R&B pianist Ricky Nye presents his third annual Blues and Boogie Piano Summit, showcasing local and international talent.
Local music Web site cincymusic.com celebrates its third anniversary with a multi-band show at the Southgate House. Bagg, Clabbergirl, Crosley, Dophesus, DW Project, Len's Lounge, Levelnine, Saving Ray, Tornado Green and Tracy Walker appear.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Messerly and Ewing, Belinda Scroggins, Chris Dunnett, DW Project and Similar Nature.
DECEMBER
Over the Rhine hosts its annual Christmas Concert at the Taft Theater.
On Dec. 9, neo-Cincinnatian Peter Frampton heads up a benefit concert dubbed "Cincinnati U.S.A. for Relief." The show also features appearances by Blessid Union of Souls, Pay the Girl, Reggie Calloway, One and various local Blues artists. Proceeds from the benefit performance will go to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Roots Rock group Pike 27 release their debut, Falling Down Hard.
Len's Lounge puts out Road Dog and More Train Songs.
Rock act Stonewater unveils its self-titled debut CD.
Denial are selected to play on the Pepsi Amp Concert Circuit. The group also puts on its second CD, Sinus.
Main-Flow of the Hip Hop group Mood, releases his solo debut Castle Diplomat.
Modern Rock acts Krinj and Hekura release new CDs at Bogart's.
Local artists profiled in CityBeat: Vibe One and Chalk.
