| CEA 2005 | ||
The Nominees Bluegrass/Country
This high-energy, all-acoustic Bluegrass crew has brought its progressive Appalachian sound to numerous clubs around town (from Rock venues to more 'Grass-familiar hubs), winning a dedicated following with their traditional yet exploratory "Newgrass" spin. rumpkemountainboys.com Comet Bluegrass Allstars This crew of Bluegrass vets formed in 1996 as the Sunday evening house band at The Comet and have since gone on to become one of the city's most beloved groups, opening for likes of Ricky Skaggs, Blue Highway and Del McCoury. cometbluegrass.com Danny Frazier Band After a stint on a major label in the '90s, Danny Frazier returned to town and formed a rootsy Country/Americana group steeped in tradition, not trends. This year, Frazier & Co. released a self-titled album of diverse, acoustic-based Country/Blues. thedannyfrazierband.com Dallas Moore Band Playing gritty, soulful Outlaw Country, Moore and his band are local club favorites who have toured extensively, opening for David Allan Coe (a big Moore booster), Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry and others. This year, Moore and his bandmates released the live concert DVD, One Night in Kentucky. dallasmoore.com Mack West Though previously known for Rock and Eastern European Gypsy music, Zachary Mechlem's latest project takes listeners to the wild, wild West, providing traditional Country music with a multi-dimensional twist.
Folk/Americana/Roots
500 Miles to Memphis takes all Americana forms -- Bluegrass, Roots Rock, Country, Rockabilly -- and shoves them through their distinctive Punk filter until they arrive at their unique hybrid. With them, it's not about the Punk or the Country, it's the space between that counts. 500milestomemphis.com The Hiders Guitarist/singer/songwriter Bill Alletzhauzer (former Ass Pony, current Ruby Vileos) formed this "loose collective" -- currently featuring local musicians like Toby Ellis (The Waywards), Dave Gilligan (The Flock) and singer/actress a. Beth Harris -- as an outlet for his more organic, rootsy songs. thehiders.com Gregory Morris Group Morris and his band of musical gypsies concoct magnetic songs that dare to use whatever genre influence, instrument and song motif best serves the final product. Folk, Jazz, Funk and various other forms collide, but the songs usually end up at a place that those elements don't come close to hinting at, thanks to Morris' imaginative writing style. gregorysmusic.com Jake Speed and the Freddies Speed and his band of Freddies have become a bastion of traditional Folk music in Cincinnati's rich Roots scene. From street corners to club dates to opening slots for Ralph Stanley, Yonder Mountain String Band and others, Speed's pure, often funny, socially-conscious songs have charmed fans of practically every type of music. freddiesmusic.com The 13s Playing old-school Americana/Country fused with a Rock & Roll spirit, The 13s were formed around the soulful, gritty songwriting of frontman Sam Nation. The quintet is currently readying its debut CD, due on Tokyo Rose Records. thethirteens.com
World Music
Classic Rock was boring Robin Lacy, so in 1988 he headed to New Orleans. Lacy fell in love with the city, but it was the music of N'awlins that ingrained itself deepest. He brought the Zydeco sound back to Cincy, added his own touches of Blues, Rock and Country and has been Cincinnati's "Mr. New Orleans" ever since. robinlacy.com Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters The Firestarters are the brainchild of local singer/songwriter Roger Drawdy, whose interests run toward contemporary Irish Folk Rock that's both thoroughly modern and foundationally traditional. The group's latest CD, Open Seas, Empty Skies, was released this year. roger.drawdy.com Mohenjo Daro For years now, Mohenjo Daro has been Cincinnati's source for World Fusion, using Western methods to blend elements of Hindunistic Raga, Arabic Dance and North African Trance, among other things. The trio's most recent release is Rajdhani Express. Silver Arm For about a decade and a half, Silver Arm have been Greater Cincinnati's leading Celtic troupe, providing audiences with skilled renditions of Irish dance songs, as well as selections originating from French, Romanian and Swedish tradition. In 2005, the "Ohio-Kentucky" quartet released its latest CD, Links. silverarmmusic.com Tropicoso This nine-member Latin sound machine specializes in Salsa and Merengue classics and they also write and record their own material. But in a live setting, the band is in its element, attracting a legion of fans with their energized stage show and expert musicianship. The ensemble released its first album, Un Cuento, this year. tropicosomusic.com
Rock
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom leads this nationally successful trio with her slashing, fuzz-buoyed guitar work and the kind of old-soul voice that transfixes immediately. The Bastard's debut, Stairs and Elevators (released on the esteemed Fat Possum Records), garnered glowing national press and put the band on the road for the bulk of 2005. theheartlessbastards.com Bastion Meticulously produced Rock is the forté of this talented quartet, especially impressive since their CD, The Honey Sacrifice, was self-produced. The technical proficiency of the individual members, plus their cooperative approach, makes the disc sound every bit as good as the enduring Alternative and Metal albums that influenced them. bastiononline.com
Noctaluca With Jazzy acoustic guitar and vocal phrasing, funky bass and drum syncopation and ambient electric guitar textures, Noctaluca's music cuts across many styles and deep into your soul. Singer/songwriter Jason Ludwig has apparently found the knob that controls human emotions and assembled the perfect crew to help him tweak it. noctaluca.com The Terrors The Terrors are "Pop" in the sense that they produce indestructible melodies, but their adventurous arrangements belie such compact terminology. On their debut, Foolish Treasure Hunter, the group loads the songs with dizzying keyboard, synth and xylophone licks, dynamic guitar work and a powerful, creative rhythmic bite, drizzling unanticipated sound effects and quirks throughout. theterrors.net Vinyltones The Vinyltones' 2005 debut, Memoirs of a Songbook, moves from bouncy Power Pop fare to balls-out melodic Rock, with some amazing mid-tempo and ballad-like numbers tossed in for a well roundedness that makes the newcomers sound like they've been together for a decade. vinyltones.com
Hard Rock/Metal
Like John Zorn and Frank Zappa scoring Heavy Metal cartoon soundtracks, The Flamingo Trigger, Foxy Shazam!'s 2005 debut CD, is a head-spinning whirl of songwriting experimentalism and aural adventurousness. The music has a maniacal, carnival-like dynamic that keeps listeners on their toes. foxyshazam.com With pierced-tongue planted lasciviously in cheek, this Hard Rock juggernaut masterfully vomits out songs about pubic hair and masturbation with winking intensity and, lest you think it's all just a big gag, sharp musical skills. blacktractor.com Blacklight Barbarian Blacklight Barbarian is at the forefront of bands really paying homage to '70s Riff Rock and not watering it down with Metal. In 2005, the trio reemerged from a lineup change stronger than ever, fusing Blues and Pop influences into their heavy Hard Rock blueprint. myspace.com/blacklightbarbarian Croatan With an enormous, aggressive yet dynamic sound that straddles the Punk/Metal line perfectly, this veteran duo have toured the country several times and released albums on a variety of labels. Their latest CD is The Drunken Masters. croatan.com Pain Link With their first full-length album, The Burden of Sin, Pain Link became a local Metal favorite, building on the strong fan base that helped them win Bogart's battle-of-the-bands "Rumble" last year. The band resurrects the chaos of classic Bay Area Thrash and intertwines it with new elements ranging from Metalcore to Gothenberg Metal. thepainlink.net
Singer/Songwriter
There's a smartness and emotive wallop to the songs of Barricklow, which she delivers with one of the most impressive voices on the Cincinnati music scene. She formed the Whitney Barricklow Band in 2003, providing highlights for most of the local festivals (MidPoint, ChicksRock, etc.) at which they regularly appear. whitneyb.com Peter Adams Adams recorded his latest CD, The Spiral Eyes, by his lonesome in his bedroom-cum-studio. But the album is so rich and fully evolved, it's nothing short of shocking that it was done DIY-style. Adams' Orchestral/Indie Pop songs (and strong Web presence) have helped him garner international attention. peteradamsmusic.com
Rob Fetters Fetters, a member of the CEA Hall of Fame as a member of The Bears, is a local music legend, thanks in part to his amazing guitar abilities but mostly for his fantastic Pop/Rock songwriting skills. In 2005, with Bears and psychodots projects on the horizon, Fetters released his second solo album, Musician. thebearsmusic.com Dan Mecher The Turnbull ACs describe their sound as "Rock and Roll meets the Twilight Zone," and with a repertoire that contains songs about mental hospitals, vampires and hearses, it's not a stretch. Singer/guitarist Mecher started Turnbull ACs as a solo acoustic side project, but they've grown to include guitarist Mark Diedrichs (ex-Simpletons), bassist Chris Rebholz (ex-Spindle) and Wojo's Matt Retherford. myspace.com/turnbullacs Gregory Morris Decorated with Jazz, Folk and Rock flourishes, Morris' unique songs form the core of his band, The Gregory Morris Group, who are also nominated for a CEA this year in the Folk/Americana/Roots category. gregorysmusic.com Jeremy Pinnell Pinnell's aching, haunting songs are at the core of amazing local band The Light Wires, who have been busy this year primping their much-anticipated sophomore release. When not fronting the Wires, Pinnell performs as one half of the duo, The Great Depression. thelightwires.com
Alternative/Indie
Primal-to-spastic rhythms, searing guitar, subtly quirky keyboard ornamentation and high-wire vocals merge to create a cyclone of sharp, peppy Art Punk (without the slightest whiff of pretentiousness) on the Minnis' 2005 debut, In Black Cause I Asked. The band takes cues from Punk and New Wave, but there's a refreshing uniqueness to their playful concoctions. minnithins.com
2005 was kind to this impressive Post Punk quartet, capped by their appearance at this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago (the band won a regional competition to earn the coveted slot). The group also released its debut recording, a superbly engaging four-song EP. cathedrals.tv (in)camera Featuring the talents of Wolverton Brothers bassist Jay McCubbin and ex-Roundhead drummer Bill Bullock, (in)camera offers a combination of Art Rock noise ethic and melodic Electro-Pop drone Wave. The band's atmosphere is heightened by sheets of guitar feedback and vintage organ/contemporary synth sounds from guitarist Robert Paquette and keyboardists Shelagh Larkin and Susan Smith. incamerasound.com Staggering Statistics Frontman Austin Brown's laconic voice and tales of the hard life hit even harder when paired with this Cincy trio's bluesy, sinuous raucous, marked by a rhythm section that could anchor a battleship. The melodic shagginess of early Pavement often comes to mind, yet SS possess a genuinely dark undercurrent that's entirely their own. staggeringstatistics.com Wussy When Ass Pony Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker's collaboration went from acoustic to electric, all hell broke loose. Walker's voice developed a Rock-brat sneer that's somehow the perfect counterpoint to Cleaver's emotional wail. Shake It Records released their debut CD, Funeral Dress, earlier this year. wussymusic.com
Punk
Explosive and creative, DiG have been a local fave the past few years, delivering a searing brand of Punk that recalls the dangerous edge of early Stooges and the artistic raucousness of new-school Art Punk. When not touring the country, the band has spent much of 2005 working on their much-anticipated new album, due early next year. deathingraceland.com
Black Tie Bombers are a part of the noble army of diehards who keep the pace high, the snarl front and center and the energy unbridled, restless and reckless. On their second release, Art Is Easy, the band blows through 13 tracks (in a respectable 34 minutes) of oi!-conjuring, breakneck Punk that straddles the old and new school. blacktiebombers.com Caterpillar Tracks Made up of local music vets, Caterpillar Tracks combine razor riffs and transcendent chops with compelling songcraft and an open-ended sense of arrangement. Building on their 2004 self-titled debut, the band toured Europe earlier this year. caterpillartracks.org
Hogscraper In the mid-'90s, Hogscraper used Bluegrass instruments and Punk/Glam/Metal attitude -- twisted with a B-horror movie sensibility -- to become one of the leading draws on the local music front. In 2005, the trio reemerged bigger and better than ever, reissuing their self-titled debut and preparing new material for a forthcoming disc. hogscraper.com The Virgins Newcomers to the Cincinnati scene, The Virgins became one of the most talked about bands in town almost right out of the gate. Relentlessly adrenalized and defiantly pure, the band's Stooges-esque brand of Punk is powder-keg explosive.
Blues
With his Boogie Woogie-style Blues piano skills, Nye can be found several nights a week in the local clubs either solo, with various duo partners or with his backing groups The Swingin' Mudbugs and The Red Hots. Nye has also been well received on European tours, and his annual, internationally-networked Blues and Boogie Piano Summit is always a big draw. rickynye.com
Boogie Woogie Blues pianist Duskin is a local legend whose recent release, Big Joe Jumps Again (on the Memphis-based Yellow Dog label), features guest appearances by Peter Frampton and a host of local heroes. Big Joe was a 2004 inductee into the CEA Hall of Fame. yellowdogrecords.com/bigjoeduskin Sonny Moorman Group The Sonny Moorman Group is the full package -- ace chops, soulful vocals, proficient songwriting and a daredevilish adventurousness that not only helps make the band dynamic and multifarious but also gives them a distinct identity. Earlier this year, Moorman and mates released the Blues/Rock gem, Crossroads Motel. sonnymoorman.com
Cheryl Renee Though Cincy native Renee still gigs constantly locally, she splits her time between here and Knoxville these days (with local backing bands in both cities). The singer/pianist has become a Blues staple in whatever city she's in (she also spent time in New England's music scene). Renee has released two CDs. cherylrenee.com
R&B/Funk
Bootsy Collins took bassist Chris Sherman under his wing and gave him the name/persona he's been recording under since 1998: Freekbass (also the name of his band). The group has released three albums of butt-thumping magnificence. The band's most recent release, The Air Is Fresher Underground, features guest spots by Buckethead, Bernie Worrell and Collins. freekbass.com Marvin and the Experience The multi-talented Marvin Hawkins attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and his list of credits reflect the diversity of his studies. But the drummer/singer is most at home in the addictive Soul/Funk confines of his Marvin and the Experience project. The Naked Redheads Formed in late 2003 by a trio of local music vets, the Redheads' groovecentric sound has been a regular draw on the local club front. Calling their style "Stank Foot Jazz," the group organically combines Soul, Jazz and Funk with an open-endedness that leaves lots of room for improv. nakedredheadsmusic.com TriFectaFunk Eclecticism is the key to this group's compositions, which are guided by melodic keyboard and organ grinds and a rock-steady rhythmic section. trifectafunk.net Derrick Sanderson's Soul Expression Mixing modern and traditional Soul and R&B influences, the five-piece Soul Expression formed in 2002 and has been a leading R&B light on the local scene ever since. Silky electric piano, tight rhythms and Sanderson's classic soulman croon combine for a sound compared to greats like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. dsse.homestead.com
Jazz
The Contemporary Jazz/Fusion group Cat City's double-CD, In & Out, is sprawling and spacious, allowing each of the players to show off his laudable chops throughout. The ranging dynamic of the writing keeps things interesting from start to finish, bridging the gap between more modernized Fusion acts like The Yellowjackets and earlier pioneers like Weather Report and Miles Davis. Faux Frenchmen Inspired by the classic Jazz stylings of guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli's Hot Club of France, this quartet of local music vets brings vintage Gypsy Jazz to the 21st century. Adding their own distinct spin to the format, the Frenchmen can be found performing regularly in the restaurants, parks, museums and clubs of Cincinnati. fauxfrenchmen.com William Menefield With a résumé that any artist twice his age would envy, pianist William Menefield made his already-accomplished-sounding recorded debut, Big Will Leaps In, at the age of 18. Menefield's most recent CD release is Will's Revenge. Triage Led by local Jazz greats Eugene Goss and Billy Larkin, this Contemporary Jazz ensemble can be seen on a regular basis at various hotspots around Cincinnati. With Larkin's skillful and creative keyboard work underneath (and a rotating staff of some of the city's best drummers), Goss unravels booming vocals that stir the soul and show an almost operatic range. billylarkin.com Mike Wade Jazz trumpeter Wade is respected locally as one of Cincinnati's greatest players, and he's drawn many national accolades in his accomplished career as well. Besides playing, Wade has worked with many of Jazz's finest musicians and, besides playing, his skills extend to producing, composing, arranging and teaching. His latest CD is 2002's The Broach Approach. mike-wade.com
Hip Hop
Depending on how you look at it, they're either Hip Hop with live instrumentation or Jazz/Funk injected with socially conscious Rap. The brainchild of classically trained saxophonist Matt "J" Reynolds (a SHAG and Freekbass alum), the one-time studio project quickly evolved into a groundbreaking mix of evolutionary Jazz and positive Hip Hop. myspace.com/4trackallstars
Hip Hop duo Czar*Nok had a banner year in 2005, joining Snoop Dogg, Chingy and other heavyweights on the Capitol Records roster. The duo's street-wise major label debut, That One Way, has received critical kudos, and their singles and videos have landed them on video channels and radio stations across the country. czarnok.com djdq One of the wax wizards of the legendary local DJ collective Animal Crackers, djdq spent much of 2005 touring the country with Glue, a collaboration with outta-towners MC Adeem and producer Maker. This year, the trio released the inventive Sunset Lodge (on local indie label Shake It Records) to much praise. ramonarecords.com
Ill Poetic One half of the impressive Hip Hop duo Definition, rapper/producer Ill Poetic went the solo route this year with his smart, introspective CD, Illumination (due for national distribution in 2006). With influences ranging from Nas to Pink Floyd, Ill Poetic has rocked stages at major local events like Scribble Jam, the Warped Tour and MidPoint Music Festival. myspace.com/illpoetic Iswhat?! Hip Hop is just one ingredient in this trio's magical stew, which also uses a heaping dose of Jazz and splashes of other forms to create a beat-driven brand of experimental music that has drawn a global fanbase with its originality. The group's ever-rising profile got a boost when noted Indie imprint Hyena Records re-released their You Figure It Out album, which has drawn praise from URB, AllAboutJazz.com and Stylus. iswhat.net
Jam Band
The Ohms came about when their previous incarnation, Four Ohms, called it a day in 2004. The band continues their established tradition of Groove Rock and have also kept alive their popular Jam feast, Ohmstead, an annual outdoor music festival. myspace.com/ohms
Together for over a decade, DLO has been a steady force on the local music front and has also toured extensively. The group's improv-friendly Rock/Jazz/Funk/Fusion compositions have drawn a strong core of fans and they've opened for heavyweights like Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz Mandolin Project along the way. myspace.com/dlodalemmingsonsombol Grand Oversoul With a Blues/Rock-driven sound and ample room for improvisation and soloing, Grand Oversoul is one of the area's favorite Jam bands and has opened for several touring acts. Their sound is led by organ/keys, and there's plenty of room between their solid verse/chorus hooks for sonic adventurism. grandoversoul.com Souse This seven-member Fusion troupe takes influence from Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, injecting their groove-friendly arrangements with a lot of space for improvisation. The band consists of members who have played with Final Exit, Medulla Gumbo, Travelin' Barefoot, Sole Taxi and Neverville. sousemusic.net Travelin' Barefoot Formed in 2001, Travelin' Barefoot have been a local Jam fave with their expansive blend of Rock, Jazz, Country, Folk and Funk. Besides regular local gigs, the band has traveled the region developing a fan base. travelingbarefoot.com Experimental/Electronic
This duo has grown far beyond their Trip Hop roots, blossoming into a Dream Pop outfit with a stronger focus on melody and less on electronics. As their first two albums demonstrate, Hungry Lucy have always been tasteful and dramatic, but on their new CD, To Kill a King, the confessional poetry and minimalist backdrops share a sweet embrace. hungrylucy.com
Warped violin, dynamic electronics and rattling percussion are just pieces of this long-running artcore collective, which is lead by C. Spencer Yeh. The group has put out numerous releases through a variety of labels, and nationwide tours have helped them create a noisy buzz beyond city limits. ronedisco.com/bxc Diet Audio Like most beat-driven music, Diet Audio inspires motion, but it's not the beats you'll lock into and groove with, it's Amy Whitaker's dreamy vocals. Whether it's a hushed or powerful passage, her sensual voice connects the band's brooding combination of electronic and visceral live sounds to the real world. myspace.com/dietaudio
Le TechnoPUSS13s This outrageous twosome started as a joke but quickly became one of the city's most unique and talked-about new bands. A mix of performance art and esoteric ElectroRock, the 'PUSS13s' eccentric, theatrical live show is so attention-grabbing they've been able to perform with a wide array of local acts. letechnopuss13s.com Realicide Robert Inhuman's experimental Punk/Noise/Etc. collaborative has crafted several releases distributed by his own Realicide Youth Records. Inhuman and Co. have toured the country several times and are something of a "house band" at the Art Damage-spawned live venue, The Damage, in Northside. myspace.com/realicide
Best Musical Ambassador for Cincinnati
Years of hard work have been paying off quite nicely for this Garage trio. The Greenhornes spent much of 2005 on the road with their friends, The White Stripes, a tour that took them to some of the world's biggest music venues. The band also linked up with V2 Records, which released the EP East Grand Blues this year. A full-length Greenhornes retrospective, Sewed Soles, is due from V2 Nov. 29. greenhornes.com
Their annual stints on the Warped Tour (and their own tour dates) have built their name up around the country over the past several years, and Bottom Line's Punk/Pop sound will be exposed to an even wider audience in 2006, when their major label debut is expected from Maverick Records. bottomlinepunk.com
The National Now based in Brooklyn, these native sons have scored lavish acclaim from major publications such as Rolling Stone, Magnet, England's NME, Billboard, Time Out London and practically every other music mag you can think of (in every write-up, the band's Cincy roots are duly noted). Now on the esteemed Beggars Banquet label, the group's latest release, Alligator, has sealed their rep as one of Indie music's greatest new phenoms. americanmary.com Cathedrals Heartless Bastards Iswhat?!
Best Live Act
As record labels come and go and come again -- the foursome recently signed to Hey Domingo! Records -- Moth continues to churn out crunchy, hook-infested Rock no matter who's paying their beer tab. Fans got another batch of solid, straight-up Rock from their latest full-length, Immune to Gravity, which dropped earlier this year. themothwebsite.com Hogscraper Robin Lacy and DeZydeco Noctaluca Jake Speed and the Freddies Pain Link Critical Achievement Awards: New Artist of the Year
Turnbull ACs Vinyltones The Virgins
Artist of the Year
Thee Shams Label-wise, Thee Shams have put out CDs and vinyl in conjunction with no less than six record labels and spent much of 2005 on the road supporting their latest, Sign the Line, which was put out on the local imprint Shake It. Thee Shams have always been an impressive dirty-water Blues/Rock entity with a strong lysergic aftertaste, but Sign the Line takes a head-trip to another stratosphere and transcends toss-off categories. theeshams.com Cathedrals CzarNok The Greenhornes
Moth Album of the Year
"Singer/songwriter/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom leads this trio with her slashing, fuzz-buoyed guitar work and the kind of old-soul voice that transfixes immediately. You'll hear a lot about this voice as Stairs builds steam; other reviews have compared her to Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde and Patti Smith. Wennerstrom's guttural, androgynous purr-n-growl is completely of her own making and bears little in common with any of those legends. But by being so singular and riveting, she sets herself up to fit nicely next in line." (Mike Breen, CityBeat) Bastion -- The Honey Sacrifice "Bastion's sound hints at some stand-outs of the Metal-to-Grunge transition axis, namely Queensryche and Stone Temple Pilots. Their songs are imbued with depth and complexity, but not at the expense of listenability. The Honey Sacrifice is Bastion's debut LP, and it's one of the crispest self-produced albums you'll ever hear." (Ezra Waller, CityBeat)
Humans Bow Down -- A Mirror "On A Mirror, Humans Bow Down glides through broad, mysterious dreamscapes. Dynamics are the crucial element, as the band moves from spacey lushness to full-blown explosiveness, often within the span of a song. Challenging without being impenetrable, there's a strong sense of drama in the band's artistic compositions, but also a refreshing lack of melodrama. A Rock & Roll art piece to get lost in, full of emotional crevices and side-swiping melodies that creep up on you like a cold shiver." (Mike Breen, CityBeat) phratryrecords.com Sonny Moorman Group -- Crossroads Motel "Crossroads Motel is a fitting title for the latest from the Sonny Moorman Group. The trio has not only visited the cross section between Blues and Rock -- they've grabbed a room and set up camp for the long haul. Moorman is a masterly guitarist and vocalist, well versed in Blues' various forms. But as Crossroads expertly shows, it's a fool's move to try to pin Moorman down to just one thing." (Mike Breen, CityBeat) The Swarthy Band -- Oh Yeah "Singer/songwriter Swarthy is fluent in the language of classic Pop music. He virtually speaks in melody and makes the art of creating memorable songs seem effortless. Swarthy's band is remarkably proficient and versatile, providing the perfect backdrop and some amazing harmonies. He's one of the best songwriters in Cincinnati; with his remarkable band behind him and Oh, Yeah under his belt, he's now bulletproof." (Mike Breen, CityBeat) Vinyltones -- Memoirs of a Songbooks "Memoirs is a revelation, showing the 'Tones to be one of the most talented new bands in the city. The album moves from more bouncy Power Pop fare to balls-out melodic Rock, with some amazing mid-tempo and ballad-like numbers tossed in for a well roundedness that makes the band sound like they've been together for a decade. Fans of artists from Ben Folds to Pete Yorn to Snow Patrol will find Memoirs on par with those artists' best work." (Mike Breen, CityBeat) |
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