http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/ It's been a tough week here at Minimum Gauge. The world lost one of its giants of culture and we've barely been able to get out of bed, let alone troll for news headlines to make fun of (largely because all the news was focused on our beloved lost icon). But Billy Mays' untimely passing wasn't the only important thing that happened this week.]]> Weird or rude off-the-cuff remarks from musicians on stage are nothing new. And they’re usually pretty disingeuous— do you really think Rob Thomas genuinely cares, “How ya doin’ tonight, Boise?” Those statements are innocuous enough, but there’s a lesson to be learned from an Oasis concert earlier this month in the U.K.]]> When Minimum Gauge first read the Los Angeles Times article on a new genre of music called “Jerk,” we thought, “Hmmm, seems odd Gene Simmons would merit an entire genre of music.” Turns out, Jerk is actually a Hip Hop subgenre that bubbled up from L.A. a couple of years ago.]]> Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Aerosmith have had the most impressive second act in Rock history. Of course, the second half of their career has been full of shitty, overproduced ballads and fauxrockers, but still, they've made way more money in the past 20 years than they did when they were a genuinely amazing Rock & Roll band.]]> Weezer could have commissioned its own “Sweater (Song) Bedazzler” or maybe a “Weezer Emo ShamWow” (for fans to wipe away those “rivers” of adolescent tears). Instead, the group has reportedly teamed with the Snuggie company to create the “Wuggie.”]]> Weird or rude off-the-cuff remarks from musicians on stage are nothing new. And they’re usually pretty disingeuous— do you really think Rob Thomas genuinely cares, “How ya doin’ tonight, Boise?” Those statements are innocuous enough, but there’s a lesson to be learned from an Oasis concert earlier this month in the U.K.]]> Jive Records Coolness is an indispensable character trait for bands pursuing real success in today’s world, because if you don’t sound cool enough, the TV-viewing public won’t pay any attention to your crap.]]> Capitol Colin Meloy has created a song cycle that details the story of a fair young maiden and the metamorph that takes advantage of her, set to a soundtrack worthy of the best Prog/Folk purveyors of the '70s and shot through with contemporary melodicism and verve. ]]> Domino First off, dude sounds like the long-lost lovechild of Queen's Freddie Mercury and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, a pair who in a perfect world would have made a great Rock & Roll gay couple, no doubt. In any case, the fusion could only have created a mutant MercuRex musician so ferociously pompous in his stylistic grandiosity as Mr. Ferree, whose overly verbose songs are pretty catchy despite their penchant for being over-the-top.]]> Blue Note L.A. duo The Bird and The Bee loves to use that bad synthesized harpsichord sound that Stereolab somehow made kosher. They also add hackneyed Tropicalia and "Jazz" flourishes, and it’s all set down on top of mindless, pre-programmed beats.]]> Emarcy John Scofield has applied his innovative Jazz guitar methodology to every conceivable subset of the genre — Funk, Blues, Bebop, Chamber Jazz, Electronica and many others — over his storied career as a Jazz sessioner and solo artist. For his astonishing 36th album under his own name, Piety Street, Scofield has assembled a crack band of singers and players to create a Gospel/Blues/Jazz hybrid that is inspirational from both a musical and spiritual context.]]> Happy Jack Rock Whether the Indie Rock veteran is fronting Guided by Voices or experimental Circus Devils, Bob Pollard is a god among songwriting men, and for good reason. ]]> Light of X (Nettwerk) Eight years ago, Miranda Lee Richards released her astonishing debut, The Herethereafter, to a cynical, just barely post-9/11 world]]> There's a great passage in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' where Chief Bromden explains how Big Nurse controls the clocks in the hospital, tormenting the patients by slowing the by slowing the clock down during the majority of the week and then speeding it up during visiting hours. It's also indicative of my life lately; I never seem to have enough time. Still, I'm here to discuss new CDs from Patterson Hood, LANDy, Otis Taylor, Foreign Born, Lemonheads and Tortoise and a new film of The Turtles' wild ride in the 1960s.]]> There's a great passage in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' where Chief Bromden explains how Big Nurse controls the clocks in the hospital, tormenting the patients by slowing the by slowing the clock down during the majority of the week and then speeding it up during visiting hours. It's also indicative of my life lately; I never seem to have enough time. Still, I'm here to discuss new CDs from Patterson Hood, LANDy, Otis Taylor, Foreign Born, Lemonheads and Tortoise and a new film of The Turtles' wild ride in the 1960s.]]> I'm once again foregoing my vinyl burn this week and keeping the reviews on the light side. Next week looks to be absolutely packed with titles (a quick count reveals at least 14 discs and a DVD in the stacks that I could cover). This week I check out new CDs from Holly Williams, Candye Kane and Clock Hands Strangle and two reissues from Big Star.]]> They can put a man on the moon, so why can't someone engineer the 30-hour day? Between writing and planning to write and the administration of my writing and downloading and listening and that other devourer of time, family life, the only thing left to cut into is sleep. Here's what I've been listening to this week: new albums from Sonic Youth, Adam Freeland, Slim Twig, Rhett Miller and Trey Anastasio and classic vinyl from Chuck Prophet.]]> Another crazy week in Bakerville, and it's only going to get more hectic as the weeks proceed. My daughter's last day of school is next Thursday and, once she's home for the summer, my daily schedule gets slightly more complicated. But I'm excited to check out new CDs from Ryan Bingham, Iggy Pop, Daddy, Elvis Costello and Mark Everett and Eels.]]> This week's posting has been winnowed by a killer combination of my MidPoint Music Festival judging duties and a long holiday weekend, so try to contain your disappointment at the shortage of reviews. This week I tackle new releases from Michelle Shocked, Viva Voce, Maurice Mattei & the Tempers, Chris Gaffney, Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women and Hatcham Social.]]> Man, this is shaping up to be an excellent year for music. As we approach the halfway point of 2009, I’m amazed at the quality of tuneage that’s been released so far this year. My only regret is that I can’t cover all of them, but I will continue to tilt at musical windmills nonetheless. This week it's new CDs from Jarvis Cocker, The Oxygen Ponies, Chuck Mead, John Vanderslice and White Rabbits, plus classic albums by Tommy Bolin.]]> Looks like another light week, not for lack of titles to cover but lack of time to cover them all. But even as I transfer another handful of discs from the "Review This Week" stack to the "Better Luck Next Week" pile, the calendar reveals a couple of light title weeks coming up very soon. So eventually everything will get its chance in the drawer and in this forum. Until then, there’s no present like the time. This week: new CDs from Paul Carrack, The Church, Hanne Hukkelberg, The Datsuns, Jeremy Enigk and Wooden Birds and a classic album by Game Theory.]]> Sometimes, when you get two solo artists together for a collaboration disc, you’ve just got to have two separate release parties to celebrate. And when you have the distinct pleasure of living in a border city separated from another border city by a river, you’ve got to make sure those release shows cover both metro areas. Such is the case with Ryan Malott and Kelly Thomas and their debut EP, which will see international distribution thanks to Deep Elm Records.]]> It's often been said of larger than life characters that if they didn't exist someone would have had to invent them. Thankfully we had Michael Riley, because it's difficult to imagine the twisted cosmic novelist that would have been necessary to come up with him. Riley was the personification of dichotomy. He was a fixture as an employee in Clifton music stores, but a fatal stroke June 18 ended his reign as the unofficial Mayor of Clifton Music. ]]> Sometimes, when you get two solo artists together for a collaboration disc, you’ve just got to have two separate release parties to celebrate. And when you have the distinct pleasure of living in a border city separated from another border city by a river, you’ve got to make sure those release shows cover both metro areas. Such is the case with Ryan Malott and Kelly Thomas and their debut EP, which will see international distribution thanks to Deep Elm Records.]]> The Afghan Whigs are local legends around these parts. If you live in the Tristate area, are a Rock fan and somehow have never managed to hear of them, here’s the rundown: Birthed in the late 1980s initially as a Garage Punk outfit, the scrappy lads became critical darlings and cult faves in the ’90s after gradually morphing into an AltRock group with an ear for Post Punk and R&B.]]> Cincinnati is the new Olympia, Wash., this week, as Arms Exploding, Caterpillar Tracks and The Read, three politically charged bands with aggressive Post-Punk/Post- Hardcore tendencies, celebrate their 7-inch vinyl releases on local label Phratry Records. Newport’s Southgate House is ground zero for getting your face kicked in Friday night. Caterpillar Tracks and Arms Exploding bring their neo-Noise Rock — and a box of freshly pressed vinyl singles — to the Parlor.]]> Singer, guitarist and Nashville native Jenny Ward spent a good chunk of her prime braving an often-stagnant life in a series of small Midwestern towns. Hey, a little misery always brings out the best in a singer/songwriter. Luckily, Ward channeled the frustration and ennui of her situation, wrote a bunch of Folk-informed songs to keep herself sane and then hit the road and headed for Cincinnati.]]> After a battle with cancer, drummer Nate Staggs returns strong When I step into Reality Tuesdays, a Covington coffee joint, I scan the room for "band signs" — tattoos, Chucks, skate shoes, black clothes, wrecked hair or wicked T-shirts, the usual dead giveaways. Then I see two guys huddling in a booth — early twenties, whispering about sound systems. Bingo. Watson Park. ]]> Goes from member to bandleader with solo debut CD For the better part of the last decade, Brian Olive has been someone's guitarist — sometimes as Oliver Henry or Henry Oliver — from post-high school outfits to his stints with The Greenhornes and Soledad Brothers. When the time finally came for Olive to blaze a solo trail, he had plenty of experience to draw on when considering what he wanted to accomplish as a solo artist.]]> Brewing up a hot blend of Indie Rock, Funk and Hip Hop When vocalist Jack Novak joined guitarist Colin Finch and drummer John Bertke three years ago, he brought change with him — a change in philosophy and musical direction away from the straight Hip Hop/ Funk that defined their initial group, Raze. ]]> Their debut CD is just the latest benchmark in the band’s decade-long history A good band reflects its collective influences, a great band transcends them. Denim Road folds its members’ long musical histories into a hybridized synthesis of sounds they love and sounds they’ve already made. As a result, the sextet’s eponymous debut exudes a soulful Pop vibe that is comfortably, classically familiar, like an album you’ve heard a hundred times the first time through.]]> Releasing two new CDs from the attic with live help from Sleepybird Kinda dark. Kinda a sweet relief. Perspective is tricky. And for Jason Wells of for algernon, although his sound veers toward soothing, then leans into the moody side, a focused, optimistic, artistic view is key.]]> Picking up where The Pernicious Knifs left off Once upon a time … nah, don’t worry. This isn’t one of those stories. This isn’t a fairy tale and it isn’t going to be written as one. You can interpret tragedy in a number of different ways. You can see lessons and morals and realize everything could be one or the other. ]]> Dustin Smith eschews gimmicks to concentrate on good songwriting It's the chicken/egg situation for every band: Which comes first, the gigs or the fan base? "We actually were turned down by every major venue in Cincinnati that we contacted for our CD release show," says Dustin Smith, the 22-year-old singer/songwriter behind Okay Lindon. He isn't complaining, though. He's simply explaining why his band had its CD release party at a local pizza place on May 2.]]> Goes from member to bandleader with solo debut CD For the better part of the last decade, Brian Olive has been someone's guitarist — sometimes as Oliver Henry or Henry Oliver — from post-high school outfits to his stints with The Greenhornes and Soledad Brothers. When the time finally came for Olive to blaze a solo trail, he had plenty of experience to draw on when considering what he wanted to accomplish as a solo artist.]]> How downloading reconnected me with my inner record-collecting child Don’t get me wrong: There is nothing tedious or unpleasant about my job as music critic, and I still have a great abiding love for music in all its complex and sometimes baffling forms. In a lot of ways, I think the problem is that, as a working journalist, I am overinformed. And now my son has introduced me to the world of downloading. Wow.]]> Local Emo-Poppers claw their way to the top For a non-coastal, Midwestern town with a notoriously parochial attitude and a penchant for going on obsessive jags over swaths of in-vogue bands that operate in one genre, Cincinnati and The Flight Station, with their decidedly lofty major-label-fame-and-fortune goals, don't always see eye-to-eye ... to say the least.]]> Smarter than your average Dance Rock band As soon as the laser sears the aluminum surface of Eat Sugar's new CD, 'It's Not Our Responsibility,' any booty with a soul attached is liable to grow a mind of its own, get itself up off the chair and shake its proprietor around like a useless sack of meat. But while the bumpin' backbeat is undeniable, Eat Sugar are far from routine, mindless dance-party rockers.]]> Swimming back to the surface with 'Monochrome' Since 1997, July for Kings has surged forward amidst several lineup changes. 'Swim' was their national debut for MCA Records in 2002. They toured with Muse, Counting Crows, The Calling and more. After MCA folded, 'Nostalgia' was released on singer/songwriter Joe Hedges' Indie label and in its first week became the top-purchased album on CDBaby.com. Middletown natives Hedges and Dan McQuinn remain from the earlier days.]]> Slow Claw returns from Nashville with new album and a cause So they’re stopping back home with a catchy new name and a foot fetish. Now called Slow Claw, these three former members of Cincinnati favorites Junior Revolution return for Cincinnati gigs and a one-mile barefoot walk through Northside to kick the Tom's Shoes cause up a notch. ]]> Bootsy's restaurant offers exhibits representing Cincy's rich musical history Finally, a slice of Cincinnati music history gets enshrined. While there have been temporary exhibits in recent years on our music lore at the public library and the Contemporary Arts Center, there has never been a permanent historical display. There is one now — in the lobby of the new Bootsy's restaurant downtown.]]> Nels Cline enjoys more than job security in his gig A reinvigorated Wilco was born when Jeff Tweedy called Nels Cline to invite him into the band. When Tweedy emerged from addiction treatment to a new lineup for the band's following record and tour, the adventurous Cline at the helm with his axe. While Cline has spent most of life making music, being a centerpiece in what he calls a "legendary" Rock band hadn't occurred to him. ]]> Smarter than your average Dance Rock band As soon as the laser sears the aluminum surface of Eat Sugar's new CD, 'It's Not Our Responsibility,' any booty with a soul attached is liable to grow a mind of its own, get itself up off the chair and shake its proprietor around like a useless sack of meat. But while the bumpin' backbeat is undeniable, Eat Sugar are far from routine, mindless dance-party rockers.]]> It's been a tough week here at Minimum Gauge. The world lost one of its giants of culture and we've barely been able to get out of bed, let alone troll for news headlines to make fun of (largely because all the news was focused on our beloved lost icon). But Billy Mays' untimely passing wasn't the only important thing that happened this week.]]> Local Emo-Poppers claw their way to the top For a non-coastal, Midwestern town with a notoriously parochial attitude and a penchant for going on obsessive jags over swaths of in-vogue bands that operate in one genre, Cincinnati and The Flight Station, with their decidedly lofty major-label-fame-and-fortune goals, don't always see eye-to-eye ... to say the least.]]> After a battle with cancer, drummer Nate Staggs returns strong When I step into Reality Tuesdays, a Covington coffee joint, I scan the room for "band signs" — tattoos, Chucks, skate shoes, black clothes, wrecked hair or wicked T-shirts, the usual dead giveaways. Then I see two guys huddling in a booth — early twenties, whispering about sound systems. Bingo. Watson Park. ]]> How downloading reconnected me with my inner record-collecting child Don’t get me wrong: There is nothing tedious or unpleasant about my job as music critic, and I still have a great abiding love for music in all its complex and sometimes baffling forms. In a lot of ways, I think the problem is that, as a working journalist, I am overinformed. And now my son has introduced me to the world of downloading. Wow.]]> It's often been said of larger than life characters that if they didn't exist someone would have had to invent them. Thankfully we had Michael Riley, because it's difficult to imagine the twisted cosmic novelist that would have been necessary to come up with him. Riley was the personification of dichotomy. He was a fixture as an employee in Clifton music stores, but a fatal stroke June 18 ended his reign as the unofficial Mayor of Clifton Music. ]]> July 4 • Southgate House O'Death's rugged stomp grafts the power of Punk and Metal onto the faculties of Jazz, Bluegrass and Folk and spits the combination out with the unencumbered spirit of pre-WWII music.]]> Capitol Colin Meloy has created a song cycle that details the story of a fair young maiden and the metamorph that takes advantage of her, set to a soundtrack worthy of the best Prog/Folk purveyors of the '70s and shot through with contemporary melodicism and verve. ]]> Domino First off, dude sounds like the long-lost lovechild of Queen's Freddie Mercury and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan, a pair who in a perfect world would have made a great Rock & Roll gay couple, no doubt. In any case, the fusion could only have created a mutant MercuRex musician so ferociously pompous in his stylistic grandiosity as Mr. Ferree, whose overly verbose songs are pretty catchy despite their penchant for being over-the-top.]]> June 22 • PNC Pavilion at Riverbend It can be hard for a band to retain its indie identity when big labels start throwing money around, but Rise Against has never risen to that bait even when it signed to one of the biggest labels in the industry.]]> June 20 • Riverbend It can't be too surprising that Ziggy Marley has often involved himself in family/kid-related projects in his career. His iconic father, Bob Marley, typified family in broadly exaggerated and unconventional ways, and Ziggy is most assuredly his father's most famous son.]]> Jive Records Coolness is an indispensable character trait for bands pursuing real success in today’s world, because if you don’t sound cool enough, the TV-viewing public won’t pay any attention to your crap.]]> June 19 • Southgate House Unless you're a maven of '80s Hardcore, it's not likely that a mention of the Zero Boys will ignite any immediate resonance. Considering their story, that's a shame.]]> July 3 • Southgate House On their latest traveling tent revival, the Shack*Shakers will likely be singing from the upcoming chapter in their snake-handling hymnal, the fall-scheduled 'AgriDustrial' CD. Col. J.D. Wilkes remains the hypnotically frenetic presence behind the microphone and harmonica.]]> June 27 • Memorial Hall Steve Earle once noted that Townes Van Zandt was a great songwriter but maybe not the best role model. Earle would know: Just as his friend did, he's collected wrong moves like charms for a bracelet.]]> June 26 • Southgate House (Lounge) Once upon a helluva long time ago, Country music was about the music, and you can thank the deity of your choice that there are folks out there like Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys who understand that perspective all too well.]]>