Hogscraper and Plow on Boy

THEN: At the end of 1996, Music Editor Mike Breen compiled the Cincinnati Top 40, a list of the best local CD releases of the year. Hogscraper's self-titled release, which occupied the No. 2 position, earned the title of "most original release." With a sound dubbed a "Satanic Jug Band," they traveled all over the country screaming and exposing music lovers to their unique sound.

Plow on Boy (PoB)'s Go Round came in at No. 4 on the 1996 list. CityBeat reported that the band would call it quits in '97, robbing the local music scene of the band's "natural flow and haunting emotions (that) defied the 'Folk Pop' tag." (Issue of Dec. 19, 1996)

NOW: Both bands have disappeared from the local radar screen, but Darren Blase, owner of Shake It Records, the label that released Hogscraper's CD, says he gets at least one request a week for the "weird, hypnotic hillbilly Bluegrass sound. The fact that they lasted as long as they did is incredible. It was too much of a freakshow." Blase is actively trying to find the band members to re-release the CD but so far hasn't had much luck.

The four-member PoB's demise was due to romantic notions, according to bassist Mike Georgin.

"The band exploded in a firey ball of flame due to some inter-dating within it," he says. "That's almost never a good idea, but it happens. What can you do?"

Georgin has vague ideas where fellow ex-PoB members are: Vocalist and guitarist Niki Buehrig spins records for a radio station in Yellow Springs, and drummer Chris Glen plays with the Blues band Blue Lou and the Accusations. "I think that (guitarist) Toby has a tech-support job for a computer company," he relates. "I'm not sure who he's playing with these days."

Georgin hasn't given up music. He's playing in several bands around town — Boom Boom Horshack, 4 Track All-Stars, Steve Waak Trio and a few others — and is pursuing solo work as well. He credits PoB with giving him direction and shaping his idea about his future associations.

"With PoB, I got a great opportunity to work with Niki, who is an amazing songwriter," Georgin says. "The band was also a tight-knit family. We saved all of the money from gigs and took out loans to release what I think are two really good records. All of these things really raised the bar with regards to what kind of band I'd want to play with in the future. I still enjoy listening to the records and often wonder what would have happened had we managed to stay together."