There are a lot of terrible album covers out there. Surprisingly, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few. That being said, there's certainly a clear winner here, thanks to the late great Ethel Merman. In 1979, at the age of 71, American screen and Broadway legend Ethel Merman decided to jump on the disco bandwagon with "The Ethel Merman Disco Album." Merman was 20 years past her last Broadway successes and apparently wasn't quite ready for retirement. Originally, Merman recorded 14 songs for the album, but only seven would see the light of day on the finished product. Each of the so...
Despite only being together for a relatively short time, Massillon's First and Thorne have made some major waves in the regional music scene with their aggressive indie rock stylings. Comprised of Sean McGonagle (guitar/lead vocals), Phil Bregy (bass/vocals), Christian Bochkor (drums/vocals), Ryan White (lead guitar/vocals), the group originally formed through a chance meeting. “It kind of was like fated man,” McGonagle said. “I broke up with this girl and I started going to this garage to party, and there were musicians there and we just jammed.” He went on to explain that thoug...
On Friday, February 1, downtown Canton got another welcomed addition to the city's booming art's district, Frankenstein Records. With more than 35,000 records, a slew of independent books, local music, posters and artwork, Frankenstein Records promises to be Canton's newest one-stop vinyl shop. It gets better — this monster is owned by one of the Canton music scene's longest supporters, Chris Bentley, of The Most Beautiful Losers, and he's making damn sure the Canton music scene keeps growing. The Losers are gracefully gearing down the national touring life after years of being one of the...
The Northeast Ohio Blues Association (NEOBA) will host a blues challenge on Saturday, April 27, 2013, at The Eagles, 6979 Sunset Strip Avenue, NW in North Canton. Blues bands and solo/duo blues acts will compete for cash prizes and NEOBA sponsorship at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tenn., in early 2014. The IBC is the largest gathering and showcase of blues talent in the world. The winning band will receive $500 in cash and NEOBA sponsorship; and a solo/duo blues act will receive $200 in cash and NEOBA sponsorship. Any serious blues musician is invited to apply. ...
BRITE WINTER ANNOUNCES 48 BANDS ON 6 STAGES FOR 2013 FESTIVAL IN OHIO CITY CLEVELAND, Ohio BRITE WINTER has announced that the annual free winter art and music festival will feature 48 bands on 6 stages on February 16th, 2013 in Ohio City’ Market District. The event is a showcase of up and coming Midwestern artists including The Floorwalkers, Teen, Total Babes, Wolf Ram Heart, Bethesda, Ashley Brooke Toussant and many more. In 2012 the festival grew to feature 40 groups and drew 10,000 attendees for the single day art and music festival, sponsored by GE Lighting, The Cleveland Institut...
My Dear Republicans (The Fiscal Cliff Song) by ShiSho LYRICS: Hi, we’re ShiSho from Kent, Ohio And we’re here with a message for EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN in the House of Representatives from middle class America My dear Republicans I am here today To advise A compromise To keep us from recession We ask you to agree That the middle class can’t take this type of a beating You see the fiscal cliff is daunting Pitting friend against friend Democrat vs Republican We arrive with a plea For each of you personally Bob Gibbs, Stephen Fincher, Renee Ellmers, H...
Out of Kent, OH comes a rip-roaring supergroup with a big-band blues sound that incorporates an impressive brass section with guitars that drip with classic rock goodness. Bold vocals, killer solos, bright horns and lush, rhythmic drumming make Scarlet and the Harlots a refreshing delight in an age where rock is supposed to be dead. With powerful, Joplin-like vocals, Scarlet leads the pack on the band's impressive self-titled December release. The inspired 10-track disc mixes the jazzy innovations of Herbie Hancock with the rock-blues of Zeppelin. Although the band is clearly well-versed in...
Back in 2005, before Midge Ramone was in kindergarden, she and her sister's indie-pop band, ShiSho, wrote and recorded, "Get Behind Me Santa," a comedy song inspired by the White Stripes project du jour, "Get Behind Me Satan." Little did they know, this funny ditty would earn them a recording deal with England's Filthy Little Angels Records, rotation on BBC radio and attention from Pitchfork and the Sufjan Stephen's camp. Seven years have passed and ShiSho's Vivian and Midge Ramone have found their single's sleeve art published in a new book titled, "Covered: Classic Sleeves and Their Im...
“To make it to the future, we must first get through to the past,” sings Sam Hunt on Eddie Doldrum’s debut EP “World’s Best Dad.” It’s a lyrical sentiment that could sum up the plight of any northeast Ohio musician who has tried to defend the region through song. Rust Belt artists know the area’s scattered pockets of forward-thinking and optimistic people, who despite economic decline and population loss, are the ones building a future of exciting and important culture. And it’s those residents who wear their optimism like a badge of honor even when cynical politicians and...
New Orleans is known for its rich and distinct music history, but out of the city comes The Winter Sounds, a five-piece indie band set to define new musical genres. With synth-heavy beats, roots-rock guitars and vocals that echo the English New Wave greats, The Winter Sounds offers something a little different and evolved. What bands like The Killers and The Bravery started 10 years ago is taken through an Arcade Fire filter and twisted around in intricate knots to create the music this quintet is composing. The band's latest release, “Runner,” drops Nov. 27, and it's a dozen exciting t...
How just two musicians from Canton could create a six-song debut that sounds bigger than the sum of its parts is a little mind boggling. But We Are Public Radio have done it. In just a half-dozen tracks, singer-songwriter Andy Dolson and guitarist Patrick Boyle have created a polished album worthy of praise. The debut's quality boils down to heartfelt songwriting, contemporary melodic instrumentation and the crisp production value of Matt Goldman, a favorite amongst indie musicians. As a whole, We Are Public Radio's new release sounds a little like a mesh of David Gray, The Wallflowers and Lan...
I have to give the Misery Jackals credit. For someone whose musical tastes have refined themselves over the years, I must admit I never got into bluegrass. To me, the genre sounded decrepit and was squarely to blame for giving way to the abhorrent class of recent jam bands. But with “No Place for Children,” Akron’s Misery Jackal’s ensnared my hesitation with a debut album ripe with zydeco, native, punk and even pop-influenced songwriting. Using bluegrass as a mere jumping-off point, the Misery Jackals are lead by the bespectacled, top hat-wearing Sweet Willy C., aka Bill Corgan, who...
A NOT-SO-STANDARD CHRISTMAS What better way to celebrate getting drunk with your family (or because of your family) this holiday season than to accompany it with the joyous sounds of a good Christmas tune? However, not every Christmas song is worth blasting over your Bose on Christmas Eve as you watch your aunts and uncles bicker over who’s getting Grandma’s china collection when she dies. Check out this list of six unique holiday tunes to add to your iTunes playlist this Christmas Eve. MARAH – “SILVER BELLS” Brooklyn-based roots-rock band Marah took an interesting approach ...
Thrashing wildly like practitioners of some ancient cult that has only grown more fervent in its processions of mayhem as the years roll forth. With disregard for life, limb and those who find themselves in Canton's The Said So's sphere, even if temporarily, the band bashes and crashes through its numbers as only those that are truly possessed, or perhaps have seen the vision, can. First formed in 2010, the band has gone through some lineup changes, according to drummer Bill Locke. “The original band Rickey (Mendell, vocals) and Dan (McPherson, guitarist) worked together and they kind of...
Akron’s three-piece band, Apollo, may just be getting its foot in the door of the local music scene, but with the release of its debut EP, “Right Here,” it’s clear the gang has a clear vision and something to prove to the Rubber City and beyond. “Rainy Day” is a moody instrumental track that recalls the post-rock vibes of fellow Akronites If These Trees Could Talk with sweet jangling guitars that slip into eerie, haunting notes. Eric Holland-Jones’ drumming creates a full-bodied sound that somehow isn’t overbearing. It’s a good introduction to the band’s quiet but noisy ...
The provoking cover art for Midnight Ghost Train’s "Buffalo" evokes the vast, tall wheat fields of Topeka, Kan., where this stoner rock trio calls home. It’s a calming image until you look a little closer at the long-haired topless woman grazing the field with her sinister stare and cocked eyebrow that really lets you know what’s in store. Formed in 2007, Midnight Ghost Train is Steve Moss (vocals, guitar), David Kimmel (bass) and Brandon Burghart (drums). After independently releasing an EP and album as well as crisscrossing Europe twice, the band has rode up with “Buffalo,” an ...
Think back to what you were doing at the ages 12 and 17. For the members of Skating Polly, they can think back to just yesterday. They can tell you they’ve played shows with Portugal. The Man, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The Walkmen and Deerhoof. They can tell you they’ve worked with Kliph Scurlock of The Flaming Lips to produce their next record. They can tell you Sean Ono Lennon tweeted about them. “Child prodigy” is a word often overused, but while today’s teens are tweeting, texting and talking on the phone, 12-year-old Kelli Mayo and 17-year-old Peyton Bighorse are craf...
How just two musicians from Canton could create a six-song debut that sounds bigger than the sum of its parts is a little mind boggling. But We Are Public Radio have done it. In just a half-dozen tracks, singer-songwriter Andy Dolson and guitarist Patrick Boyle have created a polished album worthy of praise. The debut's quality boils down to heartfelt songwriting, contemporary melodic instrumentation and the crisp production value of Matt Goldman, a favorite amongst indie musicians. As a whole, We Are Public Radio's freshman release sounds a little like a mesh of David Gray, The Wallflowers an...
Out of Canton grew a now-locally-famous foursome, 40s, an indie rock ensemble known for popping up at nearly every Northeast Ohio venue with great frequency. Andy Bors, 40s bassist, recently put the rock on hold for a side project known as duckii. Though Bors boasts guitar, drums and piano skills in addition to his bass playing with the band, his latest project is a little different, a little trendy and perhaps a little surprising. As duckii, the musician crafts electronic dance music with beats and breakdowns that are both artful sonic collages and fun stuff to dance to. Bors taught himsel...
Grabbing their namesake from a quiet, melodic Simon & Garfunkel tune, the three Jersey lads who make up Only Living Boy are anything but soft and folksy. Taking cues from blues greats like Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Seattle slacker vibes of Soundgarden, the band births a gritty, inspired sound with roaring riffs and howls. Only Living Boy is known as a band that does a lot of touring, and with its latest double A-side single, “Spread Your Butter b/w Scrambled Eggs,” the first of three new EPS to be released by next year, these guys will only be spreading their sound even further. The...
