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...
December 14 - Kent - Kent Stage Sister Hazel are an alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style also blends elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock 'n' roll and southern rock. Their music is characterized by highly melodic tunes and generally optimistic lyrics. The band's instrumentation often features abrupt shifts among electric, acoustic and a cappella, with striking use of tacets. Though often described as alternative, Sister Hazel leans toward an upbeat sound and away from the clashing punk discordance often associated with the alternative rock genre. Emerson Hart is...
Nov 17 - Cleveland - Beachland Ballroom The chamber-folk ensemble The Wilderness of Manitoba is bringing their honeyed melodies to Cleveland, performing Thursday, November 17 at Beachland Ballroom. While the intimacy of The Wilderness of Manitoba’s vocal layers remains unassumingly seductive and their lush ambience comfortably enveloping, their constant touring in support of their debut album, When You Left The Fire, has expanded the band's sound, making it widescreen and dynamic. Showcasing their four-part vocal harmonies which complement varied instrumentation (ranging from banjo t...
Pepper Rabbit w/ Braids This bill mixes the orchestrated indie pop tunes of Pepper Rabbit with the art rock jams of Braids. Both these bands are doing some interesting things with unique instrumentation. Hop on this one before your hipster friends ruin it. 10/8 Beachland Tavern • Cleveland...
The onslaught of Foot Village is not something you hear everyday. The band's fusion of screaming vocals and an arsenal of drums gives Foot Village a sound not easily describable and experimentally unique. Buzzbin caught up with band member Brian Miller before their arrival in Cleveland to blow the crowd away at Now That's Class on Wednesday. Tell me alittle about the origins of Foot Village. Most of us had been making music for a long time before doing Foot Village. None of our other projects were really your standard rock bands, but still, pretty normal instrumentation compared to Foo...
Dark, Dark, Dark unabashedly labels themselves in the chamber folk genre, something they may have invented, according to banjo and clarinet player Marshall LaCount. Their songs feature banjos and accordions that mingle with clarinets and guitars creating a melancholy sound that paints the picture of gray, drizzled dawns on a run down farm. The band didn't start off with a soft sound, quite the contrary. LaCount explains that they initially started playing on the street, which caused them to play louder and faster then they originally intended. Though this has worked in the bands favor as th...
In what is undoubtedly a return to form, Thursday resurfaced with one wallop of an album. Their latest, No Devolución, is packed full of vigorous tracks, which signify that the New Jersey natives are back with one hell of a vengeance. The band showed promise with its split EP alongside Japan's hardcore masterminds Envy a few years ago but otherwise seemed to be treading water for most of the last decade. Thursday hit critical and mainstream success in 2001 with their second record, Full Collapse, but have struggled to reach the same level of greatness with the albums that followed. The ...
