Akron's native bluesmen, The Juke Hounds, released their album, “Low Man on the Totem Pole,” a rip-roaring collection of 10 loud and vibrant tracks. The disc captures all the energy of a large blues festival, and it's impossible not to get up and start shaking along to the rhythm of each tune. Frontman Bob Gardner's conversational style of singing includes the listener into the stories he tells, especially on the album's standout track, “Wrong Side of Town.” The tune begins with steady drums and guitars that are accented by skillful harmonica playing and call-and-response vocals fro...
The Juke Hounds Formed in late 2006, The Juke Hounds ventured on a special mission to put the “Juke” spin on the standard blues sound. By adding a high energy approach, an uplifting twist to the songs, and upbeat musicianship, The Juke Hounds built a loyal following regionally. Most folks don’t realize there’s another side to the blues - an upside that keeps the listener smilin’, dancin’ and swinging . . . and that’s where The Juke Hounds set their mark. The Juke Hounds members are Bob Gardner (lead guitar and lead vocals), Gerard Dominick (bass and backup vocals), Jimm...
Containing 21 tracks, Guided By Voices’s latest effort seems a bit long. It’s not a concept record, there actually doesn’t even seem to be much of a common theme in the record at all, in lyrical content or musical composition. The hodge-podge flow of the record gives the feeling that the songs aren’t quite fully developed. Coupled with the band’s trademark lo-fi recording technique — though they did employ some modern practices at moments — the record sounds more like a demo than a cohesive effort. For people unfamiliar with the band, this might not be the best record to acqu...
This is the third record put out by Youngstown rockers Asleep and this one was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini — yeah, that Steve Albini who has worked with Nirvana, the Pixies, and Iggy Pop and the Stooges. If that testament to Asleep's ability to craft some serious jams isn't enough of an enticement to check “Unpleasant Companion” out, it's hard to say what else is. The group's high-energy indie rock is well represented on their latest record, which captured the band's raw live sound on two-inch analog tape, giving the listener a taste of their live sets. Unlike other records tha...
McGuire has been kicking around the music scene for a while now and is pretty well-regarded for his drone and ambient work — namely with his other band, Emeralds, which also features Cleveland heavy hitter Sam Goldberg. “Get Lost” finds McGuire on familiar ground, with ambient loops and effect-heavy guitar melodies. While he does stay true to the sound that he’s known for on this new record, it’s much more focused then previous releases. For fans of the rising chill-wave genre, this record will definitely please. It’s hard to say if the record has more of a zoned-out or sucke...
You certainly don’t get many artists like Joe Rollin Porter anymore. He’s a magnificent guitarist and his skills give his songs this added layer of awesome that can have even the most uppity of music know-it-alls bowing down. Joe Rollin Porter is an Americana folk performer out of Cleveland that was kind enough to grace downtown Canton with his presence for the Brewed Roots Festival. Porter takes classic songs like “The Cuckoo Bird” and “Greensleeves” and makes them so astoundingly amazing, you can’t help but tapping your toe to the tune. And his entire album, “Troubles Lik...
Initially formed by guitarist Jeremey Poparad as a way to jam out with a handful of friends who were moving out of state, Axon-Neuron became something else entirely. Within a matter of a few months, the band banged out a full-length and even booked a few gigs in the Akron area. The result was Bring Songs, the band’s first full-length album in which they recorded in May of this year. The members of Axon-Neuron call themselves a rock band with jazz and classical influences but this writer sees things a tad bit differently. At first listen, the jazz and classical inspirations stick out like ...
ofHuman is a band that you shouldn’t overlook. They’ve been garnering respect in the Columbus area since the beginning of 2010 and these guys definitely know their craft. They’ve got a sound somewhat reminiscent of Dashboard Confessional or Hoobastank. It’s that rock sound that toes the border between rock and pop, and it does it very well. Their new EP, Ever Present, is amazing. These guys have pure talent and when that was paired with producer Jim Wirt, who has worked with the likes of Jack’s Mannequin, Hoobastank and Incubus, a great record was born. ofHuman’s guitarists h...
Ella Riot calls it "Dancethink Music." Some might call it high-brow guilty-pleasure dance music. At the end of the day, it's hard to find a genre to apply to a band of music degrees shamelessly enamored with catchy hooks, who sing through a giant megaphone in French, shred Van Halen on electrified Irish bagpipes, write 80's tribute dance-rock anthems in 5/4, and re-sample themselves doing it live -- all to create a modern-day musical Frankenstein that will pull even the most self-conscious listener on to the dance floor. Formerly named My Dear Disco, the band is continuing a musical meta...
Just when you think you’ve got Welcome to Low figured out, Akron band The Hipnauts switches it up, almost daring you to switch songs before one is finished. Even the title is misleading—the album inspires anything but a low feeling in the listener. From beginning to end, it takes you on a topsy-turvy ride of sound, with a blend of genres ranging from touches of punk, techno, and rock ‘n’ roll to indie and electronica. What’s even more impressive is The Hipnauts’ ability to retain cohesiveness in an album where every song evokes a different mood. Starting the al...
Gleasons Drift is a band all about keeping the spirit of rock’n’roll alive, which is done artfully on the new album Blythe Township Mellencamp. It’s rock/americana with hints of country; a convergence of light-hearted barroom music with a strong focus on harmony and catchy hooks. Their clever lyrics are strung together over eleven diverse tracks, bouncing between southern blues, pop, punk and garage rock, bringing a new flavor into each song. They get honkey-tonk on “Crowes” before displaying their Meat Puppets influence with a sped-up tempo on “It Ain’t Easy Being Me....
By Julia Kazar Experimental rock can be one of the hardest styles to get right, and to make sound good. But Thee Oh Sees seem to know exactly how to do it. And they are putting their own modern twist on psychedelic music at the same time. Their 11th album, Warm Slime, which was released in May, combines psychedelic rock, with heavy metal, and a lot of screaming to make one original album, and fans can’t seem to get enough of it. The title track off the album is also hands down the one that stands out the most. At over thirteen minutes long there is plenty of time to experiment w...
On their 11th album, "Soliloquy," Up, Bustle and Out have created an ambient mood with mellow latin funk through dubs and creative fusions. Part electronica, part jazz, part funk, "Soliloquy," combines as many different influences as one can squeeze onto an album. With reggae rhythms and multi-lingual vocals, it sounds like Carribean jazz with a twist of Latin soul. Even if you can't understand what they're saying for most of the album, the music paints a picture of laid-back beach living, with singer and actress Sevval Sam's alluring, haunting voice dominating most of the album's 13 tr...
By Julia Kazar Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are known for their unique style of rock and roll music, but when they set out to make his latest album they decided to do things a little differently. Instead of following the formula that has worked for the band for years, a mix of heartland rock and catchy pop, they went with a more country and blues inspired theme, and it might not have been the best choice for them. Credit where credit is due though, this album was recorded mostly live. Luckily, Tom Petty, and all the Heartbreakers are incredibly talented musicians so what came out wa...
Faux brothers Tom Rowland and Ed Simons will release their seventh studio album "Further" on June 14th. The innovators of electronica will also be releasing films to accompany the music, working with visual artists Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall for the complete mind-blowing experience. The duo seems to have found a formula for their music, a rubric of space, bass, buildup and breakdown. They create a psychedelic experience as they guide the listener on a journey through their eight-track landscape. The slow repetitive beat on the opening track "Snow" is consistent with the opening ...
New Body Type Pink Boys While listening to Pink Boys, a new album by the New Body Type, I immediately felt like I was listening to an album from the ‘70s. The band has presented a very throwback kind of vibe. Containing eleven songs, the album runs for about 25 minutes. 25 minutes of a punk edge meeting David Bowie and They Might Be Giants. The lyrics are very well written and the band is musically sound. The melody flows and has a great harmonic sound. The bass line drives the band in most of the songs and is accompanied by a flowing lead guitar part. The percussion is solid and...
Grant-Lee Phillips Little Moon Though his name might not ring any bells, Grant-Lee Phillips has been releasing critically acclaimed music for over two decades, both as a solo artist and with the 90’s alt-rockers Grant-Lee Buffalo. Little Moon, Phillips’ sixth solo album, finds the singer songwriter delicately crafting the kind of angelic alt-country gems that would make Jeff Tweedy salivate. Each song is intricately layered and profoundly dense, from the bar room rompers (“It’s Ain’t the Same Old Cold War, Harry”) to the larger-than-life boot stompers (“Strangest Thing...
American War Rhetoric Kind of folksy and questionably punk, American War put out Rhetoric with sounds obviously influenced by Weezer and, in some cases, Jimmy Buffet. The band relies heavily on acoustic guitars with the occasional addition of violins, percussion and various other unconventional instruments, but also offers moments of simple silence that can lie ominously on the listener. In songs such as “Dignity”, “Exit Uncertain and Beautiful”, “The River” and “Old Love in Young Bodies” the stark loneliness of the guitar brings a beauty and closeness between the lis...
By Odessa Jackson In an era of watered down rock and roll, Simeon Soul Charger manages to stand out as a truly great rock band. With touches of metal and Pink Floyd, Simeon Soul Charger’s album, All Rather Dead, makes up in quality what it lacks in length. The album begins with various experimental sounds, “Infiglia Raukus”, that leads into a series of hard rock/ blues inspired pieces and end with the titular song, an acoustic guitar driven piece that reminds the listener of the heartbreaking songs of Johnny Cash. At no point does the band make a move that would lose the listeners...
By Ed Buchanan The latest release by French band The Old Dead Tree represents a strong mix of metal and progressive rock. Taking elements of each style, ODT blends them into an entertaining and well-balanced sonic package as shown on the disc titled The Water Fields. The Water Fields opens with the track “Start the Fire.” A powerful beginning gives the listener a good feeling about the remainder of the album. The band members show some impressive chops and great musicality as they showcase their hybrid genre exceptionally well. While the first track lyrically focused on the band’s ...
