He’s covered in enough tattoos to make the average suburban housewife shudder and rips on lead guitar for a hard-driving punk band, The Gunt Punchers, whose songs include titles like “Drunk Fucking Asshole” and “Sniffing Bea Arthur’s Panties.” At the end of the workweek, after an exhausting day of screen printing and sweating in obscene temperatures, he’s also a dedicated father to a beautiful 4-year-old girl and the type of person who will welcome a stranger into his home with a smile and handshake. To some, such characteristics might appear diametrically opposed, but those peop...
Husbands & Wives have been creating local buzz the past few years as a hardworking and talented band with its finger on the pulse. These guys have a brand of indie rock that feels fresh and perfected, with an exciting fusion of Brit pop, alt rock and power pop that creates a sound all their own. After spending two years writing and rehearsing, their debut release, “Prepare To Meet Thy God,” perfectly captures the sound every up-and-coming band wishes to create. The album was a total do-it-yourself project, as band members Marc Dittavio, Tony Scarpitti, Kris Oprisch and Brian McCoy recor...
Aiming to stand out in the Cleveland metal scene, NO have been letting their music “breathe from them” since 2008. What I hear is a talented band with dark, layered songs — more of a thinking man’s metal. The solo guitarist and bassist employ a total of 14 strings between them, so you can do the math on that one. ...
By: Julia Kazar Missouri based hard rock band Spelling Bee is coming to Pat’s in the Flats in Cleveland on Wednesday, July 28th. Also performing that night are Teenage Grandpa, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling and Trans-Atlas. Be sure to get there early so you don’t miss any of the great music that night. The show starts at 9:00, and tickets are just $6 each. 18 and over only please. Spelling Bee is a post-punk rock band that was formed a few years ago by Mabel Suen and Joseph Hess who worked together at a local radio station and were brought together by their mutual love of...
By: Julia Kazar The Barberton blues band The Heights is getting ready to perform at The Backstage Concert Club in Akron on Saturday, July 24th. The Woovs, another Barberton band, is opening for them. Formed just a few years ago, The Heights are becoming one of the biggest bands in the area, creating their own unique sound and drawing from a ton of classic rock influences, including everything from The Beatles to Neil Young to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Late last year The Heights released their first demo, We Are The Heights Band, which you can check out on their MySpace page. ...
By Julia Kazar To celebrate their unofficial one year anniversary on Saturday night at the Northsiade Bar & Grille Get On Up played some of their biggest hits that their fans have grown to know and love, as well as some new songs that they have been working on recently. If you’ve never heard of Get On Up, you might want to take a little time and listen to their songs on their MySpace page and read a little bit about them. They are an incredibly talented band that does covers of some of the biggest funk and soul songs ever to be released. They cover everything from Stevie Wonder and Ea...
By Julia Kazar On December 25th 2006 America lost The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, but you can still hear his music, as well as the music of other R&B and soul musicians of the 70’s and 80’s, performed live. On Saturday, July 3rd, at The Northside Bar and Grille in Akron Get On Up, a tribute band, will be performing the soul singers greatest hits. As if singing Brown’s hits wasn’t enough the band also tackles other classic acts including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth Wind & Fire just to name a few. So, no matter what kind of funk and soul music Get On Up decides to...
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...
By D. Beall With jazz, blues, punk, new wave, garage, and experimental sounds, Tin Huey was kryptonite to commerciality and critical categorization in the ‘70s and early ‘80s and eventually faded into, you guessed it, obscurity (though they still play out). This collection of previously unreleased material, their first album in 10 years or so, puts the “odd” in odds and ends. Their smart and playful vocals and lyrics aren’t the driving force here, but they don’t hurt. This is a sextet of songwriters, and with wailing saxophones and keys soloing over riffs that change u...
