Bethesda is not the kind of band that garners an easy label. Hailing from Kent (in spite of the name), the recording artists embody a sound unlike other artists in the Northeast Ohio music scene. Their latest EP, “Dreamtiger & Other Tails,” is a refreshing aural experience in an otherwise lackluster year of releases thus far. Led by vocalist Shanna Delaney, Bethesda’s release takes on a sound akin to Zooey Deschanel’s She and Him, then runs with it in an entirely different musical direction. A robust and often powerful array of instrumentations comes blossoming from the speakers. ...
Five homemade robots accompany vocalist JBOT, the only human member of the band, in this bizarre show out of San Francisco that’s part performance art, part comedy and part classic rock. MORE INFO HERE...
Need some heavy-duty psychedelic rock with a primitive beat that echoes the spirit of the 13th Floor Elevators and early Stones? Then the Black Angels are where it’s at! Bassist Ryan was born on a cult compound, guitarist Bland is the real deal son of a Texas preacher man, and drummer Bailey and vocalist Maas believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group’s home. This little band from Austin Texas will be creeping into The Grog Shop! MORE INFO HERE!...
The lead vocalist of Gym Class Heroes, Travie McCoy is on tour, with one stop being Cleveland’s Peabody’s. He released his first solo album in September 2010. McCoy had originally prepared to record an introspective album of “sad and somber” acoustic songs in light of his breakup with Katy Perry and his addiction to painkillers — mercifully, this project was tossed in favor of a fresh start. 3/24 Peabody’s ...
The former Misfits vocalist will be playing Peabody’s intimate third room for this Saturday night show. The American Psycho will be giving a solo performance- that old-style acoustic horror punk that almost took hold of a generation before folk did in the ‘60s. Cult of the Psychic Fetus opens. ...
Elizabeth Shepherd didn’t have the most conventional upbringing: Since her parents were both Salvation Army ministers, most of her musical training took place in a conservatory. While the family moved every few years across Canada and France, Shepherd's constant was learning classical music. The talented jazz musician, who’s coming to Nighttown in Cleveland on March 11, recently released a new record, “Heavy Falls The Night”. She says that unconventional upbringing is the source of much of her current success. “The Salvation Army has a highly sophisticated level of music and mu...
Underground Airplane : Underground Airplane When I saw these guys at Old Glory a few months back, I begged ‘em to send me a record. Though they hail from Norwalk, Ohio, these guys bring a street vibe to every song on this first record, a self-titled album. It’s grungy psychedelic hardcore, like if Cobain and company had taken speed instead of smack. UA is a three-piece that has complex enough riffs to makes you wonder how they pull it off live (but I assure you, they do). Matt Beebe is a vocalist who’s not afraid to be himself and try new things, constantly switching in...
In 2004, Dayton’s Hawthorne Heights released “Ohio is for Lovers”, a single on their The Silence is Black and White album that simultaneously rocketed them to serious MTV and radio airplay and cast the band as one of the standouts of emo rock in the midst of its first popular wave. Just like the genre itself, Hawthorne Heights’s music tends to be divisive, a love-’em-or-hate-’em kind of sound and image. The lyrics of “Ohio” fit the swoop-banged safety-pinned emo stereotype to a painfully exact degree: “And I can't make it on my own/ Because my heart is in Ohio...
The third-wave ska revival of the mid-1990’s introduced Reel Big Fish to an adoring public. Although they fit in better with a punk rock audience, Reel Big Fish offers a killer live show. Unlike most bands of that era, they are still touring. Reel Big Fish and The Aquabats play the House of Blues, opening acts The Suburban Legends and Koo Koo Kanga Roo, doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:30pm. Reel Big Fish continued touring and releasing albums even though the ska craze has quieted. An album of ten cover songs, Fame, Fortune and Fornication was released in ’09. Most recently, they have bee...
When Smokin’ Joe Kubek was nineteen, he went to see a blues concert in Dallas. He showed up there early with a singular goal in mind, to get backstage to meet the legendary B.B. King. He wound up being able to play B.B.’s legendary guitar Lucille. While Freddie King played on stage, Kubek and B.B. talked music, with B.B. impressed by Kubek’s enthusiasm and love of the blues. B.B. told Kubek he reminded him of a young George Benson, saying that when he had met a young Benson, he knew one day that Benson would be somebody. The kid’s head started to swim. Kubek explains, “...
River City Extension co-founder Joe Michelini has always had a love for music. Even at an early age, Joe knew exactly what he wanted in life. He started writing songs in high school, and began playing at coffee shops in New Jersey in hopes of spreading his music throughout the state. Joe, who was raised to play not only the cello but also the piano, first began jamming alone under one name, though switched gears when he found out someone else had beat him to it. “I found out there was a band with the original name I had chosen somewhere in Pennsylvania. I figured if, god for...
Kent/Akron’s own Red Sky Mourning plays metal- double bass drums pounding, guitars technically perfect (but not many grandiose solos here, which is surprising given the nature of the music) and vocals growling. They utilize the double bass to more of an advantage than most, hammering so hard at parts it’s almost onsite construction. Every once in a while vocalist Josh Toss N’ Burger busts into a melodic singing part that might hurt their chances in the viciously picky metal underground. In “Declaration of Dependence” the song takes a welcome break from the growling and thrashin...
BY | D. BEALL “If the rich people give out too much there won't be any starving artists left. There's always been the people that are cool, have all the grapes to go on, and there's the people that grow the grapes for 'em. And there's the miscreants that are like ‘f*ck you; f*ck your grapes’.” Chadd Beverlin (drums), Mike Gilpatrick (bass) and Andy Strickland (guitar, vocals) are three fourths of the miscreant psychedelic/heavy metal/ stoner rock band named Mockingbird that’s been slaying and sleazing around Akron for the last year. Buzzbin caught up with them (sans second...
By: Julia Kazar Shmalex, Joshy and Rawrb!, the members of the fun loving humorcore band Psychostick, are getting ready to wrap up their summer tour, but not before a stop at The Carriage House in Louisville. The concert takes place this Saturday, July 31st. Opening for the band is Look What I Did, a hardcore metal band from Nashville. Get ready for a night of head banging and eardrum shattering music. About a month ago I had the chance to talk to Rawrb! aka Rob Kersey, the band's lead vocalist, about the tour and what Psychostick is currently working on. “We recently releas...
By Julia Kazar It seems like today most bands feel that if they don’t make it big and become hugely successful they give up on their music all together. They care more about becoming famous than about enjoying themselves and having fun. Psychostick isn’t one of these bands. They are all about having fun, with everything they do. Formed over ten years ago, Psychostick is a hard rock band that has always put having fun first. They even find a way to laugh at their most embarrassing moments, like tripping on stage and their pants falling down. If you look up any of their v...
“Earsplitting noise pop” is how Youngstown favorite, Asleep describes their music, and there are no better words for it. It is clear this genre-bending band has matured since their last full record All These Things We’ll Never Need. The release of their new 14-track record, Between Above and Below, serves to widen their audience but we still get a taste of the Asleep we knew and loved. They are slowly jogging toward the pop scene and a larger 14-year-old girl fan base with songs such as “Who I Am,” and “Miasma”, but they haven’t quite crossed the finish line yet, as there i...
Psychedelic/indie/rock duo mr. Gnome is bringing a fresh sound to the Cleveland music scene. Sounding a bit like a more upbeat Viva Voce at times, the group's alluring quasi-rock lucid-dream psychedelia takes experimental rock to the next level. Lead vocalist Nicole Barille plays guitar, while Sam Meister backs her up on drums, though it often sounds like there has to be more band members to create such resounding noise. The twosome creates a beautiful atmospheric rock that is both mesmerizing and explosive, both calming and haunting. As they experiment with sound, they create a luna...
They describe themselves as “your favorite band’s favorite band”. Their music is like boiling water thrown on the back of God while he’s attempting to climax. Claiming influences from Motorhead to the MC5, White Rhino is tearing down the Beachland Ballroom on May 26th with Cleveland axe hounds All Dinosaurs and certifiable madmen Spacer Ace. Hailing from Austin, Texas, power trio White Rhino is on tour to promote their new album “Heroin Thunder”. Buzzbin got a peek at this album and it’s viciously awesome. Through their savage riffs and hot lick-oriented hooks, these ...
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...
It all began when Simeon’s vocalist, guitarist and pianist Aaron Brooks split from former pop-punk band Trendy in late 2007. The departure marked a change in the musician’s tastes and ultimately led him to the other members to create the psychedelic, cello-infused stylings of Simeon. “I think it was just a matter of the right timing, like everybody having everything together at the right time,” Aaron says. “The stars aligning, as they say.” Now that the band has everything together, touring isn’t even an option. “We figured out that the best way we can get our musi...
