Midpoint Music Festival: News

First off, band registration has closed for Cincinnati's Midpoint Music Festival. So if you've just now learned about it, you're too late. Try again next year. Bands that did register will be notified of their status beginning mid-June through mid-July.
I've been waiting to hear some news about the festival for some time now and just happened to see an update. Looks like some new events are planned for 2007.
From the MPMF web-site:

Out with the tradeshow and in with the MPMF Recording Studio. Conference bands will get the chance to sign up and record a song for FREE at the conference. But unlike most recording studios, conference attendees can watch and listen to the band LIVE. Bands get to keep the tracks so they can mix and master after the Fest. A lucky few selected by MPMF judges will record a song at Sound Images. Dubbed Radio MidPoint, not only will bands get to keep their tracks, but the performances will be streamed from the MPMF Web site.
The MPMF Recording Studio is made possible by Sonicbids.com. Launched in 2002, Sonicbids is an online service that makes it easy for musicians to connect with people who book and license music worldwide. By offering access to thousands of performance and licensing opportunities, the innovative Sonicbids Electronic Press Kit (EPK™), and a community of 100,000 musicians and nearly 10,000 promoters, Sonicbids brings simplicity to an ever-changing musical world.
As the largest production studio in the area, Sound images offers total audio production – from voice overs and sound design; to original music, post scores and jingles.

Cleveland: Machine Go Boom new CD/ tour

Here is an update on all happenings with Cleveland's exceptional Machine Go Boom:
From their Myspace:

1) Work continues on "Ugly Magic." Expect it to be out in September before our next tour. Rumour has it there will be 10 brand new songs.....our second full-length this year.
2) There's a new song up! It's the last song on "Bible Universe." Some have called it "awesome"......and some haven't. So check it.
3) Lastly...we're accepting show proposals for our September tour! If you live in these areas, and would like to see us OR play with us; drop us a line or show proposal.

Tour plans:
Saturday - 9/15 - Chicago
Sunday - 9/16 - Madison, Wisconsin
Monday - 9/17 - Ames, Iowa
Tuesday - 9/18 - St. Louis
Wednesday - 9/19 - Kansas City/Oklahoma City
Thursday - 9/20 - Norman, Oklahoma
Friday - 9/21 - Little Rock
Saturday - 9/22 - Birmingham, Alabama
Sunday - 9/23 - Atlanta
Monday - 9/24 - Athens, Georgia
Tuesday - 9/25 - Chapel Hill/Raleigh, North Carolina
Wednesday - 9/26 - Knoxville, Tennessee
Thursday - 9/27 - Nashville
Friday - 9/28 - Cincinnati, Ohio

4) Tickets for the july 29th show with Man Man are now available. you can get 'em through ticketmaster, or in bloomington at 1a) the bluebird 1b) tracks records (415 e. kirkwood). they are 10 bones.....and you don't want to miss it.

Electro-Tesla

Check out this link to learn more about an incredibly loud and obnoxious new instrument based off of Tesla's inventions. It was built by some dude out of Illinois: HERE

Merit Badge Record's: Free music comp

In what may be the near future for indie record labels, Ohio's Merit Badge Records recently released a free compilation of regional bands.
The CD Sounds Like Columbus Vol. 1 is a compilation album featuring 19 tracks from "the best up and coming artists in the central ohio area. Totally free, we're giving it away as the first release from Merit Badge Records, as a sort of musical love letter to the city."
Merit Badge is apprently a brand new record label based in Columbus, OH.
"Our goal is to work with local and regional artists to develop, produce, distribute, and find audiences for all kinds of good music. We'll be focusing on digital releases via iTunes and other digital music retailers, with small runs of special edition CD's planned in the future."
The label stressed that the world of music is constantly evolving, and the results aren't always pretty.
"Paid downloads that only play on a certain program or device or on a small number of computers, unfair legal threats and less-than-inspiring music are all a reality these days. We think it can be done better," the label reported.
By handling most of the recording, production, artist promotion, and distribution itself and by focusing on digital releases, the label is hoping to eliminate most of the financial barriers that normally exist between artists and labels.
"This approach also lets us work much more closely with each act, allowing them to feel that the release of their music is something they have a strong role in, and not just an unpleasant process they have to eventually submit to," they said.

Honestly, it seems like a good path for new labels to follow. The only downside is that many media publications and radio stations still don't really dig getting links or burned CDs, favoring instead the nice packages.
Why is that that the people in charge of the music industry are always the LAST ones to get on board?

Day of Silence

Our esteemed Midwestern Internet radio station WOXY will go quiet today in observance of our government trying to take a large crap on everything that is good - again:
From WOXY:
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!).
To protest these rates and encourage you to take action and contact your Congressional representatives, WOXY.com is taking part in the Day of Silence by silencing both our main channel and WOXY Vintage for today. Don't fret, the rock returns at Midnight EDT this evening.
Please call your Congressional Representatives today to ensure the future of Internet radio. Click this link for instructions how. For more background and information, check out KurtHanson.com and SaveNetRadio.org.
Thanks for your support of this important issue
- Bryan Jay, Mike, Shiv and Joe

Stags no more

Just learned this from Mike Breen's "Spill it" column:
• Cincinnati's Staggering Statistics are calling it quits. This comes after a lot of activity recently, including live shows (both in and out of town) and the completion of a new album, … i'm thinking about changing (gee, they weren't kidding with that title), which the Stats previewed with a show at Know Theatre in May. News of their demise came out as they canceled several shows, including this Friday's triumphant return gig by local Indie greats mallory (The Invitational have replaced the Stats on the bill).

My note: The were a pretty great band that didn't play out too often. Lead singer Austin has a smooth yet angsty vocal approach you don't hear often. Noted for also having an ex-Afghan Wigs drummer on the kit.

The Last Comfest

So I ended up going to check out the Friday night selection of music at Comfest. I was pretty disappointed all around. The only saving grace for me was a stunning set by Val Glenn's Time and Temperature (I plan to put up a picture, but haven't uploaded it yet). I tried to see the Kyle Sowashes who performed right before her, but I accidentally missed them because I went to find some of the Columbus music compilations that were put out this year. Gotta keep up on the new music coming out over there. I finally located the band merch booth, noticed some of the comps were not free, or not there at all, didn't have any cash, and then returned to the Solar Stage just in time to see the Sowashes tearing down their gear. Crap.
One question I have for Comfest organizers to consider in 2008: Do people really need that much heavy metal? Everywhere I went on Friday all I could hear was some baffoon screaming at the top of his/her lungs over on the Main Stage and their annoying 80s-style guitar solos. Even some punk would have been nice. The shit was going on all night long. It's all you could hear from the other stages.
Besides, if Comfest is going to keep featuring bands that aren't even from Columbus, I can name dozens that would have made this festival more entertaining. I'm not even an indie rock nerd, I like all types of music.
As it is, Comfest 2007 was a snorefest. Glad-handing will get you nowhere, organizers...

Hippies unite!
Soon those long hair troublemakers will have a chance to sit in the grass, while smoking grass, all the while complaining about The Man.
The end of June is upon us and that means it's time for the 2007 Columbus Community Festival, better known as Comfest: Three days of live music in the sun, dogs crapping in green grass and hippies walking through it ambivalently.
I may try and do some coverage for the Friday nght shows. I like Columbus music a lot, but not enough to smell hippies for three days straight.
While the point of Comfest has always had grand aspirations and honestly is a pretty great thing, it's also a festival that rubs people the wrong way at times. Especially musicians and Republicans. I won't talk about why the Republicans are mad.
My own experiences with Comfest have consisted of going with a bunch of people, laying blankets down and enjoying the main stage. I normally sneak in my own cans of beer, because god knows I'm not going to go broke drinking Bud Light. I remember seeing great performances by Pretty Mighty Mighty a few years back, Johnson Brothers, Party Dream, Necropolis, and too many more to mention.
I guess I still like the whole thing, it's just that as I grow older I'm finding the festival is acquiring some of the same hippocritical aspects that made people want to start the community festival in the first place. It was supposed to be a way so the average Joe could be a part of a festival. It meant no corporate sponsors hiring the latest American Idol to perform country songs.
But, as with any festival, you have people who sit on a committee and choose who they want to perform. Therein lies the problem. Humans are faulty. They soon take advantage of others and come to enjoy their feelings of self-importance. I see it happen in every city, in almost every festival.
For Comfest you get the whole aspect of committee members telling bands that if they volunteer they may earn a spot performing for thousands of people. If you're nice you'll get to play! If you do what we say you will get to play! Just let us in free to every single show you have until Comfest. If you see us, tell us we are great. Ass-kissing becomes prevalent and even encouraged. In the end, it doesn't matter if you volunteer or not, it's all about who you know.
Worse yet, you get bands trying to infiltrate the process. Some musicians join the committee and push their own bands and their friends bands. So if you have nothing going on outside of work and can sit in a committee meeting every now and then you may have a chance of performing.
One of the saddest things I've seen all year was one night I was at a show in Columbus watching a band about to go on. I was talking to the singer/songwriter of the band. He suddenly spotted a Comfest scout and broke off the conversation to run over to the guy and kiss ass. I was kind of dumbfounded at how quickly someone could be willing to do something like that. It's something I would expect a fresh-suited business man to do at his new sales position. Turns out long haired rockers have that glass ceiling envy too.
The sad part is that I just now noticed that band didn't even get selected. Even after all that ass-kissing.
To be honest most festivals are run the same exact way. It's just that most are honest with the fact that they pick who they want to. The Community festival gives off a hint that if you are involve within the community you will get a chance to perform. History shows, that just isn't the case.
But what makes Comfest suspect to me is that the bands chosen often do not reflect what is going on in the city musically. Looking at the list of bands this year is like a Who's Who of bands that broke up and simply reform specifically for Comfest. The bands that put out two CDs and hit 50 states in their last tour, will most likely not be found. Never mind their charity shows and such. Therein lies the shadow of gladhanding.
But I do recommend catching these artists this year:
Friday:
Ease the Medic, Big Back 40, earwig, the Slide Machine, Deadsea, Grafton, Envelope, The Bygones, The Rackets, The Kyle Sowashes and PWAH favorites: Time and Temperature
Saturday:
Loyal Divide, The Lab Rats, Sarah Asher, PWAH favorite: Happy Chichester, Mike Rep and the Quotas, Night of Pleasure, Terribly Empty Pockets, Miranda Sound, Mors Ontological, The Lindsay, Evil Queens and Hugs and Kisses.
Sunday:
Not that great of a day, but check out The Rosehips, The Patsy's, Embruje, You're So Bossy, Church of the Red Museum and The Receiver.

Who do you recommend? Brad from SHADE

He said:
"For some great Pittsburgh bands - i really like Black Moth Super Rainbow (they're blowing up), and well the already blown up Girltalk (mash-up DJ act). Some other Pittsburgh bands that I personally like are Donora (3-piece...great great pop band). Also the Takeover UK (who just signed with Rykodisc)....very Supergrass-ish sounding...And well i guess basically any of the bands that we have listed in our top friends we like a lot too (plus we are friends with as well).

A sample of those include Pittsburgh groups such as: Aviators, local record label Lovely Recordings, and Life in Bed.

The Pittsburgh Sound?

My only experiences with Pittsburgh, PA are slim. Some have not been all that enjoyable.
For instance, I drove all the way out there from Central Ohio once to see Elliott Smith/Wilco/Beck. It was a great show held outdoors. Elliott Smith looked like he would dry up and blow away in the sun at any moment, he was so frail. Jeff Tweedy got all pissed off because Wilco was playing in the bright daylight and the place hadn't quite filled up yet. It didn't help that sitting in the front row was some dweeb chewing on a giant Subway sandwich like he was eating his own arm off. So that got Tweedy going. Fortunately it proved to be a great way for him to go right into a jarring rendition of "Misunderstood" and a potent "I want to thank you all for NUTHIN at all!"
So the show's over and we go looking for something to do. Maybe we could hit a cool bar and stay at a local hotel? Nope. After driving around empty streets for an hour we quickly surmised that there was absolutely nothing to do in Pittsburgh. We didn't even see anyone walking on the streets. The town appeared to be completely deserted. So at 12:30 a.m. we began the drive back to Ohio. Talk about a long night.
Many years ago I played a show at some bar on a street full of restaurants. It smelled great. I cannot remember the names. The load in was straight up a thin tall stairway. Once inside, the stage was set back inside a room to the left. Then there was another room separating the stage from the bar.
Basically, it was like playing to an empty room, with a bunch of people two rooms away drinking. No one would leave the bar and since you could hear the music there was no need to. But the crowd went nuts for some band that played bad renditions of funk music covers, with a fat guy singing who wore a rainbow afro.
My image of Pittsburgh was forever tainted.
But lately I've come to know a few newer bands, checked out the great Brillobox venue and wanted to make a good effort at learning the local culture again. I started by checking in with the superb SHADE who I feel I can trust for a good opinion...

Detroit's The High Strung return

Any chance I get to mention The High Strung will be done. Sounds like they had a blast on the recent tour, so it's good to see their fan base growing. I just read this from a recent Myspace bulletin Josh posted. Yes, I am lame. I sometimes get stuff from Myspace instead of doing actual music journalism... STOP JUDGING ME!
Note:
we're home. SIX weeks of touring and we're home. Now... I love home because there are people here I'm happier than happy to see and be with... and there are songs and books to be written (though these things could be taken care of on the ol' road, admittedly). my mom is here... my dog is here... my collection of Stephen King hardbacks is here... and groceries too. But... still... on the way in... on the riiiiiiide over the Michigan border, I couldn't help but feel a little twisting, aye. A little uneasiness in the gut. Because, for as good as all the things home has to offer are... the road (this time... and probably most times) was UNBELEIVABLE.
And not just the Son Volt half! That was as magical as three wishes but Seattle, Tucson, Lawrence, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Phoenix, Des Moines... and THE MALL OF AMERICA in Minneapolis. Oh how I wish I could take y'all with us. Show you the country through the tinted windows of the High Strung short bus... stop at THE THING? with you in Arizona... stay at Berko's in California... drink with Zack in Omaha and LA... get waaay to hot in the desert... walk around downtown Seattle with me... read GARCIA with Chad... listen to a thousand albums and a couple stand-up bits with us... watch THE DESCENT and we can all be mutually surprised at how much better it was than we imagined it'd be.
Come with us! Come with us on the road so my explanations can cease to feel flat. KNOW like I know how amazing this circle of America was.
And for all this... I thank thee... I thank ya' (cities we experienced) for making this the best tour yet for a band that has done a shit ton of touring.
Until later...

JOSH
THE HIGH STRUNG

Flash no more

Shitty and blurry photos douchebags like me take at concerts may get better. No account-music bloggers throughout the world rejoice: Kodak is trying to step it up and get rid of the flash altogether. Article from Yahoo Tech...

Imagine...no red eye. Period. Or no need for a flash on a digital camera.
Now that digital camera makers have come up with all kinds of ways to eliminate red eye and improve flash technology while stabilizing images, Kodak says it is developing digital technology that will nearly eliminate the need for a flash (and the oft-accompanying red eye) and improve performance in low-light conditions.
Here's how it would work: The new technology would increase light sensitivity of existing image sensors by two to four times. That means a camera's shutter speed could be cut in half, or at least a quarter, which would reduce camera shake and blurring problems. If it works, it also would allow photographers to shoot in low light without producing grainy, speckled photos.
The proof is in the pixels. In most digital cameras, each sensor pixel detects either the color red, green, or blue and places them into a pattern named for Bryce Bayer, the Kodak engineer who developed it. With the new high-sensitivity technology, half of the pixels will be panchromatic, or clear, so they will capture only the brightness, not color. That means a 12-megapixel camera would have 6 million panchromatic pixels, 3 million green pixels, 1.5 million red pixels, and 1.5 million blue pixels. In comparison, today's 12-megapixel cameras have 6 million green pixels, 3 million red, and 3 million.
The announcement is Kodak's latest big play in an intense bid to rebuild into a digital photography company as its film business dwindles. The company's plan is to make use of its proprietary intellectual property, including this image sensor technology, to compete in the crowded digicam market. Kodak entered the printer business this year with models that are slightly higher priced than competitors' but use ink that retails for about half the cost of other cartridges.
Kodak will build its own cameras with the new technology, but it also plans to sell it to other manufacturers since it works with existing image sensors. The new tech will be available in early 2008, but Kodak has given no word on when the first cameras with it fully built in will be on the market.
On each page in my photo albums of the kids since they were little, there's at least one photo besmirched by red eyes, the scourge of the snap shooter. More and more cameras are including tools to remove red eye in camera, while even the most amateur among us have become pretty adept at removing the demonizing glare with tools on photo software, online photo ordering sites, and in-store kiosks. But built-in technology that eliminates the need to tinker before and post shooting would be a welcome feature in a digital camera.
Is this the kind of feature you've been waiting for in a digital camera?

Vandervelde expands into his european future...

You know what? He's even better when you see him live.
From CMJ:
Chicago's David Vandervelde will be touring the UK, Austria, and Germany starting in late June before returning home to the US in time for that 4th of July barbeque. After releasing his debut album, The Moonstation House Band, in January, Vandervelde toured the US and European circuit with Spoon and Richard Swift. Perhaps he is going back out of excitement to play with label mates Magnolia Electric Co., or maybe he didn't get that pair of lederhosen he'd been eyeing.

Tour Dates For David Vandervelde:
06/25 - London, UK - Scala*
06/26 - Nottingham, UK - The Rescue Rooms*
06/29 - Ebensee, Austria - Kino*
06/30 - Vienna, Austria - Szene*
07/01 - Munchen, Germany - Rote Sonne*
07/02 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schocken*
07/03 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Jubez*
07/05 - Rock Island, IL - Ribco
07/06 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
07/07 - Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery
07/08 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
07/11 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill**
07/13 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland**
07/14 - Tempe, AZ - Stinkweeds**
07/16 - Austin, TX - Emo's**
07/17 - Dallas, TX - The Loft**
07/18 - Houston, TX - Walter's On Washington**
07/19 - Hattiesburg, MS - Thirsty Hippo**
07/20 - Atlanta, GA - tba**
07/21 - Wilmington, NC - Bella Festa**
07/22 - Washington, DC - Rock And Roll Hotel**
07/23 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's**
07/24 - Boston, MA - Great Scott**
07/25 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge**
07/26 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland***
07/27 - Ann Arbor, The Blind Pig**
07/28 - Milwaukee, WI - Stonefly Brewing Co
08/04 - Chicago, IL - Schubas****
08/05 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
* with Magnolia Electric Co.
** with Blitzen Trapper
*** with Besnard Lakes
**** with Illinois, Black Angels

Hurray!

So People with Animal Heads is celebrating its 6TH Month Anniversary. Wow, time really flies when you forget to remember.

Buddha Boy Update

So I guess the kid is still in the ground. Not much new going on. He's no Paris Hilton, that's for sure (other than they're both doing a lot of sitting lately). But that's probably to be expected when talking about a kid who's famous for his lack of movement:

From United We Blog! For a Democratic Nepal:

Ram Bahadur Bomjon Now Meditating in Pit
March, 28, 2007
28 March: Ram Bahadur Bomjon, popularly known as the “Buddha Boy”, who stole the limelight after spending months in meditation, reportedly without food and water, has been found again, meditating inside a pit dug underground at Ratanpuri recently. Bomjon, who had started meditation under a Pipal tree in the village, had gone missing since March 11, 2006, and again reappeared on December 25 the same year. According to Inspector Rameshwor Yadav of the Area Police Post Nijgadh, Bomjon was inside the bunker-like square ditch of seven feet.
“We call it bunker,” he said, adding, “Although it’s seven feet deep, there is no lack of oxygen inside,” said Yadav, who claimed to have seen him going inside it from close range Monday (Mar 26). A police team, under the command of Yadav, had gone to the place after word of Bomjon being on underground meditation spread in the area. “His face was clean and hair was combed well,” Yadav said. According to him, “the bunker” has been cemented from all sides with roof of tiles. Even as frequent “hide and seek” were continuing, some locals recently spotted him in the local forest on 9th March. After his mysterious disappearance last year, his “disciples” had claimed that he had gone in search of a peaceful place for the purpose, as thousands of curious people began visiting him daily then. However, a few others had even termed it a ploy of his followers to earn popularity and money.
Indra Lama, a local, who has been deployed as caretaker for him since he began meditation, said the “bunker” was prepared as per Bomjon’s order. “After granting audience a week ago, he expressed his desire to meditate inside the ground; so we built it,” he said.By Upendra Lamichhane

Here's some more from the Asia Yahoo News:

A Nepali teenager dubbed the "Buddha Boy" has begun meditating for three years in an underground bunker and will neither sleep, eat nor drink any water during that time, supporters claimed Tuesday.
Ram Bahadur Bomjan, 17, who supporters insist is the reincarnation of the Buddha, shot to fame in May 2005 amid reports he did not need food, water or sleep while meditating.
He has, however, been spotted nibbling on fruit and catching a nap
"We've constructed an underground room with a tiled roof as requested by Bomjan," said Raju Shah, a member of a village committee set up to support the activities of the young man.
Shah said Bomjam began meditating in the bunker on Monday.
"He has not eaten, slept or taken any water and he plans to continue meditating without food or water for three years there," Shah claimed.
The cement-walled bunker is seven feet (2.1 metres) deep and is located in the jungle 60 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, Shah told AFP.

Midwestern Roundup

• Seriously, The White Stripes new tune "Icky Thump" is probably the greatest fucking song I've heard in a long time. I don't even care that it's way too long.
• There is a new label up and running in Columbus, called All Hail Records. It is currently set to release CDs by experimental pop bands Take No Damage (Columbus) and allegedly Cincinnati's Paper Airplane(UPDATE: Paper Airplane confirmed they have signed, new CD out in July!).
• The National is coming to your town soon. Do not miss them.
• Mike Breen's Cincinnati blog "Spill It!" explores the music of broken hearts. My favorite is when you've heard all the sad songs, heard all angry songs and you're finally to the point when you can revel in the best "kiss my ass song" of all time: Bob Dylan's "Positively Fourth Street." Then you know the healing is complete.
• Cincinnati/Kentucky's (in)famous Southgate House is listed as one of the best rock venues in the country. I agree. I still recall watching Sam Coomes from Portland's Quasi walk around the venue before his show. He bought a bar t-shirt and was reading every bit of historical information framed on the walls. Now, if we can only get the band to come back to Southgate House someday...

Spotlight: Times New Viking

(editor's note: I finally caught up with Times New Viking after their return from Yo La Tengo land. Their interview was for my ongoing article on Noise Rock in the Midwest. Still working on that. But here is the full interview, since it doesn't look like I'll be done with that article in another few weeks.)



Times New Viking sprang up in Columbus a couple years back and started hitting it up in the city's east side. Word spread of their girl/boy duo pop vocals and the heavy rhythm created by the guitar/keyboard interlay. The trio is made up of drummer/vocalist Adam Elliot, keyboardist/vocalist Beth Murphy and guitar virtuoso Jared Phillips.
Fast forward this year and Times New Viking gets signed to heavyweight indie label Matador Records, made a splash at SXSW, toured with Yo La Tengo and did a show or two with Spoon.
Now they are back in Columbus and back to the monthly gamut of local bars again.
However, since they were gone, Columbus bands have had some discussions on what they think Times New Viking is up to. Some get oddly heated up about it - whether they are for or against their music.
As I told guitarist Jared, the point in including TNV in this article is because they are among the ONLY Midwest bands that fill the gap between Indie pop and the "noise" aesthetics. Most pure noise rock bands don't consider them "noise" at all, and seem to resent it. Most rock bands seem to think, TNV is more "noise." I suppose my take on it is that TNV are the perfect mix of both. That is why they are so interesting.

PWAH: Whether you know it or not, your music often brings up debate among rock nerds regarding recording techniques. Can a noisy recording be considered art? Can it be considered pop? It is not just about HAVING to record with tape hiss, it's about APPRECIATING the tape hiss. Any comments on this paragraph?

Jared: APPRECIATING the tape hiss - yes, that just about explains it. An old wizard friend of ours once said something to the extent of 'tape hiss is the sound of life' or, 'tape hiss is the sound of the comet's tail.' Something poetic like that. We just like to make records that evoke a unique atmosphere, putting our sound in a different place, perhaps one that's a little more intimate. Records, i think, are supposed to sound a little experimental - it's a completely separate art form than seeing a band play live. You know, people think distorted guitars on records are okay, but distorted drums or vocals are not. Who decided this? Hitler? The Shins? Who cares. Also with records you can listen to them over and over again and hear new things each time.

PWAH: Critics of lo-fi aesthetics often bring up how you can’t hear the words, you can’t hear the details, etc. What do you have to say to these people? Why do you think your music has raised such debates in modern recording and lo-fi? I think if we're going to turn more people onto deconstructing pop, it may be important to address that.

Jared: We have nothing to say to these people. You either like it or you dont. Maybe their ideas will change, but that's not why we make music, to change people. Most of the critics are people who think music is supposed to sound a certain way, or they are people who spent too much time and money at recording school - hence their panties getting all bunched up when groups like us just teach ourselves how to do it the way we want. I'm sure a lot of people who don't listen to anything remotely experimental are the same ones who believe that everyone owns protools - or SHOULD own protools. Really fucked up, in-the-red records are nothing new. (Velvet Underground's) 'White light/White heat' is forty fucking years old. Seriously.

PWAH: So my question now is what are your specific attempts at song writing? Are you coming at it from a “rock/pop” tradition or more of a deconstructionist way?

Jared: We come at it all ways. As long as it's a good song it dosent matter how we get it - really, none of us think about how we arrive at a song. I think of our angle as being mostly pretty traditional. We got singers, drums, guitar, keys. We like songs. We like to make records that flow well, nicely sequenced. We like the standard 1-3 minute pop format. We like writing songs in 15 minutes, just like 'louie, louie' was done.

PWAH: Could you describe the process of how you ended up on Matador? That's just great info for any Midwestern
band to know.

Jared: It was a heated battle of lawyer 'bro-downs', endless porterhouse steaks, cocaine, strip clubs, yacht cruises, contractual flim-flam, jargonized speed-talk, rivers of alcohol, more cocaine, a few fist-fights between major-label suits (at one point roland woodbe roundhouse-kicked 3 a&r men at the same time!) etc., etc., etc...
When it was all said and done, matador really just seemed to like our stuff the most. and they bought the most expensive steak, which i'm still digesting.

PWAH: Ultimately, my site is about the Midwest underground rock scenes. I want people to know about them. What does it mean to you to be Midwestern? Maybe more specific, how has Ohio influenced you, your life, and your music? What are some of your favorite current bands from the Midwest?

Jared: Being midwestern means being ten years out of the loop, at least in our case. When you're kind of an underdog (or hillbilly), you feel you can do whatever the fuck you want because people already have a preconceived notion of you. i think Robert Rauschenberg said that.

Athens' Southeast Engine sign to Misra Records

I've been sitting on this info for a few months, but I think it's safe to announce now (seeing as how the label itself is stating it).
Athens, OH. folk-pop outfit Southeast Engine has signed to New York/CA. label Misra Records.
I think what is so special about this is that SEE is a band that has been working their butts off for years. They write wonderfully creative songs, with excellent lyrics. They constantly tour and they have worked their way into a great following within different cities, soley based on their music. If any band deserves it right now in Ohio, it's Southeast Engine.
From the Misra Myspace site:

Misra is an Emeryville, CA based independent record label with branch offices in New York, DC, Seattle, Birmingham and elsewhere. This year we are releasing recordings by Palomar, Hallelujah the Hills, Sleeping States, Mobius Band, Southeast Engine and a few other surprises to be announced. Visit our *other* website at www.misrarecords.com for more MP3s and information.

Plus, Southeast Engine is apparently set to perform at this year's CMJ New York festival.

SHADE: Pittsburgh goldmine

For those who never make it out to Pittsburgh, which probably includes most of the Midwest, I've begun delving into the current sounds coming out of Pennsylvania. I think this is the furthest I'll go out east in my project.

I first saw Pittsburgh's SHADE when they did some shows with Columbus' Paper Airplane down in Cincinnati.
Northside Tavern was packed that night, with a bill that was rounded out with the Cedars who were from Philly (I think).

SHADE manages to create an exciting new form of shoegaze rock, because it barely touches shoegaze. The music is lively, disjointed and incredibly inventive. It's like recreating the 90s in modern indie rock form. The band puts on a tremendous live show and the songs are written to make sure the audience joins in.

Truly one of the best bands doing there thing in the Midwest right now. The band just announced it was recently added to the BUZZ radio station that plays for passengers of American Airlines.

Check them out here:
SHADE

The Chicago Sound?

For a lot of musicians and people, Chicago has always been the father figure for the Midwest. The most fully realized city of this region, it also happens to have the only music scene that registers on a national level.
My memories of Chicago (where I lived as a child) was a giant blizzard and then a dangerous ice storm on my older brother's birthday. We waited around at home with bated breath as my dad drove him home from somewhere on the icy roads in order to get to the party.
The weather in Chicago is brutal, especially for somone like me who hates the cold. I also hate the wind. Then there is the fact that Lake Michigan is freezing cold all year long. But I digress.
My point is that it takes a certain resilience to live in Chicago. It's more expensive than any other Midwestern city, so you have to be a bit more of a hustler. But it also pays off if you can brave the conditions.
The music scene in Chicago has always been exciting to me as a fan of indie rock. When I was in college Urge Overkill popped into the mainstream for a bit around the early to mid-90s. That band used to come around to perform at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus when I was in college.
After every show lead singer Nash Kato would walk with us down to the old Skully's location (when it was in the lower level of a strip mall on campus). He was incredibly nice to us and was pretty down to earth. Sometimes he would just show up at a bar in town unexpected. If they were playing with another great band, he would introduce you to them.
Then there was Veruca Salt, also made up of some genuinely nice people, who would often shoot the shit with their fans and hang out at local bars. It always seemed to me that if a band was from Chicago, they were always more apt to be nice. It is what has always drawn me to the city's music scene. That and the fact that it spawned Wilco.
Historically, I would say that Chicago has produced some of the great retro pop bands of recent history. The music seems to focus on the pop side of indie rock. Harmonies seem prevalent, as does great melodies.
So now I have begun delving into the current underground indie rock scenes going on there. Perhaps we can find some new voices that may sprout out of these modern times.
The only problem with Chicago is that it's similar to New York, in that the city is made up of small towns. It seems each small town has its own scene. As an outsider I never have any clue where to begin. But I'm working on that.
I just have to keep telling myself that we broke through the wall into Cleveland.
It can be done.

Pitchfork reports: Andrew Bird discusses the Midwest

Be sure to check out Pitchfork for the entire ANDREW BIRD interview, but I liked how they asked him to pontificate on being a Midwesterner.
Here's an excerpt:

Pitchfork: You guys all live in the Midwest, but your music would fit in slightly more "hip" places, like New York or Los Angeles. Is there anything about the place you live that directly relates to the music you make?

Andrew Bird: Definitely. Especially getting out to the rural Midwest. I remember talking to a friend of mine, deciding whether to move to New York, but if I moved to New York I would probably be making much more dense music. I haven't even gotten as far as I want to go, in terms of unfolding songs. I've been hearing something in my head that I've been too overstimulated to have the patience to unfold.

Pitchfork: That's ironic, because rock or pop music-- the medium you're working in-- is generally known for its immediacy.

Andrew Bird: Right. There's always a tension between wanting to write a really concise, instant gratification type song that gets under your skin the first time you hear it, and wanting to really stretch out. I think it's a healthy tension. I think I need to, in the future, go further into textural stuff. The original question was about the Midwest, and the landscape. But Chicago and Minneapolis are the two communities I've been involved with. Minneapolis-- there are a lot of really creative people up there. I'm really enjoying it. Chicago as well, but Chicago is so familiar to me. So am I an advocate for the Midwest? I don't know [laughs]

Pitchfork: Well, a lot of other major urban centers, especially New York and L.A., are artistic destinations, places people go, whereas a city like Chicago is where a lot of people come from.

Andrew Bird: I do think people [in Chicago] are making art maybe for different reasons. That's how I've always felt. People move to L.A. waiting for something to happen to them. It takes some initiative. I think people in Chicago, or Minneapolis, I've always appreciated the sort of anonymity of it, a humbleness to the work ethic.

Indiana's Culture Shock concert

From CMJ:

Since 1991, WIUX (Bloomington) has hosted Culture Shock, a free annual concert to celebrate the end of the spring semester. On April 14, they host the biggest show in the history of their station. The accomplishment ought to be a welcome distraction from a nail-biting wait for an FCC ruling that could displace WIUX from their signal.

Who’s confirmed to play this year?
Xiu Xiu, Sunset Rubdown, Make Believe, Catfish Haven, Richard Swift, David Vandervelde And The Moonstation House Band, Chin Up Chin Up, Nomo, Mudkids, Arrah And The Ferns, Husband And Wife and the Coke Dares are all confirmed. We’re still working finalizing the last few acts.

What makes this year’s show so kick ass?
WIUX only reaches about 15 miles since we’re a low-power FM station. Even though we do reach the entire Bloomington area, most people around the state and neighboring regions don’t know about our station. Having bands that receive so much national attention and critical acclaim performing at WIUX’s signature event will help us reach more potential listeners and provide a day of great entertainment at no cost for anyone who is willing to make the trip. This event will be a great way to conclude the semester and it will serve to show that college radio and our home state have a lot to offer.

How involved is the station in booking and producing the show?
Our special events director, Brian Kerr, took care of all of the booking. We looked for bands that were going to be on tour around the time and who would be available on April 14. Some bands, Chin Up Chin Up for example, contacted us directly and said they were interested in playing. The entire show is organized, booked and staffed by WIUX volunteers. Every decision that is made is the result of input given by the students who take the time to volunteer with us.
How are you financing and promoting the event?

We set aside part of our budget every year to help pay for the event. We also work with IU’s Union Board to help pay for some of the acts we book. We still don’t have any sponsors confirmed, but we have some things in the works. We plan on doing some traditional promotions for the event, like posting flyers and talking it up on-air, but we’ve also been sending out press releases to blogs, newspapers and magazines [that] might be interested in the event. How were you able to get the event open to the public?

Many college stations have a hard time geting these kinds of shows open to the public.
All events we host on campus are free and open to the public because Indiana University and the Bloomington community are very supportive of and accommodating to WIUX. I think that hosting a free show like Culture Shock is a great way to give something back that students and residents of Bloomington, and music fans in general can enjoy at no cost as a way to say, “Thank you!”

Taste of Cincinnati (May 26, 27, 28)

Looks like it's gonna be a great weekend for live music in Cincinnati. You can't go wrong with food AND rock n roll. It's the Taste of Cincinnati Festival.
(I know there are more stages, so I'll update this post as I learn them... wait, just found it. Here's the FULL SCHEDULE.

From WOXY:
This Memorial Day weekend, WOXY.com is teaming with CiN Weekly to co-sponsor their live music stage at this year's Taste Of Cincinnati. They've put together a terrific lineup of local bands that we're happy to get behind, including WOXY.com faves Wussy, Bad Veins, Pearlene, Buffalo Killers, and Fairmount Girls. Best of all, it's FREE, and you can sample some of Porkopolis' best restaurants for a song!
Approximately 500,000 people attend the Taste, making it one of the nation's largest street festivals and, this year, it's moving to Fifth Street to spotlight the $42-million renovation of Fountain Square and bring the event closer to the heart of downtown.
The WOXY.com/CiN Weekly stage will be located at the P&G Pavilion on Fifth Steet between Sycamore & Broadway. Click here to see the full lineup of music for all 3 days. You should have a Shiv, Joe and Mike sighting during the weekend, too. We're suckers for sweet tunes and good grub!
From Cin Weekly (which will have its own stage):

After weeks and weeks of toiling away over this lineup and dealing with diva bands and managers (totally kidding - they're all so great to work with!), I've got the lineup all set for our third annual CiN Stage at Taste of Cincinnati, May 26-28 in downtown Cincinnati.
Now that all of Taste has moved south a few blocks, the CiN Stage has found a new home at the P&G Pavilion, on Fifth Street, between Broadway and Sycamore.
Grab a potato pancake and a beer and come over to our grassy stage area (which I hear might have lots of seating - and hopefully be somewhat shady - an oasis in the concrete jungle of Taste) to hear the best lineup of local acts!
(Above, the amazingly talented Kim Taylor, who we are so happy to have playing our stage for the first time ever.)

The lineup:
(*Note: This is subject to change.)

SATURDAY, MAY 26
1-2 The Swarthy Band
3-4 Kristen Key
5-6 Ellery
7-8 Wussy
9-10 Kim Taylor

SUNDAY, MAY 27
1-2 Ill Poetic with DJ Rare Groove
3-4 Paper Airplane
5-6 Fairmount Girls
7-8 Bad Veins
9-10 Freekbass

MONDAY, MAY 28
1-2 Buffalo Killers
3-4 Pearlene
(I also heard Noctaluca was playing on Monday too)

Columbus' Magic City: Beat the lone drum

Being from a small town has a way of defining who you are. People find odd little routes toward their conclusions.
So when Columbus' Magic City made its live debut at Café Bourbon Street in June of 2006, its members were both nervous and glad they were coaxed into it.
"I’m pretty shy, so I think Magic City always had this fear that we would never actually play live," Karen said.
The group has been making jaunts up to Detroit for recording sessions, spear-heading a sound reminicent of garage rock girl groups of yore (more along the lines of Phil Spector and underground acts, rather than polished Motown.)
The members of Magic City are Nick on drums, Ann on guitar and backing vocals and Karen on guitar and lead vocals. The trio recently released a split 7-inch EP with fellow Columbus band The Patsy's. The group has two shows in Columbus this weekend, Friday at Carabar on May 25 and Saturday at Andyman's Treehouse on May 26.
What Magic City has brought to the Ohio music scene is a feeling of straightforward simplicity among the trying-a-bit-too-hard to be Arcade Fire stuff currently going on. Sometimes a song is a couple chords and an emotion. Sometimes you dont even need a bass player. Sometimes a band is merely a reflection of where you are from.
"It’s so rural that the place I’m from isn’t even a town with a name, it’s just a rural route postal address on a dirt road," Karen said. "I like Ohio well enough. I’ve never lived anywhere else, so it’s hard to know what to compare it to. But I grew up in this very rural section of the state, sort of an appendage of Appalachia. I think that probably shows through in the music, both with the sort of lyrical focus on the idea of isolation and in the archaic song styles I draw from."
Karen said she has always been drawn to 60s garage rock because that has been the soundtrack to her life since she was a child.
"Growing up, I remember listening to lots of oldies—like the Shangri-Las, Dion, Bill Haley and some MoTown stuff. So it was all this really catchy stuff, but a lot of it had this sort of dark, rock’n’roll undertone. Then once I started hearing stuff like Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, it was all over! It’s just such fun music to play, and when we started Magic City we really wanted to have fun—that seemed like something that not a lot of bands were doing anymore. It’s really easy to play in a band and stand on stage and look miserable and play boring songs that you think are really deep and meaningful .... Most of our songs are pretty short and to the point," Karen said. "Plus, that old rock’n’roll stuff had a lot of style, and we like that. We like the idea that you should get dressed up to go out to a show—whether you’re in the band or in the crowd. It’s just fun. Maybe that’s a girl thing though? I don’t know."
I'm pretty set on this clunky theme of the small town molding who you are, so I'll get back to that: In small towns you either have the choice of conforming or isolation. Aren't small towns great?
Those who conformed have never left their home towns. The ones who didn't moved away - as fast as they could. Then they spend the rest of their lives feeling as though they will never be accepted.
"Now that I listen back to the Magic City songs I think the themes are pretty clear—mostly stuff about feeling lonely and restless. But I think that in general all songs are basically just love songs in some form or another—whether they’re about love, or sex or love of rock’n’roll or anything else. Even songs about being lonely are love songs in their own way. I think that once I came to terms with that, it made writing songs easier. I sort of stopped trying to be uber-deep writing collegiate indie-rock lyrics, and just decided to write whatever came naturally. I do like some bands that write great, passionate, literary lyrics. But I hate it when you can tell that someone is trying too hard to be clever or poetic. Whatever is genuine usually sounds best, I think," Karen said.
That Allen Ginsberg-style spontaneous prose is the perfect background for rock and roll. If it was good enough for the Beat poets it's good enough for Columbus 2007.
"Being from Ohio is kind of an interesting thing, because it seems that no matter where you are in the country—or maybe even the world—you’re sure to run into someone else from Ohio. It’s a strange phenomenon, but we seem to be everywhere. I’m not sure why—maybe everyone from Ohio is just happy to get out! But then again, almost everyone I know who has moved away, has ended up moving back. It’s a strange attraction, Ohio," Karen said.
Retro-flavored groups have flourished recently here in the Midwestern. Detroit has almost become synonomous with it. But few of the new bands have caught on to the desolate chill that used to be such a integral part of 60s garage rock. It's what made the New Bomb Turks so interesting.
Magic City has been able to create a genuine "feel" of their 60s counterparts.
Karen said perhaps the group's diverse tastes has helped keep them from sounding like just another garage-punk band.
Then there's the lack of a bass player.
"That actually sort of started as a necessity because we didn’t know any bassists. Then it became a joke, because neither of us wanted to be the stereotypical girl bass player, so we both played guitar instead. Then, as we were getting our songs together, we realized we wanted to have a little bit of the edgy, bass-free sound of the Oblivians and Cheater Slicks. I think we always wanted to be a girl-band who didn’t necessarily sound like a girl-band, if that makes sense? But we try to balance it out with a full guitar sound. Ann’s parts are kinda noisy and high, and mine are kinda bassy and steady. So it’s a good mix, we think," Karen said.
She said Magic City keeps moving forward with the simple philosophy of keeping things fun.
"So far, it seems to be working. But that doesn’t mean we don’t work hard. We practice twice a week and play out pretty often. We take this band pretty seriously—or as seriously as we can while still keeping it fun," Karen said.

Nepal's Buddha boy plans live burial: report

Here's a new one, but it has an old date on it, so I kinda doubt its merit.
Monday, March 26, 2007
From correspondents in Kathmandu, Nepal, 07:32 PM IST

Ram Bahadur Bomjan - Nepal's 'Buddha Boy' whose followers claim he has meditated without food or water - is back in the news with media reports suggesting that he plans to be buried alive while meditating.
The teenager from Ratanpuri village in southern Nepal's Bara district has remained in the headlines since he surfaced under a tree in the Charkoshi forest in 2005, meditating cross-legged, just as the Buddha is depicted.
Clad only in a strip of white cloth, the boy was the object of intense reverence as well as curiosity after reports said he had been praying at the same spot in the same posture for nearly nine months without food or water.
Then, just as abruptly as he had surfaced he vanished, prompting a long search by followers, villagers and security forces. He reappeared in a nearby forest and reportedly told his followers that he had left the earlier meditation site because it was getting too crowded.
This year, Bomjan was reported to have disappeared once again only to resurface in the Halpuriya area of Bara district where he was said to be planning to embark on an even more difficult form of meditation.
Bomjan now plans to begin 'patal samadhi' (underground meditation), a private TV channel reported Monday, quoting a local journalist.
According to reports, his followers have already dug up an eight-feet deep trench in which Bomjan plans to descend. The trench will be then filled.
Asian religious traditions narrate tales of holy men being buried alive, braving extreme heat or cold and subjecting the body to other torments in order to master the senses and attain salvation.
A question is being asked whether the district administration will allow Bomjan's followers to bury him. There has been no official response.

Interviews

Look for a few new interviews in the coming days. Took the past week off to work on some articles. Not that much to report lately. The Heartless Bastards are opening up for The Hold Steady, which is pretty nice...I've also noticed that a lot of Indiana bands are making the rounds into Ohio more frequently. No luck lately on starting on the Chicago underground scenes...

Midwestern Links: Reviewed

I have begun adding some links to Midwestern web-sites. I'm not too keen on the national-focused stuff, but some of these offer other things specific to the Midwest:
Good Hodgkins:
This used to be my favorite site until he got tired of talking about music and stopped. His last post was like the Mission Statement from Jerry Miguire. Essentially, that there's too many shitty bands getting hyped all over the place for no other reason than hipsterism. I was in total agreement. In fact, up until this past year I have been utterly bored by almost every band that people seem to love (Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio). But the dude is back at it again and has already made some hiliarious points.
Donewaiting:
This site has been around for several years and was known for doing a great job at documenting the Columbus music scene, after the old Columbusmusic.com Web-site dried out. My complaint is that over the past couple years the focus of the site switched to more of a national thing: Posting MP3s and videos of national bands. Then Donewaiting launched a label, started a SXSW blog and kinda gave up on the local thing. The message board still thrived with Columbus chatter, so that was good. Does advertising lead to the end of some web-sites? I'm starting to wonder. But I like the site anyway, so I'll often check it for updates. (UPDATE: It's writers have been stepping it up lately with local coverage, which has been nice.)
Filter's Blog:
I have been reading this site a lot lately. I find some great updates on national bands here, which aren't talked about at the other sites.
My Old Kentucky Blog:
I have a love for the music sites that are featured on Sirius Satellite radio. It is hilarious to hear people who run blogs talk about songs and shoot the shit, mainly because they are so god awful at it. They either play the worst songs you've never heard of, or play tracks from their best friend's bands just to get them better exposure. It's truly bad - in a good way: Awkward silences, talking about things no one understands, babbling about pointless tangents, etc. Gorilla Vs. bear is the worst offender.
Anyway, I haven't heard My Old Kentucky Home featured on the station yet, so there is hope. This site posts a lot of MP3s, does reviews and does interviews. Why don't more sites create articles and interviews anymore? It's based in Indiana.
World of Wemme
This is just a tiny site that rarely has updates, but I appreciate his point of view and taste in music. Based out of Columbus, OH.
WOXY's "Futurist"
The best in radio is still alive. They started a blog and, as always, do their best to highlight both national and regional bands. Plenty of photos and MP3s from Lounge Sessions. They deserve everyone's support at all times.
Each Note Secure
This is how regional music web sites should be made. This guy must be the hardest working "blogger" in the entire Midwest. He treats his site like an actual newspaper. There are a ton of interviews, show reviews, CD reviews, photos, MP3s and a crapload more. He did a lot of coverage and an interview with Bryce Dessner of The National on Cincy's Music Now festival. I didn't even realize the dudes from The National were from Cincy. Well played, Each Note Secure. All other sites could learn a ton from this. I'm also happy to report that he has advertising and STILL works his butt off to get great content out there.
I Rock Cleveland:
I like this site because the guy has a real passion for what he does. Lots of show/CD/band reviews and he isn't afraid to voice his specific opinions. It also helps to know more about Cleveland's rock scene, since the city has shut itself off from the rest of the world. He's like a news reporter in Baghdad.
Aquarium Drunkard:
I like this site mainly because he is a Bob Dylan fan, such as I. But I also appreciate the site because it posts a lot of MP3s for obscure songs and discusses the history of rock in all its forms. I always get the feeling that most music writers these days knowledge of rock goes about as far back as 1985. Not this guy. He does, however, like Ryan Adams - which is unfortunate...
Musical Family Tree:
For as much as I think Each Note Secure works its ass off, I must admit Musical Family Tree takes that even further - by leaps and bounds. My only complaint is that the site is way too full of information! It's almost impossible to digest it all. We're talking thousands of MP3s by local and national bands, reviws and more. Plus, the site singlehandedly documents the entire Indiana music scenes in painstaking detail. Well done!
Pitchfork:
For as much as people complain about Pitchfork writers, I appreciate them because they obviously have a passion and knowledge about rock and its history. They can be rough on some bands, which I think is great. Most deserve that treatment. I guess my only complaint is that they sometimes confuse "good" music with anyone "pushing boundaries." I'm all for forging new paths in rock, but just because it sounds new doesn't necessarily make it good.
Brooklyn Vegan:
This site isn't Midwestern at all, but I like it because the person does a better job than most at reading a lot of band blogs and reporting what is there, going to great shows and taking photos (the Patrick Wolf freak-out on drummer thing is a perfect touch), plus the site has good tatse - even tho I hate the New York music scenes. But let's face it, Brooklyn is mostly made up of Midwestern expatriots anyway.
You Ain't No Picasso:
Another web-site that shares a focus of interviewing bands and doing reviews with photos. I actually haven't checked it in awhile and noticed there is a flurry of stuff I wanna check out, from the new Rufus Wainwright video to one of Of Montreal on Conan. Still, not much of a local focus. But a good site anyway.
I Guess I'm Floating:
Lots of updates on this blog based primarily out of Kentucky and Rhode Island. I'll be focusing on the Kentucky side, for all intent purposes (the whole Midwestern thing and all). If there's one thing I can appreciate in a web-site or blog, it's the ones that always have new content. I hate going to a site every day to see the same damn picture, from the same damn article they posted a month ago. I was a bit guilty of this myself in May, so I can understand. But I still got 8 articles out. So I base my judgement on sites on whether or not they are doing worse than I am. Back to the point, I Guess I'm Floating updates a lot and they are good articles.
Cringe:
Think you've been doing your blog for a long time? Think again. Joel over at Cringe has you beat. After starting in the early 1990s, the Columbus music site has consistently provided a great resource of getting to know the city's music scene. Since it started, Columbusmusic.com came and went and then Donewaiting popped up. Through it all Cringe remains stable and has even begun expanding to include videos and more features on its front page. Joel also compiles when Columbus bands play out of town - I know, we're talking about Columbus, so that is usually a short list. But at least someone cares! Special feature: check out the "Earshot Gallery" for pictures and live video of hundreds of bands.
The Bomb Shelter:
This is a relatively new blog from a guy who has aspirations to be a local Columbus music journalist. He started the site up to showcase what he is capable of. So far he seems very focused on putting out a lot of good show reviews (honestly, there is a big lack of these in Columbus lately). He also has a very interesting take on a lot of local rock bands, not a big fan of some of those which are overly hyped a lot in the "scene," and isn't too shy to trash a band and/or gush praise when needed. I think he'll continue to do some good work and since he puts out a lot of content I plan to check the site daily from now on.
Chris DeVille's "Sensory Overload":
The Columbus Alive music writer has this ongoing blog going where he touches upon national news tidbits, local stuff that didn't make it to the paper and links to MP3s and articles. I like to read it because he updates a lot. If there's one thing I can't stand it blogs that only update twice a month. In fact, I think I'm going to remove "Snow Globe Universe" from my recommended list on top. The effing site hasn't been updated for the past two months. They're gone!

Still adding some in, so come back for more....

Who do you recommend?Matt Shiv of WOXY

WOXY Music Director Matt Shiv:

"My favorite bands in the area right now are the Heartless Bastards, (in)camera, Bad Veins, Staggering Statistics, Wussy, Viva La Foxx (Covington, Kentucky). Dayton's Captain Of Industry and Lab Partners.

Midwest's Gateway to the World: WOXY An interview with Matt Shiv

When it comes to integrity within the national radio community, Cincinnati-based station WOXY has always been a name music fans can depend on.
The focus on providing listeners with a way to hear underground bands that would never succeed or get a voice in the Clear Channel world is what makes the station stand head and shoulders above the rest. Its longevity is also a thing to behold.
WOXY hit some hard times with funding a few years ago, but has since settled nicely into the role of the Internet-based station.
With the scope of People with Animal Heads focusing on the Midwest music scene, not talking to WOXY's Music Director Matt Shiv would be a huge mistake.
Local Cincinnati shows have been packed simply because the station plays a regional band's song. It is this kind of visible regional/worldwide respect that makes the station's impression so unique.
Shiv said there are lots of Cincinnati bands WOXY has playlisted since going internet-only and they also make an effort to have as many of them in for live in-studio "Lounge Acts" as possible. His said this is another way to help present their music to a wider audience.
But Shiv added that the concept of playing local bands with national bands has never been the point. It's all about finding bands they love and then supporting them.
"When WOXY was a local FM broadcast, we really went out of the way to spotlight the local music community. Once we went internet-only in 2004, we had to refocus our efforts a bit. Just because you are a band in Cincinnati or Dayton, that doesn't automatically earn you airplay on the station these days. The music submitted by local artists is held up to the same standards as any submission from around the world. If we like it, we support it," Shiv said. "Mike, Joe, and I are all from this area, so even without noticing that we have a fondness for Midwestern bands and artists, I think that sometimes that just shines through. In addition to the tri-state, we've really supported a lot of bands from Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland and Nashville."
He said the music coming out of all these areas does not seem to be getting the attention it deserves on a national
level. What these Midwestern bands face, as opposed to coastal bands, is that they have to try harder.
"I think that it can be challenging to build a regional following in this area, but if you are lucky enough to connect with an audience, they are really loyal," Shiv said.
Lately, he said, WOXY has been championing Chicago's Bound Stems as a prime example of what they enjoy.
"Their debut disc "Appreciation Night" was one of the best debut albums I've heard in a long time," Shiv said. "We fell in love with them and gave them as much support as humanly possible. They got some solid blog love and toured their asses off, but I still hope more people discover them."
Shiv also has advice for burgeoning bands hoping to pursue the radio frontier.
"The main suggestion that I can make to anybody trying to pursue radio airplay is to have quality product and submit it professionally. At WOXY.com, we've got a staff of three people and get hundreds of cd submissions a week. I can't even keep up with everything that comes in the door, never mind people e-mailing me asking me to follow 500 links to listen to their music online. Our attitude has always been, if you want me to hear your music, you'll get it into my hands," Shiv said.
He also stressed getting to know as much as possible about the radio stations before sending out material.
"If you cannot afford to have your disc promoted to radio, make sure you are doing a bit of research before you mail out all your CD's," Shiv said. "If you are a metal band, WOXY is not where you want to mail your music. It will end up in the trash."
At the end of the day, he said, he feels like WOXY pays less attention to where bands are from and worries more about the question: IS THIS GOOD?
"I know that we have a lot of A&R people from record labels who pay attention to the bands that we playlist who are unsigned. We get e-mails from them often asking us for more details on a certain band or they'll approach us after a Lounge Act performance airs asking for contact info. All we do is play the music that we feel strongly about, but I am always thrilled when that translates into more exposure or a label signing for a band," Shiv said.

Who do you recommend?Zach Gabbard of the Buffalo Killers

1. Cincinnati Suds (Cincinnati, OH.)
2. Wheels on Fire (Athens, OH.)
3. The Moonshakers (Springfield, MO.)