Another year is in the books and it was a great one for Ohio music. Brian plays some of his favorite songs of the year including Supernobody, Vacation, Van Dale, Pere Ubu, Water Witches, The Magic Words, Day Creeper, The Village Bicycle, Smug Brothers, Bloody Show, R. Ring, Speaking Suns, Obnox, WV White, The Crooked Spines, Buffalo Killers, Ipps, and She Bears. Enjoy!
Supernobody – “Oh Yeah Records” Vacation – “Blueberry Patch” Van Dale – “Vacationhead” Pere Ubu – “Prison of the Senses” Water Witches – “Totality” The Magic Words – “Melody Ranch” Day Creeper – “Allergic to Myself” The Village Bicycle – “Anyone But You” Smug Brothers – “My Little Crowd Pleaser” Bloody Show – “Pyro” R. Ring – “Cutter” Speaking Suns – “The Void” Obnox – “Woe Is Me” WV White – “Backwards” The Crooked Spines – “Keep On” Buffalo Killers – “Stuck Inside the Realm of Man” Ipps – “Human Beings Are Garbage” She Bears – “Lay Out Long”
A sneak peak (about half way done) of Charlie Touvell's artwork for the inside of the upcoming Aquabear Volume 5 double LP!
A sneak peak (about half way done) of Charlie Touvell’s artwork for the inside of the upcoming Aquabear Volume 5 double LP!
Wow. The Aquabear Legion would like to thank all of you who supported our recent project, a massive 24 band/song double LP release of all Ohio bands. With a pre-order and donation page through Indiegogo we raised 110% of our goal (and still have 5 days to go), an amazing $5,491 from 135 contributors. We still have a few days left to raise some more money and for you to pre-order your copy, plus there are awesome extras like colored vinyl, hoodies, and unbelievable limited edition prints from Charlie Touvell of the Aquabear fighting a sea creature (see the halfway done version above). Here’s the link, get your copy.
The songs are being mastered with Bernie Nau at Peachfork Studios down in Meigs County and artwork and layout is being finalized in the next week or so, we are hoping to scheduling a pressing and have everything ready to go to be sent out by the end of the month if not sooner! The plan now is to have this album out and ready to go in June 2015, we of course will keep everyone up to date as the schedule progresses.
Aquabear Legion Volume 5Â will include music from 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs:
The 1984 Draft, Black Owls, Connections, Dead Hand of Man, Dead Winds of Summer, The D-Rays, The Guitars, Herzog, Hookers Made Out of Cocaine, Hyrrokkin, Joseph Airport, Kid Tested, The Kyle Sowashes, The Motel Beds, Murderedman, Nick Tolford & Company, She Bears, Speaking Suns, Sport Fishing USA, Supernobody, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Weird Science, and WV White.
Putting this record out means an awful lot to Aquabear and we could not be more excited to share it with you all. Help us spread the work and share this link, just 5 days to go!
To celebrate our 10th birthday the Aquabear decided to release a double LP featuring 24 Ohio bands and set up an Indiegogo page to collect pre-orders and support to help make it happen. The Aquabear is thrilled to be at 56% of our goal with 34 days remaining and a total of $2801 of $5000 raised! Thanks to all who have supported this project, so far 68 of you have directly contributed to making this thing happen. You are awesome.We need to keep spreading the word to reach our goal, there is still a lot more to go. If you can share this link, and tell anyone you think might like two records of Ohio music we would be thankful. Look for some sketches from Charlie of the liner note art (that will become the awesome limited edition prints that start at the $75 level w/ a record) coming soon.
Below is the track order for the compilation, it’s subject to change of course but it is a really good sequence so it probably won’t. Share the link and support an awesome project.
AQUABEAR LEGION 2015
SIDE A
Joseph Airport  “If I Had An Airplane (I’d Be There)”*
Herzog  “Oh No”
Sport Fishing USA Â “Feeling So Strange”*
Connections  “Everybody High”*
Supernobody  “Quicker Than the Eye”*
Weedghost  “Excerpt from I”
SIDE B
WV White  “Multiple Bathrooms”
Motel Beds  “Stay Out of Riverdale”*
Unmonumental  “Sword”*
The D-Rays  “High Tide”*
The Guitars  “She’s Got Your Heart”
Nick Tolford & Company  “Cancel Your Plans”
SIDE C
Weird Science  “Gimmie Some Time”*
Kid Tested  “#1 Hit”
Hyrrokkin  “Astrionics”
Murderedman  “Love Under Ground”*
The Kyle Sowashes  “A Faster Asshole”*
Dead Winds of Summer  “He’s Gone Man”*
SIDE D
Dead Hand of Man  “Dark Invader”*
Hookers Made Out of Cocaine  “Milky Way”*
Speaking Suns  “Sleeper”
She Bears  “Beach Fires”
Black Owls  “Whorehouse Joke”*
The 1984 Draft  “Scarlet & Cream”
Aquabear 2015 will feature 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs, donate now and spread the word! (cover art painting by Emily Beveridge)
Aquabear 2015 will feature 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs, donate now and spread the word! (cover art painting by Emily Beveridge)
To celebrate our 10th birthday Aquabear Legion wanted to release a double LP vinyl compilation of 24 Ohio bands, but we need your support. To fund the release of this compilation Aquabear has set up an Indiegogo page where you can pre-order your copy of the double LP release along with a lot of awesome extras. In less than 2 weeks we have raised 25% of our goal from 32 contributors, but there is still a long way to go. We think we need around 125 people to support this release and reach our goal, are you one of the Aquabear 125? You can directly support the release of this compilation buy pre-ordering your copy and donating now. In addition to the record you can get lots of great extras including limited edition prints by Charlie Touvell (based on the art for the liner notes), colored vinyl, hoodies, t-shirts, and even a new perk: a show from Dayton’s The 1984 Draft (at the appropriate level of $84). We must reach our $5,000 goal by February 13th and currently have $1,235 raised.
We are looking for everyone out there who loves Ohio music, records, and independent rock and roll. Please share this link and help us spread the word, give whatever you can, and tell friends, family, and music lovers in your life.
Aquabear 2015 will include music from 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs:
The 1984 Draft, Black Owls, Connections, Dead Hand of Man, Dead Winds of Summer, The D-Rays, The Guitars, Herzog, Hookers Made Out of Cocaine, Hyrrokkin, Joseph Airport, Kid Tested, The Kyle Sowashes, The Motel Beds, Murderedman, Nick Tolford & Company, She Bears, Speaking Suns, Sport Fishing USA, Supernobody, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Weird Science, and WV White.
The Aquabear Legion would like to thank our 32 contributors so far for this project, you guys are the best:
Brian Wiebe, David Massimini, Leslie Jankowski, Dave Frush, Sherri Oliver, Carl Raponi, Bill L’Heureux, Chris Pyle, Scott Summerfield, J.R. Fisher, David Butler, Ben Penry, Matthew Cutter, Heath Seifert, Dan Majesky, Arielle Banaszak, Dustin Cell, Eli Alban, Sean Redefer, Mike White, Jessy Lancaster, Michael Bart, Anonymous, Randy Demidovich, Darren Fox, Suzanne Sloo, Blue Eagle Music, Bobby Rosenstock, Jadey Gilmore, Bryan Gibson, Ken & Pam Koscho, and Luke Edwards
The Aquabear (painted here by Athens artist Emily Beveridge) will release a double LP, 24 song vinyl comp in Spring 2015.
The Aquabear (painted here by Athens artist Emily Beveridge) will release a double LP, 24 song vinyl comp in Spring 2015.
Since 2004, Aquabear has worked with over 200 bands and dozens of visual artists and filmmakers. And in that time produced 10 releases including compilations of Ohio music both physical and for free on aquabearlegion.com. But we REALLY want to put out some vinyl. And since we just celebrated our 10th birthday it seemed like a double LP is the way to go. 24 songs from 24 of Ohio’s best bands on 2 LPs. Printed, pressed, designed, and played in Ohio. You can support this project and pre-order your copy at our Indiegogo page here. Please help us spread the word folks!
To help raise money and make some more things in the process we are partnering we a couple local artists for some really cool special items. Charlie Touvell will be making some limited edition prints based on his artwork for the record’s liner notes and even some custom drawings too. We will be making some brand new hoodies and of course have t-shirts, colored vinyl, and countless random Aquabear items we might send along. We sincerely appreciate your support of this project.
Aquabear 2015 will include music from 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs:
The 1984 Draft, Black Owls, Connections, Dead Hand of Man, Dead Winds of Summer, The D-Rays, The Guitars, Herzog, Hookers Made Out of Cocaine, Hyrrokkin, Joseph Airport, Kid Tested, The Kyle Sowashes, The Motel Beds, Murderedman, Nick Tolford & Company, She Bears, Speaking Suns, Sport Fishing USA, Supernobody, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Weird Science, and WV White.
We have always wanted to make a record, and these are some really amazing songs to do it with. The plan is that if this works we will keep doing it with more and more bands in the future. Here’s a video!
Things are really exciting here at Aquabear HQ. Our brand new compilation Aquabear Legion Volume 4 is all finished up and ready to be heard by all, coming in at a whopping 38 songs from 38 Ohio bands all on 2 CD’s. We are celebrating the official release THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 11th at The Union in Athens, Ohio with music from Seascapes, Black Owls, Scubadog, and Weedghost. Comps will be for sale (at a special price!) and there will be some awesome music which will start around 10pm.
The compilation features hand screen printed art by Jed Collins and looks real sweet. They will be for sale at the show and then on our website and at good places around the state in the coming weeks.
This weekend, June 2nd through 4th, the All Campus Radio Network (ACRN) presents its annual Lobsterfest. This year’s fest features many local and regional bands to create a full and diverse lineup. This event is sponsored by ACRN and in part by the Student Activities Commission and local businesses.
Lobsterfest kicks off Thursday at 10 p.m. at Casa Cantina. Headliners include Columbus band Tin Armor and Athens act Scubadog, while The Kyle Sowashes and Stomp the Condor, both of Columbus, are opening.
Lobsterfest continues Friday at 10 p.m. at The Union. Headliners include Detroit art rockers Child Bite and Columbus post-punk band Narrow and the Brights. The night will begin with Cincinnati act Evolve, and Athens band Nurser.
Finally, on Saturday at noon, Lobsterfest takes over South Green’s lawn for an all-day extravaganza. New York City dream pop band Asobi Seksu and Detroit indie-rockers Prussia will be headlining. Athens favorites Brothertiger and She Bears will also be playing on Saturday. Expect to see many other acts from Athens and Columbus for a full line up check out the Lobsterfest Facebook event or ACRN.com.
To finish the evening on Saturday, Dave Rave, Busted BASS and the ACRN.com DJ Crew will be presenting a Lobsterfest themed Dave Rave at 10 p.m. at The Union.
Everyone will play in that order with Alwood Sisters kicking the evening off and Black Owls closing it. Doors at 9pm and music starts around 9:30!
$5 for 21+ | $7 for 18+
There’s a blackout in store for Athens just a few weeks from today, and fortunately it’s not the kind that will leave you reading by candle light. Rather, the 16th annual Blackoutfest will be taking place April 14-16, organized by the locally-based Blackout Booking and bringing bands from across the nation as well as regional and local favorites onto the Union’s stage for a weekend of wall-to-wall garage/punk-inclined rock and roll. Headliners for this year’s lineup include Columbus’s Times New Viking, who are preparing to embark on a European tour in support of their upcoming Merge Records release Dancer Equired. Also heading up the bill are Tennessee glamrockers Cheap Time, psychedelic devotees Buffalo Killers, Chicago power duo White Mystery and eclectic noisemakers Fergus & Geronimo.
Once again, Blackoutfest will be sharing the weekend with the annual Record Store Day, which means you’ll be able to start your Saturday off at Haffa’s before jumping across the street to the Union for some live music. Tickets are currently on sale at Haffa’s, at $8 a night or $20 for all three days. Doors open at 6PM on Thursday and Friday, and at 4PM on Saturday. Complete list of band (which we’ll update as we receive more information) after the jump!
She Bears make another return to Athens to join Narrow & The Brights and Whale Zombie for the second night of the County Fair. FREE SHOW!
The 5th annual Aquabear County Fair is coming up this weekend (March 3-6) and we think this year just might be the best yet. The Aquabear is serving up four days of Ohio music with 16 bands. Remember to head over to our Facebook to see our favorite videos of all of this year’s bands.
FRIDAY, March 4th the County Fair at Casa Cantina with a FREE SHOW featuring She Bears (Columbus), Whale Zombie (Athens), and Narrow & The Brights (Columbus). The show starts at 10:30pm and is FREE, however we do encourage donations which will go to Aquabear Legion and helps us cover some of the costs of the Aquabear County Fair!
She Bears call Columbus home now, but they just can’t stay away from Athens. These guys have been busy the past year… touring around the country, signing to Deep Elm Records, and showing up somehow on both Teen Mom and in the Apple Store. But, trust me these guys aren’t big enough superstars to not want you to buy them drinks.
Whale Zombie are a shoegaze-y, psychedelic, fuzzy band from here in Athens that has really been playing some badass shows lately. They have played basements, bars, and even my workplace, the historic Stuart’s Opera House in January for the Cabin Fever Festival and were loud and noisy at all of them.
Narrow & The Brights feature 2/3 of former Athens group Russenorsk. They love Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen but so does Aquabear so no problem there. Much like She Bears they call Columbus home, so make sure to get out and enjoy their visit.
And it’s a FREE SHOW. So you should all be there. Donations at the show will go to the ol’ Aquabear and help us cover some costs for the weekend. And don’t forget…
Thursday, March 3 at The Union with Zoobombs, Wheels On Fire, Valleyboys, The Pleasure Domes
Saturday, March 5 at Union with Chickenpussy, Megachurch, Hex Net, Scubadog, Left Hand Shake, Weeghost
Sunday, March 6 at ARTS/West with Super Desserts, Brian Harnetty, Adam Remnant
This year mark’s the 5th annual Aquabear County Fair so we decided to make it bigger than ever before. We’re pretty excited for this one… many more details to come.
This year we present 16 bands total in Athens, Ohio over 4 days on March 3-6. 15 Ohio bands and even 1 from Japan.
Thursday, March 3 at 10pm
COUNTY FAIR NIGHT ONE
at The Union curated by Blackout
Zoobombs (Japan)
Wheels On Fire (Athens)
Valleyboys (Athens)
The Pleasuredomes (Athens)
Friday, March 4 at 10:30pm
COUNTY FAIR NIGHT TWO
at Casa Cantina – FREE SHOW!
She Bears (Columbus)
Narrow + The Brights (Columbus)
Whale Zombie (Athens)
*donations benefit Aquabear Legion
Saturday, March 5 at 9pm
COUNTY FAIR NIGHT THREE
at The Union
Chickenpussy (Athens)
Megachurch (Cleveland)
Hex Net (Athens)
Scubadog (Athens)
The 65’s (Athens)
Weedghost (Athens/Dayton)
Sunday, March 6 at 2pm
COUNTY FAIR DAY FOUR
at ARTS/West – FREE AFTERNOON POTLUCK
Super Desserts (Columbus)
Brian Harnetty (Columbus)
Adam Remnant (Athens)
*donations encouraged to benefit bands and space
In the mere months since the release of their sophomore effort Creature, Phantods have solidified themselves as a Columbus-based band to watch. From their record’s inclusion on local year-endlists to an upcoming opening spot with Fitz and the Tantrums, Phantods momentous rise shows no signs of stopping. Fronted by the powerful vocals of Gretchen King, the group’s new-found anthemic pop-rock sound has found an immense local following.
In anticipation of their show at the Union on Friday, January 14 with Athens’ favorites She Bears and Blithe Field, Aquabear recently chatted with Phantods guitarist Dan Hagquist about the group’s latest release.
Aquabear gave She Bears some love (it’s a bear thing) a while back when they put out their last record. This interview is funnier than anything that I could write right now, so we will just link to that.
She Bears are from Athens, Ohio though I hear talk they will be leaving for the bright lights of Columbus, Ohio after spending the Summer touring around. Come on out to Aquabear County Fair night two a free show at Casa Cantina on Friday, March 5th to see She Bears join Dragline Bros, Manor Animals, and Chris Biester.
And take a look at the lady bears making an appearence on ACRN’s Guestlist in the video below:
The 4th annual Aquabear County Fair takes place March 4-6, 2010 in Athens, Ohio and we are thrilled to announce the lineups for that weekend! And this one is shaping up to be one of the best we’ve had…
Saturday, March 6th at The Union, 8pm
This Moment in Black History (Cleveland)
Makebelieves (Athens)
Men of Gentle Birth (Columbus)
Megachurch (Cleveland)
We March (Athens)
Sun God (Cleveland)
Weedghost (Athens/Dayton)
Friday, March 5th at Casa Cantina, 10:30pm FREE SHOW!
Dragline Bros (Athens)
She Bears (Athens)
Manor Animals (Athens)
Chris Biester (Athens)
Thursday, March 4th at The (bruce) Manor, 7pm
Seascapes (Athens)
In Silent Movies (Athens)
Thx. Tiger (Columbus/Athens)
Dead Winds of Summer (Athens)
– And look for one more event on Saturday afternoon to celebrate County Fair weekend, more details soon!
– Holy crap this is going to be awesome
She Bears is a six-piece band from Athens, Ohio who have found their voice with their new release I Found Myself Asleep. I had the opportunity to play several of their earlier shows with them in my former band Casual Future, and one thing that stuck out to me was how good they sounded then. That of course led to the next thought of how scary it would be once they started to get really good. Their new album reaches that point. It’s a great record for sure but even more importantly it accomplishes something often lost in recording: She Bears sound like they should.
She Bears are releasing their new record, I Found Myself Asleeptonight at Casa Cantina. Aquabear had a chance to talk to Stephen Pence about the band, their new album, boats, getting drunk, record contracts, and a lot more.
It should be noted that an original idea for the interview was for me to send Stephen questions and then he would get really, really drunk and leave me voicemails answering them late at night. I thought it was a great idea, but the logistics fell apart a bit after 13 voice mails and a lack of a good transcribing system. I am including some of the voicemail ramblings, which include contributions from: Stephen, Shea Stanley (a local hobo witch doctor who as of press time is not in the band), and Ryan (who is in the band). Other folks left some messages too sorry if you were left out, also not all of those messages are transcribed here..
The 3rd Annual Aquabear County Fair
March 5-7, 2009 in beautiful Athens, Ohio
Thursday, March 5th
Kickoff at The (Bruce) Manor
with
Russenorsk
Dinner of Swords
Battle Rabbit
7pm
Friday, March 6th
Night One at Casa Cantina
with
Brainbow
Casual Future
Five Deadly Venoms
Weedghost
10:30pm
Saturday, March 7th
L’Aqua Porter Film Festival
at ARTS/West
Ohio films! 2pm
Saturday, March 7th Night Two at The Union
with
We March
Dragline Bros.
Kaslo
Flotation Walls
She Bears
Bram Riddlebarger and His Lonesome Self
8pm
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.myspace.com/aquabearcountyfair
or
www.aquabearlegion.com
Based in Appalachian Ohio, The Aquabear Legion provides a community network for creative people. We are dedicated to supporting and enhancing independent music and art in our community and elsewhere. We focus on collaborative relationships to create opportunities for independent musicians and artists.
