weird science Archives - Aquabear Legion

The Western Reserve – Double Cheeseburgerfest – Episode 028

It’s almost time for Double Cheeseburgerfest here in Athens on Saturday, April 20th! 18 bands playing a self described “backyard burger festival” just outside the city limits in a beautiful garage. Brian talks to Head Burger in Charge (and Athens musician) Tony Longanbach about this year’s sequel to 2018’s Cheeseburgerfest and much more all while playing some music from this year’s lineup and last year’s too. Enjoy!

Cotton Ponys – “Untitled”
Sorry Eric – “It’s Okay”
Kill the Hippies – “Single Prayer”
Ricky Hell & The Voidboys – “Dead Generation”
The Wastemen – “Big Beef”
Morgan Garrett – “Oh My Family Won’t Be With Me”
Red Devil Riders – “Astro Van”
Slut Castle – “Girls”
Weird Science – “Dangerous Friend”
Torgo – “Sermon on the Mounted”
Bloodhype – “Benzo Island”
Homemade Drugs – “I Shot Mary”
Pink Owl – “Rattlesnake”
Terrestials – “Rings”
Science Man – “Dark Matter”
Vacation – “Action Road”

The Western Reserve – 3rd Annual Ohio Christmas Spectacular – Episode 025

Happy holidays from Aquabear Legion and The Western Reserve! Sherri joins me for our annual tradition of the Ohio Christmas Spectacular (our third year!) and we play some great songs of the season all from Ohio! Some well known artists like Bootsy Collins, Bobby Womack, and Frankie Yankovic are on the playlist along with Aquabear favorites like Weird Science, Figgy & The Scrooges, and a whole bunch more. We talk about The Christmas Weed in Toledo, Mr. Jing-A-Ling, and our favorite Christmas characters. This is perfect for that long holiday car trip.

The Moonglows – “Just a Lonely Christmas”
Bobby Womack – “Dear Santa Claus”
The HeartlandersÂ – “White Christmas”
Screaming Jay Hawkins – “It’s Christmas (A Time For Giving)”
Bootsy Collins – “Merry Christmas Baby”
Frankie Yankovic – “Jingle Bells Polka”
Figgy & The Scrooges – “12 Shots of X Mess”
3 Speed Sleigh – “Hanukkah Nights”
Motorsled – “We Are Motorsled”
Weird Science – “Another Christmas Song”
Slut Castle – “Larry The Red Tailed Rat”
Hocus Pocus – “Christmas Time In Cleveland”
Frankie Yankovic – “What Christmas Means To Me”
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans – “Christmas on the Plains”
The Heartlanders – “Christmas Medley”

STBEY TOO : NELSONVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 : Friday

STBEYtoo is back with day two of the 2015 Nelsonville Music Festival. This one is jam packed with righteous tunes from beginning to end. So settle in, listen close, and enjoy both familiar favorites and some of the best bands youâ€™ve never heard of. I believe it was Todd Jacops who suggested NMFâ€™s motto should be, â€œWhere youâ€™ll find your next favorite band.â€ This collection of recordings truly proves the accuracy of that statement. From innovative high school students to grizzled music veterans, youâ€™re guaranteed to find something that tickles your ear balls. What follows is a list of performers and how many minutes into the podcast youâ€™ll find recordings from their sets. Consume the podcast in its entirety or skip ahead to your personal favorite. Listen early, and listen often.

NMF2015: Friday

Radio Falls (4:51)
The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists (8:25)
Chris Monday (28:35)
The Summoners (32:38)
Samantha Crain (46:01)
Bram Riddlebarger (50:30)
Michael Hurley (52:50)
Mandolin Orange (58:54)
Nathan and Brendan Moore (1:03:03)
Clarke and the Himselfs (1:08:53)
Ben Sollee (1:15:16)
Weird Science (1:20:57)
Good English (1:26:50)
Ryan Jewell and Riley Walker (1:30:41)
Connections (1:56:23)
Built to Spill (1:59:20)
Riley Walker (2:10:35)
The Flaming Lips (2:24:56)
Wooden Indian Burial Ground (2:32:10)

Ohio Bands at the 2015 Nelsonville Music Festival

A bunch of Ohio bands are playing this weekend at theÂ Nelsonville Music FestivalÂ (May 28th-31st). A few of them will also appear on this year’sÂ Aquabear Legion Volume 5 Double LP.Â Don’t miss this amazing festival and all theÂ great bands involved. Now in its 11th year.

Here’s a list of Ohio bands performing at theÂ NMF15

* Connections – ColumbusÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
Good English – Dayton
Bummers – Columbus
* The D-Rays – AthensÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Speaking Suns – Yellow SpringsÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Weird Science – AthensÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Dead Hand Of Man – AthensÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
The Summoners – Athens
The Wild Honeybees – Athens
Chris Biester – Athens
Ryan Jewell – Columbus
Scott Hedrick – Athens
Ben Stalets – Toledo
Mike Elliott – Athens
The Teardrops – Athens
Bram Riddlebarger – Athens
Chris Monday – Athens
Nathan & Brendan Moore – Athens
Megan Wormz Bihn – Athens
* Weedghost – Athens/FairbornÂ (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
Stuartâ€™s Afterschool Bands – Athens County
Heatwave Dance Party – Columbus
Dj Barticus – Athens
John E. Clift – Columbus

Honorary

Bassholes – Asheville, NC
Adam Torres – Austin, TX
Michael Hurley – Portland, OR

We Did It! Aquabear Legion Volume 5 Double LP Coming Summer 2015!

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!

Aquabear 2LP Track List, Support and Pre-Order Now

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 Â “If I Had An Airplane (I’d Be There)”*
Herzog Â “Oh No”
Sport Fishing USA Â “Feeling So Strange”*
Connections Â “Everybody High”*
Supernobody Â “Quicker Than the Eye”*
Weedghost Â “Excerpt from I”

SIDE B
WV White Â “Multiple Bathrooms”
Motel Beds Â “Stay Out of Riverdale”*
Unmonumental Â “Sword”*
The D-Rays Â “High Tide”*
The Guitars Â “She’s Got Your Heart”
Nick Tolford & Company Â “Cancel Your Plans”

SIDE C
Weird Science Â “Gimmie Some Time”*
Kid Tested Â “#1 Hit”
Hyrrokkin Â “Astrionics”
Murderedman Â “Love Under Ground”*
The Kyle Sowashes Â “A Faster Asshole”*
Dead Winds of Summer Â “He’s Gone Man”*

SIDE D
Dead Hand of Man Â “Dark Invader”*
Hookers Made Out of Cocaine Â “Milky Way”*
Speaking Suns Â “Sleeper”
She Bears Â “Beach Fires”
Black Owls Â “Whorehouse Joke”*
The 1984 Draft Â “Scarlet & Cream”

*currently unreleased and exclusive to the comp

Are You in the Aquabear 125? Support & Pre-Order a Double LP of 24 Ohio Bands

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

Aquabear Will Release Double LP Compilation in 2015, Pre-order on Indiegogo Now

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.Â 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 IndiegogoÂ 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.

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!

Help Dogs + Honor Kimberly at The Union on Saturday with Athens’ Finest Rock & Roll

Friends of the Shelter Dogs benefit show at The Union on Saturday, December 7! Good cause, 6 bands, 5 bucks.

If you believe in a supporting a great cause (for an even better reason) all while listening to some of Athens, Ohio’s best rock and roll then Aquabear has a suggestion for your Saturday night. On Saturday, December 7th, The Union hosts a Friends of the Shelter Dogs benefit show with Weird Science, The D-Rays, County Pharaohs, DUNE, Dead Hand of Man, and Supernobody! The evening (and its charitable cause) are to honor the memory of Kimberly Fleming, a friend of many of the fine folks involved, Athens resident, and animal lover. Music starts at 9pm sharp (doors at 8:30) and $5 gets you 6 of Athens finest bands, with proceeds going to Friends of the Shelter Dogs in Athens County.

Missy Pence Coleman (bassist in Athens’ own surf rockers The D-Rays) put the show together as a tribute to her late friend Kimberly Fleming. Fleming called Athens home for years and passed away last August, and as Missy put it, “just seemed we needed to do something for her here and there was a lot of interest right off the bat. She was an animal lover, and we wanted to do something good in her memory.” Coleman told Aquabear that the lineup came together pretty quickly, “I sent out a message to her old friends in bands here, which got the original bill going– us, County Pharaohs, Dune and Weird Science. Then a few more bands, Supernobody and Dead Hand of Man volunteered to play too, so it just took off.”

9:00 Supernobody
9:50 Dead Hand of Man
10:40 DUNE
11:30 County Pharaohs
12:20 The D-Rays
1:00 Weird Science

Help support a great organization, Friends of the Shelter Dogs, by seeing some great live music!Â Six bands for $5!Â Doors open at 8:30 and the show starts promptly at 9:00.

Friends of the Shelter Dogs is a group of Athens County, OH citizens dedicated to the welfare and rescue of dogs from the Athens County Dog Shelter.This show is also a local opportunity to remember our dear friend Kimberly Fleming.Â All of the proceeds of the show will go to FOSD in her name.

Aquabear County Fair is September 5-7: 14 Ohio Bands, All Free!

The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair is THIS COMING WEEKEND: September 5-7 in beautiful Uptown Athens, Ohio. Things kick off on Thursday, September 5 at The Union at 10:00pm with Weird Science (athens), Palaces (cleveland), Princess (athens), and Night Stalker (athens). Friday, September 6 we move a few block away to Casa Cantina with music from The D-Rays (athens), Hyrrokkin (yellow springs), Supernobody (athens), and The Dead Hand of Man (athens). And we finish off the weekend back at The Union on Saturday, September 7 at 9:00pm with Wussy (cincinnati), Â being joined by a slew of Athens bands including County Pharaohs, Hex Net, Unmonumental, Weedghost, and the night will close out with a performance from We March. ALL FREE. It’s on Facebook here, share this link, bring friends, support Ohio music

7th Annual Aquabear County Fair (9/5-9/7) Full Lineup: Palaces, Dead Hand of Man, Night Stalker Added

The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair is September 5-7 in Athens, Ohio! The weekend features 14 Ohio bands playing three nights for FREE and here’s the final lineup (times TBA):

Thursday, September 5 at The Union, 10pm
Weird Science (athens)
Palaces (cleveland)
Princess (athens)
Night Stalker (athens)

Friday, September 6 at Casa, 10pm
The D-Rays (athens)
Hyrrokkin (yellow springs)
Supernobody (athens)
Dead Hand of Man (athens)

Saturday, September 7 at The Union, 9pm
Wussy (cincinnati)
We March (athens)
County Pharaohs (athens)
Hex Net (athens)
Unmonumental (athens)
Weedghost (fairborn/athens)

All shows are FREE. We still pay the bands so if you’d like to help by making a donation let us know: contact@aquabearlegion.com

We March and More Added to Aquabear County Fair: September 5-7

Athens' own We March join the Aquabear County Fair lineup and will close out The Union on Saturday, September 7

The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair will take place in beautiful Athens, Ohio on the weekend of September 5-7, 2013! And the Aquabear has another round of bands to announce for this ALL FREE weekend of Ohio music featuring (after about a year off) the Athens legendary punk rockers We March who will close out The Union on Saturday night after Wussy’s set. Joining We March in this round of announcements as well areÂ Hyrrokkin (yellow springs), County Pharaohs (athens), Hex Net (athens), and Princess (athens). The new announcements join a lineup that features Wussy (cincinnati), The D-Rays (athens), Weird Science (athens), Supernobody (athens), Unmonumental (athens), and Weedghost (athens/fairborn). More bands are still to be announced and the entire weekend is FREE. We gladly take donations to help pay the bands, drop us a line at contact@aquabearlegion.com if you’d like to help.

7th Annual Aquabear County Fair
Athens, Ohio – Â ALL FREE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The Union, 10pm
with: Weird Science, Princess, and more

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Casa Cantina, 10pm
with: Hyrokkin, The D-Rays, Supernobdy, and more

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
The Union, 9pm
with: Wussy, We March, County Pharaohs, Hex Net, Unmonumental, Weedghost

Wussy to Headline 7th Annual Aquabear County Fair: September 5-7

PracticeSpace — Cincinnati’s Wussy will headline the 7th annual Aquabear County Fair!

The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair will take place September 5-7,Â 2013 in beautiful uptown Athens, Ohio! This year’s Fair will feature tons of great Ohio bands playing all throughout the weekend in Athens FOR FREE and will be headlined by Cincinnati’s acclaimed rock and roll legends Wussy on Saturday, September 7th at The Union. Joining Wussy in this first round of announcements are some of Athens’ finest including The D-Rays, Weird Science, Supernobody, Unmonumental, and Weedghost (dates, venues, times to be announced), with a whole lot more to come. The weekend will kick off on Thursday, September 5th at The Union and continue on Friday, September 6 at Casa Cantina before closing out on Saturday, September 7th back at The Union. There will still be a few more shows and surprises to announce as we get closer. And again, this whole weekend is FREE. If you are an Ohio business interested in sponsoring the Aquabear County Fair to help pay some bands, send us an e-mail at contact@aquabearlegion.com, and if you are a person who thinks this all sounds like a good time and want to support Aquabear you can make a donation here, even a few bucks is a big help.

Check out Wussy’s full KEXP performance from 2012’s SXSW show at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop

Blackoutfest Turns 18 in Athens This Weekend!

Athens own Blackoutfest turns legal age this year, celebrating 18 years of Scott Winland bringing awesome underground rock and roll to Athens for a weekend each year for one big party of music. The 18th annual Blackoutfest will take place THIS WEEKEND (Thursday, April 11 – Saturday, April 13) at The Union in Athens, Ohio. 30 bands over three nights including music from Cheap Time, Natural Child, Greg Ashley Band, Birthday Suits, and Useless Eaters and some great Ohio bands like Grafton, EYE, and Unholy TwoÂ along with the usual Athens mainstays too. Tickets are on sale at Haffa’s Records in Athens right now, or you can buy them at the door.

Aquabear Legion is honored to co-sponsor Friday Â night (April 12th)Â of Blackoutfest with music from Natural Child,Â Birthday Suits,Â EYE,Â Grafton,Â The D-Rays,Â Hex Net,Â Unholy Two,Â Homemade Drugs,Â Hook & Eye andÂ Unmonumental. Starts at 6:00pm SHARP. Â We’ll have some free pizza at the start of Friday night from Avalanche courtesy of the Aquabear, so come early.. plus free Aquabear stickers for all! And there is a guitar raffle all weekend (you could win a badass guitar from United Lutherie made just for the show) and sweet screenprinted posters from Jason Frederick. Come out, see bands, support rock and roll, and buy some stuff. And the brand new Splooge Magazine is co-sponsoring Saturday night!

Schedule below and you can attend on Facebook here.

Thursday PRE-PARTY!!! 8PM // $5
Weird Science
Buring Itch
County Pharoahs
MOP
Fat Elvis
Sportfishing USA
Shower Beers
Melk

Friday – AQUABEAR BLACKOUT!! 6PM //$8
Natural Child
Birthday Suits
EYE
Grafton
The D-Rays
Hex Net
Unholy Two
Homemade Drugs
Hook & Eye
Unmonumental

Saturday – SPLOOGEOUT!!! 4PM // $8
Cheap Time
Greg Ashley Band
Useless Eaters
Shockwave Riderz
Whalezombie
Gardens
Messrs
Frankie Teardrop
Ferals
Small Steps
Mom’s Weekend
Method Air

Best of Ohio 2012: Part Four

Aquabear is kicking off a brand new year-end tradition by asking some of the state’s best musicians and music related folks to share their favorite Ohio music finds and experiences of the year. Look for a whole bunch of these before the start of 2013! Here’s the second batch featuring Kyle Sowash (Columbus – The Kyle Sowashes), Chris Lute (Athens – Weird Science, Dark Circles Records), Â Zach Long (Chicago – Time Out Chicago, ALARM Magazine), Todd Carman (Athens – Skumplast), Brian Ostrander (Columbus – Kobo Live). Look for more in the coming weeks and please share, if you would like to participate drop us a line at contact@aquabearlegion.com
_______

Kyle Sowash
Columbus Â (The Kyle Sowashes)

What were your favorite Ohio releases from 2012?
Connections – “Private Airplane”,Â GBV – “Class Clown Spots a UFO”,Â GBV – “Bears For Lunch”,Â The Whiles – “Somber Honey”,Â Washington Beach Bums – “Party!”

Best new Ohio band
Connections.

Favorite Ohio show you saw this year?
Tossup:
Afghan Whigs/Wussy @ Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH 10.25.12
orÂ Crooked FIngers/ John Vanderslice @ Tree Bar 11.6.12

What are you most excited about for 2013?
Summer.

If you are a musician what have you been working on lately?
Just working on songs for a new record and drinking soda pops with my buddies.

What are you listening to right now?
RIGHT now? Bob Mould – The Silver Age

_______

Chris Lute
Athens (Weird Science, Dark Circles Records)

What were your favorite Ohio releases from 2012?
Paleoweltschmerz by Jay Harmon and the Francis Bacon Band,Â Homemade Drugs LP by Homemade Drugs,Â Volume Consume by Tribe of The Mountain,Â Teen Age by Nathan Moore,Â Vodou – Fittness

Best new Ohio band
Frankie Teardrop

What are you most excited about for 2013?
Working on new projects. Recording more bands more often. Nelsonville Music Festival.

If you are a musician what have you been working on lately?
Just began working on a project called Elton Johnny with Maureen Neer and Chris Lee. This is a very open-ended project that is based on live improvisation interacting with prerecorded loops, combing elements of Dub, Ambient Electronic, and Garage Rock. I am very excited to work with these guys to refine our process and expand our sonic palette with the incorporation of organ, theremin, etc. Essentially, this project is all about fluidity and progression, creating structure without confinement. We get to play whatever we want, as long as we are in sync with our prerecorded loops (of us playing whatever we want).

Also, recording with Frankie Teardrop, Finishing up an album with Bonzai, and recording for a solo album.

What are you listening to right now?
The Gun Club right now. Lately – Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello, The oh sees, Die Antwerd, Squarepusher
_______

Zach Long
Chicago (Time Out Chicago, ALARM Magazine)

What were your favorite Ohio releases from 2012?
Black Swans -Â Occasion for Song

Jerry DeCicca returns for another round of tugging at your heartstrings, armed with a batch of tunes that manage to be morose without coming off as mopey. Centered around the tragic death of former bandmate Noel Sayre, DeCicca forms a fitting tribute to his fallen friend with a record that surrounds the singer’s tender baritone with delicate arrangements. The tuneful tragedy of tracks like “Where Are You Tonight?” and “Bad Dream” makes this an album fit for the good times as well as the bad.

Guided By Voices –Â Class Clown Spots A UFO
The second installment in Guided By Voices trifecta of 2012 releases is the most varied of the bunch, finding the newly reformed group embracing the same kind of sporadic eclecticism that birthedÂ Bee ThousandÂ andÂ Alien Lanes. There’s no arguing with the band’s pop rock earworms (“Keep It In Motion,” “Billy Wire”) or oddball interludes (“Worm w/ 7 Broken Hearts.”) As prolific as ever, the Dayton outfit seem to have picked up where the classic lineup left off in ’96. Keep it up, Uncle Bob.

Herzog –Â Cartoon Violence
Dialing up the distortion and singing about the mundane, the guys in Herzog sound like they’ve spent a bit of time with the music of Built to Spill and Pavement. Clocking in at just under half an hour, the Cleveland-based group don’t mince words, delivering a frantic, tightly constructed rock record that bounces from punk to shoegaze. Featuring members of the stoner rock group Megachurch, Herzog is at its best amid the pounding refrains of closing track “Alexander the Great.”

Hex Net -Â Future Holds
Providing the soundtrack to many a drunken night at Athens haunts like the Union or Casa Cantina, it should come as no surprise that the songs on Hex Net’s first full length release hold up under more sober scrutiny. In their recorded forms, there’s a newfound clarity to be found in Seth Riddleberger’s growling delivery and the group’s twisting surges of guitar and organ. True to form, the riffs still stick like glue and there’s no shortage of sonic weirdnessâ€”all part of a sound that you can’t help but become ensnared in.

Southeast Engine -Â Canannville EP
A concise companion to 2011’sÂ Canary, the latest batch of songs from these Athens mainstays provides a tidy encapsulation of the group’s greatest strengths. Beginning with the jovial strains of “Old Oak Tree” and continuing with the jaunty bounce of the record’s title track, the band’s historical folk has never sounded more exuberant. The stirring finale of “C&O Railroad” finds singer Adam Remnant yearning for the days of old while, reaching for the track’s choruses with an earnest lilt that conveys the true importance of the past.

What are you most excited about for 2013?
I recently learned that Brainbow (one of my favorite Ohio bands back when I was in high school/college) will be releasing their second LP this January after years of inactivity. After that makes its debut, I’ll be looking forward to new records from Foxygen, Yo La Tengo, Low, (more) Guided By Voices and whatever Ty Segall puts out in the coming year.
_______

Todd Carman
Athens Â (Skumplast)

Best new Ohio band(s)
1.sega genocide
2.delay
3.nervosas
4.weird science
5.snarlas

Favorite Ohio show you saw this year?
county pharaohs, d-rays, nick tolford and co. @ bowling alley!
_______

Brian Ostrander
Columbus Â (Kobo Live)

What were your favorite Ohio releases from 2012?
The Kyle Sowashes – Somebody,Â Delay – Rushing Ceremony,Â Dolfish – I’d Rather Disappear Than Stay The Same,Â The Washington Beach Bums – Party!

Best new Ohio band
Whirl

Favorite Ohio show you saw this year?
Anyway Records Weekend – Ace Of Cups 12/21 + 12/22
St. Lenox,Â Winter Makes Sailors,Â Obnox,Â New Bomb Turks,Â Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments,Â NECROPOLIS – covering Gaunt,Â Belreve,Â Jenny Mae,Â Kyle Sowashes,Â Moviola,Â County Pharaohs,Â Connections,Â Greenhorn

What are you most excited about for 2013?
Winter Makes Sailors full length release, Forward Ohio in Columbus, 18th Annual Blackoutfest in Athens, Nelsonville Music Festival

What are you listening to right now?
The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
Water Liars – Phantom Limb
Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes

A Very Special Aquabear Christmas at Casa on Saturday!

Aquabear Legion will host its A Very Special Aquabear Christmas at Casa Cantina in Athens, Ohio on Saturday, December 22 at 10:30pm. The night will feature music from three great Athens bands: Weird Science, Princess, and Elton Johnny. Admission is $3 and proceeds will benefit the 2013 Aquabear County Fair which will celebrates its 7th year and will feature a full weekend of great Ohio music at venues around Athens for FREE! Â And we should have some t-shirts and cd’s if you still need a gift for someone.

Aquabear Legion is based in Athens, Ohio and is a collective of Ohio musicians and artists. Since 2004, Aquabear has worked with over 150 bands and dozens of artists and filmmakers from the state of Ohio. We work to promote and support Ohio musicians by releasing compilations of music, putting on shows and events, hosting podcasts, and covering Ohio music on our website at www.aquabearlegion.com. To date Aquabear Legion has released 9 compilations of Ohio music, 8 of them are available for free stream or download on their website, and one is a physical release available for purchase, 2011’s Aquabear Legion Volume 4. The Aquabear Legion provides a community network for creative people. We are dedicated to supporting and enhancing independent music and art in our extended region. We focus on collaborative relationships to create opportunities for independent musicians and artists.

The Union’s Fall Lineup Includes Rocket From the Tombs, Mike Watt, R.Ring, and More

rftt1 — Legendary Cleveland band Rocket From the Tombs plays The Union on 10/13.

The Union Bar and Grill is putting together a great slate of Fall shows with many more to come I am sure. Head on over to their Facebook pageÂ for all the details and updates but make sure to mark your calendars for some great shows.

Some of Ohio’s finest will grace The Union’s upstairs stage: legendary Cleveland act Rocket from the Tombs (10/13), Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery’s R.Ring (9/1), and Athens’ own Skeletonwitch (9/14)all have dates lined up. And Athens even gets a visit from Mike Watt himself on October 22. And even appearances from some more great Ohio bands like Eye, Wheels On Fire, The Kyle Sowashes, Hex Net, The D-Rays, Weird Science, and many more round out the next few months. More shows to be added I’m sure and advance tickets for some shows are available atÂ Haffa’s Records.

14th Annual Athens Community Music Festival is August 11

Every year one of the best things about summer in Athens, Ohio (besides the quiet and numerous public parking options) is the annual multi-venue Athens Community Music Festival, which celebrates its 14th year on Saturday, August 11. The night is a sampling of Athens music of all varieties, so get a good nights rest and drink a lot of coffee because there is a lot of stuff to see.

This year’s ACMF will feature 35 acts on 6 stages, including Donkey Coffee, Casa Cantina, Jackie O’s (both rooms), The Smiling Skull and The Union. Proceeds for this year’s festival will again benefit ARTS/West and The Bryan Winland Art & Music Scholarship Fund.

The schedule is still be sorted out (and we will have it here when it is announced!) but the lineup so far features: Â Stella (original line-up!), Wheels on Fire, Hellnaw, Scubadog, The D-Rays, Hex Net, Weird Science, Goodbye Goats, Black Spyral Dancer, Dropdead Sons, Leah & Adam, Laura Nadeau, The County Pharaohs, Broken Ring, Dysfunktional Family, The Corbin Marsh Band, M.O.P., Acer Negundo, Hippie Grinder and tons more to be announced!

$5 for any one venue / or $8 for an all venue pass

And.. Jason Frederick (native Athenian musician/artist now living in Chicago)Â designed and printed this year’s poster! This summer Jason’s work was featured on the cover of the Chicago Reader for their Pitchfork Music Festival edition, and the ACMF poster is awesome as well.

Check out the Facebook event and spread the word!

The Moose Is Loose: Episode Two: Aquabear County Fair Preview

The Moose Is Loose presents its historic second episode, and its historic because we did another one! This episode is part one of an All-Aquabear County Fair preview (look for episode 3 next week!) and you can hear Brian talk about surgery, his cat, living on an alley, and of course play a lot of sweet music. The focus of part one is on Friday, March 9th so you will hear from all the bands playing the first day of the 6th annual Aquabear County Fair. From the early show at Donkey you will hear Chris Biester (represented by an Appalachian Death Ride song), Sovroncourt, and Moon High. Brian then moves on to Casa Cantina where you will hear songs from the bands playing there: The D-Rays, Hex Net, Sundown, and Weird Science.

Enjoy!

Â Â The Moose Is Loose: Episode Two

12/16/11 – Aquabear Legion X-Mas: Weird Science, Bonzai, State Park, Weedghost – Casa Cantina

Aquabear X-Mas at Casa THIS FRIDAY!

The holiday season is upon us. Aquabear Legion is hosting a special X-Mas show at Casa Cantina in Athens this Friday, December 16th starting at 10:30pm. Weird Science, Bonzai, State Park, and Weedghost will play music all night (in that reverse order with Weedghost kicking things off around 10:30pm) and we will have Aquabear Volume 4 compilations and new(ish) Aquabear t-shirts for those last minute gifts on your list. Plus we will be giving away stickers, buttons, and even a cd or two throughout the night… why not? It’s the holidays!

Admission is $3 and all proceeds benefit the Aquabear Legion and specifically the 2012 Aquabear County Fair! Support some local music before the year is out and see some great bands.

Aquabear Legion Volume 4 is (almost) OUT! Release Party at Union This Saturday!

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.

FULL COMPILATION TRACK LIST AFTER THE BREAK…