PLBO
THE MOONCUSSERS

UGLY STICK (Pick Up the Hatchet reissue out July 12th)

DENOVO

THE LINDSAY

THE PINKERTONES

MAZA BLASKA

RIGHTEOUS BUCK AND THE SKULL SCORCHERS

BLASTRONAUTS

EX-WHITES

Independents’ Day (more to be added)
roeVy
The Receiver
JBRW (3/4ths New Bomb Turks)
21 pilots
Colin Gawel
Necropolis
Clay (reunion)
Ex-Whites
Kyle Sowashes
Nathan Snell And The Country Sound
Sundown (TK Webb)
Ipps
Wing And Tusk
Ride To Ruin
George Elliot Underground
Old Hundred
Birds of Hair
Bum Wealthy
Mt. Carmel
Slick City Ramblers
The Main Street Gospel
She Bears
Phillip Fox Band
Bird and Flower
G finesse and the NS Crew
Trains Across The Sea
Swimsuit Edition
Survivalist

Image courtesy of Future of Music Coalition

Think the cost of health insurance really sucks? Think no insurance sucks more? Heads up: The Columbus Music Co-op continues a string of educational programs and workshops this weekend by hosting Alex Maiolo from the Future of Music Coalition, a national non-profit organization working for as a proponent of musicians at “the intersection of music, law, technology and policy.” Maiolo is an accomplished musician in his own right, as well as an advocate, writer, recordist, and contributor to Tape Op magazine. It’s his day job, however, that will form the basis for Sunday’s (May 8th, 2-4 PM) presentation at the Jazz Academy (Lincoln Theater, 769 E Long Street). Since 2005 Maiolo has been working on the FMC’s Health Insurance Navigation Tool (H.I.N.T) program, which directly assists the 33% of musicians who are without health insurance in finding affordable coverage. Programs such as H.I.N.T were part of the inspiration for the CMC’s own CMAP program which provides medical grants to Franklin County musicians. If you would like to hear more about H.I.N.T or CMAP, or the state of the insurance industry as it applies to the self employed, you are encouraged to attend. The presentation will focus on musicians, but is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited so please RSVP through the Jazz Academy here.

In typical CMC fashion, it’s not all work- there’s a party involved too. Saturday May 7th at Kobo, there will be a CMC Volunteer Appreciation Party and New Music Showcase (Alert New London, New Tooth and Energy Clinic!). Details can be found on the Facebook event page.

I stopped into Carabar to have a drink with Ron Barker. Someone on our message board had been taking shots at Ron and his bar, Carabar, this week. Ron requested that he could use our public forum to address his detractors, and beyond.

The CMC has a fancy new website, too.

(And some dude wrote about the Gibson Bros reunion in this week’s Other Paper.)

First a little disclosure right upfront- I’m an official part of the Columbus Music Co-op volunteer machine, so this is a project which is near to my heart. Looking beyond my obvious lack of objectivity, I think most of you reading this have some shared interest in the Columbus music community and will appreciate both the efforts and the results of this undertaking. Something like a year and half ago, a plan was hatched by Jon Fintel (Relay Recording) and Erin Moore of the CMC to provide a vehicle to showcase the variety and quality of music making in town. Of particular importance to the founders was the notion that equal attention should be given to young (high school age) artists, who would be showcased adjacent to more veteran musicians. Over the past year, Fintel donated over a 100 hours of studio time to record and master eleven original tracks, some of which are the first professional recordings made of the participants. All of them are available only on this compilation, which turns out to be a really strong collection.

On Saturday, February 13th Relay and the CMC will host the first of two CD release shows at Carabar, where copies of the compilation, complete with original album art, will be available for $5. In the spirit of providing a musical experience for young people, a second all ages and family-friendly multi-faceted release show is scheduled for Sunday, February 28th in the North Market Dispatch Test Kitchen from 1-5 pm. All bands are volunteering their time, so should any profits be made from shows or sales, they will go to fund the CMC’s Columbus Music Assistantship Program to provide emergency medical expense grants to working musicians in need. Keep reading below for additional information on bands, a track listing, and set times.

Saturday, February 13th Carabar lineup and set times:
Jinx Palm 10PM
Shin Tower Music 11PM
The Lindsay 12AM
Bookmobile 1AM

Sunday, February 28th North Market (upstairs) lineup and tentative set times:
Jordan Martin 1:30PM
Time & Temperature 2:15PM
Sean & Dan of Bookmobile 3:00PM
Flotation Walls (accoustic set!) 3:45PM

Also special vendors will be in attendance for the North Market , including Clint Reno, What The Rock, AmyD, Sweet Stella Designs and balloon animals for the kids.

Track listing and band links:
1 Bookmobile – Weekends of Our Youth
2 Time and Temperature – Lake of Glass
3 Shin Tower Music – Pine Tree Trails
4 The Lindsay – Laid Back
5 Jinx Palm – Matchstick in a Coal Mine
6 Dolby Fuckers – Escargot
7 Flotation Walls – Earthquake at a Country Club
8 Deadsea – Circles
9 Jordan Martin – Sticks and Stones For Bones
10 Dylan Kappler – And the Earth Moved
11 Ben Schwabe – Crystal Branches

Picture this. You’re a musician. You’re in a local band that’s created a steady fan base. You want to test the waters of your talent, so you accept a challenge that matches you randomly with four other people to form a band. You then have 8 hours to come up with two original songs and one cover with these people whose musical limitations are potentially a mystery. Following the minimal time spent conjuring up and practicing these songs, you must perform them in front of a full audience of your Columbus peers. Oh, and on top of all that, this year you get filmed every step of the way. Nervousness ensues, the pressure’s on. Welcome to the Rock Potluck of ’09.

In its 5th year of existence, the Potluck continues its raw artistic event, boasting a roster of 41 musicians from 41 Columbus bands. Though both the challenge and combination of personalities thrown together seem like an equation for an explosive reality TV show, there is an underlying positivity. The Potluck’s coordinator, Bobby Miller, feels that the event “helps bring the entire Columbus music community together in a very unique and supportive way. Each band creates a bond and ultimately the experience they go through and the music they make together is something really exciting to hear and watch and something they can all be proud of.” More than one band created within the event has continued to play out after the fact. Sandwitch, born in the ’03 Potluck (made up of Ron House, John Olexovitch, Brett Burleson, Bobby Silver and Zac Szymusiak) has put out a 7”, played at last year’s SXSW and will soon be releasing a full-length record on Columbus Discount Records.

Full documentation of each band’s creative processes will be the new spin on this year’s event. Teams of local filmmakers have volunteered their services to follow each band with a goal of compiling all of the footage into a feature that will hopefully screen in late spring.

This year’s event will take place on December 5th at Skully’s. Guests are encouraged to bring food that will be served at 9pm, along with donations from local businesses. The music will start promptly at 10 and there will be a $5 cover. Portions of the proceeds will go to the Columbus Music Co-op as well as the making of this year’s documentary. Please go out and support our local musicians and all the hard work that has gone into continuing this event. Who knows what Columbus superband could come out of the woodwork this time?

Sandwitch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

There’s no such thing as good music. All bands suck, especially yours. It’s all been done before and there is no such thing as a new genre, no matter how many you try to cram in your shitty songs. Basically what I’m saying is fuck that band Attack Attack! for being from Columbus. Crabcore? MORE LIKE CRAPCORE HAHAHA AMIRITE

This week I jammed to Michael at The Agit Reader Happy Hour, went to a sold out hipster fuck-fest at The Summit, jammed to some sweet bands at the CMC Parking Lot Blow Out and watched some bands in a pretty cool warehouse space.

Pictured: crowd crowd@Man Man

After dancing my face off to Michael at The Agit Reader happy hour on Thursday night, I went to the sold out Ben Co Presents on Friday at The Summit to see Man Man. From what I remembered, Man Man put on a pretty fun show, so I figured I might as well see if they were still just as much fun…turns out I was too distracted by the sauna-like temperature and frustrated by the sold out hipster fuck-fest inside the Summit to actually focus on/enjoy the show.

Man Man were tight as fuck and I’m pretty sure everyone there but me enjoyed themselves…If these dudes can sell out The Summit, why is it that there are so many other ill attended shows around here? Also Firewater are better than Man Man.

Pictured: Deerhead@CMC Parking Lot Blow Out

One thing that wasn’t ill attended was the Columbus Music Co-Op’s annual Parking Lot Blowout at The Surly Girl Saloon. This is the event that allows for the Co-Op to help out broke musicians get their teeth fixed and stuff and is a volunteer run event that reinforces a sense or community in the Columbus Music scene.

I made it there around three o’clock, in time for my door shift at 4:00 and I must say I was surprised by the number of people that were there and their amount of dedication to soldier through the inclimate weather. Buckets of water rained down on the tents for the beginning of the afternoon and there was many a sopping wet volunteer, but the weather broke round about 5ish and it was smooth sailing for the rest of the day. There’s something that happens when one starts to consume alcohol around 2 in the afternoon, meaning I didn’t pay a whole bunch of attention to the bands between that and working the door.

I watched the Rosehips be all rosehippy, saw Deerhead TOTALLY KILL IT and witnessed Cheater Slicks totally not clear a room. I missed The Guinea Worms and Struck by Lighting because I was busy not realizing they were playing. No doubt a banner year for the CMC-keep up the good work girls.

Pictured: Six Gallery@Tompkins warehouse

There was another fundraiser of sorts on Sunday to help Wing and Tusk release there album or something. I basically went to see Phantods because they’re rad and Six Gallery because I hadn’t seen them with a vocalist yet. Fun fact about Phantods…Nate Phantod used to be in a band called The Husher a few years back and they were one of the first Columbus bands that I got stoked for…experimental, instrumental, and defunct, sources tell me that there may be a Husher reunion somewhere in the near future. I really can’t stress enough how tight Phantods are live and how awesome Gretchen King’s voice is. Do yourself a favor and check them out, don’t let the name be a deterrent. Also, CD101 should be playing “Revival” IMHO.

This was my first time seeing Six Gallery with new vocalist Daniel, formerly of Pirate and they were way more entertaining/less boring than before. They made me think of Minus the Bear a whole bunch when they were instrumental, now they just make me think of them a little. I left during Wing and Tusk’s set due to long day syndrome but I’m going to make it a point to check them out next time I can.

Pictured: Phantods@Tompkins warehouse

I’m going to organize a fundraiser for myself because I need a laptop and a new camera hope you can make it.

Hey, you know the drill because we’ve talked about it before and lots of folks are getting excited about it. But if you haven’t heard, the Columbus Music Co-op’s biggest shindig of the year happens tomorrow beginning at 3:00 in the parking lot beside Surly Girl Saloon. Not only is this a great free party with 11 bands, tons of beer, humongous hot dogs, and now, debuting for 2009 a couple of awesome summertime liquor concoctions, but it’s also all in the name of a great cause.

People have asked me in the past what happens with the money generated from CMC fundraising, and the answer is really simple: it’s been redistributed as cash right back into music community pockets to support working Columbus musicians with medical needs. We’re talking thousands of bucks going to directly assist your friends, your colleagues, your favorite artists. This is one way in which the CMC is making the city a viable place for people to make art.

Okay, enough lecturing and more with the pitch- besides the booze, additions to sweeten the deal for year number four include more tent coverage, big beer mugs to cut down on time in line, and a super sweet raffle selection (PBR bike, Anyway Records Collection, Wholly Craft stuff, What the Rock, man the list goes on…). So come hang out, drink a beer, say hi, pitch in. Amazing band line-up and set times are after the jump.

It all goes down July 11. Schedule:

Apocalypso………………………3:00 pm
Total Foxx……………………….3:45 pm
The American Jobs……………..4:30 pm
Winter Makes Sailors……………5:15 pm
Chuck and Lisa from Wussy…….6:00 pm
Rosehips…………………….6:45 pm
Deerhead………………………..7:30 pm
Moviola…………………………..8:15 pm
Guinea Worms……………………9:00 pm
Cheater Slicks……………………9:45 pm
Struck by Lightning…………….10:30 pm

The fine folks at the Columbus Music Co-op have had a busy winter with all kinds of happenings, but spring has sprung, the Parking Lot Blowout is on the distant horizon, and a few other events are emerging from the CMC winter chrysalis. First one is happening this Thursday the 30th at The Shelf, where they’ll be hosting a workshop titled “Legal Issues for Musicians” lead by attorney and co-owner of All Hail Records Tony Clark . You got questions about whether you should be signing with Universal or Sony? RIAA or ASCAP? Or maybe just about how to establish copyright and digital music distribution? I really have no idea if Tony is gonna help you out with your major deal, but I’m betting this is an awesome place to get some fabulous free info on legal matters large and small, and a few of your basic questions answered.  The workshop is from 7-9 PM on Thursday- shoot ‘em an email to let ‘em know you’re coming.

As is the case with almost all the CMC events, this serious business is tempered with a healthy dose of fun. The evening will kick off just downstairs from The Shelf with a happy hour at the Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, complete with the ladies of the CMC spinning a couple hours (5-7PM) of all local music. I swear a few Commit To Be Lit drinks will make all the legalese magically comprehensible. After the legal workshop, The Shelf space will transition from courtroom to concert hall as it is filled with the dulcet voices of Dan Spurgeon (Bush League All Stars) and Sean Gardner’s solo project Winter Makes Sailors. Music should go from about 9 to 11. If you didn’t get enough booze at Tip Top, bring your own to The Shelf for the show, along with a couple bucks for the performers.

Disclosure: I’m a board member of the CMC

The Columbus Music Co-op is pleased to announce the launch of the Columbus Musician’s Assistance Program (CMAP) pilot. Under CMAP, mini-grants will be given to working Central Ohio musicians who are lacking health insurance coverage and are experiencing health-related financial hardships.

Musicians will be able to submit requests for assistance with:

* Medical bills/treatments/office visits
* Vision or dental services
* Prescription medications
* Drug & alcohol addiction treatment

Grants will be awarded in amounts between $0-$1,000

Click here for complete details.