Tag Archives: The Kyle Sowashes

Motel Beds, Connections, Kyle Sowashes caravan to Dayton and Columbus tonight and tomorrow

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Motel Beds, Connections, and The Kyle Sowashes will embark on a caravan to Dayton’s Canal St. Tavern and Columbus’ Café Bourbon St. this weekend. The lineup could very well be one of the best of the year, so do make it out to a show if you’re in the area.

Here is a link to the PopMatters video premiere of Motel Beds’ “Smoke Your Homework” via Dumb Gold (November, 2012). Both Connections and The Kyle Sowashes have recent records on the long-loved Columbus imprint Anyway Records (GBV, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, etc).

While Motel Beds are the only current Dayton natives, all three bands have ties to the Gem City. Kyle Sowash grew up in Englewood and Connections brothers Kevin Elliot (84 Nash) and Adam Elliot (Times New Viking) hail from Troy, Ohio. Here is an interview with Connections guitarist Andy Hampel in this week’s Dayton City Paper

Motel Beds, Connections, The Kyle Sowashes
Friday, February 8 • Canal St. Tavern • Dayton, OH
Saturday, February 9 • Café Bourbon St. • Columbus, OH

Tim Pritchard & The Boxcar Suite release new album, join The Alwood Sisters & The Kyle Sowashes in Columbus this weekend

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(Photo: Alessandro Cortez)

For well over a decade, Tim Pritchard has been a figure of Dayton, Ohio’s historic music scene. These days, he’s fronting a new folk-rock band called Tim Pritchard & The Boxcar Suite. The group recently released the gorgeous and plaintive It Shall Be Revealed and is leaving the Gem City more and more.

While The Boxcar Suite certainly possesses folk elements, the music steers clear of cliché methods employed by many in this camp. It Shall Be Revealed is not trite Americana, but rather a collection of graceful songs influenced by time-honored traditions.

Broken, melancholic, and beautiful, Tim Pritchard & The Boxcar Suite sound like Richard Buckner fronting a heavier-hitting Byrds. There is no reinventing the wheel on It Shall Be Revealed and that’s exactly what gives the album its curative nature.

Tim Pritchard & The Boxcar Suite
Opening for The Alwood Sisters and The Kyle Sowashes
Columbus, OH @ Tree Bar
Saturday, January 19.

Video: The Kyle Sowashes – “Pain Don’t Hurt” (premiere)

Here’s a brand new video for a brand new song from one of my hometown favorites, the Kyle Sowashes. It all starts with a cough/sneeze combo, which has painful consequences for Mr. Sowash’s tongue.

New LP Somebody, the Kyle Sowashes’ follow-up to Nobody, comes out on Anyway Records in May. The Columbus release show is May 5 at the Tree Bar with the Safeties (Cleveland), the Cabdrivers and Harlem Airshaft.

This Week in Columbus: Kyle Sowashes 7″ release (+mp3), Yacht, Trail of Dead, Surfer Blood

MP3: The Kyle Sowashes – Magic Tricks

The Kyle Sowashes — the local band whose everyman charm and killer hooks only a robot could resist — have a new three-song 7″ out called Wreck, and the release show is Saturday night at the Summit. Info on that and lots of other shows below. As usual, feel free to fill it out with more shows and relevant details in the comments. You can also quickly access any “This Week” post by floating your mouse over the “Columbus” tab up top.

Wednesday, 5/4
MP3: YACHT – Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)
YACHT, Light Asylum, Bobby Birdman @ Wexner Center
Alison Scott @ Woodlands
Pow Wow w/Carma/Attak, Cornelious Jackson, Rocketnerd, Kingpin @ Circus

Thursday, 5/5
MP3: Surfer Blood – Swim
Trail of Dead, Surfer Blood, True Widow @ The Basement
Alix Reese benefit @ Brew-Stirs
The Seasonal Help @ Circus
Whitey Morgan & the 78s, The Ragbirds @ Woodlands Tavern

Friday, 5/6
MP3: White Hills – The Condition of Nothing
White Hills (Thrill Jockey), Main St. Gospel, Eye @ Cafe Bourbon St.
Earwig, Town Monster, Lord T. Eloise @ Kobo
Holy Grail, Cauldron, Midnight @ The Summit
Colin Gawel & the Lonely Bones @ Rumba
Wobble 5.O w/ Still Life, Pantha, Carma/Attak, Cornelious Jackson
Ray Cash, Kim Joyce, Ampichino, Da Kennel, CJ Platinum, Ray Jr., Unruly Records 614,
F.H.S.P. @ Skully’s
JT Nero @ Woodlands Tavern
Honeymoon, I Am Mute, Maza Blaska @ Rumba Cafe
Fuse Factory Electronic & Digital Arts Lab’s May Frequency Fridays with Rocco di Pietro, Anthony Vine, and Sineqube aka Kevin Holland @ Wild Goose

Saturday, 5/7
New Music Showcase/CMC volunteer appreciation party w/ Alert New London, New Tooth and Energy Clinic @ Kobo
the kyle sowashes, washington beach bums, the blind eyes (st. louis) @ The Summit
Daphne Willis @ Woodlands Tavern
Dig! dance party w/ roeVy @ Circus

Tuesday, 5/10
intrerarma @ carabar
Kink Ador @ Rumba

Video: The Kyle Sowashes – “Blast from the Past”

Lots of tour footage, which, in Sowashes world, means lots of food. Directed and shot by Mike Postalakis, edited by Miles Painter.

Tuesday: Brick Mower @ Bourbon St.

If you haven’t already poked around Bandcamp, you definitely should. Tons of really great bands putting their music out there for you to download either for free or for a small fee.

I was searching for bands that referenced Fig Dish when I came upon New Jersey’s Brick Mower. This trio, in spirit anyways, reminds me of locals The Kyle Sowashes and SPD GVNR in that they sound like stuff I was listening to and writing about in the mid-90s (Superchunk, The Breeders, GBV, etc). And, hell, any band that references Fig Dish (and whose singer sounds like FD’s Blake Smith) is okay in my book.

Bruce Springsteen stinks
Nebraska isn’t good because it’s recorded on a 4-track
And we all know
Fig Dish ain’t coming back

Brick Mower and Period Girls (featuring Brick Mower’s Kit Gogan) are playing Tuesday night at Cafe Bourbon St. Show these Jersey kids a warm Columbus welcome, will ya?

Thursday: forgetters at Circus

Had I not stumbled upon Matthew Berlyant’s review of the debut double 7″ by forgetters on The Big Takeover website last week, I probably would have missed this show. As it was, the mere mention of a new band featured ex-Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach was enough to make me fire up Google and find out anything and everything I could about forgetters (no “the” and lowercase “f”, thank you very much). There’s not a lot out there, but I did find some concert dates posted on the band’s blog and was shocked to see a Columbus date at Circus (sorry Benco, I’ll check out your site way more often to see who else you’ve booked!).

SPD GVNR and The Kyle Sowashes round out the bill. Tickets are $12 at the door. All the details here.

MP3: The Kyle Sowashes “Blast from the Past”

MP3: Blast From the Past

People who know Kyle Sowash of The Kyle Sowashes know that he is a genuide solid dude. Between making records and booking bands in Columbus, he is one of the few people in town that is keeping Columbus a good place for live music on both a local and national level.

Anyway Records just released their latest album, Nobody, and it’s some of the band’s work. Fans of early Pavement, Superchunk and Archers of Loaf definitely want to get to know the Sowashes. It’s available on vinyl or CD.

Favorite Albums of 2008 by Andrew Patton

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Marco Benevento (photo by Greg Aiello)

Yessir, it’s been another year, and one that boasted its fair share of fair jams.  Therefore, I have made my annual stab at a list of favorites. Despite any misgivings, I think I have assembled a list of albums that hit me in the right spot at the right time in order to merit a place in my heart.  Please enjoy.

Also, please note that following my Top 15 is a list of my 10 favorite Columbus records of 2008.  Our humble burg cranked out a triumphant pile of tasty crowd pleasers this year, so I was moved to reinstate that list from last year’s absence.

1. Marco Benevento, Invisible Baby
This is the album that I have patiently anticipated from Marco since the Benevento/Russo Duo album Best Reason To Buy The Sun hit me so hard in 2005. After making his first solo splash with the sprawling and just way-too-ridiculous triple-disc Live At Tonic, he returned in 2008 with a focused and concise (well, at least by his standards) studio album that regained the articulate yet playful bombast that the Duo album possessed in 2005. A showcase of technicality and technology, Invisible Baby displays Benevento’s masterful techniques with pianos, keyboards, and boatloads of effects, complimented by relatively basic bass and drums accompaniment. He carefully resists the urge to go overboard, and instead slowly builds and layers melodies towards majestic and unexpected climaxes. Though the victory march of “Bus Ride” and the ice cream truck on a sunny day jam “The Real Morning Party” are my favorites here, all of the songs add variety and emotion to the proceedings.
MP3: Atari | Buy from label

The Real Morning Party Video
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2. SSM, Break Your Arm For Evolution
The Detroit boys’ second full-length record on Alive Records contains more of the sarcastic clatter of their beloved debut, but with further explorations into a plethora of messy sounds. The tunes range from rock anthems to dance-punk ditties to lo-fi funk nuggets, and with sassy lyrics like “You were only living the life/bitches to the left, bitches to the right,” what’s not to love?
MP3: Start Dancing | Buy from label
3. Black Kids, Partie Traumatic
Parallel with the conundrums caused by bands like the Black Angels and Silversun Pickups in years past, this Jacksonsville quintet dropped a full-length that contained all of the songs from their previous EP, an EP ranked highly by yours truly. They helped their position by giving the four old songs the major label touchup, so the snarky energy and catchiness of the album won out over any internal quibblings. New breakthroughs like “Listen To Your Body Tonight” and “I’m Making Eyes At You” are what proved that the band had enough bounciness and catchiness to round out a full album.
Video: Hurricane Jane | Buy on Amazon
4. Empire Of The Sun, Walking On A Dream
The first legitimate newcomer to this list, this Aussie duo’s album caught my attention in the last month and has kept a stranglehold on it since. With their smoother crooning and production on one hand and their more outrageous ’80s aping on the other, these guys have managed to out-MGMT MGMT in my brain. The lyric “Don’t want to talk, all I hear is noise” often makes sense to me. Hopefully this is released domestically soon.
Video: Walking On A Dream
5. The Kyle Sowashes, Yeah Buddy!
Kyle Sowash, a Columbus musician and promoter for the ages, and his self-named band released their second album in 2008 to fine results. Kyle wears his emotions on his sleeve, and turns his stories and dreams into ramshackle “classic indie rock” singalongs. While the songs range from heartbreaking to hilarious, the hooks and the solid playing of the ensemble tie them together.
MP3: Korea | Buy from label | Donewaiting review
6. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular
I know, they weren’t out-MGMT’d by much. These wacky dudes’ album is a bit more gnarled than Walking On The Sun, but the quirky catchiness of these tunes keeps them on repeat. They also show some range in moving from dance jams to acoustic singalongs, while hitting most BPMs in between.
Video: Electric Feel | Buy on Amazon
7. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
This is where the list stumbles along on $ellout autopilot…no no, I love this album. I grew up listening to Graceland, so while the guys might have drawn some inspiration there, they have created new worldly anthems for the youngsters. While the album is frontloaded with “hits,” album cuts like “One (Blake’s Got A New Face)” and “Walcott” are also brimming with smug charm.
Video: The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance (Live with Chromeo) | Buy on Amazon
8. Mors Ontologica, The Used Kids Session
Alright, let’s get back to the grime in the shadows. These Mike Rep-recorded lo-fi jams started to see physical life in the waning days of 2007, but the album was “officially” released in 2008. Here’s what I wrote back in January. I’ve heard warning that a new longplayer is coming soon, but for now enjoy this lovely album in MP3 form or in the loving tones of vinyl.
MP3: Entire Album
9. Your Highness Electric, The Grand Hooded Phantom
This quartet originated in Louisville, KY, and the fact that its members are now spread to the four winds may account for numerous periods of inactivity. However, they appear to have returned to life in 2008 and managed to finally release The Grand Hooded Phantom, which includes a few spruced-up versions of old demos but mostly boasts new (to me) material. After a beguiling trumpet-powered intro, they launch into a grungy sonic assault, rife with hooks, triumph, and despair which rocked hard enough for repeated spins on my iPod.
MP3: Bearskin Love | Buy on Amazon
10. Q-Tip, The Renaissance
One of the more apt album titles of the year. Since the demise of A Tribe Called Quest, fans have watched the leading man stumble through a poppy solo debut, a shelved out-there jazz project, and long periods out of the spotlight. However, he returned to form in 2008 with a well-rounded release that shows the rapper finding a soulful, mature sound that is still vibrant and relevant to the better of today’s hip-hop sounds.
Video: Getting Up | Buy on Amazon
11. Envelope, Shark Bolt
Tony Collinger made great strides in 2008. Though his previous producer Amos Famous moved to Cali, he then set to work with production from Weightless boss Blueprint. The result of this collaboration is an album of sonic and lyrical explorations that remains consistent in quality. I agree with Duffy’s predictions of Envelope’s bright future.
MP3: Straight Up (featuring Hugs and Kisses) | Buy from label
12. The Dirtbombs, We Have You Surrounded
We Have You Surrounded shows these veterans of Detroit garage moving further away from such tags. While classic soul stompers like “Ever Lovin’ Man” never get old, Mick Collins also leads the bands into new categories like long noise tracks (!) and French ballads, which often result in exciting compositions.
Video: Wreck My Flow (Live) | Buy on Amazon
13. Hush Arbors, Hush Arbors
This is another one that snuck up on me in the last of the year. The gently warbling vocals of Keith Wood (at times strangely reminiscent of Robert Plant!) are immersed in calming folk settings that even gallop into a backwoods groove from time to time. A new late night favorite.
MP3: Follow Closely | Buy from label
14. Thomas Function, Celebration
This record is likely my most played vinyl LP of the year. Celebration does a more than ample job of capturing the live energy of these Alabamans, who are oft-described as a deep soul version of Television. I’m beginning to think that I can describe most of these albums as catchy, but with songs like “Can’t Say No” and “Filthy Flowers,” I can think of no other way to say it.
Video: Filthy Flowers | Buy from label
15. The Giraffes, Prime Motivator
Though their scheduled 2008 Columbus live appearances were upended by setbacks (Great Power Outage of ’08, lead singer Aaron Lazar losing his voice), their new recorded output almost makes up for it. The metal-edged hard rock here snaps into plenty of hooks and riffs that are honed into songs of most descriptions, even 7-minute laments about Medicaid applications.
MP3: Prime Motivator | Buy from band
My 10 Favorite Columbus-related Releases of 2008
1. The Kyle Sowashes, Yeah Buddy!
2. Mors Ontologica, The Used Kids Session
(my review)
3. Envelope, Shark Bolt
4. The Proper Nouns, A Million Hurtful Things
(my review)
5. Take No Damage, Shambles
6. Linda Dachtyl, For Hep Cats
(my review)
7. The Catalyst, F*CK The Radio Mixtape, Vol. 1
8. Danger Zone, Dangerous Styles
9. Bottom Brick, The Groundbreaking
(my review)
10. Rosehips, Rosehips

Photos from the Parking Lot Blowout

Cassie Lewis took some photos of Saturday’s Parking Lot Blowout. Click here to see them all. Great shots of Times New Viking, Brainbow, El Jesus de Magico, Great Plains, and more.

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