The Wheel's Still In Spin

Interview - Two Gallants - March 18th, 2006

The content of this review was originally posted on the online music and popular culture magazine I See Sound in March of 2006. Earlier that month, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tyson Vogel and Adam Stephens of Two Gallants in Austin, TX, at SXSW.

The Wheel's Still In Spin: One of the things we present on I See Sound is Blind Taste Tests. We take individual songs and send them to our writers with no tags or information about the songs to get unbiased reviews of songs. We did that with one of your songs and people guessed your influences to include Credence. Especially after seeing your show, you guys obviously have diverse influences. There's blues guitar with folk lyrics with punk singing. And your drumming has got to be somewhere in between Buddy Rich and Dave Groehl. What are the influences you each brought to Two Gallants?

Tyson Vogel: We should speak individually I guess. Well, it's kind of cool that you bring up the Buddy Rich and Dave Groehl thing because I think musically I've always taken a lot of reference or inspiration from music that has sensitivity to it. Both those drummer are very diverse drummers essentially, but heavy at the same time.

TWSIS: Pretty intense.

TV: Yeah. So is Elvin Jones, who's one of my favorites, and Max Roach. Intensely focused, and emotional, but still have a good basis. And similarly, we both listen to a lot of old country and country blues and that's pretty similar. Like John Fahey is quite a big influence on me, if you can believe it on the drums as well.

TWSIS: It seems like you had your kit set up with a jazz style. Playing a jazz type style, but with a lot more intensity and harder than any jazz drummer I've ever seen (laughter). And there's obviously many influences. In one song you can hear about 5 different influences. It's that diverse. There's the country blues. The lyrics are very narrative and poignant, but smack you in the face. There are great stories, but told in a way that puts me on the edge of my seat. Adam, what are your bringing into Two Gallants?

Adam Stephens: I suppose in the guitar playing there's John Fahey as well. Also, Skip James is a big influence on the way I play. I suppose lyrically, Arthur Rimbaud, William Faulkner, and I could say Bob Dylan but that's kind of obvious.

SXSW Preview: Sat Mar 15

Sadly, The Wheel’s Still In Spin will not be going to SXSW this year. But we can still dream. Here is a list of the bands that we would most like to see at SXSW for Sat, March 15, 2008. There are links to each artist's band page at SXSW.com with a short quote, when available, from the band's bio that appears on that page.

1:30PM
- Liam Finn at SESAC Day Stage Café Austin Convention Center | “Finn plays nearly every instrument on the album, a responsibility he doesn’t relinquish during his now mythic live gigs. During his raucous yet intimate performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums and vocals to layer with his live vocals and guitar.”

8PM
- Ice Cube at Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)
- David Bazan at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop

9PM
- Okkervil River at Stubb’s
- M. Ward (solo) at St. David’s Church
- Jim Noir at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop

10PM
- Nada Surf at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop
- Oh No! Oh My! at Buffalo Billiards | Download “Walk In The Park” (mp3) | “sleigh-bell sounds and fingers, softly sliding fret-to-fret, as the spring-y disc valleys… rounds out the band’s bubbly-folk-meets-indie-pop sound.”
- Ra Ra Riot at Emo’s Annex | “this group of overachievers has somehow melded six musical brains together to form one collective force hell-bent on making fans move in-time with every pluck, pound, strum and bow… sunny-side-up style”
- The Raveonettes at Emo’s Main Room
- The Deadly Syndrome at Cedar Street Courtyard
- Jim James at St. David’s Church

11PM
- Jason Collett at The Parish | “a throwback to a time when booze-soaked guitar-rock and poignant acoustic numbers decorated the dials of FM radio”
- Attack In Black at Momo’s | Download “Young Leaves” (mp3) | “stunning folk-infused songs that merge the soul of old school rock ‘n’ roll with the body of modern day punk rock.”

11:15PM
- The Donnas at Emo’s Main Room | “The Donnas have grown to become one of the best female rock groups of all time… entered into a new chapter of maturity and comfort in their career.”

11:20PM
- The Lemurs at Habana Calle 6 Patio

11:30PM
- The Matches at Bourbon Rocks | Download “Wake The Sun” (mp3)

12AM
- Los Campesinos! at The Parish
- Two Gallants at Dirty Dog Bar | “They craft emotional, visceral, intelligent songs that remind us of America’s folk, country, and blues traditions but are fueled with the energy of punk.”
- The Lonely H at Habana Calle 6 | “The Lonely H's infectious harmonies paired with their classic rock sound come alive on stage at their energetic shows.”
- The Weird Weeds at Central Presbyterian Church | “pop music that is experimental yet surprisingly palatable and well-conceived… go from the most raucous distorted guitar romps to the most delicate acoustic ballads, still continually indulging their penchant for complex harmonies, unconventional song structures, and strange noises.”

12:30AM
- X at Emo’s Main Room

1AM
- Tokyo Police Club at Dirty Dog Bar
- British Sea Power at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop | “is rock music as it should be, both ridiculous and profound - providing for the aching needs of both the higher and lower self.”
- Sea Wolf at Buffalo Billiards | “brims with longing for distant places visited, lived and loved… finger-picked acoustic guitar underpins layers of cello, keys, and shuffling drums”
- Dr. Dog at Emo’s Annex

Back to The Wheel's Still In Spin Mainpage.

SXSW Preview: Fri Mar 14

Sadly, The Wheel’s Still In Spin will not be going to SXSW this year. But we can still dream. Here is a list of the bands that we would most like to see at SXSW for Fri, March 14, 2008. There are links to each artist's band page at SXSW.com with a short quote, when available, from the band's bio that appears on that page.

6PM
- The Sadies at Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake) | “The Sadies’ inspired amalgam of psychedelic country rock, surf, bluegrass and Ennio Morricone-esque inspired instrumentals has made them the preeminent torchbearers of cosmic American music.”

8PM
- Daniel Lanois at SXSW Live (The Bat Bar) Austin Convention Center | “the recipient of ten Grammy awards and five Juno awards”
- Foxy Shazam at Scoot Inn | “Better Than The Chili” | “piano propelled songs that layer spastic hardcore noise atop fractured Soul inspired pop”

9PM
- Paul Thorn at The Tap Room At Six | “Critically acclaimed Tupelo Mississippi singer/songwriter, poet, folk artist and character in general… The live sound and experience of the five piece band is best described as, going to church with a six pack and listening to the Rolling Stones.”

10PM
- Liam Finn at The Ale House | “Finn plays nearly every instrument on the album, a responsibility he doesn’t relinquish during his now mythic live gigs. During his raucous yet intimate performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums and vocals to layer with his live vocals and guitar.”
- X at SXSW Live (The Bat Bar) Austin Convention Center
- Takka Takka at Friends | “unique pop tunes that acknowledged Gotham inspirations like Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Philip Glass while also recalling Guided By Voices and, yes, Pavement”
- MGMT at Stubb’s | “enigmatic and prophetic collection of hallucinatory sounds and hook-riddled pop tones for the new millennium”
- Mittens On Strings at The Hideout | “Sure, they play rock music, but with strings, mandolin, keyboards, and enough voices to get the party going. It's kinda folky and kinda weird while keeping its wits about it.”

11PM
- Vampire Weekend at Antone’s
- Born Ruffians at Ninety Proof Lounge
- The Bo-Keys at Opal Divine’s Freehouse | “a hard-hitting and authentic modern take on Memphis’ original soul-stew sound”
- Earlimart at Buffalo Billiards
- Dr. Dog at Cedar Door
- Be Your Own Pet at Mohawk Patio
- Say Hi at Red Eyed Fly | “Keyboards chime and swoosh, drums bump, basslines wiggle and vocal melodies shoot and fall, converging at the expected intersections some places and surprising with new tangents others.”

11:30PM
- Nik Freitas at Habana Calle 6 | Download “Sun Down” (mp3) | “parts wry, warm and sonorous… no reaching, no going for the gold, just perfect, four minute thesis statements… a sort of indie grandeur that is both unexpected and totally natural”
- The Helio Sequence at Bourbon Rocks Patio | “layered keyboards and impossibly big guitars with crisp songwriting and a newfound appreciation for minimalism”

12AM
- J Mascis at Mohawk Patio
- DeVotchKa at Antone’s | “The stage is an instrumental junkyard cluttered by sousaphone, accordion, piano, violin, a bouzouki, an upright bass, percussion, trumpet, drums, and a theremin… somewhere out of time, certainly out of place, somehow it makes perfect sense.”
- Cloud Cult at Red Eyed Fly | “Cloud Cult’s live shows include elaborate theatrics that include live painters on stage, live video projection of audience and band, and back screen video. The live band includes cello, violin, trumpet, flute and percussion, along with the more standard guitar, bass, keys and drums line-up.”
- Headlights at Habana Calle 6 Patio | “the band's version of pop music recognizes both tradition and progress… alive with a pulse that beats with shoegaze spirit… an indie-pop band not afraid to incorporate a synth wall of sound and a mod organ in consecutive songs, not afraid of anything at all”
- Tapes ‘n Tapes at Cedar Door
- She & Him at The Parish | “This is the musical debut from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward”
- Citay at Spiro's Amphitheater | “a full-fledged eight-piece band whose potency moved beyond the studio and into the live arena… an otherworldly place, full of psychedelic swirl, soaring harmonies and grandiose jams”

12:30AM
- Limbeck at The Rio | Download "Let's Get Crazy" (mp3) | “equally well-received touring alongside pop-punks like New Found Glory and the All-American Rejects or Americana acts like Lucero and Rhett Miller”

12:45AM
- Thurston Moore w/ Band at Mohawk Patio

1AM
- Nada Surf at Cedar Door
- Blitzen Trapper at Bourbon Rocks | “Brought forth in a spasm of creative mania… rough-hewn but lush, crackling (sometimes audibly) with a weird and lucid energy.”
- Destroyer at The Parish | “an artist as quirky and enigmatic as Sparks, as symphonic and grandiose as Scott Walker and as quixotically literary as Bob Dylan”
- Atlas Sound at Prague
- Joseph Arthur at Buffalo Billiards | “raw, atmospheric pop”
- Lucero at Red Eyed Fly | “To call Lucero Memphis' answer to Bruce Springsteen is not a stretch.”

Back to The Wheel's Still In Spin Mainpage.

SXSW Preview: Thu Mar 13

Sadly, The Wheel’s Still In Spin will not be going to SXSW this year. But we can still dream. Here is a list of the bands that we would most like to see at SXSW for Thu, March 13, 2008. There are links to each artist's band page at SXSW.com with a short quote, when available, from the band's bio that appears on that page.

3PM
- Billy Bragg at SESAC Day Stage Café Austin Convention Center | “still referred to as the Bard of Barking by the press… singing his mind… and speaking his mind”

8PM
- Spoon atAuditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)
- Islands at Cedar Street Courtyard | “sprawling symphonic work of art”
- Jens Lekman at Emo’s Main Room | “a musician writing that rare kind of song that maintains a fine balance between bliss and sorrow”

9PM
- Wussy at Bourbon Rocks | “Better Than The Chili” | Download "Rigot Mortis" (mp3) | “CityBeat: ‘a collection of misfit players and sounds that, when brought together, create something gorgeous and magnetic’”
- Born In The Flood at Club 115 | “Filled with emotion and boiling with passion, Denver’s Born in the Flood wows audiences and wins fans with their energetic and heartbreaking rock-n-roll songs”
- Colour Revolt at Spiro's | “there's a lot of guitars in Colour Revolt… It's pretty sometimes, sure, but it doesn't do to leave gorgeous alone, and sometimes you have to punch the blushing bride in the face, you the low-hearted puggish bridesmaid with nary a suitor.”

9:30PM
- Throw Me The Statue at Mohawk | “a dazzling concoction of confident indie pop that packs a wallop with its huge hooks, heart-felt lyrics, and quirky production.”
- Yo La Tengo at Austin Music Hall

9:45PM
- Mason Jennings at Stubb’s

10:45PM
- MGMT at The Rio | “enigmatic and prophetic collection of hallucinatory sounds and hook-riddled pop tones for the new millennium”

11PM
- My Morning Jacket at Austin Music Hall
- The Weakerthans at Cedar Street Courtyard | “energetic, infectious, unforgettable… known for their lyrical ingenuity, but they are, after all, a rock band… guitar, pedal steel, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, banjo, vibes and glockenspiel”
- Liam Finn at The Ale House | “Finn plays nearly every instrument on the album, a responsibility he doesn’t relinquish during his now mythic live gigs. During his raucous yet intimate performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums and vocals to layer with his live vocals and guitar.”
- Bon Iver at Mohawk Patio | “thick layers draped in lush choral walls, with rarely more than an ancient acoustic guitar or the occasional bass drum providing structure.”
- YACHT at Wave Rooftop

11:30PM
- Citay at Mohawk | “a full-fledged eight-piece band whose potency moved beyond the studio and into the live arena… an otherworldly place, full of psychedelic swirl, soaring harmonies and grandiose jams”

12AM
- DeVotchKa at Cedar Street Courtyard | “The stage is an instrumental junkyard cluttered by sousaphone, accordion, piano, violin, a bouzouki, an upright bass, percussion, trumpet, drums, and a theremin… somewhere out of time, certainly out of place, somehow it makes perfect sense.”
- Islands at Emo’s Main Room | “sprawling symphonic work of art”
- The Sadies at Continental Club | “The Sadies’ inspired amalgam of psychedelic country rock, surf, bluegrass and Ennio Morricone-esque inspired instrumentals has made them the preeminent torchbearers of cosmic American music.”
- Jens Lekman at Mohawk Patio | “a musician writing that rare kind of song that maintains a fine balance between bliss and sorrow”
- Le Concorde at Wave | “ambitious, indie-pop arrangements fueled by astute lyrics, dream-like harmonies, and complex melodic counterpoint.”
- Steel Train at Spiro’s Amphitheater | Download “I Feel Weird” (mp3) | “Filled with huge hooks and quirky instrumentation… consistently joyous, the lyrics are hyper-realistic addressing the events that can shatter our world and break our hearts as well as focusing on the forces that lift us up and offer a second chance.”

12:30AM
- The Raveonettes at Vibe

12:45AM
- Old 97’s at Stubb’s

1AM
- Billy Bragg at Cedar Street Courtyard | “still referred to as the Bard of Barking by the press… singing his mind… and speaking his mind”
- Peelander-Z at Molotov Lounge | “Yes, their performance is not just playing music. Have you heard of human bowling, wrestling and kung-fu action, or funny dance at the punk rock shows? Peelander-Z knows how to entertain the audience by dragging them into the show. One experience would capture you!!”
- Black Mountain at Mohawk Patio | “music sprinkled with an inoculating dose of madness may well be the Pied Piper that takes us all back into the primordial mountain, where our hearts can be made steady and our minds can be set free”
- The Octopus Project at Emo’s Main Room

1:20AM
- Times New Viking at Soho Lounge

Back to The Wheel's Still In Spin Mainpage.

SXSW Preview: Wed Mar 12

Sadly, The Wheel’s Still In Spin will not be going to SXSW this year. But we can still dream. Here is a list of the bands that we would most like to see at SXSW for Wed, March 12, 2008. There are links to each artist's band page at SXSW.com with a short quote, when available, from the band's bio that appears on that page.

5PM
- Ra Ra Riot at SESAC Day Stage Café Austin Convention Center | “this group of overachievers has somehow melded six musical brains together to form one collective force hell-bent on making fans move in-time with every pluck, pound, strum and bow… sunny-side-up style”

7PM
- Van Morrison at La Zona Rosa
- Earlimart at SXSW Live (The Bat Bar) Austin Convention Center

8PM
- The Chocolate Horse at Spiro’s | “Better Than The Chili” | Download “The Caribbean” (mp3) | “slo-core, folk-tronic tunes… French horn…experimental saw and bow… upright bass”
- A.A. Bondy at Club de Ville

8:30PM
- Voxhaul Broadcast at Dirty Dog Bar | “full of raw enthusiasm, echoing the sort of musical honesty that turns even the most pretentious listeners into fans.”

9PM
- The Weather Underground at Blind Pig Rooftop | Download “Neal Casssady” (mp3) | “the exciting and original sound of four musicians influenced by punk, soul, blues, and human inspiration.”
- These New Puritans at Antone’s | “a band of extremes… an immediacy that belies their complex themes”
- Call Me Lightning at Mohawk Patio | “frenetic post-punk informed by The Talking Heads' quirky pop and The Jesus Lizard's rambunctious absurdism.”
- Zookeeper at Central Presbyterian Church | “loose, impromptu songs replete with shaking tambourines, exuberant horns, honky-tonk keys, and, at alternating turns, lyrical depth and whimsy”

9:15PM
- Shellshag at Elysium | “Shellshag has a simple minimal sound with song styles ranging from heavy rock to pop to punk ballads.”

10PM
- Bad Veins at Dirty Dog Bar | “Better Than The Chili” | Download “Gold And Warm” (mp3) | “USA Today’s Pop Candy praised them for creating ‘a powerful sound that deserves to be heard by more people.’”
- Jeffrey Lewis & The Jitters at Club de Ville | “mixes 60s acoustic psychedelia like Pearls Before Swine with the experimental art-punk of the Fall and the urban lyricism of Lou Reed, sounding a bit like if Woody Guthrie fronted Sonic Youth.”
- Lightspeed Champion at Antone’s | “an effortless blend of delicate country-rock and folk-pop… gently humorous, open-hearted songs with an unaffected warmth”
- Peter Moren at The Parish | “there are certainly melodic pop songs, the album feeds more from a folk and singer-songwriter tradition than the eclecticism prevalent on Peter Bjorn And John's recordings.”
- Kim Taylor at Esther’s Follies | “Better Than The Chili” | “David Dye calls her ‘smoky and exuberant… mellow and evocative’”

10:30PM
- Japanther at Emo’s Jr
- Times New Viking at La Zona Rosa

10:50PM
- Be Your Own Pet at Emo’s Main Room

11PM
- Okkervil River feat. Rory Erickson at Austin Music Hall
- Daniel Lanois at Pangaea | “the recipient of ten Grammy awards and five Juno awards”
- Capsula at BD Riley’s | “a rock trio hailing from the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina… Their sound is a furious mixed hologram that explodes in rock, proto-punk and electronica.”
- Bowerbirds at Central Presbyterian Church | “acoustic music that feels good and aware and powerful and hopeful”
- The Nightwatchman at Esther’s Follies | Tom Morello solo acoustic project
- Hallelujah The Hills at Friends

12AM
- R.E.M. at Stubb’s
- Southeast Engine at Friends | “Southeast Engine has that slow-fired, laid-back feel you'd expect from traditional alt-country types, but spruces it up with a dose of indie-kid charm.”
- The Acorn at Habana Calle 6 Patio | “Inspired by traditions old and new, The Acorn is heart drums and gut strings. Song-stories and childhood riddles. Revelry and spirit voices.”
- Bo Pepper at BD Riley’s | “a four-piece, female fronted indie/punk band from London… Sonically they fit somewhere between The Strokes, PJ Harvey and Iggy Pop.”
- The Willowz at Beauty Bar Backyard | “energy and rawness… infused with a thicker rock sound… expressed with true storyteller fervor.”
- Grand Ole Party at Emo’s Annex | “freshly infusing raw funk and stripped-down soul into primal, infectious rock and roll”
- Kimya Dawson at Emo’s IV Lounge
- Witch at Bourbon Rocks | “a mighty sonic tumult that harkens back to classic heavy metal sound of early 70’s outfits while still sounding modern in it’s assault.” With J Mascis on drums.
- Til We’re Blue Or Destroy at Fado Patio | “The group takes advantage of the versatility of their large lineup by at times melding vocal harmonies similar to Stars’ Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan; dipping through melodic, shoegaze Brit-pop; and splashing bursts of electronics and horns into their continually danceable beats.”

1AM
- The Black Keys at Emo’s Main Room
- Corto Maltese at BD Riley’s | “uber-catchy indie-pop and relentless hooks (Austinist)… With the frenetic ruckus of the Arcade Fire and a touch of David Bowie (Austin Sound)”
- The Deadly Syndrome at Beauty Bar Backyard
- Centro-matic at Friends | “Centro-matic's music comes on like a sound from a distant dream, something new, yet unmistakably familiar.”
- Bon Iver at Maggie Mae’s Rooftop | “thick layers draped in lush choral walls, with rarely more than an ancient acoustic guitar or the occasional bass drum providing structure.”
- Die! Die! Die! at Wave | “They aren’t a rehearsed set of messages or stage antics, no glitter, no make-up, no phony sass… Cathartic, direct, indispensable”
- Parkas at Wave Rooftop | “With less bounce-in-their-step and more knife-in -their-pocket, the Parkas new release borrows the ragged gospel of John Fogerty, the punk soul of the Clash, the wry grin of Elvis Costello, and finally bottles the piss and vinegar of the band’s live show.”

1:10AM
- Child Bite at Soho Lounge | Download “Ape Along” (mp3) | “You can't help but use words like "quirky," "frantic," and "weird" describing this post punk-influenced, at-times rowdy, forward-thinking pop band.”

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Better Than The Chili: Kim Taylor

Once a week The Wheel's Still In Spin highlights a band from the Greater Cincinnati area. Whether you prefer Skyline or Gold Star, you will agree that this band is "Better Than The Chili." For the next few weeks, the Cincinnati bands that will be performing at SXSW will be highlighted.

Download “Roses” (mp3)

Performing at SXSW: Wed 12 Mar 2008 10 pm at Esther’s Follies

Kim Taylor is a Cincinnati singer-songwriter with a smoky and sultry voice. She has consistently been nominated from Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, taking home the honors in the Singer-Songwriter category in 2007 and 2004 and the Best New Artist category in 2002.

She has toured as a supporting act of Ron Sexton and Cincinnati’s own Over The Rhine. She has also opened shows for Josh Ritter, Grant Lee Phillips, Ben Lee, Aqualung, Amy Rigby, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Her last album, 2006’s I Feel Like A Fading Light was chosen as one of World Café’s (NPR) album of the week during November 2006. Performing Songwriter also named I Feel Like A Fading Light as one of its Top Records of 2007.

In 2004, Taylor played SXSW. This year she has been invited back for another performance.

Most recently, Kim Taylor has been working on her follow-up to be released near the end of 2008.

www.kim-taylor.net
www.myspace.com/kimtaylor

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Better Than The Chili: The Chocolate Horse

Once a week The Wheel's Still In Spin highlights a band from the Greater Cincinnati area. Whether you prefer Skyline or Gold Star, you will agree that this band is "Better Than The Chili." For the next few weeks, the Cincinnati bands that will be performing at SXSW will be highlighted.

Download “Whiskey Won, Fall Down” (mp3)
Download “Bedlight” (mp3)

Performing at SXSW: Wed 12 Mar 2008 at Spiro’s

The Chocolate Horse started as a three-piece side project from the Cincinnati band Readymaid with Jason Snell on guitar and lead vocals, Paul Brumm on upright bass, and Andrew Higley on french horn and bowed saw. Shortly after recording their debut album this past year, two more members were added to the band, Johnny Rusza on flute and Joe Klug on drums and percussion.

Snell’s vocals are neither strained nor offhanded. They are emotional and full of realistic intricacies. The unique and diverse instrumentation allows the band to sound deceptively complex, even in a live setting. There is a steady foundation of guitar, upright bass, and percussion. On top of that french horn and flute are subtly added to the occasional theremin-esque sound of the quivering and bowed saw. The combination creates a sound that is haunting and lucid, experimental and accessible.

The Chocolate Horse released their first full-length album, Patience Works!, in 2007 on vinyl, but usually included a free CD version with the purchase. That album gave the band Cincinnati Entertainment Award nominations for Album Of The Year and Best Alternative/Indie Band.

With The Chocolate Horse performing at SXSW this year, the band is looking ahead to an even better 2008.

After the jump, watch a video of The Chocolate Horse from the Gypsy Hut.

Better Than The Chili: Wussy

Once a week The Wheel's Still In Spin highlights a band from the Greater Cincinnati area. Whether you prefer Skyline or Gold Star, you will agree that this band is "Better Than The Chili." For the next few weeks, the Cincinnati bands that will be performing at SXSW will be highlighted.

Download "Rigor Mortis" (mp3)

Performing at SXSW: Thu 13 Mar 2008 8:00 PM at Bourbon Rocks

Wussy has become one of the most reliable and highly praised bands from Cincinnati. From their first release, 2005’s Funeral Dress, to 2007’s Left For Dead, the band has received strong reviews from Rolling Stone, Spin, Blender, and plenty of others. The local scene has also bestowed the band the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Alternative/Indie Band in 2006 and the 2007 Album Of The Year for Left For Dead.

Chuck Cleaver (of the Ass Ponys) and Lisa Walker share guitar and vocal duties and are supplemented by Mark Messerly and Dawn Burman. They write 3-minute songs that showcase a scattering of influences – from indie to shoegaze to alt country – but the band has the power to magically make everything come together with a strikingly tight undulation.

This year Wussy will be returning to perform at SXSW.

Also this spring, they will release the Rigor Mortis Redux EP on Shake It Records. It’ll have the studio and live versions of the title track, previously unreleased cuts - “Sweetie” and “Skip” - and a live version of Funeral Dress’s “Airborne.”

Tonight, Friday, February 22, Wussy will be performing at the Northside Tavern with Nathan Holscher.

Buy Left for Dead or Funeral Dress at amazon or directly from Shake It Records.

www.wussymusic.com
www.myspace.com/therealwussy

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Better Than The Chili: Bad Veins

Once a week The Wheel's Still In Spin highlights a band from the Greater Cincinnati area. Whether you prefer Skyline or Gold Star, you will agree that this band is "Better Than The Chili." For the next few weeks, the Cincinnati bands that will be performing at SXSW will be highlighted.

Performing at SXSW: Wed 12 Mar 2008 10:00 PM (ASCAP Showcase) at The Dirty Dog

Bad Veins began as the recording project for Ben Davis. Eventually, Davis added another person in to his musical microcosm. Sebastien Schultz had previously been the drummer of Cathedrals, a local band which received high praise and earned a spot at 2005’s Lollapalooza before breaking up.

With Schultz on drums, Davis plays guitar and synth and handles the vocals. For their live shows, they are accompanied by a 1973 Pioneer reel-to-reel tape machine, whom they lovingly call Irene.

At their early shows, the band gave away a 4 song EP of self-recorded demos. All 4 tracks eventually charted on WOXY.com’s top 20. For those who weren’t fortunate enough to pick up the EP, you can now purchase the digital download of the album here. And additional songs can be downloaded from RCRDLBL.

Bad Veins is taking a short break from performing to record their full-length debut. They’ll begin playing live again in March before heading to Austin, TX, for SXSW.

After the jump, watch the video for "Gold And Warm."