The Ridges and Deadwood Floats / January 13, 2012 / Donkey Coffee

By: Colin Roose, Staff Writer

"Melodic folk-rock." That description could sound either intriguing or repulsive to you, but needless to say it carries some connotations. Three-chord acoustic strumming. Lyrics out of the Paul Simon handbook of singer-songwriter confessions. A rhythm section serving primarily to prop up the ego of the frontman.

Yet that was how Victor Rasgaitis, lead singer and guitarist for The Ridges defined his band's sound to an inquiring fan in line in front of me for their show with Deadwood Floats at Donkey Coffee. Despite the acclaim I had heard about the group, I must admit that my expectations were lowered upon hearing this description. I figured they would probably play okay-ish background music for chatting with friends over a latte, but not much more.

Well, if ever there were a case for the misleading homogeneity of genre labels, this was it. The Ridges' set was as far from coffee shop music banality as possible, showing the energy of stadium rock in the humble back room of the Donkey.

After about an hour past the scheduled start time of 8:00 due to sound difficulties, the Columbus-native Deadwood Floats were ready to play, mandolin and xylophone in tow.

The band stood out from the typical folk idiom with their uncommonly versatile musicians. Their drummer and accordion players switched roles occasionally, while singer Drew Williams alternated between ukulele and piano. Banjo and violin were also heard as the band showed off their charmingly eccentric original compositions. However, the highlight of their set was a cover of a song by Massachusetts band The Woodrow Wilsons, whose majestic guitar riff really made me wonder why its writers were so obscure.

By the time Deadwood had finished their set, the number of people in the room had reached fire hazard-like proportions, and the only standing room was in the back. It was so crowded, in fact, that Victor Rasgaitis came up to me and asked if he could remove my table in order to make more room for the audience before his band came on. That was the final indication that they were going to play more than tea-and-Scrabble fare.

The Ridges made an extravagant entrance into the show, standing among the crowd to perform their first song. It spoke volumes about the band to see that they did not need to be on stage behind amplifiers to make an impact, as Rasgaitis sang and played guitar while standing on top of a chair and percussionist Johnny Barton danced around with what appeared to be claves. The impact of a cello really hits hard when the strings are vibrating one foot in front of you.

When they finally did go up on stage, the fans all came near to the platform in some kind of folk mosh pit. Despite the pressure of the fans so close and the difficulty of fitting the six members in the small performing space, the group seemed undaunted and started directly into their next song. This was not a band to give meaningless introductions.

What followed was a whirlwind of pizzicato strings, whale-call imitations, and psychedelic-era backing vocals. With few breaks to even allow the crowd to clap, the band played through several numbers in succession, sounding almost like they were performing one grand 45-minute epic. Throughout the entire set, Rasgaitis moved around the stage, shouting and dancing like it was the last time he would ever perform, while cellist Talor Smith remained seated, bowing out the melodic lines with finesse.

However, The Ridges made it clear that they were a band to be listened to, not simply watched. The complexity of their music recalled the niceties of an orchestra rather than the folky indie band that they appeared to be. Barton more often provided subtle atmosphere with tambourine and cymbals than standard 4/4 timekeeping. The band included a trumpet, whose sound provided a wonderful brassy contrast with the guitar, violin and two cellos. The group took full use of the sonic capacities of their instruments, from gentle string interludes to bashing drums and fast strumming.

The best part of all, however, was their knack for bringing their compositions to life. Despite the overwhelming amount of energy and passion onstage, the members never tried to play over each other. Sometimes a solo cello or vocal part would appear, before eventually building up to a full band wall of sound. Everyone contributed for the sake of the song and the song alone.

The only real stage banter came when Rasgaitis announced before the last song that there would be a cheesy sing-along part at the end. The band's performance had stylistically veered toward a classical performance up to that point, albeit a very engaging one, but it began to feel like an arena show once the audience began to chant along. That small concession to the conventions of a normal rock concert was the perfect way for them to thank their audience and balance out their symphonic approach.

It was rather amusing to watch the reactions of the audience in front of me close to the stage. Some regarded the changing tempos and multi-sectioned songs with a blank stare, while others swayed back and forth, and still others tried to dance like it was club music. This kind of confusion indicates that The Ridges play what popular music is in dire need of right now - indescribable blends of sound whose creators follow their own musical instincts rather than being copycats to their favorite bands.

I don't blame Victor Rasgaitis for not quite knowing how to classify his band. After an hour of listening to their music, the best way I could boil down what I had heard was some kind of orchestral-folk-pop-jazz-rock. And if that's the sound of a band synthesizing diverse influences in such a natural way as The Ridges, more of that, please.

Evolve, Brothertiger and Blithe Field / January 14, 2012 / The Fern Gully

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Take me to outer space!

The Fern Gully was packed and alive Saturday night when Blithe Field, Brothertiger, and Evolve came to play.

Blithe Field’s sample electronic set was great, starting in from some of his slower songs that kept the crowd mellow, but finishing off to some more dancey songs that made the floor start to cave. What was memorizing about his set was his focus. There was so much going on around him, but he never looked up of broke concentration. Very impressive in my mind.

Second was synthpop Brothertiger, who played the most energetic set of the night. Jagos’s lively set had the essence of a more upbeat Depeche Mode, with better vocal effects and louder keys. Everyone was moving for the entirety of his set, during which he played songs like “Feel” and “Lovers” from his Vision Tunnels EP, and some off his new LP Golden Years, which comes out March 27.

Last was Evolve, an alternative hip-hop artist from Cincinnati. What was great was the he did all of his own music in real time off of his laptop and a few effects/samples boards. Most of his lyrics were about civil issues, often things involving the government. Very punk-influenced. His electronic beats were phenomenal, making some crowd members want to go to outer space, and they were easily comparable to any professional electronic musician that has any sort of popularity.

Scubadog, Old Hundred and Jesse Remnant / January 12, 2012 / Casa

By: Carolyn Menyes, Interviews & Live Reviews Editor

Maybe this is stereotypical... but junior year sucks. More specifically, winter quarter of junior year sucks: Too many classes, too much homework, and yeah, it's only week two. The only thing that got me through my 19 hours worth of classes this week was the idea that I would get to go to Casa Cantina on Thursday to see one of my favorite local bands, Scubadog. And that's exactly what I did.

I strolled into the venue and paid the $5 cover just in time to catch the last few songs of Jesse Remnant's solo acoustic set. At this point, the crowd was a little sparse, but the music was good, as is to be expected. Because of my tardiness, Remnant's time on the stage came and went too quickly, though he was soon to return performing bass duties for Scubadog.

Before that, though, Columbus' Old Hundred was set to play. They're frequently around Athens these days because they're recording an album at 3 Elliott Studio, and they sure do fit in. Their brand of alternative folk rock is perfect for Athens and Casa, specifically. The band produced full sounds that perfectly fit this old college town, and the audience definitely felt it.

A highlight of their set was certainly their last song: a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel's "King of Carrot Flowers." I've heard this song done by several other bands at local shows, but never before was the emotion of the lyrics captured so perfectly. The crowd, which had grown since Remnant's set, sang along to every word, creating one of those special bonding moments.

And finally, the moment I'd been waiting for all week had arrived: Scubadog was about to play. After their opening number, lead singer Jake Householder asked those in attendance to get cozy and close to the stage, which the audience did. Householder also preceded most of the songs at the beginning of Scubadog's set with something along the lines of "this is a dancing number."

And dance the audience did. Casa's floor was a mess of boogying bodies. Scubadog's infectious indie-pop was, in fact, the perfect way to let loose after a long school week, and not just for me. People shook their tailfeathers and shuffled their feet like they never had before. It was very much a party.

I'm unfortunately unfamiliar with most of Scubadog's song titles, but a highlight every time I see these guys is their love song, which Householder always precedes with asking the audience to grab and sway with the person/people in the audience they love. Seeing couples hold hands and friends sway during this lovely melody always melts my heart.

And also to continue their tradition of being slightly zany and always incorporating food, Scubadog brought out a birthday cake for David Bowie, who had just turned 65 on January 8. The audience sang "Happy Birthday" to Bowie, and a lady brought out a cake for him. Unfortunately, she dropped the pastry on the floor at the conclusion of the song, so no one was able to eat it (though many probably still would have). A Scubadog banner also found its way into the audience, and fans held it up and danced with the banner, while shouts of "SCUBA" echoed through the venue. It was all a little silly, but it was the perfect kind of Scubadog antic that makes their shows so fun.

The indie pop funtimes continued for a good while, but unfortunately, Scubadog's show was over all-too-soon. However, it was a dancing crazy fun time that was the perfect release for busy students.

Twenty One Pilots, MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia / January 12, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Sunshine and cats: that seemed to be the theme at The Union Thursday when Westerville, Ohio’s Twenty One Pilots rolled in to play a free show for a packed house of patrons who seemed happy to be out of the snow.

Opening bands included MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia from Mind Fish, both from Athens.

Tartaglia started the show with only him, his guitar, and a backup electronic drummer. Now, I’ve never listened to Mind Fish until I started writing this review, so I’m not exactly sure if he played any of their songs. But, he played a good amount of stuff that the crowd could easily grasp: a more pop-punk-like set that compares to Weezer, or even a stripped-down Fall Out Boy. The major mindfuck of his set came when he sang a song about his cat, using meow more than most lyrics.

The 8-piece MBANZA came next, donned in face paint and feathers to make themselves look like members of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Their Folk/Roots set was pretty great, though the younger crowd could only get into it had they had a few drinks in them. The more interesting part of their set came from a vocalist/percussionist who did some sort of a melodic yelling, like the guy singing at the beginning of The Lion King, but with no words. Their covers of “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead and “You Are My Sunshine” were interesting, as well as great.

Last onstage, much to the crowd’s pleasure, was Twenty One Pilots. It’s hard to give these guys a particular style, but I can say they sounded like a more electronic version of Flobots, but with the stage presence and energy of--dare I say it--Hollywood Undead; the rap skills of pretty much any great artist in the game; and a light show comparable to that of Innerpartysystem. By all that, the crowd was wowed. The raw energy coming out of the two members was incredible.

Most of the music played from a laptop controlled by drummer Josh Dun, but Tyler Joseph smoothly transitioned between singing/piano, keyboards, and rapping. The crowd was intense, with constant jumping and alcohol-spilling, though no one seemed to care. Their cover medley included “Steal My Sunshine” by LEN and “It’s Gonna Be Me” by 'N Sync, and everyone ate it up.

A band could be a crowd-pleaser, but not play well musically. But overall, the unsigned Pilots could soon be a force to be reckoned with in the alternative music world.

Hyrrokkin, Sport Fishing USA and Sign Off / January 5, 2012 / The Smiling Skull

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

A good crowd packed into the stuffy Smiling Skull Thursday night for a rock show of interesting styles. Out to play were Hyrrokkin from Yellow Springs, Sport Fishing USA from Yellow Springs, and Sign Off from Athens.

Sign Off started the night with a noisy experimental post-punk set, with songs that changed from a classic heavy punk sound to an experimental/electronic sounding noise rock in less than a few seconds.

Not bad for a band that only consists of a bassist and a drummer.

Next was Sport Fishing USA, a band that takes classic rock, shoves it into modern indie, and takes near-pop vocals and lyrics of young adult/teen angst and shoves them into the indie. It's like a a "turducken" (Chicken stuffed into a duck that is stuffed into a turkey and cooked) for the ears.

Some things that stood out about their sound was that brothers Nathan and Brendan Moore harmonized fantastically on practically every song played. Nathan was also able to break down into guitar solos and interludes that sounded somewhat prog-rock and experimental while the rest of the band kept the crowd moving.

Last out was Hyrrokkin, an avant-garde/experimental trio for which one could go absolutely ballistic. Everything seemed to be completely in-place, but so scattered and crazy when it came to how it was structured. No song sounded similar, with some songs sounding as metal as the background music of a Sylvester Stallone movie, or as soft as those of an ambient group. But normally the soft parts were only intros/outros to even more heavy instrumental insanity. What was thoroughly impressive was that the bass part easily kept up with the guitar riffs, even sometimes matching the pattern altogether.

ACRN's Pre-New Year's Bash: bustedBASS, Brothertiger, DJ Sweet Dee / November 14, 2011 / The Union

By: Cassie Whitt, Blogs Editor

This whole DJ/dance scene: not my thing. I'm not even sure to whom's set I walked in when I arrived around 10 p.m. with friends who had just left their "History of Rock" class, though all indicators point to its having been bustedBASS.

The ACRN crew nestled close in the back of The Union, perched upon its newly-added stools around tall tables as a crew of people who are into the DJ-and-dance scene flooded the lit-up floor...with props. They traded off, each--in turn--wielding a light-up hula-hoop and this strange stick-on-a-string rave contraption that looked as if it were floating as they spun it around their gesticulating selves.

But, for me, the dancing was not the point. Pre-New Year's, the long-standing ACRN tradition of celebrating New Year's early because we will all be separated (often far from this university) on the actual event, was and will continue to be about the friendships this organization builds.

Later in the night as Brothertiger played, it became about being comfortable enough with those people to lose inhibitions (even if slightly aided by various liquors.)

Brothertiger's set had the majority of the crowd standing within ten feet of a stage, moving in a strange closed-eyed cluster of in-unison sways and sighs at the electronic, blissful music.

Okay, maybe for a moment I did get it, the whole "music's got me feeling so free/we're gonna celebrate" thing...

But I'm never dancing again, just saying.

Following Brothertiger, there was a mass-exodus of sleepy, sweaty people into the storm outside and a few of us remained for DJ Sweet Dee, which was an excellent choice; as, he played a delicious mix of darkwave that I enjoyed and understood more than the music of the previous acts.

A few remained on the dance floor, but most sat back and observed.

I ended the night flanked by two of my friends singing The Cure's "Love Song."

So, it all closed with my being back within my element, sadly without confetti in my hair (The Union forbade our usual confetti-tossing tradition) and with a walk in the rain on an oddly-warm November night to look forward to.

Not bad, Pre-New Year's 2011/2012.

Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, Emily and the Complexes / November 11, 2011 / Casa

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Though the night air was chilly, that didn’t stop many people from hitting up Casa Nueva for a folk night that consisted of Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, & Emily and the Complexes.

The crowd was noticeably small, though, making it hard to distinguish between concert-goers and bar attendees.

The first act, Columbus’ Emily and the Complexes, the solo project of Tyler Verhagen, warmed up the crowd with his plugged-in folk-punk style. Standing alone, he won over many with his soft, yet occasionally throaty voice. Playing many of his originals, like “Emily, You’re Right” and “If I Had Money," as well as covering Alkaline Trio’s “Fuck You, Aurora." Tyler was able to let the emotion in his voice and lyrics radiate through the crowd.

The next act, Columbus’s Dave Buker and the Historians, were one of the more interesting acts of the night. Their electro-folk sound could’ve gone easily unnoticed, possibly because a lack of their full band. The vocals of Buker and Paul Valdiviez went well together, but when it came to a bar setting, it lacked relevance.

The last act, Chicago’s Thomas Comerford, ended the night with his blend of folk instrumentals, a southern-inspired voice without the twang, and echoing vocals. His ability to keep the mood somber but still feeling good was riveting.

Unfortunately, by the time he started to play, much of the previous crowd had left. With softer songs, as well as epic rock songs, Comerford blended in well with the bar style and with those attending.