Lest we forget, the capital of Rock ‘n’ Roll doesn’t lie in the seaside metropolises of the East or the glitzy coasts of the Pacific West. Not at all. In addition to exporting such fine industrial goods as electrical machinery, glass, jelly and lady’s underwear, Ohio is one of the country’s finest producers of tasty licks and infectious melodies. And it has the pedigree to prove it. Dean Martin, The Black Keys, Devo, Guided by Voices, The Breeders, The Isley Brothers, Traffic, Times New Viking, Over the Rhine, RJD2, New Bomb Turks, Jessica Lea Mayfield and (obviously) The Ohio Players all call the heart-shaped state home. And this list doesn’t even include extended layovers from Trent Reznor, Chrissie Hynde, Richard Patrick, Maynard James Keenan and Dave Grohl. If this name dropping index isn’t enough, Cleveland’s Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame does a fine job of chronicling pop music’s winding history/pissing off Axl Rose and The Fur Peace Ranch in Pomeroy sports guitar instruction from genuine rock legends.
Thankfully the next generation of Midwestern music makers is alive and well, and Paste is happy to present you with a small sampling of the best new artists incubated in and between the C-city trifecta of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Include your own favorite Ohioan groups in the comment section below.
1. Bad Veins
Hometown: Cincinnati
Members: Benjamin Davis, Sebastien Schultz
Album: The Mess We’ve Made
Snagging a mess of accolades (Target Music Maker from Tribeca Film Festival = big deal) and licensing deals in the wake of their 2009 self-titled debut, ornate post punkers Bad Veins just unleashed new tunes and tour dates with their latest album The Mess We’ve Made. If these new tracks contain a fraction of the atmosphere and emotion as the duo’s previous synth/guitar orchestras, expect Bad Veins to continue their ascent into the indie stratosphere.
2. The Black Swans
Hometown: Columbus
Members: Jerry DeCicca, Canaan Faulkner, Tyler Evans, Keith Hanlon, Chris Forbes, Jon Beard
Album: Don’t Blame the Stars
The Black Swans craft effortless, moving folk rock layered in the confines of a Columbus garage (check out the cover of Don’t Blame the Stars for confirmation). Singer Jerry DeCicca’s croons about influences Roy Orbison and Prince, but his gentle tenor and intoxicating melodies are all his own.
3. Cloud Nothings
Hometown: Cleveland
Members: Dylan Baldi, Joe Boyer, TJ Duke, Jayson Gerycz
Album: Attack on Memory
Who saw this coming? Ambitious lo-fi pioneer and Cloud Nothings frontman Dylan Baldi fills the 2010 blogosphere with catchy gems “Can’t Stay Awake” and “Cool Kid.” Two years later The Cloud Nothings recruit superstar producer Steve Albini to release Attack on Memory, a raw outbreak of shredded vocal chords and menacing hooks. We can’t decide which is better.
4. The Lighthouse and the Whaler
Hometown: Cleveland
Members: Michael LoPresti, Aaron Smith, Matthew LoPresti, Mark Poro, Steve Diaz
Album: The Lighthouse and the Whaler
The adorable lads behind The Lighthouse and Whaler weave organic folk rooted in gorgeous harmonies and acoustic finger acrobatics. New EP Pioneer hints at a more complex, ‘60s pop direction that might find its way to a new album set for release later this year. (Progress can be witnessed here).
