Each year Cincinnati has sponsored free concerts at Fountain Square. This year they've got another great collection of groups. Thanks to Cincy Music for the heads up. June 1: The Bright Light Social Hour; Buffalo Killers; The Kickaways June 8: The Dynamites; Khaira Arby and her Band; The Pinstripes June 15: The Seedy Seeds; Wymond [...]
photo by Jim Bennett ( view set ) What would you call the tattooed, bearded, barrel-chested frontman of the Cincinnati band Ass Ponys who set aside that beloved project to focus on a different one with his girl? A wussy? Why yes, even to his face. About ten years ago, Chuck Cleaver pulled Lisa Walker up on stage to accompany him on a few solo shows, and their chemistry - his wry working class twang and and her high reaching melodious voice - bound seamlessly into this new band, Wussy , whose albums drag country [...]
Layered vocals and therimin drones go a long way towards making Strawberry the finest Wussy record to date. The 12th year of the 21st Century finds the Cincinatti rock phenomenon known as Wussy moving into their second decade as a band. Looking back, their first 10 years can be looked upon as a paradigm for the progression of a successful band: a string of solid releases that retains its core singing and songwriting bedrock while playing increasing larger rooms to greater acclaim. It seems easy, but few bands of late have managed to...
photo by Brittney Bush If you didn't get a chance to tune in to listen to Day 1 of KEXP's live SXSW performances from Mellow Johnny 's Bike Shop in Austin, you're in luck. The sessions are now available for your streaming pleasure. We're currently in the midst of an incredible second day of performances, so make sure to tune in to 90.3 FM or KEXP.org to listen in. And, of course, these performances will also be archived for later listening, as will videos of select songs (check Allen Stone performing "Satisfaction" here ). [...]
photo by Jim Bennett Cincinnati band Wussy was formed by Lisa Walker and former Ass Ponys member Chuck Cleaver in 2001. Their fourth full-length album, Strawberry , was released in November of 2011 on Shake It Records and features today's KEXP Song of the Day , "Pulverized." Led by the vocals of both Walker and Cleaver, Wussy embody the droning, reverberating sound typical to Midwestern indie rock, while at the same time harkening back to Cleaver's days in the Ass Ponys. Strawberry is also Wussy's first album with drummer Joe [...]
At 11:30 PM in Austin and 9:30 PM in Seattle, Minneapolis rockers Howler will kick off KEXP's exclusive lineup of SXSW performances from Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop in Austin. We will be bringing you three full days of performances, all broadcast live on 90.3 FM in Seattle and around the world at KEXP.org. And, of course, if you happen to be in Austin, head down to Mellow Johnny's (400 Neuces St.) to catch some of the action for yourself, free of charge and space permitting. Following Howler will be The Barr Brothers at 1:30/11:30, Wussy [...]
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription . This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased tracks, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Each and every Friday we offer songs by local artists. Today's selection, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is "Pulverized" by Wussy from the 2011 album Strawberry on Shake It Records. Wussy - Pulverized ( MP3 ) [...]
photo by Jim Bennett Once again, KEXP will return to Austin, Texas March 14-16 for 20122s rendition of the South by Southwest Music Conference. Every year, SXSW features dozens upon dozens of up-and-coming bands and artists that are blowing up on the scene (the lineup this year is absolutely spectacular). And for the second year in a row, KEXP will broadcast live from Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop and host 15 amazing bands including some up-and-comers like Howler and Of Monsters and Men , some old favorites like The [...]
[photo by nyctaper] I can't imagine that Robert Christgau gets out to many shows these days. But last Saturday at Cake Shop , there he was at Wussy 's first NYC show in almost two years. I suppose its a bit of a novelty that one of the current favorite bands of a legendary music critic is a relatively obscure self-described "midwestern drone" outfit. But Christgau has it right. As the current band of Chuck Cleaver, the leader of 90s underground legends The Ass Ponys , Wussy is a solid guitar-bass-drums quartet with [...]
Wussy Strawberry Shake It Records [2011] Fire Note Says: Do you remember what indie rock sounds like? Wussy do! Album Review: Former Ass Pony Chuck Cleaver and his partner in crime, songwriter/co-vocalist Lisa Walker are back with Wussy's fourth album Strawberry . It is another infectious batch of 11 songs that alternate the lead vocals between Cleaver and Walker while the rest of the band backs [...]
From one of my top 10 albums of 2011:
Strawberry by Wussy Some odd and slightly kooky garage rock from the Cincinnati band Wussy. Though the guitar riffs and hooks on this debut album of theirs are pretty catchy, the personality of the group is what burns brightest. They've got a slightly oddball quality to their music that reminds me of Devo a bit on some of these tracks-especially "Pulverized." That's not the only sound they flirt with, though. The 11 tracks on Strawberry showcase a load of different influences, making it worth it to browse through the entire thing at least once. [...]
[Photo of Shit Horse at Habana Bar, Austin, TX 3/16/2011 during SXSW. Photo by Michael Piantigini.] Twenty aught-eleven was one of those star-aligning years that gifted me with tons of music I like - This year's list is admittedly pretty heavy on my wheelhouse veterans, but how lucky to still get such strong stuff from bands like Buffalo Tom , Five Eight , and the friggin' Feelies ! Having taken to heart The Long Winters ' John Roderick's admonitions on top 10 lists (and let's hope he gets that [...]
The biggest struggle when putting together this list is how to rank the albums. What exactly is the difference between a #1 and a #2 album? Without doubt, Viva Brother's "Darling Buds of May" was the song I listened to the most in 2011 and the album it comes from is pretty damn good. But is it my favorite album as a whole? The Damnwells have consistently put out great material and I'm sure I listened to No One Listens to the Band Anymore more, front to back, than any album on the list but did I do that because [...]
This year's list of favorites is fairly sedate (even for me), with just a little ruckus here and there. Lots of morning-coffee music, which I guess says something about my 2011. But music's strength is its pliability. It can be whatever you need it to be at the moment, especially when we have instant access to virtually any song ever recorded, often for free . Judging by this list, I needed music to be a salve more than a release valve this year. I also never expected my favorite album to come from someone who held the [...]
MP3: "Grand Champion Steer" Between the Ass Ponys and Wussy , Chuck Cleaver's got 11 or so full-lengths and countless EPs and singles under his belt. One wouldn't expect the heavily tattooed Cincinnati songwriter to produce his best collection of songs this late in his already highly-prolific career, but that's exactly what he's done with, in my opinion, the best release coming of out Ohio in 2011. To be fair, Cleaver's not the sole songwriter in Wussy, it's a collective effort with Lisa Walker (guitar, vocals), [...]
MP3: "Grand Champion Steer" Between the Ass Ponys and Wussy , Chuck Cleaver's got 11 or so full-lengths and countless EPs and singles under his belt. One wouldn't expect the heavily tattooed Cincinnati songwriter to produce his best collection of songs this late in his already highly-prolific career, but that's exactly what he's done with, in my opinion, the best release coming of out Ohio in 2011. To be fair, Cleaver's not the sole songwriter in Wussy, it's a collective effort with Lisa Walker (guitar, vocals), [...]
Bowerbirds – Tuck the Darkness In [mp3] (from The Clearing , out Mar 6 th ) Bleakly elegant track from Raleigh, NC band The New Tigers – Toffee [m4a] (outtake from self-titled debut album on Soliti Records ) Crunchy guitars propel this psychedelic pop track from Finnish band The New Tigers: [...]
During the month of September I wrote what I believe to be an I Rock Cleveland record eleven record reviews. October started with a road trip to ATP and super cold. I'm still dealing with super cold (I haven't spent a full day at work since last Wednesday). In between a number of jams fell through the cracks. This is the first post of two that will showcase some of the finer jams that have yet to be featured here on I Rock Cleveland. Five years back, Chicago's Mannequin Men were making trashy, garage rock in [...]
I like Wussy . I don't really care what anyone else thinks. I don't really care what the band's new record/song sounds like. I just flat out like those guys. I think in part it's because they're all about my age and I don't think they give a fuck for genre rules, publicists, radio promotion, and even touring for that matter. Here's the new song from Wussy. Chicken
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American Idol Finalists: where are they now?
