The name Sebadoh is synonymous with many modern rock classics of the 1990′s. There may not have been a band that caught the attention of the ‘indie kids’ (even though nobody called them that) like these guys did. You know the story, Lou Barlow wanted to create and write more outside of the walls of Dinosaur Jr. and enlisted the help of Eric Gaffney to help him do so. They released a cassette under the Sebadoh name in 1987 and it ended in Barlow’s ouster from Dinosaur Jr.

Jason Loewenstein later joined the duo and Sebadoh began to create one of the best modern rock catalogs of the 1990′s.

Fast forward to 2007, when the original lineup got back together for a tour alot of people didn’t think would happen. It coincided with the re-issue of several Sebadoh albums starting with Sebadoh III, then The Freed Man, and Bubble and Scrape. This year, Bakesale and Harmacy got the re-issue treatment, and now the tour is getting a reboot as well.

Of course, most exciting in all of this is the fact that Sebadoh will be playing a date here in the Cincinnati area, at Southgate House on October 27th. So get excited 90′s Modern Rock fans, because Sebadoh are back. Tickets go on sale THIS FRIDAY!

Sebadoh 2011-2012 Tour Dates:

08/23 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 3
08/24 – Edinburgh, UK @ Cabaret Voltaire
09/08 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom (Musicfest NW)
09/16 – Perth, AU @ Rosemount Hotel
09/18 – Melbourne, AU @ Corner Hotel
09/19 – Melbourne, AU @ Corner Hotel
09/21 – Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
09/22 – Brisbane, AU @ The Hi Fi
09/27 – Shibuya, JP @ O-Nest
09/29 – Nagoya, JP @ Apollo Theater
09/30 – Osaka, JP @ Fandango
10/01 – Fukuoka, JP @ Musk
10/02 – Sibuya, JP @ O-West
10/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
10/26 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
10/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate House
10/28 – Indianapolis, IN@ Radio Radio
10/29 – Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
10/30 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
10/31 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
11/01 – Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
10/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
11/04 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners
11/05 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
11/06 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
11/07 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
11/08 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
11/10 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
11/11 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
11/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/02-04 – Minehead, UK @ ATP UK curated by Jeff Mangum
01/19-23 – Weezer Cruise

Have you ever heard a band, really fallen for them, but then waited to see them live until they were either charging too much for tickets or were playing a really massive venue? Yeah, I know I did that with Arcade Fire, who I missed when they played at Southgate House years ago (probably still my biggest concert regret).

Well, I’m not saying that Smith Westerns are the next Arcade Fire or anything, but if you miss them this weekend here in Cincinnati at MOTR, you may have some of that same regret I had years from now.

The Chicago based band is certainly on the rise right now after the release of their second long player Dye It Blonde earlier this year. Their sometimes glammy sounds often gets compared to T-Rex, but the band pulls just as much from the Brit-Pop era as any other, as they have admitted.

The band is just finishing up a string of dates at some really big venues opening for Wilco, so I’m betting they are gonna feel nice and comfy this weekend.

So here is your warning shot to listen to Smith Westerns all week long, and then go see them for free on Saturday night at MOTR pub. This might be the best show in MOTR’s short history, don’t miss it.

After a wildly successful debut album in 2009, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart could have easily released a disappointing sophomore album this year. I say that because when you do so well right out of the gate, it’s a difficult trajectory to improve upon. But I’d venture to say that POBPAH have done just that with their second album, Belong, have taken things up a notch with their fuzzed out, guitar heavy post-shoegaze sound.

Yep, Belong is as good, if not better than the debut album, and you now get a chance to see the band live in concert right here in Cincinnati later this summer. Pains are on the road already, but won’t be stopping here until August 4th when their tour rolls into the Southgate House with Craft Spells supporting. Don’t miss this one friends.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Belong by Slumberland Records

05/06 New York, NY Webster Hall *%
07/31 Montreal, QC Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
08/02 Toronto, ONT The Opera House #
08/03 Pontiac, MI The Crofoot Ballroom #
08/04 Newport, KY Southgate House #
08/05 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway #
08/07 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
08/09 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small’s

* = w/ Twin Shadow
% = w/ Big Troubles
# = w/ Craft Spells

The Vivian Girls’ have had a busy couple years, and not necessarily only as the Vivian Girls. The two founding members, Cassie Ramone and “Kickball” Katy Goodman, have been busy not only with dealing with the waves of overwhelming infatuation and nasty backlash from their meteoric blog-fueled rise in the indie-lo-fi-rock world, but also with replacing drummer Ali Koehler after she left to join Best Coast, tending to their own side projects (The Babies and La Sera, respectively), preparing their third and most polished album to date only to have it leak weeks before its release date, and guesting on tracks by the likes of Male Bonding.

More recently, Ramone and Goodman appeared in the Black Lips’ “Go Out and Get It” video, which was filled during the three-day Bruise Cruise Festival this February, during which both bands, including other garage-rock groups such as the Strange Boys, Thee Oh Sees, and the Turbo Fruits, rocked a Bahamas-bound Carnival Cruise ship. After coming back from sea, both bands decided to tour the country together this spring. They’ll both hit the Southgate House on April 20th.

While they got ready to hit the road, Cassie Ramone agreed to talk to Each Note Secure about the flurry of activity leading up to this springtime road trip, and how, after somehow surviving the blog hype rollercoaster, Vivian Girls are doing better than ever.

[Each Note Secure] We all enjoyed seeing you and Katy Goodman in the Black Lips’ “Go Out and Get It” video. How did that come about? Was it as fun as it looked? Did it lead at all to your tour with the Black Lips?

[Cassie Ramone] We were kind of hanging around when they were filming the video and I think everyone mutually decided it would be funny if we made a cameo. It was a very spur of the moment decision; the tour had already been booked for a while at that point. And yes, it was as much fun as it looked!

[ENS] How has the band adjusted with new drummer Fionna Campbell?
[CR] It’s been amazing having Fiona in the band. She was a natural fit as soon as we started practicing with her. She fits into my and Katy’s dynamic really well; she is a very positive and inspirational person.

[ENS] I was recently able hear and see the video for “I Heard You Say.” I notice that the production sounds a little more polished and defined, with your voices really taking center stage. Is the rest of your new album,Share the Joy like this? What led to this change?

[CR] It was definitely an intentional decision to make Share The Joy a little more produced-sounding. We felt as though the new songs wouldn’t work as well with our earlier style of production. In the end, it’s all about choosing a method of recording that fits with the songs. I believe that our first two albums sound exactly as they should have, and the same goes for this one. For all I know our next album might be loud and blown-out sounding again, if we think it fits with the songs.

[ENS] When your new album, Share the Joy leaked online, you made the digital download free with album preorders. How do you feel about the complications presented by the web when releasing albums? The Vivian Girls got a lot of its early attention as a band through online media outlets, but is it a double-edged sword?

[CR] Well, I feel like when we began the band, album leaking was already a reality… so it never phased us that much. At this point it’s pretty much inevitable that a band’s album will leak, which is something as a band you have to acknowledge and figure out your own way of working with. Music is definitely strange in the internet age. It’s easier for bands to get exposure, which is positive if you want to be able to make a living off music. But it’s also easier for people to tear down bands once they get a little bit of attention. I believe that the concept of “hype” is very closely tied to the internet and once people get word that a band is hyped it’s harder to approach their music in an honest and visceral way, which is how I wish everyone could approach my music.

[ENS] A few years and a handful of albums seems to be the usual time for the standard accusations of “selling out” and other elements of backlash to occur for a band like Vivian Girls. Is this what you’re referring to? Does the push to keep the band going as a source of income ever cause you any issues with ethos?

[CR] I don’t think “selling out” is as strong of a concept as it used to be, because as a band you can get huge without having to do very much thanks to the internet. If people like your mp3s, that’s all you need: you can become very popular without a manager, record label or years of touring. For Vivian Girls, I believe that the worst is over: we’ve already suffered through a terrible hype and backlash cycle with our first album and I’m pretty sure that anyone who knows of us has already made up their minds whether they like us or not. We’ve been living off the band since our first album came out, which has been amazing. Thankfully we live pretty moderate lives and are able to sustain ourselves mostly through touring. We’re not opposed to licensing, but it depends heavily on the product.

[ENS] Do you consider Vivian Girls a “punk” band? Does that relate at all to how you release recorded material and operate during tours?

[CR] Absolutely. When we began we were very DIY. We booked tours, silkscreened t-shirts, burned and glued together CD-Rs, toured in Katy’s Honda Civic, etc. Even now that we’ve gotten a little bigger we still operate in a pretty DIY manner. We drive and manage ourselves on tour for the most part, do our own merch, and have ultimate control over our artwork and recordings. It’s hard, because a lot of the bands we get associated with never came from a punk/DIY background. But I hope people realize that this part of our history always was and still is really important to us.

[ENS] People always seem to make a big deal about the gender of the Vivian Girls, which has always seemed unfair to me, because I never see interviews with Wavves or Surfer Blood, for example, focusing on the fact that all the members are male. However, the Vivian Girls are now on their third drummer, and the makeup of the group remains consistently all-female. Whether it was your intention from the beginning or not, has the Vivian Girls’ career so far represented any kind of gender politics for you as the members?

[CR] We used to say that gender shouldn’t matter, and that we wanted to be regarded as just a band, not an “all-female” band. But the more that I’ve thought about it, it’s practically impossible to separate one’s work from their gender. I test myself sometimes — “Would this affect me differently if the gender was reversed?” — and unfortunately, the answer is usually yes. When we started out we weren’t on a gender politics bias at all, but at this point in time we own up to and embrace the fact that we are all women. The fact that all our members have been female is more of a coincidence than anything else, but I do think it happened for a reason. It’s aesthetically powerful to see all women on a stage, and it means something that we’ve gotten to where we are without a man’s face or name to stand behind.

[ENS] How does the Vivian Girls members’ solo projects (La Sera, The Babies, etc.) affect your operation as a band, if at all?

[CR] It’s also good for us to be productive. We used to work on Vivian Girls almost every day. Nowadays there isn’t as much work to be done for Vivian Girls most of the time. Also, the other bands help us flex different musical muscles and come back to the band with new ideas.

[ENS] It looks like you have a pretty extensive tour lined up this spring. Are there any dates on it that particularly excite you?

[CR] We’re really excited to tour Spain. We’ve only ever played Barcelona and Madrid before, but the crowds at those shows were so great. I’m sure the whole tour will be excellent. I always love full US tours. We’re hitting a few cities that we’ve never played before, such as Kansas City (home of Burt Bacharach!), St. Louis, and Pawtucket, RI. And of course we are really excited to come to Newport, Kentucky!

-interview by John Crowell @terriblesounds

Vivian Girls are opening for Black Lips at the Southgate House April 20th.

There is a great double headline bill coming up at Bogarts on April 26th. The Walkmen and The New Pornographers will be in Cincinnati, and we really want to get you to the show. Set aside any dislike you might have for the venue and realize that this is an excellent show that is worth going to. Both of these bands are arguably in their creative primes and the fact that you can get to see them both for one price (or maybe for free) makes it worthwhile.

Alright, who wants tickets? We are giving away a pair each of the next few weeks leading up to the show on April 26th, and the first pair if up for grabs starting now.

For the first pair of tickets, send an email to enscontests at gmail dot com with the subject reading ‘Walkmen / New Pornographers’, we will select a winner at the end of the day on Friday.

Another week, another pair of tickets to give away. This week to enter, just ReTweet this specific tweet…..

Alright, last pair of tickets up for grabs, another social media pull this time, you need to ‘Like’ this post on Facebook by clicking the link above. I will select a winner early next week for our last pair of tickets. Good luck!

Good luck people!

I know lots of you have been waiting and wondering about the status of our beloved MusicNOW festival here in Cincinnati. Well today, in case you have not already seen it, the festival is back and ready to announce the performances for what should be its biggest year yet. The festival stretches for three nights again this year, but for the first time, will spill outside of Memorial Hall and into the more spacious Music Hall for the third night. The festival is May 13th, 14th and 15th.

The biggest thing about this years festival is the fact that curator Bryce Dessner’s band and Cincinnati hometown heroes, The National are headlining the final night at Music Hall. But don’t let that be the only thing you notice about MusicNOW 2011, because as always, the rest of the lineup is full of amazing musicians. Here is a brief profile of each of the bands performing this year.

Sharon Van Etten

If there is one word that encapsulates Sharon Van Etten’s music, it is, undoubtedly, intimate. The Brooklyn-based songstress sings folk music for lovers—lovers of heartache, of life, of raw human emotion—laying graceful vocals like lace over crooning, acoustic guitar that feels straight out of the bedroom. – Weathervane Music

Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond)

Shara is not only an amazing performer with a huge voice, but is a veteran of MusicNOW. She was a part of the festival back in 2007, performing solo and with Sufjan Stevens. In addition to two My Brightest Diamond albums, Worden contributed and toured with The Decemberists on their last album.

Richard Reed Parry

Richard Reed Parry is best known as a member of the Grammy award winning band Arcade Fire. But Parry is a man of many bands and talents. He took part in the first MusicNOW with his other band Bell Orchestre, and returned in 2009 with an original piece. In the video above, he plays with Bryce & Aaron Dessner in the lobby of Memorial Hall.

Little Scream

Wrote this recently after hearing Little Scream for the first time….

“I’m a sucker for a great female vocalist. And when I find one that reminds me of Joni Mitchell, it’s a huge bonus. Of course, my trust for the judgement of Secretly Canadian records being tossed into that mix make Little Scream a must listen. With a beautiful voice and an impressive list of friends and contributors, Little Scream already has the resume of an artist to look out for.”

YMusic
.

YMusic are back for another round at MusicNOW after their first appearance last year. We took some time to interview the band before the festival last year and you can read the full transcript here

Owen Pallett

The extremely talented musician formerly known as Final Fantasy will be joining the MusicNOW festival for the first time this year. In addition to the solo albums, Pallett has contributed to albums by Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Beirut and many many more.

Megafaun

Last August, Megafaun, Bon Iver and Sharon Van Etten were commissioned to perform Alan Lomax’s seminal Sounds of the South collection. And now, on Friday night of MusicNOW, Megafaun will be replicating that performance, and who knows what other musicians might be around to help out. More on Megafaun here.

And of course, The National are playing. This will be their first ‘paid’ show in Cincinnati in several years, even though it might not feel like it. Take a peek at a brand new video just unveiled today for the song “Conversation 16.”

Tickets will be on-sale Tuesday, March 15th at 10 am

More exciting news coming soon!!!

May is shaping up to be a great month for live music here in Cincinnati, with several great shows coming to town. One of the biggest was just announced today, as rock legend Neil Young will be hitting the Aronoff Center in Downtown Cincinnati as a part of his tour. I don’t need to tell you about Neil Young, but you might be interested to know that Young played Music Hall back in 1970 with his band Crazy Horse. Here is some audio from that show.

The upcoming date, is set for May 3rd at the Aronoff Center and tickets go on sale Saturday March 19th. Not sure what to expect for ticket prices, but I’m guessing a minimum of $60 for this one. Bert Jansch will also be performing and this is being billed as a Young ‘solo’ tour.

RSVP on Facebook here.

Great concert announcement to share today, as Iron & Wine are coming to the Cincinnati area this summer on June 11th at the Madison Theatre in Covington. I’m not aware of Iron & Wine playing the Cincinnati area ever, so this is kind of a big deal. What makes it even more exciting is that The Head & The Heart, a great new band signed to Sup Pop Records, are supporting for this show, making it a great double bill.

Get a taste of both bands below, off of their new releases, and buy your tickets now, because they are already on sale!

Athens, Ohio’s own Southeast Engine are back with their fifth album and have also announced a slew of tour dates to support it. The band, who were discovered by The Wrens back in 2006, have since churned out a steady stream of solid, consistent albums that should make Ohioans proud.

The new album, Canary, is no exception and sees the band continuing to build on their already strong reputation. Here is a free download from the record, which will be released on March 29th from Misra Records.

Southeast Engine – New Growth

Canary is an album born out of Athens, Ohio – the home of frontman Adam Remnant. The songs focus on a family living in a small Appalachian town in southeast Ohio during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The album is simultaneously personal and social dealing with themes of growing up, hard times, family, and sustainability. Southeast Engine went in to record the album during the harsh Athens winter of 2010. They left the studio with an album that musically combines the band’s unique folk-rock aesthetic with the old-time elements of Appalachian music.

The band will be touring as well, hitting MOTR Pub in Cincinnati on March 24th and then playing in Dayton, Ohio on April 9th at Canal St. Check out all the tour dates below.

2/18 – Athens, OH @ Casa Cantina
2/19 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas w/ Royal Pines
2/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rock Shop w/ Bird of Youth, The Collection Agency
2/26 – Boston, MA @ TT The Bears
2/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
3/23 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s w/ James Toth of Wooden Wand
3/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
3/25 – DeKalb, IL @ House Café w/ Chaperone
3/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
3/29 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern w/ Shannon Stephens
3/30 – Portland, OR @ The Woods
3/31 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
4/1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite
4/2 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar w/ The Donkeys
4/3 – Tucson, AZ @ Solar
4/4 – Alburquerque, NM @ tbd
4/5 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
4/7 – Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
4/8 – St Louis, MO @ Billiken Club (SLU) w/ Theodore
4/9 – Dayton, OH @ Canal St. Tavern w/ Motel Beds

Just announced, The New Pornographers and The Walkmen are going out on a co-headlining tour and are making a stop in Cincinnati. This is a really nice booking for Bogarts, who have not been on par with the bookings of Southgate House or on a smaller scale MOTR in recent months. The Walkmen are supporting their album Lisbon, their first for Fat Possum and The New Pornographers latest album, Together from last May is keeping them on the road.

The Walkmen have been in Cincinnati several times in the past few years, but I can’t recall a booking for TNP outside of a date back in 2003. For those of you who have sworn off Bogarts, will this show get you back?

FULL DATES:

March 2 One Eyed Jack’s New Orleans, LA
March 3 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX

March 4 Stubb’s Bar-B-Que Austin, TX

March 5 Granada Theater Dallas, TX

April 22 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN*

April 23 House of Blues Cleveland, OH*

April 25 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY*

April 26 Bogarts Cincinnati, OH*

April 27 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA*

April 28 Canopy Club Champagne, IL*

April 29 Blue Note Columbia, MO*

* with The New Pornographers