It’s been another great year for Cincinnati music in 2009. Some of our favorite artist released new albums and some brand new folks caught our attention for the first time as well. Here are some of my favorite Cincinnati albums from 2009, if I missed you, I apologize, it certainly doesn’t mean I did not enjoy your art.
Bad Veins – S/T – So, 2009 was the year we finally got the Bad Veins debut record. The album that we waited for arrived, and although alot of the material was familiar to us in Cincinnati, it was brand new to a whole other group. And not only was the release itself big news, but the album lived up to expectations as well. Grouping the best songs Ben and Sebastian had put together on to one killer debut album.
Wussy – S/T – For many people, 2009 was the year of Wussy. The year when so many people from around the country began to realize what we here in Cincinnati had been shouting for so long. THESE GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD! And while their third album was not my favorite, it was incredibly solid and helped establish Wussy as one of the best bands in Cincinnati, hands down.
You, You’re Awesome – You’re My Superhero EP – Another great new band this year, (although they did debut in late 2008), was the electronic duo known as You, You’re Awesome. Their sound is not totally unique, but there is certainly not enough of it in Cincinnati and even the midwest for that matter. They are a welcome addition to this list and are certainly deserving of their recent attention at CMJ this fall. The best is yet to come for YYA.
MP3You You’re Awesome – I’m Deaf & You’re Boring
Pomegranates – Everybody Come Outside! – What do you do for a follow up after creating an excellent debut EP and first album? Well, you climb the next rung and put out yet another great piece of pop art, naturally. That is exactly what Pomegranates did with Everybody Come Outside. The album not only continues to cement them as one of the best pop acts in Cincinnati, but also caught the attention of people overseas and got them signed to a deal in the UK with Heist Or Hit Records.
The Chocolate Horse – We Don’t Stand On Ceremony – The Chocolate Horse followed up a really great debut with this album in the fall of 2009. And for my money, this one is even better than the first. The eclectic mix of instrumentation is still there, but it takes some phscadelic turns that really make it stand out for me, I knew this would be a favorite on my first listen.
Frontier Folk Nebraska – Pearls - These guys just wanna play music. Seriously, they love to play, and the evidence of their debut album speaks to that fact pretty clearly. The roots rock n’ roll took a little time for me to warm up to, but once it did it was on heavy rotation from that point forward. My favorite debut release from the area this year.
MP3Frontier Folk Nebraska – Ballad Of A Dead Man (WOXY.com Lounge Act)
Brian Olive – S/T – This former founding member of The Greenhornes and ex-Soledad Brother went out on his own in 2009, releasing his self-titled solo debut on Alive Records. It blends all the things that made acts like his previous bands successful, but Olive expands on the garage rock with some soul, blues and doses of psych rock as well. A great start and we can’t wait to hear more.
MP3Brian Olive – There Is Love
The Lions Rampant – It’s Fun To Do Bad Things - Something makes me beleive that this album could end up in this section next year as well. After all, the album has still not seen the light of day officially, and fans are left with either this WOXY session, which showcased a bunch of new songs, or maybe having a copy because they are friends with the band. Either way, if you’ve heard it, you love it and know that the Lions are ready to take the step forward to being a band known as much for their albums as they are for their ridiculously fun live show.
MP3The Lions Rampant – It’s Fun To Do Bad Things (WOXY.com Lounge Act)
