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I made a brief mention of The Heartless Bastards a handful of times here at ENS, but never did a fully dedicated post aimed at them. First, let me just say that Erika Wonnerstrom’s voice is lovely, with all the charm of Billie Holliday and the bite of Janis Joplin. What struck me next about the band was their Ohio roots. And being on Fat Possum records, the same label that vaulted Ohio’s The Black Keys. But to really grab the essence of The Heartless Bastards, you have to hear the combined effort of the band. Though Wonnerstrom ganerns the most attention here, without drummer Kevin Vaughn and bassist Mike Lamping the true emotion of their album, Stairs and Elevators would not be reached. So, have a listen to my favorite Cincinnati release of 2005.

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