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Okay. You caught me. This may actually be more a music blog than a “what’s so cool about Youngstown” blog. Because there’s not enough to talk about from Youngstown to sustain weeks or months worth of posting. If you want dribblings like that go to Valley24.com. In the mean time we’ll post more about post-hardcore/punk and sludge or noise bands. Enjoy your day.

Youngstown, has very little to offer in the way of truly unique or individualistic sounding music anymore. Years ago there were many bands, musicians, artists that were born in the hot and sweltering steel valley that had something to say or something to run from. It drove those people to make some of the countries greatest music and little beknownst to the world they were from Youngstown. ie. Stiv Bators, The Warner Bros, The Human Beinz (as featured music in this fight sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1). Out of this handful of bands and artists that are truly worth their weight in rusted steel you can add this new(-ish) band The Depths.
The Depths, upon first listen, had me at hello. Well, whatever the musical equivalent of hello would be. The music, I personally feel, separates itself from the pack of other would-be Youngstown music, by declaring its own sense of being from the start. It’s pop music, no doubt, but in the good way. It’s moody and drifts ethereally over the calm dark or declares it present with a staccato splash like a foot stomping in a puddle. I like that they do their own thing. I like that it’s worth listening to. I like that they are making music that would be considered good by people in Chicago, New York, Tokyo, where-ever really. I like that they aren’t just trying to make music that competes at the apathetic level of local Youngstown music. Music that is just trying to better than that other Dave Matthews sound-a-like jam band. No. The Depths have their eyes and hears set to a tune far better than that kinda mindless muck.
In a lot of ways The Depths remind me me of singer song writer from Little Rock, Arkansas, Chase Pagan. This is a good thing, being that I like Chase Pagan. So to The Depths, I urge you to keep superseding my low expectations for most Youngstown related art, and for you the reader, download their music now.
I am not sure how or why this band came to be, but they offer up their Night Life EP as a free download
DOWNLOAD: https://www.yousendit.com/download/Q01HZEUrZ2o0b0R2Wmc9PQ

I stumbled upon these guys today. I rarely stop long enough to listen anything on the internet. I am too impatient and I don’t like wading through 99.9% of shit to find something good. Needless to say, I don’t go looking for things. But this I couldn’t help but trip over on the internet today.

In the vein of The Cramps, The Fall, Suicide, and The Birthday Party, Lafayette’s Television Ghost tests the boundaries of rhythmic noise. Tense, manic vocals, aggressive drums, and the menacing attack of two guitars sends a distressing, eerie chill running down my spine. “The Nihilist” and “Babel” are corrosive numbers sparked with anxiety and saturated with Wire-like riffs that twist, turn, and swirl into the dark and ominous underworld of post-punk.
http://frictionnyc.com

Television Ghost is probably the best thing I’ve heard all year. It’s got a vibe that echoes of punk past. (It’s) Something I am all about. It’s dirty. It’s dissonant. It’s loud. It’s soon going to be mine. After listening to it I promptly placed an order for their records.
I certainly hope this Lafayette, Indiana band decides to tour and makes a stop in the Cleveland area.
Go listen for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

This is just a reminder of one of the best songs of all time by Modern English. Remember this song? I certainly do.

If you are in Cleveland, you may want to make your way down to Now That’s Class for a pretty decent show. You might want to check out Witch Hats. It will be worth it.
Aug 2 – 9PM Witch Hats(Melbourne Australia rock)/Home & Garden/Hatchett Job Jackson w/DJ Hot Trash

ChemCom is being released by Matador on Oct 7, 2008. It will be available on CD (11 songs), and itunes/2xLP (12 songs). the LP will be on 180 gram vinyl. Here is the tracklisting:

It is less than 74 minutes long. Matador is starting pre-orders TODAY, right HERE, but I’m not sure when because I am scooping them on the announcements

It is spoken. David Byrne will tour. He also has an album coming out with collaborator Brian Eno. Good news indeed.

Brian Eno and I have finished our new record, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. One of the songs, “Strange Overtones”, will be available free via everythingthathappens.com in exactly one week — you can log on and get a reminder if you like — and the whole record will be available August 18th. A company called Topspin Media helped to set up the website and our online business.