Midwest Emerging Artists

sad people on their happy days, a helium balloon floating towards the clouds, a boy releasing a mended hawk into a forest, a rainy day at the fair, a windy day by the giant inflatable dancing men outside of car dealerships, a wintry walk through a human-sized labyrinth, that feeling of curling up with a good book under the college dorm's stairwell, the sound of thunder rumbling through the walls at night purring you asleep, the first time you made a mix cd for that certain someone, the first time you felt homesick and gave your folks a call, the films of Hayao Miyazaki, the crackling sounds of frozen trees thawing after an ice storm, the future as seen in elementary school educational videos, a game of cards at a local diner, the sense of familiarity you have when meeting a new outstanding person, some words, a guitar, rhythm, a few higher numbered chords, and a hummable melody.

You've heard about sin and redemption and here's the ultimate proof. Beta Male are hormone-saturated new wave dance rock; a colossal and creamy cluster. While deep in coitus musicales and high level conceptual grandeur (check out the hula hoop & video projection stage show), Beta Male transcends the roots of heavy pop breathing. The crooning of voyeuristic imagery, deliriously brilliant melodies, guitar soloing and hookery alongside tag-team synth sheen create a swinging electronic force that travels to the epicenter of pop. Completely of this time, no throwback, Beta Male creates music for the curious, the reprobates and revolutionaries.

Is Eisenhower Field Day a Cold War leftover, or a fresh shot of post-rock music? My very first impression when listening to their CD Tyrants and Spies was that it sounded like an an English mod revival band like The Jam or an English New Wave band like Squeeze.

After listening some more, I decided that what they really sounded like is Los Angeles club music from the early 1980s, akin to the L.A. punk rock band X. They have a electrified sound, that is all the same melodic with the group’s blended vocals.

Eisenhower Field Day’s music is harmonious (with their blended vocals), raucous (with Holly Butler belting out the lyrics), tuneful (ie. “Sit Down and Wait”), thought-provoking (check out the lyrics to “Lighthouse”) and decadent (ie. “Pardon my Strangeness”) all at the same time. Their production – done by the band itself – is refined and sophisticated.

The subject matter of the songs is all Cold War stuff - or are the emotions and situations talked about in the songs really a reflection of the global tensions today? Naturally, their lyrics have a certain timelessness that allows the songs to fit both. Their music makes a perfect background to the under-siege mentality that we all have to live with today.

If you’ve wondered where Rock can go now that everything has been done, Eisenhower Field Day provides a long awaited uplifting, hopeful answer. Eisenhower Field Day is the real new-wave music; what New Wave music should have always been.

2008 and 2009 have proven productive as Rob, Keith and Kevin continue to make solo albums and side projects, passing songs back and forth to each other in the mail. Current work is being done on both analog and digital 4-tracks, 16-tracks and 32-tracks. In Bloomington, Rob released two solo albums, “Building Site/New Vintage” (2008) and “After Breakfast” (2009). Kevin has produced a solo project called The Tall Buildings, releasing the album “Rare, Priceless Discoveries!” (2008). Other projects yet to come include Condescending Trees, His Story Orchestra and compilations including members of the Portland music community. Keith remains busy in Washington D.C., recording music for his side project called Internet, amongst other musical projects. Together, they have produced a couple Stranger Lazy albums. Through the collective mail recordings and some help from Paul Walter, “Rig Raffle to the Panhandlers” (2009) was created, and spans all different angles and mixes some genres together in a wonderful whirlwind. Keith and Rob visited Kevin in Portland, which produced a pump-rock album called “Shit For a Chin-Strap” (2009) which is under the side project, The White Biceps.

Elsinore is a Midwestern band emerging from a tunnel of transition via the Athens-of-the-Midwest: Champaign, IL. After spending 3 years writing Americana/Folk songs with an acoustic guitar, the band decided to turn up the knobs and stake claim on some land in the frontier of indie-rock. Letting song-craft be his guide, Ryan Groff has created an honest and lovely album full of passionate choruses, catchy pop hooks and joyful 4 part harmonies that speaks from the heart of the midwest. Bottom line: this band is impressive.

An ecletic array of musicians whose emotion and personal dynamic translate to what they do on stage and in the studio. Each has a unique personality and musical style with which to fill their respective role and, as some things go, Dorsey is simply greater than the sum of it's parts.

Harley Poe loves you all in the most perverse way possible, so please love us too. Some of you may know that Harley Poe initially began as a side project of another well-established act and has since become the evil twin of that band. Forgive us. We enjoy the grotesque and monstrous, and we, as a band, celebrate those elements to the extreme. So, open your ears, squint your eyes, and lower your expectations. If you subscribe to the fantastic, if ketchup and pig intestines turn you on, if trashy movies get you wet, then you've found your heroes. Welcome to us.

I first met Matthew, known to some as "Dirty Matt," in his role of concert photographer. He didn't seem to mind when I bugged him for insights to his friendship with Jeff Tweedy, and it was easy to understand why big-time musicians gravitate to Matt's cool, calm and collected demeanor.
The Indianapolis music community later met Matt in his role of rock 'n' roll frontman with the hard-charging but short-lived band Trainwreck. His songwriting talents blossomed with studio project Sadie Mae Glutz and that duo's "New Escape Route" -- a 2006 album that explored the homicidal mind.
For Off the Record, Matt plays the songs "Decay or Attack" and "Little Blue Dress" in stripped-down singer-songwriter fashion. Stay tuned for a new band he's putting together.