Excellent local quartet Humans Bow Down will host a CD release/Halloween party on Saturday at Radio Down. The occasion is the release of their remarkable new CD, A Mirror, which is being put out on the local label, Phratry Records, an offshoot of Save Your Servant Recordings. The 8:30 p.m. show is open to all ages; cover is $3 with costume, $5 without. Hilltop Distillery, Theraphosa and The Defrost Star also perform.
Radiohead’s career-spanning range is the easy touchstone for HBD’s engaging sound. On A Mirror, the band glides through broad, mysterious dreamscapes that gush from the stream-of-conscious (“Waiting Room”), while also providing muscle with powerful, guitar-slashing tracks like “The White Sun” and “Black Snakes.” Dynamics are the crucial element, as the band moves from spacey lushness to full-blown explosiveness, often within the span of a song. Challenging without being impenetrable, there’s a strong sense of drama in the band’s artistic compositions, but also a refreshing lack of melodrama, which is something many bands treading these waters fail to balance. Singer/guitarist Steve Wethington’s alluring vocals match the music’s serpentine structures perfectly, alternating between a laid-back malaise and a more insistent urgency (again without ever going too far in either direction). The band’s equally diverse rhythm section expertly anchors the whole affair with an intuitive grace, while the fascinating guitar interplay between Wethington and Chris Pennington gives the album its heart and soul.
Like an effective cross-breeding of Muse and Sigur Rós, Humans Bow Down have crafted one of the best local discs of the year by creating an Rock & Roll art piece to get lost in, full of emotional crevices and side-swiping melodies that creep up on you like a cold shiver. (humansbowdown.com)
Rumors, Lies and General Misunderstandings
· The York Street Café will host a wonderfully novel weekend of Halloween shows on Friday and Saturday, featuring local bands performing as some of their favorite Rock superstars. On Friday, Paperback becomes Violent Femmes while patientZero straps zucchinis onto their inner thighs to transform into Spinal Tap. The bands will alternate between tribute sets and sets featuring their own songs. Saturday night, it’s album tribute time, as Wojo tackles R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant in its entirety and Grand Oversoul takes on Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow (both will play original sets as well).
· It’s a good week to be an R.E.M. fan in Cincinnati, kicked off with the real deal’s performance at the Taft Theatre on Wednesday. Friday night, it’s more R.E.M. covers at alchemize in Over-the-Rhine. Michael Stipe and Co.’s discography will get the once-over by local acts like The Green Room, Remedy, Kevin Carlisle, Tristen Shields, Mill and others. Wojo (as a warm-up for their York St. tribute) will also make an appearance at the alchemize show.
· Brilliant local Punk band Caterpillar Tracks will play their last show until next spring on Friday at The Comet. Along with The Blue Rock Boys, Cattrax will be joined by late progressive Post Punk band Dophesus. Dophesus’ one-off reunion is in conjunction with the release of a limited edition live DVD, which will be available for free at the show.
· Election Day is Tuesday, and the eclectic local ‘hood Northside is throwing a party to celebrate the simple but poignant act of voting. From noon until 10 p.m., the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Lingo Street will reverberate with the sounds of local bands Crankbox, The Baghdaddios, Bodhi Fannin & Anam Cara, Foxy McCoy, Moonlight Graham and several other acts from a variety of genres (national Roots Rock fave Tim Easton is slated for a 2 p.m. appearance). The fun doesn’t stop with the outdoor shows: Bars in the area will continue the festivities until last call. For a full schedule of events, see northside.net/~ncv/.
· After a four-year run, area Rock crew Premium — who made waves on the local scene at a young age, winning high school band competitions that led to slots at the big Jammin’ on Main festival and other major accomplishments — will play their last show on Saturday at The Stadium in Oxford. For more on the group, check out premiumrock.net.
· A non-perishable food item (to be donated to the FreeStore/FoodBank) gets you free admission to Sunday’s “Rock, Blues, BOOze & BBQ” Halloween bash at the Madison Theater in Covington. The 8 p.m. show features local acts Langus, Black Tractor, The Baghdaddios, Crankbox and the Sonny Moorman Group.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2004.