If you’re like me, you have a healthy disregard for anyone labeled a “singer/songwriter”. It’s usually code for “boring dude with an acoustic guitar at open mic night”, but sometimes, just sometimes, we skip the wrong show and don’t realize it for ages. This is one of those times, because I’m listening to Jessica Lea Mayfield right now and kicking myself for missing those shows she played with fellow Kentonians* The Black Keys.
I just heard her for the first time, this weekend. It was a happy accident, which is a funny thing to say about someone who writes and sings such incredibly sad songs, and I do mean incredibly sad. It’s not just the lyrics. She sings with a conviction that could make “Happy Birthday” heart-breaking. If there’s ever a soundtrack to drinking alone, Jessica Lea Mayfield deserves a place on it.
Her music has been featured on KEXP (see video above), NPR, Gossip Girl, CSI:NY, and more blogs than I can count.
Her White Lies EP and With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt full-length are both available on eMusic, if you’re so inclined. Personally, I’m going to take a serious look at the vinyl LP.
Bonus Video “Nervous Lonely Night”:
*It is “Kentonians” isn’t it? “Kentites” and “Kenters” just don’t sound right.
We’re going to wrap up this week’s Kim Deal lovefest with a few tributes.
First up, we have The Dandy Warhols with “Cool as Kim Deal” (see video above), “Kim Deal” by The Pillows, “Kim’s Watermelon Gun” by The Flaming Lips, “Kim Deal is Hot” by 90 Miles From Vegas, and an entire tribute album called “Gigantic: A Tribute to Kim Deal” from the fine folks at American Laundromat Records.
Not bad for a Dayton girl.
the Amps - full on idle - LIVE
Continuing with the Kim Deal love, here she is, joined by fellow Daytonians Luis Lerma, Nate Farley, and Jim MacPherson in The Amps (not The Breeders as claimed in the video).
Even though 3/4s of the band would, at one time or another, play in the Breeders, The Amps had its own identity and, frequently, a more aggressive sound, as you can tell from this song.
I was going to save The Breeders for a Summer post, because if we were to create a soundtrack for Summer, The Breeders would belong on it, but as they say, “Summer is ready when you are.” and I’m already ready.
3/4ths of the Cannonball-era lineup hailed from Dayton (Kim Deal, Kelley Deal, and Jim MacPherson). Don’t worry. This won’t be the last you hear of these particular folks on this blog.
The incredibly prolific and talented Adam Drucker (AKA Doseone), of 13 & God, Subtle, Themselves, and Clouddead, hails from Cincinnati.
I’d love to say more, but it’s going to take a while to even finish reading the list of all of his collaborations (Mike Patton, J. Rawls, Aesop Rock, Prefuse 73, etc. etc.).
The Dead Boys - “Sonic Reducer”
You could talk about late 70’s punk rock without mentioning Cleveland’s The Dead Boys, but you shouldn’t.
The Dead Boys epitomized punk rock and inspired countless bands in their wake.
Bonus Video: Cheetah Chrome teaches you how to play “Sonic Reducer”.
You can thank Ohio for pro football. Yes, the NFL. You’re welcome.
We all know the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio, but did you know it’s there for a good reason? The National Football League was founded in Canton when it was still called the American Professional Football Association. Before that, it was called the Ohio League
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Carry Me , Ohio - Sun Kil Moon
Mark Kozelek, the frontman for Sun Kil Moon (and formerly Red House Painters), was born and raised in Massillon.
Thomas Edison, born in Milan, Ohio, held over 1,000 patents and, with the help of his staff, damn near invented the modern world.
Gotta Groove Records - “Groove With Us”
Special EXTRA: Ohio-is-awesome-because-we-still-print-vinyl!
BTW: We also have Musicol.
There’s going to be a lot of love for Dayton music, on this blog.
DEVO could have only come from Ohio and we couldn’t be happier.
This first powered flight is brought to you by a couple Daytonians in North Carolina.
Hailing from Dayton, it’s the Ohio Players with “Love Rollercoaster”
While you’re at it, check out “Fire”.
That’s Ohioan Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon.
I don’t need to tell you how awesome that is. If you do need told, The Onion is here to help.
