A brief history of the Cincinnati, Ohio, US music scene: work songs and church songs, with slave songs near enough by. A symphony orchestra established. Bluegrass invented in the mountains. James Brown recorded at King Records. Bootsy Collins caused a population spike with each album he put out. Pre-corporate Sub Pop signed the Afghan Whigs who then went National but not the Greenhorns.
Download Compilation of Local Music
Download for free a 17-song compilation from a local music scene of twenty years ago. The music is from the Cincinnati region’s indie, folk, alt-country, punk, and post-punk scenes. It covers the period 2001-2005 when the editor was active there.
To the bands not in this issue, enormous regret and apologies. A CD collection as well as old computers did not make it through the moves. Another apology is due for the file quality being only mp3. The editor ought to have found a way back then to be a part of more scenes, and been a better archivist too.
Click the links below or in the menu to read about these bands and the art they made, download the compilation, and perhaps search out some of them for more. All rights are reserved to the creators of this independent music.
Contents of the zip file (16 tracks, 55 MB) and this issue:
Ass Ponys – Last Night It Snowed (from Lohio)
“so live and learn”
The Autumn Blackouts – She Tries to Be Straight (from s/t)
“all your emotions get in my way”
Cameron Martin Cochran – Firemusic (from Diary, a Days)
“the people were as colorful as a firefight”
Color Test – Castle (from Datawaslost one.two.three)
“in your head / in your heart”
The Experience – 1863 (from Ignite the Fight)
“when you get dizzy just turn around”
Giant Judys – Hello (from s/t)
“all you said was just one word”
Johnnytwentythree – Procession (from Thirty Pieces of Silver)
“…”
Mallory – Bildungsroman (from The First One Hundred Years)
“good goddamn”
Gregory Morris – Two Pistols for the Low Road (from Live)
“…”
Mourning War – Track 3 (from Live at Rudyard Kipling’s)
“these lights are remembering”
Readymaid – Tough as Nails (from Live at Cody’s Cafe 8.30.2002)
“only to find out”
Ruby Vileos – Perfidious (from The King Is Dead)
“I never thought that you’d be getting out of this place”
The Spectacular Fantastic – The Popular Sound (from s/t)
“the fire is hot but it’s burnin cold”
Jake Speed and the Freddies – Hard Times in Cincinnati (from Queen City Rag)
“a Black boy shot from behind”
The Stapletons – East County Jailhouse (from Spirit of ’76)
“if you sometimes break down in the mornin”
The Sundresses – Us, Asshole (from The Only Tourist in Town)
“whoa no oh no”
Who Should Have Been Included
Big in Iowa
Big Whiskey
Mike Breen and Dan McCabe
Cari Clara
Cincymusic
Clabbergirl
Crosley
Dophesus
Essence of Now
The Fairmount Girls
Freakbass
Lens Lounge
Midpoint music festival
Odd Man Out
Pike 27
Puck the promoter
Spiff
T Lips and Combs
Ultrasuede
The Unlike Label
Venomous Valdez
WAIF, WNKU
and many more who’ve merged with Robert Burns.