Dude, You Missed It…

Buffalo Killers – Canal St. Tavern – 4/29/11

There once was a time when you could turn on a Top 40 radio station and actually hear songs that you liked – songs that you knew you would listen to for as long as you lived.  There was a time when musicians wrote their own songs, played their own instruments – and sounded good.  That time was the 1970’s, and the music was rock’n’roll.  Buffalo Killers are classic rock in the best sense of the word.  Their sound is timeless.  Their harmonies are spot-on.  Their hooks penetrate the subconscious until the whole crowd hums along.  The Gabbard Brothers (BK’s guitarist and bassist) have a true knack for the craft of songwriting.  Buffalo Killers are the best band in Ohio – and if you missed their show at Canal Street Tavern on April 29 – then you better have a damn good excuse. You better have a doctor’s note.  Opening the set was Columbus’ The Main Street Gospel, another band with roots affectionately planted in the 70’s.   ‘Gospel and BK believe in what they do – they are preachers of rock’s holy Word.  Their conviction is paying off – Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach recently produced both bands’ albums.  If the reigning king of rock is taking notice, maybe you should too.

In Business With Federal & Co.

Funksters Federal & Co. stand out against today’s sample-driven hip hop artists by combining live instrumentation with mellow storytelling and arriving somewhere between The Roots and the Ohio Players.  As veterans of the Sounds Like Ohio movement, Federal & Co. offer raw refreshment in an era when the glossy production of major record labels doesn’t quite quench your thirst for authentic hip-hop.  Bassist Dave Hendrix – a former Ohio Player himself – brings over 30 years of experience to lend a smooth, watery groove to the band’s rhythm section.  Sayyid Azim gives a live snap to the drums in a time when most mainstream artists opt for the churned robotics of a computer.  Classically trained keyboardist Brian “Mad Scientist” Russell shreds the ivory like the bastard son of Thelonious Monk, at times taking the place of a guitarist and soloing Daft Punk-style on his synthesizer.  Rapper Federal is the breezy, brainy charisma behind the group and spits lyrics with a nasal whine that conjures the best of Kid Cudi, another Ohio native.  You can catch them on June 3 at Bojangle’s in West Carrollton, before they depart on a summer-long tour.  Admission is free.