Weakness: Record, Columbus Show

Weakness is Kevin Bruce's new band. Kevin Bruce is Jane Bruce's brother. I once booked his old band, K BRUTAL, at the Monster House because he edited a skateboarding zine entitled DeadRamones and was Jane Bruce's brother.

Weakness is reminiscent of Hickey, yet cuts the figure of a band that doesn't know who or what Hickey is. That is the ideal route to 'sounding like Hickey.' I also hear hints of early Meneguar. 

Some of Weakness lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and some of Weakness lives where the economy runs on ten-hour work weeks, sno cones and zine consignments; namely, Bloomington, Indiana.

Now, anyone who talks to me knows I don't listen to music anymore, besides, perhaps, the Das Racist song with the Katy Perry song inside of it. Or Boy Crisis. (I would listen to Deathly Fighter but Christian won't give me a record (and I would listen to Unholy Two, too, but I don't want to be investigated by the Southern Poverty Law Center (and, anyway, I think the Columbus Alive likes those bands and I don't listen to Christian music.))) But I heard the Weakness record and some charred remnant of appreciation for things that 'sound like Hickey' was rekindled, albeit briefly. Make no mistake, this is high praise.

Download the Weakness record here. 

Weakness plays at Bat Chapters, the boho base on Gay St. that isn't Skylab, in downtown Columbus, Ohio, on February 18th, 2011. Also playing: Shut Up, RCI and Slugging Percentage. I believe it is all ages and donation-based.

(Weakness will also accompany The Pains of Being Pure at Heart on a mini-tour in April, news of which I only include so I can mention that TPOBPAH once stayed at the Monster House and everyone told me funny stories about it. I thought that ending with a mention of the Monster House, which is how I began, would give my blog entry a firm, symmetrical structure.)

Slugging Percentage Post-DIT Fest Press Conference

Slugging Percentage addresses the public following their triumphant win in Kent.

In another one for the victory column, their self-titled tape was favorably reviewed by Razorcake.

Monster House 5/9/10

Stream of Pink Houses' and Slugging Percentage's sets. First is Pink Houses then click through for Slugging Percentage.

Or Download:
Pink Houses: mp3
Slugging Percentage: mp3

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE TAPE OUT NOW

Slugging Percentage is the baseball themed, Doubleday managed, Upper Deck marketed, sludgecore band of my roommates Ryan Starinsky and Andy Gardner. They sing the national anthem before the first song/inning and set up bases around the drum set for circle pitting/inside the parks.  Each show is played in proper attire for the outfield and each and every one of their songs is about "America's national religion." Usually the songs focus on a single player from the 90s golden era, like the song "Fred McGriff" in which I say "Crime Dog" in the gang vocals section. I would go and download it all. Sara Drake, the prolific illustrator, created the cover design. Catch Slugging Percentage on their first national tour this summer which will be divided into NL and AL teams. Also, it is "Joey Belle" not "Albert."

A live recording of Slugging Percentage at the Monster House.

Amelia - Complete Discography

                                                  Photo by Dana Curran

Amelia was a band I played bass in from the time I came back from Paris in the beginning of April until the middle of September when we broke up. We released a tape split with Pheramones, went on a short tour with Delay and played Berea Fest in Berea, D.I.T Fest in Kent, and (sort of) Southwest Folk Fest in Chicago. We had plans to release a seven-inch of some sort with rerecorded versions of some of the following songs. It should be noted: we had one more whole song, never recorded, and two more songs in the works, also not recorded. Ryan is now playing in Slugging Percentage and something with Austin Eilbeck, I occasionally sing for Lose The Tude and Maryn still plays solo.

Maryn's original recording of "Shapes."

1. Shapes

Ryan and Maryn's original demo:

1. Little Flower
2. We'll Land

Amelia's practice demo (recorded on my digital voice recorder):

1.  Little Flower
2.  I Just Can't
3.  "The Fast One"
4.  Bridges
5.  Heart of Mine
6.  We'll Land

Kari's recording (our side of the tape split with Pheramones).

1. Little Flower
2. I Just Can't
3. Heart of Mine
4. We'll Land
5. Bridges
6. Shapes

After "the jump" a list of all the shows we played:

Monster House 10/17

Some recorded sets.

Slugging Percentage

Tacocat