Ben Miller Band: Choke Cherry Tree

https://cincymusic.com/blog/2018/01/ben-miller-band-choke-cherry-tree


This band is new to me, and I enjoyed what I heard. The link is to the article now up on cincymusic.com. Please check it out, and hope you enjoy.

Welcome To the New Year!

       Wanted to take a moment and wish you all a Happy New Year, and thank you for reading. For this new year the plan is to post more frequently. Either rambling thoughts, something more concise, or the standard album review or show review. Which there is one that I truly excited about, and more details to come on that soon. 
       The rambling thoughts are anything having to do with poetry or my musings on questions that I ask I myself on a frequent basis. There are few in the works either almost complete, barely done, or just an idea and I'm hoping to polish them all up and get them posted. There a wide range of concepts such as politics, sports, and one about religion. These are just rambling thoughts. Meant to think over and about, but never for too long. 
    The "something more concise" could be any of the above along with, and not limited to, stories that I have composed or again anything more complete and finished. Which again there is one story that is completely finished and that I am proud of, and I have more ideas as well. The notes app on my phone is filled with them, and my documents folder on my computer here at work is also filled but with the more complete versions and some that are merely ideas. 
   All of this is to give you the reader a look into what I have in store for the coming year. I do have a busy job that can get kind of crazy, but I will do my wholesale best to post more frequently. That could mean once a week, once every other week, once a month, or getting crazy twice a week. There is a wealth of topics to talk about, and there is a gargantuan sized pit of words that has taken up residence inside my brain which I see on a regular basis. I just hope whomever is reading continues to do so, and if so inclined give it a share as well. These are simply words grouped together to make or shape the ideas and sentences that reside within me. Hope you all enjoy, and hope for a better year than last for everyone. 


Cheers, 
Matthew J. Gronholm / Moose

Warrick & Lowell: Album Review

Warrick & Lowell: An Album Review

by: Moose Gronholm

    For a few years now Warrick and Lowell have been gigging around our Queen City. Playing the Southgate House or The Crow's Nest along with playing the Whispering Beard Folk Festival, and now, finally, they have a put out an album of eight cut your teeth on country tunes. The band is comprised of the brothers Ford Robert and Jon, with friends Zaq Fox (drums and percussion), Thomas Costa (keys), and Mark Van Patten throwing down the low end and electric guitar as well as mixing the album. The wait is finally over and they truly make the old saying real "patience is a virtue beholden by few." They truly made it worth it. 

    Within the eight songs there's driving melodies that pound like a jackhammer, or the reflexive look into life with "No Home in Ohio." Anyway that I have tried to slice this pie I always come back to that this is a pure country record. In the vain of those that came before and even intentionally to tip their caps to those that tread this path within the modern lexicon as well. They blend the beautiful country rhythm and blues. The album hits all the notes of it, after so many listens there is even a little bit of soul in there breathing through their keyboards and guitars. Not forgetting the driving rhythm of the drums that keeps everyone in line. The songwriting is honest and contains subject matter that doesn't disappoint. Characters that seem real, or the inner monologue of the writer simply transposing itself onto and into a song. 

    The songs are not pretty they have a rust about them. Little knicks and little dings that give them character. The songs can be a beautiful cacophony of organized loudness, which made me take a deep breath and a smile washed over me. For a debut album I wasn't sure what I was going to hear, and after the first listen I smiled. W&L while it may have taken them a while to release this album the payoff to that wait definitely makes it worth it. I've listened to the album three times now and plan on listening to it more as it has not left my cd player in my car. This album is a must buy that showcases, yet again the wealth of musical talent we have in our Queen City. They have a cd release party coming up at The Southgate House on Saturday December 30th, buying a ticket gets you the album. Which is a pretty sweet deal, and knowing these fellas giving back and staying humble is just in their blood. You can check em out at warrickandlowell.com and on facebook and instagram as well. Most of all go see these guys and get your paws on this album.

My year in review

Music is a powerful thing, and it is something i truly love. Follow the link below to the place I get to share my thoughts about what i love: music.

From my family to yours I wish you all a Merry Christams, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.

https://cincymusic.com/blog/2017/12/my-year-in-review

Kristen Ford: Music Ingrained

https://cincymusic.com/blog/2017/10/kristen-ford-music-engrained



I had the sheer joy and pleasure of writing this piece on someone i think folks should know a lot more of. That someone is Kristen Ford. She, on most all of her previous records, was a one woman show, but on her new release she had a band join her. Plus, she is just an interesting person. Hope you dig the conversation we had.

Tom Petty

Tom Petty: Enough Said

by: Moose Gronholm

              Within the worldwide songbook there are artists who have written songs that you never forget. From Elvis to Beyonce and everything in between and all around, but there is one artist who doesn't necessarily stand out nor is flashy enough to garner much attention, and that person is Tom Petty. There are more than forty songs that he has written that as soon as the first note is played you scratch your head and say to yourself "i know this song." And then there are thirty nine others that you sing along too as loud as you want in the comforts of your car or shower, or at home in general. You grew up with these songs. Maybe after breaking up with a significant other these songs helped you through some dark moments. Or, maybe driving cross country or driving in general one of these songs came on and you turned it up as loud as it could go because it was good tune. Within the lexicon of life Tom Petty has a song about it. The songs never went over your head, but dealt with complex issues. Hard moments in life spelled out through a regular person's pen. If Bob Dylan is Shakespeare with a guitar then Tom Petty is like William Carlos Williams. And, we are only talking lyrically. Add in the musicianship of the Heartbreakers and you have the recipe for greatness. They seemingly fused rock with reggae at points, both in Tom's delivery of the lyrics to the melody driving the song. At the end of the day though they were a rock band, and they put together a vault of music that we can listen to with reverence. 

             Tom Petty is gone from our lives, but the archive of songs that he has left us is vast. From the mid 70's to the present, over 40 years of songs and albums, and a cameo appearance in The Postman. The first super group comprised of himself, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne also known as The Traveling Wilburys. Tom Petty, at least for me, has been part of my life since i was kid. There was a greatest hits album and Wildflowers which i listened too and I wasn't quite sure if i liked it, but i knew that there was something to this that i did like. And with music videos all the rage back then it really set in motion my joy of and for him. As I have grown older, and grown into a person who enjoys the lyrics and story within those lyrics more than the music, Tom Petty has grown on me like a flower that has finally bloomed or like a whisky that finally becomes of age. 

His passing while, untimely as it is, but is there any time that it isn't? While he has passed let's revel and bask in his music like lizards in the sun. I know i will. 

Lilly Hiatt: Trinity Lane

https://cincymusic.com/blog/2017/10/lilly-hiatt-trinity-lane


I had the absolute pleasure reviewing Lilly Hiatt's new record "Trinity Lane." I truly believe she is onto some great things. This record is as honest as any country-ish record out there now, or at least i believe so. If you are into that kind of sound or just honest songwriting I highly recommend this album. I do not compare artists to other artists as i feel that takes away from the artist you trying to make the comparison for, and puts too much weight on their shoulders to be something they are not. What i will say, is what i said two sentences previous is that: if you like honest songwriting with a country-fied sound you will like this.

She will be at the Southgate House this evening: October 6th, and if you are in the area it is definitley worth going to. Just follow the link above.