Bethesda showcases at SXSW 2013 (Interview with Shanna Delaney and Eric Ling)

Bethesda is making its second trip to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Over the next three days, the folk-rock group has several showcases lined up including the Cleveland Rocks Showcase, which will also feature Winslow, Attack Cat and The Lighthouse and The Whaler.

Shanna Delaney (vocalist) and Eric Ling (guitarist/vocalist) invited The Rhythm Report into their home for an interview one week prior to their take off to SXSW. They talked about what they learned from their first experience at the massive music event in 2012 and what they are expecting from their 2013 "unofficial" tour at the festival.

The band's scheduled for showcases Thursday, March 14 through Saturday, March 16. Visit www.bethesdaband.com or follow the band on Twitter for updates.

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Interview conducted by Priscilla Tasker
Camera support provided by Stephanie Snyder

Live from Bad Racket: Nights "Walk Away"

Lugging musical instruments and gear to a roof accessible only by a ladder and a ceiling exit is no easy task. But that’s what Director Aaron Freeder and the Bad Racket Recording Studio team had to do to pull off the Nights Live from Bad Racket video shoot last fall. In fact, Nights front-woman Jenna Fournier said the production team had to tie the drums with ropes and pull them up the side of the building.


Bethesda was the first band to be filmed on the roof of the studio on Lorain Avenue for the “Live” series. However, the Nights production was fittingly the first Live feature shot atop the building after dusk. Some residents in the Ohio City neighborhood apparently were not too thrilled with the raucous rockers performing amidst bright flashing lights late into the evening.


"Someone had actually called the cops on us. We had to quit for the night and come back the next day," Fournier said, adding that night two wrapped earlier in the evening to avoid another noise complaint.


Freeder released the Nights Live from Bad Racket music video via Vimeo on January 1. The black-and-white feature stars the band performing “Walk Away.”


"Aaron who shot it, i thought, is very talented," Fournier said. "He had a vision, and we just did what we do and played."

Live From Bad Racket - Nights from Aaron Freeder on Vimeo.



On being asked to join the Live from Bad Racket featured artists, Fournier said, "We were flattered, and they have done a lot in the year they've been around. They did it kind of as a perk for us recording there. If we were to hire someone to do that, it would be thousands of dollars. It's a nice promotional tool to have."


Nights recorded its upcoming full-length album with Bad Racket, but is still working on wrapping up the final product. Fournier said the group is re-tracking a few things and outsourcing mixing. The record is expected to release in early spring. The band is hoping to be on tour by summer. 


Nights' next show is at The Happy Dog on Tuesday, January 10. The band will play with psych-pop rockers DOM. 


Nights is also scheduled for February 18 at the Beachland Tavern. Twin Sister will headline the show featuring Ava Luna.

"On Christmas Morning" by Zach

Merry Christmas to all from The Rhythm Report! 


Enjoy the next two days with your closest family and friends. Here's a little tune from Zach to start the magic on Christmas day.

"On Christmas Morning" (2005) – Zach

Hear more Christmas songs from Northeast Ohio artists in these Rhythm Report posts:

The Modern Electric – "Northcoast Christmas"

Bethesda – "If This is Christmas"

Christmas comes: Bethesda celebrates the season with song

Bethesda released a modern Christmas hymn "If this is Christmas" on Sunday, December 18, one week before the Christian holy holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Shanna Delaney and Eric Ling crafted the beautiful baroque-style serenade and recorded it with Dan Corby in one day, stating on the band's Bandcamp page, "This is our gift to you."

Delaney's endearing vocals are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter crooning the classic "Merry Christmas, Darling," composed by Richard Carpenter with lyrics by Frank Pooler. Much like the song that earned The Carpenters a Billboard No. 1 holiday hit in 1970, Bethesda's Yuletide carol has the potential to make its history in the hearts of families celebrating this special time of year. 


Lyrics to "If this is Christmas" are available on Bethesda's Bandcamp page.

Read more about Bethesda in these Rhythm Report posts:

From the Back of the Beachland: Bethesda talks licensing, plans for new album

Music Video: Bethesda "Dreamtiger"

From the Back of the Beachland: Bethesda talks licensing, plans for new album

Written by Priscilla Tasker

I caught up with Shanna Delaney and Eric Ling of Bethesda at a recent show at The Beachland Tavern in November to talk about the band’s successful year. They shared exciting news about the licensing deals they signed with a few global television networks and what the next few months hold for the band. 

The group is finishing up some local shows before taking a two-month hiatus to write a new full-length album to follow up the EP the band released earlier this year; and they are planning tour dates in Chicago and Indiana in January. 

“We just came out with our EP, Dream Tiger & Other Tails, a couple of months ago, and we’re itching to write. So, we have a lot of songs in us, and we have several we’re going to write over the winter months,” Delaney said.

Dream Tiger launched in May with a radio and television campaign. The TV push landed Bethesda 13 contracts, slating the band for 13 shows on MTV, VH1, E! and Showtime, among others. 

“That was actually when we were on tour in June when we got that news – and we were really excited,” Delaney said.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real World are just two shows on which the band is signed to be featured. Ling laughed as he said they are wondering how the network plans to fit their songs into a show like the Kardashians.

“And, then, just this fall, we were one of six bands shopped for our PR company to the Discovery Network, which has 30 plus shows,” Delaney continued. 

The contract will allow Discovery Network to use any song or section of a song off the album. Bethesda may not be paid out for a couple of years and won’t know when or how the songs will be used because, with the volume of bands large networks contract for music, there are too many artists to email individually when a song is featured in a show. 

“They can do just instrumental or just vocals. They pretty much have complete control over what songs they want to use, but they have the whole five-song EP,” Ling said.

Delaney giggled that they just want to know when they’re on so they can watch – just once!

“We can’t Tivo all the shows, you know. So hopefully someone will call us,” Ling said.

To build on the success of 2011, the band is already looking forward to a new year, completing a new full-length album and a tour stop in Austin to play SXSW Music Festival in March 2012. 

Fans can catch this pipe-dream posse at the Rowdy Indie Craft Fair this Sunday, December 4, before they delve into a studio spell. Bethesda will be performing with Comfort Clouds and ShiSho at Studio 526 in Akron at 7 p.m. 

Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter or www.bethesdaband.com for more information.

Monday Muse: "Babel" Humble Home

Nick Wise and Matt Hectorne of Humble Home perform "Babel" off the band's Prologue to Doubt album.

Tonight, see Humble Home perform with Bethesda and Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps at Beachland Tavern. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Get more show details on the Facebook event page.

There is No Music Scene Here

Written by Priscilla Tasker

I was always one of those kids growing up who lived on pop music. Sure, I had friends who played in bands – which was cool – but I never gave them much credit for what they created. Let's face it. Most teenage bands flat out suck. In my mind, at the time, they never could have lived up to the artists and bands with radio airplay and music videos on MTV. Sound familiar to you? A lot people can admit they've written off the talent of friends based on the fact that they're only playing in basements and at a local level. 


Here's the thing. Those kids grow up. They hone their talents, and what they create may be extraordinary. You only have to listen, see and experience it. 


Yet, it is that mentality – if something is not appealing to the masses, it must be mediocre – that plagues local music and arts scenes. The Northeast Ohio music scenes are beset by this stigma. I've heard it, and I'm sure you have as well. "There is no music scene in [Cleveland, Akron, or insert your city name here]."


The truth of the matter is, there is a scene and great things are happening in it. If you don't know, you're simply not in it.

Ohio produces big name acts

In recent years, the nation and the world has seen acts like The Black Keys, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) and Jessica Lea Mayfield explode in popular culture. Where do you think they began? The Black Keys formed and started their music career in Akron. MGK came up in Cleveland. Jessica Lea Mayfield, if I recall correctly, still calls Kent home. 


In the past, artists like Macy Gray, Reliant K and Marilyn Manson cropped up out of Canton. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony started in Cleveland. Going back even further, Devo and Chrissie Hynde were Kent State University students. And, to throw it out there, although they're not from the northeast part of the state, John Legend hailed from Springfield and short-lived 90s pop sensation 98 Degrees was from Cincinnati. Out of those acts – love them or hate them – almost every person reading this article could attest to how each has impacted pop music and changed our world in some way.


I recently pointed this out to a friend who works in Los Angeles as we discussed my potential move out West. As I made the case for why I am dedicated to the music scene in Northeast Ohio, I reminded him of the numerous musicians who've originated in this great state. In response, he said to me the one thing most of them had in common was that their careers took off after they had left Ohio. This is true, but every one of them had small beginnings in some local scene. 


At the time when most of those groups or individuals "made it," an artist had to pursue a career in a major music hub to be heard. In today's tech-centric world, kids and adults who are still making music in their basements, living rooms or bedrooms can upload their tunes and videos to the Internet for the world to hear and see. Location barriers have been broken down. Just as I am reaching you from the sofa in my apartment to wherever you are, musicians have at the tips of their fingers the opportunity to amass a following through the Internet. The challenge many local musicians face is the lack of wider appreciation for the live shows they play in their home towns. It's disheartening. 

Artists build careers from NEOhio home base

In 2009, Cleveland-based hip hop band Vitium released "Never Looking Back" on the Goon Trax label in Japan. The single produced by re::plus hit No. 3 on the country's iTunes hip hop charts. You're probably asking yourself, "Who the hell is Vitium?" It's one of the many professional bands that can be seen playing in the Northeast Ohio area. Sadly, one of the last times I saw this band play at Beachland Tavern, the venue was nearly empty.


Another terrific band on the bill that night was Winslow, a group which originated in Kent and is now based in Akron. Earlier this year, the soul-rock fusion ensemble recorded its latest single "Quarter Life" with Grammy-award winner Edwin "Tony" Nicholas. The song was released nationwide on a Sony RED promotional album. But you didn't know that, did you?


The Greater Cleveland and Akron areas have a plethora of artists who are making great music. Some of them are paving their way into the national and global scenes. Daytrotter took interest in The Lighthouse and The Whaler of Cleveland and recorded a session with the band in July. If you don't know Daytrotter, it is a music project in Rock City, Indiana that has recorded hundreds of live session with independent artists; a short list includes Death Cab for Cutie, Adam Arcuragi, Ingrid Michaelson, The National, OK GO, Scars on 45 and Tegan & Sara. In addition, this past October, The Lighthouse and The Whaler was a feature act at Paste & Rdio's Afternoon Delight party during the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. 

Bethesda, another Kent-based band, signed a major licensing deal with Discovery Network, which operates in 187 countries. The band's music will be featured on more than 30 original shows on Discovery Channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Military Channel, Animal Planet and more.


Do you know what each of these bands have in common? 
They comprise a diverse representation of Ohio music and can frequently be seen in the "non-exsistent" Northeast Ohio music scene. There are plenty more from where they came, so support the local music in your home town. 


Come out to a show at Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, the Grog Shop, Happy Dog, The Winchester, Kent Stage, Musica, Auricle Venue or any other venue supporting the live, local music.


For God's sake, Cleveland is the home of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Do you really think we're not making music here? Wake up!


And don't forget about the people and businesses behind these artists. Bad Racket Recording Studio, Cellar Door Records, Buzzbin Magazine and, of course, The Rhythm Report are among those that stand behind the scene to cultivate and capture the culture and art being created here and share it with you. Tune in. 

Hear the music

Music Video: Bethesda "Dreamtiger"

The waggish five-piece troupe Bethesda launched the music video for the song "Dreamtiger" off of the band's 2011 EP release, Dreamtiger & Other Tails, at Prelude Coffee Shop in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on August 26. One can catch glimpse of a familiar Northeast Ohio summer stomping ground as part of the video was shot at Headlands Beach in Mentor. The video was filmed and directed by Cory Sheldon. Watch it here on The Rhythm Report first.