The Rhythm Report looks back on year of growth, success

It's been an incredible year for The Rhythm Report. I started this blog in 2010, but the hard push to get this site up and running came in early 2011. Countless shows and 87 posts later, I'm looking back on a year of growth and success. Thank you to the musicians, readers and supporters that have helped make this publication what it has become. 


A special thanks goes out to Todd Volkmer and Erin Ludlam of Wasted Talent Media, for providing the Indie Box Live Concert series, and to contributing writers Ty Kellogg and Bryan Pauley. [Kellogg wrote United we stand: Tom Evanchuck, Red Wanting Blue and Kent State Folk Festival: Failed coverage (almost); Pauly wrote Concert review: Energy ebbs, flows at Interpol show]


I'm looking forward to the new opportunities 2012 will bring. Here are two lists to wrap up the year: the most-read articles of 2011 and a few editor's faves.


Most-read articles of 2011

1. There is no music scene here — Nov. 6
2. Monday Muse: "Babel" Humble Home — Nov. 14
3. The Floorwalkers' DIY approach spurs grassroots growth — July 18
4. Last-minute music fest takes Rock Hall, Science Center — Aug. 2
5. Tom Evanchuck strikes a chord with three new records — May 23
6. Review: The Only Man - Lydia Loveless — March 17
7. Local artist Rob Geer's last show at Grog Shop signals new life out West — Sept. 29
8. New album: Rob Geer releases Find Your Way Home on Bandcamp — Dec. 28
9. Good vibes emanate at Painesville Party in the Park — July 21
10. A Rhythm Report film – The Great Unsaid: Documented — Oct. 23
11. I would have liked to include an eleventh headline. Unfortunately, Blogger's subpar analytics would not allow me to dig that deep to find out which article would have made it. Blast it! Goal for next year: New site platform with stellar analytic capabilities! 

Editor's faves
These articles did not make the cut for being most read, but they are a few that I think have added value to The Rhythm Report in the past 12 months. (Note: The following headlines are listed by date, not priority.)

• The Lighthouse and The Whaler celebrates the season, ushers in 2012 with career, fan focus — Dec. 20
• From the back of the Beachland: Bethesda talks licensing, plans for new album — Nov. 30
• Live, local music is at heart of Bad Racket anniversary show — Oct. 25
• Bad Racket Anniversary Show! Full interview with Thomas Fox and Adam Wagner — Oct. 21
• "TOM" beyond the Evanchuck: An interview with The Old Money — Oct. 9
• Concert Review: Saturday at The Auricle with The Singular, Vinny Vegas — Sept. 12
• Top-charted Vitium talks about recording new EP — July 10
• Audio interview: Winslow's Maurice Martin talks about recording with Grammy award-winning producer, summer tour and more — May 8
• Interview: DJ David Beans debuts at Ballantine — April 4
• Cellar Door Records release: The sign of a new era for NEOhio music — March 25

Final success of 2011: Hitting 10,000 blog views for the year! It hasn't happened quite yet as I prepare to publish this article, but I'm looking at a beautiful number: 9,999. If you're reading this, you've helped me hit or surpass my goal. Thank you.

New Album: Rob Geer Releases Find Your Way Home on Bandcamp

Written by Priscilla Tasker

Rob Geer released his debut
album on December 27.

Independent artist Rob Geer announced the digital release of his full-length debut album, Find Your Way Home.


The 10-song track list is a compilation of songs Geer has written over several years; some had previously been recorded with Jeff Toy (A Little Bit of Orange EP) and Cellar Door Records ("It Might Be"). The gradual acquisition of new recording equipment empowered him to fine-tune the material into a completed project over the past three months.


Geer said the final product might have been released earlier, but a technological mishap delayed completion. A hard drive crash wiped out his post-production mixing work in November, causing him to revert back to older tracks, which had been saved. Despite the set back, Geer was able to present the final compilation this week, before the year's end.


"It feels great! I'm extremely happy to be done and to move on to some other things I've been working on," Geer said. "I took a little break from mixing everything, for things to feel fresh again, then finally finished a couple days ago."


Re-mixing revives early material
Two of the songs featured on the album had previously been released on A Little Bit of Orange EP in January 2010. The original recordings of "A Little Bit of Orange" and "Dead End" had more dark, progressive rock characteristics and lacked the higher-quality mixing of the new tracks. 

Geer released A Little Bit of Orange EP  as 
The Conductor and The Creator in January 2010.

The latest recording of “A Little Bit of Orange” opens with the song’s catchy blues riff, but Geer stripped it down. He swapped psychedelic guitar trills with clean chord progressions and harmonious picking, and replaced weighty drums with the light percussive flavor of a shaker.

"Dead End," as previously recorded, jumps right in with full guitar, drums and vocals. Geer takes his time in the new recording, building the essence with a lone guitar, followed by vocals and discreet bass tones. 


That patience and permeable space in the music speaks to the merit of the finished product. Geer has performed and released variations of most of the songs featured on Find Your Way Home at live shows and through digital demos. Now, in absolute form, these songs are evidence of Geer’s artistic growth and maturity. 


“They just weren’t how I wanted them to be heard, so I decided to add some extra things in here and there,” Geer said. "The A Little Bit Of Orange EP was recorded in Jeff Toy's attic and basement with all of his equipment. The only musicians on that are me and him, but I wanted to release acoustic versions of those songs because I feel like they fit as a whole with Find Your Way Home." 


Toy is credited on Geer's new album for his mixing and harmony work on “You Could Be All Mine.” The ethereal romantic ballad adds a touch of tenderness to an otherwise verbally grave collection.


Enlivened lyrics are illustrative, palpable
Geer is poetic. His lyrics are vivid, almost tangible. The inclination to write about sordid human endeavors in songs like "Human Nature" and "Assassin" is distinctive of his creative aesthetic.

"Human Nature," which features Dan Thompson's bass stylings, is a three-minute and 48-second dissertation on the faults of mankind. Geer compares men’s cold acts to the violent instincts of beasts, howling, "Packs of wolves kill their prey with one bite to the neck, and no one says a God damn thing. Their just wild animals – but what do you call us humans when we shoot people just for fun."

“Assassin” is a chilling account of a feigned lovers. Full and pure, Geer demonstrates his vocal power. The physical strain is audible as he cries out, “Call me the assassin. Call me what you will,” after taunting, “The way you tore apart your life, thinking every second chance wasn’t broken ‘til you found out everybody’s gone – and I just lied to you again.” 

The lyrical content of Find Your Way Home is complemented by alluring, well-crafted melodies ("Under Devil's Skin") and capacious harmonies ("Keepin' My..."). Geer delved into the depths to produce these auditory gems – and they are sparkling.


Read more Rob Geer coverage on The Rhythm Report:

• Weekend Prelude: "It Might Be" Rob Geer in Colorado wilderness 

• Local artist Rob Geer's last show at Grog Shop signals beginning of new life out West  

• New video: Live from 6ixth City Tech Fest 

• Artists review Cellar Door Records Volume III 

• Rob Geer opens with demo at The Grog Shop 

• "The Conductor," Oldboy roused fans at The Grog Shop  

Video Premiere: Antoine Dunn's "Can't Forget" lands spot on BET's 106 and Park

Source: Antoine Dunn
Official Facebook page

Soul singer and Cleveland-area native Antoine Dunn is celebrating the national release of the music video for his single "Can't Forget," which premiered on BET's 106 and Park tonight, Monday, December 26. 


Dunn is an accomplished songwriter and mutli-instrumentalist who has toured with Anthony Hamilton, performed with Musiq Soulchild and Avant, and is noted on the production credits for Lakisha Jones' debut album. 


"Can't Forget" is Dunn's first single launched by Elite Music Group Incorporated, which signed the artist in August 2011. The song was co-written and co-produced by Jerry Lang II (JL), pianist and producer, who is known for his work with Vitium and Nicholas Wonder a.k.a. Nicholas Smalc. Lang studied at The Cleveland Institute of Music and has released successful hip hop hits with Vitium in Japan.


The music video was uploaded to Dunn's official YouTube page on December 12. In the past two weeks, it has received 2,044 hits. 


Fans of the video can text #cantforget to 79922 to secure its future appearances on 106 and Park. 

Monday Muse: "Falling Away" by Rob Montague [Flat Earth Society show at House of Blues – Cleveland]

Rob Montague released a self-directed music video for the song "Falling Away" off his latest album Farewell Song, which is available on Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.

The entire video was shot with an iPhone 4. The dusty effect of black-and-white film was achieved using the 8mm Vintage Camera App from Nexvio.

According to The Rock blog's album review of Farewell Song, Montague will perform with a new band called Flat Earth Society next year. The group is playing a show with Downplay and Silver Lights at House of Blues in Cleveland on January 4. Tickets are $10. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Lyrics to "Falling Away" are available on Montague's ReverbNation.com page.