The Rundown! - Bad Luck, Time and Distance, What's Missing & more (2/19)

If you missed last Thursday's show have no fear, this Thursday we've got another lineup full of bands equipped with bright melodies and energetic rock songs to have your head nodding and your bodies swaying.

Bad Luck is in the midst of a unique tour. After playing in Clarksburg, the band is heading for Cleveland where they will be recording their new EP before continuing the tour on the east coast. Supporting Bad Luck will be Time and Distance, What's Missing, Red Pen Police and Grayson Prince.

Doors @ 6 - Show @ 7 - $3 Admission

RSVP on Facebook for more info.
                                                                                                                                                                                             

Bad Luck

Photo courtesy of Bad Luck

Origins: Bad Luck formed as an inkling with Dominick Fox writing acoustic songs in late 2011. In the middle of 2012 he expanded his solo project into a full band. The next year they released their debut EP, which paved the way for them to be signed to Tragic Hero Records (Letlive., A Skylit Drive, Alesana) in 2014. Since then, they have re-released their EP as a full length and got APA as their booking agency. As aforementioned, the band is set to record a new EP during their current tour.

The Sound: Bad Luck creates a diverse blend of rock. A listen through Cold Bones will display a dynamic that phases from warm and pop-inflected to gritty and in-your-face. Their sound umbrellas over a wide range of influences, but rather than present a fragmented identity, Bad Luck emerges a versatile and addictive rock outfit.

Did you know? While Bad Luck is based out of Florida, the only member originating from the Sunshine State is drummer Jake Kneer. Dominick and his brother, and bassist, Joseph Fox are from Long Island, New York and guitarist/vocalist Sam Kuhns is from Cleveland, Ohio. Bad Luck has also recently created a YouTube series entitled "BadTV" where they provide updates, answer questions and share some tunes.

Time and Distance

Photo courtesy of Taylor Helm Promotions

Origins: Greg McGowan began Time and Distance when he started writing songs on his acoustic guitar in high school. Fast forward a few steps and a bass guitar and drums join the picture. A few steps more and the acoustic music was fully replaced by electric guitars and aggressive, fast paced pop rock. Since their inception, the band has toured relentlessly and put out two EPs and two full lengths.

The sound: They play pop rock reminiscent of bands such as Punchline and June (the band, not the month). Catchy rhythms, witty lyrics and fun vibes will have you dancing and feeling a little more carefree than you were prior to listening. Having been around for over a decade, the band's sound is unwavering and their chemistry is evident in their music. 

Did you know? Last time Time and Distance visited the cafe they capped off their set with a punk version of "Country Roads" during which their bassist, Adrian Crowder, put down his bass, picked up a mic, and stage dove. It was awesome.

What's Missing

Photo by Aaron New

Origins: In the fall of 2013, Zane Miller, Matt Herrald, Molly Ranhart and Aaron New began What's Missing as a fresh start. Each of them coming from a different musical project, they wanted to create something new. After a few songs written and a debut show in early 2014 the band slowed down. The course of the year showed the departure of Aaron New and the arrivals of Cody Osborne and Floyd Friend III, former bandmates of Miller's former band, Playground Mentality. Since the new lineup has solidified the band is advancing with more energy and rigor than ever.

The Sound: This Morgantown five-piece writes music that's rough around the edges in all the best ways. Swift, distorted chords are contrasted by the bright, dancing leads, and Miller's vocals walk the fine line between edgy and composed. Their single, "Monochrome," retains all of the beloved elements of pop punk and introduces bits of grunge and 90s emo music.

Did you know? According to Miller, "We are a family of scrounges. I'm Average Scrounge, Cody is Tall Scrounge, Matt is Large Scrounge, Molly is Female Scrounge, and Floyd is Small Scrounge."





Red Pen Police

Photo courtesy of Red Pen Police's Facebook

Text for Red Pen Police courtesy of Louis Falbo

Origins: Four years ago, Cody Barcroft and Louis Falbo met at the WVU School of Music- Louis as a composition major, and Cody as a jazz performance major. Over their freshman year, the two bonded musically and personally, and during their sophomore year, they met drummer David Haley. There was an instant click, and all involved said, "Let's do something with this", and the Red Pen Police was formed.

The Sound: The Red Pen Police is three composers from intertwined, yet totally different musical backgrounds, pursuing truth in music. This truth is that genre is a dead, meaningless convention,that music is something that exists totally in the air and in the moment and that this is what makes it a special experience, and that what sounds good is totally objective, and that the truth of good music can only be tainted by the human bias. In short, we do whatever the hell we want musically, and we do it live and totally improvised.

Did you know? Cody Barcroft is an active jazz composer and solo artist with an upcoming EP, while Louis is an active classical composer, and David Haley is an active classical percussionist, and Rinky Dink is the band's special member.

Grayson Prince

Photo courtesy of Underdog Promotions

Origins: Grayson Prince began as a supergroup including Grayson Prince, Aziz Ansari and Andy Samberg, but due to misunderstandings and legal restrictions, it has since become the moniker for Grayson Prince. He began writing songs in 2011 as a means of venting stress and emotions. Tomorrow to Forever was the name he adopted for his music, but it later developed into a full band. Prince is appearing by himself, however, for this Thursday's show.

The Sound: There is a tangible amount of emotion woven throughout all of Prince's songs. Inspired by acoustic acts such as Never Shout Never and Secondhand Serenade, Prince follows suit with a heart-on-the-sleeve approach to songwriting. His music often proceeds at a waltzing pace, and is packed with crooning melodies as he sings about life, love and the coalescence between the two.

Did you know? Prince and his band once showed up to a two-day battle of the bands fest where every other band was metal. His band only brought acoustic guitars, a set of bongos and a "who cares, let's rock" attitude. They didn't even use the stage. They set up on the grass in front and churned through an unplugged set in front of a bunch of intoxicated metal heads. Now that is metal.

The Rundown! - Rosedale, Instead of Sleeping, Time and Distance & more (2/12)

If you don't have a song stuck in your head right now, you will after this Thursday. Coming to the cafe are five hook-laden rock bands loaded with jams to infest your brain for the next two to three weeks. 

Rosedale is currently on tour from Canada. Local support will be coming from Pittsburgh indie rockers Instead of Sleeping, and three Charleston outfits: Time and Distance, No Pretty Pictures and Letters.

Doors @ 6 - Show @ 7 - $5 Admission

RSVP on Facebook for more info.
                                                                                                                                                                                  

Rosedale

Origins: From Ontario, Canada, Rosedale started as a group of friends playing pop punk in middle school. As time progressed and people moved on, Mike Liorti adopted Rosedale as a moniker for his solo project. He has been on numerous tours, including an opening spot for New Found Glory and performances on Warped Tour. He is now working on releasing his sophomore album.

The sound: He calls his music "aggressive pop," which is a broad term for the amalgamation of influences he has projected into his music. Collecting inspiration from a variety of late 90s and early 2000s alternative acts, Rosedale's music contains all the affection of pop and adds a layer of musicianship reminiscent of Angels & Airwaves. 

Did you know? While interning at Drive Studios in Woodbrige, Ontario, Mike Liorti has had his hands on projects from Protest the Hero, Rust Belt Lights, Dead and Divine and more. On The Flatliners' newest record, Dead Language, Liorti played keys. Also, he is the singing voice of Atticus from the Disney movie Radio Rebel.

Instead of Sleeping

Origins: Instead of Sleeping are our northern neighbors, coming from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since 2008, the band has been refining their pop-inflected brand of earnest indie rock. Their story began jamming in a hookah bar, but throughout the course of their existence they have released four albums and shared the stage with the likes of fun., The Dear Hunter and Good Old War.

The sound: Instead of Sleeping's dedication to creating earnest and passionate indie rock produces consistently alluring tunes. Their songs are fun to listen to, but they aren't inauthentic. Every song has a mesmerizing groove about it. It's like chewing a candy that won't rot your teeth. You get all of the advantages of hearing an upbeat indie rock band while simultaneously listening to a vulnerable and talented group of musicians.

Did you know? Guitarist/keyboardist Woody Wright has a few interesting tidbits of information about himself. His heritage is part Italian, part German...Shepherd. He attributes his excellent skin tone and complexion to bathing in marinara sauce on a daily basis. Lastly, if it were up to him, Woody would wear full denim suits every day of the week!


Time and Distance

Origins: Greg McGowan began Time and Distance when he started writing songs on his acoustic guitar in high school. Fast forward a few steps and a bass guitar and drums join the picture. A few steps more and the acoustic music was fully replaced by electric guitars and aggressive, fast paced pop rock. Since their inception, the band has toured relentlessly and put out two EPs and two full lengths.

The sound: They play pop rock reminiscent of bands such as Punchline and June (the band, not the month). Catchy rhythms, witty lyrics and fun vibes will have you dancing and feeling a little more carefree than you were prior to listening. Having been around for over a decade, the band's sound and identity is unwavering and their chemistry is evident in their music. 

Did you know? Last time Time and Distance visited the cafe they capped off their set with a punk version of "Country Roads" during which their bassist, Adrian Crowder, put down his bass, picked up a mic, and stage dove. It was awesome.

No Pretty Pictures

Origins: John Poole and David Plumley created No Pretty Pictures in 2011. From that time they have had multiple lineup changes and are now working as a sextet. From the beginning, No Pretty Pictures have been working towards a modern and progressive sound. They have three releases under their belt, the most recent being their Bodies EP.

The sound: Their music shifts from somber and brooding to swift and energetic at a moment's notice. "Progressive rock" is a term that comes to mind, but try and rattle off prog rock bands that boast Brand New-esque songwriting with an ever-present trombone. Their experimental approach to rock produces a dark, gripping vibe.

Did you know?  David Plumley has played every instrument but drums since the band was formed, and John Poole has played every instrument but trombone since the band was formed. Talk about versatility.

Letters

Origins: In early 2012 Rob Coleman and Cole Fleming began writing acoustic music. After releasing one EP they felt the urge to expand their sound. A year and a few lineup changes later and Letters added Alex Keenan and Jacob Peyton on bass and drums respectively. Since then, they have released two singles and their first full length, En Route/In Transit is due out March 23rd.

The Sound: Inspired by energetic pop punk acts like Fall Out Boy and The Wonder Years, Letters create upbeat, melody-driven rock. In their own words, they are, "a rock band designed to bring the thunder and keep the surfs up." They accomplish that with music that is polished, but maintains a hard hitting edge to it.

Did you know? Initially, Alex and Jacob had no real desire to be a part of Letters. Being best friends with Rob and Cole, when the band needed some filler musicians for a show they stepped up. The show ended up getting canceled, but they were added on Facebook as members, and everyone knows there's no turning back from that.

All photos courtesy of respective bands' Facebook pages.

Q&A with Greg McGowan of Time and Distance

Time and Distance are returning to The Main Street Cafe this Friday for another show of epic proportions. 

The band, a highly contagious pop rock outfit from Charleston, West Virginia, will have local support from Tell No Tales, Ivory Coast and The Fifth Gear. 

Friday - 1.30.15
Doors: 7pm
Show: 8pm
Admission: $3

Greg McGowan answered some questions for those curious about Time and Distance. Check it out below!

From left to right: Greg McGowan, Dustin Patton, Adrian Crowder and Chris Thompson

The Main Street Cafe (TMSC): First off, who makes up Time and Distance?

Greg McGowan (GM): Dustin Patton plays lead guitar and sings, Adrian Crowder plays bass guitar and sings sometimes, Chris Thompson plays drums, and my name is Greg McGowan and I play guitar and sing.

TMSC: How has the New Year been so far for you guys? Any new things coming up?

GM: It’s been really awesome so far! We just finished a tour of the east coast that was super fun, and we are getting ready to release some new music that we recorded at the end of last year, which we are super excited about.

TMSC: Can you describe your sound using only verbs?

GM: No. and i thought about this for nearly 15 minutes. hahaha

TMSC: Your Facebook says the band has been around since 2002. How has your sound evolved over the last 13 years of writing music?

GM: Well the band technically started with me just playing by myself acoustic when I was still in high school. A few years later it turned into a real “band” and we started taking it more seriously, but we were still playing acoustic, just with bass and drums. A few years after that we went electric and definitely have gotten a little more aggressive in the last few years.

TMSC: Your band has played at the Cafe before, right?

GM: Yeah I believe this will be our third time. Main Street always is a fun time, we are super excited to come back.

TMSC: Having toured quite a bit, what is the difference between playing bigger and smaller venues?

GM: It’s way harder to translate energy in a bigger room. In a small room it’s way easier to connect with people and have it be a little bit more “intimate” for lack of a better word. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super fun to play huge places where you can look out and see nothing but people, but i think we definitely feel a little more “at home” in smaller places.

TMSC: What can people expect from a Time and Distance live show?

 GM: Bad humor and us almost running into each other about 1000 times, while still somehow playing our songs.

TMSC: What is something people might not know about the band?

 GM: We are all incredibly picky eaters.

TMSC: Anything else you’d like to say to Clarksburg and anyone reading this?

GM: You guys rule, thanks so much for doing this. Clarksburg is always a great time, and you guys have an awesome little scene happening up there, we are super glad to be a part of it!

TMSC: Thanks so much. Clarksburg can’t wait to rock out with you guys Friday!

GM: Thank you!

RSVP for Time and Distance's show this Friday on Facebook and listen to their song "That Girl" from ONep below!