Bethesda at Bunbury 2013

We interviewed Bethesda, an up-and-coming band out of Kent, Ohio. It was a new experience for The Lesser Known, so bear with us on this one, it's probably going to be a little disjointed. Our interview notes leave something to be desired, so this will be more of a summing-up of what happened and what was said rather than our usual question and answer format.

So here we go:

Bethesda is a six piece folk-rock indie band. They consist of band founders Eric Ling and Shanna Delaney, who met in college at Kent State University, and recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. In fact, it was on their honeymoon that they first decided to start making music together. From there, the couple met drummer Justin Rife and bassist Dan Corby at church, and Bethesda was born. Bethesda more recently expanded to include violinist/keyboardist Christopher Black, and lead guitarist/banjo player Jessie Scaggs.

Eric and Shanna

Top: Dan, Christopher, Jessie

Bottom: Justin

The band has one full length album (Love in the Time of Tra La La) and one EP (Dreamtiger and Other Tails) from earlier years, but their newly released LP, The Reunion, is the first to include all six members, and during our interview they were very enthusiastic about it. With this album they have settled into a genre and a unique, cohesive sound, a process which has taken nearly four years to reach since Bethesda's genesis.

In their early days, Bethesda's varied influences pulled them in many directions, from post-punk, to indie-pop, to eight minute Sufjan Stephens-esque songs. In The Reunion, these influences are much more nuanced than in their previous recordings. Eric and Shanna cited The Decemberists and Arcade Fire as some of their inspirations, along with Shanna's vocal sound coming from a background of opera, musical theater, and bluegrass. With such varied interests, it took the band a while to achieve a defined and specific style. Now that they have, however, Bethesda is focusing on their goals as a band and their rising success following the release of their LP.

This year, Bethesda played their biggest show so far, Bonnaroo. Shanna commented that they were surprised that so many people came out to see their set: "There were people in the crowd holding signs with our names on them! We couldn't believe it." The group said that while they love to play big shows and outdoor festivals, they prefer smaller venues. Their main goal is to connect with people, share stories, and get to know their fans. Eric told us that their favorite thing about touring is learning about people's lives and having people really relate to their music. After seeing their set at Bunbury, we can confidently say that Bethesda accomplishes their goal of connecting with audiences.

Bethesda at Bunbury Music Festival

July 14th, 2013

For Bethesda's tour schedule, music, merch, and more about the band, you can visit their website, Youtube channel, SoundCloud, Facebook page, or Twitter page.

Check out Bethesda's Official Music Video for "Go" off their newly released album, The Reunion!

For more about Bunbury Music Festival 2013, the bands we saw there, and our over all experience, check back in the weeks to come. We will be posting a lot of information and stories soon!

As always, thanks for reading The Lesser Known! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to be up-to-date on all of our latest posts!

American Authors - We Are a Band For The People

Ever wonder what it would sound like if you were to combine Imagine Dragons with the 2000's alternative sound and a hint Fun., and many other heavy hitters in today's indie-rock scene? Well, what you get is the unique sound that is American Authors.

The recently formed, Brooklyn based alternative indie-rock band is composed of Zachary Barnett, James Adam Shelley, Matt Sanchez, and Dave Rubin.  The group first met in 2006 at Berklee as students. They meshed well and went on to officially form American Authors a few years later.  They have enjoyed sudden success and attention in the industry and have recently toured with A Silent Film and Gold Fields. American Authors released their debut EP with Mercury Records and will be releasing their next album soon.

In an interview on Marley's Musicality, the band stated, "We are a band for the people.  We are yours to cling to when the going gets rough and band that will hopefully get you to chase your dreams like we always have."  American Authors is everything we believe in here at The Lesser Known. The band emphasizes what they believe in and that they "create the music that comes naturally" and they are "not afraid of change."

American Authors have many tour dates coming up this summer. One of which will be the Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH. The festival is a three day long event featuring close to 100 bands from all over the U.S. and internationally. The festival takes place July 12-14 and we will be doing full coverage of the event again this year! American Authors is scheduled to play on the opening day of Bunbury and we will keep you updated on the live show.

Below are two new singles released as well as a couple of our personal favorites from the American Authors. You can find more of their music on their Facebook page!

"Believer"

"Best Day of My Life"

"True Colors"

"Lights" (Cover of Ellie Goulding's 'Lights')

The Reynolds Number

The Reynolds Number  is a fairly new band from Austin, Texas.  The five piece group combines the calming and melodic with deeply meaningful lyrics and some amazingly intense guitar riffs.  Despite only being together since 2011, they've made waves in the Austin music scene with their unique melodic rock.  With Josh Atkins and Chris Soltani on guitars, Gabriel Elpers on bass, Mack Arnos on drums, and Om Shankar on keys/vocals, the band has crafted its niche in the Austin music scene by using choral guitar harmonies, thumping bass, intricate percussion, and powerful vocal melodies to captivate crowds.  Since their inception, The Reynolds Number has opened for Quiet Company, Minus the Bear, Saints of Valory, and many more.  They have played at festivals including South By Southwest, Rock the Republic, and 40 Acres Fest.

The band is currently getting ready to release a self titled album, which will come out in April of this year.  Their previous releases include an EP and 7 track album, "For November," which you can take a listen to here.  The band offers a free download of their song Awake on their bandcamp page. The "Music You Seek" blog had this to say about Awake: "Awake is an infusion of everything you have heard before and something fresh for the ears. It’s an intense ballad that haunts you and pumps you up at the same time."

"Awake" - The Rynolds Number
 

"Sleep Child Sleep" - The Reynolds Number

New Music At Your Doorstep

We are all about finding new ways to discover music. This week's discovery... Merch-Box.

Merch-Box is a fun service which sends a package to you every month for as long as you want to keep them coming.  It's kind of like a new music of the month club, but every person gets something different.  When you sign up, you take a survey about musical preferences, personality, and some other things.  This allows the packages to be personal.

People get all kinds of things in their boxes! They receive the obvious CDs, posters, and stickers, but a quick look at the Merch-Box Tumblr tag, and you'll see the cute notes, candies, and special surprise gifts patrons get in the mail.

All of that sounds great, right? But I bet you're thinking it's way out of your price range.  Well, here's the best part. It's only $10 a month.

Band of the Week: Cry Monster Cry

 



Cry Monster Cry is a folk rock duo out of Dublin, Ireland. The band features the brothers' beautiful harmonies packed with emotion and lyrics full of shared experiences. Cry Monster Cry was formed by brothers Richie and Jamie Martin in late 2010.  The brothers have been involved in music together for many years before the band's formation, but it is now a central focus for them. In 2012 Cry Monster Cry recorded their first EP, "The Fallen." Upon the release of their debut EP, "The Fallen" went straight to #1 on the Irish iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and was promptly followed by a sold out launch Upstairs in Whelan’s. The band's music was also recently featured in Tourism Ireland's Jump Into Ireland online. Since the success of the EP realease, Cry Monster Cry has been touring Ireland with their original material. Over the past few months of touring, the band has played gigs with artists such as Sea of Bees, Wallis Bird, Hudson Taylor and Jape.

In between touring, Cry Monster Cry has managed to begin work on their debut album. Jamie  commented on the upcoming album, "We're working with the same producer from the EP, Keith Lawless. We are trying to hone our skills and deliver something well thought out and mature. We were very pleased with the EP, the trick now is to do better this time round and to mature as song writers." The band should have show dates once the album completed and released.

 Below is a track from "The Fallen" EP. If you like what you hear, follow the link for a free download of the song. The full EP can be found on iTunes. If you're interested in following Cry Monster Cry, they can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and on Youtube.