The music of Ohio

Jumping over to Ohio for some great tunes!

Before We Forget

They hail from Columbus, Ohio and have two releases, the most recent from September 2008. Listening to Before We Forget is like hitting random on your iTunes play list – they go from fast, heavy guitar riffs to melodic bass lines to auto-tuning  and distorting vocals like today’s hottest hip-hop artists. They don’t fit into one genre. There’s something for everyone. Before We Forget experiments with their sound, and they’re not afraid to take risks – which is what makes them so good.

Listen to: Someone, Something
Myspace
iTunes

The Story Changes

I’ve been a fan of this pop/punk duo [formerly trio] for a long time – I first saw them play when I was 16, five years ago. The Story Changes put a ton of energy and passion into their music. They come from the Dayton Ohio scene, but they stand among the others in their genre. Vocalist Mark McMillon has a unique voice that gives their songs an extra punch. And drummer Poppy brings intense energy to their live show, even from behind the kit. The songs are in your face, but catchy. It’s impossible not to jump around with McMillon at their live show. They’ve currently got four releases, the most recent a collaboration with Let Go, from Arizona.

Listen to: Don’t Fall
Myspace
iTunes

Check out some other great Ohio bands!
Auburndale
Lovedrug

Michigan Bands

Skyway Traffic

Erik is Skyway Traffic – a solo act. The ex-Too Close to Call singer branched out on his own about a year and a half ago to form Skyway Traffic. His voice is what caught my attention first. It’s unique and fits his style of music – electronic/pop. He plays every instrument that you hear in the songs, and does it well. Skyway Traffic and Too Close to Call have similar sounds, for obvious reasons. They’re upbeat, memorable and impossible not to sing along to.

Listen to: Barely Hanging On
Myspace

Swing the Coast

Hailing from all over the US, Swing the Coast now calls Michigan their home. They haven’t been around for long, but in this short amount of time they’ve become well known in the world of unsigned bands – for a good reason. They’ve got the typical catchy choruses and danceable songs, but they do it very well. And although the lyrics are a little…juvenile, it’s hard not to sing along.

Listen to: Suburban Girls (make me crazy)

Myspace
iTunes

Minnesota Bands

Moving on up to Minnesota for state #3.

Take Cover

I can’t get enough of this band. When I put their latest EP The Last Word into my car stereo, it doesn’t come out for weeks – even though it repeats every 13 minutes. The music is upbeat and the vocal melodies are catchy, making you want to sing a long with every word.
These Minneapolis boys released their first EP in September of 2008 and with that, gained a following in Minnesota. Take Cover’s latest EP was released in June of this year, and with continuous touring this band is making a name for themselves across the country. It’s hard not to love Take Cover when you see their live show. You can see how passionate they are about their music – and their fans. Catch them on tour with Quietdrive [also from Minnesota] and The Higher through November.

Listen to: Dangerous
Myspace
iTunes

All the Right Moves

Also hailing from Minneapolis, All the Right Moves bring a different element into their music: violin. I know what your thinking, didn’t Yellowcard already do this? But All the Right Moves has their own unique sound. Their tunes are extremely catchy [I can never get them out of my head - and that's a good thing!] and pop driven. They also throw a keyboard into the mix, making it all the more interesting. They’ve got a self-titled CD out right now, and a new record is being made as we speak. All the Right Moves’ next release should be out in early 2010.
Their live show is full of energy and hilarious jokes – they definitely keep you entertained.  Make sure you meet them afterward, they love interacting with their fans!

Listen to: Mona Lisa
Myspace
iTunes

Other sweet Minnesota bands:
Quietdrive
Dropping Daylight
Sick of Sarah
Jamestown Story
Camera Can’t Lie

Illinois Bands

On to state #2: Illinois.

Illinois has a never ending amount of amazing bands, but these are two of the best.

Made Avail

Prove it – that’s their slogan. These Chicago natives have been rockin’ since 1999, and have quite a following in the Chicago area. I first saw them about a year and a half ago when they opened for INEPT [also from Chicago, but recently broke up. Still check them out, they are one of my all time favorites]. Their show was energetic and they had a lot of crowd interaction – always a good thing. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Besides being great musicians, Made Avail is a band with a message; they’ve started what they call “The Resistance”. It started with their “Prove it” slogan and turned into a group of people who want want to make a difference in the world. “We want an army of people ready at a word, who are gonna say enough is enough! We are tired of living our day to day self-serving lives and prove that will can make a difference,” they say. Read more about “The Resistance.”

Listen to: Right Direction [on YouTube]

Myspace
iTunes
YouTube

The Insecurities

I’ve loved every band Stubhy Pandav has ever created – so I might be a little biased: Lucky Boys Confusion, Shock Stars and now The Insecurities. I haven’t been to a show yet, but I’ve seen Stubhy perform enough times to be confident that their live show is amazing. They are still a pretty new band on the Chicago scene, only around for a little over a year. Their songs are infectiously catchy, but they’ve still got a unique sound. At first listen the songs are very poppy, but if you pay attention there’s a lot more too them. Their use of piano and other instruments throughout the songs makes them much more diverse.

They’ve got a new CD coming out next week, on Oct 13, called “Show Your Teeth”, so check it out!

Listen to: Circle Three Times

Myspace
Website
iTunes

It was hard to narrow this down, so make sure to check out these other amazing Illinois bands:

The High Life
Heart-Set Self-Destruct
A Kidnap in Color
Danger is My Middle Name
On the Front

Iowa Music

I know what you’re thinking. Iowa?
But yes, Iowa does have some great bands living within its borders.

Photo taken from www.myspace.com/heresmychancemusic

Here’s My Chance
My personal favorite.
This pop/punk band is based out of Des Moines, Iowa and has been together since 2006. They recently embarked on a 48-state tour over this past summer, so maybe you’ve seen them. They’ve released two EP’s (Through the Towns, You Had it Coming), both available on iTunes. The members of this band have been in the Des Moines music scene for quite a while and have worked hard to get where they are. They put on a great live show, so catch them on tour. Here’s My Chance will be playing in Des Moines October 2 to kick of a month long tour. Check their Myspace for dates.

Listen to: This life I know
Myspace
Download

Photo taken from www.myspace.com/theanytime

The Anytime
Based out of Ames, Iowa, The Anytime has been around for just under a year. They formed in October 2008 and went on a cross-country tour with the bands Conditions and The Years Gone By in the Spring/Summer of this year. Their slowly gaining more national attention, and getting a shout out on MTV2 from Four Letter Lie didn’t hurt. They’ve had some rough times since they started, but I think this band is going to get picked up and become more mainstream in the next year.  Their next show is October 2, in Ames, Iowa.

Listen to: Watch someone leave
Myspace
Buy

Others:
Check out these other Iowa natives:

Adelynne
Hillhaven Raven
Backdrop
Hold for Swank
General Sherman

Music across the country

[This is an introduction]

There are 50 states.
There are a ton of awesome, unknown bands in each state.
I’m here to introduce you to the best.

Hello. I’m Nicole. I’m 21 and I live in Des Moines, Iowa. I am a photographer, designer and writer. I’m also obsessed with music.
Feel free to comment and suggest your favorite bands from each state. I’m always looking for new music!

[Side Note: Shout out to Houston Calls from New Jersey - inspiration for the blog title. Check out their song Modest Manifesto
*Sadly they are no longer a band. Still have amazing music though.]