well, i'm way ahead of you, not only did i get the cd, and not only do i love it, but i wrote directly to the artists themselves, to tell them so--and COMPLEMENTED THE CDBABY website, to boot! So there, take THAT!!! Really happy with site and music, and plan to buy some more--when time avails itself to this uber-busy mom/atty/dogwalker/chauffeur/etc/etc/etc/ regards, nancy

The 13 tracks on Ohio are chock-full of fun, hook-laden guitar pop, filled with that jangly guitar sound that populated the airwaves in the “post-R.E.M.” era. It takes nothing away from the cohesion shared by Jerry Popiel (vocals/guitar), Jake Schneider (drums/vocals), Will Albrecht (bass /vocals) and Gregg Thauvette (guitar). They sound strong, confident, and observant. From the opening notes of "Irene," a love song from the guy next door, to the garage-rock strains of "Second Chance," you can tell that the bones of strong, tight songwriting are there. The musicianship and vocals are clearly there. And certainly the attention of Cleveland music fans—who have seen these guys open for The Beach Boys, Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, The Fixx and a ton of other local and national acts—is there. And heck, they sound like they’re having fun, which is extremely important as well. The lyrics and music are a rust-belt-reflection of growing up and coming-of-age in Ohio. The magic “it” factor that Ohio is missing at some points will follow. It has to. They've got just about everything else in the right place.

Don't know these guys personally, but my guess is that they're into '60s folk-rock. You know, bands like the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young that could harmonize and wrote lyrics that meant something. At least that's what comes across on this, the Gourds' official full-length debut. From the opening notes of "Irene," a jangly love song from the "guy who lives next door" to "Second Chance," a garage-rock number that recalls the brisk beat of "La Bamba," the disc posits the band as 21st centur classic rock.

The Lorain area group called the Birdhouse Gourds has only been playing their original tunes for three years. But tight songwriting and infectious '80s-inspired tunes have brought them a good degree of notice in northeast Ohio. Now the group has chronicled all the work of the past into its official debut, "Ohio." The 13 tracks drop hook-laden guitar pop that gives a nod to the numerous late '70s and early '80s acts that filled out the New Wave scene in northeast Ohio, as well as the rest of the nation, with the jangly guitar sound heard in the post-REM era.