Michael Graham (guitar, mandolin, lap steel, vocals) grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland listening to the Grateful Dead, the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and Neil Young while all his friends were trying to convince him that Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin were much cooler (it was the 1970s, sadly). Then he moved to Charlottesville, VA and spent the next seventeen years south of the Mason-Dixon line, deepening his appreciation of twang and indigenous American music as well as the Scottish and Irish roots of Appalachian ballads. Somewhere along the way he learned to tune a guitar and a mandolin and acquired a Ph.D. in history. In his other life he teaches at the University of Akron.
Ken Bindas (guitar, vocals) grew up amidst the decay of the steel industry in Youngstown, Ohio. After working at GMLordstown he went off to college and through no plan of his own, earned a PhD in American cultural history. He grew up feasting on the funk of the Ohio Players, Parliament/Funkadelic, and the soul of Al Green until hearing Woody Guthrie while working the assembly line. After reading Marx, he turned to Dylan and then, finally, the Clash and all the other punks. Still a punk at heart, he now teaches at Kent State University, where he continues to subvert the system from the inside.
Eric "Lank" Jagar (saxophone, percussion, beatnik attitude) joined the band late in 2002, under the false impression that they played jazz. Since then, he has kicked them into shape with his jazz attitude, and his ability to refer to people as "cats" on a regular basis. During the day he's an M.D. for the Veterans' Administration. He also plays in the band Primitive Groove, a local jazz combo.
Joe Ledbetter (drums, vocals) Joe is both the House Popes' original drummer and their newest drummer, rejoining the band in June 2008 after a six-year hiatus, during which he and his wife had three beautiful children. Having earned an M.A. in English from the University of Akron in the early years of the millennium, Joe is now one of Akron's most literary letter carriers, and an all-around interesting guy.
Jess Robbins (bass) is the newest pope, joining in August 2009. A native of Atlanta, Jess is an engineer, and works on stuff having to do with outer space, which is probably pretty applicable to House Popes music sometimes.
Scott Randolph (harmonica, accordion, tin whistle, trombone, percussion, vocals)
Known as "Mr. X" for his ability to play notes on so many different instruments, Scott broadened the Popes' soundscape in their early days. Now he's an expatriot pope, living in Wyoming and teaching American History. We miss him.
THANKS TO Sometime Popes:
Rob Thompson (bass, guitar, banjo, vocals)
Kelley Fann (bass)
Dave Kirschbaum (bass)
Anthony Sterns (bass, vocals)
Bruce Winer (drums)
Joe Falen (drums)
Etkilendikleri
REM, The Grateful Dead, The Clash, Richard Thompson, Bruce Cockburn, Gillian Welch, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Bob Dylan, Old Crow Medicine Show and Camper Van Beethoven.
Neye Benziyor?
Interested in buying a CD???
go to:
http://www.cdbaby.com/housepopes, or else get on down to Square Records in Highland Square or Time Traveler in Cuyahoga Falls. Or come to one of our shows and we'll make you a deal.
For more info about the House Popes (questions, booking etc.) e-mail
mfg@uakron.edu
The HOUSE POPES, hailing from invention's hometown, Akron, Ohio, are five (sometimes six or seven) seasoned musicians with a few too many initials after their names. "This septet of grown folks has a rootsy bar rock sound, with singalong choruses" wrote _Akron Beacon Journal_ music reporter Malcolm X. Abram, reviewing their debut CD, _Cleaning House_ (2003). The band sprawls face down in a heap of American musical styles. Chicago-based _Music Street Journal_ critic Steve Alspach said "musically they are very much rooted in the commona curious mix of rock, roots, Americana, pop, a tinge of new wave, and that sense of quirkiness that seems indigenous to the Akron area." D.X. Ferris of the Cleveland _Scene_ describes the House Popes as a "jammy alt-folk-funk supercombo." The House Popes aren't sure what that means, but they like it.
After several years of honing their songwriting skills and broadening their sound in such venues as Akron's late, lamented Lime Spider, Musica, the Cedars in Youngstown, the Pirate's Cove in Cleveland and the Village Inn in Chippewa Lake, the Popes released their second CD, _Geography_, in 2008. They can also be found playing at neighborhood events in their Highland Square stomping ground.
Along with their musical interests, the band's members share something else in common: many years in the classroom. Carol Hoffman of the Cleveland _Plain Dealer_ wrote that while "the House Popes may not be the most popular band in Ohio, it might be the most 'degreed' band." This means they write songs about Mark Twain as well as those old topics love, peace, war and death.
In addition to rocking on in countless bars and nightclubs, the Popes sometimes masquerade as a civilized coffeehouse act, emphasizing the acoustic side of their repertoire.
Hey The House Popes We're happy to be friends! If you need anything from us here at Central 8 Studios, we would be excited to help! We have some excellent summer deals on studio time that we think would interest you. Don't hesitate to message us!
My bad - I forgot to ask Ana to take color photos at Musica. However, we'll get some nice color photos this Saturday at the B&O so be sure to bring your rainbow wig.
Hope your having a killer Monday so far. Thanks so much for being our friend on here...YOU ROCK! We really appreciate the support.
Our new record "Out of My Hands" just came out a couple weeks ago and we are super excited about it. We would LOVE it if you grabbed a copy on itunes : )
Hi House Popes!! Hope you are having wonderful semester in Akron. I am studying Spanish in Buenos Aires right now, and am excited come back to Akron in May to see all my favorite musicians (and teachers!!). I'll be graduating from UA (FINALLY) in December. Please come to my CD release party Sat. June 13 @ Musica? My new CD is called "Lightning Loves the Kite" and it's an imagination adventure about a lightning bolt that falls in love with a kite. Muchos besos! xoxox Rachel Roberts
I hope that this semester has started off well for you. We've once again run in to our seemingly ever present problem of not having a drummer. He decided to move to South Carolina. We do have a farewell show scheduled at Musica though on April 9th. Pending our discovery of a new drummer (which I do not have a lot of faith in), that will be our last live performance. I wanted to pass that information along to you and if you are free that day, it would be good to see you again.
haha that was the only show eddings would give us right now... and we're slated to play at 7, so i don't think we'll still be playing at 9 (but strange and miraculous things can happen with rock and roll). on another note, we'll be getting our next order of cds this friday and i have one for you dr. graham. i'm also planing on coming to your release show at musica on the 6th. should i buy tickets from you guys or pick one up at the door?
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