The Vinyltones

There was a time when I first started writing that the arrival of a "video" (back then, they were on ye olde VHS) from a band made me cautiously pessimistic. Someone probably borrowed a giant video camera from their parents and took some shaky-handed footage of the band playing live, accompanied by audio that sounded like it was recorded on a boombox.

But just as new technological developments have made it easier for musicians to make better sounding recordings on their own, video technology has also become more affordable and higher quality. The DVDs being put out by local bands today, while perhaps not totally on par with big-budgeted label product, are more often than not highly professional-looking, serving as a great souvenir for fans, a glossy introduction to potential new fans and a solid visual press-kit for would-be business contacts. Outlaw Country master Dallas Moore put out the excellent live DVD, One Night in Kentucky, in 2004, and local Funk king Freekbass just issued the special-guest-strewn A Sliver of Shiver (more on that one next week). Both look far from “local” and would fit in right next to the "big shots" on your favorite local store’s music-DVD shelf.

Another stellar entry is The Vinyltones : Live @ The Mad Frog, the release of which the excellent Pop/Rock band is celebrating this Friday at, of course, The Mad Frog (with guests Fizzgig opening). The first 50 in get a free copy. The DVD — shot by Loveland-based Innerchild Music + Film — is impressive right off the bat, featuring a simple, easy-to-use interface that allows you to watch the film in full or pick select songs. The concert movie kicks off with a great montage shot out of a moving car window of a few Cincinnati neighborhoods (Corryville, home of the Frog, being the most prevalent). Over a crackling, old-timey piano rag, the rolling footage (like the concert clips) is vivid and interesting, with sporadic “scratches” on the video which give it the feel of some unearthed clip from years gone by.

The show itself is shot equally impressively, with quick edits and multi-camera shots (even one from within the crowd, with the back of fans’ heads silhouetted in the foreground). The sound isn’t “perfect,” but it is perfectly appropriate and effective, giving the viewer the feel of actually being at a small club show. If you haven’t seen the Vinyltones live yet, this is a great representation. The only thing missing is that spilled-beer odor and the drunk guy standing next to you who’s so into it he keeps elbowing you in the rib cage. You’ll have to check the real deal live show (perhaps Friday?) for all of that good stuff. And it’s well worth it, I might add.

(Sample clip of The Vinyltones' "Numb (on a Monday)" from the new DVD release):



Like their music, The Vinytones aren’t overly flashy in the live context. There’s congenial banter between songs — rosy-cheeked singer/guitarist/keyboardist Craig Dockery gives a shout out to local singer/songwriter Ryan Adcock at one point, even giving out his Web site, and he teases guitarist Bryan Billhimer for dressing like a “Spaniard.” But when they're actually playing, there’s a clear intensity on stage that, coupled with the group’s stellar songs and impressive instrumental abilities, makes the need for any extra bells and whistles (leg kicks, fancy light show, pyrotechnics, etc.) irrelevant.

The set itself (an opening one at that) is wildly entertaining, as the band balances their compelling originals (mostly from their debut Memoirs of a Songbook CD) with a few choice cover songs (Dockery jokingly at one point intros a cover by saying it’s “so you guys stay interested”). The band does a bouncy take on Neil Diamond’s “Cherry Cherry,” an alternately smoldering/propulsive version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and a searing “Helter Skelter.” There are some brief black-and-white interview clips with the band interspersed (and the film ends with footage of some fans talking post-show about their passion for the group), featuring talk about the anticipated evolution of their songwriting for the forthcoming sophomore release (“a little bit darker,” they say). The DVD also features “Down the River,” a dynamic, slide-guitar-fueled burner slated for the new album (the Frog show is the first time the band played the song live). The disc ends with an amazing rendition of Mose Allison’s “Young Man Blues,” fitting as they do The Who’s arrangement and recall another testament to great live performance, Live At Leeds.

If seeing this video doesn’t make you want to check out the band, you might not like brilliantly-crafted Rock & Roll.

— Mike Breen

- Citybeat

..."Memoirs" was recently released by the new label, Tru Artists Entertainment, founded by successful locally-based producer Matt "Emosia" Senatore, who has worked with acts like Blessid Union of Souls and PM Dawn. Senatore also served as "Memoirs'" producer, giving the band's precise and mature Pop/Rock songs a crisp sound suitable for a major label release.

"Memoirs" is a revelation, showing the 'Tones to be one of the most talented new bands in the city. The album moves from more bouncy Power Pop fare to balls-out melodic Rock, with some amazing mid-tempo and ballad-like numbers tossed in for a well roundedness that makes the band sound like they've been together for a decade.

Highlights include "Motorcycle," which is better than anything being played on Modern Rock radio right now, and "Leaving Northport," a piano-guided slow jam that is loaded with strings and lilting melodies that are harder to shake than Bob Dole's right hand.

Singer/guitarist/keyboardist Craig Dockery's vocals are the album's glue, giving the tracks a warm and inviting vibe that lures the listener in, only to be handcuffed to the sink by the barrage of heavyweight hooks. Fans of artists from Ben Folds to Pete Yorn to Snow Patrol will find "Memoirs" on par with those artists' best work, brimming with a writing and performance sophistication that makes the Vinyltones seem more than ready to move on to the next level. One of the best locally-spawned albums of the year, unquestionably.

--Mike Breen - CityBeat

The Vinyltones are a "new band with an old-sounding name," as they like to describe themselves.

Indeed, their debut release, "Memoirs of a Songbook," from the group with the retro name is hardly stuck in the past. The album is full of modern power pop songs with urgent hooky melodies. The group, little known to most locals, immediately checks in as one of the best new bands on the power pop scene in town.

The Cincinnati band is made up of some old friends who have played around town for more than 10 years. Main songwriter Craig Dockery, a Milford native, returned to town from Virginia a couple years ago after college. He hooked up with high school buddies Bryan Billhimer and Shawn Shaefer, who had played in Blessid Union of Souls touring band. The three were in a group 10 years ago, Mr. Scarlett's Plume, which won the Bogart's High School Band Challenge.

Dockery had been writing songs and showed them to his friends. They liked them and a new band was born that instantly began recording. The group was rounded out by Mike Hartless, from Columbus. They have taken a different path than the usual band routine of playing clubs to hone a sound and songs.

"It is a little different," Dockery acknowledged, "but this project started with the songs and that's the most important thing. We sort of took care of that band-playing-together thing 10 years ago. We've been back playing for only a year, but there is so much history with us we can really jump-start it."

The Vinyltones also may get a nice jump-start for their debut from producer Matt "Emosia" Senatore, the studio wiz who has relocated to Cincinnati from his native New York to launch his Tru Artists Entertainment, an indie label and production company.

Senatore produced albums for Blessid Union of Souls and PM Dawn. The Vinyltones' CD is the first release on his new label.

And while a lot of artists in these parts are trying to get to New York City, Dockery jokes that with this project and Senatore's relocation, "Everybody moves to Cincinnati to be a rock star."

With a focus on melody and song craft, some edgy sounding guitars and thickly textured production, the release should get some immediate national attention. The single "Hope to Remember" has already become a top request on XM Radio's Unsigned Band channel.

--Rick Bird - Cincinnati Post

Finally, I ended the night at The Exchange.... The Vinyltones played an excellent fest-capping set. Performing in the last slot appears to be the ideal placement for a band. People are well lubricated by that time and ready to party and get unhinged....

The Vinyltones’ hyper-melodic, classically-steeped Pop Rock was perfect for the inebriated fist-pumpers and stumblers … and I enjoyed it immensely too. The powerful, crafty, catchy local band has an incredibly pro sound, impeccable musicianship and songs that ring with a rare timelessness. My only gripe: if you’re going to play The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” it has to be the last song of your set (the tones’ played three more tunes after their sizzling version). - Mike Breen, Citybeat

Smart, articulate, well-produced modern pop. Memoirs of a Songbook is the first CD to be released on the newly formed Tru Artists Entertainment label. Although The Vinyltones originally got together about a decade ago, the members eventually went their separate ways...until their creative sparks finally caused the group to reform. The timing must be right for these guys this time around, as Songbook is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging collection of tunes. The band's songs are peppered with just the right amount of studio tweaking. Despite the fact that this is a slick and polished album, many of the tracks still have quite an edge. These songs might best be described as hard power pop. The playing is spirited and ballsy at times...but the melodies are ultimately hummable and catchy. Excellent vocals throughout. Memorable tracks include "Hey Solomon," "Nashville," "So Far Away," and"Leaving Northport." (Rating: 5)
- LMNOP/Babysue

Although Cincinnati's Vinyltones have only been together for a year or so, three of the band's members (vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Craig Dockery, guitarist Bryan Billhimer, and drummer Shaun Schaefer) began playing together in a local high school band. This longstanding chemistry has translated well to their new incarnation. The Vinyltones offer a little bit of everything on their debut, Memoirs of a Songbook, from the Edwin mcCain Americana of "Unsimple" and the Detroit garage of "Numb (On a Monday)" to the Britpop/Coldplay magnificence of "Motorcycle," the Supergrass-tinged "Don't Spend It All Tonight," and the Southern Soul exuberance of "If It's Gonna Rain." The band lives up to its name in a big way; every song on the album sounds as though it should be emanating from a little plastic platter with a hole in the center. On Memoirs of a Songbook, the Vinyltones are already playing world class music, so here's hoping the world starts paying attention. - Amplifier Magazine

Well, it's another happy sounding punk-rock band from a garage in Middle-America: The Vinyltones' Memoirs of a Songbook [Tru Artists Entertainment]. The thing is, they don't sound half-bad. The Vinyltones have the old rock n' roll guitars just soloing away throughout the album, but the whole time they manage to keep up a happy, nod-your-head-or-dance punk feel. Like Jet, they've drawn inspirations from greats like Hendrix and Dylan, but most of the time you can tell they've been formatted for rock.

Memoirs of a Songbook begins with what you might hear at a boardwalk carnival, but quickly descends into a classic network of deviation; they constantly bounce between mellow with a hint of sadness, and a happy wanna-be-angry melody. The single, "So Far Away," is their definitive song. In it, singer Craig Dockery howls about desires unfulfilled while the rest of the band toils away. Another song to note would be "Unsimple," which very well could have been written in '69 by Neil Young. The Vinyltones present a CD to listen to while jumping on your bed.
- Night Times

Fans of Supergrass(lots), The Churchills, The Nines, Digby and The Argument have to jump on this one a it`s a great debut for most pop fans here! WOW! The Vinyltones shamelessly display all things great, endlessly endearing about cool pop: instantly digestible melodies; short and tuneful solos; bottom-heavy distorted fuzz bass; a pounding backbeat; multiple layers of guitar crunch; harmonic bliss. Want more? Okay, we`ll let the superlatives spew on about the smart production flourishes, willowy, floating melodies, just the right amount of guitar bite that gets wrapped around caressing vocals, "Memoirs Of A Songbook" is just simply fantastic!

But while this song is a more sublime one, please listen to "Leaving Northport" for a bit below. This is track 13, the last one, and it`s a stunning....we let it go for a bit, take it all in. It shows how *good* this band is. One of the finer songs of the year, so far, it`s that good. Another great debut, Extremely Highly Recommended!
- notLame.com