It’s early Wednesday night at Matinee Cleveland on the edge of Ohio City and Tremont. Other Girls frontman Jonah Oryszak is tending bar. The crowd is just beginning to filter in, and Oryszak, drummer Dave Wincek and Matinee owner Mario Nemr are busy strategizing how to compete with other bars and clubs in a city that’s set in its ways and comfortable in its scenes.
“Cleveland, except for here, [is] such a cynical city,” says Wincek,
holding a Miller High Life bottle. “I don’t know how to explain it.
When we’re out of town, you get so much more respect, being the Guy in
the Band.”
Granted, the Other Girls show up a little late for soundcheck
now and then. But the band, fans and venues should make nice, because
the Girls’ new CD, Perfect Cities, has everything it takes to
qualify them for the indie-rock A-squad — in Northeast Ohio or
anywhere else. Or maybe the Cleveland-Akron band will break out of the
Midwest before they conquer their hometown. Talk of other clubs doesn’t
last long.
“We play here [the Matinee], where we can have a fun time, and there
are plenty of people,” says Oryszak, stocking straws. “I just feel like
a lot of people [at other clubs] are stuck in the attitude where if
you’re pop at all, they’re going to ignore you.”
Alternately ecstatic and gorgeous, Perfect Cities plays like
a lost standout from the ’80s Manchester scene, the millennial New York
City rock it inspired or maybe even the next underground club classic.
Melting from the heat of his interpersonal aspirations, Oryszak leads
the band through rave-ups, while guitarist Jay Tousley picks one
glorious scattershot note at a time, playing like the Smiths’ Johnny
Marr — simply strumming his guitar bores him — and the
frenetic energy is infectious.
Like bassist Corey Lanigan, Tousley isn’t around tonight. The
guitarist’s family welcomed their second baby yesterday, so he’s
briefly out of commission. The band members seldom see each other
outside of practice. When they get together, they try to make the
little time they have as productive as possible. Tight time and a tight
budget helped the band create their hooky disc.
“We only had $500 to record our album at first,” explains Oryszak as
the jukebox segues from Wings to Radiohead. “So we’re not going to
waste any time on instrumentals or filler. That’s what I like anyway
— Phil Spector, Tommy James, the Crystals. All our friends hate
me because I don’t like Animal Collective, because I don’t smoke weed
so much.”
The band’s ’80s and ’90s overtones are coincidental. Wincek prefers
progressive emo bands like At the Drive-In. Tousley’s style sounds so
original because he barely listens to music. Lanigan listens to Howard
Stern when he can. Oryszak’s mixes and melodies are the only things
that give the group a common frame of reference.
The band recorded Perfect Cities at Akron’s Tangerine
studios, which is co-owned by Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and Ben
Vehorn, the album’s producer, who rapidly became enamored of the band.
Vehorn gave the songs extra sonic polish and helped fill out the tunes
by enlisting his friend, guitarist Robin Peringer, who has played with
Elliott Smith, Modest Mouse and Band of Horses. By the time Peringer
was in the mix, Carney had already decided to release it on his Audio
Eagle label.
“It was blowing my mind,” says Carney. “Those guys are all nice and
talented and hardworking. And they have a good pop sensibility. They
keep getting better too.”
The Other Girls are looking forward to their CD release shows; they
want to get the music out there, but mostly, they’re psyched to see the
opening band.
“The most special thing is that Drummer’s playing,” says Wincek.
Adds Oryszak, “I joke that everyone’s going to watch them and
leave.”
Drummer comprises Akron indie-rock all-stars, most of whom were
drummers at some point. The Black Keys’ Carney plays bass. Jamie
Stillman (Harriet the Spy, Party of Helicopters, Teeth of the Hydra)
returns to stage playing lead guitar. Houseguest/ex-Beast drummer Steve
Clements plays keyboards. Beaten Awake’s Jon Finely sings and plays
backup guitar. Greg Boyd of Ghostman & Sandman is the drummers’
drummer — which, Stillman says, isn’t exactly fun.
“Four people get to tell one person exactly what to do all
the time,” explains Stillman. “I’ve already sat behind the kit two
times — I’m that asshole. Aside from that, it’s like any
other band I’ve ever been in. The band does not sound like what
I thought it would sound like, or anybody else would. I think it falls
somewhere between bands that have been referenced — Dinosaur Jr.,
My Bloody Valentine, Pavement.”
Playing a melodic shoegazer groove, Drummer ooze rhythm. Expect an
album this year, followed by a tour. For now, they’re an opening act
that’s worth showing up early. And for once, the headliners will be
there on time.
This article appears in May 13-19, 2009.