I live in Cincinnati and have interacted with some of the band members. My late friend Brad played classical guitar at the singers wedding. Anyway, I always thought they were a bit redundant but to each his own. A side note, there was a laundry mat and bar in Cincinnati that hosted live bands nearly every night. Many were national acts as well as local. OTR also played there.
Any fans of Over the Rhine?
It’s a rare day when I encounter a band/musician I’ve never heard that inspires me to buy a CD. I spend plenty of time listening to unfamiliar music but it just doesn’t happen very often that I encounter anything that really grabs me.
I stumbled onto OTR on Spotify via the "Fans Also Like" feature. I don’t even recall who I’d been listening to before them.
I find Karin Bergquist’s voice, Lindford Detweiler’s piano playing and the songwriting equally compelling. Not sure what to call this music -- somewhere between Americana and sophisticated Pop, perhaps. I read they are Christian and there are definitely some Christian themes but it’s not preachy in any way. It’s spiritual/universal rather than religious/dogmatic, for those who relate to the distinction.
Just wondering if any (other) forum members are fans. . .
A taste;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry8Svaj9owI&list=RDRy8Svaj9owI&start_radio=1
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Not sure what you might mean by "redundant", which typically means superfluous. Do you mean repetitive? Whether any art is "superfluous" is subjective, no? Whether an artist's work is repetitive is easier to assess. I can see why some might find OTR repetitive. Different strokes for different folks.
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@stuartk yes, the same basic melodic structure over and over with little to no dynamic contrast. Also, all of there songs sound the same to me. They're very popular, so they must be good, I just don't know why. I'm not the best judge regarding that aesthetic. |
@stuartk I don't even listen to Taylor Swift! |
"Very popular" ? Are we talking about the same group? I’m not at all sure, given your mention of T. Swift. OTR are not repeating one progression over and over, unlike the disposable, commercial Pop being produced today. Is their music harmonically complex? No. When I want that, I listen to say, Wayne Shorter, who’s one of my favorite composer/players. But I’m not always in the mood for harmonically complex. I find OTR’s music very engaging, emotionally. I love Karin’s voice, the melodies they write and even her husband’s simple piano work. I also love Michel Petrucciani’s piano playing. Thankfully, the fact that I enjoy Petrucciani ’s dazzling virtuosity doesn’t inhibit me from enjoying something simpler. |
I'm expecting my copy of Good Dog Bad Dog to arrive soon. - 37 posts total