When Chris invited me to do a couple guest posts for Culture Bully I agreed with one caveat: that I could write about the two Ohio bands that have been dominating my soundsystem for the past month, Coffinberry and Two Cow Garage.  My roots in the Midwest are pretty deep.  Outside of a few months living in Boston, I’ve spent the majority of my adult in life in Cleveland, and as I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for the sounds of the Midwest have grown.  The bands don’t have tightly controlled images, they don’t have publicists providing headlines for Pitchfork, and they rarely get the glossy full page spreads in the music mags.  Bands like, Two Cow Garage work tirelessly, playing 200+ shows a year just to get enough money together to do another album, and start the cycle all over again.

That being said, It shouldn’t be too surprising that when you listen to their latest release, III, that there is a considerable amount of doubt in their songs.  “No Shame” examines the rigors of being in a Rock ‘N’ Roll band when all your friends are moving on with their adult lives.  The imagery is powerful — a tv sitting atop an amplifier, a guitar (”the instrument of my ultimate downfall”) resting against the wall, and a job application waiting to be filled out.  “Should’ve California” explores a similar theme with the lyrics “I should’ve gone to college, made a lot of money” “I should have been blue collar like my father,” “I shouldn’t be wasting all of my time in these basement bars with this rock and roll band.”  The irony is these doubts are expressed during a damn fine rock album.  Whether they’re playing pained ballads for the no depression crowd, like “No Shame” or “Should’ve California,” or cranking out Replacements inspired rave-ups like “Camo Jacket” or “Gape & Shudder” they rarely, if ever miss the mark.

[Guest contributor Bill Lipold writes at I Rock Cleveland.]

Two Cow Garage – Official Site
Two Cow Garage – MySpace Site