New Additions: One St. Stephen self-titled album (1975)

There are few albums that sit in as legendary a status as the self-titled 1975 release by One St. Stephen on Owl. Whether it was on a 2000s message board talks at Donewaiting.com, or interviewing people for the book, this release stood alone as one of the most sought after in it's original form. Legend has it that only three hundred or so copies were originally pressed, and it's has entered into elite collector status, fetching over a grand for a first press. Later incarnations, both on vinyl and compact disc, have made actually getting a hold of the music easier. Which is good, because this deserves the hype - a psychedelic slab of folk and rock that's both centered and freaky weird.

Know Yer Band: One St. Stephen

Band: One St. Stephen

Members
Don Patterson
Bill Blechschmid
Bruce Roberts
Charles Squires (Bleak)
Danny Lawson
David Pierce
Franklin Reynolds
Terry Finneran

Releases
1975 - One St. Stephen self-titled album (Owl)

New Additions: Praise The Load by The Load

Part of the fun of unlocking the mysteries of Columbus music history is digging into the releases on Owl. Unfortunately, like with Raven, other original releases are hard to come by, including the 1976 album Praise The Load by The Load. Forget trying to get a vinyl version, the best option and what I opted for is the 1991 compact disc re-release on The Laser's Edge label, which includes two songs not included on the original album. From all the descriptions I had read, this was going to be a headtrip on par with the heavyweights of 1970s progressive rock, and they were right.

Know Yer Band: The Load

Band: The Load

Members
Vocals/Keyboards - Sterling Smith
Guitar/Bass/Vocals - Dave Hessler
Drums/Percussion - Tom Smith

Releases
1974 - Now We'll Say We Tried / She Calls My Name 7" single (Owl)
1976 - Praise The Load album (Owl)
1995 - Load Have Mercy album (The Laser's Edge)

Know Yer Band: Raven

Band: Raven

Members
Anonymous

Releases
1975 - Back To Ohio Blues album (Owl)