Know Yer Artist: Ronald Koal

Artist: Ronald Koal (Robert Gooslin, Jr.)

Bands
Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires
Ronald Koal Band
Kid Koal
Daddy Long Legs
Ice Machine
Messiah Factory

Releases
1981 - Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires What A Bargain! 7" single (No Other Records)
1982 - Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires Destination Zero 7" single (No Other Records)
1983 - Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires s/t album (No Other Records)
1988 - Ronald Koal track on Exhibit C: Ohio's Undercurrent (Play Records)
1990 - Ronald Koal Band White Light album (Watertower Records)

YouTube: Cocteau Twins Fever on WBNS

If you're at all familiar with the history of Columbus music, this video should not come as a shock. In 1985, the Cocteau Twins came to Columbus on their first, short tour of the US thanks to the efforts of Tim Anstaett of The Offense Zine and Kurt Scheiber of No Other Records. You can read more about it here at this Dangerous Minds post.

New Additions: Land Of Sugar by Royal Crescent Mob

At some point in my 20s or 30s, I picked up Royal Crescent Mob's second album on Sire, the 1991 album Midnight Rose's, gave it spin and thought, nah, not for me. Maybe it was the wrong album to start with, maybe it was the wrong time in my life to figure out what was going on, but it just didn't connect. A few years ago, independent of working on this project, I found a copy of 1987's Omerta in a record store and that immediately changed mind. It's weird to think I've gotten more expansive with my listening tastes as I've gotten older, but truth is I listen to a wider variety of music now than I ever had, which is why I psyched when Kyle at Lost Weekend Records let me know he had a copy of Land Of Sugar (originally released on No Other Records in 1985) in his local section recently waiting for me to grab it (along with a few other things).

Know Yer Band: Royal Crescent Mob

Band: Royal Crescent Mob

Members
Vocals - David Ellison
Guitar - Brian "Mr. B" Emch
Bass/Keyboards/Vocals - Harold "Happy" Chichester
Drums/Percussion - Bill Schwers/Carlton Smith

Releases
1985 - Land of Sugar mini-album (No Other Records)
1987 - Omerta album (Moving Target)
1988 - Something Old, Borrowed, New album (Moving Target)
1989 - Spin The World album (Sire)
1991 - Midnight Rose's album (Sire)
1992 - 13 Destruction album (Mobco)
1993 - Good Lucky Killer album (Enemy Records)

Know Yer Band: Scrawl

Band: Scrawl

Members
Vocals/Guitar - Marcy Mays
Bass/Vocals - Sue Harsche
Drums - Carolyn O'Leary, Dana Marshall, Jovan Karcic

Releases
1987 - Plus, Also, Too album (No Other Records)
1988 - He's Drunk album (Rough Trade)
1990 - Smallmouth album (Rough Trade)
1991 - Bloodsucker EP (Simple Machines)
1992 - Misery / Just Plain Bad 7" single (Singles Only Label)
1993 - Your Mother Wants To Know 7" single (Simple Machines)
1993 - Velvet Hammer album (Simple Machines)
1994 - Split single w/Versus 7" (Simple Machines)
1994 - Split single w/Stereolab 7" (Radiopaque Recordings)
1995 - Good Under Pressure 7" single (Simple Machines)
1996 - Travel On, Rider album (Elektra)
1996 - Travel On, Scrawl EP (Elektra)
1998 - Nature Film album (Elektra)

New Additions: Beetkeepers s/t Album

Some bands have multiple releases and tracking them down can be quite the quest, especially when self-released or released on long out of business local labels. Luckily, though the Beetkeepers only released one self-titled album in 1987 on Curt Schieber's No Other Records, a few copies have been floating around Columbus record stores, and I was able to grab a pristine copy recently at Elizabeth Records on Indianola. Based on a few descriptions, I was expecting a take on alternative country, but this less alternative and more straightforward, with a strong 70s singer/songwriter vibe.

Know Yer Band: Beetkeepers

Band: Beetkeepers

Members
Vocals/Guitar - James Olsen
Bass/Vocals - Stephen Perakis
Drums/Marimba/Vocals - John Messersmith

Releases
1988 - Beetkeepers s/t album (No Other Records)