WCBE Compilations

Although not exclusively local in format, WCBE 90.5 FM has been a massively important aspect of the Columbus music scene for decades. For a while, they were putting out regular compilation of their in-studio performances.

Across a dozen discs, you can find rare live-only tracks from Columbus artists such as Howlin' Maggie, Scrawl, Tim Easton, The Haynes Boys, Watershed, Big Back Forty, The Jive Turkeys, Jenny Mae and many more.

New Additions: The Unkindest Cut Of All seven inch single by Monster Zero

One of the fun parts of this project is finding the connections between various bands of the 2000s that are linked in the 1990s. For example, Monster Zero features Brad Caulkins, who would go on to play in The Jive Turkeys and The Sun, and Emily Allen, who would go on to play in Templeton, Estee Louder and The Means, which included her brother David Wayne Allen that played on third Monster Zero single. All that said, Monster Zero has grungy indie rock sound perfectly at home for the mid-90s, and it makes sense where this family tree extends off to in the various directions.

New Additions: Did Your Mother Tell You? EP by The Sun

Having moved to Columbus in 1998, I was here when the whirlwind that was The Sun swept into town, specifically Chris Burney grabbing band members from Flotation Walls, The Jive Turkeys and New Bomb Turks to form his backing band. At the time, the demos were floating around town on CD-rs for folks to check out and discuss, specifically, how did this band score a deal with Warner Brothers? The answer is the songs. The two EPs released in 2003 and 2004 show off an advanced level of song craft that should have been huge at the time. Further rumors swirled years later about what went wrong, but we still have some great tunes.

Video: Josh Kayser of The Jive Turkeys - Honey,You're The Apple Of My Eye

Cringe.com: Talkin' Shit With The Jive Turkeys

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, Cringe.com was a staple of daily and weekly Columbus music news and information. In addition to keeping a show calendar (which is still updated), release info, reviews and interviews were up on the site that produced a number of compilation albums, all under the watchful eye of Joel Treadway. In Winter 1999, he chatted with the guys from The Jive Turkeys, here is some of that interview:

Cringe: I think that your music has a remarkably mature and sophisticated sound and this would be true regardless of the age of the musicians involved. But this impression seems to be heightened by the fact that four of the five musicians in the band are in their early twenties. Is there anything in particular which any of you can point to that would account for this? 

Josh: We grew up playing together. We've played the same bars around this town for the last six years. I've known and played with most of these guys since I was sixteen. 

Justin: I've played with Matt since 11th grade. I really haven't worked with another bass player for any period of time. 

Brad: Plus, we all have good ears and like music a whole lot. 

Justin: I can't say this for everyone else in the band, but personally I'm really tired of what types of music are accessible to vast amounts of people now. So I have been going back to the music of [past generations to try and find inspiration]. 

Josh: I have very, very few current albums. 

Matt: I don't have any. 

Justin: Except for local stuff. Local music is the only stuff that is going anywhere for me. I don't know if it's how [most mainstream music] is presented or what, but it all seems so contrived. It all seems geared towards the industry's molds of what is going to make them money. [Bill Heingartner of Heifer fame chimes in at this point by screaming "Where are your hits?"] 

Matt: Yeah, we need a lot more hits.

New Additions: Present The... Night Of The Dragon Lady by The Jive Turkeys

There is obscure, and then there is OBSCURE. Take this release - the 1997 seven inch Present The... Night Of The Dragon Lady by The Jive Turkeys released on Alamount Black Records. I found this at Lost Weekend Records digging through one of the seven inch boxes in the back and was caught off guard. While the band has very little online presence, I knew from memory they had released an album in 2001 called Sounds from the Idiodyssey on Derailleur, as well as a release a few years later called Seis Sonidos. Though were on Discogs when I bought this (I fixed that), this one was completely new to me. I haven't been able to track down either of the other releases (yet!), this one will have to do for the moment to get my Jive Turkeys fix.

Know Yer Band: The Jive Turkeys

Band: The Jive Turkeys

Members
Vocals/Guitar - Josh Kayser
Saxophone/Keys - Brad Caulkins
Bass - Matt Surgeson
Drums - Justin Crooks
Trumpet - Johnny Bachman

Releases
1997 - 7" single Present The... Night Of The Dragon Lady (Alamount Black Records)
1998 - Live Jive EP (Awnsquiz/Johnny B. Productions)
2001 - Sounds From The Idiodyssey album (Derailleur)
2003 - Seis Sonidos album (Not On Label)