Rosehips

LOCAL LIMELIGHT
The Rosehips
Thursday, March 20, 2008 3:14 AM

Style "pretty rock"

New music available at myspace.com/rosehipsgirls

Concert doors open at 9 tonight in the Ravari Room, 2657 N. High St. (614-263-4058, ); also on the bill: the Big Sleep and Wax Fang Tickets $7


The Rosehips copped their name from a source of herbal tea.

Yet their highly amplified Dinosaur Jr.- and Built To Spill-inspired rock is anything but sedate.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's singer-guitarist Cassie Lewis on their sound and vision:

Q What kind of music do you play?

A It's sweet and melodious but hard-hitting.

Q Why does your band exist?

A The Rosehips exist because two college friends started messing around in an attic.

As both friends said, "Well, we graduated with liberal-arts degrees; now what?"

We wanted to form an all-female group of talented ladies, and a group like this didn't exist in the city at the time.

We hope to help lay the "Girls can't play" stigma to rest. Sadly, it still exists today.

Q What is your favorite quote about the Rosehips?

A "If you haven't heard, yeah, they're all women, and, no, it's no shtick." -- Ben Chenoweth, Donewaiting. com

Q Why should someone see your band in concert?

A We are a solid, independent rock band with good original songs, and we also play shows with other awesome local bands.

Come, have a beer, check it out, rock out and support your local DIY band! - Columbus Dispatch

November Loop member finds Rosehips fills bill

Published:Thursday, May 8, 2008

By John Benson

The Columbus band is ‘a little bit more rock,’ the bassist said.

When Canfield native Jill Harrison moved to Columbus to work on her sociology Ph.D. at Ohio State University, the bassist wasn’t necessarily looking to join another band.

Already a member of Youngstown act November Loop, which now plays less than a handful of shows annually, Harrison enjoyed playing music but was beginning to concentrate on her studies.

However, things changed in December of 2006 when while bartending at Columbus’ Cara Bar, a local act took the stage and piqued her imagination.

“One night there was this band – three girls and a guy – playing named Rosehips,” said Harrison, a 1996 Canfield High School graduate. “They were really, really good. The sound kind of grabbed me. It was a little bit more complicated than I thought it would be. It kind of had a bit of the early ’90s feel that I liked.

“So after the show I talked to the band, and it just so happened they were looking for a female bass player at the time.”

Within two weeks, Harrison was playing with Rosehips and never looked back. The quartet recently released its self-titled debut, which includes band favorite “The Dead Are Watching.”

Considering Rosehips now features an all-female lineup, some people naturally may think the group must sound like The Donnas. Harrison said the band actually transcends pigeonholing with a unique sound that dates back to an alt-rock heyday.

“I think a lot of people might say, ‘Look, an all-female group. They’re cute and they can play and they might get some notoriety because of that,’” Harrison said. “But it was different for me when I saw them play for the first time. I was like, ‘They’re cute but gosh, they can really play well, too.’ Sometimes people don’t really expect that.”

She added, “Our label is called Pillow Fight Records, and I think that’s pretty accurate. It hits you hard but it doesn’t really hurt.”

Harrison admits she still loves playing with November Loop, but Rosehips offers her a new challenge.

“There is some overlap, but I think November Loop is a little bit more shoegaze,” Harrison said. “I think both of them have roots in the early to mid-’90s [sound], but in different ways. November Loop took it more of the slow dive Galaxy 500 route and Rosehips is more of The Smashing Pumpkins. It’s a little bit more rock.”

Rosehips returns to Youngstown for a Friday gig at Cedars Lounge. Even though Harrison recently turned 30, she’s both optimistic and realistic about her musical future.

“I mean, I’m always open to take some time off from school if we got picked up on a cool tour, but I’m in school for a reason,” Harrison said. “I realize it’s hard to be a rock star, but I love it and it’s definitely a good outlet. I have to always be playing music, so I’m glad I found the Rosehips. We turned into a really kind of serious band.”
- Youngstown Vindicator

http://5acts.blogspot.com/search?q=rosehips - 5acts.com

"Rosehips played and impressively heavy set of indie rock that dipped its collective fingers into British post-punk and hard rock and sounded a hell of a lot tougher than you would expect four women to be. They shared drummer Annie Light-Brown with You're So Bossy."

- R.A. - The Other Paper

ROSEHIPS
"One Inch to the Mile" 7-inch
Web: myspace.com/rosehipsgirls

Cassie Lewis has a hell of a voice - she obliterated Led Zeppelin's "Living Loving Maid" at last year's Rock Potluck - so it's surprising that her band is at its most exciting on this single when she and her bandmates aren't on the mic. Unadventerous melodies make the vocal sections passable but kind of vanilla.

Only when the righteous guitar symphonies bubbling underneath break free do the make a convincing argument that ladies can rock with the best of them. And rock they do with staccato blasts, bass-heavy chugging and a monster Sabbath riff that morphs into a fine indie rock footrace.

Roships play at Cafe Bourbon Street this Friday, August 24.
- Chris Deville

- The Columbus Alive

For more than a year, Rosehips have peddled an intriguing sound that evokes early-'90s bands ranging from Smashing Pumpkins and Hum to Sonic Youth and L7.

Now, with a new lineup and a full-length record ready for release in 2008, Cassie Lewis, Danielle Kelly, Jill Harrison and Lauren Mattei are set to bring their powerful brand of indie-rock to new audiences in and out of town.

Their music is pretty — and it's potent.

"When people hear you're in an all-girl band, people think we're all cute and can half-play our instruments," said Harrison, the bassist.

Kelly, one of two guitarists, quickly added, "Then they come to our shows, and their jaws drop. I use the term 'pillow-fight rock,' because it hits you hard but it's also kind of sweet."

Masculine sounds conveyed with an alluring, come-hither approach characterized the band's first release, One Inch to the Mile, a vinyl released last year on local imprint Manup Music. The best songs feature droning cascades of melodic guitar that, together, create a mountain to house the whispers and soft choruses crooned by Lewis and Kelly. A softer, emptier side often emerges, and it's just as mesmerizing.

The two-song release, as well as numerous appearances around town, had people noticing the group once they remedied a "drummer problem" and brought Mattei into the fold full-time in November.

Rosehips

Web: myspace.com/rosehipsgirls

"This obviously rocks a lot more," said Lewis, who gained regional acclaim performing with The Moist Star and other local folk outfits. "There's a lot more songwriting possibilities with the dynamics of bass and drums."
Rosehips
By John Ross

Those dynamics will be heard again in March, when the band plans to release a self-titled full-length on Nice Life, the upstart label created by Manup founder Ron Barker. Recently, two songs from the upcoming album were recorded by MTV2's On the Rise, an on-demand TV program documenting new and promising bands across the country.

Once the album drops, the band plans to keep their momentum going with some weekend-warrior shows, as well as brief East Coast tours through Philadelphia and Boston en route to New York. - The Columbus Alive

For the past few years, Columbus, Ohio band The Rosehips have hit the local bar scene.
What they offer is something truly special in today's Midwest indie rock scene: A damn good all girl band that doesn't focus on trying to market their sexuality.
Because, honestly, if I see one more all-girl band dressed up in 1950s clothes and wearing wigs I may go insane.
The Rosehips offer no gimmicks, just straight up well crafted indie rock. If I were to explain their music to anyone, I'd say: Equal parts Veruca Salt and Dinosaur Jr.
The group recently graced the Columbus Alive as one of the 2008 "Bands to Watch" features.
The member also have their self-titled debut CD coming out on their own label Pillow Fight Records, with a CD release show at Carabar on March 1 with Dayton band Moon High and locals The Lindsay.
That's a pretty damn good show.
So I decided to get in touch with the members now, before the flood.
Lead guitarist Cassie Lewis was nice enough to help out:
PEOPLE WITH ANIMAL HEADS: I noticed you have a CD coming out in March. Could you tell me about that, in terms of who you recorded with, some themes the songs touch on, and any cover art?
CASSIE LEWIS: We began recording with Jon Fintel at Relay Recording at the end of May last year. We just finished mixing and mastering with Mark Himmel at Embed Records Studio and Brian Travis, respectively.
Rosehips was sort of born out of: "Ok, I just graduated college, now what?"
So, these songs carry an underlying theme of growing up. In a broader sense, the songs really just touch on experiences: life, love, and things in between. Lyrically, I have used some fairly personal aspects and experiences of my own life, so my lyrics tend to come out in a vague manner because of this. In this way, I hope for the listeners to be able to relate in a manner that allows them to get something out of the song that is dear to themselves.
PWAH: My site focuses on underground music of the Midwest, so I always ask bands where they grew up and how that may have affected their taste in music or the way they see the world?
CL: I grew up in small town, OH USA. Seriously, like less than 1500 people small. This was pre-internet, so I had the radio and my dad's kick-ass record collection. Fortunately, I was able to acquire at least some basic good tastes in music, specifically rock. This may sound cliche, but I am thankful to this day that Nirvana's "Nevermind" made it into the mainstream, as it was then that I picked up a guitar. When I moved away to college, underground and independent music became much more accessible to me and i delved into anything i could find.
I think a creative type that grows up in the middle of nowhere with a sort of homogenous group of people develops a hunger for the world: to see and experience it all. That's what it did for me anyway, and I tend to relate these things musically.
PWAH: How do you think the rest of the country perceives the Midwest music scene?
CL: Hopefully people at least know that there is one by now, and one that is good and diverse. Midwestern acts are emerging on larger independent labels. Columbus Discount has another showcase at SXSW this year, I think that is definitely saying something as well. Also it seems like every time you turn around lately, there is a new blurb about a midwestern band somewhere, like the recent "Spin" that had the Black Swans, Times New Viking, and Psychedelic Horseshit all in one issue.
PWAH: What are some bands signed/unsigned that you think people should know about that are from the Midwest?
CL: Church of the Red Museum, The Lindsay, Brainbow, The Slide Machine, Mors Ontologica, Moon High, Muscle Puzzle, Bird and Flower. Almost anything on Columbus Discount. Hotchacha from Cleveland. The Makebelieves from Athens. The Jellyhearts from Cinci/Columbus.
PWAH: How do you see your band fitting into the current Columbus music scene?
CL: As far as I know we are the only working all-girl band at this point in time. Putting the whole "girls playing in bands is hot" aside, I think it is important for there to be good female musicians in any music scene. Sadly, it seems there still exists a stigma about females and musical ability. In Columbus, I think we do a good job of laying that stigma to rest.
PWAH: I was first struck that you had a line up change. How did that come about and did it set you back in terms of making your upcoming CD?
CL: Well, our original drummer began traveling back and forth to Texas. We got a resident boy as a fill-in as we knew she would be gone the whole summer of '07. We laid basic rhythm tracks for the record before she left. When it became apparent that she wasn't sure when she would be coming back to Columbus, we all decided it was best for the band to get a new permanent drummer. We've also brought the new drummer in on the mixing, mastering, and decision-making to complete the record. It was a bit of a hard time for the band and everyone involved, but I would like to think we've emerged with no hard feelings, a strong line-up, and a strong record - peoplewithanimalheads.blogspot.com

With an all-female lineup, Rosehips is likely to be forever linked to the women-in-rock debate. After 50-odd years of feminine contributions to popular music, one would think it to be a moot point. Women can rock, and prove it on a daily basis.
The real topic to explore is how women rock, upon which Rosehips' self-titled debut album sheds some light.
Women and men think and create differently, which should be expected. Rosehips is simply smart enough to follow its own sonic muse and create music the way it wants, as women with guitars should feel comfortable doing.
The band brings a softer, more emotionally balanced take on the boys' world of angsty indie guitar rock without shedding an iota of volume or power. It sounds like Superchunk's smart younger sister, the one with a cup of tea rattling on top of her amp and spilling over onto a stack of Sassy magazines and post-riot grrl poetry chapbooks.
With the opening track, "Enough," the band cleverly inverts and mellows the chugging intro to Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock," then follows a course into its own take on post-punk guitar rock, like a sunnier Husker Du.
Even better is the smoldering, heavy "The Dead Are Watching," which sounds like the Raincoats covering early Sondgarden on a mash-note anthem etched onto a Sup Pop Singles Club seven-inch.
The real kicker, and the sort of thing the boys can never pull off, is the sweet, defiant little-girl vocals of Cassie Lewis. Her voice is heartbreakingly delicate yet at the same time packs a surprisingly strong wallop.
In addition, the backing vocals alone tug at the heartstrings enough to keep anyone engaged, a trick performers like the Breeders and Veruca Salt knew a decade or more ago.
The album isn't consistently strong, and much of the best material is front-loaded at the beginning of the disc, but that is to be expected from a band less than 2 years old. The stuff that is good is good enough to keep the group on your radar.
The album is wrapped up wonderfully with a solo-piano-and-vocals reprise of "The Dead Are Watching" that strips all of the haunting beauty of that number down to its core, as exposed as a broken heart on a bloddy sleeve.
Few men could pull off the naked longing of Lewis's vocals on this number, which just goes to show you that some jobs are best left to the fairer sex.

Rick Allen - The Other Paper

A handful of Columbus bands are earning recognition right now for bringing back the skuzziest sounds of the early '90s. Rosehips evoke that era too, but not by tape hiss and genius slop. The quartet's self-titled debut, to be released Saturday at Carabar, recalls alt-rock's early guitar heroes in high-fidelity, melodically charged blasts.

From the immediate liftoff of "Enough" through the lumbering haze of "Wings," this record is defined by big guitars. They cascade atop one another, collide in harmonic bursts and spiral into piercing solos, bringing to mind Dinosaur Jr., Smashing Pumpkins and maybe even a little Soundgarden.

Cassie Lewis' voice isn't as distinctive as Chris Cornell's, but it's nearly as powerful in those moments when she lets loose with every last breath. The singer likes to unleash siren wails and hold out long-lasting harmonies with fellow guitarist Danielle Kelly.

It all comes together best on the short, sweet "In Love with the Sound." Lewis' minor-key vocal melody jabs back and forth against the song's jagged rhythm, resolves into a synchronized coo then gives way to a searing J Mascis-style solo. It's one of many moments on this solid debut when Rosehips' stellar musicianship can't be reduced to mere nostalgia.

Rosehips CD Release Show

When: Saturday, March 1

Where: Carabar, Olde Towne East

Web: myspace.com/rosehipsgirls

A sublime lineup of psych-pop jammers The Lindsay, rough-hewn glam punks Mors Ontologica and eerie folk ensemble Moon High join the Alive Band to Watch for Saturday's celebration. - The Columbus Alive

With their inaugural full-length album hitting the streets, this Saturday marks the first big apogee in what has been a fairly rapid ascension for the Rosehips . It was just year and some months ago that the first incarnation of the band played what in retrospect seems like a tenuous introductory show.

Since then, the band has made some personnel changes in the rhythm department, put out a 7-inch, cranked up the ferocity of the their live act, turned more than one head in the local media, and collected a bevy of ethusiastic fans. So they enter 2008 in full stride, and celebrate the release of this self-titled record. It’s full of big, wafting riffs with lots of fuzzy guitar, which has evoked comparisons to many of the early ninties indie rock notables, including Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins and Rainer Maria. It seems almost remiss to say ‘Columbus’, ‘early 90s’, and ‘indie’ without mentioning that to my ear, there is a component of the work that gives a well deserved nod to the matriarchs of lady-rock around these parts- the much loved Scrawl.

Rosehips are adept at making the most out of the play between big amps and feminine vocals, often relying more on their instruments to mix up the pace and tone of songs while the sung parts trudge along at a more steady and sedate pace. The album as a whole has a rather uniform feel, foregoing real highs or lows and instead draping the listener in a blanket of drone that’s somewhere between a buzz and a purl.

Rosehips will be sharing the Carabar stage with The Lindsay, Mors Ontologica, and Moon High. Hear more Rosehips on pat Radio.

by Ben Chenoweth - donewaiting.com