GIANT WOW
I don't have an interest in your apathy
General Reviews
Taste Media Guide
Metromix Staff, Metromix Cincinnati
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
This is a great way to get your weekend started. This upbeat powerpop foursome recently released "Hey Girl", a five song EP full of catchy tunes that'll put you in the spirit of a long weekend within the first few minutes of listening.
thejustinwayneshow.com - HEY GIRL EP Review
David Couch, thejustinwayneshow.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
Album: Hey Girl EP
Artist: Giant Wow
Release Date: November 2009
When I was given the press release I groaned quietly inside, I’ve seen too many of these things to take them seriously, and fighting the impulse to throw my laptop out the window… I pressed play instead. Thank goodness.
From Cincinnati, Ohio, Giant Wow play an impressive strand of alternative power pop, I thought of The Wannadies at first listen. This combination of powerful male vocals uses more than what you usually hear: it’s not un-educated screaming and shouting. This EP, Hey Girl is five tracks long, a pretty standard amount for an EP, which is probably the only thing on the record that is. They’ve been working in the studio with Erwin Musper who’s work includes a few artists you may or may not have heard of…David Bowie, Def Leppard, etc… to name a few.
Giant Wow have a pretty balanced sound and they don’t fill the bars with unnecessary lyrics. The guitarists create some pretty interesting riffs to keep the listener entertained when the singing takes a break. “Wicked Girl” is probably the best song to get to grips with these guys highlighting all the catchy little details they work into the songs, this time to a heavier background.
It’s hard to see from looking at them where the effeminate edge comes from. Let’s not get it twisted – there is nothing girly about this music or any such nonsense, but if you believe like I do that music is an entity that can exist outside the stereo then it is not a far push to state that this said “entity” has a gender… still with me? The music has all the integrity of a strong rock outfit while keeping it fun and not taking itself too seriously.
A sound EP (excuse the pun) having a trademark quality and a solid foundation. 3 singles and 1 EP already available on iTunes and Amazon there’s more than one place to get your hands on a copy, so instead of sounding like a bad chat-up line (and yes, I have used it) Giant Wow’s Hey Girl EP is definitely a winner.
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Liner Notes: Giant Wow – “Cosmonaut”
Samantha Coren, OurStage.com
Friday, January 15, 2010
For Cinncinnati power poppers Giant Wow, the girly devotees of Cosmopolitan magazine were the perfect hunting ground for a sugary sweet sounding rock anthem. The band’s flair for social commentary and fun give this week’s edition of “Liner Notes” some serious food for thought. Try to sit still for a second and read Robert Moore and Jesse Gilsinger back story to “Cosmonaut” before you annoy the neighbors trying to harmonize with the band.
“Cosmonaut” is a song I wrote and started playing about 15 years ago. The title is an easy play on words derived from Cosmo magazine and the space cadet tendencies of its devotees. The lyric, pointed at consumerism and the over-simplicity of life and mind that it leaves young women with if they become a slave to it, has remained unchanged during its lifespan — save for the bridge. The bridge once made references to pop culture examples which eventually became dated, while the rest of the song still had a timeless quality. The melody has evolved only slightly to accommodate changes in the accompaniment over time. The structure of the tune has gone through four main versions, each rewrite a little more intricate, although ultimately it is still a simple song to play. For the listener there are only pleasant surprises as the tune rolls by, usually sounding happy, sometimes wondrous, and a bit old-timey in spots—exciting yet benign."
"Many of my songs have a bitter pill to swallow in the middle of a catchy moment. This song is like that almost the whole way through. Often at live performances I am afforded the opportunity to play this song directly to the crowd it was aimed against. It is profoundly cathartic for me to be able to deliver that message directly, from a perceived “place of safety,” but it never made me any bimbo friends."
- Jesse Gilsinger
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The Year in Your Ear
Mike Breen, Citybeat
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thinking back to 10 years ago, wrapping up the year in the local releases meant re-examining a stack of CDs and maybe a cassette or two. In 2009, cassettes are long gone but the format choices have broadened — among the best local recordings of 2009 were vinyl releases (of the 12-inch, 7-inch and 10-inch variety), digital, online-only ones and, still, lots of CDs. It’s a safe bet that “physical copies” will be even less common as we hit 2019.
But format, shmormat. The real story this year isn’t how the latest music from Greater Cincinnati was delivered; it’s how it sounded. And 2009 sounded pretty kick-ass if you were a follower of local music.
• Giant Wow – Hey Girl
On the Hey Girl EP, solid songwriting (of the melodic Pop/Rock variety) is enhanced by Jesse Gilsinger’s always-impressive and imaginative guitar work (dueling with Keith Adams’ own crafty fretwork), strong vocals and superb harmonies.
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Giant ‘Wow’ for New Local Albums
Mike Breen, Citybeat
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Local Pop/Rock foursome Giant Wow celebrates the release of Hey Girl this Saturday at the Southgate House’s Parlour room with guests Bootleg Rider and Goose. The disc is an EP … sorta. The band — which expanded to a four-piece after drummer Keith Adams moved to guitar and Kevin Sturgill came in to take over drums— has crafted Hey Girl as an enhanced CD, meaning you’ll also get five bonus songs (on top of the five “regular” songs on the disc), a video for lead track “Cosmonaut,” photos and extra liner notes when you put the disc in your computer.
Giant Wow has gotten noticeably better in the few years they’ve been playing, with Hey Girl being the pinnacle so far. The solid songwriting (of the melodic Pop/Rock variety) is enhanced by Jesse Gilsinger's always-impressive and imaginative guitar work (dueling with Adams’ own crafty fretwork) and superb harmonies. “Wicked Girl” is a standout track, a love-vengeance tale with irresistible hooks and driving, spiraling rhythm, sounding like Queens of the Stone Age minus the machismo.
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SGH Newsletter: Giant Wow CD Release Party
the Southgate House (Newport, KY Music Venue)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
It's a CD release show for Giant Wow on Saturday, November 14th, one that pulls the curtains back on the quartet's irresistible choruses and big rock high-fives that recall Sloan, Big Star and Tigerlilies.
Giant Wow CD Release Party for HEY GIRL
Daniele Pfarr, Metromix Cincinnati
Friday, November 06, 2009
Release alert! Release alert! Giant Wow just got “Hey Girl,” its five-song EP, pressed and packaged, and they look nice. Wanna get your hands on one? Make the trek over to the Southgate House parlour to celebrate with the band, Bootleg Rider and Goose. The new EPs are enhanced, so that means in addition to the five songs, the disk has five extra mp3s, photos and a video for the song “Cosmonaut.” The band has a knack for writing catchy pop tunes, the kind that stick in your head. I dare you to listen to “Cosmonaut” and not keep humming it for the rest of the day. If you can’t make it to the show, don’t fret – the EP will be available on iTunes in a couple weeks.
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Soundcheck: Giant Wow
Daniele Pfarr, Metromix Cincinnati
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
When it came up with its band name, it must have sensed it would have a positive impact. Giant Wow - consisting of Keith Adams, Jesse Gilsinger, Robert Moore, and Kevin Sturgill - just released its second digital single, "Insomnia," on iTunes and Amazon. It's the follow-up to the first single, "Kitten," released in March. The band is working on a five-song EP that is slated to be released in late summer or early fall, just in time for its appearance at MidPoint Music Festival in September. The pop foursome features singer Gilsinger, whose voice at times has the same sweetness and strength as Jeff Buckley's. That's sure to rouse the "wow."
Music: Giant Wow
Mike Breen, Citybeat
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Following a hiatus and lineup shift, Indie Pop/Rock group Giant Wow returns to the local scene Thursday with a show at the Southgate House Parlour with Buckra and Indy’s Stereo Deluxe.
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Locals Only: Like, Wow, Man
Ezra Waller, Citybeat
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Sometimes a band is best defined by what they're not, particularly if they have few stylistic analogues. Giant Wow is definitely some unique strain of Power Pop, but beyond that, descriptions and comparisons lack. What is not lacking is the band's motivation, nor is the response that they've generated in only a year together.
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CMJ Says “Wow”
Mike Breen, Citybeat
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Local trio Giant Wow have been invited to the new satellite CMJ music festival/industry showcase in Cleveland next month, joining an impressive lineup that includes the Pixies, Spoon, Stephen Malkmus and Cincinnati's own Heartless Bastards. The group (featuring former members of Sound Mind and St. Louis' Small Ball Paul) formed last year as "Luba Luft," but recently switched to Giant Wow after being confused with a singer with a similar name. The band is working on a full-length album, due out this summer. You can check them out in the flesh this Friday when they play alchemize with Dayton's Captain of Industry and Columbus' Paper Airplane.
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