Over the Rhine is an American, Cincinnati-based folk music band, the core of which is the husband-and-wife team of pianist/guitarist/bassist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist. The band began as a quartet with guitarist Ric Hordinski and drummer Brian Kelley. Hordinski left the band in December 1996, and Kelley continued to play into 1997 before departing. The original foursome reunited in December 2008 at The Taft Theatre (in Cincinnati) to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the formation of the band, and again in the summer of 2010 at Ric's studio, "the Monastery", to play the album Good Dog Bad Dog live, in its entirety.
The band's namesake and place of origin is the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood Over-the-Rhine.[1] Karin attended school in Barnesville, Ohio and graduated from Barnesville High School in 1984.[2] She then went to Malone University, located in Canton, Ohio, where she met Linford. Karin and Linford were married in the fall of 1996 in Cincinnati and several years ago relocated to a pre-Civil War farmhouse, which they named "The Nowhere Farm", near Martinsville, Ohio.
Over the Rhine is now primarily Bergquist (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano) and Detweiler (keyboards, electric bass, vocals) accompanied by complementary musicians on albums and tours. Over the years, they have toured and recorded in many variations. They have shared the stage with Bob Dylan, John Prine, Adrian Belew, Squeeze, Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Hem, and toured as "adjunct" members of Cowboy Junkies.
History
Formed in the spring of 1989,[1] at a time when Detweiler, Hordinski, and Kelley were also touring as part of the final incarnation of Servant,[3] Over the Rhine released independently their first two albums, Till We Have Faces, in 1991 (named for the C. S. Lewis book of the same title) and Patience in 1992, before eventually signing with label giant I.R.S. Records later in 1992. IRS acquired both Till We Have Faces and Patience, issuing them as the first two releases from the band, and later in 1994 would fully fund the band's third LP release Eve to rave reviews. When I.R.S. records was bought out in 1996, Over the Rhine was released from their five-album contract and went on to independently release Good Dog, Bad Dog and The Darkest Night of the Year, both of which outsold the three previous IRS releases combined. In 2001, Over the Rhine signed with Virgin Records/Back Porch and released Films for Radio to near universal acclaim before releasing double album Ohio in 2003.[4][5]Paste magazine granted one of its first five-star reviews to Ohio, released on Virgin Records' Back Porch Records label. Over the Rhine's next album, Drunkard's Prayer, was released on March 29, 2005.
Linford has also recorded and released three solo projects composed of home-recorded acoustic, piano-based music.
In January 2008, Paste's video podcast interviewed Over the Rhine and featured a live performance.[6]
Paste named Over the Rhine's The Long Surrender one of the Top 50 Best Records of the year.[7]
Over the Rhine's album The Long Surrender was released nationally on February 8, 2011, on the band's own Great Speckled Dog label. It was recorded in California with producer Joe Henry, and contains a duet with Lucinda Williams on "Undamned" and two songs co-written with Joe Henry.
Over the Rhine's album Meet Me at the Edge of the World is a double album that was produced by Joe Henry. The songs were recorded in two sessions at The Garfield House in South Pasadena in 2013: disc one, Sacred Ground, March 28–30 and disc two, Blue Jean Sky, April 1–3. Aimee Mann appears as a special guest vocalist on the song "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down".[citation needed] The album was released nationally on September 3, 2013.
On March 15, 2019, Over The Rhine released Love & Revelation, on their own Great Speckled Dog Record label. The album was produced by the band and recorded and mixed by Ryan Freeland. The first single from the album, the title track, was premiered by Paste almost two months earlier.[8] The album premiered on Rolling Stone along with a brief article about the album and the duo's creative process.[9] The album was met with critical acclaim from sources including No Depression and Associated Press, who wrote "Love & Revelation is a subdued but lovely celebration...It won't surprise longtime fans that the topics are often sad and the tempos mostly slow, all the better to showcase Bergquist's warm, wise, honest alto. She sounds better than ever, with a depth and richness that makes her voice resonate like a prayer."[10]
On Memorial Day weekend of 2016, Over the Rhine hosted and curated the first "Nowhere Else Festival" on their farmland outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. The festival has been an annual event on the same weekend each year[12] until COVID-19 forced the festival to take a hiatus for the 2020 edition. For 2021, again due to the pandemic, the festival was moved to Labor Day weekend. In 2022, OtR announced the move to September was permanent.
2007 - Discount Fireworks (Back Porch Records; career-spanning compilation plus one unreleased song)
2007 - "For The Kids Three" Over the Rhine contributed an original tune titled "Poopsmith Song" for this compilation.
2009 - Notes from the Monastery (Over the Rhine contributed the cover of "Hard Times (Come Again No More)" and a new version of "Flown Free" which was a digital only bonus track)
2011 -"Paint it Black: An Alt-Country Tribute to the Rolling Stones" Over the Rhine contributed the Rolling Stones cover "Waiting On a Friend"
Special releases
1994 - Serpents and Gloves (VHS-only video/documentary release; IRS Records)
2010 - "OTR 2010 Demos" (A digital gift of 12 demos given to those fans who pre-ordered/funded The Long Surrender "Let's Make a Record")
2012 - "OtR 2012 Demos" (A digital gift of 12 demos given to those fans who pre-ordered/funded The Farm "Let's Make a Record" which became Meet Me At The Edge Of The World)
2013 - Five Good Reasons To Meet Me (Noisetrade.com Exclusive compilation of tracks from "Meet Me At The Edge Of The World".)[14]
2014 - "Even The Snow Turns Blue" (An Over the Rhine Christmas compilation, Digital only download for Noisetrade.com featuring selections from all three holiday records by the band.)[15]
Solo albums by Linford Detweiler
1999 - Solo Piano: I Don't Think There's No Need to Bring Nothin' (Music for First Kind Sight) (What Reindeer and Grey Ghost Records)
2001 - Grey Ghost Stories (Grey Ghost Records)
2004 - Unspoken Requests (Grey Ghost Records)
Albums by Ric Hordinski, solo and as Monk
1997 - Quiver
1998 - Hush
1999 - Blink
2000 - "O" (EP)
2001 - How Like a Winter (holiday album)
2003 - When I Consider How My Light Is Spent (as Ric Hordinski)
2005 - 12/05 (EP, CDR)
2007 - The Silence of Everything Yearned For
2009 - Notes from the Monastery (various artists produced by Hordinski)
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Drunkard's Prayer is the eighth studio album by Over the Rhine, released in 2005. It is a concept album telling the story of band members Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist's marriage, near-divorce and reconciliation.
Changes Come is a live album by Over the Rhine, released in 2004, documenting their 2003 tour in support of Ohio.
Ohio is a 2003 double studio album by the Ohio-based folk music band Over the Rhine. The group's seventh album overall, it was released as both a double CD and limited edition double vinyl LP set.
The Cutting Room Floor is a compilation album of outtakes, demos and live tracks by Over the Rhine, intended as a companion disc to 2001's Films For Radio. The album was released independently and sold only at concerts and on Over The Rhine's website.
Good Dog, Bad Dog is the fourth studio album by Over the Rhine. It was released independently in 1996 and reissued with a slightly altered track listing by Virgin/Backporch in 2000.
Amateur Shortwave Radio is a live album by Over the Rhine, released in 1999, compiled by Linford Detweiler to mark the 10th anniversary of the band's first recordings in 1989.
Eve is Over the Rhine's third studio album, released in 1994, and the band's final release on I.R.S. Records. All songs produced and arranged by Over the Rhine. The album was recorded and mixed by Trina Shoemaker. Tracks 3, 8, 9 and 12 were recorded and mixed by Gene Eugene, listed as Gene Andrusco. Track 6 was recorded by Trina, mixed by Gene.
Patience is Over the Rhine's second studio album, released independently in 1992, and re-released in 1993 as the band's first release on I.R.S. Records.
Till We Have Faces is Over the Rhine's debut album, released independently in 1991, and re-released in 1995 on I.R.S. Records.
The Darkest Night of the Year is a Christmas album by the group Over the Rhine, released independently in 1996. It is their fifth studio album overall, and the last to feature the band's original lineup.
Besides is a compilation of outtakes, previously unreleased songs, and live recordings by Over the Rhine, released in 1997. While initially intended as a fan club release, the disc has been available at shows and through the band's website consistently since its release.
Live from Nowhere, Volume 1 is a live album by Over the Rhine, released in 2006, containing highlights from the band's 2004 and 2005 annual Christmas tours. The CD was limited to 3,000 copies and comes in a fold-out digipak. After the CD pressing had sold out, the band made the album available digitally through various online retailers. This is the first of a series of limited-edition annual live releases; Live From Nowhere, Volume 2 followed in 2007, Live From Nowhere, Volume 3 came in 2008, and Live From Nowhere, Volume 4 was released in 2009.
Snow Angels is the ninth studio album, and second Christmas album, by Over the Rhine, released independently in 2006. The album was released by Great Speckled Dog on October 2, 2007.
Discount Fireworks is the first compilation by Over the Rhine, released in 2007. It was the band's final release for Back Porch Records, the label for which they had been recording since 2000.
The Trumpet Child is the tenth studio album by Over the Rhine, released in 2007. In addition to the CD, the album was also released on 180-gram vinyl.
Back Porch Records was an Americana/roots rock label owned by Universal Music Group.
Live From Nowhere, Volume 4 is a live album by Over the Rhine, released in 2009, containing highlights from the band's 2008 shows. The CD is a limited edition and comes in a fold-out digipak.
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