Sat 6/27 @ 7PM
CLE was a punk-oriented ’zine published in the late ’70s and early ’80s by Jim Ellis, who started the project when he was in his teens to focus on the type of underground bands that seldom got mainstream coverage. He sporadically revived it in the ’90s and even included recordings with it.
Recently, he created CLE Records to release music by northeast Ohio-based artists in a surprisingly wide range of genres. He’s been working at SUMA Recording in Painesville, recording music for release throughout this year. And this week, he’ll be promoting it will a showcase at Brothers Lounge, featuring five of the acts whose music he’ll be releasing: Kiss Me Deadly, Duo Decibel System, Doug McKean, Awesome Quest and Moon Echo Garden. They range from experimental noise (Duo Decibel System) to folk/Americana (McKean), showing that Ellis’ tastes and interests have expanded far beyond any specific underground scene. Other bands he’s working with are alt country ensemble New Soft Shoe and woozy alt rockers Non Bruises. In addition, the label is working with veteran local musician/visual artist David Cintron for its visual branding and web design elements.
“Cleveland has an undeniable, deeply rooted musical legacy that deserves attention,” says Ellis in his press release. “At CLE, we hope to raise awareness for the diverse sounds coming out of our city. People come to Cleveland all the time to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other locations, but may not know they can go out almost any night and catch some great live performances too. We want to change that. We’ve spent a lot of time capturing great performances at a great studio, and this June 27 showcase at Brother’s Lounge is the perfect way to celebrate.”