Lohio

Lohio

Ass Ponys were local heroes in their native Cincinnati and then one-hit wonders with the 1995 alt-rock radio smash "Little Bastard." But with <I>Lohio</I> and its predecessor, <I>Some Stupid with a Flare Gun</I>, the group solidified its standing as a first-rate purveyor of smart roots rock played with heart and a goofy grin. Like Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Ponys singer and songwriter Chuck Cleaver has a pinched tone and a penchant for telling weird tales. On <I>Lohio</I> he sings with equal passion about old TV shows and morphine fixes, dead babies and forgotten crushes. Confessional songwriting may be increasingly dominated by smirking ironists and self-serious sad sacks, but thankfully, Ass Ponys never got the memo. <I>--Anders Smith Lindall</I>