About Moviola

The Midwest, and Ohio in particular, has a proud history of hatching an over-abundance of hidden gems all across the musical spectrum. Some of the more iconic entries include Pere Ubu, Devo, the National, New Bomb Turks, Brainiac, Guided By Voices, and, sure, Pure Prairie League. Often overshadowed by their coastline counterparts, these bands have become favorites of collectors, critics, and fans seeking intimate artistic connections by exploring sonic highways less traveled.

Perhaps even more hidden is the case of Columbus' Moviola. On the fringe of the indie Rust Belt scene since the 1990s, the quintet has quietly forged a low-key career of high-quality recorded output, issuing 10 records and countless 7" inch singles over 25+ years. In this artistic continuum, Moviola has evolved from everything from 4-track fuzz-pop to hi-fi country soul.

Jake Housh started Moviola started in 1993 in the shadows of The Ohio State University (all its members have graduated from OSU) as a noisy, fuzzed out indie quartet. However, over the years, the band has morphed into a unique DIY music and art-making collective with five distinct singers and songwriters, recalling the creatively democratic lineage of The Band, The Mekons, Pink Floyd, many others. Moviola is Jake Housh, Ted Hattemer (Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments), Scotty Tabachnick, Greg Bonnell, and Jerry Dannemiller.

"We've learned to keep our ego in check, and bring each other's songs to life," Jake says. "Everyone plays other instruments and all efforts are in service of the songs." Friends for nearly 30 years, it's the kind of musical shorthand borne out of a lifetime of artistic pursuit rarely encountered.

Moviola has opened for or shared stages with: Flaming Lips, Red Red Meat, Califone, Superchunk, Bettie Serveert, Grifters, Acetone, Wussy, the Clean, Guided By Voices, and Dub Narcotic Sound System, among others.