local bands i'd marry if i could

I'd like to take a second and introduce you to two of my favorite local bands, hell two of my favorite bands anywhere. One's the Hillary Step, and you can find them here, and the other is Ahab Seamus, and you can find them here.

I got turned on to the Hillary Step because I worked with one of their members, Rob Schiffmann (see below left, although he looked more like below right, as we were doing a superhero comic book show together... well, he was doing a superhero comic book show and I was trying my best not to suck, but that's a whole nother story)

They can rock out and have a good time, but their sound is really smooth --not in a lame enya-like way. They remind me a little of the dixie chicks in the way they mix their harmonies (and have as many as three singers at a time). Their lyrics are smart, touching, blah blah blah, just go there and listen. Start with Olio, it's my favorite.

Ahab Seamus is fabulous in a totally different way. They sound sort of like what you'd get if you crossed Pearl Jam (or Dave Matthews) with Jethro Tull and threw in a violin for fun. Again, I dig their lyrics and their harmonies, and come on, they have a song called "Jesus of Iowa." When you go to their site (not if), listen first to, god anything, but start with "Purple Hangs Easy." You'll be glad you did.
I'm so not a music critic. I'm just telling you what I like and trying to spread the word.

UPDATE 4/25 -- The Hillary Step is now on myspace! They are thehillarystep and you should befriend them. I have!