ARTIST PROFILES: NORTHWOOD PROJECT ~ BusTown Music Reviews

Written by Josh Weiker

It blows my mind how many good bands there are in this city. Right when you think you’ve started to get a grasp on what the local music scene has to offer, a scattered mess of instrument aficionados congeal to create a new beastly monster of sound - that is precisely what happened in the case of Northwood Project.

Lets just start with the obvious; when going to a live show, if you see more than 6 people on stage, you can place a safe bet that your ears will be ringing by the time you leave (i.e. - its gonna get loud). Well, this band has nine people … that’s right, I said it – NINE! For the record, that’s a guitarist, a bassist, a trumpet player, a keys player, a few saxophones, a drummer and a power-duo of vocalists that flawlessly blend the strong, soulful voice of Talisha Holmes and the rousing rhymes of Cast the Diety – so basically, take this as your warning: mic’s will be rocked, speakers will be blarring, and the booties will be a-shakin’.

Each song brings immense amounts of intense musical power. I was beside myself just listening to how this group moves with syncopated stops, drops, hits and grooves. What’s more, is how they, like so many other great acts, incorporate a wide variety of genres throughout their performances. While the most apparent style hovers around a very funky sorta hip-hop and R & B-ish vibe, you will quickly find yourself in the middle of a relatively heavy rock progression – I found myself double and triple checking the stage to make sure that it was the same band still playing.

Northwood Project continues the great line of local-based, live-instrument hip-hop groups, with overflowing talent and creatively composed set lists unlike you’ve ever known to be true [see G. Finesse & the N.S.; the L.E.S. Crew; Stretch Lefty]. It is scary how good this band is, for how little time they’ve spent together. I highly suggest you keep an eye out for this group, and go see them at your earliest chance, and don’t worry, you can thank me later.

Check it out:

In BusTown’s latest collaboration, ‘The Oranjudio Sessions,’ we offer an up-close and behind-the-scenes look at some of Columbus’s most dynamic musicians from inside the recording studio …

(VIDEO) Northwood Project – “Let It Go”
http://www.bustownvideos.blogspot.com/2011/12/oranjudio-sessions-northwood-project_08.html

… this video features three of the nine members from Northwood Project, with guest sit-ins by Bustown’s own Evan Oberla (trombone) and Joey Gurwin (percussion)