The blossom doesn't fall far from the tree

Want to learn a thing or two about time management? Have a chat with the members of Bloomington's own Magnolia Electric Co. If you can get a hold of them.\nThe group has released four albums within the past year, the most recent being September's Fading Trails. They are in the middle of a 43-city, 52-day tour. Each band member is in a variety of other bands, some with each other. \nAnd now they are returning to Bloomington, where the band was formed. But that doesn't mean they're stopping anytime soon. They're just returning for a concert.\n"I can't wait to play the hometown, we haven't in awhile, and I like the idea of home actually being my home instead of a floor and a sleeping bag when the show is over." Magnolia guitarist Jason Groth writes in an e-mail interview. "It will be great."\nThis Saturday, Oct. 21, the band will be playing at the Art Hospital, 1021 S. Walnut St. The doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are six dollars. \n"I will be at the show, for sure," senior Josephine McRobbie says. "I've seen Magnolia Electric Co. several times, both here in Bloomington and in Austin, Texas, and they are fantastic live. Plus (lead singer Jason Molina's) band is a collection of Bloomington's best musicians."\nFading Trails, as well as the band's other albums, was released on the Secretly Canadian record label, which was started 10 years ago in Bloomington. Magnolia lead singer Molina was the label's first release, and he has stayed with them ever since.\nPrior to Magnolia, Molina played under the name Songs: Ohia. The name was derived from Molina's use of a ukulele on many of his self-released cassette recordings. As an homage to the use of the Hawaiian instrument, he named the series of recordings after the ohia, a Hawaiian tree. \nThe name change from Songs: Ohia to Magnolia Electronic Co. came upon the 10-year anniversary of Molina's contract with Secretly Canadian.\n"We were all in the band when it was called Songs: Ohia. The last Songs: Ohia record was called Magnolia Electric Company, and my impression is that the name change reflected the fact that the band has solidified, in the past, Jason Molina would record and tour with different people constantly and this band has remained the same for four years," Groth writes.\nThe band is currently comprised of Jason Groth on rhythm guitar and back-up vocals, Pete Schreiner on bass, Mike Kapinas on keys and trumpet, Mark Rice on drums and lead singer Molina playing guitar. Magnolia's music and style is sometimes compared to Neil Young, and Groth acknowledges some influence from the folk musician.\n"There have been times when I realize I'm playing a riff or something from a Neil Young song, and, live, we occasionally play off it," Groth writes in an e-mail. "But we also throw in Black Sabbath, and we don't get those comparisons that often."\nThe band's latest album, Fading Trails, is a stunning mix of rock and slow-paced country, with song titles such as "Lonesome Valley" and "Memphis Moon." The lyrics are full of references to wolves, deserts, highways, ghosts and heartbreak.\n"I think it incorporates sounds from everything that Magnolia and Songs: Ohia has done in the past, from the mid-fi demos to the super hi-fi, Steve Albini recorded tracks," Groth writes in an e-mail. "I like how much it varies throughout."\nMagnolia's range of music is almost impossible to pin down, even for the band.\n"I'm not sure how to describe it other than rock and roll. Other people have said it's country rock, others southern rock, to me that's all just rock and roll," Groth writes.\nThe band's Bloomington show is one of the final cities that the band has played on their long and successful 50 date cross-country tour, which might have been dull if not for some playful antics between Magnolia and the band Shearwater. \n"We had a prank war that started by us putting discarded fruit on their antennae and escalated, quickly, to high speed chases and vegetable fights," Groth recalls.\n"They also covered the top of the van with Fruity Pebbles and, unbeknownst to us until it got really hot, stuffed a fish and beef briskit in the chassis. You can imagine what it smelled like when we hit 105 degrees in Phoenix a few days later."\nAlthough the band is touring as Magnolia right now, members have not solely limited themselves to this music venture. Drummer Rice, bassist Schreiner and guitarist Groth make up anotherBloomington-based band The Coke Dares.\n"The three of us in The Coke Dares need to get a couple albums done, so we'll be busy for a while," Groth says. \nMembers of Magnolia are also incorporated with The Impossible Shapes, Ativin, and Panoply Academy. Clearly, they're busy men.\nBut what's next for Groth when the tour finally ends? \n"I plan on coming back to Bloomington and sleeping for a weekend. And then it's back to work for a week"