For Auld Lang Syne...

...if you're anything like us and virtually everyone we've spoken to recently, you couldn't be in a bigger rush to kick 2007 out the door and welcome in 2008. It's been a crazy year, kids, and we're ready to see what the New Year has to offer. As always, we'll lay it out for you and let you decide....


...the big show tonight will be over at Gilly's (corner of Fifth and Jefferson), and will feature two of Dayton's finest. Hosting/headlining the show will be Captain of Industry, fresh off a number of tour dates and a stint in NYC recording the follow-up to 2005's The Great Divide. COI has brought in Chicago's Baby Teeth and Male Models (pictured) from St. Louis, the latter featuring ex-members of Dayton heavyweights Shesus, The Motel Beds, and Ohio Casket. Rouding out this exceptional bill are one of our favorite new bands, Toads & Mice. We're pretty excited for this one...


...if you'd prefer to have your NYE festivities in a warehouse setting, head over to the Front Street warehouses and let Switchblade Serenade turn you on with their patented psych-garage assault. In addition, the rarely-seen A Choir of 2-Ohm Cicada will also perform. The whole thing is being hosted by Dethfitsclothing and is free. Just be sure to bring your own goodies...


...If you'd rather spend a more intimate NYE in someone's home, you have that option as well. Over at Rocker's House (it's somewhere on Fillmore St. You'll need to contact the bands for more info), it's gonna be a really good time as well for those who make it. Not only do you have Wild & Free (pictured), who we've spoken about at length and has had a really good run of shows over the last few months, but you've also got Andrew & the Pretty Punchers, The Goody Two Shoes, and Junkpile. We'd venture to say that this is going to be a really fun time for the initiated....


...if you really just want to dance and not deal with bands at all, head over to Nite Owl as the Fab Gear DJs will be doing their thing and will include a free champagne toast at midnight....

The Black Cigarettes @ Oregon Express 12.29.07

...we'd been curious to see The Black Cigarettes for a while now, having been impressed with what we heard off their debut album, Full Flavor. Heading down to The Oregon Express last night to see them, the band definitely delivered on their promise. With big AC/DC sized riffing and attitude to spare, we would definitely like to see more of these guys with other Dayton bands soon (we're looking at you, Luxury Pushers and Sexicon). Landing somewhere in between Thin Lizzy and Stone Temple Pilots, TBC also brought heavy doses of boogie woogie, proving to us the importance of the roll in rock n' roll ...

Blaxeed/Shotgun Kelly/The Black Cigarettes-Tonight @ Oregon Express

...if you need a fix of big rock n' roll, you need to head over to The Oregon Express tonight. Opening the night will be the unabashed bravado of The Black Cigarettes. Fresh off the release of their debut disc, Full Flavor, these guys bring the big riffs and big attitude that the whole thing is built on...if they aren't enough for yr appetite, stick around and dig the flannel-set flavors of Blaxeed and the southern-fried metal of Shotgun Kelly (from Columbus)....

The Buddha Den @ Fab Gear-12.27.07

...in our unending quest to bring you everything you wanted to know about the Dayton music scene and more but were afraid to ask, we have transcended cyberspace and have ventured out into the real world. That's right kids, we're out where you are, in public, at the clubs, not just talking about our favorite local music, but PLAYING that music for YOU ....

...the good folks at Fab Gear gave us one hour at the beginning of their fine event to play our favorite local music (and more) for you and give everyone a chance to hear what we've been talking about, in person, and on a nice, loud PA. Here's what we played last night...

Captain of Industry "What the Yuck" and "Plastique Bones" from the Gold Teeth EP
Grizzzzy Bear "Time Machine" and "Passing" from Grizzzzy Bear
The Gluons "The Modern Late at Nights" from the upcoming The Gluons (due out in 2008)
Jet Kid Committee "LOL" from the Squids Eye Records comp Dayton,OH Vol. 1
The Lions Rampant (from Cincinnati) "70/30" and "Come On (Let Us In)" from the Play Rock n' Roll EP (TLR will be at Oregon Express on January 19)
Luxury Pushers "3-Minute Manifesto" from Welcome to the Party, Traitor!
Pretty & Nice (from Boston) "Grab Your Nets" from the Blue & Blue EP (P&N came through Dayton 3 times in 2007 and we'll see them again in 2008...)
The Story Changes "Hero Status" from The Way of the Dinosaur
Switchblade Serenade "Taste Like Wine" and "Stealth Like a Retard" from the No One Cares EP
Toads & Mice "Skull", "Ghengis Kahn", and "Desert" from Toads & Mice
Towhee"Indecisionism" and "Streetlights" from Streetlights
Wild & Free "Where's Your Head?" and "Such a Good Thing" from Andiamo

...it looks as if this may become a monthly outing for us here at The Buddha Den. Stay tuned for more details....

Fab Gear-Tonight @ Pearl: WIN FREE PASSES!

...with 2007 winding down, but still ramping up into 2008, what better way to spend the evening than heading down to Pearl for Fab Gear with Jay from the infamoous L'Eighties night?!? You know he'll be spinning some of the best vintage jams and that everyone will be there....

...in addition, Jay has invited us at The Buddha Den to come out and spin some of our favorite locals from 2007 between 10 and 11. That's right, The Buddha Den will be in control of the music for one hour, locals only....

...as a special gift from all of us to all of you, we are giving away 10 FREE PASSES on a first come, first serve basis. All you need to do is email us at buddhaden27@yahoo.com, put FAB GEAR PASSES in the subject line, and we'll put you on the list. It's that simple. We've only got 10 spots, so you had better hurry...

UPDATE: Sorry, we gave away all the passes we had. We hope to see the rest of you out tonight to hear some of our favorite local tracks from 2007...

Holiday Giveaway

We hope everyone had a Happy Holiday and we're glad to see you back at the Buddha Den. We're still rebounding from the holiday mayhem and gearing up for some big upcoming events, including numerous NYE shows and some very exciting reunion shows in the coming weeks...

...Be sure to tune in tomorrow morning (yes, morning) to get your hands on some coveted goodies from one of our close friends....

Holiday Weekend Wrap-Up-Holidayton 12.22.07/Holiday Revue 12.23.07

...with the extremes of Ohio winter weather in full display and the throngs at home eager for something to do after the families went to bed, the stage was set for two amazing nights of Dayton rock n' roll...

...starting off this unseasonally warm Saturday night at Nite Owl for Holidayton was Mascot on the solo stage, followed quickly by the unapologetic synth-thrash onslaught of Stone the Mayor Sheriffs. While the density of the material suggests repeated exposure for maximum effect, the rush of the live show still colored us impressed...

...as we turned to the solo stage, Brandon Hawk carried on the festivities with a subdued acoustic set. While the songs held promise, Hawk was the first solo act of the night to struggle up against the swelling crows, finding it difficult to compete with the mayhem...

...with nary a moment to rest, The Sound For Language roared out with reunited members and pop/punk anthems fully in tow...

...as we swung back to the solo stage, the return of Tim Pritchard (from the dormant Flyaway Minion) to the stage was a welcome sight. While Pritchard also suffered from the ever-growing chaos in the room, his set demonstrated why his songwriting is some of the best in Dayton...

...as expected, The Human Reunion hit the stage reviving one of Dayton's finest musical legacies and still finding a warm reception. Although by the end of the set intonation became an issue, it somehow added something to the dissonance and chaos...

...by the time Joe Anderl took to the solo stage (joined on one song by Tod Weidner of Shrug), the crowd had grown to such a point that Anderl just abandoned the PA, singing out into the night air with passion and abandon, showing us what Joe Anderl is really all about...

...like the torch-bearers that they are, Luxury Pushers delivered a seminar on rock n' roll. With C. Wright's guitar histrionics in full display and Jamy Holliday's effortless delivery, Luxury Pushers still serve as a benchmark for every band in Dayton...

...closing out the solo stage, the wonder that is Nightbeast took the whole party up a notch with an incomparable set of retro dance/pop...

...as the night finally started to wind down, the hosts of the evening, The Story Changes hit the ground running with their power/punk anthems and energetic stage show. As one of the hardest working bands in Dayton right now, it was a treat to see them at home with all their friends in tow....


...as Saturday night rolled into Sunday, we moved over to Canal Street Tavern for the Holiday Revue show, hosted by Umbrella Men. Arriving what we thought was on time (the show began at 8:30, despite all ads saying 9:30 start), we missed The Jones Boys entirely and were only able to hear the last few songs by Andrew & the Pretty Punchers, due to a capacity crowd. Yes, we were shocked too.

After finally making it in, we muscled our way toward the stage to catch Umbrella Men, who delivered a fine set of bluegrass/folk-inflected tunes. In much the same way that the Byrds mastered the art of reinterpreting Dylan and other standards, Umbrella Men have an uncanny knack for the same sport. Their version of Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" was one of the highlights of their set. Although the duo has the material, we were left wondering if maybe augmenting the lineup with at least a bass player might take them to the next level...


...closing out an incredible run during the last part of 2007, Wild & Free ended the night with an exhilarating, life-affirming set, drawn largely from their debut release, Andiamo. As guitarist/vocalist Jake Geisege spun his tales of broken hearts and restless spirits, the crowd and band fed off each other, taking the evening to a climactic burst of pure rock n' roll joy...



...for more photos of Holidayton, go here. For more photos of Holiday Revue, go here.

Holiday Revue-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern w/Umbrella Men/Wild & Free/Andrew & the Pretty Punchers/The Jones Street Boys

...just in case HoliDayton last night wasn't enough for your musical holiday hunger, head over to Canal Street Tavern tonight to catch a few of our favorite bands. We've written extensively about how we feel that Wild & Free, Umbrella Men (who were recently featured on NPR's All Things Considered for their cover of "Jingle Bells"), and Andrew & the Pretty Punchers are some the best young talent in Dayton at the moment and we expect great things from all three in 2008. We consider it a real Christmas miracle to get all three bands on one bill in one night. Opening the night will be newcomers The Jones Boys. You've got all the makings for what should be an excellent evening of music....

...for those of you wondering where our coverage of HoliDayton is, we will have a full report, along with the Holiday Revue shows, tomorrow for you...

HoliDayton-Tonight @ NIte Owl

...with 2007 winding down and an amazing year of local music behind us, The Story Changes, along with Joe Anderl, will be hosting the Fifth Annual HoliDayton show. This year's lineup features 5 bands and 5 solo acts on two separate stages, allowing for a seamless transition of music throughout the night. This will be one of the last big events of the year, so take a look at the bill and tell us how you can afford to miss this one. Get yourself something nice for the Holidays: HoliDayton!

Shrug/The Poor Devils-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

...we're kicking off an amazing holiday weekend tonight over at Canal Street Tavern. Local heroes Shrug will be playing with the long-dormant The Poor Devils, making their first appearance in over 2 years. With a few good runs in the Dayton Band Play-Offs a few years a ago and a number of great songs in their stadium-sized alterna-pop cache (the song "89" is still one of the best out of Dayton in recent memory), it's good to welcome The Poor Devils back into action. Should be a great way to warm-up the weekend....

Memory Garden

...while there have been countless satellites hovering around the gravitational pull of the Guided By Voices galaxy for years, it's been a while since the elusive3 Dream Bag has made any waves. With the recent release of the disc, Memory Garden (released in a limited edition of 250, all with handmade collages), Greg Demos and Don Thrasher send out another series of smoke signals, clearly indicating their lineage. With the British Invasion and post-punk flavors running thick through the disc and the lo-fi banner in full view, this is a must-listen for any lover of all things GBV. For the remainder of the audience, we'd recommend starting with the tracks "Anita" and "Whispers Ring" and work yr way in from there....

Quietly

...after a couple of months of hiatus and lineup changes, local purveyors of doom, Mouth of the Architect emerged today with a new demo for the song "Quitely", which is now up on their Myspace page. With it's brooding tempo and soaring guitar lines, it seems to be a bit more hypnotic than some of their previous work, nodding more towards Neurosis or Explosions in the Sky than some of the more apparent hardcore/screamo tendencies the band has favored in the past. So far, we're liking what we hear and can't wait for more from MOTA in 2008....

sons and daughters

...it's just like '94 today as Pitchfork ran features on both The Breeders and Robert Pollard. In an interview with Kim Deal, she covers everything from her writing process to why the Pixies aren't going to do anything else to the upcoming album Mountain Battles to an on-stage interview with sister Kelley and recording guru and longtime collaborator Steve Albini at 3 am for charity...

...as if there isn't enough Robert Pollard material in circulation to establish his own wing of Library of Congress, here comes a regular. Due out Feb 12 is a single by The Takeovers, Little Green Onion Man(pictured above). In addition to Chris Slusarenko, this one features members of The Decembrists and Quasi...

...do what you must...

a message from the management....

...we apologize, dear readers, about the lack of visual evidence and show reviews this past week. Rest assured, we are still here for you and we are still covering the Dayton scene. We are currently hard at work in another capacity, striving to bring you the best coverage of Dayton music. We hope to back in full swing this week, covering all the shows you want to talk about. We're looking forward to Holidayton next Saturday and we'll most certainly see you there....

until then,
the buddha den

Fruit for the Egg

...if you're brave enough to head out in this mess of Ohio weather, you should head ver to Goloka Gallery tonight. Yeah, we know, this is two nights in a row. Well, they're making it happen. Tonight you've got Sleepybird heading things up with a special stage performance from the Zoot Theatre Company. Also performing tonight will be Captain of Industry. Two of Dayton's finest up against an ice storm. We'll take those odds....

...also, if you're particularly crafty and committed, hit up Grizzzzy Bear to find out the secret location of their performance tonight. Maybe they'll let you in...

Stivers Benefit w/Chicago Afrobeat Project-Tonight @ Goloka Gallery

...if you wanna do some good for your community tonight, head over to the Goloka Gallery in the Front Street Warehouses and check out all the art and good people rasing funds for the always-in-need Stivers School for the Arts. The main musical attraction this evening will be the Chicago Afrobeat Project, whose name pretty clearly states what you're in for. Also on hand will be numerous artists displaying their work and other various forms of merriment and mayhem. If you wanna do the right thing, we'll see you there...

Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience/Shawen Acres/Accidentally on Purpose-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

...tonight it's like 1991 all over again down at Canal Street Tavern. Yes kids, it's gonna get heavy. And you're likely to blow an eardrum. Call it the price of admission...

...opening the night will be Accidentally on Purpose, with their female-fronted alt/punk onslaught, this will serve as a perfect indication of what's to come...next up you've got Shawen Acres, fronted by none other than Mr. Nate Farley (ex-GBV, The Amps, The Method). With more than a nod towards Farley's last tenure but with a healthy dose of his punk roots showing, this should be a good one...rounding out the night is Dayton legend Mitch Mitchell (ex-GBV, Fathom Theory) with his Terrifying Experience v 2.0. Apparently recruiting several members of The Sailing to back him up, you know he's gonna be ungodly loud....

...brace yourself and get down there...

The Sailing/Five Deadly Venoms/Nostra Nova-Tonight @ Canal Street Tavern

...if you need to space out for a while during the holidays, tonight is a perfect opportunity. Over at Canal Street Tavern, we've got a trio of escapist rockers that just might transport you off the planet for a while...

...opening the night will be Nostra Nova in from Athens. With an extensive cast contributing to the sound (some of which include members of Yakuza Heart Attack and Southeast Engine), the lush, tribal sounds might appeal to fans of Akron/Family or Man Man... Next up you've got locals Five Deadly Venoms. While they've yet to release any of their material, the fact does little to diminish the impact of their jazz/prog explorations that recall early King Crimson and Zappa. ...rounding out the night are local interstellar explorers The Sailing. With their debut disc pending (due out in the Spring on Squids Eye Records), make the effort to catch these guys before they break. We did a few weeks ago and plan to do so again tonight. See you there....

Ohio Is The End

...in the late 90s in Dayton, Mink was one of the most promising bands on the scene. With impeccable songcraft and the enigmatic characters Nick Eddy(vocals) and Taylor Morgan (guitar/vocals) fronting the band, Mink seemed poised for greatness. Then...they were gone...

...with Morgan Taylor leaving for NYC and drummer Matt Espy leaving for Chicago, Mink were no more. Although they have individually made some waves over the years with new outfits, Dayton was left to speculate what could have happened with Mink. Sure there have been sightings at Canal Street Tavern over the years, but they seemed little more than nostalgia benders...

...well, on Saturday, December 22, Mink will fire off a new release from the cannon, the full length Come Over. Running the gamut from midwestern power pop to Brit-flavored shoegaze, the sample tracks on their Myspace page indicates that this will be a sublime treat from some treasured ex-patriates....

It's How They Show It....

...while they've been around for a couple of years now, Towhee continues to travel on the fringes of the Dayton music scene. They're subtle and subdued indie pop flavors set them apart from the more muscular offerings of the Gem City, but certainly do little to diminish the quality of the band's compositions.

On their debut disc, Streetlights (which was self-released earlier this year) Towhee draws heavily from the requisite Northwest pool of influences that include Modest Mouse, The Shins, and Death Cab for Cutie. However, the group seems to put their own distinct spin on the indie rock model du jour. Indeed, guitarist/vocalist Brandon Clark wears his Ben Gibbard proudly on his sleeve, but the addition and juxtaposition of occasional female vocals, courtesy of bassist Sarah Cooney, and Clark's distinctive lyrical imagery imbue the band's sound with it's own characteristics that place them outside of mere replication.

With understated shoegaze guitar flavors running through the material as well, Towhee's ability to produce dreamy indie-pop gems in this town add yet another interesting flavor to the city's eclectic blend of sonics...

...for the initiated, Towhee will be at Nite Owl this Saturday, December 15, along with all-female quartet Vanity Theft, Come On Caboose, and Orange Willard.

Making Plans for Daytonia....

...it's another Saturday night and we know you want to know what to do tonight. Well, you've got options kids...

...if you're inclined to stay closer to home, swing over to Oregon Express and show your support for musicians fallen on hard times, as there will be a benefit for Sohio, who recently had a majority of their gear stolen right out of their own home out near Trenton. The bands showing their love for their colleagues tonight will be Joe Anderl, The Goody Two Shoes, garage kings The Professors, and the elusive The American Static. You really couldn't ask for better bands to do a good thing for their mates...

...now, if you're willing to do a little driving and would prefer your rock n' roll on the harder end of the spectrum tonight, head out to W.O. Wright's to catch The Black Cigarettes' celebration of the release of their Full Flavor album. Trading in sludgy, yet sleazy metal (think G n' R and early, early Motley Crue crossed with Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath), these guys are full on rock. Odds are, you're gonna catch one hell of a show. Also on the bill will be Electric Smoke...

...so, make yr plans and we'll see you out there....

Buffalo Killers/Switchblade Serenade/Captain of Industry-Tonight @ Nite Owl 12.7.07

...arriving a bit late on this dreary, cold, rainy December evening, we only caught the last few numbers by the mighty Captain of Industry. In their case it isn't the quantity of songs we heard, but the quality. In the few songs we witnessed, our appetite was only further whetted for the upcoming release from one of Dayton's finest...


...in the sweet spot for the evening, local gararge/trash practitioners Switchblade Serenade celebrated the release of their debut, the No One Cares EP. While their distinctive brand of no-holds-barred rock n' roll won over most of the audience, their demeanor on stage left something to be desired as far as we were concerned. On previous occasions we'd seen and heard about the antics of this band and were prepared for a full-frontal onslaught on this evening. It was not to be, however, and we were left to stomp and shout through the set...



...batting clean-up this night was Cincinnati Golden Boys, Buffalo Killers. From the first note of their set, with the crowd pressed up to the stage and hoisting libations to the band, Buffalo Killers were not about to phone in this show to Dayton. With a blistering performance that was more akin to a Royal Albert Hall performance than just another night at the Nite Owl, Buffalo Killers' passion for rock n' roll and their dedication to the purest vein of the pursuit was in full evidence on this evening. For this, we could not have been more grateful...



For more photos from the evening, go here...

Buffalo Killers/Switchblade Serenade/Captain of Industry-Tonight @ Nite Owl

...the good folks at Do Tell Records have gone and done it again. They're putting on an incredible bill tonight at Nite Owl...dig it...

...opening the night will be Captain of Industry, fresh off a stint recording their new album in NYC and gearing up for a road trip backing up Happy Chichester. I can't imagine they'll be anything less than en fuego....

...celebrating the release of their No One Cares EP, Switchblade Serenade is certain to take the whole thing right up to the edge and spill it over into oblivion. We're also told that Dethfits will be on hand and will have coozies and such to distribute to the masses...

...oh, you wanted more? Yeah, Buffalo Killers. You want pure, from the source, HQ rock n' roll goodness? Delivered in spades. You can't miss with this one, and if you do miss it, we can't save you...

...get up. get out. get it on. see you there....

Joe Anderl/Mascot/Grizzzzy Bear/Outside Residential @ Pearl-12.6.07

As various members of the Circus Creative Collective gathered in the early evening at Pearl, we simply weren't sure what to expect from the evening. With art and crafts on display in the walkways surrounding the stage area and a widely varied cast of characters beginning to trickle in, we knew this evening could go in any direction...

...in his favored opening position, Joe Anderl began the musical portion of the evening with his somber, yet highly passionate, collection of tales of heartbreak and hope. Although Pearl hardly served as the ideal setting for such a set, Anderl's consummate storytelling drew a number of audients and held them captivated throughout his set. With a vigil of Johnny Depp at his feet, how could he not?




...after a set by Mascot, a revamped lineup of Squids Eye Records faves Grizzzzy Bear took the stage. On this particular evening, the band took a decidedly muscular approach, ditching their trademark synths and allowing the guitars to handle all of the melodies. As the guitars took the fore, the hip-hop and lo-fi flavors that dominate the band's debut disc were buried in favor of the trace punk elements that run through the disc. While we would admit that something was missing on this particular evening, the material still resonated with the near-capacity audience. In some of the more angular and prog sections, the band proved to us why they're still one of the most exciting and inventive bands in this town with or without their vintage synths....





...we apologize, dear readers that we did not maintain for the Outside Residential set. We can only do what we can do. If anyone has photos or commentary on the last set of the evening, we'd love to hear it...

...We'd like to thank the Circus Collective for putting on an amazing show. The turnout was spectacular and really drew in such a wonderful array of people to see so many different performers and artists. Nice work, kids. For more photos, go here.